Several of you folks on here have really been instrumental in showing me that being vulnerable is a key part of moving forward in our journeys, and is pretty much the key in overcoming shame. (Just to mention a few awesome people on here - Siennafire, Onthehighway and Greatwhale have all provided a lot of inspiration for me in this area). Btw, anyone who hasn't checked out Brene Brown's talks on vulnerability, check them out! Anyway, I wanted to take some time and think about some of the things we've each been doing to make strides in this area. What are some things you've done to make yourself vulnerable and how has that helped you in your journey? This can be anything from coming out to yourself or to others, or to mentioning casually to someone that you are LGBT, engaging in PDA with your same sex partner, or having a big old gay wedding. As far as I can tell, being vulnerable is a continuous process, one that evolves as our journeys evolve. I'll give one of my examples - coming out to my dad, for me, was a huge step in being vulnerable. I really didn't know how he'd react. And it made me feel so free to do it. And a bonus, he was incredibly supportive. Share your stories!
I took my partner to a business conference where a large number of industry participants attended. It was the largest event I had gone to showing my authentic self. Everyone took it in stride. I was on a mental high for quite some time!
This is awesome! It's a huge success, and it's awesome how casual everyone in the conference was about it.
I think just being in this relationship publicly makes me vulnerable. I don't have any regrets, and sometimes in the end it feels rather liberating. It was harder in the beginning. As I've said before, it is pretty obvious in public that we are a lesbian couple, so being in rural Mississippi, that's really putting yourself out there. And yes, I think about our safety, so that is an issue. I can honestly say I'm no less affectionate with her than I've been with men in my life, so I'm secure in that. A few days ago we were at WalMart late in the evening in the electronics department. My girlfriend said that there were two girls who noticed us and were asking if that was "two girls" together. (We seriously were not doing anything couple-like, except I just always call her "Baby" because that's what I do.) She told me about it later in the store, because somehow I had missed that exchanged. I laughed and said, "Oh, wow, I'm the lesbian thay're talking about." and she said, "Oh, no I'M the lesbian they're talking about." No big deal, but I find it funny that our mere existence can spark such an exchange and, yes, make us vulnerable. I'm telling you, my girl is my hero. I can blend, but she doesn't and I'm so happy to know someone so true to herself. If being with her makes me a little vulnerable, I can definitely handle that.
I came out on facebook earlier this month. a pretty big deal for me as I live in a pretty conservative rural area. but I figured no one is going to beat me up at this age.
