Ed Smart to speak for first time about coming out at summit

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The father of Utah kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart will speak publicly for the first time since coming out as gay at a LGBTQ youth conference.
 
KUTV reported Monday that Ed Smart has been announced as a featured speaker at the third annual Encircle Summit in December in Lehi.
 
The elder Smart says that he wants to convey a message of "hope and safety in taking the step to authenticity."
 
Organizers of the Dec. 7 summit say his speech could be impactful.
 
Ed Smart revealed he was homosexual in a Facebook post in August.
 
He has frequently been in the public eye since a 14-year-old Elizabeth was taken from their Salt Lake City home in 2002.
 
She was found nine months later.
 
Father and daughter have been advocates for kidnapped children.