text: I feel the need to address myself as a gay person for the simple reason that I am gay, and while I would rather not be defined solely by my sexuality, it's mostly other people who do that for me. And I am well aware of the church's retrograde teaching on the subject, thank you very much, and don't need you or anybody else to remind me of it like a Sunday school teacher. My witness in this world as a gay Catholic is to challenge what I see as bad teaching, long held, which, while traditional, is very destructive for the lives and sanity of millions of people, especially young children. The church has believed and taught many tertiary things throughout its history that it has long since abandoned, though on the primary tenets of the faith enshrined in the creeds it has remained rightfully firm in its belief, and I am right there with the church on those matters all the way. I am prepared to let the Lord judge me as  I am. I don't need you or anyone else to do his job for him.