Challenging Mormons to Dispel Perceptions of Strong Anti-Gay Bias

[tudor586]

Since the Deseret News is very close to the LDS Church I'd be surprised if they printed this letter.

To the Editor of the Deseret News:

As a longtime Massachusetts gay activist, I find the calls for a boycott of Utah to express outrage over the Latter Day Saints’ role in passing California’s Proposition 8 to be counterproductive. Current talk of a boycott is isolated and premature, and by no means likely to draw the support of our community and our liberal allies. We are crying out in pain and anger. Yet the Anti-Violence Project of Massachusetts joins the LDS Church in a call for civility and mutual respect in the public debate now underway.

I appeal to my fellow Christians of Mormon faith, who have known persecution themselves, to reach out to the LGBT community so as to dispel widespread perceptions of an institutional anti-gay bias. Although such perceptions are disputed, please try to understand our feelings and help us to move beyond them. We are aware that most LDS public officials have opposed legal protections against hate crimes and discrimination based on sexual orientation. Our views have been shaped by the rejection gay Mormons have experienced from their co-religionists, depicted in the popular film Latter Days. And though it would be wrong to overgeneralize, we cannot forget that Matthew Shephard’s killers were Mormon boys at the time of the 1998 murder. (They were subsequently excommunicated.)

I urge citizens of Utah to take steps to demonstrate that, whatever their beliefs about homosexuality, they support civil rights for all Americans. Pass a sexual-orientation-inclusive hate crimes law or launch an anti-prejudice awareness campaign. I recognize that in the current climate it may be difficult to find common ground with a people lashing out in anger. But as a Christian of the Episcopal persuasion, I know the power of a meaningful demonstration of love and understanding for gay and lesbian Americans, without regard to judgments based on the Levitical Holiness Code. We are the Samaritans of the 21st century and your neighbors.

Don Gorton
Chairperson, the Anti-Violence Project of Massachusetts

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

1. Ya, how's that working out for ya????

[tudor586]

5. I'd say it's a long shot. What about you?

But you gotta believe Churchill was right when he said "we will fight them on the beaches ... Never surrender!" The objective is to introduce cognitive dissonance into their smug self-perceptions. It's a proven prejudice reduction technique, though I doubt it would work on folks who'd been brainwashed.

[kestrel91316]

2. Matthew Shephard’s killers were Mormon? I missed this somehow

at the time. But I'm not the least bit surprised.

[tudor586]

7. Google "Matthew Shepard Killer Mormon"

Or visit this website: http://www.ldsfilm.com/chars/lds_chars3.html

[Faygo Kid]

3. It's a nice try, and a good letter. But it is DOA - gay-bashing is the new Rethug strategery.

I have lost any remaining respect for the LDS.

[liberalmuse]

4. Eldride Cleaver had a meeting with the Mormon 'prophet'...

in the early '80's. The next thing we knew, blacks could hold the priesthood. I believe that it is possible, with enough political pressure, to change the minds of the Mormon hierarchy. I do think that one day, the Mormon church prophet might receive a 'revelation' from god telling him not to discriminate against gays.

[Jamastiene]

6. I can predict what will happen.

Some recent ex-Mormon or completely unorthodox Mormon will write in and swear up and down there is no hate at all toward gay people in the Mormon community.

Why do I say this, you ask? Because I live in the Bible Belt. When someone tries to point out the hate here, there is always that tiny non-hate-monger Christian minority around here that actually writes in. The vast vast majority around here are the right wing hate mongers. Then there is a small tiny percentage of Christians in my area who do not hate people. Thing is, they hardly ever speak up until someone goes off on Christianity in general. And it is hard to find them to try to form a coalition because they don't always even go to church (because they disagree with preaching the politics of hate from the pulpit) or they don't always go to the same church.

God, it's all so frustrating.

[mitchtv]

9. so would a nice statewide boycott

Move Sundance

[Jamastiene]

16. Directly asking them to move Sundance as their own decision would be best.

In other words, find a way to appeal to them to please move it in support of our efforts and they will see it as a chance for more publicity if they do partake in the boycott if nothing else. We don't care about their motives, but we can certainly play on those motives to get what we want. It would be more like a business deal, but it just might work.

[msongs]

8. "perception" of strong anti-gay bias? this post is toooo funny for words nt

[mitchtv]

10. Down Deep they're good people

Deep as in Marianas trench

[trickyguy]

11. Please cut the shit with your dialogue. Christians of Mormon faith is an aximoron.

And besides, when is the Mormon Church going to stop considering gay people as "abominations".

I've had Mormon missionairies tell me that to my face right on my door step.

This is total, unacceptable bull-shit and until they change their basic attitude it does

no good to talk about gay civil rights. They could care less.

[QC]

12. That is true--Mormonism is not Christian under any reasonable definition.

Polytheism pretty much knocks one out of the Christian category, to say nothing of the business about people becoming Gods and ruling their own planets and birthing spirit children, Jesus and Satan being brothers, etc.

I strongly suspect that one benefit for the Mormons of being involved in Prop 8 is that it gives them an opportunity to present themselves as more or less mainstream Christians, not some weird science fiction and free love cult.

[bluedawg12]

14. Your right that makes sense - it gives them cover

and a chahce to joing the mainstream Xtians in a cause.

What cuase: Mittens in 2012?????? Hey I just figured it out. This is about Mittens.

[QC]

15. They have been doing the respectable, squeaky clean, All American thing for years.

They are very aware of how the larger community views them, which is why they get so self-conscious about things like polygamy.

[QC]

13. Since we are piling on the Mormons:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiUwkws3NPk