So I drafted a coming out letter to my parents. Not sure if I'll use it yet or just sit down and talk to them but I want to at least keep it as a backup in case my voice fails me. Please comment if you can. Thanks Dear Mom and Dad, As a child you both let me be myself and I couldn’t have been a happier boy growing up as a result. I felt the way every child should feel – open, honest and genuinely happy. Thank you for that. I say thank you because I was an effeminate boy and I know that that must have been difficult for two parents to watch their child developing in that way and giving him the greenlight to ‘be himself’ despite concerns about bullying, discrimination and what it might mean for his adulthood. The truth is as a child I was just effeminate and nothing more. I didn’t have an inkling about sexuality and I didn’t care to know anything about it. It wasn’t until I turned twelve when I became an adolescent that I noticed my preferences were different from most other boys’. At the age of fourteen, when I realized that being ‘myself’ wasn’t as acceptable as it was when I was a child, I made a conscious decision to fake being like everybody else in order to fit in. I noticed that my laughter often made people cringe so I decided that that was the key to changing my appearance. So I made an effort to not display my happiness to the outside world. Sadly, it worked and people started treating me like just another normal teenager. I had ample opportunities where I could have come out to you but I had officially experienced what it was to be different and what it was to be normal and I just wanted normal for a little longer. Unfortunately lies and pretences have a way of building up over time and I couldn’t just take it all back just like that. I’d built an entire image and lifestyle around my lies. Well fast-forward to me at thirty-one and I haven’t been in a serious relationship to date. I have been a shell of myself because of this image I’ve created and fostered over the years. Now I can’t really continue like this anymore and I hope you still have it in you to let me ‘be myself’ the way you did when I was a child. Mom, Dad, I am a gay man and I am completely okay with that. After spending most of my life in the shadows, I’m ready to just be myself again and let go of the false image I’ve created. I hope you are willing to stay with me on this leg of my journey because I could really use your support. With Love
Your letter sounds great! Congrats in accepting yourself, and I'm wishing you good luck and support in coming out to your family.
Thank you. It feels great accepting who I am. Just one more step and I'll be free! ---------- Post added 24th Sep 2013 at 01:14 PM ---------- Thank you. And great quote
Password, I'm really proud of you! I found your letter extremely relatable, personally. I also think it's great that you took the time to compliment your parents for letting you be yourself as a child. It's always best to highlight the positives, and they will appreciate the acknowledgment. Do you have a support system where you live? Gay friends you can lean on? Are your parents the first people you're coming out to? Best of luck! We're all rooting for you here.
Thanks SeniorDiscount. I've told an old friend who touched base with me recently by email. But she lives on a different continent from me and we haven't spoken in more than a year, so she was a just baby step. I live in the Caribbean, which isn't the most gay-friendly place on earth so there isn't much of an openly gay community here to turn to. Fortunately, even though there isn't a physical gay community where I am, I still have the emptyclosets community. Also, I'm as excited as much as I am scared so that helps what I'm feeling right now. Thanks for the kind words ---------- Post added 24th Sep 2013 at 03:35 PM ---------- Thanks so much HopeFloats. I appreciate the support
