Valedictorian at Mormon University Comes Out in Graduation Speech

A valedictorian at the most prominent Mormon college in the United States, Brigham Young University, came out during his graduation speech yesterday.

Matty Easton shared several of his own struggles with his class during the heavily attended graduation ceremony, including realizing that being gay is part of who he is supposed to be.

“I stand before my family, friends, and graduating class today to say that I am proud to be a gay son of God,” he said.

“I am not broken. I am loved and important in the plan of our great creator. Each of us are.”

He later went on Twitter to share that he had come out to his closest family and friends over the last couple years, but had not been “out” publicly prior to his speech.

While LGBTQ students aren’t technically banned from attending BYU, they are if they engage in any “homosexual behavior.” In other words, you can say you’re gay, but you can’t do anything about it.

The restriction on LGBTQ students is only part of the extensive and extreme honor code the university requires students to abide by, but their LGBTQ stance is reflective of a bigger problem the Church of Latter Day Saints has with the queer community.

It was only earlier this year that the LDS church repealed the rule that banned same-sex married couples from the church and preventing their children from being baptized. The church still considers being in a same-sex relationship a “serious transgression” and one punishable in ways other than ex-communication.

So for Matty Easton to come out in front of his entire Mormon college and ultimately, the world, is a huge deal, and a wonderful example for any younger kids who may be following in his footsteps.