(CNN/RNN) - Savannah,12, decided in January that she was going to come out as lesbian at her Mormon church.
After her birthday last year she told her parents that she was a lesbian.
Heather, her mother, wasn't caught off guard - she had expected the day to come.
“I looked at her and said, ‘OK, I love you. And I’ll support you no matter what you do,'” Heather said to CNN.
The family withheld their last names and the town where they live.
After coming out to her parents, Savannah started telling her friends and extended family - but six months later, she felt it wasn't enough.
“I had a feeling like I should come out to the church,” Savannah said. “I came out to all of my family, and I just wanted to do something more.”
Her father, Josh, was anxious.
“I was mostly nervous for her and where this would take her as a 12-year-old girl,” he said.
Mormon policy welcomes gay people, and claims it's possible to be a good Mormon and be attracted to the same sex. However, church teachings require that they do not act on their same-sex attraction.
Savannah decided to speak her mind on Fast Sunday, when Mormons hold testimony meetings.
Savannah addressed the membership from the podium.
“Hi, my name is Savannah and I want to share my testimony with you," she began.
Then she revealed her sexuality.
“God loves me just this way, because he loves all his creations,” she said. “I do believe he made me this way on purpose.
“I hope to find a partner and have a great job. I hope to get married and have a family,” she said. “I know these dreams and wishes are good and right. I know I can have all of these things as a lesbian and be happy.”
Then her microphone went dead, and a congregation leader leaned over to speak to her.
“I thought it was broken at first," she said. "So, I turned around to talk to him. And then he told me to sit down.”
But as Savannah went to her seat, another church leader stood and spoke, according to CNN.
“I also want to recognize that we are all children of God, and that we are loved by our heavenly Father," he said. "And I have no doubt that Heavenly Father has made us all unique in different ways. For that, I am grateful.”
Savannah's parents are extremely proud of her.
“She has more courage than I’ve ever seen in anybody,” Heather said. “To be able to share something so personal with everybody. That made my heart soar as a parent.”
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