VOICES OF HOPE
Garrett & Sallie
Feeling he was different than other boys at an early age, by the time his teens arrived, Garrett knew that he experienced same-sex attraction. Going on to serve a successful mission, he met Sallie shortly after he returned and their great friendship eventually turned romantic. Both native Texans, Sallie graduated from college with a degree in kinesiology and Garrett graduated in architecture with a focus on sustainable design. They were married on December 28, 2010 in the Dallas Temple and have a young daughter. They firmly believe that despite whatever you may be struggling with, there is a place for you in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Full Interview [ 57 minutes ]
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Garrett grew up in Denton, Texas—a town known for its art and music. He loved living on the border of the big city and the country which allowed him to experience both. After high school he served a two year full-time mission in Poland where he learned the Polish language, experienced a different culture, and grew in ways he didn’t know were possible. He recently graduated from Texas Tech University with a Master of Architecture with an emphasis on sustainable design. He hopes to make the world a better place through the buildings he designs. He married his wife about halfway through school and lives to spend every second with her and their nine-month-old baby.
GARRETT
SALLIE
Sallie grew up in Mansfield, Texas with two wonderful parents, two brothers, and four sisters. She attended the University of North Texas on a cross country and track scholarship and graduated in 2011 with a degree in Kinesiology. In 2010, she married her husband, Garrett, and moved to Lubbock, Texas—a place she never thought she would call home. She taught elementary physical education for two years before having her daughter in 2013. Her recently acquired job as a stay-at-home-mom keeps her busy, but she tries to find time to run, catch up on her favorite Hulu shows, and spend time with friends. This is the story of how she came to marry a man with same-sex-attraction (SSA). It begins at an amusement park.
All That I Have - Garrett
I felt so confused and conflicted as I tried to decide which half of myself was the “real” me. I had lived a double life for so long that I didn’t know who I really was. Was I the perfect church boy people thought I was? Part of me genuinely wanted to be. Or was I the homosexual who would much rather be with a guy than with a girl and who craved acceptance from his male friends? Living in a state of duality was a very dark place for me, and it left me feeling more lost and confused than ever.
I believed that there was no way that I could have these feelings of attraction for other guys and still be a good member of the Church. The very idea seemed impossible. In my mind I either had to choose to be gay and denounce my faith or I had to pretend that these feelings weren’t real. Neither of those options seemed to fit me. I felt lost—completely and utterly lost. I had no idea who I really was or who I even wanted to be.
My Roller Coaster Journey - Sallie
Many of my childhood memories were made at Six Flags, but nothing really compares to the day my family showed up to Six Flags with my super conservative grandparents, on Gay Pride Day. I don’t think I really understood what that day meant; I was 11 or 12 at the time and all I could see was a bunch of men, with short shorts and painted toenails, holding hands with each other in line at the Texas Giant. My grandparents walked around shell shocked most of the day! The funny thing was, we showed up on the exact same day the next year. For several years, that was my only reference to any type of “gay culture” and it was as loud and extreme as anyone could make it.