Chapters:
0:00 Take us back
4:55 A “domestic refugee”
8:20 Vision of Cherish Families
11:05 A big problem with the word “escape”
19:40 The term “cult” creates more harm than good
22:35 Is it fair to use the word “minority?”
25:55 Should polygamy be legal?
33:00 Relativism vs moral realism
35:50 Individual vs group
40:25 Feminists for polygamy
44:05 My mom was my person
How do you define minority in the political sense? Is it merely a group with fewer than half the population? Are polygamists minorities in America beyond the simple math with all that the political term confers?
Shirlee Draper is a former member of the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints community. When the group was taken over by Warren Jeffs, now jailed for life, she bailed. It wasn’t easy. She says that she wanted to leave the community for six years, but it was less friendly out “with the majority.”
Shirlee and Theral come from the same town on the Utah—Arizona border, where for a hundred years or so the insular religion with the practice of polygamy offered a romantic and religious reprieve from modernity. The community has also been at odds with the law since its inception which has created a stigma for those who have lived there. Shirlee is now the Director of Operations for Cherish Families, a nonprofit offering assistance to those in her hometown setting. Is it only for those who are leaving? No. It is for anyone and everyone.
Much has been written about the polygamists in Colorado City. The FLDS religion has been a magnet for sensationalist news stories from all of the major American channels. Perhaps the most famous book on the town and culture was written in 2003 by former outdoor journalist John Krakauer, entitled Under the Banner of Heaven. Neither Shirlee nor Theral are fans.
Many books have been written by former members who often talk about “escape.” This word holds no meaning for Shirlee or Theral. Escape from what? A vibrant strong community that served as their home village?
In his book, Krakauer relies heavily on the term “cult.” Shirlee says the word has little utility for framing her hometown and is indeed harmful, pushing away the healing possibilities of integration and societal cohesion.
Do Polygamists Have Minority Status in America? with Shirlee Draper, Former FLDS Member