"This Made Me Smile..."

SLC Gay Bar Accused Of Mocking LDS Church

October 4, 2014

Club Jam at 751 North and 300 West in Salt Lake City, has a naked statue of Moroni guarding the entrance; the workers are wearing missionary nametags and there are signs advertising things like 'sacrament shots' and 'garment droppers'.

Club management says it's their way of profiting from this weekend's LDS General Conference in Salt Lake City.

"We get a lot of out-of-towners, people just started showing up in their suits, wearing their former missionary name-badges and we decided to capitalize on it," says Megan Risbon, club manager.

Club Jam advertises itself as a gay bar. The establishment has been the venue for some controversial events in the past, but some are calling this weekend's party a desecration of things the religion holds sacred.

A Facebook page touts the event as the 'Missionary Position Conference Weekend Party'. It offers free entry to those wearing "garments, missionary nametags, or their missionary suit."

"We're not having people in garments dancing on the bar, we're not doing stuff like that, we're just having a good time," says Risbon.

While the bar says this type of event has been going on for years, at least one patron says this year they went too far.

"The gay community asks so much for tolerance and understanding of what they believe in," says Aubrie Scoffield, who frequented the club in the past. "They're not really broadcasting that to other people. Instead it just looks like they're mocking the LDS community in general."

Salt Lake's gay community is in the spotlight while the state fights a federal ruling legalizing same-sex marriage. Club Jam insists this event isn't meant to take a shot at the LDS church, or the state.

"That is funny to me because we are a bar, our whole purpose is to have a good time and that's exactly what we're doing," says Risbon.

At least one patron will think twice before going back to Club Jam.

"It's changed my views on what they as a club stand for," says Scoffield.

The LDS church weighed-in through a written statement by spokesperson, Dale Jones:

"In recent years many people in our community, including religious leaders and representatives of the LGBT community have worked hard to create greater understanding and develop more sensitivity and good will toward each other. It is sad to see events like this - deliberately designed to offend and alienate - given any kind of attention."

In the interest of full disclosure, 2News has an employee with an ownership stake in Club Jam.

******

Surprise, surprise... The Mormon's can dish it out, but they can't take it!

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a "Recovering Mormon" and former leader in the church who thankfully no longer has anything to do with the LDS church and its hatefull opinions on GLBT people. I don't hate the members of the church, but rather it's evil leadership who constantly demonize us and fight to keep up less than free and equal citizens.

"Fear Eats the Soul"