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Is it really fair that the Human Rights Campaign is marking its social media monitoring of the World Congress of Families meeting this week with the hashtag #HateinSaltLake ?

The group is meeting in Salt Lake City. Some of its participants have reportedly promoted some pretty nasty anti-gay ideas, enough to win the whole WCF the label of "hate group" from the Southern Poverty Law Center. And there is hate in Salt Lake, as there is anywhere.

Seems unfair, though, to drag the name of a city mostly full of innocent bystanders into the label.

Shoot, it doesn't even really rhyme. Unlike some truly clever titles such as, oh, you know, "State of the Debate."

Of course, the tag I sort of gave it the other day, #UselessinSaltLake, is more accurate, I would argue. But it doesn't have the same ring to it.

World Congress of Families agenda offers my family nothing — George Pyle | The Salt Lake Tribune

" ... So, for most Utahns, is the World Congress of Families evil? No. It's much worse than that. It's useless."

Herbert should nudge the WCF toward tolerance — Salt Lake Tribune Editorial

"Gov. Gary Herbert wants us all to believe that his welcoming remarks to the World Congress of Families will be no big deal.

"That's too bad. Because, if Herbert would seize the opportunity to give the controversial assemblage of 'natural family' advocates a little friendly advice, he might be bold enough to explain to them how and why their message is being widely interpreted as not innocently pro-family, but as belligerent, homophobic and supportive of anti-gay legislation and violence around the world.

"And, though it should go without saying, he could say why that's bad. ..."

" 'Traditional' marriage is at the core of LDS theology and should be defended vigorously, a Mormon apostle said Tuesday, while adding that believers need to treat those who disagree with kindness and civility.

" 'Just as we do not or should not shun family members with whom we disagree, we cannot and should not shun those who look or think or act differently than we do,' LDS leader M. Russell Ballard said Tuesday during his keynote address opening the ninth World Conference of Families in downtown Salt Lake City. 'We demonstrate our best humanity when we show love and kindness to all of God's children. We demonstrate our discipleship when we refuse strident tones, when we refuse derisive labels.' ..."

Herbert defends 'welcoming' controversial convention to Utah — Robert Gehrke | The Salt Lake Tribune

"Gov. Gary Herbert defended his decision to give a welcoming address to the World Congress of Families next week, even as critics reiterated their charges that the organization is a hate group targeting women and gay and lesbian people.

" 'I speak to a lot of different conferences and conventions that come to Utah as the governor, welcoming people to Utah. We're a welcoming state,' Herbert said Thursday during his monthly KUED news conference. 'We have a lot of people here in our community. They have very diverse points of views and ideas. We don't agree on everything. So it's appropriate for the governor to go to this organization and say, 'Welcome to the state of Utah. We hope you enjoy your stay here.'

"The Southern Poverty Law Center has classified the World Congress of Families as a hate group, alleging that its member organizations have pushed for policies across the globe that discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. ..."

Exposed: The World Congress of Families — Human Rights Campaign

Among the few other sitting politicians to speak at the WCF, my old friend Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback.

"Bleeding Kansas' scary lesson for America. The tax-cutting fanatic's approval rating just plunged to 18%. But Kansas' failures could soon become the nation's ..."