Support
To those in our LGBTQ community: we see you. You are worthy. You are loved. You know who you are and we validate you!
Getting married to a man was hard for my family, but they were really great. I invited all my siblings and even some of my extended family. That being said, I was selective about who I invited. I didn’t feel the need to invite people that I didn’t feel particularly close to or people that I felt wouldn’t be supportive or happy on the day. My parents were still on the fence about things a bit, I think, but they were willing to come to support me and now they love my husband a lot.
Months of meetings and discussions between Affirmation leadership and church authorities in Argentina have opened the doors for LGBT people to attend church meetings and possibly return to the Church, including Sister Sonia, a transgender woman in the Tucumán Province, who had not attended church since before transitioning.
I did not feel alone, I felt sustained and surrounded by the arms of love and that sincere people are willing to give us their support when we need it.
You are the only one who has the right to choose your path because you are the only human who knows what you have been through. You deserve to listen to words from your faith tradition that affirm and lift you up and give you the strength to keep living and find your happiness. And you have the right to reject any words that do not.
I mentioned how much Elder Oaks’ talk hurt me and quoted many examples throughout his talk. He finally said, “I didn’t like it either.” Suddenly, I felt the burden totally lifted from me and replaced by hope.
Our Heavenly Father is the only One who has all answers. He knows the reason for my attraction to women.
Throughout the day, my dad kept saying things like, “I had no idea. I had no idea.” And, “I feel like I’m seeing with new eyes.”
We recognize that General Conference can arouse difficult feelings among many of our members, and we encourage those of you who are struggling to reach out to others, and for all of us to be aware of ways to support those who are struggling.