They say that a lot can happen behind a marriage. Every marriage is a story of its own, after all, and what a story it was between Brad and Cyndi Marler!
Just a few years after they got married, they revealed to each other that they’re gay. And for three decades, they told no one else!
In a recent interview, Brad said that they always said it was them against the world. They lived ‘the all-American life’ in the small Illinois towns of Smithton and Freeburg, and the Marles finally decided to ‘live authentically’.
They recently came out to their two adult children and decided to start their new lives in Chicago.
They both grew in religious households, so coming out wasn’t really an option for them.
They celebrated 32 years of marriage in September, and never told their secret to anyone because they were afraid that would get found out. The two built their home, raised their kids, and never strayed from their ‘traditional marriage’.
They maintained their traditional gender roles in public, and they “had it all”: the dog, the two kids, the house.
However, Brad had become deeply depressed and started working on his internalized homophobia. He shared that he hated the part of him and couldn’t understand why what he had with Cyndi just wasn’t enough.
The couple lived together after they finally decided to go separate ways in March this year. They sold their home, moved into separate apartments in Chicago, and went on to explore life as part of the LGBTQ community for the first time in their lives.
About the change, Brad said that it’s like going through a second adolescence, and everything is new.
Cyndi, on the other hand, decided to focus on figuring out herself before she pursues a relationship with a woman.
The two claim that they’re still best friends, and they believe that things have improved for them – despite some struggles.
Source: Daily Mail
