Bitter? Yes. Sure, “Not everyone in Utah, or who’s Mormon for that matter, is a close-minded bigot.” But if you live there and aren’t part of the consensus narrative, there is a high statictical likelihood that people who might otherwise be kind and understanding will instead show you their bigoted side.

Not all pots of water sitting on stovetops will burn your hand… but if you’ve reached out enough times, and gotten burned enough times, you’d be a fool to assume anything other than “I’m going to get burned” when presented with the same situation.

I loved Utah. But the bigotry I experienced there isn’t the sort of abstract, academic, point-of-view-dependent, two-sided bigotry you describe. It doesn’t require ‘bitterness’ to see that it is a very real and pervasive practice of a monocultural society.

Outside of Utah I have many Mormon friends and the difference between their attitudes and the prevailing attitudes of Utah Mormons is so extreme that they almost seem to be practicing a different religion. Their acceptance of other points of view and the lack of a pervasive cultural saturation combine to create a situation where bigotry would stand out as the shameful practice it is. In a self-reinforcing monoculture such as that found in Utah, there isn’t enough damping on the cultural processes and there is a distinct lack of reference points that would make much bad behavior stand out.

So: bitter, much? Sure. But if you have been stabbed an uncountably large number of times, do you not bleed much?

People can’t progress and change if there are always those on both sides that either a)won’t allow it, or b) don’t beleive it.

Not everyone in Utah, or who’s Mormon for that matter, is a close-minded bigot.

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1586838,00.html

Good luck one that one. Having said that, who knows?