Did the Mormon Church Accidentally Feature a Gay Designer Who Pokes Fun at Their Homophobia?

The official Instagram and Facebook pages for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints posted a positive profile about fashion designer Pono Skousen on June 29, in the eleventh hour of Pride Month, that has since caused quite a stir online — because, as it turns out, Skousen is gay and some of his clothing parodies the faith’s anti-LGBTQ+ teachings.In the interview, Skousen spoke about his relationship to faith, and about learning how to sew within the Mormon Church, which eventually turned into a career in fashion. He said he started as a ballet dancer and moved into fashion by helping the Relief Society, the official women’s organization of the LDS Church, with sewing and hemming. “Faith has always been part of my life, and it shows up in my work in quiet ways,” he told the official Instagram account. “I love exploring identity, spirituality, and purpose through clothing. Clothes can tell stories. They can carry light.”He continued, “I just want to create things that honor where I come from and help people feel seen and powerful.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Church of Jesus Christ (@churchofjesuschrist)Skousen’s fashion is indeed inspired by his experience growing up LDS in the Mormon hub of Utah, but many of his designs have gone viral for poking fun at some of the church's more homophobic doctrines, as well as putting a queer twist on traditional Americana. His brand “Church of Martin,” co-founded by Charles Robertson, sells T-shirts that feature slogans like “Currently Struggling With Same-Sex Attraction,” — a reference to the church’s preferred euphemism for homosexuality —“I Love My Mormon Boy,” and “Love One Another” with a vintage image of two women kissing.In the company’s Pride collection, another T-shirt features an illustration of two boy scouts kissing, with the slogan “Gay Scouts of America” under it — a reference to past anti-LGBTQ+ member policies of Scouting America that have