SUSAN: POST "Hop Against Homophobia" and GIVEAWAY

Love Affair with an e-Reader is proud to be a part of the "Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia" to bring attention to International Day Against Homophobia (May 17, 2013)!!!

Hi! I'm Susan, one of the reviewers on Love Affair with an e-Reader. I read and review M/M romance books.  It is my honor and pleasure to take part in this year's Hop Against Homophobia alongside some of my favorite authors, bloggers, and publishers.  Here's my story:

This is not a post about religion…it’s a post about love…

I grew up in a very charismatic Christian home and I was OBSESSED with the church...think "Jesus Camp" if you've ever seen the movie.  I was a Sunday school teacher, a youth group leader, and even a missionary for a time.  I JUDGED THE HELL out of every single person I thought was a "sinner” and I spread the gospel like a champ to “save” those that were lost. And in my mind, that included the gay community. (though to be fair, I was an equal opportunity judger.)

I was also MISERABLE. Guilt, shame, hatred, and never feeling "good enough" consumed me.

While living in San Francisco, I decided to participate in my church's prayer walk in the Castro (gay neighborhood). Armed with Bibles and determination, we walked the streets  praying for the "lost". The group I was with ended up getting into an altercation with some gay residents that turned violent both verbally and physically.  It was a hate crime. Totally appalled at what I was witnessing, I turned and ran home.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED? 

And then it hit me…this monumental revelation…I've been doing it ALL WRONG. God is not fire and brimstone and wrath and hate. GOD IS LOVE. Where the FUCK was the LOVE? In all my years as an active participant in the church, was LOVE ever the motivation…was it ever the goal?  And with this simple yet profound understanding, I renounced my guilt. I renounced my shame. I renounced my anger and my hate.  

And I opened up my life and my heart to all kinds of people and experiences that I would not have EVER been involved with in the past, and...I let myself LIVE - not under a title of "Christian" but under a mantra of "LOVE".

I've never been happier. 

Today, I am actively involved in the support of those who help LGBT youth. It breaks me to hear about kids being disowned and thrown out by their (most often) Christian families because of being gay. It terrifies me that if I had remained as I was in the past, I might have done the same thing. Thank GOD that my eyes and my heart were opened to a different way…a better way… a way of LOVE and acceptance and care.

As an active reader of M/M fiction (<- this also, obviously, would not have happened in the past! Ha!), I am proud to dedicate today’s blog post as part of the “Hop Against Homophobia” along with others in the LGBT literary community.  No matter if you believe in a higher power or not, call him/her God or something else…we can all stand to LOVE one another a little more…yes?

GIVEAWAY:

Because this is a book review blog (!!!!) and also because of my passion for LGBT youth, the giveaway is 2 parts:

$50 gift certificate to All Romance e-Books

$50 donation in your name to Lost & Found Youth

Enter to win by leaving a comment (a simple "in" or a smiley face will do! :) ) on this post. (Become a Follower of the blog and you'll be entered a SECOND time as well! Double your chances!) One winner will be selected at random at the end of the Hop (May 27^th). 


Now, hop on to another blog and read another story w/ another giveaway!!!!