Nathan Kitchen
All students have the right, regardless of sexual orientation to enjoy chaste, affectionate public behavior without any fear of reprisal. LGB students are worthy of the same rights, protections, and freedom of loving expressions which are afforded their heterosexual peers.
You can claim change when any privileges available to heterosexual people are available to homosexual people and any privileges available to cisgender people are available to transgender and gender non-binary people. Until then, we all have work to do for our marginalized population of LGBTQ students.
While applauding the increase in transparency and clarity the new handbook provides, Affirmation remains concerned that Church policy diminishes the lived experience of LGBTQ individuals.
Having served as Affirmation’s online content and data manager since 2017, Joel brings the right mix of talent, experience, and understanding to Affirmation’s senior staff position as director of operations.
Adam’s stake president recommended him for his mission and Salt Lake issued the call with their blessing, fully knowing Adam’s privately held views supporting same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights. After two months, Adam returned home from his mission over an ideological clash between his mission president who didn’t feel him worthy of a temple recommend because of these views, and his hometown stake president who did.
Those caught in this transition period as the Brethren work things out have the continued and real possibility of trauma, rejection, and suffering as they stand at the intersection of their Faith. This is why LGBTQ led organizations such as Affirmation are so necessary to support our LGBTQ peers during such changes.
Affirmation President Nathan Kitchen shares his experience and insights from Affirmation’s participation in the WorldPride 2019 in New York City. “This is a circle of love and support cemented by personal connections even stronger than World Pride. It is the kind of community building that Mormons are known for. And I hope you all will join in.”
Regrettably, on social media, these friends and neighbors pointed their fingers and mocked a young gay valedictorian, just because he delivered a BYU-approved speech at his commencement. It was a surreal moment as the comment sections became a “great and spacious building,” as spoken of in Lehi’s vision in the Book of Mormon, full of detractors scoffing at LGBTQ members of the church pressing onward towards the tree of life.
It was in these quiet moments of pain and confusion that I felt another triumph: That of coming to terms, not with who I thought I should be, but who the Lord has made me to be.