I Came out as Gay to My Church
Submitted by Justin Farmer
You know,
I sit here and am typing this first sentence and find myself giggling at the parallel to religion already. Not in a bad way. But the last time that I sat down and wrote about my experience, it was called a “testimony” and it was for a Christian support group where I shared about what my sins had cost me and how god was my redeemer.
Things have certainly changed. It feels like a lifetime ago.
And I don’t regret a thing.
My religious construction and deconstruction are both tied in to my sexuality, unfortunately. But I want to make something very clear from the beginning: My sexuality forced me to ask questions. My sexuality did not drive me away from my faith. My questions and subsequent answers did the leg work that got me here today.
A short history:
I came out as gay (to my parents) when I was 14. I was raised in the church, but it was routine at best. Nothing of deep emotional value. And I thought my coming out went well. My mom asked me if I was sure, I said yes, and we went to bed. “Wow, okay cool. We’re in the clear.”
It was the next day however, that things got… complicated.
