Celibacy and the Single Mormon (a place at the table)

The message most LGBT people get from the church is:  Live chaste and celibate lives.  It is a burden like any other.  The obvious response to this is: It is not a burden like any other.  Heterosexual members of the…

Why me? Why now?

I get lots of questions along the lines of, “What made you – a heterosexual, LDS-since-forever, woman/wife/mother – become an activist for LGBT rights/same-sex marriage?”  The short answer is: I could not live with myself if I weren’t doing this,…

Ryan Andresen Is My Son (Boys Scouts, Mormons and Inclusion)

Having a teenager in the home is an always fascinating experience in parenting.  I heard one parent describe it as having a movie or food critic living in your own home!  But I find it a source of fun and…

The Catalyst

I am the father of a young gay son.  I am also a lifelong member of the LDS Church, a temple recommend holder and the Elder’s Quorum President in my ward.  Having been thrown into the teeth of one of…

Keeping the Focus on Ourselves

A few weeks back, I had a visit with an old friend. Margot is 82 now, and over the years she’s garnered a depth of understanding that I’ve come to greatly admire.  In her words I’ve often found pearls of…

Homosexuality, Mormonism, and Me

Micah Nickolaisen is a photographer and active, faithful Latter-Day Saint living in Chandler, Arizona. You can read more of his thoughts and story at FaithfulHeretic.com. Micah also manages and hosts the new Open Stories Foundation podcast A Thoughtful Faith I’m…