Hard to reply in this thread without repeating all the great advice everyone has given, but I figure another voice of support is never a bad thing! Like others have noted, our generation is very homo-friendly; it seems harder finding someone who isn't comfortable having a gay friend than the opposite. Coming out to the generation of our parents/aunts/uncles is where the anxiety mostly lies imo, so I wanted to offer some advice from experience about keeping those relationships strong during what can be a trying time.
Firstly Id like to highlight the already mentioned importance of not going through the process alone. Having at least one close friend who knows and you can speak candidly with is invaluable, whether you are asking for advice, complaining, crying, venting, whatever. You never know what direction a parent's reaction can send you reeling, so its helpful to have someone in your corner.
Secondly, if it is not accepted right off the bat, be patient. It is obvious but also helpful to remember that its normal for parents to be shocked and not understand immediately. I think most believe that they have a heterosexual child until told otherwise, and after thinking that for x amount of years it reasonably takes awhile to get used to a new reality. Most were raised with different values in a different time, and coming to grips with having a gay child can take time.
That being said, be confident and don't waver in your quest for them to love and understand. My parents took the news very harshly and never endeavored breach the subject for almost 2 years, both with me and between themselves. They were deathly afraid to say the word “gay”, barely whispering it if they ever felt it was necessary to use. I fear this is a pretty common thing: parents “know” they have a gay child but really prefer pretending they don't, or worse, hope that ignoring it will make it go away. This is annoying and can plant a huge unresolved elephant in the middle of every room and conversation you share, which is why I advise striving to keep the dialogue alive. This is not to be spiteful or incite them, but to show that its not a topic to be afraid of and cement in their minds that this is who you are, not just some phase you'll recover from.
For me, opening up the discussion each time was often just as nervewracking as coming out the first time, there was lots of crying and yelling, and it sometimes felt like we were just talking/arguing in circles. Regardless, the goal is to keep them thinking about it and facilitate not just their acceptance, but an understanding and comfort level that allows them to remain engaged in your life without feeling like there always this taboo issue. I think I made a mistake in letting my parents deny my sexuality for so long, and it only deepened their resistance and hatred of the fact. This might not be the way everyone chooses to approach it, but for me the alternative was them shutting down and never evolving their perception of what it means to have a gay son. In the end it boiled down to one fact: it is a relationship with another man, not a woman, that will give me a happier and more complete life. Any parent who wishes those things for their child will eventually come around to acceptance and the larger logic that was there all along: homosexuality ain't nothing but a pronoun change.
This advice of course should be tailored to the climate of your particular situation, you don't want to overload them, and certainly don't want to anger your father to the point of violence. Sincerely hope it doesn't come to violence, but as others have said you obviously can't stand for that and should both report it and get out of harm's way. It seems an unfair burden that the gay child may have to help the parents through the coming-out process and not the other way around, but I truly believe simple conversation can make all the difference in maintaining a healthy relationship with them. With any luck yours will choose to be active in understanding of their own accord.
I guess all this advice is post coming-out, so I apologize if you don't find any of it immediately helpful! If you do reach a comfort level with your sexuality where you choose to identify as gay, remember that coming out is something most every gay person has to go through. You are not alone, its a shared experience. Being nervous and scared is normal, and there is literature you can read yourself or suggest to your parents/family if you're feeling stuck. Move at your own pace, ask for help and support when you need it, blah blah blah all that cliché stuff that actually works and you can come out the other end a happier more confident person with one less burden on your back! Good luck!