Matt
My name is Matt and I am a gay Christian. I kept my feelings to myself until college, at the largest Baptist university in the world. I grew very close to a classmate of mine in the theatre department.
One night after hanging out as “straight friends,” I let out a huge sigh and realized I had fallen in love. After we confessed our love to each other, I didn’t know how to grapple with being in a relationship with a guy. I listened to every sermon I could find, hoping there would be one pastor who would tell me everything would be okay.
Pronouns: he/him
Photo of Matt Tolbert
A few weeks later, I woke my secret boyfriend up in the middle of the night in tears. I picked him up from his apartment, and we drove to a vacant parking lot so I could play him one of these sermons from a pastor I really respected but who severely condemned homosexuality.
My boyfriend quickly shut it down with “Matt, I want to be with you even if the only thing we can do is hold hands.” What could I say to that? What could anyone say to that? I’ve hung my hat on that statement for the last 13 years as we are now married and working toward building a family together.
Have we moved beyond the hand-holding stage? Absolutely. But the fact of the matter is that God has bonded us together, and if someone thinks that some translations of Scripture say homosexual sex is a sin, then I have a husband who says if so, he loves me and wants to be with me regardless.
Our love is undeniable, and I believe love comes from God.
Photo of Matt & partner
