Mormon, Gay, and Datg | Out of Obscury

Contents:

• GAY AND MORMON? THERE’S A DATG SE FOR THAT
• MORMON, GAY, AND DATG
• MORMON GAY DATG
• GAY MORMON DATG S
• GAY MORMON DATG S
• CHURCH UPDAT OFFICIAL ‘MORMON AND GAY’ WEBSE
• GAYSTORI AND ROURC FOR THE LGBTQIA+ LATTER-DAY SAT COMMUNY

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

Are you a gay Mormon who is sgle and lookg for love? 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.

Markle stated that Origs will also “nnect gay Mormons wh alli and help them rencile their [relig] beliefs wh their liftyle. ” Markle believ that Origs is about buildg a gay Mormon muny and timat that there are around 22, 000 practicg gay Mormons.

In December, the Mormon Church lnched “Mormons and Gays, ” a webse voted to “discsn on same-sex attractn.

MORMON, GAY, AND DATG

” 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. Mormons And Gays.

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. For Markle, Origs will act as a further step the right directn for gay Mormons — movg om prelimary dialogue to a place of actn. In orr to act as a force for good the liv of s Mormon members, the church mt ntue evolvg and makg amends to the gay fahful.

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. 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). So how do a gay LDS member, who wants to be a relatnship wh another person of the same sex, keep their venants and stay the Church?

MORMON GAY DATG

The ia of beg an openly gay Mormon who is datg, and livg up to the temple standard of chasty, may seem to be somewhat of a non-sequur. I thk the answer for gay LDS members should be the same as is for all members. 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.

GAY MORMON DATG S

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.

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. As the Q15 have been enforcg this amend fn, brgs shame on gay members. 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.

GAY MORMON DATG S

Hence, when gay members bee thentic about their sexualy and e out, the shame n bee unbearable and toxic so that the member feels they mt leave the Church for their own well-beg.

When gay members leave the Church or even if they stay the Church but feel they have been siled or exclud, ’s natural for them to start to qutn all of the valu and standards they had followed all their liv, cludg chasty.

For this reason, is very mon for out gay members to also engage sexual relatns outsi of marriage. What boils down to is that gay members are more vulnerable to illic sexual behavr bee of the trma ed by the shame and excln by the Church.

CHURCH UPDAT OFFICIAL ‘MORMON AND GAY’ WEBSE

Ironilly, the Church’s current efforts to strengthen fai and promote chasty are havg the oppose effect among gay members.

In their efforts to enforce the prcipl of the Fay Proclamatn, Church lears are fact stroyg fai and promotg sexual illicns among gay members. The absence of a support system the Church supportg gay members tablishg healthy and stable relatnships and marriag only unrm the stutn of marriage and weakens the fay. If Church lears were to stop shamg and disciplg gay members who are pursug or who are a same-sex marriage, I believe we would see an overall strengtheng of fai, a rctn of sexual relatns outsi of marriage (the te fn of chasty), and a cease to the hemorrhagg loss of gay members om the ranks of Church membership.

If the Church were to stead support same-sex marriage, and provi a support system for gay members seekg a healthy and stable marriage (as do already for s straight members), we would not only see greater adherence to chasty among gay members, but we would see the tablishment of strong same-sex fai the Church based on the prcipl of the rtored gospel of J Christ. And when that happens, the Church needs to jump immediately to start providg support to strengthen gay members tablishg lovg, Christ-centered same-sex marriag that will endure. What a huge blsg this would be to the Church and to all s members, gay and straight, all over the world.

GAYSTORI AND ROURC FOR THE LGBTQIA+ LATTER-DAY SAT COMMUNY

In the meantime, will be largely left up to as dividual gay Mormons to hold fast to our temple venants and the temple standard of chasty. Especially when the Church receiv such negative PR as has over the gay marriage issue, or when change is clearly s bt tert. Not only gay members, but their fay and alli.