Dad Is Running Again

What do you do if you are gay your father decides to run for U.S. Congress on a platform that opposes you having equal rights?

You support him, of course!

If I have learned anything over the last year, it is that everyone sees the world through different eyes. I know many men and women who won't agree with the support I give to my father, but that doesn't matter to me. In my struggle to accept myself and those around me, I have been selfish, judgmental, critical and unforgiving. I have required the support and acceptance of my family while not giving it in return. It took me twenty years to accept and love myself (and from what I hear, even that is relatively quick), yet I expected my family to do it in days. We all like to say that when we publicly accept that we are gay nothing changes, but in reality it does. Of course, I am the same person, but my future plans changed and my thoughts about myself changed, my demeanor changed and so did my perceptions. My family's perceptions changed too, the future they had in mind for me changed, and fear and uncertainty crept into their minds. Sadly, instead of being a support to them and being their son/brother, I set standards for them that they weren't able to meet and wrote them off when they didn't.

My family and I are now on very good terms, and that has only really happened in the last six months, which was when I realized my error.

So tell me, how can I expect the support and acceptance of my family without giving it fully to them? I can't, which is why even though I disagree with my family's religion, I support their practice of it and talk to them with excitement about it. It is the reason I fully support my sister serving a mission to preach the gospel she loves so much even though I don't. It is also why I will go to baby blessings and baptisms of nieces and nephews, and why I will attend and support with complete happiness the weddings of family and friends even though they don't believe I should be allowed the same privilege. And in the end, it's why I fully support my father and truly think he is the best man for the job even though he may try to limit my rights through his legislation. I don't have to agree with someone I love in order to accept them for who they are, love them and give them my support, nor do I require that they agree with me in order to show that they support me.

-Matt R. Salmon