If you are gay/bi..did your parents know when you were a child?

[Roon]

My little brother was a no brainer, everyone knew right away. When I came out of the closet, I was a shock to everyone.

Did your parents know when you were growing up? I just want to hear other stories about this.

Thanks!

[hedgehog]

1. My daughter hung around with gays and took some gay studies

at college, but I thought she was motivated by her sympathy for the underdog. i was a little worried that she needed some friends she didn't feel sorry for. I asked her something about it, and she told me she was gay. It was a little startling for a moment, and took a few hours to process, but then I was "So you're gay. Huh. Dating any nice girls?"

[seabeyond]

2. my brothers in law came out when hubby and i got married. they were 24 and 27

the youngest wasnt a surprise. the older was. i hear the story that they sat down with conservative, texan, catholic parents. told them. the father stood up without a word, went to brothers and hugged them. that was it.

unconditional love

the parents left the catholic church in about 2002 or 2003 because how the religion preached about gays. they loved their catholic religion. they loved there sons more.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

5. love that story

[Taverner]

7. "they loved their catholic religion. they loved there sons more."

I love THAT

[Rhythm]

3. My folks knew long before i told them...

I don't know how old i was when they came to the realization that their 'little girl' wasn't straight (i knew as early as 6th or 7th grade), but they knew before i formally came out in high school (in the mid-80's).

I guess they just used the usual preconceived stereotypes to base their realizations on. I was always one who had to be virtually wrestled into a dress or heels, couldn't stand the idea of putting on makeup (unless it was of the theatrical variety), played sports (basketball and softball), and loved nothing better than to help my dad work on the cars. I was never what society deems 'girly' in any respect.

Fortunately, despite their conservative social and religious beliefs, they had no qualms accepting that i was attracted to other girls; unlike so many other horror stories i've heard and read, i wasn't forced out of the family/home, and was even encouraged to bring home whomever i was dating--even for family holiday gatherings.

[xchrom]

4. i was in a dress and high heels til about 7

so NOBODY was surprised.

[RZM]

6. I'm not gay but . . .

When I was about 17, my father asked me if I was -- It really bothered me -- not because I minded being associated with homosexuality, but rather since I obsessed about women all of the time I felt that it was a fundamental mis-appraisal of my identity on his part. But when I got to thinking, I realized that I'd never had a girlfriend and never shared my romantic thoughts with my parents, so combined with the large numbers gays in my family, it was I guess logical on his part to wonder about it. But mostly it was a stark reminder that I was way behind my peers when it came to interacting with the opposite sex :). The line I like to use is: 'God intended me to to be gay, but something went horribly, horribly wrong' :)

[Dr Morbius]

8. Yeah, I was just thinking, if you're straight, when you were growing up did your parents know? (nt)

[Patiod]

9. I had that happen, and it was infuriating

After college, I hung around with one of my jock-y friends from high school. Although we both had a lot of dates in college, things dried up afterward and we had trouble meeting men, which is not unusual at that time of life.

Both my mother and her father accused us of being gay. Yikes. Way to totally not understand your kid.