The Lift+Love podcast is rooted in faith, family, and the conviction that all are alike unto God and that loving LGBTQ+ people is a calling to be embraced—not feared. Produced by the Lift+Love team, this podcast features topics relevant to Latter-day Saint LGBTQ+ individuals and their parents, relatives, friends, and others who are navigating this space with faith.
Across episodes, hosts from the Lift+Love team and their guests will address a variety of current topics, offer practical support, and share experiences related to LGBTQ+ issues in faith communities. Each conversation is grounded in compassion, honesty, and a commitment to keeping families connected to each other and Jesus Christ.
Learn more and access free support and resources at www.liftandlove.org
Episodes
3 days ago
3 days ago
Episode 56- "Sanctuary: A Filmmaker’s Journey and Conversation" with guest Autumn McAlpin
Join hosts Allison Dayton, filmmaker Autumn McAlpin, and archival producer Darice Auston for an in-depth conversation about the documentary film "Sanctuary." This powerful film explores what happens when traditional religious spaces fail to provide safety for LGBTQ individuals, and how communities are reimagining sacred spaces to be truly inclusive.
Autumn shares the origin story of the film—from meeting an architect who builds physical sanctuaries at Pride festivals out of recycled materials, to weaving together stories of affirming pastors, liturgists, and queer individuals seeking belonging. The documentary features scholars, faith leaders, and personal narratives that demonstrate what's possible when we intentionally create safe spaces for all people.
The conversation covers:
- The making of the film and its powerful message about authenticity and belonging
- Audience reactions from screenings across the country
- The importance of confronting uncomfortable truths about religious harm
- How sanctuary can be found in people, not just places
- The film's dedication to lives lost, including Preston Dayton and Levi Martin
Whether you're navigating faith and LGBTQ identity, supporting loved ones, or seeking to create more inclusive communities, this episode offers hope, practical insights, and a vision for what sanctuary truly means.
Learn more and request screenings at sanctuarydoc.com
Watch the official trailer for the Sanctuary film and find information and updates here: https://sanctuarydoc.com/
Find Spencer LaJoye's song "Plowshare Prayer" on Spotify here or watch a live performance here
Read Vienna Boyes' Lift+Love Story here
Learn more about the resources and support available to LGBTQ+ youth and adults, parents, relatives, friends, allies, and church leaders on the Lift+Love website here: www.liftandlove.org
Video version of this podcast episode is available on Youtube here
Tuesday Feb 03, 2026
Tuesday Feb 03, 2026
Episode 55- "But Jesus"
Episode Hosts: Allison Dayton (Founder of the Lift+Love organization, original Lift+Love podcast co-host, parent of LGBTQ+ child) and Darice Auston (Lift+Love Director of Getting Stuff Done, Gather Director, Lift+Love Store Manager, parent of a trans child)
This episode features a deeply moving conversation that episode hosts Allison Dayton and Darice Auston share with special guest storyteller Autumn McAlpin about her book, "But Jesus, A Conversation" a collection of poetic vignettes born from her experience as a mother when her teenage son came out as gay. Autumn shares how the book emerged through late-night prayers, conversations, memories, and moments of grief, love, and faith, and how it became a way to tell her family’s story. The discussion explores the spiritual and emotional impact on parents of LGBTQ+ children and the profound compassion, sensitivity, and gifts these children bring to the world. Woven throughout is a testimony of choosing both faith and family, following an inner spiritual compass, and discovering a deeper, more personal relationship with God grounded in unconditional love, inclusion, and the example of Jesus.
"At 3a.m. one night during the quiet shade of the pandemic, a 17-year-old boy entered his parents’ bedroom to reveal a truth he’d been navigating alone for years. In his confession, he not only came out as gay, but also conveyed the depths of the mental health struggles he’d been battling as a result of conflicting messaging he’d endured in the religious institution in which he'd been raised. Autumn McAlpin’s haunting literary memoir, But Jesus: A Conversation replays the various conversations that emerge during one family’s coming out story—interchanges with loved ones who lean in and those who pull away, the back-and-forth with various LDS church authorities, and the quiet (and not so quiet) pleas of a mother as she petitions the higher power she believes in—one who offers unconditional love and hope for all. But Jesus: A Conversation takes us on a journey of a family deconstructing with the use of a compass and their conscience, and reconstructing with the salve that will help bind them most of all: love. With stunning cover art by J. Kirk Richards, this book is intended to offer an open shoulder for all families who find themselves at the intersection of the LDS and LGBTQ+ conflict, and for the loved ones trying to understand the complex choices they face."
You can find Autumn's book "But, Jesus - A Conversation" for sale in the Lift+Love online store here: www.liftandlove.org/books/p/but-jesus-a-conversation
Learn more about artist J. Kirk Richards here: https://www.jkirkrichards.com/
Learn more about the resources and support available to LGBTQ+ youth and adults, parents, relatives, friends, allies, and church leaders on the Lift+Love website here: www.liftandlove.org
Tuesday Jan 27, 2026
Tuesday Jan 27, 2026
Episode 54-
Episode Hosts: Allison Dayton (Founder of the Lift+Love organization, original Lift+Love podcast co-host, parent of LGBTQ+ child) and Darice Auston (Lift+Love Director of Getting Stuff Done, Gather Director, Lift+Love Store Manager, parent of a trans child)
Allison and Darice are joined by storyteller Autumn McAlpin to tell the story behind the Lift+Love Family Stories. Over 150 stories of LGBTQ+ individuals and families have been shared through this project over the past few years, with Autumn as the storyteller. Darice, Allison, and Autumn discuss how this project came to be, how these stories have impacted the community of LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints for good, what the most impactful stories have been for them, and what the future holds.
Resources Mentioned:
Listen, Learn, Love Podcast https://www.listenlearnandlove.org/podcasts
Levi Martin's story: www.liftandlove.org/stories-2026/levis-story
Elder Steven E. Snow's story: www.liftandlove.org/stories-2026/elder-steven-e-snow
The Lift+Love Family Story page: www.liftandlove.org/stories
Call the Lift+Love voicemail line (801) 382-8420 to share ideas for topics you’d like us to discuss in future episodes.
Tags: #LGBTQ #LDS #Mormon #ParentingLGBTQ #Faith #Family #TransYouth #ChurchOfJesusChrist #QueerFaith #LiftAndLoveorg
Thursday Jan 22, 2026
Thursday Jan 22, 2026
Episode #53: Eve
Episode Hosts: Allison Dayton (Founder of the Lift+Love organization, original Lift+Love podcast co-host, parent of LGBTQ+ child), Jenie Hunter (original Lift+Love podcast co-host, LCS certified life coach, parent of LGBTQ+ child) and Darice Auston (Lift+Love Director of Getting Stuff Done, Gather Director, Lift+Love Store Manager, parent of a trans child)
Resources Mentioned:
Faith Matters Podcast - (An Episode of Sanctuary, Discovering the Temple) A Deeper Look at the Creation Story with Jared Lambert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s8ihuPlif0
Lift and Love Podcast - Episode 3 - Healthy Sexuality and Identity in LDS Youth with Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-hgjf7-f584d2
"The Two Trees" by Valerie Hudson https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/conference_home/august-2010/the-two-trees
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “The Great Plan of Happiness,” October 1993 General Conference https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1993/10/the-great-plan-of-happiness?lang=eng Topic: Distinction between sin and transgression regarding Eve, explains that the transgression was a formality.
Elder Patrick Kearon, “God’s Intent is To Bring You Home,” August 2024 General Confernece https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2024/04/45kearon?lang=eng Topic: "God being in relentless pursuit of you" Described as welcoming, including, not othering or excluding
Scripture References:
- Moses (Book of Moses)
- Genesis 3
- The Family Proclamation (referenced in context of FSY curriculum)
Connect With Us:
Call the Lift+Love voicemail line (801) 382-8420 to share ideas for topics you’d like us to discuss in future episodes.
Tags: #LGBTQ #LDS #Mormon #ParentingLGBTQ #Faith #Family #TransYouth #ChurchOfJesusChrist #QueerFaith #LiftAndLoveorg
Tuesday Jan 20, 2026
Tuesday Jan 20, 2026
In this episode, Allison Dayton, Jenie Hunter, and Darice Auston discuss where they in this journey and the new goals of Lift+Love.
The goal of Lift and Love is to create a space for BIG heartfelt conversations about faith, family, and the unique journeys of LGBTQ individuals and their families in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Each week, we gather to share insights, resources, and experiences that reflect the beauty and complexity of navigating this journey offering hope and encouragement to others along the way
Episode #52: We're Back!
Overview: After a hiatus, the Lift+Love Podcast returns with heartfelt conversations about faith, family, and the unique journeys of LGBTQ+ individuals and their families in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Episode Hosts: Allison Dayton (Founder of the Lift+Love organization, original Lift+Love podcast co-host, parent of LGBTQ+ child), Jenie Hunter (original Lift+Love podcast co-host, LCS certified life coach, parent of LGBTQ+ child) and Darice Auston (Lift+Love Director of Getting Stuff Done, Gather Director, Lift+Love Store Manager, parent of a trans child)
Episode Topic Highlights:
Our journey so far as parents of LGBTQ+ kids
Generational shifts in coming out (kids coming out younger/earlier)
Parents are shifting from "problem to solve" to "person to love”
The ongoing tension of balancing faith, covenants, and loving LGBTQ+ children.
No clear "plan of salvation" for queer individuals in LDS doctrine
Current church policies especially challenging for trans youth
The constant companion of uncertainty
Resources Mentioned:
PFLAG https://pflag.org/find-resources/
Lift and Love monthly online support groups: https://www.liftandlove.org/support
Coaching services available through Jenie @jeniehuntercoaching www.jeniehuntercoaching.com
Lift+Love website www.liftandlove.org
"Blessed be God...who comforted us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Connect With Us: Call the Lift+Love voicemail line (801) 382-8420 to share ideas for topics you’d like us to discuss in future episodes.
Tags: #LGBTQ #LDS #Mormon #ParentingLGBTQ #Faith #Family #TransYouth #ChurchOfJesusChrist #QueerFaith #LiftAndLove
Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
Allison and Jenie sit down with Anita Ervin (host of the Lift and Love non-binary parenting support groups) and how to council with your children in the uncomfortable moments.
When we don't get a vote but we still want to be a voice in our children's decisions. For instance, if your transgender child wants to seek medical affirming care but you might not agree with the decision. How do you best help your child?
- Create emotional distance when possible (i.e. make sure I'm not speaking from a place of fear)
- Focus on the underlying questions rather than the specific situation. For example:
- Resolving relationship conflict
- Addressing relationship expectations
- Finding trustworthy medical and psychological care
- Making wise medical decisions
- Reliable medical sources
- Trusted professionals
- Knowledgeable friends (when appropriate)
- Books (use with caution)
- Informative podcasts, especially those with guests who are open about their personal experiences
- Support groups
If you are looking to learn the tools and to get the coaching that will help your LGBTQ family thrive while gaining access to other families on this journey you can work 1:1 with Jenie at www.jeniehuntercoaching.com
For additional support and help please reach out to us on our IG accounts at Lift+Love and Jenie Hunter Coaching
Monday Dec 18, 2023
Monday Dec 18, 2023
Every parent wants to raise a healthy child, no matter what their sexuality is.
When your child comes out this is one of the biggest fears that parents of LGBTQ children have.
Will they be healthy emotionally and spiritually?
In this episode Allison and Jenie talk about how they handled it with their sons and what they have learned helping 100's of families help their child
If you are looking to learn the tools and to get the coaching that will help your LGBTQ family thrive while gaining access to other families on this journey you can work 1:1 with Jenie at www.jeniehuntercoaching.com
Join us for any of our free monthly Lift+Love Support Groups - link sign up at Lift+Love Support .
For additional support and help please reach out to us on our IG accounts at Lift+Love and Jenie Hunter Coaching
Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
Have you ever listened to a talk that everybody seems to love and you are left with feeling less hope and more fear?
Allison and Jenie recently experienced this and they discuss in this episode how to process and find peace.
If you are looking to learn the tools and to get the coaching that will help your LGBTQ family thrive while gaining access to other families on this journey than the Lifted Together Community is the place for you. For details on how to join go to www.liftandlove.org/community
Join us for any of our free monthly Lift+Love Support Groups - link sign up at Lift+Love Support .
For additional support and help please reach out to us on our IG accounts at Lift+Love and Jenie Hunter Coaching
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
We are back! Jenie and Allison talk about the behind the Gathering Conference. Sharing their experience, behind the scenes moments and what they have learned.
To listen to the Gathering Speakers go to Gathering Speakers Youtube
If you are looking to learn the tools and to get the coaching that will help your LGBTQ family thrive while gaining access to other families on this journey than the Lifted Together Community is the place for you. For details on how to join go to www.liftandlove.org/community
Join us for any of our free monthly Lift+Love Support Groups - link sign up at Lift+Love Support .
For additional support and help please reach out to us on our IG accounts at Lift+Love and Jenie Hunter Coaching
Sunday Apr 03, 2022
Sunday Apr 03, 2022
Most parent's have great fear on what is going to happen with their testimony when their child comes out. Can they stay in the church and support their LGBTQ child? Anita Irvin, Allison and Jenie talk about how they have managed this path and share what they needed to do to protect their testimony and how they grew their faith of Jesus Christ
If you are looking to learn the tools and to get the coaching that will help your LGBTQ family thrive while gaining access to other families on this journey than the Lifted Together Community is the place for you. For details on how to join go to www.liftandlove.org/community
Join us for any of our free monthly Lift+Love Support Groups - link sign up at Lift+Love Support .
For additional support and help please reach out to us on our IG accounts at Lift+Love and Jenie Hunter Coaching