How do you face being gay when you once felt it was wrong?

[Jennifer5]

This is a general question which has come to mind. Many of you once felt that it was wrong to be gay, how did you over-come that? When your religion tells you that it is wrong and even some or all of the people you love, what do you do?

Personally, how do you come to accept yourself?

[Zerbie]

This topic could go anywhere.

In a way, it's a really brilliant question because it goes to some very elemental topics. It gets into matters of faith, self-confidence, self-trust, and negotiating those qualities with confusing/conflicting narratives from the trusted others in your life.

It can seem the height of arrogance to hear everyone you know condemn a thing while you maintain otherwise, because it seems a bit crazy to think that everyone else in your world is wrong and you alone are right. Arrogant and crazy. Everybody else says "This" while I say "That," ergo logically, statistically, I MUST be wrong, right? :disagree: Wrong. You ARE right. :p

It throws your system of reality-checks off balance, because we often test our reality by checking with the others around us: "Hey, is it hot in here, or is it just me?" "No, it's not you, I'm a little uncomfortable too, let's turn on the AC." If you are in an environment where gay is seen as taboo and beyond unacceptable, you have no basis for that reality check, because your experience is going to go unheard and discounted. Instead of coming to own your authentic experience, instead of accepting your feelings gracefully and developing healthy relationships, you can come to severe self-doubt, self-blame, and feelings of shame and unworthiness.

How do you overcome this? Tough question. I'll leave it to those who did to answer with specifics. The easiest thing to do is actually the most difficult: that is to not get into the situation where you distrust yourself and lose your self-confidence to begin with. That seems to be harder, because I suspect most folks don't have the personality type that easily jumps to the conclusion, "Well, everyone else is just wrong about this, while I have it right." Most of us don't do that, especially when young. That personality type appears to be somewhat rare.

To overcome it? I am sure overcoming such conditioning requires building a strong foundation of self-confidence, of faith in oneself and God that what is, is how it is meant to be, the ability to accept one's feelings, and internalize a deeply felt sense of one's worth. You must know you are worth it. You are worthy of love, worthy of deep intimacy with God, worthy of human connections of the kind that feed you in the deepest way. You are worth it. This you must come to know on all levels: know with your intellect, know with your heart, and know within the tissues of your body. You are worth it.

[BrianB]

This is a general question which has come to mind. Many of you once felt that it was wrong to be gay, how did you over-come that? When your religion tells you that it is wrong and even some or all of the people you love, what do you do?

Personally, how do you come to accept yourself?

The short answer is; when I really started believing that sexual orientation wasn’t a choice. That God made me bisexual. My sexual attraction to both sexes is God given. That realization brought on a crisis of faith because it flew in the face of what I had always been taught.

I went on a search to find out what it meant to be gay and Christian. Was it even possible to be gay and Christian? I searched the internet for Christian and gay groups. What I found was Soulforce, Whosoever, Gay Christian outreach and several others. There was also the gay and lesbian alliance at my school where I met real gay people in the flesh. These groups and individuals within the groups became my support system. My ex-girlfriend was also of immense help. She was also bisexual and had already gone through the same process years before I had.

Being bisexual eventually led me to change churches. My previous church taught all unrepentant gay people will go to hell…no exceptions. The Catholic Church seemed slightly more accepting. It was also my girlfriend’s church which was also motivation to convert. What really convinced me was the peace I feel when I go to Mass.

What I came to accept was that God made me just the way I am. I also came to accept that interpreting everything in the bible as applicable literally to my life just did not make sense. Many things in the bible were written for a certain place and time to a certain audience. The documents here at Soulforce and at Whosoever were particularly helpful in my search for truth.

[Pablo Rafael]

It was a relatively easy transition for me to change my thinking. I had grown up in the "being gay is a sin" philosophy. After reading Stranger at the Gate I thought that maybe there was another way to look at things. After reading much more and looking closely at the supposed anti-gay Bible passages, I became convinced that the Bible doesn't speak against homosexuality at all.

If I were convinced that the Bible DID condemn same-sex realtionships, I would still believe that it is wrong to be gay. But Biblical study has led me to believe that the anti-gay stance of Christianity is just a tradition and not a scriptural teaching.

Plus I think I knew all along that being gay wasn't wrong though I had tried to convince myself otherwise. Casting aside that viewpoint was an easy thing.

[Gennee]

This is an interesting question, Jennifer. I am a transgender person and the bible doesn't say anything about transgenderism being a sin. It does speak about eunuchs and they were allowed to be a part of God's covenant (Isa 56:1-6).

I have always prayed for salvation for gay and lesbian folks. I never really took the sexual orientation into my mind because a person's heart and soul is very dear to God. I have seen God's work in gay and lesbian people. Long before I discovered my transness, I never had any hatred for gays and lesbians. God doesn't either and I'll tell anybody who says otherwise.

As I study :reading: the word, there's no doubt in my mind that God created you the way you are. Going against prevailing thought isn't easy but it's what you believe. I embraced my transgenderism and God embraced me. I am still his child.


Gennee

[BruceChris]

My previous church taught all unrepentant gay people will go to hell…no exceptions.

My reading of the Bible tells me that all unrepentant STRAIGHT people will go to hell. (But I'm sure that they really don't want to hear it, expressed quite like that)

We're ALL sinners, but some of us are gay.........

And all of us are loved by God.

BC

[BrianB]

My reading of the Bible tells me that all unrepentant STRAIGHT people will go to hell. (But I'm sure that they really don't want to hear it, expressed quite like that)

We're ALL sinners, but some of us are gay.........

And all of us are loved by God.

BC

That is a very good point. :o All of us deserve judgment except for the mercy of God.

[Rick336]

Many years ago when I finally came to the conclusion that I was gay, I figured that if I was gay, then there couldn't be anything wrong with it because I knew that there was nothing wrong with me.

I was told by a roommate once that this was a very self-centered way of looking at it. I never understood what he meant.

Rick

[Nyshana]

Eheh, I like that, Rick - it's rather logical, really; but beyond the self-confidence of most people. Truly insane people never realise they're not perfectly fine :p .

For me, it was a fairly simple, if long process. I realised that I was bi, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. I realised that I had been bi since I was a kid - not that I'd even noticed then because, well, how many eight-year-olds consciously think about sex and sexuality; but looking back I can see quite clearly that I have always been the way I am, thus it follows that I probably always will be.
Then I spent several months fretting and stressing about it, until one day I was walking to the station thinking about it; and God said "Oh do shut up, it's really not important, get on with your life!"
So I did. :D

[snuka12000]

That's a very good question. I like to think of myself as this great overcomer but the truth is that I still wrestle with it.

I've gone to counseling, I read Mel White's book Stranger at the Gate, I'm pretty comfortable in my own skin but things that the Church says, and some people say still do hinder me. Perhaps, it is a life-long process reconciling the fact and truth that we are good, God blessed people and not the negative, false, immoral people that they claim that we are.

[Vortex]

Personally, how do you come to accept yourself?

Know truth, and then live in it

If you live in the truth of others, you will find yourself always in conflict

The truth you must come to know, comes from within

To accept yourself, you must first know yourself; this is the first step towards discovering truth

Good luck,

Vortex

[scott snedeker]

This is a general question which has come to mind. Many of you once felt that it was wrong to be gay, how did you over-come that? When your religion tells you that it is wrong and even some or all of the people you love, what do you do?

Personally, how do you come to accept yourself?

The best for me is great love-making. When someone "loves on me" with passion and love and great orgasm it builds my entitlement to joy!

Recently I took in a young man (21) who was ostracized by his wealthy family for being gay. We went to Costa Rica with three others of my love circle. I bought him a "Bananna Hammock" to wear to the beach. At first he would't wear it, but eventually did when I assured him that He looked great and would get all kinds of attention, (he has quite a beautiful buxom.. Ahem!) he agreed.

Sure enough, He met a local gay tico who is a sweet as honey! They became smitten and made bunnies blush with their romantic fervor.

Now, back at home he wears the "bananna hammock" everyday as underwear. It reminds him of his desireability and entitlement to sensual joy and love. He and Carlos (the Tico boy) have talked every day.

My heart sings with how he opened up and with the help a a beautiful boy, has started to love himself because he is gay!

[Rick336]

They became smitten and made bunnies blush with their romantic fervor.

I can never perform when bunnies watch.

Rick

[Zerbie]

I can never perform when bunnies watch.

Rick

Too intimidated by their expert opinions?

[Rick336]

Too intimidated by their expert opinions?

No. Too embarrassed by their giggles.

Rick

[Zerbie]

They became smitten and made bunnies blush with their romantic fervor.


No. Too embarrassed by their giggles.

Rick

Oh, silly Rick. :disagree: Rabbits don't giggle. They ARE known for holding up rating cards post-coitus: 3.5, 4.0, 4.0, 3.5. They rarely rate humans much above a 4.

Then again, neither do they blush. Scottie, now I know you were exaggerating.
:p
:p
:p

[Rick336]

Oh, silly Rick. :disagree: Rabbits don't giggle. They ARE known for holding up rating cards post-coitus: 3.5, 4.0, 4.0, 3.5. They rarely rate humans much above a 4.


:lol::lol::lol:

Rick

[alphie]

Jesus "pulled a Lazarus" on me last year around this time and helped me to come out. It's been a roller-coaster of faith issues, emotional issues etc.
I used to think being gay was wrong but with the help of God, church friends and family. I sometimes feel like an idiot for not accepting it sooner.
Some days it is still a faith struggle but I'm contiuing to make progress with the help of God and others.

[Daniel]

I cried and pleaded with God and wept and beat against the heavens one long evening during a walk.

I had just realized- after a girl I knew wanted to get it on with me- that it wasn't going to happen- and why it really really really wasn't going to happen. By that time, I had fooled around with another young man. Called things off after a couple of weeks, so guilty was I. He was too. He'd been sent to my Alma Mater to straighten up. The Christian Fundi Stuff was screaming loudly in both our heads.

When the storm of my emotions died down a bit, I realized that I was the same person, would always be that person, and that this person, the one who was attracted to guys simply WAS.

I stopped trying to be something I was not.

Now, years later, I think of that time in my life as the turning point. If there is a God- and I am not convinced that there is- he was silent that night. But peace did come. Some would say that is God. I don't know about that. And am Ok with not having to know. What's important is that I dared to come into my own. Why? The pain of being something- someone else- was too damn painful.

Self-preservation? Perhaps. Whatever the reason, I am very glad I could break through to not hating myself and trying to be something I was not.

[taminator]

I've read the entire Bible eight times (different versions), purposefully looking for evidence that I would go to "hell." I didn't find it. I honestly don't see anywhere in the Bible where it comments about homosexuality. The closest, I guess, is Sodom and Gommorah. But in other places in the Bible where it lists Sodom's sins and why it was destroyed, homosexuality isn't one of them. I'm a spiritual person, but I don't believe in the "literal" interpretation of the Bible. I believe an understanding of the context, as well as the cultural norms of the day are necessary to really get the meaning of what is written.

Have any of you read "Conversations With God" by Neale Donald Walsh? It pretty much sums up my beliefs.

[Linda2008]

It may sound peculiar, but there it is.

My mother is bisexual. She became involved with a woman for several years. My grandparents, horrified by the situation, took legal action against my mother and were able to take custody of my siblings and me from her.

Even as a child I can remember my grandmother lecturing us about how my mother "was a good person and still loved us but was very confused." I was a pretty analytical child and I could not help but notice when I was allowed to visit my mom that she sure didn't SEEM confused. She worked, paid her bills on time, loved us and took care of us and she suffered because she missed us and we could not be together as a normal family...and had a girlfriend.

I also have a close male friend since my middle school and high school years who's gay. He's a great guy, smart as a whip, our class valedictorian, helped me with my math studying, we liked a lot of the same music...and he was interested in his own gender for romantic involvement.

I really never formulated an opinion about gay being "wrong". It seems many people wish to believe it's wrong--whether morally, spiritually, etc.--but I just don't see it. What I HAVE seen, though, is that the people who DO believe it's wrong...will try and hurt or punnish the "offenders". That seems pretty unbalanced to me. Should people lose their parental rights, their jobs, their status as good citizens, and even have their mental health questionned due to their romantic preferences? That sounds pretty wrong to me.

[Adam42]

I think this question is more about personal experience than what the Bible says and how we interpret it, or even what we think is true about sexuality or sexual orientation.

I think it can be hard to change our mind about something that we believed for whatever reason for a significant part of our personal history. We get over things like Santa Claus not being real, I guess. But how do we really get over those things? How do we live lives that aren't wholly dedicated to reacting to negative viewpoints of queer lifestyles, the ones that we have internalized and here from time to time from others? What do we really need in our communities to nurture the life decisions we have made?

I guess for me it has been important to learn about many different peoples' experiences with their sexuality, and see how I am the same and different from other queer people out there. It has also been important to reach out and help people who are going through similar things that I have been through. As in Alcoholics Anonymous, where a key function in staying out of addiction is helping others who are still struggling with addiction, I have found that helping other people has been key to keep myself out of thoughts of doubt or negative self-image that have troubled me in the past. Something about teaching something is really good for truly learning it and internalizing it yourself. It is also personally important, I think, to truly forgive the people who made it difficult to deal with your sexuality, and look for those teachable moments. That kind of work takes real community support, good close friends, and I think we all have a lot to learn from each other about ways in which those conversations can be had.

Does that make sense? Does that get at an answer to this question?

[tdogg]

I was raised in a conservative A of G (pentecostal) home/church. I was also told being gay was a person's ticket to hell. I was told a lot of bad stuff about gay people. Still am by many.

I never felt that I was a 'good' Christian, because I didn't believe much of what I was taught. I kind of went along with it, because that's what one did if a child and if an accommodating adult (which I was). I read the Bible, often and many times over. Much of what I read (most?) was contradictory (with itself), and some stuff didn't make sense.

I always had attractions to other females. But my way of dealing with it was to understand it was never an option for me. There was a point where I was desperate (a few points actually) to find a christian man and get married so in essence I would be a 'captive good Christian' with no other choices. But all through this time, I never believed in my heart that 'gay' was wrong. My mother was bisexual and was married to my stepfather and had relationships with other women. So while I was exposed to conservative religious teachings, also was exposed to real life in the gay world.

Eventually, after 45 years of life I accepted myself, decided to love myself just as I am, and came out. I didn't struggle with being a sinner because I was gay, but I did struggle with relatives and friends who condemned me and repeatedly attempted to strip me of my spiritual faith. I had to let some of them go, others have not gone but we don't talk about 'gay'.

It's been quite a journey, I'm still on it. But I love myself, love my life and wouldn't change a thing. I am married to a wonderful woman and we have a great life together. And now I know I'm ok, because I also have my faith beliefs and nothing has given me any inclination that I don't deserve that as well.

[Jennifer5]

It may sound peculiar, but there it is.

My mother is bisexual. She became involved with a woman for several years. My grandparents, horrified by the situation, took legal action against my mother and were able to take custody of my siblings and me from her.

Even as a child I can remember my grandmother lecturing us about how my mother "was a good person and still loved us but was very confused." I was a pretty analytical child and I could not help but notice when I was allowed to visit my mom that she sure didn't SEEM confused. She worked, paid her bills on time, loved us and took care of us and she suffered because she missed us and we could not be together as a normal family...and had a girlfriend.

I also have a close male friend since my middle school and high school years who's gay. He's a great guy, smart as a whip, our class valedictorian, helped me with my math studying, we liked a lot of the same music...and he was interested in his own gender for romantic involvement.

I really never formulated an opinion about gay being "wrong". It seems many people wish to believe it's wrong--whether morally, spiritually, etc.--but I just don't see it. What I HAVE seen, though, is that the people who DO believe it's wrong...will try and hurt or punnish the "offenders". That seems pretty unbalanced to me. Should people lose their parental rights, their jobs, their status as good citizens, and even have their mental health questionned due to their romantic preferences? That sounds pretty wrong to me.
I can relate to this on some level. I never understood why people would think that homosexuality is wrong. When I was about 10, I heard the issue come up for the first time and I was shocked! For the first half of my life, I never knew that someone would have a problem with same-sex attraction.

I think this question is more about personal experience than what the Bible says and how we interpret it, or even what we think is true about sexuality or sexual orientation.

I think it can be hard to change our mind about something that we believed for whatever reason for a significant part of our personal history. We get over things like Santa Claus not being real, I guess. But how do we really get over those things? How do we live lives that aren't wholly dedicated to reacting to negative viewpoints of queer lifestyles, the ones that we have internalized and here from time to time from others? What do we really need in our communities to nurture the life decisions we have made?

I guess for me it has been important to learn about many different peoples' experiences with their sexuality, and see how I am the same and different from other queer people out there. It has also been important to reach out and help people who are going through similar things that I have been through. As in Alcoholics Anonymous, where a key function in staying out of addiction is helping others who are still struggling with addiction, I have found that helping other people has been key to keep myself out of thoughts of doubt or negative self-image that have troubled me in the past. Something about teaching something is really good for truly learning it and internalizing it yourself. It is also personally important, I think, to truly forgive the people who made it difficult to deal with your sexuality, and look for those teachable moments. That kind of work takes real community support, good close friends, and I think we all have a lot to learn from each other about ways in which those conversations can be had.

Does that make sense? Does that get at an answer to this question?
That definitely makes sense! :)

I was raised in a conservative A of G (pentecostal) home/church. I was also told being gay was a person's ticket to hell. I was told a lot of bad stuff about gay people. Still am by many.

I never felt that I was a 'good' Christian, because I didn't believe much of what I was taught. I kind of went along with it, because that's what one did if a child and if an accommodating adult (which I was). I read the Bible, often and many times over. Much of what I read (most?) was contradictory (with itself), and some stuff didn't make sense.

I always had attractions to other females. But my way of dealing with it was to understand it was never an option for me. There was a point where I was desperate (a few points actually) to find a christian man and get married so in essence I would be a 'captive good Christian' with no other choices. But all through this time, I never believed in my heart that 'gay' was wrong. My mother was bisexual and was married to my stepfather and had relationships with other women. So while I was exposed to conservative religious teachings, also was exposed to real life in the gay world.

Eventually, after 45 years of life I accepted myself, decided to love myself just as I am, and came out. I didn't struggle with being a sinner because I was gay, but I did struggle with relatives and friends who condemned me and repeatedly attempted to strip me of my spiritual faith. I had to let some of them go, others have not gone but we don't talk about 'gay'.

It's been quite a journey, I'm still on it. But I love myself, love my life and wouldn't change a thing. I am married to a wonderful woman and we have a great life together. And now I know I'm ok, because I also have my faith beliefs and nothing has given me any inclination that I don't deserve that as well.
Thank you for sharing your story Tdogg. :love:

[Wanderer]

You see, I grew up Catholic, and in a high school apologetics course, I was taught that, at the end of the day, there really is only one issue for any religion: is it true? If it is, then it deserves to be believed and obeyed regardless of personal consequences to myself. If not, then at best it is a repository of a lot of ideas, some of which--if we're lucky--are good ideas. In any event, a false religion cannot *command* anything from anyone.

Naturally, the Catholic school I attended was run by people who were utterly convinced that God did have a "favorite religion," and to the surprise of absolutely nobody, God's favorite religon was, of course, the Roman Catholic edition of Christianity. A major selling point of Catholicism for me personally was the Sacred Tradition of doctrine which (so I was taught) was absolutely constant through the ages, changing only in the sense of developing a fuller understanding of what was already there.

Later on in life, I began a major study of the Bible, which eventually expanded to include a doctrinal study of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, as well as authoritative statements of doctrine from Popes and Ecumenical Councils. I won't bore you with the details (unless you tell me that you want them;) suffice to say I found a blatant contradiction between older Catholic doctrine, and current teachings. For the longest time, this ate at me. I eventually decided that Catholicism was false, and for not very interesting reasons, I started thinking in terms of chucking Christianity altogether. I even started attending synagogue. But eventually, I decided (at that time,) that I still believed in the divinity of Jesus, so after some soul-searching, I got baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (Technically, both the Catholics and the Mormons still consider me to be "theirs.")

More recently, I discovered truth-problems with the Mormon religion, so you can pretty much guess what's happened. I rejected that religion, and spent even more time reading and pondering. Where I'm at now is a result of that: at this stage in my life, I consider myself an atheist. So, to answer the question that started this post:

1) While a member of a Christian religion, I never really did come to terms with both faith and sexuality. Of course, the obvious observation is that neither of the religious groups I joined would exactly be amenable to such a situation. Still, the verdict for this phase of my life is: no resolution. None.

2) Just as obviously, for me now, the problem is dissolved. No God, no Word of God. No Word of God, no necessity to worry about what any given text (or prophecy, or Tradition) says.

Hopefully, I've managed to communicate my story without stepping on anyone's toes. But this is what happened in my case.

Wanderer

[Rick336]

1) While a member of a Christian religion, I never really did come to terms with both faith and sexuality. Of course, the obvious observation is that neither of the religious groups I joined would exactly be amenable to such a situation. Still, the verdict for this phase of my life is: no resolution. None.

2) Just as obviously, for me now, the problem is dissolved. No God, no Word of God. No Word of God, no necessity to worry about what any given text (or prophecy, or Tradition) says.

Hopefully, I've managed to communicate my story without stepping on anyone's toes. But this is what happened in my case.

Wanderer

This is pretty much what happened to me too. (except I went from being a Methodist to a Baptist to an atheist)

Rick

[BruceChris]

I believe in a loving God, and in God's love. Anyone or anything that says otherwise is really a part of the problem, not a part of the solution. God is love, and S/He doesn't hate anybody.

People who speak of hate or anger are coming from a place of fear in their life. Please remember to be gentle with them.

I believe that there is more truth to be found in the kind behavior of a loving Christian, or other person, than is necessarily found in the Bible.

Peace and Love, Bruce Chris

[marcdash]

This is a general question which has come to mind. Many of you once felt that it was wrong to be gay, how did you over-come that? When your religion tells you that it is wrong and even some or all of the people you love, what do you do?

Personally, how do you come to accept yourself?

I actually had no trouble telling others i was gay, but i myself HATED being gay, because I did at first think that God wouldnt be happy about it.
I told God on many occasions
"If my homosexuality is a barrier between us then show me now, end my life" and so on, because I knew I couldnt live any other way. To live a straight life would have been a lie, and whatsmore I had already upset many girls up until i accepted my 'gayhood' but pretending i was straight and i made a terrible boyfriend.
Luckily for me in the end God showed me he was ok with me being gay by a personal revelation where he let me know he was fine with it. After that I decided to see if there were any other gay christians out there and finally ended up here...and the more stories i hear of other gay christians the more i know what i already know...God loves us.

[Dakota]

:cool: I've always known I was attracted sexually to other women, but after I became a Christian, I tried to suppress it and "act like a Christian." Unfortunately, that didn't work, because I was still secretly attracted to other women. The good news, however, I finished reading "Religion Gone Bad" the week before last, which lead me here to Soulforce, by the way, and now I am deeply convinced that I'm not doing anything wrong. God loves me exactly as I am and wouldn't change a thing about me, so I am no longer going to try to change and be something I'm not. Instead, I'm going to embrace who I am, even if I become attracted to other women in the future, and let God love me just the way I am. I've struggled with my Christian faith all these years for nothing because I was trying to become something that I knew I wasn't. But now that I'm finally free to be me, thanks to Mel White's book, and God for leading me to "Religion Gone Bad" while I was browsing Barnes & Noble's online bookstore, I'm not struggling with my faith anymore. Now that's what I call "freedom in Christ." Hallejuah! :cool:

[Gennee]

It may sound peculiar, but there it is.

My mother is bisexual. She became involved with a woman for several years. My grandparents, horrified by the situation, took legal action against my mother and were able to take custody of my siblings and me from her.

Even as a child I can remember my grandmother lecturing us about how my mother "was a good person and still loved us but was very confused." I was a pretty analytical child and I could not help but notice when I was allowed to visit my mom that she sure didn't SEEM confused. She worked, paid her bills on time, loved us and took care of us and she suffered because she missed us and we could not be together as a normal family...and had a girlfriend.

I also have a close male friend since my middle school and high school years who's gay. He's a great guy, smart as a whip, our class valedictorian, helped me with my math studying, we liked a lot of the same music...and he was interested in his own gender for romantic involvement.

I really never formulated an opinion about gay being "wrong". It seems many people wish to believe it's wrong--whether morally, spiritually, etc.--but I just don't see it. What I HAVE seen, though, is that the people who DO believe it's wrong...will try and hurt or punnish the "offenders". That seems pretty unbalanced to me. Should people lose their parental rights, their jobs, their status as good citizens, and even have their mental health questionned due to their romantic preferences? That sounds pretty wrong to me.

Linda, I'm sorry about what happened. I agree with you that those people who see being gay as wrong will will try to hurt gay people. It's really a shame that we cannot be accepted as we are.

Gennee

[bnmoore]

This is a general question which has come to mind. Many of you once felt that it was wrong to be gay, how did you over-come that? When your religion tells you that it is wrong and even some or all of the people you love, what do you do?

Personally, how do you come to accept yourself?

Personally I have never not felt the Presence. It didn't go away when I came out. I did eventually leave the faith in which I was raised. I found a more like-minded one. The minister at the time was gay and his partner was on the platform with him as the Minister of Music. Our membership is probably about 60% gay now.

Ben