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This topic has been archived - replies are not allowed.
Oh, where do I start? It has been a busy summer for LDS leadership here in Salt Lake City. I am hoping the writers of Big Love will touch on the growing intolerance toward homosexuals within Salt Lake City and in Utah in general. Bill and company have a lot to address in their own family, both immediate and nuclear, but their adopted, made for Hollywood, fact-based community has also made some very controversial and intolerant moves lately. First, the LDS church financially backed Prop 8 in California to bar gay couples from marrying. Why would a church based in another state care if gay couples were granted the same rights as everyone else? Once gay marriage was completely banned in Utah. Utah Legislators, many of whom are LDS, fought hard to prevent gay couples from having the same rights as heterosexual couples in estate planning, insurance, and adoption rights. The pinnacle of intolerance came in the form of violence last weekend right outside of the LDS Temple Walls. Last week Matt Aune and Derek Jones were walking home from a free ?Human Highway? and ?The Black Keys? concert staged at the Gallivan Center in downtown Salt Lake City. The two men were only holding hands when they passed through a piece of property that the LDS Church annexed from the city (another huge problem with the closeness of church and state in Utah). Minutes later, the two men were thrown to the ground and handcuffed with zip-ties by unidentified security guards. The reason, they were gay and in public. Now to a decent size of the industrialized, democratic world, it may seem unbelievable that two men would be detained in a US city for being gay, but fact is stranger than fiction here in Utah. The church has not only acknowledged the unlawful arrest of these two men, but stands by its actions. Now I know many readers are thinking that this is an isolated incident, but this should not come as surprise from a church that did not allow African-Americans to hold the priesthood until 1978. Yes, you read that right, 1978. While America was starting to fight hard to bring down the South African apartheid government, the LDS Church was actively banning black members from its church. It hard to believe that bigotry openly existed like this in 1978, not to mention 2009, but it happens every day here. Big Love has for the most part been very soft on exposing a multitude of intolerant and bigoted policies held by the LDS Church. I would urge the writers of Big Love to address some of these important social issues in new episodes of its award winning series. I will be more than happy to make make myself available for endless additional information on topics like these. Moreover, I will supply a list of over 300 names ranging from the major of Salt Lake City to students at the University of Utah (both LDS and non, gay and straight) to address these unbelievable and intolerance church policies. Utah is a great place to live despite the actions of the LDS Church toward fellow Americans. I ask that HBO and HBO subscribers help push to end these hateful and intolerant practices, while entertaining the world at the same time. http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11952191?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com http://www.sltrib.com/ci_12864692?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/07/12/13164 Many more sources can be provided at the request of readers.
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Posts:
58
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8/2/07
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(7 of 7)
Re: New intolerance issue for Big Love writers to consider.
Aug 10, 2009 8:47 PM
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Believe it or not their are polygamists on both sides of this issue. The more traditional and fundamentalists abhor the idea of accepting homosexual unions and it is a no go. There is however another type of polygamist movement growing in which is more accepting of same-sex unions. The less fundamentalist type of polygamists oftentimes jump on the bandwagon for same-sex unions in hopes that eventually polygamous marriages will also become legal. Another trend I have seen is that bi-sexual women will enter into polygamous relationships with straight men. I have seen these new polygamists and their movement seems to be growing.....while the traditional fundamentalists seem to be slowly dwindling. As for me...I consider myself a moderate conservative in the whole polygamy scene, however most here consider me to be a raving "fundy".
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I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glorify in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul in repentance; and this is my joy. Alma 29:9
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Posts:
34
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7/21/09
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(6 of 7)
Re: New intolerance issue for Big Love writers to consider.
Jul 30, 2009 5:06 PM
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Private property is private property. That's an American right also.
The against the proposition side is behaving badly.
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2
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7/21/09
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(5 of 7)
Re: New intolerance issue for Big Love writers to consider.
Jul 30, 2009 2:59 PM
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What say you here? Look at the straight couple walk by holding hands. Moreover, there is not a single sign saying "no gays allowed", no holding of hands, kissing, or being an American with basic rights. Perhaps this is another reason all charges were dropped and the LDS Church is running as fast as they can away from this issue. Video doesn't lie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgvPDxjMbgU&feature=player_embedded
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1
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7/27/09
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(4 of 7)
Re: New intolerance issue for Big Love writers to consider.
Jul 27, 2009 8:51 PM
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The points brought up in this post are, sadly, quite accurate. The unfortunate truth is that a large segment of society, particularly the religiously dogmatic, still regards gay men and women as second-class citizens - or worse. That is the salient point of my recently released biographical novel, Broken Saint. It is based on my forty-year friendship with a gay Mormon man, and chronicles his internal and external struggles as he battles for acceptance (of himself and by others, including his co-religionists). More information on the book is available at www.eloquentbooks.com/BrokenSaint.html.
Mark Zamen, author
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759
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6/6/06
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(3 of 7)
Re: New intolerance issue for Big Love writers to consider.
Jul 23, 2009 7:01 PM
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To begin with, the incident with the two gay men kissing occurred on private property. This is not an issue of civil rights violations. Also it was more than just a simple kiss that got the couple arrested for trespassing. Had any heterosexual couple been engaging in like conduct they would also have been asked to leave by Church security personnel.
For those not aware, this easement is right in front of the LDS temple in Salt Lake City.
If this had occurred in the Vatican which is also private property owned by the Catholic Church, or in front of a Mosque, the couple would have also been asked to leave.
So in retaliation, gay supporters staged a kiss-in, in front of a building that Mormons consider sacred.
Now a kiss-in is planned for the temple in San Diego California. I wish they would protest at every temple location in the country. Then the majority of people who are religious will see the true nature of the LGBT movement. They have no respect for the religious beliefs of others and they make that quite clear by where they direct their protests.
That is okay because their antics will make it that much easier to amend the U.S. constitution to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
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(2 of 7)
Re: New intolerance issue for Big Love writers to consider.
Jul 23, 2009 1:16 AM
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One the contrary Big Love's entire premise is to turn America on to other lifestyles and make them challenge their conception of the American family. They are using the family of an offshoot of an American born religion to make that point.
Suggesting LDS only live in Utah and none live in CA or Arizona is like saying all Catholics live in Vatican City and there are none in the US. Homosexual church congregations in other states, GLBT organizations in other states were certainly putting their support in the public eye to defeat the proposition as well as celebrities not living there. It is not just the LDS faith whose membership supported the proposition. But they are a small number of members compared to the entire population so it's easy to but the focus on them. There is nothing wrong with a church advising it's congregation of what it's scriptures say about an issue. Nor is it wrong for a member of a church to put a sign on their lawn or donate money for or against a cause. As you have pointed out you have folks both LDS and nonLDS on your side. Not the sign of a brainwashing church. Non religious groups outside of CA and Arizona were working to defeat the proposition. That's okay too. Candidate Obama spoke to church congregations on the campaign trail for both Senate and Presidency. That's allowed too. Churches can participate in the election process.
Writers have been attacking the LDS church especially of late, like the media has been attacking the Catholic Church for decades on the screen. Why do you think they showed the scene in the temple? Love court? I think they are way ahead of you on the payback. They started out respectful and being clear that polygamy wasn't a part of the LDS church. Lately though, something else is happening with the whole "letter scandal" and the kidnapping clearly making the LDS church leaders the bad guys. A shame.
The main family isn't even LDS. Official LDS haven't practiced polygamy in any person's lifetime. (over 100 years ago) Utah wasn't even a state when the Principle was practiced. It stopped to gain statehood a be part of the US. The family in the show are polygamists fundamentalists hiding in suburbia attached to prophets and compounds like Roman and the UEB and pretending that they aren't because of geography. I don't know what the fundamentalists have done to the same sex community? They certainly don't want marriage amendments between one man and one woman either. That was covered in season 1.
Would you feel better if they let AA men hold the priesthood in 1960? It's a "newer" religion. They changed that years ago. What does it matter anymore? They weren't banning, they were just not accepting for membership. There's a difference.
I'm not exactly sure what Big Love has to do with a place of business asking people to leave the grounds? Given the fact many people have approached their religious buildings of late trying to make a point, I don't wonder if security was concerned for cause. Perhaps the men who felt abused should place the blame on those behaving badly in their out of hand protests. Funerals, cemeteries and religious buildings ought not to have protests. Of course since Catholic churches are open to the public people actually storm into those wearing slogan and sashes trying to receive the sacrament and make a scene on a variety of complaints. We don't have to provide ID to attend our church.
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New intolerance issue for Big Love writers to consider.
Jul 22, 2009 5:55 AM
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Oh, where do I start? It has been a busy summer for LDS leadership here in Salt Lake City. I am hoping the writers of Big Love will touch on the growing intolerance toward homosexuals within Salt Lake City and in Utah in general. Bill and company have a lot to address in their own family, both immediate and nuclear, but their adopted, made for Hollywood, fact-based community has also made some very controversial and intolerant moves lately. First, the LDS church financially backed Prop 8 in California to bar gay couples from marrying. Why would a church based in another state care if gay couples were granted the same rights as everyone else? Once gay marriage was completely banned in Utah. Utah Legislators, many of whom are LDS, fought hard to prevent gay couples from having the same rights as heterosexual couples in estate planning, insurance, and adoption rights.
The pinnacle of intolerance came in the form of violence last weekend right outside of the LDS Temple Walls. Last week Matt Aune and Derek Jones were walking home from a free ?Human Highway? and ?The Black Keys? concert staged at the Gallivan Center in downtown Salt Lake City. The two men were only holding hands when they passed through a piece of property that the LDS Church annexed from the city (another huge problem with the closeness of church and state in Utah). Minutes later, the two men were thrown to the ground and handcuffed with zip-ties by unidentified security guards. The reason, they were gay and in public. Now to a decent size of the industrialized, democratic world, it may seem unbelievable that two men would be detained in a US city for being gay, but fact is stranger than fiction here in Utah.
The church has not only acknowledged the unlawful arrest of these two men, but stands by its actions. Now I know many readers are thinking that this is an isolated incident, but this should not come as surprise from a church that did not allow African-Americans to hold the priesthood until 1978. Yes, you read that right, 1978. While America was starting to fight hard to bring down the South African apartheid government, the LDS Church was actively banning black members from its church.
It hard to believe that bigotry openly existed like this in 1978, not to mention 2009, but it happens every day here. Big Love has for the most part been very soft on exposing a multitude of intolerant and bigoted policies held by the LDS Church. I would urge the writers of Big Love to address some of these important social issues in new episodes of its award winning series. I will be more than happy to make make myself available for endless additional information on topics like these. Moreover, I will supply a list of over 300 names ranging from the major of Salt Lake City to students at the University of Utah (both LDS and non, gay and straight) to address these unbelievable and intolerance church policies.
Utah is a great place to live despite the actions of the LDS Church toward fellow Americans. I ask that HBO and HBO subscribers help push to end these hateful and intolerant practices, while entertaining the world at the same time.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11952191?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_12864692?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/07/12/13164
Many more sources can be provided at the request of readers.
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