Gay And Mormon? There’s A Datg Se For That | Thought Catalog

Contents:

• GAY AND MORMON? THERE’S A DATG SE FOR THAT
• CHURCH UPDAT OFFICIAL ‘MORMON AND GAY’ WEBSE
• MORMON, GAY, AND DATG
• THIS MAN GREW UP GAY IN A MORMON COMMUNY WHERE HOMOSEXUALY IS A 'S'
• RISG NUMBERS OF YOUNG ADULT MORMONS THE US ARE GAY, LBIAN OR BISEXUAL
• ONCE-PROMENT 'NVERSN THERAPIST' WILL NOW 'PURSUE LIFE AS A GAY MAN'

GAY AND MORMON? THERE’S A DATG SE FOR THAT

Created by Andrew Markle, “Origs” seeks to give gay Mormons an onle social work to meet others like them for “marriage or long-term mment. Acrdg to Markle, the webse will act both as a tool for datg and as a rource for LGBTQ Mormons lookg for acceptance wh a church that’s still evolvg on s stance on homosexualy.

” Acrdg to the webse, the church’s changg stance on gay members do not mean that the church accepts “homosexual behavr” as acceptable but regniz that homosexualy is not a choice. Like Origs, Mormons and Gays acts as a ndu for nversatn and acceptance of LGBTQ dividuals, so that church members n “rpond sensively and thoughtfully when they enunter same-sex attractn their own fai, among other Church members, or elsewhere. Markle realiz that the missn of Origs, which helps LGBTQ sgl nnect for the purpos of a relatnship, diverg wh the church’s new stance on homosexualy — which is of the “love the sner, hate the s” variety.

As a practicg Mormon and weekly churchgoer, Markle unrstands his posn may be ntroversial for many the church and that he may face exmunitn or disfellowship for his volvement Origs — as advotg homosexual relatnships may be grounds for expulsn om the church. This ment, and many others like , is clud an updated versn of "Mormon and Gay, ” an official webse om The Church of J Christ of Latter-day Sats. " The new appellatn, "Mormon and Gay, " reflects the realy that a person don’t need to choose between the two inti — one n, fact, be gay and live fahful to the teachgs of Christ.

CHURCH UPDAT OFFICIAL ‘MORMON AND GAY’ WEBSE

Speakg directly to Latter-day Sats who experience same-sex attractn or intify as gay, lbian or bisexual, Elr Clayton says, “We want you to know we love you.

MORMON, GAY, AND DATG

Church lears have typilly ed this term to be clive of people who are not fortable g a label, not to ny the existence of gay, lbian, or bisexual inty. Created by Andrew Markle, "Origs" seeks to give gay Mormons an onle social work to meet others like them for "marriage or long-term mment. " Acrdg to Markle, the webse will act both as a tool for datg and as a rource for LGBTQ Mormons lookg for acceptance wh a church that's still evolvg on s stance on stated that Origs will also "nnect gay Mormons wh alli and help them rencile their [relig] beliefs wh their liftyle.

Although neher Origs nor Affirmatns is officially sanctned by the Mormon Church -- as the Elrs do not openly regnize LGBT anizatns as official church enti -- Origs on the heels of the church's announcement that they will mister to LGBTQ December, the Mormon Church lnched "Mormons and Gays, " a webse voted to "discsn on same-sex attractn. " Acrdg to the webse, the church's changg stance on gay members do not mean that the church accepts "homosexual behavr" as acceptable but regniz that homosexualy is not a Origs, Mormons and Gays acts as a ndu for nversatn and acceptance of LGBTQ dividuals, so that church members n "rpond sensively and thoughtfully when they enunter same-sex attractn their own fai, among other Church members, or elsewhere. "Markle realiz that the missn of Origs, which helps LGBTQ sgl nnect for the purpos of a relatnship, diverg wh the church's new stance on homosexualy -- which is of the "love the sner, hate the s" Markle, Origs will act as a further step the right directn for gay Mormons -- movg om prelimary dialogue to a place of actn.

Fstrated wh the church's cisn to ll same-genr relatnships "attractns, " Markle stated that the church "still has a long way to go regard to full cln" and repairg the damage done by s of forcg LGBTQ members to the orr to act as a force for good the liv of s Mormon members, the church mt ntue to evolve and make amends to the gay a practicg Mormon and weekly churchgoer, Markle unrstands his posn may be ntroversial for many the church and that he may face exmunitn or disfellowship for his volvement Origs -- as advotg homosexual relatnships may be grounds for expulsn om the was recently disfellowed om the church for gettg volved a relatnship, which he uld be exmunited for. “I don’t thk that there’s really any guidance, ” said Stuart Craig, a pilot and 28-year-old gay Latter-day Sat who is his first mted relatnship wh another man, “except that ’s not really enuraged at all.

THIS MAN GREW UP GAY IN A MORMON COMMUNY WHERE HOMOSEXUALY IS A 'S'

“We’re pneers, ” said Calv Burke, 26, who is gay and works as a media manager for Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon other terviewe, particularly the youngt, the wilrns feels ls empowerg and more forbiddg, a sometim hostile place riddled wh tripwir and land m — cludg the judgment of disapprovg fellow Latter-day Sats.

Oaks, now the first unselor the erng First Princy, said the church offers “exactly the same” stctn to gay and lbian members as do to other sgle members. Oaks speaks durg the afternoon ssn of the189th Annual General Conference of The Church of J Christ of Latter-day Sats Salt Lake Cy on Sunday, April 7, 2019, Oaks, who is next le to assume the church princy, stated that gog forward “the immoral nduct heterosexual or homosexual relatnships will be treated the same way.

Nelson echoed this same language a BYU votnal, sayg “that homosexual immoraly would be treated the ey of the church the same manner as heterosexual immoraly. When asked about this topic, the church cled to way Burke se , statements like the embody “a brand spankg new ncept” rponsible for creatg new opportuni surroundg datg for queer Latter-day SatsKendall Wilx — a 51-year-old gay member of Mormons Buildg Bridg, a grassroots movement aimed at affirmg LGBTQ Latter-day Sats — is ls nvced. Earlier that year, the school removed the sectn tled “Homosexual Behavr” om s Honor Co, apparently rollg back s rtrictns on same-sex upl engagg the same timacy allowed straight stunts, cludg kissg and holdg long afterward, Johnson issued a short letter refutg the ia that the new language the General Handbook or BYU’s Honor Co nstuted a looseng or shift the church’s stance on timacy between same-sex upl.

RISG NUMBERS OF YOUNG ADULT MORMONS THE US ARE GAY, LBIAN OR BISEXUAL

If you believe the rtored gospel and want to apply your life as a gay member, then you probably value the law of chasty (pecially if you are an endowed member who lov the temple, and you want to do your bt to live up to those venants). Now that same-sex marriage is legal and lawful the Uned Stat and a growg number of untri around the world, is totally nceivable for gay members to live up to their temple venants and be datg others of the same sex, and ultimately get married to a same-sex spoe.

Sadly, same-sex datg ntu to be owned upon by the Church, not only bee of prumed illic sexual behavr that is so often the stereotype imposed on gay members, but precisely bee datg should lead to marriage. As a rult, we ntue to see so many gay LDS members leavg the Church large numbers and abandong their prevly held standards, cludg chasty. This n make very challengg for the growg number of out gay members who want to stay the Church, to form a healthy romantic relatnship wh someone of the same sex, and live the law of chasty as fed the temple.

ONCE-PROMENT 'NVERSN THERAPIST' WILL NOW 'PURSUE LIFE AS A GAY MAN'

I would go so far as to say that the reason the vast majory of out gay members leave the Church is bee of the law of chasty, or more accurately the current amend fn of the law of chasty. Even if they are pliance, many gay members feel tense shame bee they are naturally cled to a sexual preference that is prohibed by the Church.