Come out, come out, wherever you are?

Today is nat'l coming out, and seeing that I never have time these days to do much of anything, I thought it would be a nice time to offer solidarity for those who suffer for their sexual orientation, whether privately, spiritually, or publicly.  I am so fortunate to be surrounded by mostly open-minded people who think no less of a person no matter their gender preference, and I'm lucky that I was born into a family that shared that view.  (In other words, a pack of liberals).  So many people suffer for their sexual orientation, and today is just another opportunity to honor all people, remember those who have unfortunately died, and hope that we can all change the culture that we live in to allow all people to feel safe and empowered.  In a very jucispeak moment, I read this letter from a decade ago towards homosexuality, and I thought it was rather lovely.  My interest in Mormon gender and sexuality politics is unusual, to say the least, for a non-Christian semi-Buddhist, but this goes beyond Mormonism and into all spiritual practices which condemn homosexuality.
Here are some of my favorite paragraph:

As the Church "progresses" on this issue, what we are hearing more and more from Priesthood leaders today is the idea that our son is acceptable so long as he practices life-long chastity.  That is, of course, actually called celibacy, and while it's a convenient idea to advance, in practice it is virtually impossible to live.  The distinction between chastity and celibacy seems always to be overlooked by Church leaders.  You may recall that in his somewhat recent newspaper interview in California, President Hinkley compared the plight of homosexuals to that of the single sisters in the Church.  To paraphrase, he said that the Church doesn't ask homosexuals to do anything it doesn't also ask of its other single adult members - to live chaste lives. But this simply isn't true.  As a former bishop I have firsthand experience.  We openly love and support our single brothers and sisters.  We give them important callings - especially with out youth and children.  We urge them to date, to flirt, to get crushes, to fall in love, to marry.  We sponsor Ward and Stake activities and dances to get them together to accomplish this.  We ask them to be chaste - until they find someone to share their life and intimacy with.  We go out of our way to give them something of immeasurable value in the struggle to keep the law of chastity - hope - hope that no matter how difficult this emotional and physical loneliness is, it is temporary.  For those with the least control over their situation, our single sisters, we give special encouragement and hope that they will find love, emotional intimacy and fulfillment in this life - and if not, certainly in the next.
We do not knowingly give homosexuals important callings - especially not with our youth or children who would be at risk of being infected and recruited. We forbid them ever to flirt, to date, to get crushes, to fall in love, to have a legally-recognized monogamous relationship.  The image of a Tri-Stake Gay and Lesbian Gold-and-Green Ball is amusing.  We ask them to be chaste - forever. No hope at all.  The question of sexual intimacy aside - can you imagine having being denied the ability to become attracted to, flirt with, get a crush on, hold hands with, steal a kiss from, or fall in love with you wife?  With all trace of romantic love and emotional intimacy denied you, with what would you fill the void to hold at bay a life of loneliness, emptiness, and despair.


Now, this is not an entirely flawless letter by any means, and I don't agree with all points, but it does add to my belief that all religions, including LDS, have the opportunity for change and growth when conflict arises, and that we all as freethinking individuals have to challenge our social constructs to meet our beliefs and needs.

On that note, I'm so happy for all of my friends, no matter their spiritual background, for being able to be who they are, and for being able to be loved by friends, colleagues, and hopefully their families for who they are.