Mormons and the LGBTQ community 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 it came as a surprise to almost everyone that the 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 organisation that helps to serve homeless LGBTQ youth.
LGBTQ youth are disproportionately represented in the homeless population. Over 40% 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.
However, 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.