Im worried how my family is going to react

Question:

So I’m proudly gay and I’m out about it too, but only to my friends and a few of my family members.  My grandparents and aunt are the only ones who don’t know so I told my grandmother and now she won’t even look at me. I was just wondering if this is normal, what should I do about it, and if I should tell my aunt and granddad?

Letter submitted by:

Answer:

Hello,

Thank you so much for writing in and being brave enough to come out to your family and friends.  Doing such a thing takes a lot of courage.

It sounds like you have a very understanding and accepting group of friends.  It also sounds like most of your family members are accepting as well.  It is too bad that your grandmother won’t look at you; however, this does not mean that she doesn’t still love you.  Sometimes it takes people a bit longer to come to terms with certain things, but you should be proud that you were honest with your grandmother and felt comfortable coming out to her.  Unfortunately, you cannot go back in time and un-tell your grandmother this, but with time she will hopefully come to understand where you are coming from.

Just because your grandmother reacted in this way, does not mean that your granddad and aunt will react the same way.  The great thing about people is that we are all individuals and we are all different individuals.  It’s difficult to say if they will react similarly to how your grandmother did or if they will respond  like the rest of your friends and family.  In either case, you are the only one who can make the decision to tell them.  If you feel comfortable enough to tell them, then that is awesome, but make sure that you are ready for how they will respond.  If you are not ready to tell them, then that is okay as well.

Who you come out to and when you come out to them is entirely your decision.  You have all the control and all the power with this and you have already shown so much courage.  If you need to talk to us live, give us a call at 866.488.7386 or you can write back in to us again at Ask Trevor.

Best Wishes!

Trevor Staff