My sister-in-law: So where can you get a job after you graduate?
Me: Well, it is hard to find a job, but I am hoping that CC will get me a buddy hire.
(Note: Most people call it a "spousal hire.")
The next day...
My four-year-old niece (pausing in the midst of a sock-hurling game me and CC were playing with her in my parent's living room): Are you [as in, me] her [that is, CC's] mommy?
Me: No, she is my girlfriend.
Silence from four-year-old, and from her parents nearby who are surely listening.
Me: We hang out together a lot. We are, like, buddies.
4 comments:
Well, what were you going to tell the four year old: "We makeout all the time"? I mean, I guess you could have said, "We love each other...like your parents do. We have a house and Leighanne's cats." But again with the potentially homophobic parents listening this might not be okay. Don't beat yourself up. Family is weird to deal with. Try talking to them about how they'd like to approach the situation with the wee ones. A four year old isn't going to ask too many questions. They tend to just accept things at that age. Until then, continue throwing socks because it is really fun.
Euphemisms are better than total silence. I'm with Vgirl. Don't beat yourself up.
It does stand in stark contrast to your strong stance on the treatment of Native Americans by european settlers.
Thanks for everyone's great thoughts and supportive phone calls. Well, the thing is, all the adults in my family know in no uncertain terms that I am a homosexual lesbian. And at least the kids over 7 know. I guess I should have mentioned this in my post. I balked at "spousal" for reasons besides THE GAY anyway.
I guess what struck me about the whole family holiday was how coming out was just the beginning of having to insist that my family recognize THE GAY and my dear family struggling to be OK with T.G.; (at least they feel that they at least have to pretend to be OK with it.) They are super good about it; I think mostly they are OK with it. But "mostly OK" and "super good" for a mostly not-gay homosexual-family is not the same as "it's just like being a straight heterosexual!" You know? It's never like that. You're always sort of an alien from outer space.
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