The Mormon Proposition [1]
Submitted by Sheldon Rampton [2] on
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints [3] (also known as the LDS or Mormon Church) is facing a public backlash [4] following its heavy-handed support of Proposition 8 [5] banning same-sex marriages in California, notes progressive PR pro Michael Fox. "For many years," he notes, "the LDS Church has been an active force in the anti-gay movement, most notably in regard to its sponsorship of the Boy Scouts of America [6], but these activities have mostly been below the media radar and opposition has been directed at the Scouts, not the LDS Church itself. ... Now that will change." A leaked internal memo [7] shows how top church leaders egged on rank-and-file Mormons [8] to donate more than $20 million to support Proposition 8, while members in Utah made political phone calls to Californians [9] on behalf of the measure. In response, Fox says, "Gay and lesbian groups and their allies will challenge the Mormons everywhere, no doubt tapping into pre-existing anti-Mormon prejudice. ... And the Prop 8 boycott, if sustained, can have a serious impact on businesses owned by Mormons, such as the Marriott hotel chain [10], on the careers of LDS members [11], and even on the economy of the State of Utah [12]."