Surviving Conversion Therapy: Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez on Faith, Identity, and Megachurch Secrets

About this episode

Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez shares his journey through conversion therapy and his quest for authenticity and belonging.

What happens when faith, identity, and healing intersect in the most unexpected ways? For this week's guest, Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez, that intersection became both his greatest struggle and his most powerful mission. In this episode of Love, Take Two, Timothy opens up about his decade-long experience with conversion therapy while working behind the scenes at some of the most influential evangelical megachurches in America. He shares the complex journey of reconciling his faith with his identity as a gay man, and how that internal conflict eventually led him to leave the church world entirely — only to find his way back on his own terms. After moving to New York City eight years ago to escape the evangelical world, Timothy has built a life centered on authenticity and service. He co-founded Church Clarity, an organization that helps LGBTQ+ individuals find affirming faith communities where they can practice their beliefs without shame or judgment. His work has garnered national attention from major outlets like TIME, NBC, and The Washington Post. Timothy discusses his path to sobriety, his transition from church work to tech, and how writing became a healing tool that led to…

People in this episode

Hosts: José Rolón, Jaimie Kelton

Guest: Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez

Topics covered

• conversion therapy
• faith
• identity
• LGBTQ+
• megachurches
• resilience
• belonging

Keywords

• conversion therapy
• LGBTQ+
• faith
• megachurch
• identity
• sobriety
• authenticity
• Church Clarity
• resilience
• belonging

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Church Clarity, TIME, NBC, The Washington Post

Books & works: Conversion Therapy Dropout: A Queer Story of Faith and Belonging

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