Mormon couple happily married despite husband being openly gay – Metro.co.uk
The honeymoon period for Nicholas and Jordan Applegate, both 23, was different from what most of us would imagine.
The Mormon couple started their married life in the knowledge that Nicholas is gay, after he admitted it to his partner after a few months of dating.
While for many heterosexual pairs this would have been a dealbreaker, Jordan and Nicholas claim they’re loving being newlyweds, with information systems student Nicholas choosing to ‘put aside’ his sexuality in order to stay committed to the church.
The couple, from Arizona, USA, insist that they have a normal and happy marriage – and are even expecting their first baby together next month.
The two childhood sweethearts met at high school and rekindled their relationship in March 2020.
By August Nicholas had proposed, and they were married three months later.
Despite knowing he was gay from the age of 12, however, Nicholas felt afraid to tell Jordan right away.
Because, in the Church of the Latter Day Saints, dating doesn’t begin until people are older (and sex before marriage is not allowed) his sexuality was easily hidden. That is, until he decided to marry a woman.
Nicholas said: ‘I was really nervous and I didn’t know how Jordan was going to take it.
‘She was definitely shocked and wasn’t anticipating it but I wanted to make sure that Jordan knew the situation before we went further emotionally.
‘After I told her, I asked her to go away and process it on her own rather than in front of me so she went and talked it over with her parents.
‘Then she decided that she was ok with it, because she just wanted someone who would commit to her.’
Jordan added: ‘Neither of us knew exactly how things would work.
‘I remember feeling lost and trying to find any stories of others in our similar situation but we knew that it was right to get married, despite our opposing sexual orientations.’
For Nicholas, it was his participation in the church that influenced his decision to suppress his sexuality. The church believes that being gay is not a sin, but acting on it is, and those who don’t follow the principles aren’t able to be part of certain rituals or have certain responsibilities.
Nicholas wrote a post on Facebook about his life, which read in part: ‘I am not denying my true self by living the tenets of the Church. I would be denying my true self by not living the gospel and leaving the Church to live a gay lifestyle…
‘I always understood that if I chose to either live a celibate or a heterosexual life, my standing within the Church would never be in question.
‘I decided essentially as soon as I realized I was gay that I would follow the law of chastity and not engage in a relationship with a man.’
Whatever we may believe about the family’s situation, it does appear to work for them.
Software company worker Jordan said: ‘My life has never been better than it has been married to Nick.
‘He is the sweetest man I have ever known, loves me unconditionally, and is the best partner I could have asked for.’
With their first baby due in October, the couple also plan to have more afterwards.
‘We’re both really happy and I wouldn’t change my decision,’ said Nicholas.
‘It’s definitely a happy and normal marriage. We have a lot in common, we both love music, we love to sing, watch TV together, go to the movies and go out to eat.
‘We communicate very well so it’s a very intimate and emotional relationship.’
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