09-30-2012, 08:46 PM
I didn't 'come out' until I was 24, that was 1990. Until that point I played the role of a celibate, I played that role so well I even believed it. But I did have a toe in the LGBT community at a younger age working with the Friars in San Francisco I was 'exposed' to the LGBT community - yes I did see a lot of terrible things.
How did it change? Two ways: The bravest (perhaps stupidest given the climate) were out and about - in your face and not pulling any punches. These were the ones that contrived of Gay Pride parades and parties, these were also the ones that lisped, swished and snapped their fingers in the faces of those who would kill them.
Then there was the 'whisper campaign' - more 'conservative' gays who slowly worked on the political and church leaders.
I was part of the whisper campaign.
Still am. Unlike the 'militant gays' of my generation, those who barely dressed and were 'in your face' about it, I took the other road, writing lots and lots and lots of letters to priests, bishops, cardinal and others in the Episcopal (Anglican) Church and other churches. Also lots of letters and conversations with political leaders - more on the local level than at the federal level.
There are a lot of us 'whisperers' out there, we are the ones that slink into the politician's office and slowly deceive them with our silver tongues, slowly talking them over to the dark side :eek:
One method was redefining and reinterpreting scriptures. And then using those to slowly convince leadership in the church that maybe their heritage and system of beliefs was just a bit off.
Another method was to call upon human decency, and show others what hatred leads to and remind constantly that Jesus didn't Hate.
There is a third method, by coming out to our family and friends and through demonstration show that we are not three headed monsters - we grew a secondary population of Pflag members - http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid=194&srcid=-2
We one one concession after another, through active, out-loud screaming and protesting, through passive, quiet whispering and by winning the hearts and love of family and friends who support us because they know we are not the terrible monsters that we were formally known as.
How did it change? Two ways: The bravest (perhaps stupidest given the climate) were out and about - in your face and not pulling any punches. These were the ones that contrived of Gay Pride parades and parties, these were also the ones that lisped, swished and snapped their fingers in the faces of those who would kill them.
Then there was the 'whisper campaign' - more 'conservative' gays who slowly worked on the political and church leaders.
I was part of the whisper campaign.
Still am. Unlike the 'militant gays' of my generation, those who barely dressed and were 'in your face' about it, I took the other road, writing lots and lots and lots of letters to priests, bishops, cardinal and others in the Episcopal (Anglican) Church and other churches. Also lots of letters and conversations with political leaders - more on the local level than at the federal level.
There are a lot of us 'whisperers' out there, we are the ones that slink into the politician's office and slowly deceive them with our silver tongues, slowly talking them over to the dark side :eek:
One method was redefining and reinterpreting scriptures. And then using those to slowly convince leadership in the church that maybe their heritage and system of beliefs was just a bit off.
Another method was to call upon human decency, and show others what hatred leads to and remind constantly that Jesus didn't Hate.
There is a third method, by coming out to our family and friends and through demonstration show that we are not three headed monsters - we grew a secondary population of Pflag members - http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid=194&srcid=-2
We one one concession after another, through active, out-loud screaming and protesting, through passive, quiet whispering and by winning the hearts and love of family and friends who support us because they know we are not the terrible monsters that we were formally known as.
![[-]](https://gayspeak.com/images/duende_v3_local/collapse.png)
