That's cool. I've always had a relaxed attitude to people's sexuality, as far as I'm concerned what consenting adults do in private is their own business.
This attitude was tested last year when my 25 year old son came home from where he's living for a couple of days. He came downstairs at breakfast time and said "Dad, I've got something awful to tell you...." Awful? Thoughts about whether he'd developed a crack habit, or killed someone, or got himself into trouble with the law began to spin through my mind. Then he said "I've got a regular, live-in partner.....and he's a guy". My response was "For goodness sake...is that all ?"
I will admit that despite my 'supposed' lifelong lack of prejudice, I did have a couple of reactions that surprised me. Firstly, I had some regret that I'm now unlikely to ever be a grandfather to my son's children (short of adoption or surrogacy - and that's even supposing he wants kids). The second, was that I found myself being glad that he is in a stable relationship and (apparently) not interested in being involved in the gay scene. I was also glad that neither he, nor his partner, are in any way camp.
However, my overwhelming reaction was that, as a father, all I've ever wanted for my children is that they are happy. I am immensely, eye-wateringly proud of my son. He's already got a good degree from Oxford University, has worked in a corporate environment for a short time before deciding that he really wanted to be a doctor, so he worked for a couple of years in a hospital as a health care assistant - literally dealing with people who were terminally ill and all the bodily outpourings that sort of work entails while studying Biology in his spare time to get the entry qualifications for medical college lined up. He's now just about to enter his second year as a student doctor.
The whole extended family including his grandparents, aunts and uncles have now met Lee, his partner, and welcomed him into the family with open arms.
For me, it's just like having two sons.
So don't worry too much if you're thinking of breaking that sort of news to your family, the results may surprise you
Good for you, really. It takes guts.
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