A Note from Justin to His Dad

To My Father who is my Best Friend and my Super Hero,

I don’t think I will ever forget the day that I told you I was gay. I was visiting the family after a year of school some 1200 miles away. I was driving your truck and I asked if I could tell you something. You smiled and said, “Of course son.” I plucked up the courage and said, “Dad, I’m gay.” You smiled and said, “Son, you are who you are and no one can change that. As long as you are happy, I am happy for you. You are my son and I will always love you.” A few tears fell from my face and I remember telling you how happy that made me and that I loved you so much.

I knew that you knew though. You told me it was always up in the air because of certain things in the past. I never did shoot an animal with you while hunting, I never really did bond too much with you as a child. However, as I grew older and approached the end of my teenage years, you and I seemed to become best friends. We would sigh when mom and sis wanted to keep shopping. We would always catch a monster truck show or a comedy together. You made me into the motor junkie that I am now! You taught me to respect everyone and to cherish my friends and to love my family. There are so many things that I have wanted to say to you over the last five years, but I’ve held back for fear of losing you. I told myself that I was going to tell you while I was visiting, and I did. I couldn’t be more proud of myself and I feel that you couldn’t be more proud of me either. I think I can understand how difficult those words must be for a father to hear. I understand there may be a bit of disappointment, but you never showed it. You have accepted me for who I am and that only shows me that you truly do practice what you preach. I feared that when I told you, you would turn around and walk away, never to speak to me again. I was foolish to think you could ever be that kind of man. This is what I want the world to see though, that the fear of losing someone because of this should be obsolete. Why should one fear to lose someone over the fact that they are gay. Yes, GAY. I LOVE being gay, as I told you that very night. I wouldn’t change it for a thing. Along with everything that you have taught me, being gay has shown me that the world is ready for a change. The world is ready for this level of acceptance. I was always strong before, tackling some challenges with your help, others on my own. However, I feel ever stronger knowing that I won’t ever have to tackle another challenge without you cheering me on, and that is such an amazing feeling! I am proud to be gay, and I am proud to call you my father.

I LOVE YOU DAD!