Utah

There are two posts from Joe.My.God today that deserve highlighting. 

The first is kind of funny in a pathetic way:

Like many states, Florida offers huge tax incentives to movie studios in order to lure big budget productions to film locally. The Florida GOP and state Rep. Stephen Precourt don't have a problem with that, they just want to make sure that no productions with gay characters get the tax break.

Movies and TV shows with gay characters could be ineligible for a “family-friendly” tax credit in Florida under a little-noticed provision tucked into a $75 million incentive package that Republican House leaders hope will attract film and entertainment jobs to the state. The bill would prohibit productions with “nontraditional family values” from receiving a so-called family-friendly tax credit. But it doesn’t define what “nontraditional family values” are, something the bill’s sponsor had a hard time doing, too. “Think of it as like Mayberry,” state Rep. Stephen Precourt, R-Orlando, said, referring to The Andy Griffith Show. “That’s when I grew up — the ’60s. That’s what life was like. I want Florida to be known for making those kinds of movies: Disney movies for kids and all that stuff. Like it used to be, you know?”

The second is downright unbelievable: 

Calling it "Utah's Fair Solution", a group called Patriots For A Moral Utah is holding a press conference today to announce legislation that would force all homosexuals to leave the state. The bill would create a transportation system for shipping all gays out of the state and would criminalize any Utah citizen who "harbors a remaining homosexual." Here's the press release they sent out yesterday:

Patriots For A Moral Utah are pleased to announce a press conference tomorrow, at which time we will announce a new bill which outlining a solution to the problem of homosexuality in Utah. In the past 5 years it has become increasingly difficult and troublesome for the stead-fast and moral citizens of Utah to live their lives and their faith in peace, while the homosexuals continually force their choices and behaviors on us. This new legislation, titled the "Utah Fair Solution," will offer a peaceful but effective end to the tribulation in our blessed state. Despite promises from the homosexual activists to be out in force at the press conference, our President Nora Young has scheduled the announcement for 1pm in the Capitol Rotunda (March 8th). Please Join us.

Sincerely;
Paul Jackson
Public Relations
Patriots For A Moral Utah
pauljackson2000@gmail.com

Joe has posted links to the proposed "Fair Solution Initiative" which calls for the "involuntary redistribution or relocation of homosexuals to municipalities outside state boundaries or, to their rehabilitation in state facilities."

Considering his history, this report came as something of a surprise:

Senator Chris Buttars may co-sponsor a gay rights bill with an openly gay legislator.

Earlier this year, Buttars unleashed a fire storm with his anti-gay comments, and no one spoke out more forcefully then State Representative Christine Johnson.

But now, Buttars tells ABC 4 the two are talking about teaming up to protect gays.

Just nine months ago, ABC 4 broke the story about Senator Buttars making anti-gay remarks.

His comments brought tears to the eyes of fellow (and openly gay) legislator Johnson.

But sometimes politics makes strange bedfellows.

Monday, Buttars confirmed to ABC 4 he is talking to Johnson about co-sponsoring her gay rights bill in next year's legislative session.

This did not:

Don't believe everything you hear
By Chris Buttars
Utah State Senator, District 10

Contrary to recent reports by the media, I am not considering co-sponsoring any of the "common ground" legislation brought forth by Equality Utah or it’s supporters.

I will continue to defend traditional marriage. I am totally committed to preserve the fundamental political and moral principles that have made this nation strong. And I would strongly oppose any bills that challenge those principles.

Yesterday, I wrote a post about Utah state Senator Chris Buttars' refusal to believe that gays suffer discrimination and his threat to introduce legislation that would override any effort by Salt Lake City to pass an anti-discrimination ordinance.

The Deseret News has followed-up on Buttars' claim and just check out his utterly ridiculous explanation:

Sen. Chris Buttars has his eyes on Salt Lake City's proposed anti-discrimination law and the state lawmaker says he would likely take action to quash the ordinance should the City Council approve it.

"I don't think anybody should be discriminated against," said Buttars, R-West Jordan. "But in America, we have never given special privilege or protection to little groups. We give them to the entire nation."

Salt Lake Mayor Ralph Becker said he was "committed to eradicating discrimination in our city" last month as he unveiled the ordinance aimed at providing fair housing and employment protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents.

Buttars, however, said the LGBT community doesn't fall under the same protective umbrella as race, age and religion, which "affect everybody."

"We've never done what they're asking," he said, "nor have I seen any evidence that it needs to be done."

The Human Rights Commission of Salt Lake City released a report last month detailing incidences of discrimination in the city, many of which involved LGBT residents, but Buttars questioned the validity of some of those claims.

"I have never seen any facts to back it up," he said. "They want to say they're being hurt more than someone else, I guess. If anybody had a right to special protection it would be Mormons; they've been persecuted but not as bad as the American Indian. But they're not pounding on the newspaper's door. Or the Jewish people; the Jewish people have lots of people hate them. I love them. But you know that's true."

So apparently, things like race, religion, and age "affect everybody" so laws banning discrimination on those grounds are okay but "sexual orientation" only applies to a "little group" so any such law is unfair. and unneeded

Here's a newsflash: "sexual orientation" affects everyone too since everyone, even Chris Buttars, has a "sexual orientation," just as everyone has an age and a race.

Who ever would have guessed that Republican politicians in Utah, of all places, would be making decisions, at least seemingly in part, simply in order to stick it to state-level right-wing groups like the Eagle Forum? 

As the Salt Lake Tribune reports, Utah's Lieutenant Governor Gary Herbert is "expected to be sworn in as Utah's 17th governor on Aug, 11, assuming Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. is confirmed by the Senate this week to be U.S. ambassador to China. "

As such, Herbert had to choose someone to fill the Lieutenant Governor's position once he becomes Governor and he has selected Sen. Greg Bell - and he reportedly did so in response to "an opposition campaign from the Utah Eagle Forum that tried to cast Bell as too liberal":

In the past several days, the conservative Eagle Forum tried to rally its members to pressure Herbert to bypass Bell because they objected to his moderate position on same-sex partnerships. But [Senate President Michael] Waddoups said that may have forced Herbert to pick Bell, so he didn't appear to be caving to the conservative pressure.

"You've got the [Eagle Forum President] Gayle Ruzicka comments out there," Waddoups said, "that I think makes it hard for Gary to pick someone more conservative, even if he wanted to."

...

In the 2005 Legislature, Bell sponsored a Huntsman-backed bill that would have allowed unmarried partners, including gay couples, to enter into contracts regarding property ownership and health matters. The bill failed.

And, in the 2008 session, Bell helped negotiate a compromise that enabled Salt Lake City to keep a registry -- albeit under a new name -- for domestic partnerships.

Those stances incurred the wrath of Ruzicka's group, which has been calling and e-mailing Herbert's office urging him not to pick Bell.

Of course, considering that Ruzicka and her group came rallying to the defense of Utah state Senator Chris Buttars after his diatribe comparing gays to Islamic radicals and America to Sodom and Gomorrah while proclaiming that gays have no morals and that acceptance of their lifestyle will bring about the destruction of the nation, it's easy to see why Herbert might be eager to avoid being seen as doing their bidding.