September 19, 2026!
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
3313 Wade Ave, Raleigh, NC 27607
Gather is a CHRIST-CENTERED conference for LGBTQ+ individuals and those who love them, in and adjacent to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
We Gather Together In ...
Tom Christofferson
2026 Keynote Speaker
Tom Christofferson is the author of That We May Be One: A Gay Mormon's Perspective on Faith and Family and A Better Heart: The Impact of Christ's Pure Love.
Through his writing and speaking, he offers a thoughtful perspective on faith, belonging, and the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals connected to the Latter-day Saint tradition.
Raised in a faithful LDS family, Tom served a mission, attended BYU, and married in the temple before later recognizing and embracing his identity as a gay man. After stepping away from the Church for many years, he chose to return and was rebaptized in 2014, navigating the intersection of faith, family, sexuality, and community, often in public view as the brother of LDS apostle Elder D. Todd Christofferson.
Tom spent many years in institutional investing and now lives in Phoenix, Arizona, where he teaches Sunday School in his local congregation.
All Gathered Together
Listening Session
with Deborah Jenson Grizzell
Deb a native of Logan, Utah, and a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will moderate our All Gathered Together Listening panel discussion.
She earned a bachelor's degree in Family & Human Development from Utah State University and a master's in social work from the University of Texas at Austin. She is in private psychotherapy practice in Naperville, focusing primarily on couples.
Deb currently serves as a Sunbeam teacher in the Fox Valley Ward and a Chicago Temple Worker.
She helped develop the Naperville Stake's Of One Heart Initiative, an ongoing stake-wide LGBTQIA+ effort, and she and her husband, Matt, host a monthly gathering for LGBTQ+ individuals, family members, and supporters. She and Matt have six young adult children, five of whom are LGBTQ+.
Leadership Session:
Leaving the Ninety and Nine: Ministering to LGBTQ Saints and Families
with Ben Schilaty
This workshop invites leaders to reflect on Christ's example of seeking out, listening to, and loving those who may feel unseen or marginalized.
Together, we will explore what meaningful, compassionate ministering can look like for LGBTQ members and their families, including church-provided resources available through the Church's Counseling Resources website.
Ben Schilaty is a clinical social worker and adjunct professor at BYU. A lifelong member of the Church, he served as a missionary in Chihuahua, Mexico, and currently serves as a High Councilor in his stake. He writes a blog about his experiences as a gay Latter-day Saint and cohosts the podcast "Questions from the Closet."
Ask a Therapist: LGBTQ+ Individuals & Allies in the LDS Community
with Rachelle Leckie, MSW, LCSW
This breakout session offers an affirming space for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies with connections to the LDS community—whether still connected to the church, navigating questions about faith, or on a different path—to explore the emotional and relational experiences at the intersection of faith, identity, and belonging.
Rachelle Leckie is a licensed therapist and will respond to participant questions and offer supportive insight grounded in mental health expertise and lived experience.
Topics may include navigating faith transitions, coming out, family relationships, identity development, grief related to religious change, and finding community and self-acceptance. The session centers respect for each person's path, creating a compassionate space where LGBTQ+ people and allies can feel seen and supported.
All the Ways to Be a Better Ally
with Allison Dayton
Allison founded the Lift and Love Foundation to support LGBTQ individuals and their families in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
She started it after losing her gay brother to suicide around the same time her 17-year-old son came out, when she couldn't find resources that embraced both her religious beliefs and her son's divine identity.
Lift and Love now supports thousands of individuals and families navigating that same intersection of faith and identity.
Allison is a writer and speaker, including at BYU Women's Conferences, and in 2022 moderated an LGBTQ Conversation Circle at the UN Women's Conference. She and her husband, Kenn, live in the foothills of Salt Lake City and have three grown children, a son-in-law, and a granddaughter, Georgia.
Transgender Journeys
with Michael Soto
Michael Soto is a name widely known and respected in the LGBTQ+ equality space.
As former director and now President of Equality Arizona, and a political consultant for over 25 years, Michael has been on the inside of the LGBTQ+ movement through its biggest shifts—watching the ebb and flow of policy, and now standing at what he sees as its crux.
He brings a generous, hearty laugh and an impressive grasp of legislative history to the table, along with a rare knack for reaching across the aisle on conversations most people avoid.
That skill isn't just professional, it's personal. Michael identifies as a trans man and queer individual who grew up in a conservative regional and religious environment, in the years before the internet, when the right words to describe how he'd felt since he could walk simply weren't within reach yet. That journey from searching for language to shaping legislation is at the heart of what he brings to this conversation.
Bi Journey with Mixed Orientation Marriage
Haley & Ellis Rucker
In this breakout, Haley and Ellis share their experience navigating a mixed-orientation marriage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, offering an honest, hopeful look at what it means to be a bisexual woman married to a straight man. They provide an introduction to bisexuality—what it is, what it isn't, and how it shapes real relationships within a faith context, while unpacking how common and varied these relationships can be.
Haley and Ellis also bring in voices often left out of the conversation, including reflections from closeted bisexual women married to straight men, spanning experiences from quiet endurance to deep fulfillment. Haley shares her personal journey of being bisexual in the Church, including how it shaped her dating life, identity, and eventual marriage to Ellis—inviting participants to see the LGBTQ+ Church experience with greater depth, nuance, and hope.
Navigating Family and Church as a Faithful LBGTQ+ Couple
Nathan Tenney & Thomas Smith
In this session, Nathan and Thomas share their experience as a married gay couple who remain active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while striving to honor their faith and gospel covenants.
Their journey is shaped by deep devotion, personal wrestle, and a desire to belong fully in the Church.
Nathan and Thomas speak openly about the duality they've experienced in their church community, moments of genuine love and Christlike support alongside distance and exclusion, including the challenges of not fully participating in all aspects of church life, such as temple attendance.
Through their story, they hope to foster greater empathy and offer a space for LGBTQ individuals, allies, and church members to reflect on what it means to love and walk alongside one another in faith, even when the path is complex.
Parenting LGBTQ+ Children
with Allison Dayton
This session offers guidance and support for parents navigating what it means to love and raise an LGBTQ+ child within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Together, we'll explore how parents can hold space for both their faith and their child's identity, discussing practical approaches to communication, acceptance, and connection during moments of uncertainty or fear.
Participants will gain insight into common challenges parents face, including navigating disclosure, protecting the parent-child relationship, and integrating a new understanding of their child's identity into their family's spiritual life.
This session centers hope and connection, offering parents tools and encouragement as they walk alongside their children with unconditional love.
2026 SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, September 18
POTLUCK PICNIC!
6 - 9 Pm
Apex Community Park
Everyone is Invited
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2026
9:00 - 10:30 am Registration tables open
We begin our day in community, coming together to
Listen, Learn, and Love.
10:00 am - 11:40 pm Join us in the Sanctuary
LGBTQ+ All Gathered Together
Community Listening Session
In this session attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions before the conference and listen to answers from a panel of our beloved LGBTQ+ community.
Discover how being a "safe" ally for your LGBTQ+ friends and family can make all the difference. Learn practical ways to better love and support your loved ones. This sessions offers better tools to foster acceptance, understanding, and unwavering support.
Moderated by Deb Grizzell
Breakout Sessions
box lunches available for purchase during registration
or bring your own
11:50 am - 1:10 pm
• Church Leadership Session: Ben Schillaty (repeated)
• Bi Journey with Mixed Orientation Marriage 1 Haley & Ellis
• Lunch Break A
1:20 - 2:40 pm
• Parenting Queer Kids: Allison Dayton
• Talk to a Therapist with Rachelle Leckie (repeated)
• Lunch Break B
2:55 - 4:10 pm
• All The Ways of Being an Ally: Allison Dayton
• Church Leadership Session: Ben Schillaty (repeated)
• Navigating Church and Family as a Faithful LBGTQ+ Couple: Nathan and Thomas (repeated)
4:20 - 5:35 pm
• Transgenger Journey: Michael Soto
• Talk to a Therapist with Rachelle Leckie (repeated)
• Navigating Church and Family as a Faithful LBGTQ+ Couple: Nathan and Thomas (repeated)
5:35 - 7:00 pm dinner break
We will be standing by in the Sanctuary lobby to organize dinner groups.
There is plenty of time to meet new people and really spend time making connections.
CLICK HERE FOR SOME LOCAL DINNER OPTIONS
CLICK HERE FOR SOME LOCAL PARKS, LOVELY FOR SITTING OR WANDERING
7:15 - 8:15 pm
Keynote
Tom Christofferson
Help us make GSE26 better than ever!
Lift & Love is our parent organization.
Choose "Gather Conference SOUTHEAST"
What Happens at Gather Southeast?
We create a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community in and around the LDS church
Parts of this event are only open to the LGBTQ+ community, including a Meet & Greet.
Education and Support
Presentations, discussion groups, and lectures will educate and support family members, allies, and leaders as we learn to better love ALL of God's children.
How long is the conference
We will have a Friday night potluck or casual gathering. The conference will run all day Saturday and end with a keynote speaker from 7-9pm.
Food
You may bring your own food or choose a lunch box from Panera (with GF options) when you register. There will be plenty of time to eat dinner at a local restaurant (we will give you a long list of recommendations). We will also have snacks available during the day.
Travel
People attended last year from as far away as Florida and Chicago. We might have locals available to host travelers from out of town. We are looking into reserving a hotel block to see if we can get a discount. Raleigh is a GREAT place to visit in the fall!
What Ages Are Invited
Teens and up are welcome to participate in our sessions. This is a family friendly conference but there is no childcare provided. Please use your discretion.