LDS group petitions to church

Former and current members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered Wednesday at the This is the Place Monument to once again stake a claim—only this time they did so on behalf of members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community who have been alienated from the LDS Church and Mormon culture.

“I know that President (Gordon B.) Hinckley has said that there is a place in the Mormon Church for our gay children and that the church loves our children and welcomes them, but that is hard for us to feel and see,” said Millie Watts, a member of a group supporting current and former gay members of the LDS Church and called Foundation for Reconciliation. Watts said her gay children were ostracized from the LDS Church.

Millie spoke alongside her husband, Gary Watts, to supporters as part of an event that was designed to open a dialogue between LDS Church leaders and members of the gay community. Participants trekked from the monument to the LDS Church office building downtown behind a handcart laden with white flowers, symbolizing the deaths caused by suicide of gay members of the LDS Church, and a trunk containing books on the experiences of gay members and statistics sheets that tallied the amount that these individuals contributed to the LDS Church in tithing paid and home-teaching hours logged.

“We aren’t asking the church to change any of their beliefs, we’re asking them to be less rejecting,” said Peter Danzig, communications director for the Foundation for Reconciliation.

Members of the U’s LGBT community expressed general support for Wednesday’s event, arguing that ignorance continues to place a strain on relations between the LGBT and Mormon communities.

“It’s not just that they don’t know, it’s that they don’t want to know,” said Bri Blanchard, a transgender junior in gender studies, referring to issues relevant to the LGBT community.

Before arriving at the church office building for a prearranged meeting with a church representative, the procession stopped at City Creek Park, where activists spoke about the need to reach out to gay LGBT members of the LDS Church in order to prevent future suicides. Speakers said Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of the passage of Proposition 8 in California, which overturned the state’s prior approval of gay marriage. They emphasized the sense of loneliness and rejection it created among gays and said these feelings often lead to suicide.

Kate Kelly, a bisexual junior in film studies, said she believes there are many members of the LDS Church who are on the fence with respect to LGBT issues and who could help the gay community if they would be more open about their feelings.

“(Their) silence is hurting us, and their inability to even listen is hurting everybody,” Kelly said.

At the monument, Watts read comments posted in response to an LGBT-related article on the Deseret News website to illustrate the severity of anti-gay rhetoric among individuals whom she identified as members of the LDS Church. One comment advocated throwing stones at gay activists and escalating the violence if the activists were not deterred quickly enough.

“Now, I just can’t believe that our church leaders want people to say statements like that and make public statements like that,” Watts said. “They’re inaccurate, and they’re hurtful statements.”

Beyond their efforts to raise awareness of LGBT issues among LDS Church leaders, attendees used the occasion to share their experiences with one another.

Steve Ellingson, who left the LDS Church several years after serving an LDS mission, talked about being caught in the crossfire between the LGBT and Mormon communities following the passage of Proposition 8.

“It was really kind of a feeling of betrayal because I knew that whatever the LDS Church’s stance was is what my family’s stance was going to be because they don’t dare contradict an organization that so completely envelops their lives,” Ellingson said.

c.mumford@chronicle.utah.edu
 

14 comments

Media Hound

Tue Nov 10 2009 13:02

Why is a gathering of about 12 people (as I understand the size of the gathering to be) worthy of coverage by all of the mainstream media in Utah? Maybe I can get 12 of my friends together to do some bull crap protest (about guns, drugs, or some issue the liberal media will love) and we can get on T.V. too.

Jeff

Sun Nov 8 2009 01:47

It is hard to kick against the pricks. Truly, even the elect of God are being deceived.

Billy

Sat Nov 7 2009 10:59

Say No, you are making an assumption and a very big one, that these people were excommunicated from the church. I signed that petition, and I left the church on my own accord. I am a former LDS missionary and served a succesful and honorable mission. The church didn't ask me to leave or even reprimand me, as a matter of fact when I told them I was gay and told them that I wanted to remove my name, they asked me to reconsider. But I am happier for the fact. I learned a lot of good things and had a lot of good experiences as a member of the church, but it's no longer for me. And while I signed the petiition because there are others out there that still want membership in the church but have had the families turn their backs on them due to teachings of the church (not teachings of the Gospel, which are two different things entirely), I do not care what the church thinks about me and my husband and our family. My relationship is with God and no one can tell me how to have that or tell Him how it should be. It's man that tells us how God will and should act towards us. I put my faith and trust in God, and no man or religion will tell me how God looks and acts. And by the way, my spirituality is real and think it's rather audacious to try and say these people have fake spirituality.

Your name

Fri Nov 6 2009 11:35

to absolutely,

your Mark E. Peterson quote needs a source. Frankly, you are misunderstanding. It was sin of Cain, but the book of mormon clearly teaches that the Lord is merciful to all. You need to read that to get the LDS perspective. Still, incomparable. It will never happen.

mesaman

Thu Nov 5 2009 21:15

In the Maine defeat of same sex marriage a black minister was quoted as saying his denomination put $1.5 million into the defeat. His motive was to maintain the sanctity of marriage between a male and a female. When is the LGBT group preparing to boycott, protest march, have a candlelight vigil, or rock concert to chastise religion's interfering with their alleged rights?

Absolutely comparable

Thu Nov 5 2009 16:45

Ummm, Albert?... On February 13, 1849, in response to the question "What chance is there for the redemption of the Negro?" Brigham Young is noted as having responded, "The Lord had cursed Cain's seed with blackness and prohibited them the Priesthood." Why a curse? The sin of murder. This line of thinking was repeated many times, by many elders, and is supported in numerous LDS church documents for decades. And it wasn't just priesthood that was denied: marriage, and even full rights in the afterlife. In 1954, Apostle Mark E. Petersen told BYU students: "If that Negro is faithful all his days, he can and will enter the celestial kingdom. He will go there as a servant, but he will get a celestial resurrection." By revelation, all restrictions were lifted on June 8, 1978, and members were instructed to make a "rereading" of previous discussion in light of this new equality. So, ahem... "sin" isn't always "sin," and praise be to revelation.

Albert K. Alberts

Thu Nov 5 2009 16:31

Two COMPLETELY different scenarios. Not comparable in the slightest. It was never a sin to be black. The LDS teaching on God's plan makes it clear that practicing homosexuals will never be granted faithful membership. Always has been, always will be incompatible with God's plan, according to LDS teaching.

Say No

Thu Nov 5 2009 15:08

It is the actions of the offenders who are engaged in wicked practices, who have ostracized themselves from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I think these people knew perfectly well the commandments of the LDS Church, and knew what would happen if they decided to break them. It is not the church's fault that they got excommunicated, they are the people who decided to engage in whoredoms. It is like listening to prisoners at the Utah State Prison complain about being in prison for theft, rape, murder, etc. I ask you, are there not consequences for one's actions? Additionally, the LDS Church still allows those who engage in whoredoms to attend church, but not take the sacrament. However, there are some forms of religious participation, such as temple attendance and giving talks & public prayers in church that they are not eligible to do, until they fully repent and are cleared by a Bishop, Stake President, etc. You see the comments of these protestors show that they think they can do whatever they want, with no consequences for their actions. You know, what if we let all prisoners free from all Local, State & Federal prisons, because we wouldn't want to "ostracize" them from society. I hope you can all see how crazy these protestors, who are faking spirituality, really are! I think their arguments simply will never hold up to the truth. FYI, it is disturbing that the headline of the article stated "LDS group", they are not "LDS" people in good standing, they are mostly excommunicated former members of the LDS church and their supporters.

Never say never

Thu Nov 5 2009 14:40

Can't say "never," Albert--there was a time, not so long ago, when blacks were seen as lesser and forbidden to serve in the priesthood, but finally, a revelation cleared that up. There may yet be a revelation about gays and lesbians. Activities such as this may help open up an elder to receive one.

Albert K. Alberts

Thu Nov 5 2009 12:46

Vince, without a doubt you have posten the most ignorant, childish, and borderline ridiculous comment on these boards since I have been around. Not even worth a response. I am sorry, but I refuse to deal with people who whine excessively, especially when they choose to remain uneducated.

I appreciate what these protesters did, and are doing. I appreciate the comment about how they are not trying to get the LDS to change, but are trying to come to an agreement. This is a lot more productive than those who cry, whine, complain, and talk about how evil the LDS church is *cough* Douglas Jennings *cough*.

These people actually have a chance to make a difference here. Will the LDS church ever allow practicing homosexuals to be faithful members? Nope, but they can hopefully be better at loving their neighbors.

Mr. Anonymous

Thu Nov 5 2009 12:26

People enjoy the right of free expression in this country, so if people who are members of the LDS church want to petition their church, they can do so. In fact, people who are former members have the same right, as do people who have NEVER been a member of that church. But the church has no responsibility to listen to them, or to make any changes whatsoever. It's the difference between a church being a "church of God" or a "church of men." If you are a "church of God" then you do what you believe God wants you to do. If you are a "church of men" then you do whatever you vote. Changing the structure of a church to allow something like gay marriage would be something you would do on a vote. There are churches that accept gay members, have gay clergy, and perform gay marriages. These people are free to join those churches. Or not. But if the LDS church is unwilling to change in this way (they are not the only ones), that would be their right.

Vince

Thu Nov 5 2009 10:36

It still amazes me how we let these supposed "benevolent" religious structures, who are supposed to instill a sense of community and bring people together in a sanctive manner, still are able to follow this type of behavior and at the cost of those around them. Especially when those around them are the people who are very close to them. When will these people open there eyes to see that there is more gain in accepting those around them and truly seeing the potential that each person has, than to stick to a selective, superficial process that does more harm?

WD

Thu Nov 5 2009 10:11

Often it seems there is a lot of misrepresentation on both sides of the issue. I had heard about the petition on the radio this morning, but not much more of it was said than that some number of members of the lesbian-gay community, many of whom were former church members had signed a petition for the church to change its stance on lesbians-gays. This failure of accurate representation was probably unintentional, and came from a desire for brevity, but it left a lot to be interpreted by the listener. this article better represents the desire for good relations between those of the LDS faith and the LGBT community in a way to show that it's not just about hurt feelings on one side or the other.

Matthew

Thu Nov 5 2009 09:34

This is a very well written article Chris. I appreciate your reporting of the activity in a favorable way. Too much can be implied by the mere mention of gay and LDS in the same sentence.

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