This short and oh-so-touching-video published by the New York Times  is the real life story of Tom Clark, who talks about falling hopelessly in love as a young, gay Mormon missionary in 1974.

Brought up in a strict Mormon family, Clark was indoctrinated with all their classic rampant homophobic beliefs that all gay men were destined for hell. Or more accurately, all homosexuals,   as he still had never even heard the word ‘gay’ yet.

As part of his Mormon rite of passage, Clark was despatched as a teenager missionary to spread the  word of the Latter Day Saints in a small town in Italy. However Instead of converting the local souls he fell in love with a handsome Italian Communist man named Gianni and they began an illicit love affair, recording much of their relationship on Super 8 film (some of which is used in this video).

Now when his Mission came to and end , torn between the teachings of his Church and the love of his life, he very reluctantly and tearfully chose the former.

This is where Clark’s story ends on the video ; so watch it now before you read on ..

 

Though Tom left Gianni in Italy, remarkably they still kept in touch over all these years and are close friends.  He returned to the US  and married a Mormon woman. but eventually came out of the closet, divorced his wife, and left the Church, He now lives in Salt Lake City with his partner,  Meanwhile Gianni still lives in Pescara, where he is an artist and cares for his elderly mother

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