2014 has been quite a year for Ordain Women founder Kate Kelly!
After again asking to be admitted to the priesthood session of General Conference, Kate Kelly was excommunicated (in absentia) by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Kate Kelly’s excommunication received widespread attention in the news, in part because it highlighted what will get you excommunicated and what won’t: Ms. Kelly, a human rights lawyer, was excommunicated for organizing a group to petition the leaders of the CoJCoL-dS to pray about the possibility of female ordination (as prayer had led them earlier to extend the priesthood and temple ordinances to black people). Meanwhile, Cliven Bundy — who organized an armed standoff with the US government — did not face any church discipline, nor did Bruce Jessen and Jay Bybee (who played instrumental roles in the US government’s torture program). Additionally, Kate Kelly’s excommunication highlighted the very gender disparity in the CoJCoL-dS that she was working against: As a woman, it only required her local bishop to begin church discipline against her, whereas a higher authority would have been required if she’d been an man.
See the results of the poll here.
Congratulations to Kate, and all the nominees….
The best woman definitely won.
YAY!! Congrats to the winner! Even if she is an ex-mo not by choice, we are happy to have her. 🙂
Brava!
I think Kate will come to appreciate her freedom more than she can know.