BYU opens 'Office of Belonging,' then LDS aposle calls for muskets to defend church's anto-LGBTQ beliefs

Brigham Young University president Kevin Worthen announced the creation of a new “Office of Belonging” to support marginalized groups on the Provo, Utah campus.

According to a university press release, the new office will provide services and programs focused on making the school inclusive. The office’s creation follows a report from BYU’s Committee on Race, Equity and Belonging that was finished in February.

Worthen said the Office of Belonging will not only seek to root out racism but also to work against “prejudice of any kind, including that based on race, ethnic-ity, nationality, tribe, gender, age, disabil-ity, socioeconomic status, religious belief, and sexual orientation.” Worthen did not specifically mention gender identity.

At the same ceremony for faculty and staff that Worthen spoke at, Jeff Roy Holland, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — the second-highest presiding body in the government of the Church — discussed what he said was “friendly fire” from BYU faculty and staff over the church’s position on topics including same-sex marriage.

Holland added that educators had come out against church doctrines when they should have supported them. He also brought up why a student would use a valedictorian speech to come out, saying the student “commandeer[ed] a graduation podium intended to represent everyone getting diplomas” to do so. “We must have the will to stand alone, to be different, if necessary. Being a university second to none in its role primarily as an undergraduate teaching institution that is unequivocally true to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If at a future time, that mission means forgoing some professional affiliations and certifications, then so be it,” Holland said. University faculty and staff should take up their intellectual “muskets” to defend the Mormon Church, especially “the doctrine of the family and…marriage as the union of a man and a woman.”

The gay valedictorian that came out two years ago, Matt Easton, said he was proud of what he did.

“I wasn’t trying to grandstand or ‘commandeer’ the event. I drew on my personal experiences because they shaped my time at BYU — authenticity is not the same as ‘agenda-pushing,’” Easton told the Salt Lake Tribune.

Holland’s comments led to condemnation and complaints online.

In a statement, the Religious Exemption Accountability Project’s director Paul Southwick called the remarks by Holland “antagonistic” and “warlike.”

“Every student should have the freedom to be honest and open about who they are, without being subjected to dangerous rhetoric that puts them in harm’s way. All students should feel safe in their campus environments,” Southwick said.

“We stand united against this speech and the message of exclusion that it sends to our LGBTQ+ youth at an extremely vulnerable time in their lives,” Southwick added. “We invite Mr. Holland, BYU, the LDS church, and all other religiously af-filiated universities to join us in embrac-ing these young people. These are your children, and they deserve our uncondi-tional love and acceptance.”

Recently out singer/songwriter and former American Idol star David Archuleta reacted in an Instagram video, acknowledging the anger from fellow LGBT Mormons and understanding that they felt “unseen” by Holland’s speech.

“I just wanted to show my love to you all,” he said, adding, “We can love some-one, and respect someone … I have love for [Holand], and I have love for everyone who felt they were unseen and felt hurt by some of the comments and how it’s been interpreted.”

Archuleta continued that Holland’s negative comments sparked hard but important conversations.

“Had this not happened and had it not started this conversation, I feel like we wouldn’t be able to make the progress that needs to continue being made as far as understanding where each other’s coming from.”

He also supported the valedictorian who chose to come out during his graduation speech.

“Maybe there wasn’t an opportunity to be heard before that point,” and then stressed that it’s OK to disagree with church leaders.

Mormons Building Bridges supporter Kevin Ahlstrom posted to Facebook a long, affirming message to LGBTQ people.

“To the queer students at BYU and queer Mormons everywhere: I’m sorry for the things Elder Holland said. I’m sorry that my church doesn’t doesn’t support your equality or recognize your love. An organization that segregates and punish-es its members for pursuing authentic romantic relationships is deeply flawed. I wish I could change it.

“I don’t know what my future in the church will look like. I do know that I will do all I can to promote queer affirmation within my circles.”

A recent post in the Mormon thought site ByCommnConsent said that Holland’s remarks are nothing new in the Church.

“[The LDS Church] has raised men and women in it who believe that if they pay their tithing and pay lip service to the church’s doctrines, they can disparage the downtrodden, shut out the refugee, condemn the imprisoned, and shame the impoverished all as an expression of their faith. They hold up their bigotry, misogyny, and particularly their homophobia as an demonstration of their unity with God as they understand him. And Elder Holland’s speech confirmed their under-standing, rather than disturbing it.”