From: xx821@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Mike Jankulak)
Subject: Re: funny out comes
Date: Sun, 6 Aug 1995 08:05:45 GMT

Okay, this isn't *my* coming-out story, it's my sister's.  But it's
good stuff, and I like to tell it as much as I can.

I came out to my parents in January of 1991.  A few months later, my
oldest sister (Mary) learned that she was pregnant.  Now this was
likely to prove a bit of a shock to my parents, who didn't seemed to
have realized yet that the guy Mary was bringing to all our family
holiday dinners was a *romantic* interest (d-uh).  And Mary wasn't
yet married or living with the guy.

You'd have to know my parents, but Mary was understandably concerned
about my mother's reaction when she heard the news.  You'd also have
to know Mary (one of my favourite people), but I'll give you hint:
her response to my coming-out was the best I have ever known -- five
minutes after telling her, I had to wonder if I had imagined doing so,
because nothing had changed between us, and nothing ever did (except
possibly that we became even closer).

At the time, Mary joked that she had really only become pregnant to
to take the family focus away from me, and my coming-out news.  She
also warned me that if things got too hot for *her* in consequence,
I might have to return the favour ...and become a transvestite.

Mary eventually decided to tell my parents one night after dinner
at their house (when I happened to be present as well).  Dinner
was rather tense for both of us -- I think that there were a lot
of parallels between the difficulty I had coming out to my parents,
and her difficulty talking to them about her news.  Anyhow, I'll
never forget what she whispered to me right before desert:  "Psst,
Mike!  Run upstairs and put on a dress, will you?"

Mike, whose niece will be four in October (Hi, Ana Berta!)