Utah Legislators Show Blatant Contempt for LGBT People

Jim Burroway

February 18th, 2009

If you want to know the inhumanity of Utah legislators, just look here:

Probably the most frustrating part for the bill’s supporters is that HB160 obviously was dead before the House Judiciary Committee convened. Nevertheless, citizens, gay and straight, went through the motions—testifying the state needs a simple way to protect the rights of cohabiting adults in inheritance and medical decision making….

…Rep. Keith Grover, R-Orem, idly surfed the Web on his laptop as unmarried couples told of their fears that they would not be able to care medically, financially and emotionally for “the person who matters to me most.”

The bill’s sponsor Rep. Jennifer Seelig, later said she was disappointed with the committee’s lethargy. She was offended that her efforts were characterized by the right-wing Sutherland Institute as “mendacious.”

That’s right. Simply allowing gay people to designate a partner to make medical decisions and visit them in the hospital is “given to or characterized by deception or falsehood or divergence from absolute truth.” It’s hard to imagine human beings — especially those who claim to be Christians — holding other human beings with such utter contempt.

But that’s the way things roll in Utah. And the LDS church likes it that way. We now have firm, incontrovertable evidence that when Utah legislators and the LDS leadership claim that they don’t hate gay people, they are boldfaced liars. We saw it right there in that committee room. They couldn’t even muster the decency, or that famed Mormon politeness, to pretend otherwise.

cowboy

February 18th, 2009

It’s not that they are b[a]ld-faced liars, it is that they haven’t shown any evidence to demonstrate otherwise.

Not one single olive branch. Not one conciliatory action. The LDS Church Hierarchy is guilty of gross passivity which makes them, at the very least, tacitly approving the anti-gay hate-filled sentiment that prevailed at the Capitol. This demonstrates their arrogance towards gays is only exceeded by their obscene political power. That their tithes are being used to make laws that denigrate people should tell us something about them being “Christian”.

When the LDS Church makes an admonition to be “civil” and “respectful” to each other, I say: Bull Shit. They have shown no care or made even an attempt to reach an understanding of its LGBT neighbors.

I think the gay Mormon organization AFFIRMATION should stop any more attempts in having a meeting with the LDS Church leaders. It would only be futile and the only attitude would be demeaning.

These actions by the anti-gays indicate we no longer will be asking/begging nicely/respectfully for our rights…We now shall demand our rights.

David C.

February 18th, 2009

We now shall demand our rights. —Cowboy

Good luck with that in Utah.

It’s time to move on to the national level. We need a fundamental recognition of gay rights at the federal level. Nothing else is really enough. A back-water like Utah (and Utah is not the only state that matches that description) is unlikely to come around any other way.

Right-wing anti-gay vitriol is only going to get thicker and more toxic. It must be exposed for what it is quickly, forcefully, and without reservation.

Emily K

February 18th, 2009

Maybe crucifying queers is the only conciliation they have knowing that everybody but other Mormons think they are part of a heretical cult.

Timothy Kincaid

February 19th, 2009

We now have firm, incontrovertable evidence that when Utah legislators and the LDS leadership claim that they don’t hate gay people, they are boldfaced liars.

Those who read here regularly will note that Jim and I try to avoid certain words. You don’t often see us accuse others of being bigots, haters, or liars.

But on this I feel as strongly as Jim. The leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons) are liars. Arrogant, unrepentant, unapologetic liars.

Attmay

February 19th, 2009

Utah should lose its statehood for this.

tony

February 20th, 2009

Keith Grover’s email is grover4utah61@yahoo.com

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