Elena Thurston returns to share with us how the PoS, the new LDS LGBT Policy Handbook update dubbed the Policy of Silence, still affects families and children who want to serve missions. There has been no update, no clarification regarding children of “same-sex attracted” parents and the requirement that they disavow that parent in order to serve a mission with the LDS Church. This existing policy continues to cause excruciating emotional damage to children and families. Members who “suffer from same-sex attraction” are still encouraged, forced or feel no other choice than to seek out conversion therapy to “fix” their homosexual attractions. A practice that results in youth 8.4x more likely to attempt suicide. GLAAD reports “San Francisco State University found that “compared with LGBTQ young people who were not rejected or were only a little rejected by their parents and caregivers because of their gay or transgender identity, highly rejected LGBTQ young people were:

* 8.4x more likely to report having attempted suicide
* 5.9x more likely report high levels of depression
* 3.4x more likely to use illegal drugs
* 3.4x more likely to be at high risk of HIV and STDs”

Links mentioned in the episode:

* Patreon FULL VIDEO of Elena’s Episode
* Elena’s Amazing Ted Talk about Her Experience with Conversion Therapy
* Elena’s Love Story on MHH
* GLAAD Discusses Efficacy and Consequences of Conversion Therapy
* VENMO for Mormon Happy Hour one time donations
* Music by bensound.com and by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
* Transition pieces found here