- Before he gave the vision, he already made provisions
'cause he knew you guys would wind up together.
Even before you were formed in your mother's womb,
he knew you.
I just, I'm thankful.
Oh, come here Antoni.
Antoni.
(group laughing)
Oh, my baby.
- Can I read a letter that I wrote to him?
- Yes.
- Okay. All right.
- Love to.
(sighs)
(solemn piano music)
- Okay.
Dear Dad,
It hasn't rained in a week,
but as I reflect on you
the sky has suddenly opened
and poured out everything it can no longer hold.
Yesterday, and countless other days,
I am overwhelmed by emotion,
and it too pours out.
Through it all, I know
you would want me to live my fullest life,
carrying on your name and legacy
even further than you did.
And if what people say is true,
our loved ones really do look down on us from heaven,
then you already know that I'm well on my way
being what you wanted me.
If what people say is true,
then you also know that I am gay.
(soft orchestral music)
These three words have been an enormous wall between us.
I'm sorry for not tearing down the wall sooner.
You were an incredible dad
and didn't deserve to be left out.
Love, your son.
So,
I thought it was important to tell you
my truth,
that I'm gay.
(sniffles)
I wish I could share this moment with Dad
and see how happy
happy I am.
And-
(crying)
- I'm happy for you
♪ I can't do this alone. ♪
♪ Alone. ♪
- I'm sorry for keeping it from you.
- That's fine.
♪ Alone, alone. ♪
♪ Show me where I belong. ♪
♪ Belong. ♪
- But, the past 6 to 9 years they've been-
it's been a trying time for me.
I've dealt with so much stuff that I can't talk about.
I just hid it from you.
(sobbing)
I don't think I would be here today
if I didn't have some of the people,
some of the friends, some family like you.
Not being honest,
I mean I can't be just like,
I dunno, it just felt like a lot.
I don't have much family here.
And you are my family
and I don't wanna lose you.
- No, you won't.
I'm always gonna be there for you.
- You will?
- Just like I know you gonna be for me.
- Yes.
(sighs)
Okay, I'm relieved.
(laughing)
Thank you.
- For the first couple days you kept saying
you can't fix ugly.
And, it broke my heart. - You all have fixed ugly.
(laughs)
- We have fallen in love with you.
And I didn't really expect to have this moment with you.
And you are such an amazing man.
- You guys are making me cry.
(crying)
- [Karamo] No, it's okay.
- [Tan] Oh, we love you Thom.
You're such a good man.
(emotional guitar music)
- I'm sorry.
- [Karamo] No. - [Tan] No.
- We'll miss all of you guys.
Cheers.
- [Antoni] Cheers.
- No more hiding.
You ready to see?
Let's look at your new smile.
(emotional guitar music)
(crying)
- Thank you.
(group laughing)
(sobbing)
I can smile again.
- [Tan] Yeah.
- Thank you.
- It's my pleasure.
(crowd cheering)
(crying)
- Everything in my life has brought me to you.
All my regrets,
all my choices,
all my tears.
I wouldn't change a thing.
I'm ready for our next step to begin.
I'm ready for us.
Shannon Anne Eller,
will you marry me?
Be my wife?
- Yes.
(crow cheering)
- This got me.
- I know.
How was it when he first told you he was gay?
He told you when he was 14, right?
- Around 14.
It took me aback, you know,
for a minute, and for a while.
And it was a process.
Brenda, she was one that was always
you know, she would talk to me
you know, about it.
When God enlightened my heart,
we sat around this very table, I sat here,
he sat there.
And I said, "Mama needs to apologize to you."
And he looked at me in the eyes and he was like,
"For what Mama?"
I said, "Because
Mama
loves you,
you know that right?"
And he said, "Yes."
I said, "But I need to ask you your forgiveness.
Because Mama has not loved you unconditionally."
And, you know, he looked at me,
"Mama, I forgave you a long time ago."
And I said, "No, I need to hear you say that."
I said, "Because, the Bible that I reads tell me that if
I have wronged somebody, or mistreated someone,
to ask their forgiveness first.
And then I'm free to go to the Father."
- [Tan] Yes.
- And I told him at that point,
"Your Mama has your back." - Yeah.
- She thought her faith told her
to judge somebody who was gay.
But she chose to see past that
and she saw the individual,
she saw the person that her son is,
and she changed her mind.
She says that it was a religious experience,
but she made that choice.
Not all parents do that.
(machines beeping)
(dramatic instrumental music)
- [Karamo] This is his top surgery.
- And when we say top surgery
we mean to get rid of the breasts?
- Yes.
(whistles)
- [Man Voiceover] I was born and identified as a woman.
But since I was in preschool,
I've known that that just wasn't me.
I remember when I was 12 years old standing in a mirror,
and contorting my body in different ways
to be seen as more masculine. - [Tan] Whoa.
Thinking, I'm gonna get a surgery
that makes my body look like this one day.
(dramatic instrumental music)
(machines beeping)
(murmuring)
- We finished your surgery.
- Wanna take a little quick peek?
(emotional piano music)
- Oh!
- [Antoni] He just looked down for the first time.
(machines beeping)
(laughing)
- Wow.
- We all struggled with coming to the realization of that
we were different than everyone else.
And I can only imagine just how hard it was
to realize that you weren't born with the right body.
That he was able to come to that realization,
and take the steps to become who he truly is.
He's an inspiration.
- I'm blown away by how fearlessly you embraced
this transformation.
- Right.
(laughing)
Exactly.
Like, I feel like radiant,
and beautiful, and sexy, - You are.
and confident.
I had it in me, but you all brought it out,
and I really appreciate it.
(guitar music)
I just feel like
I had pretty much given up on kind, genuine people.
Like really, I did.
Because everyone that I met,
I felt like they pitied me, and they looked down on me,
and, you know, they expected me to be someone else,
more black, less white, more gay, less gay.
I'd basically just accepted that the real world sucks,
and family doesn't exist, unconditional love doesn't exist.
But you all just showed me that it's beautiful and sexy
to like care for yourself.
- Yeah.
- You know what I mean?
And it's like, cute and confident to just be black,
and be gay, and be a woman,
and what that is is me, I'm always that.
- Yes.
- So, when we were packing up the old house,
- Okay.
- you know, I told you I wanted to make sure
I made a very special place for you to keep your memories.
- Oh, man.
- And all the cards said, you know,
"Be nice to your brother." - "Be nice to your brother."
- So what I did was
- Oh my goodness.
- I had it made in her handwriting.
(laughs)
- Oh, that's beautiful.
Oh my goodness.
That is amazing.
(emotional piano music)
Thank you so much.
That's beautiful.
- I thank god for this week.
This week we worked with the Fab Five.
They put their whole heart
into the community center out there.
These are five gifted men
who are gay.
And through the course of the week,
you know, we were able to build some relationships.
That's what it's about, building relationships.
They shared with me how they have been just
torn down and rejected.
And the church has turned their backs on them.
How can I say that I love God,
but I cannot love the ones that are right there next to me?
(clapping)
I would call myself a hypocrite.
And I say I was around five gay men,
I was around six.
My son walked away from the church
you know, and it's been my prayer
that he comes here and feel the love
you know, the love that Pastor Fava founded this place on.
The love that surrounds me every Sunday.
Do I love Jesus?
Yes.
Am I a believer?
Yes.
Do I love my son?
Yes.
(clapping)
Yes.