One amazing thing about my mom is she 100% accepted me when I came out as a lesbian at 15 (in 1992), and again when I told her I was trans at 27 (in 2004). In fact, both times I came out to her she was expecting it and didn't make a big deal or even do any "oh but I worry about you" kind of stuff.
She's got late stage Alzheimer's now and doesn't notice much (or open her eyes or feed herself or etc) so I use here to thank her for being a pretty great mom to me.
I do wish my kids could have known her more.
May 11, 2025 20:01Anyway I just want to point out that pretty much every other queer person I knew in 1992 was at BEST greeted with "oh no don't get AIDS" and/or "oh no I will never have grandkids" when they came out to their parents. Lots of people were beat up and/or kicked out; lots of others just didn't come out.
And very few cis straight people were ok with trans stuff in 2004.
My mom took us to Pride parades as a straight ally family when I was in elementary school (~ '87 maybe?), and came along to a GenderPAC conference I'd helped organize in 2001-ish.
She also housed/unofficially fostered teens who needed a place to stay, whether that was because their families couldn't handle them being gay, or were otherwise shitty, or just somebody needed a break.
And fed them all on a not very large salary as a secretary, without any other adults helping.
