Throughout the month of June I've really tried to build a deeper understanding of LGBTQ lives.  This last week I stumbled across a Twitter post that helped me understand non-binary and trans-gender a little better.  I hope that by posting it here, you too will build a greater understanding.  I find it a fitting end to the blog posts celebrating pride month.  Enjoy this piece by Michaela Nicole.

(Original Post here)

In honor of pride month, as well as a follow up to our previous post about what not to say that was written by Emily Earl Nelson, we wanted to publish another post about some of the things we should say to fellow members of the church who are also in the LGBTQ community.  

The original post was written by Emily Earl Nelson and Christina Dee was the one who told me about it.  Let's be kinder to our LGBTQ brothers and sisters and learn what to say.

(Original Post here)

June is Pride Month.  Here at MormonPress we want to show our support and love for our LGBTQ Latter-day Saint brothers and sisters!  In order to do that, I got permission to post the following - common things we say that cause our LGBTQ brothers and sisters to feel less welcome in our wards.

The original post was written by Emily Earl Nelson and Christina Dee was the one who told me about it.  Let's be kinder to our LGBTQ brothers and sisters and learn what not to say.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Integral to this identity is my history.  My past is also linked to the suffering of my ancestors at the hands of mobs in Missouri and Illinois.  I spent a summer as a performing missionary in Nauvoo singing about the trials and my ancestors went through.  The tiny graves; the mothers giving birth on the trail; the frostbitten toes; the bruised and broken bones - but not broken Spirits.  The original words to the hymn Praise to the Man - a hymn glorifying Joseph Smith's deeds and martyrdom - have a verse in which millions sang, "long shall his blood which was shed by assassins, Stain Illinois, while the earth lauds his fame."  This persecution is built into every piece of the history of my religion.  It is part of our culture as Latter-day Saints.

October of last year, President Nelson looked straight into the camera and said, "Listen carefully to what I am about to say."  That got my attention.  If I wasn't listening before, I was definitely listening at this point.  He went on to say that members of the church should "lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice."  At another point in the talk he said that he pleads with us to, "promote respect for all God's Children."

So how do we do that?

January 6th was a day I don’t think any of us will forget for as long as we live. Indeed it is a day that will live in infamy. The first deadly transfer of power in United States history. No longer can we say that we, "always have a peaceful transfer of power" here. The violence was real. It was terrible. It threatened our entire system of government.

O Ye Fair Ones, ye who profess to belong unto the Church of Jesus Christ, hearken and give ear unto the words which I shall speak against you!

How long will ye call evil good, and good evil?

A friend messaged me the other day asking for why I am voting for Joe Biden.  Other friends have wondered aloud whether anyone is actually voting FOR Joe Biden or just voting AGAINST Donald Trump. 

I have been passionate about making sure members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints create more space for progressive members of the church or Democrats like myself.  Recently I have been on Facebook sharing opinions about how I think Biden will be a much better president than Trump.

sys•tem•ic sĭ-stĕm′ĭk, -stē′mĭk

adj.        Of or relating to systems or a system.

adj.        Relating to or affecting the entire body or an entire organism.

Today I want to talk about the second definition: Relating to or affecting the entire body or an entire organism.  The body we’ll talk about today is the United States of America.

However, instead of talking about systemic racism in the abstract, I’m going to talk about racism in my own life.   We all know the statistics systemically (% of CEOs, % of wealth, etc).  I want to talk about my own life history with racism.

RESOLUTION REGARDING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM

WHEREAS, The Republican Party this year decided to forego the regular debate and process that goes into creating a political platform;

WHEREAS, The Republican Party decided to base all her principles on Donald J. Trump, his rhetoric, and actions;

WHEREAS, The Republican Party decided to also adopt their platform created in 2016; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the following is our de facto platform.