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Reviewed by Scarlett Jensen for Readers' Favorite
John Caldwell's Own It: Life Lessons from a Gay Teenage Runaway reflects his discovery of the LGBTQIA+ community at the age of ten. He left home at fifteen and discovered the importance of boundaries and having the courage to leave a situation that drains one’s energy in the hope of a peaceful future. This book is relevant to the lives of young people who are grappling with their sexuality. The focus is on religion that has the potential to harm those who come out and may be ridiculed by the church. John spent over 10 years in the closet. It took time to completely solidify his identity as a gay man. His outward identity was that of a “super religious” person while he desperately wanted to be his true self. He says there is no need to change who you are to make others happy, to make God happy, and that you have the human right to be EXACTLY who you are, without apology. Now, he is hoping to help others who might see a part of themselves in his story and give them encouragement and powerful tools to move forward.
John Caldwell‘s story Own It shows that his activism is grounded in academic research and personal experiences. Studying the historical background of this issue, we see that there is a continuous concern for freedom from discrimination through movements that claim LGBTQIA+ liberty. The impact of human rights laws affecting people varies greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from legal recognition to severe punishment. In John’s case, we see how religion, health, social, and ethical attitudes negatively affect an individual. LGBTQIA+ adolescents who experience discrimination, stigma, and bullying in school and at home will benefit from John's story. He sheds light on the profoundly tragic impact that religion can have on perpetuating untrue and unfair accusations and opinions about the LGBTQIA+ community. For me, this work is worthy of being widely acclaimed by everyone in search of truth on this matter on a worldwide scale.