Courage Campaign Delivers Nearly 17K Petitions To Mormons

Reverend Eric Lee of Southern Christian Leadership Conference joined Rick Jacobs of the Courage Campaign yesterday in Los Angeles to deliver nearly 17,000 signed petitions urging the Mormon Church to cease and desist its activities to eliminate marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Intrepid openly lesbian reporter Karen Ocamb was there and filed this report:

"We need to stop the Mormon Church from pushing their marriage views
on Californians through the ballot box," Jacobs said. "The Mormon
Church is not welcome to impose its theology on the people of
California. We are galled that the Mormon Church would stoop to lying
in advertisements and condoning blackmail." He called such
intimidation conduct “reprehensible.”

"Anytime one group of people are denied the rights afforded to
another group, it is a violation of civil rights," said Lee. "In this
nation, we enjoy religious freedom. That means no one has the right
to impose a narrow theological view on relationships upon every body
in every situation. Our nation is poised to achieve the dream Dr.
King spoke about. Yet here in California, interests that present
themselves as Christian rally for hatred and division. I oppose
Proposition 8 because it seeks to create a permanent second class of
citizens, something this country cannot afford."

No representative from the Mormon Church was available at their Los Angeles temple to accept the petitions so the Courage Campaign intends to deliver them directly to Mormon Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Another way to keep abreast with information on the Campaign to Defeat Proposition 8 is to follow @NoOnProp8 on Twitter -- and/or if you're not on Twitter, for heaven's sake, join Twitter!