Conversion Therapy Doesn’t Work. “I Actually Felt Closer To God When I Accepted Myself.”
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- Опубликовано: 6 июл 2024
- Braden Bradley's parents sent him to conversion therapy after finding out he was gay. After telling the therapists and ultimately his parents that he doesn't want to change, his parents didn't let him go to his dream college so that they could keep an eye on him.
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I'm not scared of being gay. I'm scared how people will react too me being gay.
Those who react in a less than accepting manner have no place in your life. They never did. If / when you do decide to come out, you might be surprised at how many people could not possibly care less.
Me too!
@@FreakishSmilePAI ve been there . it might be tough at the beginning but people get used and finally accept . Don t be afraid of being yourself .
I ve been there . it might be tough at the beginning but people get used and finally accept . Don t be afraid of being yourself .
@@user-od5pz6im9s But you said you’re attracted to men but you don’t act on it because you’re religious….if you thought nothing was wrong you’d act on it. I think deep inside you know it’s not pleasing to God.
My son 34 years old came out to me 2019 and claimed he was worried about what I would say. I was amazed. I said, "Really son, you had to know that doesn't factor into you being my son. You can love whoever you want." He actually said that he knew it wouldn't change our relationship. It hasn't.
.Accept your son as he is . Parents who advise their son to do therapy are wrong . they are so wrong . A shrink can t create a new instinct . Why even intelligent people can t understand that ??
Sad that ppl still think you need to be fixed for being gay. Good story ...
Yes it's very sad!
+Marcus NL Thats true! Too bad they don't realize that
Marcus NL ikr
Being disappointed your child is gay is like being disappointed they were born with blue eyes instead of green.
@gcjerryusc See, I tried to be mindful of your perspective & feelings but you couldn't help but to disrespect me in return, huh? It took you all of 3 sentences to do it too.. SMH. We'll get into it..
*Did you ask to be born black?* - This is a ridiculously stupid question & you know it. First off, it would be impossible for me to of asked for ANYTHING because I simply would not of been in existence in order to make such a request.. Secondly, my race and skin color we're defined at the point of inception due in part to biological/DNA structural boundaries dictated nature & from what we have come to know via research. In other words, when a man and woman of the same color/race/ethnicity choose to reproduce together, there's 99.99999% chance that the child's color will share that of the parents, barring any congenital issues or genetical mutations.
*You would think blacks would be the most accepting and forgiving people on the planet considering all the hatred and ridicule they suffered...* - Absolutely disgusting statement. It's the definition of ignorant. Who do you think you are to compare 400+ years of *forced* kidnapping, rape, assault, humiliation, murder, torture and subjugation to your lack of discipline, self control and perversions. If my people could of magically "turned white" to prevent their families from being separated, sold & slaughtered, don't you think they would have? You can pretend to be straight. I can't pretend to be white
Furthermore, we can debate on whether your attraction to the same sex is naturally occurring all day and not come to a consensus... But what IS irrefutable is that there's absolutely no one who is forcing you to engage in physical homosexual acts when you do. There are men and women who have overwhelming urges to engage in unsavory behavior on a daily basis but they *CHOOSE* to exercise self restraint & discipline, not engaging after all.
If you anyone thinks they can serve God & continue living a lifestyle that involves homosexual behavior, you're only fooling themselves. Trying to guilt trip black people into cosignng your deviant behavior isn't going to help you in the process.
Cameron J what the fuck. Take your blatant and uneccesary homophobic somewhere else.
Cameron J it’s not a choice. Believe me, would we choose to live a life having to be harassed by homophones like you? I really doubt it.
@@retiredtidepodeater3339 I'm a straight guy, I've always had a raging attraction to the opposite sex, there's no possible way I could have chosen otherwise, it's simply hard wired. So I can only presume gay people are the same and it's only supressed bisexuals who would think otherwise. For you to say what you say you must have gone through a stage of decision making and come to the conclusion that everybody must be the same, that somehow will power is needed to direct sexual urges. Ironically enough this is where most homophobic attitudes come from. I mean why would I have an issue with gays when they don't share my bed and only lessen the competition for women?
@@rusokana3642 There is so much factually incorrect information, contradictions, hypocrisy and blasphemy in your post it's hilarious 😂. You've made my case for me and you don't even know. It sounds like you have fallen victim to the liberal, LGBT propaganda machine like a lot of others which is incredibly unfortunate.
*But one thing Im sure of is after a certain age sexuality becomes hardwired* - And what age would that be? If that was the case, you're saying it's virtually IMPOSSIBLE for an individual to develop a different sexual orientation at a later time in life, right?
*I find masculinity attractive and women mostly don't have those qualities which is sad* - Why is it sad? Women weren't created to display overwhelming masculine traits you goofball 😂... Just like men weren't designed to display"feminine" tendencies. Even if you don't believe in the Bible by any means, science has certainly established that there are major biological differences between men and women - Even when same sex individuals are in a relationship, they often times STILL try to mimic our creators original arrangement for "man & woman" which is why you have terms like "Butch", "Diesel" and "Bottoms" and "Tops".
*Why would anyone choose to be gay where they cant make a baby and be discriminated by a large number of people* - A gay persons ONLY obstruction to reproduction is their preference to engage in sexual acts with the same sex - Nothing else.
I'm going to humor you for a moment - Let's say being born gay ISN'T a choice as you're suggesting much like being born with mental health ailments such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and so on. We can agree that those mental health illnesses bring their share of difficulties and hardships for whoever has them just like being "born gay" does. With that said, why shouldn't homosexuality be treated like the other unwanted mental Illnesses then?
And is it possible that one can be born a drug addict, thief, a killer or a rapist? We expect those people to suppress those type of unsavory behaviors also they may have a desire to engage in said acts, so why should expectations for homosexuals be any different? Are you going to say "because those things hurt other people"? LOL.. I could argue the same for the LGBT community from the incredibly high suicide rates of youth to the lobbying of groups like *NAMBLA* who want to make sex with children legal.
I'll be waiting for your response...
A lot of these guys (on Driftwood) are from the South, where religious and social conservatism plays havoc on their psyches - thanks for spotlighting their stories!
*plays = wreaks
OMG, you can tell that these memories give him crazy anxiety--look at how red his neck and chest got in a few seconds of memory recollection! (Between 0:07 and 1:20) It almost looks like an allergic attack!
Luboman411 OMG for real. I paused it at 1:23 to show my husband... Look at his chest there! I hate his parents right now.
I was to comment on that as well! Tough talking about hurtful issues..
Thats crazy
I don’t blame him, I’d have severe anxiety from retelling such a horrifying story. I just want to hug him.
I definitely noticed his “ reaction to sharing his story … We’re all full of unnecessary anxiety as here is proof !!!Donald Saucier
I am a heterosexual Christian and I believe that if Jesus came back right now, he would give every LGBTQ+ person a giant hug. God does not hate you, and do not let anyone gaslight you into thinking your identity is a sin!
I attended Gay Conversion Therapy. I wasn't sure about my sexuality, but the more God forced hetrosexuality on me...The Gayer I became. I met so many other gay guys in class that I made out with. Met my first BF, we dated for years. Thank God for those stupid classes. I'm really GAY now.
Michael Shields your comment is my favorite of all time. Keep being awesome!
Michael Shields You're wonderful ✨😍 the way you are. Be happy 😃 I'm bisexual and proud 😌
Michael Shields it wasn’t God who was forcing heterosexuality on you. It was man.
god's don't exist
Good on you! Life’s too short to be bothered. We’re all just popping into our world, just live life to the full. 👍💪 Be as Gay as you want and enjoy your decades (fingers crossed, of course!) 😉👍💙
Conversion therapy was recognized by the UN as a form of torture.
The same UN that pushes Open Borders in Europe and USA, so promoting perversion to commit subversion is these countries is no surprise.
Oh
it is, because up to this day, i still kind of hate myslef.
@Rob S sure cure=torture
@Rob S you sir are a evil person. please rethink your thoughts
Family can ruin your life; don't let them; go for your dreams.
I hope this guy is happy 😄😂 It's sad his parents didn't accept him. He's fine as is. He don't need fixing. I'm bisexual and proud 😌
Sounds like they "accidentally" came home early.
yeah his mom knew and was like...i'mma catch dem heathenasshos...
It amazes me how intolerant some supposed Christians can be with their own flesh and blood. I would NEVER put my son through conversion camp, or make them change schools. It's heartbreaking.
Well at least there was no physical violence. That's something.
Just psychological violence, so that's ok then.
Yeah it ticks me off too. I'm a lesbian Christian and it makes me upset when parents treat their children differently and cruelly just because they're gay. Why? They aren't doing anything wrong and they shouldn't be treated any different just because of that. They are completely normal and God wouldn't make them that way just to hate them and force them to convert back; that's just torture. I even prayed to God to make me straight if what I was feeling was truly wrong, but I still love women (I love men as brothers or friends). Christianity is all about love and faith and I find it very hypocritical when some Christians hate on someone and don't give them a chance just because they're gay or because they screwed up. That's a really dumb reason to be a jerk and treat someone lower than you. Sorry about my rant and I hope you all have a great day!
@@XxElfriedexX o I'm a gay Christian with a similar story, I guess it's not that uncommon :.
those therapies are useless . A shrink can t create a new instinct . Why even intelligent people can t understand that ??
I enjoyed your story, told without anger, rancour or hatred. God’s grace is truly at work in you Braden, I hope everything goes well for you and that you continue to grow in the peace that’s so evidently yours.
WOW … I relate totally… Now at 72 in Laguna Beach having been raised in a Baptist school teaching family in the Mississippi Delta… Came out my last quarter in college (to myself) but took decades for my family to almost never understand me or my “world” … Blessings to you and your life’s situation … Donald Saucier
Good for you! My family wasn't nearly so difficult or controlling, but I grew up gay in Tulsa, Ok, and even university in Oklahoma was a great time for me.
I understand what you mean about feeling light and finally feeling like you belonged in NYC because I did the same, only moving west to West Hollywood instead to live with my boyfriend. It was only then that I realized that it was really the first time and place where I felt like I finally belonged. There's nothing like that feeling of walking down a busy street holding your boyfriend's hand for the first time ever!
500 dollars worth of therapy. I could’ve spent that money on weed. Waste of time and money
Weed IS therapy!!! ❤❤
this made me laugh, have my like
I totally understand, once I accepted myself as gay I became much closer to GOD and I know that GOD loves me. Thanks for sharing you story.
Who is God?
Anthony Boarman A loving and merciful Father we didn't deserve
@@XxElfriedexX Oh, sure he is.
I’m glad I’m not alone, I also told God to take me thru the process of healing from my past way of thinking about it and how I’ve always seen him as separate from me and not within me and the aspects of religion based stigmas and dogmas and he’s really working with me, on me.❤️❤️❤️
if god exists i'm tranitioning into a demon
Ive struggled my entire life (almost 40 years now) with being a gay Christian. Its beautiful catharsis for me to know others have this same story! Thank you for sharing this!!! I was very moved, and thankful that i see hope at the end of all this!!!
@Trevor Fluck Thanks for your opinion!
Hope you're doing well two years after your comment. My religious upbringing did a number in me, still hurts tbh.
Hey Braden, practicing Christian counselor here who wants to tell you that to be who you are is the greatest grace from God that there is. Be assured of that. Thanks, man, for being who you are. Try to understand and forgive your parents....love......Ray
Braden, you are such a cool dude, and I am so happy for you. The only real Christian principle is to love others AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF. By accepting and being who you are, you fulfill that, and you are closer to God for it. Kudos, to you, bro.............Ray
okimlistening2u No- The most fundamental spiritual principles are 1. Love your heavenly Father, God ALMIGHTY; with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul. 2. Love you neighbor as yourself. Neighbor means fellow person, NOT the person next door. Never does the bible mention anything about being perverse in any way. When the Bible says the word LOVE; it never makes any reference to sex. NEVER!
That "fellow person" could very well be the person next door, unless that "fellow person" is anti-gay.
That's incorrect. Where did you get that? The first commandment according to Jesus is to love God with all of your heart.....not people.
Love is not sex, sex is not love.
@@jimiayoayo yeah almost half of the commandments are about making sure that Christians are blind, irrational followers rather than having anything to do with morality.
You are a solid young man, Braden! Well done! 😙😙😙
He has a beautiful soft voice. Poor fella has been through so much.
"How are you doing with YOUR issue." So much f_ _ _ ing projection.
Bless his heart. around 1 minite in, his nerves make him break out in hives on his chest, neck and ears. Oh honey! I'd bear hug you right now if I could.
I really noticed that, too...and an amazing storyteller: I felt everything he was speaking...very raw, heart-in-your-gut feelings.
So would I. !!..My husband and I met in 1983 and have been together ever since. I was finally free in 1979 when I decided to live for myself and not for my family..
You are incredibly handsome, sensitive and intelligent, sir...
Thanks for sharing your story ❤️💛💚💙💜
wow he's hot
LOL!!!! Youch!!!
I'm seeing images of colostomy bag, right about now.
Adam Telluride I'll wait till you post a video on that, Adam!!
*I wanted to wait until some else said it to agree*
Some reason he reminds me to Beau. Sadly he moved and isn't really much on the channel. He has a b/f. His b/f was on a video to a couple's react. White,slim dark brown hair. Mc Guyver style.
My 19 year old son is gay and his boyfriend's parents attend the same church that I go to .....are you growing in your Christian faith ?I hope so ...Jesus loves you.
stacy Ritter I'm happy when ever I see christians being supportive of gay rights. I'm not religious but I wouldn't mind seeing more religious people who support gay rights.
stacy Ritter.....Beautiful! Blessings from Philadelphia, Pa.
Beautiful, dear heart!
watching these videos gives me hope, but at the same time, i know that if i were to come out to _my_ parents that i would be shunned by my entire family. honestly, that's probably one of the reasons i have anxiety.
It's okay to be who you are and if your family truly loved you they would understand that and believe it or not i know what your going through and you can be totally superized by how accepting people are
www.rawfoodsupport.com/read.php?11,276391
This guy is sweet and adorable and one big thing you can tell is that his parents, although they may have been confused, loved him and raised him with affection. In the end it was this love that won out.
E. D. ii
If he wasn't sweet and adorable would you have a different opinion? Why bring it up? Imagine a different outcome. Don't let these idiotic people off so easily. Religion is the mental illness.
My husband and I have lived in 3 different houses in the 32 years we’ve been together. We live our lives peacefully, and quietly. Every neighbor we lived next to were always friendly, the first house we lived in was a rental, one couple who lived next door learned there was a chance the owner was going to evict us so she could move into the beautiful home we made out of it. The neighbors were so distraught, they approached us offering to sign for the house for us since they didn’t want to lose us as neighbors. We were so shocked and realized how kind they really were. The land lady changed her mind when we told her he she evicted us, she would be evicting all the antique light fixtures, French doors, and other improvements we made. We still had all of the items original to the house in a small room in the basement ready to be reinstalled.
In every neighborhood we moved into, there were a few raised eyebrows at first, but when they realized we were pretty much like them, they didn’t have a problem.
Made me cry.
Thank you Braden for sharing your story. I'm still struggling. It's a terrible feeling.
Struggle No more! I was an Alcoholic struggling with mine,14 year's of sobriety here in Philadelphia.
Your story is like so many of ours. I don’t mean that in a snarky way at all. Our parents do the best they can; the way their parents did. Not knowing what an emotional toll it takes on everyone. I’m very glad to know that you are living your truth. I hope that one day you can bring your partner home with your kids and let them see that there is nothing wrong with you. There never was anything wrong with you. As you said; these things take time. I’m happy to hear you say that you’re looking forward to being able to be yourself. 100%.
That is a powerful story. Inspiring!
He's absolutely pretty! 😍
Your so beautiful and brave. God bless you. May you feel God's arms comforting and protecting you on you wonderful lives journey. 💖🤗💖
I had a Mormon friend share with me about his conversion therapy experience and eventual shunning. Absolute horror. A beautiful blonde, blue eyed “all American” man on the outside and a helpless, tortured soul of a 13 yo child on the inside who just wanted to be loved. Making himself unlovable was his chosen self preservation method. If he couldn’t be loved and wouldn’t love then he wouldn’t feel the pain associated with rejection except, that was all he ever felt... pain.
How a religion that spews so much love could tell parents to hate and disown their own children
He was an addict and was unable to break free. He overdosed and died, officially but it was suicide. A slow and miserable suicide. He was never able to process why his parents, who he still loved desperately, subjected him to such torture and then forgot him as if he never existed....
They never came to his service, never claimed his ashes 💔 Their god must be so proud
SRC this is awful, I am so sorry. Conversion therapy is evil
Beautiful!!!! Me too. Live your Life to the fullest! When I accepted myself,I got rid of Alcohol abuse as well.
Your story really hit me hard as we all know conversion therapy DOES NOT WORK....the medical community even said that being gay is NOT a choice!!!!! I am so.proud of you baby that you stood your ground and let your family know that you are who you are and NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE THAT!!! THANK YOU for sharing with us your story and sending you love and best wishes for a bright future ahead living life happy, joyous and free👍🏿😊❤
Steve Freedman, Well said,I did!
@@michaelgaynor6866 so proud of you Michael! I am a mentor/Mama for our gay youth and have been doing this work for you kids for a number of years now...my kids call me often wanting to know how to live their best life and I always say....be true to yourself, be good to yourself, set an example for others and to treat others with respect and dignity...and always remember to live your life happy, joyous and free. I am here for you baby if ever you need to chat....be good and God Bless...XOXOXO Mama Steve😊❤🎈
watching you brought a smile to my face thank you:-)
Regardless of your beliefs about sexuality, this therapy is TERRIBLE and leads to DEATH and cannot actually CHANGE a single thing.
Your veracity and honesty jump right out of the screen.
I too tried to pray the gay away, but it never worked, my mother never could use the word "gay", untill her death she siad "People like you"
Eugene Clignett,Condolences on the loss of your Loved one, now she knows your not alone!
I really hope your dream of happy accepting family life comes true!
You don't need fixing. You're great!
I AM GLAD 2 HEAR THAT YOUR LIFE IS GETTING BETTER EACH DAY!
MUCH LOVE*
Lost both my parents early on... if you're hearing this, narrator, know that your parents are such a gift to you and you all will look back on those times and laugh together.
Wow that was beautiful. His sincerity and truthfulness COMMAND his part. I grew up in an era 30 years earlier. It was very tough for me
In fourth grade i told my best friend about me being gay, he took it very seriously and then slapped me with a sandwich. Soon after that day i went to the school counselor. I thought it was going to be an understanding and reasonable conversation. I was sadly mistaken. The first sentence she said was “ Why are you gay?” This indicated that she was homophobic. I answered with “ Why does it matter?” This triggered her very much and she said “ Because im here to help you.” Eventually she gave up on asking me why i was gay and she asked “Who is your boyfriend? Can i meet with him?” Me and my boyfriend have never met in real life. ( he lives in british columbia and i live in america) So i answer with “No mam, now can i please leave?” She says the most outright triggering thing which is “Will you let me tell your pArEnTs?” And i freaked out and said no and walked out of the room. From that experience i lost more than half of my friends and really made me depressed but my boyfriend cheered me up and helped me through the rest of the year.
Please dont be a scumbag like my counselor
Live your Life to the fullest!!!♥️
A fellow Texas State University Bobcat wishing you well! 🐯 (Please excuse the pun).
Coming out while in a Southern culture based fraternity (KA) at Texas State was a trip. GLBT friends in Austin joked about San Marcos being the "Bi-curious Capital of Texas."
We will get there.
If you’re gay, lesbian or bio there’s NOTHING wrong with you! You are perfect just the way you are 😊
This is so sad, can you imagine living like this, the pain one must feel when you find out your son is like this, then wasting all that money trying to fix him, the parents will blame themselves for this and must wonder constantly what they did wrong
Thank you for putting your story out there.
These positive stories are worth $$$$$ in therapy!
Inspirational !!
You can't fix what's not broken,your beautiful and GOD 💘 you
Love your channel so much.....❤️
Awesome set of videos. Great for anyone to see how things can happen when you come out. Sometimes its fine sometimes its not pretty. Be brave,
He is a beautiful man!!! Would love to just tell him thank you and give him a hug!!
Look how sweet he is when his neck and chest blush - bless him xxx
I think your story is turning out to have a happy ending. In the beginning, I can't believe your parents knowingly walked in on you like that. Some things are just private.
I'm sorry you had to go through so much conversion therapy, but glad you came out the other end with your self respect and identity still intact. "Conversion therapy" doesn't work, and that's why it's against the law here in California to send a minor to "conversion therapy." Not so in Texas. They love that kind of torture for children. That's sick. Hopefully we will be accepted and have equal rights even in places like Texas someday.
Appreciate your story!!
Brave and strong story to tell. Thank you.
Good for you! I'm proud of you!
i did the whole "good christian kid" thing when i was younger. i knew i was gay before i knew there was a word for it. but the whole situation of knowing i was gay and knowing everyone else thought it was wrong almost literally drove me insane. it went on for years. i tried to look like what others wanted from me without actually doing anything they expected of me. but i never acted on anything i wanted for myself either. i pretty much made myself asexual, gained a ton of weight (max waist size got to 44) to make myself look as bad as possible so nobody would be interested, didnt take care of myself. at all. one day when i was about 15-16 maybe 17. i didnt "come out" but i finally got to the point of not wanting to deny to myself anymore. i had my own bible, and a cross hanging on my bedroom wall...all that. i just started tearing pages out of my bible. the more i did that the better i felt. ended up ripping the entire thing apart, then breaking and stomping the cross to pieces -- even the little jesus hanging on it. then i took them and burned them.
dont worry its the only book i ever burned. im no longer christian nor do i follow any religion but i do still own an old bible -- one of the huge ones that preachers use during sermons. a preacher gave one to my dad when his church was being torn down and i kept it after he died. gold leaf, nice artwork, all that. its older than i am. a piece of art in and of itself thats why i keep it.
later i ended up having to see a therapist to deal with some things and was diagnosed with CPTSD. still have the anxiety to deal with, sometimes it hits me so hard i go catatonic for....however long it lasts (minutes or even hours), and i get all the emotional "triggering" fairly often... rage fits...etc. not only because of dealing with the mental dmg from being thought of as being "wrong" but also im a victim of narcissistic abuse. my mother did that. still tries, though i avoid her at all costs, she still manages to get to me through other people. dad abused me in different ways. threatened to kill me one time because he was suspicious that i "might be gay". gun in my face and all that. a few months before he died i found out that he was gay too. saw him telling another man "i love you". so, i guess theres always gonna be unanswered questions about that.
Good on ya buddy! Be at peace on who you really are!
I Loved and Appreciated your very sincere, heartfull story … being 74 now and reared Southern Baptist from Leland, Mississippi … I was able to “recon” with my conservative family but not until I was 40 … I married my Husband and had our Son who actually assisted in convincing my family that our alternate family was no different than my “traditional” family … ❤ This was the “deal breaker” … Realizing that Our Love and Our Love of Family was no different than I’d had growing up … Peace and Tranquility Be With You thru the rest of your young and older years ahead … God Loves You and Your Family …. Just the way He made us … and I am sooo Grateful for His Blessings … which by the way …. Are Abundant 🙏😇🙏😎😎😎🤟🎼🎹❤️💕💜💗🎵 Beau (Donald) Saucier of Laguna Beach, California🏝️🏝️
What a pure heart and sincere faith. I feel like a better person after hearing his story. Despite the lack of understanding from his family and of such an offensive rejection on their part, you can tell he still holds beautiful feelings for them and the hope for love between them. The story of many LGBTIQ+ people is one of love for others and the desire for the well-being of others even in the face of rejection; even if they have had to implement healthy boundaries and distance or if they are right to feel anger and pain.
I'm halfway thru this and the stress he's under by the middle he developed stress hives all over his chest and neck and ears.
So sorry you have to go thru that torture. Be happy and be you.
Amen to that ☺
What a wonderful young man!!! Intelligent, articulate, sweet soul and very handsome. Any parent should be very proud of a son such as he!
I hope your family is 100% with you now and that your future will be getting even better for you thank you for sharing your story God Loves you and Bless you.
David Aycock.....I know,he Loves me!
What are you doing? Nothing! Haha
Thank you for helping me understand your dilemma. And helping others understand the dilemma of being gay!
Hey Braden. I'm from Henderson. Small world. Lol. Was your drama camp at SFA?
A wonderful message 👍❣️
He turned red all over his neck and chest when he started talking about his experience!
He has a physical reaction to his trauma,
Beautiful testimony
Awe let's run off and get married haha
Braden, you are a fabulous human being. God bless! I feel badly for you that your mom walked in on you. Best of luck.
:-)
What a great young man. I hope his dreams have come true.
You don't need to be fixed because you're not broken...you are who you are. Besides you can't change sexual orientation...
Go forth young man...live ..love and laugh. You only get one turn at life...don't waste it.
I tried to seek help from psychologists 3 times in my life (in very different phases of my life) not because I am gay but because of a bad dynamic at home. I realized that it is incredibly difficult to find a therapist who doesn't judge. When after 4 appointments I said that i was ok and therapy was becoming very stressing all those psychologists told me that i needed "to be fixed" and that i was escaping my issues. The idea of "fixing someone" is a very dangerous one, because acceptance is the only way to go to feel good and make good choices in life. Not just for gay people, each of us is very original and special so we cannot be "normalized" though therapy.
I'm a progressive christian. Episcopals and the UCC people truly believe in the real love of God. He made you this way!! God doesn't make mistakes!!
....."what are you doing".... Well, I'm checking him for polyps, mum....!!
HELP! I have been out my entire life, I came out at 13 as a lesbian. I am 43 now and I have moved home to take care of my elder parents. They have went back to church and I'm feeling more and more forced back in the closest. Please can anyone give me some advice?!?! I'm only holding on by a thread here.
Seek out a Episcopal Church accepts Everyone! Blessings from Philadelphia, Pa.
I agree that everyone no matter who you are needs to accept their own self. Once you accept yourself, it really does not matter who else accepts you or does not accept you.
Good on you Braden and good on your parents too
Amazing story wowwwww
The public needs to understand that people are varied in all manners. Don't stop being adocates.
I had always thought it to be Aversion Therapy, but that's irrelevant. Congratulations on your inner strength, and as a devout, gay, Christian who has studied theology, I can confirm there is no conflict in being gay and being Christian. It's more than the (in this context) "God loves us all" or God loves all sinners" etc. Actually, the Bible doesn't speak against "homosexuality" in the modern sense of genuine attraction and love. Any modern Bible that includes the word "homosexual" is a mis-translation of the original Hebrew as homosexual relationships never get a mention in the Bible - the Bible contains no condemnation of a loving gay relationship. Negative Biblical references to male to male acts are usualy referring to acts of violence (as in Sodom) or acts where it occurs out of sheer perversity, deliberately trying to be different, not genuine attraction. This is an inadequate coverage of the topic. To properly explain and justify my statements would take a book and many references.
We need Driftwood to come to Iran!
There is incredible stories from Iran to be told.
People are fighting for their freedom and life right now...but one day!
We film remotely! Would love to hear more! imfromdriftwood.com/share-your-story/
When you pray to god to help its to give you the strength to accept your self
How much does conversion therapy cost?
very similar to my story. and Jesus and Buddha are definitely my special friends now. no more pretending. I lied during conversion therapy too, until I was old enough to move out
I also felt closer to God