Reply to Speak out for gay brother at family reunion or change the subject?

Forum Index » Family Relationships

Reply to "Speak out for gay brother at family reunion or change the subject?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]This is the OP. Thanks for the perspectives. To answer a couple questions -- my brother never officially came out to these people because I don't think he's seen them in over 10 years since he's been in this relationship. Before that he dated women. But they know -- a couple have asked me about his partner by name, and they see his posts on Facebook going about life with his boyfriend. This is my father's side of the family -- my parents divorced and my father has passed away, so these are extended family only.

And to the person who asked, yes, I absolutely understand why my brother wouldn't want to attend and don't blame him one bit. Just asking this has me thinking whether I should consider the same out of solidarity. However, I really enjoy for my sake and my children's hearing the old stories about my father and his family growing up in the rural south, working on farms -- very different from our upper middle class urban life. I like going through old pictures of when we are kids and recreating with my aunts the recipes my late grandmother used to make. I like singing campfire songs and swimming in the lake with my cousins and their children like we used to do growing up, including my brother, who I think genuinely is missed by everyone. They absolutely would welcome him and be polite to his partner if he came -- you know, the whole love the sinner not the sin part. Uhg, like he needs to put up with that. Obviously, not everyone is a homophobe in the group -- there are some who I assume would be pro gay rights -- although support for traditional marriage seems to be the prevailing view among the family, with a few being quite outspoken about it. So I don't know. I'm going to ask my brother next time I see him about how he feels about my going, and I would stop if it hurts him. But my sense is he doesn't spend much time being concerned about it.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics