Mormon teen reveals she’s gay from pulpit
Video triggers drama over church’s stance on LGBT issues
SALT LAKE CITY — A video of a young Mormon girl revealing to her congregation that she is lesbian and still loved by God — before her microphone is turned off by local church leaders — is sparking a new round of discussions about how the religion handles LGBT issues.
Savannah, 13, spoke on May 7 in Eagle Mountain, Utah, about her belief that she is the child of heavenly parents who didn’t make any mistakes when she was created. Her comments came during a once-a-month portion of Mormon Sunday services where members are encouraged to share feelings and beliefs.
“They did not mess up when they gave me freckles or when they made me to be gay,” she said, wearing a white shirt and red tie. “God loves me just this way.” A voice for others
Her mother, Heather Kester, said Friday that her daughter was passionate about coming out in church to be a voice and example for other LGBT children who struggle for acceptance within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She asked that Savannah’s full name be withheld to protect her privacy.
The Mormon religion is one of many conservative faith groups upholding theological opposition to same-sex relationships amid widespread social acceptance. At the same time, the church is trying to foster an empathetic stance toward LGBT people.
The video, which Kester says was taken by a friend of Savannah’s who came to support her, has generated buzz after it was circulated online and featured in a Mormon LGBT podcast.
While some consider Savannah a hero, other Mormons are upset that it was videotaped and is being circulated by church critics to try to paint the church in an unflattering light.
Judd Law, the lay bishop who leads the congregation south of Salt Lake City, said in a statement distributed by church headquarters that Savannah is a “brave young girl” and that the congregation is making sure she and her family feel loved. ‘This is not a fad’
But he called problematic the unauthorized recording and the “disruptive demonstration” by a group of non-Mormon adults who were there.
Law didn’t address or explain the decision to cut the microphone.
Savannah read from written notes from the pulpit. Kester said she is not Mormon, but her husband is and Savannah has been raised in the religion.
“I do not choose to be this way, and this is not a fad,” Savannah told the congregation on May 7. “I cannot make someone else gay. … I believe that God wants us to treat each other with kindness, even if people are different, especially if they are different.”
Her microphone was muted after about two minutes — shortly after she said she’s not a “horrible sinner” and that she someday hopes to have a partner, get married and have a family.