Carol Lynn Pearson is the most outspoken voice in the LGBTQ Community in Mormonism. She has written several books, and spoken to so many hearts, trying to soften the hand of the LDS leadership against our LGBTQ brothers and sisters. Sitting down with Carol Lynn, we learned a great deal about her and ourselves. On her website, she shares some of her personal history which makes us want to know more. Here’s just a small excerpt of her “about” page:
After graduating from Brigham Young University with an MA in theatre, teaching for a year in Utah at Snow College, and traveling for a year, I taught part-time at BYU in the English department and was then hired by the motion picture studio on campus to write educational and religious screenplays.
While performing at the university as Mrs. Antrobus in Thornton Wilder’s “The Skin of Our Teeth,” I met and fell in love with Gerald Pearson, a shining, blond, enthusiastic young man, who fell in love with me and my poems.
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Another characteristic of my husband was to have a profound effect on both my career and my life. Soon after our engagement, he informed me that homosexual feelings and behavior had been part of his past. But he desperately wanted to do things the “right” way. He loved me and wanted a family. I loved him and knew we could make it work: all that was needed was his repentance and my love.
We each gave the best we had. But after twelve years of marriage and four children, it was evident we were in an impossible situation. We divorced in 1978, remained friends, and six years later I sang to him as he lay on my couch dying of AIDS. It never occurred to me that I would tell that tragic story, but seeing that I was in a position to shed light on a very misunderstood subject, I wrote Goodbye, I Love You, published in 1986 by Random House.
Carol Lynn also wrote a song “I’ll Walk With You” about loving all Children of God unconditionally. The song has now become the anthem of the LOVELOUD Foundation, and has been performed by Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons, and Tyler Glenn of Neon Trees (see video at end of post).
She lost her husband to AIDS in the ’80s, and has chosen to help so many others break free, and become their true selves in the eyes of God.
Religious or not, we can all learn something from my conversation with her.
I’m excited that this is is the first of my unscripted audio interview faith pieces and it was emotional. Hold on tight.
https://stickyjazz.sounder.fm/episode/carolyn-pearson
For more on Carol Lynn Pearson, look her up on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/clpauthor) or visit her home page (https://carollynnpearson.com/).
