personal stories Tag Archive

This Is How Camping Gave a Gay Man Hope for the Future of America

We thought we had packed almost everything for our visit to a gay-owned campground, but one of the best moments of the trip came from something we forgot. There was an ad campaign...

This Is How a Gay Man Apologizes to the Straight Women Who Loved Him

Wade regretted lying to the women who helped him pass as straight over the years — until one of them asked for help in return. The Other Kind of Beard A “beard” is...

One Gay Man Says: Sometimes it’s Okay Not to Forgive and Forget Your Ex

Should there be a statute of limitations when it comes to forgiving and forgetting with an ex-boyfriend, partner or husband? One day, I accidentally discovered that my ex had...

Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin

During one of my religion classes, our teacher played a video for us in which a man explained the sacredness of marriage. He went on to elaborate that heterosexual marriages are...

This Is How To Have An Unforgettable Summer at a Gay Nude Beach

Not far from my home, there’s a clothing-optional stretch of the water’s edge that the LGBTQ community calls our own. And I can think of few places more magical. Painting...

Lend An Ear: Why Editor Paul Hagen is Only Half Listening to You

The summer after kindergarten, I was admitted to the hospital. Something was wrong with my left ear, and the doctors were having difficulty identifying a remedy. They hoped a...

A Coming out Story of Abandonment, a Prodigal Son Finds His Family.

I came out of the closet in 1992 in Indianapolis In. I had an abusive father, a subservient mother and was kicked out of the house. I had already told my mother and siblings a...

The Bitter Truth…..Of How to Be Authentic

I planned to commit suicide last Wednesday by driving my car into an oncoming 18 wheeler. The driver of the truck would most likely survive, but I figured I would die quick and...

I Kissed Him in the Parking Lot, and I’ll ‘Never Be the Same’

I first heard Camila Cabello’s song “Never Be the Same” while scrolling through my Facebook feed. I was taking a break from my graduate thesis project. The project has been...

Do I Have the Right to Mourn My Friend’s Father as Though He Were My Own?

He was like a father to me, but when we lost him, I had to ask myself whether I had the right to be so sad. Last spring, as my fellow Portlanders were shaking off the slow drizzle...

A Gay Man Wonders, “When Will They Stop Calling Me a Boy?”

As a shorter guy, I accepted it would take longer to be called “a man.” At first, I thought it would definitely happen by 30. Nope. Well after that, I had certain friends who...

Did I Really Give My Ex-Husband the Best Years of My Life?

It’s an oft-repeated phrase. It’s so ingrained into the culture of relationships and breakups, that it’s become a cliché. I remember when I first heard one of the...