Richard AmmonA beautiful and poignant coming out story:
Gay teen athlete used weightlifting to keep from killing himself
Preston Cope hated who he was growing up in rural Ohio, but is coming to acceptance as he looks to a brighter future.
“I was mourning the death of the person I would never be, while simultaneously hating the person I was.”
http://www.outsports.com/2017/6/6/15717310/preston-cope-weightlifting-ohio-gay-coming-out
My message to the author, Preston Cope:
Dear Preston,
No doubt you have received many responses to your fine online coming out story.
It is your story and the story of countless other LGBT people.
It was painful to read about your struggle and joyous to read about your victory.
What you needed to hear, before and forever, is that sexual orientation is an absolutely normal aspect of human nature. Everyone is oriented. A few are oriented toward their own gender, most are not. That is the way of nature. Some trees grow to be oaks other to be birches.
Your pain came from ignorance (yours and others) about nature: it is, above all, diverse. You and I are part of that wondrous diversity.
And my sport is swimming, for the past 65 years! Come to the Gay Games next year in Paris. I’ll buy your plane ticket!
Sincerely
Richard Ammon, PhD
Psychologist, Travel Writer and Swimmer
LGBT Travel Website: GlobalGayz.com
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Laguna Beach, California
