Byu mascot gay

He wondered if God hated this part of him. Coming out and being in the public eye has been anything but easy. And that process—you know, as I did that, I started losing pieces of me. This kid is a really special young man. And that was really tough.

The former mascot for Brigham Young University who went viral in a dance video with the BYU Cougarettes is coming out as a gay man. It was the type of movement that was so familiar, the execution was more than just muscle memory now—it was a part of him.

For instance, he gravitated toward things his sisters liked to do, like late night dance-offs, watching romantic comedies, or doing impromptu fashion shows. And this was all, of course, in hopes that nobody would ever accuse me of being gay. And that helped me to be more authentic and also helped me grow closer to the Savior.

Reaction to this former Cosmo Cougar coming out has been mixed, but Bird said it’s been mostly positive and supportive.

Facts amp Figures BYU

Charlie Bird rotated his body in a perfect flip. Bird was the man behind the mask of the BYU mascot when a video of Cosmo dancing with the Cougarettes went viral in In the guest opinion piece, Bird “simultaneously came out to the world as gay and revealed his identity as BYU’s beloved mascot from –18,” according to a recent article from LDS Living.

Charlie never dreamed of coming out so openly—it had taken a lifetime to tell his family and friends about his sexual orientation, let alone the world. And rather than a backdrop of screaming fans admiring his synchronized hip hop moves with the Cougarettes, the surrounding scenery of the Egyptian pyramids was silhouetted behind him.

But no matter how many girls he dated or how many prayers he offered asking God to change his nature, he was still gay. And I think about that all the time—just the way he was able to lift me. He committed to heart many scriptures and never missed a day of early morning seminary.

But as she sat in her bedroom dreading school the next day, year-old Charlie came in to cheer her up. The man who played BYU’s Cosmo the Cougar mascot revealed he’s gay and how he struggled growing up as a Mormon.

BYU Marriott School of

This helped him better understand his unique talents and gifts and to better minister to others while serving a full-time mission in California. He also had a flair for artistic skills such as cake decorating, crafts, and beautiful handwriting, and from a young age he could perform round-offs and back handsprings while making it look effortless.

After it went live on February 26,the piece quickly became the 1 trending story in Utah and was covered by local news outlets such as Fox 13 News as well as others across the country, including HuffPost and Yahoo! Sometimes he was teased by his peers for being different, and the fear of being labeled as gay caused him so much anxiety that he tried to hide who he knew he was deep down from others.

It was just so surreal. The story exploded. But not everyone saw these traits in Charlie as a positive thing. Charlie stood out because of his love for the gospel, too. It was there that he received revelation from God that changed his perspective.

While growing up, he made temple flashcards from pictures cut out of the Friend magazine and then memorized the name and look of each building. I felt like my faith and my orientation were like two wolves, and neither of them could survive while the other lived on.