WOW: Mormons Throw Support behind Gay Rights Cause

http://www.omaha.com/article/20091111/AP03/311119802/-1/LIVING

(AP) - It looked like a stunning reversal: the same church that helped defeat gay marriage in California standing with gay-rights activists on an anti-discrimination law in its own backyard.

On Tuesday night, after a series of clandestine meetings between local gay-rights backers and Mormons in Salt Lake City, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced it would support proposed city laws that would prohibit discrimination against gays in housing and employment.

The ordinances passed and history was made: It marked the first time the Salt Lake City-based church had supported gay-rights legislation.

The Mormon church - which continues to suffer a backlash over its support last year of Proposition 8, the measure banning gay marriage in California - emphasized that its latest position in no way contradicts its teachings on homosexuality.

AdvertisingBut the action is one of the strongest signs yet that even conservative religious groups that oppose same-sex marriage might be willing to support legal protections for gays that fall short of that.

At the same time, the church's position has angered some of its conservative allies on social issues, prompted questions about whether public relations is its real motivation, and put the church on the spot over how far it will go on similar legislation on the state and federal level.

"This is a very good public relations response that has the additional benefit of actually representing the way the current church leadership thinks," said Armand Mauss, a retired professor at Washington State University and scholar of Mormonism.

Some of the church's conservative allies in the gay marriage battles, however, call it a setback. The two new ordinances make it illegal to fire or evict someone for being gay, bisexual or transgender.

Such legislation robs employers and landlords of their rights and gives legal ammunition to judges sympathetic to gay marriage, said Peter Sprigg, senior fellow for policy studies at the conservative Family Research Council.

"It's disappointing and I'm fearful that it reflects in part a reaction to the attacks they came under after Proposition 8 - an effort to bend over backwards to exhibit tolerance toward homosexuals in some way," Sprigg said.

Michael Otterson, director of public affairs for the Mormon church, said Wednesday that church leaders were able to support the ordinance because it doesn't carve out special rights for gays.

Supporting "basic civil values," Otterson said, does not compromise the church's religious belief that homosexuality is a sin and that same-sex marriage poses a threat to traditional marriage.

"There are going to be gay advocates who don't think we've gone nearly far enough, and people very conservative who think we've gone too far," Otterson said. "The vast majority of people are between those polar extremes and we think that's going to resonate with people on the basis of fair-mindedness."

The position is not a reversal, Otterson said. In August 2008 the church issued a statement saying it supports gay rights related to hospitalization, medical care, employment, housing or probate as long as they "do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family or the constitutional rights of churches."

Church officials say the city ordinances were not discussed in the recent meetings between church staff and gay rights leaders, and that it was the mayor who put the proposals on the table.

Harry Knox, director of the religion and faith program at the gay-rights group Human Rights Campaign, said the Mormon church's stand on the Salt Lake City ordinances could help alter the debate over gay rights.

"The church deserves credit, but that credit really comes because people have been pushing for it," Knox said. "It's not something thing they arrived at on their own and out of the goodness of their hearts."

The church's action is the latest sign of a softening among some conservative Christians toward offering some legal protections to gays.

Activists are trying to garner support from evangelicals for a federal employment anti-discrimination law that would cover gays. However, religious reaction was largely negative to a federal hate crimes act protecting homosexuals that President Barack Obama recently signed into law. Several conservative Christian groups argued that preaching against homosexuality could be deemed a hate crime under the legislation.

The Mormon church has not taken a stance on either piece of federal legislation.

Otterson, the church spokesman, said that in the case of the Salt Lake City ordinances, Mormon leaders weighed in because they were responding to a request for feedback on specific legislation.

Asked whether the church would take a stand on similar state or federal legislation, Otterson said: "The church leadership is not inclined to offer free advice where it's not being requested."

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Not quite sure how to read this... probably just a PR move, but maybe anything is better then nothing at this point. Anyway.. it will be interesting to see how much the church continues to oppose same-sex marriage going forward.

They (as in the church itself) are very fickle on social issues like this. In fact, it seems they often just go with whatever is in vogue at the time.

I know I, for one, want the Mormons destroyed and their temples sown with salt, after what they did in California.

This tiny peace-offering isn't enough to change my mind, though.

With the Mormon's I can't quite tell if those in power truly feel that they might have stepped over the line with Prop 8, or if they have some ulterior motive. I'm sure most here would vote for the latter.. but I really don't know enough about the Religion and it's internal politics to have an opinion quite yet.

Mormons don't hate gays as a matter of faith, but they do have *extreme* religious beliefs about marriage.

Example one: A mormon marriage without sacred temple rituals isn't counted as a "real" marriage.
Example two: There's no "until death do you part" in Mormon marriages, it's for "time and eternity".
Example three: If you can't procreate in a marriage while living, you probably won't be able to do it in the afterlife, and that kind of mucks up the whole system of humans becoming gods with spirit children of their own.

hate gays. They are really screwed up by their faith. Marie Osmond is a Mormon with a gay daughter and did not disown her kid. I think if many more were confronted with the issue being in their families they would wake up and realize the faith they grew up with messed with their heads.

spilling his or her blood. So, the church who would historically agree with a daddy blowing away his gay son because he had 'sinned' by loving another of the same gender is just insane and posturing as always.

They should thank Scientology on bent knees for providing the public eye the diversion of a cult even more wacko then they are. I was in a Special Forces unit in the Utah National Guard.

And I've been to the Sun gay bar in Salt Lake City. The place is full of cute gay boys.

And this is in a city with more women then men, go figure.

Rather like a country club that excessively brags about the fact that they let black people use the same bathroom as white people. It lets them preen and slap each other on the back and go to sleep feeling like Compassionate Heroes of the Universe...and it lets them continue to oppose gay equality in THE most vital way without feeling too much guilt.

Incidentally, it also helps Mitt Romney claim to be "moderate" compared to some of his 2012 primary competitors. How...convenient.

I hadn't thought about that, but it makes a lot of sense.

I just think they have a clear and fucked up view of what constitutes having "teh gay" infringe on their lives, and as long as "teh gay" stays off their lawn, in a manner of speaking, they're fine. Like I said though, that baseline view is what's fucked up.

That said, this is somewhat consistent with how most modernized religions tend to view things - benevolence and mercy, just stay the fuck away from us if you're not like us or won't convert to be like us, with varying views on where the property line is.

protests against this group of people, i'll be happy. Catholics, Christians & Muslims for the most part aren't much better.. no organized religion seems to "embrace" GLBT's - but the Mormons seemed hell bent on going out of their way to finance an opposition. That is my biggest problem with them.. so if the were to stop that, I'd actually be content. Money being used by a Religion to oppress people.. ahh, the height of hypocricy!

Just like their mission to the "little brown and black children" - they still consider them - "those people" of the LOWEST sort.

It's the same "love the sinner" crap - always remember they consider us SINNERS first and ONLY, not "human" deserving EQUAL treatment like them!!!

FUCK THE FUCKING MORMAN CHURCH AND THEIR SUPPORTERS!!!

evidently a bug in the system...

bottom line. Add that to the LDS history of racism, and that they were openly racist deep into the 70's, and add that the racism was almost forgotten when they started in on GLBT people, and now it is remembered well, and cited to their door knocking youth. They have a curse that black people are supposed to carry, they have verses they use to trash this group and that group. The truth is out about them and now they are attempting to spin themselves back into the mainstream for Mitt's sake. It will not work. Mitt was in his 30's when LDS was still openly discriminatory toward black people. This is now a known thing, and the current activities of the LDS make it clear that such thinking has not yet left that organization, more political than religious.
They need money and they are not making as much post Prop 8. That is the whole of it. Stocks are down, real estate is way down in the areas where LDS owns much. Net LDS worth, down. So they have to do something about the image of hate.

...he was on his way to 'training sessions', to be taught that gay-ness is a lifestyle choice and how to help gay people understand that they will not always feel 'this way' and their feelings and same sexual attractions are learned and can be unlearned with the right type of counselling. :banghead:

Mormon parents and other family members of gay kids had been pressured to either go along with their churches hate policy or go against it and continue to love and accept their child. The second option invariably lead to resentment agains church rule and authority and loss of tithing money. The new softer approach is certainly in part to re-establish those lost funds. Who ever said "follow the money" was dead on.

however, imho, it has more to do with the anti-prop 8 movement exposing the Mormon funding of prop 8 than anything else.

See, when liberals fight back, change happens.

x(

Uh huh.