We are not alone

I, too, come from a fundamentalist background. My grandfather was a Pentecostal minister, and so was my father, although he gave it up because he was too liberal for them. One of my relatives committed suicide, and though no one talks about it, I'm sure it was because of his homosexuality. I came out to myself at 27 and just came out to my parents this year. They have been very loving and supportive-- they've drifted from the church in the past 10 years, for which I am so grateful.

I have two cousins on my father's side. That's it. My entire kin is from my mother, and they are lost to me. I cut myself off from them without giving them the chance to accept it, but I'm pretty certain that not many of them would. Besides, they would torment my mother, who sees them much more than I do (it's been 5 years), and I wouldn't be able to stand that because I love her so much.

My mother has begun to realize the prejudice that exists in her family, the casual remarks from her sister about hating rainbows now b/c they've been taken over by gay people. She never heard it before because she had no reason to tune into it. I guess I feel that as long as my parents know, my duty is complete. The rest may be genetically related to me, but their lifestyle is too full of hate for me to be able to relate to them. I'm not a big fan of family holidays, but I couldn't have them even if I wanted to.

I moved to NYC five years ago and never looked back. Now I'm on the "enchanted isle" far away from the commonplace prejudice of the rest of the country. It grieves me deep in my spirit to read of the hate and meanness that still permeate so much of our society. How do you go to these people, well-intentioned, devout, people who would sooner cut off a hand than steal a 25 cent candy bar, and tell them YOU ARE KILLING CHILDREN.