First off, being gay and Mormon isn’t easy. And anyone who argues different is probably straight and has a leadership calling in the Church. I am so grateful podcasts and blogs like this exist. It has given me a sense of direction and value. So, I met a guy online who I was attracted to more than anyone I’d been attracted to before and I decided to go meet him. He lived north of me. Growing up Mormon I was obviously brought up by pretty strict parents and if they knew what I was doing, they’d have stopped me immediately, so I told them I was going to a friend’s house with a group of my YSA friends.
They didn’t ask any questions. I traveled for 100 miles to meet him, stayed the night then came home, did the same a week later, then decided I needed to tell my mom, only because I decided this wasn’t the last time I wanted to see him. I told her I’d been to see a boy who lived a long way away on my own. She was mad that I’d lied and I guess she was hurt. She asked why I was so interested in seeing him and I told her I liked the excitement of the journey and being away from home. She asked if I was attracted to him and I decided this was the perfect opportunity. I told her yes. She was shocked but surprisingly okay with it. She mentioned that she had spent some time on the Church’s MormonAndGay website. I asked her why she would even search out the website and she said she had a prompting to become more loving towards the LGBT community. I loved that.
I came out to my two closest girl friends about a week later and then my ex girlfriend when she asked me to take her to the mall. I’m still really close to them all. I suppose my coming out story was really smooth. I really wish I could somehow help people who feel that they can’t come out. I guess that is why I love these stories so much, it gives regular dudes like myself the chance to interact with understand other people and share in their journey. I’m so lucky. I’ve never really been bullied because of my sexuality, however, I’m not one of those gays who force their sexuality upon everyone they meet. I still talk about cars and gardening and stuff with my dad.
One thing, I’ll never be able to tell my older relatives, like my grandma and granpa etc… I feel that they’d only partially accept me and stuff, I just don’t think it’s important that they know. Coming out wasn’t as scary as I convinced myself it would be. The world can be cool and cruel, as a friend once told me, “you have to be in control of your coming out story. It is your story to share, not someone elses.” I have remembered that many times. So, control your story and come out! We need more awesome gays to let the world know that we are normal, happy and your next door neighbors.
We want to hear your story–here’s how to share it with us!
Each Sunday we feature a new Coming Out Story on the Latter Gay Stories blog. Coming Out is an important process that is different for everyone; some experiences are difficult to hear while others are heart-warming and inspiring. Still, coming out is never easy and more often than not we draw inspiration from others through their stories. We rely on weekly submissions to keep the Coming Out Stories alive. We invite you to share yours now.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR STORY
