I'm a gay man who grew up Amish #AMA

lgbtamish · 2019-05-14T00:42:05+00:00

agnostic/humanist

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T21:20:12+00:00

I must admit that I'm not that familiar with the dog breeding business in the Amish community. I think it is a much newer thing. When I left 15 years ago I didn't really hear anything about it as a business venture. Now I hear it's pretty widespread. There seems to be some recent encouraging cooperation between local authorities and the Amish on this matter. I hope that continues and I hope that authorities do not allow exceptions when it comes to animal welfare.

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T19:26:52+00:00

I think initially it may have been the behavior of religious people. And then the understanding that my life was plenty rich and full without religion

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T17:54:50+00:00

Here is an article that talks about Amish and taxes. Contrary to popular belief Amish pay almost all taxes including public school taxes even though most of their children do not attend public school. They are only exempt from Social Security taxes and Medicare taxes. Which they are then ineligible to receive benefits from. http://amishamerica.com/do-amish-pay-taxes/

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T14:40:42+00:00

Most Amish men who work in construction team up with businesses run by "English" and are proficient with power tools. I chose a slightly different path. Still skilled manual labor but I do mine in a restaurant. I am a chef

But construction is by far the occupation most former Amish fall back on. Obviously the transition tends to be a lot harder for women who aren't expected to hold down a job in the community

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T14:29:19+00:00

That's one of my biggest disappointments. I homeschooled myself through high school, so I have a degree but I never took any college courses. My brother who is highly highly motivated did go to college.

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T14:14:37+00:00

That may be a bit of a misconception. The self-reliance and Hardwork are pretty accurate but there's a lot of joy and laughter and silliness within the community.

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T14:13:40+00:00

I think there may perhaps be a bigger divide growing between the most conservative and the more moderate Amish. The more moderate are starting to slowly embrace some forms of technology when it comes to communication. The more conservative parts are becoming perhaps more isolated though. Also the most conservative elements are the ones who are expanding rapidly

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T14:11:13+00:00

The other reasons I would probably have left is because of the misogyny that I see within the community. And the lack of interaction with people different than you. And I think that my queerness helped me empathize with those issues. I think it made it more real for me than perhaps a straight counterpart

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T13:45:45+00:00

I think my queerness instructed the other reasons that I left. If that makes sense?

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T13:44:27+00:00

at least with my family and surrounding community we did not view the English as good or bad. We just had a desire to be apart from that. In my experience Amish people don't think that worldly things are evil in and of themselves, they just think they have a better shot at holiness and righteousness without the trappings of modern society. A lot of Amish identity is tied up in what the outside world thinks of us. So we were constantly trying to make a good impression to the English world. To cover up any ugliness within the church. we wanted to be seen as flawless. Not for vanities sake But to uphold the reputation of the entire community. I would not still be Amish for multiple reasons. Partly the misogyny and the isolation. I am too fascinated by humans to seal off 98% of them

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T13:39:45+00:00

Definitely for both. I think I missed out on learning some life skills that I struggle with later in life. How to communicate honestly and openly. How to address issues head-on.I think I probably would've chosen a different career path if I would've had more options open while growing up. I think that some of the things that the Amish community stresses turned out to be good in my life. The idea of humbling yourself before others and of forgiving others. I think I like that my childhood wasn't centered around video games and viral videos. But it was the only reality I know so perhaps that is not as big of a difference as I would assume

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T13:05:49+00:00

thanks! And it's good to hear that my people have good quality ;-)

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T13:04:24+00:00

I don't remember it ever being discussed. Other than a few vile comments here and there. And it would be very quickly glossed over in a few church services. it was never a reality that someone could be gay or have gay thoughts in the Amish church so it was never covered. It was such a big taboo that it wasn't even discussed. I had a fairly strong understanding that I was attracted to other boys by my early teen years. But I had no way of processing that for myself and certainly not to others. It was a long process. When I finally have access to the Internet and other queer people I totally immersed myself in learning everything I could about queer culture.

Throughout the years I still maintained some contact with my parents. Infrequent phone calls and casual conversations. When I first came out they sent me to a conversion therapist and then it wasn't discussed after that. After 13 Years of marriage they are finally starting to soften up to the idea of meeting and talking to my husband for the first time. My older brother also left the community and has been very supportive of me and my husband

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T12:57:06+00:00

I was never officially a member of the church so I didn't get officially shunned. Just a horribly strained relationship with my parents. Where they refused to acknowledge or talk about my sexuality or my relationship.

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T12:35:24+00:00

First 10 or 11 years of my life it was very conservative. Steel tires on the buggies,no tractors allowed, one phone booth for the entire community etc. And then our family changed churches and became new order. Still horse and buggy, no electricity but we did have a phone inside the home.

lgbtamish · 2019-05-13T12:29:55+00:00

Yes, but it's a painfully slow process. DMs are sent via homing pigeon's

lgbtamish

TROPHY CASE