Oscar award winning writer of Milk, Dustin Lance Black, sat down for an interview with CNN’s Joy Behar to talk about his view of the Mormon Church and their recent support for LGBT rights.
Calling himself an ex-Mormon he explains his current views on the church, “I don’t go to services anymore, and there are a lot of reasons for that, and, you know, the ‘gay thing’ is a big one,” said Black. Though he also says that most of his family is still Mormon and that the family atmosphere that the church creates is one of the more positive aspects of the church.
Black describes being a child in a Mormon Church, “When I was a little kid in the Mormon Church I heard the president of the church [he said] next to the sin of murder comes the sin of homosexuality,” said Black. “And that was devastating because I already knew at the age of eight.” Black’s advice to kids growing up Mormon are to listen to what the church has to say now because they are sending a signal that it’s not ok to discriminate.
He feels that the Mormon’s activism for LGBT rights is not full acceptance but rather a small step towards tolerance and it sends a significant signal that it’s not ok to discriminate.
Though this movement is not something that can be considered solely a step towards anti-discrimination. Black feels that this can also be a way of trying to shake the impression of the church being seen as extremists and far right wing.
To see the full interview go here.
-Katelynd Jarvis
