Dr. Olsen was that kid who witnessed to his elementary teachers and still got A's. In college, he poked theological holes in his Cedarville classmates' theologies and was still popular. But ultimately, his quest for knowledge and truth caused him to deconstruct his fundamentalist faith and fully accept his identity as a queer man. Despite emerging from Cedarville with mostly fond memories, Dr. Olsen recognized that the evangelical culture's toxic views of queerness made many students, faculty, and staff suffer greatly, with some losing their friends and family, and some even taking their own lives. With that in mind, Dr. Olsen started a group called Cedarville Out to give support to LGBTQ+ people at Cedarville, and decades later, he is still helping people find their way.
You can help LGBTQ+ people at schools like Cedarville by giving to the Religious Exemption Accountability Project (REAP) which is doing similar work. Donate here.
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