Beautiful Tension Gary Conachan

David Clark-Sally (he/him) is a white, cisgender, gay man, stepdad of two girls and soon-to-be dad of another, husband, and entrepreneur. He is navigating what it means to be gay in a post-faith deconstruction world and what it means to be a parent. In this episode, he shares about coming out as a catalyst for spiritual growth, holding multiple truths, and the complexity of words as identities.
You can find David on all major social media platforms at @davidclarksally.

Jack Bates (he/they) is a bisexual, trans and non-binary Episcopalian, father, fiancé, drag queen, stand-up comedian, and theologian. He has a B.A. in Bible and Masters degrees in Philosophy and Religion as well as Historical Theology. They share about doing drag in faith spaces, the intersection of faith and disability, and the importance of a queer-affirming theology.

You can find Jack on Twitter at @jackmb and listen to their queer Christian podcast, "Lavender Mafia," wherever you find podcasts.

Jon Kwok (he/him) is Chinese-American, gay, and a reconstructing Christian. He's also a graduate student at Teachers College, Columbia University studying International Educational Development. Jon shares about his time in the Peace Corps, deconstructing his faith, and the dichotomy of harm and good being done in aid work.

You can find Jon on Instagram at @jonpkwok or on LinkedIn as Jonathan Kwok.

In part 2 of my conversation with Donovan, we talk about freedom and loss after coming out, healing each other’s wounds, and diversity in queer community.

You can find Donovan on Facebook and LinkedIn as Donovan Ackley III, Instagram at @donovanackley3, and their profile on the Yoga Alliance website here. You can find his book, “Sex As Sacrament,” on Amazon and Kindle.

If you or someone you know is trans, Trans Lifeline is a community support resource created by and for trans individuals. They also offer support for parents of trans folx. You can find out more at translifeline.org.

Donovan Ackley III (he/they) is a yoga instructor for trauma recovery, professor and program coordinator for the LGBTQ+ Leadership Certificate at the University of Redlands, and consultant on gender and sexual minorities. In part 1 of our conversation, he shares about growing up as an intersex person, coming out in Christian community, and the liberation and losses that followed.

You can find out more about the LGBTQ+ Leadership Certificate program here. If you identify as trans and need support, or would like to support or volunteer with Trans Lifeline, you can do so here. Donovan's book, "Sex and Sacrament: A Queer Liberation Theology of Prayer and Worship" is available on Amazon. You can find the audio version of the book as well as their guided spiritual practices on YouTube.

Abby Coppock (she/her) is a White, female, wife, sister, aunt, and independent consultant. From working in a drug and rehab center in Chicago to receiving her degree in social work, she's since moved to Portland and worked as an organizational consultant focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion. In a conversation centered around race and allyship, we talk about hard conversations, dealing with perfectionism, and knowing your shortcomings.

You can find Abby on LinkedIn as Abby Coppock and her upcoming website at abbycoppockconsulting.com.