Mormon watch

The Mormons bankrolled Prop8, at the behest of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco (formerly of Salt Lake City). This unholy alliance has damaged both faith communities. The Mormons have found themselves holding the bag, and their arrest of a gay couple for kissing in Salt Lake City has added to the insult. The press isn't good.

[O]bservers say the church's heavy-handed intervention into California politics will linger and has left the faith's image tarnished.

"What I hear from my community and from straight progressive individuals is that they now see the church as a force for evil and as an enemy of fairness and equality," said Kate Kendell, executive director of the San Francisco-based National Center for Lesbian Rights. Kendell grew up Mormon in Utah. "To have the church's very deep and noble history telescoped down into this very nasty little image is as painful for me as for any faithful Mormon."

Meanwhile, Pam's House Blend reports that the Mormons are fighting a civil equality bill in the UK.

Speculation is rife on the blogs that they are also underwriting NOM and the attack on marriage equality in Maine.

Helping to pass Proposition H8 in California: $43 million
Permanently being linked to anti-gay bigotry: priceless.

Lots of Mormons and Mormon families have split over this. The cost for the LDS church may be very high indeed and the injury to their own communities may run very deep. Is attempting to eliminate my civil marriage worth it, do you think?

I know many Mormons oppose their church's official stance on this. I hope they continue to raise their voices to support civil equality for all loving couples.