Early Tuesday morning, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints released a revamped website discussing issues surrounding homosexuality, as they relate to Church doctrines, policies, and culture. The Church’s original site on this topic, Mormonsandgays.org, now redirects to the new site, mormonandgay.lds.org. The new title and url hints at the shifted focus of the new document, which features an array of interviews from gay and lesbian members of the Church, who discuss in detail their experiences remaining faithful to the Gospel despite their challenges. This shift was discussed briefly in an official press release announcing the new site.
“The first version of this website launched in December 2012 under the title “Mormons and Gays.” The new appellation, “Mormon and Gay,” reflects the reality that a person doesn’t need to choose between these two identities — one can, in fact, be gay and live faithful to the teachings of Christ.” –Mormon Newsroom, 2016
The integration of this topic page into lds.org also helps to eliminate frequently reported confusion about whether the page is an official Church document. And as with the original, the new site is part of an ongoing effort to clarify controversial Church policies, and provide support to those affected by this difficult issue. Of note in this new version, is an increased focus on the education of Church members on their role in supporting homosexual members of the Church. This push comes in conjunction with a recently released series of videos in which Church leaders discuss how to foster a general culture of inclusion within Church congregations.
The new site can be found at mormonandgay.lds.org, and the official press release can be found on the Mormon Newsroom.