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‘I had to make substantial changes’ — former reparative therapist comes out as gay, renounces past conversion efforts, sticks by Mormonism but hopes for changes in the faith

A prominent gay Latter-day Saint counselor — who once preached and practiced so-called “reparative therapy” to change a person’s sexual orientation and was married to a woman for more than 30 years — announced this week he is ready to date men.

“A year ago I realized I had to make substantial changes in my life,” David Matheson wrote on Facebook. “I realized I couldn’t stay in my marriage any longer. And I realized that it was time for me to affirm myself as gay.”

Matheson’s “coming-out” has roiled the LGBTQ community, especially among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.