Being in love with a man who is confused about his sexuality is a bit frustrating at times. I love him…. and in that, I mean all of him…. but did I really sign up for this?
If I were to ask my husband today if he were gay, he would say no. He would just say that he is interested in being with a man… but because he hasn’t been yet, he can’t really decide. Even though we have been on this journey for what feels like forever, he’s still unsure of what all of this means.
If I were to go back to three years ago, he wouldn’t even admit that he liked guys to me openly. It was just something that he tried to keep to himself, and did a miserable job of doing so. It was summer of 2015 that he looked at me with an openly pained expression on his face and said, “I think I might be bi-sexual”.
“Yah, I know,” I replied.
The relief on his face was heartbreaking. He was in some serious pain. I had read about this on multiple sites…. the struggle that many men went through, in being honest with themselves, and in being honest with their wives, children and family.
And no wonder: In my own research into this, there isn’t a lot of support for the men who admit they are gay/bi-sexual and the women who love them.
In fact, I had purchased all of the books available on Amazon by Bonnie Kaye, after being on her website : Gay Husbands, Straight Wives. I had been hoping for understanding, reassurance, and maybe a guide line, or how to.
What I got instead was a bunch of stories of many men who had cheated on their wives, who had led 2 different lives, and really did some God-aweful things to the women they chose to marry. Rather than feeling more confident about our relationship, it only brought up more fears for me.
I think the part that got to me the most was her statement that there was no such thing as a bi-sexual man. He was gay, or he was straight and there was no in between.
And yet…. here was my husband, confessing to me one of his own biggest secrets, that he was attracted to both women and men. Confessing that he was wanting to experience sexual acts with a man…..but that he still wanted to love me, his wife, and make love to me just as before.
Would it be possible for him to have both? Could I be open enough and supportive enough for him to experience it? Would I be confident enough in myself to help him to move forward with his curiosity?
Because of my own inner work that I had been doing behind the scenes since my first discovery of his shemale porn addiction, I was able to sit with Jay after his confession, and discuss what this would mean for our relationship.
What made him come to the conclusion that he was bisexual? Was it a ‘phase’ that he was going through or was this something that he had been thinking about and feeling for quite a while? Was he wanting to explore outside of the marriage? And if so, how often would he need to ‘get out of the house’ to satisfy himself? Was there anything I could do to support him in his own sexual journey?
His answers were simple: He wasn’t sure that he was bisexual, but he knew that he wanted to try having sex with a man. He was bi curious. The desire came and went….it wasn’t every day, but sometimes the urges to be with a man were stronger than he could control. It had been something that had started prior to him watching the shemale porn, and the porn that he was watching was really just an opening door for him to see if it was in his head or pants or whatever. He would like to explore outside of the marriage, if it was okay with me. Perhaps we could have a threesome. He wouldn’t know how much he wanted it, until he tried it at least once. And I was already doing enough by simply listening to him.
It was a conversation that I will never forget…. even though for some it may tear them apart, I felt in those moments that our souls were bared to one another. We were both standing on the edge of the cliff, and neither of us were willing to let each other go.
If you are a ‘straight wife’ wondering if your husband is bisexual, or gay, or some mix of the two, I invite you to open yourself to him. Be comfortable within your own skin to help him discover and accept these hidden parts of himself. There’s nothing wrong with him…. or with you. Conversation and acceptance for both of you is key for your relationship to move forward. This doesn’t need to be the end.
If you’re a bi-curious/bisexual/gay man married to a woman, rather than allowing your guilt to eat up at you, have the conversation with your wife. 99% sure that her woman’s intuition is already telling her something is up. The more you can open yourself up to her about what your feelings truly are, the freer you will feel.
I understand that not everyone will be able to have these conversations, however, it is these conversations that can allow us to grow together as a couple. Again, this doesn’t have to be the end. Trust in each other.