Susanne Bennett describes herself as a white, queer, cis-gender, able-bodied, and educated elder woman.
At 78, this former college professor and retired clinical social worker also describes herself as a questioner, a doubter, and someone who’s always sought to better understand herself as a sexual and spiritual person.
These are just a few of the topics Susanne explores in a new memoir, Evolving: Faith, Sexuality and Aging.
The book chronicles a life that’s been full of unexpected twists and turns, moments of doubt and uncertainty, followed by hard-won personal clarity --- about the interrelationship of sexuality, spirituality, and the aging process.
Growing up in the south, the daughter of a Southern Baptist minister, Susanne considered herself straight and religiously conservative for many years. She married a man, became a mother to two children, and settled down to married life.
But then her husband announced he was gay, and her daughter came out as a lesbian at 17.
All this rocked Susanne’s world. And prompted her to ask a lot of questions; to become curious about herself and her faith, and to embark on a path of learning and self-discovery that changed her life forever.
Today, Susanne’s happily married to her wife, Cay and lives in Brewster, MA. She’s also a grandmother with three grandkids who identify as trans or non-binary.
In this thoughtful interview with PFLAG Cape Cod’s Rick Koonce, Susanne opens up – about faith, family, her unique life journey, and her fluid sexuality.
She talks too about her life today on Cape Cod, as a member of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Barnstable, MA.
And, about how her religious faith has evolved, just as her understanding of her sexuality has evolved over more than seven decades of living.
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