Salt Lake City approves gay rights measures after historic Mormon church backing
The Mormon church for the first time has announced its support of gay rights legislation, an endorsement that helped gain unanimous approval for Salt Lake city laws banning discrimination against gays in housing and employment.
A reader on Andrew Sullivan comments
It is stunning that LDS Church President Thomas Monson has proven to be a more fierce advocate for gay rights during the last year than has U.S. President Barack Obama.
Tuesday’s announcement promises a sea change in the western states because Mormons tend to be devout and accepting of the authority of their Church. Already attitudes are changing. Legislators with extremely hostile records against gay rights are suddenly conciliatory—and the sole cause of this change is the Church’s public pronouncement.
Is the LDS Church now supporting gay marriage? Not yet. But what they have done is a gigantic sea change.
No, it’s not. They knew from direct lobbying against it that regardless of their influence this was going to pass. The polls done before LDS jumped in were showing a win by several votes, since many those normally swayed by the Church were not towing the line, in part because of clear restrictions that the bill has exempting churches and small businesses (under 15 employees), just like other anti-discrimination laws.
What LDS has done here is donned a nice sheep skin when they had nothing to lose from doing so. They knew it was going to pass, with or without them, so they quickly ran to the media and pronounced their love for the bill. This way when they help another Prop 8 style campaign, like they did in California and Maine, they can say “NO! We’re not against gays! See, we helped them over here! Some of my
helpfriends areblackgay!”Don’t be fooled. This is the same group that had two men arrested for kissing on their property. They’re not for gay rights at all, but they’re not dumb enough to swim against the tide directly when they can use it to their benefit.