Author, playwright, and poet Carol Lynn Pearson, one of the most influential voices in raising awareness of and advocating for the acceptance of LGBTQ ideology within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, passed away ‘suddenly’ at the age of 86, according to an announcement by her family on her Facebook page.
A tribute to her and her life was shared by Latter Gay Stories, which reads in ‘part:
Born on December 1, 1939, Pearson built a career that spanned more than five decades.
She wrote dozens of books, poems, and plays, including Goodbye, I Love You, The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy, and the beloved Latter-day Saint musical My Turn on Earth.
Her work explored faith, grief, family, women’s experiences, and the lives of LGBTQ people with honesty and compassion.After her former husband, Gerald Pearson, came out as gay and later died from complications of AIDS, she chose to tell their family’s story publicly. That decision made her one of the earliest and most respected advocates for LGBTQ understanding within the Latter-day Saint community.
Her writing helped countless families approach difficult conversations with greater empathy while remaining grounded in her own faith.
