Spiritual Gay Men's Group NYC

ZOOM Meeting Only- Email unitypridemen@gmail.com for link.

### Finding Freedom Without Pretending It Never Happened

Have you ever been hurt by someone you loved, trusted, or expected to protect you? Perhaps it was a parent who couldn't accept you, a friend who betrayed your confidence, a partner who broke your heart, or a person whose words left a wound that stayed with you long after the moment passed.
People often tell us to forgive and move on. But what does forgiveness actually mean when the pain was real, the consequences were lasting, and the person who hurt us may never acknowledge what they did?

For many gay men, the journey toward self-acceptance may include painful experiences of rejection, judgment, abandonment, or shame. Some of us are still working through the impact of family relationships, religious messages, friendships, or romantic relationships that left us feeling that something about us was unacceptable.

But does forgiveness mean forgetting? Does it mean reconciliation? And can we forgive someone without allowing them to hurt us again?

In this spiritual discussion, we'll explore the difference between forgiveness and excusing someone's behavior, between releasing resentment and denying our pain, and between making peace with the past and allowing it to continue controlling our present.
Through the lens of Unity spirituality, we'll consider how we can honor our own healing while recognizing the Divine Presence within ourselves and others—even when their behavior has caused us pain.
Together, we'll explore questions such as:

• Why can forgiveness be so difficult, even when we want to move forward?
• Is it possible to forgive someone who has never apologized?
• Can we forgive someone and still choose not to have them in our lives?
• What happens when holding on to anger begins to hurt us more than the person who hurt us?
• How do we distinguish forgiveness from excusing harmful behavior?
• What does it mean to forgive ourselves for choices we made when we were doing the best we could?

This is a welcoming, judgment-free space for honest conversation. You are never required to share more than feels comfortable, and no one will tell you that you must forgive before you're ready.

Forgiveness is not saying that what happened was okay. It's discovering that what happened does not have to control the rest of your life.

Join for a thoughtful conversation about healing, spiritual freedom, healthy boundaries, and the possibility of moving forward without erasing the past.