Understanding Same Sex Attraction

Today’s topic can be a sensitive topic, especially in today’s world. I hope to give some insight regarding same sex attraction. I believe through my personal experiences I can help others understand what causes the initial change in attraction of the opposite sex. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has a firm stance on this topic which typically can lead to some uncomfortable conversations. However, our church is a constantly evolving church, which means if at any point our leaders believe a change in necessary, it will happen in Gods timing. Unfortunately, with the word of God being clear I am unsure if this will ever happen. 

Some people believe individuals are born a certain way and they are born either gay or straight. I would like to argue that stance because I do not believe it is accurate. I have a sister and multiple cousins whom have fallen away from the church, all due to having feelings for the opposite sex as well as other disagreements with how the church is ran. I know for a fact my sister and cousins all have changed their point of view on whom they would like to enter a romantic relationship with based off of traumatic experiences. All of them either had something happen, were mistreated or raised in unfortunate circumstances. I would also like to note that everyone being mentioned comes from parents who divorced, meaning difficult living situations and a lot of challenging obstacles in their youth. 

What does this tell us? Well, based off of my observations it clearly illustrates that someone who identifies as gay or likes the opposite sex, was not born that way. However, their beliefs changed as a result of something interrupting their way of life. I think this is extremely important to keep in mind. My reasoning being, I have heard many conversations of individuals talking about God does not make mistakes which means He created people to be attracted to the same sex, which was not by mistake. This is incorrect and not valid. We live in a fallen world, with that comes the temptations of the adversary. Look at how society looks at family roles today, it is far different from what our culture practices. This is not a result of God creating people a certain way or making a mistake. This is a result of imperfect people making mistakes which have a domino effect on others around them. 

I believe same sex attraction is a result of traumatic experiences being left untreated and those who are struggling look for relief or happiness in anything they can. I would also like to note that my family members whom have gone through these experiences, all have chosen to go down a path of resentment and rebellion. They are angry and are too scared to take a deep look at what is causing that anger. I can tell you the anger comes from childhood experiences they are running from. I know this because although I do not struggle with same sex attraction I had experienced those same events and coped a different way. 

In addition, I would like to point out these family members all were surrounding themselves with others who identified as gay and practiced these beliefs, prior to coming out. I am not pointing this out with the intention of illustrating a bad image of gays. That is not the case, I am painting an illustration for you all to see. You become a product of your surroundings, which is another reason why I believe our church encourages us to hang out with other members. 

I would like to close this week’s blog in a delicate manner. I love my sister and I love my cousins. I do not look at them differently based off of their views. I love them the sane and am proud of them for being their authentic selves. However, I do believe in this church and everything is stands for. I pray one day things may change within our church, but I am also trusting of our leaders and will follow their guidance with topics such as this. I know when the time comes God will judge them based off of their intentions of their hearts. Love is love and I support everyone. I challenge everyone to know their Savior because He knows you and wants you to know Him. With Him, these challenges may become clearer and possible to overcome. Until next time, may God be with you until we meet again.