So a bit about me. I live in Johannesburg, South Africa. I learned about Chely Wright thanks to the Oprah show. I was so moved by the story of her coming out that it made me cry. So much of her story is my story and I am sure many of ours who are gay. I come from a Catholic family and I go to Mass once a week. It brings me a sense of peace. I am also from a Portuguese family. The combination of all of that has stopped me from coming out to my family.
I am now 40 years old and although I have not been in a serious relationship for over 3 years I still don’t have the courage to come out to my family. What is worse is that they live about 600 kms from me and nobody in our family has ever been gay and none of my family ever had a gay friend, at least not that I am aware of.
How do I tell my family that the girl they think I am is not the girl I am? At what age does it become okay to be brave enough to let your parents know? It’s driving me a bit crazy at the moment. Turning 40 really has changed the way I look at things. Do I live the rest of my life not telling them?
