Too Offensive for Mormon Eyes

Timothy Kincaid

October 2nd, 2009

The Deseret News is a Utah newspaper directed towards Mormon readership. It is, in a way, the sectarian version of the Salt Lake Tribune, sharing the same advertising handler and providing discounts for ad spots placed in both papers.

But the Deseret News is careful to shield its readers from advertising that could offend Mormon sensibilities. And this week it has rejected just such an ad,with a message so outrageous that it was sure to offend. (Salt Lake Tribune)

The wording of this ad:

“Bring Them in From the Plains”

From Despair to Hope

The Foundation for Reconciliation
at www.ldsapology.org
presents a Memorial Service, honoring LGBT suicide
victims as well as those who have successfully overcome
conflicts involving their sexual orientation and the LDS
Church. Join us for an evening of music and the spoken
word, including a special video appearance by actor
Will Swenson

Yes, this is an ad by a Mormon group seeking to gain dialogue with other Mormons. This ad makes no attack on the church nor does it contain language that is contradictory to church dogma. In fact, the foundation made effort to be non-offensive.

Peter Danzig, a Salt Lake City spokesman for the foundation, called the newspaper ad “innocuous.”

“There’s nothing anti-Mormon,” he said. “We tried to create an event that would be welcoming to everyone on either side of the issue.”

But the ad does express sympathy for those who killed themselves over conflict involving their sexual orientation, and the church can’t have that!

So when officials at the Mormon Church assure you that they don’t hate you just because you are gay, be very very skeptical.

Burr

October 2nd, 2009

Stupid move. Now the ad has gotten even more attention as a result, and they are revealed to the world as the coldhearted bigots they are.

Streisand Effect for the win!

Scott P.

October 3rd, 2009

A correction, if I may, the Desert News is considered the newspaper of the LDS Church, and the Salt Lake Tribune is (or used to be until it was also bought the the Mormons) the “secular” paper.

cowboy

October 3rd, 2009

I’m not surprised the Deser[e]t News wouldn’t publish the ad. The “…those who have successfully overcome conflicts involving their sexual orientation and the LDS Church…” statement was not as innocuous as you might think. Mr. Danzig’s ad might have been published if that one sentence had been removed.

I am surprised the Salt Lake Tribune didn’t publish the ad but the fact it was reported as a news article (complete with the ad) made up for that. That got more publicity than the ad alone would have made.

I’m not always happy with how news is filtered/censored in Salt Lake City. The news media is afraid of offending the vast majority of the populace and naturally would fear the loss of revenue from outraged subscribers. If it were not for Pat Bagley’s political cartoons, Paul Rolly’s column and a few out-of-State (read: non-Mormon) editorials that appear in the Trib I might not even read the paper.

I’m just cringing to hear what the Mormons will say in their General Conference this weekend about us gays…particularly the Priesthood Session tonight. Maybe I should take up the invitation to go attend the session with one of my neighbors? Naw. I’d be too tempted to shout: “You lie!” at such a reverent conference meeting. I can’t do that…(gasp!).

David C.

October 3rd, 2009

@cowboy: Dude, go. Bring us back an update. I think the First Presidency of the LDS is doing the church a great disservice by not being more honest about gay people in general. There will be a day when that is remembered and regretted.

Scott P.

October 3rd, 2009

Yes, yes, deseret, which means honeybee in Joseph Smith’s made up language. Sorry my typo hurt your feels, (it was 1 a.m.) but my facts were not incorrect. You could, on occasion, read articles critical to the LDS Church in the Tribune until it was bought by them. The Tribune reported in the 80s how the mayor had taken the city budget to the First Presidency for the Prophet’s approval.

On the other hand, the Deseret News published an article questioning whether a “good” Mormon could actually be a democrat.

cowboy

October 3rd, 2009

Who said my “feels” were hurt?

I’m not sure but if you check their history, the Salt Lake Tribune was in a proverbial family take-over but then the newspaper was bought by AT&T and finally sold to some mega-media conglomerate out of Denver.

David C.: As for going to Priesthood Meeting tonight: I just checked my closet. I don’t have the requisite white shirt and a tie. Plus, the only slacks I have are too short now. Anyway, it’s no big deal. The whole Conference will be available to view/read next week on the LDS website.

I am a bit somber now thinking about those who have committed suicide. I have taken a quick tally and I know personally three friends who took their lives. I’m not sure the Mormon Church was the direct result of their decision to end their lives but the peer pressure and the family pressure to conform certainly was a factor.

palerobber

October 5th, 2009

in addition to being “directed towards Mormon readership”, the Deseret News is wholly owned and operated by the LDS Church under the umbrella of Deseret Management Corporation.

also, correcting Scott P., the Salt lake Tribune is not owned by the LDS Church. it’s owned by MediaNews Group of Denver.

Leave A Comment

All comments reflect the opinions of commenters only. They are not necessarily those of anyone associated with Box Turtle Bulletin. Comments are subject to our Comments Policy.

(Required)
(Required, never shared)

PLEASE NOTE: All comments are subject to our Comments Policy.

 

Latest Posts

The Things You Learn from the Internet

"The Intel On This Wasn't 100 Percent"

From Fake News To Real Bullets: This Is The New Normal

NC Gov McCrory Throws In The Towel

Colorado Store Manager Verbally Attacks "Faggot That Voted For Hillary" In Front of 4-Year-Old Son

Associated Press Updates "Alt-Right" Usage Guide

A Challenge for Blue Bubble Democrats

Baptist Churches in Dallas, Austin Expelled Over LGBT-Affirming Stance

Featured Reports

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.

Slouching Towards Kampala: Uganda’s Deadly Embrace of Hate

When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.

Paul Cameron’s World

In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.

From the Inside: Focus on the Family’s “Love Won Out”

On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.

Prologue: Why I Went To “Love Won Out”
Part 1: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With “No Exceptions”
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"

The Heterosexual Agenda: Exposing The Myths

At last, the truth can now be told.

Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!

And don‘t miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.

Testing The Premise: Are Gays A Threat To Our Children?

Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.

Straight From The Source: What the “Dutch Study” Really Says About Gay Couples

Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.

The FRC’s Briefs Are Showing

Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.

Daniel Fetty Doesn’t Count

Daniel FettyThe FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.