{"product_id":"suffocated-by-church-a-gay-mans-journey-to-freedom-9780645422504","title":"Suffocated by Church: A gay man's journey to freedom","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe movie Spotlight drew focus to my own situation. Reflecting on my youth as a gay Catholic male, I saw the immense influence of the dominant white Sydney culture of the mid-20\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e Century, my traditional devout family and the ingrained, no, near intrinsic need to cover-up. The need to deny my own sexuality on one hand but also to deny my openly Catholic practice on the other.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis deeply personal account of Paul's life is uncomfortably situated in that overarching paradigm as it focuses of Paul's journey from his childhood, through adolescence and a turbulent internal struggle to his eventual coming out later in life as a Proud Gay Australian.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePaul reflects on several stages of his life including: his time as an altar boy, two stints in Catholic monasteries as a teenager, Clerical Sexual Abuse, failed relationships with women and men, a sojourn to the exotic Papua New Guinea and life in the Sydney Catholic Seminary, all prior to marriage in the Catholic church. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow does Paul become his authentic self? \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Paul G. Ward","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":51571757580571,"sku":"9780645422504","price":26.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0723\/8392\/2459\/files\/img_cdba81f3-bf80-48a2-a846-a2dd56d3ca47.jpg?v=1767073169","url":"https:\/\/sapphicsociety.com\/en-ca\/products\/suffocated-by-church-a-gay-mans-journey-to-freedom-9780645422504","provider":"Sapphic Society","version":"1.0","type":"link"}