A major cause of tension in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and LGBTQ space is due to inconsistencies we all have about what we hold as truth, what we believe, and what we experience as reality. Let’s lean into this tension together and see where we can create more harmony and peace. 

Clare Dalton (she/her) is passionate about creating a safe space for everyone at the intersection of LGBTQIA+ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When she came out as gay in 2021, Clare worked for the next two years to navigate her faith and her orientation within her career with Seminary and Institutes to show her colleagues, her students, and local families that when Christ told everyone to, “Come, follow me,” He really meant it. 

She has been a keynote speaker at the 2022 Arizona LDS LGBT (ALL) conference and a featured guest on the Listen, Learn & Love podcast with Richard Ostler, and the Questions from the Closet podcast with Ben Schilaty and Charlie Bird. Clare is on the advisory board with Gather and was a speaker, presenter, and moderator at the first Gather Conference in 2023. 

Since leaving her career with Seminaries & Institutes, she has been instrumental in creating the Gatherings curriculum to foster scripture-based LGBTQIA+ conversations and hosts a monthly Instagram Live on @gatherconf 

In April 2024, she will be on the executive committee to present the first regional Gather Conference outside of Utah in Mesa, AZ.