OK...

Before I start, I should give some background information. Over the summer, I moved out of my parents' house in a small town to the largest city in the state (although it's a small-sized city) - and I even moved to the most popular neighborhood in that city (a gay-friendly neighborhood where all the bars, shops, nice restaurants, post-college crowd live). The only problem I've ever had with the neighborhood is parking! I'm the first person in the family that has moved away because they wanted to (all the others were temporary because they were forced to due to jobs or military - but moved back as soon as they could) - in fact, the majority of my family live in the same town or around the same town. I live the furthest away; about an hour north of them. My family doesn't see why I want to move so far away, and they constantly remind me that they don't see anything that the city I live in now has that the town we are from doesn't have... I'm kind of used to this though, I've never fit in with my family or the people in the area that I'm from (a small farming and blue collar town)... in fact, I literally became shocked and panic when I met and befriended someone up here that I met that had almost all the exact same interests that I did... I had never felt so normal lol! Growing up I was never interested in gun collecting, shooting, hunting, fishing, four-wheeling (or "mudding"), cars, etc. (despite my family's constant, and to this day, continuous effort to get me interested in such things). I was more into literature and the arts (I love theatre, paintings, world music, independent films, etc). So anyway...

I just got back from having holiday dinner with my father's side of the family. On the way there, I had to stop at my mother's house to get something. I just recently lost my job, and she asked how my job search was going. I told her that I applied to several positions on the night shift at a local convenience store (various locations throughout the area). Her reaction was, "All of those are in bad areas..." I know that some of them are not in the best areas, but I wouldn't consider them "bad." I felt frustrated and kind of angry at her reaction - not only because she wasn't supportive (e.g., "I'm glad you are out there applying for jobs!") but also because my perspective on what's a good area vs. bad area is completely different from hers (to sum it up, if it's not a place where only white families are - then it's the complete ghetto).

At dinner at my father's, everyone asks me the expected question of what I do for a living. After I tell them, their response is, "I guess they need those where you live... if I lived there, I'd be having a crisis too!" I often was told that I've lost weight and look great - to which I've say that I've been going on long walks through town and in the park a few blocks away from my house... the next thing I'm told is, "You actually walk out in the open there!? Even after you hear about all those shootings there!" My grandmother constantly tells me that she wishes that I lived there with her, that she misses me and she's really lonely. She doesn't understand why I want or need to move away, and will flat out ask me, "Why don't you want to live with me?" She will then always say, "Well, remember that you always have a home here and you are always welcome!" (which is sweet - but I feel like it's more in a nice-manipulative manner to make me feel guilty). I just want to tell her that I'm happy for what she's done for me and to extend that offer, but I don't see a future for me there and that I'm quite happy with the direction that my life has gone since my move...

Furthermore, I'm currently in undergraduate school studying psychology. My career goal is to become a therapist... and my family knows this. My aunt was talking about having problems with her son, and my stepmother told her that she needs to forget the psychiatrist and the counselor and to take him to church. She said that the boy needs Jesus. She said that psychiatrist and counselors don't help or work... that no one can understand or help people, only God. She said this with me beside her.

Then, my family will always ask me if I have a girlfriend, if I'm talking to any girl, etc. despite the fact that they all know that I'm gay. But it's something that they don't acknowledge, and if I say anything remotely gay then it's ignored as if I didn't say anything. In fact, the only time that it is acknowledged is when I made the move to the city ("Oh! The only reason you want to live there is because of the gay people...") or when I volunteered for the Obama campaign ("You're only supporting Democrats because they bought your vote by supporting the gay agenda... the government relies on stupid people like you!").

I'm not sure why I'm posting here about this. I guess I want to know if other people have the same sort of problems with their family. Am I wrong? Am I right? I never say anything back or pass judgment... but I'm getting tired of hearing it again and again... Is this invalidation? Are they crazy-making me?