San Diego Reader

In 2008, I quit the Mmormon Church over the Proposition 8 issue. There are many people in my ward that I dearly miss, including my bishop. But I was not about to participate in the witch hunt on gays when so many people of the GLBTQ had been so kind to me over the years. And I saw many gays give their hearts and souls to dogs at animal shelter too.

Several years ago, I was a volunteer at the Department of Animal Services in Carlsbad. An old English Springer Spaniel came in that was covered in tumors. She had been abandoned by her owners and brought to the shelter. I often wondered why the staff didn't put the old girl out of her misery. Who was going to adopt a dog in bad shape? Most people don't even want to adopt large dogs, let alone dogs with tumors. Every day I would look at that dog and my heart would break for it.

One day, I arrived at the shelter to find a couple looking the dog over with a kennel attendant by their side. They were no ordinary couple. They were two women who appeared to be gay. They were looking to adopt a dog and were considering the dog with turmors.

After looking her over, one of them said, "We'll take her!"

The kennel attendant said, "Well, I can't guarantee or health or how long she'll last."

The woman said, "We don't care. We'll see her through to the end, not matter what it takes."

After the three of them left, I went into the office and broke down in tears.

I have seen many benevolent acts performed by people who know what it's like to be the underdog. This couple, in my opinion, were unsung heros. With all their money, I've never seen a Mormon perform such an awesome act of kindness. In fact, shortly before I quit the church officially, a young women's president manhandled my daughter who was in special education. This woman allegedly had issues with kids before and was bipolar. But because she was the stake president's sister, she not only got away with abusing kids, I was told to send my daughter back to the group. She refused to go.

This woman is married to an aid who works for Mitt Romney, by the way. I was a woman who wasn't attached to a powerful man in the church, so I got the feeling that I didn't count.

Shortly after having major surgery, I took in too foster dogs that had been left homeless when their apartment burned down in an electrical fire. I subsequently got the owner too. I had enough money to feed myself but not her. I asked the bishop for help for her. Instead of helping me, I was required to see the bishop first.

A few days earlier, I had found out about the canvassing Mormons were doing to "protect marriage." I had been out of the loop because I'd been so sick. I was in the hallway of our ward when the bishop's right-hand-man asked me my opinion. I said, "I'm not so sure love is ever a bad thing." Because of that statement, I was required to visit the bishop. I never went back to the church again.

I have no desire to force my ways onto other people. I learned "live and let live" from the Mormons; it's just too bad they're hypocrites and don't do it. A friend once said, "If you don't believe in gay marriage, then don't marry gay. Leave everybody else alone." If I ever go before God or whatever spirit rules the universe, I'll be just fine if I error on the side of love.