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The rain had ended, and the sun was breaking through the clouds; the weather forecast called for sunny and warm conditions for the next week. Ron had left work and drove to his twin brother’s home. He had received a text which read –––

IT IS TIME

Ron knew what the message meant, but he needed to be sure if he was ready. Pulling into the park, Ron’s mother called and told him to get Joe and come for dinner. As he was talking, he entered Joe’s apartment. Joe just rolled his eyes when listening to the conversation. After disconnecting, Joe said –––

It may be a good idea to go there for dinner. It is a sign that tonight is the night!

Joe and Ron, their hearts heavy with a shared secret, sat across from each other in Joe’s cozy apartment. The sunlight, too bright for the weight of their conversation, filtered through the curtains. They had been preparing for this moment for months, yet the courage to face it had remained elusive

.
“It’s time,” – Joe said softly, his voice steady but his eyes betraying his nerves. “We need to tell them, Ron.”

Ron nodded affirmative, his fingers tapping anxiously on the edge of the coffee table.

Saying to Joe –––

“I know. I just, I’m scared, Joe.”

Joe reached across the table, squeezing his brother’s hand –––

“Me too. But we have each other. We can do this.”

Their parents, Sarah and David, had always been loving but traditional. The twins had grown up in a home filled with warmth and support, but the fear of rejection had kept them silent. The idea of disappointing their parents had haunted them for years.

When they arrived at their childhood home later that evening, the familiar smell of their mother’s cooking greeted them at the door. Sarah was in the kitchen, humming to herself as she prepared dinner, while David was already at the table, engrossed in his newspaper.

“Hey, Mom, Dad,”

Joe called out, his voice wavering slightly ––– “We need to talk to you about something.”

Sarah turned, wiping her hands on a dish towel. ––– “Of course, boys. What’s on your mind?“

Joe and Ron exchanged glances, silently encouraging each other to plunge. They sat down at the table, and Joe took a deep breath and began –––

“Mom, Dad, we have something important to tell you. We’re both gay.”

There was a brief silence, during which Ron’s heart pounded loudly. But then, to their surprise, their mother’s face softened with a gentle smile, her eyes filled with understanding and love.

“You know, Joe, I thought you were, hon,” Sarah said, calm and understanding. “But I was never sure about Ron.”

Ron blinked in surprise, feeling relief and confusion. –––

“You… you knew?”
Sarah nodded. –––

“A mother knows her children, Ron. I could tell something was bothering you, but I didn’t want to push you before you were ready.”

David, who had been quietly munching on a piece of chicken, looked up with a grin.

“Yeah, it’s not exactly a shocker, boys. Pass the potatoes, will you?”

The twins exchanged another look, this time of disbelief and amusement. Their father’s nonchalance was both hilarious and incredibly sweet. He continued eating as if they had just told him the weather forecast.

Joe laughed, the tension in his shoulders easing.

“Wow, Dad, you’re taking this in stride.”

David shrugged, his mouth full of chicken. Manages to reply ––– you’re my sons. That’s all that matters!.

“You’re my sons. That’s all that matters.”

Joe felt a rush of emotion and began to speak, his voice trembling.

“I’ve been denying myself for a very long time, and I think that’s why we’ve had a bad relationship throughout the teen years because—”

Sarah reached out, placing a hand over his. –––

“Because you could never open up and talk to us. I understand, Ron. But we’re here for you now and always will be.”

Tears welled up in Ron’s eyes, and he squeezed his mother’s hand.

“Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad.”

Joe leaned back in his chair, a sense of peace washing over him.

“We should have done this sooner.”

Sarah smiled warmly at both of them.

“The important thing is that you did it. And we’re proud of you both.”

That night, the family shared a meal filled with laughter and stories, and the weight of the unspoken secret finally lifted. Adam and Luke, their hearts brimming with a newfound sense of freedom and acceptance, realized the depth of their parents’ unwavering love. The twins had faced their fears and found that the love of their family was a beacon of hope, more potent than any secret they had kept.

After leaving their parents, Joe was driving and said to Ron –––

“You know our parents took the news well. But how about the people who come out whose outcome isn’t the best? Not everyone has the storybook ending we just did; we should try to do something for the rejected people or even worse.”

Ron thought for a moment and replied ––

“I know what you mean, but what can we do? We are not financially set to take in all the people turned back by their families, and we don’t have the means to support them emotionally.”

Joe, always thinking ahead and having a plan in mind, quickly shot back ––

We don’t have to become a shelter or start providing counseling, but we can actively support the causes that provide these services. There are several we can begin making others aware of and encouraging our friends and family to help financially and publicly. This decision, for us, is not just about supporting a cause. It’s about making a difference in the lives of those who become disowned and suffering. It’s about giving them hope and a voice.

Ron, always looking to best his brother, said ––

Okay, name some of them. Right now, I want to hear a few of them. What are they?

Joe, without pause, began naming the groups –––

PFLAG, Coming Out Later In Life, The Tribe, Rainbow Families—there are many ways to show our support and help others who have the same depression we did.

As Joe and Ron reached the apartment where Joe lived, they had made up their mind, they would volunteer for one of the projects they had talked about and try to help others. They didn’t know what they could do, but maybe just being there and finding their purpose would be a beginning would be a start.

The first thing they planned to do the following day was to each call one of the organizations until they could find one the brothers would fit in with and then call each other back and update one another on their first day of action –– if they were raising funds for a project who got to call mom and dad first? They decided it would be a coin toss over dinner the next night to celebrate their coming out.

Below are websites utilized in the recent past by benandsteve.com for information on research materials. Ben and Steve have also recognized and in many cases provided financial support to many of these organizations. We urge you to find an organization that fits you so to volunteer, it is in giving that we find healing and recovery. It is giving we find riches and in giving we find outselves. Support groups for the LGBTQI+ Community

The Trevor Project – Suicide Prevention for LGBTQ+ Young PFLAG: Homepage. Coming Out Later in Life. The Tribe – Wellness Community. Support Groups – Rainbow Families Direct Online and Phone Support Services for LGBTQ+ Youth Sacramento LGBT Community Centerhttps://saccenter.org › community-groups