Dear

Many thanks for getting back to me.  To be honest when I came out 3 years ago and mom was really struggling to come to terms with it my sister-in-law suggested I contacted the minister in case she could help.  I did not do that but sometimes wish I had in case she could help mom come to terms with it.  Mom has come round now but it took a long time.

I have questioned my faith quite a lot over the last few years.  I admit my faith is not as strong as mom’s and nowhere near as strong as grandmothers.  Nan used to have a saying that you had to go through the bad times to appreciate the good.  I think that to a degree I do not see faith and sexuality going together, but I think that it is because major religions i.e. Catholic, Islam, Mormons detest us and I have always felt that all religions are the same.  I now know this is wrong since I have a colleague whose partner is a minister somewhere in Birmingham.  I have met some of his congregation most of whom are gay/lesbian and all seem to agree that faith and sexuality can go together.  I also feel that if I was to come out to some at *** Church that if they did not like it then it could be mom who suffers and I could not put her through that.  It was the same time *** was ill and that made me really question my faith.  Why ***, he was a good man, but I know these things happen.  Could I ever get my faith back?  I don’t know sometimes I feel it is still there but feel frightened to embrace it again.  Would the Lord accept me back after turning my back on him for 3 years?  Could *** help?  This is the first time I have opened up about this.  Maybe apart from a partner this is the thing missing in my life.

I have done other things since coming out.  I have joined the LGBT committee on my union, spoke at a union conference and also just been accepted as a trained volunteer for switchboard.  I am also due to give a talk to a parents support group in March.  I am also a much happier person for coming out.

*** x