Utah bill against anti-gay bias runs without support of Mormon church

Gay discrimination » Talks between bill sponsors, the church fail to produce a deal.

By Robert Gehrke

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Feb 28 2013 08:07 pm • Last Updated Mar 01 2013 08:00 am

Legislation to prohibit housing and employment discrimination against gay and lesbian Utahns will be considered this session, but apparently without the support of the LDS Church.

Sen. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George, said he is proceeding with a bill modeled after a Salt Lake City ordinance and similar to legislation that failed to make it through committee last year.

"I think this is one of the big issues of our time," Urquhart said. "I think it’s time for us to pass this as a state. I don’t think that Utah is about discrimination in any way, shape or form."

Representatives from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been in discussions with supporters of the bill for months, and Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, was prepared to sponsor anti-discrimination legislation if there was an agreement on how to frame the bill.

But the agreement could not be reached, and Urquhart will carry the legislation.

"We appreciate him recognizing the importance of this bill," said Brandie Balken, executive director for the group Equality Utah. "We have been committed to working with many stakeholders in support of this bill and will continue to do that."

Sixteen municipalities in Utah have passed ordinances prohibiting employment discrimination, and 17 have adopted ordinances banning housing discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individuals.

Urquhart said he is hopeful, but realistic, about the bill’s chances.

"I have faith in the process," he said. "It’s definitely an uphill charge, but I’m going to give it a try."

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

About Reader Comments

---

Reader comments on sltrib.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Salt Lake Tribune. We will delete comments containing obscenities, personal attacks and inappropriate or offensive remarks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. If you see an objectionable comment, please alert us by clicking the arrow on the upper right side of the comment and selecting "Flag comment as inappropriate". If you've recently registered with Disqus or aren't seeing your comments immediately, you may need to verify your email address. To do so, visit disqus.com/account.
See more about comments here.