So this turned into a big deal. David Archuleta was more or less live tweeting an LDS General Conference on Saturday. When he tweeted a statement some folks felt was homophobic:
“Romantic love is incomplete. It is a prelude. Love is nourished by the coming of children, who spring from the fountain of love…
— David Archuleta (@DavidArchie) April 4, 2015
…expressed between a man and woman in marriage.” #PresPacker
— David Archuleta (@DavidArchie) April 4, 2015
Boyd K. Packer is a head honcho of the Mormon Church. I’m sure the gender specificity in his statement was no accident. Mormon leaders–like other religious leaders–have been VERY vocal opponents to gay marriage, believing the union of two people is only meant to be between a man and a woman.
I thought it was odd that David would choose to tweet regarding such a hot button issue. But let’s face it–David is a devout Mormon. I’d be surprised if he actually DID support marriage equality.
I winced when I saw the tweet, because I 100% disagree with the sentiment. But I also knew Archie was in for it. Looking through his mentions, on Saturday, there were quite a few people who were offended and/or taken aback by his tweets. The reaction was so strong, that two days later, Archie posted a clarification on his blog:
I apologize if I have offended anyone with the quote I sent out Saturday. I guess I didn’t think about the line “expressed between a man and a woman in marriage” being stressed when the whole quote didn’t fit in just 1 tweet. I am sorry my intentions were misunderstood, as my main focus was that too often romance is looked at as the end-all when there is so much more. The bonds that can be there within a family and raising kids, as that is the most valuable thing I have: my family. I do hope however, that whoever may have been offended may know I respect everyone’s freedom to believe and live as they choose. I hope others can respect what I value most in my life as well. Again, I’m sorry and please forgive me if I offended you. David
I believe him when he says he didn’t have marriage equality in mind when he tweeted the quotes. But I am surprised he didn’t understand that the subtext of the president’s message was destined to stir controversy.
