Feeling ready to come out to parents & relatives.

I'm 18 and gay. I'm out only to a couple friends who are LGBT themselves. I'm at a point where I'm comfortable with who I am and want to just be open and honest about myself to everyone. I am not ashamed or guilty but rather have learned to be proud. I frankly don't care what anyone thinks of me or my life or who accepts me or not. I will always accept myself and there are always plenty of other people who will accept me, no matter how many more don't.

In a couple weeks, my family is going on a week long beach trip to Florida with my aunt and uncle who live several hours away and who we only see every several months. Just to give a little picture of my life and family, I grew up in a small, conservative Mississippi town, where I still live with my parents and sister. My father is the minister of a local conservative church, where he has, in just the past couple months, referred to homosexuals as "literally worthless" and said that they "contribute nothing at all to society". I think I needn't go on any further about him. My mother regularly makes comments about those people and says things such as, "They're everywhere!" My aunt said, about some Home Depot employees who were killed in a tornado: "Well, they deserved it!", the reason being that Home Depot as a corporation supports some LGBT rights organizations. Anytime someone mentions someone else to her, she makes sure to point out to that person right away if that person is gay/bi or even has some gay/bi friends.

As I stated earlier I don't really care anymore what anyone thinks of the fact that I am gay. I cannot change it and neither can anybody else. I'm just not completely sure how to go about coming out. I don't have a good relationship with my parents and I never talk about personal stuff to them. There's no way I can be too confrontational about it. I just need to sorta mention it when one of them brings up the topic, and mention the fact like it's no big deal. They already know I reject a lot of their other values and beliefs, and tbh I think my dad might have some minor clue about my orientation too though he would still probably be surprised for me to come out. My mom brings up the issue quite often, like anytime a gay or lesbian person is on TV she refers to them as "a very immoral person". So I think little things like this are good ways of mentioning it without having to bring it up myself. I just want to put it out there, same as I do with everything, and not start some big coming out conversation. Like if the example I mentioned earlier were to happen soon, I'd probably ask what she means by "a very immoral person" and when she says it's because they're a homosexual I might say something like "So? So am I. That has nothing to do with morality." I already say stuff like that a lot, except with other beliefs or values of theirs, they're used to me being verbal about my own opinions on issues. She would probably be a bit taken back but not really outwardly unaccepting, and the same with my dad. That's how they are, once they realize I'm gay myself then they will try not to make a big deal out of it around me or start an argument about it (though of course they would still disapprove just as much). My aunt is the one I'm most worried about because she very well may be outwardly disapproving to me and might go around telling everybody else about my "godless, immoral lifestyle". My uncle would disapprove but probably not say anything about it to me or whatever, I've noticed that anytime my aunt says some crazy thing he sorta tries to tell her how she comes across lol. I think this trip might be a good chance to simply mention that I'm gay around them but not try to start something big. I just want to mention it so they know. If that's all I do, then they might not bring it up at all again, and neither would I. I just want everyone to know.

So, yeah. There's my story and kinda what I would like to happen. I'm hoping I can just put it out there and they'll be a bit taken back but eventually come to terms with it, and they will see how confident, etc. I am myself. I'm just still not sure about some of it and I'm still quite nervous about how people will react, especially once you consider that after I'm open to several family members like this then word will spread and it could be everybody before long, and while I think I'd be ok at this point with everyone knowing, I still think it would be nice to try to take it a little slower if possible.

Any advice at all? And sorry for the long post. Kind of an important issue to me.