Proposition 8 and President Monson

At 2pm this afternoon (Pacific time), a press conference was held at the LDS Temple in Los Angeles, where a protest had been organized by opponents of CA Proposition 8. To the media present, the woman speaking (Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center) made the following announcement:

Today we have decided to include the President of the Mormon Church in a campaign that is more productive for our community. We are going to raise money to support the effort to repeal Proposition 8, and we are encouraging people to make donations on our new website: www.invalidateprop8.org. For every donor who makes a donation, a postcard in the name of that donor will be sent to Pres. Thomas Monson of the LDS Church, and I want to read what it says:

“Dear President Monson:

A donation has been made in your name by _________________ to “invalidateprop8.org” to overturn California’s Proposition 8 and restore fundamental civil rights to all citizens of California. The money will be donated to legal organizations fighting the case and to support grass-roots activities in support of full marriage equality. Although we decry the reprehensible role the Church of Latter Day Saints [sic] leadership played in denying all Californians equal rights under the law, we are pleased a donation has been made on your behalf in the effort to overturn the discrimination your church members helped enshrine in the California Constitution. Given that throughout its history the Mormon Church has been subjected to bigotry, we hope you appreciate the donation in your name to fight religious bigotry here in California.

*For the record: I do support Prop 8, although I'm not a citizen of California. I think an attack on the Church will do nothing to change the LDS Church's position on gay marriage. Showing disrespect for LDS temples, as sacred structures, is uncalled for. If the voters of California support another ballot initiative then that is fine - but I think all sides should accept the result of that vote. It's much better for voters to decide such an important question than for four judges to make that determination. Additionally, I want everyone to know of my love and respect for my many homosexual friends. At this time California gives the same legal rights to same-sex couples as it does to heterosexual couples, with the exclusion of the word "marriage" to describe lasting relationships.