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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyFebruary 20th, 2009
I thought Timothy Kincaid really nailed it when he concluded:
The Mormons and the Republicans were sure upset that the tape of [Utah State Sen. Chris] Buttars was released. But it wasn’t because they find the attitude behind his anti-gay rants to be offensive. They just didn’t like how Buttars’ raw hatred reflected on them.
He based that conclusion in part on this statement by Senate President Michael Waddoups as reported by the Salt Lake Tribune:
“He is a senator who represents the point of view of many of his constituents and many of ours. We agree with many of the things he said. . . . We stand four square behind his right [to say what he wants].”
But there’s something else that jumped out at me later in that same article. It’s this:
“It [Buttars’ removal from the committees] frees Senator Buttars to feel more at ease in saying how he personally feels without feeling as if he’s personally speaking on behalf of his committee and the Legislature,” Waddoups said.
So let’s put all this together, shall we?
So, when the Senate decided to remove Buttars, a former LDS bishop, from two committees, was it a sanction for saying the wrong thing? Or was it a reward that gives Buttars free reign so that he can now tell us what he really thinks? Because I have to tell you, the way Waddoups frames his actions it really sounds more like the latter.
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cowboy
February 20th, 2009
Well…he was not punished enough to be contrite. His latest comment:
It’s business as usual and he gets accolades from the radical self-righteous bigots.
But there is a flurry of damage control happening. The Mormon Church trying desperately to distance itself from Buttars’ statements.
There will be consequences when businesses will find it hard to open offices in Utah when the climate for diversity is practically nil and people will not relocate here.
As a side note: Larry H. Miller (Utah Jazz owner and who was the one that refused to show Brokeback Mountain in his megaplex theaters) died today.
If the LDS Church wants to give us examples of where they’re not bigots, we can always point out these stalwart examples of Mormons: Buttars and Miller.
a. mcewen
February 20th, 2009
There was extreme damage control – otherwise they wouldn’t have felt the need to go through with the entire rigamarole.
What Waddoups was doing is spin
Emily K
February 20th, 2009
Yeah, I don’t get it. This Mormon obviously grew up with Mormon values. And now those values are showing. the LDS church is all about spin and PR. It’s a business.
SPOILERS
Why Miller objected to showing the film I don’t know. It’s not like it was a “happy ending” film showing a gay couple making a family together in a society that treated them as everday. Miller said it was about going against “traditional families” – well shit, the gay guys lived as heteros and one got murdered in the end. Exactly what about that is threatening to the “traditional family?” Seems like it makes a case against being gay to me.
Swampfox
February 20th, 2009
We all need to thank Senator Buttars for speaking his mind and exposing his and others obvious extreme bias in Utah. However, I am sure that he will be re-elected.
Johnson
February 23rd, 2009
Buttars is the Biggest Gift to all LGBT people–indeed, a Gift that keeps on Giving. For the LDS Church, not so much. Keep it up Chris.
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