Coming out to loved ones can be both a painful and joyous moment.
Many people put off coming out as gay/lesbian, trans, or bi to their parents because of the unpredictability of their reactions. The Internet is full of stories of teens and young adults being kicked out of their homes and forced to live on the streets because their parents couldn’t accept their children for who they are. But in a post-“Queer as Folk” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” society, people of older generations are much more open and willing to understand people from all walks of life.
So when one mother learned that her son was gay, she called a local bar, not for a few pints but for another amazing reason.
As a bartender, Kara Coley has always offered up advice and answered burning questions by her inebriated customers. It pretty much comes with her job description. As a bartender, you’re also wearing your therapist hat.
Except for Coley who works as a bartender in a popular gay bar in Gulfport, Mississippi, the types of advice and questions she receives are usually based on coming out and LGBT rights.
But when she received a phone call from the mother of a gay man that had just come out to her, Coley tried her best to talk the woman through her concerns.
“I have had a few people that I grew up with ask advice when they found out their child or child’s friend was gay, but never as random as this phone call,” Coley told Bored Panda.
And after posting about her recent phone conversation, Coley received an outpouring of comments both applauding the woman for her willingness to help as well as those who offered advice to the mother.
(via Bored Panda)