Gay activists are VIPs at MoTab Concert:
Headlines:
KTVX (ABC 4 Utah) - LDS Church invites gay activists and Dustin Lance Black to Christmas Concert
Towleroad - Gay Activists Attend Mormon Xmas Concert in Salt Lake City
Politico - A Mormon, gay detente?
just|out - Gay Activists Attend Mormon Christmas Concert As Invited Guests
LDS Living - LDS Church invites gay activists to Christmas Concert
The Shallow End of the Pool - The LDS Church Inviting Gays to Concerts?
Background:
OUT Magazine - Dustin Lance Black: "Pillars of Salt"
My two cents:
The folks who ought to be getting the VIP treatment are all the faithful gay and lesbian Mormons who follow their church's awful advice and sacrifice companionship and love in order to remain temple worthy in the eyes of their leaders. I wonder how it makes LGB Mormons feel to see gay activists fêted by the same LDS leadership that places such disproportionate demands on its own gay membership. Doesn't seem quite fair that it's the gay Mormons who decided to leave the church that get the red carpet rolled out for them. How about a VIP section for all the active LDS who diligently attend Evergreen International conferences, and General Conference, and all their weekly church meetings, and try so hard to follow the counsel of the Brethren? Where's their red carpet? What about all the North Star LDS striving to live the Gospel in their mixed-orientation marriages? In addition to VIP tickets, that crew should get medals, too.
Or not.
At the end of the day, the takeaway is that bravery pays. Those who chose to bravely walk away from the LDS church and fight the good fight for equality and dignity are the same ones now treated with respect by the institutional LDS leadership. This should be a lesson for all LGB Mormons who've chosen to remain on the inside and bear unfair and unequal treatment at the hands of their church. Take a good, long look at the happy crew of activists shown in this report, and then ask yourself: Where is your invitation to the MoTab? What is your reward for your faithful solitary service? How is it that those who left the church behind are now celebrated by LDS leaders, while those members who've remained loyal and true earn only exhortation and caution? How can that be right? Where is the justice in that? If there were any justice on offer, or even simply a modicum of mercy, those of you who've already sacrificed so much for the Brethren and the Mormon church would already top the list of candidates for next year's VIP tickets.
At the very least, couldn't the Brethren quietly instruct your bishops to show a little appreciation by passing along a few complimentary tickets to "Donny & Marie – A Broadway Christmas" ??
Tee hee.
P.S. Check out these gems from MADB (Mormon Apologetic & Discussion Board):
"This isn't outreach, this is just placation of your idiot neighbors so they stop protesting on your front lawn."
"It is just putting on a show of kindness for the sake of the puppet theater. The homosexual lifestyle will never be accepted by the Church."
"Leave the Sodomites in Sodom."
Wow. Some of these Mormon apologists seem to take a a more cynical view of their own leadership than many LDS critics.
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