Dating and marriage while having a criminal past
I am 32 yo male, university dropout, had tons of bad decisions in my twenties, served some jail time,and i'm a former substance abuser, I eventually repented 2 years ago (not religiously though bcz i'm not religious at all lol) I have a good job now, consistent income and an appartement, my family helped me get on my feet again and I'm so grateful, I feel ready and mature enough to get married and make a cute small family with the right person.....
The issue is I always get turned down by the girl's family when I step up and go talk to her parents, happened to me two times already and the last time it nearly caused a tragedy bcz of the girl fighting her parents and threatening to k*ll herself if they don't accept, I had to take all the blame, her father threatened to chase me down if I ever talk to his daughter again and that someone like me doesn't deserve a well educated girl like her, I had to let her go so I don't cause anymore problems.
My mother believes that I need to hide my past or fake it so I can marry a girl from a good family, she says that they don't have to know or at least make the girl lie to her family for me, while my father thinks I should lower my standards and stop finding girls who are out of my league., anyways I didn't really target those girls we met by coincidence and random events and they happened to be my type (I don't really care of her education and prestigious family as long as she's a good person honestly),, but i also strongly believe that I shouldn't hide my past bcz since I'm a changed person now I have reconciled with it and I make sure this new page of my life should be built on honesty and transparency.
Do you guys think I'm just being hard-headed?? Should I really keep my past a secret from my future in-laws?
Note : the first girl I had this issue with told me that if I really cared about her I would hide it from her parents,, and by being honest I'm indirectly sabotaging the relationship and that it also makes me sound like I'm proud of it, bcz for her someone who truly regrets his past should keep it a secret