For years Michael “Tate” Barkley lived his life in shame—of living in poverty, of alcoholism and addiction, of being a closeted gay man. His story may sound familiar to anyone who struggles with feeling “less than.” Now sober through Alcoholics Anonymous, he wants to share his story in the hopes that it will help others to leave their shame behind and discover the peace that they deserve.
His memoir, Sunday Dinners, Moonshine and Men, recounts Tate’s troubled relationship with his father and his journey to overcome shame and the scarcity mindset that blocked his ability to find peace in his life. Tate offers readers a deeply personal account of his dysfunctional childhood, from the backwoods of North Carolina, to his family’s struggles with poverty in Central Florida, and their ultimate move to the boomtown of 1970s Houston, Texas. He details his attempts to repress his sexuality and control his escalating drinking as he became a successful attorney, only to hit rock bottom and lose it all. Tate’s story will resonate with readers as they follow his quest to accept himself and find peace.
Tate is a practicing attorney, speaker, author, and educator, living in Houston, Texas with his husband of six years, Anson, and their dog, Emerson.
Tune in as host Anne-Marie Zanzal as she chats with Tate about conservative faith in the American South, growing up in a home with alcoholism, chasing highs and getting sober, finding community, and coming to terms with Queer identity.
Listen on
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coming-out-beyond-lgbtqia-stories/id1569859569
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/27kocr4llm6syHKaeX1x9e
https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fembed%2Fshow%2F27kocr4llm6syHKaeX1x9e%3Futm_source%3Doembed&display_name=Spotify&url=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fshow%2F27kocr4llm6syHKaeX1x9e&image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.scdn.co%2Fimage%2Fab67656300005f1f1632d5d5133400184b393162&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=spotify
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vY29taW5nb3V0YW5kYmV5b25kLw?sa=X…
Learn more about and follow Tate Barkley at https://tatebarkley.com/
Tate’s coming out song is ‘Man in the Mirror’ by Michael Jackson: https://youtu.be/PivWY9wn5ps?si=goz_6apWwWpdDtY6https://www.youtube.com/embed/PivWY9wn5ps
