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Josh and Lolly Weed spent their 10th wedding anniversary in Las Vegas last week lounging poolside and enjoying room service. They updated their popular blog before taking in a show. Normally a humorous blog written by a husband, father and therapist, the latest post took on a more serious tone. Josh announced to his faithful readers he is gay and remains happily married and an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"I am gay. I am Mormon. I am married to a woman," Josh wrote. "I am happy every single day. My life is filled with joy. I have a wonderful sex life. And I've been married for ten years, and plan to be married for decades more to come to the woman of my dreams."
The insightful and honest declaration is sparking discussion and debate about an already sensitive topic within the Mormon community. Answering questions candidly and in depth, the blog post entitled “Club Unicorn: In which I come out of the closet on our ten year anniversary” is quickly going viral and has generated comments in the thousands.
I am gay. I am Mormon. I am married to a woman. I am happy every single day. My life is filled with joy.
–- Josh Weed
"The response to our article has been absolutely unexpected but definitely not unwelcome,” Josh said. “When we wrote it, it was mainly an effort to let our personal circle of friends and acquaintances know about our situation before being more open with my therapy clients about the issue. We also had an idea that it might help some people who were struggling with this issue in some way or another, but it has extended far beyond anything we could have ever imagined."
Letting an entire blogosphere in on their personal life wasn't without reservation.
"I remember going to see the Blue Man Group immediately after we pressed publish, and on the way I actually said something like, 'I sure hope we at least get a few comments so it doesn't get all awkward with crickets chirping,'” Josh said. “Lolly said something like, 'Yeah, because three comments on a coming-out post would make it totally not awkward.'"
The Weed's “Club Unicorn” post is following in the footsteps of a recent video out of Brigham Young University. LGBT students shared their stories and challenges in “It gets better at BYU,” which gained national attention.
Reconciling religious beliefs and same sex attraction is a topic no longer being swept under the rug, and Josh and Lolly Weed feel privileged to be part of the dialogue.
"We both graduated from BYU,” Josh said. “We loved BYU's 'It Gets Better' campaign. It made us both weep to see so much love and open support for those kids – something that didn't yet exist in such an accessible way when we were there."
The term "Club Unicorn" was coined by a friend of the Weeds.
"When talking to some friends about our situation in preparation for this post, one of them said 'It's almost like we've encountered a real live Unicorn!'” Josh wrote. “She was joking of course. She was just saying that they were talking to something that not many encounter. A mythical creature. Someone who is gay, Mormon and married.”
Josh and Lolly Weed are indeed real, and they are now dealing with the very real feedback they're receiving.
"The thing we have been most overwhelmed by is the nature of the responses,” Josh said. “While not surprisingly there have been some negative responses, for the most part the feedback has been incredibly supportive and positive. People have just poured out their souls, and so many of the responses are coming from a place that's so real and genuine.
"People saying things like, 'Your post helped me talk to my estranged gay son for the first time in years.' Or, 'I used to hate gay people until I read your words.' Or, 'I'm a gay kid who was totally hopeless and suicidal until I stumbled upon your post.' Or even, 'I'm in a gay partnership and was prepared to hate you, but after reading your post I realized I should be as accepting of your lifestyle as I want people to be with mine.'"
I want to make it very clear that while I have found a path that brings me profound joy and that is the right path for me, I don't endorse this as the only path for somebody who is gay and religious.
–Josh Weed
While Josh enjoys a loving relationship with his wife Lolly he believes the life he chose is clearly not for everyone.
"I want to make it very clear that while I have found a path that brings me profound joy and that is the right path for me, I don't endorse this as the only path for somebody who is gay and religious,” Josh wrote. “I will never, ever judge somebody else's path as being 'incorrect' and I know many people who have chosen different paths than myself."
The couple, who met as small children living on the same street in Kearns, Utah, live in Covington, Wash., where they are raising three daughters. Josh works as a marriage and family therapist and will continue to write about the same humorous family antics and body deformities his readers have come to love.
Josh said he may also branch into new territory.
"Now that I've posted this post, The Weed will definitely deal with this issue more extensively,” he said. “Lolly and I have a lot more to say, and a lot of really great questions to answer. I love that I have a humor blog. It's so much fun. But I used to feel constricted in what I could share. If it wasn't silly or inane, it felt inappropriate. Now I feel like I can still joke around but that I can also add a strong dimension of open serious dialogue as well, which is a nice change."
