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Loading ...Utah faces gay boycott over Mormon support for Prop 8
11.10.2008 9:33am EST
(Salt Lake City, Utah) Utah’s growing tourism industry and the star-studded Sundance Film Festival are being targeted for a boycott by bloggers, gay rights activists and others seeking to punish the Mormon church for its aggressive promotion of California’s ban on gay marriage.
It could be a heavy price to pay. Tourism brings in $6 billion a year to Utah, with world-class skiing, a spectacular red rock country and the film festival founded by Robert Redford, among other popular tourist draws.“At a fundamental level, the Utah Mormons crossed the line on this one,” said gay rights activist John Aravosis, an influential blogger in Washington, D.C.
“They just took marriage away from 20,000 couples and made their children bastards,” he said. “You don’t do that and get away with it.”
Salt Lake City is the world headquarters for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which counts about 62 percent of Utah residents as members.
The church encouraged its members to work to pass California’s Proposition 8 by volunteering their time and money for the campaign. Thousands of Mormons worked as grassroots volunteers and gave tens of millions of dollars to the campaign.
The ballot measure passed Tuesday. It amends the California Constitution to define marriage as a heterosexual act, overriding a state Supreme Court ruling that briefly gave same-sex couples the right to wed.
The backlash against the church – and by extension Utah – has been immediate. Protests erupted outside Mormon temples, Facebook groups formed telling people to boycott Utah, and Web sites such as mormonsstoleourrights.com began popping up, calling for an end to the church’s tax-exempt status.
Church spokeswoman Kim Farah said in a statement about the temple protests Friday that it is “disturbing” that the church is being singled out for exercising its right to speak up in a free election.
“While those who disagree with our position on Proposition 8 have the right to make their feelings known, it is wrong to target the Church and its sacred places of worship for being part of the democratic process,” Farah said.
The church had said in a statement after Tuesday’s vote that “no one on any side of the question should be vilified, intimidated, harassed or subject to erroneous information.”
Aravosis is the editor of the popular americablog.com, which has about 900,000 unique monthly visitors.
He is calling for skiers to choose any state but Utah and for Hollywood actors and directors to pull out of the Sundance Film Festival. Other bloggers and readers have responded to his call.
“There’s a movement afoot and large donors are involved who are very interested in organizing a campaign, because I do not believe in frivolous boycotts,” said Aravosis, who has helped organize boycotts against “Dr. Laura” Schlessinger’s television show, Microsoft and Ford over gay rights issues.
“The main focus is going to be going after the Utah brand,” he said. “At this point, honestly, we’re going to destroy the Utah brand. It is a hate state.”
Gay rights groups did not immediately weigh in on calls for a boycott. Jim Key, spokesman for the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, said he had heard little about such an effort.
“It’s not something that we have called for, but we do think it is important to send a message to the Mormon church,” Key said. He noted an effort run by the center to overturn Proposition 8 that sends a postcard to the Mormon church president with each contribution made.
A Sundance spokeswoman didn’t return messages. Leigh von der Esch, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism, said that she’s aware there’s been discussion of a boycott, but that her office hadn’t received any calls about it Thursday. State offices are closed Friday.
“We’re respectful of both sides of the equation and realize it’s an emotional issue, but we are here promoting what we think is the best state in the country,” she said.
What kind of economic, religious or political impact, if any, a boycott might have is unclear. The Mormon church has members all over the world and no plans to change its stance on gay marriage.
Aravosis is not calling for a boycott of California, though that state’s voters actually approved the ban.
“At this point, the Californians are the victims and the Mormons are the persecutors,” he said. “We had won this until they swept in. … We need to send a message to Utah that they need to stop trying to inflict their way of life on every other state.”
Bob Malone, CEO and president of the Park City Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, said it is unfair to try to punish certain industries or parts of the state over an issue it had nothing to do with.
“It’s really not a Park City thing, and I don’t see it as a state thing. That was more of a religious issue,” he said. “To sweep people in who really have nothing to do with that issue and have no influence over religious issues – it’s sad that people kind of think that and say, ‘We’re going to bury you.’ It’s sad to hear people talk like that.”
“Wrong to target the church and its sacred places of worship for its participation in the democratic process”? Wording cleverly chosen for its ham-fisted suggestion that gay people and our allies are somehow engaging in censorship by expressing our opposition financially. Yet another example of political fanatics misunderstanding the basic concept behind freedom of speech.
Yes, you’re free to engage in the democratic process without burden… burden from the government. As for private citizens, we’re completely free to decide that your group is a bunch of bastards and we don’t want anything to do with you. That’s an exercise of OUR rights.
I’m sick and tired of the gay community always taking the moral high road. The Mormons produced a series of commercials filled with lies and deceitful information. They slandered the gay community, they intentionally ruined families. It’s time to play dirty. Nothing is sacred at this point… it’s time to use whatever means necessary to win back our rights.
Sad that it’s come to this, but the Mormon Corporation (it’s not a real church) kicked the hornet’s nest and they’re going to have to be ready to get stung.
I find it funny and ridiculously contradicting the Mormon church is. they are so concerned about their tourism economy will be effected that we (the gay community) will stop spending our hard earned money to their economy, while still wanting to treat us as second class citizens. the Mormon church is nothing but dictatorship covering in a religious coat, that most people are too blind to see. look around, we are everywhere, from every corner of every community and culture on the this planet. We have contributed lots of talents and hearts to make this world a beautiful place to live and treasure. More recently, our finances have also help to drive the economy forward. “our way of life” is a huge market (in billions) for both state and local economy. Yes, my way of life may be sinful to the Mormon or Christian or whatever people believe in, but to me, I have my own belief, and that is my own sin to deal with; why would they care?. But don’t they think that taking away other people rights of living is not sinful. That is stealing, and it’s sin. to all the bigot people out there, deal with your sin first before turning to other persons how to live their lives.think about that. I don’t care what they (the Mormon)are believing, but they have no right to deny anybody’s rights to live their own lives from their beliefs. It is time that the gay community to put our brain together and fight this war to the root, that’s the church which have brainwash and mislead people with wrong infomations. if they want to play the political game, they have to pay taxes as everyone does. We have to let them know how important our community to have an impact to the society. Thus we deserve to be treated equally as every body else.
Yes the Mormon Church overstepped their bounds taking up this fight that in No way effects their religion – But why are we not talking about the 70% of African Americans that voted for Prop 8! – There needs to be a n open discussion w/ them as well. Get out and vote for a black president to make this country live up to it’s promises of equality – but then vote yes on Prop 8 – That’s wrong.
I am tempted to buy whitesheets
Why stop with Utah? The Marriott chain is Mormon owned. Boycott them and any other nationally franchised Mormon industries/companies. There is still a minority in Utah that don’t adhere to the archaic thinking of the LDS cult. Why punish them? Go for the known enemy, not the assumed one.
The saying, “I’m mad as hell and not going to take it anymore” seems to fit. Let me know where to find a list of every Morman owned business, I will gladly boycott. If the so called “good people” of Utah say it is just a church thing, they deserve to be boycotted. I am tired of this higher road shit. Boycott now. And skiers, try gay friendly, northern New mexico, no pretense and no bullshit. I plan to spend my green in only blue areas.
i wish that black americans could have stood behind gay americans the way we have been behind them.. i guess it’s fine to discriminate as long as it’s ageanst someone else.they should know better
A boycott is a really good idea! A church has no business involving itself in politics and Utah supports them. Their tax exempt status should be promptly revoked and no gay or gay friendly person should set foot in Utah from now on. If they want to spread hate and bigotry and lie to do it, they need to be made aware that there is a price to pay for taking away the rights of others. Think of all the empty food bank shelves that money would stock but they put spreading hate over feeding the hungry. This is Christian????
“The church had said in a statement after Tuesday’s vote that “no one on any side of the question should be vilified, intimidated, harassed or subject to erroneous information.”
Really? Then why did the “church” do exactly that?
I agree, we need to boycott the South Africa of our time ,Utah and all businesses that supported prop. 8 (Hate) Let’s stop Fascists now!
A boycott should be able to make the message clear that if you mess with us we won’t just sit their and take it we will turn back around and counter every punch you throw at us. To everyone on the front lines you go give them hell you hear me, don’t get violent but make sure to stay in the news and keep the pressure on them.
Frank, I agree with you on that one… When will we all learn that being all “touchy feely” and always taking the high ground will not get us no where. It is time we started taking action, not just sitting and complaining.
Should we boycott Utah, yes, why, because the house the Mormons HQ. And if it was not for the Mormons, and their Millions they spent on the lies and mis-information adds to have people vote Yes on 8, 8 would not have passed at all. Also, a list of Mormon funded companies should be given out and boycotted as well. Remember people, it was all about putting on a message over and over and over into someones head, then when it comes time to vote that surfaces. All the millions they poured into all the ad’s did just that.
Also, we should start doing for all those company’s and states that have started to vote yes on hate. We hit them where it counts (pocketbook), and they will start to listen. Our community has the largest “disposable” income of all others. Start waking up, and helping those who help us, and stop using, going etc to places/company’s that fund hate against us.
People remember, majority is not always right. If it was always on majority and not the right thing to do, we be speaking German and still owning slaves.
In addition to a Boycott on Utah, we should also boycott products that the Mormon church owns stock in. Pepsi springs to mind, but I’m sure that there are other products.
According to their official site Pepsi products include; Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Aquafina water, Mug Root Beer, Sobe, Amp, and No Fear energy drinks,Lipton tea, Dole juice, Gatorade and Starbuck coffee (no idea if that includes the stores or just the bottled and canned stuff).
Either way, that’s the list; does anyone else think it would be a good idea?
Sundance needs to move out of Utah. It’s a great festival, and an inclusive one. But it’s proceeds definately help the Utah state economy. It’s got to go.