Carol Lynn Pearson
Carol Lynn Pearson Is Looking for Stories from or about Gay Members of Religious Families

January 2006

WHO I AM. I am Carol Lynn Pearson (www.clpearson.com), a well published author. My widely publicized book Goodbye, I Love You (1986, Random House) told the story of my life with my husband Gerald, a homosexual man, our twelve year Mormon temple marriage, our four children, our mutual anguish over Gerald's inability to change his orientation, our divorce and continuing friendship, and his death from AIDS in my home, where I was caring for him.

WHAT I NEED. I am currently (early 2006) gathering true stories to assist me in writing a new book that will appear late this year. The title is No More Goodbyes—Embracing our Gay Family and Friends in spite of and because of Our Religions . My one goal is to assist in healing relationships. I will deal with the tragic and unnecessary goodbyes that arise from—
  • Family alienation
  • Ill-fated marriages based on unrealistic expectations of change
  • Suicide
I am looking for true experiences from gay people, parents, siblings, wives/former wives, friends, that involve religion either as a part of the problem or a part of the solution (or both) in terms of the above subjects. To establish the pain of the unnecessary goodbyes, I require stories that show our failures, but I especially want stories that show our successes—families and friends refusing to allow anything, including religion, to come between them and their gay loved ones. It is important to me that the accounts come from many different religious cultures—
  • Christian—Evangelical, Catholic, Baptist, Mormon, etc.
  • Jewish, Muslim, all other faiths
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Email your story to clpclpearson.com. Each email will be acknowledged. Neither your name nor your family's name will be used without your permission. Please keep your story concise, but tell all that is important. If used, your story may be told in its full version, condensed version, or perhaps in brief reference. Due to my deadlines, these accounts need to be received soon, by July 15, 2006 at the latest (although I will still read and appreciate every story sent).

THANK YOU! Your response may further the ongoing healing that is one of the challenges of our day.

Sincerely,
Carol Lynn Pearson
clpclpearson.com




















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