Stacey Harkey From Studio C's Original Cast | Ep. 1795

Stacey Harkey, formerly part of the original cast of BYU TV’s Studio C, is our guest today!
He is known as an actor, writer, personal trainer, and for his involvement with Diversity Equity and Inclusion training and consulting in Equality Utah. Stacey shares his journey as a black and gay convert to the LDS Church. He navigated code-switching between Mormonism and Baptist culture, eventually questioning the Church's teachings about race. Returning to BYU after serving a mission to Brazil, he finally felt more comfortable and accepting of his identity. Stacey advocates for understanding and nuance, emphasizing that anger is not an effective way to create change. His story of self-discovery and resilience offers hope and inspiration to those facing similar struggles.

https://www.mindbodyonline.com/explor...
https://www.instagram.com/staceyharke...
https://www.equalityutah.org/staff/st...
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast...

Episode Show Notes: https://www.mormonstories.org/podcast...

Chapters:
00:00:00 Intro & Intentions
00:03:25 Background on his parents
00:06:30 Stacey’s childhood, as a Mormon and Baptist
00:11:45 Code switching
00:17:25 Racism baked into the Church - the Curse of Cain
00:24:00 Teenage and high school years, sexual orientation
00:33:20 Attending BYU
00:37:06 Comparing Gerardo’s experience with Stacey’s in upbringing (Conversion therapy)
00:40:55 Serving in Brazil
00:44:45 His mission experience
00:48:00 Dating after the mission
00:55:00 Coming out
01:21:25 His reaction to the Exclusion Policy
01:26:35 The rise of Studio C and being gay
01:34:55 The Church Becomes a burden, switching to mid-singles ward
01:49:45 DEI platform, trying to make the community better
01:57:25 The Rise of Studio C
02:13:15 Controversial sketches
02:26:12 Working at JK Studios
02:31:30 Did Stacey skip the ex-Mormon angry phase?
02:43:03 Reprogramming for sexual health
02:48:24 How Stacey views God
02:51:30 Concepts from Mormonism that he wants to hold onto
02:57:37 Intersectionality
03:00:20 Final message of hope

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