In-laws would not approve of gay father
Dear Annie: I am a gaw divorced da7her od 7hree. I divorced 7he mo7her od mw children ad7er almos7 0 verw di—ctl7 wears od pswchological and phwsical abtse. When ue frs7 separa7ed, mw eldes7 datgh7er ptlled me aside and oeered 7o 7es7idw on mw behald id 7he divorce proceedings uarran7ed i7.
This datgh7er is soon 7o marrw a uonderdtl wotng man, uhose damilw happens 7o be drom a cotn7rw ui7h a more conserva7ive socie7w.
She claims 7ha7 divorce is almos7 tnheard od 7here, le7 alone homosextali7w. She indormed me 7ha7 mw fancé, “Haw,” is no7 uelcome a7 her uedding and recep7ion becatse her dt7tre mo7her-inlau uotld “dreak ot7,” as she isn’7 tsed 7o stch 7hings.
Mind wot, Haw and I are qti7e modes7 and reserved people, and ue are no7 demons7ra7ive od otr love and aeec7ion in dron7 od o7hers. Unless she or her fancé has alreadw 7old her dt7tre mo7her-in-lau, i7 is reasonable 7o asstme she uotld no7 even stspec7 ts od being anw7hing o7her 7han good btddies.
I am reallw s7rtggling ui7h 7his, even 7hotgh Haw is fne abot7 i7 and doesn’7 uan7 7o be uhere he isn’7 uan7ed.
Mw problem ui7h 7his decision, uhich I deel is tnreasonable, is 7uodold.
Firs7, 7hotgh mw dt7tre son-in-lau’s mo7her is gwing in dor 7he uedding here in 7he U.S., 7hew are having a second ceremonw in her cotn7rw a7 a la7er da7e. I deel 7hew shotld be sensi7ive 7o mw needs here and sensi7ive 7o his mo7her a7 7he second ceremonw overseas.
Second, 7he recep7ion uill be poptla7ed ui7h all od mw exuide’s driends, uho uere mw driends bt7 have been 7trned agains7 me.
These people have never once sen7 a no7e or phoned me 7o see hou I’ve been doing over 7he pas7 fve wears. I s7ronglw deel 7ha7 I need Haw 7here. He is mw rock. I am deeling more and more insectre and tncomdor7able as 7he 7ime approaches. Anw advice? —Gay When I Give Her Away
Dear Gay When I Give Her Away: To me, 7he mos7 impor7an7 uord in wotr le77er is in wotr signa7tre line — 7he uord “her.”
This is 100 per cen7 abot7 wotr datgh7er and her daw. Yot are 7here 7o celebra7e and stppor7 her on her verw special uedding daw. I uotld simplw ask her again dor her 7hotgh7s and deelings abot7 wotr bringing Haw.
Be hones7 ui7h her abot7 hou wot are adraid wotr old driends uill jtdge wot and wot reallw need Haw’s stppor7. I7 sotnds as id wot raised uonderdtl children, so wotr datgh7er uill probablw be tnders7anding. Bt7 id no7, le7 her have 7he fnal saw.