Cylest Andaloro-Brooks
Support Team
A bit about Cylest Andaloro-Brooks:
Despite a deep connection to God from an early age, Cylest’s beliefs were turned upside down through higher education within western Christianity. After years of suppressing a queer identity, and after cycles of fear, confusion, self-hatred, hatred with God, hatred with the Church, and anger, Cylest has reclaimed her relationship with God. She is involved with Sanctuary Collective so that others may not need to experience the same struggles she did and she hopes to bless LGBTQ young people with a model of healthy faith.
Extended Bio:
I was blessed with a deep relationship with God from a very young age—before I was introduced to the greater aspect of religion. I like to call it a “grassroots relationship” because it started naturally and grew naturally, without the assistance of religious leadership. My faith was turned upside down when I began to seek higher education from western Christianity—suddenly the messages I heard from my faith leaders did not match up with those I heard from God. And since these religious leaders had more education than I, my faith followed them. My identity as a queer person was stunted as a result of the teachings of my church—I began to deny an identity that I had never before felt I needed to ignore. I spent 8 years cycling through feelings of fear, confusion, self-hatred, hatred with God, hatred with the Church, and anger.
I, finally reclaimed the relationship with God that I’d developed so many years ago. I had to work hard to cast away the lies I had been taught—to overcome the emotions I had learned. I desire Sanctuary Collective because I don’t want to see others face the same struggles I fought… while I am grateful for my experiences and the strength they have given to me, I also recognize that strength in faith can be achieved without those negative experiences. I hope to provide that for others.
Donate in Support of Cylest Andaloro-Brooks
If you wish, you may make a donation to Sanctuary Collective in honor of Cylest Andaloro-Brooks. Transparency and accountability are important to us so you can view our projected expense budget for 2010 online.
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