Why Unboxing Queer Mormonism?
When I was in 10th grade, I knew deep in my heart that I wanted to be a writer. I wrote a research paper on the career possibilities for writers and shared it with my parents, but I was ashamed of this ambition. It wasn’t very practical! Mormonism had different plans for me. I served a Latter-day Saint mission to Bangkok, Thailand, and I received my BA and MA degrees from Brigham Young University, decisions that I do not regret.
As I came out to myself on my mission, I realized that I had stories to tell from every juncture in my Mormon experience: my childhood, my young adult years, and my life today in the world as I experience it in Salt Lake City, Utah in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains and the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I knew deep down that I was gay, but I was not out to myself in early 2000s Salt Lake City, Utah. There were difficult moments on the journey to where I am now. Now I’m married to the love of my life with a cute house and an adorable dog living 10 minutes from where I was born and raised.
As I’ve gone through so much over the last several decades, I believe now is the time to tell my Mormon story: funny, tragic, scary, queer, and tender stories that speak to modern Mormons of all sorts. As a gay post-Mormon with a fascination for linguistics, Mormon studies, and queer/feminist storytelling, I want to elevate the voices of people who were there for me in my most difficult and exciting moments of my life and share my own story in a way that may surprise you.
I will make mistakes along the way. Some pieces may be edited after publication. But I hope that my stories will help you as you live your best life inside or outside of a Mormon framework. If you disagree with the contents of a piece, I encourage you to write your own response or reach out to me via email here.
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