Post by Drew Steller on Jul 25, 2014 1:20:36 GMT -6
Hi Everyone:
My name is Drew. I was born in Knoxville, Iowa, and was adopted by a Christian couple when I was around 3. Growing up with two step brothers and in a very conservative environment, I was surrounded by people who has nothing but negative and disparaging opinions about the homosexuals (and many other minority groups that didn't fit their definition of "normal").
I became aware of my sexuality by the time I was around 13, but before I could come out to my family, my eldest step brother Marcus was caught fooling around with a man. My father had both Marcus and his boyfriend Ming beaten up pretty badly, and when Marcus tried to seek medical treatment for both him and his boyfriend at a nearby hospital, the people there refused to help them, because most of them knew my father and have the same opinions as my parents about the homosexuals. I remember they even called Marcus and his boyfriend many defamatory names.
My parents disowned Marcus a week before he graduated from high school, and I was the only one who attended his graduation ceremony. None of his so-called friends offered to take him in or supported him in any way. My other step brother was actually happy that my parents have gotten rid of Marcus for him.
Marcus left town shortly after graduation, and I became withdrawn from my family and friends after that, for fear of what they'd do to me if they ever found out who I was. I lost touch with my brother almost immediately after he left, and didn't talk to him again until I was 24. I came out to my closest friends when I was around Marcus' age, and only two of them remained my friends after that. I finally came out to my family after I graduated from high school. I left them a very long letter the day I moved to Europe (U.K.). I left my family my contact details in the U.K., but I never once heard from them. Considering how they treated Marcus, I wasn't really expecting to hear from them from the moment I walked out of the house I grew up in, for the rest of my life.
I reconnected with Marcus about 7 years after I left home. One of my two friends from back home gave him my contact details when he came home looking for me. He was already married, and have two adopted children of his own.
I relocated to L.A. pretty quickly after coming home because of my job, and I have been visiting Marcus and his beautiful family (they live in Massachusetts) every chance I got. I've considered at one point moving closer to my only real family, but then I met Carl, my husband of 7 years, who's 100% Californian. We now visit Marcus and his loving family every Christmas and Fourth of July, and are hoping to expand our little family soon.
My name is Drew. I was born in Knoxville, Iowa, and was adopted by a Christian couple when I was around 3. Growing up with two step brothers and in a very conservative environment, I was surrounded by people who has nothing but negative and disparaging opinions about the homosexuals (and many other minority groups that didn't fit their definition of "normal").
I became aware of my sexuality by the time I was around 13, but before I could come out to my family, my eldest step brother Marcus was caught fooling around with a man. My father had both Marcus and his boyfriend Ming beaten up pretty badly, and when Marcus tried to seek medical treatment for both him and his boyfriend at a nearby hospital, the people there refused to help them, because most of them knew my father and have the same opinions as my parents about the homosexuals. I remember they even called Marcus and his boyfriend many defamatory names.
My parents disowned Marcus a week before he graduated from high school, and I was the only one who attended his graduation ceremony. None of his so-called friends offered to take him in or supported him in any way. My other step brother was actually happy that my parents have gotten rid of Marcus for him.
Marcus left town shortly after graduation, and I became withdrawn from my family and friends after that, for fear of what they'd do to me if they ever found out who I was. I lost touch with my brother almost immediately after he left, and didn't talk to him again until I was 24. I came out to my closest friends when I was around Marcus' age, and only two of them remained my friends after that. I finally came out to my family after I graduated from high school. I left them a very long letter the day I moved to Europe (U.K.). I left my family my contact details in the U.K., but I never once heard from them. Considering how they treated Marcus, I wasn't really expecting to hear from them from the moment I walked out of the house I grew up in, for the rest of my life.
I reconnected with Marcus about 7 years after I left home. One of my two friends from back home gave him my contact details when he came home looking for me. He was already married, and have two adopted children of his own.
I relocated to L.A. pretty quickly after coming home because of my job, and I have been visiting Marcus and his beautiful family (they live in Massachusetts) every chance I got. I've considered at one point moving closer to my only real family, but then I met Carl, my husband of 7 years, who's 100% Californian. We now visit Marcus and his loving family every Christmas and Fourth of July, and are hoping to expand our little family soon.
How my brother found me was nothing short of a miracle! We both work hard at being true to ourselves everyday. Carl is such a wonderful man, aside from his fear of flying haha! You will get there (7 years) soon enough. And L.A., she's waiting for you 
