Michael Gene Harmon

Michael Gene Harmon

Roman Catholic

United Church of Christ

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Michael had been married twenty-five years and raised his family of two sons before he fully accepted his sexuality as a gay man. Michael has been raised as a Catholic and raise his family in the Catholic Church, too. During the late 70’s through the 80’s until his coming out in 1990, Michael had continued his Catholic education and faith traditions, studying and eventually became an ordained deacon in the Catholic Church. He ministered at several churches in Oklahoma and Louisiana. He was working at Mount St. Mary’s High School in Oklahoma City when he came out. When he was later outed at the school, he was told that his services were no longer needed. His position on the board of Catholic Charities Oklahoma City was also terminated. Michael divorced, became homeless for a couple of months, and had to find a new job.

Michael met his life partner, Kent Fischer, in 1991. They were together 23 years, building a happy and adventurous life together. In 2014, Michael and Kent went to Palm Springs, CA to get legally married on their anniversary. However, Michael died of a heart attack the morning before they were to be married. Kent says, “I didn’t realize how important the piece of paper saying that I was married was to me. I was already married to Michael in my heart. But several weeks after Michael’s death, I feel I was cheated out of my marriage.”