Emily Rachelle Writes

chilling in the massage chairs with the family and boyfriend Rowdy Wilson ​Name: Rowdy Wilson Age: 17.99... I'm almost 18! Gender: Male Sexual Orientation: Homosexual, gay, whatever you want to call it Religious Denomination: Pentecostal Education/Career: Graduated high school early, and now I'm a house keeper, server, and cook. Favorite Food:  Macaroni and cheese/favorite kind of food is Thai Favorite Book: To Kill a Mocking Bird  by Harper Lee Favorite Movie:   Spy with Melissa McCarthy Favorite Color: Blue Hobbies/Sports/Interests: Singing, playing piano, traveling, fan-girling over Adele, listening to Adele, crying over Adele, volleyball Dreams/Goals in Life: I want to be a traveling nurse, with a nice house, a nice car, a good church to attend, and two beautiful kids... On the flip side I want to be a model, or a singer! ;) When did you first realize you were gay? I first realized I was officially gay when I was about 13 . I h...

Emily Hope Age : 23 Gender : Female Sexual orientation : SOOOOO GAY Religious denomination :  Nondenominational. I refuse to draw lines where God didn’t draw lines. Education/career : I am a writer/YouTuber going for a degree in criminal justice/political science. Favorite food : steak Favorite book : The Shack Favorite movie : Lord of the Rings extended editions Favorite color : I am an artist; I don’t really have a favorite. Hobbies/sports/interests : I bike, walk, hike Dreams/goals in life : I want to make a difference. I want to help bridge the divide between the church and the marginalized. Myers-Briggs type : ISTJ "I felt God call me to live openly and honestly, so that others in my situation would know they are not alone."

After my last post, A Coming Out , I received some feedback from my support group about how they identified with my struggles and some of the things I said. I also had several requests, both from those within LGBT Christian circles and those outside those circles, to portray more specific examples of how the church and its people have hurt LGBT individuals, and give examples of what the church and its people could do or have done to help and encourage LGBT individuals. Today I'm starting a new weekly series featuring friends and acquaintances of mine, in an effort to fill those requests. Some of these wonderful people are loud and proud; some are still struggling to find their own identity; some have become comfortable in their own skin but not yet comfortable with leaving the closet. What we want to do in sharing this series is help straight cisgender Christians understand us as people and how they may have unintentionally harmed us, and help them know how to undo the damage don...

This post happens to be my 600th ever written, and my first written or published for 2016. I never planned it that way -- actually, I didn't plan to write this post until just now, at one a.m. in bed -- but I guess God knew I was ready for a big one. About a year ago, I came out online as bisexual, through a blog post that shared a journal entry from the previous November. I told a handful of people before I posted anything. When I did have my "coming out," it wasn't really a coming out. It was just part of a series sharing many thoughts and struggles I'd had over my first college semester, which happened to include sexuality. Since then, I've referenced my sexuality in certain Facebook posts, maybe a few blog posts, a handful of conversations with friends. I want everyone to know I'm bisexual, because it's part of my identity -- like writing, or Christianity, or my family. But I don't want to shout it from the rooftops, because it's not ...

I read a book this summer that came highly recommended. I was planning to review it, but... well, things happened. Events transpired. I decided not to review it, at least not yet. I'm ready now.

When it comes to mental illness, I like to be the champion. The advocate. The information bank just waiting to enlighten and educate you. A source of awareness, a spark for understanding. But the whole world of mental illness and living with one is just as new to me as it is to many of the people I'm trying to help understand. I'm still learning, and now that I'm back at school, it feels like a crash course. And I think a lot of people with mental illnesses can relate.

Recently I discussed mental illness with a good friend. She compared mental illness to a broken bone, gesturing to her leg. "You can see the broken bone, there's something that needs to be fixed." But think about internal bleeding. Can you see that? Or lung cancer. Is that outwardly visible? Not until scans or tests are done are many illnesses and injuries visually noticeable. We first notice symptoms, then seek out the cause, and treat from there to alleviate symptoms and prevent further problems. Why is mental illness any different? As research and technology in this area improve, we see more and more proof that brains affected by mental illness are physically and chemically different from healthy brains. There are plenty of symptoms of mental illness. Why don't we look for them? Notice them? Mental illness, untreated, can lead to complications as bad as the inability to complete basic daily tasks or even death. Why don't we seek out treatment before these...