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N.Y. Times

By Lou Anne Smoot​​​​​​​


Who would have predicted that the New York Times could bring so much excitement into my life! I recently completed a NY Times survey targeting LGBT people "about how their day-to-day experiences, work and private lives, sense of physical safety and emotional comfort are affected by where they live."


That subject "talked out loud" to me as I live in East Texas, an area we lesbians call "behind the Pine Curtain." Seriously, we are way behind the time when it comes to equality for gays and lesbians. I believe my "library experience" story got their attention. I had been scheduled to speak in the library's auditorium as part of their Summer Reading Program in June, 2015. During that same month, my wife and I had prepared the library's display case promoting East Texas PFLAG. Only a few people were "offended," but that's all it took for the City Manager to cancel my talk and have the display case emptied. There was such an outcry from our gay community that my talk was reinstated and the display case filled, though moved to another location.


This story, plus the fact I remained in my Southern Baptist Church for 15 years after I "came out" in order to be an example of a "gay Christian," prompted a phone interview yesterday morning with Frank Bruni; and Friday, a photographer will be here! I'm hoping when he takes my photo I'll be allowed to hold a copy of my book, OUT, A Courageous Woman's Journey.


Lou Anne Smoot is the author of the Goldie Finalist, Out - a Courageous Woman's Journey. A widely sought after speaker, you can check out our calendar of events to find out where Lou Anne will be speaking in Texas.