Rizi Xavier Timane, PhD, ASW, is a Nigerian-born transgender minister and certified grief recovery specialist residing in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in an extremely religious Christian home and was subjected to multiple exorcisms and other reparative attempts by his family and the church to “pray the gay away.” An Unspoken Compromise takes you through his journey of self-discovery and spiritual exploration including: Coming out as a trans boy at eight years old Identifying as a lesbian in homophobic Africa Transitioning while facing societal and family rejection The religious persecution and bullying he has suffered all along Rizi’s message to the LGBT community is twofold. First, be your authentic self—it’s the only way to inner peace and happiness. Second, if you are in search of a relationship with God, a spiritual path to unconditional love and acceptance does exist for you free from condemnation and negative judgement.