Courageous Love: Ben Conrad

My son, Ben, was born to two people who were raised in Iowa in the 50s and 60s, where and when homosexuality was not a word! We didn’t even know what it was. When he was a toddler, we were already having discussions about his preferences for toys (Suffice it to say he was not into war toys and trucks!), but the idea of him being gay was not even an option. Because our children were raised UU, they attended “About Your Sexuality,” and as parents we attended the mandatory parental training, and we were not comfortable at all with the “homosexuality” section.

But our son overcame his clueless parents and came to grips alone with his sexuality. I feel blessed that he and I were able to share that journey, and the LGBT movement is now one of the prime motivators of my life. My first march was in Washington, October, 2009, when I carried a Standing on the Side of Love placard, and walked proudly with hundreds of thousands of gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual, transgendered individuals.

I am proud of my son and, dare I say it, of myself for being willing to be part of his journey. He opened up my life. Thank you, Ben!