Sometimes people tell me they don’t want to be labelled by their sexual orientation.

Not me!!!

For over two decades, I rejected my gay identity. In fact, I did everything to try to annihilate it. The last thing I would ever say is…… “I’m gay”. Taking ownership of that was a terrifying thought, and I believed it had tragic long-term and eternal consequences. The closest I ever got to acknowledging my true orientation was admitting I had “a homosexual problem”.

Accepting who I was, was a loooong journey. And once I’d accepted being gay, then learning to embrace and celebrate it evolved.

We have multiple identities. We can have different identities in different contexts. In some contexts, some identities are paramount and others irrelevant. The highly self-aware person is conscious of the various identities but manages them wisely, recognizing each one is a part of the whole.

Personally, I’m proud to be a homosexual. No more shame, denial, or secrecy. The shame has been washed away by self-acceptance, and self-hatred replaced with self-love.

These days I’d be happy to shout it from the rooftops “I am gay. Always have been gay. Always will be. And I love it.” 🏳️‍🌈

If anyone has a problem with that, it must be theirs, because it certainly ain’t mine.

#ALifeOfUnlearning 
#HappyPride