An article in the Bay Area pages of the March 14 Wall Street Journal tells about a San Francisco ward that has reached out to gays and lesbians and invited them back to church. The bishop, 57-year old Don Fletcher, leads a ward of 1,000 members, but "only about 150 show up regularly for church." The bishop chose Mitch Mayne, a gay man, to be his executive secretary. Shortly after assuming that role, Mr. Mayne helped draft a letter to local Mormons telling them that being gay is no reason to hold back from their faith. The letter's plea: "Please come back."

More than a dozen gay and lesbian Mormons and their supporters have taken up the offer.

The article goes on to point out that while gay members are welcome at church, they aren't allow to participate fully, "including not allowed to be baptized or married." And of course, they must adhere to standards of chastity.

Mr. Fletcher is quoted as saying that church leaders in California and Salt Lake haven't censured him or given "any significant pushback."

You can read the whole article here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323826704578354250182146668.html

So far there are 9 comments online but I haven't read them yet.

...they're still sinful and inferior.

If the LDS was a happy place for gays and gays were truly included they could come up with lots of people to wrap PR around. Instead it is story after story about Don Fletcher or Josh Weed. Seriously, can't they do any better than that?

It isn't "Mormon church reaches out"; it's "Mormon bishop, bucking general mormon trend, reaches out".

hmmm, sounds a lot like the church in the 1960's "we love the black people, and welcome them in our church....sort of...well, you know they can't have the priesthood, or marry in the temple, or have any leadership positions...but they sure are welcome here!"

such a load of crap....

ho hum...

call me when they're offering reach-arounds.

"while gay members are welcome at church, they aren't allow to participate fully"

So, Gays are then new Blacks! Fuck you mormon Church.

And for everybody who thinks the duped members are nice, and it's just the church leaders, get a clue. The members are the army for the evil empire--one cannot function without the other. You are either with the prophet or you are against him. I don't know of a single mormon who doesn't say that Monson is a true prophet, which means they are for him, which means they are for bigotry. And anything else they say to make themselves appear to be nice people is bull.

At least an open snub is honest. This "welcome" laced with bigotry is a thousand times worse.

They can all go to hell. No discrimination, no time, no place---not anywhere.

And I am appalled at the gay people allowing themselves to be used as Jim Crows.

blueorchid Wrote:
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> So, Gays are the new Blacks!
>
> And I am appalled at the gay people allowing
> themselves to be used as Jim Crows.

So am I. Apalled at all of them, the whole dozen or so. But if gays are no different from straights, most of them will go inactive as soon as their fave mishie is transferred to another ward.

Gays aren't allowed to masturbate or have sex. Oh sure, that's a healthy prescription.