Do you refrain from going to family functions too, because...

[Pix]

LOL!
That's a good one.

So, would you say you have a nasty family?
A "bitchy" family?

As a GENERAL statement I'd say they're East Texas rednecks, which is good in some ways (tough, loyal to family, independent, survivors), bad in others (often suspicious of, and occasionally hostile to, anything too urbane, modern, higher education, and are also often fundamentalist Baptists though they're better than many others in the area, and many--but not all--of the older members are fairly racist). I wouldn't be inclined to say they were nasty or malicious, the time we clashed like that was under a horrible heat wave which not only made us, many of whom don't have AC, miserable but was also destroying our farm (and ended up creating fires that made national headlines and got the Texas governor wanting to publicly pray over it as if every time he publicly prayed didn't somehow make things worse, seriously it goes so bad for him it's as eerie as if prayer worked for him and he should not be allowed to publicly pray!).

Oh, yes, the internet and lots of Harry Potter has gotten me to adopt some British slang and in 2011 (like "brilliant," "can't be arsed," "git" and "wanker" among others) which made an uncle demand I stop "talking like a Valley Girl." (Again, the heat wave was making many short tempered.)

Granny knows, though she feels bad about it and thinks I'm gay because of childhood trauma.

When I was there I shared some pot brownies with Mom that a cousin made and wanted me to try (and Mom has AC so I offered to share the brownies if she shared her AC) and we got along good while on pot & brandy, though she was distant otherwise. She and I have never been that close, however (Granny is more a mom to me instead), and I know we're almost certainly going to get into a legal fight (and she may accuse me of being a lesbian as dirty fighting if it goes to court and hoping it sways Texans to side with her) as Granny has left the house to me which she's hoping to inherit (ETA: she doesn't know this yet). I'm gonna let her live there, she may in fact own it in all but name, and even if I do move back in I'll take the "girl's room" (where she and I both slept when we lived there as children), but she does have some control issues and I don't think she's going to go along with that peacefully (and she won everything from Dad, but then Dad was a raging alcoholic and if she thinks I'm going to be as easily manipulated as he was, especially as I know her tricks having seen her use them on Dad to win in court, she's in for a nasty surprise).

My cousin Zack who is like a brother to me (Granny spent time raising both of us at the same time), along with his wife, would stand up for me if I came out, I'm sure (it helps that they're just not religious, or at least see the local churches plagued by hypocrisy and have no respect for them). The others would PROBABLY stand up for me against any gay bashers as family sticks together, but they themselves might give me a hard time when it's just us.

Zack loves to give me a good natured hard time, but as he says no one is allowed to torment me but him. He got me to watch Jackass 3 as part of a drinking game and his entertainment was the expressions on my face (which goes back a long way, like when we were teens and he'd "suck the brains" from crawdads boiled alive, that is their eyes would disappear, just to make me shudder). OTOH he also got my uncle (his dad) back for me (I don't get along with that uncle so well and it goes back to when I was 4). After he asked me why his dad was mad at me in 2011 I told him it was because I insulted his precious FOX News and one of the things I said about how ridiculous FOX was is that I'd only watch it as a drinking game, like whenever Obama is called "the anointed one" sarcastically (among other examples) take one drink. So he went over one morning and got the Jack out just as O'Reilly was spitting the phrase out left and right and he took a shot each time, including in the middle of explaining to his 'rents (his mom asked why he was drinking so much and so early in the day) that I'd shared a wonderful new drinking game with him and every time O'Reilly said that he had to take one drink. His dad kicked him out until he could learn to "treat FOX News with more respect than as a drinking game" as well as "another example" of how I was a "bad influence on him." (ETA: his dad was also the uncle who told me to stop speaking like a Valley Girl when he didn't like my using British slang.)

[EvenOlderButWiser]

Merry Christmas everyone

Well about 10 years ago I took the opportunity to come out to the extended family and friends (@Marc, Im also ex Military!)

I sent out Christmas cards to everyone signed with both our names. No one batted an eye, and we got Christmas cards back addressed to both of us, and we've both been invited to dinner and events since

ObW
x

[Mike]

As a GENERAL statement I'd say they're East Texas rednecks, which is good in some ways (tough, loyal to family, independent, survivors), bad in others (often suspicious of, and occasionally hostile to, anything too urbane, modern, higher education, and are also often fundamentalist Baptists though they're better than many others in the area, and many--but not all--of the older members are fairly racist). I wouldn't be inclined to say they were nasty or malicious, the time we clashed like that was under a horrible heat wave which not only made us, many of whom don't have AC, miserable but was also destroying our farm (and ended up creating fires that made national headlines and got the Texas governor wanting to publicly pray over it as if every time he publicly prayed didn't somehow make things worse, seriously it goes so bad for him it's as eerie as if prayer worked for him and he should not be allowed to publicly pray!).

Well, rednecks are the worst, when it comes to being gay. Sorry to hear this, though as for the "sticking together", "loyal to family", you might be surprised to see just how much weight this might bear, when/if you get out! I hope this thing will be the one that wins!

You're cracking me up with this prayer thing - are you actually saying he publicly (and on national TV) stood and prayed?! F*CK!

Oh, yes, the internet and lots of Harry Potter has gotten me to adopt some British slang and in 2011 (like "brilliant," "can't be arsed," "git" and "wanker" among others) which made an uncle demand I stop "talking like a Valley Girl." (Again, the heat wave was making many short tempered.)

Let him demand all he wants! You just keep talking the way you want to talk and ignore him. These manly types are the worst! Tell him to eat it!

Granny knows, though she feels bad about it and thinks I'm gay because of childhood trauma.

Your grandma sounds like a sweet person, who will stand up for you, when push comes to shove (right?) <3

When I was there I shared some pot brownies with Mom that a cousin made and wanted me to try (and Mom has AC so I offered to share the brownies if she shared her AC) and we got along good while on pot & brandy, though she was distant otherwise. She and I have never been that close, however (Granny is more a mom to me instead), and I know we're almost certainly going to get into a legal fight (and she may accuse me of being a lesbian as dirty fighting if it goes to court and hoping it sways Texans to side with her) as Granny has left the house to me which she's hoping to inherit (ETA: she doesn't know this yet). I'm gonna let her live there, she may in fact own it in all but name, and even if I do move back in I'll take the "girl's room" (where she and I both slept when we lived there as children), but she does have some control issues and I don't think she's going to go along with that peacefully (and she won everything from Dad, but then Dad was a raging alcoholic and if she thinks I'm going to be as easily manipulated as he was, especially as I know her tricks having seen her use them on Dad to win in court, she's in for a nasty surprise).

LOL LOL LOL! I could just picture it...
Listen, sweetie, you should have an endless supply of pot brownies and you're set! No more trouble for you :-)

My cousin Zack who is like a brother to me (Granny spent time raising both of us at the same time), along with his wife, would stand up for me if I came out, I'm sure (it helps that they're just not religious, or at least see the local churches plagued by hypocrisy and have no respect for them). The others would PROBABLY stand up for me against any gay bashers as family sticks together, but they themselves might give me a hard time when it's just us.

It's good to know you've found among the rednecks people who'd take up the sticking together and make it the most important thing.
I'm happy for you - it sounds like you're really loved in that family, in spite of your mom's shenanigans.

Zack loves to give me a good natured hard time, but as he says no one is allowed to torment me but him. He got me to watch Jackass 3 as part of a drinking game and his entertainment was the expressions on my face (which goes back a long way, like when we were teens and he'd "suck the brains" from crawdads boiled alive, that is their eyes would disappear, just to make me shudder). OTOH he also got my uncle (his dad) back for me (I don't get along with that uncle so well and it goes back to when I was 4). After he asked me why his dad was mad at me in 2011 I told him it was because I insulted his precious FOX News and one of the things I said about how ridiculous FOX was is that I'd only watch it as a drinking game, like whenever Obama is called "the anointed one" sarcastically (among other examples) take one drink. So he went over one morning and got the Jack out just as O'Reilly was spitting the phrase out left and right and he took a shot each time, including in the middle of explaining to his 'rents (his mom asked why he was drinking so much and so early in the day) that I'd shared a wonderful new drinking game with him and every time O'Reilly said that he had to take one drink. His dad kicked him out until he could learn to "treat FOX News with more respect than as a drinking game" as well as "another example" of how I was a "bad influence on him." (ETA: his dad was also the uncle who told me to stop speaking like a Valley Girl when he didn't like my using British slang.)

LOL hehe you're cracking me up! <3

This happens to me as well - my friends go out with me to certain movies, just to see how I react to certain scenes in the movie!

Do you have Skype?

[OrphanPip]

My family dinners are pretty gay to begin with, out of the 12 or so adults who attend, 4 of us are gay or lesbians anyway. Of course, we all hate each other, but as a proper WASP family we keep that to ourselves.

[Pix]

Here's an article on Gov. Rick Perry's "Unanswered Prayers" (btw, that heatwave I discussed was the hottest July in record mentioned in the article, and more wildfires broke out in the area immediately after I left).

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/201...d-prayers/