Mormons March In Utah Gay Pride Parade 2014

Huffington Post | June 9, 2014

Utah Pride 2014 kicked off on Saturday to celebrate LGBT people with a 5K run, rallies, marches, and a festival at Washington Square.

An Interfaith Service on June 5 was one of the first events, and many people of faith held signs showing their support for LGBT causes and individuals during the marches.

62.2% of Utah's population belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, according to a 2012 census. The church has been opposed to same-sex marriage and same-sex attraction since its inception, though not all members necessarily agree with this stance.

For example, the faith-based group Mormons For Equality actively campaigns for marriage equality in Utah. The state's same-sex marriage ban was struck down by a federal judge on December 20, 2013.

Mormons Building Bridges is a group "dedicated to conveying love and acceptance to same-sex attracted and LGBTQI individuals and asserts that all our sisters and brothers are inherently worthy of love and belonging in our homes, congregations, and communities," according to their website. Composed mainly of active Mormons, they were one of the largest groups to participate in Utah Pride, marching about 450 people strong according to co-founder Erika Munson.

"What's fun for us to do as Mormon[s] Building Bridges, even though we don't take a stand on the marriage issue, is that we feel like we can help Utahns mitigate the conflict that might exist," she told KSL News.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/09/mormon-gay-pride-utah_n_5473122.html?utm_hp_ref=religion