I would describe myself as being gay or homosexual. I’ve always known I was gay, but didn’t first tell anyone until I was 15. When I was about 19 I told my friends and family, so that’s when I’d say that I became gay or socially out. Once I said it to myself, I thought “God, this is the best thing I’ve done in my whole life” and it was just a relief. I didn’t care if people did or didn’t like it because I knew that I loved it and so I was happy with that. My family were fantastic about it. Just amazing; all of them.
The first reaction at work was “Oh my God!” I was a cabinet maker at the time and I turned up to work not realising I had a full face of makeup on from the night before. I ran into the old work shed and everyone just stopped and looked at me, and I thought, “Well, I’ve told you.” But they all coped with it and they all thought it was quite funny. I got the day off though…
My current work place is fantastic. It’s a really good drawing point for selling. I find that it’s quite accepted. It’s not that they lead a sheltered life, I just don’t think they’ve been exposed to a lot of gay people up close so I think I’ve been quite a good learning curve for them, and if anything, they’ve been really supportive about it.
I suppose my sexuality gives me a broader understanding of other people’s ideas and views on life as well. I don’t begrudge people their sexuality and can empathise with other people in minority groups. To me, it’s whether you’re a good person, and whether you like being the person you are, and whether other people like you for the person you are as well.
I’ve never picked up a bible and I don’t believe religion has any bearing on my life, but I do believe in spirituality. I believe there’s got to be something out there, but unless you can actually show it to me, then I don’t know what it is. I don’t shun people for what they believe in, or for their religion, so long as they don’t force it on me. I think you’re born the way you are.
I love being gay. I wouldn’t change it for anything in the whole world. I believe that it’s opened me up to be the person I am now. When I was younger I didn’t feel that I had much of an outlook on life. I didn’t really know who I was or what I wanted to do, or where I was going or what was out there. Since coming out and hitting the scene, I think it’s broadened my horizons to make me be an open-minded, happy kind of person.
95% of the time I see myself as being a very happy person; positive, a good outlook and more than happy to be friendly and outgoing, and help people, and strive to make other people happy. The other 5% would be the Gemini side of me that turns very quickly and will throw my hands in the air and go “Oh my God! That’s it!” Most of the time I don’t dig too deep into things. I like to be happy and positive. That’s how I see myself most of the time.
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