SALT LAKE, Utah (ABC4 News) - A mobile billboard attacking Mormonism is causing controversy in Utah.
The sign reads "No Blacks Allowed (Until 1978), No Gays Allowed (Current). Shame on Mormonism."
Dave Silverman, President of American Atheists, is the man behind the billboard. The sign has followed Mitt Romney on the campaign trail.
"It's targeted at Mormonism specifically because a lot of people are simply not considering the ramifications or possible ramifications of a Mormon president," Silverman said.
Silverman said Romney has not clearly identified where he stands on issues of diversity, equality and separation of church and state, which is why American Atheists created the ad.
The billboard is turning heads wherever it goes. Monday night it traveled to Boca Raton, Florida for the final presidential debate.
"It's an attack on this country's religious freedom, which is what this country is all about," Salt Lake County resident Eric Fermin said.
The ad references the fact the LDS Church did not ordain black men to its lay priesthood until 1978 and the church continues to oppose gay marriage.
"They are really accepting," Scott Stuart, another Utahn, said. "I think it's unfortunate that people aren't taking time to figure out what Mormonism believes in."
A spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released this statement to ABC4 News:
"This group seems not to know that there have been black members of the Church since our earliest history, and there are many faithful gay members of the Church today. We would be happy to introduce the group to any of our millions of members of different ethnicity who would be happy to educate them on our diversity.”
Still, Silverman said he wants Romney to address diversity and equality issues before Americans cast their vote.
"We are not saying he would be a good president or a bad president. We are saying the separation of church and state is a serious issue and diversity is a serious issue," Silverman said.
