I’ve been thinking a lot about Jeff lately—about the kind of man he is and what he means to me. Earlier this week, he came out publicly on Instagram, and it feels like one of those moments that deserves more than just a passing acknowledgment.

I’ll be honest: when Jeff first told me he was gay, I wasn’t sure how to handle it. I’m embarrassed to admit it now, but I was a lot more homophobic back then than I’d ever like to admit. I’d grown up with this idea of what it meant to be a man, and being gay didn’t fit into that picture in any way I could understand.

Jeff being gay wasn’t a problem for him—it was a problem for me.

The thing about Jeff, though, is that he has this way of quietly holding up a mirror to the people around him. He doesn’t push, doesn’t lecture. He just… is. And in being himself so fully and unapologetically, he’s taught me more about strength, vulnerability, and love than I ever thought possible.

It feels strange, in a way, to talk about him “coming out.” To me, it’s not news. It’s just another magnificent part of who he is—the man I love like a brother. But I also know how powerful it is for him to own his story, to share this part of himself with the world in his own time and on his own terms.

I’ve learned so much from Jeff—not just about being less of an idiot when it comes to my own prejudices, but about what it means to be truly open to the people in your life. He’s shown me that strength isn’t about conforming to some narrow idea of what a man should be. It’s about being yourself, even when it feels like the hardest thing in the world.

I’m proud of him. Not just for coming out, but for being exactly who he is.

~ Matthew 🌳