Religions create a culture of "not wanting to disappoint", did it stop you from coming out, and when you did, did your religion support you for being honest about who you are ? _________________________________________________________________________
Eh, both my parents are Christian (not moronic conservative types at all though) but I'm not. They're completely unhomophobic and even if I were Christian too I doubt it'd stop me coming out!
Really the first reason was self-denial. Like I was attracted to guys in movies and things but I never had a real life crush on a guy. And since I had crushes on girls and thought they were attractive I assumed I was straight. When I met my current boyfriend I realized I was gay but what stoppd me was that I thought he'd hate me if he knew I was gay (He was straight at the time). The church he brought me to is very accepted but I still haven't come out yet mainly because he's not ready yet.
No, but being gay stopped me from going to church!!!! "How can you embrace something that doesn't embrace you?" Quote from the movie Sordid Lives
No, but I pretty much denounced my religion before I even came out, so I guess it didn't really matter at that point anyway.
Even before I knew I was gay, I had pretty much given up on religion.. I was raised Roman Catholic, as were my parents. While in Consolidated, I stopped believing in religion and in Junior, discovered my sexuality. I have come out just fine, except for my parents. They were raised "Old School Catholic" and afraid that if I tell them, something bad will happen to me... but except for them.. It hasnt been any trouble
I've never understood why gay people would want to be affiliated with any system of beliefs that considers them to be immoral. It's kind of like a black person wanting to be a member of the KKK. But back to the question posed by this thread. My answer is no. I was raised Catholic, but I'm not a priest.
Well, I was raised first Catholic and then Baptist (denounced all of that officially at 14 or 15). My parents, my grandparents - I wouldn't call them total homophobes. If they met a gay person (who wasn't related to them mind you) they'd probably treat them okay even though they disagree with their lifestyle. But me? If I came out to my family? Dunno what would happen. The fact that I still live with my parents is one reason I haven't come out to them. I doubt they'd kick me out, but it's still a possibility. So until I'm financially stable that's the way it has to be. At finding out, I know they'd be distraught. And then they'd be all nosy and up in my business. And my grandparents? I don't know. Would they disown me? Possibly. There is one gay person in our family (who is out) and nobody likes him. I personally have never met him but from what I hear he's a total ass (gay having nothing to do with it). I hear the word queer used derogatorily a lot (especially from my granddad). Once, at my grandmother's house Ellen Degeneres was on the news briefly and my 88 year old Maw Maw burst out. "I hate her! She shouldn't be on TV. They should take her show off of television!" Defensive, I boldly asked: "Why?" "She's a homosexual!" Maw Maw said matter-of-factly, as if it should be obvious that were the reason why. (Maw Maw's deaf and won't get a hearing aid, so we were yelling back and forth. Almost turned into a shouting match) "I KNOW!" I said. "Do you know what that is?" (For some reason Maw Maw must think I'm slightly retarded, she thinks I don't know anything about worldly issues) Flabbergasted, I said to her: "Yes! I do know!" (more than you think) "Well, I don't like that! It's immoral!" "Well then, don't watch her show!" I exclaimed. "I don't!" said Maw Maw, looking disconcerted that I'd even mentioned the idea. She was quiet after that, and to my surprise did not reprimand me. I'd never had such a serious conversation with my grandmother before. It was almost disrespectful the way I talked to her. But maybe in turn she started to respect me for speaking out to her, because she's been ever sweet to me since (and has started treating me like an adult for the first time). Or maybe she just forgot about the whole thing, haha. I'm out to all of my friends, and my siblings. For now, that's fine. I don't think your sexuality is something you should have to "confess" anyway, although it's certainly not something I'd hide or deny. Straight people don't have to announce their sexuality. You should feel comfortable enough to be open and whether you're with the same sex or both sexes or opposite sex shouldn't matter. People should just appreciate the love. But unfortunately, it's not always like that. This might not be a popular statement, but I do feel there's pressure from the lgbt community to have a big coming out ceremony. And while there's nothing wrong with that, I feel it's just not that big a deal for me. I like to sleep with women, and you like to stick vibrators up your butt. Who cares? So I guess you could say, for awhile, religion (not my own) did keep me from coming out and even accepting my sexuality. But I had been questioning it since I was a kid. Finally accepted it in early '07. I was thrilled! It felt like a weight had been taken off.
No i told my dad if he even tryed to kill me for it (he's a very homophobic fundy christian) i'd smack my guitar around his head, serriously religeon is bullshit.
My dad is a methodist minister and my entire family has been methodist for generations. I told them I was done with church years before I told them I was gay.. They took being gay better than the church bull. but no I didnt let a church tell me who I could sleep with
I am an active member of the Lutheran community in my local area. I have not yet come out, however, that is because I'm aware that it will cause some of my more conservative classmates to hunt me down for the rest of senior high (they're Atheists, only one of my classmates is Christian). The issue with my family is that my stepfather is slightly homphobic and/or racist, and I'm not sure of how he'd react finding out I'm bi.
I am Wiccan, so it certainly didn't stop me, it helped me. I wasn't concerned about my parents religion stopping me either. So nah, not at all.
it did stop me as being raised christian & believing the bible. i'll admit i never thought bout bi until older & even though i still think of guys i don't fulfil my curiosoties due 2 the religion belief.
Religion prevented me not only from coming out at an early age, but it also prevented me from being accepted for myself and it prevented me from accepting even myself for who I was earlier than I did. My family did not go to church, but they were quite religious. When I first hit puberty at the age of fourteen and realized that I was sexually attracted to guys rather than girls, I was afraid to come out of the closet because everyone around me believed that it was a sin to be gay. I actually attempted to convince myself that I could change, that there was something wrong with me, to the point where I started going to church again whereas my family did not. They had no idea of the real reason why I started attending church, but that route only further oppressed me. It was not until I was between seventeen and eighteen years of age that I finally fully accepted myself for who I was and decided to not give a shit about what others thought in regards to my sexuality.
