On August 23, 2021, LDS apostle Jeffrey Holland said “I would like to hear a little more musket fire from this temple of learning.” He said this in reference to the growing support of LGBTQ+ individuals among LDS church members. It’s no secret that the LDS church teaches a strict homophobic rhetoric that any marriage that is not between one male and one female is evil and a “violation” towards god. Holland calls for “musket fire” from members to defend the church’s outdated and evil teachings and not support LGBTQ+ individuals or families.
On November 21, 2022, Holland got exactly what he asked for.
In Colorado Springs, a gunman shot and killed 5 people and injured 17 at a LGBTQ+ nightclub. Later that day, the LDS church would confirm that the shooter was indeed a baptized member of the church. I do not believe that Holland’s words were what caused the shooting. Placing blame directly on him would be wholly unfair. But the teachings of the LDS church can definitely be called into question in regards to anti-LGBTQ+ crimes. I’m not just spitballing these things. Having been born and raised in the LDS church, my entire childhood and teenage years were filled with awful anti-LGBTQ+ teachings. I was taught that families were not allowed to be together if they didn’t fit a mold. That if a friend I had who was a man told me he had feelings for another man, I was supposed to disown him and shun him permanently from that moment onwards. None of this ever made sense to me. How can a church that claims to bring families together for eternity and preach about the “unconditional” love of Jesus Christ be so awful towards families and individuals? Do we really believe that words of a supposed all knowing and loving god are that we must reject, hate and destroy our fellow human beings? Surely that cannot be the truth.
Until the LDS church and other religions denounce their awful anti-LGBTQ+ teachings, events like Colorado Springs will continue to occur. My heart breaks for my LGBTQ+ friends and family, whether they are LDS or not. The LDS church can say they are sorry, they can say they support laws that protect queer rights. But until they actively seek to remove and reprimand any anti-LGBTQ+ teachings, it won’t be enough. Saying you are an ally and backing that up with inaction means nothing. You can’t claim to be a queer ally and love all queer people when you pay 10% of your income to a corporation that teaches its members to hate anyone who isn’t straight.
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We welcome comments, however there are some guidelines:
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