I was so inspired by the movie “Love, Simon” that I decided to follow up last week’s review of that film with some gratitude for this week’s Grateful Heart Monday entry and it deals with the subject of that movie, that being of coming out of the closet.
Back in the spring of 1995, I was a scared young adult that was morbidly afraid to face any part of his true sexuality. I had been living like a chameleon so much so and keeping up the image of being something I wasn’t, that deep down inside, I was slowly dying a spiritual death, all because I was choosing to not be true to myself.
If it wasn’t for all of those who had come before me and braved taking their own steps out of the closet, I probably wouldn’t have ever come out of the closet. The combination of famous gay rights pioneers, as well as those who were everyday people, who openly declared they were gay and took the risk of emerging from their own closet, helped to pave the way for individuals just like me to do the same. I have much gratitude for each of them, especially those who worked on the LGBT front lines such as Harvey Milk, Harry Hay, John Fryer, Martina Navratilova, Troy Perry, and Richard Isay, to name a few.
But for as much as I appreciate those front-line people who made such a big impact in the gay rights movement to help people feel safer to come out of the closet, it really was all those I met early on who were openly gay in the bowling leagues I joined or the MCC churches I went to or the social clubs I became a part of that made the biggest impact on my life to be true to myself and my sexuality.
Over the years ever since, I’ve found a lot of gratitude for the multitude of folks who continue to take the same step as I did and come out of the closet themselves. Each has made it a far less fear-inducing process for others to follow.
I think it’s just as important to give due credit to all those famous singers, actors and actresses, athletes, political activists, writers, and more who have even put their careers on the line over the years to not only be true to themselves, but also help others who are still closeted out of fear. Ellen Degeneres, Anderson Cooper, Zachary Quinto, Ellen Page, Laverne Cox, Frank Ocean, Neil Patrick Harris, Jodie Foster, Lance Bass, George Takei, Wentworth Miller, and Lee Daniels are just some of those who come to mind.
Lastly, I want to offer one last piece of gratitude with this subject for all those who have braved the leaving of the closeted world behind even further by showing public affection to those they are dating or spending their lives with. My partner and I aren’t totally there yet, especially not in the area where we live, where there are far too many conservative and right-winged people who make it extremely difficult to feel safe enough to do things like this yet. But hopefully one day, we will.
And hopefully one day, we all will live in a world where it won’t matter anymore what one’s sexuality is and that the process of coming out of the closet is nothing more than declaring I’m gay” and having no fear about it. Until then, it comes down to each of us taking those fearful steps forward of becoming fully true to ourselves, as it’s each of us who must pave the wave for others to feel safe enough to come out of the closet.
That’s why I am overly grateful for each and every individual in this world who has already braved this journey and found not only freedom for their own soul by coming out of the closet, but also creating a pathway for others to find that freedom too…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
