By Ted Bushman

When Charlie Bird came out of the closet after years as BYU’s mascot Cosmo, he found a voice in the conversation between the queer community and the broader church. His first book, Without the Mask: Coming Out and Coming Into God's Light, published by Deseret Book in 2002, became a bestseller. Speaking with The Season, he explained: “For the past few years I keep being asked the same question by members of the Church: ‘Can I be an LGBTQ+ ally while supporting Church teachings?’” Expanding the Borders of Zion, Bird’s second book, was written to provide “hope, inspiration, and clear, practical answers.” 

Efforts of bridging the gap between queer folk and the church have been written for decades by scholars, advocates, and relatives of general authorities, and their proliferation in the last few years is evidence of a sea change. The queer community, long relegated to the shadows, wants to speak with the church in the public square. That the book features a “Dear Future Reader” by David Archuleta makes clear this book’s strategy. Is it possible that where theologians and thinkers have failed to connect with a general Latter-day Saint audience, that a well-known, clean-cut, handsome young man might be listened to? If so, then Charlie Bird is a missionary of a different kind, preaching a gospel that equally deserves to be heard. As he puts it: “I dream of a church with congregations where LGBTQ+ individuals feel comfortable attending and exercising their faith in Christ, no matter where they are in their journey.” (Expanding the Borders of Zion is available through Bird’s Instagram, with first orders shipping on January 6th.)