Utah Drinkers Get in Touch With Bartenders

Church says it won't drop opposition to gay marriage

(NEWSER) - The Mormon church has come out in support of gay rights legislation for the first time in its history, backing a pair of Salt Lake City ordinances passed yesterday by the city council protecting gays from discrimination in housing and employment. "The church supports these ordinances because they are fair and reasonable and do not do violence to the institution of marriage," the church's spokesman said. More»

(NEWSER) - Gay and straight protesters covered each other in kisses today outside Salt Lake City’s Mormon Temple, USA Today reports. The rally—inspired by a gay couple who were handcuffed and cited Friday for smooching on church property—was organized to condemn the Mormon ban on "offensive, indecent, obscene, lewd or disorderly speech, dress or conduct.” More»

Thousands mourn 'giant among men' at funeral in Utah

(NEWSER) - GOP hopeful Mitt Romney ducked Super Tuesday stumping today to attend Mormon Church President Gordon Hinckley's funeral in Utah, but a Mitt aide still parried concerns about the hopeful's beliefs, Reuters reports. "The governor is proud of his faith,” he said. "After the funeral is over, we'll get back to the campaign trail." Meanwhile Mitt joined thousands to mourn Hinckley, who died last week at age 97, Deseret Morning News reports. More»

'I'm a Mormon' ads not running in Iowa, NH, SC

(NEWSER) - The Mormon Church has stepped up an advertising campaign aimed at overcoming their poor image among many Americans . The ads, which stress that Mormons are regular people, are airing in 21 media markets—but not in the key primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Church officials say the ads have nothing to do with the candidacies of Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman but are an effort to overcome widespread negative perceptions of Mormons and the belief that Mormons are not Christians. And the New York Times notes that the church's "political neutrality policy" bars it from endorsing or even promoting a candidate. More»

Evangelicals only group becoming more aware of his religion

(NEWSER) - Despite Mitt Romney's religion getting plenty of press—especially when a Rick Perry backer called it a cult —fewer than half of Americans know that he is a Mormon, according to a new poll. The Public Religion Research Institute poll found that 42% correctly identified him as a Mormon; 6% believed he was a Catholic or a Protestant, and 45% said they didn't know what Romney's religion was, the Hill reports. That's virtually unchanged from the 40% who were aware of his religion in July. More»