Does This Bible Belt Make Me Look Gay?: My Tales of Coming Out, Christianity, and Southern Culture

by Krista Doyle

Krista Doyle grew up in a small town in Louisiana where everyone was a gossip and a devout church goer. She attended church every Sunday where she listened to her grandfather preach from the stage, where she sang hymns from the audience as her mother led the choir, and where she was strictly taught that everything was black and white, right and wrong. So—how was Krista to cope with being a lesbian?

Does this Bible Belt Make Me Look Gay? is Krista’s retelling of her journey from her straight-and-narrow childhood in small-town Louisiana to her rough-and-tumble adulthood, spent mostly in the glittery land of Los Angeles where she found God at the Cheesecake Factory and shed countless tears at lesbian bars because a stranger attacked her with an unwanted kiss (it was only her second time kissing a woman!).

It’s a brief, honest, and clever memoir penned in the hopes that the author's story might provide comfort and insight to those suffering through similar situations—to those wondering if God had just made them “incorrectly,” as Krista once questioned herself.

Genres: LGBT, Memoir, Nonfiction

70 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2014

Reviews

[Nate]

Reads like a long Tumblr post

[Doni]

Very honest and encouraging

I relate to a lot of stuff in this little book. It is a pretty accurate and honest take on what can happen when you come to terms with being a lesbian. Thank you for writing it.

[Hayley McManus]

A very sweet personal account of Doyle's coming out experience. A really easy read, would have loved it more if it was longer and more detailed. But overall a really interesting life perspective that needs to be comfortably spoken about more in all church circles.

[Carianne Carleo-Evangelist]

While Doyle is younger than I am, we have a lot of the same cultural touch points and appreciated her journey through the highs and lows. Found reader to be a little over the top. Would have liked it in Doyle’s own voice

[Kacie Sommers]

This is the 2nd book (that I can remember) that has made me audibly laugh out loud. The first is BJ Novak’s book.

[Julie Bouchonville]

Hardly life changing but really cute

[Lani]

More like pamphlet than book

[Kez]

A very short little book. Not sure what I was expecting given the title, but the book ends with the rousing words of "don't be a dick" which I think sums up the whole of the book's vibes pretty well.

[Sarah]

This book was HILARIOUS. I loved it so much, and I kept reading the funny parts out loud, much to my busy boyfriend's chagrin. As a bisexual person who grew up in a religious family with an upbringing in church, I could absolutely relate to some of these feelings and scenarios. However, could not relate to the parts involving cows and other such farm animals, sadly. I recommend this book to anyone who needs a laugh. Definitely worth the $5 I spent on Amazon. In fact, worth a lot more.

[Channah Irvin]

Growing up a gay kid in Alabama, I get it, but there wasn't too much else to it. I don't know what I was expecting.

[Christa]

Kris The Doyle

I love Krista Doyle. She is funny, smart, and honest. This is a really short (I'm talking 52 minutes) read, but it's excellent. Give it a shot!