LGBT group that was allowed in 4th of July parade once again denied from Days of ’47 parade

This 2013 file photo shows the LGBT support group Mormons Building Bridges participating in the Utah Pride Parade, Salt Lake City, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Mormons Building Bridges website, St. George News

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An LGBT support group has been denied from participating in an annual Salt Lake City parade for the fifth year in a row.

Event executive vice president Greg James said Thursday that Mormons Building Bridges is an advocacy organization whose participation in the Days of ’47 parade on Pioneer Day is prohibited. He compared the LGBT group to political organizations that ask to take part in the parade.

Group co-founder Erika Munson said she doesn’t do advocacy any more than other groups allowed to march in the parade.

Earlier this year, five LGBT groups – including Mormons Building Bridges — were initially rejected from participating in a July 4 parade in Provo but were eventually allowed to take part after a backlash.

Read more: Following outcry, America’s Freedom Festival organizers to allow LGBT groups in parade

In the July 4 incident, the event organizers of the America’s Freedom Festival parade had signed a contract with Provo city leaders that included a new nondiscrimination agreement.

In this June 2018 file photo, Utah County Commissioner Nathan Ivie speaks as he holds the American flag during a news conference to discuss the America’s Freedom Festival and participation by LGBT groups, June 14, 2018, Provo, Utah. | Associated Press photo by Rick Bowmer, St. George News

As part of the contract, the city agreed to provide $150,000 in cash and in-kind contributions for the festival.

The festival had also signed a similar contract in March with Utah County, which included a contribution from the county to the tune of approximately $100,000. Following the announcement that the festival would not allow the LGBT groups, Utah County Commission Chairman Nathan Ivie threatened to pull the funding.

James said this most recent situation was different because the Provo parade receives public money, whereas the Days of ’47 parade is privately funded.

Written by The Associated Press.

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Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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14 Comments

  • AnnieMated July 20, 2018 at 2:38 pm

    “Event executive vice president Greg James…compared the LGBT group to political organizations that ask to take part in the parade.”

    Just so everyone knows, The Mormon church is mentioned 3 times in their ‘Platinum Sponsors” portion of their page. Somehow I don’t think the group will turn their money away, no matter how political they are.

  • Real Life July 20, 2018 at 3:29 pm

    Let it go LGBTXYZ. You don’t have to be in every parade. This contsant , in your face , me, me, me, attitude is not helping your cause.

    • comments July 20, 2018 at 5:34 pm

      I don’t even know what their “cause” is anymore.

      • statusquo July 21, 2018 at 8:09 am

        They want to be accepted. Acceptance by the church is their top priority.

        • comments July 21, 2018 at 10:32 am

          I have no idea why. The fundamental thing in mormonism is having babies. Someone should break the news to them that two men or two women aint gonna be able to fertilize eachother no matter how hard they try. Maybe they’d have better luck joining the FLDS. Any chance FLDS mormons would cherish the gays as much as they cherish their pedophiles I wonder.

        • ladybugavenger July 21, 2018 at 11:00 am

          Acceptance by the mormon church goes against the beliefs of the mormon church. Why dont they just stick with the government and changing those laws instead if trying to change a religion.

          • comments July 21, 2018 at 2:49 pm

            lba, how come you never became a mormon (like me. lol 😉 )?

          • ladybugavenger July 21, 2018 at 3:34 pm

            I’ll tell the story again. One day I lived in utah. I was searching for God. My ex husbands family is mormon and we all went to salt lake (from richfield). We get to the temple. And they tell me to wait outside, I’m not allowed in. At that moment, I said, this isnt God. God would allow me in to find him. And I never became mormon. The end.

          • comments July 21, 2018 at 3:45 pm

            Aint no one gets into THE LARD’s temple for free, LBA. You shoulda know better. LOL 😉

            They don’t call it LD$ for nuttin’, LOL $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

          • comments July 21, 2018 at 3:46 pm

            Bottom line is it’s expensive, and takes a lot of time and BS. You already know how i feel about it 😉

          • ladybugavenger July 21, 2018 at 5:55 pm

            That’s the day I knew it was not the Lord’s temple and it was just another cult.

  • RadRabbit July 20, 2018 at 6:38 pm

    This is a holiday to calebrate the founding of our great state this isn’t a gay pride parade. Just be Utahns and celebrate this great place we call home like everyone else without interjecting your sexual preference.

  • utahdiablo July 20, 2018 at 9:45 pm

    Well, La-di-da…

  • Walter1 July 21, 2018 at 2:24 pm

    LGBT groups will not be happy until they control everything. They will never stop wanting more and more, insatiable to say the least. They need to stop the whining and manipulating.

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