Without The Mask
Episode description
In this episode, Matt, Jessica, and Steve interview Charlie Bird, a gay active member of the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints. Charlie is most famously known as the BYU mascot, Cosmo the Cougar. He gained notoriety for his impressive dance skills and many of his video clips have gone viral.
Since his time at BYU, Charlie has become an advocate for LGBTQ identities within the LDS church. He currently lives in Utah and is pursuing his master’s degree in social work to become a clinical therapist and work with other people like him. He has even written a book detailing his experience and offers advice for those in the LGBTQ community. He hopes that his experiences can help shed light.
Throughout his youth, Charlie seriously struggled with accepting his sexual orientation. Coming out as a gay man was a long road for him. For a while, he hid in shame due to his truth. It wasn’t until an encounter with other gay LDS members at a Pride event that he was finally ready to reveal his sexuality.
We are so happy to have Charlie on the show and hear his story of love, hope, and healing. His story has resonated with each of us in different ways, and we think it will have a transformative effect on you as well!
Highlights of the Discussion:
- Charlie Bird’s background (3:21)
- Charlie discusses his new book (5:46)
- Coming out as gay (8:40)
- How his brother reacted to him coming out (16:03)
- A healing path with his dad (17:35)
- His advice to others when coming out (21:44)
- Charlie’s spiritual encounter and accepting his sexuality (31:34)
- Living life according to your values (37:50)
Additional Resources:
- www.Linktr.ee/TheBoldLogic
- Find Charlie Bird’s book here
- Check out Charlie’s impressive dance skills
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