Fifty years ago at the age of twenty-five, Bernard Duncan Mayes (1929-2014) entered a Yorkshire monastery to become an Anglican priest. However, his life would take many twists and turns. He became a broadcaster for the BBC, emigrated to the United States and started a suicide prevention centre in San Francisco. But through it all, he struggled to reconcile his views on sexuality – and his experience as a gay man – with his theological beliefs. Looking back on his long life, he’s written a memoir called “Escaping God’s Closet”.
Producer: David Swatling
Broadcast: March 19, 2004