The Equal Rights Blog Hop: What Being Part of the GLBT Community Means to Me

I am a proud participant of the Equal Rights blog hop, taking place here and on dozens of other blogs July 4-7, sponsored by Queertownabbey.com.

I had to give the central question for this blog some thought because I've been a member of this community for more years than I care to publicly mention. It's hard to say because it's such an integral part of my life that I seldom really give it much consideration. It's kind of like someone asking me what having green eyes or brown hair means to me. It's simply a fact, neither good nor bad, dependent upon what I choose to do with it.

Once upon a time, when I was coming out in my early 30s, though, it meant very much to me.

• It meant freedom to at last lay down the shield and the sword, so I could stop fighting who I simply was. 
• It meant heartbreak, because in my confusion and despair over being gay, I created a family that was destined to break apart, and that hurt me a lot. 
• It meant possibility, because now I would have to forge new paths and take new directions. I would certainly have to face challenges--both personal and on a larger, more political scale. 
• In the end, it meant love.

Would I ever find it?

In the end, I did find lasting love (married--legally--on December 9) and I am now a happy member of this community, a person who has struggled to be at peace with himself and to embrace what makes me unique and different. These weren't easy things to come by. But good things never are.

In honor of the hop, I will give away my most heartfelt "coming out" story, OUT ON THE NET. Just leave a comment below to be entered to win. I'll announce a winner over the weekend (and please leave me an e-mail so I can contact you if you do win).

BLURB
Ray Tolliver has bad timing. Cold feet? It doesn’t get much worse than accepting you’re gay twenty minutes before your wedding to a woman, yet that’s just what happens.

Join Ray as he recounts in his blog the hilarious and touching events that lead him on a journey toward true love. Although he originally starts looking for love in all the wrong places, will he eventually find another man who wants more than just quick sex? A man who appreciates romance, hearts, and flowers? Or will he find that self-acceptance and bliss do not always go hand-in-hand?

And what of Alice, Ray’s lovely, jilted fiancée? Will she find it in her heart to forgive the man who left her at the altar?

These questions and more are answered in this unique love story, told in the form of blog entries. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but you’ll come away with a renewed appreciation for the power and difficulties of loving not only others, but yourself...

To win even more prizes, check out all the other blogs dedicated to the theme. You can find out what the grand prizes are and who else is participating, on the Equal Rights Blog Hop page.