The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made its first ever donation to the Utah Pride Center today to aid its program for homeless and low-income youth, according to a press release from the Utah Pride Center.
“The Utah Pride Center is grateful for the church’s help in our efforts to provide food for those in our community who are in need,' Kent Frogley, Utah Pride Center board president, said in a press release. 'We are grateful for their generosity and the emerging relationship with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We know that this contribution marks a significant moment in the LDS/LGBTQ relationship.”
The LDS Church's $2,500 donation will be used to provide food for those in need, a spokesperson with the center told Fox13. The Utah Pride Center said the church's only comment was the following, in the form of a grant letter: “We are grateful to be able to serve your efforts in this worthy project and appreciate the work that you and others are doing related to this initiative.”
The gesture marks an important step toward a respectful relationship between the LDS Church and LGBTQ communities, especially considering its timing in relation to the recent Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage, according to one state lawmaker who has been involved in trying to build a bridge between the two groups.