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March 3, 2017 2:41 pm  #1


Not Sure What to Think/Feel/Act

My husband and I are very happily married. We have been friends for years. We have a wonderful family and an all around great life. 

Because we have been friends for a long time. I knew he had been with men. It was, from what I told and understood more experimental, maybe trying to explore his sexuality and that's all it was. ( About 15 years ago) We reconnected in 2010 and it was never mentioned. We were dating and then subsequently got married. For the past year or so, I would find things. One time, I went on his phone to pull up a video for our son to watch, while at the grocery store and gay porn was there. I didn't want to mention it to him, because I didn't feel like it was my place to do so. A few months later in a very public forum, he had looked out/followed another site. This was not hidden. He  thought it was discreet but it wasn't. This was when I asked him if he was Bi-Sexual and he said he was. That he assumed I knew. I didn't associate, being experimental as being Bi. Now-- he was getting text messages from a previous guy that he was with, and he didn't tell me about it, until the guy messaged me to let me know that they have indeed been together, granted it was years ago. But that he thought I should know that he has been with men. Its borderline harassment. I haven't really been confronted with this directly, it has always been in the peripheral. 

I know that being bi doesn't mean that there is a compulsion to be with men. I just don't fully understand what my role is. I love him. He is much more than his sexuality. This is just something, I don't fully understand. I don't want to be in an open marriage. I don't know if that is the expectation?  Is there this underling urge in general? I'm just at a loss.-- We live in a pretty conservative state. I have tried to find counselors to maybe help talk us through these initial stages. But the majority think this is something that can be "cured" and I fully don't believe that. I just want to try to 1. Understand. 2. Find out if there is anything I can do, to make it easier for him to be honest with how he is feeling or wanting.

Any advice at all would be great.

 

March 3, 2017 2:59 pm  #2


Re: Not Sure What to Think/Feel/Act

Welcome LunaChrissi, 

Sorry you find yourself in this tough situation.  I think you've come to a good and safe place where you can get some help from people who have been through what you are going through.  Just remember that none of us are professionals.. we can only speak from personal experience and our own ideas and thoughts. 

You referenced "being cured".  Almost everyone on this site will tell you that is not possible.  It is the general belief amongst our group and most experts in this arena, that same sex attraction (SSA) is genetic.. It's how a person is wired.  So if you are wired to be attracted to a certain sex, you can't really expect to be cured of that.  I'm sure there are people in the world who will claim this works, but most of us think that's untrue.  

One of the things we struggle with is what it truly means to be BI.  Of course we know that by definition this means a person is attracted to both genders and may enjoy intimacy with both genders.  However in this forum, in most cases, our spouses use the term "Bi" because it's more socially acceptable than "gay".  So it's a way of easing their way out of the closet.  If a spouse is bisexual, that implies that there is a future in the marriage because he/she still desires us.  I truly hope your husband is in fact "bi" and does still desire you.  If this is the case, then keeping your marriage and your monogamy is still very possible.  I pray this the case for you. 

It seems like you need to have some challenging discussions with your husband.. and counseling would be a very good way to do that.  You will naturally want to know if his admission of being "Bi" is truthful, and hopefully not a cover for him truly being gay.  You will want to make sure that he is handling his attraction to men without actually engaging with them physically.  Are you ok with him using porn?  You will want to have some discussions about trust.. is he willing to give you access to his phone/computer or does he expect full privacy?  

Again, welcome to the group.  Please feel free to share as much as you like.  There will surely be others who will chime in and offer advice from their own experiences.  

 


-Formerly "Lostdad" - I now embrace the username "phoenix" because my former life ended in flames, but my new life will be spectacular. 

 
 

March 3, 2017 3:24 pm  #3


Re: Not Sure What to Think/Feel/Act

I wanted to clarify: I know that this is something that can't be cured. All of the counselors I have called so far, feel like it can be. That is their " approach"  So finding help in our area is proving to be difficult. I'm sure not impossible. Just difficult.

We have had some long discussions. He seemingly is Bi in the definition sense. He has told me numerous times, if he wanted to be gay. He feels confident he could live that lifestyle. That he has no qualms or isn't ashamed of it. I have, asked in a few different ways if this was just a means of coming out and he has told me no. I feel confident in believing him.

I suppose I am okay with him using porn. I try not to delve into that too much. I just would rather him be discreet about it.  No matter what kind of porn it is. I just hope that once we find a counselor he will be more open to being honest with me. I just don't know how to move forward without coming off as judgmental. 

Thank you for your response!
 

     Thread Starter
 

March 3, 2017 3:34 pm  #4


Re: Not Sure What to Think/Feel/Act

Hi LC,

Welcome.  I'm sorry you find yourself here but hopefully we can help you answer some of these questions.

What I tell everyone (and what others told me when I first came here) is to take the gay/bi part out of it.  Is it acceptable to you that he's out there on gay sites and having contact with ex lovers?  In my opinion I'd say no.  Would you contact an ex of yours and think it was ok?  Or would you feel like you were cheating?  What concerns me is that his ex contacted you.  I can tell you with almost 100% certainty that you were not contacted as a "courtesy" just to tell you something.  That man was contacting you to try to stir something up.  No Ex in the history of time has ever contacted someone's wife just to let them know something.  His motive is to get you pissed, out of the picture, and eventually, get with your husband - that's what this sounds like to me.

You ask what your role is and that you want to understand it.  Any spouses roll is to expect faithfulness and honesty.  As a wife, you shouldn't have to be wondering what your role is.  There is nothing you can do to make it easier for him to be honest.  In my past experience and in the experience of many here, we've found that if someone is already showing a track record of hiding things then that's not a pattern that's going to change.  In my case, I tried to ask for honesty.  I asked him for the truth with no judgment on my end.  But even that wouldn't make him be honest with me.  Years later, even after our divorce, he's still out there fooling other women. 

All I can say is to keep reading here.  Keep taking the gay out of it and asking yourself if this behavior is acceptable from any partner, gay or straight.

 

March 3, 2017 10:20 pm  #5


Re: Not Sure What to Think/Feel/Act

Luna,

A warm welcome to the forum/board.    

Still wondering said it best..   There is the gay (ok you call it bi) thing and then there is the distrust.    A spouse should not have to worry or wonder what their spouse is up to.  Its demeaning...if the spouse keeps it up it's actually a form of abuse.   If you're like me the distrust will eventually make you physically not well.
Keep posting and keep snooping..   But also ask yourself why you have to snoop.

A warm e-hug in this time in your life.
 


"For we walk by faith, not by sight .."  2Corinthians 5:7
 

March 4, 2017 9:13 am  #6


Re: Not Sure What to Think/Feel/Act

Hi,
For a counsellor try these sources. 
http://glma.org/
https://www.aasect.org/
Vicky
 


 
 

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