The courage to come out

June 30, 2015

gaymarriage2I heard a beautiful story during this Gay Pride month, of a young gay man afraid to come out to his traditional, ethnic and religious family. But he did.

At first, his family was shocked and confused, although truth be told, they probably had considered that he was gay. But he stood firm and proud, hoping one day he’d find acceptance, but in the meantime, living his life. His gay life.

And on the day the Supreme Court affirmed the legality of gay marriage, his mother posted a congratulatory message on her social media. She embraces her son today for exactly who he is: a strong, proud young gay man.

My heart goes out to all the young gay people who are afraid to say who they are out loud to their families. This young man’s story shows that happy endings may take a while, but are not impossible.

It is hard to hide who you are, to pretend every day of your life. A tough road. It’s my hope that very soon, no young person will feel they have to do this. That no person will feel shame or fear around their sexual orientation.

The Supreme Court decision is one more nail in the coffin of discrimination and bias, and one more forward step for gay rights and equality.

There’s so much wrong with our country that it’s nice to be able to celebrate something that’s right.

Let the young people on this video tell the rest of this post for me.

17 comments on “The courage to come out
  1. I can’t imagine anyone having the need to hide who they are. I can’t believe all of the brouhaha (however you spell it) that goes on in this country over being gay. Anywhere else in the world it’s no big deal. Live and let live – it’s our right as human beings!!

  2. Amy says:

    Thanks for this beautiful post and for including the video. My latest blog post is along the same lines, although it doesn’t specifically talk about gays. It talks about discrimination of anyone for whatever reasons people cook up. As for gay marriage, isn’t marriage a man-made institution? Then it can be changed, and changed it has been, finally.

  3. Kimba says:

    LOVE this video and am sharing. #lovewins

  4. I got chills from that video. It’s about time that people can be who they are. Thanks for the post!

  5. Such a proud moment for America!

    We still have miles to go. Wishing and praying that our country sees the light. Homosexuality is still illegal! And there’s still the terrible prejudice that abounds.

  6. Roz Warren says:

    Great post + video. I’m thrilled by how far we have come in this country when it comes to gay rights, and heartbroken about how awful things still are for LGBT folks in much of the rest of the world. The fight for equal rights continues!

  7. Carolann says:

    That video made me cry with joy! I’m so proud of our country! Yes, there is a lot wrong with us still but we fixing it and that’s what’s important. I was so proud when my daughter’s two best childhood friends got married recently – they just made that law not long ago in PA and we were so proud to be at their wedding. We are all equal, we are all the same and should be treated that way across the board! Congrats for us!

  8. I was just talking to my son about this, and how we as a society can show that acceptance is a step towards peace.

  9. Mary says:

    Such a wonderful story, Carol. Acceptance is all anyone is looking for, acceptance to be ourselves.

  10. Love is a beautiful thing. I have yet to figure out why skin color and sexual partners matter. I had two dear friends who served a church for 25 years, taking people in and serving as deacons. Then, one Sunday, the church asked them to leave. They were devastated. Luckily, they found another church that appreciated their big hearts and love for service. My mom and I were at the service where they were accepted as deacons. So much pain, so undeserved.

  11. A tough thing to do…but this has really made a difference! Blank Blank, Scalia!

  12. Beautiful video! #LoveWins

  13. Lana says:

    I feel exactly the same way – that with all of the horrors going on in our world today, this decision is such a beautiful beacon of hope. I pray that it is a step forward in giving those who are afraid to come out, strength.

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