–gs

I own one of the most diverse companies in the city. I employee an african american catholic, the wife of an anti-mormon, a messianic jew, an atheist, a russian immigrant and yes, a gay. Many of my clients are gay. I am a member of a business referral group that actively recruits gay business owners. Until the day he died, Jack Dean, the owner of Stonewall News, our city’s only gay newspaper, was a client as was his newspaper.

Since the day you left my household I have not pushed my religion or its standards on you or your family.

Your decision in not letting your family be part of mine is the biggest action of hatred and anger I have ever experienced. I am shocked and heartbroken.

I know my gay friends well and believe they would be embarrassed by your actions.

–Dad

That’s simply not true. I think your mistaking having children with marriage.

Also, I try not to correct the way people type and spell on the internet, because I’m not perfect at it either, but I seriously had trouble reading and understanding what you wrote.

Even so, if gay marriage was allowed, the Mormon church would not be forced to marry gays. The court decision regarding marriage specifically says “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs.”

I agree with you that Prop 8 was voted in by a small majority. Does that make it right? There is precedence for the majority being wrong. You know most people use to think slavery was fine. People use to think women were property too and shouldn’t be allowed to vote either. Once a whole country of people went along with this guy named Hitler (did you know he was voted into office?) and tried to exterminate a race, but that was a majority, so that was okay right? Were all those minorities were wrong I guess… Is gay rights so different?

Oh and by the way it wasn’t just LDS that stood up for this. It was many other churches and people in general. The PEOPLE voted for it.

It makes me really sad that you and Japsy are thinking like this. I loved Jaspy for her open-ness, understanding and kindness to all.

It seems like you may need to read this page, it takes all the rumors spread around by the “yes on 8″ people (including the ones said in mormon churchs) and debunks them all. http://www.noonprop8.com/about/fact-vs-fiction

I read your post and agree with you about the Proposition 8 stuff. I’ve been taking a bit of flak from my family about my views of LDS, Focus on the Family, etc.

I really loathe the LDS and most organized-religions in general. I wish that their tax-exempt status would be revoked, and I said to my uncle, if there was ever a proposition to decide that I would pour so much money into it.

I disagree with the above posters saying you are intolerant for not agreeing to your parents views or just being pissy about the democratic process. Any amount of research shows substantial undeclared donations to the Prop 8 fund originating from LDS. In short, they bought this election. I could go on but I think we are on the same page.

But… cutting off your kid’s access to his grandparents? That’s harsh by any standard. We’ve all got crazy family members who believe stupid things; but it’s not like your parents were out waving placards along with the Westboro Baptist Church!

Catholics tithe 10% of their earnings as well, which goes towards anti-gay causes as well as pro-life organizations that screw up 3rd world countries. Are you going to ban your child from hanging around Catholics?

Or what happens when your child meets a Mormon friend at school, and sleeps over at his house? Are you going to not allow it because the parents are Mormon? And if you do allow it, are you going to allow “those” Mormons to see your son and not your own parents?

LDS will never stop hating on gays, they need to hate to keep the money rolling in. It’s a business like most organized religions.

Short of sitting your parents in front of a strobe-light to deprogram them, there’s not much you can do to change their beliefs other than rational discourse and leading by example. But completely cutting yourself and your family off from them? That smacks of that other ugly Mormon habit: shunning.

Now don’t get me wrong. If his parents start actually spewing this crap to your son, that is one thing. And you have every single right to keep that kind of harm from infecting your son’s life. But to say no one comes in who has a different view? What happens if your son (on his own volition) had a different point of view then you? What if he grows up and grows into a belief that is his alone. Will you make him write a letter to you as well? If you want gays to have rights..how about showing it with some respect for those who have a right to their own beliefs as well? Right are for all..not just for those who agree with you. Sorry I am being harsh. But someone needs to hear it past whatever pain there is with his parents.

Allah willing things will work out for all involved.

I’m assuming you are soliciting comments or you wouldn’t have posted this. I’m all for gay rights, have actively campaigned and donated to such causes and I’ve seen first hand the bad side of those denied the. But I think you’re going to far. I have to deal with this issue everyday and it takes WORK to not let differing opinions interfere with family relationships but the price of not making it work is much greater.

First off, the vote lost in a free and democratic vote. So the vote didn’t go your way and now you want to punish those who voted against you? Not very democratic. In fact, you’re acting like those on the other side. Deny rights to those different than you. In this case right to their family, religious freedom, and freedom to take a political stance. The person acting in a ‘hateful way’ here is you.

Second, you aren’t punishing your parents. You’re punishing yourself. You can’t get back the time and relationship that will now be tossed by the wayside and to repair it in the future is going to be more difficult than you think. And to deny your son a chance to know his grandparents? Don’t you know that will impact him later? Hey if you don’t like your parents because they treated you bad or something is one thing but because you don’t like their politics? You toss all they’ve done for you in the course of a lifetime overboard due to politics? So you’re saying politics is more important than a personal relationship??? How petty is that. Life is too short for that nonsense.

You won’t agree with me but that’s my two cents worth.