Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories | Season 5 Episode 49 | Karen Solt

Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories | Season 5 Episode 49 | Karen Solt

Author: Anne-Marie Zanzal 1ac1f670-c17c-11f0-806a-ef1502adef07 December 13, 2024 Duration: 49:47

What does it mean to hide? How does hiding effect us and the people around us? This week's podcast could be considered an expert on hiding. Author Karen Solt, a lesbian, made her career in the United States navy which spanned over the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" years (1993-2011). A middle child with alcoholic parents, Karen's youth was a wild one, where she hid, started drinking at age 9-10, and generally underachieved to stay below the radar. After high school, Karen was tricked into joining the navy by an unscrupulous recruitment officer. Karen found structure in the navy, became sober, made chief after 11 years, and spent the entirety of her career hiding her sexuality. When she retired, Karen found that she couldn't hide behind the uniform any longer, and thus began her journey of learning, healing, and being seen. 


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
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