The father of Utah kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart will speak publicly for the first time since coming out as gay at a LGBTQ youth conference.
KUTV reported Monday that Ed Smart has been announced as a featured speaker at the third annual Encircle Summit in December in Lehi.
The elder Smart says that he wants to convey a message of "hope and safety in taking the step to authenticity."
Ed Smart revealed he was homosexual in a Facebook post in August. He talked to The Salt Lake Tribune a day later about why he decided to come out.