mission
The mission of Lift+Love is to support LGBTQ Latter-day Saints and their families by building a Christ-centered community of belonging and strength, with the express purpose of keeping families together, faith strong, and a deep and meaningful connection to the Savior for every person.
What started as support for Mom’s of LGBTQ kids has expanded to meet the needs of all LGBTQ people, family members, friends, and church leaders. We provide free resources, including twelve monthly online support groups, stories from families with LGBTQ members, online suicide prevention training, research, education, podcasts, Come Follow Me-based scripture study guides, and many gathering opportunities.
Lift+Love hosts Gather, the largest-ever Christ-centered conference for Latter-day Saint LGBTQ individuals and those who love them. Gather is a labor of love created by a coalition of Latter-day Saint LGBTQ organizations and individuals, bound by our deep love of and desire to strengthen connections to our Savior Jesus Christ. Learn more about Gather Conference here
meet the team
lift+love team biographies
Allison Dayton - Founder of Lift+Love
Allison started the Lift and Love Foundation to support LGBTQ individuals and their families in the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Allison lost her brother, who was gay, to suicide at the same time her 17-year-old son was coming out. Looking for resources to help her family, she couldn’t find anything that embraced her religious beliefs and her son’s divine identity. Lift and Love has grown to fill that much-needed space supporting thousands of individuals and families as they navigate their unique journeys of protecting their identity or that of their precious children and integrating their new reality into their devotion to Jesus Christ. Allison is a writer, speaker, including at BYU Women’s Conferences. In 2022 she moderated an lgbtq Conversation Circle at the UN Women’s Conference. Allison and her husband, Kenn, live in the foothills of Salt Lake City, Utah, have three grown children, a son-in-law and a granddaughter, Georgia, who rules their world.
You can read more about Allison’s experiences in her recent LDSLiving article here
You can watch Allison’s presentation at Gather Conference 2023 here
Darice Auston - Gather Conference Manager, Lift+Love Store, Family Story Coordinator
Darice graduated from UCSD in Communications and has worked in many marketing and public relations capacities in the workforce and in public affairs for the Church. In her public service work, she has developed a love for reaching out to the marginalized and lifting those in need.
Darice and Darryl have four children, the oldest of which is trans. This journey with her child has not challenged her testimony but instead has been a faith-expanding experience. It has, however, increased her passion for advocacy and inclusion and for making all spaces, especially faith communities, safe. To that end, she and a friend created Rainbow COnnection, a Colorado-based LGTBQ+ LDS support group with the hope of providing resources and opportunities for people to share their experiences and to do as Elder Ballard says, “to listen to and understand what our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters are feeling and experiencing.”
Lynell Rogers - Social Media Manager
As a young adult, Lynell converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and then served a full-time mission in Minnesota. She met her future husband John at a singles branch in Washington, just a few days after returning from her mission. They now have four gregarious and accomplished daughters, who range in age from 9 to 25.
Lynell has a degree in Web Design & Development, with a background in frontend programming and certificates in social media, web design, and project management. She started working for Lift+Love in 2021, which she credits with helping her increase her awareness of the LGBTQ community and informing her role as an ally. After being involved with Lift+Love for over a year, Lynell and John began their new roles as parents of an LGBTQ family when their two oldest daughters came out on the same day (one identifies as queer, one identifies as bisexual).
Lynell has been part of the Gather Team since the first Gather Conference in 2023. She considers her involvement with Gather and association with the Gather Team members to be one of the great honors of her life.
Lynell currently teaches adult Sunday School in her ward. The Rogers family hosts a delightful monthly Gathering for LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saint individuals/ families and allies in their area that has helped build bridges of hope and healing.
Read more about Lynell in the Rogers Lift + Love Family Story HERE
David Doyle - LGBTQ+ adult support group host
David Doyle lives in Florida and works supporting research and academic projects. In 2017, a blog post he wrote about his experience as a gay man of faith unexpectedly went viral, shifting his journey from quiet privacy to public storytelling. David has become a thoughtful and compassionate voice in conversations about queerness and spirituality--sharing his reflections through essays, podcast appearances, and his own blog. His volunteer with several non-profits is in support of affirming queer people of faith and encouraging them as they navigate their own paths of belief and identity.
Read more about David’s story here: (https://www.liftandlove.org/stories/the-david-doyle-story)
To sign up for the youth support group, click here
Alisha Anderson - LGBTQ+ women support group host
Alisha Anderson (she/her) was born in Northern California. She is an artist, whose art flows from the confluence of identity and earth. She has a B.F.A. from BYU, a Masters of Science from the University of Utah, and a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico. Her art is research-based, and often place-based, with a focus on marginalized places and people.
Since coming out as gay, she's been turning that artistic lens to queerness as a way to process her own queer journey. She shared some of that artwork at the Gather Conference in 2024. She currently resides in Utah, is working on a project with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and was recently the Visiting Artist in BYU’s Art Department.
Learn more about Alisha’s art here: https://vimeo.com/954553770
To sign up for the LGBTQ women’s support group, click here
Amberly Bean - LGBTQ+ youth support group host
Amberly was raised in an amazingly loving and supportive home. The foundation of Christlike love while growing up helped her feel comfortable coming out (albeit discreetly) while still in high school. Having and acknowledging her queerness from her teen years has shaped Amberly’s life views as well as her views of the church, gospel, and her relationship with Jesus Christ.
Amberly loves supporting the youth, especially queer and church adjacent ones because of her own struggles at that age wanting to stay involved in the church but also to be honest with herself. She loves the monthly lift & love youth calls because as she says, “To know these kids is to love them!”
To sign up for the youth support group, click here
Matt Cannady- adult gender support community group host
Matt Cannady is from the midwest and was the second of 6 children growing up, served a full time mission in western Nevada, earned a Bachelor's of Science in Geology and a certificate in GIS (geographic information science) from Brigham Young University Idaho in 2008, and a masters certificate and masters degree in GIS (MSGISc) from Denver University in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Matt worked from 2009 to 2020 as a petroleum analyst for a mid-level upstream liquid energy company, which involved moving to Denver and then Dallas. Matt has been married for 19 years and has 4 children with one waiting in heaven, and is currently a GIS Manager for a small city in Michigan. When not working, taking care of family or church responsibilities, Matt enjoys watching, playing, reading, crafting, and exploring.
Sign up for the Adult Gender Identity Support Group here
Christina Dee- Ally community group host
I am excited to be a part of the Lift and Love team! I am a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My allyship journey began when I learned of the November 2015 policy that prevented children of same-sex parents from getting baptized. As I wrestled and prayed about it, the prompting I got was to learn as much as I could from those who are LGBTQ. I have learned so much from them! I have been involved with the Mormons Building Bridges community and several other LGBTQ organizations. It has been a huge blessing in my life. Our LGBTQ siblings have truly strengthened my relationship with Christ. One of my greatest desires is for people to truly see and cherish them just as God does.
Sign up for the Ally Community Group here
Jenie Hunter- Mamas of LGBTQ+ Kids support group host, Lift+Love podcast host
Jenie Hunter is a certified LCS life coach with an advanced faith-based certification from Jody Moore. She earned a B.S. in Management from the University of Central Florida. Jenie specializes in family coaching with emphasis on helping LDS LGBTQ families. Along with individual coaching she hosts a weekly podcast Lift+Love and hosts bi-monthly support groups for LDS moms. She is passionate about creating a safer place in our church community for all of God’s children. Jenie is inspired daily by her husband, their four daughters and one son. In her free time, Jenie loves the beach and any traveling adventures with her family. For information about coaching, visit www.jeniehuntercoaching.com or email Jenie at jeniehuntercoaching@gmail.com
Sign up for the Mamas of LGBTQ+ kids support group here
Carey Baldwin - Support Group Coordinator
Dr. Jeff Case - LGBTQ+ men in mixed-orientation marriage support group host
Jeff Case is a clinical psychologist who specializes in trauma and suicide. He is an Air Force brat who grew up around the world and then joined the Army while in college. He is a Veteran of the Iraq war. He and his wife have been married for 25 years and have three children. After leaving the Army in 2014, he and his family moved to Pleasant Grove, UT. Jeff is a life-long member of the LDS church and identifies as a gay child of God.
Watch Jeff’s presentation at Gather Conference 2023 here
Sign up for the LGBTQ+ men in mixed-orientation marriage support group here
Livier Mendoza Haynes- LGBTQ+ women’s group host
Livier opened her mouth for the first time when she was born in California and hasn’t been quiet since. While growing up, her parents taught her how to work hard and dream big. Both of these wonderful values have helped her to live in three different countries and travel to many other places around the world. Although she loves to travel, Livier always goes back to the place that she considers home: Mexico. Raised in a staunch Catholic family, Livier always believed in God, but she struggled with and questioned several different doctrines until she met missionaries from The Church or Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2010. As she listened to what those Elders had to say, Livier felt like everything fell into place, not only in her mind but also in her heart. As the youngest of three children, Livier always admired her oldest sister and followed her steps to attend and graduate from Law School before being called to serve her mission in 2013 in the Mexico City Northwest Mission. Livier has always liked to challenge herself, which has guided her to every sort of activity from belly dancing to riding a camel in the Sahara desert. Her passion for personal growth and her wandering, gypsy soul helped her decide to move to Salt Lake City where she currently lives. Livier overall keeps herself busy doing her best to stay in touch with her family and friends all across the globe, and furthermore, as a convert, she makes an effort every day to be a modern-day pioneer.
Watch Liv’s presentation at Gather Conference 2023 here
Sign up for the LGBTQ+ women’s support group here
Josh Rollins - Dads of LGBTQ+ kids support group host
Josh Rollins lives in Riverton, Utah with his wife, Jen, of 26 yrs and their five children; Jace (24), Chelsea (22), Aidan (19), Brinley (15) and Landon (14). Three of the five children are queer. Jace is transgender, Chelsea is bisexual, and Aidan is gay. All three of them came out while Josh was serving as Bishop from November 2015 to November 2020.
Josh is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints and currently serves as Gospel Doctrine instructor. He continues to wrestle with the paradox of having queer kids while striving to strengthen his testimony, his relationship with his Heavenly Father and with his Savior Jesus Christ. He cleaves to the promise stated in the 9th Article of Faith: We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
Sign up for the Dads of LGBTQ+ kids support group here
Jody England Hansen - certified QPR suicide-prevention training instructor
Jody is a speaker, writer, artist, advocate and activist. She serves on two of the work groups for the Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition -The Salt Lake County and the LGBTQ work groups. She has been certified to lead QPR trainings since 2018, and has led this training to school, medical, police, family, church, interfaith conference and youth summit groups. She lives in Salt Lake City with her husband, and loves looking at the gorgeous view of Mt. Olympus as she is leading online QPR trainings.
To sign up for a free online suicide-prevention class (taught by Jody and hosted by Lift+Love) click here
Autumn McAlpin- Storyteller
Autumn McAlpin graduated from BYU with a BA in English Teaching and later received her masters from USC's Professional Writing program. She is a writer, filmmaker, and works in the nonprofit space. Autumn is the author of the graduation gift book, Real World 101: A Survival Guide to Life After High School, and she wrote and produced feature films Waffle Street (2015) and Miss Arizona (2018), the latter of which she also directed. Since her son Gavin came out in 2020, Autumn has dedicated much of her time to causes that promote understanding and support for the LGBTQ community. She loves meeting amazing families from all over the world as she writes the weekly family profile stories at Lift + Love.
Heather Leavitt- LGBTQ+ young adult group host
Heather Leavitt (she/her) has been a clinical Social Worker for 24 years graduating from Brigham Young University and University of Denver what seems like eons ago. She’s lived all over the United States and has been lucky enough to spend some time having overseas adventures as well. She currently lives in Colorado with her two sons, a few dogs, one cat and occasionally some stray backyard chickens. She loves reading, gardening, and her not too early morning yoga class. Heather is passionate about diversity and inclusion especially inside the LDS Church, and has become (mostly) comfortable in the very complex state of paradox that is faith, hope and religion.
Sign up for the free monthly (online) Lift+Love LGBTQ Young Adult Support Group here
Anita Ervin- parents of transgender/non-binary kids group host
Anita and her husband (Ben) have been active in the LDS church their entire lives. Their family's story had a "plot twist" when their oldest child came out as queer at the age of 18. This led to Anita's deconstruction and reconstruction of her faith so that she can stay connected to God and her faith, even when things are hard at church.
Today, two of their kids are out as transgender or gender non-conforming as well as queer. Anita has been involved with Lift+Love as a group leader for the Parents of Transgender/Non-Binary Kids group since 2021. She has found strength as she has connected with other parents who understand the pain points that exist for families striving to stay engaged in the LDS faith and also supportive of their kids' identities. She believes very strongly that her first responsibility as a mother is to love her children the way that God loves them - fully and without reservation.
Sign up for the Parents of Transgender or Non-binary kids support group here
Meghan Decker- LGBTQ+ women’s group host
Meghan Decker is a respected writer, speaker, and lesbian Latter-day Saint. She is co-author of Reaching for Hope: An LDS Perspective on Recovering from Depression, which has provided insight for thousands of readers who experience depression. Her book Tender Leaves of Hope: Finding Belonging as LGBTQ Latter-day Saint Women shares her own experience and amplifies the voices of scores of LGBTQ women who are seeking to hear God in their lives. Meghan has five daughters and fifteen grandchildren, and they enjoy gathering to explore, eat, and trade book recommendations. She is grateful every day to feel God’s lovingkindness and gentle guidance.
Watch Meghan’s presentation at Gather Conference 2023 here
Sign up for the LGBTQ+ women’s support group here
Page Checketts- adult gender support community group host
Page Checketts is passionate about healthy communities. She has spent decades working & volunteering in public health organizations large and small. She founded the Utah Child Care Cooperative in 2019 to fill a critical community gap and is a strong advocate for childcare. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic she worked full-time managing contact tracing efforts at the University of Utah. She was the grant coordinator for the University of Utah’s Health Equity collaboration with the Utah Department of Health. She is currently the Secretary for the Utah Public Health Association. In her early career, Page was a Registered Nurse with specialization in liver and kidney transplants and medical oncology. She has a Bachelor’s of Science from Brigham Young University, and dual Master’s degrees from the University of Utah in Public Policy and Public Health. When not working and volunteering in health-related fields, you can find Page reading, hiking or spending time with close friends and her large family.
Sign up for the Adult Gender Identity Support Group here
André Pérez - Spanish Translation
André was born in Mexico City, Mexico. He served as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Veracruz, Mexico, and earned a law degree from the Technological University of Mexico. He currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is part of the Rising Generation Program at the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo. He also cohosts Un lugar más en la mesa (One More Seat at the Table), the only Spanish-language podcast for LGBTQIA+ Latter-day Saints and those who love them. André is passionate about art, music, sunsets, board games, and outdoor activities—especially hiking with his loyal dachshund, Kimy.
Watch André’s 2025 Gather Conference presentation here
Monica Bousfield - Spouses of LGBTQ+ support group
“Monica earned her Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science from Utah Valley University in 2000 and her Master of Science in Human Resource Management from Regis University in 2018. She currently works in the Human Resources Department for a local municipality, where she brings compassion, professionalism, and a deep commitment to inclusion to her work.
Monica’s personal experiences have shaped her dedication to inclusion, especially as she and her husband, who is gay, raise their two children with pride and openness in Colorado. They are parents to a daughter who came out as queer in 2020 at age 12 and a son who is autistic and identifies as queer.
Monica enjoys reading, baking, exploring Colorado’s outdoors, and attending concerts with her kids.”
To join the support group for spouses of LGBTQ+, click here
