Sing baby, Sing!

I went to a very conservative baptist church growing up (till i was 18!). My grandparents also went to very conservative baptist churches. I had to go to church every sunday.

Have you ever been to a baptist church? These are things I remember: be kind to others, help the sick, the needy, the less fortunate etc, don't have sex before you get married (they had me sign a card making that promise), you have to confess your sins in order for them to be forgiven.......if you are gay, you're going to hell; if you over-eat, you are going to hell; if you don't listen to christian music, you are going to hell; if you break any of the 10 commandments, you are going to hell; if you think about sex, you are going to hell; if you have sex in any position other than missionary style, you are going to hell;

basically, I was going to burn in hell.

The point I am trying to make, is that when I walk in a church I get a sick feeling my stomach. I thought all churches were like mine growing up. Being gay, I feel so uneasy in churches.

I am just now starting to figure out that MANY churches welcome gays with open arms. I am still getting used to idea though.

The GF sings in a choir that performs african america gospel music. AND I finally got to see them live this past weekend. The show was at a Church of the Brethren. Not one I am familiar with at all.

Considering most of the crowd used a walker, I stuck out like a sore thumb. One woman asked me if I was with the choir, and I told her yes. Then she asked me how I was associated with the choir, and I told her I was the girlfriend of one of the choir members.

Later she turned around and asked me who I was there to see.....

I thought I had dodged that bullet. It is so hard for me to trust that it is OK to be gay in a church.

I told her I was there to see the one in the front row, all the way to the left and I said her name (which is important, because in a tux the GF doesn't stand out as being a woman)

I didn't get struck down with a bolt of lightning, nor did the woman stop talking to me.

I am still getting used to it.

I will have to look into these 'church of the brethren' folks...