Moms for Equality : Dads for Equality » Separation of Church and State

A Mother’s Gratitude and Plea ~ Parents, come out

Moms — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:27:33 +0000

August 4, 2010. My daughter Amanda’s text said it all: “What a great day to be alive, to be gay, to be a woman, to be human. This feeling inside of me is indescribable! To be equal! WOW!”

Just hours later I saw my son Tyler, with a tear rolling down his cheek, pictured with his husband Spencer on the cover of The Huffington Post with the title “EL8TED!”. The picture was taken as they stood outside the federal courthouse, where Judge Walker’s decision had just been handed down ruling that Proposition 8 — California’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage — was unconstitutional.

YES! That is exactly what I was feeling, on that historic and triumphant day: elated, ecstatic, jumping for joy! I was filled with renewed hope for my children, their children, and all those to come. As a mother and a grandmother, I believed that all of my children are equally deserving of the rights and protections provided by our government. It was euphoric to have a federal judge, for the first time, validate that, and reach the same conclusion.

My mind reflects back on the emotional ride of the past two years. From the invigorating high of June 17, 2008, when Tyler married Spencer in the San Francisco city hall rotunda with Harvey Milk’s bust looking over his shoulder, to the utter shock, disbelief, and heartbreak of November 5, 2008, when we watched equality be overruled by voters in California motivated by fear and misinformation. The grief I felt due to the loss of the dream of marriage equality for all my children was horrific. In addition, the realization, which quickly came that, my pain was in large part caused by my own Mormon faith, the leaders of which were men I once trusted for all of my guidance and solace, was unbearable. As documented in the recent documentary 8: The Mormon Proposition and elsewhere, Mormon members accounted for as much as 71% of the monetary contributions used to fund Prop 8 and 90% of its volunteers.

Yet today, nearly two years later, I am grateful to the Mormon Church leaders for forcing me to examine what I truly believe in and stand for. Their hurtful acts stirred within me the passion and courage of a mother bear protecting her cubs. It gave me the courage to “come out” of my hiding place, behind church doors, and declare to the world that my family is most important, our values count, and choosing love over fear, children over dogma, and equality over discrimination is what God would have me do.

As people gathered in my small town of St. George, Utah this past week for a rally celebrating the Prop 8 court decision, I was sadly reminded that not many parents stand as firmly by their children. In fact, my husband Steve and I were the only parents in the group of almost 100 people! Thinking back on this, I cannot help asking: “Why? Where are you, parents?” As long as you stay hidden, you leave your children standing alone. If you believe, as I do, that all our children deserve fairness and equal rights, then I beg you to have the courage of your children and show yourselves, your love, and your support.

Full equality will come when we normalize “gay” — normalize gay families, gay marriages, and gay children. Parents who refuse to embrace this part of their child, or choose to ignore it, miss a beautiful world of amazing people full of goodness and love. I know it is not easy. As I have stepped into the rainbow light these past two years, many have rejected me — including family members, business associates, and friends. However, the many new people that have come into my life and encircled me with their love have filled that gap one hundred fold!

The journey for full equality took an exciting step forward with Judge Walker’s ruling to overturn Proposition 8. I believe he arrived at many of his conclusions by witnessing the personal and real life nature of the damage done to families by society’s refusal to afford equal treatment to our gay and lesbian children.

Therefore, I take this opportunity to put out this plea: parents, join this march for equality. I ask you to put a human face on this movement. Share who your children are with your friends, your co-workers, your siblings, with everyone. When you hear derogatory comments about gay or lesbian people, or the rampant propaganda and misinformation that are out there regarding them, all you need to say is, “I have a gay son or a lesbian daughter. If you knew them, you would love them.” It is that simple.

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Linda is a former fifth generation Mormon, who with her husband Steve, started MomsForEquality.com or DadsForEquality.com to encourage parents to “come out” and be vocal on behalf their children’s rights. She refers to herself as an “accidental activist” and is featured with her family in the recent documentary film 8: The Mormon Proposition, which premiered at the 2010 Sundance film festival.

15 Minutes of Fame on FoxNews.com

Moms — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:32:33 +0000

We are amazed at how powerful FoxNews.com makes Linda sound, a mom standing up for her kids, in this article.

Be sure to check out the venomous comments about Linda by Fox News readers. We keep looking for one by Glen Beck. Add one of your own!

We love who you are,

Steve & Linda

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New Documentary Exposes Mormon Church’s Alleged Secret Involvement in Passage of Proposition 8

By Hollie McKay

Published July 16, 2010

| FoxNews.com

Linda Stay joined forces with filmmaker Reed Cowan to detail the prominent role the Mormons played in the reinstatement of Prop 8 in the new documentary “8: The Mormon Proposition.”

Following a lengthy investigation, California’s Fair Political Practices Commission ordered The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints last month to pay a $5,539 fine for failing to accurately report $37,000 in contributions to the victorious effort to pass Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriages in California in 2008.

One of the key figures behind exposing the Church was Linda Stay, whose ancestor was a founding member. But Stay parted ways with the Church in 2008, and later joined forces with filmmaker Reed Cowan to detail the prominent role the Mormons played in the reinstatement of Prop 8 in the new documentary “8: The Mormon Proposition”, which is narrated by Oscar-winning “Milk” writer, Lance Dustin Black.

“The documents we exposed really started a lot of activity; I believe that certainly the film did play a part in bringing to light what the Church did. Audiences have been shocked – members of the Church knew it was involved in so many ways, but they had no idea about the extent of the involvement,” Stay, who has a gay son and lesbian daughter as well as seven other children, told Pop Tarts. “I hope this sends a message loud and clear.”

A spokesperson for the Mormon Church said they had not seen the film.

“We have not seen ‘8: The Mormon Proposition.’ However, judging from the trailer and background material online, it appears that accuracy and truth are rare commodities in this film,” Kim Farah, a representative for the LDS Church told us. “Clearly, anyone looking for balance and thoughtful discussion of a serious topic will need to look elsewhere.”

In their defense, the LDS Church stated that the violations were unintentional and that the Church mistakenly overlooked the daily reporting requirement and instead reported those contributions together in a later filing.

Cowan initially intended to make a documentary on the issue of gay homelessness and suicide in Utah, but soon realized that, in his opinion, the homophobia that propels otherwise loving parents to kick their teens out of home is deeply entrenched in Mormon ideology. He and Stay have also sought to illuminate what they believe to be hypocrisy embedded in the Church’s act of funneling money in the campaign to fight the legalization of same sex marriage.

“As a Mormon, I knew the Church’s stand on homosexuality,” Stay said. “We weren’t expecting them to change that, but for them to aggressively promote and create ads preaching that religions would lose their freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, that they would have to marry gays in their temples, swayed the whole proposition.”

After a limited theatrical release, “8” was released on DVD this week, and Stay is now urging Mormons to stand up to the Church and its strong stance against marriage equality for gays and lesbians.

But, not surprisingly, a number of members are less-than-impressed with the documentary.

“The director has certainly received some hate mail,” Stay said. We’ve received some derogatory statements from people. And that’s to be expected.”

But negative feedback is no deterrent for Stay, who has set up her own website MomsForEquality.com and is in the process of writing a book in the quest for “spiritual equality” across the entire nation.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/07/16/new-documentary-follows-mormon-churchs-involvement-passage-proposition/

8: The Mormon Proposition Festival Screenings

Moms — Mon, 17 May 2010 16:40:43 +0000

Here are some festivals “8: The Mormon Proposition” is playing at before the theatrical release on June 18th:

Saturday, May 29 at 7:15pm
Tuesday, June 1 at 7:25pm
Jacob Burns/Out at the Movies Jacob Burns Film Center Theater
364 Manville Road Pleasantville, NY 10570

Sunday, May 30 at 12:30pm
Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival
The Honolulu Academy of Art: Doris Duke Theatre
900 South Beretania Street Honolulu, HI 96814

Sunday, May 30, 2010, 3:00pm
Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
Cinestudio Theater, Trinity College Hartford, CT

Friday, June 4th, 7pm
Portland QDoc Clinton Street Theater
2522 SE Clinton Street

Saturday, June 5, 5:30pm
NewFest/NY SVA Theatre
333 W. 23rd St New York, NY 10011 (between Eighth and Ninth)

Monday, June 7, 7:00 pm
and Tuesday, June 8, 4:15 pm
Seattle International Film Festival Egyptian Theatre (both screenings)
801 East Pine Street Seattle, WA 98122-3837

Thursday, June 10, 8pm
deadCENTER Film Festival Kerr Auditorium
123 Robert S Kerr
Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Friday, June 11 at 7:30pm
Damn These Heels LGBT Film Festival The Tower Theatre
876 E. 900 S. Salt Lake City, UT 84105

Friday, June 18, 7:00pm
Frameline San Francisco Victoria Theater,
2961 16th Street San Francisco, CA 94103-3633

Thursday, June 17th noon
and Saturday, June 19 at noon
Crown & Anchor Provincetown Film Festival

8: The Mormon Proposition – What it is, What it isn’t

Moms — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:34:48 +0000

The bumper sticker said it well: “Focus on Your Own Damn Family.”

8: The Mormon Proposition, reflects the efforts of those that created it and us that are in it, to hold OUR former church accountable for the pain they knowingly inflicted on OUR families and the LGBT community.

- The documentary IS NOT about disagreeing with the church’s moral standards or their right to spend their money on issues they feel are important.

- It IS about hypocrisy; how the leaders of a church (that says it is all about “being honest in our dealings with our fellow men”), knowingly created and funded dishonest ads to promote their own moral agenda; and (by their own admissions) hid their involvement. The Church stated in their own documents, that if the voters knew the extent of the church’s involvement, it would negatively impact the vote.

- This documentary does not claim that the LDS Church did this alone, even though at its strong urging, its members (only 2% of the voters) donated over 70% of the money contributed and over 90% of the volunteer efforts.

We know that when most members of the LDS Church see this film they will be shocked at what their leaders did, and a few scary fanatics will sternly defend their leaders rights to use lies, deception, or ??? in the name of God. “It’s better that one man should parish (be killed) than a whole nation dwindle in unbelief.” Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 4

We would hope the displeased members of other groups, be they Catholic, Protestant, African American, Latino, Baptist…, would hold their leaders accountable as well.

Anyone feeling to criticize it should see it first, as they will find as Variety’s review states: “8″ actually spends more time trying to humanize homosexuals than to demonize those who hate them.

It opens in selected cities June 18th, and on VOD. Available on DVD July 6th.

Watch the NEW trailer: http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/8themormonproposition/

You can be a part of “8: The Mormon Proposition”

Moms — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:11:23 +0000

The ride begins… just over a week to the premiere of the hottest film at the Sundance Film Festival or so it appears due to sell out ticket sales. “8: The Mormon Proposition” is certainly the most controversial film exploring and perhaps exposing more than many Utahns feel comfortable with. While you may not have tickets to a screening, there is going to be massive amounts of energy and activity surrounding the film. Come and join us!

Below is the information you need to get involved, thanks to Jacob Whipple, one of the most beautiful activists I have ever met! He honestly is working tirelessly in behalf of so many. Spread the word and do what you can to help.

TICKETS
Yes, EVERY single showing of 8TMP is currently sold out! You can petition Sundance for more screenings by emailing them at festivaltickets@sundance.org. If (I mean when) they open up more screenings you’ll have to get your tickets through Sundance at http://festival.sundance.org/2010/boxoffice/. Unfortunately I don’t have any power to get free tickets. In fact, Reed Cowan (the Director) only got 10 tickets total for him and the entire cast and crew of the film.

PARTIES
There are a number of 8TMP parties being planned…

8TMP Ground Crew Meeting @ Club Jam – Friday, Jan 22nd 8-9pm
This meeting is for all volunteers for the many marches/counter-protests that we’ll be doing. Oscar Award winner and Big Love writer Dustin Lance Black will be there! He’ll show you the signs and posters and marketing materials that we’ll be using and going over the ground rules for conduct and what’s to be expected.
Feel free to stay afterward for a show by gay comedian Eddie Sarfaty (cover charge of $10).
Jam is located at 751 North 300 West in Salt Lake City.

QLounge Sundance Opening Party @ Bliss – Saturday, Jan 23rd 9pm-2am
Join Babylon and the QLounge as we throw the baddest Sundance Opening Party you’ve ever seen!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=241616748954
Club Bliss is located at 404 South West Temple in Salt Lake City.

QLounge Official 8TMP Party @ Bliss – Sunday, Jan 24th 7pm-2am
Join the QLounge as we welcome the filmmakers of “8: The Mormon Proposition.” This is the day the film premiers at Sundance, so the filmmakers and cast will be in town and ready to kick back and mingle.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=236876888276
Club Bliss is located at 404 South West Temple in Salt Lake City.

Cocktails with cineGLAAD Reception @ 625 Main Street – Monday, Jan 25th 4pm-7pm
This intimate cocktail reception presented by Abreva and Bud Light supports LGBT filimmakers and allies by providing fresh networking opportunities with industry professionals and the chance to learn best practices for sharing their important stories with the world! Attendees will receive a one-year membership to GLAAD, three hours of hosted cocktails courtesy of ABSOLUT and Bud Light, opportunities to meet writers, directors and producesrs from all over the country, and multiple chances to win one of our sponsored door prizes!
RSVP today as space is limited and the guest list will be strictly enforced!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=52519826135
GLAAD will also be hosting panel discussions and events throughout Sundance. Watch for more information to come!
cineGLAAD is located at 625 Main Street in Park City.

Official HRC 8TMP Party @ Ciceros in Park City – Monday, Jan 25th 7pm-11pm
Joe Solemnese and HRC National are hosting a star-studded event in Park City to celebrate the documentary’s success at Sundance! This will be 8TMPs most exclusive and most celebrity attended party! Watch for more details from HRC on how to get tickets.

8TMP Tower Screening After Party @ JAM – Wednesday, Jan 27th 8pm-2am
8TMP is screening on Wed the 27th at the Tower Theater in SLC, so stop by Jam (even if you didn’t get to see it) for the after party!
Jam is located at 751 North 300 West in Salt Lake City.

MARCHES
We’re still looking for volunteers for the marches/counter-protests that we’ll be hosting through 8TMPs screenings at Sundance. World-wide media including CNN will be on hand to cover our marches, and protesters of the film, including the infamous Westboro Baptist Church, will be there condemning us all.
You can still volunteer to show up and help make 8TMP a success! This will also give you the chance to meet Dustin Lance Black at our Ground Crew Meeting on the 22nd! We’re also working on coffee sponsorships to keep you warm and swag bags for you to make it worth your while!
For more information email allforoneinitiative@yahoo.com or find Jacob Whipple, Eric Ethington or Misty Fowler on Facebook!

Thursday, January 21st
March #1
5:00pm to 6:30pm at the Eccles Theater (1750 Kearns Blvd in Park City)
March #2
7:00pm to 9:00pm at the Egyptian Theater (328 Main Street in Park City)
March #3
9:00pm to 10:00pm at the Eccles Theater (1750 Kearns Blvd in Park City)
March #4
10:30pm to 12 midnight at the Sundance Opening Night Party (1310 Lowell Ave in Park City)

Friday, January 22nd
March #5
6:00pm to 7:30pm at the Rose Wagner Theater (138 W Broadway in SLC)
March #6
9:00pm to 12 midnight at the Rose Wagner Theater (138 W Broadway in SLC)

Sunday, January 24th
*March #6 (This is the night and location of 8TMP’s world premier! LOTS of press!)
1:30pm to 4:30pm at the Racquet Club Theater (1200 Little Kate Rd in Park City)

Monday, January 25th
March #7
4:45pm to 5:45pm at the Library Center Theater (1225 Park Avenue in Park City)

Tuesday, January 26th
*March #8 (this is when the press and sudio executives will be watching the screening!)
2:00pm to 5:45pm at the Holiday Village III (1776 Park Avenue in Park City)

Wednesday, January 27th
March #9
5:10pm to 8:30pm at the Tower Theater (876 East 900 South in Salt Lake City)

Friday, January 29th
March #10
11:30am to 2:40pm at the TEMPLE Theater (3700 N Brookside Ct in Park City)

Saturday, January 30th
8:30pm to 9:05pm Sundance Screening Room (8841 Alpine Loop Rd in Sundance)

If you can commit to showing up to a march please respond with the following info:

Name:
Phone:
Email:
Carpool: Yes or No
Need a Ride: Yes or No
March(es) you can commit to: (Place the number(s) here)

Jacob Whipple | Organizer ________________________
All For One Initiative
p. 801.918.6906
e. AllForOneInitiative@yahoo.com w. www.AllForOneInitiative.org

What’s all the fuss about? 8: The Mormon Prop.

Moms — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:57:23 +0000

Mormons: The Ultimate Wedding Crashers

The buzz continues! First let me say, I absolutely LOVE this new poster! I set a Google alert to watch the activity around this film. It averages about 20-30 alerts a day! Here are some of my favorite commentaries thus far:

Perspective from The Same Dame:

Spotlight: Documentary: Sometimes they just put documentaries in Specturm/American Spectrum/Whateverthefuck, sometimes the documentaries get their own category. Under this new Spotlight, they have their own little sub-category again. The talk of Utah will, of course, be “8: The Mormon Proposition, directed by Reed Cowan, who used to be a reporter at KTVX. (What channel number is KTVX?) I don’t know what obscure proposition this film details. Probably something about offering someone a million dollars to sleep with his or her wives.

Jeremy.. It’s channel 4 ABC affiliate in SLC, but I think you knew that.

Salt Lake Tribune’s Sean P. Means lists it as one of the Top 10 films to catch at the festival:

“8: The Mormon Proposition” » The festival’s homegrown controversy, as former KTVX reporter Reed Cowan looks at the LDS Church’s role in the campaign for California’s gay-marriage ban. It is a must-see — or a must-boycott, depending on your point of view.

And from what I hear the protesters, boycotters and damners are going to be out in FORCE to make sure I know as a mother I am leading my children to hell and they want me to burn there. Of course they will be quoting the scriptures to back it all up… so it must be true.

Screening Times for 8: The Mormon Proposition

Moms — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:25:47 +0000

8: The Mormon Proposition

BREAKING NEWS: 8TMP SCREENING TIMES ANNOUNCED

Hello friends: Here are our FINAL screening times and places to see 8TMP at SUNDANCE. I need as many people on the ground helping Jacob Whipple as possible during these and other times he will communicate to you. Message him through Facebook please. See below for screening times. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

BREAKING NEWS: JUST ANNOUNCED!!! 8TMP SCREENING TIMES:
Sunday, January 24, 2:15 p.m.Racquet Club, Park City
Monday January 25, 5:30 p.m.Library Center Theatre, Park City
Wednesday, January 27, 6:00 p.m.Tower Theatre, SLC
Friday, January 29, noon Temple Theatre, Park City
Saturday, January 30, 9:00 p.m.Screening Room, Sundance Resort

For tickets start here: http://festival.sundance.org/2010/store/tickets

Good Luck!

Faith Restored

Moms — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:20:48 +0000

Church Opens Doors for Homeless Gay Teens

I am always grateful to find these types of articles and to have my FAITH restored in religion. YES, a church acting like a church.

A church-turned-shelter for homeless youth in Queens, New York is a far cry from sleeping on the streets after a $200,000 renovation and a partnership with the Ali Forney Center for LGBT youth.

By Michelle Garcia

A converted church in Queens, N.Y., may look like a pleasant youth hostel, but many of its residents made a tough journey to find this new place to call home.

The Ali Forney Center, New York City’s top service organization for homeless youth, found a partner in the local Episcopal diocese, which also took interest in the hardships that many LGBT homeless youths face. The partnership resulted in a $200,000 renovation of St. Andrew’s Church in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, where 16 young people can now sleep soundly.

Carl Siciliano, executive director of the center, says he’s grateful for the church’s philanthropic outreach.

“So many of these young people are rejected by their families because of religion,” he says. “Kids come in who have been put through exorcisms, and we’ve had kids whose parents make them go see priests who tell them they’re evil and hateful and that they’re going to hell. It’s a really upsetting and unfortunate situation that so many young people are put through this kind of trauma by their parents’ religious beliefs, so it’s very moving to see a religious organization that’s able to say that these youth should be affirmed and cared for, so I’m very grateful to the Episcopal diocese of Long Island for their support.”

Read the rest of the article here

I recently watched the film “For the Bible Tells Me So” which was very well done. It so closely parallels my own story in taking on the Mormon church in the recent events surrounding Proposition 8. Our youth are dying because of the sermons they hear in their church… which should be a place of refuge and security, rather than fear and condemnation.

I continue to hear the heartfelt words of Mary Griffith…

“Before you echo Amen in your home or place of worship, think and remember…a child is listening.”

As an ex-mormon zealot I am forever grateful that my God told me to put my arms around my child and tell him “You are okay, I love you, just the way you are. You are Gods gift to me, always have been and that hasn’t changed”.

I only wish more religions who preach God as an omnipotent, all loving being would behave in accordance with what they preach and follow His example.

When Mormon Leaders Speak, Members Follow

Moms — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:20:02 +0000

America Forever is at it again! They are obviously clinging to the words of Mormon Leader Dallin H. Oaks when he spoke at BYU Idaho last month saying that LGBT rights are “alleged”.

In response to the recent statement of “alleged’ support of the LDS Church, America Forever felt inspired and compelled to send 80,000 faxes of the attached flyer.

This is the same lovely Mormon group that bussed people into San Francisco from Utah for the Supreme Court Hearings on the legality of Proposition 8. I think you can imagine the vile things they were shouting at me and my children. That was absolutely the most painful day of my life… I had never experienced that much HATE so up close and personal.

I love Steven Greenstreets title “America Forever’s Batshit Insane Response”

Don’t be fooled! Remember the words of your apostles.. bigotry is a right as long as you say it with a smile!