During his senior year of high school, Phoenix Lemke found himself without a place to stay.
The young man from O’Fallon, Missouri, had faced constant disapproval from his family for his sexual orientation, and by December 2021, at the age of 17, he had decided to leave his home without any definite destination. He spent a few days staying with friends before eventually finding a safe haven with an unexpected person: a local pastor.
The Rev Susan Shumway, a pastor at a church close by, was familiar with Lemke from his social circle for a long time. Upon discovering his situation, she immediately provided him with a place to stay in her home.
Lemke, now 20, shared her story with Shumway, who is an LGBTQ+ equality advocate in a conservative state like Missouri. The state has been at the forefront of efforts to restrict the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, including banning healthcare for transgender youth, preventing transgender students from participating in sports, limiting access to bathrooms, and censoring LGBTQ+ content.