Kenneth Felts may be 90 years old, but he’s also living proof that it’s never too late to be who you are. The Colorado grandfather recently made the decision to come out as gay to his family after hiding his sexuality for nearly a century and it’s one of the most beautiful and heartwarming stories you’ll ever hear.
- Felts fell in love back in the 1950s. Kenneth’s first true love was a man named Phillip with whom he fell in love with in California when he was in his 20s. They had a wonderfully caring, loving relationship but ultimately, Kenneth was too afraid to live as a gay man and so decided to continue living his life as if he was straight.
- He first realized he was gay when he was 12. As reported by The Denver Post, Kenneth was born in Dodge City, Kansas in 1930 and was frequently bullied by his classmates. He first became aware of his sexuality at the age of 12 but he kept his secret locked away throughout his life, even through his marriage to his ex-wife, which resulted in his daughter, Rebecca. That marriage ended in divorce for different reasons, but he doesn’t regret it in the slightest.
- Kenneth Felts came out by accident. While everyone is under lockdown due to coronavirus, Kenneth has been working on an autobiography, which is what brought back the memories about Phillip. While talking to his daughter Rebecca, he mentioned how much he regretted letting Phillip go. Rebecca was incredibly receptive and in fact, the moment was a particularly poignant one since Rebecca had come out as gay to him years prior.
- After he told his family, Kenneth decided to come out to everyone. He posted a message to his friends and family on Facebook and sent emails to those who weren’t on the social media platform, revealing his truth. He was nervous about how people would react but he wasn’t going to let that stop him. “I’ve been in the closet all my life — deep in the closet, behind rows and rows of clothing. I’m way back there,” he said. “Opening that door at the front, I had great trepidation as to what people would say. I was very concerned because I needed people and I couldn’t stand the thought of losing them just because I decided to finally be who I really was.”
- Now Kenneth Felts is out and proud and he’s never been happier. He has a gay pride flag on his property, wears plenty of rainbow clothes, and is generally just loving living his fabulous life. “He just really seemed to take it and run with it,” said his daughter-in-law Tracie Mayes. “He seems to be making up for lost time and really is owning it, which is fantastic.”
- Sadly, Phillip has since passed away. Posting on his Facebook page, Kenneth revealed that Phillip died and that after his partner passed away years prior, he spent the rest of his life alone. It’s so sad that he was unable to say goodbye, but it’s so wonderful for Kenneth to finally be living his truth.
