Gay Mormon Dad
Chad Anderson’s inspiring graphic memoir Gay Mormon Dad is about coming out and breaking away from his childhood religion.
Raised in a large, devout Mormon family, Anderson grew up believing the tenets of the religion and its traditions. Suppressing his innermost feelings, he served as a missionary, went to college, married a woman, and had two sons. But at a point of crisis, Anderson came out at thirty-two years old. His brother-in-law accused him of lying to everyone, including Jesus. His father tried to help him overcome his “condition.” Nonetheless, he got a divorce and became a dedicated co-parent, free to live a happy life without toxic connections or undeserved guilt.
This is a layered and triumphant book, featuring poignant irony, as when Anderson is supported by his lesbian sister, who he denounced when she came out years before. Illustrated poems filled with rich imagery and wordplay complement the story’s turns, as with mentions of “my heritage, equal parts handcart and homophobia” and quiet streets “full of newly-weds and nearly-deads.”
The illustrations use different color palettes to distinguish between scenes set before and after Anderson’s liberation—cold blues versus warm reds and oranges. These are resonant visual measures of his emotional state. Combined with detailed linework and facial expressions, they make the images as intimate as the story they tell.
An illuminating, exhilarating graphic memoir, Gay Mormon Dad is about escaping from a stifling, closeted life to achieve fulfillment and independence.
Reviewed by
Peter Dabbene
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
