Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons

Straight Man Spoofs Gay Ensign Article

October 2007

A former contributor to the satirical website The Sugar Beet created a spoof of Jeffrey R. Holland’s recent article on homosexuality. Eric Palmatier, who is straight, juxtaposed into one image three pages of the October issue of the Ensign.

“I wasn't too happy to see Holland’s article,” says Eric, “feeling the church would merely white-wash the entire subject and not actually deal with its own stances on gay and lesbian issues. Then I turned to page 62, to a rather amusing display of ‘traditional church-values iconography’ with a graphic that could easily be taken out of context. The quote from the article was the icing on the cake, though, when it read: ‘I wondered, Who are these guys, and what am I feeling?’”

“I hoped, in some way, to lampoon and even criticize the church's stance on same-sex relationships,” Eric adds. “I have a close friend who is gay and formerly Mormon, and I have close family who are gay or lesbian, though not LDS. I myself am not gay, but I do not disassociate with any person based on sexual orientation, and I do not agree with the church's assertion that homosexuality is a choice. It upsets me when church leaders, from the top down, can't find consistency in their own words and actions.”

“My hope, through my hastily created satirical Ensign article image, is that someone out there, Mormon or not, realizes this is a subject that isn't going away any time soon, and simply can't be dismissed or ignored.”

Eric, who considers himself a former Mormon, welcomes comments and criticism at his blog, www.aneweric.com.