Lauren Hough

Lauren Hough is the author of Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing. She writes about her experience growing up as a member of the Children of God cult, also known as the Family. After leaving the cult for good at age 15, Hough continued high school and eventually joined the Air Force, but was discharged at age 23 for being gay. Hough spends the next decade working on and off at a gay bar, along with a number of other jobs. For ten years, she works as a cable technician in Virginia until, at age 37, she sells her house and travels to Texas in a Winnebago van. Currently living in Austin, Texas, Hough works at a gay bar while continuing to struggle with PTSD and anxiety.

Hough is a strong and opinionated writer. She often writes critically about the United States government, especially when discussing her time in the...