In episode nine of Outlook's Secrets and Lies series we bring you two extraordinary stories of family secrets unravelled.

Growing up in California, Rachel Mason and her brother Josh didn't know exactly what was sold in their unassuming and straight-laced parents' bookstore. They had no idea the shop was actually one of the biggest distributors of adult material, specifically gay porn, in the US. The bookshop became a haven for the queer community as Karen and Barry supported gay employees throughout the HIV and Aids crisis in the 1980s, all the while hiding the business from family and friends. Rachel has made a documentary about their story called Circus of Books.

Scottish actor Alan Cumming is the star of Hollywood films like X-Men and the hit TV series The Good Wife, but for him the real drama is in the family secrets that have shaped his life and career.

And if all this sharing of secrets has got you thinking about a story in your own life we'd love to hear it. Write to us, or send a short voice memo to outlook@bbc.com. The secret could be about you or someone you know, or it could just be a fantastic tale you heard. If your story is about someone you know, just make sure they're ok with you telling us about it.


Presenter: Emily Webb
Producer: Fiona Woods and Maryam Maruf
Original story producers: Maryam Maruf and June Christie
Music: Joel Cox