Mormon Stories

Note from Mary: Bridget is a well-loved member of our Social Group, the straight mother of a gay son. She has been a blessing to us all. Disclaimer from Bridget: This is what I believed at one time, however my beliefs have evolved, and I am no longer a member of the Mormon Church. When…

See Part 1 here April 2018 Update: Since the running of the article in Out and About Newspaper a decade ago much has occurred. I am no longer with the partner mentioned in the article, but am happily engaged to a wonderful man named Joe who also brought into my life his daughter Brianna. Joe…

RALEIGH – Ray Vester was raised in a Pentacostal Christian home in Rocky Mount, N.C. It was there that he developed a devotion to the music and teachings of the Christian religion. At the age of 19, he recorded his first record, “Come Soon Jesus,” which was released in 1979 and subsequently re-recorded by several…

by Mike Domínguez (aka “Acorn”) I was born in 1973 and raised by my aunt and grandmother in a tiny fishing village called Delacroix Island in St. Bernard parish on the outskirts of New Orleans. My mother had married a Pentecostal preacher with five children, and believed my aunt and grandmother would be able to…

by Darren Theoret Ottawa, Canada The following is the letter I emailed to my friends, family and Catholic Church officials advising that I have decided not to become ordained as a Deacon. It is dated 16 January, 2008. When I rededicated my life to the Lord, I was 19 years old and living a very…

Mom, For someone who has not lived this life, it is impossible for that person to fully understand. I am sitting here trying to think of some other current condition in life to which closeted homosexuality can be compared – I cannot think of one other condition that comes close. Nevertheless, I tried to put…

Rizi Xavier Timane is a female-to-male transgender singer, actor and trans-specialist coach who advocates for transgender rights. He was born and raised in Nigeria, West Africa. Rizi realized at age eight that he was a boy living in a girl’s body and approached his parents about this dilemma. His parents, converts to fundamentalist Christianity, responded…

by William Spangler I am 46 yrs. old. I grew up in VA. right on the Bible Belt. I attended a Pentecostal church. I was miserable. During all my young adult life I had to suppress my real self. I constantly felt condemned, I witnessed firsthand the shame my church brought upon others who dared…

by Stephenie Robinson So if you think that I got to look like I do in this photograph easily you can forget that, it is not true, it took dedication, work, tenacity and all the things we have to do to get a result in any given situation. It was over hell and high water…

by T. James Like many, I grew up in a Christian household. We went to church every Sunday, said prayer before bed, and went to Vacation Bible School during the summer. I had the typical Christian childhood. Then one year puberty hit, and I started noticing that girls made me a little more nervous than…

by Yowee On this day five years ago my life was changed forever. It was on Wednesday 24 April 2002 at 7:30am I got a call from my doctor saying the blood test had come back and that he had to see me. I said to him, “It’s positive isn’t it? Otherwise you wouldn’t call…

This morning, I received my daily visit from a community nurse, who is coming to terms with the suicide-death of her adult, gay brother. In an attempt to help her, and to explain the shameful and desperate aloneness, involved in growing up as a gay man, I have decided to commit to paper a reflection…

Scott Williamson is one of the most positive individuals I have ever met. His amazing ability to see the glass half full is unparalleled and makes him well-liked by anyone who knows him. Despite some less-than-ideal circumstances surrounding his life, Scott remains upbeat and committed to his favorite verse of Scripture which says, “For I…

Taken From Ellie’s Blog Used With Permission …it starts with a niggle in the deep recesses of your soul that all is not quite right with the world as you know it and from there it grows… and there was I… one day I realised I was no longer in sync with my world, my…

People often ask me why I wear a Red Ribbon. Some people ask the question simply to find out what the ribbon means, but other people are really asking a hidden question: they wonder what experiences in life has moved me so that I would want to wear a Red Ribbon, a visible reminder to…

by Susan Duviella (brwneyes) I was born and raised in a Hispanic Pentecostal church in Brooklyn, NY. I’ve always known that I was different, but kept it to myself. In fact, for a long time, I denied the possibility that I was a lesbian. I even fought anyone who dare call me gay. For many…

I am originally from Nigeria, West Africa, where homosexuality is completely forbidden and illegal. I was also raised in a Christian home and faced great conflict when I realized that I was a lesbian. My family tried praying it out of me 🙂 and later on, we fell out completely. They basically told me I…

Many at Northern Secondary School were surprised when Matt H. announced last year that he was running for student council president. A somewhat lonely boy, he didn’t fit the model of the popular, extroverted student leader. Everyone seemed to know the outgoing president. Matt was more reserved – he liked playing on-line games and writing….

by Isaac Archuleta As a shame-filled 20-something, I would recite the New International Version of Philippians 1:20 as my prayer for perfection: “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life…

For many years I have been on a journey.  This journey began with my being raised in a Congregationalist church. Then I became “Born Again” and became an Evangelical.  That was followed by my being “Baptized in the Holy Spirit” with the evidence of speaking in tongues.  Thus I became a Pentecostal/Charismatic preacher for 34…