“Out of Focus” Book Launch

We are thrilled to announce the release of Amber Cantorna-Wylde's new book "Out of Focus: My Story of Sexuality, Shame, and Toxic Evangelicalism". This special evening will feature a moderated conversation with Amber Cantorna-Wylde led by Kathy Escobar, with Q&A and book signing to follow.

We are also excited to have a special guest performance by Out Loud Colorado Springs Men's Chorus!

Get your tickets early and bring a friend for this special evening as we discuss how to heal from religious trauma, embrace who we are, and build a radically inclusive community.

Tickets are $15 online, $18 at the door.

About Amber Cantorna-Wylde: Amber Cantorna-Wylde is a national speaker, coach, and storyteller supporting LGBTQ+ people through their coming out process and educating others on the importance of full inclusion.

As someone who lost everything when coming out as gay, Amber is passionate about dissolving shame, fostering self-acceptance, and generating messages of hope for LGBTQ+ people and their families, especially those from conservative faith backgrounds.

She’s the author of Out of Focus: My Story of Sexuality, Shame, and Toxic Evangelicalism (releasing October 2023) and Unashamed: A Coming-Out Guide for LGBTQ Christians (WJK Press, 2019). She is the founder and host of the Unashamed Love Collective ~ a beautiful and inclusive membership-based online community for LGBTQ+ people and allies. She also leads Cultivating Community Retreats—small, intimate group gatherings that build lasting relationships with like-minded people.

Amber’s expertise has led her to speak across the country at various conferences, universities, organizations, and churches. She’s also been featured in numerous podcasts and writing mediums. Being a gay female and living with the invisible disability of both rheumatoid arthritis and late-stage Lyme disease makes Amber passionate about fighting for the equality, equity, and dignity of all people.

In her free time, Amber can be found cuddling with her dogs, traveling, or connecting with people over coffee. She loves dark chocolate, trying new things, and spending time in the mountains.

Follow her on social media at @AmberCantornaWylde, support her work via Patreon, and learn more about her work at AmberCantornaWylde.com.

Out of Focus Description: When a mass shooter killed five people in an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, grieving people graffitied James Dobson’s Focus on the Family headquarters with the words “Their blood is on your hands.” Such an accusation comes as no surprise to Amber Cantorna-Wylde, whose father is a Focus on the Family executive and cast Amber out of her family when she came out in 2012. From severed family ties to malicious murder, such enmity is the fruit of a religious movement that considers it more faithful to reject your child or even to kill than to accept and love LGBTQ+ people. Evangelical organizations like Dobson’s, along with pastors like Jerry Falwell, Franklin Graham, and Robert Jeffress, built an empire out of their conservative Christian beliefs and convinced millions of Americans that sexual purity, patriarchal families, and militaristic nationalism were God’s priority. Cantorna-Wylde shows readers how the political and personal intertwine to cause shame and suffering, including the long-term effects of identity-repression, trauma, and family estrangement. A blend of heart-wrenching memoir and astute cultural analysis, Out of Focus will help heal individuals harmed by evangelicalism’s toxic influence and inspire communities to pursue a path of love and inclusion.

Out Loud Colorado Springs Men's Chorus: Out Loud inspires solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community and is a force for celebrating our collective humanity through song. Learn more at: https://www.outloudcsmc.com/.

Kathy Escobar: Kathy Escobar is copastor of The Refuge, a hub for healing community, social action, and creative collaboration in north Denver. A trained spiritual director and group facilitator, Kathy is the author of "Practicing: Changing Yourself to Change the World" and "Faith Shift: Finding Your Way Forward When Everything You Believe Is Coming Apart" and is dedicated to creating safe and brave spaces for transformation in real life and online. Learn more at: https://kathyescobar.com/.