{"id":1997,"date":"2013-06-17T17:38:15","date_gmt":"2013-06-17T23:38:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/affirmation.org\/?p=1997"},"modified":"2021-10-03T08:30:13","modified_gmt":"2021-10-03T14:30:13","slug":"massive-participation-of-mormons-in-salt-lake-city-pride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/affirmation.org\/pt\/enorme-participacao-de-mormons-em-sal-lago-cidade-orgulho\/","title":{"rendered":"Grande participa\u00e7\u00e3o dos m\u00f3rmons no orgulho de Salt Lake City"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"slc_march_03_750\"<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n

Pamela Koldewyn Johanson: \u201cIf this sounds like a testimony, it\u2019s because it is\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n

by Hugo Salinas<\/p>\n

\u00bb\u00a0Sunday Events<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00bb\u00a0Video Clips<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00bb\u00a0Pictures<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

With an interfaith service, an LDS social, two marches, and a popular booth known as \u201cThe Mormon Hugging Booth,\u201d tens of thousands were moved by the participation of Mormons, LGBT and straight, at Pride celebrations held in Salt Lake City on the first weekend of June.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, April 31, LGBT Mormons, families and friends participated in an interfaith service held at Congregation Kol Ami in Salt Lake City. \u201cThrough God\u2019s transformative power, anger and disappointment with our adversaries can become love and encouragement,\u201d\u00a0said Erika Munson<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0of Mormons Building Bridges during the service. \u201cThis is not easy\u2013it is a formidable act of faith. But we all know that when God tells us to love our neighbor, he\u2019s talking about the neighbor who\u2019s hardest to love.\u201d\u00a0The One Voice Choir<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0provided some of the music.<\/p>\n

On Friday, over 75 LGBT Mormons, families, and friends participated in an LDS social hosted by Jamison Manwaring. After a rooftop barbecue, there was some terrific community singing led by Christian and Dan. A counselor in a Salt Lake City stake presidency came with his wife. From Affirmation and Family Fellowship to BYU\u2019s USGA and Reconciliation, many LDS LGBT-supportive groups were represented.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, a group of\u00a0transgender Mormons<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and allies participated in the Trans Rally and March. Leanorah-Loreli Grace, a Latter-day Saint who recently came out as transgender, rode the bus from Ohio to be there. She reported that singing \u201cA Whole New World\u201d during the Saturday events made her cry. \u201cLuckily I was sitting between two remarkable and wonderful friends [who] wrapped their arms around me and I truly felt loved, for one of the first times in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a>Sunday Events<\/span><\/h3>\n

On Sunday, hundreds of Mormons joined the main parade.\u00a0Mormons for Equality<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0marched with the ACLU and with the Unitarians. Curtis Penfold, a BYU sophomore who recently organized an\u00a0event in Provo for marriage equality, led the ACLU group. One of the signs carried by the group read, \u201cI SUPPORT MARRIAGE EQUALITY AND I\u2019M A MORMON.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some 400 Latter-day Saints marched with\u00a0Mormons Building Bridges<\/a><\/strong>. Several LDS families reaffirmed the selected theme, \u201cFamilies Together,\u201d by carrying signs with their family\u2019s surname and the names of all the family members.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have marched in the Pride parade twice now,\u201d wrote Pamela Koldewyn Johanson on the Mormons Building Bridges Facebook page. \u201cEach time I was buoyed by a strong witness that I was where I was meant to be. I count both experiences as two of the most spiritual in my life. If this sounds like a testimony, it\u2019s because it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Moore-Allgood Family marched with their transgender 18-year-old son Grayson. \u201cI want other parents to have the rich experience we have had at supporting our kid,\u201d Grayson\u2019s mother Neca Allgood\u00a0told KSL5<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving a supportive family behind me all the way has just made such a huge difference to me,\u201d Greyson added. \u201cI\u2019ve had a so much happier life because my family has been there for me every step of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sherri and Bill Park were part of a team of Mormons who hugged thousands of LGBT folks as they marched in the streets of Salt Lake and then at the booth. By Saturday evening, the day before the main event, they had already run out of \u201cHUGGED BY A MORMON\u201d stickers. At the site nicknamed \u201cThe Mormon Hugging Booth,\u201d the hugging team embraced thousands of LGBT folks. Bill later reported that one of the LGBT folks he hugged, whispered in his ear something the person was too shy to say aloud: \u201cI am a Mormon, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matthew Haws wrote about seeing his Mormon mother, who had once declared that she could never walk in a parade to support gay rights, stand up from her chair on the sidewalk and join the Mormon Building Bridges group.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs she walked she turned and blew me a kiss and waved goodbye, I could see in her eyes what she couldn\u2019t say, \u2018This one is for you son,\u2019\u201d\u00a0Matt wrote on the No More Strangers blog<\/a><\/strong>. \u201cShe turned back and marched on. I was not expecting the emotions of that moment\u2026 I cheered her on with a smile and the tears started to come, my sister came up gave me a hug and we wept together.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a>Video Clips<\/span><\/h3>\n

\u00bb\u00a0Mormons Building Bridges Marching In SLC Pride<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(YouTube clip)<\/p>\n

\u00bb\u00a0KSL5 Story<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(features Keith Trottier, Erika Munson, Neca Allgood, and Greyson Moore)<\/p>\n

\u00bb\u00a0KUTV Story<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(features Jamison Manwaring) \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00bb\u00a0ABC4 Story<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(features Erika Munson)<\/p>\n

\u00bb\u00a0View complete interfaith service<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(YouTube)<\/p>\n

<\/a>Pictures<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\t\t