I also got a bunch of clothes and a few gift certificates. One of the gift certificates is to a movie theatre chain with lots of outlets in Utah, but the nearest theater to Manhattan is about 5 hours away. That means I’ll be seeing a lot of movies while I’m in town.

Today has been the first really lazy day since school let out. No family to visit, no errands to run, no reason to take a shower and get out of my pajamas. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve had a day this lazy since August.

Buttars-Palooza is a response by the Utah queer community to those nasty comments of State Senator Chris Buttars I reported on last week. Although I sorta referenced it on my twitter feed, I haven’t blogged my response to the hand-slapping he got in return for his bigoted comments.

Look, I’ve defended Utah against the silly queer boycott for months now. I still think Equality Utah’s Common Ground Initiative, the strength of the local queer community and the undermining of Utah’s dominant political narrative are more effective long-term strategies than a blanket boycott of all things Utah. Even Buttars-Palooza, with its goal of throwing “a lively and fun celebration of our diversity and inclusion of all in a fair and just society” – a party instead of a protest – is the sort of new and innovative activism that many in California and New York could learn from, and the sort of activism I want to engage in. They are still holding Buttars accountible, but by promoting a positive image rather than shaking an angry fist.

And yet.

I find myself almost completely determined to decline the offer of admission to the University of Utah’s Quinney Law School just because of the non-response to Buttars from the government leadership. Not only did they kill 5 common sense, fair, compromising pieces of legislation aimed at providing a measure of equality to LGBT citizens, they won’t even react when a member of the state senate accuses me and my people of having no morals, of being the greatest threat to America, and of engaging in “pig sex” (whatever that means – and I’m no prude about other people’s kink, but it’s not mine).

I know that in Utah I could be heavily involved in fighting the good fight, but I just don’t think there’s any evidence that things are going to change outside the capital (SLC) and the liberal arts haven up the mountain (Park City). As I told my sister and my mother, I honestly think I could do more good for Utah by sitting on the coast and working to pass federal legislation like the Employment NonDiscrimination Act, the Uniting American Families Act, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and fighting for federalized civil unions. I honestly think change will only come to Utah with the force of federal law (much like the southern states and race-based civil rights).

As activist Cleave Jones said on Monday night’s Rachel Maddow show:

You know, I think that for too long, we have accepted this failed strategy of allowing our rights to be debated state by state, county by county, city by city. We‘ve settled for compromises for far too long. We‘ve settled for fractions of equality.

And I think that that is going to end. And we‘re now going to insist on full equality, equal protection under the law in all areas governed by civil law in all 50 states.

And I hope people see this film [Milk] and are inspired by what we did in San Francisco in 1978. But for strategy, I think people need to look back to 1964 when it became clear to the great leaders of the civil rights movement that many of the southern states and many others probably would never willingly extend equal protection under the law to the African-Americans.

It was then that President Johnson and the Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, extending equal protection under the law in all areas of the country. That‘s what we need today. That‘s what we‘re calling upon the leaders of Congress and Barack Obama to do.

Anyway, I wish all my friends in Utah a grand time at Buttars-Palooza. If you are in Salt Lake, or can be, I suggest you stop by!

Date: Saturday, February 28, 2009
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Location: Utah Capitol – South Lawn
City/Town: Salt Lake City, UT
more details.

Sen. Chris Buttars: “Homosexuality will always be a sexual perversion. And you say that around here now and everybody goes nuts. But I don’t care.”

“the ACLU – bless their black hearts…,” it’s his other comments which may get the strongest reaction.

Like this one which the documentary maker confirms is about gays: “They’re mean. They want to talk about being nice. They’re the meanest buggers I have ever seen.”

“It’s just like the Muslims. Muslims are good people and their religion is anti-war. But it’s been taken over by the radical side.”

“What is the morals of a gay person? You can’t answer that because anything goes.”

And finally, this is how senator Buttars refers to the “radical gay movement.”: “They’re probably the greatest threat to America going down I know of.”

Now, in the interview, senator Buttars also talks about a certain type of reported gay sexual activity which he claims is taking place.

But ABC 4 does not consider that appropriate for its news content.

The article also reminds us of Buttar’s comment on the Senate floor from a year ago: “This baby is black…this is a dark, ugly thing.”

It’s utterly shameful that the Senate won’t reprimand him or that the voters of his district continue to elect this man. I wonder what sort of sexual activity is so present on Buttars’s mind that the local news station doesn’t even want to describe it.

There is no common ground to be found with this bigot.

If you can stand it, listen to the audio (copyright Reed Cowan Productions).

This news also follows two of the three remaining bills in Equality Utah’s Common Ground initiative (including the employment and housing nondiscrimination act) being defeated. I’m really touched and proud of the testimony offered by my former pastor in support of the nondiscrimination bill.

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.

But sometimes people are just silly about it.

Yesterday, professional howler monkeys the Utah Legislature’s Judiciary Committee killed SB32, the first of 4 bills that are part of Equality Utah’s Common Grounds Initiative. The bill, considered the least radical of the four, would have allowed financial dependents (other than spouses, parents and children) to sue if a breadwinner suffers a wrongful death. The bill was defeated 4-2 along party lines.

This has, of course, renewed the call for boycotting Utah. So that Wolf doesn’t think I’m picking on him, here’s a sampling of quotes from Towleroad readers:

Just one more reason to stay the hell away from Utah. Let the Mormon crackpots have it.

You couldn’t pay me to go to Utah! The ONLY good thing about UTAH is “BIG LOVE”..period!

Or comments from the Salt Lake Tribune article:

Now would be a good time to LEAVE that Hate State

NOTHING inside Utah is worth remaining to fight for. It isn’t worth a single LGBT person’s wasted life there. UTAH is both an aberation, and an abomination. There are WAY better places for my tribe to call home.

But really? Boycotting an entire state because it has a shitty track record on gay rights? Cross Virginia, Arkansas, and Idaho off your vacation list. Boycott an entire state because statewide politics is overwhelmed by religious extremists? There goes Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. Boycott an entire state because it holds the headquarters of a hateful anti-gay religious movement? Forget about going to Colorado (Focus on the Family) this weekend for the Creating Change conference, DC (Concerned Women of America) or Illinois (Americans for Truth About Homosexuality).

And what happens to the LGBT people living in the boycotted state? Well, of course they should all move. This is the perfect time to leave your job, sell your home, and strike out for the coasts. That’ll show ‘em!

And what happens to young queers dependent on their families for support? In a few years, we’ll send a rescue bus that drives through every month and picks up any unwanted queer kids hanging out along I-80. These queer youth will be set up in foster families as soon as they get to California. Nothing could go wrong!

And those of us with supportive relatives in Utah? Kiss them goodbye! Sorry, Mom, Dad, Grandpa Joe, Grandma Norma, my various cousins and siblings. I hope you can make it out to New York for the holidays next year, because I might accidentally spend money somewhere that could end up in someone’s tithing if I come to visit. Even if I’m really careful, well, even stopping for gas on the way to the airport is going to help pay a station attendant’s salary. I’ll be calling less, too, because I wouldn’t want the phone technicians in Utah to get my money. And you can just forget about me supporting those mail and package delivery folks who have the audacity to deliver something inside Utah. I’ve got to teach those big meanies on Capitol Hill a lesson!

So, yeah, I think the Utah Boycott is a silly idea, largely promoted by people who don’t understand Utah politics. It’s nice to simplify everything down to Mormon=evil, but it ignores systemic issues like the hyper-partisanship in state and local levels promoted by the party caucusing system (basically, only the hyper-partisan show up to decide who the candidates are in primary elections, there is no room for moderates).

I’m no fan of the Mormon church, and I think that following the antics of the professional howler monkeys Utah Legislature is like watching television’s professional wrestling (it’s vaguely entertaining, but you’re never really surprised at the overly-scripted outcomes). I think they deserve to be mocked, criticized, over-ruled by federal law, and generally bitch-slapped in the court of public opinion. But a state-wide boycott really is a silly idea.

Although I remember having a few battles with my family over seminary and church attendance, I’m grateful that they never shipped me or any of my siblings off to this kind of forced religiosity.

Lately, there has been a dramatic rise in the right-wing use of the “freedom of conscience” argument. The argument goes like this: by passing laws to protect women’s choice/queer rights/psychoactive drugs/brown people, you are violating our first amendment right to freedom of religion by forcing us to professionally and respectfully coexist in a pluralistic society.

“Freedom of conscience” is, of course, the rationale-du-jour for all sorts of hateful and abusive behavior. Bush cited it in passing a regulation that will allow medical service providers to refuse service that violates any aspect of their faith (examples: doctors can refuse to perform abortions or fertility treatments, pharmacists can refuse to fill hormone prescriptions for transgender people, Scientologist home care nurses can refuse doctor’s orders to give their patients anti-psychotic medications). In Kalamazoo, MI, paid homobigot Gary Glenn argues that the newly passed nondiscrimination law may force some people to base decisions that run counter to their religious convictions, passing around a flier that claims “This ordinance violates the First Amendment rights of religion and free speech of those who oppose cross-dressing and homosexual behavior.”

It’s nonsense, of course. The laws and protections that would seemingly violate this “right of conscience” exist to ensure that all people are equal and have equal access to the privileges and institutions of citizenship. Freedom of religion depends on freedom from religion in the public sector. Although I recognize “slippery slope” arguments as inherently faulty, one must still wonder where it ends? Will I soon discover that my bank teller cannot, in good conscience, take money from an atheist? Will I be forced to walk to work because my bus driver finds it offensive to her faith that I wear a white knot in support of marriage equality? Will I die in the streets because an EMT refuses to treat anyone hit by a car after coming out of Unitarian Universalist church building?

Combine this right-wing trope with the other great right-wing talking point, parental rights, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. “Parental rights” are another favorite of Chris Buttars. Parents have the right to decide if their underage child can have an abortion. Parents have the right to excuse their children from scientific education on evolution or human reproduction. Parents have the right to make deadly medical decisions about their children.

Examples, the AIDS-denialist whose 3-year-old child died of AIDS-related pneumonia because she refused to allow doctors to give her baby retroviral drugs. The questions surrounding a Hollywood star’s culpability in his son’s recent death because of religious views that don’t allow certain types of medication. Parents who send their children to ex-gay facilities that engage in harmful aversion therapy practices. States passing laws that make child amnesty difficult and require parental consent (and/or consent of the father of the fetus) for abortion services to women under 18.

It all makes me more convinced then ever that Richard Dawkins was right in claiming that the indoctrination of children into religious systems is a form of child abuse. As psychologist Nicholas Humphrey [pdf link] argues:

No human being, in any other circumstances, is credited with having rights over any one else. No one is entitled, as of right, to control, use or direct the life-course of another person – even for objectively good ends. It’s true that in the past slave-owners had such legal rights over their slaves. And it’s true too that, until comparatively recently, the anomaly persisted of husbands having certain such rights over their wives – the right to have sex with them, for instance. But neither of these exceptions provides a good model for regulating parent-child relationships.
Children, to repeat, have to be considered as having interests independent of their parents. They cannot be subsumed as if they were part of the same person. At least so it should be. …
I think we should stop talking of “parental rights” at all. In so far as they compromise the child’s rights as an individual, parents’ rights have no status in ethics and should have none in law.

The “right of conscience” and “parental rights” combo serves one primary purpose: to maintain and enforce a dominance of white, Christian, conservative mores. Secondary effects of these arguments cast the dominant institutions in our society as victims, mask power as powerlessness, and invent rights that contradict the progressive values and fundamental building blocks of the great American story.

For the time being, however, can we all agree that the Utah Boys Ranch–and institutions like it–are horrible examples of the consequences of unchecked religious fundamentalism?

Join me in calling for the Utah Attorney General and Legislature to investigate these claims about Chris Buttars’ culpability in criminal child abuse and not just oust him from his seat, but throw him in jail!

Written by Michael Aaron, QSaltLake
Monday, 10 November 2008

Taking advantage of momentum following the apparent passage of California’s Proposition 8, Equality Utah called a press conference for Monday, Nov. 10 at noon in its offices.

“Over this recent election cycle, there has been much emotion around California’s Proposition 8 – emotion on both sides of the issue – and these emotions have been especially high here in Utah, home of the LDS Church, which played a visible and active role in the Yes on 8 campaign,” said Equality Utah Board Chair Stephanie Pappas.

“While we disagree with the LDS Church’s position on Proposition 8, we respect that their position is based on the guiding principles of their faith. Throughout the campaign, while the LDS Church stated its support of Proposition 8, it also made repeated comments that the Church ‘does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights.’ Just last week, Elder L. Whitney Clayton stated the LDS Church does not oppose ‘civil unions or domestic partnerships,’” Pappas continued.

In response, Equality Utah has drafted five bills for the upcoming legislative session in January, and the group is “taking the LDS Chruch at its word” that they will support the legislation.

Will Carlson, Equality Utah Manager of Public Policy, spelled out the five bills:

1. Hospitalization & Medical Care
Most gay people with insurance cannot insure their family. This bill will mandate that insurance plans, which extend benefits to an employee’s spouse, also cover an employee’s partner. When insurance plans cover families, they should cover every family member.

2. Fair Housing & Employment
Currently, it is legal to fire a person from her job or evict a person from his home just for being gay or transgender. The Fair Housing and Workplace bill will expand on HB 89, introduced by Representative Christine Johnson in the 2008 session. It will add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of characteristics employers and landlords may not consider when making employment or housing decisions.

3. Probate Rights – Wrongful Death Amendments
The death of a loved one is painful. When someone dies, we can protect the family’s financial security by removing barriers to inheritance and insurance. As part of this effort, we will continue to support Senator Scott McCoy’s Wrongful Death Amendments legislation.

4. Domestic Partner Rights & Responsibilities Act
The term “marriage” has proven to stir up many conflicts. Aside from marriage, we can do much more to help committed couples care for each other. This bill creates a statewide domestic partner registry as exists in California and attaches rights of inheritance, insurance and fair housing.

5. Repeal of part 2 of Utah’s Amendment 3
A registry that covers inheritance, housing, and insurance is not the legal equivalent of marriage. Yet the second part of Amendment 3 has been misinterpreted to avoid any recognition of gay couples. Laws that deny basic protections under the law should be repealed. This bill will repeal the portion of Amendment 3 which states “no other domestic union; however, denominated, may be recognized as marriage or be given the same or substantially equivalent legal effect.”

Read the full article

What an awesome response to the recent LDS spin and defense victim posturing around their support of Prop 8. The church will either have to publicly support the passage of this legislation or expose themselves as hypocrites or liars.

Of course, the Church will likely do nothing and allow their surrogates in the legislature to kill these bills while the Mormon leaders remain silent, allowing them to pretend that there is no contradiction in their statements and their actions. Still, you gotta give them hope.

Meanwhile, California activists are getting national attention for calling on the queer and allied community to boycott Utah, including putting pressure on Robert Redford to move the Sundance Film Festival to another state. And over 20,000 people in my other former home of San Francisco marched in protest last night as well.

I feel uniquely invested in these things–as a person born in Utah and very fond of the local queer community, as a person raised within the Mormon faith, as a person who worked for the Sundance Film Festival, and as a person who was living in San Francisco on that historic day when the California Supreme Court recognized my right to marry the person of my choosing.

That said, I’d like to propose an alternative to boycotting Utah. Support Utah’s strong and growing queer community instead. Nothing would strike at the heart of the Mormon voice more than helping change the climate in Utah to one of genuine celebration of queer diversity. And there is already so much good work being done in Utah, it just needs more help.

For example, in 2004, when Utah faced its own anti-gay marriage amendment, Summit County (home to Park City and the Sundance Film Festival) voted 61% against amending the state constitution. Salt Lake County managed to reach a 46% vote of “no.” While the rest of the state was massively anti-gay, these two counties showed a greater degree of understanding that anyone expected. Furthermore, Salt Lake’s former mayor, Rocky Anderson, was named one of the nation’s top 10 allies to the LGBT community, and the politicians who ran to fill his seat seemed ready to trip over each other in their efforts to get the queer vote. Utah has elected three openly lesbian or gay people to political office.

Utah’s queer community boasts a very large regional Pride festival, a fantastic community center, a strong and active statewide PAC, numerous social and political organizations, a wonderful community newspaper, impressive student clubs at many high schools and universities, and much more. Is it San Francisco, no? But it’s doing a hell of a lot better than Cincinnati (or, with apologies to my friends there, Las Vegas).

So if you really want to protest the LDS involvement in anti-queer politics, I suggest taking away the one asset they think is safe, the hearts and attitudes of their home base. Donate to the Utah Pride Center, donate to Equality Utah, buy advertising in QSaltLake, and support the Utah queer community, because I can tell you from personal experience that they are doing more on a day-to-day basis to change attitudes and opinions than many Californians do in a year. Just watch Jesse’s videos and try to tell me that you disagree.

Anyway, I understand I missed the tiger excitement in San Francisco.

To no one’s surprise, PETA is calling on the SF Zoo to phase out the Tiger exhibit. I tend to support PETA more often than not, even when they’re being fairly radical. Still, I think they make a better than usual point this time. Tigers simply don’t belong in small zoo spaces. They should be raised in their natural habitat, Las Vegas. Or better yet, huge jungles.

Anywho, I really, really need a new phone. My battery is now going dead after 5 minutes of conversation. Unfortunately, I spent too much money on tickets to our group New Year’s Eve plan (Sarah Bernhard at the Castro Theater). I may hit the store again tomorrow and at least pick up a new battery.

Almost everything I got this year came directly off my list, so I have no complaints.

The big hit gift of the day was a Nintendo Wii for my sisters. My mom ordered it in early October. Everyone had fun tonight designing their Miis and we broke in the game system with a couple family rounds of Wii bowling.