Well here on this page, you will read a little bit about me.  Do you think you can handle it?  Good, I'm glad to hear that you can.  let's begin.

       I am a US Marine fully Discharged, Honorably of course.  Everything started changing for me when I was home at the end of February beginning of March of 1999.  I started seeing someone and shortly there after had to leave to go home to California.  When, I arrived back in California, I was very depressed, I was sleeping when I wasn't in class.  I would eat only once a day.  Finally on my 19th birthday, I called my mom at home, but she wasn't there.  I paged her and she called me back.  I asked her if she was at home and of course she said no.  I said I want you to go home.  I will call you there in 20 minutes.  I called her back and asked her if she was sitting down.  She said yes, now what's the f*** is wrong?  I said, crying my eyes out, Mom, I'm gay.  She was quiet for a minute and said.  I don't care, why are you crying.  I still love you.  When I came out to my mother, she wasn't the first person I called and told.  I talked to my sister first and told her.  I was crying then.   She said the same thing that my mom did.  After I told my mom.  I started calling family and telling them.  One by one.  Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Grandparents.  I didn't call my Father.  My mother did that for me.  I knew what his reaction would be.  From that point on.  My mother and I talked on a daily basis.  All I will say is when my roommates asked me why I was being discharged, he said if your fucking gay dude, I swear I'll kill you.  From that point on I kept it to myself.  I will not go into how I was discharged.  I will say that, I ended up going to my Platoon Sgt. and informing him of the situation.  I was questioned by 1st Lt. Germano, USMC, Adjutant.  The questions ranged from "Have you ever or plan on engaging in homosexual activities" to "Have you thought about engaging in a homosexual marriage"?  I answered the questions appropriately.  From 17Mar99 until 05May99 I was in and out of offices answer questions, filling out paper work, or speaking to someone about pay and benefits.  About the end of April I was informed of my discharge date, 07May99.  I was both happy and pissed that I was going home.  I was happy that I didn't have to deal with the idealistic government that based the military policy "don't ask, don't tell" on religious beliefs that man and women are meant to be, not two men or two women.  On Easter Sunday, I called my father to say Happy Easter, however, he was very unresponsive to my voice.  I said just minutes into the conversation, I am going to let you go...you seem busy.  I will talk to you later, Love ya...bye.  He said, "yeah whatever."  I knew at that point my mother had told my father I was coming home and why.  

        I was home about three maybe four months, when the car I had, broke down.  I called my dad, hoping he was cooled down, looking to borrow some money so I could get my car fixed.  He said. No, don't call back here again - with an attitude.  I called him back after he hung up on me and asked him what his problem was.  He told me that his problem was me.  He told me that he didn't associate with people like me.  He thought that people like me were sick and that we were wrong.  He said at one point that "I should come over there and kill you and that fucking bitch that your living with"!  I was in shock that my father said this to me.  He and I only spoke a few words for the next year or so.  Then out of the blue he called me and asked me if I wanted to come over for Thanksgiving Dinner, but I already had plans.  Again he called to see if I wanted to go over for Christmas Dinner...I said sure, but then I had no way there, and he wouldn't come get me.  So I spent Christmas 2000 alone.  I am happy to say that he and I are beginning to talk more and more.  He refuses to talk about my homosexuality, which bothers me greatly.  He says he loves me, but he doesn't, he only loves part of me.  Well that's it folks.  For now anyways...TTFN
Rickey