Luke grew up as the youngest of five, navigating family dynamics and a complicated relationship with faith. His journey from rural Canada to a deeply evangelical college in the U.S. brought him face-to-face with teachings that clashed with his emerging queer identity. In this episode, Luke shares candid reflections on conversion therapy, the pressures of purity culture, and the emotional toll of trying to conform in high-control religious spaces.

Through humour, honesty, and vulnerability, Luke tells the story of finding his way back to himself. From shame and suppression to joy and self-expression, this conversation is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when we stop hiding and start healing.

Who Is Lucas?

Lucas Wilson is a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Toronto Mississauga and was formerly the Justice, Equity, and Transformation Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Calgary. A survivor of conversion therapy, he is the editor of Shame-Sex Attraction: Survivors’ Stories of Conversion Therapy.

He is also the author of At Home with the Holocaust: Postmemory, Domestic Space, and Second-Generation Holocaust Narratives, which received the Jordan Schnitzer First Book Publication Award. His public-facing writing has appeared in The Advocate, Queerty, LGBTQ Nation, and Religion Dispatches, among other venues.

Connect With Us

• Find more about Lucas here - https://utschools.academia.edu/LucasWilson
• You can connect on socials Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

• You can find out more about Sam on her website - www.anchoredcounsellingservices.com.au
• To connect with Sam on Instagram - @anchoredcounsellingservices
• Want to contact with Sam about the podcast or therapy? Use this contact form.
• Also check out The Religious Trauma Collective