Another 1978 Prophecy?
Mormon university eases anti-gay policy
Barbara Wilcox, The
Advocate
Wednesday 18 April,
2007
Mormon-owned Brigham Young University has eased its punitive policy on gay
students, a small but significant change one student said would help to relax a
"Gestapo atmosphere" on campus.
Prompted by gay BYU students, the university last week changed its honor code to
read, "Sexual orientation is not an Honor Code issue. However, the Honor Code
requires all members of the university community to manifest a strict commitment
to the law of chastity," the Salt Lake Tribune reported Tuesday.
Previously, the code read, "Advocacy of a homosexual lifestyle (whether implied
or explicit) or any behaviors that indicate homosexual conduct, including those
not sexual in nature . . . violate the Honor Code."
Staff and students at the school owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints are expected to follow the code or risk probation or, in rare
cases, "separation from the university."
Last year, a BYU philosophy instructor who wrote a pro-gay newspaper editorial
saw his teaching contract lapse as a result.
The code has long been a target of Soulforce, the Virginia nonprofit that tours
the country to end religious discrimination against LGBT people, and Soulforce
activists were quick Tuesday to praise the change.
"The words are still violent toward the LGBT community, but it's no longer
hush-hush," Soulforce media director Brandon Kneefel told Gay.com. "The
ambiguity was the most harmful thing."
At some schools where Soulforce protests, closeted students have been expelled
simply for having gay content on their social-networking pages. It's important,
Kneefel said, that BYU now names sexual orientation as real and intrinsic. "They
used to say, 'We have counselors, we have help for you.'
"Because what is 'homosexual behavior'? To realize their discrimination, they
first have to spell it out."
Last year, the group held a mock funeral at BYU's Provo, Utah campus -- followed
by 24 arrests -- for students who have committed suicide out of anguish over
their sexuality.
BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins told the Tribune that the policy change was not
related to Soulforce.
Nick Literski, a gay blogger and BYU alumnus, told the paper that it reflected
"a growing disconnect between homosexuality and what individual members are
coming to see. As more and more members of the LDS Church are coming to know
individuals who are gay and finding out that they're human . . . it becomes
difficult for them to demonize homosexuality the way the church positions do."
Equality Ride activists were scheduled to hold further actions Tuesday in Idaho,
Kneefel said. Instead, to respect the national mourning of the Virginia Tech
shooting victims, they did community service, helping clean up and restore a
local nature area.
LDS Church to publish new look at same-sex attraction
By Peggy Fletcher Stack
The Salt Lake Tribune
09/19/2007
Just days after this
week's Evergreen International conference ends, the LDS Church will
publish another look at same-sex attraction.
Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland, in the October issue of Ensign, the
church's official magazine, will discuss the church's perspective on
several topics to be explored Friday and Saturday at the Joseph Smith
Memorial Building by members of Evergreen, an outreach organization for
Mormons dealing with homosexuality.
In the article, Holland reiterates the church's position that
same-sex attraction is not a sin; only acting on it is immoral. He does
not try to explain the causes of these attractions, but acknowledges
they are real.
"Through the exercise of faith, individual efforts and reliance on
the power of [Christ's] Atonement, some may resolve same gender
attraction in mortality and marry," he writes. "Others, however, may
never be free of same-gender attraction in this life."
Further, Holland writes, marrying a person of the opposite sex "is
not an all-purpose solution. Same-gender attractions run deep, and
trying to force a heterosexual relationship is not likely to change
them. We are thrilled when some who struggle with these feelings are
able to marry, raise children, and achieve family happiness. But other
attempts have resulted in broken hearts and broken homes."
The LDS Church has faced criticism for its opposition to
government-sanctioned, same-sex marriage and for earlier statements by
Mormon leaders about the sinfulness of homosexuality. In recent years,
the church has sought to refine and clarify its doctrinal positions and
encourage members to be kinder and more compassionate to their gay and
lesbian co-believers.
"When our actions or words discourage someone from taking full
advantage of church membership," Holland writes, "we fail them - and
the Lord."
In July, the LDS Church posted a new pamphlet on homosexuality on
the church's Web site. The piece, titled "God Loveth His Children" and
sent to all Mormon bishops and stake presidents, made many of the same
points Holland did.
About the same time, the LDS Church News published several stories
of anonymous Mormon men who had lifelong homosexual feelings. And a
year ago, the church posted on its Web site a wide-ranging interview on
the topic with Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles,
and Elder Lance Wickman, a member of the First Quorum of Seventy. The
two leaders - both lawyers - made no claims to divine or institutional
authority but shared their views on what causes homosexuality (they
don't know), whether gays choose their attractions (not likely), change
therapies (they don't endorse any of them), whether Mormon gays should
marry women ("doesn't usually solve the problem"), the distinction
between civil unions and marriage for gays, the arguments connecting
early Mormon polygamy and same-sex marriage and why the church endorsed
a constitutional marriage amendment. For its part, Evergreen does suggest homosexual attractions often
can be modified, if not eliminated.
The group, which bills itself as "the leading organization for
Latter-day Saints dealing with unwanted homosexuality," has no official
affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but
many LDS bishops and stake presidents are among the attendees each
year. Also, its board of trustees usually includes one or more emeritus
general authorities of the church and at least one such authority has
spoken at the annual conference every year for the past decade.
At this year's meeting on Friday and Saturday, Elder Douglas L.
Callister of the LDS Second Quorum of Seventy and Michael MacLean,
Mormon composer, artist, performer and playwright, will address the
crowd. Rich Wyler, a graduate of Brigham Young University and a founder
and executive director of People Can Change, and Kristen Johnson, the
director of OneByOne, a Presbyterian ministry to gays, also will speak.
Workshops at the two-day conference will cover topics such as
depression, intimacy, finding trust in relationships, what it really
takes to overcome same-sex attraction, overcoming pornography, plus
several sessions designed especially for spouses, parents, couples and
friends. There also will be workshops for Spanish-speaking
participants.
Callister's speech on Saturday morning and a two-hour educational workshop will be open at no charge to LDS leaders," said a press release. "[They] may have ward or branch members struggling with same-gender attraction issues."