When the Shelf Breaks: Reflections on Breaking With Faith Tradition and What Lies Beyond

When the Shelf Breaks: Reflections on Breaking With Faith Tradition and What Lies Beyond

Author: Anne-Marie Zanzal 1ac1f670-c17c-11f0-806a-ef1502adef07 February 6, 2026 Duration: 46:22

It's the first Friday of the month, and that means we welcome back Anna Empey to the show! In this episode, Anne-Marie and Anna delve deep into their personal journeys of deconstructing their Catholic and Mormon faith, particularly in the context of their LGBTQIA+ identities. Each paints a vivid picture of what it was like to grow up in a home with conservative faith traditions, noting the moments when their "shelf broke" (a metaphor for losing faith), the emotional toll of leaving behind their faith communities and ingrained beliefs, and the impacts it had on their interpersonal relationships. Anne-Marie and Anna also share which pieces of their beliefs they retained, noting how they found freedom and peace as they moved forward in life guided by their values.

What to Expect in This Episode:

✨Exploration of how church policies can be devastating for LGBTQIA+ individuals.

✨Thoughts on how personal relationships with a higher power can evolve over time.

✨Why anger is a valid part of the deconstruction process.

✨Encouragement to ask questions and seek your own beliefs.


Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct messages from a conservative faith tradition, experience divorce-related guilt, or struggle with feelings of shame around your coming out or sexual identity, Authentically Us has the right kind of support for you. Monthly subscription to Authentically Us on Mighty Networks is $35/month, but you can try your first week for free. Find Authentically Us at https://bit.ly/Authentically-Us


💬 Join the Conversation:

Are you someone who is deconstructing the lessons of your life prior to coming out? What are your takeaways from this episode? Let's talk about it in the comments!


🔗 Visit our website:

Anne-Marie's : [ annemariezanzal.com]


🔗 Follow us on social media:

💠 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amzanzal

💠 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/annemariezanzalcoaching/

💠 Twitter: twitter.com/annemariezanzal

💠LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariezanzalpurposefulempowerment/


You can also tune into this episode of Coming Out & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Stories on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coming-out-beyond-lgbtqia-stories/id1569859569

Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/27kocr4llm6syHKaeX1x9e


👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more inspiring stories and advice on navigating life, love, and everything in between!


#LGBTQIA #LGBTQ #Queer #lesbian #sexuality #identity #selfdiscovery #lesbiancommunity #sexualexploration #queerculture #growth #comingout #podcast #lgbtqpodcast ##religiousdeconstruction #faith #lifeaftercomingout #resilience #exmormon #excatholic


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
U-Haul University: Stood Up, Stressed Out & Still Looking for Love! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:35
🔥 Ever get all dressed up for a date... and they never show? Ever wonder if you're too old for love at 43? Ever think maybe lesbian dating culture is just... toxic?Girl, pull up a chair. We're talking about ALL of it in…
📷”I Want To See These Women’s Faces” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:59
This week, we're revisiting an episode from Season 6 featuring GLAAD Media Award nominee, documentary photographer Morgan Lieberman. Morgan's project, "Hidden Once, Hidden Twice," published with NPR last June was recentl…
The Road That Led to Me: Becka Eppley's Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:00
Authentically Us is a support community for later-in-life LGBTQ women at all stages of the coming out and beyond process. Coming out later in life is often accompanied by suffering. Whether you're looking to deconstruct…
U-Haul University: Sapphic Dating Advice! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:26
This Authentic Life is a transformative course designed specifically for late-blooming LGBTQIA+ women (and non-binary people comfortable in women's spaces) who are navigating the complexities of identity, relationships,…
Deconstructing in a Post-Coming Out Landscape [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:21
Join the Maybe I'm Not Straight 3-Day Clarity Experience, January 6-8, 2026. For women who need a safe, affirming opportunity to explore their sexuality.: https://annemariezanzal.com/this-authentic-life-3-day-clarity-exp…
2025 Podcast Year in Review! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:33
Join the Maybe I'm Not Straight 3-Day Clarity Experience, January 6-8, 2026. For women who need a safe, affirming opportunity to explore their sexuality.: https://annemariezanzal.com/this-authentic-life-3-day-clarity-exp…
Beauty, Control & Living Outside the Lines! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:03
Join the Maybe I'm Not Straight 3-Day Clarity Experience, January 6-8, 2026. For women who need a safe, affirming opportunity to explore their sexuality.: https://annemariezanzal.com/this-authentic-life-3-day-clarity-exp…
🤔How Do You Explore Your Sexuality? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:13
Join the Maybe I'm Not Straight 3-Day Clarity Experience, January 6-8, 2026: https://annemariezanzal.com/this-authentic-life-3-day-clarity-experience/Exploring sexuality – what does that even mean? And how do you do it,…
📣The Power of Telling Your Story! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:11
This week on the podcast, host Anne-Marie Zanzal welcomes fellow author and later-in-lifer, Sarah Locke. Sarah shares her journey of coming out later in life and living with multiple sclerosis. Sarah's personal value of…