A gay Christian author wants youth to know they don鈥檛 have to choose between their faith and their sexuality.

Stacey Chomiak, an LGBTQ illustrator and author who recently moved to Chilliwack, is sharing her personal story about her young self as she struggled with coming to terms that she was both gay and Christian.

Chomiak鈥檚 queer, illustrated, young-adult memoir Still Stace: My Gay Christian Coming-of-Age Story is being released on Oct. 19 and there will be a book launch and signing in November.

She wrote the book because she doesn鈥檛 want others to feel alone.

鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to share my story somehow because I never had anybody I could talk to. The term 鈥榞ay Christian鈥� didn鈥檛 exist.鈥�

Chomiak grew up in Winnipeg in a conservative, evangelical home and always loved attending Bible camp.

The book starts out when she was 16 years old, about 25 years ago, when she met a girl at church camp.

鈥淚 started to realize I had feelings for girls, but didn鈥檛 know what that meant because I didn鈥檛 even know the word 鈥榟omosexuality.鈥� I was very Christian. I wasn鈥檛 allowed to go to sex ed,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 literally had to go to the library and look up what homosexuality was.鈥�

The next 13 years were a struggle. Everyone in her life said it was wrong, including God. She thought she couldn鈥檛 be gay and also be Christian.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 exist being wrong. My faith is really important to me,鈥� Chomiak said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 walk away from it, I didn鈥檛 want to do that, yet I couldn鈥檛 pray it away. I couldn鈥檛 get rid of these feelings.鈥�

Her story of heartbreak, family conflict, trying to become ex-gay, wrestling with her faith and finding love all unfold in Still Stace.

鈥淚 remember feeling so alone for years.鈥�

The book ends happily on her wedding day at the age of 30.

She鈥檚 hoping Still Stace will show gay Christian youth that they don鈥檛 have to change.

The suicide rate is 鈥渁stronomically鈥� high for teens of faith who are gay, she said, adding that she too had those same thoughts.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 pray this away, no one understands it and God hates me. So what else is there?鈥� she recalled thinking when she was younger.

Chomiak is now married with children. She and her family moved to Chilliwack this summer and she recognizes there is a divide here between the queer community and the faith community.

鈥淭hey do not mix, they do not overlap鈥� but my story makes peace with both with a happy ending 鈥� which is rare.鈥�

She wants people to have conversations, open their minds, meet other people and hear their stories.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no black and white to anything,鈥� Chomiak said. 鈥淚鈥檇 love to get more positive conversations going so less people feel alone. If I can tell somebody else 鈥榊ou are beautiful as you are and flourish in that,鈥� that鈥檚 my hope.鈥�

The book launch for Chomiak鈥檚 memoir Still Stace: My Gay Christian Coming-of-Age Story is on Saturday, Nov. 20 at Smoking Gun Coffee Roasters (101-46168 Yale Rd.) from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

She鈥檚 also part of a multi-author book signing event at The Owl and The Cat Bookery (105-45655 Tamihi Way) on Saturday, Nov. 6 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Folks can buy the book at either of those events, at The Book Man ($27.99), or by going to .

Chomiak has a degree in animation and is currently art directing a series of shorts for DreamWorks. She also illustrated children鈥檚 book Rainbow Boy which came out in January.