Our Story
Is it even an option?
Many people who grew up in evangelical churches heard the message over and over that someone could not experience attraction to the same sex and be Christian. That’s what our YOS director, Erin, heard; it never occurred to her that such a duality was an option.
In college, she was exposed to Side A and Side B terminology, and for reasons unbeknownst to her she filed away that day’s lecture to unpack on a later date. Because of this college exposure, Erin adhered to this type of sexual ethic long before being honest about her own story.
A new kind of podcast…
In 2019, Erin reconnected with someone from college who mentioned a new podcast he’d started following, hosted by a guy named Tom whom he’d recently met. He suggested that she listen as well. After two years of following Your Other Brothers, an empathetic listening of these men’s stories became a more personal, relatable story for Erin.
What started as a casual recommendation of a podcast became a means of navigating new territory for her later-in-life coming out journey, after several years of dismissing her own sexuality.
Wandering around the Internet, Erin recognized that there were not any places strictly for women to talk about their own faith and sexuality, and their relation to gender and femininity, in particular. Because of the impact of YOB’s podcast on her, in 2022 she sent a message to YOB’s director, Tom, asking if he had ever thought about starting a similar community for women – something that could be fittingly called “Your Other Sisters.”
Something like YOB…
Six months prior to her sending Tom that message, Tom’s pastor shared on a YOB ConvoCast that he would like to see a forming community of women comparable to Your Other Brothers.
Of course, Erin did not know this then, but God did.
Was God stirring up vision in the hearts of those in the YOB community and those who supported them as fellow siblings in Christ?
While Erin was coming to terms with her own story, God was patiently waiting for what would progress after this first interaction between her and Tom.
The sparrow signal returns…
Providentially, Erin and Tom only lived a couple hours away from each other and already had some mutual friends. A month after this YOS inquiry, they were able to meet in person. Tom opened up his home while Erin shared her story and vision for a community of same-sex attracted and otherwise queer women.
Later that summer, we sent out a new “sparrow signal” to women who followed YOB’s content, and Erin connected with the men of YOB about a potential new community of YOSSERS. Erin started sharing her story with women across America and abroad, and hosting regular Zoom calls with them.
Women were now standing in the liminal space of these conversations about faith, sexuality, and gender. They were peering into something that was by them and for them. From the first rumblings of a community until now, there hasn’t been such a community that is present.
Could it be that we are the builders of what others out there may be searching for?
We are not alone…
Now, alongside our other brothers in Your Other Family, we seek to create a space where women everywhere can feel a little less alone. Whether we have an in-person community or not, whether we are “out” or not, we all need this reminder that we are not alone.
So we press on, marking new territory, enduring obstacles, and bearing one another’s burdens.
Will you join us?
Our Values
From our roots as a blog to a flourishing podcast and community, our journey is guided by seven core values.