For today’s National Coming Out Day Post, we sought out the theCuTmag.com ‘s very own Gay Guru. After several minutes of tense negotiations, and finally by threatening him with the release of some compromising photos of him in a public bathroom, he agreed to do it!
Hello darlings and Happy National Coming Out Day! A lot of people say to me, “Gay Guru, tell me your coming out story, it must be just as fabulous as you.” And I say to them, “darling, brace yourself for that disappointment”.
I came out 13 years ago, on an early spring evening in the middle of a fight with my parents. In addition to their demands that I go clean my room, it seemed as though they had scheduled some such family outing in the middle of the upcoming Boston Youth Pride weekend. I had every intention of going to Youth Pride but no intention of revealing where I was going, and why it was more important than suffering through a family trip to the Maine clothing outlets. Oh darlings, I know what you’re thinking, “Gay Guru, passing up a shopping trip?”. Yes my sweets, the decision was agonizing.
Finally, having had enough with the argument, I said to my parent’s “I’m NOT going with you, I’m GOING to Boston Youth Pride because I’m GAY!” As I heard the words fly out of my mouth and with nothing to do to take them back, I braced myself for their impact on my parents. I jammed my hand into my pocket to make sure I had my car keys and wallet so I could make a quick escape from the impending fire and brimstone.
My parents however did not skip a beat as they, in near unison yelled, “Fine! But you still need to clean your room!”
As I reflect back on it now darlings, I think to myself, I could have saved myself that whole uncomfortable situation had I just maintained a clean room and purchased the “I heart homo’s” t-shirt from OldGlory.com…. but where’s the drama in that?
National Coming Out Day is, in my opinion darlings, a day of strength in the gay community. Sure, we have our gay pride weekends in the summer, so it is also a gay bonus-day of sorts. But coming out, is deeply personal and requires an incredible amount of backbone. To reveal to anyone that you’re a 10% minority that’s hated around the world for what you have no control over isn’t as easy as you may think, and you never no what the reaction will be. You may get beaten with sticks, or you might get told, “Fine, but you still need to clean your room!”. There’s just no way of knowing what you’ll face. The reward however is in the reveal; the reward is being who you are and not hiding one more moment.
For the record darlings, I never did make it to that Boston Youth Pride weekend. Sure, in the face of my parents acceptance I was full of Pride, but no gay man worth his salt passes up bargain shopping on someone else’s dime.
The Gay Guru writes a periodic advice column for theCuTmag.com, which exploits and celebrates Connecticut’s ridiculousness. He can be reached at GayGuruCT@gmail.com, or tweet him @GayGuruCT