faith
STILL STACE Instagram LIVE TOUR
This week for the launch of #StillStace (which officially publishes TOMORROW!!!) – I’m going to have some fun Instagram LIVE conversations with some awesome peeps! Jump over to my Instagram @chomiaks to join in – times posted either the day of or evening before!
Local Coverage for STILL STACE
It’s been lovely seeing a few articles and having a few interviews with the local news about the release of STILL STACE! (In mere days OH MY HEAAARRRRRTTT.) Have a read, if ya fancy đ Also – order YOUR copy of STILL STACE!
October 14, 2021 – Super nice article in The Chilliwack Progress!
October 10, 2021 – Thanks for the great article, Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News! (And thanks for plugging all three Still Stace launches!)
October 9, 2021 – The lovely Don Lehn interviewed me for the Fraser Valley News about Still Stace releasing very soon! (10 min audio interview below)
Unboxing STILL STACE.
WHOAAAAAAAAA.
I’ve been waiting a LONG time for this day. To open the author copies of MY FREAKING OWN BOOK. That I wrote and drew and how is this real.
It’s a box of literal dreams that I unpacked and my heart is a-BLAZING. Tams and I waited til the kids were in bed, and then did a cheesy photo shoot because I’m gonna SAVOUR every MOMENT of this magical journey I find myself on.
I brought out the original scribbly and beat up hard copy I made two years ago, (originally titled “Dear Younger (Gay) Me”) held together with clips. Also my kids coloured all over it (bonus). This Version 2.0 is WAY. BETTER. Kudos to Beaming Books for putting out such a beautiful and quality book. They have been such an amazing team to work with, especially my editor Naomi.
I may or may not (MAY) carry around a copy of my own book everywhere I go like it’s my third child CUZ IT KINDA IS. Get ready world, it’s comin’ at ya in less than two weeks. Send me your copy if ya get one!
Love for “Still Stace”.
Six weeks from this Tuesday, Still Stace will be out into the world.
It feels like a dream slowly coming true. (It IS!) I’ve been working quietly in my office for what feels like a LONG time, and now it’s slowly getting into people’s hands. WHOA. I’m trying to savour each exciting thing that happens – like these amazing endorsements, and even a Kirkus review! Excuse me while I dance out my excitement in my office by myself. đ I am SO grateful.
MsFits Podcast
I had a really great time, thanks to my friends at The MsFits podcast, for this awesome conversation! I really value the space to talk about this journey with others who are alongside me. If you want to hear about faith and being gay, and how that fits together, have a listen! Also available on other platforms wherever you listen to your podcasts!
From the podcast summary: Did you tune into this weekâs new episode with @chomiaks? We were so lucky to have her on the show with us, to have her share her own journey of fully accepting herself, and how that has shaped her own faith journey and even the art she produces for work!@chomiaks will be releasing her book âStill Staceâ this October, so stay on the lookout! We hope you enjoy this touching episode. New episodes every Wednesday 5 AM PDT/8 AM PDT.
Rainbow flags at church.
Something big happened recently.
And the fact that it fell on my birthday, was just one of those moments I felt God smile on my life – so I smiled back.
July 25 was our first in-person church service at Open Door Church since Covid, and that was (CUE TEARS) emotional enough.
It was also a faith milestone for me.
Our pastor Bradley asked me to be the one to hang the rainbow flag on our building, as part of our becoming an official affirming church. (
)
I wasnât prepared for the feelings that flooded my body as I (unsteadily) climbed the ladder(s) to hang this flag. All my years of feeling rejected from church and knowing that I would never truly be welcome.
Wow. What this means to me. To my faith. To my family. To my LGBTQ Christian community.
What this means especially to those who gave up hope desperately wanting to see this beacon in their night.
I want to sit with this.
I want to let it slowly sink to the bottom of my soul like a heavy rock laden with gratefulness.
I want the dust that it kicks up to be my continual reminder that good change is alive and well.
Never give up, my friends. You are SO loved.
LGBTQ Workshop Event UPDATE – Partnering with SheLoves!
Jan 22 UPDATE: GIVEAWAY! I’m going to sign a personalized Rainbow Boy for someone who comes tomorrow! I hope to see you there, grab your ticket before 10AM PST!
You may have seen my post about recording a video workshop telling my gay Christian story, for a Christian conference, and then them dropping the LGBTQ speakers. (Original story here.)
I am SO excited to share I have a NEW PARTNER to share my story – shelovesmagazine! This event will be open to EVERYONE whether you are in Canada or the US (or beyond!). So PLEASE friends all over, come join us Saturday, Jan 23 @ 10AM Pacific Time! We will all gather virtually, screen my video workshop and have a Q & A time after. I would LOVE to see some friendly virtual faces so it’s not just me alone in a Zoom room. đ
Tickets are available on Eventbrite – fee is a sliding scale, so if things are tough, please don’t worry about paying anything and just come. More info is below.
About this Event
LIBERATION STORIES: Join us for a powerful personal story from Artist Stacey Chomiak on Owning Her Gay Christian Story (Plus Q & A)
WHAT: LIBERATION STORIES: Owning My Gay Christian Story, with Stacey Chomiak.
WHEN: Saturday, January 23 at 10am PST / 1pm EST / 6pm GMT
WHERE: Register on Eventbrite and hosted on Eventbrite.
COST: Tickets available at a sliding scale, starting from free through $20 plus fees. (Limited quantity.)
“For 13 years, I fought against my body and my heart and its innate desires,” says Stacey Chomiak, an artist in the animation industry. “I grew to hate them, because I was taught to do so. I believed my desires were bad and therefore I believed I was bad. I had to finally admit that I couldnât pray my gay away any more than I could change the color of my eyes. I didnât want to leave my faith, because Jesus and I had a very deep relationship.”
Join us for this powerful hour of Liberation Stories.
ABOUT SHELOVES:
SheLoves is a global sisterhood conversation on personal and collective liberation. We focus on deconstructing faith, practising allyship, antiracism, decolonization and the Jesus kind of feminism.
Being asked to leave the table.
(Trigger warning: LGBTQ Christian voices being silenced)
In September, I was invited to speak at a Christian conference out of Vancouver. I was really excited, because they wanted to include LGBTQ Christian voices, and I love speaking about such things! Their conference is in January 2021, and due to Covid, all virtual. Because of that, they asked the speakers to film their 30 minute workshops so they could stream them the day of the conference.
In October, I wrote what was on my heart to share: owning my gay Christian story. They approved and were really encouraging about my outline. In November, with the help of my pastor and friend Bradley, I filmed and edited the workshop (no small feat), and sent it over.
In mid-December, the founder of the conference reached out to me to say that they have come to a very difficult decision: they have to cut the LGBTQ workshops out of their conference. (I believe there was one other one besides mine.)
Since then, we have exchanged emails, and had a very honest and lengthy conversation on Zoom. (Which was tough – but encouraging too. People these days tend to not want to have hard conversations, so I really appreciate that openness.) They are a fairly new conference, and I know this has not been an easy decision for them. It has caused grief and heartache. I say this because I want to point out that I donât believe there are clear cut âgood guysâ and âbad guysâ in these situations. We are all imperfect people, trying our best to love each other and navigate this journey of life. But yes â this still hurts.
I want to be really careful about speaking on their behalf. So I’m going to share their official announcement in regards to cancelling the workshops here: (this was posted on their Facebook page)
The reasons they decided to cut the LGBTQ workshops are not the main focus for me here. The focus for me is this: I was invited to the table to share because of who I am. And then I was asked to leave for the same reason. In December 2020, in (liberal Canadian) Vancouver, this still happens. LGBTQ Christians are still being asked not to share.
As a gay Christian, this strikes a painful chord that resonates deep, almost like that feeling when you bite on tinfoil. Like so many gay people, I have a long history of being hurt and silenced by âthe churchâ and by some âChristiansâ. This situation brings a lot of that past trauma to the surface.
It dredges up the same old fears:
Is my voice not valued?
Am I not valued?
Do I not belong?
Should I stop sharing?
On behalf of myself and the LGBTQ Christian community, I have this to say: I am angry. And that is good. Anger is necessary here. This is unjust. This is not okay.
But I refuse to use this energy to destroy, or to be malicious. I will let it fuel me towards the greater good, and I will forge ahead. Because I have and will make missteps and hurt people, and I need to practice radical grace for others, if that’s what I hope to receive. Even though it’s hard, I want to keep talking, keep learning, keep growing.
I will choose to forgive, because as someone who follows Jesus and not a specific institution, I believe itâs the best thing for my heart, my faith and my integrity. But I wonât rush to fix the hurt, because I need to feel this.
For those of you for whom this also brings up past hurts, please hear me: I am here for you. I will stand up for you. When I am quiet, and I let the fears calm, there is a louder and steadfast truth that reverberates from inside: I AM valued. My voice IS valued. I DO belong. God is – in fact – proud of me for sharing.
But. Make. No. Mistake.
I will not be silenced. I plan to release my video workshop in January when I am ready, and on my own terms. I think it may actually hold more meaning because of what has transpired.
This has happened to me before, and it will no doubt happen to me again. This is why I wrote my book. This is why I will continue to speak when asked. This is why I choose to be visible.
I cannot call myself an advocate, and then shy away from these situations. I will stand up. Because itâs needed. Because many other LGBTQ Christian people are asked to be quiet, to leave, or to change who they are – and they may not have the energy or will to keep going.
I DO.
There is still much work to be done. And I am here for it.
Thanks to MercyMeâs new song for coming into my ears this week: (lyrics taken from âSay I Wonâtâ)
âNot enough
Is what I’ve been told
But it must be a lie
‘Cause the Spirit inside says I’m so much more
So let them say what they want
Oh I dare them to try
I’m gonna run
No, I’m gonna fly
I’m gonna know what it means to live
And not just be alive
The world’s gonna hear
‘Cause I’m gonna shout
And I will be dancing when circumstances drown the music outâ
It’s complicated.
I almost didnât post this.
But Iâm 40 now, so screw it, Iâm not editing myself anymore!
I wrote this after a recent visit with my parents. (I hid this from them on social media. Because I do love them and donât want to hurt them. But being honest about hard things is important.)
This is for every queer person who still has unaffirming people in their life who love them. Itâs so hard. I hear you, I love you, you arenât alone.
Itâs so complicated.
Learning to be brave.
Well, shoot.
Right now I am working on final revisions for my manuscript for âStill Staceâ. Iâm also reading Glennon Doyleâs âUntamedâ. This is quickly becoming a tumultuous, beautiful, terrible, gut-wrenching, wonderful, life-changing gift.
I have to read it very slowly, digesting it in small bits. Sometimes in the bath (the only place to read where I can lock myself away from toddlers), I can only manage a couple pages. My copy of her book is already dog-eared, annotated and frantically underlined. Iâm not halfway done yet.
I feel, as I know many people feel, it was written JUST for me in this season of my life. No but, really, it feels that way. Glennon, can you hear me??
Today was a rare day for me. I was taken to the spa for a glorious getaway. As I laid on a surprisingly comfortable wooden recliner outside, wrapped in one of their lush white robes, I tried to muscle my way through a good chunk of her book. I feel in my bones that I need to absorb what every page says, but itâs hitting (too) close to home. Once again I hit the âoof, that hurtsâ wall after just a few pages.
I folded it face down on my chest and stared up at the blue sky. The spa doesnât allow technology on-site, so I was actually forced to notice things. The way the soft breeze rustled the leaves overhead ever so gently. I studied the way the clouds swirled and reformed their puffy shapes quickly and slowly at the same time. The soothing sounds of the spa music – all that was missing was a masseuseâs hands on my shoulders.
BrenĂŠ Brown talks about how she knows a book is good when she wants to throw it across the room. Well, Glennon, your book has a lot of air miles in my mind. I donât want what you are saying to be true, but dammit, it is.
She says:
âBrave is not asking the crowd what is brave. Brave is deciding for oneself. To be brave is to forsake all others to be true to yourself.â
That sounds easy.
That sounds logical.
That sounds impossible.
How is it, that at the age of 40, I am only now learning how to truly be brave?? How to  listen for my own knowing, not the mix of voices in my head that want to do the âright thingâ, make others happy or do whatever it takes not to hurt them.
Guys, this is so tough.
As I write about my younger selfâs struggles in coming out and finding peace with my faith and sexuality, I realize I am yet again on another excruciating journey of finding myself. (Not in the same way mind you, Iâm gayer than ever.)
But then, thatâs what life is, right? âBeing human is not hard because youâre doing it wrong, itâs hard because youâre doing it right.â (Damn you, Glennon. Also, thank you Glennon.)
Okay, letâs keep reading.
