The author recalls growing up poor in the South, the son of a fundamentalist preacher and a self-taught mother, describing his discovery of a world beyond poverty where he could live openly as a gay man, and the need to hide his identity in his career asa teacher.

"School can be a special sort of nightmare for LGBTQ youth, who are sometimes targets of verbal or physical harassment with nowhere to turn for support. No Sanctuary tells the inspiring story of a mostly unseen rescue attempt by a small group of teachers who led the push to make schools safer for these at-risk students. Their efforts became the blueprint for Massachusetts's education policy and a nationwide movement, resulting in one of the most successful...