A "Christian" Calls in on LGBT Suicides

In discussing the tragedy of the recent suicides by gay teens who were brutally bullied in school and online, I played a clip of Mormon leader Boyd Packer railing against homosexuality in recent days. The hate coming from the pulpits of most faiths cannot be denied as a factor in these suicides, and in gay-bashings. But many Christians don't want to believe that, even as they condemn homosexuality. One of them, James from Louisiana, called in yesterday. I was definitely not in the mood to put up with any crap!

Mormons Didn't Want to be "Out Front"

But now they are! And I'm sure they're freaking about it. Look at this story, which reveals a document showing the Mormons were focused on same-sex marriage from ten years ago in order to get visibility and acceptance in the larger religious right. They planned on "partnering" with the Catholic Church but their leader warned against getting "out front."

That's why this demo is all the more important -- it puts them in a place they didn't want to be, but which they suddenly found themselves: Out front. I bet there's a lot of hand wringing going on in Salt Lake City!

Prop 8 Protest in New York Announced

Following up on the protests in California and beyond, next Wednesday there will be a protest at the Mormon Temple in Manhatttan:

Tens of thousands of our brothers and sisters are in the streets in California and Salt Lake City and around the country protesting the votes banning same-sex marriage in California.

Join them! Make your voices heard right here in New York City.

We will tell the Mormon Church how we feel about its relentless campaign to condemn and control our lives. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
was, by far, the biggest financer of California's heinous and hateful
Proposition 8. The Mormon Church begged their members to donate money to Prop 8,
pouring 20 million dollars into the campaign. And their attacks on us didn't start there and aren't
about to end. They're plotting right now to bring their money and influence to bear against the LGBT community everywhere in this country, including trying to prevent marriage equality in New York.

Join us in speaking out against Mormon hate! Stop them taking away your rights!

Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Location: New York Manhattan Mormon Temple
Street: 125 Columbus Ave at 65th Street
City/Town: New York, NY

Thousands Protest in Salt Lake City

Wow, organizers were hoping for 1000 people, but the turn out far exceeded that. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, over 3000 people showed up for a protest against the Mormon Church over its support of Prop 8. Organizers are saying it was more like 5000. A great show of solidarity, and not what the Mormon Church bargained for in its own backyard:

Church officials are "disturbed" that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was "singled out for speaking up as part of its democratic right in a free election," said LDS spokesman Scott Trotter earlier Friday.
"Millions of others from every faith, ethnicity and political affiliation who voted for Proposition 8 exercised the most sacrosanct and individual rights in the United States - that of free expression and voting," Trotter said. "While those who disagree with our position on Proposition 8 have the right to make their feelings known, it is wrong to target the church and its sacred places of worship for being part of the democratic process."
The church urged those on all sides of the debate over same sex marriage to "act in a spirit of mutual respect and civility towards each other," Trotter said. "No one on either side of the question should be vilified, harassed or subject to erroneous information."

Yeah, right. The plan among some right now isn't in fact to attack the Mormon church so much as to take on the state of Utah, which is pretty much owned by the Mormons. Sounds like a good idea. There are now calls for a boycott of Utah, and an effort to dub it "the hate state," as was done to Colorado years ago when it passed an antigay measure (and it hurt the state tourism big time). I'm all for it.

Taking on the Mormons

An effort is underway to strip the Mormon Church of its tax-exempt status.

In the comments in the post below, a Mormon woman writes in:

Nearly every legit news source reported that the African American vote gave the most substantial lift to the "Yes on 8" side. So where are the marches on BLACK churches and businesses?

Oh, right, I guess it would be politically tone deaf to "shame" African Americans just days after they broke the color barrier to the White House.

Better to pick on the Mormons.

As a practicing Mormon who voted "No," I'm appalled that my apolitical house of worship is being targeted because some of our membership voted "Yes" and donated money. There were many Mormons who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the LGBT community on this issue. They don't deserve this.
Rosalyn

She misses the point entirely. This is about who funded, pushed and backed this amendment. This is about taking on the people who paid for the lies that were broadcast on the airwaves in California. The Mormon church is not apolitical. While I'm glad and thankful Rosalyn voted against Prop 8, her money -- and every Mormon gives tithing to the church -- went to stripping people of their writes, as the Mormon church leaders urged members to pour millions of dollars into taking away the rights of other people. That makes it a legitimate target now and certainly defines them it as a political organization. Rosayln, stop giving your money to the church until they stop funding hate and telling members to fund hate, and get others to do the same.

Launch Protests Nationally Against the Mormon Church

In the last hour of the show today, I spoke with Sirius OutQ News reporter Karen Ocamb, who was live at the anti-Prop 8 protest in Los Angeles at the Mormon Temple. At around the same time the protest was being covered on CNN. The energy was great and the expression of anger -- and the galvanizing of a new, younger generation -- was important.

The Mormon Church poured millions into passing Prop 8. Now they want us all to "come together" and forget about it. No way!

After Karen Ocamb's report, people called in from across the country and several decided they were going to go to their local Mormon temple or headquarters and protest. I think it is a terrific idea. We should launch protests wherever there are temples, and also in smaller areas, go to their meeting places, otherwise know as "stakes."

It's all here on this web site.

There's also an online initiative to send a letter to the Mormon's, but really we need to out into the streets and in front of them, shaming them for what they've done.