| Message | Firstly, I would just like to let Bryce know that I'm really, really sorry about all of this, that your parents have NO right trying to control your life, and that you need to relocate somewhere accepting - you owe it to yourself and your relationship with Travis. Further, I wanted to say something about this commonly-expressed sentiment that LGBTQ people have no "choice" about our sexuality and that we would never choose to be this way. I find this offensive inasmuch as I love my sexuality, I would not want to be heterosexual [as I once identified], and that there are good reasons one may have for why one prefers the same sex. I think there isn't enough talk about positive aspects of being LGBTQ - it's all about how we wouldn't be if we could help it. I understand that, given Exodus International's message of trying to "change" gay people's sexuality, it's important to articulate that people are usually not going to change. But let's not assume that all LGBTQ people *would* change if we had the chance!
To get back on the topic of you, Bryce, please know that you can have a happy, positive, self-affirming life if you can only get out of this horribly homophobic and offensive atmosphere of familial and community-based coercion and shaming. Know that you deserve to be treated as well as anyone else, that your relationship is beautiful and wonderful, and that there're lots of us out here who LOVE being really gay and we will be here for you as soon as you escape this!! |