HUGH DODDS: I started experiencing feelings about men
even before I was married.
And I kind of suppressed those feelings.
And before my first child was born,
a workout buddy led to my first experience with a man.
And that person was multiple times, even
after my children were born.
My particular mistake was keeping that to myself
because my upbringing, what the Bible says about homosexuality,
and what the Southern Baptist conservative people
believe about homosexuality.
And here I am one, married, a lovely wife,
and it's like, why am I doing this?
What is wrong with me?
What if someone found out?
My life would be ruined.
I was losing weight by leaps and bounds,
depressed, crying all the time, because I
had just lost a family.
Who wouldn't cry?
I've just lost a job.
Who wouldn't cry?
I just lost my respect, my self-respect.
I just lost the image of a Southern
Baptist Minister of Music.
You can understand, possibly, reasons why-- how
can I tell my family I'm sorry?
How can I tell that lovely wife that I'm sorry?
And no matter what she thinks of me, I still love her.
How can I tell my children that I still love them?
I did-- after I got discovered, and after the cat was out
of the bag, so to speak, then I would
go to bookstores just for gratification
and would meet people.
A very bad place to go, because that sexual drive in me
was like a wildfire.
It was like I could not get control.
Suicidal thoughts did come along.
So he calls me and said, Oprah is
looking for someone in your nature to go on the show.
Will you?
Ooh, no.
I didn't want to do that, because if I did then
the whole world would know.
Not only the family, but the churches where I had
been in the past would know.
I can't do that.
And I got on the phone and I called my family.
I said hello. What's up?
Well, I'm in Chicago.
Why are you in Chicago?
Well, I'm going to be on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
What are you doing that for?
Tell the truth.
Are you sure you want to do that?
Do you realize the ramifications of what you're about to do?
I said, yeah, but it's time.
I'm tired of running.
I went, after "The Oprah Winfrey Show," it's history.
The entire world knew, other churches knew,
friends, neighbors, family knew.
That was the beginning.
When it aired, they came running to-- did you see Hugh?
And one lady said, oh I saw the Oprah show yesterday.
We're so proud of you.
Some of the guys said, we saw the Oprah show.
I'm sorry.
Well, you stronger than I could.
We're proud of you, Hugh.
And some people that didn't even know me began to support me.
I'm fortunate that my family supported me.
I can't imagine what people were telling my children.
And they were skeptical.
I didn't condemn anybody, I didn't condemn them.
I just-- over time, my life began
to prove otherwise, that what they had heard
was not necessarily the truth.
And today, love them to death.
My daughter named my grandson after me.
So I guess that means she must be pretty proud of her dad.
I'm happy today, absolutely.
God has blessed me in so many ways,
I can't even begin to name them.
But I have my family.
I have my children.
And I have their love.
I have my grandson.
It's a struggle for most of us daily
in this world to survive and live and be happy,
but happiness I think is a choice,
just like anger is a choice.
There are a lot of negatives out there, be it people,
be it church, be it your boss, whatever.
But what life you have left, live it in honesty.
Live it openly, whether anyone approves or not.
It's your life.
And when you get to the end of your life, then look back
and say, well I wished I had done this lot,
well, it's too late.
Today is the best time to start.