"Building The Hearth - Creating Belonging" with Jeff and Katherine Wise Episode 72 of the Lift+Love podcast

"Building The Hearth - Creating Belonging" with Jeff and Katherine Wise - Episode 72 of the Lift+Love podcast   Episode hosts Allison Dayton and Darice Auston interview Katherine and Jeff Wise about their son Talmage coming out as gay in February 2013 while Jeff was serving as an LDS bishop. They describe early mistakes, including Jeff delaying telling Katherine due to multiple family crises, and Katherine’s immediate spiritual experience confirming God’s love for Talmage. The Wises chose to tell family, friends, and their ward openly rather than keep it secret, and received supportive responses. After Jeff attended a Los Altos fireside featuring Bob Rees and Mitch Mayne, they hosted their own fireside in March 2015, which led to creating a monthly gathering called The Hearth. They discuss how the November 2015 exclusion policy drove many young gay people away despite supportive local leadership, and why they continue participating in church to advocate for marginalized people.   00:00 Meet the Wises 01:02 Son Comes Out 02:33 Bishop and Ward Impact 03:34 Mom Learns Later 04:48 Stress and Secrecy 07:24 Late Night Questions 09:28 Context and Denial 14:05 Spiritual Confirmation 18:29 Blessing and Expansion 20:17 Don’t Hide Who You Are 21:41 Coming Out Publicly 23:21 Telling the Ward 26:09 Ward Comes Together 28:54 Telling the Kids 30:46 Lovingest Support 33:18 From Secret to Fireside 36:41 Launching The Hearth 40:33 Policy Shockwaves 2015 45:14 Trans Policy Echoes 46:36 Why We Stay 49:43 Worth the Work  

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