has everyone here had the unfortunate time of losing friends?

I know for me. It still happens. Growing up in the church, then going to christian schools, and then most of my friendships were in the church. I’ve found that i lost so many friends.

Just this week. I’ve lost another bunch of people from my life, all seperate people. It is made harder cause i have sisters who they stay friends with. And, suddenly become extra social with my sisters, just to prove their point. People just stop talking to you and you wonder if you have done somethng wrong, or they just stop liking you, and then you find it is becuse of your sexuality. Or when they just outright get nasty, aggressive and totally inappropriate. it is sad for them, that they harbour so much hatred. But, it is sad for you as lost another friend. sometimes ive felt like stuff you world and getting bitter and angry. But, they would use my anger as proof that i am sinning and turning “bad”, its affect of my sin. CRAP!!!

How has everyone dealt with this situation in their lives?

I don’t know if this is of any comfort. My grandmother used to tell me when I was growing up that:

True Friends are like diamonds

They last forever

While fake friends are like leaves

that falls off the tree

I have lost friends who have choose to move away from me and yeah that hurts but I decided long ago that it’s their freewill and that we were not meant to journey together. All I know is that their attitude will be held to be accountable.

When they become extra friendly to your sister, just think of us all who love you for who you are in Christ and would drop everything to look out for you and keep you tight in our prayers.

It hurts, and sometimes it feels like a part of you dies when that relationship stops. I guess the reality of the situation is that I will continue to loose good friends… and at the same time I will gain more friends, the kind of friends that God wants me to have in my life.

Thinking of you sis… shed a little tear for you… sent up prayers to God to give you comfort through these difficult times… maybe He can replace it with something good. Hmmmm

ta

Craig.

Those 4 pts you gave Anthony are so true in so many cases. Frogger I reckon your tops, with the wildest imagination wink Extremely creative and sooooooo glad to know you….People that are not for you are definately missing out on heaps D x squissshies !!!!!!! I wonder who I got that expression from LOL wink

About 6 months ago, I decided to tell two of my best church friends that I had decided to accept myself as gay.

they both didn’t reject me outright then, but one, a guy, who I know is hiding his homosexuality, just told me, “I’m happy for you, and I’m also sad”. It seemed like an odd comment, and I wondered how someone could take 2 different views – but then he is still sitting in his closet.

Initially, I thought I could renew my friendships with these two people. But both of them, just didn’t respond to my calls / messages after that.

When I stopped going to church awhile back, I had decided to just cut old friends off, to protect myself. I had seen others get that look of ‘disappointment’, and/or get ostrocized when their views on anything differed from the leaders within the church. I had also seen one guy, who had been in the church music ministry, leave because he was gay. A month or so later, he came back, and most of his former friends treated him like a leper. I also heard comments ‘he can’t be trusted’. It was a wake up call to me.

I had had some of these friends in Church for up to 20 years. when I left the church, it was lonely at first, but I then just made new ones out on the gay scene. (I could so relate to Anthony’s book on this level). In time, I realise that so many of these new friends didn’t understand me – my christian background, etc.

Fortunately, in the last year, though I have begun to make a few friends, who have had church backgrounds. One is a ex-uniting church minister, who ministers to gay people within Brisbane, under the umbrella of the Uniting Church.

reading your own comments about ‘lost friendships’ just goes to show how much we can really encourage each other…

You were refused entry Anthony, at the Wickham????????? Far out!!! roll What a great turnout at the first meeting D , I sooo want to go again to the Sydney one.

Its true Jason, you couldnt find a lovlier bunch of people at the F2B meetings, all aces D Some of the Brissy guys I’ve had contact with from here are just gorgeous (sorry guys but its true wink )