Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Marrying a woman behind my parents back

246 replies

YourLilacCat · 19/10/2024 15:16

My parents are religious and have made it clear they will never accept a gay marriage/gay partnership or any type of same sex relationship, so would I be unreasonable to get married to my female partner regardless and just not tell them? I live in their home.

OP posts:
cwcanfo · 19/10/2024 17:41

You should move out into your own place. Continue the relationship with your girlfriend. Then consider marrying.
What you are wanting to do is ridiculous and will end up in disaster.

LateAF · 19/10/2024 17:41

TheSilentSister · 19/10/2024 17:34

Get married in secret, buy your own house, introduce her as a lodger. Job done.
If you think you can pull that off, then why not go for it. You'd have to keep up the pretence with separate bedrooms (for show) and no lovey dovey pictures up when either family visit etc. As you are both in the same boat, it should be fine.
For what it's worth, a relative of mine did this - thing is, we all knew he was gay and went along with it. His choice not to disclose etc. There were no religious/cultural reasons. They got married in secret also. It's sad because he cut himself off from his family, never giving anyone a chance to say it's ok. There's more to the story but you get the gist.

Did you talk positively about other gay people you know in front of him - i.e. "I went to Pete and John's wedding last weekend - it was beautiful ect..."?

Why did he think your family were homophobic? Surely it's fairly easy to openly signal you're not homophobic without forcing him to out himself?

SunriseMonsters · 19/10/2024 17:41

AliasGrace47 · 19/10/2024 17:35

I think some posters are being too harsh saying your parents have to know if this could torpedo your relationship w them. But other pps are right that it depends on your gf's attitude to this lying. Some people would be OK w this arrangement, but probs not if it involved you living there for much longer & having to keep her hidden.

It would be a very bad idea to marry someone who was "ok" about going along with such a level of deceit and dishonesty.

People who behave in such a way in one situation invariably are also happy to do so in others.

AliasGrace47 · 19/10/2024 17:42

I get a lot of the people here feeling the OP is disrespecting her parents by not telling them. & there are definite flaws in what she's suggesting, it seems naive at best..
But as to not telling parents, if posters here knew their dps would almost certainly reject them bc of unreasonable prejudice against their dh, would you tell them? Assuming you weren't living w parents. There's the need for honesty, but there's also the desire to keep your family, even if they're bigoted. Would all posters here sacrifice family for honesty?

BunnyLake · 19/10/2024 17:44

cwcanfo · 19/10/2024 17:41

You should move out into your own place. Continue the relationship with your girlfriend. Then consider marrying.
What you are wanting to do is ridiculous and will end up in disaster.

This is by far the most logical, simplest and most mature thing to do.

AliasGrace47 · 19/10/2024 17:45

Sunrise, lots of gay couples in previous times had to hide their relationships from their family. Many were decent people who hated lying,but they wanted to have a relationship & yet keep their family. There's much less prejudice now, but it's still v painful to lose your family, even if they treat you badly.

Beesandhoney123 · 19/10/2024 17:46

Taking advantage of the financial security and living accommodation which is why you say you won't live with your gf seems off to me. Presumably you are expecting your patents to support you in buying a flat - if not financially then with advice. Then your gf moves in, gets married and owns half your flat? Bonkers. Your patents would feel conned by their own dd.

Do you work? Best to move out to a house share first, see if you like living independently with no family around and managing the bills, washing, cleaning, going out and staying in.

Be prepared to be cut out. But to pretend you love them and care for them whilst only there because it's comfortable doesn't sound to me as if you're really committed to your gf.

Ps. When you get married it's not always a lifetime fairy tale of love and security, a cloak of protection etc. Will you provide this to your partner? You expect a lot from your beloved, whom you do not live with, share mundane times with.

Gummybear23 · 19/10/2024 17:48

DeireadhFomhair · 19/10/2024 17:19

Aside from lying to your parents, you're not being fair to your girlfriend / wife to keep her hidden. If you love someone enough to marry them, you should love them enough to announce it to the world.

Not if you are worried about emotional backlash.

GillBeck · 19/10/2024 17:49

It is hypocritical of you to be hiding this from your parents/planning on marrying in secret whilst benefitting from their home because you don’t want to ‘uproot your life’.

AliasGrace47 · 19/10/2024 17:51

Apples, I think w this strict types of culture, this needs to be modified a bit. Someone like OP, or someone in the same culture who is straight & wants a bf, would by your thinking have to hold of all dating until they move out. In the current climate, many are stuck at home for years.
But I agree in op's case she should move out.

TheSilentSister · 19/10/2024 17:51

@LateAF = no one in the family is homophobic although I can only speak for myself for certain. We welcomed his 'lodger/friend' when they visited. It was bleeding obv they were a couple. He gradually started distancing himself then broke all contact. Found out through someone else that he got married. As I said, there is more to this but it's 'personal' to him.

MassiveSalad22 · 19/10/2024 17:54

You can’t (shouldn’t IMO) marry anybody without living with them first. That’s mad! I got married at 22 and all good. But we’d lived together for 4 years beforehand.

AliasGrace47 · 19/10/2024 17:55

Oneday, being angry at your parents for wanting to disown you for your sexuality isn't 'pontificating on your rights'. The parents haven't been v kind at all to the child they brought into the world...
But I agree the OP should move out.

AliasGrace47 · 19/10/2024 18:00

YouLilacCat, if it's ok to ask, what is your culture?

Mookytoo · 19/10/2024 18:00

Just chuck your parents into deep end.

Make decisions which are best for you.

They know you are Lesbian
Plan your wedding
Invite them

Parents can make their own decisions.

You only need to do what’s best for you.

ManchesterLu · 19/10/2024 18:02

You can either tell them what's happening and tell them they either deal with it or they don't see you anymore.

Or, you can do what many women did decades ago, and live as "housemates". Tell your parents you're moving out for independence, with a friend. Keep the marriage secret.

I would opt for number 1. But I can understand that you may prefer to live a lie rather than lose your parents. It's a tough call.

AliasGrace47 · 19/10/2024 18:03

Attelina, it's not just her sex life, it's the person she wants to spend her life with.

AliasGrace47 · 19/10/2024 18:06

Oneday, I can see what you mean, but is being a brat really comparable to sticking yo beliefs out of narrow mindedness that are hurting the person you brought into the world? At least your relationship, I'm assuming straight, wasn't seen as sinful by default

StaunchMomma · 19/10/2024 18:07

You would be unreasonable to not get married because of their archaic views and it's 100% up to you who you have in attendance. They've made themselves more than clear than they wouldn't be accepting of it so why invite them?

I do think the sooner you get out of their house, the better.

SophiaCohle · 19/10/2024 18:08

I think it would be morally wrong of you to accept the financial support of your parents in order to be able to save for a secret new life you know they will be upset by. If you want to be free to pursue the life you want, good for you, but do it on your own nickel.

I think you are currently too young and immature to get married to anyone.

I think the rush to marry primarily because it's what your your partner wants is evidence of your immaturity.

I think the fixity of your thinking about most of the detail of this plan is further evidence of your immaturity, i.e you won't move out, you won't rent, you have an advance plan in place in the event of marital breakdown without any apparent understanding that that is not how such things are decided.

I think it's ironic that your thinking is so fixed when your key problem with your parents is your belief that their thinking about you and your sexual orientation is fixed.

As a parent of adult children, I can tell you that we can handle just about any unexpected and even unwanted revelations, but what is harder to row back from is secrets, lies and deliberate divisiveness.

Tell them or don't tell them, but don't use them. And don't get married.

AliasGrace47 · 19/10/2024 18:10

Across, but what if your son had good reason to think you would disown him?

Startingagainandagain · 19/10/2024 18:11

It sounds to me like you have some growing up to do.

You don't have the confidence to be upfront about who you love and you are still living at home...

Frankly I would not jump into marrying anyone and instead focus on leaving home, becoming independent and being open about your sexuality.

ThatGladTiger · 19/10/2024 18:14

YourLilacCat · 19/10/2024 16:09

That’s why I am putting a deposit in for my own house, that way if the marriage doesn’t work she goes back to her flat which I will happily pay for her to keep and I stay in my house. That way i don’t end up with no house and no way back to my parents.

If it doesn’t work she is entitled to half your house!

Phonicshaskilledmeoff · 19/10/2024 18:15

If you marry without telling them, they will forever say that if was you that cut them off rather than the other way around.
Id give them the opportunity to adjust their thinking whilst knowing that they won’t. But at least you’ll never wonder what if.
also- another vote for not blowing your life up on someone you’ve never lived with 🤷‍♀️ If I’m honest this reads as a young person that wants to make a point to their bigoted parents rather than someone making sensible measured decisions that are right for them.

Falseshamrok · 19/10/2024 18:16

I say good for you and wish you both the best of luck!

Swipe left for the next trending thread