SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Tuesday said it would support a compromise version of a federal bill that codifies same-sex marriage, so long as religious freedom protections are ensured in amendments.
"The doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints related to marriage between a man and a woman is well known and will remain unchanged. We are grateful for the continuing efforts of those who work to ensure the Respect for Marriage Act includes appropriate religious freedom protections while respecting the law and preserving the rights of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters," the Church said in a statement. "We believe this approach is the way forward. As we work together to preserve the principles and practices of religious freedom together with the rights of LGBTQ individuals much can be accomplished to heal relationships and foster greater understanding."
The bill is the subject of negotiations in the Senate and is likely to come up for a vote this week. Sen. Mitt Romney has been involved in the negotiations for religious freedom and previously told FOX 13 News a compromise is in the works.
“There’s something special in being alive in a time when such a significant thing is happening,” said David Shill, a BYU student and part of the Cougar Pride Center’s Board of Directors.
“I’m like, gagged,” he said. “I would have never thought 10 years ago that the Church would ever, ever support the legalization of same-sex marriage.”
Shill said he has “high hopes” there will be more tolerance on campus.
“It’s a small but significant change in a cultural attitude towards queer people within the Church,” he said.
“It’s been a long road for the LDS faith and for Utahns, more generally,” said State Senator Derek Kitchen. “It’s an exciting day to see that the LDS Church has evolved.”
Kitchen is currently Utah’s only openly-LGBTQ+ legislator. He sued the state back in 2013 over marriage equality.
“The first federal lawsuit in the country to legalize same-sex marriage and declare that all people have the right to be protected under the law,” he explained.
The state senator said the Church’s announcement is something to celebrate, but still said there’s “a lot more progress to be made.”
“At the end of the day, no matter what they believe, all Americans deserve to be protected under the law,” said Kitchen. “So this is the right thing to do no matter what.”
"We are heartened to see the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints support the bi-partisan Respect for Marriage Act, which will codify protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. Despite differences we may have, we can always discover common ground on laws that support the strengthening of all families. We are thrilled to see a broad coalition of parties and faiths recognize that every American has a fundamental right to marry, regardless of race or sex," said Troy Williams, the director of the LGBTQ rights group Equality Utah.
