This honest, frank and revealing autobiography details my strict religious upbringing by fundamentalist Christian parents and the shaming and persecution from the church, peers, Christian relatives and parents I was subject to simply for being me, GAY!
It was impressed upon me from childhood and during the periods I attended fundamentalist Christian churches as an adolescent and adult, that homosexuality is a sin against God, an abomination! If I chose to live as a homosexual I would be condemned by God and face an eternity of damnation in hell. As if it was a choice!
It also details my experiences with mental illness (Bipolar Affective Disorder), including the five hypomanic/psychotic episodes I suffered between ages 22 and 49. These episodes required me to be detained in a psychiatric facility for periods from 10 days to six weeks.
As well as intimate experiences with women and driven by the conflict of my sexual identity and religious beliefs I tried church run conversion therapy, which was of course unsuccessful. This kind of therapy is now more or less banned throughout the world.
After some normalising experiences with non-radicalised friends and family and from reading some interesting autobiographies of authors who had similar life experiences, I have come to a place of self-acceptance, embracing my authentic self (gay/queer), overcoming the conflicts of my youth and struggles of adulthood.
LGBTQIA+ Themes
Biography/Memoir, Mental Illness, Religion, Child Molestation, Conversion Therapy
About The Author
Andrew Johns is a retired gay man and now a one-time author.
With ongoing battles with his spiritual and sexual identities and a Bipolar Affective Disorder with associated detentions to psychiatric wards, it has often been a challenge for Andrew to acquire a sense of normality and stability in his life.
As described in his book, Andrew has come to a place of self-acceptance and contentment and his greatest pleasure in life is spending time with extended family, with two generations of nephews and nieces, and watching them grow, living life and experiencing new things.
