In this LGBTQ Pride Month, I’m coming out as a proud father. Thirty-five years ago, during his last semester in a “church-related” college, our son came home to share that he was gay. We had loved his girlfriend, so I was surprised, but I was not shocked. My first thought was that he’s the person I’ve always known him to be.

In truth, being gay is not abnormal; virtually every family has one or more gay members. Further, being gay is not immoral — my son didn’t choose to be gay. Rather, he decided to be true to himself and to tell his loved ones his story. As Popeye long ago said, “I yam what I yam, and that’s all what I yam.”

We don’t need leaders who insist that something’s wrong, here, that my son is somehow ineligible to enjoy the rights and privileges afforded to “straight” citizens. We were happy to have him come home with his Australian partner, for them to get married in a Christian church in the very conservative city of Holland, Michigan.

When his partner of only 10 years suddenly died, I immediately flew to Sydney to comfort my son.

In short, his life is like the rest of ours, sprinkled with successes and sorrows. Our society should be more accepting of his reality.

Nelson Hart
Gorham