Gay-rights advocates plan 'General Service Weekend'

Members and supporters of Utah's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community have been busy for the past few weeks.

They weren't planning a massive rally during the upcoming general

conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, like

many false rumors that ran through e-mail circles would have you

believe. Instead, leaders in the LGBT community were finding places

where they could roll up their sleeves and work as part of an event

they are calling "General Service Weekend."

"People have been calling and asking if we were going to protest

general conference weekend, but we don't feel that there is a need to

protest the church any further right now," organizer and gay-rights

advocate Jacob Whipple said.

"But we wanted to seize all that energy and do something productive."

It was Whipple who launched the protest in Salt Lake City that

brought thousands to Temple Square just days after California passed

Proposition 8, the ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage in the

Golden State.

Now he and others have worked hard to coordinate a number of service

projects in Salt Lake, Weber and Davis counties that will take place

April 4-5.

"General Service Weekend is not to detract from LDS general

conference; it is to reaffirm Christian acts of kindness in the

community," Whipple said.

Participants in the weekend activities are being asked to meet at

the Utah Pride Center, 361 S. 300 West, or at the Unitarian Church, 705

23rd St. in Ogden, at 10 a.m. both mornings.