and here i thought i was going to take a break from posting until after the holidays…
OCMCO stands for Orange County Mormon Choral Organization. It's a brand new choir that just had it’s inaugural concert on December 12th at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.
According to the blogger known only as "Max Power," a member of the choir, it was a magnificent show. Posting the night of the concert, Max describes the experience in glowing terms and even speaks of a personal miracle he attributes to his participation in the event.
But not all is well in the choir, it would seem, as an individual known only as the choir’s “Web Publicist” has discovered that Max is a homosexual* and asked him to remove his post so it wouldn’t show up in any Google searches for the choir!
"[T]his is not the kind of publicity we need as a young organization trying to benefit the Church and its music," said the Web Publicist in an email.
Max released a statement detailing the distasteful and offensive nature of the request he believes was made only because he is a homosexual. In a statement released earlier today Max writes incredulously, “Have you read my blog? Have you seen any of the posts where I talk about sticking with my core beliefs and values, in spite of my sexual orientation… Why do you think that an admission of incredible faith (faith to the level that it causes me to shun the most core and natural feelings that my body generates) about the church is bad?”
He continues, “I would say that I don't understand, but I do. The general membership of the church doesn't actually belive what they talk about every Sunday. They don't believe in unconditional love. The don't believe in imperfections. They don't believe in caring for those who are different than they are. They don't believe in the Atonement. They don't actually believe what Jesus taught, even though they can lay claim to greater knowledge of His teachings than any other Christian church out there.”
Whether or not the actions of the choir reflect on the general membership of the church is unclear. Max’s statement is, however, as scathing a critique of a choral organization as this observer has ever read.
If you’d like you can deliver your own scathing critique of OCMCO you may do so at the following link:
Contact the Choir
*It's true, OCMCOs. Like millions of Americans, Max suffers from Chronic Gay.
+++
good tune (but not a choral piece)
http://djpretzel.web.aplus.net/songs/Zelda_Links_Awakening_Braving_Tal_Tal_Heights_OC_ReMix.mp3
About Me
- playasinmar
- Politically minded and casually dressed, I weathered the storms of adolescent stupidity mostly unscathed. I now seek a better understanding of who and why I am.
21 comments:
Be nice, playa. In spite of the mini-controversy going on right now, I still have the greatest hopes for the success of the choir. It was a beautiful thing to participate in, and I want it to stay that way.
I wasn't being scathing in my post. I was just being frank and honest about my observations when straight people in the church encounter gay ones.
Playa, you're so bad.
Although, I confess that I'm tempted to do the same as it really gets my hackles up; but, out of respect for a brother, I refrain as I don't want to do anything that might make matters worse for him.
Playa, you rabble-rouser, you’re already #6 is a search for OCMCO. Remind me never to cross you.
I was curious about the criteria they had for membership and found:
“OCMCO welcomes all children, youth, and adults in the community who agree to abide by its code of ethics, regardless of their religious affiliation. For the specific details of each ensemble, please see The Choirs & Orchestra”
But I can’t find where this code resides. Is it a problem for Max (who’s name you mustn’t touch) to self id as both gay and an OCMCO member, or is their code the same as the LDS church’s? Hmm, do I even know what the LDS code is here? Can you be an out gay man, such that everyone knows in the church, and have equal opportunity to, say, teach on Sunday or be the stake treasurer or whatever, as long as you’re celibate?
No, Scot. It appears you can’t.
I was also searching for the code they mention on their site but couldn’t find it. I’ve been able to extrapolate what appears to be the only rule:
No Gays Allowed
Posts like this give me such an itch for activism, but speaking of codes, the BYU honor code forbids me from even being an advocate of homosexuality. Hence, no standing up for what's right for me.
NEW DEVELOPMENT
I've been contacted by a member of the OCMCO and asked to remove this post!
And you're going to do that right away?
I really hope that you leave this post up. If the choir wants to be an emissary of Christian values and of spreading the love of Christ, how can they expect to do that if they don't practice what they preach. They should first look to themselves. I don't think people are foolish enough anymore to think that choirs don't have gays in them. Come on, let's be serious here. If they don't like gays so much, I could imagine they could do a lot of restructuring in the MoTabs among even one of its directors (hearsay only) and other choral faculty at BYU (again, hearsay).
Playa, have you ever done anything in your life that didn't involve criticism or destruction?
This wasn't your battle to fight. This was mine. It was a case of ignorance on the part of the person who sent me the email in the first place. I overreacted a bit over a couple of sentences, and now you've gone and turned it into a whole lot more than it ever was.
For everyone's information, I did not quote the entire email in my previous blog. The falshood that you are perpetuating here about them not accepting gay people is completely false. Most of the email was very benign. I was assured my welcome into the choir - gay or not.
Please do something constructive for a change.
Have I ever done anything in my life that didn't involve criticism or destruction?
Perhaps a better question would be, "Have I ever had a nice guy say nice things said about me and asked him to knock it off because he was gay?"
What OCMCO has done is unfair, hurtful, and unchristian.
PS:
It's hard to read your side of the story because you keep deleting your posts.
Playa, you are absolutely right! What OCMCO has done is unfair, hurtful, and unchristian. It was probably a knee jerk reaction that wasn't thought through on their part.
But Max is also right - this isn't your battle to fight.
What I'm concerned about is that this could escalate out of control - and the person who gets hurt, who becomes the scape goat - is our friend Max.
I think "battle" is too hard a word.
Those are his words I'm quoting. His hurt you're reading. We should be defending him against the unprovoked agression in his battle.
But, perhaps we should do as it is done in stories. The friends of the hero are behind him every step of the way; but, when it comes to the final battle - they all step aside and let him fight it alone, in his own way.
That’s a horrible strategy! Leave him to die fighting a monster without the aid of his allies?
The hero shouldn’t be lucky to survive the encounter.
But, neither should our hero be trampled to death by well meaning allies trying to step in to help.
I love you Playa. You make me smile- or is it a devious grin?
It's probably a devious grin but you're the one in the witch hat so you tell me. :)
These arguments of how you should step aside, playa, are typical Mormon behavior. Growing up in the Church I've found that the prevailing attitude is it's better to not rock the boat than it is to be right or stand up for yourself. And if you must raise the dissenting hand, for the love of God do it in private!
The only way treatment of gays within the Church is to improve is for us to stand up and say that it's not right. And we need to stand together.
The only way treatment of gays within the Church is to improve is for us to stand up and say that it's not right. And we need to stand together.
I agree with you to a point; but, not when it hurts one of our own - which is what is happening in this particular situation.
With friends like this - who needs enemies?
Max has re-posted his first post about the OCMCO. It appears unchanged except for the Voldemort allusion.
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