In the profound story of Devon Gibby, a 36-year-old traveler, LGBTQ+ advocate, and devoted co-parent, the complexities of identity, faith, and love intertwine in a compelling narrative of self-discovery and acceptance. He recently opened up about his decision to divorce his wife and leave the Mormon Church after coming to terms that he is gay.
Gibby’s upbringing within the Mormon Church shaped his worldview and life choices, leading him to marry a woman at a young age despite grappling with his own sexuality. Reflecting on his journey, Gibby acknowledges the restrictive nature of his religious environment, which hindered his ability to explore and understand his true identity.
In fact he told Men’s Health that he knew “fairly early on that I was gay,” but still decided to get married to a woman at the age of 21 after he “came back from my Mormon mission in 2008.”
“My religious environment didn’t allow me to have any kind of healthy exploration of my sexual identity, and there were no other gay people I could talk to. I’d always wanted to be a father, and as far as I was aware, gay dads didn’t even exist,” he stated.
After getting married, Gibby quickly had two children with his then-wife, and thereafter, he started questioning his beliefs. He shared how his point of view gradually changed after taking a class in creative writing and critical thinking, explaining:
“I was still in college at Brigham Young University in Utah when I began grappling with this […] My worldview crumbled pretty quickly once I began to think about it in this new, more detached way. I was able to see clearly how my own feelings and experiences came into conflict with what the church said about gay people. And once that fell apart, it gave me a lot more freedom to look directly at that part of myself and start to understand what I was feeling.”
The first few people Gibby came out to was his BYU roommate and close friend, who was the one who introduced him to his former wife, one of his bishops and his wife.
“Needless to say, those conversations didn’t exactly go great […] And once I told my wife that I was attracted to men, she saw herself as somebody who could help me “recover” from that,” he recalled.
Gibby also noted that he and his now ex-wife didn’t part ways immediately after coming out to her. According to him,
“We actually stayed married for five years before I finally understood that this was a part of myself that was never going to go away.”
Thereafter, he decided to distance himself from the Mormon Church, and finally come out to everyone in his life.
“I realized that embracing my entire identity would mean breaking away from Mormonism. Living as an openly-gay man, and starting to date guys, were incompatible with continuing to be a part of the church. I knew that I needed to distance myself from that way of life. And that began with coming out to everybody I knew,” Gibby stated.
After coming out to them, he revealed that his family initially “took it hard.” However, at present, “My family have come to accept the fact that I’m gay, even if they don’t exactly embrace it.” Gibby also noted that after their mutual decision to get a divorce, he and his ex-wife realized that they would be better off as friends. They are now co-parenting their two kids, as he lives close to them in Utah.
Moreover, he admitted that although he still has a “good relationship” with his family, things have never quite been the same after he came out to them.
“Making that change for myself definitely came with sacrifices, but it has been worth it,” Gibby further expressed.
The reactions of his loved ones to Gibby coming out may not have been the most ideal as we all hope for everyone in the community to be loved and accepted wholeheartedly. The out and proud hottie is living his true self now though, and we couldn’t be more happy for him. <3
The path to self-acceptance is always fraught with challenges, including his difficult conversations and the dissolution of his marriage. Yet, through resilience and courage, Gibby embraced his true identity as a gay man, choosing authenticity over conformity.
Today, Gibby stands as a beacon of hope, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and challenging the norms of traditional beliefs. His story serves as a testament to the power of self-discovery and the transformative journey toward embracing one’s true self.
In a world where acceptance and understanding are often elusive, Devon Gibby’s story offers a glimpse of hope and possibility. As he continues to navigate life’s complexities, Gibby’s unwavering authenticity and commitment to living his truth inspire us all to embrace our own unique identities, regardless of the obstacles we may face.
Source: menshealth.com
