Hello Everyone......

I just came out of the closet night to my friends. I'm 42 not dating anyone and i saw the opportunity to be right and just did it. It was a long time coming. I just decided that I wasn't going to live my life not owning up to who I really am.

I came out last night to my best friend who is straight. He kinda knew what was coming. He told me, "I want to say I am fazed but I am not. Nothing really fazes me anymore. I will say this I love you like a brother but love you even more for this damn strong to come out." My best friend never ceases to amaze me.

His wife came up. She hugged me and told me how much she loves me. How much I mean to them and their family. My best girl friend came by because she didn't believe me on the phone. That was funny.

An older gay couple that we hang out with came out and bought me my first Cosmo. They had me pegged on their gaydar for a couple of months.

It was hard and stressful at first but my friends made it so easy for me. I thank God I insulated myself over the past few years with such good good people.

I am a little nervous and also excited at what lies ahead but I have a fantastic support network.

I was reading this website for about a week and gleaning the information provided in the
pages.

I am 100% happy that I did this. I haven't felt so good in a really long time.

I wrote something a few days before I came out. I will paste it below.

I just signed up tonight in the event of sharing the experience.

Cheers to everyone.
Be who you are and love who you are.

-----

I am gay. If you don’t like it, you are going to have to deal with it.

I am not sacrificing my happiness in life for an ideal that I will never fit.

I will live my life to my standards not someone else’s standards or ideal.

Life is too short. I feel liberated. I feel free.

I don’t hate anybody. I love my fellow man. I would never purposely hurt another human being. I ask that you let me be who I am and love me for who I am.

I am not infringing on your happiness. I would ask that you respect mine.

Tolerance in this context is allowing people to be who they are and not judge anyone. I don’t judge anybody. I am too busy keeping my own ass in line to worry about yours. I can get up every day, make myself a cup of good coffee and look myself in the mirror. You know what? I love what I see. I am damn proud of myself.

I have been through hell in this life so far. I have endured it. I kept a positive attitude. I kept my faith along the way. I am a stronger man for it.

God has touched me. He doesn’t hate me. He loves me. I am his child. He is my father. He is perfect and he doesn’t make mistakes. He made me.

Man is fallible by his very nature. Man makes mistakes. If you judge me by my choices then you are sadly mistaken. Don’t worry I still love you though. I will say a prayer for you.

My faith is a lot stronger than a lot of people I know and it’s because of his love not because of my sexual orientation.

After all, Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” And I am a child of the Father.”

Sexual Orientation is not the true identity of oneself. It is only a small component that makes up oneself. You should look at me as the whole person.

I am still the same person.
I am still the same son.
I am still the same brother
I am still the same friend.

All I am doing is just being myself.