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Kenito
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 Morman Reid Blasts LDS Leadership Morman Reid Blasts LDS Leadership
Nevada Senator and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid criticized members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for bankrolling California's anti-gay marriage Proposition 8 during a meeting with gay and lesbian activists. Even stronger language was used in the Salt Lake Tribune, who characterized Reid's comments as "Rips LDS Church's Prop 8 support."
Reid reportedly made the comments -- his first to date on his church's activities on behalf of the Prop 8 movement -- during a closed door meeting with LGBT activists on the eve of last weekend's big DC rally.
[T]hree organizers of the past weekend's National Equality March said Reid brought up the topic during a conversation in his office.
"He said that he thought it was a waste of church resources and good will," said Derek Washington, a Nevadan who worked as the outreach director for the march. "He said he didn't think it was appropriate."
Reid spokesman Jon Summers would not discuss the private meeting, but he didn't deny the conversation took place.
"While Senator Reid agrees with his church that marriage is between a man and a woman," Summers said, "he also believes that the resources that went into the Proposition 8 effort could have been put to better use."
But Reid's statements are consistent with his past positions on the issue. Despite representing a state with significant pockets of social conservatism (some of it in reaction to Sin City), Reid opposed the anti-gay marriage Constitutional amendment and has backed expanding the definition of hate crimes to include malice against gays, lesbians and transgender people.
This all is somewhat significant since liberal Reid is a member of the conservative Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Residents in majority-Mormon Utah contributed $3.8 million to the Prop 8 battle, ranking second only to Californians in bankrolling the fight. The LDS Church contributed $190,000 in in-kind contributions to ProtectMarriage.com, the leading pro-Prop 8 group. These church contributions have sparked come controversey with gay Mormans who feel that church monies should not have been used on a political campaign, even though technically legal. However, other issues remain. Complaints have not been settled in California, where the state's Fair Political Practices Committee is thought to be investigating whether the church was far more deeply involved in the campaign, stepping over the line for a tax-exempt church.
Over all, Morman sources contributed a total of $29 million to the Prop 8 campaign. Backlash against the church has been severe for the publicity shy organization. And since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not operate with a traditional priest/pastor and up leadership heirarchy, individual church leader's actions can blur the line between what is an individual action vs. the action of a church organization.
Writing in the Las Vegus Sun, columnist Steve Sebelius scored Reid's position, saying: "Reid is absolutely right: It was inappropriate for believers in a particular faith to try to force the population at large to live according to the dictates of their particular religion. That’s a little thing called theocracy, which can lead to all manner of evil, from the denial of equal protection of the laws all the way up to flying airplanes into skyscrapers in the name of God. We — all of us, people of faith and people of no faith — ought to always oppose that."
Marchers in last Sunday's equality rally in Washington, D.C., which drew tens of thousands to the U.S. Capitol, repeatedly referenced the Prop 8 defeat in signs, statements and even face paint. But when organizers sat down with Reid, it wasn't a topic they intended to raise. They wanted to thank him for supporting the march and push him on their desire for federal action giving gay Americans the ability to get married, serve openly in the military and fight workplace discrimination.
Reid signed a letter supporting the march and encouraged a sustained lobbying campaign.
In the meeting, those present touched on issues most important to them. Dan Choi, a veteran of the Iraq War, who was booted from the military under the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, thanked Reid for lobbying President Barack Obama on his behalf. Robin McGehee, of California, talked about her own family. Then, McGehee said, Reid brought up his LDS faith and discussed a recent meeting with Mormons in which he criticized the Prop 8 efforts.
"He personally said they needed to be focused on other things," she said, "and he felt it was harmful for the church to focus on such a divisive issue."
The proposition passed with 52 percent of the vote.
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