Since posting my reaction to the LDS Church’s new policy surrounding members in same-sex marriages and their children, I received text messages, emails, and instant messages from friends and family defending their church. The overall theme is the same: “we’re not anti-gay.”

Of course, there is a significant problem with that statement. While you might not be personally anti-gay, the church you pay 10 percent of your income to certainly is. And the evidence is more than just anecdotal.

Rewind to 2008 and the hotly-contested ballot measure in California. Proposition 8 would have banned same-sex marriage in the most populated state in the country. On the front lines of the battle was the LDS Church. Leadership openly expressed support for the measure, and bishops read a statement written by the church presidency about the importance of supporting the initiative. Members were directed to donate money and their time to the campaign. The church raised over $20 million to support the measure, with about half of the donations coming from outside of California. The church was even fined for failing to report some of the money it spent to help pass the ballot measure.

Edie Windsor — The Atlantic

In 2012, Edie Windsor sued the United States in an effort to claim an exemption from the estate tax. The Defense of Marriage Act prevented Ms. Windsor’s same-sex marriage from being federally recognized. Windsor and her spouse were married in Canada, but lived in New York. When Windsor’s spouse died, she left her entire estate to Windsor. Windsor argued that preventing her access to the tax exemption violated the Due Process Clause of the United States Constitution. The Supreme Court agreed, and struck down DOMA.

Why is Edie Windsor’s case an important illustration to the LDS Church’s fight against gay rights? In many cases, courts allow amicus briefs to be filed. These briefs allow interested parties to file a legal brief with the court in an attempt to sway opinion. Not surprising, the LDS Church filed a brief against Windsor’s fight for equal rights. The brief was joined by a handful of other denominations.

Fast forward a couple of years to Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court case that legalized gay marriage nationally. Again, the LDS Church filed an amicus brief against the legalization of same-sex marriage. And again, the Court disagreed and legalized gay marriage nationwide.

You may be thinking “opposition to gay marriage does not make me (or my church) anti-gay.” Fair enough.

Earlier this year, Elder M. Russell Ballard spoke at the ninth World Congress of Families Conference held in Salt Lake City. Several other members of the LDS Church spoke at the conference as well. The World Congress of Families has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and is tied to the passage of onerous anti-gay laws in Russia and Uganda. In particular, the Ugandan law initially called for the death penalty for homosexual activity. The law was amended and, as it currently stands, a gay person can be sentenced to life in prison for being involved in a same-sex relationship.

Yes, the LDS Church is taking an active stance against gay marriage. On top of that, church leadership actively promotes a group that is virulently anti-gay. Some members of the LDS Church might be very pro-gay rights. But the church is anti-gay, and the latest policy change is just the latest proof.