Called to Queer

In this episode, we interview Sam Webster. Some topics we cover include:

• The idea of putting yourself under "self-conversion therapy"
• How coming to terms with being nonbinary and becoming a single parent helped change their view of gender roles and parenting
• And they share some of their beautiful poetry

Sam was born and raised Mormon in Utah. Following the typical religious prescribed path and gender roles, they married young and had kids. Religious trauma separated their family from the Mormon church a short time before Sam decided stop living in shame of “same sex attraction," love themselves as they were, go through a divorce, and with lots of therapy, learn to come to a place of acceptance and understanding surrounding their gender identity. Sam is a non-binary parent, writer and student (still) living in Utah with their three amazing kids. They are currently going to SUU and preparing to move to Cedar City to continue their education. They believe in conscious parenting without shame, and that healing is a choice of action.

For episode transcripts and further resources, please visit our website.

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In this episode, we interview Andrés Larios Brown (they/he/elle). Some topics we cover include:

• The incongruence they felt from the Mormon distinction between provider and protector and nurturer
• What it means to be multiply marginalized and how that shows up in their life
• What it's like being in a married queer relationship in Utah and being polyamorous

Andrés Larios Brown (they/he/elle) is a Queer & Non-Binary mescla bella (beautiful mix) of a father who immigrated from Guatemala and a mother who is of Western European descent. First and foremost, they are a healer, as well as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. They and their husband currently live in Utah, where Andrés is the associate Clinical Director & Director of Cultural engagement at Encircle Therapy (a nonprofit that works with LGBTQ+ youth and families from religiously conservative cultures). They study queer identity development among collectivist and community-focused cultures, and also specialize in healing acute, systemic, and intergenerational trauma- specifically for QTBIPOC people. With experience working in a wide range of settings (nonprofits, college counseling centers, community centers, and training clinics), Andrés also focuses a large part of their work on teaching, training, education, and advocacy. They believe that we are truly whole when in connection and community, and seek to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice. 

“We are truly expansive in being authentically and fully who we are — worthy of celebration, joy, and love. I am honored to be joining you on this journey of healing and growth.” –Andrés

For episode transcripts and further resources, please visit our website.

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In this episode to kick off Pride Month, Kate and Colette discuss:

• Some basic history of Pride
• Why Mormons might be turned off from the word "pride"
• Why Pride is important to them and some Pride memories they have

The Guardian article Kate references in the podcast can be found here.

For episode transcripts and further resources, please visit our website.

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In our first ever couples episode, we interview Rachel Cox (she/her) and Elihu Vineis (they/he). Some topics we cover include:

• Knowing their identities really young but not necessarily having words to describe them
• Coming to terms with gender and the gender of your partner
• Raising kids with queer parents and creating their family

Rachel earned her master's degree in English in 2012. She grew up LDS, but came out as lesbian and left the church in 2016. Rachel is a novelist and an English instructor at Weber State University. She is also a program coordinator in faculty development. She's lived in Utah since 2006. She is the author of the dystopian novel A Light from the Ashes and is currently writing a biographical novel about queer actress Maude Adams. El graduated from BYU with a Bachelor's degree in history, walking across the stage with one child in arms and one on the way. Three kids in and seven years later, their life was entirely turned upside down, prompting deep soul-searching and the realization that not only are they in fact attracted to women, but they are genderfluid. El is a Reiki Master and licensed massage therapist with a passion for healing and promoting wellness. Rachel and El were married this month and are happy to blend their family.

For episode transcripts and further resources, please visit our website.

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In this episode, we interview Chloe Agyin (they/them). Some topics we cover include:

• The complicated nature of being multiracial, especially in a colonized world
• Being at BYU while realizing they were queer
• Going through a faith transition and how they decided to what to keep and what to leave

Chloe Agyin (they/them) is a proud multiracial queer person living in Salt Lake City, Utah. In order to better pursue their passion for social justice and systematic change, Chloe received their Masters Degree in Social Work. Since coming out as queer they have engaged in social activism by working closely with the local LGBTQ+ community. They currently work as a therapist at Celebrate Therapy in Provo, Utah with the hopes of continuing to find new ways to disrupt the status quo.

For episode transcripts and further resources, please visit our website.

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In this episode, we interview Chelsea Gibbs (she/her). Some topics we cover include: 

• Falling for friends and the importance of boundaries while healing
• Queer baiting in media and how the church queer baits, as well
• Shaking off wrong messages you've been given about yourself and learning to own your story

Chelsea Gibbs is a writer and film historian based in New York. Her work on queerness in media and queerness in Mormonism has been published across various books and journals, and while she is no longer active in the church, she still enjoys facilitating dialogue about queerness within Mormon spaces. As a board member of Affirmation, she has had the opportunity to be a cultural translator between LDS and LGBTQIA communities around the world. As an educator, film archivist and someone who has run film programs for several organizations, she has loved the opportunity to share the ways storytelling can help people find their own voices and also help them become more empathetic to others. Send her a message any time to talk about your favorite queer TV and films, or to fangirl about Chieko Okazaki!

For episode transcripts and further resources, please visit our website.

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In this episode, we interview Emilia Bingham (she/her). Some topics we cover include: 

• What asexuality is and how it may be experienced for individuals
• Ace erasure
• Emilia's idea of "collectivist heaven"

Emilia Bingham (she/her) is currently a Master of Social Work student at Boston College where she is working hard towards her goal of becoming a trauma focused therapist. When not studying, she enjoys rock climbing, being outdoors, and spending time with the people she loves. Emilia is happily married to her forever adventure buddy and is the proud parent of at least 30 plants. You can connect with her on Instagram.

For episode transcripts and further resources, please visit our website.

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We were able to have our first ever LIVE episode while participating in the Affirmation Connections Virtual Summit. We loved the opportunity and are now able to share that discussion here in your podcast feed. Some things we talked about include:

• The importance of queer joy, why we talk about that so much, and ways to look for queer joy in your own life
• The discrepancies and leadership roulette queer individuals may experience in the church
• Our thoughts about why AFAB people may come out later in life

Affirmation's mission: Affirmation creates worldwide communities of safety, love, and hope and promotes understanding, acceptance, and self-determination of individuals of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions. We affirm the inherent self-worth of LGBTQIA+ individuals as complete, equal, and valuable persons and support them as they define their individual spirituality and intersection with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

You can view this and other sessions from the Affirmation Connections Virtual Summit at the website for the event.

For episode transcripts and further resources, please visit our website.

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In this episode, we interview Sami Simpson (she/her). Some topics we cover include: 

• Deciding to do her dissertation on identifying best practices to help queer Mormon youth and young adults and their families
• How the LDS church is very pro-family structure, but maybe not entirely pro-family
• Bierasure, and how she's still in a queer relationship, even though it's straight-passing

Samantha Simpson is a bisexual marriage and family therapist at Flourish Therapy, a non-profit organization that provides subsidized therapy for LGBTQ+ individuals, couples, and families. During her master's program at BYU, she started doing family therapy with LGBTQ+ youth and young adults in Latter-day Saint families. Quickly realizing that such sessions required multi-faceted cultural responsiveness, expert knowledge, and the therapy skills of an emotional surgeon, she looked for research and resources -- only to find that there are little to none. That's what set her on the path of getting a PhD. She is in the final stretch of completing her PhD at Virginia Tech, where she is currently collecting data for her dissertation called, "When Identities Collide: Best Practices for Family Therapy with LGBTQ+ Youth and Young Adults in Mormon Families. Sami, her partner Michael, and her dog Albie recently relocated from Virginia to Utah and love reconnecting with Utah's Queer communities. You can connect with her on Instagram @SamiSimpson.LAMFT or on Facebook @SamiSimpsonMFT.

For episode transcripts and further resources, please visit our website.

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In this episode we interview Dr. Taylor Petrey (he/him). Disclaimer: We recorded this episode before April 2022 General Conference. Since Conference, some of the things we mention in this episode about Heavenly Mother have since come to fruition. 

Some topics we cover in this episode include:

• Definitions and discussions of gender essentialism
• Dr. Petrey's book Tabernacles of Clay
• Queer theory as it applies to Latter-day Saint history of sexuality and gender

Taylor G. Petrey is Associate Professor of Religion at Kalamazoo College and editor of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. Petrey received his ThD and MTS from Harvard Divinity School. He is currently chair of Religion at Kalamazoo College. His books include Tabernacles of Clay: Gender and Sexuality in Modern Mormonism and co-editor with Amy Hoyt of The Routledge Handbook of Mormonism and Gender. He has been a Visiting Associate Professor of Women's Studies and Sexuality at Harvard Divinity School and Research Associate in the Women's Studies in Religion Program in 2016-17. He was also the Lucinda Hinsdale Stone Associate Professor of Religion at Kalamazoo College and Director of the Women, Gender, and Sexuality program. Follow him on Twitter @TaylorPetrey or on Facebook @Taylor.Petrey.

For episode transcripts and further resources, please visit our website.

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