Recent events on both the national and state levels have led me to make a decision, one that I do not make lightly. One that may have far-reaching implications for not only myself, but for my family and my friends and acquaintances. It may cause me problems in my employment, and certainly may affect how I am received in the political realm.
I have had long conversations with my family and felt that I should first tell them of my decision before going public with it. I have prayed on this matter, asking for guidance in this matter.
In recent days we have seen many people on the national level praising Jason Collins, the NBA player who came out publicly about being gay. Even President Obama called Collins to say how proud he was that the man had the courage to come out of the “closet”.
Right here in Delaware during the passage of the so-called “Marriage Equality” bill, we had state legislator, Sen. Karen Peterson (D), come out on the floor of the legislature, talking about her twenty-four year relationship with her partner Vicki.
The nation and the state are moving in a direction of being more accepting of an individual’s life-style and the choices they choose to make. It is because of this new-found acceptance that I have been encourage to make the following announcement.
I now recognize that it takes an immense amount of courage for people such as Sen. Peterson and Jason Collins to come out in such a public manner. For an average citizen to make their personal life public knowledge must be even harder.
Here in Delaware our legislative branch, in working with Gov. Markell, has been determined to make Delaware one of the most inviting states in the nation to any and all life-styles. With the passage of laws such as, the gay anti-discrimination bill, the civil union bill, and now redefining marriage to include same-sex couples, Delaware has said to the world, we respect you, no matter what you choose to be, be it transvestite, transgender, transsexual, gay, lesbian or anything in between.
Now, I know that because of my public writings and my public stances on controversial issues, what I am about to tell you may be hard for some to believe, but those closest to me will know that it is, and always has been, the truth. I may have been over compensating to cover up that which I could not face as the truth.
While I am not expecting a call from the President, and not even Gov. Markell, to praise me for my courage, I do hope that those who this may offend, and those whom it may anger, will at least acknowledge the courage it takes to make this very public announcement of such a personal nature. Trust me it is not easy and was not an easy decision.
I am very proud and a little nervous today, to tell the entire world, that I am a lesbian trapped in a man’s body. I have known this since the first time, at the age of twelve, that I first saw Natalie Wood as Maria, in the movie West Side Story. I knew right then that I loved women, and since their can be no such thing as traditional anything, I can’t be simply heterosexual, I have to be something more exotic, or I am not worthy of praise.
I have been with my female partner even longer than Sen. Peterson, I have been with my partner for thirty years, yet I do not receive the same accolades that Sen. Peterson did for this.
I have known that I was a LTIAMB (lesbian trapped in a man’s body) from a very early age, yet I wonder, will I now be ridiculed for coming out about my hidden life style, or will I be accepted along with all of the other alternative life-styles?
I would hope that many of my fellow LTIAMB, or “lesbimans” as I like to think of myself, would now have the courage to come out and proclaim their love of women as well.
I hope that everyone understands that this is not a choice for me, I was born a lesbiman, and it is all I have ever wanted to be and no amount of talking will convince me that I am anything but a lesbiman.
I expect that the Governor will soon be pushing for a new law to protect my unique life-style, since technically I am neither gay, nor trans-anything. As more and more lesbimen come out the need will arise for legislation to protect us from discrimination. I imagine the most negative reactions will come from the traditional lesbian community, since obviously we lesbimen and the traditional lesbians are in competition for the female population.
I can see lesbian business owners refusing to hire lesbiman, not wanting to rent to lesbiman, and any number of other ways we will be scorned.
Of course the religious right will not understand this, and anything they don’t understand, they oppose.
I call on Rep. Schwartzkopf to sponsor a bill that would create a law to protect all lesbiman from the coming discrimination, because after all, what is equality? If I am not free to be who I am?
Cheap shot Frank, and actually beneath you.
It doesn’t lessen the struggles that LGBT folks have, nor the discrimination they face, it makes yu look petty and trite
I expected more of y than this.
Happy Mother’s Day Frank.
Laffter, considering your chosen screen name, I would think that you would understand that we must be able to laugh at ourselves. It is more a statement of the current attitude that all things outside what is considered traditional is somehow worthy of praise simply for the fact that it is outside the traditional values of society.
Well sir, you chose to be a “Lesbian Trapped In A Man’s Body”, We must all have to live with the choices we all make in our lives.
Well, I got the irony and the tongue in cheek perspective.
It’s just that I know folks that struggled with the issue, for real struggled and it was a hard and painful choice to live openly as they felt they should.
Maybe if you had said you were a chickadee trapped….etc…or something VERY imporbable , then. Ok
It just struck close to home
I would not mock someone’s addiction, even if it was to snow peas,as it mocks the whole issue of addiction, which is no laughing matter at all
I just thought you would have a sensitivity to issues that folks struggle with. That’s all….
So, may I ask you to be mindful in future?
Laffter, you can ask.
And Ricky, according to the arguments on these types of issues, I did not choose to be a lesbiman, I was born that way.
At least I asked nicely….. 😉
But Frank’s piece does drive home a very good point. It puts exactly the feeling gays have had into words by making the twist that he did…and by his being heterosexual in nature and writing this, it shows all just what an injustice it was, to deprive other people of the happiness which we allow ourselves to thoroughly enjoy… It shows that whether we feel one way or another about our genetic makeup, we can’t and shouldn’t let our prejudices get in the way of someone else’s happiness….
The issue was not about whether gay marriage was or was not accepted by the Bible. It isn’t. Instead the issue was whether or not, we as a society, would force our government to deny others their rights, because of our Bibles…
By our government, a fair decision was made… In the United States of America, one religion cannot dictate government policy for all. As soon as one flips the scenario as did Frank, it becomes readily apparent that if the heterosexual community were the minority, we should also have every right to practice what we wish, just as we have given to them…
Whether Homosexuality is right or wrong, is opinion, and opinion only. Everybody has an opinion… But law must apply equally to everybody.
Kavips gets an A for the day. Kavips, this is why I have never made the argument against homosexual marriage about my personal faith. I do however still have serious concerns about the political agenda of some, whom I feel are using this issue to drive a larger attack on our Liberties, attacks that will have negative affects on all citizens, straight or gay.
I also feel that this was a freedom of religion issue, and I hold to the same belief I do about prayers in schools. If the government can impose law based on a single faith, then they are also excluding other faiths and in so doing are making laws that impinge on the freedom of religion. The other thing that many in the religious right forget is that the First Amendment’s promise of freedom of religion includes the freedom “FROM” religion if a person so chooses. They often mistake witnessing their faith, with imposing their faith.
While I share the religious belief that homosexuality is a sin, I am told by my faith also that it is not for me to judge sin, that is the work of God, and it is the height of vanity to presume to judge the sin of others.
I am told, “judge not lest ye be judged”, I am told, “he who is without sin, cast the first stone”, and “remove the beam from thine own eye, before attempting to remove the mote from thy brother’s eye”.
This was a faith issue, and if more of the so called Christians would apply the teaching of Christ, they would come to the understanding that we can save only one soul in this world, our own.
And if they had argued more about the legal ramifications of these recent decisions, they may have stood a better chance of slowing the trend. But instead they went for the low hanging, emotional fruit.
You have jut confirmed what I have thought because of some of your past statements. Ignored them yes , for good reasons. A person can not have a valuable conversation with an idiot, you are EFFIN stupid! no ideab what’s courage is. Get a life.
Debby, you have just confirmed what I already knew, that those who cry for tolerance the loudest, have none. On the surface you see insult, look deeper and you may see more, and please read my previous comment.
Funny, Obama can call a low level NBA player but can’t call SECDEF when his Ambassador is under attack. Maybe Panetta and the JCS Chief should have “come out” on 11 Sep and Obama would have called.
Homosexual marriage is a farce and nothing more than a political issue for Democrats to leverage against Republicans.