How do I come out (in practical terms) ?

After giving this quite a lot of thought, I've decided I want to come out to my homophobic parents.
I've read quite a few of the "what-to-expect" and "how-to-do-it" guides available on the internet, but I must confess I am really not much more in the know than before.

The problem is that I don't really know how to come out in practical terms. In general I'm usually the subtle type, giving hints about how I feel about things rather than hitting people with my opinion directly.

I semi-tried to come out to my mother a few months back (over the telephone) and started off with something like "Don't you ever wonder why we never talk about my private life ?". The reaction wasn't really good, she kept changing the subject to totally unrelated things and refused to go anywhere near a discussion of that subject.

For a while I thought about writing letter, but I'm really afraid that it’ll land in the bin and we'll end up never talking about the subject again.

So I'd have to be a bit more direct this time, but somehow I can't picture myself going into the living room and, passing by, casually saying "Hi guys. By the way, I'm not into girls !" I guess I just need a good way to start a conversation on the topic.

Any ideas ?

 

In a way you are absoultely right. In fact I didn't really consider coming out to them (and haven't done so thus far), because up til now I didn't really care what they thought. We just didn't talk about it and that was fine by me.
However lately they have become more and more adament that I should finally get a wife and marry, usually paired up with awkward remarks about "homosexuals and their disgusting life-style".
So - I've come to a point where I can either break-off contact more or less completely or come-out and hope for the best (a sudden change of heart, I guess).