101: Mitch Mayne: Mormon and Gay

The BEST podcast I have ever heard on this subject. It offers real love, hope and tools to hold fast and put into practice the principle of a living gospel and the church’s progression towards a Zion society lead by Christ (someday). Outstanding!

Mitch Mayne’s voice has REAL authority as a living example… not a “conceptualized” version of life being gay. He’s life seems to be 100% centered on Christ, the restored gospel and the living organization established with apostolic leadership. Heck, the guy lives in basically the oldest US gay mecca… in-tandum with NYC’s “Village.” These places forces members to reconcile and wrestle our humanity with God by having real hands on, boots on the ground experience. As a past member of the Pacific Heights, and SF YSA Wards (born in SF, moved to NYC, currently residing in LA) the Bay Area members have really strived to be an asset and tool in Lord’s hand to “include” NOT “exclude,” all walks of life into the body of Christ.
In the SF YSA ward is where I first learned the definition and practice of compassion, “to suffer along side with…” It came one summer btw BYU semesters– the ward came together and took the 24/7, responsibility to care for a dying 29 year old dying man, caused by AIDS. (At the time, the hospital was understaffed, to care for the overwhelming men suffering, waiting to die because there was not real treatment, only AZT, we offered to relieve some of that by volunteering to care for him)
My first 1 hour shift, at the Ralph Davies hospital… FEAR! It took all I had just to take a step into his hospital room, let alone get close to “him…” FEAR! During those 12 weeks, by the time of his death, I was doing 4-6 hour shifts, sitting on his bed getting to really know him, I would combing his hair, brush his teeth, I would find myself calling him and ask what kind of foods, I could sneak in and drop by during the week, in the rare event he had an appetite… we all tried our best to do all we could for his comfort. When I would relieve the “night shift” I would walk in and see these incredible ward members, crazy morning hair rise from a tiny piece of foam, on the floor, beside his bed to ensure that he had all we could offer him. It was as if I was witness the friends of “Job.” I was in awe. I would bring in a donut or bagel and who ever was there and tears would well up… I was amazed by what I was witnessing. He was never alone, NEVER for those 12 weeks. My life was forever changed… there, on an isolated floor, in a tiny room at Ralph Davies Hospital I was given a gift, to witness a transformation. Taught by this unexpected stranger who became my truly my dying brother. He, who had been exiled from his parents home at 19 because he didn’t feel right serving a mission… he was gay! The YSA ward substituted for that loss, became a pseudo-family and acted accordingly, as families should do.
And in the end, as a family, we found the means to buy a plane tix and housed his Mother from TX to be by her son’s side the last 24 hours of his life, a memorial service and being able to have his remains sent home.
Can you imagine as a mother, to walk into a room to see your once very good looking son, now ravished by red and purple lesions everywhere from mouth to toes caused by KS, labored breath and the minute by minute pain? I can’t imagine her ache and suffering she endured as a Mother.
Yet, there, in the mists of that suffering, is where I saw God’s face. In the very dark ages of AIDS… God’s face, bright as the sun and terrible as banners on a hill! Compassion. Never to be forgotten!
God bless you Mitch and Bill for all your efforts in helping me and possibly others, to see our overwhelming responsibility to get out of our own way and LOVE, that’s it, just love.