Mormon Church President Thomas Monson Dies at 90

From Pushing Prop 8 to Declaring Same-Sex Couples Apostates, Monson’s Anti-Gay Legacy Will Forever Remain

Thomas S. Monson, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has died in Salt Lake City at the age of 90, The New York Times reports.

While many of the Mormon faith have begun to post warm memories honoring his leadership, others, especially members of the LGBT community, likely have a different response.

President Monson was responsible for the Mormon Church’s silent but intensive organizing and funding of the fight against same-sex marriage in California. Monson helped make 18,000 couples in the Golden State see their legal marriages lie in limbo as voters decided to pass Prop 8 (the same day they elected Barack Obama president).

The Mormon Church is reportedly responsible for raising $30 million to help pass Prop 8, the ballot measure that nullified a law allowing same-sex couples to marry. That dollar amount does not include countless Mormons from in and out of state who were sent to get out the vote and perform other tasks to help ensure Prop 8’s passage.

“Four months before California voters headed to the polls to decide the fate of Proposition 8, the Church of Latter-day Saints put out a call for help,” The Mercury News reported in 2011.

A letter from church President Thomas Monson was read at every ward in California. It told members to “do all you can to support the proposed constitutional amendment by donating of your means and time.”

Organization meetings broke out across the state, but the leaders wanted more. Additional letters were sent to every church, with titles such as “Thirty People in Each Ward” and “More than Four Hours per Week.”

President Monson was directly behind this work.

It was not only Prop 8.

Under Monson’s leadership, the Mormon Church battled same-sex marriage across the country, fueling anti-gay initiatives with its funding and powering the work with its people.

The LDS Church was heavily tied to NOM, the National Organization For Marriage, and took its fight against same-sex marriage to other countries, including Mexico.

Monson’s fight against LGBT people didn’t stop at marriage.

In 2015, with support of other LDS Church leaders, couples in same-sex marriages or relationships were deemed “apostates,” subject to excommunication – merely for being gay and loving someone of the same sex. The children of same-sex couples were made into pawns. They are banned from being baptized, until they reach the age of 18, at which time they can be baptized but only if they denounce their parents’ marriage. 

The attack on same-sex couples led to a spike in suicides among LGBT Mormons, according to a support group for Mormon parents of LGBT children. The group said 32 people, aged 14-20, had died by suicide.

The Salt Lake Tribune’s obituary of President Monson mentions the word “gay” nine times, and “same-sex marriage” or “same-sex attracted” four times. 

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