A Latter-Day Shift on LGBT Equality?

[cbayer]

http://www.advocate.com/politics/religion/2013/06/28/latter-day-shift-lgbt-equality

After years of being one of the leading forces against marriage equality, the Mormon Church has been less active recently, and the LGBT movement has benefited.

BY TRUDY RING
JUNE 28 2013 4:00 AM ET


Thousands of people protested against the passage of Proposition 8 outside the world headquarters of Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on November 7, 2008 in Salt Lake City, Utah.


As surprising as it sounds, for recent marriage equality victories, LGBT Americans may have to thank, among others, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

That’s right: The Mormon Church, one of the key forces behind California’s 2008 ballot measure Proposition 8, which was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court this week, has largely sat out latter-day state-level battles over same-sex marriage rights.

“It does seem, in the last few rounds, that the Mormon hierarchy has stepped back,” says Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, which works to advance marriage equality nationwide.

In the campaign to pass Prop. 8, which amended the California constitution to ban same-sex marriage, the hierarchy exhorted its followers to join the fight, and they did in droves. Proponents of the measure estimated that Mormons contributed half of the $40 million raised to promote Prop. 8 and made up 80% to 90% of the early volunteers who went door to door to drum up support.

more at link

[okasha]

1. One of the (I'm sure unintended)

consequences of promoting large families is the increasing likelihood that any given family will have one or more LGBT members. Yes, there are bigots who will throw their own kids out of the house; homeless rates among LGBT youth testify to that. But knowing a real, live LGBT child, sibling, cousin goes a long way toward helping members of officially anti-LGBT organizations recognize the official discrimination for the evil it is.

[cbayer]

2. True.

One of my dearest friends was never accepted by her mother and it was tragic. But most of my GLBT friends have profoundly changed their families for the better.

There is a man who has written a book about his two mothers. He invites straight and GLBT couples over for dinner - not to discuss issues of sexuality, but just to have dinner.

It's much harder to hang onto hate after you have had a lovely dinner with another couple.