By Rev. Kurt Condra
As a gay man coming out in the ‘90s, I was very skeptical of churches that were not gay-led. So when I found Unity and heard “wherever you are on your spiritual path,” I was intrigued enough to keep coming back. I sat in the back rows, somewhat wary of how this straight, largely white congregation in a conservative part of the world would react if they knew I was gay. Then I signed up to help with a church clean-up and got paired with a retired marine colonel to wash windows. He was genuinely curious to know me better, but I ducked his questions about my personal life, and avoided gender-indicating pronouns until his questioning grew so pointed that I relented and “confessed” I was gay. When he then shared how much he loved and treasured his relationship with his lesbian daughter, I knew I’d found a home where I could be fully me, and fully out.