Jeff and Ryan Bosley
Jeff, Anne, Ryan and Kevin Bosley at the Windsor Pride Parade
COOL DADS Dads are like superheroes. As children, we look up to them, are inspired by them, and, more often than not, want to be exactly like them. As we grow older, we want to make them proud of the young men and women we become, but sometimes their idea of the son or daughter they’ve always wanted doesn’t match the reality of who their son or daughter actually is. The thought of telling my father I was gay terrified me. I was at a point where I had come to terms with my own sexuality but kept it hidden. I lacked the confidence to come out to my parents. I had an idea of how those conversations would go, but I was still afraid of how they might respond. If my parents refused to accept the fact their son was gay, would they disown me? Or even still love me? If my parents accepted it, would our relationship change? Those were questions I had been asking myself. 56
The internal battle I fought with myself lasted for many years, but I eventually built up the courage I needed. After I told my dad, the weight I carried on my shoulders for so long was gone. And what I learned was that he didn’t care that I was gay; he just wanted me to be happy. The sad truth is, not everyone gets to have a great experience coming out. Some parents choose to refuse their children for who they are. But, if we can talk about the positive stories, hopefully it will give people the courage to love themselves and for parents to be proud and supportive of their children, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender with which they identify.
FANTASTIC FATHERS WHO ARE MORE THAN JUST PROUD OF THEIR CHILDREN By Millar Hill | Photography: Syx Langemann
dad,” he said. “He asked if I wanted to walk in the Pride Parade. His work, Concours Mold Inc., had purchased a big float for the parade because the owner’s sons are both gay. I was like, ‘okay, if you are asking me to go, I definitely should say yes.’ “It’s one of those things we all hope will happen and it did. I began to think back 13 years ago and I would never have thought he would ask me this question,” he added. Ryan came out to his family at the age of 19. It was a good experience. However, his sexual orientation was never brought up after the fact, especially from his father.
“I think some of the frustration my dad had was that he might have thought he was the only one. That no other guy at work has a gay child,” he said. “But, when Concours put a float in the parade, he was able to bring his family and see the 80 other people show up with their families and create this “It started with a phone call from my positive atmosphere.”
For the past 13 years, Ryan Bosley has been out of the closet, but for the first time, he finally feels like himself. Over the summer, the unexpected happened—an opportunity that made the bond between father and son a lot stronger.
