Speech and Aunts

My aunts came to my ToastMasters speech this morning. My speech was the one on 4-H rabbits. They got up early and everything. My own sister didn't come because she slept in until 1pm. (She's having issues and being kind of an issue...)

The humorous speech contest went well. I didn't win, but I had 70% good times during my speech and only 30% "ums" and fumbling and dropping things on the floor oops.

My Aunts spoke during the meeting too. They were really lively and spoke very openly. It was great to have them there. They then took me out to breakfast.

My new Aunt Diane was telling me how she met my Aunt Carol and how life was for her back when she first came out in Texas at the age of 19. She had grown up going to a Fundamentalist Church -where they pretty much tell you you're going to Hell for so much as thinking on your own outside of what your told by the priests. When she came out she was shunned by the church and disowned by her mom. She said she was so desperate to find someone that she would endure abusive girlfriends in relationships just so she wouldn't have to be alone. She moved to Corpus Christi, Texas and there she considered it the most "open" place she could be because there were gay bars. She had been single 5 years when she met my Aunt Carol.

She said when my Aunt Carol told her about California and how gays could openly walk down the street hand in hand without fear, Diane cried. She had never known a place like this. She was tearing up when she told me how overwhelmed she was by being so welcomed in by Carol's family and by me without judgement or disdain.

Knowing I had been raised out in the country in Northern California, my unt Carol asked me how I made it through without becoming homophobic. I said, my mom's side of the family isn't homophobic. In fact my Grandma Cookie told me about a freind of her's who let her brother with Aids die alone because she refused to see him because she was what I call "severly Catholic". My Grandma told her, "Shame on you. You're brothers going o die and you're going to regret not being there for him for the rest of your life". Her friend said, "I can't support what he is". My Grandma said, "He's your brother!" I was so proud of my grandma for standing up for him like that. I can't imagine not being there for any of my family members for any reason.

The town I was raised in has undertones of discrimination. A friend of mine in high school had a racist father. My sister emily had a boyfriend who once wore a Yes on Prop 8 poster around the high school until she told him to take it off. There are a lot of churches in town. But the people aren't hateful or organizing against anyone. They're just ignorant.

I'm glad Diane and Carol found each other. After Aunt Carol became a widow 10 years ago I didn't think she would ever marry anyone again. When she first started seeing Diane, it was like someone had turned that light inside of her on again and she looked so happy. Today the two are insperable and they seem so connected and at peace. They're getting married next year. I'm going to be so excited to see the wedding.