The gay community certainly has much to be proud of this year. There is unprecedented gay and lesbian acceptance in our society and in much of the world. Everyone — gay, straight and otherwise — can be proud that we are living in a time when people are becoming more understanding. While we really can be proud of the gains that have been made in acceptance and understanding of all people, let’s not forget that there is also a long way to go in helping those who still suffer the results of gay shame.
Those who are over 40 grew up in a society in which the American Psychiatric Association classified homosexuality as a psychiatric disorder. Until a few years ago, there were no major church denominations where a gay person was welcome to be involved in the church. To this day, many churches are not exactly embracing the gays.