Dan Savage

Every story can change a life. Growing up isn't easy. Many young people face daily tormenting and bullying, making them feel like they have nowhere to turn. This is especially true for LGBT kids and teens who often hide their sexuality for fear of being bullied. Without other openly gay adults and mentors in their lives, they can't imagine what their future may hold. In many instances, gay and lesbian adolescents are taunted—even tortured—simply...

In a time when much of the country sees red whenever the subject of gay marriage comes up, Dan Savage—outspoken author of the column Savage Love—makes it personal. Dan Savage's mother wants him to get married. His boyfriend, Terry, says “no thanks” because he doesn't want to act like a straight person. Their six-year-old son, D.J., says his two dads aren't “allowed” to get married but that he'd like to come to the reception and eat cake....

Deep in Appalachia, Pastor Lemuel Childs officiates over an isolated community of serpent handlers, an obscure sect of Pentecostals who freely take up venomous snakes to prove themselves before God. As his loyal daughter, Mara prepares for her wedding day, under the observant eye of Hope Slaughter, a dangerous secret is unearthed, and she is forced to confront the deadly tradition of her father's church.