A Mormon Plea for Reconciliation

A petition has been created by moderate Mormons who disagree with the church's opposition to homosexuality and same-sex marriage. The petition will be delivered to Church Headquarters on the first anniversary of Proposition 8 being passed in California.

This is an attempt to show that it is time for reconciliation between the Church and the millions of Mormons and LGBT people who have been hurt by the LDS involvement over proposition 8.

Mormon, or not, everyone is welcome to sign the petition to show their support for reconciliation between these two communities.

To sign the petition please send an e-mail with your name in the subject line to:

ldsapology@gmail.com or goto ldsapology.org

Mormon Machine Working Against Civil Unions in Illinois

The following official email was just sent out (via the LDS Church website) to all the members of the Nauvoo 3rd Ward, as approved by Kristy Combs, ward website administrator, and by Bishop Chris Church of the Nauvoo 3rd Ward. (Because it was sent through the LDS website, it required the authorization of a bishop or higher.)

"This message has been authorized for sending by Bishop Church.

The Civil Union Bill (HB 2234) has been scheduled for a hearing in the Youth and Family Committee this week on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in Springfield. If the bill is voted out of committee, it becomes eligible for a vote before the full Illinois House of Representatives. This bill will legalize civil unions in the state of Illinois, and will treat such civil unions with the same legal obligations, responsibilities, protections and benefits as are afforded within marriage. In other words, civil unions will be different in name only from marriage. As has already been seen in Massachusetts, this will empower the public schools to begin teaching this lifestyle to our young children regardless of parental requests otherwise. It will also create grounds for rewriting all social mores; the current push in Massachusetts is to recognize and legalize all transgender rights (An individual in Massachusetts can now change their drivers license to the gender they believe themselves to be, regardless of actual gender, which means that confused men and women are now legally entering one another's bathrooms and locker rooms.What kind of a safety issue is this for our children?). Furthermore, while the bill legalizes civil unions, it will be used in the courts to show discrimination and will ultimately lead to court mandated same-sex marriages.

To help defeat this bill, please call your state representative and state senator and ask that they support traditional marriage and vote against the civil unions bill. If you are unsure who your legislators are, please see the link at the end of this email.

Also, please take a moment and call the following members of the Youth and Family Committee to encourage them to vote no on this bill. We need 4 votes to keep it from passing out of the committee. And - as always, please pass this on to all who believe in protecting our families and our children. If you are interested in attending the hearing, it will be held on Thursday, March 5th at 9:00 a.m. in Springfield in Room 122B of the Capitol Building (I can give you directions to the Capitol Building if needed).

Members of the Youth and Family Committee:

Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) (Greg Harris is also the sponsor of this bill, but he needs to hear your opposition to this bill)
Chairperson
217-782-3835

Rep. LaShawn K. Ford (D-Chicago)
Vice-Chairperson
217-782-5962

Rep. Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago)
Republican Spokesperson
217-782-1653

Rep. William D. Burns (D-Chicago)
217-782-2023

Rep. Michael P. McAuliffe (R-Chicago)
217-782-8182

Rep. Al Riley (D-Matteson)
217-558-1007

Rep. Dave Winters (R-Rockford)
217-782-0455

Directions for identifying your legislators:

You can use the following link to identify your state legislators and
their contact information: http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/SelectSearchType.aspx?NavLink=1 (and enter your 9
digit zip code). If this link doesn't work, you can use the general
link www.ilga.gov and then click on " legislator lookup" near the
bottom of the page, then click on "by zip+4". Type in your zip code,
and you'll see a list of your legislators. You want your state
senator and state representative as they will be the ones voting on
the bill.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Sister Combs"

Please do the opposite of this action alert by the church and tell your legislators you support the HB2234 the civil unions bill.

Crossposted via Chino Blanco.

Tip Line Created to Uncover Truth of Financial Involvement of LDS Church

Californians Against Hate has set up a toll-free tip line for anyone who has information regarding the Mormon Church's involvement in proposition 8. Any information that you want to pass along will be kept strictly confidential and will be used to file a second complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC)

The graph below courtesy of Californians Against Hate shows a suspicious report of their financial filings. The graph shows the lump sum of financial involvement being in the last week which raises serious questions as to whether some information is being hidden, due to the fact that the LDS Church has been involved in the campaign for months.

If you have any information on Mormon Church spending anywhere in the country that occurred during the summer and fall leading up to the November 4th election, please let Californians Against Hate know.

Prominent Mormons Reimbursed for Prop 8

In what is now being called Mormon Gate by Californians Against Hate, the LDS church finds itself embroilled in a new scandal every day over their social, and financial involvement in banning same-sex marriage in California.

All this may be the tip of the iceberg as new reports indicate the following people, and probably more to follow were allegedly reimbursed by the yes on 8 campaign.

• Lawrence Research (Gary Lawrence, Mormon pollster and Meridian contributor): $528,877.35

• Eagle Foundation (a Mormon PAC set up by Bart Marcois and David Parker): $135,912.76

• Glen Greener (former Salt Lake City Police Commissioner, Meridian contributor, and now a GOP operative and sometime Cali property developer): $50,236.42

• Sonja Brown (Protectmarriage.com communications director): $41,844.00

• Zion Multimedia Corp.: $2,000.00

• Rob Wirthlin: $768.18

The full list of those who contributed to the Yes on 8 campaign can be viewed here courtesy of California's public records law.

H/T to Eric Ethington.

More 'Revelations' For the Mormon Church Tax Scandal

Mormon church officials, facing an ongoing investigation by the state Fair Political Practices Commission, Friday reported nearly $190,000 in previously unlisted assistance to the successful campaign for Prop. 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California.

The report, filed with the secretary of state’s office, listed a variety of California travel expenses for high-ranking members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and included $20,575 for use of facilities and equipment at the church’s Salt Lake City headquarters and a $96,849 charge for “compensated staff time” for church employees who worked on matters pertaining to Prop. 8.

The Mormon church had been under investigation by the Fair Political Practices Commission for failure to report its contributions as required by law. The investigation was prompted by a complaint filed by Fred Karger, of Californians Against Hate.

IRS regulations barred from endorsing political candidates, but they allow churches and religious groups to campaign and contribute on behalf of issues. When doing so, churches are required to report their contributions just like every other donor. They are also required to report and attach fair market dollar values to “in-kind” donations, which consist of services and activities provided directly without charge by a donor that a campaign would otherwise have been required to pay for.

Crossposted via Box Turtle Bulletin.

Direct Evidence Mormon Church Violated Tax Exempt Status

On November 3, 2008, ProtectMarriage.com received a contribution of $30,354.85 from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. You read that right. The Mormon Church donated more than $30 thousand dollars to eradicate the right of same-sex couples to marry. This is clear evidence, with a paper trail showing the Church and their personal financial contribution.

See the filing here.

H/T to The Gaytheist Agenda.

Shame on the LDS Church!

The gay community was already angry at the Mormon Church over its decision to heavily finance the proposition 8 campaign to defeat marriage rights in California for same-sex couples.

The LDS Church responded by saying they support gay rights, just not the word 'marriage' and were given the opportunity to stand up and show their support for other measures.

The Common Ground Initiative was meant to introduce improvements of the law to be more inclusive of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, these set of bills had zero to do with marriage, so the Mormon Church would speak out in support, right?

No. They even defeated the Wrongful Deaths Amendment which never made it out of committee.

This goes to show the true colors of the LDS Church as anti-gay institution.

Shame on LDS Steps of Action:

1. Boycott the LDS Church. Don't listen to their missionaries, don't go to their Visitors Centers, don't attend their events and pageants.

2. Boycott LDS-owned businesses - owners give 10% of what they make to the LDS Church.

3. Don't visit the Hate State- there's nothing in Utah you can't get elsewhere, and the LDS Church dominates everything about Utah.

4. Write a letter of complaint. Let them know how you feel. Address it to: Thomas Monson, 50 E. North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150.

5. Sign petitions and/or resign: remove LDS tax-exempt status, Mormons Stole Our Rights.com, Sign For Something.

Evidence Mormon Church Violated Tax Exempt Status!

The Mormon Church may lose their tax-exempt status over their overwhelming financial and social support for proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California. The video below shows the evidence of support by the LDS church including an audio record of the elders plans to pass proposition 8.

Request For "Common Ground" Between Mormons & Gays

Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons) entered the political arena and drew the ire of LGBT rights groups when they encouraged members of the Church to play a lead role in the campaign to pass Prop. 8 in California.

Yet, Church leaders have insisted all along that they're not "anti-gay" or opposed to civil unions and other LGBT rights – they say they're just against marriage for same-sex couples.

Well, our friends at Equality Utah are giving them the perfect opportunity to prove it:

Sign on to HRC's letter to President Monson of the LDS Church – ask him to publicly support civil unions and other pro-equality legislation in the Church's home state of Utah.

Equality Boycott - Fight Back With Your Dollars!

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.

Equality Utah - Petition for Gay & Transgender Utahns

"Throughout the recent election cycle, the LDS Church has demonstrated its willingness to participate in political issues by asking its members to do all they can do, including donating their means and their time, to support California’s Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution and eliminated gay couples right to marry by defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

The LDS Church has articulated it is not “anti-gay” but rather pro-marriage and it “does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights.” On November 5th, Elder L. Whitney Clayton stated the LDS Church does not oppose “civil unions or domestic partnerships.” In response to these statements, Equality Utah is drafting legislation for the 2009 General Session of the Utah Legislature to address each of the issues mentioned by the LDS Church."

Help urge the LDS church to stick by their statements and help in the effort to pass equality legislation in Utah.

Click here to sign the Equality Utah petition.