Author Spotlight: Jim Marjoram, author of “It’s Life Jim”

Jim Marjoram is the author of “It’s Life Jim”, a memoir that poignantly captures his life’s journey battling homosexuality, self-hatred, religious obsession, suicidal desperation, guilt, shame, and loss. The book is also an account of his transition to a world of unconditional love and acceptance.

He was born in Australia in 1956 and moved to New Zealand in 1989. For four decades, he spent his childhood afraid from the stigma of social discrimination against homosexuality, thus hiding his real identity. In the late 1990s, Jim returned to his home country for a brief period.

During his teenage years, Jim embraced Christianity in search for what others described as the “solution” to his identity crisis. At the time, he explored every method in order to become “straight” and to change himself entirely. Instead, that search led to a life filled with deception, self-denial, lies, depression, and suicidal attempts.

He later married his first wife as part of his effort to look for a “cure”. However, they divorced and Jim married his second wife, who joined him in his newfound journey as a member of the Living Waters reparative therapy group in the 90s. For 15 years, he extolled the organization’s virtues and the power of God to change his sexual orientation, though only in an illusory and damaging way.

Rather than succeeding with his main goal of becoming straight, Jim only nurtured his religious obsession, self-hatred, and depression under the cloak of being a good Christian.

In 2011, his second wife passed away, leading him to unravel his faith, sexuality and life in general, thus his memoir. He also established the Silent Gays support group for those suffering from discrimination. The group provides resources, compassion and a haven for homosexuals.

A spiritual journey that breaks traditions and dogma to discover the depth of a life surrounded by love, It’s Life Jim is available to purchase via our own online bookstore, Amazon.com, and Barnes & Noble.