Who were your role models?
As a gay man (or where ever you fall on the spectrum) what role models did you have growing up? How did these role models (or the lack there of) affect you?
Here's what you told us -
- I don't know about anyone else but I had no male role models growing up who I actually identified with. I was raised in a small town and felt like I was completely alone, relative to being gay. The only hint of anything gay was the occasional stereotypical portrayal that was presented as comic relief on a sitcom.
- When I was twelve, my cousin was doing theater and she became best friends with a gay guy from the cast. He was very effeminate and caused a quite a stir with my extended family. But, he was accepted. One day, he complimented my mother's shoes and asked if he could try them on. My mother let him and they were the same size. His example gave me hope that, one day, I, too, might be accepted by my family.
Tell us your experiences . . .