i have no idea what i'm doing

but i am here and i am doing it || queer lds sideblog <3 || she/they

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

hello! i'm pho!

here be my queerstake posting :)

if you want my main, you can ask for it <3

(pfp picrew)

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

getting set apart for my mission tomorrow, so i'm wrapping up any and all online dealings tonight before i head out ^^

not sure if i have anything profound to say . stay queer friends <3

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

smth smth preach the gospel unto every creature ?

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

DOS hermanes ?!

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

had a convo with my uncle today about Spanish nicknames and he said I’d likely get called negra (I’m very white but I guess my hair is a darker brown than I thought?) on my mission HOWEVER my friend said nicknames usually come from the most interesting attribute about you so if anyone found out about The Voices it would be so over for me

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

the people love my yellow shoes <3 and hermane junebug

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

smth smth preach the gospel unto every creature ?

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

things i'm most excited about for my mission:

my new yellow shoes #myshoes

intentionally calling my mission president's wife "president" too when i talk about her #feminism

becoming more bi #bilingual #bisexual #biblicallyaccurate

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

my new yellow shoes btw #myshoes

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

things i'm most excited about for my mission:

my new yellow shoes #myshoes

intentionally calling my mission president's wife "president" too when i talk about her #feminism

becoming more bi #bilingual #bisexual #biblicallyaccurate

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

my new yellow shoes btw #myshoes

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

things i'm most excited about for my mission:

my new yellow shoes #myshoes

intentionally calling my mission president's wife "president" too when i talk about her #feminism

becoming more bi #bilingual #bisexual #biblicallyaccurate

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

having a mutual respond to my post wishing me luck on my "internet hiatus" and then immediately reblogging and anti-mormon(? i think i'm not sure) post is a new one

[lbelleofficial]

Is anyone queer and been going to school at byu or at Utah state within the past couple of years? I’m trying to get a gauge for how it is before I decide where to go

[i-like-to-look-for-rainbows]

I like people's responses so far but I think an important thing to mention is it highly depends on what youre studying, who your professors are and how thick your skin is

There is not a lot of open queerphobia but there is a lot of microagressions and pushing of heteronormativity especially outside of the humanities (which tends to attract a more left leaning faculty and student base)

Also bear in mind with BYU you will be required to take 14 credits of religion classes and depending on who you take them from they can be rough. And even if you like the professor people in the class can say some batshit things. I think this is the main difference between a non-religious school like Utah State vs BYU. No matter which you will have to deal with queerphobia bc it is unfortunately a red state, but BYU does have it baked into the curriculum (*cough* eternal families). Also being a private institution it has fewer protections for discrimination

I guess my personal experience has been I am glad I chose to attend BYU and have made friends here I wouldn't trade for the world but it has not been easy. Also this is coming from me on a day where I just had to listen to one of my professors talk about how the musket fire speech was good actually so I'm feeling a lil raw

[ahno-nimus]

you won't believe the weather we've been getting [remembers to avoid giving away my location] the sky was turned to darkness and the moon to blood, and the stars fell from the heavens.

[lbelleofficial]

Is anyone queer and been going to school at byu or at Utah state within the past couple of years? I’m trying to get a gauge for how it is before I decide where to go

[nephis-bow-and-aroace]

I attend BYU. Honestly, I was expecting it to be significantly more homophobic than it actually is. There's so many off campus resources through organizations such as the Cougar Pride Center, Encircle, and the RaYnbow Collective. On campus, the Office of Belonging runs a few LGBTQ events every semester as well as a weekly Come Follow Me group for LGBTQ people.

There's a pretty strong Queer Mormon underground in the Provo/Orem area. The Utah Valley Institute has a institute class for LGBTQ people and allies.

One of the things that can make or break your experience is roommates, so if you don't already know someone you want to room with, the Cougar Pride Center runs a Safe Housing Project and they can help pair you up with other queer people and allies to room with.

If you're queer and cisgender, you can usually get away with dating under the radar. Being transgender comes with additional complications, but I wouldn't be the best person to elaborate on that.

I haven't heard anything bad about the LGBTQ scene at Utah State from my queer friends who went up there so you'd probably be fine if you took that option. Another option for if you don't want to deal with the Honor Code stuff at BYU but still want the Provo experience is you can go to Utah Valley University. Lots of people in the community go there too.

[nephis-bow-and-aroace]

I ALMOST FORGOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: the worst part of being at byu as a queer is the sheer overwhelming heterosexuality of it.

The topics of dating and marriage dominate much of the culture here. Freshmen are super concerned about getting married. The dating culture has a sense of desperation. There will be literal babies in your classes. There will be twenty three year old divorcees in your classes with you.

You will meet people who dated for six weeks being getting engaged. The jokes are true (not the soaking jokes). You will need to find more liberal leaning spaces in order to feel like you’re not going insane. I have talked to so many queer students who are disconnected from the community and it is stressful to not be a part of it.

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

having online friends that are semi-anti-religion when you're leaving on a mission is scary bc you'll vaguely mention taking an internet hiatus and they'll be like "okay see you soon when you get back!! :)" haha yeah... maybe don't hold your breath though,

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

mission hq wants me to "describe my personality" to them...? uhm, okay lol *spins a giant wheel*

[nevertheless-i-went-forth]

stumbles out of the church building no longer understanding any language

[beingblog]

“When Moses, at the burning bush, says to God, “Who are you?” God says to him three words: “Hayah asher hayah.” And those words are mistranslated in English as “I am that which I am.” But in Hebrew, it means “I will be who or how or where I will be,” meaning, don’t think you can predict me. I am a God who is going to surprise you. And one of the ways God surprises us is by letting a Jew or a Christian discover the trace of God’s presence in a Buddhist monk or a Sikh tradition of hospitality or the graciousness of Hindu life. You know, don’t think we can confine God into our categories. God is bigger than religion.”

— Rabbi Jonathan Sacks in “The Dignity of Difference.”