HRC, Affirmation, and Utah Pride Center to Mormon Apostle: Five Days of Silence is Long Enough _ We'

by Admin

Organizations to hold press conference and deliver petitions to Elder Packer calling on him to correct the factual record.

Salt Lake City - The Human Rights Campaign - the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization - in partnership with Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons, Equality Utah, and the Utah Pride Center, will hold a press conference on Tuesday, October 12 to ask Elder Boyd K. Packer, president of the Mormon Church's Quorum of Twelve Apostles, that he correct his inaccurate and dangerous statements calling same-sex attraction "impure and unnatural," claiming that it can be corrected and characterizing same-sex marriage as immoral.

Following the news conference, press conference participants will present the Church with over 100,000 petition signatures calling on them to correct the record.

Elder Packer's misstatement that sexual orientation can be changed has been debunked by both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association. Both organizations have concluded that same-sex attraction is normal and that "reparative" therapy - like the kind being advocated by the Mormon Church - is unhealthy and harmful. Elder Packer or Church representatives have not corrected their statements in spite of the fact that they are dangerous and can result in self-loathing and potentially suicide by those struggling with their sexual orientation or gender identity.

WHAT: Press Conference calling on Elder Packer to correct his statements and delivery of petition signatures to Church World Headquarters

WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 12th, 2010 11:00 a.m.

WHERE: Utah Pride Center, 361 N. 300 West, Salt Lake City, UT followed by delivery of petition signatures

WHO: Joe Solmonese, HRC President
Bruce Bastian, Utah Philanthropist
Dave Melson, Affirmation Executive Director
Brandie Balken, Equality Utah Executive Director
Valerie Larabee, Utah Pride Center Executive Director

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons was founded in 1977, and is the largest support and advocacy organization for gay Latter-day Saints and their families. More information is available at www.affirmation.org

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To make a general inquiry, please visit our contact page. Members of the media can reach our press office at: (202) 572-8968 or email press@hrc.org.