Mormon Tabernacle Choir member resigns rather than sing for Trump
Mormon Tabernacle Choir member resigns rather than sing for Trump
A member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has resigned over its plan to sing at the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, and more than 22,000 people have signed a petition opposing the choir's participation. Jan Chamberlin resigned after five years with the choir, which originates from Utah, over the Jan. 20 ceremony, saying it "will appear that (the) Choir is endorsing tyranny and fascism by singing for this man."
With three weeks to go before Trump is sworn in, teen classical singer Jackie Evancho is the only celebrity to have unequivocally embraced her role in an inauguration ceremony marked by soul-searching by larger invited groups, and fan backlash. The 1960s pop group, The Beach Boys, is considering an invitation to perform but has yet to make a final decision, a spokesman for the band said on Friday.
"I simply cannot continue with the recent turn of events. I could never look myself in the face again," Chamberlin wrote in a resignation letter that she posted on Facebook on Thursday.
Some might argue the Mormon Church was founded on its own variety of tyranny, but that would be a subject for a different discussion.