Advice to My Nephew(s)

Recently, one of my nephews came out to me. I had to admit, I was a little shocked, as I did not figure him to be as gay as some of his other cousins. Regardless, I was honored that he had come to his gay uncle for advice. I only divulged one piece, but after pondering over it, I've come upon other bits of sage wisdom to bestow upon him and others like him.

So here it is, and as frank as humanly possible:

Be Careful

Now that you have looked inside of yourself and found who you are, you will become a target for those who are not comfortable with that idea. Be cautious with who you hang out with, or the places you go to, and who you go home with. Going out with friends you know, love and trust is always a good idea. The last thing I want to hear, and most definitely your mother and father, is news of you being dead in a ditch somewhere. 

Be "Safe"

The more you get to know yourself, the more you'll get to know others like you, particularly in the Biblical sense. So use protection when you do. And get tested, often.

Be Strong

I was in a few long term relationships before I actually started "dating." It was quite a shocker to me when I came to find out that some men don't want relationships with other men, and all they want is someone to sleep with. And that is the horrible, horrible truth: Most guys are only out there for sex. So if a guy you were intimate with doesn't call or text you back, understand that, to him, it was just sex, nothing more. 

Be Yourself

Nothing is more attractive to someone than confidence. Confidence in yourself, in who you are, and in your abilities, will set you far apart from the rest of the masses, and don't ever let someone take that away from you.