1). Allie of OneNewsNow writes about the latest gay issues in Salt Lake City.
2). And John, an LDS gay man, writes of his longing for the coming day when the LDS Church accepts him back into the fold.
As the American homosexuality issues spill over from mainstream Protestant denominations into evangelical streams, I would assume that the LDS Church does not want to be caught as the last ones in America standing contra to civil liberties for the gay.
And as we consider the future, imagine the day in America when bishops are either female or gay.
Jesus in Idaho Falls 
New York Times loves the LDS Church:
http://symphonyofdissent.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/lds-church-takes-a-stance-for-gay-rights/
ethingtoneric is talking on the conservative backlash:
http://ethingtoneric.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/mero/
Daniel is the skeptic:
http://morningrant.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/is-mormon-support-for-gay-rights-just-political/
Peter thinks this is smart lawyer legislation:
http://lds-law.org/2009/11/12/lds-churchs-support-of-slc-gay-rights-law-shouldnt-be-a-surprise/
A couple of points need to be made here:
A)There is a distinction to be drawn between “civil rights” and “religious rights”; one can support the former and oppose the latter which would include, for example, same-sex religious marriages and openly gay bishops.
B)The question of the role of women is completely separate from the homosexual issue, even though folks often conflate the two.
Yes, thanks for the points made.
This is a tough issue certainly causing strife even among active LDS members — especially those with family members or close friends associated with it.
As you probably know, the LDS church has addressed this issue before — here’s some quotes from Elder Dallin H. Oaks:
“The distinction between feelings or inclinations on the one hand, and behavior on the other hand, is very clear. It’s no sin to have inclinations that if yielded to would produce behavior that would be a transgression. The sin is in yielding to temptation. Temptation is not unique. Even the Savior was tempted.”
“Gratefully, the answer is that same-gender attraction did not exist in the pre-earth life and neither will it exist in the next life. It is a circumstance that for whatever reason or reasons seems to apply right now in mortality, in this nano-second of our eternal existence.”
These quotes came from the following page:
http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/public-issues/same-gender-attraction
BTW, your assumption that “the LDS Church does not want to be caught as the last ones in America standing contra…” indicates you believe the LDS leaders just follow the crowd and give in to peer pressure.
I would agree with your assumption IF the LDS leaders were just a bunch of old men making the whole thing up, but obviously I have reasons to believe otherwise.
I believe that it is very likely that the day will come when the LDS Church will be the ONLY and LAST ONES standing for the traditional values of family and marriage. Even if that means losing the ability to perform civil marriages in temples or even the 501c tax status.
Also, I’m pretty sure you’ll never see the day in America (or anywhere else in the world) where an LDS Bishop in full fellowship is female or living a gay lifestyle. Neither fit within the teachings of the Gospel (original or restored).