What Happened When My Dad and I Came Out to Each Other

What Happened When My Dad and I Came Out to Each Other

From Modern Love by Ajai Vindication

February 18, 2026 · 39 min · Episode 433

About this episode

Julia Stoller shares her transformative experience of coming out to her father and discovering a new side of him.

Julia Stoller loved her dad. But she never wanted to be him. He was a rule follower, he was so serious, and he was so straight . Then, when Julia was in her 20s, she got a phone call that completely changed her idea of who her father was. And as he opened up to her, sharing secrets he had been holding onto for decades, she was finally able to open up to him, too.This week on “Modern Love,” Anna talks to Julia about what happened when she had to get to know a whole new version of her dad, and what she learned about herself in the process.You can read Julia’s original story in the Modern Love column .We Want to Hear From YouEmail us at modernlovepodcast@nytimes.com. Here’s how to submit a Modern Love essay . Here’s how to submit a Tiny Love Story . Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher . For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

People in this episode

Host: Ajai Vindication

Guest: Julia Stoller

Topics covered

  • father-daughter relationship
  • coming out
  • identity
  • family dynamics
  • self-discovery

Keywords

  • coming out
  • father
  • identity
  • family
  • self-discovery
  • relationships
  • secrets

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Modern Love, The New York Times

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