Daily Skiff

Thank you, Valerie Hannon, for your voice of reason and moderation.

For my part, I humbly acknowledge that on October 16, 2008, the Horned Frogs trounced the Cougars 32-7, fair and square. No boycotts are planned.

Tracy Hall Jr
hthalljr'gmail'com

I hope gay-rights activists are having fun, because in the minds of unbiased, fair-minded observers, they have greatly set back their cause with their fascist tactics. Not that their cause ever stood much of a chance without dictatorial judges imposing it on states, but still ....

Nicely written all around. You point out rightly that stereotypes are best investigated by first hand knowledge.

Aww. Give credit where credit is due. Someone bought and displayed all those "Yes on Proposition 8" signs and ads. If you wanted to be my friend and earn my respect, you probably should have asked for an alternate approach. All I feel now is unbounded anger and loathing. Which, I should add, I am channelling into productive activism, including significant care in deciding where I spend my dollars and - to the extent I can - where my family and friends spend theirs.

People having a boycott on the Sundance Film festival is just another sign of people's ignorance of Mormons and Utah. Most people who live in Park City, where the film festival is held, are not Mormon. Most LDS people in Utah would love nothing more than to not have all the people coming into town. In fact, maybe I will actually be able to find a ticket this year.

It is incredible how the oppressors suddenly became trhe victims. The mormom church provided almost half of the money for the yes on 8 campaign around 20 millions and they are only the 3% of the california population. If this church overinvolved itself in a political campaign it just perfectly fair that people boycott their buisnesses and protest their temples.Since when the civil rights of a minority group are decided by the majority? Since when we live in a theocracy? Sice when do we need to accept opression and not protest it? This article is totally absurd.

Are you f#$%ing kidding me? The Mormons donated something like 2/3 or 3/4 of the money raised by the Yes on 8 campaign. Of course they are to blame, and they will keep feeling the heat until their evil deed is undone.

I've felt so guilty, living outside California, for not contributing a few dollars in support of Prop 8 to help members of my church. Think about the Mormons, though. I think they have about 13 million members worldwide. If they really got serious, and every member gives just $10 in the next round, there you have $130 million. I think they already tithe a full 10% of their gross income to their church, so $10 more should be easy. That oughta do it on the $ side.

The Mormon Church did not provide half the money as Axe59 and John K suggest. It is true that individual memebers donated a lot to the cause at the subtle request of the Church. Look, the Mormon Church is worth Billions of dollars. But the actual entity only dontated less than $3,000, and that was cover some tavel expenses. So relax and quit complainning about this non-issue.

So let me get this straight, Some of the 13 million Mormons dontaed money, but all church members are to blame? Wait, check that, all of the state of Utah is also to blame. I wonder how the large gay community in Salt Lake City feels about being boycotted. These broad, sweeping generalizations are the very thing that have hurt the gay community. Blacklisting people who donated to a cause they believe in, burning books on the church doorsteps, name calling and profane signs at places of worship. Rest assured that the gay community has stengthened the resolve of those Mormons who did not donate this time around.

Valerie, thanks for your voice of fairness and reason. Go Horned Frogs!

Very well said, you almost had it Ms. Hannon, espcially about your own experience with your Mormon friends. However your comment;

"I'm opposed to gay marriage for a number of religious and political reasons, personally, but I also think the issue is wildly overemphasized by conservatives, who would do better taking care of other problems in our society, such as the poor and the environment."

is a little vague.

I agree we are to take care of the poor and the environment................................as well.

In fact During the 2008 hurricane season (Aug-Oct) the LDS Church provided 200 semi-truck loads of aid and 42,000 man-days of labor in response to Hurricane Katrina.
The effort included 12,000 food boxes, which contain rice, vegetable oil, peanut butter, fruit drink mix and assorted canned goods. Each food box can feed a family of four for several days. Also included were five truckloads of water, 185,000 hygiene kits, 55,000 cleaning kits, 20,000 pounds of clothing and 1,500 tarps.
Additional assistance of food, water, generators, tools, sleeping bags, chainsaws, tarps, fir strips and other items have been given from regional LDS Church storehouses.
Additionally, two planes carrying over 47,000 pounds of supplies flew from Salt Lake City to the Caribbean nation of Haiti in September to help the Haitians recover from the effects of Hurricane Ike.
Assistance also included volunteers helping with the cleanup effort. Several missionaries in the Houston area wearing yellow Helping Hands t-shirts asked a woman if they could help clean up her yard.

This kind of information is not we are used to hearing, and this is only for three months and from one church. WE ARE TAKING CARE OF THE POOR.

So to say we should divert our attention to "more important issues" is kind of saying that allowing the same-sex marraige is not as important. Just as the Savior taught us that taking care of the poor is the way to follow his example, we to must stand for truth and righteousness, as he did. We as fellow Christens are to treat homosexuals as He would, with love and compassion, but not to side with them on their choice of life style. They have the same rights as marraid couples do in California, please do not be fooled by this. We can love the person without loving the behavior.

I am kind of supprised at some of the comments following this article. I would think that most are students at Texas CHRISTEN University. Please do not allow society to cloud your judgement when it comes to moral issues. It takes integity and moral courage to stand for your values in todays world.

To correct one issue from your article is that of missions; for young men it is two years, and for our young woman it is one and half years.

To find out more about the LDS Church go to mormon.org, or as you did talk to your mormon friends.

I would just like to affirm what Religious Guy @ 10:29 had to say and to add my two cents.

The vast majority of the time, the only headlines about members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that are widely circulated are negative or controversial in tone. This is the sad reality of the media and the world today - that controversy and negativity get ratings and make $.

Positive news is addressed with a minimalist approach. To suggest that religions, let me rephrase that - - to suggest that Mormons should focus less time on the issue of preserving the definition of marriage and spend more time focusing on helping the poor or helping the environment is interesting to say the least. It is statement of public ignorance concerning the very mission and daily functionality of the true Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Members of the Mormon Church know all about the massive humanitarian effort their tithing money supports because they participate in it on a daily basis.

Mormons experience first-hand the expenditures of their fiscal donations in the immaculately organized Church welfare program that feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, provides for the less fortunate, guides the unemployed, and motivates the struggling.

Operating without a paid ministry they also experience first-hand the incredible joys of true service (serving because of the desire to love on another and not because of the desire to monetarily gain from one another) in the amazingly organized 27,000+ individual congregations scattered throughout the world.

Not to forget the fact that at any given moment there are over 55,000 young men and young women who have voluntarily left their homes and their lives for 2 years (1 ½ years for the young women) to serve others throughout the world in every capacity they are physically and spiritually capable.

It is those who only read the headlines that don't grasp the broad focus and mission of our Church.

The Church is not surprised by protesting, in fact we consider the Constitution of our nation to be an inspired document and hail the fundamental rights it outlines- every semiannual general conference of the Church there is a throng of hateful protestors congregated around our conference center and Temple Square shouting intolerance and hateful speech merely because of our doctrinal differences with 'mainstream' christianity. Protests are not something new to the Church - but vandalism, violence, fear mongering, and the lack of civility are never ideals worthy of what this democratic nation truly stands for.

I testify of Jesus Christ, that he lives and guides His Church -

EVERYONE who donated to prop 8 Yes or No side, KNEW their name was PUBLIC. Not shopping with those who voted for our discrimination isn't hateful, it's SAVVY.
I support boycotting Utah, and when LGBTs and our friends tank 6 BILLION dollars of tourism, then UT residents unhappy about their property taxes and sales taxes increased will curb their own LDS elders, to keep their H8 in their own State. These elders didn't care what CA LGBT families they hurt, they felt perfectly FINE making LGBTs the ONE minority who's Constitutional Rights aren't covered by the equal protection clause.
I have no myths about Mormons, I was raised by a Mother devoutly Mormon who converted when I was 4yo. My entire maternal extended family are LDS members in Salt Lake City and some moved to Vegas, they ALL love and respect me as openly gay.
btw. NAACP legal, Mexican American, Asian law organizations, 50 Jewish movers and shakers and a host of open and affirming Christian Churches have filed briefs to overturn prop 8, because allowing prop 8 to stand, could remove ANY minorities equal protection in future initiatives.

Those Christian organizations are WELCOME to go visit Utah and enjoy Sundance, ski the empty ski slopes, spend like drunken sailors...but you Won't.
The same groups who pledged their undying support for Colorado didn't prevent LGBTs and our friends from CRATERING their tourism over 40 MILLION, in the 1990's.
Daddy Dobson blew a half million and change on Yes on prop 8 and he is BROKE, he's laying off his faithful..er..SUCKERS.
Other "family values" groups are also in a FEROCIOUS ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, they ain't coming to help you LDS.

Can we please get beyond the whiney "pity the poor picked on Mormon song and dance"
Mormons OWN one state, significantly control NV and ID, and their 13 million members worldwide provide UNLIMITED funds to the LDS elders to do whatever they choose.
LDS elders attacked LGBT families because they COULD.

just OWN it!

Just remember Prop 8 did not remove rights from a person(s). As Elton John says:
"I don't want to be married. I'm very happy with a civil partnership. If gay people want to get married, or get together, they should have a civil partnership," John says. "The word 'marriage,' I think, puts a lot of people off.

"You get the same equal rights that we do when we have a civil partnership. Heterosexual people get married. We can have civil partnerships."


http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-11-12-elton-john_N.htm

LDS elders have created a niche MARKET which SPECICLY targets people boycotting Utah. I've seen 3 websites which are travel agents, hotels and B and Bs, and even "move Sundance" encouraging New Mexico as the COOL destination in 200H8.

OUR freinds are using their creativity wit and humor to counter prop 8, there are some hillarious VIDEOS on queerty.com ranging from Margaret Cho's " Ballad of the Closeted Mormon" to today's "Secret Cause of Global Collapse Found (It's the Gays)"
http://www.queerty.com/secret-cause-of-global-collapse-found-its-the-gays-20081202/

Jim

LIAR, gay and lesbians had the RIGHT to marry in CA, the LDS lead and financed (4 of every 5 dollars) recinded that RIGHT. For all the millions LDS spent, they did not stop same sex marriage, MA and CT have marriage available to EVERY same sex couple in America, Both pro and anti Marriage Equality forces KNOW marriage will be available to ALL couples in 20 years, because younger voters OVERWHELMINGLY support gay equality.

Thanks Valerie for a pretty decent article. I just left Salt Lake yesterday and say that with all the gangbusters growth out there, maybe they would appreciate some of the boycott. Funny how everyone says the LDS money was to blame for 8's passage, but yet the No on 8's raised more of it. Ultimately, more people voted yes than no. Perhaps there is a lesson here. More people do not want same sex "marrige" than do. Simple arithmetic. I did not contribute and while I now wish I had, I know for a fact I WILL next time. Plain and simple.

specificly ....mis typed above

Regardless of Elton John's statement he is not an American.
Our constitution doesn't allow seperate but equal.
So as much as I love Elton as an artist and AIDS activist, he's wrong on Marriage Equality in America.
IF all couples gay and straight received ALL couple's benefits from a Civil Union, and a wedding provided NOTHING, but a religious ceremony, THAT would be equal, and there are open and affirming gay and gay-friendly churches more than willing to marry OUR couples too.

Civil Unions in America DO NOT provide equal benefits married couples receive.
There is NO Social Security survivor benefits provided couple's with Civil Unions. Civil Union couple's children aren't provided educations when they are under 18 yo and help with college. There are 1000 benefits married couples receive which are DENIED couples with only Civil Unions, yet we pay the SAME taxes. Get your facts STRAIGHT...so to speak.
The NEXT CA intitiative in 2010 if prop 8 stands in June,
" the equal protection clause of the CA constitution will NOW be known as the HETERO-EQUAL protection clause."
Let's just end the damn charade...shall we?

The CA intiative the CREATIVE wing of our species, place on the 2010 CA ballot won't please those prop 8 supporters, so don't get whiney if the electorate recinds YOUR human Rights...otay?

be it resolved no couple with children can divorc for ANY reason.

be it resolved religious sects with less than 5% of the CA population are regarded as cults, and fail to meet criteria for tax exempt status.

be it resolved all off spring of polygamous couples are defined as 3/5ths of a human being.

be it resolved the CA State has an interest in all it's children raised by both a mother and father, and children raised outside this arrangement are wards of the State.

Will the "gay marriage" supporters admit to the fact that a few judges decided to change the definition of a word, arrogantly thinking everyone would agree with the new definition and go home to rewrite their dictionaries? "Gay marriage" is an oxymoron. Marriage has always been about a relationship between a man and woman, and that has been how our gov. has defined it. Everyone has the right to be married, regardless of any trait you are born with. Marriage defines the relationship, not the kind of sex you have. I would also ask "gay marriage" supporters, why should gov. recognize marriage at all? They must take an interest in it, just like they take an interest in protecting the environment. The gov. rewards companies for taking "clean" measures, and similarily, they reward married couples with rights and benefits. Why?

For the record, I thought I would just add a little snipet from the CA Supreme Court's Ruling in May, 2008:

"First, we must determine the nature and scope of the "right to marry" -- a
right that past cases establish as one of the fundamental constitutional rights
embodied in the California Constitution. Although, as an historical matter, civil
marriage and the rights associated with it traditionally have been afforded only to
opposite-sex couples, this court's landmark decision 60 years ago in Perez v.Sharp (1948) 32 Cal.2d 7114 -- which found that California's statutory provisions
prohibiting interracial marriages were inconsistent with the fundamental
constitutional right to marry, notwithstanding the circumstance that statutory
prohibitions on interracial marriage had existed since the founding of the state --
makes clear that history alone is not invariably an appropriate guide for
determining the meaning and scope of this fundamental constitutional guarantee.
The decision in Perez, although rendered by a deeply divided court, is a judicial
opinion whose legitimacy and constitutional soundness are by now universally
recognized.
As discussed below, upon review of the numerous California decisions that
have examined the underlying bases and significance of the constitutional right to
marry (and that illuminate why this right has been recognized as one of the basic,
inalienable civil rights guaranteed to an individual by the California Constitution),
we conclude that, under this state's Constitution, the constitutionally based right to
marry properly must be understood to encompass the core set of basic substantive
legal rights and attributes traditionally associated with marriage that are so integral
to an individual's liberty and personal autonomy that they may not be eliminated
or abrogated by the Legislature or by the electorate through the statutory initiative
process. These core substantive rights include, most fundamentally, the
opportunity of an individual to establish -- with the person with whom the
individual has chosen to share his or her life -- an officially recognized and
protected family possessing mutual rights and responsibilities and entitled to the same respect and dignity accorded a union traditionally designated as marriage.
As past cases establish, the substantive right of two adults who share a loving
relationship to join together to establish an officially recognized family of their
own -- and, if the couple chooses, to raise children within that family --
constitutes a vitally important attribute of the fundamental interest in liberty and
personal autonomy that the California Constitution secures to all persons for the
benefit of both the individual and society.
Furthermore, in contrast to earlier times, our state now recognizes that an
individual's capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship
with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend
upon the individual's sexual orientation, and, more generally, that an individual's
sexual orientation -- like a person's race or gender -- does not constitute a
legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights. We therefore
conclude that in view of the substance and significance of the fundamental
constitutional right to form a family relationship, the California Constitution
properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians,
whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex
couples."

Therefore, I think us opponents have a pretty good shot. We'll see.

With this line of thinking - let's don't blame Hitler or the Nazi's for what the German people supported.

There were other groups that encouraged their members to vote on prop 8. To say it was all the mormon churches fault is plain hogwash. I am not going to argue whose right or wrong but the lds church did not contribute money to the cause. They encouraged the members in california to do so. And for informations sake, not all 13 million contributed. It was a small minority in california.

bill thanks for your post the GERMAINE sentence is this.
"right to
marry properly must be understood to encompass the core set of basic substantive
legal rights and attributes traditionally associated with marriage that are so integral
to an individual's liberty and personal autonomy that they may not be eliminated
or abrogated by the Legislature or by the electorate through the statutory initiative."

THIS IS OVER, you lose

Jann
The LDS wrote prop 8, got it on the ballot, donated 4 of every 5 dollars used for the LYING television ads, and canvassed neighborhoods.

LDS OWNS prop 8...deal with it

Imagine a group of people so unbelievably intolerant they sought to take away the rights and persecute the beliefs of another group.

Imagine this group being so scared of the other group they actually supported halting their social and materialistic progression.

Imagine this group being so supportive of others rights and their own rights that they hypocritically ignored all the rights and positions the other group stood for.

Now tell me...who am I talking about? Mormons or Gays?

The way gays have acted the past weeks is no different than the injustice they feel they've been the victims of. The funny thing is...Sundance is one of the few gay-friendly institutions in Utah..and you Mormon-haters are going to punish them, not the LDS church.

Mormons have been the victims of similar attrocities. But the fact is that Mormons did little if anything to bring this about. Your liberal black and hispanic friends who came out to vote for Obama made this thing pass.

How about next time you target them, they had a much more detrimental impact on Prop 8 passing than any Mormon affiliation...get your facts straight! Idiots!

Jen what the CA courts decided on prop 8 was equal actually meant EQUAL, and it included ALL residents.

how revolutionary.

Intolerable

HALF of my family are LDS members, your little pity party for the picked on Mormons speel wouldn't EVER come out of their mouths.
Non Mormons in Utah know how heavy handed and oppressive the Mormon Church can be...ask THEM.

intollerable

blame the Black and Hispanic liberals...how TRUE to form...racist pig!

Well Mark, true to form I see you are still advocating your position quite eloquently. First off, I never said I was Mormon. Secondly, I never said I was right. In fact, I'm not so concerned with who's right as I am with what's right.

Go back and read my post...I neither condoned nor condemned the Mormon church for their position. But as Ms. Hannon so eloquently noted I've seen this hate first hand. I have several Mormon friends that I admire for their examples. They are devoted, no doubt. They do not deserve to be singled out in this manner as there were so many other factors leading to this outcome.

Mormon-hating is the vogue thing to do after all. Just look at their history (in some cases they've given back just as they've taken, but overwhelmingly they've been picked on and have taken it).Taking a stance based on morality is never a popular thing to do, but I don't believe they hate gays, they just love family and want to protect it.

Now, let me share with you my story. I'm a black man living in Salt Lake City, and I make up that demographic that is being suffocated by Mormons. Have you lived here? Do you know me? I don't think you do! And I'd ask you to be more respectful with your comments. Non-LDS people can be treated differently here, but I've felt respected just as I show respect. Perhaps you could learn some.

While you're at it, here's a few articles explaining the exit polling and how they figure Prop 8 passed. Am I right? I don't know, but not feeding that hate sure makes me feel better about myself. Come back next time with something other than fallacious arguments and insults.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_11051488

http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=83113

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20081208/osborn

Boycott Utah? Go ahead, by and large the major portion of the LGBT population work in the service, food/entertainment, travel, tourism and hospitality in the Beehive State. Like coffee shops don't have enough trouble keeping their doors open there. Go ahead, you will just be sending your friends to the unemployment line, not to the Bishop's storehouse. LOL !

Mormons have been on the WRONG side of EVERY civil Rights, Sex Equality, and Human Rights issue for 50 years, well at least they are consistant.
NAACP had two MAJOR lawsuits against LDS one involved a Boy Scout they wouldn't promote because blacks were banned from the priesthood. The other was the MURDER of the body guard of the first elder who DARED ordain a Black man, done by LDS elder's goon squad.
Then miracle of miracles...Blacks can be in the priesthood and that whole Mark of Cain thingy was just a damn typo.
Mormons shoved women on buses to go to Idaho to fight the ERA. Mormons printed a FOUL brochure for young men advocating GAY-BASHING. They also spearheaded opposition to stem cell research, and made Boy Scouts an ugly organization which teaches discrimination, and banned all school clubs so they wouldn't have to allow gay straight alliance school space.
I know Mormons intollerable, half my family are Mormons, I was BLESSED Mormon at birth, and raised by a Mormon mother.

Scott....honey

LGBT National Organizations will take the pain of boycott from the LGBT businesses. But your film festival and ski resorts and cancelled Conventions at the Salt Palace are the Mormons gonna save?
There are gays and lesbians in ALL fields, and at EVERY level of a corporate ladder.
If Sundance Sponsors have to choose between the customers they have in UT and the customers these progressive cutting edge companies have with LGBTs globaly....NO CONTEST...sweetie.

First, opponents criticize the Church for donating money directly to the "yes on 8" campaign. This claim is false. Records filed with the State of California indicate that the Church did not make any contributions with the exception of an "in kind" contribution (non monetary) for travel expenses for a single general authority. All other LDS-related money was contributed by Church members individually, not by the Church.

Secondly, critics claim that members of the Church outside of California contributed to the "yes on 8" campaign, and this involvement of people outside of California was improper.
The following chart shows the amounts of money contributed by both in-state and out-of-state individuals and groups to each side.

In-State Donations
Out-of-State Donations
Total Donations

For Proposition 8
$25,388,955
$10,733,582
$36,122,538

Against Proposition 8
$26,464,589
$11,968,285
$38,432,873

Totals
$51,853,544
$22,701,867
$74,555,411

Source: Tracking the money, Los Angeles Times


Note that out-of-state contributions to the "No" side were over $1.2 million higher than the out-of-state contributions to the "Yes" side.

A third claim is that the Church violated its tax-exempt status by participating in the "Yes on 8" campaign. According to IRS rules, a tax-exempt organization may not support particular candidates or parties. However, the church did not participate in or intervene in any of the political campaigns for any of the candidates running in the 2008 election. The IRS does, however, permit a Church to take positions on issues....

Conclusion: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints did not donate any funds to support Proposition 8. That members exercised their consciences to donate funds or to participate in voluntary activities to express their views is in the best traditional of citizenship.

http://www.ldsmag.com/critics/081202false.html

Dear Valerie,
a). I'm an Anglo-Saxon, vegetarian, protestant-raised, right-handed, blue-eyed and blonde male. Oh yeah, and gay.
b). Which is to say - none of us are ever (at all) just one thing.
c). I'm also a tax-paying, voting, US citizen.
d). Which is to say I'm deserving of the same rights decreed every other law-abiding American citizen.
e). When my state takes away my LEGAL rights that are granted to every other citizen but for ONE reason, I happen to be gay, we have an extremely dangerous precedent in our country.
f). Who's next?
g). Which is to say - Hell yes I'm angry! Your "church" is allowed to discriminate, be biased, prejudiced and as intolerant as their evil little hearts desire - but the government "of the people, by the people" does not have to right to take away my rights. Ever.
h). The Constitution was written to protect the MINORITY from the MAJORITY. (Otherwise we'd still have slavery, women wouldn't have the vote, handicapped people no public access; no intermarriage, no integrated military, an enforced state religion - hell, we'd be ruled by a monarchy!)
i). The Mormon "religion" inveighed to it's millions of followers through it's weekly religious services that in order to be a "good Mormon" you must give money to take away the already LEGAL rights of another US minority. And so The Mormon "Religion" gave more money THAN ANY OTHER GROUP IN AMERICA TO TAKE AWAY OTHER AMERICANS RIGHTS!
j). Might it not now seem to you that millions of gays and millions of other fair-minded Americans might just possibly be a tad ticked off with the devout, family-oriented, "love-the-sinner-hate-the-sin", oh so pious MORMONS?
k) And I repeat - who's next?

The "No on 8" group campaign did not emphasize that California already has domestic partnership laws in place which grant same-sex couples the civil rights associated with marriage. (See California FAMILY.CODE SECTION 297-297.5) http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=fam&group=00001-01000&file=297-297.5

Instead, Proposition 8 was portrayed as removing marriage rights. The passage of Proposition 8 did not remove already existing rights for same-sex couples, except for the use of the word "marriage" to describe such unions. The same rights, privileges and protections that were in place before the election remained in place after the election.

However, religious organizations perceived a very real threat to their rights if Proposition 8 did not pass. The right to be licensed to perform adoptions was in jeopardy in California, as demonstrated by the North Coast Women's Care Medical Group Inc. case decided on 1 April 2008 by the California Supreme Court. This decision held that those who are licensed by the State cannot treat homosexuals differently than heterosexuals. It is easy to see how such a holding will result in LDS Social Services being denied licensing to perform adoptions if it won't perform adoptions for homosexual couples. Thus, religious groups perceived no gain and no loss to same-sex couples from passing Proposition 8, but anticipated a large possible downside to religious organizations and their essential services if it did not pass.

Much more about the Proposition 8 matter on Fair Wiki:

http://en.fairmormon.org/Latter-day_Saints_and_California_Proposition_8

justamere

I already explained civil unions DO NOT provide a couple the same rights as marriage. Domestic Partners is even WORSE version and less rights for couples.
LDS can contribute to causes, what they CAN'T do is send BLACKMAIL letters trying to extort 410,000.00 from No donors,(which is a FELONY with 4 yr sentence and thousands in fines PER LETTER)
http://crooksandliars.com/julia-rosen/mormons-and-prop-8-lies-and-blackmail
and they CAN'T not declare the non monetary donations they made.