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Revealing one’s identity and living proudly as an LGBTQ+ person can be so terrifying that many people choose never to come out. They may fear being unsupported or disowned by parents, losing their job or community, and even feeling depressed and suicidal.
“We navigated coming out and having a 40-year lifetime love affair that started at a time when today’s LGBTQ+ freedoms seemed like an impossible dream.”
A new book aims to encourage LGBTQ+ people to find the courage to live their truths. It also provides guidance for parents and allies to help them love and support individuals on their rainbow journeys.
Joyously Free: Stories & Tips to Live Your Truth as LGBTQ+ People, Parents and Allies by Elizabeth Ann Atkins & Joanie Lindenmeyer was released in hardcover, paperback, and eBook on Saturday, June 1, 2024, on the first day of Pride Month from Two Sisters Writing & Publishing®, based in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, and Ashland, Oregon.
Some of the book’s 32 contributors include:
- Charles Pugh—The former Fox 2 News anchor and former Detroit City Council President shares his story about coming out as a gay man in the media spotlight.
- Anthony Martinez Bevin—A wellness expert and author, he writes about how his HIV diagnosis inspired him to create a wellness clinic and holistic healing program for people who want to improve their health.
- Pamela Ross McClain, PhD—A Michigan college diversity director, writes on the importance of being an LGBTQ+ ally.
- Rodney Howell—This entrepreneur shares his perspective on living openly and honestly in his authenticity as a gay man.
Elizabeth and Joanie invited people to share their stories about being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer, as well as about being the parents and allies of LGBTQ+ people in their lives. Their stories appear in chapters that explore same-sex marriage, self-love and affirmation, tips for finding the courage to come out and create a joyous life, and guidance for finding peace and love with spirituality and religion. This topic has deeply wounded many LGBTQ+ people.
“This book aims to be a big burst of happiness, affirmation, and guidance for people who may be terrified about coming out or who want to live more boldly in their truth,” says Elizabeth Ann Atkins, an LGBTQ+ ally, best-selling author, and co-creator of Two Sisters Writing & Publishing®. “It’s also a powerful tool for parents and allies of LGBTQ+ people.”
For Joanie, Joyously Free follows her best-selling memoir, NUN BETTER: An AMAZING Love Story by Joanie Lindenmeyer with Carol Tierheimer, which Elizabeth coached her to write in five months. It was published by Two Sisters Writing & Publishing®.
“It was a very dangerous time when Carol and I fell in love in the convent as Catholic nuns during the early 1980s, when the 1980s AIDS epidemic was triggering hate and violence toward gay people,” says Joanie. “We navigated coming out and having a 40-year lifetime love affair that started at a time when today’s LGBTQ+ freedoms seemed like an impossible dream.”
Joanie and Carol ultimately married, and Carol died in 2022. “We lived Joyously Free,” Joanie says, “and my mission is to help others do that, too.”
Joyously Free is especially important now, as more than 100 pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation are pending across America, along with controversies over gender-affirming medical interventions, book bans, Florida’s “don’t say gay” law, and other opposition.
Joyously Free celebrates that every person has the right to express their unique identity. “Live and let love,” Elizabeth says. “Love always wins,” Joanie adds.
Two Sisters Writing & Publishing® specializes in against-the-odds success stories from diverse people. Co-founded in 2016 by sisters Elizabeth Ann Atkins and Catherine M. Greenspan—editor of Joyously Free, the company has published 50 books and has dozens more scheduled for future release.
For more information, contact Two Sisters Writing and Publishing, 313-492-5718, Elizabeth@TwoSistersWriting.com, or visit twosisterswriting.com.