For 15 years, the Mormon couple did everything their church advised. They were best friends. They prayed together, studied scriptures together, worshipped together, raised four daughters together. They even shared careers as marriage and family therapists.
And they were not in denial at their wedding. They went into it eyes wide open, fully aware that Josh was gay and Lolly wasn’t. They knew it would be tough, but they believed, with God’s help, a satisfying union was possible for them.
Internalized homophobia and self-loathing at the core of Josh’s identity began to unravel at about the same time as Lolly’s need to be loved by someone who desired her began to expand.