Mel White

Protagonist and writer of Stranger at the Gate, Mel White was born into an evangelical Christian household in the Baby Boom period. Growing up in the fifties, White discovered that he was not interested in women like the other boys he was friends with. While he worshipped God and had a good family, and was a valuable member of his community, he still felt alienated from all of them because he knew that he felt different inside. Mel grew up hating himself, feeling intense shame for his homosexual feelings and wondering if there was anyone else like him. While his community did not "oppress" him, as they were simply ignorant of his sexual orientation and about the nature of sexual orientation (versus sexual preference), Mel was simply confined to the closet.

But White eventually learned about homosexuality and what homosexuality meant. He resisted vehemently the idea that...