First of all, thank you so much for your service! Secondly, family is about more than blood. If your blood relatives are treating you that way, then you may need to disown them. Find people who have your back and support you, and do the same for them. Those kind of people are your real family.

Prepare for the green weenie and Texan heat in San Anton.

Stay safe and thank you for your service! Family isn't always about blood. Family is who you make your family. It's time to make your own family full of your friends that love and support you

Thank you for your service! Also if your own family can't support and respect you and your life choices then you should stay away from them.

I also thank you for serving. It's important to follow one's own path and it sounds like you are doing that. Knee jerk liberalism is no less dangerous than any other kind of knee-jerk belief, but I'm quite sure you already know that. Thanks for being a positive force in this world.

Way to be OP and congratulations! Coming from someone who's the "black sheep" of my family that has beliefs and interests different than the rest of them, they'll ease up. You won't stop what you're doing so they'll eventually have to get used to the idea. Lean on your friends and the people that encourage you:)

Thank you for your service, OP! Maybe you can find a new family in the other medics. Then afterward, make one for yourself, if you're so inclined. Those blood relatives are jerks, and you shouldn't listen to them.