Ed Smart, father of Elizabeth Smart, comes out as gay

Ed Smart, the father of kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart, came out as gay in a Facebook post — which was quickly removed Thursday — and said he plans to separate from his wife and doesn’t see a place for himself in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints anymore, according to a story in the Deseret News.

The Salt Lake Tribune has not yet independently verified the post. The Deseret News reached Ed Smart for comment, who confirmed the post.

Court records indicate Lois Smart filed for divorce from Ed Smart on July 5.

When asked about the matter through a family spokesperson, Elizabeth Smart confirmed her parents’ separation, but didn’t specifically address her father’s sexual orientation.

“My parents taught me as a young child that they would love me unconditionally no matter what happened," she said. “While I am deeply saddened by their separation, nothing could change my love and admiration for them both. Their decisions are very personal. As such, I will not pass judgment and rather am focusing on loving and supporting them and the other members of my family.”

Ed Smart posted, “Lois has been a loyal wife, and extraordinary mother, who has had to endure an impossible part of this journey. I deeply regret the excruciating pain this has caused her. Hurting her was never my intent. While our marriage will end, my love for Lois and everyone in my family is eternal.”

And when it comes to his faith, The Deseret News reported that Smart wrote:

“My faith is strong, and unwavering, however, after considerable study, prayer and pondering I have come to a change in my beliefs. It is because of this change, that I can finally acknowledge and accept my orientation. Had I not had a change in my beliefs, I would have likely remained closeted the rest of my life."

Smart added: “As an openly gay man, the church is not a place where I find solace any longer. It is not my responsibility to tell the church, its members or its leadership what to believe about the rightness or wrongness of being LGBTQ.”

from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/31FEox5