I'm in an age-gap relationship with a woman and we are currently closeted (we were outed to some ppl, but none of them is important in our lives). Our families will really freak out if we tell them. We live in Russian suburbia in the middle of nowhere, so things won't change. There is no LGBT+ support in my town whatsoever, so my partner suggested we should move to a bigger city where no one really knows us and where the public is at least a tiny bit less hostile. It's a great plan, except for some "but's"... 1) She has kids. They don't live with her, but she sees them regularly. It's messy because her ex is a jerk. I'm afraid she won't be able to leave this bloody town and her children, even though she keeps saying she'll figure it out. I'm afraid she'll bail out eventually. 2) I'm finishing my Bachelor's degree in a couple of months and planning to get Master's. It looks like a perfect plan to apply to a university in some other city and move there with my girlfriend. Still, I'm worried about the financial side of the deal. Even if I get scholarship for my study, we'll need money to rent a place and stuff like that. I'll be able to work part-time at best. My productivity is low because of depression or some similar mental health issues. Plus my partner will need to get another job, most likely it'll be something of lower status than the one she has now. I want a fresh start, but I'm not sure if we can get out of here... The alternative plan is to stay put and come out. I'll find some distant study program and a "decent" job. Then we'll move in together, so our families are gonna have to be informed. Their reaction will be devastating, and they'll make the whole town a living hell for us. Though it's much easier financially to stay here, the homophobia might ruin us. Sorry for so many specifics. I have no one to talk to about my queer relationship and no one "qualified" enough to advise anything. Maybe some of you have had a similar dilemma. I'll be happy to get advice or support from you.
