This isn’t really my story
but I have permission to tell it
My mom came out at 40
To my sister and myself
We didn’t think it was a big deal
But it was a big deal for her
In her youth, queer was a bad word
In our youth, queer was a catch-all
I’d dabled in alternative relationships
So I was out as queer before my mom
She said she never asked the question
Of herself, until she was in love,
And the answer was “I love this woman.”
I got to see her happy
I learned that life can start at any age
Happiness comes when you least expect
And now I say it bluntly, “my mom is gay”
Because it’s a fact to me
A fact I want to share
It’s something I’m proud of.
Elizebeth Turnquist 
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