Bridget Eileen Rivera describes herself as a Christian, Lesbian, Sojourner. Like so many others, she grew up thinking all LGBTQ people were going to hell, but discovered she was a lesbian in college. Buy Bridget’s book “Heavy Burdens.” Bridget’s revelation was not comforting or easy for her. She felt dirty, unloveable, and damned. She had trouble going to sleep at night because she thought God would send to her hell while she slept. After wrestling with her own faith and the Bible, Bridget began to understand that God did still love her. And that she need not be ashamed of this burden. However, she also felt, and still feels, that she should remain celibate. This puts her in a strange place of having to defend her choices and thoughts to both conservative and progressive people. Bridget’s road has not been an easy one, but she has not hesitated to stay true to her calling of helping us all be more empathetic and loving. Find Bridget on Twitter or visit her site to learn more about her work. If you're enjoying this series, consider rating and reviewing Why I Stay on your podcast app of choice. Also, consider checking out the other podcast offerings from Patheos here. You can subscribe to the Patheos YouTube channel by clicking here or Like and Follow us on Facebook. Curious about religion? Learn more at https://www.patheos.com/ Visit whyistaypodcast.com for more info.