Moment of Truth: Director Reed Cowan Explores 8: The Mormon Proposition

The more you looked into this, were you surprised how unambiguous the church was about this movement -- and how little they really attempted to cover it up?

I think they were attempting to hide it, and that is what surprised me.

They had video, though. There was audio--

I feel like this was a lesson in the YouTube generation for Mormons. That video was released in a four-minute section on the Internet; we got the whole thing. And what you don't see in our film -- and I almost look back and wish we'd included it, but it's just too much -- is he starts out saying, "I want you to treat this broadcast as if I am in your hom, on your sofa, in your family room, with your family, having a private meeting. You, your family, and me, the apostle of God." So they set up this environment of secrecy in the broadcast. And I don't think they thought it would get out. I think they thought they could speak freely, and it would be safe.

What about the money trail? The records and plans and demands in writing?

I know they had no idea that a gay man would be working in their archive. The back story to these documents is that a young, gay man -- closeted, obviously -- was working in the church. His father was high up, so he was trusted with a certain level of access. He saw that the Mormon general authorities were -- and this is his account -- calling upon research about this same topic of gay marriage. So he went to those documents, photocopied them and left. I don't think they banked on ever having a gay employee who would say, "This is historically significant, and the public has to know about it." This young man told me that he wouldn't have done this if it had been about the secret practices in the Temple or anything sacred to Mormons. But because they made this incursion into public policy, he felt he had a right to take them because the American public deserved the right to know what was going on behind the scenes.

Are you surprised that despite all the focus on the Mormon Church during and after Prop 8, nothing's changed internally? Or is something changing?

I'm encouraged by the fact that the California Fair Political Practices Commission found them guilty of... what, some 13 counts in the last few days? They've been handily fined. I'm encouraged that our documents have wound up in the federal trial that's going on right now. As a result of our documents, other documents were subpoenaed. Attorneys knew there must be other documents, so they subpoenaed others, I've be told. I'm encouraged by the fact that transparency is beginning to happen. Because you know, as a journalist, that when you start to shine a light on something, the public will start to see it for what it is. I'm encouraged by that.

So you go meet with Sen. Buttars, and--

My friend!

This guy fascinates me. And your reaction to him fascinates me. I totally understand dispassionately interviewing him, but as you realized the news this guy's comments will make, what were you thinking?

Well, I have to say that there is a part of yourself that's sitting there listening but reacting on a personal level. Sometimes you sit across from somebody you don't like and you ask questions. I guess I sat in that interview and I let him run his mouth -- I didn't have to ask a lot of questions. At the same time, the human being asking the questions was very hurt by what he said. But I couldn't react. I couldn't really jump him for what he was saying that would have ramifications in my life. Things that were so blatantly, horrifically offensive. He had a right to tell his story, and he did. And he had a right to expose himself such as he did.

The outrage of the period following Prop 8's passage was very intense. Yet it's long since tapered off, even as people remain angry about it.

Mm-hmm. It's an open wound.

Is political action so hot and fast now that it's impossible to sustain while we're off looking for the next movement?

I hope not. We're in danger of that, as with any movement. We're a culture that's quick to forget. I mean, look at Haiti. We held the telethons, and it was hot for a minute, but it was just a blip in the news cycle. How many journalists are in Haiti right now? My hope is that this documentary keeps it hotter for a little while longer -- that a few more eyeballs will be on it and a few more lessons can be learned. That's my hope.

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