For a long time, Bryce wasn’t too comfortable with the LGBTQ community, because he was a long-time member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. But slowly, over time, his discomfort with gay people began to change. In 2003, Bryce and his wife Sara received a letter from their son Trevor – he was coming out to them as gay.. Later, their son Tanner also came out as gay. The two experiences helped catapult the Cook parents into action, determined to share their experiences and help other parents, especially within the Mormon community, to better understand their children and other LGBTQ people.

“The most important thing we tell people is how important it is to emphasize unconditional love,” Bryce said. “You don’t have to worry about church teachings or doctrines. Your job as a parent is to love your child, to make sure that they are safe, emotionally protected, and well. And you do that by being accepting and loving, not by being rejecting and critical.”