The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints, the Mormons, on Friday announced its support for a
proposed bill which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual
orientation and gender identity in the areas of employment and
housing.
Under the headline “Gays & The
Church” at its relaunched website Mormon.org, the church reiterated
its opposition to gay couples marrying.
“The unaltered Church doctrine on
marriage being between a man and a woman has generated considerable
headlines in recent years as the definition for marriage unfolds
state by state. Gay men and women want the financial, legal, and
cultural protections of formal marriage. The Church, in turn, wants
to retain religious freedom and not be compelled by new federal laws
to perform same-sex marriages or to otherwise defy sacred doctrine
relating to the nature of marriage and the law of chastity. For all
Church members, the law of chastity requires abstinence from sex
before and outside of marriage.”
It added: “Church leaders recognize
the existence and difficulty of same gender attraction and
acknowledge the difference between having same-sex attraction and
acting on it. They censure only the latter, and leaders strongly
advocate for understanding, inclusion, and kindness toward people of
all gender orientations.”
Church spokesman Eric Hawkins explained
that this was not a new position for the church.
“The reference to non-discrimination
ordinances was meant to reflect the church's support for the 2009
Salt Lake ordinance and is not an announcement of any kind,” he
said. “The church has been clear that its support for this
specific ordinance was due to language that attempted to balance
issues of non-discrimination and religious freedom.”
Utah State Senator Steve Urquhart, a
Republican from St. George, is expected to reintroduce his proposed
non-discrimination bill next year.