Episode 206: Marginalized Mormon Stories with Kerry Spencer Pray and Jenn Lee Smith

Coming Out Pod

Health & Fitness, Sexuality, Comedy, Mental Health

4.9 • 584 Ratings

🗓️ 6 July 2022

⏱️ 73 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Kerry Spencer Pray and Jenn Lee Smith met in Affirmation, an organization for LGBTQIA+ Mormons. Kerry had just realized that she was queer; Jenn had been out for longer, but as an Asian-American, she was struggling with the overwhelming whiteness (not to mention maleness) of the only available queer Mormon spaces. Jenn and Kerry clicked immediately as friends, and Jenn pitched the idea for what would eventually become "I Spoke to You with Silence: Essays from Queer Mormons of Marginalized Genders" (which just sold out during its first week on Amazon!). Kerry and Jenn share the different trajectories their lives have taken since coming out, and we discuss the beauty and freedom of unconventional relationship structures. Plus, Lauren does a live reading of an essay from the book THAT SHE HERSELF IS FEATURED IN! Umm...#FOUNDLAUREN?!

Follow Kerry on Twitter at @swilua and on Instagram at @swilua_, and keep up with Jenn on Instagram via @bewilderfilm (or connect with her on Facebook)! You can purchase "I Spoke to You with Silence" at https://uofupress.lib.utah.edu/i-spoke-to-you-with-silence/ or at your local bookstore (or, yes, FINE; also on Amazon). And find links below to a bunch of the things we discussed during the episode!

Queer Mormon Witches: https://www.qmwproject.com
"Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women's Love and Desire" by Lisa M. Diamond: https://www.amazon.com/Sexual-Fluidity-Understanding-Womens-Desire/dp/0674032268
"The Dilemma of Desire" (feat. Lisa M. Diamond): https://www.sho.com/titles/3509856/the-dilemma-of-desire
Jenn's short film "Faithful": https://vimeo.com/ondemand/faithfulmormonfilm

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everybody.
0:07.9	Hey y'all.
0:08.9	Welcome to Coming Out with Lauren and Nicole.
0:11.7	We are a weekly podcast where we have on queer folks from all walks of life.
0:15.7	They tell us the tales of how they came out to friends, family, and the world at large.
0:19.9	Because who doesn't love a coming out story?
0:22.6	Folks, today, however, we will be, not deviating, but we have a two-guessed episode.
0:31.9	So, as you know, whenever we have two guests, it means something's up, and we're going to mix things up a little bit.
0:38.1	We are very excited to have with us today, Carrie Spencer Prey and Jen Lee Smith.
0:45.5	They are the editors of the newly released collection of essays titled, I spoke to you with
0:50.4	silence, essays from queer Mormons of marginalized genders. Welcome to you both. We're so
0:57.1	excited to have you here. Thank you. I'm excited to be here. It's been a long process. Yeah, this is so I should,
1:05.8	I should explain. So, Carrie, I met mere moments ago on this very Zoom.
1:14.1	Jen, I have known for years.
1:16.7	Jen, I did look up that old email.
1:20.5	So Jen and I met on, let me double check.
1:24.3	I believe it was November 4th of 2017.
1:27.9	Yep, Saturday, November 4th, 2017.
1:34.6	As you know, if you're a long-time listener of this show, for a long time, I did a very bizarre one-person, one-adience-member immersive show called Red Flags that was conceived of
1:42.5	and written by and directed by two-time former guest of the
1:48.1	pod, Lauren Ludwig.
1:49.6	Although I will say it's based off of my shitty experiences on dating apps.
	...

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