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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyFebruary 15th, 2011
You may have seen the billboards and the commercials behind the “I’m A Mormon” campaign, designed to try to rehabilitate the image of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints following their massive efforts to strip LGBT Americans of their right to marry in California. Now there’s another grass-roots effort, called “I Am An Ex-Mormon,” which highlights those who have left the church, for a variety of reasons:
I was born in Provo, Utah to Gerald and Carol Lynn Pearson. At the age of eight years old I was baptized an official, 5th generation, member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I was twelve years old when I learned my dad, whom I adored, was gay; sixteen years old when he died of AIDS in our home; eighteen years old when my mother’s book “Goodbye, I Love You” was published by Random House; twenty five years old when I knowingly married a gay man myself in the Salt Lake City temple; thirty two years old when we divorced; thirty four when I walked away from the Mormon Church; and forty when I officially had my name removed from the church records.
…Early on in my life I became obsessed with obedience to the God that I was introduced to at church – the very same God that hated and condemned my father for being a homosexual and who was, in turn (and for good reason) hated by my dad. …I had to choose which father to obey, which father to love – a choice that broke me in two.
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Kathy
February 15th, 2011
I wish those Mormon commercials told the truth. They should go like this:
“Hi! I hate your friends and neighbors. I think they should be treated like second class citizens so I gave tons of money to support Prop H8. My name is Jane Doe and I’m a Mormon.”
cowboy
February 15th, 2011
Since I reside in Utah I don’t get to see the I am a Mormon commercials. Are there some that present African-American Mormons? If so, the Mormon PR Department is working extra hard to make up for all the past racism in their Church.
So, maybe give a few more decades and they will have Gay Mormons doing the same kind of PR commercials for the Mormons.
And there will be a Gay Pride float in the Pioneer Days Parade on the 24th of July.
….What am I smoking???
Dan Johnson
February 15th, 2011
Hello! I am the creator of the “I am an Ex Mormon” video series! Thanks for sharing this on your blog!
@cowboy
They most certainly DO have black Mormons highlighted in their campaign!
Here are a few examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wiLUMPJaEc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tdrPn_RiiA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqu6idtCy1k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7EKkYo_hoY
Also, here are a few examples of gay members being used to their advantage already:
http://www.mormon.org/me/1GPP-eng/Daniel/
http://mormon.org/me/1TJC-eng/David
Fred Harvey
February 16th, 2011
The Mormon church is insidious in its hate champaign against gays. Its behavior, as exemplified by the tired old men running it in Utah, is akin to the Nazi era in Europe. Hate is its credo, intimidation it’s modus operandi. I have seen so many of my Mormon friends utterly destroyed by the church and its automaton minions and its utter disregard for the dignity and civil rights of mankind. Its “re-partitive therapy” program is nothing but sadistic torture inflicted upon its hapless children. To escape from this gulag is surely a remarkable feat. Any redeeming features of this church are overwhelmed by its atrocities upon the spirits, minds and bodies of its true believers.
Regan DuCasse
February 17th, 2011
I know who she is!!! Her ex husband is a friend of mine. He’s VERY handsome and their two children are beautiful.
The unfortunate thing is that women like her in some ways validate what the anti gay believe is an inevitable aspect of being gay:
Becoming infected with HIV, adultery and dying of AIDS and never entering heaven.
What they NEVER say is that it’s the closet, pressuring gay men and women against their orientation to marry op sex and risk broken families and mental and emotional distress.
There was a play written about her mother’s experience that was on the GLAAD list of nominees for the award. And her ex has toured with a stage show he wrote about his experience with being gay, Mormon and their marriage and children.
Such a good looking talented couple, their kids are so beautiful and they love BOTH their parents, which is wonderful.
But still…so much pain could have been averted if only some religious people would face FACTS, instead of forcing a non existent fantasy on others.
Regan DuCasse
February 17th, 2011
Let me amend…I don’t mean to say women like her CAUSE the validation of stereotypes.
I mean to say straight spouses are victimized by the lies the churches tell and make them be the fall guys for what the churches force on them.
Church communities and orgs like FOTF and FRC however, exploit ex spouses as much as possible to foment distrust of gays, ironically sometimes, as unreliable spouses.
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