Are Mormons anti-gay?
Depends how you define “anti-gay”
Many Mormons will tell you they aren’t anti-gay. They have a point. Homosexual feelings aren’t viewed as a disease to fix, it isn’t inherently sinful to be gay. There are gay and otherwise queer Mormons.
However. There are two main issues with this narrative as I see it:
(1) Culturally, there is still a lot of “anti-gay” sentiment. This is not something I have personally experienced, but I’ve read stories. I’ve seen people go through rejection from their families and their church for coming out. I’ve seen the LGBTQIA youth suicide statistics in Utah. You can say you love queer people all you want, but it isn’t necessarily true love and acceptance. And I believe this is directly tied to the next issue.
(2) The expectation for gay Mormons is that they remain celibate through their lifetimes, and key blessings of the church are unavailable to gay members. In the LDS Church, marriage in the Temple (which is only available to worthy heterosexual couples) is required for access to the highest level of heaven. It is seen as both a blessing and a duty. So not only are gay Mormons expected to spend their lives without romantic or sexual love or affection, they are also expected to accept that they will never achieve core tenants of their faith.
So I can’t answer whether Mormons are anti-gay. I think that’s up to each person to balance and decide. However, I think it’s important that no matter our personal opinions, we protect and support queer Mormons and those allies within the Church.
