Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons

Equality Utah Takes the LDS Church at Its Word

From a story by the Salt Lake Tribune
November 2008

Days after the passage of Proposition 8, Equality Utah has extended a hand to the LDS Church, hoping for collaboration. Equality Utah announced Monday that it will be helping to draft five bills to introduce in the 2009 Legislature, each of which supports its cause and, representatives emphasized, is in line with language used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Standing with Equality Utah were three lawmakers who plan to help: Sen. Scott McCoy and Reps. Christine Johnson and Jen Seelig.

California's Prop 8, which, with the urging of LDS Church officials, was widely supported by church members to about $22 million, passed last week and defines marriage as exclusively being between a man and a woman.

The measure's success, and the perception of disproportional Mormon involvement, has set off a wave of protests, including one of more than 3,000 people outside the faith's Salt Lake Temple on Friday.

Rather than finger-point, Equality Utah decided to seize the moment as an opportunity, said chairwoman Stephanie Pappas.

“While we disagree with the LDS Church's position on Proposition 8, we respect that their position is based on the guiding principles of their faith,” she said. “Throughout the campaign, while the LDS Church stated its support of [the measure], it also made repeated comments that the church ‘does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights.’”

“Just last week, Elder L. Whitney Clayton stated the LDS Church does not oppose ‘civil union or domestic partnerships,’” Pappas said. “We are taking the LDS Church at its word.”

Three of the bills would seek to secure equal treatment when it comes to hospitalization, medical care, housing, employment and probate rights (entitlement to insurance and inheritance upon a partner's death).

A fourth, titled the Domestic Partner Rights & Responsibilities Act, would create a statewide domestic partner registry that would secure rights of insurance, inheritance and fair housing. A fifth would seek to repeal the second part of Utah's own marriage-defining constitutional amendment, which Will Carlson, Equality Utah's public policy manager, said “has been misinterpreted to avoid any recognition of gay couples.”

By Monday evening, the church had not responded to a request for comment. For more information visit www.equalityutah.org/11-10-08_NewsRelease.pdf and www.equalityutah.org/11-10-08_Press_Conference_Transcript.pdf .