“I had been keeping this secret most of my life, and I planned to take it to the grave”, Kenneth Felts told Today.
Love can come at any moment in our lives. Expressing it and feeling it is a deeply human act that everyone deserves, but unfortunately there are people who for different reasons cannot, such as living in a conservative environment that limits them, or even forbids it. That is what usually happens to people who love those of their same sex in different parts of the world and throughout history.
Kenneth Felts, a 91-year-old man who lives in the state of Colorado (United States), grew up in a time when LGBT rights were rejected and ignored, which is why he was forced to hide for decades his homosexuality.
“I had been keeping this secret most of my life, and I planned to take it to the grave”, the man said in an interview with Today. “If you came out, it would really cost you: your family, your job, all your relationships. You would immediately be called a pervert”, he added.
Facebook: Kenneth Felts
Kenneth was clear about his sexual orientation from a very young age, but the circumstances made the decision to say it openly difficult. “In 1942, when I was 12 years old, I realized I was gay”, he told Today. The religious environment in his home strongly influenced his desire to hide it until he became an adult and left home.
When he joined the navy he met a man he fell in love with, named Phillip. They had a romantic relationship during their youth and those were the happiest years of his life. “It was a void in my life that had suddenly been filled by another person who, apparently, had some of the same needs”, he told the outlet.
Despite that, Kenneth ended the relationship because of religious conflicts. With his secret kept, he moved on with his life and married a woman with whom he had a daughter. Years later they divorced.
Kenneth Felts
The man wrote his memoirs in a book, where he said that after being diagnosed with cancer and beginning chemotherapy, he decided to tell his daughter the truth. “One day I was talking with Rebecca and I told her that I wished I had never left Philip”, Kenneth told Today.
She supported him, and he felt motivated to make it known on Facebook at age 90. Unexpectedly, he received affection from his contacts and felt freer, and he has even inspired more people who have gone through the same thing. “Many of them tell me that they now have more courage to come out of the closet. I’m out, I’m gay and I’m free”, he told the outlet.
Facebook: Kenneth Felts
It is never too late to begin a new stage in life. Thanks to his decision, he now enjoys life as it should be and met a new love named John Hau, his companion at every moment. A blind date was what ended up bringing them together.
The two are engaged and look forward to a whole future ahead. “I hope for another year with John and even more wonderful experiences. I love him and I want him to be here forever”, Kenneth said on Facebook.
The truth sets us free.