“As a teenager, I experienced first-hand this resistance and I never thought that I could confront the challenges of being openly gay.”
“One afternoon my Grandmother and I were in the car together. I was driving and she was sitting in the back seat. We were talking about nothing in particular, when out of the blue she said, “I am worried about you, because you are not going to the same place that I am going to…”? I knew immediately what she was talking about. I responded to her seeking to avoid addressing the intent of her comment, “Grandma, of course I am going where you are going, I am driving!” She was not amused by my response stating very matter of fact, “You know what I am talking about!” Yes, of course I did, she meant heaven. I would not be with her because I was gay. I took a deep breath anticipating the discussion that I knew that would follow and said “Grandma, you don’t have to worry about me because I found a bigger God, one that loves me for me.” My response of course ignited the “hell fire” conversation that followed. She was very clear that there was only “one God” which was hers and as far she was concerned “he” did not approve of me being gay. For most West Virginians, religion is something that has shaped their lives, creating a culture with its own unique worldview and values. My Grandmother’s views were not unique and my search for a bigger god led me to Georgia. I strongly believe that our freedom is ultimately not guaranteed by the constitution; the only thing that guarantees freedom, ultimately, is our own commitment to it. That commitment must include our capacity to love each other as human beings, to remember that we are brothers and sisters on this planet and that the only way to protect our freedom is to check the hatred in our own minds. My Grandmothers story is the core of my own journey…that of searching for a bigger God.”
"There are many ways to carry messages and I am standing where God has placed me, just being who I am. I think when each of us is true to ourselves, the world is made better.”