New LDS Church Website: Mormons and Gays

[UtahDan]

I'm sick as a dog. I will splain later.

[Pheidippides]

which is only implicit because of the title (a deft reference to the proclamation)

I'm still floored by the whole thing! Unbelievable!

I'm confused as to the need. At some point the church is going to have to learn to focus on the issues that do the most good and cause the least amount of backlash.

[pellegrino]

I'm just confused as to the purpose of the clip. Is the church trying to say that boys were boys in the premortal existence? If they are then what's the issue?

Im not trolling here as I guess I'm trying to figure out why this clip makes UD so angry.

OK, I'll attempt to explain why this floors me, and then UD can chime in with anything that I miss.

The clip utilizes techniques that support the church's assertion that marriage must be heterosexual and cannot be homosexual. The title "Gender is an essential characteristic" brings to mind the proclamation on the family, which also delineates what is expected of each gender. Then the cat comes in and they argue about the sex (gender) of the cat (gender is code for sex in the proclamation) It is expected that viewers will understand this connection between the title and the argument about the cat. Then when Packer's voice comes in (if I remember correctly this is from his infamous redacted talk in 2010) and the viewer is left to extrapolate that gender cannot be changed by a simple vote, therefore gender roles cannot be changed by legal proceedings either. The whole thing is designed to not so subtly suggest that because gender (and its associated roles, duties, and expectations) cannot be changed and is essential to our eternal identity, God would never allow that someone be born gay. It is a choice, not a congenital condition. This, of course seeks to negate the validity of same sex marriage as a civil right.

I'm floored that this would come out just after the unveiling of this new site. It weakens the message of the website and makes it all appear as nothing more than lip service and doublespeak.

[Jeff Lebowski]

What a weird video. What does voting have to do with gender? What is the point of such a muddled message?

We know some people with a young boy that has shown nothing but female characteristics from the moment he was born. When he was 8 years old, he told his parents that if they didn't allow him to wear dresses, he would rather be dead. This is one of the most orthodox families you could meet (father is a seminary teacher). Try telling that family that gender is eternal.

[Northwestcoug]

There is nothing uplifting about this video. Its implied message is that it is ridiculous to support same sex message. Why, it's as absurd as a child voting to choose the sex (of course it's confused with gender) of the cat. It is all snark, and directed towards believing members who agree with BKP.

There are a ton of inocuous GA analogies. It's ridiculous that expense went into producing a video centered around BKP's stupid cat analogy.

[LA Ute]

In any advertising class the video would get an F.

[hopfrog]

I just glanced at the site, and have not yet read your comments here. We are preparing to place my mother into a rest home on Tuesday, and it has all of us kids in a weird emotional state. My one solid dismay about their statement comes from being a writer--in their last paragraph they use the word "alright"!! Honey, that ain't all right!

Because my mother's growing dementia and disabilities over the past few years, I've had to become inactive, and it kills me not to be able to go to church and be a real member of my ward. Now I'll be able to attend church regularly and work toward a restitution of all blessings, if such can be allowed for one who is queer up the arse in regards to lifestyle. I may be too extreme for the church, once they get to fully comprehend the real me. I am ready for whatever happens, but I will never again become inactive, even if I lose membership for a second time. I need the church and the company of Saints. Oh, how I ache for church.

[clackamascoug]

I just glanced at the site, and have not yet read your comments here. We are preparing to place my mother into a rest home on Tuesday, and it has all of us kids in a weird emotional state. My one solid dismay about their statement comes from being a writer--in their last paragraph they use the word "alright"!! Honey, that ain't all right!

Because my mother's growing dementia and disabilities over the past few years, I've had to become inactive, and it kills me not to be able to go to church and be a real member of my ward. Now I'll be able to attend church regularly and work toward a restitution of all blessings, if such can be allowed for one who is queer up the arse in regards to lifestyle. I may be too extreme for the church, once they get to fully comprehend the real me. I am ready for whatever happens, but I will never again become inactive, even if I lose membership for a second time. I need the church and the company of Saints. Oh, how I ache for church.

Hop... you're a pioneer every bit. I hope you have the perseverance of the hand cart saints, regarding the restitution of "your" blessings. They belong to you. And... contribute more here, we like and accept you.

[DrumNFeather]

It has a copyright of 2011 at the end...so does that mean that this came out long before the website rather than "just coming out"? Just curious.

[pellegrino]

It has a copyright of 2011 at the end...so does that mean that this came out long before the website rather than "just coming out"? Just curious.

it was posted to the Mormon Channel on Dec. 20.

[Sullyute]

It has a copyright of 2011 at the end...so does that mean that this came out long before the website rather than "just coming out"? Just curious.

it was posted to the Mormon Channel on Dec. 20.

i swear that i have seen that video before. i think it is old and it is just being reposted.

[Donuthole]

i swear that i have seen that video before. i think it is old and it is just being reposted.

I think the footage is old (look at the clothes and hairstyles), and the addition/overlay of BKP's talk is recent. That would explain why the thing is so damn confusing/disjointed.

[CardiacCoug]

What a weird video. What does voting have to do with gender? What is the point of such a muddled message?

We know some people with a young boy that has shown nothing but female characteristics from the moment he was born. When he was 8 years old, he told his parents that if they didn't allow him to wear dresses, he would rather be dead. This is one of the most orthodox families you could meet (father is a seminary teacher). Try telling that family that gender is eternal.

Right, not to mention kids born with ambiguous genitalia and kids with genitals that don't match their chromosomal gender for various reasons. There is no shortage of those kids in Chinese orphanages we have learned. As usual real life is much more complicated at times than sheltered Mormons with limited experience like to think it is. Even the issue of gender is often very complex and then obviously sexual orientation isn't the same thing and is also a very complex issue.

I'm trying to imagine how stupid somebody has to be and how simplistic a world view one would need to have to think that video makes any sense. It doesn't make sense whether it's talking about gender or gay marriage or anything else.

And of course I agree that the message is not only stupid but mean-spirited and bullying toward gays: "Come on! Are you a man or a woman? Even kids know you just need to act like a man if you're a man and stop that gay stuff!"

[pellegrino]

i swear that i have seen that video before. i think it is old and it is just being reposted.

I don't doubt it. I think the timing is awful if not suspect.

[RC Vikings]

It's been a long time since I saw something that pissed me off this much.

[YOUTUBE]fL-Z0_MqzKM[/YOUTUBE]

Apparently you haven't seen "Looper".