In the five years since the LDS church sent busloads of the faithful to California to canvass neighborhoods, and contributed more than $20 million via its members to support the initiative, it has all but dropped the rope in the public policy tug of war over marriage equality. The change stems from an even more remarkable if somewhat invisible transformation happening within the church, prompted by the ugly fight over Prop. 8 and the ensuing backlash from the flock.
Mormon Church Backing Away From Gay Marriage
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Thursday that it will no longer consider people in same-sex marriages to be apostates. Here, a pride flag flies in front of the Historic Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City as part of a 2015 protest of the church's LGBT policies. George Frey/Getty Images hide caption
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced on Thursday that it was reversing its controversial 2015 policy that classified people in same-sex marriages as "apostates." The church, widely known as the Mormon church, had also barred the children of such marriages from blessing or baptism until age 18.
The 2015 policy had divided the church, and many members felt it punished children. The children of such marriages could only be baptized once they turned 18, and to do so they needed to move out of the household and disavow same-sex cohabitation and marriage. In protest, at least 1,000 members of the faith showed up in Salt Lake City to formally resign their membership.
When supporters of marriage equality learned in 2008 that money was flowing from Utah to California, they reached out to church leaders to see if the two sides could find common ground, said Williams.
However, she said, the church is conscious that it has to navigate between a more accepting culture in the United States and those in other nations where same-sex marriage has little or no acceptance.
The church clarified that while its doctrine on marriage between a man and a woman remains unchanged, it would respect and preserve the rights of its "LGBTQ brothers and sisters" so long as the church would be given religious freedoms, according to a statement released Tuesday.
The voting on the Respect for Marriage Act comes several months after the Supreme Court's historic decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June. A concurring opinion from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said the court should "correct the error" of rulings that protect same-sex marriage and contraception access.
Same-sex marriages are not allowed in the LDS Church and sexual activity is grounds for being denied access to the temple, ordination and other aspects of church membership. The Church has a history of campaigning against marriage equality since the 1990s and the issue has become one of the church's foremost political concerns.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Tuesday it would back proposed federal legislation to safeguard same-sex marriages, marking the latest show of support for the measure from conservative-leaning groups.
The bill, which has won support from Democrats and Republicans, is set for a test vote in the Senate Wednesday, with a final vote as soon as this week or later this month. It comes after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion, with Justice Clarence Thomas issuing a concurring opinion indicating that an earlier high court decision protecting same-sex marriage could come under threat.
Under an amendment backed by the church, the Respect for Marriage Act guaranteed that faith-based groups wouldn't lose their tax-exempt status or risk federal grant money because of their objections to same-sex marriages.
The Catholic Church and several conservatives publicly criticized the legislation, including Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and James Lankford of Oklahoma, who contended it would set a national policy on gay marriage that uniquely exposes churches and organizations to lawsuits.
The Respect for Marriage Act, a bill to codify protections for same-sex and interracial marriage, on Wednesday cleared a major procedural hurdle in the Senate after garnering enough support from Senate Republicans.
At the time, same-sex marriage was not federally recognized in America. Many states had back-and-forth referendums on the issue, and California was actively voting on its latest: Proposition 8. The church lodged a hefty campaign against legalizing same-sex marriage in California, going so far as to finance media ads and ask members in Eastern Idaho to call California residents, coaching them on how to vote.
The web page features video messages and essays from five church members, including Rosas, who identify as same-sex attracted, gay, lesbian or bisexual. The materials are intended to facilitate empathetic understanding and provide information on sexual identification, church doctrine and mental health resources.
Last November, the church updated its Handbook of Instruction for bishops around the world with a new policy barring children of same-sex couples from church blessings and baptism. The policy also affirmed the long-held Mormon stance that same-sex marriage is considered apostasy and grounds for excommunication.
Having no concept of how to reconcile being gay and Mormon, the couple's marriage was annulled and Christofferson asked to be excommunicated from the church. He began a long relationship with a partner and was happy, he said.
The 2015 policy had divided the church, and many members felt it punished children. The children of such marriages could only be baptized once they turned 18, and to do so they needed to move out of the household and disavow same-sex cohabitation and marriage. In protest, at least 1,000 Mormons showed up in Salt Lake City to formally resign their membership.
A Mormon church-backed anti-discrimination law that protects gay and transgender people and religious rights took effect Tuesday amid skepticism from some LGBT residents over whether it lives up to its promises.
One example they cite is Brigham Young University, which is owned by the Mormon church and can still evict people from student housing for being gay. That exemption also applies to the 1,400 landlords who contract with the private Provo school to provide off-campus housing.
James Ord, a gay Mormon church member, noted that not only does Utah's law leave LGBT Brigham Young students unprotected, it also threatens nearby Utah Valley University students, who might try to rent from the same landlords.
The faith's leaders have softened their tone in recent years regarding same-sex attraction. While moving away from harsh rhetoric and preaching compassion and acceptance, the church insists it is not changing doctrine and still believes sex is against God's law unless it is within a marriage between a man and a woman.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Tuesday it would back proposed federal legislation to safeguard same-sex marriages, marking the latest show of support for the measure from conservative-leaning groups.
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