Mormon Church Still Hatin' On Transpeople

Many African-Americans don't have much love for the Mormon Church because of the racist doctrines they held about our people for over 100 years.

Starting in April 1969 Black collegiate athletes began to protest or boycott athletic contests scheduled against BYU to protest the anti-Black LDS policies.

Some paid a heavy price for it.  Eight Black UTEP track team members who refused to participate in a track meet scheduled in Provo were dismissed from the team.  One of those eight was future long jump record holder and Olympic champion Bob Beamon.


Later that fall 14 Black members of the nationally ranked and three time WAC champion University of Wyoming football team were dismissed before playing BYU because they asked to wear black armbands during the game.   The ensuing drama of those racially charged dismissals at Wyoming almost tore apart the WAC, as it led to Stanford canceling their sporting relationship with BYU, more student protests at other schools in 1970 along with increasing societal pressure that led to the Mormons changing the anti-Black policies in 1978.


I and many trans people don't like their anti-trans stances, and the latest news out of Salt Lake City guarantees that we'll still have reasons not to like the LDS.

The LDS publishes what they call the Church Handbook of Instructions, which s a two volume book prepared by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that is the LDS policy and procedural guide.   It is only distributed to people who fill certain leadership roles within the church hierarchy, and the last time it was published was in 2006.

In the latest edition of Church Handbook of Instructions, celibate gay Mormons can rejoice in it according to the Salt Lake Tribune.    It states that celibate gay Mormons should be allowed to participate fully in the church and to have “callings,” or church assignments.    

In addition, the Handbook of Instructions struck language that called upon gay members to repent their “homosexual thoughts or feelings.”, that gay unions 'distort loving relationships', and suggests that gay members “may need professional counseling … in harmony with gospel principles.”
 
But trans Mormons continue to get the back of the LDS church's hand in this latest edition of the handbook.   They did not change the prohibition on anyone who has had GRS from having callings or holding a leadership position in the church.

So what will it take for transpeople to be considered human in the eyes of the Mormon church?


Maybe another series of protests of BYU sporting events?

'Hate Has No Place In God's House'

TransGriot Note: 2003 Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote this commentary for Essence.com that also appears in its November 2010 issue entitled 'Hate Has No Place In God's House.'   
It is a timely one in light of the anti GLBT hate rising in many African nations that was instigated and egged on by US based Reich wing fundies.

 ***

Today I pray for people in Africa and throughout the world who long for freedom because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. It grieves me to be retiring at this crucial moment in history, so I write to you in this open letter, to invite you to pick up the work that remains to be done. More than 70 countries still imprison or execute gay and transgender people, and bullying and murders are all too common. This must change.

Each of you is called to respond to God's urgency for love and life. So whether you are in South Africa, the United States or anywhere else, humanity needs to accept its own diversity as a gift from our Creator. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are part of our family of God.

I have always striven for a life of love in action. Many told me to stop. They called me a communist or they told me that I might be killed. Now, I have lived long, and one choice that comes with age is how to deal with our own mortality. Should we be more careful or be more bold? Should we rest on our laurels or respond to the urgency of justice?

Boldly, I urge all faith leaders and politicians to stop persecuting people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Every day people live in fear because of who they love. We are talking about our family members, our flesh and blood, our humanity. LGBT people are in our villages, towns, cities, countries -- and our whole world.

 

In South African churches we have sung, "Oh freedom! Freedom is coming, oh yes, I know." We sang this chorus at the lowest points of our journey toward freedom against the racist and colonialist system of apartheid, and we still sing it to this day. Freedom is coming -- and those of us who have freedom must speak out for those whose freedom is under attack. We can and must make a difference.

The Catholic Church Will Baptize ET But Won't Do It For Me

The Roman Catholic Church has not been shy since 2003 of expressing their hatred and dislike of transgender people to the point where even Pope Benedict XVI has used his Christmas Eve message to declare transpeople a threat to the survival of mankind.


Last month, in a shake your head moment, the official astronomer for the pope, Guy Consolmagno  told the Guardian that if intelligent life is found elsewhere in the universe and it would like to be baptized in the Catholic faith, they would do so.

That hard up for new converts to the flock, eh?
 
I find it ironic that you would be willing to baptize ET, but you are kicking transpeople out of your churches and parochial schools with the quickness.

You need to phone home to Rome and tell Pope Benedict and the gang to stop listening to Dr. Paul McHugh and come to the same conclusion that you came to about ET having a soul.

What you said about ET also applies to trans people walking on Planet Earth.   We are intelligent life inhabiting this galaxy and solar system that has a soul and news flash, some of us are already Catholic

So before you start making plans to rush out to deep space and send missionaries to convert ET, you need to take a long, prayerful look inside and outside the Vatican and reverse those' hate on transpeople' policies, doctrines, and hate speech aimed at us you unfortunately came up with that are fueling discrimination and violence toward fellow human beings..