Protest at Mormon Temple Not the Best Message

From The Hill’s Pundit’s Blog -By Ryan J. Davis

I’m a little scared of the anti-Mormon fervor that I’m seeing in the gay community. All over Facebook today the statues look like we’re planning a Night of the Long Knives at the Mormon Temple in NYC at 6:30. Seriously guys, cut it out. I know you’re angry. I know you need some way to express that anger, but the Mormon Temple in NYC makes no more sense than your grandparents’ retirement community in Sacramento or The Apollo Theater in Harlem. Can’t we be better than this?

While thousands and thousands of protesters gather outside the Mormon Temple, invoking scenes of Fred Phelps, we’ll still be left with a simple fact: We were out-organized and out-fundraised in California. That’s why we lost. It’s great to see all these voices speaking out about Prop. 8 now that it’s too late to do anything about it. Where were these people weeks ago when the Equality Groups were on their knees begging for money? We knew we were being out-fundraised for weeks and I rarely got a message about it. I’ve been contacted about 30 times regarding this single protest.

This protest will just confirm the Mormons’ fears about us and will certainly be portrayed negatively in the media. It’s old, divisive politics. Politics I’d like to put behind us and had hoped we could after Obama’s historic victory.

Now, I’m not defending the Mormons. I’ve been speaking out against them since before it became trendy and there are ways we can express our anger without another Kristallnacht. You can avoid staying at the Marriott and make jokes about polygamy.

But in the end, it wasn’t the Mormons that passed Prop. 8 in California, so your nights spent suffering at Holiday Inns will be in vain. It was the people of California who voted to put bigotry on their law books and it’s shameful. So let’s educate them. Outreach, not Anger. We have to actually spend time on this; we can’t solve it screaming for two hours at people walking into a church.

I’m ready for the fight, as long as I don’t have to become a crazy fundamentalist monster to be part of it.

Honoring GLBT Christian Pioneers

Today is the 40th anniversary of Metropolitan Community Churches, a denomination that ministers primarily in the GLBT community. A set of historical photos is posted at the Jesus in Love Blog in honor of the occasion.

MCC was founded in 1968 in Los Angeles by Troy Perry, a Pentecostal minister who was defrocked for being gay. He was incredibly brave and visionary to create a church where gays and lesbians were welcome back in 1968, when homosexuality was still considered a sin, a sickness and a crime. He put an ad in the local gay newspaper and held the first worship service in his living room on Oct. 6, 1968.

Read the rest at myoutspirit.com.

Gay Mormons Come Out Against Proposition 8

Not all Mormon church members are heeding the call to support Proposition 8, the initiative constitutional amendment that would eliminate same-sex marriages in California. In fact, many of them are gathering in San Pedro, California, in conjunction with an annual conference for gay LDS members and their friends.

Read the rest at gay-religion.blogspot.com.

Line Between Religion & Politics Not Always Straight

From the Smokeymountainnews.com:

In an African-American Baptist church in Waynesville the pastor and two members sat in the sanctuary and said they will vote for Barack Obama, even though the Democratic presidential candidate supports abortion rights and civil unions for gay couples.

Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church Pastor A. Ferman Sweat said he disagrees with Obama’s stance on abortion and gay marriage but said those are only two issues and Baptists must look at the entire picture.

Church Treasurer Lee Bouknight agreed, saying, “You can dig up portions in the Bible and contradict anyone.”

Bethel Baptist Church Pastor Roy Kilby said he supports McCain because McCain is against abortion, believes in the “sanctity of life,” and is against gay marriage.

Bouknight noted that Republican Vice President Dick Cheney’s daughter is a lesbian.

Kilby said McCain is “pro-family in that he supports traditional family values.” Kilby added, “This country was built upon strong Biblical family values.”

God Can Also Exist in Lives of Gay Couples

This is from azstarnet.com, where you can read the entire story.

I struggle every election cycle as the gay community — my community — is used like a tightly rolled-up magazine to swat the noses of weary voters. With the conventions, the upcoming debates and the Arizona anti-gay marriage amendment that pops up like a reoccurring canker sore, this year is no exception.

In the past, I have been in the part of the gay population that really didn’t care about the term “marriage” or care about ongoing religious persecution. Just give us equality in the form of civil unions.

In a defensive reaction, I thought, “Keep your term marriage. Keep your God to yourself.”

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