*goes up to parents of a random guy from the neighborhood* "Excuse me Mam. I would like you to know that your son has been seen with KNOWN HOMOPHOBES. You may want to take care of that before they turn him into a KNOWN HOMOPHOBE as well. Have a nice day!"

I've tried all my life to be a "known homosexual", but nobody ever seems to remember or recognize me. Maybe if I was as cute as this guy...

I’m a. 63yr old gay man with a much older Gay brother named Pat. When Pat was about 18 or 19 Dad confronted him saying that he’d found out that Pat had been seen around town with known homosexuals and threatened to throw him out. Pat simply smiled and called Dad on the fact that he knew for a fact that Dad had a cute little Latino boyfriend he kept on the side! Needless to say dad was furious, Pat got tossed out and all hell broke loose. I was 5yrs old at the time and missed out on all the drama. 15yrs later I came out as gay, Mom lost it, but Dad just shrugged and chuckled and just kept eating his breakfast LOL! I had no idea about Dads bisexual antics until years and years later, long after he had passed. Pat was 72 at the time and casually told me this story over drinks...what a family.

I always knew my son was gay so I tried to educate myself as much as possible about it. I would always let him know I loved him unconditionally. When he came out at the age of 16 yrs old I was forever trying to " fix" him up with cute boys. We still laugh about it today. I eventually did get to dance at his wedding 7 years ago. He is happy so I am happy I love my son in law. No mother can ask for more for her children except grandkids still waiting. Lol

I read the title and I was just like “me too my dude” (Also his hand writing is astoundingly beautiful)

Short story long. I had been nervous to tell my parents I am gay for years, but when I met my first somewhat serious boyfriend, I finally did. My dad would rather avoid the subject, so my mom had "no-one" to support her with her dilemma.... She called her sister the next day (did I tell you I had dealt with it on my own for years?) It was decided (not by me) that all their siblings would be privy to "her" secret if the subject ever came up in conversation, but that their mother, my grandmother, would be spared the burden. I moved abroad to live with my boyfriend the year after. My parents have been very supportive and my mom has made the long journey to visit me and my boyfriend several times. I went back about once a year, sometimes with my boyfriend, sometimes alone. One of these times I happened to be back in my parents home on my birthday, and my grandmother called my mother to say her "happy birthday to your son". I picked up the phone, to my grandmother's happy surprise. We talked a little and she finally asked how long I was staying and when I was going back. I answered only 10 days and leaving day after tomorrow. To which she replied... "Yeah you can't leave your boyfriend alone too long, if you love him" Nobody had "officially" told her. She had understood her children's innuendoes and as we later learned she had proudly told some of her friends that she had a gay grandchild. She must have been well in her 80's at the time. So proud of her.

Straight ally from the speaker's hometown of Louisville here. Shout out from da Ville, and our strong LGBTQA community!

I love these oral histories and feel so proud to know and learn from them. Thank you, Michael!

A very kind man. I can see that he has great parents.

"You may want to take care of that before they turn him into one." That just blows my mind. You cannot turn a person into being a homosexual. Either you are one or you're not.

My Beloved Mother, still going strong at 85 years young, needed to know directly from me why my marriage ended abruptly, after being outed by someone who saw me in a gay bathhouse, and told my ex wife’s close friend. Adding to a Lifetime of her iconic and comical responses, was this: “Steven, I love you no matter what, but after 5 children that’s a fine how do you do,”

What percentage of people have a positive experience of coming out? It’s such a hard and scary thing, especially at that time. It’s nice to hear stories of such loving parents.

I'm sorry you lost your partner, Michael. I know how it is to lose someone you love like that.

I came out to my parents when I was 21. They suggested electric shock therapy, but I said, no I'm good thanks. They seemed to accept it but my dad masked his opinion for most of his life. He was very controlling and occasionally abusive towards my mum. Towards the end of her life she became ill and as the elder son, it fell to me to help arrange her care as he wasn't being a responsible adult at that point, and that was something that he resented even though I tried to keep my interference to an absolute minimum. He was very difficult and abusive with both me and my brother and we wouldn't accept that so we distanced ourselves from him. When he died, he disinherited both me and my brother, and he wrote a four page letter to his executor where he told him how to 'manage' me if I contested the will. His real opinion came out in that letter, four pages of hate. I had a fundamental weakness of character because I was gay, could never stick at anything, had no morals or ethics. This was not an image any of my friends would recognise. He also suggested to the executor that if I contested the will, they should speak to my long term partner because he would 'see sense'. I saw the letter the week before he died. I had gone to the house to pick up some things to to take to his care home, and as happens in the UK, they had reached the point where they decide whether the State or the Estate should pay for his care. I had power of attorney, so I had to look through his stuff to try to find out how to administer his affairs. When I read the letter, I thought, 'you accept this, you really are a doormat'. Everything else is 'dutiful son', this is 'doormat'. I took his stuff up to the care home and dropped it off, and explained to the nurse that I wasn't coming back and I said why. He died about 3 months later. I knew he had died as soon as I woke up in the morning and so did my brother. We both just felt this overwhelming sense of relief. I arranged his funeral, I wrote and delivered his eulogy, and none of his friends would have realised what he'd done. I knew they'd been told things about me but I didn't think it was fair to taint their memory of him and I wanted them to maybe at least question what they'd been told. I still remember looking down that church and seeing angry faces glowering at me but most of them softened by the end of the service. My brother and I decided to just walk away, a surprisingly easy decision to make. In the longer term, what he did was kill his own legacy. We didn't go back and take anything from our childhood home, because he'd made it clear he didn't want us to have it, and nobody else wants that stuff, so his life ended up in a skip. We are both doing fine. He wasn't much of a dad growing up, but it does make it easier to move on if there is nothing there to miss.

You're lucky, my father got a phone call from a high school counselor I had confided in. He beat me unconscious and when I woke up, some of my clothes were stuffed in a garbage bag. My father told me to get out and don't come back. I was 17.

The first person I come out that I was gay. That’s my sister . I cried and said that “I’m not straight I’m gay” The answer I got from my sister is👇 #I don’t care what you are straight , Circle, triangle or square .I love you because you are my brother” WTF..Her answer made me speechless !! 😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳 Her answer made my tears stop flowing. And made me had hard laughed😂😂😂 It may not be the best answer .But I love it.

The best thing to do is wait until you have graduated high school and are out on your own if you have to “come out” to your parents. Then you’re on equal footing. If they turn out to be unsupportive then just move to a distant metropolitan area and cut contact. You’ll make ‘your own’ family. It’ll be THEIR loss....not yours.

“Your son has been seen with known homosexuals “ -said the man who probably had the hots for his son and felt guilty.

Thank you for this. It is lovely. I cried when you spoke of your father telling you he was proud of you in seeing how you lived your life in light of the challenges you faced. I had a similar conversation with my father on a family pilgrimage to Bosnia in 1993. Several years later he presented me with a picture of the Blessed Mother and said it was in memory of "when we met." I was initially confused but then it dawned on me how important that moment had been to him. He died a year ago at 97 and I miss his unconditional love but I feel his presence with me. Thanks for reminding me of this most precious blessing. Your parents sound wonderful.

What a nice man, and full of wisdom.

Video is beautiful. I just cant get over the fact that people think you can ‘turn’ someine homosexual. Like bish!? We are not zombies or vampires. We are just the most fabulous people you’ll meet

What a blessing this guy had in his loving parents. It’s ok for parents or people in general not to understand being gay if they are not gay themselves.. but to not understand something and still love and accept a person and to have dialogue and compassion is everything we all want. Wonderful video.

I think KZfaq has figured out that I’m not straight judging by this being the 5th time I’ve seen a driftwood video in my recommendations XD

I’m bisexual and I never told any of my friends or family, I’ve never came out. I just rocked up one day with a guy then another day with a girl and I never bothered to explain myself. I kept thinking all my friends and family would say something but they could care less and we never talk about it lol I’m happy so that’s enough for them.

This story is beyond incredible! His parents are such strong people to actually use their brains when I'm sure everyone around them were of a differing opinion. I love the Catholic therapist had the strength to not follow the church's views and instead follow his training. I'm sure this therapist helped the parents come to terms with what they already knew, that it was ok to love and support their son.

Every child deserves parents like yours.

You truly have wonderful parents.

Incredibly beautiful. Perfect example when your parents surprise you in a positive and loving way❤❤❤

I love your Dads later reaction.. almost word for word what my Dad's was. At first he had a rough time with having a gay son and he actually blatantly favored my brothers ,it I got strung out on meth and he begged me to come home and get clean and work with.hom and I did and after a bout a year we were driving home from work and he told me how proud he was of me. He said "Of all my boys...". He had really supported me those months and he helped me get clean.

What a lovely man. He exudes peace and contentment. We should all be so blessed.

The person who called!!! Unbelievable.

You know, I had pretty much the same done to me. Why do people think it's cool to inform on you? It never made any sense to me and only annoyed me.

All that matters to me is that my son is happy! What I hate about myself is not knowing whether if I wasn't gay, whether I'd be so accepting. What if I was homophobic? ☹️

I came out at eight.. sitting in the back seat of the car, I just randomly said “mom, dad, I think I might be bi”. They were cool with it and I later learned that they’d talked about the possibility when I was a baby: that was a bit disturbing to be told. Now I’m partners with the best person ever and I’ve finally found friends. I’m only 18, so there’s still a lot ahead.

Question. ... how is one TURNED gay? Happy your parents were so loving and supportive.

It’s 20 years today that I came out !

I remember when my told me he was gay, we my daughter and myself were grateful he told us i couldn't be more proud of my son and daughter two wonderful children and now 3 wonderful grandchildren

I know that is not important but....the calligraphy in the letter eas stunning!

NEVER try to force your kid to come out!!! My dad did the usual "I love you no matter what" and the "whatever said man to man stays between us"... My dad knew I was gay and kept trying to force me to admit to it. I never did, and sadly never got the chance to tell him. This part hurts, as no matter how many times he said the "man to man blah blah" speech, the few times in my 18 year old life at the time, I did tell him (some not so important) a few things he had to keep quiet about, he failed... So and again it hurts to admit, I couldn't trust that he would keep it to himself. Looking back, I would have came out to him, but at the same time I wasn't ready for anyone else to know... that and he would have kept me away from my bf (20+ years later that bf is still in the closet and why we broke up)... that I definitely know he would have kept us apart.... The sad part is that he passed away just before I graduated HS... He was 41.... The scary part, i just hit 40 not to long ago...

"Your son had been seen around town with known homosexuals" *Turns in heels* "That BITCH! 👹"

A woman in my acting class told be all homosexuals were molested. I was 17 and I knew it was complete BULLSHIT, but I basically said NOTHING because I hated conflict. I hope I get to tell her how wrong she is and slap her across the face one day.

It is so weird that some parents think they are being generous when they say things like “oh we love you no matter what”. But actually their job is to love their children unconditionally right?

‘Talks about his sick partner’ Comment Section ‘Talks about how he looks like a daddy’....sounds about right.

I wish so much I could have been able to go to my parents and tell them that I was in love with another guy and after telling them, hear them say "it's okay, we love you regardless and we hope that you are happy" but the complete opposite happened. Ever since I have been forced to live a straight life. The world still has so much to learn about love and tolerance. I have missed decades of been with someone I love because I had to keep the family happy and unashamed of me.

I like this channel. I'm very much heterosexual, I don't have any openly gay friends/relatives. But like everyone, I'm aware of the inequality and IMO strange beliefs of people with regard to homosexuality and LGBTQ in general. You hear so much 'controversy' and views of extremes, but rarely the quiet everyday people just living their life. This channel has so many video's of just kind decent human beings not trying to make a big fuss about who they are, just want to live their life happily like everyone else. It's refreshing to see, to be emphasised we're all the same, regardless of sexuality. Why is it even an issue?

Thank you Michael for sharing your story.

Mikey speaks so honestly. I'm so glad he had decent people for parents. Humans can be very ugly but also very beautiful.

Thank you for sharing this story.

For those who are having a hard time, times are changing bit by bit. I live in an quite socially liberal city but when I was a kid, "gay" was considered a massive insult. Now, almost nobody gives a damn.

At my nephew's wedding rehearsal dinner, one of his friend's who I have known since they were in 8th grade, came up to me and came out. He introduced me to his partner. They were both very nervous. I was struck dumb and didnt know what to say....because I already knew he was gay. I knew it from the first time I met him. I didnt want to say oh honey I already knew that. It seemed wrong. So after a long pause, I just hugged him and said what possible difference could that make to me and how I've felt about you all these years?. I embraced his partner and told them I hope they were happy, and if all went well, I would be honored to be invited to their wedding someday. (Same gender marriage was not legal at that time which I always thought was stupid). I couldn't care less if my son were gay. I love him unconditionally. And forever.

What a nice guy, and what wonderful parents. Honestly, I was waiting for that BUT moment when his father found out , and it was never spoken. His parents may be proud of him, but I'm proud of both the parents and him.

I was disowned at 17! I never saw my foster parents again.

What awesome, supportive, absolutely fantastic parents you had. I am sure you know how lucky you were in this life to have them. The horror stories out there.

Wonderful as so these videos most often are. They're always beautiful, but sometimes quite sad and humbling.

What a beautiful account of you & your folks. Thank you for sharing - this has helped me understand my relationship with my folks & family. Thank you.

this story is beautiful. I am glad his parents were so welcoming.

So inspirational ❤️

Good therapist that told your parents you were well adjusted.👍.

What's sad is that there needs to be a "coming out" at all. I know people, mostly men, who were always gay and everyone knew it. There were no big secrets to hide and so no need to reveal them. I would like to live in a time when "homosexual" is not a big thing.

It's a blessing hearing how older gay people dealt with coming out in an age that was far less open-minded than the one we fortunately live in now.

what wonderful parents Michael had/has! Thanks for sharing this very well done personal story. And that "catholic therapist" was cool too!

I'm about the same age and I had a remarkably very similar scenario with my folks. Very religious. Very accepting. Almost no questions. They accepted my partners and were very close to us. I didn't have a partner with HIV . . but several very close friends - - they were very loving and caring toward them. I had a partner at one point who's parents were not religious and were more liberally accepting and he held it against my folks for being as conservative as they were.(needless to say - that was instrumental in ending that relationship). Sadly - though - there were times that I felt the church was more important than family . . but . . I understood why. Thank god times have changed and much progress has been made. I kinda do feel like part of a pioneering generation for the LBGTQ movement.

An unusual and unique story. Heartwarming. Quite opposite from my experience or most I knew. Also very thought provoking. Cheers

This video made me cry since I've been debating since the beginning of this year about coming out to my parents sometime this month. I've watched a lot of coming out stories on this channel and others, trying to gauge how my parents would react to this (maybe negatively). I'm at a point in my life where withholding who I am is holding me back in being authentic, happy and achieving my goals. No matter the reaction, good or bad, I thank you Michael for sharing your story.

My mother is really accepting of my life and she has really accepted my partner and really gets on well with him it is a very different story with my father who hasn't spoken to me for 33 years it is his choice he is still my father and i have the utmost respect for my dad but whatever I try to do he still won't talk to me I get on with my life and just hope one day he will talk to me

It’s not just coming out. You have to have a certain relationship with someone to begin with. I came out YEARRRSSS ago and my parents still know little about my life. It’s not like you come out and instantly are closer. Sure it was eye opening to them but that’s it. My parents are “supportive” but never ask me anything about my life ever. But they don’t really ask any of there kids anything. Your very lucky to have parents that sound like they were loving affectionate people. My parents accept and “ support” me, but they don’t really know me or make an effort to.

What a kind man and a very moving story. Thank you.

A parent cannot love one child more then another.... so not true! But, I am very glad this man had a very supportive and loving parents.

I´m happy my parents were completely cool with me being homosexual. My stepfather just said with so much sarcasm in this voice: Oh, really. Never noticed it. For all those who turned out/will turn out not to be so lucky: Lots of love

This testimony brought tears to my eyes. Love is so strong!

I remember being kind of blackmailed into seeing a gender specialist by a disgruntled partner but it was the best thing as the professional was really professional and encouraged me to be who I wanted to be make friends or partner with who I felt like and accept the fact I knew I wasn't male but never felt feminine and as a result I have had a pretty happy gender fluid life. His message back in the early 1980s was gender is a spectrum and you don't actually choose where you fit on it. you recognise where you are and you will be happier if you accept that and live your life accordingly rather than playacting

how to get teeth that white !!

So good to hear a story like this without demonizing people for their faith.

You are very lucky your parents were so supportive. I recall when I was 11 years-old, my mother said right in front of me, "I'd rather be dead than to know one of my children was gay." My parents know, but we never discuss it. As long as you ignore it, it is not real. I'm truly very happy for you.

How the fuck could you not support your child, no matter what

This guy is VERY lucky his parents were so accepting. He’s lucky he wasn’t completely shunned. Especially back then. Hopefully he appreciated it

He's so lucky his family wasn't as violent and ignorant as most parents even to date are.

"you should probably do something before they turn him into one." how is it any of your goddamn business how I raise my own children.

beautiful story, thank you for sharing. peace

Ignorance is so destructive. After at least 12 years of “education” yet so many people are ignorant to the bone about homosexuality. How can this be? Being gay is not a choice any more than I have a choice about my skin or hair color or my height. Ignorance and hate are everywhere.

Ok you got me with the title.

As a person my opinion about gays never was negative. Now as a mother at the first moment my daughter said to me she’s gay YES is a lot of things I don’t understand about be a gay or have a children gay is a lot to know to learn but never ever give my back to my beutiful and lovely daughter. If someone needs you support if is in the closet be a support. We need to support each other’s.💖🙏🌸

Makes me so happy to hear a good story about loving parents. My parents accepted me as well and it makes me so angry when I meet other gay people and find out their parents kicked them out for being gay. No one deserves that kind of pain.

"A known homosexual", LOL!

great story. thanks for sharing.

How wonderful that you had loving parents. Sorry for your loss.

Beautiful video.

1965 at the age of 15 I went to my doctor for help because I was homosexual (didn’t use the term “Gay”then) . All he said to me is “well, you have two balls don’t you?” I’m now 71 and never found the love of my life or a soul mate.

I spent my life, just writing people off! You simply never brought this up back in the day!

Religion has destroyed so many families.

❣️ this is such a beautiful story.

Merci, Michael!

My parents were very supportive with me being gay. I’m very lucky.

If everyone would learn to take care of their own business and problems their hands would be too full and would not have the time to worry about what someone else is doing

Loving parents like that are so uncommon, even today. My parents' love was very conditional. There were so many unwritten rules and invisible lines I had to stay within that doing so was basically a full time job. It was only decades later when I found myself consulting in the human services fields that I learned how messed up that truly was.

I moved out, because there were no "known homosexuals" in my community.

I told my Dad. He said he loved me. Said I could never tell my Mother. And that if I respect him I would never bring it up again or tell her. Sadly, that was way better than I thought it would turn out. And I told him because he was far more understanding a person than my mother.

What a beautiful story. My eyes filled with tears of love for your parents. You were remarkably gifted with such a loving Mother and Father.

Hah. I had mostly loving parents, but they had serious control and protectiveness issues, as well-meaning as they were. And I grew up never feeling I could discuss the gay topic with them, especially not that I was discovering, from early on, I had gay feelings. Oh, was I questioning, in denial, confused, because my emotions and body said one thing (gay! boys!) and my upbringing, my beliefs and family/home and school, church, everything, said, oh, I was not supposed to be a boy / young man who liked other boys / guys. -- If my parents ever knew I was gay, or if they ever would have accepted it, or me, I never knew and they never said or showed it in any way I could understand. I was pretty scared and embarrassed about it, even though it was how I truly felt, and I gradually came to understand that was really me and it wasn't going to change. I also believed / felt that if my parents could not accept me or understand, then that meant they'd never truly loved me unconditionally like they said. (In hindsight, they did love me, but they didn't understand being gay, or me being gay, as far as I could ever tell. So their love was real but incomplete.) It became a point, a line, an area between us where I felt unsupported, misunderstood, and maybe unloved or unwanted, so although I loved them and they loved me, it stood between us, never discussed. I wish so much that they could have done and said anything that would have truly gotten through to me, if they ever were willing to see I was gay and would have accepted me. How can parents be like that, where they will love you and accept you for nearly everything, but never show if they would love you for that, and so you grow up in a home and family where it is unspeakable and unthinkable to be gay. And yet from my pre-teens on, from my earliest awareness of the emotional / spiritual, the friendship into love, or the sexual / physical feelings, I knew I liked other boys, I had gay feelings. Yet throughout my teens, I didn't know how to accept that, and had a mix of good and bad feelings over it. I would want parents to stop and consider: Would you truly not accept your child if he/she is gay? Which would you rather have, a living, happy, healthy gay son or daughter, or a dead young person to bury? Or would you truly want them out of your life forever? If your answer is to kick them out, disowned forever, or dead -- What kind of human being and what kind of parent are you, and what's wrong with your religious faith, to choose death or banishment over a living, loving, fulfilled young person? Because for some of us who are gay, those are the choices we feel our families present us with. This is why so many kids feel so unloved and unwelcome that they run away, or are kicked out. Please, if you are parents or family or friends -- love and learn to accept and understand your gay kids / relatives /.friends. You don't know what it's like to love your parents and wonder if they truly love you completely, and not just for the parts of you they are willing to see, but not for the parts they won't acknowledge. This is very honestly how I feel about it, because that's what I grew up with. I wish it were no longer that way, but for too many of us, it still is. So please, people, use your hearts and your brains. If your beliefs would have you abandon someone you love and care about, just because they want to LOVE someone of the same sex, then just maybe you need to re-examine and change your beliefs to something more true and loving. My honest, heartfelt opinion. Also, I hope you would not want your son or daughter to reach the point in life where I am, and still be reminded too often of this hurt, and still have issues dealing. with themselves as gay folks, because their early life was so constricted, restricted, so unaccepting, that they themselves had trouble being who they were and are. Just how I feel about it.

your story is interesting and i wish i had met you. you handled so many things so well and i have so much respect for you and your family being Gay is hard enough within the community support is key. parents just want you to be happy BRAVO TO YOU