Queer Religious Trauma Therapy is Political with Liz Rhea

From Church Basement Trauma to Collective Recovery with Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez

Episode Summary In this episode of The Liberated Porch Podcast, host Kit Morgan speaks with Timothy Schrader Rodriguez about surviving conversion therapy, deconstructing harmful theology, and rebuilding a life rooted in authenticity, sobriety, and connection. Tim shares what it was like to move through evangelical megachurch culture, how sobriety became part of his healing, and why reclaiming faith on his own terms changed everything. 00:14 — Introduction 01:19 — Conversion therapy and faith crisis 02:18 — Rebuilding after non-affirming faith 03:10 — Sobriety and reclamation 05:17 — The road to drinking and recovery 07:08 — A wake-up call 08:32 — The path to sobriety 10:00 — Sobriety and spiritual healing 12:35 — Shame, addiction, and trauma 14:17 — Celebrate Recovery discussion 16:08 — Family history and addiction awareness 18:11 — Healing through sobriety and therapy 21:05 — The opposite of addiction is connection 25:05 — Real community in recovery 27:42 — Church basements and metaphor 28:46 — Reclaiming the basement 30:10 — Sobriety in queer spaces 31:42 — Friendship and sober curiosity 33:26 — Lessons from the 12 steps 35:21 — Moral inventory and accountability 37:29 — Hope for the book 39:30 — Closing reflection Resources: Get the book, Conversion Therapy Dropout here: https://www.conversiontherapydropoutbook.com/ [https://www.conversiontherapydropoutbook.com/] Follow Tim on Instagram or TikTok @timothy.s.rodriguez or Substack "Learning to Use My Words" Subscribe to Kit's work on Substack, Instagram, and TikTok @theliberatedporch

10 Reasons Why Evangelical Lesbians Are Invisible Within Purity Culture

Join Kit Morgan, a queer and trans licensed therapist (in New York, Virginia, and Indiana), as they explore the often invisible and overlooked experiences of lesbians shaped by purity culture. This episode highlights ten critical reasons why lesbian voices have been marginalized within religious trauma educational contexts, emphasizing the importance of understanding gender and sexuality through a religious trauma-informed lens. Main topics: * The impact of purity culture on female submissiveness and passivity * Queer erasures within biblical stories like Ruth and Naomi * Emotional intimacy and physical exploration in women’s Bible studies * The suppression of female sexuality and gender expression * The dangers of early marriage and issues around marital rape * The complex realities of lesbian women in abusive marriages with cisgender men and fears around child custody * The spiritualization of desire and feelings of being ‘different’ after leaving purity culture * The importance of supporting lesbian resilience and visibility Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to how religion and purity culture oppress queer identities 00:28 - Personal reflection on Lesbian Visibility Day and LGBTQ+ spaces in religious contexts 0:54 - How purity culture instills submissiveness and passivity in women 2:07 - The role of biblical stories and their possible queer interpretations 3:41 - Female companionship in biblical and church settings as potentially lesbian in nature 5:02 - How women are taught to deny their sexuality and desire 6:00 - Gender expression exploration and fears within religious communities 7:14 - Early marriage pressures and misinformation about sex 8:29 - The dangerous normalization of marital rape under religious teachings 10:11 - Fear of losing custody and the impact of religiously connected social services 14:47 - The sacredness of sexuality outside purity culture norms 15:20 - Feelings of being ‘different’ and spiritual bypassing 16:22 - How supporters can better uplift lesbians in their communities To learn more about this topic and religious trauma, please subscribe to @theliberatedporch on Substack, Instagram, and TikTok

Inside the Rise of the Modern Black, LGBTQ Christian Justice Movement with Zachary Gillis

Your host, Kit Morgan, is a trans and queer licensed clinical social worker, therapist, and educator, specializing in the work with the queer population who had families and faith backgrounds where love was allowed only as long as you were cisgender heterosexual. Today's guest, Zach Gillis, is a Black, openly gay Christian clergyman who grew up in the Northwestern Indiana cities of Gary, Hammond, and Merrillville. Zach was a pastor’s kid in the Black Missionary Baptist Church, which sparked his love for church ministry. After coming out in his 20s, Zach came out of the closet and the Black Missionary Baptist Church to find his church home. Outside of re-imagining and reconstructing what the American church can be like in both affirming of Black American cultural identities and LGBTQ identities, Zach Gillis is widely involved in his local community of South Bend, Indiana with serving on the city’s LGBTQ Center’s Board of Directors from 2018 - 2022, delivering vocal performances, and caring for youth as the dean of students at a high school in South Bend, Indiana. When Zach isn’t serving his local community, you might find him singing, listening to R&B of the 90s and 00s, eating Chicago Mix Popcorn, and chilling with his Chihuahaus named Nemo and Topher. The conversation between Kit and Zach explores the experiences of growing up in the Black church, the significance of the Black church in the US in the Civil Rights Movement and beyond, and the journey of finding a church home after coming out of the closet as a Black gay Christian. Kit and Zach delve into the impact of regional culture upon Christian practices and expressions of LGBTQ affirmation. The conversation covers the topics of contemporary Christian music (CCM), Black Gospel music, growing up as a pastor's kid in the Black Missionary Baptist Church, LGBTQ inclusion and exclusion in Evangelical churches, and the emergence of Black LGBTQ Christian communities who are liberation-oriented. If you would like to learn more about religious trauma, please follow @theliberatedporch on Substack, Instagram, and TikTok

Finding Holiness After Breaking Up with a Sadistic Daddy God with Melissa Duge Spiers

Welcome to the Liberated Porch podcast, where we explore the intersection of religion, spirituality, sexuality, gender, and identity. In this episode, host Kit Morgan, a trans and queer licensed clinical social worker, talks with Melissa Duge Spiers, an award-winning writer who recently released her new book (Holy Disobedience), former Seventh Day Adventist, human rights activist for religious trauma survivors, and member of the LGBTQ community. Together, they delve into the complexities of finding liberation after Purity Culture. Timestamps: 0:00 - 1:53 Introduction to the podcast episode 1:53 - 2:23 Kit and Melissa discuss breaking free from religious abuse. 2:23 - 4:33 Melissa shares the story behind the title "Holy Disobedience." 4:33 - 5:14 Behind the making of the Glory Whole 5:14 - 7:13 Seventh-day Adventist Church's views on pleasure. 7:13 - 10:29 The influence of religious teachings on autonomy 10:29 - 12:25 The challenges of navigating sexual rules within religious contexts. 12:25 - 16:17 The struggle with guilt and shame from religious teachings. 16:17 - 18:41 The journey of self-discovery and breaking free from religious constraints. 18:41 - 24:59 The challenges of leaving high-control religious groups. 24:59 - 27:25 The emotional cycle within authoritarian religious teachings. 27:25 - 34:41 Navigating moral and ethical dilemmas in leaving religious groups. 34:41 - 40:22 Restructuring life after authoritarian religious involvement 40:22 - 43:22 Reclaiming Holiness after high control religion You can follow Melissa's work @melissadugespiers on Instagram and support her work at lakedrivebooks.com [http://lakedrivebooks.com] in purchasing her book, Holy Disobedience and subscribe to her Substack @melissadugespiers To learn more about religious trauma, please support Kit's work @theliberatedporch on Substack, Instagram, and TikTok

Easter and the Early Desensitization to Religious-Based Violence

Join host Kit Morgan as they explore the intersection of religion, violence, trauma, and societal issues rooted in Christian fundamentalism. Key topics: * The cultural and religious significance of Easter and its impact on survivors of religious trauma * The hypocritical censorship in Christian fundamentalism, especially around depictions of violence and sexuality * Early desensitization to violence in fundamentalist environments and its long-term effects on emotional health and relationships * Patriarchal narratives and gendered interpretations of biblical stories, including the resurrection * Religious trauma’s influence on tolerance for emotional and psychological abuse * The role of Christian nationalism in shaping political and social policies, including violence and hate speech * The implications of Supreme Court rulings on conversion therapy and the legal landscape for LGBTQ+ youth * The dangerous normalization of torture and wilderness therapy camps in Colorado * The significance of recognizing and resisting societal desensitization to violence and trauma Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to religious oppression of gender and sexuality 00:28 - Personal reflections on Easter weekend and religious trauma 01:11 - Hypocrisy in religious censorship and depictions of violence 02:11 - The use of filtering technologies like Clear Play in religious environments 03:03 - The graphic nature of biblical narratives and childhood impacts 04:17 - Personal anecdotes about Easter eggs and family traditions 05:00 - Marriage of patriarchal narratives and the Easter resurrection story 05:56 - The strength of women’s roles in biblical stories and gender bias in religious interpretation 06:19 - Reflection on societal impact and personal trauma during religious holidays 07:04 - Early desensitization to violence and its influence on emotional health 07:30 - The normalization of emotional and psychological abuse within religious contexts 08:32 - Intergenerational impacts of religious violence and trauma 09:19 - Tensions between Catholics and Protestants as reflections of broader trauma dynamics 10:00 - The impact of political and religious conflicts on current events, including military and international issues 10:40 - Christian nationalist ideologies, including theocratic and fascist tendencies 11:55 - The distortion of the phrase "one nation under God" and its political implications 12:30 - Christian nationalism’s influence on social and cultural divisions 13:10 - The rise in religious violence and conflicts within faith communities 13:37 - The influence of religious ideologies on legislation, including anti-LGBTQ+ policies 14:13 - The Supreme Court’s rulings on conversion therapy and the politicization of mental health 15:49 - Prevalence of conversion therapy practices and legal loopholes in the US 16:52 - The environmental dangers of wilderness therapy camps and torture tactics 18:42 - How Christian nationalism and organizations like Focus on the Family shape legal frameworks 19:04 - The psychological and societal effects of early trauma and desensitization to violence 19:49 - The importance of reconnecting with our humanity by recognizing trauma and violence You can learn more about this topic by following @theliberatedporch on Substack, Instagram, and TikTok