Anti-gay remarks raise ruckus in Utah Senate

[kpete]

Source: MSNBC

Anti-gay remarks raise ruckus in Utah Senate
Lawmakers stop work to discuss member's controversial comments

NBC News
updated 5:24 p.m. PT, Mon., Feb. 23, 2009

SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah Senate stopped working for about two hours Monday as Republicans privately met to discuss a lawmaker's recent comments that gay people don't have morals and that gay activists are among America's greatest threats.

Not a single bill was debated on the Senate floor Monday morning, increasing the backlog of bills that may never become law simply because lawmakers will run out of time to approve them before the 45-day session ends.

Republican Sen. Chris Buttars of West Jordan told a documentary filmmaker that gay people don't have any morals and he compared gay activists to radical Muslims, saying they're one of America's greatest threats.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29356472/

[gratuitous]

1. Oh, hamburgers!

I hope the good people of Utah let Sen. Buttars know how much they appreciate his monkey-wrenching of the state legislature. Oh well, it's not like there's any pressing business in the state, I'm sure. Surprising to me, though, is that someone could make a statement against gay people so far out there that even Utah Republicans would take exception to it. That is, if they took exception to it, and the MSNBC report certainly doesn't definitively say that Buttars' bigotry isn't welcome in the Utah Republican caucus.

[closeupready]

2. Douchebags obviously agree with Buttars. Note, they fail to just condemn his remarks,

saying it was 'not what was said, but HOW it was said'. :eyes:

[customerserviceguy]

4. Not necessarily

I can rebuke a co-worker for telling a racially insensitive joke, without calling for him to be fined or imprisoned for it.

This is progress. I lived in Utah for six months in 2005, and the fact that comparing gay people to terrorists is now as frowned on as racist jokes have been is definite progress for the people of Utah.

For many people (myself included), it was a long road from homophobia to full acceptance of my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. Somewhere along the way, before you reach that acceptance, you start to see how stupid it looks to express homophobia in public. Utah might have just reached that point.

[closeupready]

6. Hmm. Interesting inside take on this. Thanks for the comment.

:hi:

[customerserviceguy]

15. You're very welcome!

It should be obvious to people by now, but it unfortunately isn't. Just yesterday, I was talking about the Oscars with a co-worker, and was mentioning Sean Penn's win, and he made comments about how the first time, Sean won for playing a "retard", and the second time, he wins for being a "fag".

Now, I know I have a bit of work to do with this younger guy. Twenty-five years ago, I would have said the same thing when I had my head as firmly up my ass.

[TlalocW]

3. Oh, noes!

The, "We Loves Us Some Magic Underwear" bill and the one making jello salad the state's official dish aren't going to get voted on!

TlalocW

[Soylent Brice]

5. lol

not many people know about the magic underwear. you may get some :wtf: 's.

[TlalocW]

7. I have a pair

A friend of mine who's a travel agent went to Salt Lake City and convinced them she had left her Mormon identification card (or whatever) at home and bought me a pair for Christmas one year. I don't care for the briefs, but the shirt is quite comfortable. I was considering spending at least one Saturday a month just lounging around the house waiting for Mormons to knock on my door so I could answer it wearing the underwear and holding a beer in one hand and a porn magazine in the other, but I'm always too busy these days.

TlalocW

[Soylent Brice]

8. holy shit, that is funny!

i could picture it now.


damn... now i want to do that. i have a mor(m)on buddy in phoenix. wonder if i could convince him to send me a pair...

[Flirtus]

9. So you're making fun of LDS in a thread

voicing disapproval of anti-GLBT expression.

Hmmm,

mighty consternating to a straight white southern Episcopal sorority girl like me.

[Soylent Brice]

10. sorority girl, ey?

so, i've always wondered, what exactly are the perks of something like that?

[Flirtus]

12. a brat, yes

Aside from really good study groups and test banks, for someone as old as I am, i.e. pre-Title IX, the primary benefit is similar to being on sports team - networking/gossip/leadership opportunities.

[Soylent Brice]

13. ooooooooo, GOSSIP!!

tell me more!!!



j/k

[Zhade]

14. People choose to join cults. They don't choose to be born gay.

Your analogy is total bullshit.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

11. This should be K.O.'s Worse, Worser, Worst Persons of the Day!

[sarcasmo]

16. Utah, one more State I never want to live in.