Gay-rights Score card
A proposal to provide inheritance and medical rights to unmarried couples and the last hope of a package of gay-rights bills, aka the Common Ground Initiative, was snuffed out in a House committee at the halfway point of the session. Supporters hoped in vain that an LDS church statement that it did not oppose equal rights for gays and Gov. Jon Huntsman's support would at least get some of the bills into a debate on the chambers' floors. Other high and low points for the LBGT community:• At Salt Lake County, Councilwoman Jenny Wilson, after four years of pushing, manages to widen employee benefits to include nontraditional families, including same-sex couples.
• In battling the Common Ground Initiative, a shadowy group America Forever prints full page ads in both Salt Lake City newspapers denouncing gay rights of any kind and labeling homosexuality "anti-species."
• Rep. Carl Wimmer, pointman of the Initiative's opposition, is forced to a least pretend to distance himself from America Forever.
• Sen. Chris Buttars exhibits hysterical homophobia in an interview with a documentary filmmaker that rocketed across the Web.
• Senate Republican leaders, embarrased by Buttars rantings, take away his chairmanship of a committee that handles most gay-rights bills.
• Senate President Mike Waddoups refuses to call the action "punishment" and Buttars refuses to apologize.
• The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s GLBT civil rights organization, is demanding Waddoups to condemn Buttars' remarks.
• The Eagle Forum hands out "Chris Buttars for President" pins. (This is not a joke.)
• For better or worse, Utahns are debating gay rights and civil unions.
• Sen. Curtis Bramble begins discussions about drafting legislation before the next session that would offer some legal protections to gays.
• The political clout of the Eagle Forum's Gayle Ruzicka is manifestly apparent.
7 Comments:
Really, why do the rest of them even bother to show up when Gayle rules their world? We could save a lot of money just by turning the state lege over to her. Of course we'd also have to let her wear the KKK hood she keeps in her closet, just hoping for that magical day.
It's simply amazing the terror these people are in simply because two men's names might someday appear on a state marriage license. Oh the horror!
Wow, are there any photos of the "Buttars for president" pins? That's downright precious.
Eagle Forum.. #1 Enemy of the Gay Community, as well as any other Minority Community for that fact... Now, why is this organization allowed to push any buttons within the legislature? Until this is remedied, nothing shall ever change within this state. Unfortunately, unlike the rest of the world, Utah seems to prefer the old habits, instead of evolving and becoming a more humane and human society. Best of luck, Utah.
Images, reputation and standing in the community all come into play in this drama relating to Buttars and the State Senate leaders. They could have put a branding iron to to the guy and told him to quickly depart. But no, they implicity endorse his tortured commentary and he in turn proudly exclaims there is no need to apologize?
Buttars as a public official has a constellation of slips and a follow up need for regular confession. NO! he and the others stand firm, say what they want and little consequence follows. I'm a male and am straight, but still, is there not an aspiration for civility and remorse by the Senate leaders and Buttars? The press conference & Buttars written response; both were shallow and tarnish and diminish the reputation of many in the Senate sitting on the hill.(with a style and manner,that simply confounds, is full of irony and is heaped with hubris!)
How much longer can Utah pretend it's part of the modern world? The hate and intolerance put on exhibit this weeks puts in a league with the most radical Muslim extremists, a remote Wajiristan of backwater morality.
Pretty amazing if you ask me. I suppose all you LDS are very proud of 1) how you led the effort to roll back civil rights in California, and 2) how your state is now an utter laughing stock in its complete backwardness.
Pathetic, but fun to watch you all squirm as you try to justify your hate! Cheers.
Pretty amazing if you ask me. I suppose all you LDS are very proud of 1) how you led the effort to roll back civil rights in California, and 2) how your state is now an utter laughing stock in its complete backwardness.
Pathetic, but fun to watch you all squirm as you try to justify your hate! Cheers.
Your comment once again proves that Buttars is right. I don't see eye to eye with him often but in this case you just provided evidence to support his first amendment protected opinions.
If you wish to make a rational argument why homosexual's deserve rights of a protected group then by all means provide it.
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