Legislators unveil new gay-rights legislation

Seeing silver in the cloud of controversy surrounding the recent passage of California Proposition 8, a group of Utah lawmakers unveiled five pieces of proposed legislation aimed at securing rights for gay couples.

The legislators who will sponsor the bills, Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake, Rep. Christine Johnson, D-Salt Lake and Rep. Jen Seelig, D-Salt Lake, cited statements made during the Proposition 8 campaign by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as evidence the new statutes not only do not conflict with church teachings, but are worthy of their support. They specifically pointed to statements published on a church news release page, as well as quotes attributed to Elder L. Whitney Clayton, a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, that they say indicate a lack of church opposition in the areas they are addressing: hospitalization/medical care, fair housing and employment, probate/wrongful death rights and domestic partnership rights for gay couples.

An additional proposal looks to repeal part two of Utah Constitutional Amendment 3, passed in 2004, that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The section that the proposal would repeal states, "no other domestic union; however denominated, may be recognized as a marriage or be given the same or substantially equivalent legal effect." Equality Utah public policy manager Will Carlson characterized this portion of Amendment 3 as having been "misinterpreted to avoid any recognition of gay couples" and said it is a statute that denies basic protection under the law.

Representatives of the LDS Church refused to comment on the proposals.

Equality Utah executive director Mike Thompson, who joined the legislators at their midday news conference at the advocacy group's downtown headquarters, said that following the emotionally charged dialogue on both sides of the Prop. 8 issue, the environment is right for finding common ground.

"Proposition 8 has created a great divide," Thompson said. "Now is the time to look for opportunities to bridge that divide and create the needed protections, rights and responsibilities for Utah's gay and transgender people. This will be Equality Utah's focus, and we ask the LDS Church to support these efforts."

McCoy, one of the few openly gay Utah legislators, acknowledged his disappointment with the passage of Proposition 8, but also recognized that opportunities for new levels of legislative dialogue—and communication on gay rights issues with the LDS Church in Utah—may become a fringe benefit of the rhetoric.

"This is an invitation to make a reality of what's been said by the church," McCoy said. "(The church) has said some things that are very encouraging to us, and we're here to say, 'Hey, let's see if we can't move forward and get to a place where we are in a more fair and just Utah, outside of the marriage discussion'"

Johnson said she has already had a chance to speak with legislators on the other side of the aisle, and is encouraged, so far, with what she's heard.

"Not all the members of the conservative side of the legislature are immediately slamming the door on this idea," Johnson said. "We've had ... dialogues with them where, in candid moments, they were comfortable asking questions they might not be comfortable asking in committee."

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