I'm sorry you went through that. My father had the same issue. I'm lucky to have come of age in a world where being gay was a realistic option for me, rather than trying to force myself to fit into a box of heteronormativity.

Definitely now is time to be you. Live life to the fullest. Learn from that experience and make the list of all the things you'll do to make everything work and the other list of all the things you won't do to make everything work. Keep rolling brother!!!

@MikeinBatonRouge, I’m so sorry for the torment you’ve had to live with in suppressing who you really are. It’s quite an achievement that you’ve created something so positive in your life while extricating yourself from that foul belief system.

The way religion controls us, suppressing every good human instinct, is so cruel. I try to be angry at the masses about it but they’re so brainwashed that it’s hard to maintain steam. Although instances like the one in this article certainly cause eruptions of occasional anger.

Congratulations on your success.

The worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves. Everyone gets hurt.

For me, as for many others who see their marriages end, we can choose to look at those years as lost time or as one more chapter of our lives that, though we wouldn't choose to do it again, still taught something and gave us some positives as well as negatives. I have a terrific kid who never would have been born otherwise, and his mom and I remain friends (she is very progressive) and are finding coparenting pretty positive. Btw, we have dinner together most Thursdays and watch Will & Grace around it. ...Naturally.

You be who you are and who you want to be, they can't judge you! Be happy with who you want!

I spent fifteen years in various forms of reparative therapy, and I never saw a success case. In fact, they had to change the rules of success so many times because people were starting to burn out. Still, it ruins families and the people exposed to those tactics.

Do you have children?

I believe we are given challenges - that life's a school for strengthening our souls. I believe the challenge is to be YOU and to celebrate being YOU. I agree with your statement about religion and am sorry for 25 years...but there is so much life to come. I left a terrible marriage after 25 years and my life began. I have had so much life since then. Guess what. I finally married my soul mate at age 79. I had 5 glorious years that made my whole life have meaning. Live and be you!!

For sure be true to yourself

sorry you worked so hard for all that time