Bruce Downer
Bruce Downer is from Middletown, Connecticut. He attended Post University in Connecticut where he studied business management. After finishing college and working in his chosen field for a while, he decided that it wasn’t for him. He decided that nursing was his true calling, and he attended Goodwin College and the University of Texas at Arlington.
Bruce’s Family
Bruce has been married to his wife, Joanne, for 23 years and they have two grown sons, Brandon and Tyler. With their children being grown and Bruce knowing that he wasn’t happy in his marriage, he and his wife decided to end their 23-year marriage in 2017. Even though his children were grown and his marriage was over, Bruce made it a point to spend as much time with his sons as possible. In 2019, he traveled with his two sons to Orlando, Florida, where they visited the Universal water park, Volcano Bay. This was just one of many trips that they took together. On June 30, 2019, he and his son, Tyler, attend the WorldPride event. This event celebrates the LGTQ community, and it was important to Bruce because, after 23 years of marriage, he came out to be gay. He knew better than anyone how important acceptance and tolerance were.
Coming Out
Bruce says that he finally came out because he was finally strong enough to stand up and admit that he didn’t want to live this life anymore. He says that he no longer wanted to live a lie, and he wanted to live his true life. He was worried about his wife’s reaction. And he cared for her deeply, but he didn’t love her the way she deserved to be loved. When he finally got up the nerve to tell his wife the truth about his sexual orientation, she had a surprise for him that he never saw coming.
Joanne Is Gay Too
Bruce tried to tell Joanne the truth as easily as he possibly could. He didn’t want to hurt the mother of his children and his wife and partner of 23-years. When he told her the truth about himself, she told him the truth about herself. She told him that she was gay as well. Bruce says that she had no idea that he was gay, and he had no idea that she was during their entire marriage. Neither spouse showed any signs that they were harboring such a huge secret.
Finding Love After Marriage
According to Bruce, since the divorce, Joanne found love again with a woman. In fact, the two are engaged to get married. Bruce says that he is still single, hoping to find someone one day to share his life with. He says that he is being patient, and he is just happy that he can finally be himself. Bruce says that living with such a huge secret for so many years is difficult, and he is finally no longer carrying around such a huge secret.
Another Twist In the Story
Bruce and Joanne coming out after being married for so long may not have been a coincidence. Their son, Tyler, came out before his parents, letting them know that he was gay. Tyler says that part of him suspected that his father was gay, which made it easier for him to come out to his family. Bruce says that it was his son’s courage and forwardness that gave him the courage to come out.
Things Aren’t Always Perfect
According to Tyler, just because he and his father have their sexuality in common, it doesn’t mean that things are always perfect. He believes that the two clash from time to time because they are so much alike. He says that there are times that he feels as though his father is critiquing him about what he is doing because he is the same.
Sharing Time Together
Even though Bruce and Tyler butted heads from time to time, they are still very close. This is why it was so important for them to attend the Pride event together. The two men wore tiaras, and they enjoyed the carnival atmosphere. It was something amazing that they could do together.
An Amazing Turnout
Tyler and Bruce say that they were so glad that this was the Pride event that they chose to attend. It was terrific, and there were plenty of people there celebrating. According to the organizers of the event, there were about 2.5 million people lining the streets of New York to watch the parade pass by. Bruce and Tyler were proud to be part of it.
A Rare Story
It isn’t rare to hear about a spouse coming out as gay after years of marriage when their children are grown. It is rare for both spouses to come out as gay at the same time. This man came out as gay to his wife of 23 years. Then she made an astonishing confession. Bruce says that the fact that his wife also came out as gay is likely the reason the two have remained such close friends.
