My brother was involved in this speech and debate tournament and we were on our way home. There had been this monologue that had been performed about a young man coming out of the closet, and his parents had rejected him and kicked him out of the house because of it. And that fictional guy got into a lot of trouble and got beaten up & on drugs, and all the things that might happen if your family system doesn’t support you.
That resonated with my Mom. In the car on the way home Mom looked over at me and she was like, ‘So, do you have a girlfriend?’ And I said, ‘No’, and she said, ‘Do you want one?’ I was like, ‘Mmmm, no’. She said, ‘Well, do you want to have a boyfriend?’ And I went, ‘That could be nice’. She was like, ‘Oh, I’ve always known’. And I was like, “Well, why didn’t you ask me sooner?” And she was like, “I didn’t want to push you!” And we connected on it and I opened up and it was a really, really good moment. From then on out I felt like I was really being myself with my family.
I think it’s important to just be open; it’s very liberating. Lacking secrets really helps growth. If you keep a bunch of secrets and skeletons in your closet you’re not going to grow and you’re not going to grow and you’re not going to be the best person you can be. So just wear it proudly and let your colors shine. I don’t understand why people are so afraid.
- Adam Lambert on the moment when he came out to his mother Leila
