Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons

Russel Lane

Do You Have a Dream?

by Russel E. Lane
Originally published in Affinity, January 1988.

During this month the nation will honor the birth of a great American civil-rights advocate Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a committed man with a dream - a vision of what reality could be not only for blacks, but other oppressed minorities in this great land. During his famous address to those assembled for the 1963 March on Washington, he thundered, “I have a dream...” His dream had not started in 1963 when there was growing momentum for civil rights legislation. His dream started back in the mid-1950s when blacks couldn't sit down at lunch counters, had to use inferior and separate public restrooms, as well as having to sit in the back of buses. Very few of them could even vote. Segregationists used Biblical scriptures to justify their second-class treatment of fellow human beings. They felt morally justified.

The situation looked very bleak. White segregationists had total control of local politics and blacks were generally fearful of losing what little they had. They didn't want to upset the apple cart, as fear and apathy abounded. But Dr. King was undaunted, for he knew that despite the odds, he was a believer in a righteous and just cause. So slowly and consistently, he organized blacks into demonstrations, sit-downs and other means of peaceful protest. There were numerous setbacks and times when the cause looked hopeless, but those with Dr. King began to catch the vision and see the possibilities. Of course, as you know, Dr. King's dream, which he pronounced during that memorable speech, has nearly come to pass.

We as gays and lesbians owe a great debt to Dr. King, as his work and dream paved the way for our “forefathers and mothers” to begin the gay rights struggle. These people, as well as the early Affirmation pioneers, had and continue to have a dream. Do you? Do you have a dream and commitment about what can happen to us as a gay/lesbian Mormon community around the nation and the world? There are literally thousands who would want to join us, if they knew we existed.

It may be decades before the LDS Church ever modifies its position, but what abut us? Are we letting our light so shine that the Brethren can't ignore it, just as faithful black saints did for years — or are we hiding our light under a bushel?

I have a dream that Affirmation will become a household word, so that when young men and women realize who they are, they will know there is somewhere they can turn. I have a dream that with this growth and publicity, the Church will have to address us and recognize the historical and scriptural evidence in our favor. I hope you can see that dream will not just benefit the thousands of closeted and suppressed gay/lesbian Mormons, but it will affect YOU! I invite you to begin to dream and feel the excitement and energy, like that at our last General Conference. I challenge you to realize that if anything is going to happen, it's up to you and not the “other guy” to contribute some money, some time, and some effort. You don't have to sacrifice if you don't want, and we don’t need martyrs, we just need doers! From my own personal experience, I can promise you that once you get involved, you’ll enjoy a great feeling in knowing that because of you, the job will get done!