bi, feel scared to tell people
Hi everyone 👋🏼
So pretty much I’m bi but scared to tell almost anyone. I’m a cis guy and I have a girlfriend and she knows and is supportive. In fact, she is bi herself and has had women partners before. However, I am terrified to tell almost anyone about the fact that I am bi.
I have told my mom in the past and she completely rejected it and told me that being bi didn’t exist. In short, she was not okay with it as all. I think she has said that she used to have sexual feelings towards women, so maybe she is just repressing her own sexual complexity and finds it threatening when I say that I am bi. I think how negatively my parents have responded to me saying that I’m bi is a big reason why I am terrified to be more open about it.
I have a large Latine/x family and I know that most of them are very homophobic. Especially on my mom’s side. They are very politically and socially conservative and I know that they would totally reject me if I said that I was bi. But at the same time, part of me wants to just be open about it.
I have a good-paying job. I live on my own and have a loving girlfriend and I’m honestly just seek of keeping my sexuality to myself and feeling like I have to be so private about it. I do all that I can to be an ally to LGBTQ+ people and support gay rights but I also am terrified to come out as a bi person and be more open with those in my life about the fact that I am bi. I have a girlfriend and I love her and I don’t want to break up with her but I still want to be more open about my sexuality and I want to be openly bi, mostly for the sake of honesty and authenticity.
I think what is most stressful for me is the fact that my parents are so conservative and have rejected me so forcefully when I have told them that I am bi (this was years ago that I last told them, maybe like 10 years ago).
I also want to talk to my therapist about my sexuality but I worry that even he would judge and reject me because he seems like a very “guy’s”-guy and he doesn’t list LGBTQ issues as his expertise anywhere on his website profiles.
I think there are a few family members who are much more progressive than others and who would be much more supportive of me if I were to come out to them. For example, I think my sister and my cousins would both be really supportive of me. I think several of my cousins would be supportive of me, in fact. I worry about them telling my mom or dad but I have no idea why they would tell my mom or dad. I don’t think they would actually tell them. But the idea of telling my sister or cousin about the fact that I am bi really appeals to me. A lot. I am still scared of doing it, though. I just want to be more open about it.
I really want to tell more people about the fact that I am bi, and I want to explore my sexuality more. I know almost nothing about gender or sexuality and I want to understand it better. I want to read more about it. I just know very little about either topic. I feel like sex is something that I really really care about but which I know very very little about.
I want to open up about this and be more honest with others, but I think 7 Cups is probably a good place to start. This seems to be a great place to talk more about this and I intend to keep opening up.
Thank you very much for reading.
@eumesmo
Hey there! I've read through all of it and want to say that you are doing great. It's important to first accept it ourselves, before we accept it to others. I remember that when I first started acknowledging myself, it became easier to say it in front of anyone. You're starting out good. When you are telling us about yourself, know that we love you and we support you, with both hands!
I understand how difficult it is to actually make someone else see us as "normal" when they are constantly rejecting the idea of hating us. But remember, you don't need anyone's permission to be what or who you are. You are great and you know it. You are You.
I'm happy to read that you have a girlfriend who is supportive. I'm so happy for you! I hope you always have people who accept you and love you!
I can't advice for your family. I can only tell you that you're not alone in this at all. There are so many of us here who are dealing with something similar. So even if you haven't told your family, you have this community, this family, to always love you and be here for you.
Love,
Kim.