At the request of a fellow blogger I admire, (Hi there Yondalla ::::waving:::)I decided today was the best time ever to talk about being LDS and NOT being anti-gay.
You can read more about this issue at this website: Affirmation. Officially the Church is very anti gay and went so far as to come out in public support of a bill banning gay marriage and legal rights for gay couples in 2004. Article in wikipedia. I personally voted against the bill. It is complicated to disagree with the culture of the Church, especially in Utah. If this issue comes in the conversation, I inevitably end up being stared at as if I am an alien, and I suppose in some ways I am.
It all comes down to just this simple sentence for me.
"I refuse to feel threatened by other people loving each other."
In the book of John in the New Testament, our Lord and Saviour says to us "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." ( I don't notice any kind of extenuating circumstances, like, don't love them if they are gay)
My hubby and I have been married for almost 27! years. How does two men or two women, or one man and four women threaten the institution of marriage? In my eyes it doesn't. No one can threaten my marriage except for myself and Bald Man.
I feel very strongly that families need to be protected. And when I say family, I mean any group of people who are choosing to live and love together, and very, very especially when there are little people who need/should be protected. They need legal protection, they need to have access to medical insurance through the big people in their lives, they need to be protected if something in their family goes awry.
So today, I am blogging in support of all families. No matter what they look like, just like my family, love holds them together ultimately. Go hug your family today. We all deserve it.
15 Kids Who Want To Play:
What a wonderful post. Who cares what the family is made up of as long as they are not hurting anyone, and everyone is happy, and little people are being raised in aloving environment does it realy matter if it's not a conventional environment. i don't think it does.
Bonkers about this post - love it!
You are wonderful.
here here!!
so well said. :))) I love John 15...
ta love...
Thank you.
LOVE YOUR POST !!!!
Thanks for being who you are and saying it out loud sometimes.
Amen. Being nice is the most important. Being Christlike to other people means loving them whatever their decisions, and supporting them in their efforts to be good people.
Complete moron - what is LGBT? Have a general idea, but would like to know the exact words for future reference. :-)
Heather, GREAT question.
(L)Lesbian, (G)Gay, (B)Bi-sexual, (T)Trans-gender.
Hopefully my LGBT readers will enlighten me if I incorrect on any factor involving their community. I am always learning!
Wonderful message, Jo.
I'm so proud of you for standing up and being heard. It's good to hear a person of faith go against the grain and speak of family love and acceptance of our brothers and sisters who are "different." Hatred was never a part of Christ's message, and it is just wrong to spread bigotry in the name of God.
"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone... ." John 8:7
I am always so curious about how exactly you are so in line with how I think and I was raised by hippies and am now close to being a Buddhist and you were raised ??? and are LDS. You defy how I define LDS in my head. I love it. Utah Jo breaking stereotypes on a daily basis!
Nodding vigorously...
Your "simple sentence" is not such a simple sentence for many people to understand, I think. And yet that's what it comes down to for me, too, no matter how many bows and curlicues you wrap around it.
As to marriage, I find Britney Spears and her 55-hour marriage a lot more damaging to the institution — although perhaps her ilk are less a cause than a symptom of how little we heterosexuals value this supposed privilege that should be saved for us alone.
LGBT (or GLBT - I've seen it both ways).
You're correct.
Thank you for this. As a lesbian who was born and raised and still lives in Utah, and whose extended family is LDS, I treasure the words of those who are LDS and who aren't threatened or censorious of my and my family.
Thank you for this one Jo...
Of all things about the LDS faith that could be a toughie... this is the one I struggle with.
On a personal level (and that is the only way I can address this topic) all I can do is love, and love no matter what. This includes being loving and kind and tolerant of others. I simply didn't vote. I didn't feel like I could. Not like that means much here in Utah where the outcome is a no-brainer.
It just kills me that so many hetero-LDS think they are so much more righteous than homosexuals, while treating their own "eternal companions" like dirt. Love is, as love does and I suspect there are many gays and lesbians that will be better off than I, come the judgement day.
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