Thousands of protesters filled downtown’s Temple Square on Friday night to protest The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ involvement in the campaign supporting California’s Proposition 8.
A similar protest was held in Westwood, Calif., in opposition to the constitutional amendment passed Nov. 4, which defines marriage as only between a man and a woman. Residents of California passed Proposition 8, with strong support from the LDS Church.
Katie Portwood, a junior in health promotion and education, said she originally attended the protest so she could receive extra credit for her diversity and health class.
“I was actually pleasantly surprised that more people were interested in supporting the cause than I thought,” Portwood said.
The crowd was a mix of heterosexual couples, homosexual couples and families with children, Portwood said.
Cathy Martinez, director of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center at the U, said she was out of town when the protest was held, but all the students she has spoken with who attended were adamant about taking a stand against Proposition 8.
“Proposition 8 excludes the LGBT community,” Martinez said. “It says that we are not full citizens.”
Martinez said the protest was important because it says things such as Proposition 8 aren’t OK.
“We are tired of not having the same privileges as everyone else,” Martinez said.
A statement from the LDS Church’s Web site said the church is being singled out for speaking up in a free election. The statement said the church encouraged not only its members, but everyone involved in the debate over same-sex marriage, to be respectful and civil.
The statement also said it was wrong to specifically target the LDS Church and its places of worship for being involved in the democratic process.
Jacob Whipple, an openly gay senior in Spanish and international studies, organized the protest. In an interview with FOX 13 News, Whipple said his goal for the protest was for everyone to see the gay community as every other neighbor, co-worker or friend.
Whipple’s plans to marry his fiance, a resident of California, have been affected by the passing of the proposition.
Whipple said he is targeting the LDS Church because of its financial support of Proposition 8.
Clips from a broadcast to California LDS Church members, available on the LDS Church’s Web site, urged members to phone, text message, knock on doors and talk to their friends about supporting Proposition 8.
“We want them to recognize that they hurt our society,” Whipple said.
Erik DaenitzStudents Bailee Bringurst, Amy steimke and Kristin Li join ohter protestors outside of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints office building to condemn the church’s involvement in the passage of California’s Proposition 8.