Oh, I forgot to mention my grandparents. My mother’s parents, though divorced, both live (or lived; my grandfather died in 2007, although my grandmother is still going strong and will turn 90 this Christmas) in California. I never came out to them because, well, you know, they live in California and it’s a bit hard to work into the Christmas letter.
Once I asked Mom, “Did you ever tell Grandma and Grandpa I’m gay?” She said yes. So I asked her, “Well, how did they take it?”
My mom looks at me and goes, “Matt, your grandpa was an actor and your grandma was a ballet dancer. How do you think they took it?”
I told my brothers and my parents in the same weekend - I was only home for ten days (living in Europe at the time) and didn’t have much time to spare.
Brothers couldn’t have cared less and seem mildly surprised but hardly shocked.
When I finally told my parents, I expected my father to be upset and my mother to be understanding; boy was I in for a surprise.
My mother was silent for a minute, then got up and went to her bedroom and slammed the bedroom door.
My father looked at me and said, “She still lives in the 60’s, she’ll get over it.” and that was the extent of it.
Sure enough, two days later mom came around.
Later, when she met my SO, they got along great - and until my parents died, they always treated my SO like family.
Considering my older brother has been married and divorced four times, and my younger brother married and divorced eight times, the fact that my SO and I have been together for 29 years speaks volumes about why my parents treated my SO and I so well.
In all my jobs over the years, it has never been an issue.
Although I teach, I have never once been asked if I were Gay by a student - which come to think of it, is kind of odd. Either they all know and don’t care, or just don’t care - who knows?