All Out in the Open
All Out in the Open, Questions from the Closet
All Out in the Open is a resource for LGBTQ Latter-day Saints and those who love them. Our goal is to help listeners connect with themselves, with their families, with their community, and with God. Hosts Charlie Bird and Ben Schilaty help listeners open up to themselves and those around them. Clare Dalton digs into the scriptures and teaches how they can be a catalyst for personal revelation. Iese Wilson takes listeners on a tour of LGBTQ Latter-day Saints all over the Church and introduces us to modern day pioneers. Michael Soto and Liz Macdonald highlight the amazing work of those who are building and strengthening their communities. Learn more at www.alloutintheopen.org.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 15, 2020 • 46min
Should I go on a mission?
Ben and Charlie are joined by Sarah Langford to talk about deciding whether or not to serve a Church mission, and how being LGBTQ+ affected that decision.
Sep 8, 2020 • 35min
What should I do if think a family member is gay?
Charlie's sister Anne Bird Rodman joins us for a conversation about what Anne did when she first suspected Charlie was gay. We talk about vulnerability and have a discussion on how to create a more safe, loving environment for others.
Sep 1, 2020 • 41min
Should I go to BYU?
Ben and Charlie are joined by Michael Griffin, an openly gay BYU professor, to talk about their experiences at Brigham Young University. We talk dating culture, honor code, and past and present environment for LGBTQ+ students.
Aug 26, 2020 • 22min
How can I be an ally from the closet?
Collette Dalton, therapist and gay Latter-day Saint, joins us as we brainstorm ways to support the LGBTQ+ community even if you still don't feel comfortable being out publicly.
Aug 18, 2020 • 36min
How do I navigate the Family Proclamation?
Charlie and Ben are joined by John Gustav-Wrathall, who describes himself as "the most active non-member in the Church." They have a conversation about The Family: A Proclamation to the World that evolves into a discussion about personal revelation and agency.
Aug 11, 2020 • 30min
What is opposite-sex dating like?
Ben and Charlie are joined by their friend Deb Hutchins to talk about stories from dating the opposite sex and why they each decided to stop.
Aug 4, 2020 • 37min
How should I come out to my family?
Ben and Charlie are joined by Twitter legend Eli McCann to discuss how they came out to their loved ones.
Jul 22, 2020 • 41min
Should I stay single and celibate?
Charlie and Ben discuss how they feel about being described as "celibate" and making the choice to stay single. They also discuss how to thrive as single people and how personal revelation has guided their life choices.
Jul 16, 2020 • 35min
What's it like being married to a gay man?
Margaret Steward was surprised one Sunday morning when her husband of 30 years came out to her as gay. In this episode, Margaret and her husband Travis talk about what that experience was like and how they feel about their future. Charlie and Ben also share experiences of when they tried to date girls.
Jul 7, 2020 • 37min
How do I reconcile changes in Church policy?
LDS author Tom Christofferson joins us to discuss changes in Church policy. We cover the November 2015 policy that affected LGBTQ+ individuals and their families, as well as its reversal in 2019. We have a conversation about dealing with challenging teachings or topics in a church setting, and how we maintain faith when policies change.
