Hi Everybody,

I`m new to this community and I`m here to share my story and let you know a bit about me. It is not easy to talk about myself but I`m going to try and I`m happy that I can do it here.

I`m a Brazilian, 41 years old. I come from a very religious place and family. I was educated and raised under a Baptist/Methodist religion and I always was religious and believed in God, but since I realised that I was gay and that I couldn`t change this things became difficult because I was always thinking that I was being wrong for being gay. So once I accepted myself as I am I stopped going to church, as everything I heard about homosexuality there made me feel that I was living in a sin. Even not going to church I never changed my attitude and I never stopped believing in God.

In Brazil it is really hard being gay as violence and prejudice is all around. At school, university and all the places I worked at no one knew that I am gay otherwise they would push me aside. All my `friends` say they love me, but just because they don`t know that I`m gay. All the time we spent together they all show their opinions about same-sex relationship and that they found it `disgusting`. So, if they knew that I am gay, they would never be my friends. Due that I never came out to anyone.

My big passion is traveling and that was the way I found to fill this gap in my life, as I couldn`t be myself. So I one day I decided to visit Australia, I didn`t know why, but then I met someone special to me here, so I guess that was the reason why suddenly I decided to choose Australia for a holiday trip. Anyway my life is good now and I`m living with this guy, we are in love and we are happy. I left behind everything and I`m here trying to start a new life with someone I love and I don`t need to be afraid for saying that I`m gay. I have someone who loves me the way I am and all his friends and family accepted me as well, but then I`m facing a problem and it is that sometimes I feel like going to church and listen some messages from the bible or just meet people like me but my partner would never do that. He is not religious and we never talked about that. Once I went by myself to a church here in Sydney but I didn`t feel comfortable again as I was afraid they would ask me why I`m here and I was not sure that it was a good idea to say that I`m gay, so I found this group and it gave me a feeling that I can make friends or just meet people and not being afraid for being gay and that I believe in God.

Well, I tried to make a long story short just to give you an idea about me, I really want to go to the monthly meeting and see how it goes. I`m also a bit shy so the first time will be very hard for me but as I can see people here are very friendly.

Thank you.

GG

Hey GG

My Partner grew up in an atheist family. I grew up in a very religious family. (For some context on my family – significant parts of growing up Television and Radio were banned and my parents burned school books they didnt approve of).

It has taken him some time, but my partner and I have been together over 12 years now and hes learned to understand my worldview and Ive learnt to understand his.

Interestingly enough – he is extremely ethical and honest. In fact fact being honest and ethical is a MUCH stronger drive in him than many christians and so our value systems actually fit very well.

He now uses his expertise and Ph.D knowledge to help Freedom2b (and spends a lot of time on it actually).

In dealing with my family (who over time became accepting) my partner got interested in the Unitarian Universalists and has in the past even attended their services (we dont find it convenient at the moment). This has also helped him understand us better too.

BTW – there are churches in sydney that you could consider with various levels of acceptance.

We carry a list of welcoming churches here

[url=http://www.freedom2b.org/support/faith-religion/]http://www.freedom2b.org/support/faith-religion/

also a number of sydney based members go to various churches which whilst they are not affirming – they have LGBTIQ people in the congregation.

I do encourage you to go to the meetings – ( I understand being shy and I know it can be really hard to go to these things ) The people are friendly and you can just sit up the back and check things out…

Thanks for sharing your story.

Hi There Gboy,

Let me add my welcome. This is a very safe place and the people are great. Feel free to ask whatever you need to and connect with those that are on a similar journey.

Now, a random question. During Mardi Gras this year, did you have a neice with you who doesn't speak very much English? I was standing next to a Brazilian guy and his neice (in the pouring rain) and we chatted for a bit – wondering whether that was you?!

Anyway, welcome again!

mrg

Welcome gboy!

Thank you for sharing your story with us 🙂

It's lovely to hear you are in a happy relationship and feel a bit safer living in Australia as an out gay man.

Cheers

Michelle