When all else fails, sneeze. And sneeze. And sneeze again. That’s exactly what one Utah lawmaker did to filibuster an antigay bill in the State Senate this week.
Sen. Jim Dabakis, an openly gay member of the Utah State Senate, saved the day at literally the eleventh hour and fifty-seventh minute Monday evening when he blocked a bill that would have essentially relegated same-sex married couples in his state back to second-class citizenship.
Related: “God” Purchases Two “God Loves Gays” Billboards in Utah For Pride Month
Despite U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby striking down Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage in 2013, followed by the Supreme Court’s ruling on nationwide marriage equality last June, some lawmakers in the Beehive State are still hellbent on discriminating against the gays, or, as they like to call it, protecting “religious liberties.”
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Antigay, anti-choice, anti-immigrant Republican Rep. LaVar Christensen tried to sneak a very subtle amendment into an otherwise mundane measure during a recent legislative session. The amendment sought to change the definition of term “joint tenants,” which is used on state tax forms, from any “legally married couple” to just “husband and wife.” The ultimate goal was to eliminate gay couples from being legitimate joint tenants under Utah law.
Related: Utah’s Ban On Same-Sex Marriage Struck Down As Unconstitutional
The bill passed the Senate. The House Judiciary Committee made a few revisions then sent it back to the Senate floor very late Monday night. A roll-call vote began at 11:57 p.m. and seemed to be sailing towards passage. That’s when Sen. Dabakis stepped in to the rescue.
When it came time to voice his vote, Sen. Dabakis cleared his throat. Then he sneezed, and sneezed again. He fumbled his words, rambled a bit, sneezed some more, and coughed again.
When Senate leaders caught on to his stall tactic, they tried skipping over him to continue voting and pass the bill before the midnight deadline. But it was too late. The clock struck midnight, the session ended, and the bill died.
Dabakis was met with condescending scowls and stares from his Republican colleagues. Afterwards, he got in his car and drove home to be with his lawfully wedded husband, Stephen, who he legally married in Salt Lake City in December 2013.
Related: WATCH: Gay Couple’s Surprising Engagement In Home Depot In Utah Comes Complete With Flash Mob
RIck Dean
Good for him! Strike for equality,
Rick Troth
A creative approach.
trell
If there’s one phrase that makes my blood boil, it’s “Defending religious liberties”. It’s a flimsy shield to protect a bunch of influential rednecks from accusations of discrimination.
Religion & Politics DO NOT MIX! Never have, never will. From the early Papacy excommunicating kings for not joining crusades, up to present day Sharia laws & seperatist terrorist jihads, we all remain completely fucked if we continue to need to mesh the two together.
i don’t want to abolish religion. I don’t care what people personally believe. I’m enough of a realist to accept that discrimination exists. Nobody can truly say that they accept all others. (Yes, even us gays have our own personal prejudices!) – But using the law to exercise these prejudices & foist them on to others, is why we need people like Jim Dabakis.
Personally, I’d give my vote to whichever presidency runner declares “I will not make any choice based on religious influence”. It’s a shame that someone saying that would be career suicide.
Stephen Benoit
Heh heh heh! Love it!
GayEGO
And as usual, “Dabakis was met with condescending scowls and stares from his Republican colleagues.” Oh those Republican politicians, they create so many roadblocks as we move forward toward equality for all American citizens.
Merv
If the leadership really wanted it to pass, it would have passed. State legislatures routinely stop clocks to fudge deadlines. This is all theater.