Gay in a Homophobic House

[Cloud9]

Well I guess i'll start from the precipice. I'm gay. I came out late last year to my girl (that's a) friend. I was raised in a christian, conservative household that is very homophobic and outwardly derogatory towards LGBT. Before I hit puberty and began having strong emotional/sexual feelings for other guys I was also offensive towards LGBT. Now (I'm 15 now) and everytime i hear their crap i get so scared about how they would react if I came out to them or if they found out. I really like this guy at school who is also gay and i want to tell him my feelings but i'm so scared that my parents will find out because my straight brother also goes to the same high school as I do. SO... to put it simply... what should i do?!

[Swagamemmnon]

The best idea is to keep it a secret until you are no longer dependent on your parents. If they find out, they may kick you out. I know a friend in the same situation and came out to his parents who, luckily, was not kicked out. They just told him "We love you, but not everything about you." So it really depends on a case by case basis on whether your parents would be drastic enough to kick out their own son. As for your crush, you could tell him your feelings but if you do, you should be sure to keep your relationship (if it happens) a secret, especially from your brother. Telling your crush would carry with it the inherent risk of information being leaked to your parents however.

[Skitty]

The best idea is to keep it a secret until you are no longer dependent on your parents. If they find out, they may kick you out. I know a friend in the same situation and came out to his parents who, luckily, was not kicked out. They just told him "We love you, but not everything about you." So it really depends on a case by case basis on whether your parents would be drastic enough to kick out their own son. As for your crush, you could tell him your feelings but if you do, you should be sure to keep your relationship (if it happens) a secret, especially from your brother. Telling your crush would carry with it the inherent risk of information being leaked to your parents however.

Agreed. This can be a very touchy subject. I would say play it safe and keep it a secret. I do advise you to hang out with your crush and telling him how you feel only if it is really important to you. Personally, I'd say being close friends is better and safer than a relationship. :3