A former Brigham Young University student who served as his school’s mascot hopes his decision to come out publicly as gay in a newspaper essay inspires a deeper discussion of LGBTQ issues among Mormon churchgoers. The LDS church opposes same-sex marriage, and though leaders maintain that same-sex attraction is not a sin, members are expected not to act on such feelings. Bird, who moved to New York after graduating from BYU and now works for an international consulting firm, is hopeful his essay will encourage dialogue about LGBTQ issues among Mormons. In a Wednesday interview, he told The Salt Lake Tribune he’d received “many, many, many” messages of support from both families and other LGBTQ Mormons. “I have somehow been blessed with an amazing platform where I can make my voice heard,” he said.

Source: Huffington Post March 01, 2019 13:30 UTC