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“Homosexual Saints,” the LDS Church, and the Community of Christ This new book is the ideal place to begin a dialogue with the other branches of the Restoration by George Cole  Purchase This Book Read Sample Chapter
The Restoration amazes me. Joseph Smith’s vision produced at least a dozen different kinds of peculiar people, each with its own emphasis on differing parts of Smith’s teachings. They each handle social issues differently as well, including widely different approaches to LGBTQI matters. Of the major three denominations, I will assume that you are fairly current on the Salt Lake Church. I have too little information about the FLDS Church, but I imagine they deal with gay and lesbian members by excommunicating and expelling them from their community. The former RLDS Church, the Community of Christ, however, has been doing some amazing things. A collection of personal essays, Homosexual Saints: The Community of Christ Experience, edited by William D. Russell, brings to light the similarities and differences with our cousins in the Restoration. Russell’s selections approach the subject affirmingly, uplifting and tragic stories told together, and often one and the same. He seemed guided by the words of former Community of Christ president W. Grant McMurray: “I have always believed that the pathway to understanding the issue of homosexuality is in the telling of personal stories. Decisions about policy and law, whether religious or secular, must first have a human face.” The faces seen in Homosexual Saints remind so well of those seen at Affirmation events, or those of any people who come from a faith that does not accept their orientation. Though they are told from a different point of view, though they come from a different place, these people tell stories of a church they love, and how that affects their lives forever. Part of the telling of these personal stories is also telling the history of Gay and Lesbian Acceptance (GALA), which began with a predominantly RLDS Affirmation chapter in Kansas City. GALA has grown into a robust organization with various chapters, retreats, and a presence at the biannual Community of Christ World Conferences. These are stories of an institution and its members working toward better understanding of difficult subjects, working slowly toward inclusion, toward loving and accepting each other in a truly Christ-like manner. “In a world that cannot come to common ground on any of the … issues that swirl around this topic, the church cannot be expected to have those ready answers,” then-president McMurray said in his April 2000 World Conference address. He continued: “But here is what we can expect—that every person who walks through our doors will be received with open arms. We will listen to the life stories of each person who graces our fellowship and embrace them in love. On this there can be no compromise.” I can scarcely imagine a more direct and welcoming statement coming from any church leader. The sentiment is echoed by one of the essayists, Allan Fiscus. “Each of us is called to ministry. Some paths are different than others. This is my calling—my path to reach out to those who are questioning, searching, and struggling to understand a volatile subject. To be an ensign of peace. This is my church, and you are stuck with me.” While certainly not all other contributors to the book remained members of the Community of Christ, they share in its common culture, derive their values from it, and lead lives based at least in some part on its teachings. Much like I’ve heard said, “You can take the Mormon out of the church, but you can’t take the church out of the Mormon.” I see Homosexual Saints as the ideal place to begin a dialogue with the other branches of the Restoration. We have opportunities before us to learn from gays and lesbians whose church is slowly coming to accept them as fully participating members, taking those painful steps that the LDS church in Salt Lake may yet take one day. We can read the stories in this book and learn how we might take these steps ourselves. We can build bridges with the authors, with the people and leaders in GALA, and perhaps with leaders of the Community of Christ. There is no need to isolate ourselves, like our forebears did in the Salt Lake Basin. When we work with our brothers and sisters outside our own faith, we will learn so much. Also, we must contribute as much as we have received. Let us take the lead of these good, faithful people, and work toward a more inclusive, more Christ-like church.
LDS Lawyer Rebuts Misleading Legal Arguments against Same-Sex Marriage “Six Consequences” document is “false, misleading, and based on faulty logic” by Jason Clark Morris A. Thurston, an LDS lawyer and author, has issued a document addressing some of the apocalyptic scenarios presented in a document titled “Six Consequences the Coalition Has Identified if Proposition 8 Fails.” “The arguments used in ‘Six Consequences...’ are false, misleading, and based on faulty logic,” writes Thurston. “Almost every legal case alluded to is misrepresented. The passage or failure of Proposition 8 will not affect any of the scenarios posed by this document; all of the so-called ‘adverse consequences’ are illusory.” Thurston says the alleged consequences are based on misrepresentations of law and fact. “My intent is to be of service in helping our Church avoid charges of using falsehoods to gain a political victory,” adds Thurston. “I do not suggest that the Church is intentionally misrepresenting these cases, but I believe that false statements are often passed along out of ignorance. I hope my response will serve to illuminate the discussion.” To read Thurston's full rebuttal, visit www.affirmation.org/pdf/2008_09_18_thurston.pdf.
Hastings, Nebraska—A Mormon man who has been threatened with excommunication for speaking in favor of marriage equality received today a bouquet of pink carnations sent as an expression of solidarity by fellow Mormons belonging to the LDS Safe Space Coalition. The LDS Safe Space Coalition is an initiative that works to ensure safety and respect for gay and lesbian Latter-day Saints. “We don’t want Andrew to suffer through these excommunication proceedings alone,” said coalition founder Brecken Chinn Swartz, a university professor in the Washington DC area. “We want Andrew and others to know that there are many others out there who support them for being true to their hearts, even in the face of tremendous pressure.” Callahan is one of several LDS members who have been disciplined or harassed by the Mormon Church because of their support of marriage equality and their opposition to California's Proposition 8. Other Latter-day Saints are being disciplined or harassed in Hawaii, California, and Utah.
The LA Conference Is Almost Here! The Los Angeles conference will be a celebration of diversity and a family reunion for Affirmation members, their partners, and their supportive family and friends. Please note the following:
Affirmation Members and Leaders Invited to Leadership Meeting It Will Be Held Friday, October 10, 3:00 - 5:00 PM All Affirmation members are invited to the annual Council of Chapter Representatives, to be held October 10, 2008, in Los Angeles. Commonly called the “Leadership Meeting,” this annual business meeting is the time when representatives from each Affirmation Chapter meet to hear about the state of Affirmation and discuss the direction they want to see the organization move in. This year’s meeting will include a report and a discussion about the recent interactions between Affirmation and the leaders of the LDS Church. We will also discuss locations and dates for upcoming conferences. Attending this meeting is a great way to meet the current leadership of Affirmation, to get a sense of Affirmation’s direction, and to contribute your views. The meeting will begin at 3:00 PM on Friday, October 10, and conclude around 5:00 PM. We will be meeting in the Marina Room, which is at the far left end (as viewed from the front entrance) of the conference hotel. Please consider the scheduling of your flight so that you can arrive in time to attend. Should you arrive later, please do not hesitate to drop in for the remainder of the meeting — we will be glad to see you! Please join us and help keep Affirmation going strong! Latter-day Saints Send Petition to Church Leaders “We ask LDS leaders to cease their political organizing efforts” A group of Latter-day Saints have prepared the following petition for the leaders of the church. So far, the petition has been signed by over 300 people. To sign the petition, please visit their site at wwww.SigningForSomething.org. The Constitution of the United States of America assures us that no person or group’s religious views are allowed to be binding on the public. It is vital that members of our society be able to express themselves according to the dictates of their own conscience and work to forestall enactment of laws and amendments that would reverse this capacity for any segment of the population. Support of policies that seek to force the morality of our belief system on others who believe differently goes contrary to core doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as outlined in the Articles of Faith: “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may,” and the Doctrine and Covenants: “We do not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil government …” (Doctrine and Covenants 134:9). Our prophets, scriptures, and the history of our own people warn us of the destructive force that such actions can have. We are dismayed at the dilemma of choosing between our allegiance to leaders of the LDS Church and our own conscience on this matter. We, the undersigned, have diverse views about the issue of same gender marriages but we stand united in the belief that each individual should have the civil right to marry the spouse of their choice and to have that union recognized by civil authorities. We affirm the LDS Church’s right to define doctrine and policy for its own members. However, we ask that the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cease their political organizing efforts and financial support of attempts to use the government to restrict the secular and religious rights of gay and lesbian individuals and publicly retract their request that members of the LDS Church support such measures.
“Voicings,” a new film by filmmaker Stephen Williams (writer, director of “Blessing”), will be shot in Salt Lake City during October. The film portrays the internal struggles of a highly religious, Mormon man who is also gay and closeted. “I’m trying to show the role the culture plays in pushing gay men underground,” says Williams. “Films like ‘Far From Heaven’ and ‘Brokeback Mountain’ explore the plight of the closeted gay man, but they don't address the issue from a religious perspective. With ‘Voicings’ I hope to show how strong religious beliefs (i.e., in the eternal family, etc.) can be a major obstacle to a person's willingness to simply tell the truth.” Williams says that the film is primarily targeted at a straight audience, especially for those with a religious background. “I think gay audiences will enjoy the film,' The film will be 18 minutes long. Williams hopes to complete the post-production work in January, 2009 and submit the film to film festivals around the country. In addition, he hopes to use “Voicings” to find investors to finance a full length film on the same topic. Williams and producer Karl Bennion are looking for funding to complete the production, which is expected to cost about $3,000. The amount is small because many participants are donating their time and talent. “Short films are not money makers,” says Williams. “I am doing this because these films need to be made.” Donations from individuals would be greatly appreciated and may be made to Affirmation Gay & Lesbian Mormons, earmarked for “Voicings,” or by using this printer-friendly form. Donations to Affirmation are tax deductible and a grant in excess of the amount collected will be made to the production company for this project. Please mail donations directly to Affirmation, P.O. Box 1435, Palm Springs, CA 92263. “Voicings” will be shown at the 2009 Affirmation Conference and will be made available for Affirmation Chapter events next year. The DVD will also be available for sale to individuals. Stephen Williams will answer questions any interested parties or potential donors might have and is interested in general comments about this project. He may be reached at sjwill  xmission.com.
It Will Run October 30 – November 22 at New York's TBG Theater Missa Solemnis, Roman Feeser's play based on the story of a gay Mormon young man who committed suicide, will be making its off-Broadway debut on Oct 30 for a four week run in NYC. In a recent interview with Affirmation, Feeser said that he got the idea for the play after reading a Newsweek article about the suicide of Stuart Matis. Previews will take place October 30 and 31 at 8:00 PM. On Saturday, November 1, 2008, a gala event will honor Patxy, director of the New York chapter of Affirmation, for his charitable work regarding gay and lesbian Mormons. The play runs October 30 – November 22, with performances Wednesday to Saturday at 8:00 PM. An additional performance will be held Sunday, November 2, at 3:00 PM. All Seats $18 November 1 Gala Performance $50 TBG THEATRE 312 West 36th Street, 3rd floor (between 8th & 9th Aves.) Reservations: 718.291.1086 For more information, visit www.theplayabouthenry.com. Five Things You Can Do To Defeat Prop 8 From www.NoOnProp8.com Defeating Prop 8 -- the marriage ban -- will require thousands of people working together across California to educate and rally voters to Vote No on Prop 8. Here are five things you can do to help defeat this harmful initiative. By doing even one thing on this list, you will make a difference. Give. The fight to defeat Prop 8 is going to be hard-won. It's going to take passion, commitment, time, and extensive resources. Please give as much as you can to the campaign today and in the coming weeks. We need to raise enough money to wage a massive public education effort to convince the majority of Californians, the most populous state in the nation, to Vote No on Prop 8. Every dollar counts, so please contribute today and again in the coming weeks. Volunteer. This effort takes committed individuals working hard at the grassroots level. We need volunteers from across the state to hand out information at local events and make phone calls to voters educating them about defeating Prop 8—the marriage ban. Sign-up to volunteer your time to educate the public about how Prop 8 harms loving and committed couples across California. Talk. Talk to your friends, family, coworkers, fellow church-goers, neighbors, classmates -- anyone and everyone -- about Voting No on Prop 8. You have a wide circle of influence, use it! By simply talking to people, you increase awareness about the issue in your community and can help influence public opinion. The more people we talk to about this issue, the more votes we have on our side. It's a simple, cheap, and effective way to help defeat Prop 8. Write. One of the most effective ways to create change and influence people is by telling your personal story. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, or submit an article to a newsletter or blog and tell your community why Prop 8 is so harmful to you and those you love. We need to put a face on this issue. This isn't just about politics and laws, this is about our friends and family -- those closest to us. Register. It all comes down to this. Make your voice count and get engaged. Register to vote NOW and get your friends and family to register too. And make sure to show up at the polls on November 4. We need Californians who support fairness and equality to vote in November against this harmful change to our constitution.  Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons P.O. Box 46022 Los Angeles, CA 90046 National Phone Line: (661) 367-2421 To see a directory of current Affirmation chapters, visit www.affirmation.org/chapters Executive Director: Olin Thomas Senior Assistant Director: Dave Melson Assistant Director: James Morris Associate Director & Affinity Editor: Hugo Salinas www.affirmation.org/contact/affinity Send Us Your Submission! AFFIRMATION GAY & LESBIAN MORMONS is a non-profit support group serving Gay and Lesbian Mormons, their families and friends since 1977. AFFINITY is the official publication of the Affirmation National Executive Committee. Submissions are welcome and should be limited to 250 words. To contact us, visit www.affirmation.org/contact/affinity. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, national committee or publisher, but rather the individual writers. The Editor reserves the right to edit any material deemed offensive, libelous, grammatically incorrect or lengthy. About AFFINITY AFFINITY is available both as an email text and as a web-based document. Although both versions are free of charge, we encourage you to become a dues-paying member and thus help us advance Affirmation's important mission. If you wish to receive a text version of AFFINITY by email, simply send a request to Hugo Salinas by visiting www.affirmation.org/contact/affinity. If you are a dues-paying member and do not have Internet access, you may request a printed version that will be sent to you by mail. |
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