"It's OK to be different, it's OK to live authentically. You can be gay and a Republican ... and this widening gap of hatred simply doesn't need to exist."

Excerpts from Nathan Ivie's coming out video

"There is no easy way to put this, so I might as well say it up front: I am gay. That is my reality. That’s what I need to talk about today.

After decades of wrestling with who I really am, I’ve come to understand and accept some things about myself that have not been easy. I understand the impact my discoveries have had and will have on others, but while this discovery is relatively recent, I am still the same person I have always been. I hope, to you, this part of my life doesn't become my defining trait.

...

My long journey to discovery and self-acceptance began when I was just 9 years old. I just felt different. My orientation and attractions were not those that were expected of me – not the ones that I was taught to expect, for that matter. I believed there was something wrong with me and I fought from the beginning to find some way to change myself. That battle resulted in a failed suicide attempt when I was 22.

Though I recovered from that near-tragedy and tried to live the life that was expected of me, the truth is that I never felt comfortable in my own skin. I felt I was living someone else’s life, rather than my own. It felt deceptive, not just to others, but to myself.

Many of you know that one of my greatest skills and passions is as a horse trainer. I love working with horses, and always have. But I finally realized that I have spent most my life feeling like the horse that was born defective, broken, and destined for the kill pen.

In recent years, that has changed. I have come to accept that, while I may be different, I am a still a loving person, worthy of love, who values others and hopes to be valued. I’m as committed today as I ever have been to faith, family and freedom. But I realized I could not continue living a lie. It wasn’t fair and it wasn’t right – for anyone.