BABY OF THE FAMILY: I Learned From Their Mistakes (James)

I'm the youngest of 3 kids. I've got an older sister, Jiselle (26 y.o.) and an older brother (also 26 y.o.). Although my parents have fought and argued EVERY single day of my life, they're still married. I'm not sure why... but they are. At least by arguing, it's obvious that they care and have strong feelings toward each other. I hate that a couple of my own relationships fell into this same pattern with disastrous results. :(

Everyone in family is self-sufficient. We all have our secrets, we all have our own hidden talents and dreams. My mother is everyone's confidant... but the rest of us don't really talk to each other unless we have to. Even though I trust my mother, I'm not comfortable with confiding in her anymore because her primary allegiance is to my dad. That's the only reason why I didn't tell her sooner about my sexuality.

My sister had several serious lesbian relationships, even "dreamed of marrying a woman," but she's had her heart broken so many times that she has gone back to men. She gave birth to my beautiful niece/goddaughter, Ava, last November, and is expected to get married sometime this year. =D I'm genuinely happy for her, but I just hope she isn't settling.

I didn't really feel pressured to act as a role model to my siblings but I wanted to be a role model in school for other kids. If nothing, the word I've heard since age 5 is "gentleman."

Fortunately, since I'm the youngest, the least screwed-up (if you can believe that), and the first one to go to college, I found it fairly easy to come out to my family... I just wish that it had been on my own terms.

All in all, I think everyone but my father has accepted me for who I am. My mother, sister, and brother have all been surprisingly supportive. Well, they have known all along, after all. My dad, however, refuses to even acknowledge the subject, and that just hurts.