Speaking up for what you believe in and standing up for yourself aren’t always easy. Especially when telling your truth can have negative impacts on your relationships, the choice to be honest or stay silent can be a difficult one to make. When this truth is about one’s sexuality, research has shown that many young people struggle to open up to people around them.
Savannah is a 12 year old girl who gave a powerful speech in which she came out to her local church. As a Mormon, this was a difficult feat to achieve as the church does not fully embrace LGBT issues.
In particular, being gay is acknowledged and accepted but the religion maintains that gay adherents must not act on their feelings as the same-sex identity is seen as distinct from sexual acts. The former is accepted while the latter is still seen as a sin.
For Savannah, these reservations were not enough to stop her from sharing her story.