My Changing Body, My Changing Mind: Abishai’s Story

“I think I somehow made it to about ten or eleven years old when my mom finally had to sit down and have her version of ‘the talk’ with me. It wasn’t really informative though, at least not in the way I needed it to be. She had purchased a typical Your Changing Body book through one of the homeschool book catalogs.”

None Dare Call It Education: Anna’s Story

“My sexual education was completely nonexistent. I remember that there was a book on one of the living-room bookshelves entitled ‘Preparing For Adolescence.’ I don’t know if the book was intended to prepare parents or children, but neither my parents nor I ever read that book.”

The Reason I Despise Fundamentalist Christianity, As Revealed to Me In a Dream

“I couldn’t put my finger on either my anxiety when reading about the mistreatment of Christian girls or my strange negative reactions to other generic mentions of Christianity. Why did I cringe when I saw a post on Twitter recommending a book about God’s love? Why do I skim past the tweets with Bible verses and references to good times at church? I believe I got my answer in a dream I had Saturday night.”

Growing Kids the Abusive Way: Auriel’s Story, Part Two — Isolation and Ideology

“Through HSLDA and my parents, I learned that foster homes are terrible places that abuse children by burning their hands on stoves, and more. Well, it worked. I didn’t call hotlines, tell the speech moms who cared about me, or beg my few friends for help. When CPS showed up at our doorstep, my siblings and I lied for fear of being separated from each other forever.”

If You’re Just Gonna Call Us Homos, Please Get In Line

“People have called me fag, gay, or homo for years now. When I was the weird, sheltered homeschooled kid, my co-workers persistently mocked me for my social awkwardness. They usually chose to mock me by calling me some variation of a gay slur.”

The “Homosexual Agenda”: Libby Anne

“I remember believing the whole ‘homosexual agenda’ thing. Back then, I was afraid of gay people. They were different and scary. They were pedophiles who should not be trusted around children. I wonder if that’s how the people writing the blogs I was reading feel when they talk about the ‘homosexual agenda’ – fear of something different, scary.”

From Homophobe to Gay Rights Advocate: Libby Anne

“I didn’t meet a gay person growing up. ‘Homosexuals’ were talked about in tones of disgust and sorrow, and we children knew that it was wrong… This is the story of how I met gay people, heard their stories, realized that they were human, and changed my position on homosexuality.”