Mormon Church Makes First Donation to LGBT Group

Its financial contribution to a Salt Lake City program for homeless LGBT youth is believed to be its first ever to an LGBT organization.

Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.

Read Full Bio

Trudy Ring

July 03 2015 2:11 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

trudestress

Sorry to interrupt...
But we wanted to take a moment to thank you for reading. Your support makes original LGBTQ+ reporting possible. Help us hold Trump accountable.

One-time Monthly

$19.67 $50 Other

$5 $19.67 $50

The Mormon Church has made what is believed to be its first financial contribution ever to an LGBT group -- to a Utah Pride Center program that provides food to homeless young people.

The donation grew out of a request for nonperishable food items for the Pride Center, located in Salt Lake City, The Salt Lake Tribune reports. Instead of simply donating food, officials with the church's Welfare Square program decided to contribute money.

Neither the church nor the center announced the amount, but local TV station KTSU reported it was $2,500. The Pride Center's food pantry serves about 40 homeless youths each week.

Pride Center board chairman Kent Frogley told the Tribune this week that he was not surprised by the church's willingness to donate, even though it does not approve of homosexuality. "The Mormon Church has always stepped in where people need help in terms of food and shelter," he said. "They take to heart the mission of helping people who are in need." He said it appears to be the church's first donation to an LGBT organization.

The church, formally known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, welcomes gay members but expects them to remain celibate. In light of last week's Supreme Court ruling making civil marriage available to same-sex couples nationwide, the LDS governing body has sent a letter to all congregational leaders reminding them that the church exclusively supports marriages between a man and a woman. Leaders are to read it to members either this Sunday or next.