"It is one of today's great ironies that some people who have fought so hard for LGBT rights now try to deny the rights of others to disagree with their public policy proposals,: says Dallin H Oaks. The Mormon church is backing anti-discrimination laws for lgbt people in Utah, but calling for a balance to be struck via more protection for religious freedom. The Washington Post reports the church itself still wants to be able to hire and fire workers based on its religious beliefs and standards. It says the Latter-day Saints also want legal protections for religious objectors who work in government and health care, such as a physician who refuses to perform an abortion, or provide artificial insemination for a lesbian couple. "When religious people are publicly intimidated, retaliated against, forced from employment or made to suffer personal loss because they have raised their voice in the public square, donated to a cause or participated in an election, our democracy is the loser," Elder Dallin H. Oaks has stated in a rare media conference. He was referring to backlash against those who supported Proposition 8, which banned marriage equality in California in 2008, and others who have opposed lgbt rights measures. "Such tactics are every bit as wrong as denying access to employment, housing or public services because of race or gender,” Oaks stated. "It is one of today's great ironies that some people who have fought so hard for LGBT rights now try to deny the rights of others to disagree with their public policy proposals.” The church teaches that being gay is not a sin, but acting on it is. Oaks has made it clear it still opposes marriage equality and its support for non-discrimination laws in Utah is not an anti-discrimination campaign, but is about squaring competing claims of gay rights and religious liberty. The Human Rights Campaign is not sold. “Symbolically, seeing the church leaders advocating so openly for these protections will no doubt be deeply meaningful to Mormon families with LGBT members, and provide encouragement to LGBT youth in the church,” its Legal Director Sarah Warbelow says. “But, as a matter of public policy, it appears deeply flawed.” She says non-discrimination protections only function when they are applied equally,” Warbelow said. "It should be stated that there are countless lgbt Mormons, and Mormon allies, who support equality, not in spite of their faith but because of it."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 28th January 2015 - 9:53am