Family Fellowship

Family Fellowship
Founded	1993;30 years ago
Members	1,700+
Volunteers	8
Website	web.archive.org/web/20221003224359/https://ldsfamilyfellowship.net/

Last updated August 09, 2023

Family Fellowship is a predominantly Latter-day Saint support group for those who have lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender family members.^[2] It was founded in 1993,^[1] and it functioned for over 20 years. As of 2003, it had a mailing list of over 1,700.^[1] The group hosted conferences, open to the public, on various subjects concerning homosexuality.^[3] The web.archive.org link in the nearby box and in the references provides more detail on Family Fellowship.

Leaders and Members

Organizational informality has characterized Family Fellowship. Over its history, three sets of co-chairs have led its efforts. The first were Fred and Wanda Karford of Idaho Falls (1993-1994), followed by Gary and Millie Watts of Provo (1995-2007), and finally Bill and Marge Bradshaw of Orem (2008-2012).^[4]

Initiatives and Activities

In the months following its organization Family Fellowship sponsored the first of six conferences (in 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2001)^[3] focused on various aspects of homosexuality, its etiology, its history, its relation to morality and law, and not least, its particular impact on the lives of individuals. The featured speakers at these conferences were nationally prominent scientific experts and advocates. They included June Reinisch, head of the Kinsey Institute, Andrew Sullivan,^[5] editor of the New Republic, Dean Hamer from the National Institute of Health, Evan Wolfson, of Lamba Legal Defense, Simon LeVay, a leading neuroscientist investigator of brain development, Kate Kendall, Director of the National Center on Lesbian rights, Amity Buxton, author of a book on mixed orientation marriage, Robert Rees, former Editor of Dialogue, Lisa Diamond, Professor at the University of Utah and Christine Johnson.^[6] The first of these conferences, held at the University of Utah, drew more than four hundred participants.

Beginning in August of 1993, the first issue of “Reunion,” the Family Fellowship newsletter, was sent out to a mailing list of over four hundred. Thirty four more issues followed.^[7] These newsletters regularly featured personal stories of LDS families trying to understand homosexuality as they confronted the disconnect between Church teachings and the reality of their lives. A complete set of the newsletters is also located in the Lee Library at Brigham Young University (BYU).

From 1994 to 2015 Family Fellowship conducted quarterly forums held alternately in Salt Lake City and Provo. They featured a variety of speakers and panel discussions. Attendance at these meetings ranged between fifty and one hundred members and visitors. They included gay men and lesbians, parents, straight allies, and other interested members of the public. People of all faiths participated.^[8]

Impact

For nearly a quarter century Family Fellowship was at the forefront of efforts to advance LDS LGBT interests and to support those marginalized by Church doctrines and policies. By 2016 this group began to be less visible. Its leaders and core members were growing older and were content to see newer organizations push these causes forward. One concrete measure of the impact of Family Fellowship is seen in a recent survey of “known empirical literature” based on this (LDS LGBTQ) population. McGraw, et al (2021) identified thirty three refereed publications using quantitative and qualitative methods. The authorship of fourteen of these is shared by individuals who have been leaders within Family Fellowship.^[9]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">God Loveth His Children</span>

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Because of its ban against same-sex sexual activity and same-sex marriage the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a long history of teaching that its adherents who are attracted to the same sex can and should attempt to alter their feelings through righteous striving and sexual orientation change efforts. Reparative therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual, or their gender identity from transgender to cisgender using psychological, physical, or spiritual interventions. There is no reliable evidence that such practices can alter sexual orientation or gender identity, and many medical institutions warn that conversion therapy is ineffective and potentially harmful.

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This is a timeline of LGBT Mormon history in the 1960s, part of a series of timelines consisting of events, publications, and speeches about LGBTQ+ individuals, topics around sexual orientation and gender minorities, and the community of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although the historical record is often scarce, evidence points to queer individuals having existed in the Mormon community since its beginnings. However, top LDS leaders only started regularly addressing queer topics in public in the late 1950s. Since 1970, the LDS Church has had at least one official publication or speech from a high-ranking leader referencing LGBT topics every year, and a greater number of LGBT Mormon and former Mormon individuals have received media coverage.

This is a timeline of LGBT Mormon history in the 1970s, part of a series of timelines consisting of events, publications, and speeches about LGBTQ+ individuals, topics around sexual orientation and gender minorities, and the community of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although the historical record is often scarce, evidence points to queer individuals having existed in the Mormon community since its beginnings. However, top LDS leaders only started regularly addressing queer topics in public in the late 1950s. Since 1970, the LDS Church has had at least one official publication or speech from a high-ranking leader referencing LGBT topics every year, and a greater number of LGBT Mormon and former Mormon individuals have received media coverage.

This is a timeline of LGBT Mormon history in the 1980s, part of a series of timelines consisting of events, publications, and speeches about LGBTQ+ individuals, topics around sexual orientation and gender minorities, and the community of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although the historical record is often scarce, evidence points to queer individuals having existed in the Mormon community since its beginnings. However, top LDS leaders only started regularly addressing queer topics in public in the late 1950s. Since 1970, the LDS Church has had at least one official publication or speech from a high-ranking leader referencing LGBT topics every year, and a greater number of LGBT Mormon and former Mormon individuals have received media coverage.

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This is a timeline of LGBT Mormon history in the 2010s, part of a series of timelines consisting of events, publications, and speeches about LGBTQ+ individuals, topics around sexual orientation and gender minorities, and the community of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of teachings on homosexuality in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</span> Mormon teachings on homosexuality

Homosexuality has been publicly discussed by top leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints —Mormonism's largest denomination—since the late 1800s. The frequency of teachings on same-sex sexual activity increased starting in the late 1950s. Most discussion focuses on male homosexuality and rarely mentions lesbianism or bisexuality. Below is a timeline of notable speeches, publications, and policies in the LDS church on the topic of homosexuality.

References

1 2 3 4 Wright, John (July 27, 2003). "Gay Mormons". The Herald Journal .
↑ Family Fellowship. (2003, November 22). Family Fellowship. Retrieved January 22, 2007 Archived 2007-02-16 at the Wayback Machine .
1 2 Conferences - LDS Family Fellowship. (Jan 2022). LDS Family Fellowship. Retrieved Oct 11, 2022 Archived 2022-10-11 at the Wayback Machine .
↑ Leadership - LDS Family Fellowship. (Jan 2022). LDS Family Fellowship. Retrieved Nov 4, 2022 Archived 2022-11-03 at the Wayback Machine .
↑ Young, Spencer P. (May 4, 1997). "Spare young gays from lonely lives, advocate says". Deseret News .
↑ "Johnson Addresses Gay-Friendly Mormons at Meeting". QSaltLake . March 29, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-11-27.
↑ Newsletters 1 – 35 - LDS Family Fellowship. (Jan 2022). LDS Family Fellowship. Retrieved Nov 3, 2022 Archived 2022-11-03 at the Wayback Machine .
↑ Forums - LDS Family Fellowship. (Jan 2022). LDS Family Fellowship. Retrieved Nov 4, 2022 Archived 2022-11-03 at the Wayback Machine .
↑ McGraw, J.S.; Chinn, J.; Mahoney, A. (2021). "Historical, doctrinal, and empirical insights into Latter-day Saint sexual minorities' psychological and interpersonal functioning". Journal of GLBT Family Studies. 17 (2): 168–195. doi:10.1080/1550428X.2020.1800545. S2CID 225376312 . Retrieved 2023-02-09.

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[hj-1] 1 2 3 4 Wright, John (July 27, 2003). "Gay Mormons". The Herald Journal .

[FamilyFellowshipHomePage-2] Family Fellowship. (2003, November 22). Family Fellowship. Retrieved January 22, 2007 Archived 2007-02-16 at the Wayback Machine .

[Conferences-3] 1 2 Conferences - LDS Family Fellowship. (Jan 2022). LDS Family Fellowship. Retrieved Oct 11, 2022 Archived 2022-10-11 at the Wayback Machine .

[4] Leadership - LDS Family Fellowship. (Jan 2022). LDS Family Fellowship. Retrieved Nov 4, 2022 Archived 2022-11-03 at the Wayback Machine .

[5] Young, Spencer P. (May 4, 1997). "Spare young gays from lonely lives, advocate says". Deseret News .

[6] "Johnson Addresses Gay-Friendly Mormons at Meeting". QSaltLake . March 29, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-11-27.

[7] Newsletters 1 – 35 - LDS Family Fellowship. (Jan 2022). LDS Family Fellowship. Retrieved Nov 3, 2022 Archived 2022-11-03 at the Wayback Machine .

[8] Forums - LDS Family Fellowship. (Jan 2022). LDS Family Fellowship. Retrieved Nov 4, 2022 Archived 2022-11-03 at the Wayback Machine .

[9] McGraw, J.S.; Chinn, J.; Mahoney, A. (2021). "Historical, doctrinal, and empirical insights into Latter-day Saint sexual minorities' psychological and interpersonal functioning". Journal of GLBT Family Studies. 17 (2): 168–195. doi:10.1080/1550428X.2020.1800545. S2CID 225376312 . Retrieved 2023-02-09.

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