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December 11, 2023 12:10 pm  #1


Can't stop wondering and need advice

Married 5 years now. I'm the third wife. I'm questioning his sexuality as he lacks desire for me and we barely have sex. The first year we had sex every day. He showcased desire for me. We've had multiple discussions about it and he claims to be very attracted to me, and that he's stessed and tired and it's something we both have to work on. However, he doesn't look at women in a sexual way. If I try to initiate playfullness he will push my hand away and say he did that because it tickles. He does all the things a "good husband" should do. Buys me flowers, gifts, leaves me love notes, and is very affectionate as far as hand holding, snuggling, and forehead kisses. Never once found porn sites, he doesn't use any gay apps. He does light up when speaking about certain guy friends (whom are married). I know where he is at all times and don't think he has ever been with a man. He is very concerned about what other people think of him and his actions. He has one boy from his first marriage age 18. I know for a fact he rarely had sex with his first two wives. Oh, and he was very jealous in the beginning of our relationship, and now there's no issue. Which makes you think he's not so I'm very confused. If I bring this up I know he would never admit it. I feel so lonely for intimate connection, and feel so sad. There is no evidence but this nagging feeling i have. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you. 

Last edited by LostInWonder (December 11, 2023 12:13 pm)

 

December 11, 2023 2:53 pm  #2


Re: Can't stop wondering and need advice

Bonnie Kaye, who had a website for straight spouses said she had spoken to, can't remember exactly but I'm thinking maybe 3000 straight wives and not one of them turned out to be wrong in wondering if their husband was gay.  something like that, just remember reading it and thinking oh, well add me to the statistics.

Gay in denial, it's a thing.  It is all around the place.

Same as you, I didn't think he could be doing anything behind my back, we lived together, worked together and socialised together.  Since leaving I have met someone who had regular coffees in town with him, there was a whole group of them would get together and my ex never said one word about it to me at all.  My friend was shocked when we put two and two together and he had to recognise that the nightmare wife he had heard all these (false) stories about was actually me who he knew quite well by then and liked.  I was shocked both to discover my ex had been doing things behind my back I really did not think it possible and also how long it had been going on and how bad the gaslighting was, still find it shocking.
 
Sorry to say but everything you say does add up to thinking your husband is in the closet.  Your instinct is nagging at you (mine did that too) and all I can think is third wife, he has probably got very clever at hiding his tracks.  

 

December 11, 2023 3:22 pm  #3


Re: Can't stop wondering and need advice

lily wrote:

Bonnie Kaye, who had a website for straight spouses said she had spoken to, can't remember exactly but I'm thinking maybe 3000 straight wives and not one of them turned out to be wrong in wondering if their husband was gay.  something like that, just remember reading it and thinking oh, well add me to the statistics.

Gay in denial, it's a thing.  It is all around the place.

Same as you, I didn't think he could be doing anything behind my back, we lived together, worked together and socialised together.  Since leaving I have met someone who had regular coffees in town with him, there was a whole group of them would get together and my ex never said one word about it to me at all.  My friend was shocked when we put two and two together and he had to recognise that the nightmare wife he had heard all these (false) stories about was actually me who he knew quite well by then and liked.  I was shocked both to discover my ex had been doing things behind my back I really did not think it possible and also how long it had been going on and how bad the gaslighting was, still find it shocking.
 
Sorry to say but everything you say does add up to thinking your husband is in the closet.  Your instinct is nagging at you (mine did that too) and all I can think is third wife, he has probably got very clever at hiding his tracks.  

Thank you for your response. I appreciate you taking the time to write it. I know what you have said is correct about the nagging feeling. It's honestly so sad for everyone involved. For so long I thought something was wrong with me. Never would have occured to me before. Gay in denial. His sister is even gay, but he cares so much about projecting a certain image to the world. Now I have to figure out what to do from here. How did you approach your spouse? Thanks again.

     Thread Starter
 

December 11, 2023 7:16 pm  #4


Re: Can't stop wondering and need advice

Yes me too - I always thought it was something wrong with me too - not him.

I'd asked him if he was gay before but he always said no and finally I think why didn't the first no satisfy me so I looked on line found this forum and that is when I learned the term gay in denial.

The way I approached him was to ask if he was bisexual, that worked for a bit, he didn't deny it, he talked about it, he said it meant he could choose who he wanted, it meant he was special, and it wasn't any of my business.  I maintained he wasn't straight and he should have told me.  After two weeks, yes two whole weeks of talking about this he says he's changed his mind, he is 100% straight and if I think different that would make me crazy.

It was a threat.  I got divorced as fast as I could.  It was my solicitor who said to me you do realise he is being emotionally abusive and financially abusive don't you.  

So my advice is not to approach him, don't bother.  Give yourself the benefit of the doubt not him.  Stop thinking of him as a partner and give yourself a hug, keep your counsel like you did before you got married, look for friends and family you can talk to.  

One good thing I did was straightaway I took back paying the bills and managing our joint bank account which he had been doing for the last little while.

 

 

December 13, 2023 10:46 am  #5


Re: Can't stop wondering and need advice

Hi there and welcome.

By the time we find this site, most of us already have enough evidence / feeling that our suspicions never turn out wrong.

 

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