When You Go to the Polls, Remember Me
Taking 5 minutes to read this vulnerable article will tell you why this election is so deeply personal to me. “If you haven’t voted yet, this column is for you. With the election less than two weeks away, I want to share with you the story of my family. I was raised in the heart of evangelical Christianity in Colorado Springs, Colo. My father has been in an executive position at Focus on the Family for more than 30 years, and my mom homeschooled my brother and me from kindergarten all the way through high school, shuttling us around to all the activities that embraced our family values: Awana, VBS, church, youth group, fundraising for missions; you name it, we did it. I signed a vow of purity on my 13th birthday, I went on missions trips all over the world in my teens, and I did a year-long prayer internship after college. My family was the epitome of evangelical Christianity, and I was their poster child. “My family was the epitome of evangelical Christianity, and I was their poster child…that is, until I realized I was gay.” That is, until I realized I was gay. What ensued in my 20s was a battle that nearly took my life as I fought against the theology I was taught that told me you could not be both gay and Christian. I spiraled down a dark hole of depression, crippling anxiety, PTSD, self-hatred, self-harm and suicidal ideations because of the belief that […]