After I told them, they yelled at me.
What can I do about my family not accepting me as bisexual?
Hello, and thank you for your question. I am very sorry that this was your experience with your family. I truly wish Icould give you some things to say to them that would change their reaction, but unfortunately I can't do that. Their acceptance of youis a journey, just like coming out is a journey for you. Sometimes families initially respond this way, but after time they become more accepting and even supportive. Unfortunately, there is no way to know for sure if that will happen. So, here are a few things I would suggest:Surround yourself with people and things that remind you that you really are okay as you are. That won't take the place of your family's acceptance, and I won't even pretend that it would, but it may help during those days when it hurts the most. And that is really important. Patience is not something that many of us are really good at, but this type of situation sometimes forces you to have some. When families first learn something like this, they may go through a period of shock. And then sometimes even grieving. They may even be worried if they are of a particular religion where being bisexual is forbidden. These things can take time for them to reconcile, so it may just take some patience. If it is safe for you, try to talk to them, but if it becomes painful or hurtful then you have the right to walk away. I do recommend setting upsome personal boundaries for yourself, and perhaps learn some assertiveness skills if you feel you struggle with them. The reason I feel that this is important is that people sometimes take a lot of abuse from family members and friends in times like you're describing. They may want to be accepted so much that they put themselves in hurtful positions over and over again hoping that their families will come around. They may, or they may not. And if they don't, you deserve to live a life free of abuse and to feel confident and assured of who you are. To be surrounded by folks who remind you of that.If you startseeing this pattern and you are struggling, chatting withcounselor may be a great idea. I am bias probably, but I think chatting with a counselor is ALWAYS a good idea. :)Hope this helps. Be well. Be you. Robin J. Landwehr, DBH, LPC, NCC