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Today and tomorrow (M, Tu), the documentary 8: The Mormon Proposition will be screening at the Seattle International Film Festival. From the SIFF page:
When California voters narrowly approved Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, people from across the country questioned how this could have happened. While the public was aware that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was a huge supporter of the measure, 8: The Mormon Proposition reveals how the Mormon Church spent decades orchestrating a political movement to stop gay rights. Mormon leaders rallied their congregations to contribute huge sums of money, influence, and personal time to sway public opinion and policy, much of this through secret memos and cover organizations.
The Mormon church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or “LDS”) didn’t appear to play an active roll last year in Washington’s Referendum 71 battle for the preservation of the Domestic Partnership Expansion Law of 2009. National Organization for Marriage, widely believed to be an LDS front group, only donated $5,000 to the anti-DP campaign. This is peanuts compared to the mountains of cash they spend in anti-marriage campaigns. Josh Friedes, Executive Director of Equal Rights Washington has a theory about that:
The Mormon Church was not a player in Referendum 71. The Mormon church appears to have drawn the the line in the sand at marriage. In Washington State as we move toward full marriage equality we must be prepared for increased opposition from the organized Mormon Church while recognizing that many Mormons support LGBT civil rights and have been active with the gay rights movement.
Trailer below the fold.
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Also screens in NYC on June 14th FYI At the East Village Clearview. It’s important, IMO, to fill these theaters to encourage the profit potential of projects like these. Conventional wisdom is there isn’t money to be made. So, if we can demonstrate otherwise, more filmmakers will step up to report what much of the MSM can’t be bothered to. And producers will be more likely to fund future productions like this.
Actually, they did involve themselves to some degree…First, as I commented on this blog at the time, one of the online advertisements for “Protect Marriage Washington” used artwork which was the copyrighted property of Intellectual Reserve, Inc., the intellectual property arm of the LDS (Mormon) church. The LDS church is vociferous when it comes to protecting its intellectual property rights, so either someone “stole” the artwork for the ad, or it was used with actual permission. At no time did the LDS church disavow the campaign’s use of their copyrighted material.
Second, my partner was leaving work one day during the campaign, and found someone placing flyers on all the vehicles in the parking lot (a supermarket). My partner approached the individual about this behavior, and that person proudly announced that he was from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that he was “protecting his freedom of religion.” We heard similar experiences from others in the Seattle area.
true, but that was minimal stuffthey didn’t pound the pavement or extort money from members like they’ve done in, say, california. neither did the catholic church, apparently. certainly some individuals who are mormon probably took some initiative, but that’s orders of magnitude smaller than their organized involvement in states voting on marriage. the national concerns left r-71 up to the local evangelical churches and organizations, and they proved themselves unequal to the task. during an off-year election, even.
In Los Angeles tomorrow nightAt the Egyptian theater (near Hollywood & highland) at 730pm tuesday
It was at the Conneticutt Gay and Lesbian Film fest It showed on the 30th of May here.
It’s a very good documentary and enlightening. It always amazes me and irks me to hear the same people rant about states sovereign rights and then those exact same people believe in subverting another states elections to its own ends.
DC ShowingThis shows next Tuesday, 15 June in DC at the E Street Landmark Cinema at 7:30 PM