Students divide after church leader’s remarks
The GLBTA Resource Library sits in a quiet but visible corner of the TSC’s third floor. It is a lounge, meeting place, materials center, and safe haven for students, faculty and staff. The walls are lined with books, movies, political message stickers and bright flags.
Outside the TSC and just across the sidewalk sits another safe haven, where students can engage in religious discussion, theological education, and worship of their god.
On Oct. 3, and in the days that followed, the two groups seemed more distant than ever.
Speaking at the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Boyd K. Packer, the second-ranking leader in the LDS church, delivered an address in which he described same-sex attraction as “impure and unnatural,” and suggested a loving god would never place his children in such a condition. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest civil rights organization, responded almost immediately, issuing nation-wide action alerts and gathering over 100,000 signatures for a petition urging Packer to apologize for and correct his statements. Local groups organized protests at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, portions of Packer’s speech were eliminated from online publications and on Oct. 12 the HRC presented the petition to church officials.
“People across the country still need to hear from Elder Packer that he was wrong and that his statements were dangerous,” HRC President Joe Solmonese said in a press release.
The local reaction
In the wake of Packer’s remarks, members of the LDS church appeared somewhat divided between supporting their leaders and supporting gay friends and family members. Thousands of facebook users joined groups in support of Packer, while letters to the editor in The Statesman, Herald Journal and Salt Lake Tribune suggested some Mormons were hesitant to cross the line drawn in the sand.
Liz Emery, a USU junior who interns at the GLBTA Resource Library, was one of many who participated in the protest at Temple Square. Protesters wore black and circled the perimeter of the church’s downtown property.
“It was very peaceful, very solemn,” Emery said.
Emery disagreed with Packer’s comments, and worried about the effect they could have on young church members who are struggling with their identity.
“My biggest concern is that when (Packer) says something like that, he reaches a broad audience,” Emery said. “It empowers parents to use that as a weapon against their gay child.”
Maure Smith-Benanti, GLBTA program coordinator, said every religion has a right to say what it believes, but Packer’s comments seemed to show a shift from the LDS church’s usual rhetoric.
“His statements seemed to be a departure from a more loving, inclusive nature,” Smith-Benanti said. “It doesn’t seem very sensitive to say those kinds of things when there are young people trying to stay alive.”
Many of the groups in opposition to Packer’s comments made note that his remarks came on the heels of a string of sexual-identity related suicides across the country.
“It seems like Packer’s remarks were dismissive of that fact,” Smith-Benanti said.
Emery also said the recent suicides made Packer’s comments all the more damaging.
“He could have picked a better timing,” she said.
Tolerance at USU
Smith-Benanti began working as program coordinator for GLBTA three years ago, around the time the Resource Library was located to the third floor of the TSC. She said before the location was set aside, the materials were located at the university library, where they would often be defaced or destroyed.
“Things were always mysteriously missing,” Smith-Benanti said.
Smith-Benanti and her organization, which is part of the newly-formed Access and Diversity Center, offer counseling and support as well as organize discussion groups and classroom panel presentations.
She said her students generally feel safe on campus, and perhaps safer than they feel in Logan, but even at USU things are not perfect and the danger of suicide is very real.
“I know of at least three for a fact that have been prevented by the services we offer,” Smith-Benanti said.
In a community where the majority of students belong to the LDS faith, Smith-Benanti said there exists a sense of privilege most individuals may not be aware of. Similarly to the way men may not consider the dangers of walking alone at night, member of the LDS church can sometimes assume everyone around them shares their views.
“There are privileges associated with being a dominant culture member,” Smith-Benanti said. “It’s an assumption of lived, shared experiences that are not always the case.”
LGBT and non-LDS students on the other hand, she said, are extremely aware of the dominant culture.
“It’s a difficult concept to wrap your head around because we want to think that the world is fair,” she said.
Emery said at USU, most LGBT students have friends who are LDS, and vice-versa, and the sentiment amongst members of the church is generally one of not agreeing with the lifestyle, but also not terminating friendships as a result.
“For the most part I don’t think people have malicious intent,” Emery said.
Emery also said because USU is made up of people from different states and experiences it creates an atmosphere of understanding and the university has protection in its code of conduct to protect against discrimination.
A bumpy road
Christopher Thomas, a sophomore, volunteers for the GLBTA and is also on the organization’s OUTspoken classroom panel. He grew up a member of the LDS church and struggled for a long time with his identity. After hearing Packer’s conference remarks, Thomas said he had a negative reaction.
“It was like somebody punched me in the stomach,” he said. “It stirred up so many old emotions.”
Thomas said before coming to USU and getting involved with the GLBTA, he tried to kill himself and worries about what effect Packer’s speech may have on youth who are now experiencing what he went through.
“To feel alienated without knowing they can go somewhere,” he said, “we can bring about a better change without them hurting themselves.”
While Packer didn’t address gay individuals directly, Thomas said the speech was worded in a negative way toward LGBT individuals and represents an old way of thinking.
“(Packer’s) whole philosophy is based on facts that have been disproved by the secular world,” Thomas said. “Because he is an apostle, (church members) will stand behind him no matter what.”
That philosophy, Thomas said, is one where through prayer and righteous living, people can change their sexual orientation.
“I did all of that and it led me down a path of self-destruction,” Thomas said.
Utah State, Thomas said, is an understanding campus and offers services other universities don’t or can’t. He said members of GLBTA are available to help anyone experiencing difficulties.
“God doesn’t hate you, he loves you,” Thomas said. “There are people here that have experienced the same things you’re going through.”
The LDS response
On Oct. 12, Michael Otterson gave the official response from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to the HRC petition. In his statement, Otterson stressed that the church condemns acts of cruelty and discrimination towards groups or individuals. Members were urged to be sensitive to the vulnerable in society and speak out against acts of bullying and intimidation. He also expressed the official position of the church on same-sex attraction saying:
“As a church, our doctrinal position is clear: any sexual activity outside of marriage is wrong, and we define marriage as between a man and a woman … . The Church recognizes that those of its members who are attracted to others of the same sex experience deep emotional, social and physical feelings. The Church distinguishes between feelings or inclinations on the one hand and behavior on the other. It’s not a sin to have feelings, only in yielding to temptation.”
– b.c.wood@aggiemail.usu.edu
THE LOGAN LDS TEMPLE is one of many bulidings in Cache Vallley that mark the densely populated Mormon religion in the area. KATELYN BATTLES photo