Michael Glatze (Franco) is handsome, charismatic, and opinionated. An Ivy League grad with multiple degrees, he’s a writer, pianist, and “queer theorist”, espousing his belief that sexual orientation shouldn’t define one’s identity. After years co-editing the iconic 'XY' magazine, a gay periodical based in San Francisco, he moves to Nova Scotia, Canada, with his charming and intelligent architect boyfriend, Bennett (Quinto). Michael experiences a traumatic health scare during which he thinks he’s going to die. Plagued by doubt, paranoia, and fear about the afterlife, he begins to question his beliefs and his identity. Once deemed healthy, he’s convinced that God saved him, pushing him to explore religion, eventually coming to his own decision that homosexuality is not a God-given identity. Michael renounces his gay lifestyle, rejects his friends, and endeavours to find his “true self". He explores Buddhism and Mormonism, yet ultimately lands at a Christian Bible school in rural Wyoming where he meets his girlfriend, Rebekah (Roberts), and becomes the pastor of his own church.