Welcome to Questions from the Closet.

I'm Ben Shalati.

And I'm Charlie Bird.

Each episode we discuss a question that we commonly get asked as LGBTQ Latter-day Saints.

We're not trying to answer this question or come to a consensus, but simply sharing our perspectives.

Today's question is, how do I find gay people like me?

Ben and I are not terribly diverse and we share many

opinions and life experiences. For example we both frequently attend LDS

LGBT-Q-plus conferences. However there are some pretty big differences.

For example, I usually know almost everyone there, and Charlie doesn't.

And so Charlie would be like, who's so-and-so?

And I'll be like, you don't know so-and-so? How do you not know so-and-so and I'll be like you don't know so-and-so and Charlie you often joke that I need to like

make you like a tree of like who is who and who is connected to who and who does what

I need the family tree I need the gay family tree.

I don't know anyone.

And half the time, Ben's like, you've met that person four times.

And I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm so sorry.

So in the future, if we're at a conference and I don't know who you are,'s not because you're not memorable it's just because I'm the worst

It also helps you because you always say that you had like a slow burn so you like got to know people slowly and then all of a sudden I felt like I was expected to know like 4,000 people and I was like a

It's true people like didn't know who I was I just like showed up and I like slowly got to know people and I'm tall so I'm easy to see in a crowd and so yeah so at

conferences come talk to me and then I will remind Charlie about who you are.

Perfect. Sounds like a part. Well, we like to provide a variety of voices and perspectives.

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