About this episode
Here it is! Episode 1,000 of Mormon Stories Podcast!! Today we re-interview professional dancer, choreographer, and actor Benji Schwimmer - 13-time undefeated US Open Swing Dance Champion. This episode is jam-packed with good stuff, including: 1) Benji’s professional life since winning Season 2 of So You Think You Can Dance, which includes appearing on Dancing with the Stars, dancing with Paula Abdul and Christina Aguilera, choreographing Olympic figure skaters, and appearing in the upcoming Quentin Tarantino movie entitled “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” starring Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, and Al Pacino. 2) Benji’s journey to find love, health, and happiness including very candid discussions about navigating sexuality, “masculinity,” and his struggles with heterosexism/body image issues as a gay ex-Mormon man. 3) A deeply moving story about Benji’s return to the site of his LDS mission in Oaxaca, Mexico. 4) Benji’s sharp criticism of how the Mormon church has handled LGBTQ issues since his previous Mormon Stories interview, as they continue to advocate for celibacy and mixed-orientation marriages for LGBTQ members. He also discusses the hypocrisy, deceit, and damage he has witnessed in the LDS NorthStar community, and with the spokespeople the Mormon church uses on the mormonandgay website. 5) We conclude with Benji’s current philosophy for living a healthy, happy life, including his thoughts/feelings about facing the mortality of his beloved father. Please join us for a funny, fascinating, and deeply moving interview. WARNING: Adult language and sexually explicit language - viewer/listener discretion is advised. https://www.mormonstories.org/podcast/benji-schwimmer-life-after/