Episode 684: Edward Leavitt, Gay Latter-day Saint, HIV Positive

Listen, Learn & Love Hosted by Richard Ostler

Richard Ostler

Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 839 Ratings

🗓️ 19 August 2023

⏱️ 86 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

My friend Edward Leavitt (mid-30’s, lives and works in Saint George Utah, RM, Recently Out) joins us to bravely share his story. Edward talks about growing up in Southern Utah and his journey to figure out his sexual orientation after not being able to make things work with a woman following his mission. Edwards talks about dark days filled with shame, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and hating himself. Edward talks about his relationship with his Heavenly Father and Jesus and how that allowed him to accept himself and conclude that his is loved and his life is worth living and “choosing to stay.” Edwards also talks about helping things along the way that have him hope and support. Edward bravely talks about finding out he is HIV positive and how that news led him to come out to his family (via a text he reads on the podcast) and his families support (including a text Edwards reads from his Dad on the podcast). It is a powerful family love story of coming together to love and support each other. Edward talks about how his family relationships are central to his happiness and hope for his future. Edward also talks about HIV and reducing the stigma around it and how we can have people in our lives that are HIV positive. I learned much about HIV listening to Edward. Edward concludes with his relationship with his Heavenly Father and Jesus—and how he is glad he is gay—and is hope for the future and peace for today. Thank you, Edward, for being on the podcast. You are brave. Your story gives perspective, hope and insights for others. You are a good man. Links: Church Suicide Prevention Video on “Why I Stay”: www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2018-01-0150-suicide-prevention-choose-to-stay Ministering to LGBTQ Latter-day Saints Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/1433556613672143 Richard Ostler Book: Embracing LGBTQ Latter-day Saints: Deseret Book: deseretbook.com/p/listen-learn-and-love-embracing-lgbtq-latter-day-saints?variant_id=189035-paperback Amazon: amazon.com/dp/1462135773 Index of Podcasts: listenlearnandlove.org/podcasts

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to another episode of Listen, Learn, and Love, hosted by Richard Osler.
0:08.4	My guest on today's podcast, who's in my home on a monsoon rain summer day in Utah, we love monsoon rains, is my new friend, Edward Levitt.
0:17.9	Welcome to the podcast, Edward.
0:19.4	Thank you, Richard. I'm really glad to be here.
0:22.6	Edward messaged me a couple months ago. Every story's different, and he's going to share
0:28.0	a story as a gay Latter-day Saint that's unique and different. As more background of Edward,
0:37.1	before I get into what's unique and different, I'll just set the stage.
0:40.9	He is in his mid-30s.
0:42.9	He grew up in Gunlock, which is an area in southern Utah.
0:47.3	I'm familiar with that area just because we used to run marathons down there.
0:51.2	And Gunlock isn't actually on the marathon course but is in that beautiful
0:55.5	valley um north of st george um edward's going to share his story as a gay latter day
1:01.4	saint and that'll be a story that'll be different it'll be the same he's in his mid 30s as i may
1:07.9	mention he served a mission in Scotland.
1:15.9	One of the things that's really brave about Edward's story is going to share that he is HIV-positive.
1:17.7	We've done over 600 podcasts, and no one's shared that part of their story.
1:23.3	And I don't know much about being HIV-positive, but I think Edward will help reduce the stigma
1:29.7	and grease the understanding about that.
1:32.8	And it's really brave of him to talk about that.
1:35.2	So you'll hear that.
1:36.4	Edward is not active in the church right now, but I wanted to read a line from his outline
1:43.0	that just is full of grace,
	...

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