Sunstone is pleased to announce some additions to our YouTube channel from the closing plenary session at Sunstone West 2011, “Binding Up the Wounds: Healing Efforts Following California’s Vote on Proposition 8.”
Due to the length of the session, we’ve created video segments for each speaker on the panel. Click on the links below to see the panelists in the order in which they spoke.
You can also view videos from previous symposiums on our YouTube channel: sunstonesymposium.
Plenary Session Abstract:
Many of us are all too familiar with the damage and human cost
from Proposition 8. In the years since, what efforts have been
made by LDS church members, leaders, and by people of other
faiths to help heal from this divisive chapter that pitted politics and
religion against each other?
What can straight/Mormon/religious allies do to facilitate the
healing process and support LGBTQ family members, congregation
members, and friends who are struggling? What will assure the
LGBTQ members of our religious communities that our healing
overtures are genuine? What can Mormons learn from people of
other faiths who support marriage equality? And how can we
approach this polarizing topic with the empathy, compassion, and
love that all God’s children deserve?
Our panelists bring many perspectives to this discussion. We
welcome their thoughts about ways to center our efforts on healing,
reconciliation, understanding, dialogue, and demonstrating love
and respect to our LGBTQ brothers and sisters.
Part 1 – Trey Lathe
Warren (Trey) Lathe is married, a father of two, biologist,
and a business owner living in San Francisco. An LDS convert at
18, he was excommunicated at 38 because of his relationship with
his now-husband. trey has been active in the marriage equality
fight in California and the fight against Prop 8. recognizing the
damage the Prop 8 struggle has done to his family and friends, he
has been an active participant in several bridge-building activities
between LDS church leaders and the gay LDS community.
Part 2 – Mitch Mayne
Mitch Mayne is currently working on a book about being an
openly gay, active Mormon. he blogs on this topic (httP://mitchmayne.
BloGsPot.com/) and consults individually with gay
Mormons and their families. in 2009, he was approached by local
LDS leadership for Oakland, Berkley, and walnut creek to be part
of a program designed to help church members better understand
gay Mormons. Mitch is also a member of the advisory council of
the coalition of welcoming congregations of the Bay area, which
is a program unit of the center for lesbian and Gay studies in
religion and ministry at the Pacific school of religion.
Part 4 – Connell O’Donovan
Connell O’Donovan has been active in radical LGBT
politics since 1987. He founded or co-founded 10 LGBT organizations
while living in Utah. an award-winning writer, he has published
many articles on LGBT spirituality and theology. He grew
up LDS but after coming out, he joined two divergent spiritual
paths: the Quakers and Paganism. He was excommunicated in
1991 under the direct order of Boyd K. Packer. In the wake of
Prop 8 and after nearly 20 years of being unchurched, he began
attending the United Church of Christ in Santa Cruz, which has an
“extravagant welcome” program aimed at LGBT folks and was
baptized in the very cold ocean 4 July 2010. During the Prop 8
campaign, he coordinated Mormons for Marriage Equality in Santa
Cruz county and was a founding member of LDSapology.org.
He personally received more than 500 pledges to vote no on 8
from people he met “on the street.”
Part 5 – Samuel Chu
Samuel Chu is executive director of California Faith for
Equality and the California Faith for Equality Action Fund,
directing the nation’s largest interfaith statewide network of local
congregations, organizations and faith leaders. Samuel is also a
fellow at the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the
University of Southern California. A first generation immigrant
from Hong Kong, China, Samuel received a BA in political science
from the University of California, Dan Diego, and an MA from
Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.