PR Exec James Delamare shares his coming story…
I came out to my mum and dad on New Year’s Eve 2012. This time round I had decided not to go out do anything crazy and chose to go to the pub with my folks and keep it low key.
Now, my parents have always been in touch with their emotions and have always shown their love and support in everything I’ve done. And on this evening they were no different, telling me how they would love me and be there for me no matter who I am or what I wanted to do.
When they said that, I decided to question them a bit further (the beer had given me some extra confidence!) and said ‘why, what do you mean?’. What my mum said next took me totally by surprise. ‘Well, we know you’re gay!’ she said matter-of-factly. In that split second, I asked myself should I carry on denying and lying about the fact I was gay and continue to live this double life I’d been leading? Or I could just get this out in the open once and for all and say ‘Yes, yes I am gay!’
In the end, with my stomach in knots I merely shrugged and said ‘yeah, I am!’ Dad started to get teary and my mum said ‘well yeah we’ve always known. Now, who wants another drink? And that was that!
I am so very happy and lucky about how my mum and dad reacted to me being gay. I have many, many friends who’s stories are truly shocking and it makes baffles me to hear how their parents have reacted. One thing I wish my parents DID do was to ask and question me more about my lifestyle and relationships, but I guess its just one of those things we’ve consciously decided never to speak about.