My Gay Wedding


I “came out of the closet” nearly thirty-two years ago at the tender age of twenty-one. Thanks to the pervasive homophobia that existed then, coming out really did a number on me. Much of the struggle to come to terms with my identity is chronicled in my memoir, Glass Houses.

Back then, you didn’t hear much about the gay agenda. In fact, you didn’t hear much about gay people at all. Except for a few brave souls on the fringes of society, being gay was a dirty little secret. Being out as a gay person meant ridicule, bullying, or worse.

Thirty years ago I never dreamed that gay people would one day be permitted to legally marry. Today gay marriage is legal in New York and five other states. California recently passed a law that requires the inclusion of lessons about gays and lesbians in social studies classes.

Social conservatives are freaking out and filing lawsuits left and right to roll back the changes. They typically refer to gays as morally bankrupt, disease-ridden individuals who are a threat to society. More often than not, they refer to religious texts to defend their hateful rhetoric.

I’m guessing social conservatives don’t have a lot of gay friends. If they did, they would know that gay folk really aren’t that different from anyone else. We work, pay bills and taxes, and otherwise involve ourselves with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness mentioned in the Declaration of Independence.

The tide is turning. For the first time in history, the majority supports gay rights in public opinion polls. Digging deeper, the numbers reveal that younger people are significantly more likely than older folks to favor gay rights.

Change is coming much faster than I ever imagined possible.  Now all I have to do is outlive the crotchety old social conservatives who find my lifestyle so repugnant. Volunteering for one of Obama’s death panels would speed things up a bit. I’m hopeful that maybe one day, you’ll be able to check out photographs from our wedding here in…

My Glass House

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2 responses to “My Gay Wedding”

  1. We could travel to one of the states where gay marriage is legal. For us, it’s more about the economic advantages than anything else–which wouldn’t come with an out-of-state marriage. Hopefully we’ll one day have that option here in Georgia. Thanks for commenting!