This clip from the documentary 8: The Mormon Proposition reveals that some Mormons were coerced by their church leaders to donate to Proposition 8, the 2008 anti-gay marriage measure in California.
Mormons made up the majority of the Yes Campaign’s funds and, despite representing less than 2% of California’s population, they comprised 80-90% of the early volunteers who walked door-to-door in election precincts. I have often defended Mormons’ involvement in Prop 8; they have every right to campaign for and donate to whatever cause they choose. But if, as this clip suggests, church leaders coerced support from their members, that is indefensible.
8: The Mormon Proposition opens in select theaters June 18 and is available on DVD July 13. The film has received mixed reviews. I’ve heard that it’s unabashedly one-sided and preaches to the choir, which is unfortunate because there needs to be a dialogue between the gay community and the LDS community. But if this clip is any indication, the film should nonetheless be interesting. Perhaps we should make a SHAFT event of seeing it.
A dialogue between the gay and LDS communities? The majority of the LDS responses to this film or the gay community has been “We have nothing against gay people – we love gay people – but you can love the sinner and not the sin.” Where do you start to have a dialogue? I’ve seen the film and highly recommend it. If by “one-sided” they mean that the gay ex-Mormon director’s anger is palpable – true – but also JUSTIFIED. The LDS may have every right to campaign for and donate to whatever cause they choose, but we have the right to know about it and publicize it. That’s why you can’t say this film is unfair to the LDS. Besides, why do both sides always need equal time? Sometimes the other side is just plain WRONG…just as in the Global Warming “debate”…it is HAPPENING, no debate. The LDS won Prop 8 by preaching to their choir. Its about time we preached to ours.
You’re right. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with being one-sided. I, for one, really enjoy Michael Moore’s movies, and they’re hardly objective. So yeah, my concern isn’t so much that this is one-sided so much as it doesn’t invite Mormons to a dialogue. In the wake of Prop 8, gays had every right to be angry, but there are responsible ways of expressing that anger and irresponsible (and unsympathetic) ways. I’m afraid this movie is the latter. But you’ve seen the movie and I haven’t; perhaps I will think differently after seeing the film. I hope so.
All I know, as an active LDS member who is sympathetic to the gay rights movement, is that I think that the majority of members of the church (and likely gays, too) are just plain not interested in a discussion. Most LDS are uncompromising on the issue, as are most gays. Both sides are justified. I think that films like this usually just make both sides more angry about the issue.
I personally think both sides are being just a little too…I don’t know…rough? with the issue. Yeah, there are a lot of people who are angry about the money and time the LDS church/members put (or were commandeered into putting) into Prop 8. Which is perfectly constitutional, in my opinion. What really upset me about the whole thing was the terrorism that followed as people (including members of other faiths and organizations) were targeted with hate crimes and blackmail lists and things like that. That’s when my pretty darn pro-gay rights attitude became more of just a yeah, I feel bad for you attitude.
Very few, though, engaged in “terrorism.” But I agree with your larger point, Dan. I disagreed with how many gay rights activists were expressing their legitimate grievances, and I wrote the following in an article I wrote about Prop 8:
“That said, I do have some reservations about the recent spate of protests. The LGBT community and its allies are upset, and I think it’s wholly appropriate for them to communicate the profound pain wrought by Proposition 8. But I fear that the protests will prove counterproductive—especially those protests targeting Mormon temples and church-houses. They play into Mormon prejudices about homosexuals and feed their martyrdom complex.
Mormons are no strangers to persecution. Indeed, persecution strokes their identity as a “peculiar people” (their phrase). And it will only strengthen Mormon resolve against what they perceive to be threats to their religion, like gay rights.
Also, an angry unfocused response to Proposition 8 invites irresponsible behavior and speech. Just a few days ago, for example, some punk mailed suspicious white powder to two LDS temples. Such actions must be swiftly and forcefully condemned.
Signs like “Keep your cult out of the culture wars” and “F**k you, bigots!” aren’t helpful either. If they do anything, they just make our calls for tolerance ring hollow.
Now, I don’t think violence or vitriol typify the protests. But sadly, that is what’s making the news.
The protests are making it easier for the Mormons to claim that they are the real victims, not the homosexuals whose marriage rights they helped rob. No matter how poor the LDS Church’s public image is, we cannot allow this debate to be framed as a religious liberties issue. We’ll lose. Time and time again.”
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