I was kind of surprised when I saw nobody else had entered one of these
first. So, here it is - stories, anyone?

254 responses total.

Most of my friends were just fine with it when I came out to them; there were
only a couple friends I didn't feel comfortable telling, but the others all
found out pretty quickly. But the best stories come from the few people who
didn't find out for a while. One night, I got a phone call from a friend of
mine who was one of those people I hadn't told, because she was very, very
gossippy. She also tries to play matchmaker, and had been trying to hook me
up with someone who I wasn't interested in at all. So that night, she was
spending the night with another friend who I'd come out to a while back, and
she had been complaining that her ploy to find me a girlfriend hadn't been
working. Jokingly, she made some comment about how I was probably gay, and
my other friend - I suppose not knowing what to say - said she should call
me and ask. So she did, and I came out to her once I'd stopped laughing, which
took her as a total surprise - she'd thought the whole thing was some sort
of prank on me.
Unfortunately, the next thing out of her mouth was "ooh, now we'll have to
find you a boyfriend." 

<G>

(The only reason I told her to call you was simply to watch her reaction from
the other side of the phone. It was pretty funny... you really missed out.
;)

(Besides which, Dan, I think the truffle doesn't get it story is funnier
anyway. So there.)

(Fine, but I'd rather not be the _only_ one talking in here....hint hint...:)

I don't have too much of a coming out story . . . but I will tell what little
there is at a later date.

        Hahahahah, tell us the diaper story!

The diaper story will also come about, but at an even later date than the
story of the realization of my dominantly gay bisexuality.

Before I actually get around to telling the whole of either, I think that it
is impertive for you to know that fragments of both the coming out and diaper
story are within this conferences first item.  Or maybe it's just a fragment
of the diaper story, I forget what it is I wrote back then.

The coming out story part 1:
Community High Graduation - 1992, I was sitting on the balcony, awaiting the
end of graduation to show appreciation for the only "friend" I had among the
seniors - Britain (I'm really tempted to type his middle names) Woodman.  He
had complained about how he wasn't going to graduate all through P.E. second
semester.  So as I was sitting there, I was pondering how exactly to show my
affection to him for (at that time anyway) being such a good friend. 
Thoughts of both the usual graduation hug, as well as more eleborate plans
ripe with homosexual overtones race through my head.  About halfway through,
I got mad with all this thinking and declared to myself that I was
heterosexual.  When graduation ceremony had finally come to an end, I was
waiting to show affection to my friend.  Right before it was my turn, I saw
Julia Doeble french kiss him and my mind started spinning again.  When that
was done with, I didn't hug him so much as clench him with tears rolling down
my cheeks and I told him "I love you and I'm going to miss you."  He
reaffirmed me by telling me that he would be back.  Then I called my parents
from the pay phone by Thanos (I didn't want to use the ones in the Michigan
Theatre as crowded as it was), they came, I went home, and told my parents,
paternal grandparents and maternal grandmother about the expierence of the
end portion of the night.  I was still feeling pretty heterosexual when I went
to bed that night.

End of Part 1.

that was interesting. I'm eagerly awaiting part 2.

I am awaiting having enough perceived time to write part 2.  I'm also sorry
that my "short" story isn't as short as I thought.

They rarely are.

True enough.  I think I'll tell part 1 of the diaper story next.

After jazz's stunt in synth, I must decline to tell the diaper story on Grex.
While it is a coming out story, it is one better put to being heard.  The only
reason I was ever going to post it here was because of jazz, but since I just
lost respect for a person I never gave any to to begin with, forget it.  I
may have the sexuality coming out story's next part posted by tomorrow
morning.  Don't count on it though.  I know people don't want to see my
personal problems, but sometimes I have to show who I am mad at in order for
the outside world to comprehend my actions.  Thank you.

I'd be interested in seeing the stories. You can mail them to me if you want
to share and don't want to do so publicly.
It's too bad when callous arrogance destroys another person's ability to feel
safe.

        Oh, I'm not concerned about the goofy e-mail threats, Paul ... :P

Even though I'm trying to ignore you jazz, there was no threat.  Only a
statement of truth that included a fraction of my anger with you.

This is confusing, if you want to continue this discussion in this item, could
you explain what parts of it have been conducted by e-mail?  Or else go back
to the main subject?  

John, you really do need to learn when to back off of somebody.
Someday you're going to get your head blown off by a stalker who has even lles
of a sense of humor as Bjorn.
(And that wasn't a threat, just a generic prediction.)

Bjorn, don't me regret supporting you on this. Leave John alone, too. goodness
knows, if he hasn't learned when a joke isn't funny from dealing with me for
these years, he probably won't until aforementioned stalker breaks in.

ITWBWD?

("ITWBWD"? I seem to be temporarily acronym-impaired)

        Allright, that's a request, Paul, if a somewhat off-centre one.  I'll
let this stand, and people can make their own decisions based on what they've
read ... 

I guess my twit filter isn't working as well as I thought.  O well.
Fine, I can leave alone as well.  I'm trying to alleviate negative karma not
rack up more of it.

keesan, there have been no parts of the sexuality nor diaper coming out
stories carried over e-mail as yet.

Anyway, getting back to the sexuality coming out story, about 5 years passed
and I only thought of my sexuality on occassion not enough to really hold more
than an hour of conversation . . .

This is my lead in for part 2, but I'll leave for now.

ITWBWD = Is that what Buddha would do? It's a joke on "WWJD" - "What Would
Jesus Do"... John (Jazz) is a Buddhist, and sometimes he even acts like one.
=}

Anyway, thank you John and Bjorn.

You're welcome in advance from my side.  I may continue the sexuality coming
out story by as early as 1:00 a.m. tomorrow morning.

(Ah. It all becomes clearer)

WWJD = We Want Jack Daniels

You know, I like birdlady's WWJD better than the orginal version.

        I'm a Buddhist?

Hmm . . . could we get back on topic sometime before the Millenium is up?

And I always thought that WWJD was an all-news radio station in Detroit. ;->

Sexuality Coming Out Story PART II:
Throughout my second year of college, I tried to get together a meeting with
Britain since it had been a while since I had last seen him in our love/hate
relationship.  At the same time, I had kind of forced my friend Erik Paulson
to stick to his plan of coming with me during spring break.  I kind of wanted
my meeting with Britain to be personal, as it had been too long since last
we shared time.  Prior to my meeting, I had come out to Britain because I had
come to the realization that I was in love with him.  I had also brought him
a gift that I had intended to give to him that previous Yule, but actually
gave to him close to his birthday.  After sharing the day, I later e-mailed
him about his response to my coming out story saying something about it being
the nicest way that I had ever been rejected.  He understood but was kind of
taken aback at the same time.  Now, I have turned my attention to his younger
brother Sky.

End of Sexuality coming out story.

OTOH, at work I have recently had several female co-workers express interest
in me.

re #28: I agree.  ;}

John> You were at one point... did you change your mind?

        Re #34:

        I believe what I said is that the closest label to what I believed was
Buddhism ... not to be nitpicky, but that does make a big difference in terms
of belief and practice.

you told me in party some time ago that you were Buddhist.
hence the assumption that you were Buddhist.

I remember the day I came out to my mom. I had already been out to most of
my friends, but the family was the final frontier. I honestly don't know why
I was so nervous, but for years I lived in fear of my mom finding out about
me. I think a lot of it had to do with a somewhat traumatic incident that
happened with my mom when I was 15.  As most teens do, I was dancing around
the room in my undies with my headphones doing the Tom Cruise thing (only the
song was "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama. My mother had come from work early that
evening. One moment I was dancing around, and then the light was turned on.
I nearly died of shock! My mom just looked at me, in undies, and uttered the
words that would keep me in the closet for the next 6 years: "You better not
be queer, I'll kill you."

I spent the entire summer of 1990 in therapy, but I finally did it. I worked
up enough nerve to tell her. I spent weeks practicing what I'd say to her.
Finally, the moment came on my 21st b-day. My mother had driven out to A2 to
take me out to eat. While we were on the way to the restaurant, I just blurted
it out: "mom I'm gay." She looked at me in silence, but responded rather
flippantly, "I know." We sat there in the car for a minutes before I was on
the verge of exploding. "That's it! That's all you're going to say?" I live
in fear for six years, and all she can say is "I know." Talk about
anti-climatic. Finally, she looked me in the eyes, and said, "Yea, I've known
for years. I'm glad you finally got up enough balls to tell me." I felt an
odd comination of both relief and silliness. A few hours later, I had another
pleasant surprise. My sister-in-law gave birth to a beautiful baby boy,
exactly 21 years and two minutes after I was born. I've always perceived this
as something of an "sign".

BTW, I noticed a mention of "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama.  Recently, the
Swedish group Ace of Base recorded a cover of that song.

But I digress.

Ack - parents can be so annoying that way, but I'm glad it turned
out well.  =)

- Backtalk version 1.3.30 - Copyright 1996-2006, Jan Wolter and Steve Weiss