For the sixth year, bridge builders will be showing up in their Sunday best for the Utah Pride Parade to extend unconditional love and support to our LGBTQ+/SSA brothers and sisters. Our 2017 theme: "Allies Are Everywhere," reflects our conviction that every church member has a role to play in support of their gay and trans brothers and sisters. If you’ve marched before, you know what a spiritual experience this can be; we are motivated by the gospel of Jesus Christ to stand as witnesses to th...
For the sixth year, bridge builders will be showing up in their Sunday best for the Utah Pride Parade to extend unconditional love and support to our LGBTQ+/SSA brothers and sisters. Our 2017 theme: "Allies Are Everywhere," reflects our conviction that every church member has a role to play in support of their gay and trans brothers and sisters. If you’ve marched before, you know what a spiritual experience this can be; we are motivated by the gospel of Jesus Christ to stand as witnesses to the Savior’s commandment that we love one another. If you’re just beginning your journey of support for gay and trans Mormons, this event is a meanignful way to start. You’ll find loving church members who’ll be happy to walk with you. For many it’s an opportunity to invite friends and family who wouldn’t ordinarily consider themselves “marchers”. Yes, there’s faith in every footstep and important conversations along the parade route. Join us!
Mormons Building Bridges provides a way for faithful Latter-day Saints to work within a church framework as we show love and support for LGBTQI/SSA people. To this end, disciplined messaging and dress standards are very effective.
WHAT TO WEAR
Dress in Sunday best: dresses or skirts for women, shirts and ties for men. This has become a Mormons Building Bridges’ trademark. The Mormons Building Bridges community has become widely recognized in media around the world for the easily notable contrast between the common casual Pride attire and the “Sunday dress” of the MBB community. It also gives us a certain authenticity: what do Mormons do when they are taking something seriously? They put on their church clothes! Pride Parades are often joyful light-hearted celebrations–which we support, but we also want to show that the message of God’s unconditional love is important to us–and our attire really helps get this across because it shows that we are willing to put on (sometimes uncomfortable) Sunday dress and stand out in a crowd.
That being said, if you are bringing a loved one with you who has experienced exclusion from the church, and for whom the “Mormon uniform” may feel in some way inauthentic, we want that person to know that he or she is welcome in whatever he/she feels true to him/herself in (except clothing with political statements on them, those are not allowed).
Wear comfortable shoes. Water and sunscreen are also a must.
SIGNAGE
MBB seeks to provide a way for faithful Latter-day Saints to work within a church framework as they show love and support for LGBTQI/SSA people. To this end, we have found disciplined messaging to be very effective. All of your signs should be quotations from scriptures, LDS church hymns, or General Authorities. You can really make a powerful statement this way. Post pictures of your signs on the Facebook group wall to inspire others! Please DO NOT have any signs (or clothing) with political messages. If you are passionate about a particular political cause, consider marching with another group. We honor each individual’s decision to march with a group that seems right for him or her.
