Posted by:
getbusylivin
(
)
Date: October 25, 2016 10:26PM
Many years ago when I lived in San Francisco I volunteered Saturday mornings for several months at a soup kitchen run by a small church near Golden Gate Park. We'd serve between 150 and 250 folks a good hot lunch. Once everyone was served we'd load ourselves up and go out and sit with our guests, and talk with them.
Almost all of them were homeless--probably 90% lived in the park. And a majority of them were youngsters--teenagers through early 20s. And a good percentage of them were gay.
Why were they there? Because they'd been kicked out of their homes throughout the U.S. by their parents, because they were gay. Or they left of their own volition because they were tired of their fathers beating the crap out of them because they were gay. They had heard that San Francisco was more accepting, so they made their way to our town.
You and I both know which institutions disseminate and reinforce the irrational hateful ideology that broke the lives of these kids. You and I both know the institution that we have in common.
When I joined the church I was vulnerable, and was not aware of the church's long-standing, systematic oppression toward gay people. I learned. I'm not gay, but having lived in San Francisco almost four decades I have countless gay friends, business associates, neighbors--plus those kids who showed up on Saturday for a hot meal. I have a moral responsibility to live a moral, just existence on their behalf.
Somebody please track me down and smack me upside the head if I ever entertain the thought of returning to this evil, evil organization--the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.