Activist and MSNBC Anchor Contessa Brewer Lectures Mormons, Hopes for More 'Progress' on Gay Rights

Gay rights activist and MSNBC anchor Contessa Brewer continued to insert her politics into news reports on Wednesday. The News Live host discussed changes in how the Mormons view homosexuality and lectured, "And we hope to see more progress from the Church of Latter-Day Saints in the future."

The Mormon Church has announced it will no longer require those who have homosexual attractions to seek counseling, but still opposes acting on such feelings. That, apparently, wasn't enough for Brewer who complained to Fred Sainz of the Human Rights Campaign, "So, there's some progress there, but, yet, the church still calls homosexuality a violation of God's commandment."

Brewer has a long history of brazenly lobbying for gay rights even as she works as a supposedly neutral journalist. On July 24, 2010 [1], the anchor appeared a fundraiser for gay rights in Kentucky. This was less than two weeks after she complained, on-air, "Big question today: Why aren't more American leaders itching for a fight on gay rights?"

Brewer has also repeatedly argued for gay marriage [2].

A transcript of the November 17 segment, which aired at 12:40pm EST, follows:

CONTESSA BREWER: The Mormon church now says same-sex attraction is normal. And that is a major about-face from its previous doctrine. The church has formally removed same-sex attraction from the church's list of sins. It also for the first time does not require those who feel such attraction to seek professional counseling. The Human Rights Campaign pressured the Church of Latter Day Saints on this issue. Fred Sainz is with the campaign. So, there's some progress there, but, yet, the church still calls homosexuality a violation of God's commandment. Where is the church drawing the line?

FRED SAINZ (Human Rights Campaign): Well, no, you're right. Unfortunately, the Mormon Church continues to put homosexuality in the same category as murder, forcible rape and sexual assault. So, clearly, here's an awful lot of work the Mormon church has to do in order to correct the wrongs because of the message it sends to society at large, but specifically to gay and lesbian people, the message they send are that they're lesser than. So, while we certainly applaud them for removing what is called reparative therapy or the premise that you can simply change being gay by simply praying more, well they removed that from their handbook. They still have an awful long way to go in order to be in keeping with the mainstream of American society and what should be responsible church teachings.

BREWER: So, basically what they're saying is that the feelings not a problem but acting on those feelings is. So, how is the Mormon church now advising gays and lesbians to act?

SAINZ: Well, therein lies the conundrum there, Contessa, in that- The message that they're sending to people is that they should never love or be loved.

BREWER: Yeah.

SAINZ: That they can never and should never go ahead and act on what the American Psychological and American Psychiatric Associations have found to be completely natural behavior that are a normal part of being human. And, so, that, to us is simply not acceptable. It is not in keeping with the spiritual beliefs and understandings and experiences of the wide amount of American people.

BREWER: Right.

SAINZ: And, so, we believe they have a much farther way to go.

BREWER: Fred, thank you so much for joining us today. We appreciate that. And we hope to see more progress from the Church of Latter Day Saints in the future.