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Most parents accept gay children after adjustment

Ron Secoy

Alestle Staff Writer

A number of people said their parents were shocked or hostile when they found out their child was gay. It was also pointed out, during the Students for Gay Liberation workshop, that most parents accepted the choice of their offsprings after awhile.

The workshop, presided over by Barbara Gittings of the Task Force on Gay Liberation, was held at 3:30 p.m. in the International Room of the University Center on Wednesday. The theme of the workshop was "Getting it straight with parents on being gay." The aim of the discussion was to bring out points and experiences on how a person may tell their parents they are gay.

One person said that he had gone to his mother with his lover when she was in the hospitai to tell her about his gayness.

"She just couldn't believe it. She was in total shock," he said, "Later on she did accept it, saying that she just wanted whatever would make me happy."

Two of the 23 people in attendance, six spectators and the rest participating in the workshop, said that their parents had intercepted letters from their lovers, and thereby, found out they were gay.

"My mother found a letter and thought it was from a girl, believing the name was signed Tam or Tammy, but in reality it was Tom. So I told her it was Tom. My father wanted to throw me out of the house, one person said.

"My parents intercepted a letter from my girlfriend. It was a pretty bad scene. I left home and came back a few days later, when things were all quiet," one girl admitted.

Franklin E. Kameny, an author of several books on Gay Liberation, replied to the girl's story.

"I would have thrown a tantrum then and there, confronting my parents on my rights of privacy. Telling them they had no right to open my mail," Kameny replied.

One Youth stated that his parents found out he was gay because they had found pictures of nude males he had inadvertently left in the family car.

"My parents tried to discourage my gayness, in saying that it wasn't good for me if I was going to become a teacher," he recalled.

Gittings asked if any of the people had parents who were gay. One girl thought that her mother might be, but she had never approached her on the subject. In accordance with a question asked about a, "Guess who's coming to dinner," situation, one man replied that sooner or later he would just have to bring his lover to dinner to see how his parents would accept it.

Some of the people said they thought it would help if the Parents of Gays groups would contact their parents. Some admitted their parents would be hostile also, still yet, some said it might help if an outsider could explain to the parents about gay liberation.