Today (October 11) is National Coming Out Day so I’m going to share with you how I told my mother I was bisexual, back in 2009 – or at least how I thought I did. It sounds made up but I promise you it’s a true story – ask Mum if you don’t believe me.
Me: My housemate and I have got tickets to go and see Pink in Nottingham for my birthday.
Mum (confused): But I thought Pink was a woman?
Me (equally confused): Yes. Why does that matter?
Mum: I thought you’d be more interested in going to see… I don’t know… Blue.
Me (slowly and carefully): Well, actually Mum, I like Pink and I like Blue.
I hadn’t planned to tell Mum about my sexual orientation at this moment, but this seemed like a chance to have the awkward conversation in a less confrontational way. I was relieved she didn’t have much to say. I thought perhaps she’d already figured it out.
But a few months later I realised that whereas I thought we were having a multi-layered conversation, Mum had literally just been talking about music – so effectively I had to come out to her twice!