Utah Leaders Push Forward on LGBT Rights Legislation

In the wake of Proposition 8, pro-gay Equality Utah is taking the comments of Mormon Church elders as a signal to move forward with legislation that will expand the rights of gays and lesbians in the state, reports The New York Times.

Defending their members' estimated $20 million contribution to the passage of California's gay marriage ban, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said they are not antigay and wouldn't deny certain legal protections to gays and lesbians."We are taking the LDS Church at its word," Stephanie Pappas, Equality Utah's chairwoman, told The Times.

The five pieces of legislation will be sponsored by out state senator Scott McCoy and two lesbian members of the state's house of representatives. McCoy indicated the bills would be ready by January and would aim to advance LGBT rights specifically in areas that Mormon leaders said they would find acceptable.

McCoy added that introducing the series of bills is an attempt to find a positive outlet for the anger that has been stoked by Prop. 8.

"We need to come back down and we need to think, 'OK, now that we are where we are, what is the way we move forward?' " McCoy said at a news conference. "And the way that we move forward is to channel that energy and that anger and that disappointment into constructive channels." (The Advocate)