190: Aaron Koppe | From Mission to Losing My Membership

Aaron Koppe knew he was gay when he was just 10 years old. Growing up in the Netherlands, the culture around him was accepting. But inside his LDS faith, the path forward felt far less clear. Aaron tried for years to reconcile his identity with the expectations of the church. He came out to his father at 16, later served in a temple mission, and did everything he could to live the life he believed he was supposed to. But eventually, the weight of living someone else's version of happiness became too heavy. At 25, Aaron made the decision to start dating men. Not long after, his church membership was revoked. And yet, Aaron's story didn't end there. Today, he still attends church and continues to build a life defined by his own choices, his own faith, and the people who love him as he is.