MARNI ZOLLINGER is as Mormon as they come. Married on her 20th birthday to a fellow Brigham Young University student, Zollinger is raising her four kids in the faith. But her two eldest sons spent Sunday morning in a surprising place: Holding a Mormon banner in the Portland Pride parade. Zollinger herself followed behind, holding a sign that read, “Sorry We’re Late.”
Mormons have been popping up at Pride parades around the country this month, in a pro-gay marching movement instigated by Portlanders. Local member of Mormons for Marriage Equality Sara Long says she pitched the idea of marching in Portland and Seattle’s Pride parades to a Mormon Facebook group in early May, and the idea took off like wildfire—sparking Mormon contingents in Washington, DC, and Salt Lake City’s parades before Portland’s this past weekend.
“There is a huge groundswell among Mormons who feel bad and who want to get in on the action,” says Long. “The Mormon grapevine is pretty small.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a well-known history of excommunicating or shunning people who have any kind of sex other than the straight, married kind. Portland has a relatively large population of LGBT ex- and current Mormons [“More than Missionary,” Feature, Dec 17, 2009], but Long and Zollinger are both straight, married, devout Mormons who are pushing the church to change from the inside.
Their group and others like it are probably our best chance for reforming Mormons’ officially intolerant view on queerness. On one hand, it shouldn’t matter to LGBT folks what 12 old male apostles in Salt Lake City think of their lives. But it’s impossible to ignore the political and cultural power of the church in society. As Zollinger puts it, “We’re unstoppable, we’re an army. However, we’re pushing in the wrong direction.”
Ironically, the church’s financial support for 2008’s anti-gay-marriage Proposition 8 in California is what drove more liberal Mormons to found Mormons for Marriage Equality. Criticizing church leadership or doctrine is taboo, so members who are publicly pro-gay risk social isolation. When Long started talking with her mom about same-sex marriage, the conversation didn’t go well.
“I said, ‘Mom, what do you think of gay rights?'” says Long. “She said, ‘I believe that the anal canal is meant for the excretion of waste.’ That is her opinion of gay rights.” Long has no idea how she ended up so different from her family on this issue, but she remembers when she saw how a longtime family friend, a bishop, treated his daughter who came out as a lesbian.
“The reaction was just about as bad as you’d think. They essentially forced her out,” says Long. “Individual Mormons need to see people stand up and say, ‘I’m a Mormon, I go to church, I have a calling, and I absolutely am for equal rights for all people.'”
Zollinger was raised in an equally conservative home (“I remember my dad laughing in glee when Ronald Reagan won,” she says), but her pro-gay path began after the passage of Proposition 8. With same-sex marriage in the spotlight, Zollinger felt compelled to work through her own beliefs. Unlike church leadership, she came to the conclusion that god created gays the way they are.
“How do we explain them as part of the eternal family? We have come far enough to say we don’t understand,” says Zollinger. “In the meantime, I’m going to go with what the spirit tells me and that’s ‘love ’em anyway.'”
Before the Pride parade, she had a big conversation about the church and gayness with her older kids. Her sons, nearing the age when they’ll travel abroad as missionaries, wanted to join in. Zollinger couldn’t be a prouder Mormon mother: “I want them to be able to say, ‘Yes, the church did that, but I stood up for equal treatment of everyone.'”
Yeah, morons all think that Black people are “sub-humans”.
The Brain—is wider than the Sky
The Brain—is wider than the Sky—
For—put them side by side—
The one the other will contain
With ease—and You—beside—
The Brain is deeper than the sea—
For—hold them—Blue to Blue—
The one the other will absorb—
As Sponges—Buckets—do—
The Brain is just the weight of God—
For—Heft them—Pound for Pound—
And they will differ—if they do—
As Syllable from Sound—
Emily Dickinson
Clearly, the four people who disliked my factually-based comment are either mormons themselves, or mormon sympathizers.
Thanks, Merc. – with this new system in place, i can now keep tabs on anyone who disses me.
This new like system is serious fail.
What is the merc trying to be the face book of online news stories now?
*sighs*
Glad some Mormons are coming around about equality.
When will they stop baptizing dead jews?
DamosA, are you on Lovelab now?
Great point, Chicostix! Also, when will mormons end their global crusade of feathering out “missionaries” to brown countries all over the world? And when will mormons finally come to terms with their serious issues concerning child abuse? The fact of the matter is – the mormon church, the mormon (e. i. christian) religion, and mormons in general are beyond FUCKED! The entire mormon system needs to be destroyed with fire and re-booted to be compatible with the 21st century!
And Iceprez, no. That is my doppelganger.
Almost all morons I’ve ever met have been sweet and sincere.
But man o’ man is that one crazy belief system they adhere to.
I feel odd in agreeing with alot of what Damosa said. Better check myself.
In terms of the current political presidential race, I used to feel like – well, it is so usually a ‘low blow’ (so to speak) to critisize a man for his beliefs. But then the more I learned of the mormons, I came to think ‘well, why the hell not – if they are that much a sucker to believe in that crazy shit then I don’t feel him fit for office’
Then I came to the realization that all these religions are full of BS too – so what if the morons are just a little more whacky then?
Still an Obama man, to be sure – but I think the mormons know how to market their crazy shit better than most. Send the fresh youthful faces on ‘missions’ – supposedly answering to a higher calling. What crap. But it works.
I recall being in Japan and seeing a couple of those boys in their cheap suits – just knowing what the hell they are doing over there – and feeling ashamed to be American.
Whatever…
Sarah – I saw you at ‘pride’. Cute knickers girl.
Btw, for anyone seeking a completely unbiased view on just what MORmONS think of Black people (for example), read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_people_…
The LDS Church is one of the most consistently evolving Churches in the world. Sir, unfathomable injuries have been callously and thoughtlessly foisted upon the Black people in general–that is beyond dispute. This is because of inbread and ancient magical thinking and fears that run as deep as “night and day.” Ancient terrors, myths and misunderstandings all unfortunately caused absolute mayhem. But many of my family members, and hundreds of thousands of others, died fighting for y’all in the Civil War…what is great about mankind is that it is always trying to supersede itself. I am so very sorry for your agony…but the LDS Church today is vigorously involved in the debate regarding the necessisty of Transparency, and Restitution…we were all once Savages! One of my favorite quotes is, “Man is a creature that crawled out of the sea, walks on the Earth and longs to fly.” (My bad if I misquoted.) What is great about Mankind is that he will apologize for the former blindness of his Elder Brothers…and try to make things right, and not callously continue in bullying and lies, as fast as he can. I should hope to see all Churches as willing to sort through their History, from the grass-roots up to the current President of the Church, who is willing to say about Gay orientation, “We don’t know…our job is to love each other,”–my bad if I am off a word or two here. A new tone is ringing through the Tabernacle in Temple Square, so you can take heart!
Correction: Dieter F. Uchtdorf, also addressed as “President” is the Second Counselor to the President of the LDS Chuch, Thomas S. Monson.
Regarding the quote in my former comment :
Correction: Dieter F. Uchtdorf is the Second Counselor to President Thomas S. Monson, the President of the LDS Church. However, Dieter is also referred to as President Uchtdor, formally.
Gladys Knight of Gladys Knight & The Pips fame, is a black Mormon. She joined in 97′ and leads the LDS Choir currently. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mormons
Brain-washed, self-hating Black people, they are.
Hate is still hate even if you’re hiding behind “fact”. I’m just happy to see more people standing up to their Church and saying I still believe, but that doesn’t mean I can’t love. Kudos to these women for teaching their children that tolerance and equality are meant for everyone and not just the chosen few.