A group of gay
Mormons is seeking an unprecedented meeting with the new
church president and his counselors, hoping to begin a
conversation and find ways to address the concerns of
its members. Affirmation, with more than 2,000 gay,
lesbian and transgender members, is not recognized by the
church, which at one time labeled homosexuality a problem
that required help. ''Although there are many areas of
hurt and disagreement that have separated us, there
are many more areas on which we can find agreement,
and in doing so, become a blessing in the lives of many of
the Saints, both straight and gay,'' the group wrote
in its invitation to Thomas S. Monson last week.
A group of gay
Mormons is seeking an unprecedented meeting with the new
church president and his counselors, hoping to begin a
conversation and find ways to address the concerns of
its members.
Affirmation, with
more than 2,000 gay, lesbian, and transgender members,
is not recognized by the church, which at one time labeled
homosexuality a problem that required help.
''Although there
are many areas of hurt and disagreement that have
separated us, there are many more areas on which we can find
agreement, and in doing so, become a blessing in the
lives of many of the Saints, both straight and gay,''
the group wrote in its invitation to Thomas S. Monson
last week.
Monson assumed
leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints last Sunday following the death of its previous
president, Gordon B. Hinckley.
Such a meeting
with Monson and his counselors -- a triumvirate known as
the First Presidency -- would be unprecedented, said David
W. Melson, the group's assistant executive director.
''This was
something we've talked about for a while,'' Melson said.
''With the death of President Hinckley and the installation
of new church leadership, it seemed like the
appropriate time.''
Church teachings
consider homosexuality a sin and hold up traditional
marriage as an institution ordained by God.
In the 1990s the
church was active politically in fighting same-sex
marriage legislation nationwide. A church official signed a
2006 letter from religious groups asking Congress for
a marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Some gays were
rejected by their families and excommunicated by the
church. Some were counseled that marriage or intensive
therapy programs would ''cure'' their homosexuality.
More recently,
church leaders have softened their position, drawing a
distinction between the feelings or inclinations of
same-gender attraction, as they call it, and actions.
Hinckley, who
died January 27 at age 97, had called on the church to
reach out to gay members with compassion and love.
Melson said a new
approach could prevent Mormon parents from kicking
their gay children out of their homes and reduce the number
of suicides among young gay men.
''I would like
for us never again to have gay individuals, particularly
our young people, being told that they are not welcome in
the church they grew up in,'' he said, whose group was
founded in 1977 by closeted gay students at the
church-owned Brigham Young University.
Church
spokeswoman Kim Farah could not confirm receipt of the
group's letter on Friday.
''Any
correspondence with the First Presidency is private,'' she
said. (Jennifer Dobner, AP)
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