Sunday in Outer Blogness: Gay Polygamy Edition!

What an exciting two weeks it’s been!! But before digging into the links, I’d like to remind everyone that 2013 is drawing to a close, which means that it is awards time!! On New Years Day I plan to open the nominations for the William Law X-Mormon of the Year (you can already give suggestions in the comments today), and then we’ll start the nominations for the Brodie Awards — stay tuned!!

The big news over the holidays has been that the courts have overturned Utah’s constitutional amendment against gay marriage, shortly after striking down an anti-cohabitation law that has been traditionally used to prosecute polygamists. There have been tons of happy stories and photos as gay couples flooded the capital in Salt Lake City to celebrate their nuptials — including one Brodie-Award-Winning blogger who was first in line to get married. (Check out these great wedding tips!) There was some interesting censorship in KSL’s coverage of the news. Hermia praised Boyd K Packer’s “accidental activism” in forwarding LGBTQ rights. Jettboy recommended that conservatives should opt-out of legal marriage. Maybe it’s time to get out the hand-carts and trek back to Missouri!

Now gay marriage has been legal in Utah for more than a week, so naturally, Utah has become a desolate wasteland, not to mention the effects on the church. The CoJCoL-dS is warning people not to use their meeting houses for same-sex weddings, and it appears that Utah is spending money that could be better spent elsewhere on lawyers for an appeal.

(Why? Well, in the words of Geoff B, “Yes, God is a Child-Sacrificing Misogynist and Racial Bigot”)

With all of the focus on gay marriage, let’s not forget the important polygamy ruling! Technically, polygamy (multiple simultaneous marriages) was not legalized — Utah’s laws on cohabitation were simply brought into alignment with those of the other 49 states — but one can make a strong case that the CoJCoL-dS should bring back polygamy (according to its own policies).

Boy did this stuff make people forget about the radical Mormon ladies in pants!

In other church news, Denver Snuffer is trying to snuff out his own cult of personality after expounding on polygamy. A new website has popped up: “Free BYU” to call attention to BYU’s freedom of religion problem. Alex explained some more questionable theology from the Book of Mormon while NoCoolNameTom is covering Old Testament — at least the inverse. The CoJCoL-dS still insists that Adam and Eve were real people, and Runtu wrote an analogy about apologetics. Oh, and race is still a problem.

Meanwhile, life goes on, including a lot of interesting family holiday encounters, as well as the joy of not going home for the holidays! Plus cookies, as well as some real charity!

In life journeys, the Indignant Atheist has posted his exit story (complete with fun stuff like trying to get amnesia to avoid the consequences of the knowledge of the gospel), and Steve Bloor described leaving the Mormon bubble.

In personal stories, Knotty has gotten sick, so says me had a very strange encounter with her husband’s ex, Jen is re-interpreting her past spiritual experiences, Runtu shared some thoughts about love, littlemissattitude remembered her mom, a gay ex-Mormon with a TBM assistant sadly doesn’t work very well, and travel is very good for kids.

In random fun, apparently Robert Kirby had a dog act as his missionary companion. Also, a new hymn, game over for “Ender’s Game,” Andrew Hackman wraps up that Duck thing, in a nutshell, Alan Rock Waterman wraps up odds and ends, and the CoJCoL-dS finally lets members in on some of its history!

Again, I’m sorry to have missed last week so two weeks’ worth of material got bunched up. I hope you’ll take the time to read some of these fun posts — you’re all still enjoying the holidays, right? And I especially hope that you’re looking forward to the Brodie Awards — the most fabulous time of the Mo-blogging year!!