Bridget Eileen Rivera is an author, speaker, and educator. And a Christian lesbian. Like so many others, she grew up thinking all LGBTQ people were going to hell, but discovered she was a lesbian in college. Bridget’s revelation was not comforting or easy for her. She felt dirty, unlovable, and damned. She had trouble going to sleep at night because she thought God would send her to 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 to help all of us be more empathetic and loving. Bridget’s book “Heavy Burdens: Seven Ways LGBTQ Christians Experience Harm in the Church” can be found at your online bookstore of choice.