A reader writes:
I have been a long time reader of your blog. I felt compelled after seeing the Bronski Beat video and reading the response you posted to email you my story.
I am a 32 year old woman, wife and mother of 2 beautiful children and who has not seen or been in contact with my father for 28 years. Growing up I always wondered why my father left. My mother would always say he was just a dead beat dad and to never try to make contact with him. I never understood her animosity towards him or why she was so adamant about me never to locate him or reach out to him. When you’re that young you just listen to what your mom says and do what she tells you to do without question.
When I was about 18 it finally "came out" that my father was a gay man. This of course was told to me by my mother who said she found gay porn in our home and blamed it on my brother. It was when my mother confronted my father with her findings he admitted they where his magazines. Nothing else was said. A divorce soon followed.
Since this was revealed to me I have strongly believed that anyone, no matter what, should have the same rights as everyone else in this world. It seems a simple thing to me. I know that if this was the right of everyone 32 years ago I would not be here but I was the product of what my father was trying to hide from. I think that is painful for both him and myself and may be why he has never tried to make contact with me. And I with him.
Watching that video made me think of what he must have gone through and even though I don’t agree that he should have cut off all ties with me, I can, in a small way, understand.
I know there are more people in this world just like me and in the same situation. Maybe we should all come out and tell this stupid administration that gay marriage is not a "threat to the family and to civilization". What is a threat is making someone feel so ashamed of who they are live a lie. Force them to feel they have to marry a women or a man, have a child, than abandon that child leaving the child to wonder why?
Thank you for listening to my story. I hope it made sense.
It does. It’s a culture that makes this happen that makes no sense. But it’s changing.
The Dish 