Myles' Story: "I Am Enough"

October 30, 2016 by Trevor Johnson

By Myles Woolstenhulme

Yesterday, I became an uncle. It was a day filled with many emotions, but the one that permeated through everything was infinite and unconditional love. As I held my newborn niece and nephew in my arms for the first time and imagined each of their futures, I couldn’t bear to see them living lives in shame or secrecy. I have been living for a long time in shame. I let the fear of rejection and the fear of what other people think about me control my actions and I am finally ready to shake off those chains. I am ready to share my story with the world, even though it terrifies me, because I want my niece and nephew to be able to live their lives without the fears I have felt for so long. I know in order for me to truly wish my perfect niece and nephew happiness in their lives, I must first feel that happiness and freedom in my own life; so here it is, my story.

Taking The Power Back

October 16, 2016 by Trevor Johnson

In the Broadway show The Color Purple - the 2016 Tony Award-winning musical revival - the main character Celie survives incest, domestic violence, sexual assault, servitude, discrimination, and many other forms of abuse. The time period and environment she finds herself in was anything but empowering for a young black woman yet her final response to the degradation of her abusive partner is, "I may be poor. I may be black. I may be ugly. But I'm here."

Celie leaves her abuser, at his (and everyone else's) dismay and shock, and at the end of the show returns transformed having become completely self-sufficient after starting her own clothing business. The culminating song titled "I'm Here" brought me to tears as I watched Tony Award-winner Cynthia Erivo so honestly portray the newly empowered Celie. My favorite lyric in this song is when Celie proclaims boldly and confidently, "I believe I have inside of me everything that I need to live a bountiful life." She stopped believing that she wasn't enough or that she needed someone or something else to be happy. She took the power back.

What Coming Out Has Taught Me

June 15, 2016 by Trevor Johnson

I started coming out to family and close friends just over a year ago. Seven months later I decided to come out publicly through my blog. Both were equally terrifying, vulnerable, and rewarding. The growth I've experienced since coming out has been overwhelming and at times painful. Among the many, many things I've learned from coming out, I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on two of them: patience and love.

About two years ago I came out over the phone to a gay friend of mine whom I had met while living in Tulsa the year before. He was one of the first people I came out to - he was at a safe distance and I desperately needed to talk some things out. The first thing he said to me after I voiced my concerns was

"All of God's Children Got Shoes"

May 20, 2016 by Trevor Johnson

A few weeks ago, on a flight to Phoenix for a friend's wedding, an older woman next to me started up a conversation. She looked to be in her mid-fifties, was conservatively dressed, and had a twinkle in her eye. She warmly asked where I was headed, where I was living, and where I went to school. When I told her BYU she said, "That's in Utah right? Are you Mormon?"

"Sort of," I answered. "I grew up Mormon but ever since I came out as gay I haven't participated much." She nodded curtly and I couldn't tell if she was more uncomfortable with me being gay or being Mormon. I was familiar with this situation - growing up Mormon in Iowa had afforded me plenty of opportunities to

But the Greatest of These is Charity

April 10, 2016 by Trevor Johnson

by Amy Despain

I used to think I knew what charity was from what I was taught in church but I’m embarrassed to say that for me it included a “holier than thou” mindset. I felt like charity was loving and serving others but in more of a patronizing way, like, “I forgive you for being needy,” or, “I’ll love and serve you because Jesus would and I was taught to do what Jesus would do.” It was a thing on my checklist done rather insincerely. This past year I’ve experienced a significant amount of self-discovery and gone through a (sometimes painful) transformation. As part of that I’ve gained a new understanding of what I now believe is charity and I have my brother Trevor to thank.