Mormon Church Makes First Ever Donation to LGBT Community

Image via Wikimedia

Mormons and LGBT people historically haven’t gotten along. The church has been active in efforts to end gay marriage, and even the Supreme Court’s most recent opinion hasn’t deterred them from fighting. So that’s why it came as a surprise to almost everyone that the historically anti-gay church just made its first donation to an LGBT cause. While the church still doesn’t approve of homosexuality, that didn’t stop them from making a recent donation to the Utah Pride Center, an organization that helps to serve homeless LGBTQ youth.

Image via Wikimedia

LGBT youth are disproportionately represented in the homeless population. Over 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBT, and the number of youth has always outpaced the number of beds. The Mormon Church donated approximately $2,500 to help fund the Pride Center’s food pantry, which serves close to 40 homeless youth every week. But as the donation was being processed, the church’s governing body sent a letter to congregational leaders reminding them that marriage is between a man and a woman. It’s an incredibly strange turn of events for the historically conservative church, but it’s nice for many to know that compassion can sometimes be found even in the least likely of places.

(Via: The Advocate)