13: Stacey Seeks Redemption

Great story! I loved hearing how the younger generations in her family didn’t have any problems with or prejudices towards Stacey. I hope in 20 years Stacey’s experience is unfamiliar to people coming of age and choosing whom they will love.

Thanks for sharing your story Stacey.  Only when people like you are willing to speak up will the general membership and leadership be forced to face their prejudices instead of being left with only their imaginations to run wild about some satanic plot to destroy the divine family.  Homophobia in the church today is a good example of how easy it is to laugh or get angry (or just be confused if you are trying to figure out God) about past injustices but ignore or promote current injustices in the world today.  I will be much more willing to speak up when I hear stories like yours.

I enjoyed this podcast very much. Stacey, I was very interested in your story and so happy to hear how well things have turned out for you. Can I ask how your girlfriend from your college years is doing? I felt very tender towards her as well as you! 

Heather, you are a fantastic interviewer. You are so perceptive and ask great followup questions. 

I was thinking the same thing as thisiscrazy28.  Stacy seems to have a way of looking at things that’s a little different than many of the other interviewees, which would be a nice addition, imo.  I love your insight of the church being what it is:  an organization.  It behaves just as any organization does, and protects its own interests.  Those types of realizations, I believe, can really help us get out of that anger stage of feeling betrayed and lied to.  I read about people being angry for soooo long, and it just doesn’t seem productive at all.

I’m always fascinated at that mormon experience of self-awareness.  I’m hetero, and I’ve never had any questions about my sexual orientation. I used to wonder, how could you not know?  I think that, in any culture where sexual abstinence is king, and where suppression of sexual feelings is the norm, it’s easy not to be honest with yourself or unaware. The consequences are so dire within the mormon culture, it seems like a recipe for denial, repression, rationalization, and other self-deception.