Qism and Glass Closet Sanctuary Founder's Page
About Michael Clark
Michael Clark is the Qism and Glass Closet Sanctuary Founder currently residing in El Paso, Texas USA.
I was born in Michigan's upper peninsula in 1970 into a military family. My mother was in the Army and my father was in the Air Force. As a result, I have moved and lived all over the world. From an early age, I was exposed to many different cultures, religions, ethnicities, and languages. I have lived in the US, (California, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wyoming, Texas and Puerto Rico) the UK, and Turkey. I have traveled across the USA, to Scotland, Wales, France, Spain, Liechtenstein, Italy, Austria, Costa Rica, Mexico, South Africa, and Swaziland. All of these places and the people I have met have helped to shape me into who I am today. I am currently a resident of El Paso, Texas.
I identify as a cisgender gay male. I have known I was ‘different’ from other people when I was very young, but I did not have the language skills to identify that difference as having the LGBTQ+ Spirit. However, growing up, it was very often pointed out to me by others. I learned early on that the LGBTQ+ Spirit was detectable by others and did not understand it. I was teased, mocked, alienated, isolated, hit, punched, sexually assaulted, and generally left to feel unwanted by my peers and adults for reasons I did not understand. When I was growing up, being LGBTQ+ was not as widely accepted and not acknowledged by the media or society as a whole as it is now. References to LGBTQ+ people were only used in stereotypical ways as a highlight for what others deemed freakish behavior. I have VERY clear memories of my grandpa’s homophobia after watching a news story about a Pride parade during the 1970s. At that time, I had never been exposed to the LGTBQ+ community or any LGBTQ+ people, as I was young, but I knew inside my Spirit was the same as theirs, and realized at that moment that others hated us. Others hated ME. I believed my grandpa would have hated me if he had known. I kept my mouth shut and learned to live in the closet, or so I thought. I didn’t realize this closet was made of glass. Everyone knew!!! I was hiding nothing. You can’t hide an impossibly bright and shining Spirit.
There was no internet to search back when I was growing up. There was no one else like me that I knew of. I was alone and lost. I remember being thrilled when I found the ONE book related to being gay at the school library entitled, Trying hard to hear you. That book changed my life and is why I am a firm believer in having LGBTQ+ materials and knowledge in schools. I firmly belief no books should ever be banned. I sought out this information on my own accord, as is natural when going through puberty regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. After reading Trying Hard to Hear You, I came out to my best friend. It was the beginning of a long road to self-acceptance. In high school, I wrote papers on homosexuality and the AIDS crisis and it was not well received by the teachers. HIV and AIDS began in the 80s when I was coming of age and honestly scared the hell out of me since it was dubbed a "Gay disease". An unintended positive consequence of this knowledge and learning is the fact that I have never been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS or any sexually transmitted disease, despite being involved in multiple serodiscordant relationships. Early education was and is crucial.
I officially came out to my family, coworkers, and friends when I was nineteen years old. I was prepared to be abandoned by my family, but that did not happen. In fact, I have received nothing but loving support from all members of my family throughout my life. I am very fortunate. I know this is not always the case when Non-LGBTQ+ family members learn who the LGBTQ+ Spirit really is on the inside. Despite the love I had from my family, I still struggled greatly with interacting with Non-LGBTQ+ members of the community who were not in my family or immediate trusted friends.
Throughout young adulthood, I tried to pray away the gay. It did not work. I sought out religion. I joined the Mormon church while in high school, mainly because I thought the missionaries were cute as hell, but still thought if I lived a righteous life God would love me regardless and I would suddenly turn un-gay. I did not want the burden of being LGBTQ+. I took in the message and quickly realized that I did not belong there despite trying to date females, and planning the ‘traditional’ family for many years. I sincerely thought that I could reject the LGBTQ+ Spirit I had within me; I could not. The Mormon church’s views did not agree with my own when it came to the LGBTQ+ Spirit, but I was trying to conform as expected from the greater dominant society. I even sought out conversion therapy in an attempt to be like my Non-LGBTQ+ cohorts and be accepted as ‘normal’. I knew I had NOT choose to be LGBTQ+.
I struggled hard with what society expected from me and tried to conform. As a result, I had severe issues with my mental health, which lead to a life of addiction and substance abuse. I was an active addict for over 21 years. I attended some rehab/recovery programs and twelve step meetings as required by the programs I was in over the years, but knew I did not belong there. I did/do NOT believe my addiction was a disease, and I absolutely did/do NOT believe I was powerless. Having lived a life of addiction, I know that addiction is a choice, even when it comes with physical dependency. I chose to stop using by myself and by myself alone. However, I do currently believe in the benefits of Cannabis and Psychedelic assisted therapies such as Ketamine for positive mental health and have benefited greatly from both.
I was never really a big part of the LGBTQ+ community. I remember going down to a local LGBTQ+ organization with a friend when I was in my early twenties when I lived in Dayton, Ohio. We were the youngest two in attendance. We were there for their HIV/AIDS buddy program and wanted to volunteer. We were turned away for being too young. That broke my heart. I was well-educated on the subject despite my age and felt rejected by my own community. I withdrew, never to really return. However, I still always attended major events like Pride Parades and the March on Washington in 1993.
I also took a gap year in my education, before that was a thing, then continued my learning by attending a local community college where I studied American Sign Language and Deaf Studies. My education always involved language learning. I have studied French, Spanish, Ancient Greek, Latin, and American Sign Language. I worked as a professional Sign Language Interpreter for Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities for over 27 years, in addition to teaching American Sign Language and courses related to the field of interpreting in the Deaf Community and Deaf Education. I furthered my education with a Bachelors’ degree in Classical Humanities and a Masters’ degree in Education. I have worked in a variety of settings as a result and have also served as a mentor and created mentorship programs for interpreters working in community and k-12 settings and wanted to improve their professionalism and skill. I continue learning to this day.
Later in life, I tried joining a Catholic church where I was quickly groomed for sexual assault by a local priest who preyed on vulnerable men in recovery. After I was sexually assaulted, I realized there is no God. That experience also worsened my mental health exacerbating my PTSD, Bipolar Depression, and Anxiety. I made bad decisions one after the other. I got involved with someone who physically and emotionally abused me. I had multiple suicide attempts as a result of all the negativity I was feeling and my mental health issues continued to spiral down a dark path until it culminated in a violent event where I was assaulted by a Peace Officer during a psychotic break from reality. I was subsequently arrested for that assault and charged with two felonies and two misdemeanors for resisting arrest. That nightmare is finally over with ALL charges being dismissed.
As a result of all of these events, my belief system radically changed. I began to really reflect on what I did actually believe and what my own values consisted of and where I actually belonged. The end result is the creation of this religion: Qism and the Glass Closet Sanctuary. Welcome. I am excited that you are here.
Founder's Personal Beliefs/Philosophy
These beliefs are those of the Founder and not necessarily the views of Qism or the Glass Closet Sanctuary.
POLITICS
Being an American Republican is an abnormal life choice!!! (See Texas GOP Official platform)
NATURAL WORLD
According to science, aliens most likely exist
Possible DNA manipulation by aliens
We could be biological robots
Multiverse vs. Universe
MENTAL HEALTH
Addiction is a choice, not a disease, but can lead to physical dependency.
12 Step Programs are ineffective and directly conflict with my beliefs. No one should be forced to attend 12-Step Programs. I would absolutely protest on the basis of freedom of religion. We are NOT powerless in any aspect of life including addiction.