Becker is backed by Equality Utah

Posted on November 17, 2008 by comm5775

by CLAYTON NORLEN

With a donation of $7,500 and a commitment to volunteer involvement in mayoral candidate Ralph Becker’s campaign, Equality Utah is endorsing who it believes can advance its mission.

Becker has proposed the adoption of a universal human rights initiative that is broken into three categories: Comprehensive Ordinances and Policies, Domestic Partner Policies and Compliance and Enforcement. These measures will encourage the progressive development of current legislation and further the protection of human rights in Salt Lake City.

“A fundamental part of growing a great American city is making sure every citizen is protected by the law and treated equally,” Becker wrote online in his announcement of proposed incentives. “As Salt Lake continues to develop and grow, I want to make sure that every person feels they are safe and secure in this community.”

In advocating these measures, Becker is supporting Equality Utah’s key issues, such as the development of anti-bullying, equal access policies for students at all levels of education and furthering the adult designee program to include domestic partners as beneficiaries.

Utah’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community’s biggest enemy is bias, said Mike Thompson, executive director for Equality Utah. The mission of Equality Utah is to secure equal rights and protections for LGBT Utahns and their families. Its political action committee is determined to encourage legislation and vocal support of politicians and measures that move it closer to its goal.

“We are the political activist group for the LGBT community, and if only 10 percent of our members volunteer it can make a significant impact on the mayoral race,” said Will Carlson, manager of public policy for Equality Utah. “$7,500 was the cap on what we could donate, and it’s significant because it illustrates Becker’s support for our mission.”

As a lobbying organization Thompson explained, the strength of Equality Utah is in its education of politicians and the citizen representation it embodies on the hill. Because Equality Utah wanted to invest its money in the individual whom it felt would be best for the communities it represents, it waited until the primary elections to endorse a candidate.

Thompson said that the filter through which all of Equality Utah’s decisions run is its mission statement. The issues that surround the LGBT community cannot be simplified into a yes or no questionnaire. Because of this, Thompson explained that it is important to maintain relationships with politicians so Equality Utah can speak openly with officials and encourage dialogue.

“Politicians are realizing the impact the LGBT community can have in elections,” Thompson said.

Buhler didn’t comment on Equality Utah’s decision to endorse Becker instead of him, only saying, “It was their decision.”

“My feeling is that everyone should be treated the same in providing any city service, be it picking up someone’s garbage or providing insurance,” Buhler said. “I can’t think of why we’d treat anyone differently. If elected, we’ll treat everyone the same.”

David Everitt, campaign manager for Becker, said Equality Utah’s donated funds will go into a general campaign account to cover advertising, rent and other costs in the mayoral race. Everitt didn’t specify what the money would be used for, saying only that once money is donated to the campaign it covers whatever costs it is needed for.

“There’s always more doors to knock on,” Everitt added.

Volunteers who participate on behalf of Equality Utah in the race will be put to work knocking on doors, placing signs and stuffing envelopes. Volunteers can also donate their time to data entry, making phone calls or doing what Everitt described as general office work.

“It’s all about building relationships with both sides of the party line. This allows us to strive towards a fair and just Utah,” Thompson said. “[Utah] is where change needs to take place. What are you going to do, make a blue state bluer? No — [Utah] is where the challenges are.”

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Activists discuss Utah marriage ban

Posted on November 17, 2008 by comm5775

by CLAYTON NORLEN

The passage of Amendment 3 in November 2004 to the Utah Constitution, which outlawed same-sex marriage, was widely debated at the time as an amendment that would protect traditional nuclear families.

When the amendment passed by a two-thirds vote in 2004, gay activists said many voters forgot to consider how families in the queer community would be affected.

The Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, in conjunction with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center and the Queer Student Union, hosted a forum to debate the controversial amendment on Oct. 16, 2007.

The forum had prominent panel members from the local political scene, including the Stonewall Democrats and Utah Log Cabin Republicans. Also on the panel were human rights activist group representatives like Equality Utah and the Transgender Education Advocates of Utah.

“It is the youth who are going to make a change,” said Mel Nimer, a member of the Utah Log Cabin Republicans, and one of five panelists. “In my generation, being gay was an unspeakable sin, but now in your generation, 70 to 80 percent of the youth are accepting and welcoming to members of the gay community.”

Amendment 3 served to redefine marriage in Utah to consist of the legal union between a man and a woman, adding that no other domestic union would be given the same legal standing.

“Amendment 3 is a big challenge for the LGBT community,” said Rep. Jackie Biskupski, D-Salt Lake City. “Now it will be legal battles in the courts to ensure the rights of the LGBT community in Utah. If you think your silence is appropriate, think again — it is silence that is so damaging.”

Biskupski said involvement in groups such as Equality Utah and access to technology make it easy to express opinions on the issue to representatives, encouraging students to speak out to lawmakers by doing simple things such as sending text messages to their representatives’ Blackberries.

“For me, the reason I stay and I advocate is because if we don’t stay together and unite, then what are we doing?” asked Christopher Scuderi of TEA. “We need to stand together as the LGBTQ community, and all marginalized groups need to stay together because we are all fighting for the same basic human rights.”

Every panelist reiterated the importance of political activism from all individuals who are eligible to vote, saying that the catalyst for change in any state or city is public participation.

“You guys are young,” Becky Moss of the Stonewall Democrats told the audience. “You’ve got voices and new ideas, and it is you who needs to be out there advocating for action. I’m old, and our tactics can only carry us so far. Get registered and vote. We need the public to get out and vote, so there can be an accurate representation in Utah.”

Although the forum was dominated by panelists who agreed on issues affecting the queer population, the audience had different reactions to the panel’s ideas of achieving equality.

“It’s good that these issues are being talked about, but we’re being overly optimistic,” said Sydney Rhees, a senior majoring in psychology. “It’s hell out there, and change will only come slowly this way. This panel will talk about change but they won’t stand up and make it happen. I don’t think things are getting any better. They’re still difficult.”

Rhees married his partner in 2004 in Massachusetts, where same-sex marriages are legal and recognized. But when Rhees moved to Salt Lake City in 2005 to pursue his education, both his health and car insurance that were provided through his partner’s insurance plan were revoked. 

The Defense of Marriage Act gives states the autonomy to recognize only marriages or civil unions they wish to, because of this act when Rhees moved to Utah his marriage to his partner was considered invalid and his benefits were stripped away. Biskupski said numerous legal battles would have to be fought and in conjunction with educational efforts by the queer community before Amendment 3 could be struck from the Utah Constitution.

“Changing the Constitution to get something out is harder than getting something in it,” Biskupski said. “There is so much educational and grassroots efforts that need to take place over the next few years to get the support needed, and even then it will be incredibly difficult to get something through Capitol Hill.”

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