Utah: No Hearing on LGBT Rights

Utah state senator Ben McAdams tried to force a hearing on his bill to prohibit antigay discrimination, but saw his move rejected in a party-line vote.

By Advocate.com Editors

In a party-line vote, the Utah state senate Monday declined to schedule a hearing for a bill that would prohibit discrimination against LGBT people in housing and employment, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Democratic senator Ben McAdams (pictured), the sponsor, had tried to force a hearing on the bill, which is stalled in the senate rules committee, but senators rejected the move by a vote of 21-7, with Republicans in the majority.

In encouraging his fellow senators to allow a hearing, McAdams said, “Some of you may worry about the controversy and hateful e-mails you might receive. I believe the dialogue will be respectful and it will be constructive. ... I refuse to accept that religious liberty is incompatible with protection of gay and transgender people in their home and on the job.”

Rules committee chair Margaret Dayton, however, said not every one of the 1,200 bill requests filed in the senate can get a hearing, and McAdams should not expect special treatment for his. Republican senator Chris Buttars added that he saw no need for the antidiscrimination bill: “I don’t know why we try to press these things out like this when there isn’t a demand for it.”

SOURCE

Utah state representative introduces anti-gay ‘Family Policy’ bill

By Eric Ethington

SALT LAKE CITY — Extremist and anti-gay Utah state Representative LaVar Christensen (R) has introduced House Bill 270, called the “Family Policy” bill.

The language includes the State affirming marriage as “ordained by god” between a man and a woman:

“As the public policy of Utah, that a family, consisting of a legally and lawfully married man and woman and their children, is the fundamental unit of society; and requires that publicly funded social programs, government services, laws, and regulations designed to support families be carefully scrutinized to ensure that the promote the family.”

And as if we needed any more proof that Christensen and his Sutherland Institute cronies have never actually read the constitution, it also says;

“Marriage and family predate all governments and are supported by and consistent with the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God, the Creator and Supreme Judge of the World.”

Welcome back to the dark ages folks.

I’m still going through the details of the bill, but it appears that it doesn’t actually effect any actual policies, but rather is a typical Utah GOP ‘Message Bill’ designed to garner favor with the most extreme 1% of the population.

Utah already has a constitutional amendment (Amendment 3) which prohibits same sex marriage, civil unions or any governmental recognition similar to marriage in the state.

Last Week, Christensen reintroduced a bill he tried to pass in 2006 which prohibits same-sex couples from making contractual agreements, such as wills and financial arrangements.

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