In this newly combined episode from the archives, we’re putting parts 1 and 2 of my interview with Mitch Mayne into one single episode.

If you’ve been around the Hall for a while, you know this is the exact interview that completely shifted what The Cultural Hall is all about. Mitch made national headlines when he was called to serve as the executive secretary in his local ward bishopric in San Francisco while living openly as a gay man.

We skip the mainstream news soundbites and get into the real, messy, and beautiful human story. We talk about what it actually looks like to navigate Latter-day Saint culture, deep personal faith, and LGBTQ+ identity from inside a local ward.

We talk about:

The Call to Serve: How his bishop approached him, the internal wrestling Mitch went through before saying yes, and how local leadership supported the decision.

Living Authentically: Mitch’s personal journey of coming out, deciding not to hide who he is, and finding a way to still give his talents to his faith community.

The Ward’s Reaction: What happened in the hallways after he was sustained, and how the “Mo-dar” (Mormon Radar) handles cultural expectations.

Changing the Conversation: How we can move past polarized internet arguments and focus on Christ-centered empathy at the local level.

The Turning Point for the Show: Why this specific interview opened the doors for us to tackle the nuanced, complicated, and historically quiet topics in the LDS world.

Links & Resources:

Check out Mitch’s work and advocacy at MitchMayne.com.

A quick note from Richie: Pardon our dust on this one! This is from the early days when the podcast was still finding its footing. Thanks for rolling with the early audio quirks and technical growing pains—the message and the conversation are absolutely worth it.

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