JOHN: ON THIS FATHER'S DAY, WHILE GROWING UP ON WASHINGTON STATE DAIRY FARM IN THE 1950'S, PATRICK HAGGERTY CAME TO REALIZE HE WAS GAY.

HE NOW TELLS HIS DAUGHTER ABOUT THE DAY HE PERFORMED AT A SCHOOL ASSEMBLY AND HIS FATHER SHOWED UP UNEXPECTEDLY.

>> I AM RIDING TO SCHOOL WITH MY OLDEST BROTHER.

ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL, I AM PUTTING GLITTER ON MY FACE.

MY BROTHER SAID, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

I SAID, I AM PUTTING ON MY COSTUME.

HE SAID, I WOULD NOT BE CAUGHT DEAD WEARING THAT.

HE DROPPED ME OFF AT THE SCHOOL AND CALLED MY DAD AND SAID, DAD, I THINK YOU BETTER GET UP THERE, THIS IS NOT GOING TO LOOK GOOD.

SO, MY DAD DROVE UP TO THE HIGH SCHOOL.

HE HAD HIS FARMER JEANS ON, COW CRAP ON HIM, AND HIS BOOTS ON.

I HID FROM HIM.

IT WAS NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT I WAS WEARING.

IT WAS BECAUSE OF WHAT HE WAS WEARING.

THE ASSEMBLY GOES WELL.

I AM IN THE CAR WITH MY FATHER.

MY FATHER SAYS TO ME, I WAS WALKING DOWN THE HALL THIS MORNING, AND I SAW A KID THAT LOOK A LOT LIKE YOU DUCKING AROUND THE HALL TO AVOID HIS DAD BUT I KNEW IT WAS NOT YOU BECAUSE YOU WOULD NEVER AVOID YOUR DAD.

I SQUIRMED IN MY SEAT AND FINALLY BUSTED OUT AND SAID, DAD, DID YOU HAVE TO WEAR YOUR COW CRAP JEANS TO MY ASSEMBLY?

HE SAID EVERYBODY KNOWS I AM A DAIRY FARMER, THIS IS WHO I AM.

HE LOOKED ME SQUARE IN THE EYE AND SAID, HOW ABOUT YOU?

WHEN YOU ARE A FULL-GROWN MAN, WHO ARE YOU GOING TO GO OUT WITH THAT NIGHT?

I SAID, I DON'T KNOW.

HE SAID, I THINK YOU DO KNOW AND IT IS NOT GOING TO BE THAT GIRL MAKING EYES AT YOU BUT YOU WILL NOT EVEN PICK UP THE TELEPHONE.

I'M GOING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING TODAY.

YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT TO THINK OF IT TODAY BUT YOU WILL REMEMBER WHEN YOU ARE AN ADULT.

DO NOT SNEAK, BECAUSE IF YOU SNEAK THE WAY YOU DID TODAY, IT MEANS YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING THE WRONG THING.

IF YOU RUN AROUND SPENDING YOUR WHOLE LIFE THINKING YOU ARE DOING THE WRONG THING, THEN YOU ARE RUINING YOUR IMMORTAL SOUL.

OUT OF ALL THE THINGS A FATHER IN 1959 COULD HAVE TOLD HIS GAY SON, MY FATHER TELLS ME TO BE PROUD OF MYSELF AND NOT SNEAK.

MY REACTION AT THE TIME WAS TO GET OUT IN THE HAYFIELD AND PRETEND LIKE I WAS AS MUCH OF A MAN AS I COULD BE.

I REMEMBER FLIPPING 50-POUND BALES THREE FEET UP IN THE AIR GOING, "I AM NOT A QUEER, WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT?

BUT HE KNEW WHERE I WAS HEADING.

HE KNEW THAT MAKING ME FEEL BAD ABOUT IT IN ANY WAY WAS THE WRONG THING TO DO.

I HAD THE PATRON SAINT OF DADS.

I DID NOT KNOW IT AT THE TIME, BUT I KNOW IT NOW.

JOHN: FOR MORE STORIES LIKE PATRICK HAGGERTY'S, YOU CAN VISIT THE WEBSITE.