Does your church hate gay people?

The Church’s Topics and Questions page on same-sex attraction says that “identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual or experiencing same-sex attraction is not a sin” and does not prevent someone from participating in the Church, holding callings or attending the temple. It ends, “we are all children of God, deserving of each other’s kindness and compassion.”

The Church also teaches that sexual relations belong only in marriage between a man and a woman, and that standard applies to everyone, gay or straight. For the Strength of Youth speaks directly to youth who feel same-sex attraction: “You are a beloved child of God and a disciple of Jesus Christ.”

You can hold your beliefs and still be the friend who never jokes about it, who sticks up for people being bullied, and who listens. For the Strength of Youth asks youth to reach out “especially to those who are sometimes victims of hurtful words and actions.”