Last week, a Utah Senate committee killed a bill allowing individuals who rely on a breadwinner to sue for wrongful death. The vote to kill the measure was on a strict LDS-membership vote. Equality Utah isn’t taking that set back lying down.
Over the weekend EQ UT began a billboard, radio and newspaper ad campaign reminding Utah legislators of the LDS statement that there is “common ground” on some rights for same-sex couples short of marriage. The newspaper ads appeared in The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret New. Equality Utah’s Common Ground initiative seized on the LDS statement and proposed five specific bills for the Utah legislature’s consideration:
- Domestic partnership benefits for state employees
- Fair housing and employment provisions
- Right to sue for wrongful deaths — the bill that was defeated last week
- Domestic partner registry with attached rights of inheritance, insurance, and fair housing
- a popular vote to modify Amendment 3, which bans same sex marriage and civil unions. Voters would be asked to modify the amendment to allow civil unions.
There is certainly a different feel with Equality Utah. It’s not the same as in previous years. There is definitely an influx of new money. The advertisements could not be made by donors from Utah alone…unless it is a big benefactor? Bruce Bastian, perhaps? The website is far more polished and professional.
Whatever/whomever is the source of the new funds…I’m certainly grateful. Thanks.
Reply
I’m happy that they are siezing the moment. Considering that a $190K contribution was just revealed, their activism puts the church in the position of appearing to be rabidly way-out-of-the-mainstream homophobic and downright hateful.
While that may not change anything in Utah, it will certainly impact how the church proceeds in Wyoming.
Reply
Just in Wyoming?
I’m going to be guilty of aggrandizing Utah a little here. I’m biased, of course. But in the course of gay history this Proposition 8 and the rallies around the Mormon Temples is akin to the Stonewall riots…or it can be. We certainly have the opportunity to make some concrete changes in our world.
I’m guilty of doing some armchair coaching too. Perhaps if ‘the letter’ that was sent from the Prophet to be read at all the Ward and Stake Houses in California was followed by ‘another letter’ that expressed these Common-Ground values…things might have been much different in California, Arizona, and….
Of course it’s pure conjecture but it MIGHT have changed things.
Mr. Kincaid,
You are certainly right in stating :
The course of action now: keep poking at their raw nerve. Keep the public’s perception of Mormons as bigots and as strident homophobes. That seems to make them all the more uncomfortable and reactive. Much more than when some gay Mormons have valiantly tried to have “an audience†with the Prophet and have been consistently turned down. At least we are getting some attention now.
Reply
How curious, when I say Mormons are rabid I get my comments moderated, but cowboy doesn’t. Can you say “Double standard?”
Reply
Scott,
Reread the comment. You will note that it did not accuse the Mormon Church of being rabid[ly way-out-of-the-mainstream homophobic and downright hateful] but rather pointed out that the actions of Equality Utah make them appear to be that way.
Further, I don’t know offhand which of your inappropriate comments were moderated due to your violation of our Comments Policy, but I am absolutely certain it was not because you used the word “rabid”.
Reply