Gay Mormons Say "Please Stop The Hate"

[Shana A]

Gay Mormons Say "Please Stop The Hate"
Filed by: Serena Freewomyn
November 17, 2008 10:00 AM

http://www.bilerico.com/2008/11/gay_mormons_say_please_stop_the_hate.php

The past two weeks have been very difficult for me. I've been emotionally hurt by two communities that mean a lot to me - the Mormon Church, and the LGBTQ community. I never thought I would have to out myself as a gay Mormon. And I never thought that I would ever feel ashamed of the LGBTQ community. But so much anger and hate speech has been directed towards Mormons from the queer community that I can't stay quiet any more.

I attended the national protest against Prop 8 on Saturday, along with my partner and some of my chosen family. That's us in the photo. I was really nervous about going, because I knew there would probably be a lot of people with anti-Mormon signs. That's why I decided to out myself at the march and here on TBP as a gay Mormon. Since I was inspired by Keith Olbermann last week, I just want to say that I'm Pro-Love.

[Sheila]

It's too bad that there are people who do get into the middle of this. I feel sorry for them. I don't like the idea of someone who will mock peoples ideas, in anything that they believe in. We do need to grow up here. The same goes for the churches who will mock people of different faiths and beliefs, like they did in Prop 8. We need to protest the church but not to mock the way they believe. It is their right and they should know that it is our right to have Equality. I don't believe in church and I will say the same, "Please Stop the Hate".

[tekla]

With contempt and malice did they raise money from outside the state to affect a decision made by OUR supreme court.  Why the heck can't I mock them?

Golden plates?  Special glasses?  Plural Marriage often qualifying as both child molesting and welfare fraud. The angel Moroni?  Come on now.

[Arch]

From the article: "While it's true that most Mormons have polygamists only two or three generations back in our family tree, the Mormon Church today does not endorse the practice of polygamy."

That's because the church is hypocritical. One of my biggest objections to the LDS church is that it DID stop officially practicing polygamy. If polygamy is part of your doctrine, then you should bloody well practice it, and to hell with everybody else. (Of course, their brand of polygamy was completely sexist and extremely offensive, but a lot of America was like that back in the nineteenth century.)

However, I don't single out the Mormons. I have objections to a wide variety of other religions, too.

[tekla]

Yeah, but other religions didn't meddle in the Federal Process, as the CoJCLDS did.  Fie on them.

[Kaweah]

We need to protest the church but not to mock the way they believe.

Mocking aspects of their faith may make us feel good, but it doesn't accomplish anything else.  And as Serena mentioned in her article, it hurts people who might be part of our community, whether LGBT or allies..... and we definitely should be making allies, not pushing them away.