I was always out. Even before I was born, my great-grandmother said to mother "Oh, this one is going to be queer".
My Great-Grandmother, 1894-1986, she had seen it all. .
When I was in High School, at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas, I obtained this boyfriend (who to this day is a major community activist who advocates for the Latino/a community on the subject of HIV/AIDS in Texas). Well, I was about to go away to college, and even if my BF was a year older than I was, he still had to graduate and my parents were moving to Chicago. Well, they invited my BF to move with us, and my mother paid for him to attend the private Arts Academy there. We were not to be split up.
My good friend and my first real boyfriend, Steven V. (we stayed together for five years, and met as HS Sophomores and are still friends today) came out to my mother one Sunday morning over breakfast in Illinois. Her response? "Tell me something I don't already know". We had scrambled eggs, which was what she didn't know. My parents, grandparents, and my great-grandmother accepted me and my partners for who we were. Which is pretty amazing but not unsurprising given our New England heritage.
There is my sad, sad "coming out" drama, where everyone knew (even I knew but still) and which was totally anti-climactic. They all knew before I'd admit it.
As we wind down Pride Month, I'd like to ask for your "coming out" stories, and even more, the stories from our Straight allies as to how you came out in support of LGBT civil rights.
What we're celebrating this month is not just "Gay Pride" or "Stonewall", but a real move forward for the dignity of LGBT persons everywhere. Our straight allies have a lot to do with this. Let's tell our stories. Let's talk about our humanity--and please, if you have a less anti-climactic coming out story than I do, do tell it. It takes all kinds in the overarching community of common humanity--straight OR gay. If you're a straight ally, tell how you came out to support equality and civil rights of your LGBT friends, neighbors and fellow Citizens.