Separation of Church and Gay
The Day I Realized I Was Gay
What is right
And what I am
Faith and Trust
Begin where the sidewalk ends
My mind stays cemented
While my heart runs away
Wishes and rules
How can I do what’s right
I wrote the above in April of seventh grade. I remember it vividly. It was the first day of my life I had let myself even say the word “gay”, even in my head. I had kept the little voice in my head under so much pressure that even it couldn’t squeak the word because then it might be real. I had spent weeks fiddling with it, almost saying it, almost thinking it. Rocking back and forth on that edge knowing that jumping would change everything and free me all at once.
Born and Bred
I was raised in rural southern South Carolina in a small white southern baptist church. I have been a member there since I was about 6. They were so loving. They paid to send me on a field trip I couldn’t afford. They were my safe space, that warmth that was always there. It was like having 20 or so grandparents who would move heaven and earth for you if it was in their power. I can’t thank them enough for all they did. I love that church and how it…
