The Good: A Governor’s Emotional Realization

Sadly, I think I’ve been there. It was the moment I realized I was gay but wasn’t prepared to tell anyone. The only way I knew how to act, was to act homophobic. If I made fun of gays or was a bully, there was no way they would know I was gay. A bully could never be gay, right? Fortunately for me, it didn’t last long. I proudly came out but never forget that time in my life.

This week the Governor of Utah opened up about his own bullying towards the LGBT community. He isn’t gay but did come to realize after the attacks in Orlando how hurtful his actions were at that time in his life.

Every time I meet someone who is homophobic or anti-equality I just think about that bad time in my life. I think about all of my life experiences and how it was through those times that I grew to be a better person. For me, those spreading hate simply haven’t had a good friend, a child or a colleague come out to them. They haven’t experienced what we as a community have experienced. It took me 22 years to come out of the closet, I feel I owe them that much time to put their hate aside and begin to spread love. Here’s to this Governor for owning his past and putting hatred aside, and standing firmly for love.

So what did this Governor say? Read the story here, courtesy of ABC News.