Episode 631: Dave and Kimi Martin, Transgender Son Levi

Listen, Learn & Love Hosted by Richard Ostler

Richard Ostler

Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 839 Ratings

🗓️ 8 April 2023

⏱️ 79 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

** Trigger Warning: This podcast talks about suicide. If you are suicidal, please call/text/chat 988 ** My friends Dave and Kimi Martin join us to talk about their transgender son Levi who died of suicide in December of 2022 at the age of 17. Dave and Kimi (active LDS, Parents of 7, Live in Massachusetts) share their story of the journey to understand and then support their son. They do this to honor Levi and also to invite us to do better. They talk about their bright, intelligent son Levi—and their joint efforts to understand the cause of his emotional challenges which was finally understood to be being transgender. Even with that understanding they talk about how Levi—turning 18—was “terrified of how society treats transgender persons.” The Martins talk about the principle of “proximity” and the need to listen to and understand people different than how that helps us better love and support them. They talk about the heartache of losing a child, hopes on how we can do better to support queer people, and gratitude for the many acts/messages of support. I encourage everyone to listen to the Martin’s story and share it with friends. Discuss it as families and ward/stake councils. Consider what we can do to follow the example of Jesus to better support those marginalized by society. Their story and Levi’s life helps us better see, understand, love, and our transgender friends. Thank you, Dave and Kimi, for being on the podcast and sharing your story. On behalf of all of our listeners, thank you. And we love the Martin family and are so sorry Levi is gone. Podcast links: Facebook Post: https://www.facebook.com/dmartinine/posts/pfbid013xyRvZFBTaXeEarY1RK3RTAhZKVjh4kxhDyWDbN1A56MKNz3RkCXkU1dUj6aS2ml Obituary: https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/26743430/levi-martin Eulogy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NTKWqxgZBamE5hnuh7XhcKm2WyMUjs_B/view?fbclid=IwAR1AtQiPUIoheXLQ9PIk-TS2TaQvoucim3Ww-P3JDf7ZxzfiQSCxj-cD32I Gordon Laws: Irreantum Article: https://irreantum.associationmormonletters.org/_20-1-i-can-take-or-leave-it/ Evan Smith’s Crossroads: https://www.gayldscrossroads.org/ Ministering to LGBTQ Latter-day Saints Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1433556613672143 Richard Ostler Book: Embracing LGBTQ Latter-day Saints: Deseret Book: www.deseretbook.com/p/listen-learn-and-love-embracing-lgbtq-latter-day-saints

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome listeners to another episode of Listen, Learn, and Love hosted by Richard Osler.
0:09.6	My guests on today's podcast, joining me from their home in Lakeview, Massachusetts,
0:15.2	are my new friends Kimmy and Dave Martin. Welcome to the podcast.
0:20.5	Thank you, Richard.
0:21.6	I'm happy to be here.
0:22.6	Glad to be here.
0:24.6	We're going to talk about their son Levi who died by suicide in December of 2022.
0:32.6	So trigger warning to anybody that's suicidal or suicidal thoughts that we'll be talking about
0:39.2	that tender subject. And if you have those thoughts, all of us would encourage you to reach out
0:45.2	to 988, text, call, chat. I thought by way of introducing this, I would read a little bit from
0:52.6	Levi's obituary that's so well
0:54.3	written. I'll read the first two paragraphs, listeners, and we'll link to this in the show notes.
0:59.9	Levi Martin, age 17, formerly known to many as Emma, passed away suddenly at his home in
1:07.1	Lakefield, Massachusetts on Sunday, December 18th, 2022. Levi is the child of David and
1:14.7	Kimmy Martin. He was born Emma Rachel Martin in Montgomery, Alabama on March 19, 2005. Levi's gender
1:24.4	was intersex caused by Sawyer syndrome, meaning he presented as female at birth,
1:32.7	although he was genetically male.
1:35.7	The result of this condition in gender dysphoria and resulting gender dysphoria came with a host of medical and mental issues, combined with social stigma
1:46.9	associated with being intersex, transgender, and gay, Levi suffered immensely until the constancy
1:54.7	of that pain became unbearable. His final message to us was full of grace, love, and forgiveness, as well as expressions of
2:04.9	vast difficulties he faced, and he signed his name Levi, which was deliberately used in
2:12.7	his honor and asked you to do the same.
	...

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