Gay Mormon Single Adult

 18 July 2021

So I recently started going to the single adult congregation in Tucson. It's for 30-45 year old unmarried people. The Bishop wanted to get to know me, so he and I sat in his office, and chatted. I wear a rainbow ribbon to church, because historically LGBTQ people haven't had a space in Mormonism, but I want to create that space. So of course, our conversation went to that. It's a touchy subject, and orthodox heterosexual Mormons are sometimes a little scared of what they don't understand. I told him I didn't agree with the prophets preaching homophobic and transphobic messages to the entire church. Even with my reservations, he assured me he wanted me in his ward. He has a close friend who has left the church over LGBTQ issues and he told me "I wish he could be like you, still in the pews and happy." 

Now I have a choice on how to interpret that desire. I could have a bad faith interpretation and say he was trying to flatter me, guilt trip me, or stir up disappointment in people who have left the church. 

But I'm not into bad faith interpretations. I believe this man wants to create a congregation with differences of testimony and devotion to the commandments. Diversity makes the church better. He wants people that are "warm and inviting" to create a community of people that take care of each other (he said I was warm and inviting lol) he wants me to be happy and be spiritually fed in this church. Those are all great motivations for a leader of a ward to have. 


I wonder how palatable I make my disagreements. Like, I don't get offended or triggered by much of the homophobia anymore, so that's gotta make it easier for the orthodox heterosexuals to talk. I wonder if this man didn't want to discuss the difficult subject so openly. I like to think I'm easy to talk to about queer issues in the church though. And the bishop's in a tricky position, I gotta cut him some slack. Here's me threatening the cookie-cutter mormon life path, and there's other people that want to uphold the cookie-cutter life. I want to be loud about my sexual orientation, and orthodox people don't want to admit sex exists. The bishop has gotta create a congregation that serves all of these differences, and he's up to that challenge. I for one am grateful for him. 

Love you all, questions and comments and concerns are welcome

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