my thoughts on LBGT

I have been thinking about this for awhile and have been delaying blogging about it imply because it's such a heavy subject and I did not know enough.  I still don't know everything, but after tonight I have a pretty solid opinion and insight to the LGBT community and gay Mormons specifically.  Tonight, BYU had a gay BYU student panel where the sociology department had four people who were openly gay and attending BYU answer questions and talk a little bit.  They had a HUGE turnout and I was sitting on the floor.  It was very very interesting.
First of all, I want to give some background information on the LDS Church's and BYU's standing on gays in the Church and in general.
This is what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints says officially: look at lds.org and here and here.
This is what the honor code at BYU-Provo says:
"Brigham Young University will respond to homosexual behavior rather than to feelings or attraction and welcomes as full members of the university community all whose behavior meets university standards. Members of the university community can remain in good Honor Code standing if they conduct their lives in a manner consistent with gospel principles and the Honor Code.

One's stated same-gender attraction is not an Honor Code issue. However, the Honor Code requires all members of the university community to manifest a strict commitment to the law of chastity. Homosexual behavior is inappropriate and violates the Honor Code. Homosexual behavior includes not only sexual relations between members of the same sex, but all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings."

Basically and overall, homosexuality and bisexuality is still a controversial subject that everyone, no matter who they are, are having to learn about for themselves.  We have standards in the Church that go for everyone.  Being sexually chaste is very important to us and so that is what we support.  PROP 8 and other political and religious movements that the Church supports is in support of chastity and the family unit.

Even though I have had lots of interaction with gays, I have not sat down with someone of gay sexual orientation and asked them questions, so tonight was a great opportunity for me.  They had an openly gay man who is married to a woman and has a daughter, a lesbian, a single gay man, and a bisexual man.  All are LDS and active in the Church.  They started out with telling their stories about when they knew for sure, what they did after they found out, and how they came out.  Then they answered questions from the students who were in attendance.  They wanted us to not be afraid about asking questions not just at the panel, but with their LGBT friends and family.  They truly believed that they were born this way and it wasn't just a "choice."  

The thing that stuck out to me the most about Mormons having to deal with being faithful members of the Church while struggling with their sexual orientation is that they all thought that they had failed the Lord as a person.  But they all emphasized that they all were at peace with their lives when they realized that their Heavenly Father loves them no matter what.  They all said that they grew closer to God and Christ while searching for answers.  I whole-heartedly agree with this because I have been there.  I haven't had questions about my sexuality, but I have definitely had to deal with other things in my life that not a lot of people understand.  But throughout the whole thing, I have never doubted my Heavenly Father's love for me. 

I think that homophobia is something that comes from ignorance and fear.  Homosexuality is a fairly new thing for a lot of people to deal with, since it has been taboo for so long.  I think that there is also issues with retaliation on both sides.  There are people who have been categorized as "Christian until homosexuality," where they are Christ-like people until they have to talk about homosexuality.  But there are people from the LGBT community who say that people are stupid for not fully supporting who they are.  Either way, it is just because not everyone knows everything about everyone else, just like every other controversial issue in this world.  My advice would be to talk to people who are homo- or bisexual and ask them questions.  Form your own opinion and stick to it.  Then love everyone and be Christ-like no matter what.