Mormon gay rights: A shockg speech by Jefey Holland at BYU sparks a new LGBT fight.

Contents:

• BYU VALEDICTORIAN MATT EASTON OUT AS GAY DURG GRADUATN SPEECH
• BYU VALEDICTORIAN OUT AS PROUD 'GAY SON OF GOD' GRADUATN SPEECH
• ‘IT IS A VICTORY FOR ME’: B.Y.U. VALEDICTORIAN ANNOUNC HE IS GAY
• EXCLUSIVE: FULL TERVIEW WH BYU VALEDICTORIAN WHO ME OUT GAY DURG GRADUATN SPEECH
• AUDIENCE RPONSE TO BYU VALEDICTORIAN COMG OUT AS GAY DURG COMMENCEMENT SPEECH WAS 'HEARTENG TO SEE,' STUNT SAYS
• BYU VALEDICTORIAN COM OUT AS GAY IN GRADUATN SPEECH
• IN COMMENCEMENT SPEECH, BRIGHAM YOUNG GRADUATE ‘PROUD TO BE A GAY SON OF GOD’
• THE VALEDICTORIAN AT MORMON UNIVERSY BYU ME OUT AS GAY HIS GRADUATN SPEECH
• BYU VALEDICTORIAN REVEALS HE IS GAY DURG MENCEMENT SPEECH
• GAY BYU STUNT OUT VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH
• BYU STUNT MENCEMENT SPEAKER OUT AS GAY DURG SPEECH
• BYU VALEDICTORIAN OUT SPEECH, STUNNG SOME FAY. 'PROUD TO BE A GAY SON OF GOD'
• BYU GAVE ADVANCED APPROVAL OF MENCEMENT SPEECH WHERE SPEAKER ME OUT AS GAY

BYU VALEDICTORIAN MATT EASTON OUT AS GAY DURG GRADUATN SPEECH

Provo, Utah -- Brigham Young Universy valedictorian Matt Easton me out as gay while liverg his graduatn speech Friday, reports CBS Salt Lake Cy affiliate 's speech, which he gave to BYU's College of Fay, Home, and Social Scienc as the polil science valedictorian, was met wh applse and cheers om thoands that speech, Easton said, "I stand before my fay, iends, and graduatg class today to say that I am proud to be a gay son of God. Easton said he'd told close fay members and iends he is gay but had never said so publicly.

BYU VALEDICTORIAN OUT AS PROUD 'GAY SON OF GOD' GRADUATN SPEECH

As such, I stand before the Lord, my fay, my graduatg class today to say that I am proud to be a gay son of God.

"The Church of J Christ of Latter-day Sats teach that beg attracted to members of the same sex isn't a s but actg on those feelgs, cludg beg a gay relatnship, is Easton live the life he wants as a gay member of The Church of J Christ of Latter-day Sats? 0 gra pot 's Honor Co don't ban gay stunts om the school but says stunts would be vlatn of the if they engage what the school f as "homosexual behavr, " which not only clus havg sexual relatns wh members of the same sex but all forms of physil timacy that "give exprsn to homosexual feelgs. A Brigham Young Universy stunt quoted the Book of Mormon before he me out as a "gay son of God" durg his mencement dience cheered on Matt Easton, a polil science valedictorian, on Friday as he ma the announcement publicly for the first time at the school owned by The Church of J Christ of Latter-day Sats.

"As such, I stand before the Lord, my fay, my graduatg class today to say that I am proud to be a gay son of God. "Easton, who terned for Utah Senator Mt Romney's 2018 mpaign, had reportedly told close fay and iends but never announced publicly that he was gay. While I don’t speak for everyone -- my own experience is all I n vouch for -- I hope that people know that we ARE here at BYU, and we’re not gog anywhere anytime soon, ” Easton wrote a Twter 'S GRADUATION SPEECH PULLED OVER CHRISTIAN CONTENTBYU officials approved his speech ahead of time and, acrdg to the school’s webse, BYU’s Honor Co don’t ban gay stunts, but prohibs “homosexual behavr, ” cludg all forms of physil timacy that “give exprsn to homosexual feelgs.

‘IT IS A VICTORY FOR ME’: B.Y.U. VALEDICTORIAN ANNOUNC HE IS GAY

Valedictorian Announc He Is GaytranscripttranscriptDurg his mencement speech, Matt Easton, a Brigham Young Universy valedictorian, told the dience that he was “proud to be a gay son of God. ” The universy’s honor prohibs “homosexual behavr. As such, I stand before my fay, iends and graduatg class today, to say that I am proud to be a gay son of God.

The valedictorian for the College of Fay, Home, and Social Scienc at BYU, who majored polil science, told the crowd, "I stand before my fay, iends and graduatg class today to say that I am proud to be a gay son of God. In this personal say, Easton, 25, reflects on how his life has changed sce he gave that now-famo speech and how the world reacted to learng he is gay.

EXCLUSIVE: FULL TERVIEW WH BYU VALEDICTORIAN WHO ME OUT GAY DURG GRADUATN SPEECH

This was pecially signifint bee I attend Brigham Young Universy, a nservative Mormon-owned llege known for s strict of nduct that forbids any form of romantic homosexual you everyone for your love and support today ❤️ I feel so so lucky to have had a chance to share some of my story wh so many people. I'm still relatively new to beg openly gay, but I've found that there is much more nuance volved, like a ttonwood seed preludg both summertime and hayfever season. I thk that while g out don't magilly solve everythg, fely still has magic example, I still stggle wh the ternalized homophobia graed me sce birth.

In the past year, so many people have told me, "I always knew you were gay! I'm still learng to rewire that thkg -- 's OK people thk I'm gay, bee I am -- and I'm OK that 's gog to take awhile to work through long after g out, I rennected wh one of my olr s. He mentned I was the first openly gay person he's ever known.

I uldn't help but image the brave dividuals 50 years prr buildg up the urage and fightg for my right to be openly gay.

AUDIENCE RPONSE TO BYU VALEDICTORIAN COMG OUT AS GAY DURG COMMENCEMENT SPEECH WAS 'HEARTENG TO SEE,' STUNT SAYS

The first ser openly gay ntenr for print, Pete's example gave me urage to speak my tth, and was the experience of a lifetime to get to work on his on Team Pete gave me the unique chance to pursue my passn for polics while workg wh staff who not only believed Pete, but me as me, part of beg this muny means regnizg and unrstandg the discrimatn others face and workg toward equaly for all. Shortly thereafter, Nathan Ivie, one of Utah unty's missners, beme the first openly gay Republin elected official Utah's history. Earlier this year, BYU removed the clse s honor banng all forms of homosexual exprsn, only to then tell queer stunts that they are still required to abi by this (now unwrten) le.

By Kyle Harvey, Adam FieMon, April 29th 2019, 3:45 AM UTC24VIEW ALL PHOTOSMatt Easton, BYU valedictorian who me out gay his graduatn speech, speaks about his cisn to KUTV.

The honor do not prohib homosexual feelgs or attractn, so stunts n state their same-genr attractn, but homosexual behavr is "appropriate, " as stated on the universy's webse, and vlat the honor one BYU junr, who intifi as lbian and asked to rema anonymo for this story, Easton's speech was a movg moment not only bee of his admissn but also the dience's reactn. "As such, I stand before my fay, iends and graduatg class to say that I am proud to be a gay son of God, " Easton said. A Brigham Young Universy valedictorian me out as gay a powerful mencement speech that celebrated personal victori for classmat ― and his Easton said he persevered through battl wh his creator over his inty.

BYU VALEDICTORIAN COM OUT AS GAY IN GRADUATN SPEECH

) “As such, I stand before my fay, iends and graduatg class today to say that I am proud to be a gay son of God. lgbtqPROVO, Utah -- A Brigham Young Universy graduate revealed to thoands of people that he's gay durg his school's nvotn. As such I stand before the Lord, my fay, my graduatg class today to say that I am proud to be a gay son of God, " Matt Easton said his speech, which was approved by BYU school announcement was followed by a loud later shared more about his speech on social media wrg, "Durg my time at BYU, I have slowly e out to my clost fay members and iends, " Easton stated on Twter.

IN COMMENCEMENT SPEECH, BRIGHAM YOUNG GRADUATE ‘PROUD TO BE A GAY SON OF GOD’

"Acrdg to the universy's Church Edutnal System Honor Co, gay stunts are not banned om the universy; however, stunts will be vlatn of the Honor Co if they m what the school f as "homosexual behavr. "He then scribed moments where he stggled wh his own inty before announcg to the crowd, “I stand before my fay, iends and graduatg class today to say that I am proud to be a gay son of God.

"BYU has a very strict honor , a lot of l about homosexualy and beg gay, so durg my time at BYU my foc was almost entirely on my studi, " he shared. "I hope that LGBTQ Mormons and queer stunts and people who feel like they’re alone and aaid, jt as I felt alone and aaid, uld hear my speech and uld feel a ltle more seen and a ltle more loved and a ltle more valued bee they are, " he Tafoya MediaBrigham Young Universy stunt Matt Easton me out as gay durg his nvotn speech on April 26, was ially skeptil on whether or not the school's admistratn would allow the speech but received a msage of enuragement om the admistrator who reviewed his speech, tellg him was great and to "go for .

THE VALEDICTORIAN AT MORMON UNIVERSY BYU ME OUT AS GAY HIS GRADUATN SPEECH

In the school's , homosexualy is also addrsed. Homosexual behavr is appropriate and vlat the Honor Co. Homosexual behavr clus not only sexual relatns between members of the same sex, but all forms of physil timacy that give exprsn to homosexual feelgs.

""It is a ltle sry to thk that this is maybe workg agast me, or I hear stori about other gay stunts who were unfairly targeted or manipulated g the honor , so of urse ’s very fearful for me, " he add.

BYU VALEDICTORIAN REVEALS HE IS GAY DURG MENCEMENT SPEECH

"I hope that my narrative and the narrative of so many other gay Mormon people workg to make the chang, that they will help ce some posive discsn on mp and my muny more generally, " he 's received a tremendo outpourg of support sce liverg the speech, scribg the rponse as overwhelmg " the bt way possible.

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTAt a universy where s honor explicly prohibs “homosexual behavr, ” Matt Easton’s very public g out was not whout risk.

Valedictorian Announc He Is GayDurg his mencement speech, Matt Easton, a Brigham Young Universy valedictorian, told the dience that he was “proud to be a gay son of God. It is a phenomenal feelg, and is a victory for me and of his mencement speech, Matt Easton, a Brigham Young Universy valedictorian, told the dience that he was “proud to be a gay son of God. Marisa TafoyaAt a universy that nsirs same-sex marriage a “ser transgrsn, ” and where s honor explicly prohibs “homosexual behavr, ” Matt Easton’s very public g out was not whout Mr.

GAY BYU STUNT OUT VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH

“I stand before my fay, iends and graduatg class today to say that I am proud to be a gay son of God, ” he said last Friday a mencement speech before 10, 000 people si the Marrtt Center Provo, Utah. Easton’s claratn — imbued wh relig votn and a ll for social equaly — me as the church and Brigham Young are wrtlg wh how to rencile gay members of the Mormon fah.

As a stunt, he was a member of s Polil Science Honors Society and acts as the Republin state legate for his home precct Cottonwood Heights, an terview Monday, he said he had always known he was gay.

BYU STUNT MENCEMENT SPEAKER OUT AS GAY DURG SPEECH

While the universy stat that “same-genr attractn is not an Honor Co issue, ” the policy prohibs — and punish — vlatns like immost attire, premaral sexual activy and homosexual behavr.

BYU VALEDICTORIAN OUT SPEECH, STUNNG SOME FAY. 'PROUD TO BE A GAY SON OF GOD'

“Homosexual behavr clus not only sexual relatns between members of the same sex, but all forms of physil timacy that give exprsn to homosexual feelgs, ” the honor reads.

Easton said, was watchg the 37-year-old gay mayor’s speech this month to the Victory Fund, a group that supports gay, lbian, bisexual and transgenr policians, which Mr. Buttigieg challenged Vice Print Mike Pence on his opposn to gay rights. “Pete was jt like me, Christian and gay.

At a rally this month to prott the universy’s honor , atten observed five mut of silence for gay and transgenr stunts, a moment that cemented for Mr. More about Dan LevA versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn A, Page 17 of the New York edn wh the headle: Brigham Young Graduate ‘Proud to Be a Gay Son of God’.

BYU GAVE ADVANCED APPROVAL OF MENCEMENT SPEECH WHERE SPEAKER ME OUT AS GAY

Matt Easton, the polil science valedictorian at Brigham Young Universy, me out as gay durg a nvotn speech at Salt Lake Cy's Marrtt Center on Friday. He said he was "proud to be a gay son of God" as he spoke at the graduatn ceremony. "Easton later said on Twter that he had prevly me out as gay to close fay members and INSIDER's homepage for more stori.

A valedictorian at Brigham Young Universy me out as gay durg his nvotn Easton, the Mormon universy's polil science valedictorian, opened up about his sexualy at graduatn on Friday, sayg later on Twter that was "important to share both for myself and the LGBTQ+ muny at BYU.