The decision to write this book was largely driven by my own experience and the experiences of those I know and love. I waited until I was 36 to really explore my homosexuality and didn’t come out until I was 38.
In this book I want to share a little of my own journey and some of the things that I have learnt along the way. I’ll do that by combining my faith and my coming out journey. I hope you will gain something from my experience.
One thing this book is not, is a preachy religious book trying to somehow justify or balance my lifestyle with my faith. I’ve not been able to balance my life style with my faith, essentially I don’t understand why I am the way I am. However, I do know that in order for me to be authentic, I had to come out and just simply ‘be’. I balance that with my faith and the knowledge that God loves me regardless of my shortcomings and many faults, just as he loves you.
As I researched for this book, I began to discover that many gay Latter-day Saints have had a really hard time with their sexuality and the treatment by family, friends and priesthood leaders. During the 2010 Sundance Film Festival release of the documentary “8 - A Mormon Proposition” Dustin Lance Black spoke of being aware that he was gay from the age of eight. He said he sat in church meetings and heard President Spencer W. Kimball compare homosexuality with the same severity as murder. As a small boy who knew what these words meant and it was a struggle to live with those feelings.
The journey with our sexuality will be different for everyone, I hope that the experiences I share in this book will give you courage to be who you are and stand tall as a member of a wonderful community and son or daughter of God.
I’m grateful to the gay and straight friends who shared their experiences to add to the richness of this book. Through their and my experiences I hope you find the courage to be who you are and to ultimately enjoy being the person you are.
