meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Mormon Stories Podcast

172: WordPerfect Co-Founder Bruce Bastian Pt. 3 - The Case for Supporting Gay Rights

Mormon Stories Podcast

Dr. John Dehlin

Religion & Spirituality

4.55.7K Ratings

🗓️ 28 July 2010

⏱️ 63 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this 3-part series, we interview Bruce Bastian: Philanthropist, WordPerfect Co-Founder, and champion for LGBT rights. In part 1 we discuss his years early years in the church, and his days at WordPerfect. In part 2 we discuss his process of coming out as a gay Mormon after being married with four children. In part 3, we discuss the case for supporting gay rights.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Mormon Stories Podcast is made possible through the financial contributions of its listeners.

0:07.0

To keep it alive and available to future generations, please consider a donation today at MormonStories.org.

0:14.0

Let's talk about that for a second.

0:17.0

So a couple years ago, I felt really strongly about this issue.

0:23.0

So I did a series of interviews, maybe five or six interviews with gay Mormons.

0:28.0

I tried to help a little bit with the Proposition Eighth thing, started a website with some other friends called Mormons for Marriage.

0:35.0

And you were supportive of that. I don't know if you remember, but you were supportive of that, and I appreciate it.

0:40.0

I don't remember but then.

0:42.0

So I thought, well, now's the time.

0:46.0

People talk about homosexuality openly now. People are openly gay, and they're somewhat embraced and welcomed.

0:53.0

Over TV shows and movies, and there's always the gay character.

0:57.0

Now, health rights are often extended, health insurance rights within private companies, and now there's gay marriage that's allowed in several states.

1:08.0

So I was thinking, okay, well, now's the time to really start talking to LDS people about this.

1:14.0

And I had several really progressive liberal LDS friends at the time, and I still do.

1:20.0

And so I started putting out these interviews, and I was surprised at how many of these people who probably don't even believe the church is what it claims to be,

1:29.0

who don't even view the church as the one true church, who don't necessarily even recognize the church's exclusive priesthood authority or whatever.

1:37.0

But when I'd say, yeah, but there's this, you know, there was the blacks and now we've got the gays.

1:43.0

And they would always kind of just pause, and they would kind of, they're a little uncomfortable because they didn't want to offend me.

1:50.0

And they would say, you know, John, that's just, that's not my issue.

1:55.0

That's one I'm still, I'm not there yet.

1:58.0

And I think that even among progressive Mormons, there's a huge percentage of them that just are not there yet.

2:06.0

So I'm going to, I'm going to give you some of the arguments of a traditional believing religious person or Mormon, and just maybe have you provide a case for why some of these arguments aren't valid.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Dr. John Dehlin, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Dr. John Dehlin and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.