8: The Mormon Proposition
Directed by: Reed Cowan and Stephen Greenstreet
Narrated by: Dustin Lance Black
Release Date: June 18, 2010 in select cities, On Demand and Digital Download
While November 4, 2008 was a day of celebration for most Americans with the election of Barack Obama, but for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Californians, including myself, it was a day of celebration and of incredible pain that came with the passage of Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in the state after only a few months earlier San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom allowed couples to wed. The bill’s passage may invalidate the marriages, depending on the final outcome of the federal closing arguments early this summer.
This documentary seeks to expose the Mormon church’s involvement, not only in supplying the financial means for Proposition 8 to pass, but that the church has been deeply entrenched in the passage of anti-equality legislation for decades.
The film had its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and releases in select cities, video on demand, and via digital download on June 18th.
Got to see this at Sundance. An awesome documentary. The second half was better because it focused less on the mormon agenda and more on the human factor of the people who were devastated by prop 8 passing. It made me dislike mormons more than I already do that’s for sure.
I saw this at Sundance also. A Must see!!! There is a reason it has been getting extended standing ovations everywhere it has played.
The man in the video laments: “they hate me and they don’t even know me.”
@ AJ Meadows: You say you dislike Mormons even more after watching this movie.
To which I respectfully reply my similar heartfelt lament: “you hate me and you don’t even know me.”
Seems like we each hate each other for hating each other.
To which you might reply: “you hated us first”.
Just like my kids who claim: “he/she started it” to justify their continued participation in an arugument.
I think there is equal fault in the person who hates first AND the person who hates in return.
Further; help me understand the homosexual mentality: It is OK for you to hate me because you say I hate homosexuality; yet I cannot hate you because you hate Mormonism? Please, help me understand.
I respectfully ask each of you to do some honest research to find on record any statement from leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that says “we hate homosexuals”. You won’t find it. All statements and clips in this trailer are completely taken out of context to twist them into supporting the directors’ point of view.
Further: notice how most of the producers of this film are ex-Mormons? Not an entirely stable foundation for unbiased journalism.
Next, I invite each of you who hate Mormons to truly get to know us. Come visit with us, work with us, play with us, worship with us, get to know us. How many of you have even spoken with an active Mormon, face to face? Or is it all just heresay? Give us a chance. I think you’ll find the culture portrayed in the trailer to be completely false. Don’t take the filmmakers’ word for it– come find out for yourself who we are.
I am certain you would extend to me the same invitation: get to know us. We’re are real people with real hearts. I hear you. The only homosexual person I have known in my life has been an outstanding, upstanding individual. I have no reason to hate homosexuals whatsoever based upon my personal friendship with this individual, and hope you would extend me the same courtesy as not basing your judgment of Mormons nor me on this trailer/film.
Further, I invite you to learn for yourselves what our “beef” against homosexuality is from “the horse’s mouth”— or donkey’s mouth as you might initially be inclined to say, lol— not from agenda-bent, obviously extremely angry filmmakers.
As we get clear about the real issues here, while clearing our hearts of anger and hatred– on both sides– we can make great strides. Understanding is the only way to progress– anger does nothing. And I guarantee you anger against the Mormons will do nothing. These filmmakers truly are wasting much time and money. We all know from Human Relations 101 that anger is completely counterproductive. I am not saying this in pride and haughtiness– not in the least– but in invitation for you who are activists to pursue courses of action that will actually produce desired results as do intelligent, thoughtful, wise individuals and groups in all facets of life. Again, anger does nothing.
If you want to be successful– do what we Mormons did in defeating Prop 8– did we rally in hypocrisy, criticism, and anger? No. Did we go on talk shows or write editorials in hypocrisy, criticism and anger? No. Did we do anything in hypocrisy, criticism and anger? No. Did we single out homosexual homes and defile the residents’ honor and reputation, harrass them, paint on their vehicles, damage their property and disturb their peace and privacy? No. Yet all of the above was seen rampantly from the homosexual community, which was so disappointing to me as my friend who I knew personally did not strike me as a person who would do such things.
Rather, did we resolutely, with courage and conviction stand up in integrity, honor and respect in legal and lawful ways to make our beliefs known? Absolutely. Please show me evidence of any trashing of homosexual residences, property or harassment done by LDS members and I will personally repay the damages. I am certain it does not exist; but I truly would be heartsick to learn of it (and hope no one can find it because I am broke, lol! But would stick to my promise– even if I have to make payments the rest of my life!)
Further– I would love for a homosexual of integrity to step up and pay for the damages done to LDS property throughout the campaign, which is so unfortunate. Can you folks get past your anger enough to agree with me on this one point: No one deserves damage to their property– no matter what they believe. Can we at least share a common thread of humanity to agree on that point? I truly hope so.
Meanwhile, back to my point: I respectfully submit that anger will not further your agenda; it will only hurt it.
Next, please consider that the LDS Church does not hate homosexuals. You will not and cannot find anything from LDS Church leaders spoken in anger or hatred. Give it a whirl: visit the official web site of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at http://www.lds.org and search the Gospel Library for everything that has been written, printed, or said in the last several decades. Do your own searching, your own thinking, draw your own conclusions. And I will do the same from this side of the fence.
Which brings me to my next respectful request for those who are not inclined to do any kind of personal experiential or fact-based research into this thing called Mormonism. To those not so inclined: please step away from your hatred for one moment to see the blatant hypocrisy of these filmmakers: the agenda of generating hatred for Mormons is obscenely hypocritical while in the same breath they are decrying the “agenda” of Mormons in generating hatred for homosexuals! Un-freaking-real, as we say in Mormondom, lol. (Which agenda of hatred, again, is completely false. Research it for yourself from official sources.)
In stepping back to see this film for what it is– pure propaganda–I am convinced that no person of true character is knowingly swayed by an agenda promoted through hypocrisy vs. integrity. And I take that assertion to heart in examining myself, as well.
Meanwhile, I am not here to bash, argue, criticize or create any negative energy in any way. If I have been any of the above, please forgive me as my intention is nothing but civil, respectful discussion. I wish we could meet face to face to see each other’s intent and convey our mutual respect as humans.
I appreciate this opportunity to point out that there are real people on the other side of the fence– humans who want as much respect for our humanity as you want for your humanity. People who want to be free from total strangers hating us just as much as you desire the same. We have been hated from Day 1 and fully understand what it means to be spit upon, despised, misunderstood, mobbed, raped, murdered and driven from our homes. Just as you feel all of the above emotionally and socially; and perhaps fear it physically, as well. Please understand we’re coming from the same place; we are as outcast and downtrodden as you feel; we are on the same team, folks. Please consider that.
Thank you for pausing in your hatred for Mormons to consider for one brief moment that as much as you feel angry and misunderstood and hurt that total strangers “hate” you, we Mormons feel angry and misunderstood and hurt that you total strangers hate us.
I know that in no way changes your position but sometimes some perspective can go a long way– admittedly for both sides.
Thank you for your consideration, your time and attention,
From a fellow human being,
even, a Mormon
@mormongirl
Here’s the difference. Mormons took away gay people’s rights. Gay people never tried taking away any rights for being Mormon. Your religion is evil. They hurt people because they’re lives don’t adhere to your religion’s beliefs. Instead of leaving well enough alone, your church spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of the money you gave to the church not knowing that it would be spent trying to fix an election. I don’t hate you. If I remember correctly I said I dislike Mormons. It’s simply because they condone and payed hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars to promote it. I’ve never seen any gay people do that to the Mormons… A world without religious influence in politics is an ideal one. A gay person also never said that mormon people will burn in hell. Your religion goes out of its way to condemn people who don’t deserve it. That’s the difference.
Your entire post is filled with so many lies, not unlike the campaign of lies your so called church paid for. You demonized, vilified and sought to make homosexuals and their families unequal under the law. Can you name a single illegal incident other than signs taped to the FENCE of the LA Temple (misdemeanor vandalism) committed by (and proven in our legal system) against any homosexual person or group against Mormon persons or property? Not something made up so you can feel sorry for yourself–a single, provable illegal act? Can you name ONE? People have a right to be angry because Mormons paid huge sums to fund a campaign of lies and fear–and now you want us to get to know you better to find out how wonderful you are? I am from Mormon ancestry, a RM, a BYU graduate, and I know from my own experience that there is no more hateful, lying, well funded enemy that homosexual Americans have than Mormons. Our guarantees of freedom and equality are found in the Constitution, not in seeking the approval of people who have proven they hate us. You are now and forever the enemies of homosexual Americans, and we will use every legal and peaceful means at our disposal to expose your hateful agenda against us. You stripped us of equality in CA and HI–and now you want to be friends? No homosexual Americans should be fooled by your sanctimonious condescension. Take your peace offering and shove it.
My rant is of course to Mormongirl, whose church funded a campaign of lies and fear against homosexuals and now wants us to sing Kumbaya with her. Ain’t gonna happen. Now that you have lied about and demonized homosexuals, you just want to be friends–is this where the ‘healing’ begins? Not now, not ever.
We ought to win big to overcome the cheating we’ve already heard of. It’s not new but what on earth is new is that we’re vigilant and are learning about it now instead of a couple of months from now. will have them exposed for the cheaters they may be, just as their bad campaigning has shown all of them as liars and devoid of their own ideas. Now is not time to slow down nevertheless rather to pile that on. It is the time to leave no doubt as to where the American persons stand.