Stories
These are real accounts from people who grew up in LGBTQ+ families and identify as straight. Some are short. Some take longer to say. All of them are true.
Why we share these
There's a dialogue that needs to occur.
On identity
What it means to know where you stand — and what it costs to get there.
"Growing up the way I did, you almost can't avoid putting yourself in situations just to round the corners — to make sure you know where you actually stand. That's not confusion. That's what it costs."
"There's an exploration you feel like you need to go through in order to feel that you know where you are. Most people don't have to do that. We did."
On relationships
Trying to be close to people who don't have the depth to understand where you're coming from.
"The people I wanted to be close to — partners, friends — didn't have the depth to understand where I was coming from. You end up feeling like you have to choose between being honest and being accepted. That's an exhausting place to live."
"You're met more with rejection and alienation than you are with understanding. And after a while, you stop trying to explain."
On family
Loving your parent and also having to figure out what that meant — for you.
"The story that gets told is usually theirs. The courage it took. The authenticity they found. That story is real. But there's another one that rarely gets told — the one about the kid who loved their parent and also had to figure out what that meant."
"You hold competing loyalties for years without anyone asking how you're doing. Society decided you were fine — maybe even lucky. Move on."
On finding a space
What it feels like to finally say it out loud.
"I built this because I needed a place where that dialogue could exist. Not to resolve it — I don't think it resolves cleanly for most of us. But to say it out loud, and to stop feeling like the experience itself was the problem."
"I just figured that some form of voice needed to be established."
Your story belongs here too.
This space is still forming. If something here resonated — if you've been carrying something similar — you're not alone in it. More voices will be added as this community grows.
Find your space