“I realized that BYU does not - it's against their policies and against their rules, their codes for homosexual individuals to act on those feelings, and to be in relationships,” she added. “It was hard to be on campus with that knowledge and knowing my lifestyle, but I wasn't even allowed to live that lifestyle outside of BYU for fear of other church members who would turn me in and so it was really a secret for just me and my family,” Orr said. She said switching to online classes when the COVID-19 pandemic began felt like a blessing in disguise. Orr told “GMA” she came out to her family at the time but kept her true identity hidden from others at school and in her local community.
When her name was called, Orr walked on stage and opened up her graduation gown to reveal a gay pride flag.