It is Pride Month, and given the current and intense politicalization of the rights of transgender individuals, we are pleased to present here an encore of a conversation between Laurie Lee Hall and LDF host Dan Wotherspoon. Originally presented under the umbrella of how different people view God as gendered or not, Laurie Lee shares her experiences as a transgender woman and Latter-day Saint. She shares her story of presenting as a man for the first fifty years of her life, all the while feeling her spirit is female. During this time, she became an architect who worked for the LDS church for many years designing temples, meeting houses, and other church buildings. She was also married with children and served a full term as a stake president.
She eventually knew that she could no longer live with her outside presentation being at odds with her true self and shared her truth with her family, general authorities, and those with whom she served in her stake. This led to many upheavals, including divorce, losing her job with the church, as well as her church membership.
All along the way, Laurie Lee had very powerful experiences with God that she touches on here. She also shares the outline of her life and relationships today.
This is a powerful episode–one that would be good to share with those who do not understand transgender experience. So many people follow along with the political attacks on these persons, as well using their religious beliefs as weapons and excuses for not truly trying to understand transgender individuals and the violence that is being done to these fellow children of God through their rhetoric and actions. Listen in!
Links:
Experiencing a Gendered God, Part 1, Latter-day Faith, May 2021 (Derek Knox and Kajsa Berling-Kaufusi)
Experiencing a Gendered God, Part 2, Latter-day Faith, May 2021 (Susan Hinckley and Laurie Lee Hall)
Link to register for the upcoming Latter-day Faith Virtual Fireside, “The Courage to Be Vulnerable,” June 22 and June 25, 2023