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

Blog Spotlight: Utah Cog

Utah Cog is a wonderful blog written by one of our delightful readers Scot. He is a father, husband, and gay Utahn who discusses his families life, their joys, and their struggles as being an LGBT family in one of America's most conservative states. It is wonderfully written and will serve as an inspiration for anyone who has a family or wishes to one day have one.

Buttars-Palooza (Utah Party for Truth & Justice)

Who knew that prop 8 would stir up such fervor and mobilize Utah's gay community as it has. Having the Common Ground Initiative defeated, and hearing Utah Senator Buttars call "gays the biggest threat to America" the community is not giving up.

There will be a party at the Capitol for truth and justice with music, dancing, street artists, food, fun and feature a special "tribute" to everyone's favorite Senator.

Buttars-Palooza

Date: Saturday, February 28, 2009
Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Location: Utah Capitol - South Lawn, 350 N. State St., Salt Lake City, UT

Feel free to RSVP on facebook.

Call for Senator Buttars Resignation

The All For One Initiative is calling on us to contact Utah Governor Jon Huntsman as well as the Senate President Michael Waddoups and urge them to speak up in favor of Senator Buttars submitting his resignation. The senator has recently called "gays the greatest threat to America" among other highly offensive comments. The current and past comments by this senator illustrate his lack of ability to represent all Utahn's due to his racist and homophobic rhetoric.

Please use the contact info below to urge them to speak in favor of his resignation.

Governor Jon Huntsman
Phone: 800-705-2464
http://governor.utah.gov/goca/form_comment.html

Senate President Michael Waddoups
Office (801) 355-1136
waddoups@utahsenate.org

Utah Senator Chris Buttars Calls "Gays Greatest Threat to America"

Utah state senator Chris Buttars has made homophobic remarks against the gay community in an upcoming documentary on proposition 8. He is saying that "gays are the greatest threat to the country ever" and that "gay marriage is the beginning of the end." This senator has also made comments that are racist and offensive to the African American and Muslim communities.



Email contact for Senator Buttars below:
dbuttars@utahsenate.org

Tell Utah Representatives to Support Common Ground Initiative!

Governor Huntsman supports the Common Ground Initiative. Three recent polls indicate a majority of Utahns support basic rights for gay and transgender people. One of the most outspoken proponents of Amendment 3, BYU law professor Lynn Wardle, admits the amendment allows for certain benefits and he debunks the ‘slippery slope to marriage’ argument used by Common Ground Initiative opponents. There is Common Ground. Gay and transgender Utahns are in need of the protections afforded in this legislation. (Equality Utah)

Find your senator and representative here.

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.

Utah Senate Bill 32 (SB 32) Wrongful Death Amendments

The Senate Judiciary Committee in Utah will be holding a hearing at 2pm, Tuesday, January 27, at the State Capitol Building, in Room 250.

On the committees agenda will be SB 32 the Wrongful Death Amendments sponsored by Sen. McCoy.

This bill would allow people to designate another adult to have standing in court if they die due to negligence or malpractice. Grandparents, siblings, and partners should not be locked out of the courts when a loved one is killed in these circumstances.

Equality Utah is asking us to contact members of the Senate Judiciary committee to support SB 32 today!

Sen. Jon J. Greiner
jgreiner@utahsenate.org
(801) 621-0423

Sen. Lyle W. Hillyard
lhillyard@utahsenate.org
(435) 753-0043

Sen. Mark B. Madsen
mmadsen@utahsenate.org
(801) 361-4787

Sen. Scott D. McCoy
smccoy@utahsenate.org
(801) 359-2544

Sen. Ross I. Romero
rromero@utahsenate.org
(801) 364-2451

Sen. Michael G. Waddoups
waddoups@utahsenate.org
(801) 967-0225

Sen. Chris Buttars (Chair)
dcbuttars@utahsenate.org
(801) 561-0535

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 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.

Invalidate Prop 8! Donate in the Name of the Mormon Church!

The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center is asking us to send a message to the Mormon Church, whose members raised more than $15 million to fund the deceitful advertising campaign for Proposition 8, the initiative that takes away the right to marry for same sex couples in California!

Make a donation, in the name of the president of the Mormon Church, to support the legal organizations working to invalidate Proposition 8 and to fund grass-roots activities in support of full marriage equality. For every donation of $5 or more, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center will send the following postcard to President Thomas Monson’s office in Salt Lake City, acknowledging your donation in his name:

Dear President Monson:

A donation has been made in your name by _________________ to “invalidateprop8.org” to overturn California's Proposition 8 and restore fundamental civil rights to all citizens of California. The money will be donated to legal organizations fighting the case and to support grass-roots activities in support of full marriage equality. Although we decry the reprehensible role the Church of Latter Day Saints leadership played in denying all Californians equal rights under the law, we are pleased a donation has been made on your behalf in the effort to overturn the discrimination your church members helped enshrine in the California Constitution. Given that throughout its history the Mormon Church has been subjected to bigotry, we hope you appreciate the donation in your name to fight religious bigotry here in California.

Let’s work to overturn Prop. 8 while sending a message to the Mormon Church that it’s wrong for any organization to exert political influence to deny the civil rights of any group!

http://www.invalidateprop8.org/