Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court, arguing that if the high court recognizes same sex marriage as a right it would undermine religious liberty.
The LDS Church joined several other religious organizations in filing the brief, including The National Association of Evangelicals, The Assemblies of God and the Free Methodist Church. Erik Hawkins is a spokesman for the LDS Church. He said in a statement the Church’s deep belief and commitment to marriage between a man and a woman is well known, adding quote, “While we have been outspoken proponents in favor of protections for LGBT people in such areas as housing and employment, we believe that a redefinition of marriage to include same-sex couples has profoundly troubling implications for society in the long term. End quote.
Troy Williams is Executive Director of Equality Utah. He’s not sure the brief will hold much weight in the decision.
“I think the trajectory is very clear,” Williams says. “Come June, we’re going to have a decision, a ruling from the Supreme Court that will open the door for the freedom to marry in all 50 states. We can only extend our hand in friendship and introduce our families and hope that some of the fears and the biases will begin to fade away.”
The U-S Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on same-sex marriage in cases out of Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee on April 28.
