“Jesus said love everyone, treat them kindly, too” and “Kindness begins with me” are the lyrics Primary President Kendra Wilde of West Jordan, UT hopes her ward members both big and small lead with when it comes to how they treat LGBTQ people. She has been happy to see this has largely been the case in her ward, where people have embraced her youngest son, Devin Wilde, since he came out as gay after he returned from his mission in 2020…
Read MoreTHE FARRIS-DAVIS FAMILY
Sometimes it’s not what we say, but what we don’t, that makes the most lasting impression on our children when they come to us with important news. This was the case for Mandy Davis, who’s now grateful she held her tongue to just listen about a year ago when her daughter, Ella (then 14), joined her on an after-dinner walk…
Read MoreTHE TANYA & BRENDEN DAVIS FAMILY
My husband Brenden and I are the parents of four beautiful children: Courtney - 25, Ren - 23, Eme – 15, and Jackson – 13, who are ALL LGBTQ! We are the only family we know with all LQBTQ kids and we feel like we won the lottery! But it has been a process to get to this point in our lives.
Read Morethe von pingel family
Each week, Teddi and Eric von Pingel experience a different type of Sunday than they once envisioned. For Teddi, it’s a physically taxing endeavor as she now serves as the ASL interpreter coordinator for a Deaf ward in Lehi, UT, where Eric teaches Sunday School. While they dutifully raised their three children in the church, partly out of gratitude for the roots planted by their convert parents, Teddi and Eric now attend alone. The von Pingels once adhered to “all in” gospel living, never questioning what they’d been taught; but now, they regularly question how best to navigate the waters of loving both their LGBTQ children and their church, of which their youngest two no longer feel a part…
THE BAILEY FAMILY
Right around his 13th birthday, in February of 2020, Liam Bailey came out to his mom, telling her he was nonbinary pansexual. This was a shock since the kid telling her this was assigned female at birth (AFAB) and had always seemed to loved pink, princesses, and girly things. “I was like, ‘I don’t even know what that means’,” laughs Tiffany. She may not have at the time, but now, just over two years later, Tiffany displays a remarkable ease and education in all things LGBTQ+, sparked by her allegiant trust in her teen’s unique journey…
the gruwell family
Just after Christmas, on January 13, 2021, our Elli told us that she is bisexual. She was 16 years old. A series of events led me to feel impressed by the Spirit to ask Elli if she experiences an attraction to women. She opened up and shared that she doesid. Sitting across from me on my bed, she shared that she experiences a stronger attraction to women than men, and that she has a desire to embrace and explore this part of her life. This part of who she is.
Read MoreTHE TALBOT FAMILY
Last Saturday night, 42 parents met at the base of Y Mountain in Provo, UT. Industrial-strength flashlights in hand, they were ready to hike to the top. To get there, they’d need to circumvent BYU’s newly installed orange fencing and prohibitive signage, as well as bypass two patrol cars parked at the path’s entrance. The night was cold, but they were on fire with the fervor of their mission – to shine a rainbow of light that would remind their LGBTQ kids that they’re seen and loved. Charalece Talbot helped distribute the lights (that have lived in her garage over the past year) to the other parents – many anonymous, all willing to risk arrest and fines to complete their mission. Some might call it a protest, but for these parents, Saturday night’s hike to the Y was part of a movement…
Read MoreTHE CARPENTER FAMILY
An openly gay missionary. Most people have yet to meet one. Some may wonder if it’s even possible. But Elder Shane Carpenter’s smile shines brightly above his missionary tag and the rainbow heart pin he wears while serving full-time within the circumference of “the happiest place on earth,” in Anaheim, CA…
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