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D.L. Mayfield (they/them)

@dlmayfield.bsky.social
2.8K followers 102 following 2.1K posts

🇵🇸 Free Palestine 🇵🇸 Autistic non-binary, exvangelical, tired. Co-founder of STRONGWILLED, a multi-media project focused on survivors of religious authoritarian parenting methods. strongwilledproject.com

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Reposted by D.L. Mayfield (they/them)
Walter Chaw @mangiotto.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
I think it's fun and funny that a religion that wears a public execution device around to signal their righteousness is upset about a public execution. Is it a competition thing?
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
everyone with a narcissistic parent knows the drill here. time to buckle up.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I'm exploring how to get over my extreme fear of public speaking after having a bunch of terrible experiences over the past decade (mostly in white evangelical spaces where men ended up screaming at me). What are your best tips for this stuff?
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
ha! I was reading the quote and nodding my head vigorously and then I realized . . . 😂
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Evan Derkacz @evanderkacz.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Incredibly creepy, because, as a wise person once observed: religiondispatches.org/2026/05/07/j...
A screenshot of text that reads: “So starting from 1970, Dobson was telling parents you have to physically spank your child or you’re not a good Christian. That alone is pretty sadistic, but then he makes sure nobody can talk about consent with their kids. Nobody can talk about autonomy, because the second you teach your kid that they have a right to say no to unsafe and unwanted touches, you can’t spank them anymore. You ruin the whole authoritarian parenting playbook.”
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Reposted by D.L. Mayfield (they/them)
Tim-my Eat World 😋🌏🎶 @t2thacoops.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
evangelical parents: ok but what if instead of listening to our children we downloaded this gaslighting machine that looks like a pastor that will tell us we, the authorities, are definitely NOT the problem, ad infinitum?!
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Every time you see a headline about a conservative Christian pastor, elder, public figure or missionary arrested for child sexual abuse I want you to remember that the vast majority get away with it. The ones who are caught are just a small percentage of those committing these kinds of crimes.
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Kenneth Ethan Frantz @kennethefrantz.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
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Madolyn Henderson @madolynhenderson.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
‘James Dobson chatbot’ is not a phrase I ever expected to encounter in my lifetime.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I can't wait for this AI endeavor to gobble up whatever money this place has left.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
The James Dobson Family Institute is creating an AI app that helps parents get wisdom from -- you guessed it -- James Dobson. Presumably it will be dispensing a lot of advice to parents wondering why their adult children are now going no-contact with them . . . www.drjamesdobson.org/featured/dr-...
drjamesdobson.org
Dr. Dobson’s Legacy: A New Chapter. The Same Mission. - Dr. James Dobson Family Institute
A special letter from Jon Gibson, a longtime friend of Dr. Dobson and the new Chairman of the Board of Directors, about JDFI’s exciting future and God’s calling for the ministry in this important new ...
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
We are now under contract to publish a physical book on this same subject, but I wanted to remind people that you can read 20+ chapters and listen to our podcast episodes for freeeeeeeee right now. Just google strongwilled project and find our website and our podcast :)
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
You are exactly correct that so many of these pieces are interviewing the parents about why *they* think estrangement is happening . . . instead of asking the adult children of these parents. So that's what our project does. Our podcast episodes on estrangement are by far our most popular.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Thank you so much for shining a light on this topic! I write and podcast about issues in homes that utilize religious authoritarian parenting methods (think James Dobson and Focus on the Family) and estrangement is a natural outcome in these families : www.strongwilledproject.com/chapter-12-e...
strongwilledproject.com
Chapter 13: Estrangement in Religious Authoritarian Families
It's a predictable outcome of authoritarian parenting practices and enmeshed families, not a "trend" that will be easily reversed.
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 06/10/2026
Trump shouts out Russ Vought and then says, ominously, "we have some big surprises coming up in a few weeks, right Russ? He's gonna be one of the important people in the history of our country."
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
The concept of hell isn’t just used to terrorize little children into a lifetime of religious devotion . . . It also works well to desensitize people to the suffering of other humans and enable them to ignore or even cheer on genocidal actions.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
If you believe everyone outside of your little cult is going to be tortured for all of eternity in hell it doesn’t bother you if your president publicly talks about bombing entire cities in your country. In fact, you might just cheer it on as deserved punishment for what you perceive as sin.
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Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Oh: I really can’t emphasize enough how useful it is to check — literally right now, do it. Likely, it’s peace of mind in a couple of minutes. At worst, you still have time (barely) to remedy it.
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Reposted by D.L. Mayfield (they/them)
Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
It appears that the National Guard shot and killed an unarmed man (in the back). www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Autopsy shows National Guard fatally shot Memphis man in the back
The report conflicts with the authorities’ initial account, which said Tyrin Johnson had been shot in the chest.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
as a parent of two incredibly smart kids, one of whom is 16, I can confirm it's a fucking nightmare. So much of the work I do is fueled by my rage that my children deserve so, so much better than this
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Reposted by D.L. Mayfield (they/them)
tamara @milquetoast7.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
i look forward to being equally enlightened & triggered by this book 😟🙃😭😭🙃😟
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
this is cracking me up.
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Zach Malm @muzach.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Imagine all our parents short-circuiting from a conversation about this book.
static.klipy.com
Ash's Painful Demise: That Probably Hurt
Alt: Ash from Alien, after sputtering around the room, leaking robot fluid.
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Ben Emerson @jbemerson.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Anyone remotely curious about what the hell is going in with this country absolutely needs to check out D.L. and Krispin’s work.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
big news for the autistic non-binary exvangelical crowd! We got a book deal baby (and it's at an academic-minded press!!!!)
screen shot of publishers marketplace deal report for Raised to Obey by D.L. Mayfield and Krispin Mayfield
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Reposted by D.L. Mayfield (they/them)
Zach the Autumn Lord @maximumrider217.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Christians really need to be more willing to talk about stuff like this. Avoiding it or acting like it’s not that big of a deal has done real damage.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I have my own theories about this, mostly boiling down to the idea that as MAGA makes life so awful for us all with their abusive policies and beliefs, people are more willing than ever to think about their experience as vulnerable children in these religious systems.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I have posted about these topics before and have never had people respond like this. Over the past few years we have seen some resistance to people labelling what happened to them in childhood as abuse or trauma. But right now it's like the floodgates have opened up.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Interesting anecdotal evidence: I posted on threads + instagram about how we were recording an episode on the religious terrorization of children (focusing on hell, the rapture, demons, and the crucifixion). I got over 1,000 comments from people sharing their own stories of being terrified as kids.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
If you want to hear me talk about the process of shopping a book (demoralizing) and finally signing a contract (exciting) we talk about it all on our newest STRONGWILLED patreon only episode! www.patreon.com/strongwilled...
patreon.com
Book News, Failed Series Ideas and More! | STRONGWILLED
Book News, Failed Series Ideas and More! by STRONGWILLED on Patreon. Join STRONGWILLED's community for exclusive content and updates.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
What are the developmental impacts of being born in a high-control religion? My partner is a therapist currently obsessed with this question, and this is turning out to be one of our most-downloaded episodes, so I think others are wondering too: www.strongwilledproject.com/growing-up-i...
strongwilledproject.com
Growing Up in the Fold: Being Born into a High Control Religion
Growing Up in the Fold0:00/3950.05387755102041× What’s the difference between experiencing religious trauma in the church — and being born into it? This episode, we begin to explore what kinds of lon...
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Reposted by D.L. Mayfield (they/them)
Patrick Chovanec @prchovanec.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
That scene where the comic book villain addresses the United Nations has finally come true.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
If you want to deep-dive the wretched impacts of Babywise and Gary Ezzo, I highly recommend this site: ezzo.info
ezzo.info
Ezzo. Info - Babywise & Other Ezzo Programs - Ezzo.info
Information on Babywise and other parenting programs by Gary Ezzo
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
We also unpack the impact and legacy of sleep and feed training manuals like Babywise and Growing Kids God's Way by Gary Ezzo . . . and fun fact, Ezzo is now estranged from all of his children and grandchildren (but churches keep paying him for abusive parenting advice)
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🏳️‍⚧️ valissa, elvira’s sister @valisdheart.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
ooof i just wrote an album about growing up in that world, including a little jab at focus music.apple.com/us/album/foc...
music.apple.com
Focus on the Family by valissa on Apple Music
Song · 2026 · Duration 3:38
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Amazing!
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
When your parents believe you are full of sin that needs to be punished out of you, even normal developmental things like crying to get your needs met becomes moralized. This is why the doctrine of original sin is so important to religious authoritarians.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
If you want to unpack what it's like to be born into a high control religion and the developmental impacts that can occur - plus listen to someone periodically yell "fuck you, Augustine" - then boy do I have the podcast episode for you: www.strongwilledproject.com/growing-up-i...
strongwilledproject.com
Growing Up in the Fold: Being Born into a High Control Religion
Growing Up in the Fold0:00/3950.05387755102041× What’s the difference between experiencing religious trauma in the church — and being born into it? This episode, we begin to explore what kinds of lon...
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Krispin turns 40 this week and in a few months the podcast we co-host together turns 10 . . . this means he spent his entire 30s making content with MEEEEEEEEEEE and I have loved every second of it.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I'm obsessed with that book because my mother was obsessed and it ruined my childhood!!! Did you talk about how Hal Lindsey was investing in real estate in socal while also hawking this book? What a grifter.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Who gets to decide if parenting methods are abusive or not? The person who utilized those methods or the child who bore the brunt of them?
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
If you don't have the capacity to financially support us (and get this extra-nerdy deep dive) don't worry, I wrote about Popenoe in 2024 and you can read/share it here: www.strongwilledproject.com/chapter-9-ch...
strongwilledproject.com
Chapter 9: Children of the Positive Eugenics Movement
The hidden roots of white evangelical parenting manuals
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Reposted by D.L. Mayfield (they/them)
D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
To celebrate the one-year anniversary of James Dobson's death, I recorded a podcast all about his mentor and boss, Paul Popenoe. Shit gets real deep and real weird -- and it's like Project 2025, but in 1930s American Klan style. Support my work and listen in here: www.patreon.com/strongwilled...
patreon.com
A Deep Dive on James Dobson's Mentor, Eugenicist Paul Popenoe | STRONGWILLED
A Deep Dive on James Dobson's Mentor, Eugenicist Paul Popenoe by STRONGWILLED on Patreon. Join STRONGWILLED's community for exclusive content and updates.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
If you don't have the capacity to financially support us (and get this extra-nerdy deep dive) don't worry, I wrote about Popenoe in 2024 and you can read/share it here: www.strongwilledproject.com/chapter-9-ch...
strongwilledproject.com
Chapter 9: Children of the Positive Eugenics Movement
The hidden roots of white evangelical parenting manuals
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
To celebrate the one-year anniversary of James Dobson's death, I recorded a podcast all about his mentor and boss, Paul Popenoe. Shit gets real deep and real weird -- and it's like Project 2025, but in 1930s American Klan style. Support my work and listen in here: www.patreon.com/strongwilled...
patreon.com
A Deep Dive on James Dobson's Mentor, Eugenicist Paul Popenoe | STRONGWILLED
A Deep Dive on James Dobson's Mentor, Eugenicist Paul Popenoe by STRONGWILLED on Patreon. Join STRONGWILLED's community for exclusive content and updates.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Azariah was the person who helped bring to light the horrific abuses by Michael Tait of the Newsboys. This is a really grim timeline y'all.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
the weirdest part about growing up evangelical was being given the image and words of Jesus but the principles and actions of eugenics for decades -- and being told the cognitive dissonance was YOUR fault.
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Anyways now would be a great time to support your favorite writers who clawed their way out of that money/time suck! The best way to support me and my work are on STRONGWILLED's patreon or our website. Thank you so much!!!!
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D.L. Mayfield (they/them) @dlmayfield.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
I still remember being so excited about Substack in the beginning and then watching it become this platform enriching horrid people has been so sad for me. In my heart I am just a weird little writer who wants to connect with other readers and instead I am funding Nazis (evergreen writer skeet).
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