10 Things I Wish I Could Tell My Parents About Being Gay

1.

I want to be happy, and the only way I can do that is to fully accept who I am.

2.

This isn’t something I just decided; it’s something that’s always been a part of me and has taken me over two decades to accept.

3.

I don’t need you to understand; I need you to accept me for who I am and to support me.

4.

You haven’t done anything wrong. I’m not abnormal; I’m me.

5.

I’m still the Lauren you’ve always known, I’ve just been hiding a part of myself because I didn’t know how to reveal it to you. But now I am.

6.

I hate how you look at me with a sense of pity and disappointment. You shouldn’t pity my choice to accept my true self; you should respect and support it.

7.

Pretending the person I’m seeing doesn’t exist will not make her go away.

8.

I’ll never apologize for who I am. I will not change, even for you. Your acceptance is important but not at the expense of my happiness/sanity.

9.

My sexuality doesn’t define my life, so it certainly won’t define yours.

10.

I’ll be here whenever you want to talk, even if it is awkward and emotional and tense.