A Secret Love – Trailer – You kind of broke the rules your whole life. Yes, I have. That’s why I’m happy. No regrets. I’d do it all over again.
My uncles have been together since before I was born. But I didn’t know they were a couple until I was a junior in high school. My family just. Never talked about it. My grandpa didn’t approve, so Mike just never came around. I knew they lived together, but I’d only been to their place once when I was like 4. And no one ever talked about it. They didn’t talk about Mike. He didn’t come to birthdays and holidays. Then in 2015, they got married because for the first time in their lives, they could. Now Mike comes to Christmas. He celebrates Thanksgiving with us. I see him at Easter. He comments on my Facebook pictures and sends me birthday cards with his name signed right next to his husband’s. We get on so well, and I feel robbed of 17 years of hearing his stories. I don’t blame them. I understand they were scared and hurt. They kept their love in the shadows for almost 2 decades with family. Even though everyone but my sister and I knew. They still had to keep to the shadows. And that breaks my heart.
My great aunt was with her partner since long before I was born. I never knew they were a couple until after they’d both died. Nobody ever talked about it. They were together for decades, but they’re not mentioned in each other’s obituaries and they’re buried in separate states. It’s like their whole relationship was erased from history. How horrible is that?
Do not forget what our LGBTQIA+ elders went through to get us to where we are today.
My grandma was with her partner jean for like 30 years and yeah i (as a kid) didn’t think anything of it i was just like yeah thats grandma and her butch woodworking roommate (jean was also like family to me i just accepted it) and nobody in my family told me they were gay? My mom never told me because she didn’t support it and when we talked about it later got angry and said she believed it was just to get back at my grandpa after their divorce (a 30 yr relationship?? You’re going to try to tell me my grandma’s 30 year relationship with another woman was just a ploy to tick off my grandpa??)
Anyway RESPECT for the LGBT icons that have come before us because they face so much uncertainty and may not have had support from their own families but they paved the way for us!!