Dan Savage: How My Priest Helped Me Come Out

TL;DR

Despite growing up in a religious family, the individual had early inklings of being transgender but suppressed it due to fear of rejection. Eventually, they realized that living a closeted life was more painful than the potential consequences of coming out.

Transcript

oh yeah I mean I was raised in a really religious family uh Evangelical Catholics my parents ran Catholic marriage encounter for the tri-state area and I went to a seminary and I was thinking about becoming a priest and the and I realized I was G pretty early and I think I had you know intimations even as like three and four years old that you know... Read More

Key Insights

• 👩 The individual had early inklings of being transgender and thought they would have a future as a girl to marry a man.
• ❓ They suppressed their true identity due to societal and familial expectations.
• 🥰 The fear of rejection from loved ones and the emotional toll of living in denial pushed them to eventually come out.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the individual's religious upbringing impact their journey of coming out?

The individual grew up in a religious family, which initially made them suppress their true identity. They feared rejection and believed that being LGBTQ went against their religious teachings. However, their mother's positive reaction and the support of a gay priest helped ease their anger towards the Catholic Church.

Q: How did the individual navigate their feelings of doubt and fear before coming out?

The individual experienced doubt and fear every day, starting from their early teenage years. They constantly questioned if their parents truly loved them and feared the consequences of coming out. This emotional struggle took a toll on their relationship with their mother but ultimately convinced them that living in the closet was more painful than any potential backlash.

Q: How did the individual's parents react when they came out?

The individual was initially scared of their parents' reactions, particularly their mother's. However, when they finally came out to their mother, she reacted well and sought guidance from a trusted priest friend. This priest himself came out to the mother, which provided comfort and support.

Q: How did the individual's aspirations of becoming a priest intersect with their journey of self-discovery?

The individual initially considered becoming a priest as a way to conceal their true identity and live a closeted life. However, they eventually realized that this path was not authentic to who they were and that they could not lie to their parents. This realization led them to reject the idea of priesthood and choose to come out.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The individual was raised in a religious family and had aspirations of becoming a priest but also had early feelings of being a girl.

• They suppressed these feelings due to the disapproval of their family and society, but the denial was emotionally challenging.

• The fear of rejection from their parents and the pain of living in the closet led them to eventually come out.