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Gay Fathers Association of Seattle |
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An
all volunteer, not for profit organization
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“Typically, when a married man
starts to face his truth of being
attracted to the same gender, he begins
the journey by coming out to himself and to a few trusted friends.
Often, he feels as if he were the only man in the world to experience
this process and the sense of aloneness is often nearly overwhelming. We
have discovered that the issues involved for a married man with children
are not identical to those faced by single men who begin the “coming
out” process. For the married gay man, there are often many more people
involved who are affected by his decisions. He must consider his spouse,
his children (and even occasionally, his children’s friends), extended
family and of course all of the folks in his life who may have been
clueless about his true identity and attractions (“He can’t be gay- he’s
married with children…”). This can be a somewhat painful process, and
yet nearly every man who has traveled this road says afterward that it
was the right choice for everyone involved.
lowly begins to
face that which he may have not fully known. Others were aware of their sexual orientation but for various reasons chose to marry (often with
their wives fully knowing
the facts of the husband’s orientation). It has been our experience that
for many of these married men, there was some type of religious
background which caused them to feel “broken” and “damaged”. It is not
uncommon to hear stories of men with such religious backgrounds who have
gone to counseling or various groups for years on end, hoping to get
“fixed” or “healed”. For others, as they began the process of soul
searching which many face in middle age, they are forced to confront the
truth of their sexual attractions. They realize that to be authentic
human beings, they must face that which has caused them to retreat to
the corners of their souls.
heterosexual marriage while others remain married. Through
shared experiences, we have formed a close community
that goes beyond the bi-weekly support meetings which are held at a
neutral location on Capitol Hill. Our monthly pot luck socials, book
discussion group, holiday events, various impromptu social activities
and our annual autumn houseboat trip provide camaraderie and an
opportunity to further explore what it means to be a gay father and a
gay man in today’s world. Over the years, hundreds of gay fathers have
come to the realization that they are, in fact, not alone and that there
are many other gay fathers that share their journey as each man
struggles to become his authentic self. We provide a safe and supportive
setting for each man to resolve his issues within his own personal time
frame, and stand with open arms toward those fellow travelers who share
our struggles and joys.|
© GFAS 2009 |
|
|
Gay Fathers Association of Seattle |
|
|
An
all volunteer, not for profit organization
|
|
© GFAS 2009 |