I Was Never Broken - William Martino

What happens when the person you are told you must become is never who you were meant to be?From a childhood shaped by fundamentalist Christianity to the terrifying realization that he was gay, William Martino spent years believing there was something deeply wrong with him. At twelve years old, he began a secret battle with his own identity. By fourteen, that battle had become a desperate attempt to change himself through prayer, counseling, and ex-gay conversion therapy.What followed were years of shame, fear, depression, and the crushing belief that failing to become straight meant failing God.But sometimes, finding your way out of the darkness begins with a single person willing to say, "There is nothing wrong with you."As William begins questioning what he has been taught about homosexuality, faith, and God, he discovers a different path-one that allows him to embrace his sexuality without abandoning his faith. Along the way, he finds mentors who help him learn to love himself, a community where he can finally live openly, and a purpose in standing up for others who are still struggling to find their voices.Then, when he least expects it, William finds something he once believed he might never have: love.A friendship with Brandon eventually becomes something deeper, leading to a journey through unexpected challenges, separation, faith, and ultimately marriage to the man who would become the love of his life.I Was Never Broken is a deeply personal memoir about growing up gay in a fundamentalist Christian environment, surviving conversion therapy, rebuilding faith, discovering self-worth, and finding the courage to live authentically.It is a story about what happens when you stop trying to become someone else-and finally become who you were all along.For everyone who has ever been told they were broken, this is your reminder: You were never broken.