Exploring the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Mormon experience through stories.
In part 2 of this 3 part series Cary Crall talks about meeting other gay men while at BYU, developing his gay identity, coming out to friends and family, dealing with Prop 8, and writing a letter to the editor that put him in the spotlight and ledto unexpected consequences (including a Mormon Stories interview before he was ready to come out publicly).
Part 1 with Cary here
Part 3 with Cary here
Part 2:
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I found the comments about the personal energy cost of coming out very interesting. I used to routinely tell people, “I don’t care who you tell,” and feeling relieved when I heard that someone had told someone about me.
When I got active in my ward again, I remember feeling that it was literally a kind of divine intervention when a missionary I had come out to was transferred to my ward, because I remembered realizing that it meant he would tell others what he knew about me. (In fact, he did out me to my elder’s quorum president and a couple other key people — much to my relief.)
Some folks have commented on how amazing they thought it was that my family and ward members of mine have been as supportive as they have been… But part of the power of coming out is that it does give people a chance to respond kindly…