Born and raised in the Pentecostal Church, I began ministering when I was 15 years old. I spent nearly 25 years of my life in ministry. Nevertheless, I struggled to reconcile my sexual orientation with my conservative beliefs. In my early twenties I attended a one-year live-in program at Love in Action, once the world’s oldest and most renowned “ex-gay” ministry.

 

Believing I’d been changed, I stayed six more years and served as the outreach director. I married and had two children. But when my wife filed for divorce, I spent the next five years on a journey that challenged everything I thought was true. Today, I’m happily married to my husband and partner of nearly fifteen years.

 

I'm the author of three books, two ebooks, and hundreds of articles on the confluence of sexuality, race, religion, and conservative politics. I've had the privilege of contributing a chapter to an academic publication entitled, Negotiating Spiritual Violence in the Queer Community, appearing in a Vice News documentary, hosting the Recovery from Religion Podcast, speaking in front of the California State Assembly on banning conversion therapy, and being interviewed by some cool podcasters, radio hosts, and writers.

 

I’m currently writing a second edition of my memoir, Going Gay, and working on my fourth book, Killing Ed: Attacking Extreme Depression.