Equality Boycott is calling for a boycott of businesses tied to proposition 8 and investments owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Mormon Church which heavily funded the anti-gay amendment eliminating state/federal rights for gay couples.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Equality Boycott - Fight Back With Your Dollars!
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22 comments:
I had only one reaction to this post, I wanted to scream. I have not a single problem with your boycott but please be truthful in presenting your so called facts. The LDS church did not donate any money to fight prop 8. And honestly your choice of photos is ridiculous, you are fighting hate with hate and lies. You know very well that Mormons can only have 1 spouse, your picture shows such a twisted spin of reality.
The LDS church instructed their members to donate, and thus violated their tax-exempt status by engaging in church politicking.
As for the photo, it was chosen because it is ironic that the Mormon Church who has a bad rap on marriage with regards to polygamy, has the nerve to interfere with monogamous 2 person marriages.
Actually, it's been over a century since the official (LDS) Mormon church practiced polygamy. According to Wikipedia, "the official policy of the LDS Church has been to excommunicate members who enter into or solemnize new plural marriages."
I don't agree with what they did, but I've been talking about it with a Mormon friend of mine and what he's said about it has made it easier for me to understand. The only way to change people's minds is to first try to understand where they're coming from.
I think the boycott is a good idea, but I disagree with your emphasis on the Mormon church. The blame for prop 8 cannot be placed on all Mormons, or only on Mormons. And even then, we shouldn't fight their hate and lies about the queer community by blindly hating them or by being uninformed. The best way to stand up to a bully is to not sink to their level.
Thank you to Emma. I have never commented on this blog before. But I would like to point out that the Mormon religion is taught to love all people. They are never taught to hate or "boycott" anyone who is gay or lesbian. In fact, the church teaches to accept these people. In addition, the church itself NEVER donated money from the actual institution. It was the members. Thus, it is not fair to boycott the church. It was the individual members who chose how to vote or how to participate. Member of the LDS church were not "instructed" to donate money. They were simply encouraged to vote. I do not understand how an institution like yours who promotes love and acceptance of everyone can be promoting hatred at the same time. To me this is hypocritical. In addition, the number of LDS votes did not turn the tide for the passing of Prop 8. So was it the money that made the difference or was it the millions BESIDES the members of the LDS church who stated their vote. What I do not understand is how you can think it is the LDS churches fault when Prop 22 was passed the first time with out all of this hatred toward the LDS church. Obviously the people in California have chosen BOTH times to turn down gay marriage. Why this time around do you believe the money donated by members of the LDS church changed the tide?
Dear Anonymous:
Thanks so much for your questions about the singling out of LDS on this issue. As early as 1997, Mormon leaders identified IN WRITING that "HLM" (homosexual legal marriage) was a good issue for the church to advocate against. They cautioned that they must partner with other religious groups, lest they be singled out. The memo can be seen here:http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/11/12/6176
As for the current involvement of the LDS church, it appears that California's Fair Political Practices Commission feels there is enough question as to the church's role to prompt an investigation. It appears that web sites, TV commercials, airfare, phone banks and other "donated" items were improperly reported or just not reported at all. EACH violation carries a maximum penalty of $5000 per. That story is here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/26/us/politics/26marriage.html?_r=2&scp=1&
Now do you want to change your tune as to the bashing of LDS over this issue? I didn't think so.
The leader of this "religion" should have known better than to instruct his flock to get involved financially in another states proposition to take away marriage rights. Get involved in politics and don't be suprised at what happens. The LDS have had a difficult time gaining accetptance from other denominations. I do not feel sorry for them. Your money funded a campaign based upon lies and deception. You lay down with dogs, you get fleas. Prop 8 took away the dignity of gay couples in California, it is a cruel and unnecessary proposition. I am confident the court will rectify this injustice. The mormon church will forever be tied to intolerance because of their financial support of proposition 8. Future generations will look back and wonder what the hell was wrong with us. I know this as most young people already do.
Those links may not work.
For NY TIMES: http://tinyurl.com/5zsyro
For MORMON MEMO: http://tinyurl.com/64fvpm
Full memo in PDF format at bottom of the page.
Actually church members were strongly encouraged to donate money to fight prop 8. I was raised in the church, so I am aware of how things can be encouraged. In this area here people received a donation flyer in the mail. I understand the churches' involvement in wanting to stop gay marriage, but I believe they went too far and besides being apart of a campaign in taking away the right for gays and lesbians to marry, they also caused divisions in some LDS families.
There are some ignorant comments on here. I can't believe someone actually quoted Wikipedia. Evidently that person does not have much education to quote a site that does not have to check facts...hence why they are not agreeing with the tactics of the author.
I am from Arizona, and Prop 102 just passed, so it's going in the State Constitution that A Marriage Is Between One Man and One Woman...and I have news for Emma, the Mormon Church not only promoted the bill, they helped fund it. I too have a practicing LDS friend and she downright told me that the church asked them to donate and told them lies and expressed how they should vote on the bill.
The LDS faith does teach hatred, not tolerance and therefore should be taken down. Religion should be about love and faith...who gives a crap what the neighbors are doing, or whom is married to who. Does not matter one way or another if the person standing next to me in line at the grocery store is married or not. The church should have stayed out of this for it is none of their business. It is between the two people who want to get married.
Just some clarity on the tax exempt issue--Churches can advocate for a proposition, bill or other political issue. They cannot support a specific candidate and still remain tax exempt. The LDS church did not violate their tax exempt status by advocating for Prop 8 or 102 (horrific as that it).
The nonsense that is passed along on this blog as fact is amazing. As an LDS woman who is active in the faith I can speak with assuredly that the LDS church did not force or tell members to donate money, they encouraged us to vote. I sit in church every sunday and hear about love and we certainly never teach hate. If you would go sit through a church meeting you would understand that. And as a matter of it not being our business, it certainly is. When what my children are taught is school, when the adoption agency where I adopted my children from is threatened to have to shut its door if prop 8 didn't pass along with many other things make it my business. The church did nothing to violate their tax exempt status. If the document referred to by Keith is so legitimate why can it not be found on the LDS church website, you have to find it on a third party website.
To anonymous #3: I never denied that the Mormon church encouraged its members to fund the yes on 8 campaign, I just said that they're not the ONLY ones responsible and we shouldn't be placing all the blame on them. And I only quoted Wikipedia about the fact that LDS members no longer practice polygamy, which is common knowledge.
I don't agree with the LDS church, their tactics, or their actions, I just think that pointing fingers gets us nowhere and we should fight lies about the queer community by spreading truth and awareness, not by responding with more hate.
And anonymous #5-- Prop 8 would not affect what your children are taught in shcool. Straight marriage is not taught in schools, so why would gay marriage be?
I agree with the BoyCott, but it should be more broad-based. The Mormons aren't the only people out there who hate us, Black Baptists and Catholics don't like us either. Their business should pay for what they've done as well!
"Just some clarity on the tax exempt issue--Churches can advocate for a proposition, bill or other political issue."
A tax-exempt organization can engage in limited forms of lobbying. However, it seems the LDS church went way above and beyond the IRS rules. As indicated by a comment on here before by Keith, its serious enough that they are now under investigation. I also believe you are wrong anonymous, a church cannot endorse a politician, party, or a proposition. The fact that the LDS church took a side on prop 8 is in fact a violation.
So where is the list of companies to boycott?? We're re4ady willing and very able!!
Also, remember Dec 11th is 'A DAY WITHOUT GAYS'
Do something to let 'em know -- call in sick or don't spend ANY money or do ANYTHING to hit 'em where it hurts.
Alfred click on "Equality Boycott" for the list, also DAY WITHOUT GAYS is Wed, Dec 10th
I will respond point by point. To Emma yes textbook companies would have had to change to parent a and parent b something they already did in MA. You can read the article here. http://www.whiotv.com/education/4429917/detail.html
After reading it you will actually see that children are taught about gay marriage in public schools.
You saying that people who are LDS are going to hell is just as absurd as people saying gays are going to hell. You are clearly not as loving and accepting as the gay community wants to portray. You are only accepting to those who support your crooked views, thats a bit hypocritical since its exactly what you are complaining about.
And I totally agree with Omaha Gay Village LDS people were very few in comparison to other groups who voted not to pass prop 8. My suggestion to QueersUnited is to boycott the black community since you are aware they came out in support of prop 8. Since you people feel it is so justified to stand outside our temples and yell and shout how screwed up we are. Please QueersUnited go to Compton and do the same thing. Please should to all the black community how screwed up they are and called them names and see what happens and please report back. You are singling out the LDS church because you are able because the media thinks it is alright to smear the church for some reason. You are not saying things about the other communities because it is viewed as inflammatory. I can just see it now if you and all the other news outlets said the same thing about the black community (more blacks voted yes on 8 than mormons) Jesse Jackson would say.
To the woman who doubts the authenticity of the document from the "third party website" and not the LDS Press Office, I would encourage you to directly ask those that control the flow of information from LDS. The document has been verified by the LDS Press Office, and yet, it still fails to appear for all Mormons to read and understand the behind the scenes political manuvering by relgions.
It's nice to know your "elders", the most enlightened people within your faith, have no issue lumping me and my civil rights in with the issues of gambling and legalized prostitution. It's nice to know I am held in such high regard and loved so deeply inspite of my "flaws".
The Catholic Church in CA set the Mormons up for a fall on this one and you all took the bait, hook, line and sinker. Heed the words of Loren Dunn "the Church should be in a coalition and not out front by itself".
You got caught out front. Sorry, you break it you own it.
It's always amazing to how some of these religious nuts are always questioning the "authenticity" of anything that is against their ignorant beliefs but when it comes from the mouth of their church elders, press or otherwise, it's always the gospel truth without any question whatsoever (pardon the pun). Therein, we can understand the whole epidemic of perpetuated ignorance and hatred.
To the anon calling us hateful: perhaps you should learn what that word means. Calling out the Mormon church for supporting prop 8 is not hateful. Taking away the rights of a group of people because they scare and confuse you is hateful. Suggesting that we victimize blacks because many voted yes on 8 is hateful. There was no organized effort in the black community to get prop 8 passed; there was an effort within the Mormon church whether you want to believe it or not.
And don't lecture us about "not being loving", because frankly, neither are you. If you want to call yourself a loving person then start by growing a sense of empathy. Gay people want to marry for the same reasons as straight people. There's been no evidence that suggests that children raised by a same-sex couple have more problems then children raised by a mother and father. Given both of these facts, how do you justify telling an entire group of people that their love is invalid and "confusing to children"?
I am frustrated by the logic that we shouldn't focus on the Mormon church because it wasn't the church itself that gave money, but rather the members of the church. Sounds pretty convenient for the church, doesn't it? Maybe the members weren't told, "Donate or else!" but they certainly were encouraged. There are plenty of Mormon people out there who will admit to you that they were advised to donate. I don't know very many Mormon people, but the few I know all donated. A lot. My neighbor donated $5,000.
Oh, and anonymous people? Create a name. Please! You get to call us by name, but we have to try and keep track of which "anonymous" person we are responding to!
Just wanted to post this quote. Maybe you will listen to a voice of reason from your own side:
from: The Volokh Conspiracy - Dale Carpenter
“Here's my advice to righteously furious gay-marriage supporters: Stop the focus on the Mormon Church. Stop it now. We just lost a ballot fight in which we were falsely but effectively portrayed as attacking religion. So now some of us attack a religion? People were warned that churches would lose their tax-exempt status, which was untrue. So now we have (frivolous) calls for the Mormon Church to lose its tax-exempt status? It's rather selective indignation, anyway, since lots of demographic groups gave us Prop 8 in different ways — some with money and others with votes. I understand the frustration, but this particular expression of it is wrong and counter-productive.”
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