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I'm scared, I feel a little bit hopeless, and I need your advice

Discussion in 'Family, Friends, and Relationships' started by peanutbutter897, Mar 19, 2016.

  1. peanutbutter897

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    During my sophomore year of high school I came out to my mom as gay. I lived in the US at the time. Her reaction was disbelief, laughter, and then anger. She said my friends turned me gay and blamed the educational system of the United States. She argued that no one in Japan is gay and that Americans are too abnormal. She told me that if I came out publicly my brothers and sisters will stay away from me in disgust and that my grandparents, my mother's side, who love me so dearly, will have a heart attack and die. All my fault.

    My father told me that I was too young to know (I was 15 at the time). He argued that he would be more accepting if I came out at a later age. He confirmed to me that he believed that it would be better to stay alone rather than come out as gay. He didn't want me to "focus" and "narrow" myself to being gay. He told me that his first reaction to my coming out was that I had to see a therapist. I told him that I wanted to move to San Francisco when I grow up cuz it seemed secure there. He freaked out.

    After my sophomore year was over my parents had me change schools by moving to a different city halfway across the state. They said that it was for my own benefit. My mother blamed me for all the stress of moving, saying that I'm "making her do all this". They told me specifically not to come out to anyone in my new school and to focus on making large groups of friends with guys. In my last school, my close friends were a group of girls. My dad referred to them as the "gay support group" a bit negatively.

    A bit of background - my mom is from Japan and my father is from the states. My mother takes the extra effort to take care of me - for example, making healthy food for dinner, telling me to brush my teeth everyday, etc. My mother is also a bit strict. My father on the other hand is loose, and is very lenient when it came to teenage privileges. However, if my father and my mother argue, my father is usually the one to apologize and say sorry. My mom constantly argues that my father is too lenient.

    Before I moved my mom stalked the facebook page of one of my friend's. That friend was a girl. That is how my parents found about my close group of friends that are girls. I lied about my close group as guys. My friend's mom called my dad about the whole facebook stalk thing. I don't know what heartbreaking story my dad told her, but that mom cried.

    My mom also tried to compromise with me, saying that I could come out after she died. So when I'm like 70 maybe.

    When my Junior year started at my new high school my dad told me he wanted me to experiment. He wanted me to date and dump many girls. And try to touch some booby or something. I didn't. I also didn't come out to anyone in my school, except the leader of the Gay-Straight alliance of the school. I told him that I felt troubled. He put me with the counselor of the new school. I didn't say much because it felt awkward.

    My mom talked about how if I stayed in my last place her friends would find out about me being gay because I already told some of my friends and they would gossip behind my back. I told her that if she was so afraid then I would change my name in the future so that her friends won't find out. She hit my face and called me horrible for wanting to "leave the family". She talked about how I wanted to "punish" her for something she did in the past and cried. She yelled that it was unfair that my dad wasn't home at the time to team with her. She tried to call my grandma in front of me to tell her I was gay but luckily my grandma didn't answer her phone.

    Later my mom hugged me to tell me that she loved me. She made it clear that I wouldn't be supported by the family or in college if I came out though.

    My dad got accepted at a job in Japan so the family moved again before halfway through my Junior year. This new school in Japan is small. It is an English school. The school is a bit more cliquey, and more homophobic. Friendships are more "fun" but less intimate. I am out to my close friends though (it is my Junior year right now).

    I asked my mom if we moved to Japan because I told her I was gay. She said no. She said that it was to stay close to her parents, my grandparents, because their time is getting shorter.

    Whenever something gay is depicted on television my mom makes it clear of her disgust. She also confirmed to me about her hate to gay people.

    In a year I'll be graduating and I'll have more freedom with college. However, my parents have a lot of money and it's assumed that I'll be reliant on that during college. My mom told me that I wouldn't be supported in college if I came out. They are also forcing me to take a college in Japan, Waseda specifically.

    Honestly, I want to take a college in the states... I feel more comfortable there. I feel that my friendships are more intimate there and that I can be happy there. I also feel that if I were to come out, the states are the best choice compared to Japan. Honestly, after I've been made to change schools, I started to care less about things. I deleted everything on my Instagram page (swiped away all my old friend) because I felt that people here in Japan are judgmental especially with a guy hanging with girls.

    I also want to start writing on Amazon and vlog on Youtube. But If I start acting like myself and I tell people about my writing or vlogs, I'll be outcasted in my school because it could be seen as weird. Honestly, I feel like I can't be anything here in Japan in fear of being outcasted.

    Anyway, I don't know what to do. I want to move to the states after my high school immediately but that means somehow raising a bunch of money myself and applying for that college behind my parents' backs. And then if I do that my my mom will probably tell my grandparents of me being gay and I can actually imagine them having a heart attack. My parents said that I can leave Japan after 2 years, but I will be withdrawn support if I came out! I can physically stay for 2 years, but I feel like I would go insane. I feel like I can't be myself till I choose my own college and be myself. But at that cost my grandparents will be shocked in their last years of their life. I know that my mom will tell them if I come out, because she said that I would be "forcing her to".

    So I want your advice on this situation, just any help or insight. Especially with the thing with college. What's the best route? =x

    Am I making sense? I dunno. It's past my bedtime =P Thanks for reading and goodnight <3
     
  2. FalconBlueSky00

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    Japanese culture is all about conforming so I can see how it would be much more difficult there. One of my friends is a college professor, but he's got to be one of the weirdest guys I know. He realized at one point that he couldn't be who he is to everyone and keep a job where he wanted to work. He created a separate Facebook account under a made up name so that it can't be googled back to him, then contacted the people he was close to, to friend them. It's not a great solution but it might give you some privacy from your mother and a outlet for your emotions. I worry about the mental stress and isolation you are feeling. Japan has a rep for a bad mental health system, but if you start feeling very depressed tell your dad. Tell him repeatedly if you have to.

    There is nothing you can do that will kill your grandparents. What your mother is doing is mean. Even if they find out, and if they have health problems that is in no way your fault. I don't think that they would be excited, but they will probably cope. I expect what they will really want to hear is a promise that you will have a child. There are a lot of ways to go about that these days, and if you are comfortable with the thought of having a kid in the distant future I would let them know it's in your life plan.

    Your right that either way you go college will be difficult finacially or emotionally. There isn't a right or wrong choice. If you can find a way to cope emotionally accept the financial help then do what's best for you after college. If you can't find a way to cope it's best that you Make your way to the states and start out at a community college. You can get a two year degree without much debt. Here is a article on some. This isn't all there is you need to do research on median salaries for others. I think radiology tech is a two year as well. ( the school is VERY hard though) sort of like medical boot camp.
    Why a Two-Year Degree May Be Your Best Investment - The Simple Dollar
    Check school residency requirements in Austin tx if you live in the city a year before you start college you get a big discount for being a resident student. With a two year degree you can make enough money to save up for a bachelors degree without a life time of debt.

    Best of luck. Your in a hard situation, but you can make it through. It will end in time and you will be independent. Tell yourself everyday that you are one step closer. And seriously ask your dad for help if you are in mental trouble.
     
  3. FalconBlueSky00

    Full Member

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    Location:
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    Japanese culture is all about conforming so I can see how it would be much more difficult there. One of my friends is a college professor, but he's got to be one of the weirdest guys I know. He realized at one point that he couldn't be who he is to everyone and keep a job where he wanted to work. He created a separate Facebook account under a made up name so that it can't be googled back to him, then contacted the people he was close to, to friend them. It's not a great solution but it might give you some privacy from your mother and a outlet for your emotions. I worry about the mental stress and isolation you are feeling. Japan has a rep for a bad mental health system, but if you start feeling very depressed tell your dad. Tell him repeatedly if you have to.

    There is nothing you can do that will kill your grandparents. What your mother is doing is mean. Even if they find out, and if they have health problems that is in no way your fault. I don't think that they would be excited, but they will probably cope. I expect what they will really want to hear is a promise that you will have a child. There are a lot of ways to go about that these days, and if you are comfortable with the thought of having a kid in the distant future I would let them know it's in your life plan.

    Your right that either way you go college will be difficult finacially or emotionally. There isn't a right or wrong choice. If you can find a way to cope emotionally accept the financial help then do what's best for you after college. If you can't find a way to cope it's best that you Make your way to the states and start out at a community college. You can get a two year degree without much debt. Here is a article on some. This isn't all there is you need to do research on median salaries for others. I think radiology tech is a two year as well. ( the school is VERY hard though) sort of like medical boot camp.
    Why a Two-Year Degree May Be Your Best Investment - The Simple Dollar
    Check school residency requirements in Austin tx if you live in the city a year before you start college you get a big discount for being a resident student. With a two year degree you can make enough money to save up for a bachelors degree without a life time of debt.

    Best of luck. Your in a hard situation, but you can make it through. It will end in time and you will be independent. Tell yourself everyday that you are one step closer. And seriously ask your dad for help if you are in mental trouble.
     
  4. Elliottbfh

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    I think that you should do as you want. I know that's not much help. I think you should go to the states where your close/old friends are. You'll be over/at the age of 18, so your parents will have no control over where you go. I know that it's not easy being in a homophobic family since I come from one as well, but you need to do what you need to do to support yourself. Your mother does love you, as she's said. I'm sure your father does too. Your whole family must love you. I think you should go to the states to go to college and just to live if it's what you really want to do. However, friendly reminder that America is just as homophobic as Japan, but there's bunches more of homosexuals, etc in the states so it's seemingly not as homophobic. It'll be more stress, effort, time, energy, and money in order to save up to put yourself through college, but it'll be worth it, especially since you'll be surrounded by people who love and support you. It's still up to you, but that's just my humble opinion on the situation.

    My god, you're so strong. Don't give up, you've only began.