About the author
Shawn Aaron Thomas is a contemporary Christian singer/songwriter and worship leader whose ministry includes an outreach to the GLBT community. He is also the owner/operator of "Shawn Thomas Studios" in West Palm Beach, FL providing audio recording, production, and mastering services to independent artists, songwriters, and bands and he has been a voting member of the Grammy™ Recording Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Over the past 12 years, Thomas has received critical recognition awards and nominations from OutMusic, The Stonewall Society Pride in the Arts, RightOutTV, and QNation. In addition, his service to the community has also been acknowledged by The Reformed Catholic Church of the United States, The State of Arkansas Ambassador of Good Will Program, Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride in California, and various Metropolitan Community Church congregations.
Shawn met his partner of nine years, Brian Ladd, at church in West Palm Beach, FL, where Brian has served in volunteer ministry leadership. Shawn plays 80 to 100 services or concerts each year in the United States and Canada, with Brian occasionally joining him to offer his own ministry in song and spoken message.
In 2010, Shawn published his first book describing his experience as a gay man who is not only Christian, but who also holds what many consider to be politically conservative points of view. Titled “Unashamed: Coming Out of the Second Closet,” the volume deals with being in the crosshairs from the GLBT community and the “straight” Christian community, as both groups have criticized him for sharing his beliefs.
On December 19, 2012, Shawn Thomas was officially inducted in to the GLBT Hall of Fame. According to the press release posted on the Hall of Fame website, he was approved for membership based on: “…the work Shawn Thomas has done to provide a positive and healing atmosphere for today's GLBT Christian… [including building] bridges of understanding and acceptance for the GLBT community within the non-GLBT Christian community… [and highlighting] the negatives thrust onto out GLBT Christians by the GLBT community.”
Websites:
www.shawnthomasonline.com
www.aaronsrainbowproject.com