Utah governor signs Mormon church backed LGBT anti-discrimination bill

[Iceblink]

I suppose I should first say congratulations to Utah, despite of all the religious exemptions in this bill.


But what I am really saying to myself is, if a church wants to do political work and be a part of the legislative process, then why aren't they being taxed?

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2015/03/utah-...tion-bill/

[Albie]

As a Utahn, I will say this is sugar coated bs by the church. They have been losing members because of their discrimination, as there are many members of the church fighting for gay rights. They are the biggest section in the gay pride parade. The church want to suddenly look "noble" and I see right through it. This law gives gays rights as long as they tolerate religious freedoms. For example, not any clerk can marry a gay couple if they do not want to do to their religion, but they have to keep a clerk during business hours that will. Almost like a step of making a gay only line.

Also Herbert is a terrible human being and spent a lot of our tax money fighting gay marriage after our laws were deemed unconstitutional. Even though pretty much every citizen pro or anti knew it was a battle that couldn't be won. So if he backs anything, even if it seems good, I have a tendency to not trust it.

[East]

It looks like the law was passed to make it OK for clerks to refuse to give marriage liscense...is that correct? This is happening everywhere.

The problem for me...these are taxpayer funded government employees and there is also a separation of church and state....

It really DOES look like a lot more tax revenue is due...

[meridannight]

you mean Utah didn't have anti-discrimination laws before this?

[Borg69]

Gay Mormon polygamy... talk about a "hairum".

[Iceblink]

It looks like the law was passed to make it OK for clerks to refuse to give marriage liscense...is that correct? This is happening everywhere.

The problem for me...these are taxpayer funded government employees and there is also a separation of church and state....

It really DOES look like a lot more tax revenue is due...

I believe in Utah they are going to always have someone on staff that will perform the duties to same sex couples if there is a clerk on duty who will not. It seems like an unnecessary use of payroll, but the losing side of this marriage equality battle has already spent an enormous amount of money fighting in court battles that were obvious to everyone, including themselves, they were going to lose. There are a lot of people on the side against marriage equality who make the claim that since these marriage bans were in state constitutions, it was the duty of attorney general of these states to uphold their state constitutions. That is generally true, but there is a little more to it than that. It is also their duty to evaluate cases where a measure in the state constitution is challenged in federal court to see if they can win it and if it is worth using state resources. State attorney generals have often not pursued cases challenging their constitutions and laws when it was obvious they were going to lose and it would be a waste of time and money. That was, until same sex marriage. Now they charge ahead because they must uphold it at any cost.

[Albie]

Many of the new anti-discrimination laws are just putting things in writing that was never a real problem to begin with. For example, the housing law. This law now makes it illegal for banks to refuse home loans to gay people. I never heard of anyone being turned down from a bank for their sexuality. Banks are the most asexual place ever and they don't really care about anything other than numbers.

The clerk on staff that won't refuse to wed gay couples are a waste of a payroll. If you are so anti-gay marriage, why should you work at a place that doesn't honor your beliefs. There are other jobs out there. Would a vegan apply to be a butcher? No. It is just stupid.