Having been one of the California voters who was confronted with Proposition 8 in 2008, I know all too well the impact this incendiary initiative had. Early that year, the state’s supreme court had ruled that it was unconstitutional to prohibit same sex couples from getting married. Longtime partners quickly lined up for their licenses to be legally recognized as a married couple. But as quickly as they said “I do,” a proposition qualified for the November ballot calling for a change to the state constitution. Only marriage between members of the opposite sex would be legally recognized.
Emotions ran high throughout election season. Commercials filled with lies bombarded the airwaves and stoked fear that gay marriage would lead to the downfall of western civilization. As someone who is totally comfortable with his sexuality and deeply in love with his wife, I found the arguments for Prop 8 totally ridiculous. How could another couple making a legal commitment to their love impact ours? And as for the sanctity of marriage? I’ll believe in someone’s sincerity in that when they call for outlawing divorce and making adultery a crime. But with Rush Limbaugh on his fourth wife and the constant parade of congressmen, senators, governors and the occasional president popping up with their pants down, I don’t see that happening soon. Sanctity of marriage? Who are they kidding?
Yes, I voted to defeat Proposition 8. And yes, I was amazed when it passed.
Now a new documentary opening this weekend in select cities attempts to shed some light on what happened. 8: The Mormon Proposition is a searing investigation into the Mormon Church’s effort to make sure this initiative passed. Produced, written and directed by Emmy award-winning journalist Reed Cowan, it fully blames (credits?) the Church for its passage. There’s no doubt which side of the issue this film supports. It pulls no punches as it reveals how, from Temple Square in Salt Lake City, the Church elders carefully orchestrated all aspects of a movement to pass Proposition 8 and then twisted the arms of its members to donate millions of dollars to fund it. No stone was left unturned -- grassroots campaigns, social media manipulation, rallying Catholic and Evangelicals to the cause, a television, radio, print ad blitz. The drive was well planned, slickly executed, and deviously underhanded. And it worked. Though initial polling showed the majority disapproved of Proposition 8, it passed by 4%.
Cowan goes into great detail to show all aspects of the efforts. It offers a cornucopia of information about the Mormon Church, its power, and the lengths it go to, including manipulation of its membership, when it wants something done. But his film doesn’t stop there. He takes 8: The Mormon Proposition a step further by probing the Church’s longtime crusade against homosexuality. The second part of the movie delves into how gay and lesbian teens are cast out of the Mormon Church and driven into homelessness, the sadistic practices to torture gay feelings out of Church members, and the tragic suicides of some who were born gay and raised Mormon.
It’s no surprise that 8: The Mormon Proposition wears its heart on its sleeve. Cowan and his fellow producers Bruce Bastian, Steven Greenstreet and Emily Pearson all grew up as members of the Mormon Church. This is definitely a bitter, personal issue for them. The segments surrounding the election are given emotional power by framing them around a young Californian couple. Tyler Barrick and Spencer Jones got married in May, 2008, only to find their union declared illegal six months later. Their pain and frustration permeates the movie, putting a human face on the issue. The ultimate irony of their story is that Barrick is a direct descendent of Frederick Granger Williams, an early leader in the Church of Latter Day Saints.
8: The Mormon Proposition is far from a perfect film. The filmmaking is uneven and at times awkward. Some of its symbolism is overly dramatic and distracting. It ignores all the other well-documented factors surrounding Proposition 8, giving the impression that it was the Mormon Church alone that caused its passage. Attempts to get the Church to tell its side of the story on camera were unsuccessful, so only one side comes through loud and clear. But considering all the things it does get right, these are more quibbles than anything.
With the constitutionality of Proposition 8 currently being challenged in the California Supreme Court, the timing of the film couldn’t be better. This is a must-see for anyone concerned with this issue. Because if there’s one thing 8: The Mormon Proposition does, it clearly defines the biggest enemy to same sex marriage.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Tyler Barrick and
Spencer Jones
