Heather has three Mommies

[Note: new post on polygamy and freedom of religion 9/1/06]

The dis-oriented author is not surprised. With all of the hype around homosexual marriage, it was just a matter of time before polygamy (or plural marriage) advocates came out of the closet. The HBO series Big Love brought polygamy into the living rooms of middle America. Now the FBI has added polygamist Warren Jeffs to it's 10 most wanted list.

Jeffs is the prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. FCLDS is a group that broke off from the mainstream LDS or Mormon Church after the church denounced polygamy as part of the agreement bringing the state of Utah into the union. Groups like Jeffs' believe that the LDS church sold out in the statehood deal.

This weekend in a group of Utah teens held a rally in support of polygamy.

Polygamy is against the Utah Constitution. State law defines polygamy as a felony. Even so there are large polygamist communities in Utah. The Utah state government has generally had a live and let live policy in dealing with polygamist. Unless there are complaints of child abuse (like in the Jeffs case), the state does not aggressively prosecute polygamists.

The rally was sponsored by Principle Voices a pro-polygamy organization. When I saw rally coverage on TV I noticed right away that the young people participating, did not have the stereotypical Mormon fundamentalist look. These kids were dressed conservatively but within the bounds of what one might see in any American high school.

A young man named Tyler (who did not give a last name) summed up there message by saying:

Because of our beliefs, many of our people have been incarcerated and had their basic human rights stripped of them, namely life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I didn't come here today to ask for your permission to live my beliefs. I shouldn't have to.

Heather has two mommies indeed.