It Is On

I am fascinated and excited as I watch the battle between the gay community and the Mormon Church and their respective supporters. When Prop 8 first hit, you will all remember my outrage and tantrums sprinkled with grape Kool-Aid metaphors. More recently, as I have tried to sit back and watch with whatever objectivity I am capable of – which, admittedly, is not always that much – my anger has shifted a bit towards more of a calm determination and I have finally been fairly successful at one thing: Separating the general leadership of the Mormon Church from the general membership of the Mormon Church.

While I absolutely disagree with the average member’s across the board obedience and beliefs, I actually do remember what it was like to be counted among them. I think of the handfuls of family and friends I have that are still believers. I love them dearly. They are good, solid and kind people and they deserve far better than their leaders are giving them. I am guessing they would disagree with that last statement because they really, honestly believe that their leaders do represent God. And even I believe that when one does believe fervently in something one has the right to fight for whatever that thing is.

Many Mormons are beginning to take a look around and are seeing that things are not right. Many are questioning and opening their hearts and shifting and softening their once hardened positions. They want things to change. Even members that aren’t, while cruelty and ignorance cannot be overlooked, are only doing and believing what their leaders tell them to. My personal focus is not on the members of the Mormon Church it is on the leaders of the Mormon Church.

Those of us that are fighting against The Church are also fighting for something we fervently believe in. We honestly no longer believe that LDS leaders represent God, nor do they speak for God. Their position on homosexuality hurts people – deeply. It devastates gay individuals and their families. It rips families apart. Countless gay children grow up in the LDS church certain that they are evil and worthless. The streets of Salt Lake City are littered with homeless gay kids that have been kicked out of their homes after coming out to their righteous LDS parents. It makes gay members wish they were dead and causes many of them to follow through with that desire. And, just as heartbreaking, it causes ignorant individuals that claim to love and follow Jesus Christ declare that gay people should go ahead and kill themselves – that the world would be far better without them in it. [See comments left on video posted below.] The LDS Church’s position was softening a bit, they were slowly making progress, but back tracked a thousand miles when Elder Hafen opened his mouth at Evergreen. Big mistake.

Because, here is the thing – they have finally just hurt too many people. Too many members that gave them everything they had are not taking it anymore. Too many people that never even thought about the Mormon Church until they took away their civil rights – those same people that, truth be told, would fight on behalf of the Mormons if their rights were being taken from them – are not taking it anymore. Too many people that have taken their abuse for far too long are not going to rest until they have stopped – until things are different.

It happened before. There was enough social pressure, like other universities boycotting BYU sports, to force the “revelation” that, despite the violent reaction of hundreds of thousands of bigoted Saints, gave blacks the priesthood. It will happen again. Pressure will not ease up until it does.

And when that day comes, the membership of the Mormon Church will once again be left peacefully alone to believe and worship however it wishes, because that is the way it should be.