Welcome to another episode of Listen, Learn, and Love hosted by Richard Osler.

My guest on today's podcast is my friend calling in from St. Louis, Valerie Green.

Welcome to the podcast, Valerie.

Thanks.

Valerie is a transgender Latter-day Saint in her 50s, and it's an honor to have her on the podcast,

and as I said her prayer before, I just pray that since Valerie's been on this road for a long time,

you know, five decades, that her perspective will be helpful for parents that are, have transgender children,

and those of you that are transgender, and are kind of new to this road and recognizing this

part about you. Valerie is a believer in the church. As I mentioned, she's in her 50s. She's an IT analyst professionally.

Will you tell us about Emmaus LGBTQ ministry, Valerie? Just introduce, you're the co-chair of that.

I'll help our listeners understand what that is.

Sure. So, Ameas actually just kind of appeared in my lap. You know, I wasn't part of, it wasn't my original idea, but I was contacted because they wanted to have a third person to start this. And so I was

contacted by Erica Munson and John Gustav Raffal.

We had met each other on the Mormons Building Bridges Facebook group and gotten to know each other.

And I actually met John at an affirmation conference in Chicago last year. And so we,

when they were looking for this third person, they contacted me, which I thought was funny,

because when I first came out at church and told them I was transitioning, I always get these Walter Midi ideas in my head,

and I think, wouldn't it be neat if this happened? And I thought, wouldn't it be neat if they

decided they wanted to have a liaison between the LGBTQ community and the church? And I got to do that.

I thought, now that'll never happen. And then, you know, a year and a half later, I get this phone call.

Would you please join us in establishing this foundation to start to build the MAS LGBTQ ministry?

And that's, and I said, yes, I'll do that.

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