Utah Homophobe Senator Chris Buttars Doesn't Want Gays 'Stuffin' It Down His Throat All The Time'

The Mormon Church's endorsement of a Salt Lake City anti-discrimination ordinance that would protect gays and lesbians in matters of housing and employment has caused one of the state's biggest homophobes to ease in his positions on statewide rights for gays.

Following the suggestion that the LDS Church's endorsement could extend beyond Salt Lake's borders, "Buttars, a West Jordan Republican and fiery opponent of gay rights, said Wednesday he 'very well might' sponsor legislation in 2010 that would allow local governments to adopt such anti-discrimination measures for housing and employment -- but forbid them from going any further on gay rights. 'Maybe we ought to have a statewide bill that allows those things,' Buttars said, 'but that's all it allows. No creep.' Buttars said he opposes any 'legislative creep' toward gay marriage."

Hey wait, isn't Buttars the creep?

You may remember Buttars was removed from two committees in February for comparing gays to radical Muslim extremists and asserting that they are America's 'greatest threat.' He later said he stood by his remarks.

Watch FOX 13's interview, in which Buttars says, "I don't mind gays. I just don't want 'em stuffin' it down my throat all the time," AFTER THE JUMP...

Salt Lake City Council Passes LGBT Anti-Discrimination Ordinance Unanimously Following Surprise Endorsement from Mormon Church

The Church of Latter Day Saints this evening issued a statement at hearings on an ordinance that would extend housing and employment protections to gays and lesbians in Salt Lake City.

Watch a news report on the vote, AFTER THE JUMP...

The endorsement combined with passionate debate from citizens prompted the Salt Lake City Council to go ahead and vote on the ordinance, which they hadn't planned to do. The Council voted unanimously to approve it:

"Passage made Salt Lake City the first Utah community to prohibit bias based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Under the two new ordinances, it is illegal to fire someone from their job or evict someone from their residence because they are lesbian, bisexual, gay or transgender. Utah lawmakers tend to quickly fall in line when the influential church makes a rare foray into legislative politics. So Tuesday's action could have broad reaching effects in this highly conservative state where more than 80 percent of lawmakers and the governor are church members. 'What happened here tonight I do believe is a historic event,' said Brandie Balken, director of the gay rights advocacy group Equality Utah. 'I think it establishes that we can stand together on common ground that we don't have to agree on everything, but there are lot of things that we can work on and be allies.'"

Here's the text of the Mormon statement, delivered by Michael Otterson, managing director of the LDS Church's Public Affairs at tonight's hearings:

"My name is Michael Otterson, and I am here tonight officially representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The non-discrimination ordinance being reviewed by the City Council concerns important questions for the thoughtful people of this community.

"Like most of America, our community in Salt Lake City is comprised of citizens of different faiths and values, different races and cultures, different political views and divergent demographics. Across America and around the world, diverse communities such as ours are wrestling with complex social and moral questions. People often feel strongly about such issues. Sometimes they feel so strongly that the ways in which they relate to one another seem to strain the fabric of our society, especially where the interests of one group seem to collide with the interests of another.

"The issue before you tonight is the right of people to have a roof over their heads and the right to work without being discriminated against. But, importantly, the ordinance also attempts to balance vital issues of religious freedom. In essence, the Church agrees with the approach which Mayor Becker is taking on this matter.

"In drafting this ordinance, the city has granted common-sense rights that should be available to everyone, while safeguarding the crucial rights of religious organizations, for example, in their hiring of people whose lives are in harmony with their tenets, or when providing housing for their university students and others that preserve religious requirements.

"The Church supports this ordinance because it is fair and reasonable and does not do violence to the institution of marriage. It is also entirely consistent with the Church's prior position on these matters. The Church remains unequivocally committed to defending the bedrock foundation of marriage between a man and a woman.

"I represent a church that believes in human dignity, in treating others with respect even when we disagree – in fact, especially when we disagree. The Church's past statements are on the public record for all to see. In these comments and in our actions, we try to follow what Jesus Christ taught. Our language will always be respectful and acknowledge those who differ, but will also be clear on matters that we feel are of great consequence to our society.

"Thank you."

The gay and lesbian Mormon group Affirmation praised the church's actions. Said Affirmation Assistant Executive Director Micah Bisson: "We pray that the words spoken tonight are to be followed up with positive action. It is time to eliminate the heavy-handed church actions to defeat marriage equality and protections for transgender people. When LDS officials arrest gay people for public affection on Temple Square, we need to realize that all Mormons, and the LDS church itself, look small-minded to people who are outside the tradition."

Earlier today, the filmmakers behind 8: The Mormon Proposition said that Mitt Romney saw their film and put pressure on the LDS Church to "extend an olive branch to the gay community to try and deflate the anticipated negative press" that would come from its release, over concern with an anticipated 2012 Presidential campaign.

*****

Earlier...

The Salt Lake City Council is holding public hearings this evening on an ordinance involving housing and employment protections for gay and lesbian residents, the Deseret News reports:

 "The public can comment Tuesday during a Salt Lake City Council hearing on the ordinances, believed to be the first of their kind in Utah. The ordinances would make it illegal to fire or evict someone because of their sexuality. 'For the capital city to take this step is huge,' said Will Carlson, public-policy director for the gay and lesbian advocacy group Equality Utah. 'It would send a message, not only to residents, but across the country.' The ordinances would establish a process within the city for tenants and employees to file discrimination complaints based on sexual orientation."

Towleroad has heard from several sources that representatives from the Church of Latter Day Saints are going to attend the hearings and have a "monumental" announcement to make — which we've heard may be an endorsement of the ordinance.

Watch a news report on the vote, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Utah Governor Opens 'Door of Communication' with Gay Groups

Utah Governor Gary Herbert met with gay groups for the first time since his statement in August that he did not believe LGBT people deserved protection from discrimination in the way that others do for race, religion, or gender.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: "In separate meetings, Equality Utah and the Foundation for Reconciliation spoke with the governor about discrimination faced by people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The foundation, which promotes 'reconciliation' between Mormons and the LGBT community, urged Herbert to create a task force that would study instances of such discrimination and make policy recommendations to address the issue. Peter Danzig, a spokesman for the group, said the governor agreed that the lack of state numbers about discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity makes it difficult to gauge the scope of the problem. But Herbert did not commit to a task force, Danzig said. Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker is crafting an anti-discrimination ordinance after a Human Rights Commission documented the problem in the capital and elsewhere in Utah. Will Carlson, Equality Utah's public-policy manager, considered his political-advocacy group's meeting an 'introduction' that opened the 'door of communication' with the governor. Carlson expects the meeting to be the first of many with Herbert."

Said Herbert in August: "We don't have to have a rule for everybody to do the right thing. We ought to just do the right thing because it's the right thing to do and we don't have to have a law that punishes us if we don't."

Utah Governor Herbert: Discrimination Against Gays Should Be Legal

Utah Governor Gary Herbert, who took over for moderate Governor Jon Huntsman after Huntsman resigned to become Ambassador to China, has spoken out against anti-discrimination laws which include sexual orientation:

"In his most definitive comments yet on gay rights, Herbert told reporters he doesn't believe sexual orientation should be a protected class in the way that race, gender and religion are. 'We don't have to have a rule for everybody to do the right thing. We ought to just do the right thing because it's the right thing to do and we don't have to have a law that punishes us if we don't,'Herbert said in his first monthly KUED news conference. In Utah, it is legal to fire someone for being gay or transgender. The gay rights advocacy group Equality Utah has been trying to change state law for several years but has always been rebuffed by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Last year, the group got Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman's support for extending some rights to gay people, although none of the bills it backed became law."

Unfortunately, that's why we have anti-bias laws. Because people don't do the right thing.

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Utah homophobe Chris Buttars attacks Salt Lake City non-discrimination ordinance: "I've never seen any facts. I see these wild accusations. Let's say someone is gay, but [he's] also a terrible employee -- is that possible? [He gets] fired for something else. You know the gay community is going to claim [the employer] did it because he's gay."

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