LdC

Mormon blogger claims: "It’s hard to cite examples of LDS leaders attempting to influence politicians."

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:04:00 +0000

To drive home his point, he includes a photo of Mormon leaders meeting with Pres. Obama.

LMAO @ Jews and Mormons, a blog by Mark Paredes.

So a Mormon missionary walks into a gay bar...

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:57:00 +0000

Steven met a Mormon missionary in a gay bar twenty years ago, joined his church, has lived with him ever since.

But apparently, nobody in this story is actually gay.

Check out FAIR Blog for the inside scoop.

The National Organization for Marriage is Hiding its 2010 Tax Returns

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 09:33:00 +0000

October 28, 2011

Mr. John Eastman
Chairman
National Organization for Marriage
2029 K Street NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC20006

Re: Missing NOM Tax Returns

Dear Mr. Eastman:

I am writing to alert you that the 2010 federal tax returns (990’s) of the National Organization for Marriage are missing. They were due in May 2011, and an extension was granted until October 15, 2011. We stopped by your Washington, DC office this week and there were no 990’s available for viewing as required by law. They are not up on your web site nor are they on Guidestar.

No IRS returns available again this year at the tiny national NOM office in Washington, DC.

As the newly hired Chairman of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), a distinguished law professor and a former law school dean, I had hoped that you came aboard NOM to perhaps try and give it some much needed honesty.

NOM has not filed its tax returns on time with the Internal Revenue Service for both its 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 organizations for any of the four years since it began. I have had to visit your various NOM offices year after year to request them. Others and I have sent certified letters requesting your 990’s and have never received them. I finally had to file multiple complaints with the IRS to force your organization to release its tax returns.

I have been the most prominent watchdog of the National Organization for Marriage since June of 2008, soon after it was established. I watched NOM grow from nothing just over three years ago, to an operation working in over half the states on each and every anti-gay legal and political battle. NOM is also deeply involved in hundreds of state and federal candidate campaigns. Additionally, all your federal lobbying and other activities in Washington, DC rival that of the Family Research Council.

As I am sure you are aware, NOM and its former officers are under investigation by the state of Maine for money laundering on a referendum NOM put on the ballot in November 2009. The active investigation of the National Organization for Marriage by the State Ethics Commission and the State Attorney General is in its third year. I filed the original complaint and testified three times in Maine to make sure that the truth comes out. Only then will we finally learn where all the millions and millions of dollars NOM brings in each year to its two organizations actually comes from.

You can't blame me for being suspicious, since NOM has sued 23 states to try and keep the names of all your funders secret. It was, however, gratifying to see NOM lose its California case this week in federal court (the same case you subpoenaed me in).

So, as NOM’s new Chairman, I am writing you in the hope that finally there may be a modicum of integrity at the National Organization for Marriage. We hope that someone with your distinguished record will act in accordance with the law, unlike your predecessors Robby George and Maggie Gallagher.

We assume that you will promptly obey federal law and file and release both sets of tax returns.

I anxiously await your reply.

Best regards,

Fred Karger

Is Sharon Slater asking Mormons to use LDS ward lists to promote her anti-LGBT agenda?

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:31:00 +0000

Look what landed in my inbox today: Urgent Alert: Help Stop Maricopa Community College Misguided Transgender Policy

If you belong to a church, community or political group that has an email list you can also help by obtaining permission to have this alert sent to these lists.^[1]

This past May, Kerry Eleveld brought us all up-to-speed on Sharon's shenanigans at the UN. Now, the fight has apparently moved into Sharon's backyard, as the MCCC community college system (the nation's largest) considers adding "gender identity" and "gender expression" to its nondiscrimination policy.

I first became aware of Sharon Slater and her Family Watch International during the Question One contest in Maine. An entity calling itself "Family Watch Maine" made an appearance on a website titled "Marriage Facts Maine Coalition" and since the name sounded strangely familiar, I asked the folks at Sharon's FWI office if they were involved. Yes, they were, according to Lynn Allred, their Communications Director. Sadly, all communication ended when I asked Lynn if she could direct me to anyone who was, you know, actually residing in Maine while representing their Gilbert, AZ-based organization.

We've been here before with the Illinois Civil Unions bill. If Sharon pursues this and manages to enlist local Mormons in Arizona to broadcast her appeal to ward email lists, I'd like to offer her my assurance that we'll also see a repeat of this headline in the days ahead: Update On That Mormon Email: LDS Backs Away

And the opening graf will read something like this:

The leader of a right-wing organization, who made a name for herself by pushing abstinence-only based programs in Africa and has ties to the virulently antigay Ugandan pastor, Martin Ssempa, is stepping up efforts to block nondiscrimination policies on Arizona's community college campuses.

Does the country really need reminding that most of these actors are Arizona Mormons and that Sharon Slater is one of several reasons why?

^[1] This "Urgent Alert" arrived by way of an über-Mormon Arizona source that justifies my reading of the generic "church, community or political group" language as a wink-and-nod reference to LDS ward email directories.

x-posted at Main Street Plaza and Daily Kos

Update: FYI for anybody in AZ who might wander by:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gender-Inclusion-in-Maricopa-Community-Colleges-Non-Discrimination-Policy/182455455150794

That link has date, time, place, and all the other info for attending the board meeting and also contacts and content for sending emails to the board.

LDS = Laughable Decepticon Strategy?

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 22:41:00 +0000

Autobots, transform.

The Mormon church is attempting to artificially game the system by recruiting members to give favorable ratings and reviews to their meetinghouses on Google.

You'd think after getting DeseretNews.com banned on Reddit, they'd figure out how the internet really works.

h/t r/exmormon and r/atheism

Steve fails to pray away the gay but is doing great after walking away from the LDS church & Evergreen

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 23:42:00 +0000

The latest (and greatest?) from the "I am an exmormon" series:

More about Steve.

I am an Ex Mormon * Evergreen * Mormon Alumni Association

Survey: Exploration of Experiences of and Resources for Same-sex Attracted Latter Day Saints

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 06:02:00 +0000

If you (or someone you know):

1) has ever been a member of the LDS church, and

2) has ever experienced same-sex attraction of any kind -- please follow (or forward) the link to this survey:

http://lds-ssa-survey.com

It's a study being conducted by Utah State University, and could have very important implications for LGBTQ Mormons in the U.S.

Thanks in advance.

Let Fred In, CNN

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 03:14:00 +0000

MEMORANDUM

TO: Jim Walton, President, CNN Worldwide
Ken Jautz, Executive Vice President CNN

FROM: Fred Karger

Date: May 30, 2011

Re: Let Fred In the New Hampshire Debate

The June 13, 2011 New Hampshire Republican Debate that you are hosting along with the New Hampshire Union Leader and WMUR-TV is fast approaching, and I have yet to receive an invitation. My campaign has been in contact with CNN Senior Political Editor Mark Preston, Deputy Political Editor Paul Steinhauser and Producer Peter Hamby on several occasions. No one has given us a definitive answer regarding my participation, and we were told that you will not make the eligibility criteria public.

I am a serious candidate for President, and I would hope that you will include me in your debate on June 13, 2011.

I have 35 years of professional political experience, which I contend is longer than anyone else running or considering running for President in 2012. I was heavily involved in nine Republican Presidential races and dozens of other federal, state and local campaigns.

President Reagan Experience

I worked on Ronald Reagan’s 1980 election campaign and served as a senior consultant on his 1984 reelection campaign. I served as senior staff on his first Inaugural Committee in 1980 and 1981. My consulting firm was under contract to his Political Action Committee, Citizens for the Republic while he was President. No one else running has the Reagan experience that I have.

A Series of Firsts

I was the first to announce that he was considering running for the Republican nomination for President at a press conference in New Orleans at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference on April 10, 2010.

I was the first potential candidate to establish a Presidential Exploratory Committee on July 18, 2010.

And I was the first serious candidate to file for President with the Federal Election Commission on March 23, 2011. U S News and scores of news organizations reported on my filing, and my first interview as a declared candidate was on CBS News that day.

First Openly Gay Candidate to Run for President

My campaign has received tremendous worldwide coverage on major news outlets in over 25 countries. My candidacy is unique, as I run for President of the United States as the first openly gay candidate in history.

More Reasons to be Included in the CNN,
New Hampshire Union Leader, WMUR-TV Debate

 
1) Polling: I have reached an average of 1% in five polls: Zogby, Fox News, CNN, ABC/Washington Post, CNN Poll. (The ABC/Washington Post Poll allowed for respondents to volunteer results.) The New York Times has me statistically tied with Gary Johnson. I have been included in at least 15 online polls and have usually finished in the top tier, including one by the Republican National Committee.

  2) Strong Student Support: I won New Hampshire's largest straw poll of the 2012 cycle, held by St. Anselm College and the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, site of your Debate. I beat frontrunner Mitt Romney by 2%.

  3) Media Coverage: CNN has reported: Fred Karger is "intriguing," The Union Leader's Publisher Joe McQuaid said that Fred Karger was "engaging," WMUR TV's Political Director James Pindell respects that Fred Karger is the only presidential candidate to “begin going to door to door, introducing himself to New Hampshire voters,” and Karger, “respects what the New Hampshire Primary is all about, so much so, he’s here more often than any other candidate. He believes New Hampshire matters.”

The Washington Post wrote its first 2012 GOP profile on me. Great Britain’s The Observer says that my campaign "is perhaps the furthest advanced of any potential Republican candidate." Just last week I was the first 2012 candidate to be interviewed on BBC's HardTalk in London. I recently returned from a trip to Israel which was widely reported. It was front page news in the Jerusalem Post and featured in U S Election News and the New York Jewish Week. I was interviewed live from Tel Aviv on Sky News.

Fox News, MSNBC, CBS News, WMUR, The Des Moines Register, Politico and the Huffington Post all regularly include cover my campaign and include me on their lists of 2012 candidates. Rachel Maddow reported on me and featured my newest commercial on her show last week.

Rachel Maddow Show – Fred Upper Right

 
4) Fundraising: Our campaign has raised more than $400,000 which is nearly 100 times the FEC's threshold to be seen as a serious candidate for federal office.   

5) Campaign Organization: The Fred Karger for President Campaign employs an Iowa State Director, two New Hampshire coordinators and more than half a dozen consultants in Washington DC, Florida and California.

6) Television Commercials: I was the first to produce television ads that ran statewide in New Hampshire in September 2010 and May 2011 and Iowa in November 2010. Here are links to the three commercials: New Hampshire ads: Good Morning New Hampshire and Demon Frisbee and Iowa ad: Independence Day

A Full Time Candidate

 
I have been to New Hampshire 14 times, and have spent far more time in the Granite Stare than any other Presidential candidate. I have been to Iowa 7 times and have campaigned in over 20 states over the past 15 months.

An Independent Voice of Reason

I am an Independent Republican running for President. I am the only moderate Republican in the current field, and strongly hope that CNN will want someone who has a broad appeal to the 42% of registered independent voters in New Hampshire and that growing independent voter block across the nation. My positions on the important issues of today are often at odds with the other candidates and the RNC Platform.

Ten Candidates Debated Four Years Ago

Four year ago on June 5, 2007 CNN’s Debate was inclusive and you had ten Republicans on the stage at St. Anselm College representing a broad range of views and philosophies. I hope that you will do the same in 2011. The American public expects nothing less from CNN.

The New Hampshire GOP Debaters in 2007 – Count ‘em 10

After reading this memorandum, I trust that you will include me in your upcoming Debate.

Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you on June 13, 1011 in Manchester.

cc: Joseph McQuaid, New Hampshire Union Leader
James Pindell, WMUR-TV
Neil Levesque, New Hampshire Institute of Politics
Mark Preston, CNN
Paul Steinhauser, CNN
Peter Hamby, CNN

Fred Karger will be onstage for the May 5th Republican debate

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 02:11:00 +0000

Update: Politico: Fred Karger invited to S.C. debate

Caveat lector: Politico notes that the title of this post is *ahem* a bit premature. ;-) The Hill files this brief but much more balanced report.

Salon weighs in: South Carolina GOP confirms five clowns for first 2012 debate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2011

Contact: Rina Shah
304-237-6489
Rina@fredkarger.com

Saying that he would be "delighted to participate in the May 5, 2011 South Carolina Republican Party and Fox News Channel Debate in Greenville, South Carolina," Fred became the third candidate to say that he will attend, joining potential candidates Rick Santorum and Buddy Roemer.

Karger sent a Memorandum (below) to South Carolina Republican Party and Fox News leadership: Karen Floyd, Chair, South Carolina Republican Party; Joel Sawyer, Executive Director, South Carolina Republican Party; Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO, News Corporation and Roger Ailes, President, Fox News Channel.

Karger, fresh from his upset victory over Mitt Romney in the St. Anselm College Straw Poll last week, looks forward to his inclusion in the first debate: CLICK HERE

On March 22nd, Karger met with Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus, Vice Chair Sharon Day and Chief-of-Staff Jeff Larson in Washington, DC. They offered to include a representative of his campaign in all future RNC meetings, and extended the use of RNC facilities and its research, just like they do for all candidates.

Karger told Roll Call, that "they rolled out the red carpet for me." CLICK HERE

See Karger's Memorandum:

TO: Mrs. Karen Floyd, Chair, South Carolina Republican Party
Mr. Joel Sawyer, Executive Director, South Carolina Republican Party
Mr. Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO, News Corporation
Mr. Roger Ailes, President, Fox News Channel

VIA EMAIL

DATE: April 5, 2011

RE: South Carolina Debate

I am delighted to participate in the May 5, 2011 South Carolina Republican Party and Fox News Channel Debate in Greenville, South Carolina.

I echo Rick Santorum’s sentiment that now is the time that we must fully commit to the primary process so that Republicans nationwide can choose the candidate whose message will best beat President Obama in 2012.

I have spent a lifetime in Republican politics, and during the past thirteen months have travelled all over this great nation. I have made well over 25 trips from my home in California to early primary and caucus states. I am very much looking forward to a return trip to the Palmetto State, my first as a declared Presidential candidate, later this month.

On March 23, 2011, I became the first serious Republican candidate to file for President with the Federal Election Commission (US News & World Report: CLICK HERE). I was the first to announce his intention to consider running in April 2010, and the first to establish an Exploratory Committee back in July 2010. Recently, I became the first and only Republican candidate to pass the FEC’s fundraising threshold to become an official candidate for President of the United States.

My win in last week’s New Hampshire Straw Poll (Forbes Magazine: CLICK HERE) demonstrates that my vision for America strikes a chord with voters. I beat Mitt Romney by 2% points right in his own backyard.

Your debate will allow us to show the nation a wide variety of alternatives to President Obama. Mitt Romney said it best, “The more people we have on the stage in those debates, talking about different ideas and different approaches, the better.”

Last month I met with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, Vice Chair Sharon Day and Chief-of-Staff Jeff Larson. They welcomed me to the RNC, and pledged to include my staff in all RNC meetings and briefings for declared and likely Presidential candidates. We are all committed to working aggressively to find the best Republican candidate to defeat President Obama.

I fully support South Carolina’s strong tradition of being the First-in-the-South Primary in the 2012 Republican Primary season.

Best regards,

Fred Karger

Web: http://fredkarger.com

http://www.twitter.com/fredkarger

http://www.youtube.com/fredkarger

http://www.facebook.com/fredkarger

Watch Fred's CBS News interview: CLICK HERE

Fred Karger to be First to File for President With the Federal Election Commission

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 05:31:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2011

Contact: Rina Shah
304-237-6489
Rina@fredkarger.com

WASHINGTON, DC – Longtime GOP operative, Fred Karger will turn in his paperwork Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 11:00 am at the FEC Offices, 999 E Street, NW, Washington, DC.

Karger was the first to announce he was seriously considering running for President on April 10, 2010 at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans and the first to establish a Presidential Exploratory Committee on July 18, 2010. He was the first to run commercials in New Hampshire right after Labor Day last year, the first to run an Iowa commercial right after the November midterm elections and the first to hire a State Director in Iowa on December 1, 2010. So it only stands to reason that Karger would be the first to file for the Republican nomination for President. Oh, yeah, Fred would also be the first openly gay candidate to run for President in history.

Karger brings with him a wealth of political and campaign experience. He has managed dozens of campaigns, worked on nine Presidential campaigns including senior consultant with President’s Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and Gerald Ford.

After a 30 year career in politics, Karger retired in 2004 and became an LGBTQ activist. During the summer of 2008, he discovered the Mormon Church’s complete control of California’s Proposition 8 and filed a sworn complaint with the California Ethics Commission against the Mormon Church. The Salt Lake City based Church was prosecuted, investigated, found guilty and fined after an 18 month investigation.

Karger also filed the successful complaint against the National Organization for Marriage for alleged money laundering with the state of Maine’s Ethics Commission. That investigation is ongoing after 16 months.

Karger will be issuing a statement and be available after turning in his paperwork at the FEC office.

---

For background, see last month's Washington Post profile piece:

"Crashing the party: Republican strategist turned gay rights activist ponders a White House run"

Web: http://fredkarger.com

http://www.twitter.com/fredkarger

http://www.youtube.com/fredkarger

http://www.facebook.com/fredkarger

Updated coverage of Fred's announcement:

CBS News (video): Openly gay Republican Fred Karger announces 2012 presidential run

Salon: Fred Karger, gay Republican, for president

HuffPo: Late Returns: We Have Our First GOP Presidential Candidate

Mother Jones: It's Official! Gay Republican Running for President

Statement by Fred Karger:

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today is a very significant day for my community and me. I have just submitted my papers to the Federal Election Commission, making me the first candidate to file for the 2012 Republican nomination for President.

I am also the first openly gay person, in a major political party, to ever run for President of the United States.

After spending 35 years in politics behind the scenes, I want to be a participant and help shape the debate in the Republican Party and our nation.

While I intend to talk about many important issues, I dedicate today to the 6 teenagers who took their lives this past fall because they were bullied for who they were. They could not go on living for even one more day.

There is no place for hatred and bigotry in this country. We must all learn to respect each other and our differences.

I began this journey 13 months ago when I traveled from my home in California to Washington, DC, New York and then up to New Hampshire. It has been a whirlwind. I have traveled to 19 states, including 12 trips to New Hampshire and 6 to Iowa. I have talked to thousands of people, and I have been encouraged to take this to the next level.

During the months ahead, I will propose some bold new ideas on a wide array of issues, and I want to help bring back optimism like my old boss Ronald Reagan did 30 years ago.

I know that I will not be invited to participate in some of the debates and forums that will be held during the next year. Some will not include me because I am an outsider, others because I am gay. I will fight to get into each and every debate, so that my ideas and my voice may be heard.

I want to send a loud and clear message to anyone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer, that you can do anything you want to do in this country. You can even run for President of the United States.

It's a family affair: The Leavitts leave Mormonism behind for good

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 19:42:00 +0000

It's no secret that the Mormon gerontocracy resents the Intertoobz.

Here's the latest reason why they probably should.

Far and away the best "... and I'm an exmormon" video I've seen yet.

The Mormons paid for Prop 8 thinking they could persuade California that some families are better than others.

In a startling new trend, the best Mormon families are now choosing to leave their church.

Karma.

2010′s twenty most talked-about tenuously-Mormon superstars

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:04:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Which of these fabulous X-Mormons had the biggest impact in 2010?

Vote now! (or better yet, spend the next few minutes scrolling down and clicking the links to our nominee bios before you do!)

Elna Baker

Author, The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance

Bruce Bastian

Businessman, philanthropist and social activist

Roy Halladay

Major League Baseball pitcher

Kristine Haglund

Editor, Dialogue Journal

Merrill Oates

Online learning and mobile communication technologies wizard

Terry Tempest Williams

Author, naturalist, and conservationist

Daniel Johnson

Founder, I am an Ex Mormon video project

Holly Welker

Writer, HuffPo and everywhere

Micah McAllister

Founder, Life After Mormonism online community

Joseph R. Stromberg

Independent historian and columnist

Steve Benson

Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist

Eric Ethington

Founder, PRIDE in Utah

Michelle Paradise

Actress, writer and producer

Brian Keith Dalton

Mr. Deity

Jeff Ricks

Founder, PostMormon online community

Reed Cowan

Documentary filmmaker

Monica Bielanko

Author, The Girl Who

Karl Butcher

Founder, r/exmormon

Eliza Dushku

Actress, activist

Kate Kendell

Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights

Poll open until Feb 11th 22:00 GMT, but don't wait, Vote Now!!

Make no mistake, winning the William Law X-Mormon of the Year award is a highly sought-after honor.

~~And to top it off, the winner will receive a free T-shirt (emblazoned with this~~ awesome prestigious graphic~~)!!~~

The winner will receive two tickets to:

With cash prizes to console our 2nd and 3rd place finishers.

Fred Karger: It Gets Better

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 11:20:00 +0000

Fred Karger, Political Consultant and Activist:

Watch Fred's complete Big Think broadcast here.

National Organization for Marriage Late Again With Federal Tax Returns

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 07:33:00 +0000

December 29th, 2010
by Fred Karger

WASHINGTON, DC – The four year old National Organization for Marriage (NOM), and the National Organization for Marriage Foundation (NOMF) has once again failed to file its required Federal Income Tax Returns. Their IRS 2009 returns for both of these non-profits, their 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 were due on May 15, 2010. If they received an extension, then they were due October 15, 2010. Now they are 2½ months LATE!

I recently visited their new National Office in Washington, DC twice during regular office hours to view the returns. No one was there. They must make them available to anyone during regular business hours. We also have checked online repeatedly for their 2009 returns, and again, nothing. What is NOM trying to hide? Why do they not file their tax returns every year?

Déjà Vu

 I went through the identical exercise in 2009 when I attempted to view NOM’s 2007 and 2008 990’s, but they never filed those either. We visited their then National Office in Princeton, NJ many times and no one was ever there either.

One set of 990’s was 5 months late. The other set was 17 months late, when finally, the night before NOM President Brian Brown was to testify in front of the Maine Ethics Commission last year, all of their delinquent tax returns magically appeared on the NOM web site.

It was too late to stave off a State of Maine investigation of NOM, because in spite of threatening to sue the State of Maine (which NOM eventually did), the Maine Ethics Commission voted to investigate the National Organization for Marriage for election “Money Laundering.”

NOM is not above the law. They need to file their Income Tax Returns like everyone else and every other organization. We are entitled to see just how much money they raised and spent in 2009. Whom are they trying to protect?

NOM has sued 14 states to invalidate those state’s campaign finance laws. 12 of those lawsuits were in 2010 alone. NOM hopes to invalidate those state’s election laws, so when they spend their millions in those 14 states, it would not have to be reported.

NOM goes into these states and attacks anyone and everyone viciously that dares to support marriage equality in this country, and they do it without obeying election laws. They even subpoenaed me last year as soon as I filed the complaint against them in Maine. They are relentless.

Read more at Rights Equal Rights and NOM Exposed.

Pictured:

How do you say, “Front Group?” I went again to the NOM National Office at 2029 K Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006 to see their 2009 Tax Returns. Notice the UPS delivery slip on the doorknob. Neighbors said they never see anyone there, yet they are leading the fight against gay marriage in 14 states.

NOM President Brian Brown getting questioned by reporters right after Maine Ethics Commission voted to investigate his organization for alleged money laundering.

DAMU, I Thank You

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:02:00 +0000

Paying homage to online friends during this holiday season with some heartfelt silliness:

(Alt link in case the embedded vid loads too slow)

My inspiration, my energy, my wisdom, my gratitude, my vision, my laughter ... my knowledge.

From me to you: I'm so glad ~~I'm~~ you're here.

And, yes, if there'd been more than four cues, I would've included more of my favorite sites. :-)

x-posted at Main Street Plaza

Shout outs to:

Life After Mormonism
PostMormon.org
exmormon.reddit.com
Mormon Expression
Further Light and Knowledge
I am an ExMormon

The Mormons invite "Big Love" writer Dustin Lance Black & Friends to MoTab X-mas Concert

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 01:35:00 +0000

Gay activists are VIPs at MoTab Concert:

Headlines:

KTVX (ABC 4 Utah) - LDS Church invites gay activists and Dustin Lance Black to Christmas Concert

Towleroad - Gay Activists Attend Mormon Xmas Concert in Salt Lake City

Politico - A Mormon, gay detente?

just|out - Gay Activists Attend Mormon Christmas Concert As Invited Guests

LDS Living - LDS Church invites gay activists to Christmas Concert

The Shallow End of the Pool - The LDS Church Inviting Gays to Concerts?

Background:

OUT Magazine - Dustin Lance Black: "Pillars of Salt"

My two cents:

The folks who ought to be getting the VIP treatment are all the faithful gay and lesbian Mormons who follow their church's awful advice and sacrifice companionship and love in order to remain temple worthy in the eyes of their leaders. I wonder how it makes LGB Mormons feel to see gay activists fêted by the same LDS leadership that places such disproportionate demands on its own gay membership. Doesn't seem quite fair that it's the gay Mormons who decided to leave the church that get the red carpet rolled out for them. How about a VIP section for all the active LDS who diligently attend Evergreen International conferences, and General Conference, and all their weekly church meetings, and try so hard to follow the counsel of the Brethren? Where's their red carpet? What about all the North Star LDS striving to live the Gospel in their mixed-orientation marriages? In addition to VIP tickets, that crew should get medals, too.

Or not.

At the end of the day, the takeaway is that bravery pays. Those who chose to bravely walk away from the LDS church and fight the good fight for equality and dignity are the same ones now treated with respect by the institutional LDS leadership. This should be a lesson for all LGB Mormons who've chosen to remain on the inside and bear unfair and unequal treatment at the hands of their church. Take a good, long look at the happy crew of activists shown in this report, and then ask yourself: Where is your invitation to the MoTab? What is your reward for your faithful solitary service? How is it that those who left the church behind are now celebrated by LDS leaders, while those members who've remained loyal and true earn only exhortation and caution? How can that be right? Where is the justice in that? If there were any justice on offer, or even simply a modicum of mercy, those of you who've already sacrificed so much for the Brethren and the Mormon church would already top the list of candidates for next year's VIP tickets.

At the very least, couldn't the Brethren quietly instruct your bishops to show a little appreciation by passing along a few complimentary tickets to "Donny & Marie – A Broadway Christmas" ??

Tee hee.

P.S. Check out these gems from MADB (Mormon Apologetic & Discussion Board):

"This isn't outreach, this is just placation of your idiot neighbors so they stop protesting on your front lawn."

"It is just putting on a show of kindness for the sake of the puppet theater. The homosexual lifestyle will never be accepted by the Church."

"Leave the Sodomites in Sodom."

Wow. Some of these Mormon apologists seem to take a a more cynical view of their own leadership than many LDS critics.

Jimmy Carter: Is the country ready for Fred Karger?

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 17:32:00 +0000

Transcript:

Well, I think the entire population of America has come tremendous strides forward in dealing with the issue of gays, and I would say that the answer is "Yes" ... I don't know about next election, but I think in the near future -- because step-by-step we have realized that this issue of homosexuality has the same adverse and progressive elements as when we dealt with the race issue fifty (or forty) years ago. So, I would say that the country is getting acclimated to a president who might be female, who might (obviously now) be black, and who might be, as well, a gay person. Yes, I would say the answer is "yes."

My name is Jean Bodie and I’m an Ex Mormon.

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 01:43:00 +0000

I am a wife, mother of 5 children and grandmother to 12 – soon to be 13. I adore my family and love spending time with them whenever I can.

My life in the Mormon Church began when two missionaries knocked on my door in Dorset, England. I felt their sincerity and desperately wanted to have that strong testimony and peace that their gospel seemed to deliver. After praying for this testimony and receiving no answer, I doubled my efforts and read and prayed some more. Despite being taught that an adulterous generation sought after signs I felt that I sorely needed just one sign to help me make the decision to join the Church. I wanted to believe what the young missionaries taught me, and wasn’t a ‘burning in the bosom’ a sign? One night as I knelt in prayer – still having received no answer, I asked God to cause some physical discomfort that would be strong enough to let me know that this was a definite answer and sure enough, a pain began in my leg and I arose from my knees in grateful assurance that joining this church was God’s plan for me (the leg pain was completely understandable considering that I had been kneeling for a very long time). I now look at this as simple confirmation bias; I wanted to believe that I had received communication from God. I was baptized on September 3rd 1967 and from that time forward I began; line upon line; precept upon precept in my journey to becoming what I hoped was a model Mormon.

Read the rest of Jean's exit story at I Am An Ex Mormon.

"Disciples" explores three exmormon lives

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 13:45:00 +0000

Disciples from Jordan Currier on Vimeo.

From the director:

"Disciples" explores the lives of three openly gay exmormons who all left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in pursuit of equality, sometimes at great personal cost. The film documents the unique experiences and challenges that gay men face in a religion that places a premium on so-called "traditional marriage." The Mormon church, through its staunch support of Proposition 8 -- California's gay marriage ban -- has demonstrated its inability to help gay mormons bridge the gap between their sexual identity and their belief system.

JMC437 Films presents

A production of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Executive Produced by John Booth
Produced by Desiree Salazar
Shot and edited by Alexander Rosen
Directed by Jordan Currier

Hi, my name is Sarah and I’m an Ex Mormon.

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 00:35:00 +0000

It was on my mission that I began to have questions. I loved meeting people and sharing with them what I considered to be a message of love and hope. But I was troubled by so many aspects of mission life, including:

· Training in techniques that seemed like sales tactics (Did the ‘good news’ have to be sold?)
· The contrast between the emotional maturity and stability of those interested in our message versus those who were not interested (Were the faithful of other religions and the secular, loving families really less deserving of exaltation?)
· Missionaries who were verbally abusive, mentally ill, or struggling with eating disorders (If the gospel couldn’t “solve” such problems for members, how could it resolve the challenges of others?)
· General sadness among the missionaries, particularly the sisters (If we were living after the manner of happiness, why did it seem like we were always trying to cheer ourselves up?)
· The contrast between super-obedient missionaries who seemed self-righteous, numbers-oriented and sometimes sexist versus less-obedient missionaries who actually seemed to love and connect with the people and respect sister missionaries (I thought the obedient were the ones able to learn how to love unconditionally, not the other way around?)

It didn’t make sense. I had been taught that “by their fruits ye shall know them,” but I became less and less convinced that our side had a corner on the good fruits.

Read more of Sarah's exit story at I Am An Ex Mormon.

Fred Karger joins Marc Ambinder to talk GOP debates, DADT, and shaking things up

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 02:42:00 +0000

December 2, 2010: Fred Karger and Marc Ambinder discuss Fred's campaign for the White House,
GOP presidential debates, Iowa caucus hurdles, independent voters, progressive Republican politics,
Obama, Don't Ask Don't Tell, and shaking things up:

Fred Karger Presidential Exploratory Committee: www.fredkarger.com
Fred's YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/fredkarger
Twitter: twitter.com/fredkarger

“Hi, my name is Mike and I’m an Ex Mormon.”

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:19:00 +0000

Growing up in the church I believed most everything I was taught, from time to time something wouldn’t make sense and I would think about it for a moment then discard my concern to keep my mind pure. I remember wondering at a young age why we didn’t kill adulterers or blasphemers; the same person that god would have stoned ages back can now with a little time get a temple recommend and pursue an eternal partnership. I didn’t understand so I pushed it aside because I had a feeling that it was all true and I wasn’t going to let a little concern sideswipe my deep feelings. I served an honorable full time mission and sometimes people would talk to us missionaries about this fact or that fact that contradicted church teachings and I briskly ignored evidences levied at the church. I remember one fellow told me that the Smithsonian museum had evidence or information that proved The Book of Mormon false one way or another. I assured this misguided fellow that Heavenly father will reveal the evidence of The Book of Mormon’s truth at the second coming and that all the contrary evidence in the world will not overturn gods work.

Read more of Mike's exit story at I Am An Ex Mormon.

“I’m Lyndon Lamborn and I’m no longer a Mormon.”

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 07:50:00 +0000

I am a ‘born in the covenant’ fourth generation pioneer heritage Mormon, with polygamists on both sides of the family tree. I held every important priesthood leadership calling as a youth, was on the Logan High School Seminary Council, served an honorable and successful (above average baptisms and a six-month assignment as Branch President) mission to Belgium and France 1977-79. During the years following my mission I served as Elders Quorum President four times, served as a stake missionary and in the Stake Mission Presidency, was a ward membership clerk, and scoutmaster for 6 years.

Read more of Lyndon's exit story at I Am An Ex Mormon.

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Fred's Iowa Ad: Independence Day

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:11:00 +0000

Longtime political strategist and gay activist, Fred Karger, considers running for President in 2012
while exploring the state of Iowa and getting acquainted with some of the friendly residents of the Hawkeye State:

Visit www.FredKarger.com.

“Hi, my name is Peter Danzig, and I’m an Ex Mormon.”

noreply@blogger.com (Chino Blanco) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 04:17:00 +0000

Peter Danzig did not set out to be a Mormon activist.

The gentle musician spent his life serving the church he loved. He went on a mission, married in the temple, composed pieces for Mormon pageants, and taught hymns to children. He and his wife, Mary, also a returned missionary, were raising their three daughters in Levan, but driving to Salt Lake City each week to play in the LDS Orchestra at Temple Square – he on viola, she, the violin. Both believed their music was their gift to God.

Danzig said nothing in 1993 when church officials charged six well-known Mormon scholars and intellectuals with apostasy for their writings or speeches about LDS issues. He kept quiet when Brigham Young University fired history professor Steven Epperson, a member of Danzig’s Mormon congregation, for serving the homeless rather than attending church.

But in 2006, Danzig finally felt compelled to protest. BYU adjunct professor Jeffrey Nielsen lost his job for arguing in a The Salt Lake Tribune column that the LDS Church was wrong to oppose gay marriage and to enlist Mormon support for a constitutional amendment against it.

Read more of Peter's exit story at I Am An Ex Mormon.