**#MakeLoveLouder**
I\’m Darren Calhoun and really appreciate being asked to speak to you
today.
I’ve heard that it’s really good to start off talks like this with some
great quote or literary reference like a poem. So here’s some poetry I
wrote during my freshman year of college. I won\’t read th
**From Chicago to an Indiana Church Basement:\
A Conversion Therapy Survivor’s Story\
**by Darren Calhoun
When I was a 17-year-old college freshman in Chicago, I wrote a coming
out poem to say, “I’m black, I’m Christian, I’m gay—get used to it.”
But soon after writing that poem, a church pastor t
I’m Darren, and I’ve often described myself as black, Christian, and
gay. I’m also a lot of other things, like a photographer, a worship
leader, and an advocate for justice. Each of these descriptors could be
used to identify groups that I fit into, but none of them tells the
whole story of who Darr
A FEW THOUGHTS
Growing up, I was convinced that I *could not* be good at sports and
sheepishly backed away from any activity that required athletic skill. I
remember one spring afternoon my teacher insisted that I join the rest
of the class in our regular game of softball. I was always picked last
Hi, I’m Darren Calhoun\…
Growing up, I was convinced that I *could not* be good at sports and
sheepishly backed away from any activity that required athletic skill. I
remember one spring afternoon my teacher insisted that I join the rest
of the class in our regular game of softball. I was always
It is with sadness and some woundedness that I am saying goodbye to A
Side-B Community. In 2014, I first joined as the group was created
somewhat spontaneously at the Gay Christian Network conference in
Chicago. I was in awe at meeting such a diversity of thought and
practice when it comes to faithf