Marriage Equalitys Effect on Society

In 2003, the state of Utah voted to ratify

Amendment 3, which legally defined
legal marriage as being solely between a
man and a woman. At the time the
amendment was widely popular,
receiving almost 66 percent vote in
approval. In 2008, with millions of dollars
in funding from the LDS church,
protestors (below) voce their support for
Proposition 8, which eliminated gay
marriage in California. When the
proposition was overturned, the LDS
Church acted just as quickly to voice
their dissent with the decision.
Ever since the events surrounding Prop 8, experts have
noticed a trend from the LDS church: they have become
increasingly outspoken against gay marriage. In 2010,
now deceased LDS apostle Boyd K. Packer addressed
the members of the church stating, There are those
today whod not only tolerate but advocate voting to
change laws that would legalize immorality, and that,
Some suppose that they were pre-set and cannot
overcome what they feel are inborn tendencies toward
the impure and unnatural. Not so. Why would our
Heavenly Father do that to anyone? Though they
changed this belief in 2015, whistleblower website
mormonwikileaks.com leaked a handbook used by the
hierarchy stating Members who enter into same-sex
unions will be considered apostates under new church
policies, and their children will be barred from blessing
and baptism rituals without the permission of the faith's
highest leaders (quote from Salt Lake Tribune)
Though the relation and causes are
disputed by Utah politicians, the
suicide rate in Utah has nearly
tripled since 2007. Utah had nearly
doubled the national average for
youth suicide rates since so many
anti-gay publications and statements
have been made. LDS apostle
Jeffrey R. Holland addressed these
staggering numbers in 2013, in a
speech he gave to the LDS general
conference
Earlier this year, The Huffington Post noted that
youth suicide rates have significantly dropped since
the legalization (and subsequent destigmatization) of
gay marriage, including in Utah. While correlation is
not causation, they noted There may be something
about having equal rights even if they have no
immediate plans to take advantage of them that
makes students feel
less stigmatized and more hopeful for the future.
Massive changes came in recent years.
In a landmark decision in 2015, the
Supreme Court decision in Oberfell v.
Hodges stated that gay marriage is
legally recognized. In 2016, Jackie
Biskupski became Salt Lake Citys first
openly gay mayor and continues to fight
for LGBTQ rights. Her presence as
mayor shows that Salt Lake city is
becoming a more diverse and unified
city. It was her that signed the law
allowing gay couples the right to adopt.
In recent months the LDS church has made
some steps against the anti-gay stigma.
Last year they came out against a bill that
would have allowed companies to
discriminate against members of the Gay
community. D. Todd Christofferson, a leader
in the church, stated in March 2015 that
members are free to back gay marriage on
social media. Several groups of members
of the LDS church are marching for gay
marriage in recent gatherings. Slowly but
surely, we can all come to an understanding
of who we are and find a world of mutual
acceptance.
The end