Mormon Hatred of Gays Rebuked at the Oscars

Taken from the California Chronicle's website:
http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/view/92011

Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black has won the world´s greatest honor for Best Original Screenplay for Milk, a movie about an openly gay San Francisco neighborhood activists who was elected to the city's Board of Supervisors in 1977. Milk was later murdered by a former supervisor named Dan White. The movie stars Sean Penn as Harvey Milk and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Upon accepting his award, Black made what can only be described as one of the most moving, heart-warming, and memorable acceptance speeches in Academy history: "When I was 13 years old, my beautiful mother and father moved me from a conservative Mormon home in San Antonio, Texas to California. It is there where I heard the story of Harvey Milk. It gave me hope. It gave me the hope to live my life. It gave me hope to one day live my life openly as who I am, and that maybe I could fall in love and one day get married. … I wish to thank my mother who has always loved me for who I am even when there was pressure not to. But most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us thirty years ago I think that he would want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight, who have been told that they are less than human by their churches or the government – or by their families – that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value. No matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally across this great nation of ours. Thank you and thank you God for giving us Harvey Milk."

The Mormon Church was instrumental in helping pass Proposition 8 in California – the hateful anti-gay, anti-same-sex marriage initiative that narrowly passed in November. Critics charge that proponents of the measure benefited from the over $30 million in contributions from out-of-state Mormons who were told or advised by church leaders to contribute to the bigoted measure (leaders of the Mormon Church call themselves "prophets"). The misinformation and lies purported by proponents of the initiative has resulted in a documented increase in violence and discrimination against lesbian and gays nationwide, including the murder of an openly gay man in New York.

The Mormon Church was founded by polygamist Joseph Smith who was married to 33 women and under-age girls. Polygamy was never disavowed by Mormon Church founder Joseph Smith and polygamy is currently actively practiced by contemporary members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons). Critics charge that the Mormon Church supported Proposition 8 to falsely portray the church as a supporter of traditional marriage – at the expense of lesbians and gays. To be sure, the Mormon Church is not a Christian church and is not recognized as a Christian church by any mainstream Christian denominations. Many mainstream Christian denominations, including Evangelical churches, do not recognize the Mormon faith as Christian. These Christian churches consider the Mormon faith a cult religion because of it's historic polygamist advocacy and because of it's hate against lesbian and gay Americans.

The bigoted Proposition 8 was supported by the Mormon Church, fundamentalist right-wing extremists, the Knights of Columbus, Ku Klux Klan, and other hate groups outside of California.

Supporters of same-sex marriage vow to continue to fight for equality, fairness and justice. Proposition 8 will likely be overturned in the years ahead, with gay and lesbian Americans enjoying marriage equality nationwide.