Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons

Mormons at the Grassroots Get Organized, Oppose Proposition 8
“This is our chance to express our thoughts and feelings in support of gays within the LDS Church, and of same-sex marriage within the U.S. and abroad”

Letters to the editor published in Utah’s newspapers and grassroots LDS groups organized via the Internet indicate that not all Mormons are happy with the First Presidency’s directive to “do all you can” against marriage equality.

In the last six weeks, three groups of Latter-day Saints who support marriage equality have launched projects to help raise awareness and make their voices heard.

Mormon for Marriage is planning to release a steady stream of posts, articles, and videos from LDS Church members in support of gays and gay marriage and in opposition to California’s Proposition 8. Website: www.mormonsformarriage.com

Signing for Something is a collection of letters by Mormons “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.” Website: www.signingforsomething.org

The Safe Space Coalition is helping gather letters which will be sent to the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, letting them know your thoughts about using Church meetings to pressure members to ask their senators to support the anti-gay Federal Marriage Amendment. Website: www.ldssafespace.org/takeaction.htm

If you are interested in posting a short video essay explaining why you, as a Mormon, support marriage equality and freedom to marry, visit www.mormonsformarriage.com. Affirmation is participating in an effort to have a camera available during the Sunstone Symposium weekend in Salt Lake City for the purpose of helping to gather these video essays.

There are many ways to help preserve marriage equality in California. Equality California, www.eqca.org, is a major California organization which you can support with your energy and your money. There are also several churches, including the United Church of Christ and the Metropolitan Community Church, which have a history of working for marriage equality.

Despite the apocalyptic rhetoric that church leaders sometimes use regarding the issue of same-sex marriage, there are Mormons who realize that marriage equality is really a civil issue and are willing to cast their vote in support of preserving, rather than denying, the right to marry. In the words of the creators of Mormons for Marriage, “This is our chance, in our day, to express our thoughts and feelings (respectfully) in support of gays within the LDS Church, and of same-sex marriage within the U.S. (and abroad).”