Looks Like We’re Finally Heading

Answers to your questions in order and then some comments afterward.

1.  I felt an attraction towards females in grade school, but had no idea what the feelings were.

2.  No way did I admit it to anyone, at least not until I was out of high school.  It wasn’t at all accepted, or at least not by anyone I knew of.  When my dad and step mom finally found out in 1982, they weren’t at all accepting.  My mom found out and didn’t really say much one way or another.  I have a feeling she probably went to the library and got a book to read about it.    Anyway, years later my step mom said she came to the realization that being gay is only a very small part of who a person is.  I certainly don’t identify myself as a gay woman.  If someone figures it out fine.  But you’ll never catch me marching in a gay pride parade, and I don’t condone the ones who do nutty things like acting out in churches and crap like that.  I don’t have many gay friends, but those I have do not approve of that mess either.  And I’m not in favor of gay marriage.  Civil unions that would give the same rights to gay couples as married couples would be more accepted in society and that is what "we" should be asking for.  

3.  No mental trauma caused it to the best of my knowlege.

4.  As far as trying/wanting to change is concerned, I dated guys even after graduating from high school but never could care about them in any way more than as good friends.

I met a woman in 1983.  We dated and loved each other very much.  She came from a rather well-to-do family who would never understand the way things were between us, so she ended it.  She ended up marrying a guy (to the delight of her family) and though she wasn’t all that happy, stayed married for over 23 years until he passed away from cancer.  We had stayed in touch over the years as I never stopped loving her and just needed to know that she was okay.  I was there for her during his illness.  Well, as there for her as I could be since we live almost 700 miles apart.  I’ve seen her a couple of times since he passed, but have made it a point to take things VERY slowly.  She knows how I feel, and I know she loves me, but I’d never do anything to make her feel pressured.  I guess that’s the whole "love is patient" thing.  Anyway, I don’t know how it’s going to turn out but I do know I’d rather have her in my life as just a friend that not have her in it at all.  And yes, I was in a couple of other relationships, but she was never out of my heart. 

I’ve been asked if I would be happier living as a man.  The simple answer is yes, but I would never do that to my nephews.  They love their "Aunt Mary" and it wouldn’t be right to expose them to something so complicated.  I hate the fact that the public schools are trying to force the idea of people being gay down the throats of little kids.  For Pete’s sake, let them be kids.  And it is up to their PARENTS to explain these things, not the schools.

So I understand with what Will is going through because I’ve been there.  But I really like the way Sonny is being portrayed.  A nice guy who wants to make a living and hang out with friends who just happens to be gay.

Hope this helped.  Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks powerpaw2.  My brother was my hero in every way and I didn’t know how much he loved me until his funeral when all his friends were there and telling me how much he would tell them about me and brag about me to them.  I remember a couple of his friends that he hung around with.  Not sure if it was anything more than that because you’d hear both their names in one sentence most of the time.  Lenny came and stayed at our house for a few weeks and I had a secret crush on him.  At that time I was in high school and we went to a flea market.  I wasn’t sure what was going on but some sleezy guy looked at me wrong and Lenny almost took him out.  He was furious and I was enomored because this older guy wanted to protect me.  Robert O as his friends called him was another friend who’d come to our house once in a while.  He was a hair dresser and would do my mom’s hair on occasion and came out with a wig once for her to wear.  He also knew how to sew and he made alterations to the wig so it would fit her better.  I really looked up to these guys but I’m thinking it had a lot to do with the fact that they paid attention to me and had time for a kid.  

I do often wonder how much my life would be different if my brother were still alive. He influenced a lot of my decisions and I always wanted to please him.  I wonder if I would have married my first husband or if my brother would have seen the problem he was and warned me and would I have listened.  When I thought of going back to college to change careers my mom talked me out of it.  I was a respiratory therapist and her reason was "you make good money for a girl".  I think my brother would have encouraged me to follow my dream.  After I married my current husband would I have been willing to relocate from Chicago to Alabama or would I have married him at all.   So many of my major decisions and I wish my brother would have been there to guide me or at least given me his words of wisdom.  

I do think I owe a lot of who I am today to the influence my brother did and still does have on me.   When I’m afraid to step out of my comfort zone I think of all the things he accomplished and get courage. 

for all these personal comments and conversations about the gays?  I thought these sites were for discussing DOOL, not medical problems, politics or personal experiences.  The Brady Pub would be a better place for these comments. 

 I apologize if I offended anyone but I feel it is important to know and understand the issue and haow it relates to people. I didnot mean to abuse this forum.

I totally agree with handling issues as they come up in the classroom.  But there are municipalities where they are trying to add books with titles such as "Johnny Has Two Mommies" to the cirriculum.  And that is what I meant about forcing it onto kids.

And God bless you for teaching!  I have a sister who taught and is now an assistant principal, and my next door neighbor teaches in a school full of at risk kids.  I hear all sorts of stories and can’t see why anyone would want to pursue that as a career these days.  It doesn’t pay well, you don’t have the parental backing that was there back when I was coming up, discipline has been all but taken out of the schools, etc.  It takes a very special person to teach.  I tip my cap to you!

I’ll be happy to give my opinion/thoughts if asked.