PODCAST · health
Latter Gay Stories
by Latter Gay Stories
What is it like to be gay? Am I alone in this journey? How do I reconcile my faith and my sexuality? Is leaving my religion to find happiness even possible? Welcome to Latter Gay Stories! We're a podcast featuring real people, real stories, and real talk! We discuss life inside and outside of the closet—and living your best and most authentic LGBTQ+ self. You are not alone. You are not broken. And your best days are ahead. Most of our guests have a background in Mormonism and we discuss how a variety of religious traditions influence the queer journey.
Episodes
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193: Steve Pynakker: Gay, Evangelist, and Exploring Mormonism
In this episode, we sit down with Steve Pynakker, the creator behind Mormon Book Reviews. Steve has never joined Mormon church, but he's deeply passionate about exploring the many different branches of the Mormon Restoration movement. On his YouTube channel, he dives into the history, beliefs…
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192: Trevon Cutler | From Devotion to Desperation
Trevon Cutler chose the Church for himself as a teenager and gave it everything—priesthood, leadership, a mission, and years of trying to become the person he believed he was supposed to be. But underneath it all, he was quietly fighting the truth about being gay, hoping faith and obedience would...
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191: David Chappell | He Didn't See A Place for Him at BYU—So He Created One
David Chappell is a civil engineer, community organizer, and emerging political voice in Utah County. Raised in Arizona in a traditional Latter-day Saint family, David served a mission in Milan, Italy, where exposure to a wider world—and greater diversity—began shaping the questions that would...
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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...
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189: Laurie Lee Hall | Dictates of Conscience
Laurie Lee Hall was the Chief Architect for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Designing and overseeing some of Mormonism's most sacred spaces, this former Stake President and bishop made one of the most profound decisions of her life: authenticity. Laurie sits down with Latter Gay...
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188: Chosen Path: A Memoir by D. Michael Quinn
Chosen Path, a memoir by D. Michael Quinn is a story of self-denial and inner struggle, while Michael strove to follow through on his personal commitments faithfully. The memoir, published by Signature Books is an intimate look into the life of one of Mormonism's most prolific historians of…
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187: Carmina and Sabrina | Sister Missionaries Fall In Love
Carmina and Sabrina were called to serve missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as Mormon missionaries. What they didn't expect was that they would meet each other--and eventually fall in love. This is a story about two Latter-day Saint women with unique stories of faith, of...
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186: Dan and Sara Fisk | Being Prepared for Allyship
In 1998, the Fisk family faced what some might call a dilemma. A relative of theirs came out. Having been raised orthodox Mormon, Dan and Sara grappled with numerous questions: How should they navigate this news? What would the future of their relationship with their loved one look like? How…
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185: Jacob Lambert | I Came Out by Inviting People In
Jacob Lambert's story is about finding support from those around you. Raised in an active Latter-Day Saint family, Jacob's world view shifted when he began to figure out that he was gay at 16 years old. Despite his awareness of his sexuality, Jacob felt inspired to serve a mission and attend BYU....
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184: Cameron Call | Breaking Out of Mormon Expectation
Cameron Call grew up in Queen Creek, Arizona. He served a mission in Nashville, Tennessee—the same mission as his father. He married a woman in a Mesa Temple and has three children. He came out to his wife in 2018 after ten years of marriage and they decided to divorce in 2019. He and his ex-wife...
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183: Richard and Josh | A Love Story
In the final episode of our three-part story, Josh and Richard share the couch as a couple! They talk about dating, separating religion from their reality, family, navigating a vulnerable part of their lives, and MARRIAGE! They reflect on what they have learned through this journey, how their…
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182: Josh Castro-Mitchell | From the Philippines to Utah: Finding My Happiness
Josh was thriving as a young, out, gay teen in the Philippines, but Mormon missionaries knocked on his door and he and his family ended up joining the Church. Soon after, his mother married a man from Utah, and Josh found himself living in a small religious town in Northern Utah. His life went…
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181: Richard Mitchell | When A Mormon Bishop Comes Out
What happens when a former Mormon bishop can no longer stay closeted and hidden? He grabs the door-handle, walks through that door and into a world he's avoided his whole life. Richard Mitchell was a very active, stalwart Latter-day Saint. He married a woman, had children, served in the church...
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180: Brad Talbot | I Colored The BYU Campus in Rainbow
What started as a dream to paint the Brigham Young University campus in rainbow paint ended up encouraging Bradley Talbot to start a movement that changed the face of BYU and literally lit it up with color. Brad took on Goliath—the Mormon Church and he organized a group of people to light the...
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179: Flo Montierth | My Husband is Gay, Now What?
My husband is gay, now what? In a topic not regularly discussed, Flo Montierth shares her story of dating, marrying and then divorcing a gay Mormon husband. As a lifelong lover of learning and teaching, Flo is an advocate for special needs and the LGBTQIA community. Navigating Mormon life in a...
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178: Joel J | I Tried to Do Everything Right
Joel was raised in an orthodox Mormon home, where rules were king—he never met a rule he didn't follow. His upbringing was one of "exact obedience". PBS and KBYU were the only TV shows they were allowed to watch. He knew he was different, but didn't have words to describe what that difference…
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177: Colby Majors | "Now Thank Him and Let Him Go"
Colby is a convert to the church, having joined at 17 years old. One year later, he left his family to serve a mission in Venezuela. He returned home from his mission after 10 months due to anxiety-depression. The root cause of this depression…he had been withholding a secret: "same-sex"...
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176: Lacey Bagley | Bisexual, Married, Polyamorous and Thriving
Dr. Lacey Bagley is a queer Mormon and the owner of Celebrate Therapy. She has been married for 14 years to her husband Evan and together they have 2 young children. She's polyamorous and is navigating, with happiness, this chapter of her life. What does the intersection of Mormonism and…
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175: Jake Shepherd | I Was Unprepared to Come Out
At age 10 Jake was mercilessly bullied, the kids called him "gay" a word he didn't understand. Using the family's dial-up internet connection Jake turned to Google to better understand the word. A path of pain ensued. It would take Jake nearly seven years to finally say " I am gay" out loud. In…
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174: Nate Gardner | Mission, BYU & (gay) Marriage
Born and raised in Utah, Nate Gardner did everything he was supposed to do to be a good Mormon boy. After serving a mission and going to BYU Nate came out of the closet—fearing he would lose his family. Because of love, respect, communication and boundaries, Nate is closer to his family now as an...
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173: A Gay Mormon Rescue? Ben Schilaty and Charlie Bird: Panel Analysis
Throughout Mormonism's history there have been a series of "rescues" where grassroots members, teamed with local church authorities, band together to rescue Saints in despair. Are we seeing an LGBTQ+ rescue in Mormonism? We're digging in...and talking about it. Inspired by Elder M. Russell...
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172: Brayden Singley | A Journey of Finding Myself
Viral Tik-Tok creator Brayden Singley sits down with the Latter Gay Stories podcast to spill the tea on life as gay man with Mormon roots. Brayden was born and raised in Northern Utah. He grew up a member of the LDS Church, served a 2-year mission in the state of Washington and attended BYU. In...
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171: David Doyle | @NerdyGayMormon
David Doyle is a Latter-day Saint from Florida. He is humble, reliable, lovable, nerdy, and gay. He is an active Latter-day Saint with stake leadership callings—and it is through those callings that he is able to fulfill some of his self-described "life missions". Many people might argue that...
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170: The Naked Pastor | David Hayward
He's known around the world as The Naked Pastor—and you've likely seen his cartoons on social media or in print—but who is David Hayward and why does his art speak so loudly for the LGBTQ+ community? David sits down with the Latter Gay Stories podcast to share more of his story and offers a…
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169: Carol Lynn Pearson | Loving My Gay Husband To Eternity
Carol Lynn Pearson is a Mormon icon. In the early 1960's two monumental experiences happened in her life: she married Gerald, a gay man—and she published her first book. From that first publishing—and her relationship with her gay husband—Carol Lynn Pearson forged a path forward for Latter-day...
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168: Laurie Lee Hall | From Temples to Transformation
At age five Laurie Lee Hall knew she was different, but she didn't have words for what the "difference" was. For her, language—and better understanding wouldn't come until many decades later. Few transgender people have had more influence on Mormonism than Laurie Lee Hall. Prior to (and sometimes...
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167: Weston Smith | Gay Mormon Missionary: Survivor
Weston Smith came out as gay while his dad was serving as a bishop in the Mormon church. His parents were understanding, but navigating life a gay Mormon teen, trying to better understand your sexuality, and remain the "best" Mormon possible is often a recipe for disaster. Weston was no stranger…
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166: Evan Smith | From Stake Presidency to LGBTQ+ Ally and Beyond
Evan Smith met the intersection of sexuality and religion while serving as an LDS Bishop and eventually in a Stake Presidency. It didn't take long before Evan began to better understand the difficult and impossible restraints the Church's policies and doctrines place on LGBTQ Mormons. In the…
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165: Paul Bird | Finding My Balance As a Gay Mormon
For orthodox Christians, especially Latter-day Saints, Paul Bird's life doesn't fit the mold. He admittedly loves the Word of Wisdom, but loathes the Law of Chastity. And that is where is story blossoms. Paul is from Tucson, Arizona. He grew up Mormon and, in the closet. He decided to come out…
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164: Josh Morris | An Honest Conversation About Being Gay
Josh Morris was raised in a very small, rural Utah community. Living as a closeted gay teen, in a predominately Mormon town leaves a lot to be desired. The community isn't rich with diversity or opportunity when it comes to understanding your sexuality. In this episode Josh candidly shares his...
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163: Melinda Hannah | Painting The Faces of Love
Melinda Hannah is no stranger to pain or trauma. She battled her own traumas while simultaneously watching other's experience their own. Melinda is an artist. She used her talent and brush to paint to tell the stories of the marginalized people among us. While meeting with members of the LGBTQ...
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162: Colter Wild | Finding My Inner Peace
Latter-day leaders have often warned that happiness, truth, and spiritual experiences are only found within the framework of Mormonism—Colter's story defies that narrative. Shortly after coming out to his "Provo Mormon" family, Colter began to navigate his own course of spirituality, connection,...
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161: sExcommunication: The Mormon LGBTQ+ Dilemma
The LatterGayStories podcast has been following over a dozen same-gender couples that are facing excommunication (membership councils) from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their offense: being legally and lawfully married. In April of 2019, the Church publicly announced that...
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160: The Black Menaces | Televising the Mormon Revolution
In less than one year, five students at Brigham Young University have amassed a social media following of nearly 1,000,000 people. The group, calling themselves the Black Menaces, create videos online that have been liked and shared more than 25 million times and messages supported by celebrities...
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159: Kris and Kay Packer | Loving, Learning, and Living
For the Packer's, love and connection brought them together—and it was honesty and authenticity that helped their love and connection flourish. In this fascinating story of love and transformation, Kay and Kris share their early dating experiences—and marriage as a lesbian couple. It was later in...
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158: Kris Packer | From Wife to Husband: A Story of My Journey
Kris Packer has a long Mormon history. His father, Lynn is a Mormon historian, and Kris' great-uncle is apostle Boyd K. Packer. What happens when you come out to your family as a lesbian, but as life progresses, your journey through love and connection helps you to connect the dots and come to...
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157: Kay Packer | My Lesbian Mormon Love Story
Kaylene Packer was a very normal Mormon girl. She went to church, she prayed, and she tried to hide an important part of her identity...she was really, really into girls. Growing up Latter-day Saint, you quickly learn that there isn't a road map designed to help you thrive as a closeted lesbian...
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156: Ashley Ryan | My Story of Transition and Hope
Ashley was born male into a Lutheran home in Texas. At a young age, Ashley knew she was different. Not having language for what that "difference" was, she navigated her journey the best she could. It was finally an Oprah episode featuring a transgender story that gave her the WORD that described...
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155: Kray Casper| BYU Changed My Life: My Gay Coming Out
Kray was a remarkably normal Mormon. He knew he was gay, but did everything in his power to deny and hide it. If you bury it, it doesn't exist, right? He gave everything to the church, served a full-time mission, and then enrolled at BYU. All this to bury what he was (a normal gay man). As he was...
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154: BYU ADMINS to BYU HEALTH CLINIC: Terminate Health Services to Transgender Patients
In a surprising move, BYU-Provo administrators dismissed three transgender clients from the BYU Clinic on 2/7/2022, and informed their student/faculty clinicians that transgender patients needed to be transferred to providers OUTSIDE of BYU. The patients were being seen at the on-campus BYU…
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153: Duane Jennings | Balancing Science and Spirituality
From an early age, Duane felt drawn to better understanding life from two perspectives: science and spirituality. His desire for knowledge and the human understanding led him to better understand empathy and opportunity. Shortly after returning home from his Mormon mission to South Africa, Duane...
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152: Page Petrucka | Happiness Exists In Authenticity
Page knew she was different, but Mormonism has a way of convincing you to keep those "different" feelings buried deep inside. Those feelings and natural connections can only stay hidden for so long—and eventually they blossom. After coming out later in life, Page Petrucka shares her journey of...
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151: Cole and Kent | Our Real-Life Gay Mormon Love Story
They're back! Cole Rasmussen (episode 145) and Kent Carollo (episode 142) sit down together—as a couple to share their story of dating, connection, and engagement. Where do gay Latter-day Saints learn to date? Where do they learn how to navigate the world of feelings, connection, and the very…
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150: Mormon Parents of a Gay Child: When Dogma Collides with Ignorance
There isn't a manual or Sunday school lesson that teaches us how to prepare for our child's coming out experience. For parents (especially Mormon ones,) you often feel wholly unprepared for the news. For many Latter-day Saints, we aren't trying to understand this topic because we are convinced it...
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149: James Kent | Aloha to Authenticity and Love
In this special outdoor episode, we sit down with James Kent in the beautiful Iao Valley on the island of Maui, Hawaii. James shares a stunning history of Hawai'i including the native Hawai'ian's respect to the topics of sexual orientation (aikāne) and gender identity (māhū). James also shares a...
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148: Tommy Francesco | The Kiss That Kicked Me Out of BYU
As a convert to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Tommy Francesco wanted to do what was right. He studied with the missionaries, joined the church, obeyed the word of wisdom, served a mission and generously gave of his time and talents—but Tommy was gay and that reality met him at...
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147: Brandon Spevak | Rearranging Everything That Was Comfortable in My Life
Brandon Spevak's life was familiar to many Latter-day Saints. He served in leadership callings, he married his wife in the temple, and together they started to raise their young family. In the midst of that journey, feelings within Brandon's heart and soul began to expand. Brandon began to...
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146: Tate and Kara: Mixed Orientation Marriage
Over the last six decades, Latter-day Saint leaders encouraged mixed orientation marriages as the only best option available to gay Mormons. Many gay Latter-day Saints used these types of marriages to diffuse their feelings of same-gender attraction, hoping (and believing) that God would provide…
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145: Cole Rasmussen | Reconciling My Faith By Accepting My Sexuality
In an office at the Church Office Building—overlooking the angel Moroni atop the Salt Lake Temple, Cole received a blessing from Elder Cook. In that blessing Cole was promised that he would be able to marry a woman, have children, and eventually serve a mission with his wife. Unfortunately for...
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143: Love: From Our Perspective | Fathers of Gay Sons
Let's face it, no parent expects (or can adequately prepare) for their child to come out. With few social and religious resources available to help parents navigate this journey, where do you turn when your child needs you the most? Three fathers, all with different backgrounds, share their…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
What is it like to be gay? Am I alone in this journey? How do I reconcile my faith and my sexuality? Is leaving my religion to find happiness even possible? Welcome to Latter Gay Stories! We're a podcast featuring real people, real stories, and real talk! We discuss life inside and outside of the closet—and living your best and most authentic LGBTQ+ self. You are not alone. You are not broken. And your best days are ahead. Most of our guests have a background in Mormonism and we discuss how a variety of religious traditions influence the queer journey.
HOSTED BY
Latter Gay Stories
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Latter Gay Stories have?
Latter Gay Stories currently has 99 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Latter Gay Stories about?
What is it like to be gay? Am I alone in this journey? How do I reconcile my faith and my sexuality? Is leaving my religion to find happiness even possible? Welcome to Latter Gay Stories! We're a podcast featuring real people, real stories, and real talk! We discuss life inside and outside of the...
How often does Latter Gay Stories release new episodes?
Latter Gay Stories has 99 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Latter Gay Stories?
You can listen to Latter Gay Stories on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Latter Gay Stories?
Latter Gay Stories is created and hosted by Latter Gay Stories.
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