"Before you accuse, criticize, and abuse- walk a mile in my shoes". A new book released this month is about a young straight evangelical Christian fundamentalist pretending to be gay for one year - experiencing firsthand and capturing the "Coming Out" reactions, the bigotry, the community and the struggles. He immersed himself into a life where he was religiously taught to shun and hate.
Timothy Kurek, raised within the confines of a strict, conservative Christian denomination in the Bible Belt, Nashville, Tennessee, was taught the gospel of separation from a young age. But it wasn't long before Timothy's path and the outside world converged when a friend came out as a lesbian, and revealed she had been excommunicated by her family. Distraught and overcome with questions and doubts about his religious upbringing, Timothy decided the only way to empathize and understand her pain was to walk in the shoes of very people he had been taught to shun. He decided to come out as a gay man to everyone in his life, and to see for himself how the label of gay would impact his life. In the tradition of Black Like Me, The Cross in the Closet is a story about people, a story about faith, and about one man's "abominable" quest to find Jesus in the margins. Link
Two simple little words "I'm Gay!" would cause a hellfire of brimstone and destruction among Christian Evangelicals. Being taught and indoctrinated at a young age that Gays are the the ultimate enemy of God and must be shunned, a young man stood up to question that ideology.
The author, Tim Kurek, broke free from that indoctrination and decided to question if God truly despise Homosexuality. As a straight man, he took the biggest leap of faith and declared those two simple little words to his friends and family.
This is a story of a journey from bigotry to empathy, seeking out the truth and re-establishing his relationship with his personal God. Thank You Tim for sharing your story.
This gives me hope. I do believe not ALL Conservative Evangelical Christian Fundamentalists HATE and preach against homosexuality, but in my experience, those who do declare themselves as 'supportive' have always been SILENT and vote for politicians who are true oppositions to the gay community.
Today one Fundamentalist has changed his ideology and is telling his story and sending his support publicly. I see a brighter future for the LGBT community.
Its one step at a time - one Christian at a time.
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/article/277659/82/Cross-in-the-closet-Straight-Christian-lives-a-year-as-gay-man
This book can be purchased through Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/The-Cross-Closet-Timothy-Kurek/dp/0983567743
