SALT LAKE CITY — A group of Mormon Church members sympathetic to LGBT rights said it has been denied entry into two of Utah’s biggest parades.

In a statement posted on its website, Mormons Building Bridges said its applications to march in the Days of ’47 and Provo’s Freedom Festival parades were rejected without explanation.

“Both events are organized by private non-profits with the right to turn down any group for any reason, but the Mormons Building Bridges steering committee is disappointed and confused as to why their proposals – which are supportive of the mission of both organizations — have been rejected,” Mormons Building Bridges said in its statement.

“This year the Days of ‘47 theme is “Pioneers — Forging a New Frontier”. MBB seeks to to embody that theme by highlighting the work of community leaders who are forging new frontiers and also happen to be LGBT. Likewise, what better way to support the Freedom Festival’s stated goal of promoting patriotism, than by honoring the service of LGBT veterans who have kept this country free?”

In the past, Days of ’47 has said it does not accept entries from advocacy groups. The parade is Utah’s largest, commemorating the entry of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley. The Freedom Festival in Provo is a patriotic celebration coinciding with the Fourth of July.

Mormons Building Bridges will be marching again in the Utah Pride Parade on June 7 in Salt Lake City.