The fight for gay marriage rights in California during the election of 2008 was bitter and divisive, and the approval of Proposition 8, the state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, was a blow for gay rights nationwide. While it was no secret that the Utah based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, aka, the Mormons, was a huge supporter of the proposition, both fundamentally and financially, the revelations that the Mormon Church covertly orchestrated a complex campaign involving millions of dollars and thousands of hours of labor to approve the measure, shocked gay and straight Americans. Reed Cowan and Steven Greenstreet’s explosive new documentary: 8: The Mormon Proposition,
plays out like a tense political thriller, slowly unraveling the full extent of the Mormon involvement in Proposition 8. It also highlights the very human face of this continuing struggle, following a California gay couple, Spencer Jones and Tyler Barric—who happens to be a direct descendant of early Mormon Church leader, Frederick Granger Williams. Narrated by Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, 8: The Mormon Proposition explores and questions the increasingly effective role of organized religion in politics.
8: The Mormon Proposition screens tonight at 7pm at the Egyptian with co-director Steven Greenstreet, and subjects Spencer Jones and Tyler Barric in attendance. The film repeats tomorrow at 4:15pm, also at the Egyptian. You do not want to miss this important film.
-Michael Strangeways
About the Author: Michael Strangeways
