LDS Pride

Goodnight Gracie

2010-03-20T12:19:00.003-04:00

It should be pretty obvious by now that I don't blog much anymore and I don't read much of anyone else's blog. Life is busy and this blog is no longer the productive outlet it once was. I'll leave it up for now. Hopefully there are some good bits of information in there that might be useful to someone. Good luck to you all in finding what you are searching for.

Respect

2010-01-08T07:50:00.005-05:00

This post is in response to blog posts and comments made by various bloggers. I am finding there is a mentality among some of "this is how I think and if you don't like it, screw you." I get it, I have been there. I spent the first 21 years of my life with that attitude. But I would like to encourage more of an openness and willingness to accept those of varying opinions, even those of what might be described as a wrong or harmful opinion.

I believe that we, as a community, are looking for acceptance. We want some sort of validation from those we love and also from the general public, whether it be by accepting gay marriage, or allowing gays in the military, or even something as simple as being open about one's sexuality without fear of repercussion. We march on Washington for our rights, yet we scrutinize and criticize the words and actions of those who disagree with us. We become everything we dislike about our oppressors (ok, oppressors is a pretty strong word, but doesn't it add a little flair!).

To those who are of the opinion, "If they don't like who I am then I probably don't want them as a friend anyway," think of the times that someone close to you made an offensive comment simply because they did not know any better. Did we love them or leave them? We can not EXPECT change. We must FIGHT for change. We must show COMPASSION to those who despise us the most. We must LOVE those who do not love us. We must BREAK DOWN THE WALLS that we are continuing to build.

I had an experience recently where one of my friends made a comment that I took great offense to. At first, I lashed out. I couldn't believe the inappropriateness. But after thinking about it for a day or so, I realized that my friend was merely making a comment based on her perception of the situation within her reality. I begged for forgiveness of my lashing out and when we further discussed her comment, it turns out that her intention of the comment was far different from my interpretation of the comment. If I had written this friend off immediately, neither of us would have had the opportunity to learn and grow from each other. We educated each other by working through our differences with love and respect.

I encourage each of you in your personal endeavors to maintain a spirit of love and understanding. I hope that we can each become positive influences in the lives of those around us.

Reminder

2009-08-16T10:01:00.003-04:00

Every now and again I just need a reminder of what I know. I know that God exists. I know that he loves me. I know that he loves you. I know that Christ died for all sin, including my sins. I know that I can be forgiven. I know that prayer is real and that we can speak with God on a very personal level and receive the answers and strength we seek.

To those who have given up or lost hope or feel like they are fighting a losing battle, "fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10)

Wow, today isn't even fast sunday...which reminds me, I'm hungry. Later.

I've been recruited by...Clint??

2009-05-31T10:50:00.003-04:00

Okay, I admit it. I'm a little jealous. I'm a little jealous of all the moho's that gathered at Scott and Sarah's yesterday for some gay movie watching. I hope you had fun, but for my sake, just tell me it was miserable so that my jealousy can be quelled.

In order to compensate for my unavailability to fly to UT, I decided to have my own gay movie watching night. About four months ago, Clint blogged about the movie Milk. For those of you not familiar, it is about Harvey Milk, an openly gay elected official in San Francisco during the 1970's. When I first read Clint's post, I wasn't too enthralled by the power of the message. It seemed like a nice post and all, but it didn't move me to stand up and proclaim my gayness from a watchtower. But it did intrigue me enough to want to watch the movie.

After watching the movie, though, the power of the message truly comes to light. The main political battle that Milk and his supporters fought against was protecting the basic rights of homosexuals. More specifically, maintaining laws that protect an individual from losing their job solely on the basis of sexuality. Perceptions, stereotypes and myths about homosexuals were rampant among the general population. Harvey Milk knew that the best way to change how people felt about the gay population was to show every person that someone in their life they know and love is gay. And so he says:

“On this anniversary of Stonewall, I ask my gay sisters and brothers to make the commitment to fight. For themselves, for their freedom, for their country ... We will not win our rights by staying quietly in our closets ... We are coming out to fight the lies, the myths, the distortions. We are coming out to tell the truths about gays, for I am tired of the conspiracy of silence, so I'm going to talk about it. And I want you to talk about it. You must come out. Come out to your parents, your relatives.”

I have been going back and forth a lot lately as to how open I want to be with my sexuality. Some days I don't want anyone to know, other days I want to tell everyone in sight. It's pretty safe to say that I'll end up somewhere in the middle. But I do think it's important to let at least those close to me know that I am gay. Even some members of my family and close friends hold misconceptions of what it means to be gay. If I can help to cultivate understanding and tolerance, than I am more than happy to out myself to those who need that understanding.

Would you like bacon with that?

2009-04-11T14:39:00.002-04:00

Funny moment today. I recently discovered the joy of Burger King, especially the Whopper. I stopped there for lunch today and the drive thru line was long, so I actually took the time to read the menu. Here's a little excerpt of what I read:

Whopper $2.29
Some other Burger $2.69
Another Burger $2.49
.
.
.
(and hidden in the lower left hand corner of the menu)
.
Veggie Burger $2.29
Add cheese $0.50
Add bacon $0.50

Someone in marketing must not have read over this display because I don't know anyone ordering a veggie burger with cheese and bacon.

Inside Out

2009-04-04T12:09:00.002-04:00

My life has been hectic lately. My mind has been all over the place. But it reached a new peak this last Thursday. Around 11:00 am, during my first bathroom break of the day, I realized that I was wearing my underwear inside out. I know some guys do that on purpose, in order to get an extra day or two of mileage before having to do laundry. But I am not one of those people. I think I'm only one or two hectic levels away from forgetting to put on my pants before leaving the house. If I do that, hopefully I will have my underwear on the right way. Boy would that be embarrassing if people saw me with my underwear inside out. :)

For all of you watching GC this weekend, I hope you get something good out of it. If anything stands out, let me know.

The Peacegiver

2009-03-22T20:45:00.003-04:00

A wonderful friend of mine gave me book for Christmas called The Peacegiver, by James L. Ferrell. (Side note: Said friend did not warn me well enough in advance that she was getting me a gift, whereby I had nothing to give her in return. I still feel bad about that one. Good thing she knows I love her.) She is a die-hard bookworm and I am not much of a reader. But if she was recommending it, than read it I shall.

It only took me about 3 months to get through the 200 page book. I'd say I made pretty good time. The first half of the book was terrible. Well, not terrible, but I wanted to pull the lead character out of the book and strangle him for being whiny. Dude, you are talking to your dead grandfather...shut up and listen to the man!!

Anyway, the last section is about the Atonement. The whiny guy, not so whiny at this point in the book, and his grandfather are witnessing the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane. It contained beautifully descriptive insights about what exactly the Savior did for us. I want to recite a few paragraphs for you of the grandfather speaking to his grandson:

"This night in Gethsemane, the Lord is taking upon himself all of the specific chains that bind and lead you captive. [...] [H]e will provide the way for you to break free [...]. Your rage, your disappointment, your despair--the Lord will overcome all tonight and forge for you a new heart--clean, pure, undefiled, free.

And he does the same for all--the addict, the abuser, the chronic complainer, those whose spirits are depressed. His struggle tonight is for all of mankind, but only because it was for each of us, individually and specifically.

[...] [P]raise be to God! [...] The Savior has withstood in the aggregate what no man has been able to withstand individually: He refused to submit to Satan's will even though he was fully subject to it. Even with all the mortal effects of our sins heaped upon and pulling at him, and with Satan and his hosts attempting to drag him down by that power to sin, the Savior was able to withstand and resist.

The captivity of sin has been broken! The Lord God Almighty has risen with healing in his wings. He stretches forth his arms to the world, feeling after them with his Holy Spirit. He comes to each of us, posing the question he posed to Jonah, pleading with us, as Abigail did, to forgive, and literally dying to give us his Spirit and the new heart he has forged that will free us from the chains of our sins. If we harden not our hearts and stiffen not our necks against him, he will facilitate the breaking of our sinful, stony hearts and will give us what Ezekiel called his new heart of flesh, saving us from all our uncleannesses. This is the miracle of Gethsemane."

I make mistakes daily. Sometimes hourly. I am so grateful to know that someone loves me so much that he was willing to perform an act of incomprehensible agony just to give me the opportunity to become clean. I think I owe it to my Savior to ensure that the opportunity is not wasted.

God in this Moment

2009-03-01T22:17:00.002-05:00

I visited Ryan's page earlier today and noticed that he had a musician on his profile that I really like. I was going to suggest another artist to him that he might enjoy, but why limit my suggestion to one person when I can make a post out of it. I went to Youtube to find a video to post and came across a song by this artist that I had never heard before. It's amazing. And it kind moves through stages of belief that I think a lot of us go through. Without further ado, please enjoy Mr. Gavin Mikhail's God in this Moment.

Meant for Greatness

2009-02-28T23:46:00.005-05:00

For a while, I thought I was the only one. But lately, it seems to be more and more of a common theme among us gays. Do you feel like you are meant to be something more than you are? That God has this amazing plan laid out for you. That one day people are going to look to you as a source of knowledge, or hope, or inspiration. Am I even restricting that question too much? Do straight people feel that way as well?

I have been thinking about being in that place greatness. How it might feel when I get there. What exactly "there" is. But it sort of hit me today. I am not currently there. I am here. And a very large gap exists between here and there. So now I am wondering what the gap consists of. What are the obstacles I will need to overcome and the lessons I will need to learn in order to get to where I expect to be. As much as I would like to try and convince other people that I am perfect, I do have a lot of areas that I can improve upon.

So instead of lingering on the grandiosity of what could be, I should be focusing on what I can improve upon today (and maybe tomorrow as well...a little planning never hurt). I found a nice quote by Orson Hyde:

"Remember that God, our heavenly Father, was perhaps once a child, and mortal like we ourselves, and rose step by step in the scale of progress, in the school of advancement; has moved forward and overcome, until He has arrived at the point where He now is."

Um, wow. So I guess I never really comprehended that the ultimate goal was to become a God. Hmm. That's even a little more than I had envisioned for myself. Sounds intense. I had better get started.

For all those who aren't really sure what they are meant for, here's a little song to get you motivated.

Human Capacity

2009-02-15T19:47:00.002-05:00

Have you ever reached your limit? Have you ever gotten to point where you say, "That's it. I'm done. There is absolutely nothing else I can accomplish. I have physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally maxed out." If you could answer yes to that question, you would have been translated by now. Looks like you are still here, so read on.

We are capable of so much, more than we can fathom. Every day we become something greater than we currently are. I didn't say better, I said greater. Daily we make choices, we make mistakes, we have victories, we are filled with experiences. We build a wealth of thoughts, ideas, emotions, and knowledge and that provide the basis for future actions.

Whether at work or in our personal life, we are given or take on tasks. Many times we feel overwhelmed with the obligations that are upon us. Sometimes we fail, but we can learn from our mistakes, and when the challenge arises again we can apply what we already learned. Sometimes we succeed and very often we look back and think, "How in the world did I accomplish that." And then before you know it something even bigger and more difficult rears its head and we again are thinking, "How in the world am I going to accomplish that?"

You are a child of God. You have the best spiritual genes possible. If you were a child of Apollo, Zeus, Thor, Bacchus or one of the may other gods, you might only have limited options as to what you can become. But you are a child of God, and your possibilities are limitless.

I am not a struggler

2009-01-25T20:55:00.004-05:00

Here is a list of things I struggle with:

(1) My job
(2) People with nasty habits, like biting your nails and spitting it on the ground...in public...in an office...at work--Who does that???
(3) Other people's driving skills (or lack thereof)...my skills are exceptional, by the way
(4) Needles...my mama always told me I would make a terrible drug addict because I can't stand needles
(5) Seeing girls' cracks when their pants are too low
(6) Smashmouth
(7) Physics
(8) Will & Grace being gone for years now and no quality show featuring a gay character to take it's place
(9) Camping...and enjoying it
(10) Capri pants...especially the kind for men

Notice anything about that list. Or something that didn't make the list. My sexuality. I do not currently nor do I think I have ever considered myself to "struggle" with my sexuality. I think it's a little funny how many people have prayed for their homosexual feelings to be taken from them. I have never done that. Instead, when I was younger, I prayed really really hard that God would send me a really hot man for me to kiss, just to check and see. It didn't quite work out. I think God was too busy taking away your gayness. Oh, wait...looks like he didn't get to you either. Sorry.

Instead of struggling with my sexuality, I instead choose to embrace the parts of my life that have been improved because of my feelings for men. I am a great listener (because I never wanted to talk about myself). I have become much more compassionate to the "outcasts" of the world (because I was/am an outcast). I can tell my male friends when they are wearing a truly awful shirt that would act as a repellent to the opposite sex (ladies, I can help you, too...see #'s 5 and 10 above).

I just don't struggle with my sexuality. I might have a day where I debate "Oh, should I tell this person about me." Or think, "Geez, I think that guy is cute. God, can I take back my promise for about an hour?" But my sexuality is turning me into something beautiful, and confident, and powerful. And I couldn't imagine it any other way.

New Year, New Queer

2009-01-04T21:33:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!! I guess it is time for me to make my New Year's resolutions. I generally try to avoid putting my resolutions in writing so that I can easily forget them and never have to wallow in the failure of not completing them. But this year, I am not only going to write them down, I going to publish them so that you all can hold me accountable.

1. Join a sports team. A few people know that I have been mulling over the idea of joining a gay soccer team. I'm still undecided on that one, but even if that doesn't happen, I have a pending invite for a volleyball team with some friends or I could start a softball team over the summer.

2. Gain 10 pounds...and keep it. Yeah, I meant what I said. I'm ultra skinny and it is near impossible for me to gain weight. But I'm going to try again. I tried to gain weight in college, and it worked for a little while. But I got sick, didn't eat for two days, lost the 8 pounds I gained, and never started my eating regime again.

3. Read a book. This probably seems really easy to all of you, but I am a "I'd rather see the movie" kind of person.

4. Don't read Twilight (or watch the movie). Enough said.

5. Compose two songs, music and lyrics.

6. Get a limited use recommend and do baptisms at the temple.

7. Do something you have never done before.

8. Take a picture of something breathtaking (a picture of yourself doesn't count!!)

9. Perform an act of service for someone else and don't let them know.

Okay, in honor of 2009, I'm stopping at #9. Wish me luck.

Happy Holiday!

2008-12-21T23:38:00.002-05:00

To all the moho's and friends of moho's and people who stumbled upon this blog accidentally and are frantically hitting the back button on their browser...Merry Christmas!!!

This could be an interesting Christmas for me. I am still fairly early in the coming out process. I have told less than ten people. But I have convinced myself to come out to at least three people over the holidays, one of which is a sibling. Scary! Although when I say "convinced," I actually mean I hope to but know that there is a good chance I will back out.

Anyway, hope you all have a great holiday!!

Quick Quote

2008-12-07T21:30:00.002-05:00

I try to a keep a copy of the Ensign laying around the house either next to my bed, on the coffee table, or somewhere visible and accessible so that when I have a few minutes I can read an article or two. This morning I was skimming an article while eating breakfast and a few lines really jumped out at me. It is from the October 2008 Ensign and is actually a repeat of a talk given by President Harold B. Lee from the April 1973 Conference and is titled Stand Ye in Holy Places:

"You cannot lift another soul until you are standing on higher ground than he is. You must be sure, if you would rescue the man, that you yourself are setting the example of what you would have him be. You cannot light a fire in another soul unless it is burning in your own soul."

My prayer today is to attain that burning in my soul and to attain that "higher ground" so that I can lift another if ever I am needed.

Gay to the Core [of my brain]

2008-11-28T22:23:00.011-05:00

Disclaimer: Before you read further, be aware that this is an opinionated post, substantiated by no facts, no references, and no research. Ninety-eight point seven percent of readers experience discomfort, irritation, nausea, and bloating. If you experience any of the first three symptoms, take a chill pill. If you experience bloating, I know how that feels and I extend my deepest apologies.

My dear friend Scott published a wonderful post entitled Gay to the Core on whether being gay is a choice or a "core characteristic," as he puts it. I will not go into detail on his thoughts but I would ask that you read the post as it is well thought out and presented.

I do not wish to comment on what the right or wrong answer is; the scientists and philosophers can hash that out. I believe that there is truth in bits and pieces of each argument. What I would like to discuss is the category that I believe I fall into and some specific and general reasoning.

In most circles of debate, there are two arguments presented, most commonly known as "Nature" and "Nurture." Either you made a conscious decision to be gay or you were born that way. As Scott pointed out, there is a third option: you subconsciously made the decision to be gay. This is the category that I believe I fall into. I apologize in advance for any lack of eloquence.

I have known I was attracted to men since about the age of eight or nine. Most of my friends did not "know" they were attracted to girls until about 12 or 13. I would think that if sexuality were a core characteristic, that it would manifest in a parallel time frame. (Yes, I know that argument is weak. I would be interested, though, to know if any studies have been done as to what the average age is that homosexual children and heterosexual children identify themselves as such)

From a psychological standpoint, one argument for the cause of sexuality is that a male infant needs to make an emotional connection with an adult male, generally a father, by the third year of his life. My father readily admits that he was not around much when I was a baby because he was busy finishing school and working. I carried a resentment for my father throughout my entire childhood and adolescence. I had no basis for this resentment. My father was supportive and positive. Most boys would have loved to have him as their dad.

Because my father and I did not create that bond during my infancy, I believe that I subconsciously made the choice to seek the attention and love of men. Interestingly enough, I also believe that from year 3 to approximately year 8, I had ample time to bond with my father and possibly reverse my subconscious decision, but I consciously made choices to deny the love of my father.

In addition to my subconscious decision, I do believe that there are certain inherent traits that can dispose a person to be more vulnerable to homosexuality. I have always been skinny. Because of my body type, American culture, in general, views me as less masculine. This assumption may have caused my more masculine counterparts to treat me as if I didn't belong. It may have caused the women in my life to treat me with more sensitivity than they would a masculine boy. Because the the boys don't treat me like one of the boys, but the girls treat me like one of the girls, a subconscious inclination might be to associate with female desires or aspirations.

Okay, now for the tough part. This is not meant to offend anyone, it is just a general observation. I feel like to too many people say that they were born gay without taking time to analyze their life because it is the easy way out. Because if they were born gay, you can't hold anything against them. You can't make jokes at them, you can't discriminate against them, you can't withhold love from them. It isn't their fault so you can't fault them. But what these people don't understand, is that even if they made the choice to be gay, whether it was subconscious or conscious, they probably made it at such a young age that they could not realize what the choice was or how it would effect their life.

Finally, I must say that I don't really care what the answer is. Whether Scott is completely right or I am partially right or we are all out in left field, it doesn't matter. I am gay. I am a man attracted to other men. Through my life experiences related to this attraction, I have learned patience, understanding, empathy, and perserverance, as well as the openness and desire to trust and rely on my Heavenly Father.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T11:29:00.009-05:00

I am thankful for (in no particular order)...

1) Family, especially my parents. My parents and I have butted heads on more than few occasions. But I know they are always looking out for my best interest. Their unconditional love is a source of strength in my life.

2) Friends, especially YOU (don't tell anyone else I said you were my favorite). I have some of the most amazing, loving, supportive friends. Even when we go for months without talking, we always pick up right where we left off.

3) Employment. These are tough economic times. Several of my co-workers have been laid off. I oftentimes times feel overwhelmed and dissatisfied with my requirements of my job, but I am always grateful for a consistent source of income.

(Pardon the interruption for this announcement. It is Thanksgiving Day and I have rolls to bake and good food to eat so I'm going to make the rest of these brief.

4) Music

5) Tithing (I'll follow up later with a post about this one)

6) Jesus Christ. Though I may not fully comprehend the Savior or what he has done for me, I am truly grateful for his life and his sacrifice.

7) Toilet paper

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! Feel free to share your "Thankfuls" in the comment section.

My Heart is Heavy

2008-11-23T10:44:00.007-05:00

Before I started this blog, I debated in my own mind as to whether I would use my words for political activism. I made the decision that I wanted my message to convey love, understanding, enlightenment, hope, and goodness of the gospel, and also to make people smile along the way. It was obvious to me that the politics of life carry too much danger for misunderstanding and contention.

Over the past few months, the political climate has intensified, seemingly forcing people to choose sides and defend their positions as if it was a battle between life and death. I have been bombarded with opinions, arguments, justifications, and examples from both sides of the fence. I have received the mass e-mails. I have seen the blog posts. I have read hundreds, maybe thousands, of comments that have encompassed the world wide web.

My heart is heavy. Words of hate have been shared. Fingers of accusation have been pointed. Respect for one another, as sons and daughters of a magnificent Heavenly Father, has dissipated.

I love my friend who decided to write a discourse about why the acceptance of homosexuality is ruining the fabric of our society. I love my friend who attended a rally on Capitol Hill to support his belief that he and his same-sex partner have the right to marry. I may not agree with one or the other. I may not agree with either. But my opinion does not change the fact that I love each of them as a child of God and as my friend. No matter their convictions, or beliefs, or political stance, I love them.

Please, my friends, continue fighting for what you believe, whatever that may be. Take action. Do not back down for something that you feel so passionately about. But please, stop the personal attacks. Stop the insults. And for goodness sake, stop the exclamation points!!! Tell someone that you love them before you disagree with their stance.

Reader's Digest

2008-11-16T22:46:00.003-05:00

Because I mentioned Reader's Digest in the previous post, I decided to check out the joke section of their website and came across this little gem. Hope it makes you laugh.

Lisp

The boss placed a sign directly over the sink in the men's room at work. It had a single word on it: "Think!"
The next day when the boss went to the men's room, he saw another sign had been placed immediately above the soap dispenser. It read: "Thoap!"

Laughter, the Best Medicine

2008-11-16T20:20:00.004-05:00

I think I stole my post title from Reader's Digest. I loved reading the real life stories humor section in that magazine.

As I have been perusing the moho blogs, a common theme among too many of them is a lack of humor. Personally, I enjoy finding humor in seemingly uneventul situations and conversations. I take a lot of pride in being aware of the awkward moments that I observe and am a part of so that I can relay those stories to my friends and cheer up someone's day. I was talking with a wonderful friend of mine tonight and was reminded of one of these awkward moments.

Back in the day, when I was completely and totally in the closet, my one and only openly gay friend asked me to go to the club where he danced (half-naked). He knew I was more than a little frieked out. When we walked in, he started introducing me to everyone by saying, "Hey guys, this is my friend, he's straight and he's mormon so hands off." So I was known as the straight mormon for the rest of the night and no guys hit on me. However, for any of you that have ever been to the gay clubs, you have probably noticed that are at least several, if not many, straight women. One of these poor girls obviously had way too many gay friends and was a bit starved for a straight man's attention. She walked right up to me and said, "Hey, you're straight right? You wanna see my boobs?" as she gripped the bottom of her shirt ready to rip off her clothing. I was more than a little shocked and all I could manage to say was, "Um, no thank you?"

Ha! If only the straight guys knew what they could get at the gay clubs, they wouldn't be so homophobic.

Conference Quotes

2008-10-27T20:22:00.004-04:00

I downloaded all the conference talks from the October 2008 General Conference onto my iPod. I have been listening to them on the way to work in the mornings. I just thought I would share a few of the quotes that I really enjoyed.

From You Know Enough by Elder Neil L. Anderson (one of my favorites so far...read the whole thing if you get a chance!!)

"Our spiritual journey is the process of a lifetime. We do not know everything in the beginning or even along the way. Our conversion comes step-by-step, line upon line. We first build a foundation of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We treasure the principles and ordinances of repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. We include a continuing commitment to prayer, a willingness to be obedient, and an ongoing witness of the Book of Mormon."

"At times, the Lord’s answer will be, 'You don’t know everything, but you know enough'—enough to keep the commandments and to do what is right."

"Fear and faith cannot coexist in our hearts at the same time. In our days of difficulty, we choose the road of faith."

From The Infinite Power of Hope by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"Hope is not knowledge, but rather the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us."

From Come What May, and Love It by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

“[C]ome what may, and love it.”

"[L]earn to laugh."

"The simple secret is this: put your trust in the Lord, do your best, then leave the rest to Him.”

That's all for now. I'll post more once I have listened to a few more talks.

Women--Blegh!!

2008-10-26T22:30:00.005-04:00

I have had a nice little streak of women who have developed crushes on me, who, bless their hearts, just can't figure out why I don't return their affection. So, I am developing a list of the top excuses given as to why a closet-case moho won't pursue a relationship.

1. I'm not really looking for a relationship right now.
2. She's too good for me.
3. I'm too busy with work/school.
4. I already like this other girl who lives on the other side of country. (Ha! reminds me a song "I wish you could meet my girlfriend. My girlfriend who lives in Canada.")

Hm, that turned out to be a shorter list than I thought. So I guess part 2 of this post is a question. What do I do when a girl falls for me? How do I let her down without breaking her heart?

Ex-

2008-09-23T23:14:00.005-04:00

Ex. It is a powerful prefix. It signifies the end of something significant. For most people, ex- is probably not a good prefix. It comes with betrayal, or pain, or memories that you would like to erase. For some, though, it can be a blessing.

Back when I was attending grad school, no one knew of my same sex attraction except for my parents and one friend from high school. My parents and my friend, as loving and understanding as they were, just didn’t know how to approach the situation and left me feeling very alone and unloved. I desperately wanted a gay man in my life that I could be friends with. I had a strong desire to connect with someone whom I could be completely honest and who could understand my struggles. I wasn’t necessarily looking for a boyfriend or a partner, just someone who I could have an emotional connection with.

Like all closeted gay men, I took my cause to the internet. I tried to find support groups, but found nothing. I tried chat rooms, but found nothing. I tried personals, but found nothing. My problem, I thought, was that I was too picky. But I only had three things on my list and I thought there had to be someone out there with these three things: (1) must be spiritual, (2) must not do drugs (including smoking), and (3) must not drink. Concerning the first item, I did not care whether this person was Christian, like myself, or Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. A specific religion did not matter. I just wanted them to have a belief in a power more powerful than any of us.

Finally, after way too much searching, I came across Mike (the name has been changed). Mike’s profile listed three things: (1) Buddhist, (2) Didn’t smoke, (3) Didn’t drink. Perfect!!! My new friend. I contacted Mike and we started e-mailing back and forth. Mike was pretty cool and we soon started chatting on-line. Chatting turned into phone calls. And eventually we both built up the courage to meet each other. That was one of the scariest moments, but that’s another story. Ask me later if you want to hear it.

Mike and I become friends. I love Mike’s company. He’s masculine but he’s sensitive, he’s a great listener, and he’s genuinely interested in my life. This is perfect, I think. I have a really cool friend who I can just be myself around.

Well, pretty soon after we start hanging out, Mike and I start to cuddle a little bit. Okay, cool, fine. We’re both gay, we cuddle, no big deal. Soon after that there is some hand holding, a little kissing, and a whole lot of time being spent together. All of the sudden, I have a boyfriend. Wow. That sort of just happened.

All the while that Mike and my relationship is progressing, I have this constant nagging in my mind saying, “You aren’t supposed to be doing this.” I ignore it. It’s probably just me being worried about what my friends will think. Another similar message comes, “You aren’t supposed to be in this relationship.” Again I ignore the message. I’m probably just worried about my parents disowning me. It doesn’t matter, I’m a grown man. But over and over in my mind the message persists.

I don’t want to admit to myself, but I know why the thoughts persist in my mind. I know what my parents taught me in my childhood and I know what my church teaches me on a weekly basis. My relationship was in direct contradiction to everything that I was raised to be. At this time in my life, though, I did not have faith in the teachings of my parents. I did not have a testimony in the beliefs of my church nor did I care to have one. I had never truly desired to pray to God to know if my church was true because I feared that the answer would be yes, it is true, and that I would have to abandon my hopes of finding a same sex partner to share my life with. However, as much as I feared giving up my desires for a relationship, I feared even more that I was living a lifestyle contradictory to the will of God and that my punishment in the life to come would be far worse than anything I could comprehend.

Finally, after months of internal struggle, I broke off the relationship with Mike. It was difficult. Incredibly difficult. And worst of all, I had no one to turn to. My parents wouldn’t want to know that I had been dating someone. I didn’t want my parents to know, either. I spent the next year or so in limbo. I swore off men. I didn’t date. I didn’t even want to date. My breakup was painful. I didn’t want to go through it again. I didn’t want to put someone else through it again.

I was still scared, though, and couldn’t bring myself to indulge in spiritual upliftment. Finally, about a year later, I made a decision. I could be in a same sex relationship as long as I knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the church I was raised in, and the teachings of my childhood were not true. I decided that for a few months, I would be totally committed to finding out God’s plan. I read the scriptures every. I said prayers every day. I attended church every week and even made it to some social gatherings my church sponsored. I was completely and totally immersed in finding truth.

After one month, not too much was different, but I hadn’t determined yet that the church was not true. After two months, I still didn’t feel like I had a testimony, but things seemed to be going well enough in my life, so I kept going. Three months, four months passed. I was waiting for a defining moment to slap me across the face and say “Hey!! This is your answer.” It didn’t come. But somewhere along the way, I realized that the worst case scenario had happened…I accidentally started believing in my church.

I have wondered a few times if I ever should have contacted Mike. Should I have e-mailed him? Should I have called him? Should I have met him? Should I have dated him? Every time the answer is YES!! Ok, that might not have come across very well. I am not saying to all the gay men out there that you need to date someone in order to determine what kind of life you want to live. But Mike changed my life.

Mike spoke to me often about releasing myself and accepting who I am. I am sure I told him what a ridiculous notion that was, but looking back, I think he was right. I am still in the process of accepting who I am. But I know that I am a child a God. I am on this earth to learn, and to grow, and to be example to others. God has a plan for me.

There is a great quote that I first heard in the movie Coach Carter. It goes:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinkingso that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
A Return To Love - Marianne Williamson

I have an ex that is a blessing in my life. I will forever be grateful to him for his kindness and his understanding.

Namaste.

Perfection

2008-09-03T00:56:00.006-04:00

One of my biggest struggles in life is to accept that I'm not perfect. For a long, long time, I was held captive by thinking, "If I can't do everything just right, then I may as well not try to do anything right." I would get so down on myself when I did something that I knew was wrong that I would just continue my wrong ways, because in my mind, hope was already lost on me.

I heard this quote recently and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I repeat it to myself multiples times each day:

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
–Confucius

Freedom Flight

2008-08-25T01:31:00.004-04:00

I was flying across the country today, as I have done many times in the last few months, and I had a new experience. I have been bogged down lately by the stresses of work and temptations and my own shortcomings, so my hope was just to watch a good movie, eat some snacks, and forget my worries for a few hours.

First, a nice gentleman sat down next to me and started up a conversation. I am a pretty shy person and don't generally initiate or engage in long conversations with strangers, but it has been my goal lately to try to hold down decent conversations with people and be a little more outgoing. We talked about work and flying and a few other things and it was a pleasant start to the flight.

Next, I chose to watch The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. It was a decent enough movie. Nothing spectacular. I wouldn't have wanted to pay $10 to see it in a theater, but for a free movie on a plane, I can't complain.

After the movie, I only had a about an hour until we landed, so there was no point in starting a another movie. I browsed the music options available. For the last the few weeks I have been listening to the lastest Counting Crows album. I would have to say it is a pretty solid pick. But brand new on this flight was the option to listen to the new Coldplay album, Viva la Vida. I have always been a fan of Coldplay and I heard really good things about this new album, so it was an easy choice for me to make. I touch the screen for the first song to begin, and it's an instrumental piece called Life in Technicolor. It is very calm and relaxing and just makes you melt into your chair.

At the same that the song starts playing, I experience something on the plane that I have either never experienced or never realized that I was experiencing. Always on a plane, I feel like the engines are pushing us through the air. There is always a force behind the action. But all of the sudden, the engines went quiet and plane just glided through the air. We were thousands of feet off the ground, beginning a slow, gentle descent back to the earth, and this soothing Coldplay song was the chorus of our journey.

For a moment, I felt free. I felt empowered. I felt significant. I felt strength. I felt hope. I felt everything that I have been lacking for the last 5 months.

Sometimes in life, we have engines that push us. Some engines can be good. Our parents may push us to be self sufficient. Our teachers may push us to learn more than we think possible (or necessary). We may push ourselves to become more outgoing or more friendly. Other engines can be bad, though. We may have friends that push us to drink or do drugs. We may have temptations that to push us to act on feelings that we know we shouldn't. We may have a coy little engine called doubt, that pushes us to believe that we are not good enough, or strong enough, or worthy enough.

Let me encourage everyone to take a minute and turn off your engines. ALL of them, even the good ones. Take a minute to glide. And while you are gliding, ponder about what engines you want to turn back on. What forces do you want to drive you?

I know this metaphor was a little cheesy, but I hope you get the idea. If anyone takes me up on my advice, let me how it turns out for you.

Tidbits

2008-07-12T09:54:00.006-04:00

It's been awhile since my last post. Life has been CRAZY! I have been on a spiritual and emotional roller coaster. I'm going to make this post short and simple with just a few tidbits I have learned lately.

1) A supportive family makes a world of difference.

2) Coming out is a form of therapy. I have started telling close friends and relatives about my SGA. Some of them think that I come out to them so that they can know. I think that coming out is more beneficial to me than to them because it allows me to free myself from secrets and lies.

3) Gay events are awesome. They are decorated to perfection, have amazing food, and everybody loves to hug.

4) Everybody struggles. I used to think that I was only person who had major problems. Believe me, everybody has problems. I have found that listening to my friends' struggles and trying to give advice has also helped me to find solutions to my own trials.

5) Rain is cleansing. Every time it rains, think of it as a clean slate. (sorry for those of you living in the desert)

6) Read Alma 7 and tell me what you think.

7) Keep your life clean and organized. A neat bedroom or a clean bathroom really can make your days better.

8) Minimize the "downtime." We all have moments where we throw up our hands in frustration and think "I give up!" The key is to not let those thoughts or emotions linger. When you fall off the horse, you can cry about it for an hour and then get back on, or you can immediately get back on. It's the same result.

9) Set goals. If you aren't a goal person, set easy ones at first to get you started. Then gradually increase the level of difficulty.

10) "Sell buy" dates on cheese are not an exact science.

The Beginning

2008-04-06T00:09:00.000-04:00

In a talk to students at BYU-Hawaii, Elder M. Russell Ballard encouraged members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to "join the conversation by participating on the Internet, particularly the New Media, to share the gospel and to explain in simple and clear terms the message of the Restoration." I have long wanted to share my spiritual journey with any who are willing to listen. I do not feel as though my story is unique, though it is one that is rarely, if ever, told. I am a proud member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and I am gay.

Now hold on you valiant LDS members. Before you start screaming blasphemy, hear me out. For most of my life, I have had an attraction to the same sex. I felt ostracized from my family and my friends. Because of my feelings of isolation, I rebelled against my religion and my family. Through my rebellion, however, I could never convince myself to completely detach from my religion. I carried doubts of "What if my family is right?" and "What if there is a god and he doesn't want me to be gay?"

After a series of events, which I will certainly describe in later blogs, I decided to put the gospel of Jesus Christ to the test. I knew that if I wanted to be in a same sex relationship, I would have to know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was not the true church. Over the coming months, I immersed myself in scripture study and prayer. I attended meetings and even accepted a calling in the ward. Ever so slowly, the spirit of truth and righteousness crept into my life until I knew that I could not deny the truthfulness and goodness of the Savior.

Ultimately, I came to the knowledge that God had a plan for me, and that this plan did not entail pursuing a relationship with someone of the same sex. In fact, for the time being, it does entail me pursuing a romantic relationship with anyone.

I have thought about what I want to accomplish with this blog and who I want to reach out to. Over the last several years, I have searched for someone who has a similar story to mine. Someone who had same sex attraction but believed that God had a greater plan for their life. I longed for someone to share their story with me. For me to be able to ask them questions and learn from their experience. To know that someone else has walked this path. I have not found that person as of yet, so I hope to become what I longed for. I also hope to touch the lives of the parents, siblings, extended family members, and friends of those who are gay. I want to give them comfort and faith that all may be well.

I do not profess to have all the answers and I do not profess to be perfect. I do not claim that my path is one which all people need to take. I only wish to inspire and give hope to those who may need it.

I leave you for now with my simple, humble testimony. I know there is a god in Heaven. I know that he loves me and I know that he loves you. I know that Jesus Christ came to this earth and paid the ultimate price of death so that we may return to our Father in Heaven, clean and pure. I know that prayer is a magnificent tool and that our Father in Heaven is ready and willing to pour out blessings upon us if we ask and are ready to receive them. I have hope that I can find true joy in this lifetime by obedience to the commandments. I have hope that God will support me in my trials. I have hope that my choice to lay aside my personal desires and to serve God will bring more happiness than I could obtain otherwise.

May God watch over you and bless you.