Living Gay in My Conservative World

All this talk about Phil from Duck Dynasty has me up thinking tonight instead of sleeping. I'm gay, Christian, red neck, and a fan of the show. First I'll say that I believe in the freedom of speech. I believe that everyone has the right to their opinion and the right to express it; however, I think that opinions can be stated in respectful and tactful ways. I think that Phil, even in his red neckness, could have stated his opinion in a less demeaning and hurtful way. With that said, I move on to the purpose of this post and that is how to live gay my conservative world. I find myself often torn because really other than believing that homosexuality isn't a sin and being for marriage equality, all of my other values align with the conservative side of the spectrum. I am pro guns and pro life. I believe in Jesus and the bible. I believe in family and monogamy. I could go on but you get the point. A lot of people who support my views on homosexuality would condemn me for my views on every thing else and most conservatives would condemn me for being gay despite everything else I believe that aligns with their beliefs. I often find myself on the fence or in this weird gray area and it's lonely. I still eat at Chick-Fil-A even though the owner doesn't like my lifestyle. Why? I like their chicken, I like that they are closed on Sunday and that they play Jesus music in the restaurant. I will still watch Duck Dynasty. Why? It's funny and reminds me of my family. The main reason I will continue to support anti-gay Christian media and companies though is hope. Like Chick-Fil-A and Phil, I too once condemned and hated gays (myself) in ignorance. After 27 years, I finally figured it out. I'm not going to go into all the details but I had a change of mind and heart that I believe was from God and I have hope that the conservative Christian world will someday find that too. I also have hope that the other side will see the truth and see Christ for who he his and not how his followers portray him. I have hope that one day my black and white worlds will collide and I will no longer have to feel like I'm on the fence with one foot in each camp. Lastly, I would like to say to Phil, "be nice" and to the HRC (Human Rights Campaign), "calm down" and to both sides, "please learn to understand and respect one another." And that's what it all boils down to, respect.