I am a Christian homosexual. Proud by Choice!

Text taken from “Gay AND Christian? Yes! It IS Possible! A Beginner’s Guide”

I am PROUD that I knew intrinsically, in spite of being surrounded by all the negative messages, that I was not bad.
I am PROUD that although it took a lot of years to come to terms with my sexuality, I finally arrived and accepted myself for who I am. Until that time there was a HOLE in me and now, in its place, there is a WHOLE me.

I am PROUD of the fact that God has chosen me to be among a select few, estimated at only 10% of the population. I am blessed.

I am PROUD that there are thousands of famous gays and lesbians who have made a positive impact on every aspect of society and our culture.

I am PROUD of the heritage from which we have come and of those courageous few who took the lead for our cause in spite of the dangers and criticism of the masses.

I am PROUD of the millions of others who fight quietly to hold on to their dignity in spite of the persecution of those who claim to love them but would reject them if they only knew.

Due to the extreme persecution perpetrated by the Christian church on gays it was as hard for me to come “Out” as a Christian in the Gay community as it was for me to come “Out” as a Gay in the Christian community.  Thank God Christianity is not based on Christians . . . “God save me from Your followers”. 

Christianity is based on Christ, and Christ stood for an inclusive, loving membership of faith for ALL.  Jesus was the first Advocate f or women’s rights, for the rights and inclusion of people of all cultures and races, for the disenfranchised and the rejected of society.  It only follows that Jesus is an Advocate for gays.

So I am PROUD of the Christian Gays who are willing to stand up and not let others attempt to steal their faith away from them. It is hard to have self-esteem when external forces bombard us with subliminal and overt messages that we are “evil” and “immoral”.

So I am PROUD that many of us are able to dismiss that negativity knowing that it’s a lie. 

It was not so long ago when it was illegal for interracial couples to wed.  It was emotionally repulsive for many whites to even conceive of the idea. 

It is no longer unusual to see mixed-race couples, and in time, I believe that people will regard same-sex marriages with as little thought as we now view mixed-race marriages.

In my lifetime, we have come a long way from when the “L” word was so awful that it could not be said, even by ourselves, to the legalizing of marriage for same-sex Canadian couples.

This has not happened by itself.  It has been the result of pioneers fighting on our behalf and we owe them all our support and a huge debt of gratitude.  It is those brave men and women who have allowed us today to take PRIDE in who we are as individuals and as a community.

We have not won the war and many still need to remain closeted for safety and economic reasons, and because they need the acceptance and love of family and friends but the day is coming when we will ALL be able to stand tall and PROUD as the people we were created to be, and we will be accepted for who we are with no need for secrets and lies. May that day be soon!