As a convert to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Tommy Francesco wanted to do what was right. He studied with the missionaries, joined the church, obeyed the word of wisdom, served a mission and generously gave of his time and talents—but Tommy was gay and that reality met him at every intersection in Mormonism.  One weekend at BYU, a kiss with another man changed Tommy’s life forever. That kiss was a violation of BYU’s Honor Code. Within days,  Tommy had been stripped of his academic credits and expelled as a student at BYU. Then came church discipline.  This is a story of the trials and experiences of a person who tried to do good and to follow what felt natural and whole.  #LatterGayStories #BYU #ComingOut

148: Tommy Francesco | The Kiss That Kicked Me Out of BYU

What is it like to be gay? Am I alone in this journey? How do I reconcile my faith and my sexuality? Is leaving my religion to find happiness even possible? 

Welcome to Latter Gay Stories! We're a podcast featuring real people, real stories, and real talk!  We discuss life inside and outside of the closet—and living your best and most authentic LGBTQ+ self. You are not alone. You are not broken. And your best days are ahead. 

Most of our guests have a background in Mormonism and we discuss how a variety of religious traditions influence the queer journey.

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 Chosen Path, a memoir by D. Michael Quinn is a story of self-denial and inner struggle, while Michael strove to follow through on his personal commitments faithfully. The memoir, published by Signature Books is an intimate look into the life of one of Mormonism’s most prolific historians of church governance and LGBTQ intersections. Moshe Quinn, son of Michael Quinn and Barbara Jones Brown sit down to share a story of truth, struggle, excommunication, and honor.  The book is available at your local bookstore, or available online through Signature Books and Amazon.  Moshe is the youngest son of Mormon historian, D Michael Quinn. In some ways intersecting between them, Moshe has pursued the humanities and the arts through his life, with more emphasis than his father on the arts. He lives in the Bay Area where he teaches photography, digital art and filmmaking with high school students.  Barbara Jones Brown is a historian and the director of Signature Books Publishing. She is excited that Signature has just published D. Michael Quinn’s memoir, Chosen Path, and will be also be publishing the memoir of Laurie Lee Hall, a leader in the transgender community. In May 2024, Signature will also publish The Book of Queer Mormon Joy, an anthology of personal stories from across the LGBTQ spectrum.

188: Chosen Path: A Memoir by D. Michael Quinn

Carmina and Sabrina were called to serve missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as Mormon missionaries. What they didn't expect was that they would meet each other--and eventually fall in love. This is a story about two Latter-day Saint women with unique stories of faith, of trial, of frustration, of hiding, and of freedom. Sabrina and Carmina share their stories about family, faith, and the future. #LatterGayStories #Queer #Lesbian #Bisexual #ComingOut

187: Carmina and Sabrina | Sister Missionaries Fall In Love

 In 1998, the Fisk family faced what some might call a dilemma. A relative of theirs came out. Having been raised orthodox Mormon, Dan and Sara grappled with numerous questions: How should they navigate this news? What would the future of their relationship with their loved one look like? How could they move forward without sacrificing their standing in the Church?    As you listen, you will learn from the Fisk's story.  For the Fisk family, Mormonism had always been central to them, then everything changed in 2017 when someone even closer to them came out: their daughter.  What happens when you allow yourself to lift, support, and love someone different than you?  The Fisks share their story.  #LatterGayStories #LGBTQAlly #Parents #LGBTQ #Mormon

186: Dan and Sara Fisk | Being Prepared for Allyship

Jacob Lambert's story is about finding support from those around you. Raised in an active Latter-Day Saint family, Jacob’s world view shifted when he began to figure out that he was gay at 16 years old. Despite his awareness of his sexuality, Jacob felt inspired to serve a mission and attend BYU. Little by little, as he let people in he felt more comfortable and confident in his identity and eventually decided to come out on Instagram in June of 2021. As his religious views began to shift, Jacob decided that part of living authentically and honestly would involve transferring out of BYU and being more open about his beliefs. Throughout his journey, Jacob decided to let people in and received mixed responses, but decided to listen most to those who loved him unconditionally. #LatterGayStories #ComingOut #BYU #GayMormon

185: Jacob Lambert | I Came Out by Inviting People In

  Cameron Call grew up in Queen Creek, Arizona. He served a mission in Nashville, Tennessee—the same mission as his father. He married a woman in a Mesa Temple and has three children. He came out to his wife in 2018 after ten years of marriage and they decided to divorce in 2019.   He and his ex-wife are helping their kids discover the beauties of life both in and outside of the Mormon church. This is his story of trying to meet the expectations of religion, life and society—and learning that there is happiness and joy in all the places he was promised it didn't exist.   #LatterGayStories #Mormonism #ComingOut #EndureToTheEnd

148: Tommy Francesco | The Kiss That Kicked Me Out of BYU

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