Parents can have a range of reactions to their children coming out of the closet, as we all know. And on what we’ll call the Spectrum of Surprise, one Reddit user’s mom landed far from the “What?!” side and closer to “And…?”
As seen in a screenshot posted to the r/lgbt subreddit recently, that user sent Mom a viral clip of YouTuber iDubbbz saying “I’m gay!”
Mom texts back, “Haha that’s a funny video.”
“No but like I’m actually gay,” the Redditor replies.
“Didn’t u already tell me this,” Mom asks.
“No???” the flummoxed Redditor responds.
Other Reddit users hit the comments of the thread to say that they once lived in a glass closet, too.
“When I told my family, they were like, ‘Yeah, no sh*t. We just wanted to wait till you came out to us,’” one recalled. “They were not miffed I was LGBTQ, they were mad I told my friends and stuff before them, lol.”
Another commenter wrote, “When I came out, I was so eager to tell people. The first six (six!) individuals I told were all like, ‘Yeah, I know.’ It really took the wind out of my newly-proud sails.”
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“This is cringe and adorable. Props to dad!”
A third person related the story of the time they came out to their amusingly-confused grandmother: “I told my grandma I was trans, and she said, ‘Yeah, I figured,’ followed immediately by ‘Well, I was wondering which one of my grandkids was gonna be some kind of gay.’”
And a parent chimed in on the thread, too, sharing a wholesome story with a twist ending.
“When my son came out, he was super surprised when I said, ‘Makes sense, did you mow the lawn?’ He was sure it was as much of a revelation to us as it was to him, but man, I raised this kid. I saw him blush talking to boys when he was younger and found his porn history on the computer. But I did my best to treat him exactly the same after. He’s my son,” the parent wrote.
“On the other hand, he was pretty surprised when I came out as bi/pan in my 40s, lol.”
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Mexican TV host Fer Sagreeb comes out as gay after breaking down in tears during a reality show
Fer Sagreeb had an emotional coming out on national television.
Huron132
First person I told was my very close friend. I was so nervous and wasn’t sure what would happen. I sat her down told her that I had something to tell her that was serious and not respond quickly. I said I was gay and she said “Do you have a problem with this?”. After that I stopped, because everyone knew!
joefsh
I am a bit older came out late 1970’s. I walked away from all my high school straight friends thinking there would be a rejection, BUT thankfully years later we all connected and my very good friend at that time said to me years later – we all knew, and didn’t care – it was my prejudice and fears that affected our friendships not theirs.
As for family, always remember, Mothers are the first to know and the last to admit
radiooutmike
We all have our own journey. I’d really like to congratulate everyone who comes out at such a young age.
I remember back in sophomore year of college in 1986, when I finally had some friends and a social life. Every so often I would be sitting with my friends at one of the URI dining halls, and think, “What if I just came out and told everyone I was gay?” I never did though. I was too frightened to upset the merest nugget of normality I had at that time.
It’s so nice hear some immediate acceptance in coming out stories. I wish I gave myself and my friends the same opportunity.