Feeling Like an Orphan: Growing Up Liberal in an Evangelical Home

I feel a kinship with the LGBTQ community despite being a CIS female in a healthy relationship. Why is that? Despite my seeming success in life, great job, great family, I feel like an outsider.

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

I was born into a stubbornly, if not devout, Evangelical family and while they did their best to love and accept me, the truth is that my lifestyle was not accepted. I had to hide who I was in order to survive

Growing up, it felt like I didn’t fit in anywhere — not at church orbei.and not

Growing up in a conservative home can be difficult for many young people.

For me, growing up in an evangelical family was like feeling like an orphan — like I didn’t belong and no one saw me or heard my story. I never felt fully supported, accepted, or even really understood. Through my journey of self-discovery and understanding, I was able to find peace and acceptance within myself through vulnerability, storytelling, and courage.

The Struggle of Being Different

I often felt like the odd one out in my family — like I didn’t belong.

My parents had very specific beliefs about politics and religion that were different from mine. My outlook on life was vastly different from theirs because…