Bella, their two-year-old daughter, is a beautiful, smart, and mischievous little girl. With their son, JP, on the way, I asked Amber some questions about her journey and the direction her life has taken. I knew there was an interesting story behind this happy woman and amazing mother—but what I found was so much more than what I even expected.
Q: Did you date boys or girls or both when you were growing up?
A: I had boyfriends growing up just to shut up my sister, who knew I was a lesbian and teased me about it. I didn’t look or act like a tomboy when I was growing up, but I loved sports and videogames, which was what I did with my “boyfriends,” avoiding physical contact with them at all costs! I had crushes on babysitters, teachers, and other attractive older women, but never girls my own age until college. The pressure to be straight was great, and I feared that if I didn’t have a boyfriend, my family would get suspicious. I feared being outcast by my friends and family.
Q: Did you grow up with a lot of religion in your household?
A: My mom was raised in a very strict Christian household, but she rebelled heavily from it. My dad has never been a religious individual … I grew up being sent to church on Sundays with my mother’s parents while my parents stayed home and slept off hangovers … My grandparents played a big part in shaping me spiritually—they tried to pour as much Christ into us as they had time to, trying to “undo” or “reset” what my parents were displaying to us with their lives. I soaked in more of God’s Word and took hold of it, and I wonder sometimes if this was because I wanted so badly to be straight. I really grasped what the Bible said and felt a strong connection with God and Jesus at a very young age. He was one of the warmest, realest, most peaceful things I had in my life as a child. He was always there, even when I felt I didn’t deserve him to be so near to me because I might be gay.
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