<p>or relative? or friend (has to be a real friend, not an acquaintance)?</p>
<p>And do mention if you suspect someone in your circle is gay but isn’t open about it yet.</p>
<p>Just curious. I have no ulterior motives for asking this question.</p>
<p>this is a weird post. I can’t imagine that there are many of us who don’t have a relative, friend, or know someone who is gay. I would not mention it if I suspected someone was gay but wasn’t open about it yet, just the way I wouldn’t discuss their sexuality with anyone who didn’t bring up the topic themselves.</p>
<p>Several of my daughter’s close friends are gay. Several of my son’s close friends are gay. Several of my friends are gay; several of my husband’s friends are gay.</p>
<p>Wait, that must mean… that being gay is pretty common. Don’t tell the Republicans.</p>
<p>LOL…yup. Nice thing is that lots of kids are coming out at 14 or so instead of going through the angst of hiding through high school.</p>
<p>I think that this is a perfectly fair question. Everyone knows other people who have gay children or older gay relatives. I don’t believe anyone will admit to having a gay or lesbo kid on this message board, even though every one supports it, as long as it’s not “my kid.” LOL</p>
<p>joev…I disagree. If I had a gay or lesbian child I would say so on this message board. Just as each child is individual so is each parent so some might not “admit” it and some might. My comment was that it was a weird question not an unfair one. And when someone says, “I have no ulterior motives for asking this question” they usually do. By the way, if I had a lesbian daughter I would not be thrilled with your “lesbo” comment either.</p>
<p>A frequent poster on this Parent’s board does have a gay/lesbian child and mentions this fact when it is appropriate to the topic being discussed.</p>
<p>Since this is a college discussion board, not a sexuality board, and since most if not all colleges do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, I would agree that it is an unusual question.
Some posters haven’t asked about others sexuality, but have asked about certain schools and communities in regards to how GLBT individuals are supported/viewed.
However, while I might as a red haired middle aged woman of Scots-Irish descent might ask about how schools view that, or if I will find others like me there- it would be fairly unusual to ask, how those schools viewed tall Somali men for example if I didn’t give any reason why I was interested/* needed* to know that information</p>
<p>Joev, I realize that political correctness, or even manners are not necessarily high on your priority list, and that is certainly your choice, but eventually, as you venture out from a site that is geared to high school students and their parents, you may find that other adults think more highly of your opinions when you are able to express your views without insulting anyone.</p>
<p>I wholeheartedly admit that I am way more ■■■■■-like on this message board than in real life, but I don’t see how I offended anyone with my post #5 (sans the lesbo remark). Regardless, you mark my words, noone will out their son/daughter or admit to having a gay son/daughter in this thread.</p>
<p>No immediate relatives that I know about, unless they’re in the closet, but lots of acquaintances, some co-workers, some business associates, and, yes, a few good friends. One of my son’s closest friends is lesbian. She hangs out with him and plays video games and stuff.</p>
<p>Psssst…Here’s a secret: They’re just people.</p>
<p>Joev…you are wrong that nobody would admit that their son or daughter is homosexual. If mine were, and they were openly “out”, I would have no trouble saying so. I’d love my kids no matter what and see nothing to hide if in fact, THEY are CHOOSING not to hide in the closet either. </p>
<p>For your information, your insinuations are disrespectful and also the “lesbo” derogatory comment…and you know, a parent on this very thread has posted who has publicly posted that one of her children is gay. So, you’re wrong. I hope you will apologize since the parent is right here on this thread. The parent has, in your words “outted” that their child is gay in context of other discussions on CC but I can’t blame that parent for not adding to the “tally” THIS thread, particularly in light of the comments made.</p>
<p>My own kids are straight, but each have gay friends. In fact, one of my daughters has MANY gay male friends, some of her closest friends are gay…openly.</p>
<p>I just started laughing when I read this thread. I’m a lesbian mom. I feel so invisible. Its almost as if only kids or single folks are gay. Oh well. 50 something lesbian moms are probably pretty rare. But I will say when my son was accepted to various schools last year the one question I wanted to ask the admissions officers of the schools was “how many kids have lesbian moms and are there any gay dads?” I doubt if anybody tracks it. My kid didn’t mention it in his applications except for the UC system which clearly wanted diversity(but he really felt more of a minority for his love of mathematics than having two moms, one white, one black). Though he did list both his moms as parents on all his apps and for finaid(we haven’t lived together since he was 3). In answer to your question, I wouldn’t care if someone asked me if I was a lesbian. I am. My son has just recently begun conversations with a half brother (same sperm donor) and the parents of his half brother contacted me and wanted to know if I’d like to be in touch with them. I asked my son if it was ok and if there was anything I shouldn’t say to the parents of his half brother. He told me not to say anything that would embarass him. I wasn’t sure what would be embarassing to him(I feared he would be embarassed that I’m a lesbian) - so I asked him. He said “just don’t start bragging about how smart I am or tell them all about the awards I’ve received or the math I’ve done.” It sure gave me pause to think about my assumptions regarding how people will react.</p>
<p>I’m pretty proud that my son, who is straight, has a very close male friend who is gay. I think it speaks volumes about my son’s maturity that he’s comfortable in the friendship. He’s 15.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Probably not.</p>
<p>I know that one of my daughter’s college friends has two moms. Married, I believe (really blue state).</p>
<p>50-something lesbian moms are rare? Who knew? Where? Certainly not in Seattle or Portland.</p>
<p>Or Austin…I went to grad school with several.</p>
<p>Imagine how I felt moving to the Southeast to a very conservative community after living in the Ny area. If anyone here is gay they either hide it or git out of Dodge as soon as they are able. I am trying to teach my kids to be tolerant, that I had many gay friends when I lived in NY, but they’re surrounded by kids who say things like, “All gays should be put in jail”. They get it from their parents. My son tried to stand up to some of that sort of talk at school and was put down bigtime, as if he were some sort of freak. I have cousins who are gay as well which I’ve told the kids. I don’t know what I would have done without my gay friends in NY…especially the guys who ferried me around to parties when I wasn’t “seeing” anyone special. They were terrific friends.</p>
<p>I have a lesbian stepmother in her 60’s (;)long story)…growing up in the 70’s that was a real treat to deal with in high school but I did.</p>
<p>I have uncles, friends and co-workers who happen to be gay. No big deal.</p>
<p>LOL—great thread. Things have changed so very much since I was in hs/college. I think that a fair part of the homophobia shown by high school kids is fear…they aren’t comfortable enough yet in their own sexuality to accept anyone who is different. That’s why it’s so great to see kids come out at such a young age. Of course, our family is involved in theater and chorus, so it’s a more comfortable arena for gay kids to come out into. I guess the football crowd would be a little less tolerant. My girls (16 and 21) don’t have any particular feelings one way or the other about their gay friends, but they are both on the militant side about gay rights. My older one, although straight, was a staunch member of GASP—gay and straight peers—club in high school. We used to play the “LIFE” boardgame when they were very little—I’d ask them–“what do you want your family to be this time? 2 dads, 2 moms, or a mom and a dad?” They would choose differently each day. I guess it does start at home. I keep telling them to remember the homophobia of today when they get older. It’ll look an awful lot like southern racism in the 50’s in retrospect.</p>
<p>Tanyanubin: “I keep telling them to remember the homophobia of today when they get older. It’ll look an awful lot like southern racism in the 50’s in retrospect.”</p>
<p>Absolutely! We are in the middle of social change. I’d wager anyone that within 10 years all or nearly all of the northeast will have civil unions or gay marriage. Right now that’s true for VT, CT, MA, and NJ and there are rumblings in NY and NH.</p>
<p>The split in opinion by age is phenomenal. Younger folks, as a group, are much more supportive of civil unions/equal marriage than are the oldest folks. Over time, the population will just get more and more supportive, even if no older folks change their minds (and certainly some of them will, as they interact with gay families and family members).</p>