Blind Prophecy

A facebook status update from Utah State Senator Scott McCoy (a.k.a. “The Gay”) first alerted me to this cheery news:

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

Governor endorses civil unions

Here is a sentence you probably never expected to read: Utah’s governor supports civil unions.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., a spokeswoman said Monday, backs Equality Utah’s Common Ground Initiative, a legislative effort that would provide some rights to gay and transgender Utahns. Even more, the Republican governor favors civil unions.

It’s a position that runs counter to his political party and against the majority of Utahns — 70 percent of whom oppose civil unions, according to a recent Salt Lake Tribune poll.

“He’s long supported many of the ideas that are presented within the Common Ground Initiative,” said Lisa Roskelley, the governor’s spokeswoman, noting her boss waits to endorse specific bills officially until presented to him in final form. “He supports civil unions.”

My favorite part of that article, though, is the knuckle dragger from the Sutherland Institute who they get to comment:

“He had to be dragged to the altar of Amendment 3,” [Jeff Reynolds, spokesman for the conservative Salt Lake City-based Sutherland Institute think tank] said in an e-mail, “and everyone has known since then that Governor Huntsman would rather be nice than right.”

Maybe the Governor would rather be nice and on the correct side of history rather than being right-wing.

Anyway, its doubtful Gov. Huntsman’s statement is going to do much to sway the professional howler monkeys Utah Legislature on the issues of fairness to the LGBT community, but he does give more fair-minded Utahns cover to speak up. “I’m with the Governor on this one.”

The first bill in Equality Utah’s Common Grounds initiative (allowing financial dependents to file in wrongful death suits) has already been defeated. In a fairly shrewd political move, Rep. Jackie Biskupski withdrew her bill that would have rolled back part of the Utah Constitutional Amendment banning marriage equality which had to do with blocking civil unions (thus, disarming the primary “argument” opponents have against the Common Ground Initiative – that it’s all about encroaching upon marriage). The remaining bills deal with employment nondiscrimination, inheritance and medical decision-making.

My continued congratulations to my friends at Equality Utah for the innovative approach to Utah politics. Even if nothing else is accomplished by the Common Grounds Initiative, it has generated loads of conversation about LGBT rights in Utah, embarrassed the LDS Church into remaining silent on these issues, and exposed many hypocrites and cowards.

Filed under: queer rights, utah by Jere Keys