Talk proudly about your gay or lesbian family members here!!!!

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

Hi guys! I'm Moonbeam and I have a wonderful cousin named Karen who just happens to be a lesbian. She is in her 40s and absolutely hilarious and is a very successful photographer. I love her to death. When I was a kid (big age difference, we are actually second cousins) she would give me piggy back rides all over her parent's (my great-aunt and great-uncle) house and tell me great jokes.

Then there's my uncle Glenn who is bisexual. He is absolutely my favorite uncle (though I don't tell the others that!). He is a bookworm like me and is the reason I read so much as a kid. He sent me TONS of books all the time and taught me about jazz and art and he majored in forestry so he taught me about trees and leaf shapes and birdwatching.

I love them both!

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

1. Come on guys!

Only out of the closet family members, though! Unless you keep them anonymous.

[annxburns]

2. My sister in law has a gay brother and he rocks!

Two great friends who are lesbians. They are the bomb!

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

3. YAY!!!

Be proud, be loud!!!! I'm sick of my gay and lesbian family members being marginalized!!!!

[Technowitch]

4. Family members?

Hell, I'm Bi. And my same-sex spouse is a Lesbian.

I'm happy and proud of who I am. And if my wife wasn't a lesbian, well, hell, we wouldn't be together and that'd be a damned shame.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

Well

you go girl!!!! Rock on with you AND your wife's bad self!

Democrats are NOT embarrassed by homosexuality like repukes are.

I just wanted to demonstrate that.

[Technowitch]

11. Thanks Moonbeam, that's very sweet of you to say so. (n/t)

[freetobegay]

5. Can I talk about myself?

:)

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

6. Yes, yes!

I was just doing this because of the Mary Cheney thing, but YEAH of course, be loud and proud!!!!

[DaveinMD]

7. I have two sets of older cousins

they are great people and I'm not ashamed of them one bit. One of my clients is one of the three openly gay members of the Maryland Legislature. I'm proud of her too.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

8. AAAAllllright!!!!

[Kipepeo]

40. I love you Moonbeam

just sayin

:-)

[Spiffarino]

9. My best friend's daughter is a lesbian

She renovates old houses for fun, is working on a Doctorate, has served with many charities, and is more loving and kind than most straight people I know.

Her partner is a wonderful lady who shares most of her interests. They are two of the most compatible people I have ever seen and have been together longer than my wife and I (over ten years). That anyone would deny the value of their relationship disgusts me.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

16. Yep.

Your last sentence says it all.

I just DON'T get the whole "he is trying to embarrass the Cheneys" thing. What's embarrassing?

[Spiffarino]

30. Exactly...embarrassed about what?

I'll tell you what Kerry is doing. He's exposing the hypocrisy of the RW. They have as many homosexual sons, daughters, and friends as the rest of America.

Kerry is reaching into their hearts and forcing them to make tough choices about people they know and love. They can't find a balance with the hatred their party, their churches, and their peers instill in them. Sometimes I just feel sorry for them.

[ROH]

53. Agreed

What is the recognised percentage of the population who are gay? 10 to 15%?

[RoyGBiv]

10. Hi!!! I don't have any, but ...

I have a wonderful friend named Jon who is very much my brother. (I've never had a genetic brother.) He is an exceptional human being who has been with me through every important part of my life, who encourages me, who helped shape me intellectually and spiritually, and who has, on a number of occasions, saved me. My brother Jon is gay, and he also happens to like the Thrill Kill Cult.

I love him with all my heart.

Here's to you Jon, wherever you are tonight.

:toast:

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

13. Awww that's so sweet!

I think it's wonderful you have him as a brother. Mr. Moonbeam and I really don't have any family to speak of so our friends are our family. It's nice.

[bigtree]

12. Brother in law

God I wish he was here. He was an artist with soul. Ended his life after enduring the deaths of his close partners.

I'm hetero, as if anyone cares. It only becomes an issue with the hypocrites who kick others for their political or personal pleasure and pursuit of power.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

14. Very true, bigtree, very true

and GOD that's sad to hear about your brother in law. I am so sorry.

[crispini]

15. My brother is gay.

And he is a very excellent brother. Kind to animals, helpful, and funny as heck. :D

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

17. Would it be ok if I mentioned

that this person I know on the internet, crispini's brother is gay?

ROFL! It'd be silly for anyone to get upset if he's out, right?

Thanks for sharing.

[LDS Jock]

18. I'm gay and I'm wonderful too

Kerry is free to talk about me being homosexual. Really, its no big deal.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

23. You are, I agree!!!

[ciaobox]

19. My sister is a lesbian

Lesbians are cool. I have always loved lesbians. I have had gay and lesbian friends all my life.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

24. Lesbians ARE cool.

I dare anyone to tell me they're not. I'll smack ya!

[cardlaw]

20. I'm gay.

I don't care if anyone talks about it...unless they talk about it in front of my parents. I need them to keep supporting me until I finish law school. :-\

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

25. And then after that?

[cardlaw]

46. After that, I don't care if they know.

Everyone at school knows. They can disown me then if they want. I'd miss my mom, but I could handle it. I don't have a good relationship with my father, so no problem there.

[masonfl]

21. I take exception to TV commentator's crituque of Kerry on this issue

The fact that some commentators think that it is somehow underhanded for Kerry to mention Cheney's daughter pretty much says it all: to them, it is a bad thing to even bring up. Don't talk about it. It's just one of those things you don't talk about. How RUDE to even mention that Cheney has a gay daughter!!

That says it all as far as I'm concerned. I have a gay brother-in-law. I have gay friends. My sisters's husband had a gay brother. I have news for you "conservatives:" gay people are everywhere. Pretenting they dont' exist is not the answer.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

26. Brava!!!!!

[lumberingbear]

22. My sister and I are gay...

We're taking care of my 91 yo mother with Alzheimers 24/7.

My right-wingnut brother visits once a month for an hour and then leaves. (Watches TV the whole time he is here.)

This is an example of a RW'er who wears his religion on his sleave but doesn't practice what he preaches!!!

The other day he told us thanks for taking care of our mother, but he just can't do it. I told him someone has too!!!

Maybe this doesn't belong in this thread, but I had to vent.

(And no I don't think there was anything worng with Kerry mentioning Mary Cheney in the debate.)

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

27. That's sad

I hope you and your sister get some real relief...it's hard to be a full-time caregiver like that. Peace be with you.

[lumberingbear]

47. Thanks Moonbeam!!!

That means alot!!!

[Spiffarino]

33. My freeper brother never bothered

...to help take care of my mother while she was dying of leukemia, but oh boy, he was right there to collect after she was gone.

He's a real big Bush fan...the quintessential "compassionate conservative" if there ever was one.

[lumberingbear]

49. Oh God!!!

Do you think we have the same brother? My brother knows the Bible back and forth, and can have a verse for anything. I hope he sees the light soon!!!

[siliconefreak]

28. Me too

99% gay here

[Skittles]

29. cousin in San Francisco, same name as me

my dad's cousin. BIG LESBIAN, yes INDEED! :D

[Kipepeo]

31. Exactly

Why is the other side pretending it's something to keep hidden?

And then castigating Dems for MENTIONING a NAME.

Give me a break.

[central scrutinizer]

32. my lesbian sister-in-law

who lives close to us was finally able to wed her partner of 22 years in Portland earlier this year. They watch more TV than we do so my teenage daughter hangs out there as much as she hangs out with us. And no, I am not worried that they might "recruit" her - that's just total bullshit. Of course, it drives my sister, who is a Xtian fundie, nuts, but that is her problem, not mine.

[JohnnyCougar]

34. My Aunt is gay!

And I love her!!!

And in now way would she think mentioning that she was gay to anyone be rude or uncalled for!

[JohnLocke]

50. Ditto that!

[eridani]

35. Only one in my family is me, AFAIK

Bisexual, heterosexually married. Open relationship has worked for 33 our of our 35 years together. Actually, I think it's easier for people to be out about being LGBT than about being polyamorous, but that's a whole 'nother question.

[seabeyond]

36. this is a funny gay story..........being a calif liberal

marrying into a rich oil conservative catholic texan family. all such intellectual snobs, so a little twist on the texan theme. you would think i was trailor trash, lol lol lol and in my liberal ways certainly shook up their boat. a month after we are married my husbands parents take husband out for a drive to say his two younger brothers are gay. lol lol lol lol bah ha ha ha, tipping on my toes how easy for me to embrace. then about five years later my father in law is having husband help him with geneology, husband finds out father in laws older sister back in the 50's was registered as black, and that his mother has a lot of black in her and they were all pretending to be white.

yup yup yup.

you would think it would humble these people huh, kinda like a universal lesson in acceptance. well, not at all, i am still trailor trash wink

[seabeyond]

37. and out of all the siblings it is one of the gay uncles

that will get kids if hubby and i die

[Rowdyboy]

38. Hi, I'm Steve (aka Rowdy) and my partner is gay....I've accepted this

because I love him but if he were straight, it would be SO MUCH HOTTER!!!

:evilgrin: Sorry, I can never seem to help myself...Actually, my mom had a gay first cousin who was a concert pianist back in the 1950's. We became friends during mom's final illness in the 1990's and he told me LOTS of stories about his youth...Totally fascinating.

[donheld]

39. I AM the gay family member

I don't care who talks to whom about it. I've long ago gave up caring who knows. I've told the fundimentalist i used to hang with, my entire family knows, and my employer and co-workers know.

[Longhorn]

41. My brother is gay and has been HIV-positive since 1994.

He is in good health, however, thanks to the cocktail of drugs he takes. Last I knew, he's also a Republican! :(

My uncle is also gay and he's the guy who turned me on to DU -- plus he sends great political articles of interest to me via email. He's a member of DU and he and I are the black sheep Democrats and atheists of the family (besides my husband and our own four children.)

[Ariana Celeste]

42. I have...

and have had lots of gay friends, and bisexual too. I myself am bisexual... these people have been the best friends I have ever had....

Why? Something about people treating you like a second class citizen makes ya a little more empathetic to others. We all supported every out of the mainstream thing about eachother and dared anyone to confront us about our differences!

Plus they were just funny as Hell! My fave and bestest friend of them all was Cory, big cuddly bear of a guy, and ready to defend me at any given moment! My big GAY knight he was and I love him for it!!!!

:bounce:

[newyawker99]

44. Hi Ariana Celeste!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Kipepeo]

43. Well

No immediate family in Kipepeo's family of the southern-bible-belt (though I have some suspicions...hmmm) :)

But a very best friend who is a 3rd year medical student in the dirty south (he's so smart!), and a another friend from that same dirty south who decided to join the peace corps. She left us recently. And a third friend from, again the dirty south, who's a genius at electronics and has been with his partner for years, longer than most straight couples I know. And still, yet another friend, now in the west, who is so smart he's one of those guys you think might secretly build bombs in their basement when they're not at Dungeons and Dragons games, and another good friend in the middle of her writing career who is what I ASPIRE to be, and yet still another *new* friend in the north who just became a democratic delegate in his state!

And these are only from my close circle. So I DO NOT FUCKING GET people who act like gay and lesbian Americans are somehow so remote and fantastical. Please. Even Dick Cheney and Alan Keyes can't pull that anymore. Hell, anti-gay assholes like Ed Schrock and David Drier have some 'splainin' to do. You remember the old Lesbian soap opera, "2 in 20?" Yeah right. While, a great series, I must say it's more like 2 in 6. :)

So yeah. I don't know what the big fuckin' deal is about talking about gay Americans on air (gasp!!!).

[auburngrad82]

45. I have an uncle and a cousin that are both gay.

My uncle and his partner have been together for over 30 years. I love them both very much.

I have a friend here at work that's been with his partner for over 30 years as well.

Both pair's relationships have lasted longer than most straight marriages and longer than any relationship I've ever had.

I have to lesbian friends in Atlanta that are two of the nicest people that you will ever meet. Truly great human beings.

[Piperay]

48. My boyfriend's sister is a lesbian

and she is a swell gal. :thumbsup: I have known her since she was a little girl and I get along better with her than anyone else in his family. :-)

[goclark]

51. My aunt was a lesbian

and I loved her more than life itself.

She died at the age of 95 and was one of the most devoted Christians the world has ever known. She could recite the passages in the Bible as if she walked with Jesus.

She never revealed her sexuality to us. She kept it a secret to her friends as far as we know. It was simply something that the family held in our hearts. We could not have love her more if she had been heterosexual.

She probably had an IQ of 150. Brilliant, simply brilliant.

She did more good deeds on this earth than most of us could ever imagine.

She was a soldier for the Lord.

She was sweet, generous and refined. She was fluent in several languages and was well traveled. A tiny little lady that was cherished by everyone she ever met, all over the globe.

I often wonder how lonely she must have been at times. In today's world she would have let her sexuality be known I am sure. She went to her grave not telling.

That is why I am passionate about living my life as a seeker of justice. Justice for ALL people, not just the rich or the famous.

My Aunt will always be my hero!

I miss her today even more than I did yesterday.
:cry:

[ralps]

52. Hi you all

I have a nephew that recently came out. He is fluent in Chinese and just spent a year in China going to school in Bejing. He is just so great. His parents, my brother & sister-in-law are also really great. I love them all.
ralps

[cynatnite]

54. We recently found out about our neice, Marie

She's undeniable one of the most compassionate people we know. She has a very giving heart and a wonderful sense of humor. It was only a few weeks ago we found out that she is a lesbian.

My sister-in-law was worried about how much of the family would react. When my hubby found out he immediately let her know that nothing has changed and we will always love her.

Marie has no problem discussing this but her mom worries about how her daughter will be treated by other people.

Marie sports a huge Kerry/Edwards sign on her car and has been helping get students registered to vote where she goes to college at.

[LittleClarkie]

55. My nephew is bisexual

a Goth, HIV positive, and a Wiccan to boot. I haven't heard from him in a while, but I hope he knows who to vote for.

Intelligent kid, he's a loner. You can tell if he likes you just by the fact that he's talking to you. We had a few good conversations.

I do worry about him. I don't think he's taking his preventative meds, as they make him feel sick and he doesn't want that. Luckily, being in California, the health care is halfway decent if he chooses to use it.

His name is David.

[MockSwede]

56. Relatives

Relatives that make a difference in you life - then and now. Cool!

[luxpara]

57. This ones for Geneva...

I had a good friend that was a lesbian. I say "was" because years of mental and physical abuse by her parents (military freeper types) she became mentally unstable and hung herself in a cheap motel a year and a half ago. I have zero tolerance for anti-gay bullshit at this point.


On re-read, this sounds a little bitter - sorry bout that, but the sentiment stands...

[VOX]

58. My older brother's gay, and he and his partner are terrific!

My brother had a difficult time in sorting out his sexuality; he was never comfortable talking about it, and for a long time, he wasn't comfortable being who he was. (Our parents weren't easy to deal with this on this matter -- like the standard-issue 1960s-70s parents, it just wasn't a topic for discussion.

But over the years, and with the passing on of our parents, my brother has finally been able to lead his own life free of that whole approval/criticism trap.

He is happy and has a very understanding partner. They both have committed professional careers, and a menagerie of four-legged beasts shares their home.

For whatever reasons, my brother and I are closer now than we ever were while growing up.

My wife and I enjoy spending time with my bro and his partner -- we always have a lot of laughs! :)

[Politicub]

59. I love this thread

I'm gay, but I love reading about all of the friends and relatives. Kerry did a powerful thing last night with his eloquent answer about the gay marriage question.

:hug:

[SeanQ]

60. My mother is AWESOME! One of my heroes!

And yes, she's a lesbian.

[ScreamingMeemie]

61. It is with many tears; of sadness, frustration, loss that I write this...

For you Uncle Bob:

You were the one who always sent birthday cards with $100 in them. For a child in the 70's, that was an unimaginable sum of money...a hero was born. You would come for visits and give us piggy back rides, play house, read stories, banter and joke with my dad. I never saw my dad happier than those times when his big brother was visiting.

You gave your time to public service...First, in the Navy, and then as a deputy sheriff.We were so very proud of you. You were loved. I only hope you knew how much. Uncle Bob was almost a fantasy figure...a fairy godfather of our very own.

One day in 1988, my father came into the McDonald's I worked at. He never did this. He told me he just wanted to be with the people he loved. I had never seen such pain and sadness...yet he would not tell me...until later.

You see, he had received a phone call asking if this was the brother of Robert. Upon answering yes he was told,"You're brother died today. It was AIDS." Then nothing. They had hung up...as if the very contact of a 2000 mile phone call would somehow taint them with the stain of the disease...and left us to deal with so sudden a loss...so many questions. My father, in a heated, tear stained storm asking,"Why? Why couldn't he...wouldn't he tell us?" "I would have helped him?" I would have understood him. I would not have shut him out."

It was so difficult to hear of the horrible pain that had been your life at times, from those who knew you well. Those who told us of how they stripped your naval locker of our baby pictures, of wedding pictures...demanding to know who each person was...taunting you with horrid, horrid names...And then, when you came home, you were so frightened that your father would find out...your brothers. That's why you moved so far away...that's why you became the figure who popped in and out of our lives...all because you thought we wouldn't understand.

Would we have understood then? I was 18. I cannot say for sure. But I know, my dear, beloved Uncle Bob, I never, ever would have stopped loving you...for you were very much a part of my life...

Never a day goes by that I don't miss you,
Love,
Little Britches.