Struggling with the decision of whether to leave your marriage? This week on the Coming Out & Beyond podcast, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes back producer Barb Rowlandson to talk about divorce as you're coming out. Many of the clients Anne-Marie and Barb work with have the challenge of untangling long-term marriages, and the process can be fraught with difficulties. Anne-Marie and Barb address some of the most common questions and concerns women have as they consider and proceed with divorce, including how do you know if it's time to end your marriage, should you open your marriage, silent signs that you should leave, and much more!

If you are going through a later in life coming out journey and are in the process of divorce, and you feel that you need support, come to the Life Reimagined workshop, offered free and on Zoom, July 8-10th, 7 p.m. CST. Sign up at www.comingoutsupport.net.

New to queer community and want to expand your circle of queer women friends? Join Anne-Marie, Barb and many other amazing guest speakers at Wing Women Weekend, Oct 16-20, 2024, in Provincetown, MA during their annual Women's Week. Learn more about this great getaway at www.wingwomenweekend.com.

This week on the CO&B podcast, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes later-in-life lesbian and adventurer, Jill Holiday. Jill's story is one of remarkable perseverance and personal discovery. After becoming a teen mom, years of home schooling and a heteronormative life, Jill took a bold step out of her comfort zone and spent months hiking the Appalachian Trail. Despite adversities she met along the way, her hike result in a personal revelation that led to her coming out later in life. Now a dedicated adventurer, Jill has embraced the world of van life, seeking new horizons and experiences. In this episode, you'll hear Jill's story of emergence from a conservative faith tradition, what happened on her hike on the Appalachian Trail, her coming out, and, most importantly, her 'beyond.'

You can hear Jill speak at the upcoming Wing Women Weekend event, Oct. 16-20, in Provincetown, MA (during Provincetown's annual Women's Week). To learn more about Wing Women Weekend, visit: www.wingwomenweekend.com.

"The Messy Middle" is the term coming out coaches use to describe the process of transformation from a straight life to life as an LGBTQIA+ person. In this episode Anne-Marie Zanzal invites her producer and fellow coming out coach, Barbara Rowlandson, do discuss the ins and outs and best practices for navigating this challenging time. Tune in for some great advice and a few laughs!

This week on Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories, host Anne-Marie Zanzal interviews queer author, playwright, abuse survivor, and former pastor, Trent Clifford. Trent's debut book, Reclaiming Faith, is a tender yet practical approach to uniting the spirituality you love with the religion you've lost. After surviving marital abuse and religious discrimination, Trent reconciled his sexual and spiritual identities and, through his work, invites others to learn from his journey. In this episode, Anne-Marie and Trent talk about religious deconstruction and reclaiming faith on your own terms.

Learn more about Trent Clifford's new book, 'Reclaiming Faith' here: Writing | Reclaiming Faith

Learn more about Trent's work in theater here: HOME | Trent Clifford

Trent's coming out song is Reflection from the film Mulan: https://youtu.be/lGGXsm0a5s0?si=_2IryrNh7gMT8sPw

In this episode, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes back psychotherapist and later-in-life lesbian Miriam Grace to talk about parenting and relationships with young adult children. With the strong trend of 'grey' divorces (divorces after age 50), many people find their grown children have a difficult time with changes to their parents' relationship. Anne-Marie and Miriam chat about a number of things, including a follow up on their conversation from Season 5 Episode 17 on parent/child estrangement (https://youtu.be/eTIjiQ5EZRQ), setting boundaries and learning to say 'no,' the ebbs and flows of maturing young adult behavior, unlearning heteronormative roles and expectations after a parent comes out, and much more. Episodes with Miriam are always a fantastic listen, don't miss this one, especially if you're a parent of older kids!

You can find Miriam Grace online at https://blue-skies.org.uk/

Dubbed "the Godfather of Gay Diversity Training" by the New York Times, Brian McNaught is considered on of the world's leading corporate diversity consultants dealing with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer issues in the workplace. In this lively discussion, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and Brian McNaught talk about his coming out story, how he approaches LGBTQIA+ topics when speaking with groups, issues surrounding spirituality, faith and queer identity, activism, and much, much more!

Learn more about Brian on his website: Brian McNaught : Biography (brian-mcnaught.com)

Brian's coming out song is I Am, I Said, by Neil Diamond: https://youtu.be/8TYesac3Hmw?si=HUUTnWesM5XevnjS

Nancy Shadlock is a missionary-kid-turned-youth-pastor-turned-spiritual-director-turned-coming out coach. When Nancy discovered that she didn't have to divorce her spirituality to embrace her sexuality, she started creating the life she always dreamed of but feared would never be possible. Now, as the founder of Centered Counseling and Coaching and host of the Coming Out Chronicles podcast, she devotes her time to helping individuals and organizations break free of their metaphorical closets to bravely live the truth of how beautiful and whole they are. In this episode, Anne-Marie speaks with Nancy about her experiences as a missionary kid, in conversion therapy, the intersection of spirituality and sexuality, and much more.

Learn more about Nancy's coaching work at https://www.centered.ca/about

Nancy's coming out song is Brave by Sara Bareilles: https://youtu.be/QUQsqBqxoR4?si=MBLOlIHQ-a2MVvMS

Erika and Layla Quinones are an married couple who started an annual Pride celebration in their small town of Pulaski, TN. What began as a plan to welcome about 40 people to a potluck with a few vendors turned out to be an event that drew over 1300 visitors to the community. Pulaski has the dubious distinction of being the community where the KKK, a far-right terrorist organization, was formed in 1865. Erika and Layla, an inter-racial couple, quickly found themselves in the spotlight, garnering praise and support, but also hatred from the community. Tune in and listen to their story, as host Anne-Marie Zanzal asks about their coming out experiences, what it's like being a queer, racialized couple in small-town Tennessee, and their successes and challenges in starting Pulaski Pride.

To volunteer or donate and support Pulaski Pride, visit pulaskipride.online

A song that is special to Erika and Layla is She Keeps Me Warm by Mary Lambert. Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NhqH-r7Xj0E?si=HKhMftGvDwXG5HOp

A movie that was impactful to Layla in her youth was Bound, starring Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115736/