How My Family Adjusted to My Sexuality

I came out to my friends in middle school and to my mom and siblings during my senior year of high school (though I think I told my sister well before that). My mom did not take it well at first. It was very dramatic, and I ended up staying at my friend’s house and then my dad’s house for the first week after I told her. She came to be fine with it eventually, but not before an adjustment period.

It was not an issue of contention again until I went on my first date with a woman and then, there was again a period of adjustment. She is accepting of it now, and I have never felt unsafe or unloved or anything, but she still tells me that she hopes I will marry a man someday.

I am not really sure how I realized I was not straight. I do not think there was a specific moment really, but I do know that during middle school I was very attracted to my best friend.

Since coming out, talking about it makes my mom cranky. In response to my telling people my sexuality, frat boys have told me “that’s hot,” and other queer people usually get excited. However, nothing super negative has been said to my face.

Coming out is definitely still an issue for some people. Obviously, things are much better now than they used to be, but families are not always supportive.

Non-city areas are not necessarily safe, and trans people of color have the highest rate of death by homicide of any group of people. So, we still have a long way to go In terms of acceptance.

Since the legalization of same-sex marriage, homophobia seems to have decreased, but I’m not entirely certain of to what extent.

LGBTQ+ representation in the media has increased over time, but it could always be better. Specifically concerning trans people; there is not a ton of representation, and when there is it can be sketchy.