Mormons Back Salt Lake City Gay Rights Laws

[Meeker Morgan]

Mormons Back Salt Lake City Gay Rights Laws
http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,573886,00.html
(AP story via Fox)

With a historic endorsement from the Mormon church, the Salt Lake City Council unanimously passed a pair of ordinances making it illegal to discriminate against gays in housing and employment.

Tuesday's action was the first time the Utah-based church — which has been steadfast in its opposition to gay marriage — has publicly supported gay rights legislation.

"The church supports these ordinances because they are fair and reasonable and do not do violence to the institution of marriage," Michael Otterson, the director of public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said.

The vote makes Salt Lake City the first Utah community to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The measures make it illegal to fire someone from their job or evict someone from their residence because they are lesbian, bisexual, gay or transgender.

"What happened here tonight I do believe is a historic event," Brandie Balken, director of Equality Utah, which works on gay rights legislation.

-- SNIP --

Marriage as a bargaining chip for other rights? That's what this sounds like.

Anyone here from Utah with more about this?

[Equality 7-2521]

1. Mormons

Good for them, see we can get along.
http://bni-lwp.blogspot.com/
http://bni-green.blogspot.com/

[mitchtv]

5. what bullshit!

I don't sell out for crumbs

[FreeState]

14. Its a PR move nothing more n/t

[NMMNG]

2. They're only doing this because they feel they have to

They're trying to improve their image for some reason, or somebody has their magic undies in a vice over something. LDS Inc. simply doesn't concede anything unless they're forced to. They didn't give up their polygamy until the statehood of Utah was on the line, and they didn't relent on the priesthood of blacks being verboten until their tax-exempt status was threatened by Carter. They've adamantly opposed any and every LGBT rights law that's come down the pike. If they're giving the slightest bit of support to this they want something. They certainly aren't in it because they care about us.

[queerart]

3. Don't Trust Their Kind For A Millisecond (meaning haters of any stripes)

When an enemy of every aspect of your life hands you a gift with their right hand......


You better damn well be ready for a surprise left hook......

[GMA]

6. now, now,

Who's the "hater"? I've been a Mormon all my life, and lived all over this country and Canada. I have never heard hatred toward anyone ever expressed over the pulpit or in any class or organizational meeting. Unlike, oh, I don't know, maybe the Most Reverend Wright? Just because we may disagree doesn't mean we hate. Anyone.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

7. disagree enough to donate to Yes on 8 and you are a hater

or if you worked for the campaign or whatever

mormon money made that campaign a success. so pardon me if i think your church is every bit as dangerous as the wrights church or the catholic church

[GMA]

13. I think that those who

actively campaigned on either side (I did not, by the way) were working for something they believe in deeply. That doesn't make either side "haters".

[Toasterlad]

17. You're Right. Believing That Gay People Don't Deserve the Same Rights as Straight People

made them haters.

And that was (and is) the official policy of the mormon church.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

23. Yes it does. To remove civil rights from a group of people makes you a hateful piece of shit

thanks for your time

[queerart]

12. Save That Bullshit Show For Someone Else.....

Because I didn't buy any tickets for it.....

Did I say "Mormon"? I said Haters of all stripes....

... and frankly I don't give a shit if you do think I am a hater.... I say don't give an inch to anyone of them... MORMONS INCLUDED!

.... and lastly, I don't need someone straight to come into the Gay section of DU to child me about my life..... so you go "disagree" about lifestyles with someone else as in the famous words of Bush... nobody cares what you think.... How was that for hateful?

[GMA]

15. lol...

pretty clear, thanks!

[FreeState]

16. I disagree - I was LDS for 38 years - homophobia abounds in the LDS Church

from Gospel Doctrine class all the way up to general conference I have heard homophobia - both subtle and extreme.

Heres one from youth, imagine being gay and having to hear this at Church of all places: http://www.lds-mormon.com/only.shtml

"There are some men who entice young men to join them in these immoral acts. If you are ever approached to participate in anything like that, it is time to vigorously resist.

While I was in a mission on one occasion, a missionary said he had something to confess. I was very worried because he just could not get himself to tell me what he had done.

After patient encouragement he finally blurted out, "I hit my companion."

"Oh, is that all," I said in great relief.

"But I floored him," he said.

After learning a little more, my response was "Well, thanks. Somebody had to do it, and it wouldn't be well for a General Authority to solve the problem that way""

and heres a whole list of homophobic books and speeches available from the Church: http://www.affirmation.org/learning/available_homophobic_books_and_pamphlets.shtml

[mitchtv]

22. funny , I heard it all over TV

during the prop8 ads they paid for. Crazy cultist heretics

[Toasterlad]

4. Translation: Please, Please, Please Don't Come After Our Tax-Exempt Status.

[GMA]

8. The LDS Church

would certainly survive without its tax exempt status. What churches--if any--do you think should be tax exempt?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

9. ones that dont interfere in politics

[GMA]

10. K.

[Toasterlad]

11. No Church Which Donates To Any Political Cause Should Be Tax Exempt

Very simple.

And of course the lds could survive without tax exempt status. As could the catholic church. And whatever fucked up congregational mess Pat Robertson and his ilk head up. But it would certaily HURT them. A lot. If you disagree, why don't you propose taking it away from them, and see how much of a ruckus they kick up.

[Meeker Morgan]

24. IMO any church, "political" or not ...

... should pay taxes like any other property owning money making enterprise.

[NMMNG]

20. None of them

:shrug:

[Q3JR4]

18. You think the fact that a bunch of gays protested

mormon churches after proposition 8 has anything to do with it?

I expect all religions to start making these concessions. Over 68% of the youth in this country support the right of same sex couples to be married. If you don't change with the time, however grudgingly, however slowly, those who die aren't going to be replaced and your religion will go the way of the dinosaurs.

Q3JR4.

[FreeState]

19. The rumor in SLC is that Mitt Romney asked the church to back the bills in order to help him

run for President - he wanted his image not tarnished by the chruch's homophobic politics.

[Veruca Salt]

21. "and do not do violence to the institution of marriage"

Wait. What?

Us being extended the civil right to marriage equals violence to it? The crazy, it burns.