Called to Queer

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we interview Laura Skaggs. Laura's been on a long journey within church; initially coming out and working for change in the church for many years before deciding to divorce her former husband and withdraw her membership. Laura also provides some insight into the trauma that queer Mormons experience, per Brian Simmon's dissertation and uses beautiful scripture metaphors (including the story of Moses) to speak about the complexity of queer Latter-day Saint experiences.

Laura Skaggs is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in treating spiritual trauma at the intersection of LGBTQ+ experiences and religion. Laura earned her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy at San Diego State University with an emphasis in LGBTQ+ mental health within conservative religious social contexts. She went on to serve for two years on the board of directors of Affirmation LGBT+ Mormons, Families and Friends with a focus on responding to spiritual trauma and suicide prevention. Laura is also the co-creator of CWEERS Empowerment groups: a practice designed to help LGBTQ+ individuals and their supporters confront social discrimination and internalized stigma. Laura is the mother of two daughters and presently sees clients full time in Provo, UT as part of Flourish Therapy Inc: a non-profit mental health clinic committed to expanding access to affordable, culturally competent, evidence-based behavioral and mental health services for LGBTQIA+ individuals, couples, and families. She also has done some beautiful writing, including this piece.

For further background about David Archuleta (whom Laura references in the episode a few times), please read this article or this article.

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we interview nicholas b jacobsen. We talk about an interaction with a cop that put them back in the closet for another decade, how they became an activist, and how colonialism, white supremacy, and Mormonism are tied together.

nicholas b jacobsen is a seventh-generation Utah-Mormon, trans-nonbinary settler raised in Nuwu homelands. As a creative historian, culture critic, & visual artist, their work addresses their personal and ancestral connections to the U.S. & Mormon settler-colonial-imperialist project. Through this, they work to disassimilate from the myths of white-supremacy and settler-innocence central to Mormon & U.S. cultures. jacobsen completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in Art & Ecology at the University of New Mexico & a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics from Southern Utah University. They’ve has won many awards & have been published, podcasted, exhibited, and collected throughout the U.S. You can see more of their work at nicholasbjacobsen.com, unsettlingmormonism.com and @Unsettling_Mormonism on Instagram.

For episode transcripts and further resources, please visit our website. To monetarily support the podcast, you can donate at our Ko-Fi page.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we interview Hao Le. Hao is a former President of the Affirmation Hawaii Chapter. During her time as a BYU-Hawaii student, she advocated for LGBTQ+ students through effective communication with the BYUH Administration. Hao and her team also spent their time collaborating with BYUH faculty and staff, including the Counseling Office, Title IX, and Residential Life, to promote supports for LGBTQ+ BYUH Students through training and outreach. She was also highlighted by the the local news and non-profit organizations in Hawai’i for her advocacy. After graduating from BYUH, Hao decided to pursue her Master Degree at the University of Hawaii to continue to serve the public and bring more supports to the local LGBTQ+ community on the island.

Some things Hao talks about in this episode includes:

• Her work with Affirmation and BYUH
• Vietnamese culture vs Mormon culture towards queerness
• Anti-Asian racism, the bamboo ceiling, and the "model minority" myth

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.