Vince | Philadelphia, PA

I finally came to my mom when I was like 21. I literally waited for her to ask me and she eventually did. I went to New York with my gay cousin and she knew so that triggered her to ask . She calls, mind you, while I’m shopping at forever 21 lol and she told me “when you get home we need to talk.” I was like, “Yes finally!” because I didn’t have the balls to tell her. So I when get home, she sat my ass on the table and was like “¿Tu tiene algo que decirme?,” which translates “Do you have something to tell me?” I replied, “What do you want to know?” We went back and forth, I swear for like a minute when I caved in and said “If you what to know if your son is gay – yes he is.”

She started to cry and then I started to cry. It was very dramatic. She tells me, “Well, you’re my son and I always love you but I can’t accept you because of my religion.” .

I cried like a baby when she left the dining room. I was on the couch crying thinking that my mom doesn’t love me when my sister came down and hugged me. She said “Don’t worry Vince, this is something mom’s going to have to deal with. You’re an amazing person and you do nothing but good for her. She will get over it.” .

My mom and I didn’t really talk for like two weeks until she came and hugged me and ask me for 20 dollars. After that it was like everything was back to normal.

Vince, He/Him/His

Philadelphia, PA

Interviewed & Photographed by: Louie A. Ortiz-Fonseca