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A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 30 april 2019

BYU student comes out as gay in valedictorian speech

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST ed online sparked acco-
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A lades from Chenoweth,
student who came out as who tweeted her love and
gay during a valedictorian support as a straight Chris-
speech at Mormon-owned tian woman and Chasten
Brigham Young University Buttigieg, who responded
has drawn praise from fel- with "Bravo!"
low students and notable The church has a doctri-
figures such as Kristin Che- nal opposition to same-sex
noweth and the husband marriage and intimacy,
of Democratic presidential though the faith has gradu-
candidate Pete Buttigieg. ally adopted a more com-
Matt Easton, 24, said Mon- passionate stance. It said
day he hopes his decision in 2016 that homosexuality
helps ease loneliness felt itself is not a sin, and LGBTQ
by other LGBTQ students members have a valued
at the institution where an place.
honor code forbids dating This month, the church re-
among members of the Matt Easton poses for a photograph as he sits in a park Monday, April 29, 2019, in Cottonwood versed policies banning
same sex. Heights , Utah. baptisms for children of
"I hope they can know Associated Press gay parents. Advocates
they're not alone in the had called the policies de-
ways that sometimes I've said. Saints the success that LG- knew about his sexual ori- meaning and hurtful.
felt alone at BYU, to know It could also show other BTQ members can achieve, entation before Friday, At BYU, hundreds of stu-
there's support for them members of The Church of he said. when he spoke the words, dents rallied April 12, call-
and they're not broken," he Jesus Christ of Latter-day "We deserve to have our "I am proud to be a gay ing on officials to be more
voices be heard," Easton son of God" in a speech compassionate with viola-
said. pre-approved by college tions of the honor code,
The political science ma- officials. which also bans drinking
jor said only a few people Video of the speech post- and premarital sex.q

Former bank worker in Alaska

sentenced in theft of $4.3M

By DAN JOLING Valenzuela was extradited ecutors said.
Associated Press to Alaska in September. On the day of the theft, a
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) He was 26 in 2011 when Friday, he told the branch
— A daring Alaska bank he worked as a cash vault manager he was going
employee who boxed up services manager for Key- to organize an ice cream
$4.3 million in cash, rolled it Bank in Anchorage. At the social for bank custom-
to his car and flew it to Se- time of the theft, investiga- ers and would stay late to
attle was sentenced Mon- tors said, he was worried clean up.
day to 10 years in prison for that the bank was going to Late that night, without
bank theft. make his job obsolete and dual controls in place, Va-
Gerardo Valenzuela, 34, he could be terminated. lenzuela was able to enter
also known as Gary Caza- In the week before the the vault, take the cash
rez, was sentenced in fed- theft, he bought an airline and board the private
eral court after pleading ticket for his girlfriend to fly plane to Seattle, authorities
guilty in January. to Seattle and then stole said.
U.S. District Judge Timothy $30,000 from Keybank, us- He set the timer on the
Burgess gave him no cred- ing $24,000 to reserve a pri- vault lock for the maximum
it for the seven years he vate jet. time allowed, giving himself
served in a Mexico prison Bank policy called for hav- six days to escape.
after his conviction there ing dual controls over the In Seattle, he bought a
for smuggling cash, guns vault, but Valenzuela ig- car and an AK-47 rifle then
and ammunition, U.S. pros- nored the rule while train- drove with his girlfriend to
ecutors said. ing new employees, pros- Mexico.q