Utah groups hopes to bridge religious and LGBTQ communities

HEBER, Utah — Native teams in Utah are working to assist individuals within the LGBTQ group really feel extra welcome and extra understood.

Kyle Ashworth was raised within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, served a mission, married within the temple, and had some youngsters.

“And in any case these issues, I nonetheless was homosexual,” mentioned Ashworth.

Now, he’s married once more and hosts the podcast Latter Homosexual Tales, the place he’s hoping by sharing individuals’s tales, others may get a greater understanding.

“Loads of the non secular inhabitants haven’t any want to attract nearer to the queer group,” Ashworth defined. “It’s often solely when somebody’s son or daughter or little one comes out {that a} household really pays consideration to those matters.”

He’s not the one one in Utah with this type of private mission, like Susie Augenstein.

“I’m consistently begging and pleading for individuals, particularly those who don’t have LGBTQ youngsters of their lives to hitch us and to assist help those who do as a result of they want us,” mentioned Augenstein.

She’s an ally to queer youngsters and adults by way of a bunch referred to as Peculiar.

“Whether or not it’s a taking pictures like occurred or a suicide, we simply must cease the deaths and have them really feel like they’re part of us,” defined Augenstein.

And it’s tragedies just like the one in Colorado which have individuals on the facet of allyship and help. Asking others to hitch them or, on the very least, hear.

“As a result of typically on this house, we see a lot trauma, and we see lots of triage the place we’re left placing individuals again collectively,” mentioned Ashworth

Attending to know individuals who could seem nothing such as you is the type of massive ask these people are going for.

“This nice homosexual agenda is to stand up within the morning and to like and be liked,” mentioned Ashworth.

Neither of those teams is affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, however each say higher understanding is crucial, particularly on the subject of the psychological well being of LGBTQ youth.