New Facebook group specifically for active/believing Mormon parents of LGBT people

By Daniel Parkinson

The LDS Walk With You team has started a new Facebook group, to help fill a need for Mormon parents of LGBT. This group will be moderated to make sure that there is a tone that is always respectful of the church. It will be primarily for parents and they will always make up the bulk of the group, although few others may be invited if it seems that they might be particularly helpful at helping parents discuss the issues that arise when they are trying to love and support their LGBT children, while staying active in the church.

In some ways this group will be similar to the Prepare group that some of you might participate in. There are a lot of groups out there, but this one will be particularly safe for parents who are new to the issue, since it will be monitored carefully, but it will be a place for parents who are learning to affirm their LGBT children without losing their religion. We realize that some parents will have their own faith crises, or faith transitions, and even though these topics won’t be addressed in the group, the moderators are sensitive and sympathetic to this, and they will always be available for one to one conversations and/or referral to groups that can allow those kind of conversations.

If your parents need a supportive group like this, then ask them to contact one of the moderators or myself for access to this group. The moderators are Rachel Manwaring, Christy Searle, Greg Searle, and Jill Rowe.

A lot of the parents who made videos for the “I’ll Walk With You” project are already participating in the group, so if you think it would be helpful for your parents to talk and get support from parents like these, please refer them to this group. You can contact any of those people on Facebook, or else by emailing me at [email protected].