The Mormon Church Takes a Baby Step

The Mormon Church blinks.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Mormon church for the first time has announced its support of gay rights legislation, an endorsement that helped gain unanimous approval for Salt Lake city laws banning discrimination against gays in housing and employment.

The Utah-based church's support ahead of Tuesday night's vote came despite its steadfast opposition to gay marriage, reflected in the high-profile role it played last year in California's Proposition 8 ballot measure that barred such unions.

"The church supports these ordinances because they are fair and reasonable and do not do violence to the institution of marriage," Michael Otterson, the director of public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said.

Passage made Salt Lake City the first Utah community to prohibit bias based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Under the two new ordinances, it is illegal to fire someone from their job or evict someone from their residence because they are lesbian, bisexual, gay or transgender.

Utah lawmakers tend to quickly fall in line when the influential church makes a rare foray into legislative politics. So Tuesday's action could have broad effects in this highly conservative state where more than 80 percent of lawmakers and the governor are church members.

"What happened here tonight I do believe is a historic event," said Brandie Balken, director of the gay rights advocacy group Equality Utah. "I think it establishes that we can stand together on common ground that we don't have to agree on everything, but there are lot of things that we can work on and be allies."

So, this is better.

A few months ago, I wrote a series of blogs at Http://www.marmel.com, asking - hoping - for Hollywood to boycott Sundance.  (http://marmel.com/2009/08/utah-says-its-okay-to-discriminate-against-gays-its-time-to-boycott-sundance/ if you are curious.)

I don't know where you stand on gay marriage, but the idea that people could be discriminated against at work - simply FIRED for being gay, as was legal in Utah and had happened in Utah... this was something I found untenable.

That Utah's lawmakers continually allowed it to happen, disgusting.

That the new Utah governor - who took over for the more progressive Jon Huntsman - defended this discrimination like the coward he was, even less acceptable. (whatever "more progressive" means in Utah, by the way)

After much hand wringing and behavior unbecoming of someone in the 21st century, the Mormon church now thinks it's wrong to discriminate against gays in the work place, or when looking for housing.  Why the change of heart?  

Probably two reasons:  One, they realize that in the other 49 states, they're just as likely to face discrimination as the people they don't like... so perhaps the pot and kettle should start getting along.

Two, public relation disasters like this, from the Colbert Report (sorry for the link - I'm new here... still trying to figure out how to embed HULU clips):

http://www.hulu.com/watch/106615/the-colbert-report-nailed-em---mormon-church-trespassing

I'd love to say this Church saw the light, and had a change of heart.  But then again, I don't care.  If this gets Utah to stop treating gays like second class citizens in the work place or when they're trying to find a place to live - if this bill passes, then I bear no ill-will toward the state of Utah itself.  Their government, and their state, no longer bear the brunt of my indignation on this issue, and I will get off my "Boycott Sundance" horse.  

I'll go back to doing what's easier:  Seething at individuals.  Railing at an entire church is exhausting, and feels like punching a wall.

For the gay community, there are probably decades of work to be done, and damage to be reversed.  Generations have been soiled with the idea that homosexuals are second-class citizens.  The discrimination will more than likely still happen and people will have to be vigilant.  It will more than likely fall to younger people than I to populate that state with kinder, less xenophobic souls. 

The national and regional debate on gay marriage is hardly over.

But because you need to reward good behavior, hurrah for the Mormon Church for this.  They have now left the middle ages and are living in the 1950s.  It's a baby step, but at least it's a step in the right direction.

We'll see what happens Tuesday night.

 

Follow Steve Marmel on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Marmel

Comments

[Jlong]

I don't believe this was a sincere endorsement. It smells like a public relations ploy. I know many people who belong to LDS, and they are good people. But as is the case with most religions, the institution is much worse than the people.

[NeoConsAreFinished]

Take away religions tax exempt status.

[LadySpyke]

I really don't see this as a "baby step." More like a maneuver to make them seem somehow less homophobic.

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

Exactly
SLC has become one aera of Utah with the least Mormon control, and the ENDA bill very likely would have passed if LDS did nothing.
The elder just jumped on a bandwagon that was almost across the finish line.

[jsgaetano]

So I guess that means Mormons will have to be satisfied with exporting their hate out of state.

[JackNasty]

Reasonable people might expect this crumb the Mormon Church has tossed to gay folks to figure largely in its defense in a California lawsuit.

In one of the lawsuits in California over Ballot Measure 8, Federal Judge Vaughn Walker has ordered the sponsors of the measure to make public e-mail messages, messaging and memos that discussed campaign strategy. Plaintiffs in the federal civil rights suit maintain that Measure 8 was intended to deprive a gay Californians of their civil rights, (The Supreme Court outlawed in Romer v. Evans in 1996, overturning a Colorado anti-gay ballot measure.) The court is asking supporters of Measure 8, a group that includes the Mormon Church, to prove they did not organize the campaign for Measure 8 to deny civil rights to gay couples in California.

The Mormon Church's endorsement of the Salt Lake City ordinance is real progress, however small the increment and whatever the reason for it. Still, the comment the Mormon Church tacked onto the end of their endorsement about doing violence to marriage was decidedly malicious. The malice expressed there is evidence that more to come. This gift horse deserves closer scrutiny..

[Steve Marmel - Huffpost Blogger]

Dont get me wrong.

There's definitely "Yeah, what's this about" in my opinion on this.

But if this law passes, it's still a good thing and if all you do is complain about the bad, you're not giving yourself the opportunity to appreciate the good.

Hi, it's Sunday. And I'm Pollyanna.

[JackNasty]

The ordinance was passed by the Salt Lake City Council on November 11. It would have been passed without the Mormon Church's support, which was offered only moments before the vote.

The Mormons Church has spent millions on anti-gay political campaigns across the west over the past two decades. The Mormon Church promoted torture using pornography and electric shock in failed attempts to change the sexual orientation of gay men. The Mormon Church even published a pamphlet titled "To Young Men Only" by Boyd K. Packer which proclaims the virtue of beating up a gay men who shows any sexual interest. Given this church's history, this all too small step deserves skepticism.

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

LDS will eat a Pollyanna for lunch.
They have unlimited funds, follow orders like the Jonestown cultists, and attack secretly.

Ask anyone in Hawaii, California, or Maine.
If you want to hear what Mormons are really like, ask a Non Mormon Utah resident, they don't wear well in constant close proximity.

[pascaljim]

Wow! ...The gays... sorta ...maybe..­......almo­st equal.........

[jsgaetano]

But only if they live in Utah.

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

I loved Utah 45 years ago, grandparents, great grandparents, uncles, aunts and more than a dozen cousins, all my Mother's family, and all LDS. I visited there for 30 years.
I won't ever return there.
I won't buy a thing made there.
i don't want Sundance there.
I really don't want GLAAD hosting a Queer Lounge there.
I don't want any stars going there
i won't buy the products of any company sponsoring Queer Lounge.

The residents of Utah (Mormon and non Mormon) can deal with the elders of LDS, I want ZERO contact with them. I suspect LDS funded both the opposition to Maine and WA state, and made this minor concession in SLC, because they know their donations will soon come to light.