One of the common arguments against same-sex marriage is that if you legalize it, you’ll have to eventually legalize polygamy. This SLT columnist who has been writing on polygamy for two decades asks, “Why not?” Often when people think about polygamy, they think about polygyny: one man marrying multiple women. …
Author: Alan
Utah State Legislature drafting Nondiscrimination Bill
The Utah State Legislature is currently drafting a bill for housing and employment nondiscrimination for LGBTs statewide after months of closed door discussions. Good, right? Well, here’s the scary part: one of the sticking points is whether churches as institutions should be exempt from the discrimination ban, or if adherents…
Bishop’s Guide to Same-sex Attraction posted, and then removed
Check out this cache of a Bishop’s Guide to Same-Sex Attraction that the Church posted and then took down. (Note: Link is no longer functional.) Such documents are useful because they give a snapshot of everyday policy and counseling advice that affects millions of lives. One can also get a…
Church files Amicus Brief against Marriage Equality
So, we’re in the final phase of the Prop 8 battle: the arguments before the Supreme Court. This thing should be decided sometime this summer. The CoJCoL-dS, along with a coalition of other churches (though I suspect the Church put most of the work into the document), have filed their…
mormonsandgays.org — a Sign of Movement toward Dialogue?
The Church recently launched a site titled Love One Another: A Discussion on Same-Sex Attraction (at the URL: www.mormonsandgays.org). Here is a useful link that centralizes many responses to the new site. John Gustav-Wrathall writes at D&S that “Now is the Time” for dialogue, because this new site demonstrates that…
a couple articles I noted this week…
Some good pieces out this week focusing on gender in the Church. Why Mormon Men Love “Church Ball” and Are Scared of Homosexuality by Kristine Haglund. (For a classic lengthy article on Mormon masculinity, check out this old Sunstone article from 1992.) This piece is neat: Joanna Brooks interviews Judy…
Valerie Hudson’s take on Taylor Petrey: A Misogynist in Sheep’s Clothing?
Today I read some articles by Valerie Hudson, a Mormon feminist and ex-BYU Poly Sci professor who’s written on interesting topics like the relationship of gender equality to state security. Here at MSP, we talked about her here. Back in 2009, she created some hubbub regarding the “real teleos” of…
Mormons in Pride Parades Okay, I need to vent (Part 2)
(Part 1 is here.) Now that the Pride parades are almost wound down for the summer, there are concerns I have about the Mormon presence that I would like to address. One major theme I’ve seen is this idea that “local politics is inherently good politics.” Prominent liberal Mormon bloggers…
Mormons in Pride Parades — Okay, I need to vent…
The way things are unfolding with Mormons in Pride parades this year has surfaced questions/concerns in my mind about the current “moment” — not just a “Mormon moment,” but also an “LGBT moment.” Mormons Building Bridges was the group that organized the march in Salt Lake City on June 3rd….
Mormons and Gay Marriage During This Election Cycle
We all remember Proposition 8 in 2008. The First Presidency of the Church ordered a letter be read to California wards to “do all you can” to ensure the proposition passed. Arguably, it would not have passed without Mormon involvement. Lots of members fell away from the Church during and…