As you may have noticed I rewrote and recorded this episode about my mum, but now its twice as long as it was before. I've divided it into two episodes, 10.1 and 10.2. I put a great deal of love into rewriting these two episodes about my mum and intentionally recorded them on my birthday. 

When the Mormons in Utah saw the way my Russian Mother was raising me they rolled their eyes and called her "That Crazy Foreign Woman." Born Veronika Aleksandrovna Shchipnova to Russian parents in British Columbia. Mum met my father, converted to Mormonism and moved to Utah to marry the golden boy of one of Utah's most prominent families.

Mum was always the smartest, best educated, best looking and by far the best dressed person in every room. She looked like Ava Gardener with curly black hair and stunning blue eyes. Women hated her and men were terrified of her. Everyone from our cousin the governor on down knew her well enough to admire and fear her.

For a woman in misogynistic Mormondom, in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, my mum accomplished some truly amazing things, not the least of which was to raise me to thrive in the normal, non-Mormon world.

She taught me life wasn't about conformity, especially in Utah. It was about discovering who you are and learning to love the person you are meant to be, no matter how eccentric, different or even gay.

As an adult, armed with the lessons my mum taught me, I found that quirky, somewhat eccentric individual I am and a world where people appreciated me for who I am.

Though to be perfectly honest, during my childhood I often wondered if this mythical world really existed.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/i-woke-up-this-gay/donations