Utah Kills Two More LGBT Rights Bills

Two more LGBT rights bills failed to get out of committee in the Utah legislature yesterday. Dead are the bills to allow gay and unmarried couples to adopt and the bill that would have protected LGBT folks from housing and employment discrimination. The haters framed their arguments against the bills in the tired "homosexuality is a choice" bullshit.

"Adoption is not a right, it's a privilege. Those who choose alternative lifestyles suffer the consequences because they can't naturally produce between them," said Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, who joined a 5-1 vote to defeat HB288. "Heterosexual couples who cohabit also face consequences because they choose not to marry." And on the anti-discrimination bill, Eagle Forum President Gayle Ruzicka made a similar case against adding sexual orientation to existing fair housing and employment laws. "What we're talking about is choice -- someone's sexual choice," she told a House panel. "Why would we put into law someone's sexual choice? … This is not the right thing to do."

The bill allowing gay hospital visitation and property rights remains in committee.