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27,000 Urge
Mormons to Support Civil Unions in Utah

27,000 Urge
Mormons to Support Civil Unions in Utah

More than 27,000 letters have been sent to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints headquarters in Salt Lake City urging the church to publicly support gay rights bills Utah legislators are expected to consider in 2009.

More than 27,000 letters have been sent to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints headquarters in Salt Lake City urging the church to publicly support gay rights bills Utah legislators are expected to consider in 2009.

The letters were sent from gays and their allies across the country, mostly through the Human Rights Campaign, according to KCPW radio in Salt Lake.

"I think it's important that we emphasize that this is a respectful request," Jerry Rapier of HRC told KCPW. "We want to share people's concerns and feelings directly with the church and its leaders."

The sudden focus on Utah's politics comes after LDS, or Mormon, leaders became ardent proponents of passing California's ban on same-sex marriage in November. A church elder said the LDS does not support marriage equality but instead would be fine with domestic partnerships or civil unions.

Rapier said the letter-writing campaign was not an "attack," but instead an attempt for the church to make good on that statement. "It's simply an invitation to be a little more clear with the language," he said, adding, "Really, the first step is just asking for a direct statement from the church -- something clear, concise, and to the point, that leaves no room for misinterpretation."

The letters were hand-delivered to Temple Square on Monday, he said, because thousands of e-mails don't make it through the church's filter. Church spokesman Scott Trotter said the LDS did not filter the e-mails, but the volume caused its e-mail filter to label them as spam. (Michelle Garcia, Advocate.com)

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