“Her words became jumbled…like she was speaking into a tin can in slow motion. Her face contorted into a shape I will never forget. She’d never been sick, never had health issues. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. We rushed to the hospital. ‘I need to give her a kiss and tell her how much I love her.’ We went from newlyweds to part of a club no one signs up for.”
‘We eloped. 3 weeks later, my wife said her stomach was bothering her. ‘I need to call 911! I screamed. Her words became jumbled, her face contorted.’: LGBTQ+ newlywed details sudden journey with stroke, Moyamoya disease
‘Are you living an alternative lifestyle?’ I was PHYSICALLY thrown out of my house at 2 a.m. by my mom. It took losing everything to gain the life I have now.’: Woman disfellowshipped after coming out, ‘Love won when my wife and I said our vows’
“In high school, I lied to myself about Dana. My freshman year in college, I lied to myself about my friend Ashley. My parents reported me. When the committee asked me about my ‘alternative lifestyle,’ I finally told the truth.”
‘We hid under the guise of ‘best friends.’ Suspicious, my roommates logged onto my Facebook. They exposed our romantic messages to mutual friends and strangers.’: LGBTQ+ woman details brave ‘coming out’ journey
“That night, while on our big red couch in our cozy den, my mom turned to me and asked, ‘Kaila, are you gay?’ I spilled my heart out. She didn’t interrupt. She didn’t insert her feelings or her worries. She simply listened, and assured me how much she loves me.”
‘I heard a knock on the door. Our ultrasound tech was called into another room. ‘OH MY GOD, IT’S TWO!’ I screamed.’: LGBT mama births surprise twins through IUI, navigates Postpartum Mood Disorder
“Our physician said three words: ‘How are you?’ As I bounced our colicky daughter up and down in my arms, I immediately fell apart. For the first time in two months, I answered that question honestly – I told her I was not okay and I needed help.”
‘Tash, I see a faint line. I think you’re pregnant too!’ Could this actually be happening?! Could we BOTH be pregnant?!’: LGBT couple deliver babies 2 weeks apart after 7-year infertility battle
“We were both trying at the same time. But with so many previous failures, what were the odds of both embryos sticking? ‘What?! Seriously?! How?! Are you crazy?’ Our doctor said, ‘I’ve never seen this before!’ We had to juggle life with three under three.”
‘I guess you’re wondering about the results.’ It was like lightbulb after lightbulb going off.’: After diagnosis, woman advocates for autism in girls, ‘Representation matters’
“I’ve felt different my whole life. By high school, I was beginning to figure out I was queer. I’d assumed that was the thing ‘different’ about me. That’s not what happened. I was different at my core.”
‘I prayed every night for years God would change me.’ The loving environment I created for my kids was now in full question.’: Christian mom to LGBT daughter urges ‘LOVE is the answer’
“My kid was suffering in silence, drowning in fear of being abandoned because of who she is. She felt in desperate need of being fixed, to feel worthy in the eyes of God and her family. Her pain busted me in two.”
‘I’m gay. I’m seeing a woman.’ My mom quickly pulled me into my room and shut the door. There was a concerned, almost hopeful, look on her face.’: Woman urges ‘I wouldn’t change my parents for the world’ after both come out as LGBTQ
“My mom and dad were still married. For the next few months, I kept my mom’s secret. It killed me inside. Then, one day, my dad looked at me, nervously turning a beer in his hand around in circles. ‘He’s my boyfriend, you know?’ My jaw hit the floor.”
‘I hadn’t felt her kick. All my wife could say was, ‘Oh God, I’m coming.’ My fears were becoming reality.’: Gay couple battles infertility, births miracle daughter after traumatic induction
“‘I’m not even sure you will get pregnant.’ It felt like the air had left the room. Why couldn’t my body do what it was made to do? ‘If it doesn’t work this time I can’t do this anymore.’ I hit rock bottom.”
‘I saw with my own two eyes, gay little boys almost beaten to death. I was young and accepted the church’s truth as my own.’: Man raised homophobic says ‘God taught me to love everyone, and I will do just that’
“I was taught that only women and men were meant to be in holy matrimony, and same sex marriage is a sin. I was raised to be homophobic, but I will raise my kids to love everyone. If I’m going to inspire change, I have to start with myself.”
