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Loading ...HRC statement on Mormon church and gay rights
11.11.2009 3:28pm EST
Today the LDS church announced its support for an inclusive anti-discrimination law in Salt Lake City.
STATEMENT FROM HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN RELIGION AND FAITH PROGRAM DIRECTOR HARRY KNOX:
“This has happened in the LDS Church because people are telling their clergy leaders they believe the church should be about lifting people up, not pushing them down. This decision is the result of vocal and consistent advocacy by LGBT people, their family and friends, inside and outside the LDS church. Employment and housing protections for LGBT people is fully embraced by mainstream America and the LDS Church is simply coming into the fold. We hope the LDS church will commit the same level of resources to ensuring full employment protection to everyone as it did to deny marriage equality to loving, same-sex couples in California.”
Right on American Brothers and Sisters; we’re so proud of your anger after Prop 8.
Get on the streets; tell them what’s on your mind; be seen. It’s OK to be angry, and you all have every right to be so.
I just heard a congressman on CNN state that certain provisions had to be made in the Health Care legislation, or it would not be endorsed by the Catholic Bishops Conference, and would subsequently not get passed. WTF? Hello, 21st Century calling America; where are you all going with this?
From out here it looks like this: the gay marriage debate is the epitome of the struggle between secular America and theocracy. Folks, it is not just about gay marriage. It is about your future; theocracy or democracy? In the eyes of the outside world looking in, the jury appears to be out on this. Your country is dangerously close to a familiar precipice.
Don’t become what you fear most.
Wow..Another stupid acceptance of “crumbs” by A-hole Joe solomnese.
who consistantly proves to us that he does NOT want full equality anytime soon. because when that happens his fake group HRC cash cow will dry up and he will have to struggle to pay for his fancy home, and cars, and elitist Obama dinner parties!! He wants to prolong the struggle as long as possible in order to keep his cronies sending in meaningless cash!! sorry for all of you sheep who still follow him. what a narcissist. The other day during the televised enda hearings, Joe nearly broke his neck bending his head so he could get his face on TV. He sat the whole meeting with his head tilted so he would get camera time. You people DO know that your money for the HRC goes to support Joes personal lifestyle do you not?..as long as HE is in charge and you idiots follow him, Gays will never achieve equality. He is the same to our cause as is Maggie Gallagher!
Hey! Hey! ho’! ho’!
Solmonese has GOT to GO!
How much $$$ did the Moron (sic) PAGAN FERTILITY CULT dump into the anti-equality campaign in California and Maine?
HRC has become a fraakin’ BAD JOKE.
“This has happened in the LDS Church because people are telling their clergy leaders they believe the church should be about lifting people up, not pushing them down. This decision is the result of vocal and consistent advocacy by LGBT people, their family and friends, inside and outside the LDS church.”
More likely is that the church leadership is seaking some political cover from the backlash that came out of their involvement in California’s Prop 8. Don’t be surprised if someone else starts a push to rescind the new ordinances.
I wised up to HRC after they showed up to an Obama fete and pretended he was our “fierce advocate.” No money for them, sorry Joe. Perhaps in a parallel universe we’d find the Mormon Church our friend, but certainly not in the real world. The crooks and connivers have run through their lines and are left looking foolish and morally bankrupt. Well, because they are.
Good on the LDS in this case, but they should still lose tax-exempt status for meddling in political affairs, whether it be pro- or anti-LGBT.
I told Mr. Solmonese that I would not support a group like HRC that reaches out to religion. I called, I emailed, I did have a few conversations but they still went ahead with the ill advised faith outreach.
Marcus, not all Americans are brainwashed cultists, but it is quite ironic that the so called land of the free is having the same struggle Turkey is and to some extent France and the same struggle Iran lost and Iraq and Afghanistan are fast losing. How ironic it is so obvious with our history we must take the secular path but a huge majority of our population chooses to believe a fairy tale and rejects such simple concepts as evolution.
We are indeed in a fight for our very existence and I don’t think many of my neighbors realize what a theocracy would mean to this country.
We came dangerously close with Bush and Obama is too dumb to see that in continuing his policies we are putting ourselves in grave danger. He even ridiculously put another roman cultist on the bench of the supreme court giving them a majority so we already have a theocratic board that can approve or veto any civil law based on the whims of the nazi pope-in-drag with those pretty red shoes.
The correct answer to the LDS is f*&$# off, we see through this ridiculous political ploy and will continue our campaign of enlightenment through exposure.
In Maine we made a serious error in addressing theocratic issues with a message of inclusion. We told people it is ok to draw civil rights conclusions by consulting your faith not realizing many people would do that and come to the wrong conclusion.
We should have said to the coalition of supportive faith leaders that we appreciate your support as individuals and believe that as humans you have come to this position but reject your weird cult activities and the notion that your cult taught you to be inclusive.
Inclusive people join liberal cults. Liberal cults do not create inclusive people.
Kill all the cults, imprison those that challenge our secular laws (three lashings for saying “under god”, twenty for saying we are a christian nation).
OK, seriously, we do celebrate freedom here so that’s crazy. I guess educating the brainwashed is a better way to go.
Thanking the LDS? HRC took that bait hook line and sinker.
If you came late to this realization, I don’t care..welcome. I’ve been saying this for almost ten years about HRC, and I won’t stop:
Stop legitimizing theocracy you idiots!
I see that all of the comments here so far are against the HRC statement, so here goes :
It is important to point out publicly when an otherwise anti-gay group makes a move in support of gay rights. HRC’s statement, along with others in the news media, helps to redefine the LDS church’s image – this isn’t a rehabilitation of the LDS church, but it is a way to move them to a new place. Now that they are on public record supporting this bill, they will have to think twice before contradicting it.
Oh, and for all the negative comments about working with religious institutions – they’re here, we’re queer, we have to deal with it. One of our major issues is battling the religious persecution of gays. Some of us can wage war on the institutions while others of us try to change them.
Can you people read or are you just looking for something to bitch about? First it wasn’t Joe Solmonese’s statement it was Harry Knox. And he didnt give credit to the church he gave the credit to “us” for being out their advocating and changing minds. And employment and housing nondiscrimination are certainly not “crumbs” especially when you live in a part of the country that has no protections for LGBT people. Now I’m not saying HRC and Joe Solmonese aren’t a bunch of ass kissers, but I don’t see a problem with this statement that was made.
I think it is a big step. Stop always looking for the negatives in every little thing and focus on the positive.
I do believe that its partly true it is from pursuer from with in to support basic mainstream legal protections as well as pressure from out side where they have a PR disaster after prop 8.
I love how people get so mad when the HRC tires not to burn bash and beat every religion out there into the ground as if viscously attacking peoples religion is going to cause us to gain support form them, since reality is we need it since it public votes (or pressure on their elected officials) is not likely to change any time soon. I will continue to fund their efforts as well as actively writing my senators and representative and not just on the federal level.
Why should anyone spend time to reach out to religious organizations? How about because self-identified Christians make up more than 75% of the population of this country. Fact check it here.
For a radical group like the LDS to agree to support LGBT legislation, even if it won’t mean anything special in a few months (Federal ENDA anyone?), is a significant change. The church is playing politics, yes, but pointing out that the LDS church is willing at all to give even a cursory nod to anything has a big impact on people, believers and non.
“Nick Said: November 12th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
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Why should anyone spend time to reach out to religious organizations? How about because self-identified Christians make up more than 75% of the population of this country. Fact check it here.”
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How about “NOT!” because we have a SECULAR Federal Republic. We are guaranteed both freedom OF religion AND freedom FROM religion.
ANY law that is based SOLELY upon the teachings of the Infallible Scriptures of the Almighty, All-Knowing, Great Flying Spaghetti Monster (or anybody ELSE’S “god”) should have been stricken from the books 200+ years ago, in the case of the USA.
BTW – first-class relics of the Almighty, All-Knowing, Great Flying Spaghetti Monster can be had for a modest “donation” … check the “pasta” aisle of your local supermarket.
May The Sauce Be With You!
To matthew simonds: LOL..first of all please say hello to your obvious boyfriend Joe solmonese for me.”
Secondly..THIS is NOT in ANY way “acceptance” or progress by the MORMON church cult. This is plain and simple a ploy to get us to stop boycotting them and calling them out. they still hate gays…they also want a mormon in the oval office..i.e., Mitt romney..so they think that throwing crumbs will shut us up and allow room for Mitt to become our leader…at that point do you really think the LDS folks will REALLY ever alter their hateful views on gays?..NOPE! HRC is a scam. Joe (your boyfriend) is a scam and a narcissistic freak, who will do anything for a little publicity. Carrie prejean comes to mind here..grow up DISBAND the HRC!! Look at the numbers: HRC membership is the only group on the planet whos membership is dwindling faster than the churches!
Raymond: You do know that there are some laws that are the same as the Ten Commandments right? ex. Thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not commit adultery.
Does that mean you support killing people and prostitutes?