LGBT/SSA Stories | Far Between

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JOHN

Having once sung in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, John used to feel a lot of emotional pain and angst attached to listening to Tabernacle Choir broadcasts because it had represented so much of his heart and passion. John loves to sing and expresses his deepest feelings and spiritual connections through …
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JOSH

As Josh worked through his “coming out” process, he focused on the competing aspects of his identity: his identity as a Mormon and the fact that he is attracted to men. Josh’s journey has been a frustrating and painful one, and, though he has chosen to take a step away …
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ANNA

Coming out as a lesbian has taught Anna more about letting love in and letting fear go, than any other life experience. When she became more open about her sexuality, she experienced a wide range of reactions, from a coworker’s support and her family’s love, to friends who walked away. …
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ANDREW

Soon after coming out as gay, a Mormon friend asked Andrew, “So when are you leaving the church?” But Andrew knows that both his orientation and his testimony are core parts of his identity. Accepting his sexuality has been a hard journey for Andrew, who always saw himself as a …
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KATHY

After years of trying to change on her own, Kathy resorted to reparative therapy to change her attraction towards women. But the main premise of that therapy–that some sort of abuse or hurt was at the core of her orientation–never fit her own life experiences. Then her LDS stake president referred …
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DREW

Drew was 17 when his bishop gave him a blessing to cast out -what his bishop believed- were the evil spirits that caused Drew’s attraction to men. At the time, it was devastating, and Drew felt that he lost trust in everyone. But today Drew says that conversation set him …
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RUSS

Russ believes that on the journey to Zion, there’s a place for all of Heavenly Father’s children. After entering a mixed-orientation marriage and having five children, Russ found help in support groups for people in his situation. But when he moved to Idaho and could not find similar support, his …
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BRET

There are seven people that Bret cherishes: his five children, his husband, and his Savior Jesus Christ. Having grown up in a conservative farming community in Idaho, Bret knew from a young age that he was gay and even at that early age he already clung to promises that if …
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PRESSLEY

It took Pressley 30 years to articulate his identity as a bisexual male spirit in a female body. When he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he decided he would ignore the parts of himself that didn’t fit into Mormonism. But today he knows there is nothing …
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TERRELL

As a teenaged convert, Terell always had questions about the Church’s stance on members of African descent, particularly the priesthood ban. But he fell in love with the gospel, went to BYU, and served a mission in Brazil. After his mission, he tried to date women but was rejected multiple …
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ZACK

Wrestling with the reality of being gay and Mormon has taught Zack the meaning of true faith. As a missionary, Zack felt torn between spiritual promptings that he would someday marry a man and the idea that he needed to just obey and sacrifice that hope. The conflict drove him …
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ELLEN

Since she was a little girl, Ellen knew she was different–but it wasn’t until junior high that realized she wasn’t attracted to boys. She worked hard to shut off her attraction to girls, but being dishonest with herself made it hard for to be honest with others, including her parents. …
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SCOTT

When he was 16, Scott was the only member of his family to join the LDS Church. He knew at the time that he was bisexual and that, at some point, it would become an issue, but was baptized anyway, because he knew his sexuality didn’t effect whether or not the Church …
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ROBBIE

Robbie has a naturally cheery disposition. So, as a gay Mormon, he never felt the same sense of sadness or the suicidal feelings he saw in so many of his fellow gay Mormons. Instead, Robbie felt safe, loved, and embraced by the Church and its members as he was open about …
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CHRISTIAN

When he was about nine or ten years old, Christian made his first attempt at suicide. In the moments of deep depression he has experienced since then, Christian has felt emotionally and spiritually numb and his belief in God as his personal loving Heavenly Father has been shaken. Growing up, it was never …
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ELISE & SAM

Sam and Elise’s motto has become, “You can’t expect respect unless you are willing to give it. ” Sam and Elise met in college and instantly became best friends–they didn’t know they were gay at the time. It wasn’t long before they realized that their relationship was becoming more than …
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SETH & MICHAEL

Seth and Michael first did separate interviews for Far Between two and a half years ago before they knew each other. Seth’s interview was posted on Facebook and when Michael saw it, he initiated contact with Seth. They began talking long distance and developed feelings for each other. Eventually Seth …
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SARA JADE

Sara Jade wears a lot of different hats. She is a transgender women, a mother, a daughter, an active Latter-day Saint and an activist. She often feels frustrated by the ideas perpetuated about her, both in Mormonism and among those she associates with as an activist–those who know her from her activism …
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JERRY

Jerry shares his story in the hopes that those who watch it will feel like they are not the only ones. Jerry was born into a family that attended a Fundamentalist Baptist church in Salina, Kansas. When he was about 7 or 8, he moved with his mother shortly after his …
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TYLER

Tyler Glenn — lead singer for Neon Trees is proud to be Mormon. In a recent issue of Rolling Stone magazine, Tyler also came out as gay. Since then, his story has been the subject of countless articles and interviews. In his conversation with the Far Between project, Tyler shares …
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BECKY

Growing up in a military family, Becky’s activity and testimony of the LDS church was a stabilizing force in her world from a young age–she always had to be the first person to the pulpit on fast Sunday’s to bear her testimony. But she was attracted to women so she …
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Devon

Devon has always had a picture of how he wanted his life to go, and, on the surface, his life has followed that path. He served a mission, married in the temple and has a small family. The problem is that he’s gay, and, though he and his wife get …
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ALEX

Alex realized he was same-sex attracted when he was 18. Since early childhood, Alex had felt attracted to men, but didn’t understand what that meant until high school when he attempted to cover his attractions up by being more “macho.” Alex briefly served as a proselytizing missionary for the LDS Church, until his anxiety and depression …
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MATT

Matt, originally from Brazil, encountered the LDS church while he was a foreign exchange student in the US. He decided to pray about the truthfulness of the LDS church’s claims, and, after receiving his answer, he joined the church, served a full-time mission, and baptized both of his parents. Still, …
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