Cooper, Alex: Saving Alex
When I Was Fifteen I Told My Mormon Parents I Was Gay, and That's When My Nightmare Began
When Alex Cooper was fifteen years old,
life was pretty ordinary in her sleepy suburban town and nice Mormon family. At
church and at home, Alex was taught that God had a plan for everyone. But
something was gnawing at her that made her feel different. These feelings
exploded when she met Yvette, a girl who made Alex feel alive in a new way, and
with whom Alex would quickly fall in love.
Alex knew she was holding a
secret that could shatter her family, her church community, and her life. Yet
when this secret couldn't be hidden any longer, she told her parents that she
was gay, and the nightmare began. She was driven from her home in Southern
California to Utah, where, against her will, her parents handed her over to
fellow Mormons who promised to save Alex from her homosexuality.
For
eight harrowing months, Alex was held captive in an unlicensed "residential
treatment program" modeled on the many "therapeutic" boot camps scattered across
Utah. Alex was physically and verbally abused, and many days she was forced to
stand facing a wall wearing a heavy backpack full of rocks. Her captors used
faith to punish and terrorize her. With the help of a dedicated legal team in
Salt Lake City, Alex eventually escaped and made legal history in Utah by
winning the right to live under the law's protection as an openly gay
teenager.
Alex is not alone; the headlines continue to splash stories
about gay conversion therapy and rehabilitation centers that promise to "save"
teenagers from their sexuality. Saving Alex is a courageous memoir that tells
Alex's story in the hopes that it will bring awareness and justice to this
important issue. A bold, inspiring story of one girl's fight for freedom,
acceptance, and truth.
Verlag: Harper Collins Publ. USA
Seiten: 256 S. Erscheinungsjahr: 2016 Ausführung: Fester Einband