Freemason's hypocrisy over same sex marriage

Greg White
​Staff Writer

When Dennis Clark and Mark Henderson joined the Freemasons, it was because of their ideals and what they believed the organization stood for.

“I love Freemasonry,” said Clark. “I love what it stands for, the mission, my brothers, being part of a larger charitable organization.”

The two live on a farm outside of Memphis and joined the Park Avenue lodge in Midtown Memphis in 2007. But when Clark and Henderson married on June 26, the day the Supreme Court made their landmark decision legalizing same-sex marriage, the organization that they loved turned its back on them and began the process of revoking their membership. However, Clark questions why the decision only came down this year.

“Mark and I went to Scotland to get a civil partnership back on January 28, 2008 and one of our friends from Holland posted a picture of us. Someone took the picture to the Grand Master and he did nothing at that time. Everybody in the fraternity knows and knew that Mark and I were a couple but it wasn’t ever brought up.”

Fellow Freemason Brian McMurry confirmed saying, “As far as our knowledge of their relationship status, we knew. It had absolutely no effect on how well they could perform their duties as a Mason. And that we knew or didn’t know, it shouldn’t have any effect on our relationship.”

To add insult to injury, they were not even able to attend their own trial because of a sudden change of venue.

“The first charge was held [at the Park Avenue lodge] but two days beforehand, they canceled the trial. It was silent for a few months and in the middle of December I was notified it would be January 30,” said Clark. “They relocated the trial to Nashville. Because they had moved the trial, I was unable to attend to present character witnesses or any material witnesses for my defense.”

“It’s a political problem, not a Masonic problem,” said Clark. “There’s nothing in the Code of Enlightened Reason that says who a man loves matters when it comes to his moral fiber.”

McMurry agreed, saying “I think that it’s just the publicity that the issue [same-sex marriage] as a whole has received. You can’t be neutral in this matter so you either agree or you disagree and I think that here in Tennessee there’s some strong disagreement. The legality of it made it a matter of the public. Cohabitation can be kept private. It’s public and it’s a legal issue so it’s just a great big issue. What they were trying to do was just to set their stance on it because that have to.”

But it’s the single focus on one bullet point from the Freemason’s bylaws that has Clark so frustrated.

“A Masonic mentor pointed to the code and the 26 other offenses, gambling drinking saying cuss words that aren’t enforced, but until it became legal for us to get married it wasn’t a problem. Every single Freemason has violated at least one offense whether it’s gambling or getting drunk or swearing. The kinds of offenses are mundane. How is this still happening today? We’re being charged with being gay. [The Grand Master’s] big problem is that were’ gay and we have the nerve to get married," added Clark. 

"It’s a shame because of all the things that we could do..."

The lodge has put a gag order on the issue, discouraging any current members from publicly commenting on the event. But this has caused a divide in the ranks, according to Clark.

“There was a secret meeting held, recorded by two people who leaked it to me. There is a growing crack between those who are angered by what happened at the grand lodge and those who want to preserve the integrity of Freemasonry. The grand lodge put out the gag order. The fact that they were recorded and sent to me says that there’s a large portion of Freemasons in Nashville that are infuriated by what the grand lodge is doing.”

Asked why he would break the gag order risking his own membership, McMurry said, “This is really all about them. They’re very noble and personable guys. They share a bond just like we as Masons share a special bond. We’re supposed to support each other.”

The Gayly - 2/24/2016 @ 4:56 pm CST