For the next Drunken Telegraph we’re partnering with Tacoma Pride Festival, Immanuel Presbyterian Church and the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts to present an evening of stories from the LGBTQA community about the intersection of identity and spirituality called “Crossing the Threshold”.
A diverse group of storytellers will recount experiences of the spirit that transformed the way they saw themselves, from finding new faith to leaving organized faith to questioning the very nature of faith.
We still have room for a couple more storytellers and welcome pitches. Send your story to stories@drunkentelegraph.com
We called the show “Crossing the Threshold” because that is the classic moment in a hero’s journey when a person leaves behind the familiar, old world, to move into unknown territory on a quest for something more. It’s a frightening step because there is no way to know what is on the other side – or if there is anything at all. Whether we journey to connect with a higher power or to understand the existential mysteries or to find our own place in the world, it’s a transition that requires faith that it’s worth it to keep going.
Jane Brazell, a two-time Drunken Telegraph teller, instigated the partnership after seeing the impact that an evening of listening to real-life stories had on a friend. We (Megan Sukys and Tad Monroe) saw this show as a chance to present and hear stories that are rarely shared in public, powerful stories that offer universal wisdom about finding meaning in life. Our belief is that personal storytelling about the events that shaped us is the fastest way to build compassion, understanding and community. Also, it’s fun.
As we prepare the show, Jane was kind enough to share her own story about “Crossing the Threshold”.
Jane Brazell took a ten year trip through ex-gay reparative therapy.
Jane Brazell is “hardwired for God”, but as a teenager her sexuality made her feel separate from her church community. At the age of twenty, a friend invited her to a congregation that offered her healing, but it wasn’t until a cloudy day in a shopping center parking lot a decade later that she discovered what she really needed.
CLICK ON THE TRIANGLE BELOW TO HEAR HER STORY (9:02)