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Light Come Out of the Closet: Memoir of a Gay Soul by Dr. Roger Leslie
How do we live with a God, or ourselves, if who we are dooms us to Hell?
As a joyful boy who realized I was gay,I fought for my happiness and faith as prejudices of family and religion isolated me from the world. Battered and withdrawn, could I rediscover the God of love I first learned about as a boy? In the process, could being gay be the gift that introduced me to my soul?
In the dark night of our soul we find our own light!
Light Come Out of the Closet: Memoir of a Gay Soul Review
I was compensated by Creative Edge Publicity for writing this review. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and are based on my honest personal experience reading the book. Nor did the publisher in any way shape or form ever pressure me to give a positive review.
Light Come Out Of The Closet was an eye-opening and engaging journey that delves into the complex interplay between sexuality, religion, self-discovery, and familial relationships. As someone who does not identify as LGBTQ and is an atheist from a Buddhist family with no connection to the concept of God or Christianity, reading Light Come Out Of The Closet was a powerful experience that offered unique insights into the intricate challenges faced by individuals navigating their faith, their identity, and their families expectations.
The book contained experiences that aligned with my current understanding of the relationship between religion, particularly Christianity and concepts of gods, and sexuality. As a result, I could make educated assumptions about the types of conflicts he might have faced due to this interplay. While the book did provide much of what I anticipated, it also brought forth fresh perspectives that pleasantly surprised me, ones I hadn’t initially predicted.
The author paints a vivid picture of his personal journey which traverses the often-conflicting realms between his love for God, his devotion to his family, and his self-acceptance as a gay man.
Before I was old enough to articulate them as defining truths, I have known three absolutes:
I love God.
I love my family.
I am gay.
I love this introduction, it’s the first line of the book too. It’s so succinct but manages to tell so much and effortlessly foreshadow what Light Come Out Of The Closet entails. Absolutely brilliant. If this entire book can be summarized in one thing, this introduction is it. This single quote encapsulates the heart of the narrative, capturing the intricate balance between these three foundational elements and the inherent conflicts that arise from their coexistence.
Light Come Out Of The Closet eloquently captured the paradoxes and internal struggles that can arise within an LGBTQ individual grappling with their faith. And how this issue can be exacerbated if they deeply love the very family members who are still blindly loyal to this religion. Dr. Leslie’s introspective storytelling allows readers to empathetically experience the conflicts he faced in reconciling his sexual identity with his beliefs by verbalizing in an empathetic, coherent, and comprehensible way. For those who have shared similar internal battles, the narrative provides a relatable and resonant portrayal, potentially offering solace and understanding of their own experiences.
I was also pleasantly caught off guard by the occasional wit and humour injected into the book, adding a layer of lightness to the often-serious subject matter.
A traditional therapist might call it an oedipal complex. It was oedipal, but so clear and blatant, there was nothing complex Oedipal it.
This may be one of the funniest lines I’ve read all year. The effect is extra pronounced by the fact that up to that point in the book there were no signs whatsoever the author will pull out a line like that. I was so surprised I actually laughed out loud on my couch when reading this (I may have found it extra funny as a psychology student is already familiar with the Oedipal complex).
Aside from this, Light Come Out Of The Closet touches on the theme of gender roles and their impact on individuals for both men and women. I really like this because although how gender roles hurt women is obvious and commonly understood, for men it’s less talked about but definitely present. Patriarchy still overwhelmingly benefit men though (it’s a system for men after all), but I find it interesting not enough people acknowledge how despite this, gender norms can still be a double-checking sword that while slashing women, still cuts men.
For example, as a man himself, the author gave some good examples through his stories (e.g restricting positive behaviour in fear of violating “male” behaviour, and in turn reaping negative societal reactions and consequences from people around him). I personally am not aware if this is the author’s direct intention to portray in the book, but I still want to mention this because this is what I take from it and I genuinely want to bring more attention to it. Through his own experiences, Dr. Leslie skillfully highlights how these societal norms can inflict harm and perpetuate unjust expectations. This broader exploration serves as a reminder that rigid gender roles are detrimental to everyone and ought to be challenged.
Despite what I enjoyed about Light Come Out Of The Closet, the biggest critique when I was reading the book, I sometimes found myself a bit disoriented during the anecdotes and between chapters.
The best way I can verbalize how I was feeling is to imagine you are listening to a TED Talk. The talker is giving one of their anecdotes and is going quite in-depth with it. At first, the anecdote is great, but as it gets more extended you start realizing you now feel a bit lost and wonder if the speaker is going a bit off track. You start to feel a bit disoriented because of this. Finally, the speaker does bring you back, and from your dazedness, you take a moment to readjust back to the talk (in this context, it’s themes of family, god, and gay).
To the author’s credit, like the speaker in this example, in many of these instances, he does ultimately link them back to the three major themes with no major loose ends. This helped maintain a cohesive structure throughout the book. That’s how in the grand scheme, it’s not a huge issue. But it still did pertain to my experience when reading the book. This critique does not apply to all chapters, only some.
Light Come Out Of The Closet is a beautifully written memoir that navigates the complexities of faith, identity, and family dynamics. Dr. Roger Leslie showcases his experiences with honesty, vulnerability, and a dash of humour in his book. Whether you seek to broaden your perspective or simply appreciate a well-crafted memoir, this book provides a valuable glimpse into this specific area of topic and relevant experience.
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About the Author of Light Come Out of the Closet: Memoir of a Gay Soul
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