When my daughter came out as gay #mormon #lds #lgbtq #exmormon

When My Daughter Came Out as Gay: One LDS Parent's Journey Through Faith, Love, and Policy

The moment a parent learns their child is LGBTQ+ often becomes a defining hinge in their own spiritual and emotional life, particularly within faith traditions like The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where official doctrine has historically taught that same-sex attraction itself is not sinful, but acting on it is morally impermissible. For many LDS families, coming out conversations trigger an immediate collision between institutional teaching and parental love. This tension illuminates a broader question that continues to reshape Mormon communities: how do we reconcile deeply held religious beliefs with the lived reality of our LGBTQ+ children?

According to testimony shared on the Mormon Stories Podcast, one LDS father's experience of his daughter's coming out reveals both the genuine emotional weight families carry and the courage required when faith commitments are tested by those we love most.

Background: The LDS Church's Historical Position on LGBTQ+ Members

The LDS Church's official stance on same-sex attraction has evolved in presentation, though its core prohibition remains consistent. In 2012, Church leadership issued a clarification that experiencing same-sex attraction is not sinful; acting upon it remains classified as sexual sin. This distinction, often called "SSA" (same-sex attraction) in Church vernacular, created a framework where LGBTQ+ members were theoretically welcomed while their intimate relationships were prohibited.

The November 2015 policy change intensified this tension significantly. The Church announced that members in same-sex marriages would be considered apostate, and that children of LGBTQ+ parents could not be baptized until age 18, at which point they would need to disavow their parents' relationship. This policy triggered widespread internal dissent, prompted some high-profile resignations, and forced countless families into excruciating choices between institutional loyalty and family bonds.