The Beehive State has surprised the nation more than a few times – Salt Lake City ranks as one of the most gay-friendly cities in the country, and we elected our first female state senator in 1896 – but we still have a long way to go. Utah ranks 47th in the nation the percentage of women in elected office. Our hate crime laws are vague and ineffective; recent efforts to strengthen the language have been only weakly supported. Local government officials have openly refused to retract racist statements.
Every Utahn deserves to lead a safe and productive life, regardless of their gender, sexual identity, or the color of their skin.
Persistence is key to progress in Utah
There are several bills this legislative session that might sound familiar. That’s because they’ve all been up at the legislature before. They get introduced every year in hopes this might be the year that there is finally a breakthrough. Three such bills this session are the Dating Violence Act, modifications …
Cities of Harrisville and Springdale Honored with 2012 Better Beehive Award
Salt Lake City — Each day this week the Alliance for a Better UTAH will announce a winner of its 2012 Better Beehive Awards. The award recognizes five notable Utahns and groups for their progressive efforts this year. The second winner of the Better Beehive goes to the cities of …
Chick-fil-A; a side order of free speech please
We have been watching with interest a growing controversy. A few weeks ago, as you will recall, the President of Chik-fil-A, Dan Cathy, publicly stated his opposition to same-sex marriage. Since then, nationwide polling has shown that Chick-fil-A’s popularity has taken a 40% dive. It has long been known that …
“Defense of Marriage Act” Struck Down By Courts, Upholding States’ Rights Argument
Yesterday, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was once again struck down by the courts. U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken became the 3rd judge to rule that DOMA, or provisions of DOMA, violate not only the civil rights of citizens, but also the right of states to decide for themselves …
Press Release: Hatch & Lee Vote Against Bill Protecting Women
Hatch & Lee Vote Against Bill Protecting Women __________________________________________ Washington DC – Utah GOP Senators Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee joined a minority of Senators today in voting against reauthorizing the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The vote passed in the US Senate with 87 votes, with Hatch and …