A beautiful, raw, and compassionate memoir from a survivor of 'ex-gay' therapy. The son of a Baptist pastor and deeply embedded in church life, Garrard Conley was terrified and conflicted about his sexuality. At nineteen, he was outed to his parents and forced to make a life-changing decision. Through an institutionalized Twelve-Step Program heavy on intense Bible study, he would potentially emerge heterosexual, cleansed of impure urges and stronger in God for his brush with sin. But it didn't quite go that way; instead Garrard went on a harrowing journey on his search for identity, for love and understanding, and emerged on the other side transformed. By confronting his buried past, Garrard has charted the complex relationships among family, faith, and community. At times heart-breaking, at times triumphant, this memoir is a testament to love that survives in the face of tragedy.
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