Hello and thank you EC!

Hi all

I joined a couple of months ago and got some really helpful advice via a private chat with one of the admin guys.

I will post my story soon, but basically I became very tearful and upset after watching the YouTube video 'Coming out letter for Mom' by Iwantacceptance. The stupid thing is that I came out in 1985 when I was 20! I have been with my fantastic partner for 26 years and we had our civil partnership 8 years ago!

After watching the video I was compelled to write to my parents and tell them how is was for me growing up and how hard that evening was when I came out to them. I left the letter with them when I left to go home one evening.

I got a call a couple of days later and after a few words my mum burst into tears. My parents had no idea of course! I went straight over to see them and when I arrived dad was in the kitchen huddled over the sink in tears! He gave me a big hug and said, 'Sorry, I didn't understand' . I don't know what he didn't understand!

That was back in February. Since then I have been on a bit of a rollercoaster with me being very tearful and having to go and have a long chat with them about things. These were things like I wish that had had access to support forums (like this!) when I was growing up, and how much fear and loneliness it brought flooding back to me when reading the stories on here as they are exactly the emotions that I went through. Fear and loneliness that I must have buried so deep that it is only just coming out now.

But now, I am starting to feel so much more confident in myself. The positive comments from members are inspiring and so helpful.

I don't have contact with any gay people any more (apart from my wonderful Civil Partner), and I guess that I hadn't noticed how much the world has moved on in the past 30 years!

Thanks EC, you're are doing a fantasic job! I might even try to persuade the other half to go to London Pride this year!