October 11th, 2012 
Kelli 
Timothy Kurek, 26, is a brave and righteous man because of what he did, all on his own. This straight Christian man was told by a friend of his that she was a lesbian; Thanks to that moment, he started to realize that he may not be right about his homophobia or his religious stance on being gay.
He took himself on a year-long journey where he ‘came out’ to friends and family, despite the fact that he was not actually gay. Although he told his mom and heard her reaction, he wanted to know how she really felt, and got his answer after reading some of her journal. (which is sneaky, not wrong, according to the 10 commandments)
‘I’d rather have found out from a doctor that I had terminal cancer than have a gay son,’ she’d written.
Ironically, this is what he should have expected, seeing as he grew up in this household, where this was what being gay meant, utter disappointment and disbelief. For him, he was able to overcome his fear and hatred to learn a valuable lesson in life.
The Cross in the Closet, the book that Kurek wrote, is being released today, National Coming Out Day. A percent of all the sales will go to an organization that helps homeless LGBT youth, which shows the transformation that has come from his year undercover.
The young journalist even went so far as to ask a man to be his pretend boyfriend. Shawn was a ’big, black burly teddy bear’ and Kurek was able to confide in him and even care about this man, his new friend.
‘I needed protection to keep me balanced and teach me the nuances of gay culture and how they flirt, and to give me an excuse when guys hit on me,’ he said.
[He was] ’the first gay person that I let into my heart. He was totally there for me through emotional turmoil. I trusted him.
Before Kurek embarked on this journey he said that the idea of even being around gay people repulsed him. After the journey, he said there is no lingering homophobia once so ever.
Sadly, Kurek wasn’t quite ready for the loneliness he felt and the sheer abandonment of those he loved.
‘The thing that struck me most was the isolation,’ he said. ‘Before I came out as gay, I had a very busy social life. After I came out, I didn’t hear from 95 percent of my friends.’
DailyMail: Rev. Connie Waters, a protestant minister and supporter of LGBT rights from Memphis, first met Kurek online while debating his church’s stance on homosexuality.
She called his year undercover a life-changing transformation.
‘It’s what you hope for – the goal of the Christian walk of faith,’ she said. ‘It’s enough for me that he transformed, but if others learn from him, what an extra blessing that is.’
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