Celibate Gay Members OK, Says Mormon Church, Transgender Folks Not

[Shana A]

Celibate Gay Members OK, Says Mormon Church, Transgender Folks Not
By On Top Magazine Staff
Published: November 15, 2010

http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=6875&MediaType=1&Category=26

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) has officially altered its position on celibate gay members but isn't budging on transgender folks.

In its latest iteration of the Church Handbook of Instructions, the Utah-based church strikes out language that rejected celibate gay members, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

snip

But the church's policy on transgender people is not expected to change. The Mormon Church currently forbids anyone who has altered their sex from having callings or hold a leadership position in the church.

[spacial]

With great respect to any Mormons here, I think this is the funniest thing to come out of the Mormons since one of their leaders claimed to have had a vision which permitted him to 'forgive' black people.

I'm hesitant to write this. I don't like appearing to attack the faith of others. But, seriously, the Mormons, or the leadership, are just so........ weird.

[Nero]

So gay members are okay just as long as they're not having sex. 

[Janet_Girl]

They have it wrong.  Mormons are OK, if they are celibate.

[V M]

Did someone neglect to inform them that The term gay is a reference to homosexual? Or do they still think it just means happy?

[Shana A]

So gay members are okay just as long as they're not having sex. 

... especially not with trans people! 

Z

[K8]

Like many top-down institutions, the leadership is much slower to respond to changes than are the rank-and-file.  I have several Mormon friends who fully accept me.  It's a little like all the Roman Catholics who use birth control or are remarried.  It just gives those who don't accept change cover for their narrow views.

- Kate

[Keroppi]

Nah, more like those in power saying what they do (in this case hetro sex) is okay, but everything else is not okay (since it doesn't affect them). Being able to ban people from doing what they want is power.

[V M]

Yeah, control freaks tend to be even freakier than the folks they call freaks for whatever reason they dream up

[Lee]

We need a facepalm emote.

I'm not religious, but I dated a Catholic girl for a while who told me that, when she realized that she preferred women, she felt too dirty to enter a church or have a relationship with God.  I always think that bans like this are silly, but it's amazing how much it can affect people's lives.