(c) Doug Slagle, Minister to the Gathering at Northern Hills, All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please click here to listen to the message (beginning portion not included). See below to read the entire message text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWho are you? \u00a0In the deep, dark night when you lie awake while all the world sleeps, what truths about yourself do you sometimes ponder?\u00a0 What innermost thoughts, dreams, loves, fears, hatreds and inspirations define the essential \u2018you\u2019? \u00a0And when the light of day arrives, and you move out into a world of relationships and human interaction, are you the same person who you pondered in the darkness? \u00a0Are your actions and your speech consistent with who you are and who you were made to be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tDuring this June Pride month, I hope all of us might celebrate its core meaning \u2013 one of acceptance, and also joy for being authentic. Pride month is celebrated around the world as a way to proclaim that no longer should ANY person, gay or straight, need to feel the stigma for simply living true to themselves. Indeed, the message I hear from Lady Gaga\u2019s song \u201cBorn This Way\u201d is one for everybody. To the gay guy or girl afraid that friends or family will learn their truth, to the confused soul who struggles to make sense of life, to the one despairing of pain, depression or loneliness who puts on a brave face to the outside world, to the one who hates life and soothes it with drugs or alcohol, this June month of Pride speaks of a need for authenticity. And freedom. Pride tells us we should all stand in the light of day and joyfully be who we authentically are \u2013 wounded, straight, joyful, young, lusty, black, depressed, atheist, gay, old, white, fearful\u2026.whatever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tIf we follow the one basic rule of life – to regularly practice the Golden Rule to love others as much as we love ourselves – then there is nothing under the sun about ourselves for which we should be ashamed. As long as we do no harm to others \u2013 we are good, cherished and beautiful. In each of our distinct individuality lies sparkling beauty – that must not be hidden. Baby, you were born this way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tTheodore Geisel \u2013 or Dr. Seuss to most people \u2013 once said, \u201cBe who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don\u2019t matter, and those who matter don\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/em><\/strong> Added to that wisdom is William Shakespeare\u2019s admonition in his play \u201cHamlet\u201d, \u201cThis above all: to thine own self be true.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n\tWhat both these quotes tell us is that to find genuine happiness, we must proudly live our truth to ourselves and to others. In doing so, we will be liberated from prisons of shame, fear or guilt. No longer will the opinions of others matter precisely because we have pride in who we are – and those that love us share that pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tAuthenticity means that we outwardly live according to our inner truth. It involves refusing to conform to cultural, familial, or religious standards that seek to define us and lock us into a prison of lies. To live any way other than who we really are creates dissonance and confusion in our minds and in our relationships. Race relations in our nation have long been inauthentic precisely because persons are judged by outward appearance. Sexism, religious intolerance, and classism all take the same approach. Judgmental people try to define others a cording to outward appearances and actions that don\u2019t come close to understanding the real truth. Instead of reaching for the spiritual ideal of the Golden Rule, hateful people marginalize and demean others with their stereotypical judgements – all in order to elevate themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\tBlack pride, feminism, and gay pride are thus manifestations of a desire to be authentic and stand against prejudices. Henry David Thoreau remarked long ago that we are all constantly invited<\/em><\/strong> to be who we are. Sadly, Thoreau was right only for a few people – mostly white, straight men. Many other people – and I was once one of them – are not invited to be who they are. They\u2019re instead told to be who they are not – in my case to act straight. For women and people of color, they\u2019ve been told to be less than their ability and character. In that regard, this month of June Pride is a way to shout an emphatic \u201cNO!\u201d to the haters. Pride month tells us it\u2019s ok to be different and, indeed, it celebrates our rainbow differences. No prejudice. No intolerance. No judging. Just love, acceptance, and joyful celebration of me as gay, you as female, he as black, them as other abled. Pride says it is the content of our character, and not the color of our skin, our gender, or whom we love that determines the measure of of a person. Who we are at the core of our souls is all that we truly possess in life and all that will ultimately define us far into eternity. Do you walk humbly with love and compassion in your heart for all others – or does life revolve only around you such that anger, vindictiveness and deceit define you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tAs I have described here on several occasions, I led a life for far too long that masked my true self as a gay man. During those years I hurt others as much as I hurt myself. In my fears, my self-hatred, my inner denials, and my acceptance of what religion and society told me I should be, I was alienated from reality. I was alienated from me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tAnd when I finally chose to be authentic, to live in accord not with what the outside world told me I should be, but with who I was born to be, I embarked on a journey of peace and, yes, real joy. I recall my shaking fear when I came out to my fifteen year old daughter Amy. In one fell swoop, I knew the constructs of her life and our relationship might be broken. And yet, as one who I love so very much and for whom I would willingly give my life, I knew I finally had to be honest. And in that moment when I first told her I\u2019m gay, Dr. Seuss\u2019 quote became very real. Someone who matters most in my life did not mind my truth. As I sat facing her, unsure of her reaction to my words, she simply put her arms around me and so full of youthful grace, said to me, \u201cDaddy. It\u2019s OK. I love you no matter what.\u201d In that moment, I was loved unconditionally – something we all deserve. My decision to finally be proud of who I really am was ultimately all about love for myself and love for people who matter most to me. And the beautiful thing was – those people in turn showed their love for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tIn the moments of authenticity with my daughter and many others, I found the freedom everybody seeks. I was suddenly free to be me. I was free from fearing judgment. I was free from depression and anger. I was free from shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tTo be human and normal is to be unique and different from anyone else. Indeed, great beauty lies is the the gay teen who courageously comes out. It\u2019s in the alcoholic who confesses and seeks help. It\u2019s in the transgendered who finally decide to be the gender they deeply know they are. Beauty is in the other abled one who defiantly asks to be treated as any other person. Each one of us is a work of art and a person to behold and cherish. Baby you were born this way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tMost psychiatrists, including those of the American Psychiatric Association, believe that one\u2019s sexual identity is fixed and not subject to change. There have been many studies undertaken to determine the cause of human sexuality. Is it a trait with genetic origins, pre-natal causes, or the result of how we are raised? While no study is conclusive, research has shown higher numbers of gay men and women within extended families \u2013 pointing to a genetic influence. Research also shows a higher incidence of gay siblings and gay twins – also indicating genetic influence. Other research points to the influence of maternal hormones during pregnancy as possibly influencing the development of a person\u2019s sexuality. While some psychologists point to environmental factors as influencing human sexuality – like how we are raised as children, the testimony of countless gay men and lesbian women indicates they have been so since their very earliest memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tThe weight of evidence from numerous studies, and from the mouths of LGBTQ people, therefore suggests that genes play an extremely important role in the development of human sexuality. We are who we are and sexuality is simply not a matter of choice any of us can make. Baby, you were born this way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tNo matter the cause of who we are, ultimately June Pride is about celebrating authentic lives not just for the LGBTQ community, but for everyone – especially those who have been denied the right to live according to their inner truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tAnd so we each must ponder the depths of our inner souls. We must be willing to admit our flaws as much as we celebrate our strengths. We must have confidence in who we know ourselves to be. We must embrace our differences no matter what culture, religion or prejudice tells us is supposedly normal. To any person who wears a mask hiding the shame they feel, to anyone afraid to reveal their innermost burdens, to those who doubt their beauty and goodness, the call is to celebrate who you are and then come out. In the dark hours alone at night, let us be real with ourselves. Coming out of our various closets – and we have all been in a closet of some type – is a courageous leap we must ALL take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tAnd if we are truly authentic people, we will then have a love, care and concern for all of creation\u2019s children. We will have pride in the wholeness of humanity and its wide and beautiful diversity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To our own selves be true \u2013 because, baby, we are not a mistake. \u00a0We were born this way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\nI wish you each much peace and joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(c) Doug Slagle, Minister to the Gathering at Northern Hills, All Rights Reserved Please click here to listen to the message (beginning portion not included). See below to read the entire message text. Who are you? \u00a0In the deep, dark night when you lie awake while all the world sleeps, what truths about yourself do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4263"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4265,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4263\/revisions\/4265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Who are you? \u00a0In the deep, dark night when you lie awake while all the world sleeps, what truths about yourself do you sometimes ponder?\u00a0 What innermost thoughts, dreams, loves, fears, hatreds and inspirations define the essential \u2018you\u2019? \u00a0And when the light of day arrives, and you move out into a world of relationships and human interaction, are you the same person who you pondered in the darkness? \u00a0Are your actions and your speech consistent with who you are and who you were made to be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tDuring this June Pride month, I hope all of us might celebrate its core meaning \u2013 one of acceptance, and also joy for being authentic. Pride month is celebrated around the world as a way to proclaim that no longer should ANY person, gay or straight, need to feel the stigma for simply living true to themselves. Indeed, the message I hear from Lady Gaga\u2019s song \u201cBorn This Way\u201d is one for everybody. To the gay guy or girl afraid that friends or family will learn their truth, to the confused soul who struggles to make sense of life, to the one despairing of pain, depression or loneliness who puts on a brave face to the outside world, to the one who hates life and soothes it with drugs or alcohol, this June month of Pride speaks of a need for authenticity. And freedom. Pride tells us we should all stand in the light of day and joyfully be who we authentically are \u2013 wounded, straight, joyful, young, lusty, black, depressed, atheist, gay, old, white, fearful\u2026.whatever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tIf we follow the one basic rule of life – to regularly practice the Golden Rule to love others as much as we love ourselves – then there is nothing under the sun about ourselves for which we should be ashamed. As long as we do no harm to others \u2013 we are good, cherished and beautiful. In each of our distinct individuality lies sparkling beauty – that must not be hidden. Baby, you were born this way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tTheodore Geisel \u2013 or Dr. Seuss to most people \u2013 once said, \u201cBe who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don\u2019t matter, and those who matter don\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/em><\/strong> Added to that wisdom is William Shakespeare\u2019s admonition in his play \u201cHamlet\u201d, \u201cThis above all: to thine own self be true.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n\tWhat both these quotes tell us is that to find genuine happiness, we must proudly live our truth to ourselves and to others. In doing so, we will be liberated from prisons of shame, fear or guilt. No longer will the opinions of others matter precisely because we have pride in who we are – and those that love us share that pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tAuthenticity means that we outwardly live according to our inner truth. It involves refusing to conform to cultural, familial, or religious standards that seek to define us and lock us into a prison of lies. To live any way other than who we really are creates dissonance and confusion in our minds and in our relationships. Race relations in our nation have long been inauthentic precisely because persons are judged by outward appearance. Sexism, religious intolerance, and classism all take the same approach. Judgmental people try to define others a cording to outward appearances and actions that don\u2019t come close to understanding the real truth. Instead of reaching for the spiritual ideal of the Golden Rule, hateful people marginalize and demean others with their stereotypical judgements – all in order to elevate themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\tBlack pride, feminism, and gay pride are thus manifestations of a desire to be authentic and stand against prejudices. Henry David Thoreau remarked long ago that we are all constantly invited<\/em><\/strong> to be who we are. Sadly, Thoreau was right only for a few people – mostly white, straight men. Many other people – and I was once one of them – are not invited to be who they are. They\u2019re instead told to be who they are not – in my case to act straight. For women and people of color, they\u2019ve been told to be less than their ability and character. In that regard, this month of June Pride is a way to shout an emphatic \u201cNO!\u201d to the haters. Pride month tells us it\u2019s ok to be different and, indeed, it celebrates our rainbow differences. No prejudice. No intolerance. No judging. Just love, acceptance, and joyful celebration of me as gay, you as female, he as black, them as other abled. Pride says it is the content of our character, and not the color of our skin, our gender, or whom we love that determines the measure of of a person. Who we are at the core of our souls is all that we truly possess in life and all that will ultimately define us far into eternity. Do you walk humbly with love and compassion in your heart for all others – or does life revolve only around you such that anger, vindictiveness and deceit define you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tAs I have described here on several occasions, I led a life for far too long that masked my true self as a gay man. During those years I hurt others as much as I hurt myself. In my fears, my self-hatred, my inner denials, and my acceptance of what religion and society told me I should be, I was alienated from reality. I was alienated from me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tAnd when I finally chose to be authentic, to live in accord not with what the outside world told me I should be, but with who I was born to be, I embarked on a journey of peace and, yes, real joy. I recall my shaking fear when I came out to my fifteen year old daughter Amy. In one fell swoop, I knew the constructs of her life and our relationship might be broken. And yet, as one who I love so very much and for whom I would willingly give my life, I knew I finally had to be honest. And in that moment when I first told her I\u2019m gay, Dr. Seuss\u2019 quote became very real. Someone who matters most in my life did not mind my truth. As I sat facing her, unsure of her reaction to my words, she simply put her arms around me and so full of youthful grace, said to me, \u201cDaddy. It\u2019s OK. I love you no matter what.\u201d In that moment, I was loved unconditionally – something we all deserve. My decision to finally be proud of who I really am was ultimately all about love for myself and love for people who matter most to me. And the beautiful thing was – those people in turn showed their love for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tIn the moments of authenticity with my daughter and many others, I found the freedom everybody seeks. I was suddenly free to be me. I was free from fearing judgment. I was free from depression and anger. I was free from shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tTo be human and normal is to be unique and different from anyone else. Indeed, great beauty lies is the the gay teen who courageously comes out. It\u2019s in the alcoholic who confesses and seeks help. It\u2019s in the transgendered who finally decide to be the gender they deeply know they are. Beauty is in the other abled one who defiantly asks to be treated as any other person. Each one of us is a work of art and a person to behold and cherish. Baby you were born this way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tMost psychiatrists, including those of the American Psychiatric Association, believe that one\u2019s sexual identity is fixed and not subject to change. There have been many studies undertaken to determine the cause of human sexuality. Is it a trait with genetic origins, pre-natal causes, or the result of how we are raised? While no study is conclusive, research has shown higher numbers of gay men and women within extended families \u2013 pointing to a genetic influence. Research also shows a higher incidence of gay siblings and gay twins – also indicating genetic influence. Other research points to the influence of maternal hormones during pregnancy as possibly influencing the development of a person\u2019s sexuality. While some psychologists point to environmental factors as influencing human sexuality – like how we are raised as children, the testimony of countless gay men and lesbian women indicates they have been so since their very earliest memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tThe weight of evidence from numerous studies, and from the mouths of LGBTQ people, therefore suggests that genes play an extremely important role in the development of human sexuality. We are who we are and sexuality is simply not a matter of choice any of us can make. Baby, you were born this way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tNo matter the cause of who we are, ultimately June Pride is about celebrating authentic lives not just for the LGBTQ community, but for everyone – especially those who have been denied the right to live according to their inner truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tAnd so we each must ponder the depths of our inner souls. We must be willing to admit our flaws as much as we celebrate our strengths. We must have confidence in who we know ourselves to be. We must embrace our differences no matter what culture, religion or prejudice tells us is supposedly normal. To any person who wears a mask hiding the shame they feel, to anyone afraid to reveal their innermost burdens, to those who doubt their beauty and goodness, the call is to celebrate who you are and then come out. In the dark hours alone at night, let us be real with ourselves. Coming out of our various closets – and we have all been in a closet of some type – is a courageous leap we must ALL take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tAnd if we are truly authentic people, we will then have a love, care and concern for all of creation\u2019s children. We will have pride in the wholeness of humanity and its wide and beautiful diversity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To our own selves be true \u2013 because, baby, we are not a mistake. \u00a0We were born this way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\nI wish you each much peace and joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(c) Doug Slagle, Minister to the Gathering at Northern Hills, All Rights Reserved Please click here to listen to the message (beginning portion not included). See below to read the entire message text. Who are you? \u00a0In the deep, dark night when you lie awake while all the world sleeps, what truths about yourself do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4263"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4265,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4263\/revisions\/4265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\tWhat both these quotes tell us is that to find genuine happiness, we must proudly live our truth to ourselves and to others. In doing so, we will be liberated from prisons of shame, fear or guilt. No longer will the opinions of others matter precisely because we have pride in who we are – and those that love us share that pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tAuthenticity means that we outwardly live according to our inner truth. It involves refusing to conform to cultural, familial, or religious standards that seek to define us and lock us into a prison of lies. To live any way other than who we really are creates dissonance and confusion in our minds and in our relationships. Race relations in our nation have long been inauthentic precisely because persons are judged by outward appearance. Sexism, religious intolerance, and classism all take the same approach. Judgmental people try to define others a cording to outward appearances and actions that don\u2019t come close to understanding the real truth. Instead of reaching for the spiritual ideal of the Golden Rule, hateful people marginalize and demean others with their stereotypical judgements – all in order to elevate themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tBlack pride, feminism, and gay pride are thus manifestations of a desire to be authentic and stand against prejudices. Henry David Thoreau remarked long ago that we are all constantly invited<\/em><\/strong> to be who we are. Sadly, Thoreau was right only for a few people – mostly white, straight men. Many other people – and I was once one of them – are not invited to be who they are. They\u2019re instead told to be who they are not – in my case to act straight. For women and people of color, they\u2019ve been told to be less than their ability and character. In that regard, this month of June Pride is a way to shout an emphatic \u201cNO!\u201d to the haters. Pride month tells us it\u2019s ok to be different and, indeed, it celebrates our rainbow differences. No prejudice. No intolerance. No judging. Just love, acceptance, and joyful celebration of me as gay, you as female, he as black, them as other abled. Pride says it is the content of our character, and not the color of our skin, our gender, or whom we love that determines the measure of of a person. Who we are at the core of our souls is all that we truly possess in life and all that will ultimately define us far into eternity. Do you walk humbly with love and compassion in your heart for all others – or does life revolve only around you such that anger, vindictiveness and deceit define you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tAs I have described here on several occasions, I led a life for far too long that masked my true self as a gay man. During those years I hurt others as much as I hurt myself. In my fears, my self-hatred, my inner denials, and my acceptance of what religion and society told me I should be, I was alienated from reality. I was alienated from me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tAnd when I finally chose to be authentic, to live in accord not with what the outside world told me I should be, but with who I was born to be, I embarked on a journey of peace and, yes, real joy. I recall my shaking fear when I came out to my fifteen year old daughter Amy. In one fell swoop, I knew the constructs of her life and our relationship might be broken. And yet, as one who I love so very much and for whom I would willingly give my life, I knew I finally had to be honest. And in that moment when I first told her I\u2019m gay, Dr. Seuss\u2019 quote became very real. Someone who matters most in my life did not mind my truth. As I sat facing her, unsure of her reaction to my words, she simply put her arms around me and so full of youthful grace, said to me, \u201cDaddy. It\u2019s OK. I love you no matter what.\u201d In that moment, I was loved unconditionally – something we all deserve. My decision to finally be proud of who I really am was ultimately all about love for myself and love for people who matter most to me. And the beautiful thing was – those people in turn showed their love for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tIn the moments of authenticity with my daughter and many others, I found the freedom everybody seeks. I was suddenly free to be me. I was free from fearing judgment. I was free from depression and anger. I was free from shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tTo be human and normal is to be unique and different from anyone else. Indeed, great beauty lies is the the gay teen who courageously comes out. It\u2019s in the alcoholic who confesses and seeks help. It\u2019s in the transgendered who finally decide to be the gender they deeply know they are. Beauty is in the other abled one who defiantly asks to be treated as any other person. Each one of us is a work of art and a person to behold and cherish. Baby you were born this way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tMost psychiatrists, including those of the American Psychiatric Association, believe that one\u2019s sexual identity is fixed and not subject to change. There have been many studies undertaken to determine the cause of human sexuality. Is it a trait with genetic origins, pre-natal causes, or the result of how we are raised? While no study is conclusive, research has shown higher numbers of gay men and women within extended families \u2013 pointing to a genetic influence. Research also shows a higher incidence of gay siblings and gay twins – also indicating genetic influence. Other research points to the influence of maternal hormones during pregnancy as possibly influencing the development of a person\u2019s sexuality. While some psychologists point to environmental factors as influencing human sexuality – like how we are raised as children, the testimony of countless gay men and lesbian women indicates they have been so since their very earliest memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tThe weight of evidence from numerous studies, and from the mouths of LGBTQ people, therefore suggests that genes play an extremely important role in the development of human sexuality. We are who we are and sexuality is simply not a matter of choice any of us can make. Baby, you were born this way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tNo matter the cause of who we are, ultimately June Pride is about celebrating authentic lives not just for the LGBTQ community, but for everyone – especially those who have been denied the right to live according to their inner truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tAnd so we each must ponder the depths of our inner souls. We must be willing to admit our flaws as much as we celebrate our strengths. We must have confidence in who we know ourselves to be. We must embrace our differences no matter what culture, religion or prejudice tells us is supposedly normal. To any person who wears a mask hiding the shame they feel, to anyone afraid to reveal their innermost burdens, to those who doubt their beauty and goodness, the call is to celebrate who you are and then come out. In the dark hours alone at night, let us be real with ourselves. Coming out of our various closets – and we have all been in a closet of some type – is a courageous leap we must ALL take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\tAnd if we are truly authentic people, we will then have a love, care and concern for all of creation\u2019s children. We will have pride in the wholeness of humanity and its wide and beautiful diversity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To our own selves be true \u2013 because, baby, we are not a mistake. \u00a0We were born this way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\nI wish you each much peace and joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(c) Doug Slagle, Minister to the Gathering at Northern Hills, All Rights Reserved Please click here to listen to the message (beginning portion not included). See below to read the entire message text. Who are you? \u00a0In the deep, dark night when you lie awake while all the world sleeps, what truths about yourself do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4263"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4265,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4263\/revisions\/4265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\tAs I have described here on several occasions, I led a life for far too long that masked my true self as a gay man. During those years I hurt others as much as I hurt myself. In my fears, my self-hatred, my inner denials, and my acceptance of what religion and society told me I should be, I was alienated from reality. I was alienated from me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tAnd when I finally chose to be authentic, to live in accord not with what the outside world told me I should be, but with who I was born to be, I embarked on a journey of peace and, yes, real joy. I recall my shaking fear when I came out to my fifteen year old daughter Amy. In one fell swoop, I knew the constructs of her life and our relationship might be broken. And yet, as one who I love so very much and for whom I would willingly give my life, I knew I finally had to be honest. And in that moment when I first told her I\u2019m gay, Dr. Seuss\u2019 quote became very real. Someone who matters most in my life did not mind my truth. As I sat facing her, unsure of her reaction to my words, she simply put her arms around me and so full of youthful grace, said to me, \u201cDaddy. It\u2019s OK. I love you no matter what.\u201d In that moment, I was loved unconditionally – something we all deserve. My decision to finally be proud of who I really am was ultimately all about love for myself and love for people who matter most to me. And the beautiful thing was – those people in turn showed their love for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tIn the moments of authenticity with my daughter and many others, I found the freedom everybody seeks. I was suddenly free to be me. I was free from fearing judgment. I was free from depression and anger. I was free from shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tTo be human and normal is to be unique and different from anyone else. Indeed, great beauty lies is the the gay teen who courageously comes out. It\u2019s in the alcoholic who confesses and seeks help. It\u2019s in the transgendered who finally decide to be the gender they deeply know they are. Beauty is in the other abled one who defiantly asks to be treated as any other person. Each one of us is a work of art and a person to behold and cherish. Baby you were born this way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tMost psychiatrists, including those of the American Psychiatric Association, believe that one\u2019s sexual identity is fixed and not subject to change. There have been many studies undertaken to determine the cause of human sexuality. Is it a trait with genetic origins, pre-natal causes, or the result of how we are raised? While no study is conclusive, research has shown higher numbers of gay men and women within extended families \u2013 pointing to a genetic influence. Research also shows a higher incidence of gay siblings and gay twins – also indicating genetic influence. Other research points to the influence of maternal hormones during pregnancy as possibly influencing the development of a person\u2019s sexuality. While some psychologists point to environmental factors as influencing human sexuality – like how we are raised as children, the testimony of countless gay men and lesbian women indicates they have been so since their very earliest memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tThe weight of evidence from numerous studies, and from the mouths of LGBTQ people, therefore suggests that genes play an extremely important role in the development of human sexuality. We are who we are and sexuality is simply not a matter of choice any of us can make. Baby, you were born this way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tNo matter the cause of who we are, ultimately June Pride is about celebrating authentic lives not just for the LGBTQ community, but for everyone – especially those who have been denied the right to live according to their inner truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tAnd so we each must ponder the depths of our inner souls. We must be willing to admit our flaws as much as we celebrate our strengths. We must have confidence in who we know ourselves to be. We must embrace our differences no matter what culture, religion or prejudice tells us is supposedly normal. To any person who wears a mask hiding the shame they feel, to anyone afraid to reveal their innermost burdens, to those who doubt their beauty and goodness, the call is to celebrate who you are and then come out. In the dark hours alone at night, let us be real with ourselves. Coming out of our various closets – and we have all been in a closet of some type – is a courageous leap we must ALL take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tAnd if we are truly authentic people, we will then have a love, care and concern for all of creation\u2019s children. We will have pride in the wholeness of humanity and its wide and beautiful diversity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To our own selves be true \u2013 because, baby, we are not a mistake. \u00a0We were born this way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wish you each much peace and joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
(c) Doug Slagle, Minister to the Gathering at Northern Hills, All Rights Reserved Please click here to listen to the message (beginning portion not included). See below to read the entire message text. Who are you? \u00a0In the deep, dark night when you lie awake while all the world sleeps, what truths about yourself do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4263"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4265,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4263\/revisions\/4265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gnhuu.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}