UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | February 16, 2025

QTalks—event that explored intersection of queer identity, LDS faith

To celebrate the release of the novel, “The Book of Queer Mormon Joy,” Equality Utah held an event hosted by the Utah Tech LGBTQ+ Student Organization Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. This featured four speakers who contributed to the content of this book. Elizabeth Harding | Sun News Daily

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A group of four panelists gave talks on their relationships with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and being LGBTQ+ Jan. 24, 2024, at 6 p.m. at QTalks, which is an event hosted by the Utah Tech University LGBTQ+ Student Association.

The panelists all discussed “The Book of Queer Mormon Joy,” a collection of essays that analyzed the joy and connection that can come in conjecture with being queer and a member of the LDS church. All four panelists shared stories of how they personally found moments of joy and connection, whether they were members of the Church or former members.

Essie Gonzsen, the programs manager at Equality Utah, is the head of the southern Utah outreach program. Equality Utah is the leading nonpartisan group of LGBTQ+ rights organizations in Utah. They advocate for a fair and just Utah for all LGBTQ+ Utahns and their families, working with lawmakers to advance protections for members.

The event’s theme was finding moments of connection and joy for the panelists. Whether with members of their church or with family members who were active church members, each panelist described moments of interconnection with loved ones.

The first speaker, and one of the contributing writers of the book, Becca Barrus, shared a personal story of how she found a connection with her maternal grandmother after their relationship was strained by her coming out as lesbian. She talked about a special moment that happened between her and her grandmother at her wedding.

“I thought for a really really long time, like 10 years, that no one from my family would be there at my wedding, and so the fact that she [her grandmother] was there holding my hand was everything,” Barrus said.

Barrus ended her portion by stressing how important it is for reciprocity in our relationships with other people.

“Vulnerability is a gift, and it brings people together,” Barrus said. “Joy comes from connecting with other people in a real, meaningful way.”

The second panelist, Erran Speaker, is a transgender woman who rejoined the LDS church after experiencing years of struggling with her identity while being raised as a member. In her portion of the book, she told a story of how she was welcomed into relief society for the first time she attended church while presenting feminine. 

The third panelist of the evening, Jen Heiner, said that while the experiences of LGBTQ+ members of the Church are not always positive, they had positive experiences with loved ones who were members. Heiner shared their story of connecting with in-laws and relatives from their then-husband’s family after coming out as gay.

“I share this story knowing this isn’t common,” Heiner said. “I hope by sharing this story that experiences like this will become more common; [it] will become the rule rather than the exception.”

The fourth and final panelist of the evening was Troy Williams, the executive director of Equality Utah. On a podcast, Williams shared his personal story of balancing his religious beliefs and his personal identity, which he also wrote about in the book.

“I depart wondering if perhaps my need to be accepted by my family also requires that I accept them in all of their eccentricities,” Williams said.  

Williams talked about his connection with his eccentric family members and his struggle to come to terms with his own identity as a gay man. To connect with his family, he said his family needed to accept him as he is, and he needed to accept them as they are. 

While all panelists shared their moments of connection, they also shared their reality that not every moment in their journey was entirely happy. 

In a booth set up outside, the Equality Utah team laid out resources for students that included mental health services offered by Utah Tech, as well as stickers and prints for students to show their belonging in a community.

Community support is vital in making every student feel welcome and like they belong here at Utah Tech.