Giving Shame a Voice

We thought, how can we provide you with information to help you understand shame in the GLBT Community?

We decided to create this series, Giving Shame a Voice, to give you insight into the shame experienced by gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. Throughout this blog, you will find postings that feature a different individual reaching out and speaking shame.

The questions we posed include:

1. When did you first know that you were gay?
2. Have you ever felt shame? Describe it.
3. When, and how, did you become aware that you were experiencing shame?
4. Describe a time when you felt isolated or alone in the world?
5. Explain a time when you weren't comfortable with yourself. When, or how, did you get to a place where you eventually were?
6. If you could go back and see yourself at a time when you were experiencing shame and darkness, what would you say to your past self?
7. What stereotypes apply to the GLBT Community? Have you ever been victim of such labels?

We instantly loved the idea of creating this blog series! We were aware that no two people experience shame in the same way, nor express shame in the way same, so the thought of being able to offer several perspectives and viewpoints made us very excited!

Please follow this series, and be mindful and respectful with your comments, as they are the real words of real people!


Note: We obtained permission from our interviewees to post their responses on this blog for educational purposes, but we have changed the names on each posting to respect their right to privacy. We thank them for their participation.