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I'm Coming Out

Interesting turn on all this. My wife is pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia, here in Fairfax city. The denomination was founded in 1968, a year before the Stonewall riot, by Rev Troy Perry, who wanted church to be available to everyone!.
Anyway, she got a call last week from Judy Woodruff of the PBS News Hour asking her to be a participant of a roundtable next week asking
"How has your life changed since Stonewall?". The recording will be Tuesday at 4PM, but they aren't sure how much editing will be required before it airs,
so I don't know the air date - but since Stonewall was June 28th, 1969 - maybe it'll air Friday?

I'm going for moral support but I won't be seen on air ... ;)

(so very proud of her!)
 
hjames said:
Interesting turn on all this. My wife is pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia, here in Fairfax city. The denomination was founded in 1968, a year before the Stonewall riot, by Rev Troy Perry, who wanted church to be available to everyone!.
Anyway, she got a call last week from Judy Woodruff of the PBS News Hour asking her to be a participant of a roundtable next week asking
"How has your life changed since Stonewall?". The recording will be Tuesday at 4PM, but they aren't sure how much editing will be required before it airs,
so I don't know the air date - but since Stonewall was June 28th, 1969 - maybe it'll air Friday?

I'm going for moral support but won't be seen on air ... ;)

(so very proud of her!)
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I'd be interested in watching that... it'd be good to know when it does air. ;)
 
You know, it’s odd how we humans socialize things when most of what happens in our lives should not be anyone else’s business. But hatred and fear become oppressive factors that influence everyone to the point that those being truthful seem to be insinuated as being the biggest liars. I never understood the importance of sharing ones sexual preference with anyone. I always thought it better to remind those less compassionate about others that no one should live by another persons interpretation of what is right. But instead we have groups of people having to stand up for their rights before someone also takes that away from us.
 
Djcoolray said:
You know, it’s odd how we humans socialize things when most of what happens in our lives should not be anyone else’s business. But hatred and fear become oppressive factors that influence everyone to the point that those being truthful seem to be insinuated as being the biggest liars. I never understood the importance of sharing ones sexual preference with anyone. I always thought it better to remind those less compassionate about others that no one should live by another persons interpretation of what is right. But instead we have groups of people having to stand up for their rights before someone also takes that away from us.
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I'm not sure I agree with part of that, but maybe I just don't understand what you're saying exactly. It's common for marginalized groups to embrace or celebrate their 'whateverness' whether it be race, ethnicity, gender, culture, or sexual orientation. In this respect, being gay isn't 'sexual preference'; that would be more akin to one's taste, such as liking tall men of a particular race, or slim, chubby, bald, hairy, etc. That's a preference. Being gay is more than that, which is why I think 'sexual orientation' is a much better description. When people are discriminated against in any fashion for what makes them different, that thing becomes the unifying characteristic vs just about what gender one prefers to have sex with, if that makes sense. "... sharing ones sexual preference... " is less about telling the public what gender one prefers and more about rejecting being oppressed for their orientation. I do agree with the part about being good to remind those less compassionate, and when members of a group do it (in this case GLBT people), it's pretty much the same as coming out.
 
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onwardjames said:
Heather, do please let us know about that, and congrats!!
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I second this- keep us updated on the air date.

Heather on a related note that your wife might appreciate, my wife and I were married by a women pastor at a Church in Arlington Virginia. My wife’s family is Catholic so when the Pastor came out to the Altar there was a audible gasp from my wife’s family’s side of the Church. When attending weddings over the course of the next couple years numerous relatives of my wife asked us when we were going to “legally” get married.... :D
 
Wolverine said:
Heather on a related note that your wife might appreciate, my wife and I were married by a women pastor at a Church in Arlington Virginia.
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Same thing here. Little short lady was the pastor for me and the missus in Gatlinburg, Tn. She was a total professional, and a sweetie. Her husband took the pics. For me, it was a wonderful wedding, tho we didn't invite family from either side. I guess we kinda eloped in a way.

If you met my family, you'd understand, lol.
 
David_NC said:
I'm not sure I agree with part of that, but maybe I just don't understand what you're saying exactly. It's common for marginalized groups to embrace or celebrate their 'whateverness' whether it be race, ethnicity, gender, culture, or sexual orientation. In this respect, being gay isn't 'sexual preference'; that would be more akin to one's taste, such as liking tall men of a particular race, or slim, chubby, bald, hairy, etc. That's a preference. Being gay is more than that, which is why I think 'sexual orientation' is a much better description. When people are discriminated against in any fashion for what makes them different, that thing becomes the unifying characteristic vs just about what gender one prefers to have sex with, if that makes sense. "... sharing ones sexual preference... " is less about telling the public what gender one prefers and more about rejecting being oppressed for their orientation. I do agree with the part about being good to remind those less compassionate, and when members of a group do it (in this case GLBT people), it's pretty much the same as coming out.
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Having witnessed the first Gay Pride parade in S.F. and having dozens of gay friends, I know all about the constantly repeated consensus of opinions within the gay community. Then just repeating what everyone has been saying for decades has become an empty anthem of gay rights. Too many people repeat the same thing hoping to give it a more serious credibility and acceptable status. As a liberal, there are many issues of oppression hindering the majority of the population on a daily basis. We don’t focus on oppression, we focus on groups of people that rise up after being oppressed. Some in the media call the focus we give certain groups a distraction from the majority of injustice. Then as far as behavior goes, something has to be important to you before you act upon it and make it part of your life. Then no ones DNA sequence is the same and we are all different so we are all people of various degrees of sexuality. I’ve had allot of people think that I am gay, but I’m not interested in same sex relationships. There’s no such thing as straight or gay and behavior is influenced rather than being an autonomic reaction. Behavior is defined by social interaction and acceptance factors while attending school, a type of homogenized result socially where by the end of sixth grade all pupils are more the same than not. After the sixth grade we are prone to gather into groups based upon needs and acceptance. The need to be like others for acceptance socially even escapes those considered to be straight as far as consistent behavior towards the opposite sex.
 
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Djcoolray said:
Having witnessed the first Gay Pride parade in S.F. and having dozens of gay friends, I know all about the constantly repeated consensus of opinions within the gay community. Then just repeating what everyone has been saying for decades has become an empty anthem of gay rights. Too many people repeat the same thing hoping to give it a more serious credibility and acceptable status. As a liberal, there are many issues of oppression hindering the majority of the population on a daily basis. We don’t focus on oppression, we focus on groups of people that rise up after being oppressed. Some in the media call the focus we give certain groups a distraction from the majority of injustice. Then as far as behavior goes, something has to be important to you before you act upon it and make it part of your life. Then no ones DNA sequence is the same and we are all different so we are all people of various degrees of sexuality. I’ve had allot of people think that I am gay, but I’m not interested in same sex relationships. There’s no such thing as straight or gay and behavior is influenced rather than being an autonomic reaction. Behavior is defined by social interaction and acceptance factors while attending school, a type of homogenized result socially where by the end of sixth grade all pupils are more the same than not. After the sixth grade we are prone to gather into groups based upon needs and acceptance. The need to be like others for acceptance socially even escapes those considered to be straight as far as consistent behavior towards the opposite sex.
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Edited to say...

This is not my thread, and I don't want it derailed, locked, or whatever. It started out positive, and it should stay that way.
 
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We've been watching some period films on Amazon Prime this week, Monday was "Before Stonewall," Tuesday was a film about the Compton Cafeteria Riot in the SF tenderloin in 1966, and last night we watched "Call Me Troy", about Rev Troy Perry, the founder of the Metropolitan Community Church, the 1st church with a primary outreach to the GLBT community, founded in CA in 1968, (a year before Stonewall). He talked about starting a Pride March celebrating (not a protest) the Anniversary of Stonewall - and I snapped this picture of the anniversary marker in LA.
The point was not hiding any long, making sure we get treated as human beings.
1stGayPrideParade_9279.jpg
 
Partly at least, I suppose due also to being "on the spectrum", I don't really grasp taking credit or pride for the accomplishments of others or the course of natural processes. Having said that as someone who, in isolation like so many, have had to struggle with feelings and an inner life that I did not, could not, and wasn't allowed to acknowledge as an essential part of my psychological assemblage those thoughts and feelings. "Pride" in my involuntary state aside, affirmation and acceptance for those in similar circumstances to my younger self is a lifeline not to be discounted, and peer affirmation and general support keeps us aware that, whatever comes, *we* are not alone. In that, we/I can take pride and celebrate our unity.
 
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Just wanted to chime in. I have a very close friend who is pansexual but clearly prefers wonen. Even though her mother is very liberal, non-judgemental, non-religious, and the sweetest person one could ever meet, she is scared to death to come out to her. That alone tells me why pride in identity and societal acceptance is of the utmost importance.
 
You got moxie @savatage1973! :beerchug: I mean that in a good way.

I think it was a very brave and awesome thing to come out on AK.

Congrats to you and your partner as well!:thumbsup:

Too many people live in fear these days of so many things. It's so damn silly. All I can say is you're not alone here on AK in the LGBTQ+ community. I'll leave it at that. Back to tunes!
 
Charlie, congratulations on 20 years of happiness. No mean feat, that.

Folks, a few of you have wandered into political and/or religious commentary. Some had the good sense to self-moderate. Others did not, but hjames is closely shepherding this thread, so it continues to live. For the folks expressing surprise that it is still open, as long as it remains a vehicle for support, and not a discussion of political or religious ideas, that will not change. (FTR, there is a difference between debating religious beliefs, and relating a family anecdote that happens to be in a church setting.)

As you were.
 
hjames said:
Interesting turn on all this. My wife is pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia, here in Fairfax city. The denomination was founded in 1968, a year before the Stonewall riot, by Rev Troy Perry, who wanted church to be available to everyone!.
Anyway, she got a call last week from Judy Woodruff of the PBS News Hour asking her to be a participant of a roundtable next week asking
"How has your life changed since Stonewall?". The recording will be Tuesday at 4PM, but they aren't sure how much editing will be required before it airs,
so I don't know the air date - but since Stonewall was June 28th, 1969 - maybe it'll air Friday?

I'm going for moral support but I won't be seen on air ... ;)

(so very proud of her!)
Click to expand...


we are at WETA now, and the show WILL air tonight

And here is a link to the Stonewall Segment - starts with a 3:30 minute history lesson,
then the roundtable is afterwards (never enought time to cover the issue completely ...)
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/5...l-why-so-many-lgbtq-people-are-still-grieving

PBS-Closeup_9324.jpgEmma-Judy-George_9358.jpg
 
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