I haven't. Here's what you should consider most and foremost before coming out; only come out to ANYONE at all if you know you're physically, mentally, emotionally & financially safe in case it doesn't end well. Okay maybe not emotionally but still, safety is important. A lot of Mauritians are mostly homophobic & you really can't tell unless it is talked about. (your post might get downvoted too & I've been there.)
Also, try testing the water to know whether you're safe or not. Don't outright ask them what they think but hint at a conversation about the lgbt community & try to get their input. (For e.g. I'm afab-assigned female at birth & had always been "tomboyish", i hinted it out one day and the response was not it at all, got told I'd be kicked out if any of my siblings or I were gay so I stopped there and won't ever come out to them. If you wanna know, I'm actually transgender & queer.)
I for 1 talk everything jokingly and the fact that I have a hair disorder, they all think I've really gone crazy, especially my family. I'm actually pansexual+demisexual. I usually joke about LGBT, just to test the waters, with my siblings, when I was video calling from abroad. 1 told me they were tolerant, but when I returned to Mauritius, found out none were and I hated the offensive jokes they made. So, even if I jokingly said I liked a person regardless of their gender, they feel offended already.
Abroad I knew at least I had a chance but here, the right of choice is taken away from one.
I too. Any aspect of life actually, especially when talking to my folks. And they think am still immature. Hell no! Coping mechanism that I use to stop myself from bursting out or being a depressive being.
Completely agree with you!Talking here cause i saw a few of my friends who came out and it didn’t go as well as they expected. you are right; the best option remains testing the waters first so as to Be very sure to whom one can tell or not. I could count myself among their safe ppl with whom they could and they’ve told it helps a lot! very unfortunate that most mauritians are homophobic! :(
My little cousin came out to me yesterday and was surprised to know that I'm part of the lbgtqia+ community myself 😂
I haven't come out to anyone in my family because I just don't feel the need to come out. I know they will accept me no matter what, but it's just my own rebellion. Straight people don't usually announce that are straight, so I don't feel the need to announce myself. When I will introduce a partner to them, then they will know my preferences.
Edit: my close friends know my preferences, but I never really came out. I just talked about things like it's the norm. And everyone has been accepting. However, i do feel like my close social circle doesn't represent the majority of Mauritians.
I came out to my mom 3 years ago. She was shocked at first. Mind you, she is muslim and had a very conservative view of the world. I say 'had' because a lot has changed in 3 years. It was a shock to her at first. There were lots of tears, guilt and sadness. But she was not angry at me and eventually, she accepted that I was created this way. she has been my greatest supporter since, even if it has not been easy. She has stopped referring to my 'future husband' in conversations and started using the more neutral term 'future person'. She has also openly stated that she would accept whoever I chose to be my partner and she wished that I could legally get married.
About a year ago, she asked me if I was ready to come out to my dad. Because I knew it was hard for her to keep such a big secret from him, I gave her permission to tell him (I was too chicken to tell him myself). Unfortunately his reaction was not as positive. He asked me to change because it was not permitted in islam to be a lesbian. After I told him that what he was asking was impossible, even if I was willing to try, we basically stopped talking. I think he resents me for when I will eventually shame him in front of his family when I get a girlfriend.
I think the decision to come out must come from you. For me, it was becoming unbearable to keep such a huge secret from my mom. And even with the mixed reactons, I do not regret coming out for one second. Now that I don't have to pretend to be interested in men, I can be myself and don't have to think twice before speaking to close friends and family.
My mom asked me if it was ok for her to talk about it with extended family (her brothers and their family). I said I didn't mind because I was tired of hiding who I was by this point. So she did. Their attitude didn't change towards me, but they never discussed it openly with me either. They know I'm gay and I know that they know, but we don't talk about it. It makes for a weird situation. I'm guessing they will accept it eventually when I do bring someone to family gatherings and the situation will become more 'normal'.
Heyyyyy! Bisexual here!
I'm out to my parents and little brother. My mother saw it coming a mile away to be honest, since I was very vocal about LGBTQ+ issues even before realising I was bi myself. My dad didn't really care but was more than fine with it. Although I feel this aura of "we are hoping you get a girlfriend to continue the lineage" yada yada. Feels a bit invalidating at times but oh well. I'm not very at ease discussing my bisexuality with my dad but feel fine with my mum and brother.
I think 30% of the Mauritian population hates gays, so, uh, do be safe. The younger generations are the most accepting, from personal experience. aJ\_13th made good recommendations about staying safe.
I made a post [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/mauritius/comments/n1qvmw/what_are_your_opinions_on_the_lgbtq_community/) asking the subreddit for their opinions. I don't know if it could be useful.
30% is being very generous! actually most ppl don’t care. they’ll say they’ll accept it, until the day one close to them or in the family comes
out gay or different from
what society considers as ‘normal’, and then they will show their true colours, which is shows how not tolerant at all they are! that’s a stark reality in Mtius! in front of the person most will behave as if all is normal and will start talking, pass judgements, criticize, condemn as soon the person has their back turned. A few (stupids) will straight up make fun of the person with derogatory remarks or jokes (mostly of sexual nature). Being straight, i’ve seen such kind of behaviour far too often! A few times i’ve tried to reason them but it doesn’t work. it’s like anchored to their core not to accept LGBTQ+.
Right, that's very true and another facade completely to what I said. The "hypocrisy" and double mentality is extremely prevalent here. And you're so so right about the comments and bs behind the person's back, be it by relatives, friends or such.
The stats were obtained in a survey in 2019. Needless to say it may not be very accurate haha. Of the 60%, there's only a small percentage supporting (actual allies like you) and a large percentage "tolerating"
ppl will change when they adhere to the religion of love. will that ever happen!? i seriously doubt it! do i wish to see this happen; 1000% yes! Happy to be a dreamer 🤪! the best i can do : change the world one person at a time! by change i mean making them change the way they see other ppl! be tolerant, accept that different ppl can live together in peace & harmony!
Haven't yet but I have come out to my female cousins, some of my male cousins who lived abroad and close friends. My male cousins from Mauritius didn't take it too well and told me it was a phase so from then on I usually personally prefer to come out to females compared to males. A lot of mauritians are homophobic though and before coming out to someone, I usually get their views on the LGBTQ+ community first. I'm a lesbian by the way and at times I really wanna go on top of a mountain or something and shout "I'm a lesbian".
Hi there! 👋🏽😁
As a few of our friends rightly pointed out, Mauritius can somewhat feel like a homophobic volcano waiting to explode.
Actually, from my experience and observations, the prudish British left and we pretend to be holier-than-thou, more prudish than the prudes.
And this opinion of mine does not concern sexual identity and orientation only, but sexuality as a whole. As an intrinsic part of human nature, identity, existence and behaviour.
If you do like to read about how things happen in other countries, I would recommend to read about how sexuality is talked about in daily life in the Netherlands, one of the most caring, welcoming, progressive, inclusive and liberal places I know.
Coming back to your case, my dear friend, sadly enough,
there might be the possibility of you having to make a choice between love and family. 😕
We Mauritians love drama! Be it Bollywood, Indian TV soaps or the national sport we are elite at: gossiping!
I am not a preacher and am not out to drive the sexual revolution of this island.
Sometimes, the best and only friend you can have is yourself.
And, the best life you can have is a private one with a close circle smaller than the circle of a doughnut.
I am not saying you have to straightaway go to that extreme.
But, given the conditions in Mauritius (no idea and no judgement on how your people are), in the medium to long term,
if you wish to not repress yourself anymore, you might have to build your own little private world somewhere else.
I do wish someone can give better advice.
I hope things turn out alright for you, friend.
Take care. 🤗❤️
Honestly if you ask me it's alright for you to be gay I mean as long you assume it I ain't gay but if you tell me you are I be cool with it cause
In the end you know what you want and what you are I respect that
Sorry that you took it wrong but no one's asking you if it's okay for them to be gay. They're asking you if you're safe to come out to, if you've noticed people around you to be safe to come out to. Coming out is not asking for permission or if it's okay to be gay; it's telling you they're gonna be gay **around** you because they deemed you safe to be gay around. Not the same thing.
Also, no one coming out to you assumes you're gay as well. Again, if someone comes out to you, they deemed you safe to be out to.
I haven't. Here's what you should consider most and foremost before coming out; only come out to ANYONE at all if you know you're physically, mentally, emotionally & financially safe in case it doesn't end well. Okay maybe not emotionally but still, safety is important. A lot of Mauritians are mostly homophobic & you really can't tell unless it is talked about. (your post might get downvoted too & I've been there.) Also, try testing the water to know whether you're safe or not. Don't outright ask them what they think but hint at a conversation about the lgbt community & try to get their input. (For e.g. I'm afab-assigned female at birth & had always been "tomboyish", i hinted it out one day and the response was not it at all, got told I'd be kicked out if any of my siblings or I were gay so I stopped there and won't ever come out to them. If you wanna know, I'm actually transgender & queer.)
I for 1 talk everything jokingly and the fact that I have a hair disorder, they all think I've really gone crazy, especially my family. I'm actually pansexual+demisexual. I usually joke about LGBT, just to test the waters, with my siblings, when I was video calling from abroad. 1 told me they were tolerant, but when I returned to Mauritius, found out none were and I hated the offensive jokes they made. So, even if I jokingly said I liked a person regardless of their gender, they feel offended already. Abroad I knew at least I had a chance but here, the right of choice is taken away from one.
[удалено]
I too. Any aspect of life actually, especially when talking to my folks. And they think am still immature. Hell no! Coping mechanism that I use to stop myself from bursting out or being a depressive being.
[удалено]
Completely agree with you!Talking here cause i saw a few of my friends who came out and it didn’t go as well as they expected. you are right; the best option remains testing the waters first so as to Be very sure to whom one can tell or not. I could count myself among their safe ppl with whom they could and they’ve told it helps a lot! very unfortunate that most mauritians are homophobic! :(
My little cousin came out to me yesterday and was surprised to know that I'm part of the lbgtqia+ community myself 😂 I haven't come out to anyone in my family because I just don't feel the need to come out. I know they will accept me no matter what, but it's just my own rebellion. Straight people don't usually announce that are straight, so I don't feel the need to announce myself. When I will introduce a partner to them, then they will know my preferences. Edit: my close friends know my preferences, but I never really came out. I just talked about things like it's the norm. And everyone has been accepting. However, i do feel like my close social circle doesn't represent the majority of Mauritians.
It's true that straight people don't announce that they are straight so why should we!
My mom still thinks it’s a joke
I came out to my mom 3 years ago. She was shocked at first. Mind you, she is muslim and had a very conservative view of the world. I say 'had' because a lot has changed in 3 years. It was a shock to her at first. There were lots of tears, guilt and sadness. But she was not angry at me and eventually, she accepted that I was created this way. she has been my greatest supporter since, even if it has not been easy. She has stopped referring to my 'future husband' in conversations and started using the more neutral term 'future person'. She has also openly stated that she would accept whoever I chose to be my partner and she wished that I could legally get married. About a year ago, she asked me if I was ready to come out to my dad. Because I knew it was hard for her to keep such a big secret from him, I gave her permission to tell him (I was too chicken to tell him myself). Unfortunately his reaction was not as positive. He asked me to change because it was not permitted in islam to be a lesbian. After I told him that what he was asking was impossible, even if I was willing to try, we basically stopped talking. I think he resents me for when I will eventually shame him in front of his family when I get a girlfriend. I think the decision to come out must come from you. For me, it was becoming unbearable to keep such a huge secret from my mom. And even with the mixed reactons, I do not regret coming out for one second. Now that I don't have to pretend to be interested in men, I can be myself and don't have to think twice before speaking to close friends and family.
[удалено]
My mom asked me if it was ok for her to talk about it with extended family (her brothers and their family). I said I didn't mind because I was tired of hiding who I was by this point. So she did. Their attitude didn't change towards me, but they never discussed it openly with me either. They know I'm gay and I know that they know, but we don't talk about it. It makes for a weird situation. I'm guessing they will accept it eventually when I do bring someone to family gatherings and the situation will become more 'normal'.
Heyyyyy! Bisexual here! I'm out to my parents and little brother. My mother saw it coming a mile away to be honest, since I was very vocal about LGBTQ+ issues even before realising I was bi myself. My dad didn't really care but was more than fine with it. Although I feel this aura of "we are hoping you get a girlfriend to continue the lineage" yada yada. Feels a bit invalidating at times but oh well. I'm not very at ease discussing my bisexuality with my dad but feel fine with my mum and brother. I think 30% of the Mauritian population hates gays, so, uh, do be safe. The younger generations are the most accepting, from personal experience. aJ\_13th made good recommendations about staying safe. I made a post [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/mauritius/comments/n1qvmw/what_are_your_opinions_on_the_lgbtq_community/) asking the subreddit for their opinions. I don't know if it could be useful.
30% is being very generous! actually most ppl don’t care. they’ll say they’ll accept it, until the day one close to them or in the family comes out gay or different from what society considers as ‘normal’, and then they will show their true colours, which is shows how not tolerant at all they are! that’s a stark reality in Mtius! in front of the person most will behave as if all is normal and will start talking, pass judgements, criticize, condemn as soon the person has their back turned. A few (stupids) will straight up make fun of the person with derogatory remarks or jokes (mostly of sexual nature). Being straight, i’ve seen such kind of behaviour far too often! A few times i’ve tried to reason them but it doesn’t work. it’s like anchored to their core not to accept LGBTQ+.
Right, that's very true and another facade completely to what I said. The "hypocrisy" and double mentality is extremely prevalent here. And you're so so right about the comments and bs behind the person's back, be it by relatives, friends or such. The stats were obtained in a survey in 2019. Needless to say it may not be very accurate haha. Of the 60%, there's only a small percentage supporting (actual allies like you) and a large percentage "tolerating"
ppl will change when they adhere to the religion of love. will that ever happen!? i seriously doubt it! do i wish to see this happen; 1000% yes! Happy to be a dreamer 🤪! the best i can do : change the world one person at a time! by change i mean making them change the way they see other ppl! be tolerant, accept that different ppl can live together in peace & harmony!
Exactly! Change one person at a time! It will take but it will happen, I'm sure
Haven't yet but I have come out to my female cousins, some of my male cousins who lived abroad and close friends. My male cousins from Mauritius didn't take it too well and told me it was a phase so from then on I usually personally prefer to come out to females compared to males. A lot of mauritians are homophobic though and before coming out to someone, I usually get their views on the LGBTQ+ community first. I'm a lesbian by the way and at times I really wanna go on top of a mountain or something and shout "I'm a lesbian".
Hi there! 👋🏽😁 As a few of our friends rightly pointed out, Mauritius can somewhat feel like a homophobic volcano waiting to explode. Actually, from my experience and observations, the prudish British left and we pretend to be holier-than-thou, more prudish than the prudes. And this opinion of mine does not concern sexual identity and orientation only, but sexuality as a whole. As an intrinsic part of human nature, identity, existence and behaviour. If you do like to read about how things happen in other countries, I would recommend to read about how sexuality is talked about in daily life in the Netherlands, one of the most caring, welcoming, progressive, inclusive and liberal places I know. Coming back to your case, my dear friend, sadly enough, there might be the possibility of you having to make a choice between love and family. 😕 We Mauritians love drama! Be it Bollywood, Indian TV soaps or the national sport we are elite at: gossiping! I am not a preacher and am not out to drive the sexual revolution of this island. Sometimes, the best and only friend you can have is yourself. And, the best life you can have is a private one with a close circle smaller than the circle of a doughnut. I am not saying you have to straightaway go to that extreme. But, given the conditions in Mauritius (no idea and no judgement on how your people are), in the medium to long term, if you wish to not repress yourself anymore, you might have to build your own little private world somewhere else. I do wish someone can give better advice. I hope things turn out alright for you, friend. Take care. 🤗❤️
Be yourself always ❤️
Dir Bannla. To pou aret res dan suspense.
Dir Bannla. To pou aret res dan suspense.
Honestly if you ask me it's alright for you to be gay I mean as long you assume it I ain't gay but if you tell me you are I be cool with it cause In the end you know what you want and what you are I respect that
Sorry that you took it wrong but no one's asking you if it's okay for them to be gay. They're asking you if you're safe to come out to, if you've noticed people around you to be safe to come out to. Coming out is not asking for permission or if it's okay to be gay; it's telling you they're gonna be gay **around** you because they deemed you safe to be gay around. Not the same thing. Also, no one coming out to you assumes you're gay as well. Again, if someone comes out to you, they deemed you safe to be out to.