Saving Alex : when I was fifteen I told my Mormon parents I was gay, and that's when my nightmare began / Alex Cooper with Joanna Brooks.
When Alex Cooper was fifteen years old, life was pretty ordinary in her sleepy suburban town and nice Mormon family. At church and at home, Alex was taught that God had a plan for everyone. But something was gnawing at her that made her feel different. These feelings exploded when she met Yvette, a girl who made Alex feel alive in a new way, and with whom Alex would quickly fall in love. Alex knew she was holding a secret that could shatter her family, her church community, and her life. Yet when this secret couldn't be hidden any longer, she told her parents that she was gay, and the nightmare began. She was driven from her home in Southern California to Utah, where, against her will, her parents handed her over to fellow Mormons who promised to save Alex from her homosexuality. For eight harrowing months, Alex was held captive in an unlicensed "residential treatment program" modeled on the many "therapeutic" boot camps scattered across Utah. Alex was physically and verbally abused, and many days she was forced to stand facing a wall wearing a heavy backpack full of rocks. Her captors used faith to punish and terrorize her. With the help of a dedicated legal team in Salt Lake City, Alex eventually escaped and made legal history in Utah by winning the right to live under the law's protection as an openly gay teenager. Alex is not alone; the headlines continue to splash stories about gay conversion therapy and rehabilitation centers that promise to "save" teenagers from their sexuality. Saving Alex is a courageous memoir that tells Alex's story in the hopes that it will bring awareness and justice to this important issue. A bold, inspiring story of one girl's fight for freedom, acceptance, and truth.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780062374608
- ISBN: 0062374605
- Physical Description: 248 pages ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2016]
- Copyright: ©2016
Content descriptions
Formatted Contents Note: | Prologue : dead end -- Families are forever -- Cracks in the plan -- Just this one girl -- Opening up -- "Get out. Just go!" -- Welcome to Utah -- "I'm going to be here a long time" -- "You think you are gay, but that's not how God made you." -- Free to choose -- The burden of homosexuality -- Invisible -- Giving in -- Going back to school -- Can't take another day -- Safe -- Going home -- Standing strong -- Moving on -- Sharing my story. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Cooper, Alex, 1994- Mormon gays > United States > Biography. |
Available copies
- 8 of 8 copies available at Evergreen Indiana.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 8 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fayette Co PL - Connersville | 289.3092 COO (Text) | 39230031713447 | Adult Books | Available | - |
Hussey-Mayfield Mem. PL - Zionsville | B COOPER, ALEX COOPER (Text) | 33946003082257 | Adult Biographies | Available | - |
Jefferson Co PL - Madison Main Branch | 921 COOP (Text) | 39391006731408 | Nonfiction | Available | - |
Monticello-Union Twp PL - Monticello | NF RELIGION CHRISTIAN COOPER (Text) | 37743002166652 | NF RELIGION | Available | - |
Newburgh Chandler PL - Bell Road Library | 921 COOPER (Text) | 39206021188311 | Adult Biography | Available | - |
Putnam County Public Library - Main | B COO (Text) | 30041002148904 | Adult Biography | Available | - |
West Lafayette PL - West Lafayette | 289.3092 COO (Text) | 31951004091374 | 2nd Floor - Non-Fiction | Available | - |
Whiting PL - Whiting | 289.3 C784 (Text) | 51735011742540 | Adult department | Available | - |
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Resources for Families | 248 |