‘I used to be a lesbian’

Jackie Hill Perry was in a relationship with a woman and had no interest in Christianity, until a revelation of both God’s judgement and love turned her life around

When the Christian poet, hip-hop artist and writer Jackie Hill Perry arrived at one of America’s most prestigious universities to give a lecture last year, she was met by protestors, claiming she was spreading “hateful beliefs”.

The 29-year-old wasn’t surprised. “When someone comes out saying: ‘Hey, I used to be gay,’ they are slaughtered, they are called bigoted.”

Jackie is unwavering in her beliefs. Her newly released autobiography Gay Girl, Good God (B&H Books), which tells the story of how she came to Christ, is notable for containing a large amount of theology and quotations from scripture. “The aim of the book was to show off God,” she explains. “I think memoirs can easily become a way to exalt yourself but I wanted people to walk away from the book impressed with Jesus.”