Simon, From what I read in your post you don't have any reason to try and make others accept you for who you are, you sound like a pretty special person to me just the way you are..
From your post it seems I'm quit a bit older then you and I have kids much older then you and I can say this I would be proud to have you as one of mine.
I spent most all of my life trying to get my family to accept and would swallow my own beliefs and feelings and take on theirs just so I would feel loved and accepted.
Til not to many yrs ago something really big happened and woke me up, I no longer have contact with those in my family that can not and will not accept me for who and what I am, it took me way to long to figure out how much better off I am to cut those people out of my life that can not accept me.
I'm not recommending you do that, only as a last resource if they can not accept and love you for who you are.
You can't make people change, think about it, you have no intentions of changing who you are for them and I'm pretty sure they feel the same way.
The difference is that it sounds to me like you really have it together and good for you !!
Laverene