I’m coming all the way out

-

 So I’ve written about this on this blog a little bit. But I feel it’s time to be a little more declarative.

I’m bi. As in bisexual. And with what is going on in the world I don’t feel like I can hide it my place of privilege anymore. 

See I’m married to one of the smartest, kindest, beautiful women in my world.


People see me with this beautiful creature and would assume my living experience is entirely heteronormative. A straight marriage.

I have the privilege of four natural born children. I got to have them with the love of my life. Because of that. Assumptions are made. 

I had the honor and privilege to serve as a soldier in the army. That alone brings assumptions.

Then there are the assumptions that come from the faith I bear. 

——

I’ve had the ability to hide. And I don’t feel like I can anymore.

There’s a lot happening I don’t feel like getting into on the macro level. But I need to on the micro.

——

I’ve slowly came out. I posted in my blog. I’ve told people I’ve trusted. But now I feel I can be a little more public. And I need to. And here’s why.

The idea that being attracted to the same sex is somehow equated to pedophilia. Or that it’s a step that way.

All the times I was called gay in middle school, high school, or college etc. Every time I unequivocally denied it. Because I was afraid that if people knew how I really felt, they’d hate me.

The disappointment and fear I see in fellow parents’ eyes as they talk about how scared they are to have a child be a member of the LGBTQ+ community. And I said nothing. 

—-

I can’t be silent anymore. I’m not just an ally. I’m part of the team. And I don’t want the shame of hiding in plain sight. I want to be known for all of who I am. 

—-

So I’m out. I’m bi. I’m happily married. I’m a father. I’m a nerd. I’m a veteran. I’m a friend. And I’m me. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why I’m here. An update.

-
Image
After conference weekend I’ve got a mixed bag of emotions. But I see myself coming down in the same place. I’m still a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I don’t see that changing either.  As someone with a bit of nuance in this space I’ve heard it from people on both sides. Why do I stay in the church? I’ve always told people it’s for the sacrament. I’ve told people it’s because I’ve had spiritual experiences that I can’t deny. And all of that is true. But it’s more. A little bit at least. The Book of Mormon means a lot to me. As a book of scripture it really helped clarify and focus my belief in Christ and his divinity. Without it I don’t think I would hold onto Christ as much as I do spiritually; especially in regards to the atonement and resurrection. Yes there is plenty in the Bible I draw upon. But there is something more, deeper, and different when it comes to the Book of Mormon. If I had to pick a single passage of scripture that’s saved me over and over
Read more

I spoke in church this Sunday.

-
Image
I spoke in church today. About feeling the spirit and the hand of God in our lives. I included below links the source talk I was asked to reference and to a performance the hymn I quoted. It’s a pretty Sunday. Here’s my talk.  Good morning, my name is Witter Case and I was asked to speak about experiencing the spirit and hand of God in our lives. I'll be using Elder Bednar's most recent conference talk.  This was a subject I found I could use some reflection upon. I think that is part of why this portion of Elder Bednar’s recent talk really spoke to me.  “I asked our guests if they had any observations they wanted to share. One of the journalists said with great emotion, “I have never experienced anything like that in my entire life. I did not know quiet like that existed in the world; I simply did not believe such stillness was possible.” I was struck by both the sincerity and the starkness of this person’s statement. And the journalist’s reaction highlighted one important
Read more

How can we have shared the same faith with such different results?

-
Image
The majority of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just voted for Donald Trump for President of the United States, again.  I’m not surprised but I am pretty confused. Again. Especially because their faith and the stances of the church are not always in line with Donald Trump’s. I’m giving the benefit of the doubt because we all have to compromise on policy. I just hope that regardless of who we voted for we can agree to support some of the specific policies the church endorsed that he does not. So I  have a few questions and examples here: First thing I would ask. How does Trump's policies align at all with the church's stances on immigration? Will you support the DACA recipients that are now under attack? What about his proposed mass deportations? His reductions of refugees? When Trump was serving his first term as president he opposed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). He reduced refugee admissions and legal immigration. One of
Read more