Aarthi

I want to make space for everyone within my faith. Diversity of thought, race, sexuality, gender, language, culture, etc. brings richness to my church. We need every perspective in order to come to know God. We can be and should be unified without being homogeneous.

This portrait is of my friend Aarthi. Her family is Hindu and after joining the LDS Church she's continued to weave aspects of Hinduism into her faith. She's also a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, weaving her queerness into her faith as well. She's an advocate, a teacher, a friend, a sister, and a daughter. She's bold, funny, and compassionate. She doesn't follow all of the social norms associated with Mormons. To me, she's an example of the strength of diversity within the faith I practice. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to worship with her each Sunday.