A bill prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity died in the Utah Senate before it even could even come to a vote: Senate President Wayne Niederhauser (R-Sandy) said yesterday he wouldn’t bring SB 262—which offered workplace and housing protections to the LGBT community—up for debate because it hadn’t garnered sufficient support in chambers.
“I’m disappointed there won’t be a roll call vote,” said Sen. Jim Dabakis (D-Salt Lake City) the state’s only openly gay legislator. “But that’s the way it goes in politics.”
SB 262—which cleared committee in a 4-3 vote last week—went further than many similar measure introduced over the past six years, and supporters say they’ll bring it back next year.
The Mormon Church, which had actually backed similar legislation enacted in more than a dozen municipalities, didn’t give fight bill, but didn’t give it its endorsement either. (You don’t get much passed in Utah without the LDS Church signing off on it.)
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Some of folks who did openly oppose SB 262 say it would’ve given special rights to the LGBT community—you know, the kind of protections already afforded to people because of their race, creed, religion and other categories.
“Everybody should be treated with dignity and respect and be able to work and live based on their own merits and performance and behavior. The problem is when you start putting it into law,” said United Families for Utah’s Laura Bunker. “The problem is it can create a slippery slope toward same-sex marriage.”
Translation: So sorry we need to treat you like second-class citizens, gays—but if we don’t you might get ideas.
Wonder if Laura is related to Archie Bunker?
Source: Fox 13
Cam
“”The Mormon Church, which had actually backed similar legislation enacted in more than a dozen municipalities, didn’t give fight bill, but didn’t give it its endorsement either. (You don’t get much passed in Utah without the LDS Church signing off on it.)”
___________________
And once again Queerty tries to Whitewash the Mormon Church on gay issues.
You left out the part where they were supporting that legislation because they were being attacked as bigots and it was their response to a much more inclusive set of pro-gay legislation passed by others.
But why would Queerty bother with that when you could tell half the story and take yet another opportunity to support the Mormon church and not state that they are the single largest opponent of gay rights in the nation.
AxelDC
Gays will only be treated as equals in Mormon Utah when the LDS Church stops treating us as pariah.
2eo
@Cam: You know he responded to you [and me] and Dan was full of shit in both of them.
How can they even pretend they don’t whitewash for the mormons when it is clear they do.
Cam
@2eo:
I know! His big defense was that they talked about Prop 8….yeah, that was years ago, different time, different owners etc…
The scary thing is that it is dangerous. Covering for something that dangerous and even promoting websites with dangerous messages is not just not supporting the community it is actually being anti-gay and being dangerous to the community.
Remember, Queerty was also for a while reporting over and over on people who supposedly lied about being gay bashed, then constantly attacking the one country in the Middle East that actually had pro-gay laws.
It really seems like there is an anti-gay undertone.
macmantoo
What do you expect from the state of Morons.