Blaire Ostler gets to know Cristina Cole, one of the co-hosts of the Sunstone Firesides Podcast. She’s a single mother and health care worker who calls herself “brown and bi-sexual”—giving her a unique perspective on LDS Church culture. Listen to this episode here.
Podcast: Sunstone Firesides
Episode 24: Spirituality after the Checklist: A Conversation with Mette Ivie Harrison
She loves Mormonism, but doesn’t believe in the LDS Church—just one of the surprising things about author Mette Ivie Harrison. Kimberly Anderson and Harrison talk about writing, grieving, and spiritual growth. Listen to this episode here.
Episode 23: Grateful but Gone: A Conversation with Wendall Hair
Wendall Hair converted to the LDS Church while living in North Carolina and served a mission in St. George, Utah, where he returned almost immediately to continue life as a Mormon. But being African-American and gay led to challenges in Wendall’s faith in Church leadership. Kimberly Anderson talks with Wendall about the Mormons who helped …
Episode 22: Saundra Merth: Community of Christ LGBTQ Activist
Hosted by Kimberly Anderson, this episode features Saundra Merth giving a personal perspective on the growth of the LGBTQ community in the Community of Christ and how they eventually gained the priesthood. Listen to this episode here.
Episode 21: Standing as a Witness: An Analysis of the Leadership Session of the October 2019 General Conference
A lot happened during the leadership session of general conference, from changes in who can be an official witness for a baptism to an official interpretation of the word “gender” in church policies. Blaire Ostler and her husband Drew Ostler analyze the session talk by talk. Listen to this episode here.
Episode 20: Blaire Ostler Discusses President Nelson’s Five Truths
On September 17, 2019, Russell M. Nelson delivered a speech at BYU outlining five “truths,” causing a big stir in the LDS LGBTQ community. In this episode, Blaire Ostler shows how his concepts sound to LGBTQ ears. Listen to this episode here.
Episode 19: Three Sisters: A Refugee Story
Rania, Nebal, and Aya Alsorani fled Syria with their parents when they lost everything to civic unrest and violence. They became refugees first in Jordan, and second in Phoenix, Arizona. Sarah Bybee Fisk interviews the sisters about their journey and what it is like to be a refugee. Listen to this episode here.
Episode 18: Indigenous and Mormon
Roni Jo Draper has made it her mission to train BYU education students in the art of welcoming and supporting queer students in their classrooms. Blaire Ostler and Roni Jo talk about how she journeyed from the edge of a reservation to the LDS Church, then to a Ph.D., and finally to a BYU professorship. …
Episode 17: An Introduction to Flourish Counseling Services
Flourish Counseling Services is a pioneer in providing therapy especially tailored to the LGBTQ community in Utah. Though it has never been an easy road, it has always been a rewarding one. Blaire Ostler talks with Lisa Hansen and Laura Skaggs Dulin about their experiences. Listen to this episode here.
Episode 16: Mayoring While Female: A Conversation with Donia Jessop
Donia Jessop is the first woman—and first non-FLDS person—to be elected mayor in Hildale, Utah. Shirlee Draper interviews Jessop about her campaign and about the difficulties and successes of her time in office. Listen to this episode here.