Monday, January 17, 2011

A Writer of Gay Romance Comes Out... And Discovers What It Means to "Own Yourself"


I came upon this and had to share it with you all.

C. Zampa is a woman writing in a community where she felt she had to hide the fact that her book is about a romance between two gay men. As the book publication date grew closer, she realized she couldn't continue to hide - she couldn't continue to be closeted about her book... and she came out! (that's a link to her coming-out blog post!)

I think it's a really good reminder that the idea of hiding and passing and pretending and keeping the truth of who you are and what (and who) you care about isn't just something Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning people deal with - or just something our allies might imagine.

The challenge for all of us on our life journeys is to be authentic.

I'm so proud of C. Zampa for coming out and being real.

And I hope her story inspires others to be real about themselves, too.

Namaste,
Lee

7 comments:

Jonathon Arntson said...

We all have our own coming out stories, and I am thankful when others shares theirs. It's important for those who are afraid to come out to see that you are typically met with support. I remember the days when I thought I'd have to run away if I came out.

nutschell said...

It's always a cause for celebration when a person finds the courage to be true to herself. :)

Lee Wind, M.Ed. said...

Jonathon,
thanks for sharing that painful memory - fear can be so overwhelming, but being real is so worth it!

Nutschell,
YES! being true to yourself is indeed always something to celebrate!

Namaste,
Lee

C. Zampa said...

Lee, I'm touched aht you shared my blog post.

I have to say, I am lucky in that I have a supportive community (workplace, family) around me. I never knew how supportive they were until I DID come clean about what I was writing.

While I am not lesbian, it's still 'coming out' all the same, and was a scary thing to do.

I realize that others who read my blog will disapprove of my choice, but I had to weigh which was more important: their approval or my peace of mind.

Thank you so much for sharing this.

And, Jonathon, my heart goes out to you've found your peace with your coming out.

Jennifer Morian Frye said...

May we all be increasingly more 'comfortable' being authentic. The world might just be a happier place.

The Pen and Ink Blogspot said...

Lee, have you seen the picture book
My Princess Boy - a mom's story about a young boy who loves to dress up.
http://www.myprincessboy.com/index.asp
I read it Saturday. I loved it. Will be using the first line

Sarah Stevenson said...

Her post was beautiful and inspiring--thanks, Lee, for sharing it!