Conversion Therapy Dropout wins Kirkus Indie Award
Acclaimed queer faith memoir earns top honor from Kirkus Reviews for its story of surviving conversion therapy and finding faith, healing, and belonging
NEW YORK, NEW YORK — THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2026 — Author and advocate Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez today announced that his acclaimed memoir, Conversion Therapy Dropout: A Queer Story of Faith and Belonging, has been named the winner of the inaugural Kirkus Indie Award for Memoir, one of eight books recognized by Kirkus Reviews in the first year of the awards.
Selected from six finalists in the memoir category, Conversion Therapy Dropout chronicles Rodriguez’s journey through evangelical Christianity, eight years of conversion therapy, and his eventual path toward embracing both his queer identity and his faith.
In announcing the winners, Kirkus Reviews highlighted its earlier assessment of the book as: “a compelling journey of faith, healing, and finding purpose.”
Quote from Tim Schraeder Rodriguez:
“I wrote the book I wish I would have had when I was 19 and felt torn between my spirituality and sexuality. I hoped that in sharing my story I could shine a light on the harms of conversion therapy and offer people of all backgrounds and experiences to know they are loved just as they are. I prayed my story would make an impact, and the messages I’ve received from readers, along with this recognition from Kirkus, tell me it is doing just that.”
Published May 5 by Broadleaf Books, Conversion Therapy Dropout offers a behind-the-scenes account of Rodriguez’s years working within some of America’s most influential evangelical megachurches while privately wrestling with his sexuality. After spending eight years attempting to change his sexual orientation through so-called “conversion therapy,” Rodriguez ultimately rejected the premise that his sexuality and spirituality were incompatible.
Rather than abandoning faith altogether, Rodriguez’s memoir explores the more complicated process of rebuilding it — examining religious trauma, institutional accountability, belonging and what it means to create space for LGBTQ+ people who still desire a relationship with faith.
Kirkus Reviews launched the Indie Awards in 2026 to recognize exceptional books across eight categories, including memoir, history and biography, literary fiction, mystery and thriller, science fiction and fantasy, romance, picture books and children’s literature. Winners receive promotional support from Kirkus, an invitation to the 2026 Kirkus Prize ceremony and an agent consultation.
