This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Peter Corroon, former Salt Lake County mayor and newly elected chairperson of the Utah Democratic Party, was correct when he stated in his excellent article in Sunday's Salt Lake Tribune, "If the State of Utah is going to be in the marriage business, the U.S. Constitution provides gay and lesbian couples the same access to marriage as straight couples."
Corroon pointed out that the U.S. Constitution has guided our great country for more than 200 years. It provides the framework for all of our citizens to live prosperous lives, free from discrimination. To allow straight couples to legally marry and disallow gay and lesbian couples the same privilege, is discrimination of the first order.
Corroon stated that a recent poll of Utah citizens shows that many of them now accept the legality of gay marriages. Like me, they acknowledge that gay couples who are married cause no harm to anyone.
I hope that the Utah Legislature will drop its attempt to make gay marriages illegal, and uphold the Constitution of the United States.
Clark D. Vanderhoof
Cottonwood Heights