Illinois Latest Site of LDS Church’s Nationwide Anti-Gay Crusade; HRC Launches Grassroots Effort in Illinois to Refute Bigoted Claims

A recap if the story is below from HRC. Click here to visit the HRC site and read the entire story.

So what about Kentucky? It should concern Kentucky Equality Federation, Kentucky Fairness Alliance, Lexington Fairness, and Fairness Campaign that Kentucky has a lot of LDS Churches in Lexington, Louisville, and Northern Kentucky.

They didn't get involved in Senate Bill 68, but that is not to say they cannot or will not get involved in the future.

“It is irrefutably clear that the LDS Church is fighting an anti-gay crusade throughout the nation, targeting any form of equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community,” said Bruce Bastian, Board of Director for the Human Rights Campaign and former member of the LDS Church. “Church leaders want nothing more than to do their hateful work in secrecy, but the time has come to shine a light on their insidious efforts. If the LDS Church won't tell the truth, we will.”

The e-mail, sent to at least one LDS ward in Illinois, was authorized by Bishop Chris Church, of the Nauvoo, Illinois 3rd Ward, and was sent out by that website’s ward administrator. The messaging in the e-mail carries many of the same bigoted lies that were hallmarks of the LDS Church’s campaign in support of Proposition 8 in California and Proposition 102 in Arizona. The e-mail misleads citizens in Illinois by blatantly misstating that the civil unions legislation would “empower the public schools to begin teaching this lifestyle to our young children regardless of parental requests otherwise.” It goes on to issue this incendiary and inaccurate warning – “it will also create grounds for rewriting all social mores.” The e-mail was uncovered by BoxTurtleBulletin.com, a website that tracks and monitors anti-gay rhetoric. The contents of the e-mail are posted online at www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/03/03/9359.

The Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act (HB 2234) has been scheduled for a hearing in the Illinois House of Representatives Youth and Family Committee this week on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in Springfield, IL.

In response to this secret action by the LDS Church, the Human Rights Campaign today launched a full scale, online grassroots call to action to its more than 35,000 Illinois based members and supporters. The take-action asks members to contact the Nauvoo, Illinois Mormon Temple and let them know these deceitful, fear-mongering tactics can no longer be done in secret. It also encourages pro-equality voters of Illinois to contact their state elected officials to voice their support of HB 2234. The full online action that was sent to over 35,000 pro-equality Illinoisans can be viewed at: http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/actioncenter/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=37929006

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“Despite the Mormon Church’s attempt to not appear publicly bigoted against the social justice issue of our time, it is perfectly clear that the church has in its cross-hairs any measure that recognizes the humanity and dignity of LGBT Americans,” continued Bastian.

Illinois citizens can visit Equality Illinois to sign their action alert, or visit the Human Rights Campaign website here.

Additional information can be found on the HRC Blog, Back Story by clicking here.