After his first press conference on August 27th, much was made about new Utah Gov. Gary Herbert’s comments about homosexuality. Here are those comments in full.
ROD DECKER, KUTV-2: Salt Lake City, the Becker administration, is talking about a non-discrimination ordinance to specifically say one can’t discriminate against people on the basis of sexual preference in housing and employment. Some legislators are saying, if they do that, we will want to enact a state wide standard that may well be different from the Salt Lake standard. Would you support a state wide standard if Salt Lake City enacts a non-discrimination ordinance?
GOVERNOR HERBERT: Well, I haven’t seen the ordinance, so I don’t know what the ramifications of that ordinance are, and I hate to speculate on what I would do without having a chance to read it, understand it, and see what the ramifications or the potential unintended consequences of that would be. I believe in local government. I believe that we ought to build ordinances and policies, ground-up. Bottom-up, not top-down. And most instances government closest to the people reflects the people’s will a lot better. So I would be patient and wait and see what comes up. The legislature will react as they typically do on these issues, but I’m not prepared to weigh in on that yet.
LISA RILEY ROCHE, DESERET NEWS: What would you have a problem with, Governor, in terms of an anti-discrimination ordinance based on sexual preference?
GOVERNOR HERBERT: Well I don’t think we should discriminate against people. I think people ought to be treated with respect. There’s nothing that causes me as an employer to say “well, I don’t want to hire you because—“ if you’re willing to follow the rules of my business and represent me in a fair and effective way. So I think we need to not discriminate against people when it comes to, you know, civil rights issues. I am reluctant for anybody to be put into a protected class. That seems to be where this road sometimes goes down, and that causes me some concern. But you know, 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 don’t have a law that punishes us if we don’t.
JEFF ROBINSON, KCPW 88.3: But then again, Governor, we already do for religion and race and ethnicity. So why not expand it? If you don’t believe anyone should be discriminated against. GOVERNOR HERBERT: Well, where do you stop? I mean that’s the problem of going down that slippery road. Pretty soon we’re going to have a special offer blue-eyed blonds. And I’m not sure that that’s the case. Or people who are losing their hair a little bit, there’s a special classification that we put them in. JEFF ROBINSON, KCPW 88.3: I would support that. GOVERNOR HERBERT: See, there’s some support for about anything we put out there. And I’m just saying, you know, we end up getting bogged down sometimes with minutia of things the government has really no role to be involved with. ROBERT GEHRKE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: So should sexuality, sexual orientation be a protected class? GOVERNOR HERBERT: No.
Minutes later, Gov. Herbert answers another question about homosexuality.
ROBERT GEHRKE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: You said earlier that you don’t believe sexual orientation should be a protected class. Can you explain your thinking a little bit on that, and why that differs from the other protected classes?
GOVERNOR HERBERT: Again, that warrants a long, detailed explanation and discussion. I just think we go down a road that makes it difficult for employers to actually conduct their business with protected classes, where things that you don’t know when you hire people, and all of the sudden something changes, and all of the sudden they say, “well, you can’t fire me, because guess what.” And I think that presents a significant problem in our business community. That being said, again, I don’t think people should be discriminated against based on that. I just don’t think we need to have a law that ensures that.
Taken out of context, any of these comments can be seen in a negative light, but read in full they reveal what Gov. Herbert feels about homosexuality. I believe Gov. Herbert hold a viewpoint that is considered moderate in the conservative field. He believes that homosexuals should not be discriminated against but also that they should not become a special class and that, according to him, creating laws to protect homosexuals would create that special class. This viewpoint in more liberal states this viewpoint would amount to a scandal, but in Utah this viewpoint is rather progressive when compared to the viewpoints of many members of the Utah State Legislature. Although I disagree with Gov. Herbert in his views about creating laws to protect homosexuals, after watching and reading his comments in full, I feel Gov. Herbert is more reasonable than I thought he was before.
I do also believe that Gov. Herbert has the capacity to sign into law legislation that would create certain safeguards for homosexuals. I base this on this answer to a report’s question about creationism.
CHRIS VANOCUR, ABC-4: Governor, since this is your first press conference, here’s a bit of a softball. Two-part question.
GOVERNOR HERBERT: I appreciate softballs.,P. CHRIS VANOCUR, ABC-4: One, would you kind enough to remind Utahns whether you believe in creationism or Darwinism, and two, do you think both should be taught in Utah schools?
GOVERNOR HERBERT: I appreciate that softball, there, Chris. You know, personally, what I believe is probably irrelevant to what the government should be involved with. I’m a devout believer in a supreme being and that God has created the opportunities for us as his children to work together and to learn and progress and I think learn important things here in our mortal existence. That being said, I think school is designed to teach scientific methods, and I think that our state board understands how to create curriculum that’s appropriate. It’s always something that can be discussed with our legislative branch, and with the people of Utah, but I think science should be taught in school, religion should be taught in the chapel or the synagogue.
What this says to me is that while he does not necessarily believe in a certain viewpoint he can get behind making that viewpoint into law if it is for the public good. This signifies to me that Gov. Herbert has the capacity to sign into law protections for homosexuals without actually believing in them if he can be convinced they are appropriate and for the public good. Only time will tell if this viewpoint is one Governor Herbert acts on for the public good of all.
Buttars Comments 8/24/09
Sen. Chris Buttars vs. anti-discrimination bill
"I don't think anybody should be discriminated against," said Buttars, R-West Jordan. "But in America, we have never given special privilege or protection to little groups. We give them to the entire nation."
Buttars, however, said the LGBT community doesn't fall under the same protective umbrella as race, age and religion, which "affect everybody."
"We've never done what they're asking," he said, "nor have I seen any evidence that it needs to be done."
The Human Rights Commission of Salt Lake City released a report last month detailing incidences of discrimination in the city, many of which involved LGBT residents, but Buttars questioned the validity of some of those claims.
"I have never seen any facts to back it up," he said. "They want to say they're being hurt more than someone else, I guess. If anybody had a right to special protection it would be Mormons; they've been persecuted but not as bad as the American Indian. But they're not pounding on the newspaper's door. Or the Jewish people; the Jewish people have lots of people hate them. I love them. But you know that's true."
I wish that either The Daily Show or The Colbert Show was running this week because they could have done a great piece about this guy based on this comments alone. Maybe with enough national media attention the leaders in the Utah State Legislature would finally do something to silence/remove Chris Buttars. Does anyone know of an email address where I could ask/plead/beg John Stewart to do a story about Chris Buttars? Thanks.
Also, when I say that Gov. Herbert is progressive compared to other politicians in Utah, this is who I’m comparing him to.
Non-Erotic Donkey Video
On Wednesday, two bloggers were arrested in Azerbaijan after they posted a video of a donkey giving a news conference on Youtube. Unlike other donkey videos on the internet, this video was not erotic but rather a comment about the current political climate in Azerjaijan.
In other news, a storage facility owned by the Redertainment Corporation Of America was broken into and all the contents stolen. Among the equipment in the storage facility was equipment used to shoot and upload videos onto Youtube. This came just hours after Seifer Kinneas, President of R.C.O.A., was seen picking up an giant douche costume from a local costume store.
In response Mr. Kinneas said, “I don’t need a costume to look like a giant douche. Just make me look like Mike Waddoups and we’ll be in business.
The Salt Lake City Police Department has no suspects in this case but the words “Don’t Mess With The Utah Eagle Forum” were written on a wall in the storage facility. Police have no idea what this could mean.
Hunter Pimps His Book AGAIN!
Look at this manchild. Look at how sad and pathetic his life is. He would really enjoy it if you would read his totally free book that you can get right here. He would also like you to smack him on the back of the head to stop him from speaking in third person.
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