Mormon church issues statement in support of gay-rights ordinances

[FreeState]

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=8624086

Mormon church issues statement in support of gay-rights ordinances
November 10th, 2009 @ 7:15pm

SALT LAKE CITY -- At Tuesday night's Salt Lake City Council meeting, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement showing it's support of the city's proposed non-discrimination regulations.

The statement by the LDS Church reflects a position stated by the high-ranking church authorities more than a year ago.

"We are not anti-gay, we are pro-marriage between a man and a woman. And there's a huge difference between those two points," Elder L. Whitney Clayton, of the Presidency of the Quorum of the Seventy told KSL News.

That statement was widely circulated by gay rights advocates who were attempting to persuade the Utah Legislature to pass a series of bills strengthening legal protections for same sex couples. Those bills were not passed into law.

LDS Church's position on gay rights

That Church's position was emphasized in a statement released by the Church at that same time.

"Allegations of bigotry or persecution made against the Church were and are simply wrong. The Church's opposition to same-sex marriage neither constitutes nor condones any kind of hostility toward gays and lesbians. Even more, the Church does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights, so long as these do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family or the constitutional rights of churches."

Several days later, Equality Utah responded to the LDS Church's statement on same-sex rights, calling on Utah state leaders to pass legislation protecting same-sex benefits.

"Setting aside the marriage issue for now, there is so much in that space that is short of marriage that we need to talk about," said Utah Sen. Scott McCoy, "and we're saying, ‘Let's talk about it.'"

Salt Lake City's proposed ordinances

Tuesday's statement to the city council comes in response to public comment on two proposed anti-discrimination ordinances that would enact two new chapters in the Salt Lake City Code.


Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker speaking in July about a discrimination report.
The ordinances, one dealing with employment, the other with housing, stem from a report released in July by Mayor Becker and the City's Human Rights Commission, which found a number of discrimination cases throughout Salt Lake.

At his press conference, Becker called for a non-discrimination ordinance and a system for collecting and addressing discrimination claims.

The first ordinance would make discrimination unlawful against any person because of his/her sexual orientation or gender identity in seeking a job, working or training for a job.

The second would make unlawful discrimination against any person because of that his/her sexual orientation or gender identity in seeking to rent or buy a place to live or to use real-estate services to find a home to rent or buy.

The proposed ordinances also include procedures for reconciling discrimination complaints. They contain exemptions for some businesses and organizations, and contain civil fines for individuals, businesses or organizations found to have discriminated against a person.

[Jamastiene]

1. Wow, that's actually shocking.

Good news, but still a shock.

[paulsby]

2. i have a few mormon friends

and i have never met any mormon who is for marriage equality (i realize they exist). i wonder if they would support this ordinance.

[FreeState]

3. Public Relations - that's all this is to them

There is a Movie coming out about the Church's involvement in Prop 8 - they know they have a HUGE image problem.

[paulsby]

4. i'm not quite this cynical

like i said, i have a # of mormon friends, i have never heard them say anything remotely mean or hateful towards gays, or anybody for that matter. but on the matter of marriage, there is simply no give with them.

i would not be surprised if they supported this ordinance, i just don't KNOW until i ask them.

[FreeState]

5. Up until a year ago I was Mormon

So I guess I'm speaking out of my own experiance growing up gay in the Church.

Here is the press release from the makers of the movie thats coming out:

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: STEVEN GREENSTREET [phone]

[email protected]

MORMON CHURCH LEADERS BEND UNDER SCRUTINY BROUGHT ON BY 8: THE MORMON PROPOSITION. IS THIS ANOTHER MORMON P.R. STUNT?

On November 10, 2009 several highly placed people featured in the upcoming documentary film 8: THE MORMON PROPOSITION were contacted by well-placed people inside the Mormon Church in anticipation of an "historic statement against discrimination" to be made by the Mormon Church.

They were told, "Watch what we are about to do. You will be pleased."

At this hour gays and lesbians all over the world hope that the Mormon Church's announcement will not be yet another Mormon public relations smoke screen and result in action that will result in full marriage equality for the LGBT community world-wide.

Since the release of the trailer for 8: THE MORMON PROPOSITION, intense scrutiny has been focused on Mormon involvement in the passage of Proposition 8 and allegations that the Mormon Church set up the infamous NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MARRIAGE which was the key player in Maine's recent ban on gay marriage.

Sources close to those who called our cast and production team alerting us to the upcoming Mormon statement on discrimination say that Mormon Mitt Romney has recently put pressure on his own church to extend an olive branch to the gay community to try and deflate the anticipated negative press that will come from the release of 8: THE MORMON PROPOSITION that would likely damage his hope for a successful 2012 presidential bid.

Ironically (and we suspect in step with the Mormon's anticipated statement on discrimination) Mormon-owned KSL TV released an article on their web site saying "Romney appears to be front-runner in 2012 election."

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=8613293

While the 8:TMP team hopes Mormons end their game of discrimination against the LGBT community and wishes to work with people of all faith traditions to end discrimination, we would like to assert the following.

FACT: Under similar international scrutiny, Mormon leaders have in the past made similar statements regarding being against discrimination directed towards minorities & the LGBT COMMUNITY.

FACT: Gay leaders in SLC begged Mormon leaders to back up their statements on ending discrimination against the LGBT commmunity, through Mormon support for their COMMON GROUND initiative.

FACT: Despite lip service, Mormons did not get behind the COMMON GROUND INITIATIVE and in fact worked to see the initiative's defeat.

FACT: Despite lip service to people of color, the holiest book of Mormon scripture THE BOOK OF MORMON still refers to people of color as being "CURSED WITH A DARK SKIN, FILTHY AND LOATHSOME."

FACT: Despite lip service to people of color, printings of MORMON DOCTRINE by beloved Mormon Apostle Bruce R. Mcconkie, assert African Americans are "marked" for not being fully behind the plan of Jesus Christ in a pre-earth life war in Heaven.

FACT: A Mormon spokesperson told 8TMP's director "this is all about public relations and making the church look good."

In conclusion, as Mormon heavy-hitters prepare for the so-called "historic announcement" our team would encourage Mormons to put their money and their membership by doing the following:

1. Severing all Mormon ties to the NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MARRIAGE, which works to rob the LGBT COMMUNITY of their civil rights.

2. Directing an amount of money equal to Mormon money spent in California's Prop. 8 campaign to LGBT marriage equality.

3. Removing from all Mormon canonized scripture any reference to people of color as being "cursed or marked with a dark skin" or being "filthy and loathsome."

4. Ask Mormon Apostle Dallin H. Oaks to retract his recent teachings on LGBT "alleged civil rights" and affirm that LGBT rights are not "alleged" but deserved and long overdue.

Our production team and cast await the day when Mormons will work with the LGBT community not only with their words, but their money and their members to achieve FULL MARRIAGE EQUALITY. This is the only way to truly advocate for the end of discrimination against ALL PEOPLE. Anything else is lip-service.

[paulsby]

11. i'm not denying the church

may or may not be doing this for PR.

im just saying im curious as to what my mormon friends think.

apart from marriage, i've never heard them say anything disparaging towards gays, or gay rights.

[Downtown Hound]

14. I had a Mormon roommate in college

I went to Humboldt State, which is probably in the top 5 most liberal colleges in the country, and I of all people got roomed with the one Bush-loving Mormon in the whole college.

Anyways, he was very pleasant and polite, and the entire time we lived together we never had any angry words, but he was always totally stubborn on the issue of homosexuality or gay marriage. I've seen this type of attitude in other Mormons I've met. Their prejudice really does seem to stem more out of a belief system rather than deep seated hatred. I'd be curious to know what he though of this as well.

[paulsby]

15. i'll reply when i get an answer in this thread. nt

[David Zephyr]

17. The television ads that they sponsored here in California were indeed hateful as it can get.

Just because one Mormon was nice to you does not negate the travesty of hate that they funded here in California against gay families. It was so vile, so wicked that they know what they have done.

They tried to keep it all under the radar, but this time they were exposed in court and in public for running the campaign.

Which makes them all the more vile and cowardly. Nice to your face and then engaging secretly in such fear-mongering lies.

They got caught red-handed and it is all documented.

Now they want to make nice, make it all go away.

It doesn't work that way.

They were exposed as liars. They have been exposed as bigots. And they have been exposed as sneaky.

What a religion they have. Let them try to put lipstick on that pig all they can.

They should own up to what everyone knows they did and make it right.

I'm not holding my breath.

[Downtown Hound]

19. With all due respect, you can spare me the lecture

I'll have you know that on the day the California Supreme Court announced that it upheld prop 8, I sat down on the street and blockaded it along with 211 other people at the intersection of Van Ness and Grove St. in San Francisco only a block away from where the court is and got arrested for civil disobedience. I did this in spite of the fact that I am not gay, I simply care about human rights.

I am in no way defending the bigotry that the Mormon Church displayed in the passing of prop 8. I was simply attempting to understand how the bigotry works on an individual level amongst individual Mormons and where it comes from. Just because I am able to step back, look at it and analyze it with a clear head that doesn't mean that I am not passionately opposed to it or that I am excusing them for it. I agree with everything you said.

[David Zephyr]

25. There's no lecture. I just want it clear that the Mormon Church sponsored vicious TV ads here.

Downtown Hound, you wrote: "Their prejudice really does seem to stem more out of a belief system rather than deep seated hatred."

As a gay man, I respectfully disagree and strongly disagree.

I can only ask what inspired, what motivated Mormons to spend that much money (unprecedented), that much energy and passion, devote church time and property to propagate such an orchestrated and exaggerated, incendiary campaign against GLBT Californians: the only plausible answer is hate.

Those ads are their legacy. And I want to add that the Mormon Church publicly lied about the extent of their official involvement. They were deceitful and lied about how they spread their hatred.

If they'd been upfront about their hatred and bigotry and taken ownership of their campaign, that would be one thing.

The fact that they made every attempt to mask their involvement reveals an organization structured in deceit and that cares about its public perception.

And this leads me to only conclude that this move in Salt Lake City is another PR ploy as others have pointed out."

And I appreciate the fact that you went to Van Ness and Grove that day.

I just see their motivations differently than you do. I see hate. That's all I see.

[Downtown Hound]

26. Fair enough

I would never tell you what to see when you look at the Mormons. There's no question that it's hate. I guess I didn't mean to imply that there was no hate in what the Mormons did. It's just that in my experiences, it's a different type of hate. I used to live with a really racist Texan, and whenever he talked about "the n-word" you could hear the hatred in his voice. It would get deep and mean, and there was this tone of disgust in it. I've just never experienced that from the Mormons when it comes to gays. With them, it's more like they genuinely believe that gays are lost souls or something.

I guess what I meant to say wasn't that there was no hate, but that there didn't seem to be a visceral anger to them when it came to gays. I'm not saying that should make you feel better or that it excuses their actions in any way. If anything, it might even make you feel worse because of the inherent arrogant superiority complex embedded in a belief system like that. I'm the type that says if you're going to fuck me over, at least have the decency to do it straight up and respect me enough to not tell me you love me while you do it. So I can definitely see why Mormon hypocrisy on this issue burns you so much.

I totally agree with you about all of the Mormon deception in regards to the passing of prop 8. and I couldn't agree more that this is all about Mormon PR rather than an attempt to improve human rights.

[David Zephyr]

27. Pals.

Thanks. You put it perfectly. :hug:

[Downtown Hound]

28. Dig

:pals:

[TommyO]

24. Aren't their activities working against the civil rights of gay people enough?

They can be sweet as honey, but their discrimination stings.

[David Zephyr]

9. You beat me to it. That's all it is. They have so much egg on their face after Prop H8.

Cheap, face saving PR.

"Hey world, we don't hate homosexuals. Ignore all those commercials we ran in California with the nasty things we said about GLBT Americans. We Mormons are tolerant."

Cheezy P.R.

Words are cheap. Their actions and their television and radio ads raised the level of hatred and violence against my community. That is their legacy.

[EFerrari]

16. Archbishop H8er in San Francisco went out of his way

to honor a gay philanthropist with an award just before the archdiocese launched its sneak attack. I don't trust either of these organizations.

[msongs]

6. is this like "I'm not anti-mormon, I'm just against them getting married n having kids."? nt

[Toucano]

21. Very apt. n-t

[KamaAina]

7. In a completely unrelated story, a frost warning has been issued for Hell

:wow:

[Mari333]

8. fine. but.

they can still kiss my ASS!!! this is PR.


they can still kiss my ass.

its like them saying OH WE THINK BLACKS CAN DRINK OUT OF WHITE WATER FOUNTAINS BUT THEY CANNOT MARRY EACH OTHER GOD FORBID!

PR!! assholes.

[HughMoran]

10. What!?

Did I just pass into an alternate universe?

:wow:

[Downtown Hound]

12. What was that line that Martin Sheen used in Apocalypse Now...

"It was a way we had with living with ourselves over here. We'd cut 'em in half with a machine gun and give them a band-aid."

Although in this case, me thinks this has less to do with the Mormons easing their guilty consciences and everything to do with PR.

[LostInAnomie]

13. Wonder which one of their bullshit Quorum of 12 had the "vision from God"...

... to cool it on the bigotry for now.

[FreeState]

18. UPDATE: The bills passed. The rumor is Mitt Romney asked the church to do this

In order to help with his image in 1212.

[SmileyRose]

20. Oh blah blah blabity blah.

"We aren't anti gay"


Shut up liar. (Elder L. Whitney Clayton)

[TommyO]

22. If they're against marriage equality, they are most certainly anti-gay

The LDS should not have any say in the marriages of anybody who doesn't get married in the cult's churches.

[jpak]

23. Horseshit - they just spent $1.6 million to defeat gay marriage in Maine

Claiming that the gay lifestyle would be taught to 2nd graders.

Their TV campaign was on big anti-gay lie.