Snaps & Slaps
SNAP: J. Michael Wiltbank
At a time when the anti-gay rhetoric from Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ leadership has been especially loud, the pleas of individual Mormons for respect and tolerance somehow sound louder. One such plea is BYU photographer J. Michael Wiltbank’s recent exhibit at the LDS-owned school. The exhibit features photographs of openly gay BYU students next to a photograph of a supportive person in their lives — a friend, family member or classmate. Although BYU temporarily pulled the exhibit, the photos are back up now, and their honesty and frankness is beautiful. The world — and especially Utah — needs more courageous and loving artists such as Wiltbank.
SLAP: LDS Church
It’s been over a month since Equality Utah unveiled its Common Ground Initiative, a set of six bills aimed at securing Utah’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people equal rights through such things as health insurance parity for state employees, employment nondiscrimination and a repeal of the section of Amendment 3 that prohibits civil unions. Coincidently, it’s been more than a month since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has said anything about not being anti-gay or opposed to same-sex couples having legal protections. Can we say, “busted?” I think we can. It would sure be nice if Santa brought church leadership a helping of honesty and humility this holiday season, but we’re not exactly holding our breaths on that, either.
SNAP: Queer Lounge
Not that any of us really though that the Queer Lounge, the Sundance Film Festival’s most popular gay hang out, would shutter its doors because of some (mostly clueless) rumblings for a boycott of all things Utah and therefore all things anti-gay (we told you it was clueless). But we’re still glad to see the lounge return for its sixth year, and especially glad to see its organizers reiterating why going to Sundance is more important than ever this year if you’re gay or transgender: to be visible and to make sure that stories about gay and transgender people reach the broadest audience possible.