Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories | Season 5 Episode 36 | Jillian Abby

Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories | Season 5 Episode 36 | Jillian Abby

Author: Anne-Marie Zanzal 1ac1f670-c17c-11f0-806a-ef1502adef07 September 13, 2024 Duration: 52:46

In her book, "Perfectly Queer," author Jillian Abby recounts her journey of coming out later in life and overcoming chronic perfectionism. Jillian began her metamorphosis as a wife in a heterosexual marriage, home-schooling mom, and CPA. Sensing a change was needed, Jillian transitioned her job to Licensed Massage Therapist, and as she engaged in physical healing modalities she became more in touch with her authentic self, realizing she was queer. A recovering perfectionist, Jillian has learned to release unrealistic expectations, turn to self for validation, and be a peace with imperfection. In this lively discussion, host Anne-Marie Zanzal and Jillian talk about a wide range of topics, including overcoming pernicious perfectionism, the 'superpower' associated with coming out later in life, good and not so good therapists, internalized homophobia, and so much more.


It can feel incredibly isolating to question your sexuality after years of living a different story. Coming Out & Beyond Support for Women Questioning Their Sexuality Later in Life is a companion for that specific journey, created for those who find themselves navigating these waters from a place of established life-perhaps within a marriage, after a divorce, or while building a family. Host Anne-Marie Zanzal brings her perspective as an ordained minister and hospice chaplain to conversations that gently unravel complex layers of identity, faith, and fear. This podcast delves into the real, often unspoken challenges: confronting compulsory heterosexuality, processing religious or spiritual conditioning, and managing the anxiety of how a personal revelation might ripple through your closest relationships. Episodes offer a blend of personal reflection, insightful interviews, and practical support, focusing on emotional and mental well-being without offering simplistic answers. It’s a space where you can hear stories that resonate with your own, fostering a sense of clarity and community. Tuning in, you’ll find a resource that honors the full spectrum of this experience-the confusion, the liberation, and everything in between-always grounded in compassion and deep understanding.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Coming Out & Beyond  Support for Women Questioning Their Sexuality Later in Life
Podcast Episodes
I Had Been Waiting For Something My Whole Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:16
In this week's episode of Coming Out & Beyond, Anne-Marie traces the winding, decade-long road that led her from a single paragraph in an Oprah magazine to finally saying the words out loud — and finding the woman who wo…
Red Flags, Love Bombing & Listening to Your Inner Voice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:00
You're finally dating women — and maybe dating in general for the first time in decades. The apps are confusing, the feelings are big, and it can be hard to know when to trust your gut and when you're overthinking it. In…
Too Gay to Fit In, Too New to Feel at Home [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:14
Coming out names something true. But it doesn't hand you a place to land.In this episode of Coming Out & Beyond, Anne-Marie sits down with returning guest Anna Empey — LGBT coach, business development consultant, and com…
🤔So... Are You Actually Ready to Date? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:32
Are you ready to date — or do you just want to be? There's a difference, and this episode of Coming Out and Beyond is here to help you figure that out.Anne-Marie is joined by the wonderful Barbara Rowlandson — dating coa…
The Losses No One Talks About When You Come Out [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:23
Coming Out & Beyond has evolved.This season is now exclusively for women questioning their sexuality, coming out later in life, and creating a life beyond—at a human pace, with honesty and community.And if you found your…
What Heated Rivalry Gets Right About Coming Out [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:58
What Heated Rivalry Gets Right About Coming OutYou wouldn't expect a steamy male hockey romance to hit so close to home for later-in-life lesbians — but Heated Rivalry on HBO Max did exactly that.In this episode, Anne-Ma…