A street named for Harvey Milk...in Salt Lake City!!

[Scooter]

You had to know this would happen if we kept fucking around with the ozone layer:

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Salt Lake City Council has decided to name a street after pioneering gay leader Harvey Milk, the latest display of its position as a blue island in a sea of deep-red, where the prevailing Mormon faith still has a fraught relationship with the LGBT community.

Utah‘s capital city recently elected its first openly gay mayor and its second sitting gay councilman, creating an increasingly friendly atmosphere for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in the home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The conservative religion‘s tone on gay issues has softened in recent years, but it still opposes same-sex marriage, believes homosexuality is a sin and recently banned baptisms for the children of gay parents. Faith leaders said the highly criticized move would avoid putting children in a tug-of-war between their parents and church teachings.

The Mormon church declined to comment on the council’s unanimous vote Tuesday to rename the street. Sponsor Stan Penford, the city’s first openly gay councilman, said that leaders likely would have reached out if they had a strong opposition.

Milk set the tone for the modern gay rights movement and his uncompromising calls for gay people to come out of the closet inspired a generation of activists, including many in Utah, said supporters who spoke at a Tuesday hearing that drew about 100 people.

“This sends a loud message that Salt Lake City values inclusion and diversity,” said Troy Williams, director of the group Equality Utah.

Several people spoke against the idea, with many saying that a local leader or inventor should be honored instead. The street serves as the ending spot for an annual parade honoring the deeply felt legacy of Mormon pioneers.

“Those are our pioneers, not San Francisco‘s pioneers,” said resident Ralph Pahnke.

The street with the honorary name will be located near thoroughfares named for civil rights icons like Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez. Lined with coffee shops, restaurants and a community garden, it runs through one of the city’s most in-demand neighborhoods.

[Long Run]

A latter day Land of Milk and Honey.

[rubato]

The LDS church has evolved more quickly than any other conservative Christian religious group in the past 2 decades.






yrs,
rubato

[Big RR]

I guess that depends on what you define as "conservative christian groups", but I haven't seen much evidence of such evolution, at least if that is defined as changing beliefs with regard to social behavior. Granted they're not as loud about it, but they have retained very conservative views and are not shy about condemning things they see as wrong. Hell, the last time I was in Utah, the alcohol in restaurants was screened by opaque barriers so teatotalling patrons (likely mormons) would not have to see the bottles or the drinks prepared. The church leadership plays a big part in Utah politics and retains a lot of laws that many other areas would not tolerate.

[rubato]

Mormons repudiated their own church members huge financial support for anti-gay marriage legislation in a very short time. A surprising and positive change. I do not expect vegetarians to accept meat-eaters into their ranks but I am happier if they adopt a more live and let live policy and allow meat-eaters the right to co-exist with them.

It is a big change. It makes the future possible.

yrs,
rubato

[Big RR]

Of course, the church and its leadership are strong supporters of the so-called "religious liberty" laws, so it's not all that big a change. Personally, I think the leadership gave up on cursing the institution of gay marriage and then sought to fight the same fight on another battlefield, like many conservative Christian groups have done.