June is PRIDE month for members of the LGBTQ+ community.  Many people choose to celebrate it differently, but the bottom line is that it is important to let people who may be struggling with their identity or orientation know that they are not alone, and to help others know the best way to show love and support to them.  Ben Schilaty has been helping in that space as a gay member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and advocate for LGBTQ+ individuals. Ben talks with Carly about his experiences realizing he was attracted to men as a youth, serving a mission and hoping that it would eventually go away, and ultimately coming out to his friends as a BYU student.  Ben gives us a glimpse into what many of our family and ward members are facing in their lives, and offers a lot of advice about how we can best show them they are loved.

In 2015 Ben began blogging about his experiences as a gay Latter-day Saint. You can read it here.

He cohosts the podcast "Questions from the Closet" with his friend Charlie Bird. It is a GREAT way to learn more about LGBTQ+ individuals.  You can find it here.

Ben wrote a book that answers many of the questions people have about LGBTQ+ issues.  You can find it here.

And finally, one of the BEST ways you can learn more is at the "Gather Conference." It is "Christ-Centered support for Latter Day Saint LGBTQ+ individuals and those that love them."  You can find more info about that here.