My parents separated just as I was starting elementary school. I was young and carefree. I lived with my mom and saw my dad a few weekends a month. He had “roommates,” and I really liked them.
One day, as I was sitting on the balcony with my father’s roommate’s kids, they started talking to my older sister about how they’d found out that our fathers were gay. I was 10 years old. At the time, I didn’t understand, and I started crying. My dad came to see me to apologize, telling me he thought I knew because my sister knew. NO!!!
Time passed, and all the way through high school, I kept saying that my dad had “roommates” when my friends asked me questions. It was easier than having to explain everything. Then came the time when I came to terms with the fact that my dad was gay. I’d say it and talk about it openly if people asked me questions. That’s when I realized that even though society claimed to be supposedly open-minded about this, there were still many barriers to break down. Some boys in my class even thought I was a lesbian because of my dad, since it was something you could “catch.” I was stunned!! We’re in the 21st century, not back in the days when people were burned at the stake for their sexual orientation.
I’m telling you, I’m a well-adjusted girl who’s never wanted for anything. My father’s sexual orientation has never affected anything—except for my open-mindedness. I just wanted to show you that even today, despite the fact that our society has come a long way on this issue, there’s still a long way to go. Certain aspects will always remain somewhat taboo, whether we want to admit it or not. Despite everything, nothing has been able to change the love I have for my dad—or the love he has for me—because our hearts and love know no sex or gender!
Audrey Cloutier