I’m Leon Velasco. My coming out story was after age 20 I had become a father of my daughter Jessica.
The Ellen DeGeneres show was going to show the episode of her (Ellen) coming out in the airport. I wanted to make it as though she was speaking for me. I had my mother and my grandmother sitting in front of the TV watching it and all the while they kept asking why they had to watch this show. I was anxiously waiting for the scene to pop up and kepth telling them that there was a message behind it. Once the scene was coming up I told them to pay attention to this particular part. Then it happened, the words that I was waiting for them to hear that took what seemed forever, "I’m Gay"! Both my mom and grandmother looked at eachother and then back at me. I’d like to say that everything ended with hugs and a tinker tape parade but the truth is; we (including siblings) hardly spoke for an enitre year.
Its been several years now and I can truely say that my family has made big strides in accepting the fact that my homosexuality does not mean the end of the world. Yes, I do drag on occassions and yes, I try to do my part in protests; but it doesn’t take up my entire sense of being. That is what I think my family was fearing would happen; become this limp wristed, flaming fem, that over pronounces the ‘S’, and fears getting my hands dirty. Not that it’s a bad thing (no offense), but that just does not suit me.
