Like many of my friends in Utah, I often ponder about what it will take to be fully accepted in my home state. I have moments when I feel like drastic change is right around the corner, my dreams come crashing down to reality. The fall often occurs around General Conference time when a talk by one or two general authorities initiates a firestorm of online insults and arguments about religion and homosexuality.
The thought came to me while at the BYU vs. Georgia Tech football game last Saturday. I was enjoying the game with friends when all of the sudden I realized these are the people we need to convince. We need the people in these stands as our allies.
So much work for tolerance and acceptance has been done in Salt Lake City, and it has worked. Salt Lake City and other municipalities in the county have passed non-discrimination ordinances, and life is much easier thanks to the work that has been done there. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the rest of the state.
When Salt Lake City was the first to pass anti-discrimination ordinances in 2009, fourteen other cities and counties followed their example. Not a single government entity in Utah County, however, has taken that giant leap in extending a hand of support to their LGBTQ neighbors. You can see a list of where Utah anti-discrimination laws exist here.
The reason I think that statewide equality will come through Utah County and Provo is three-fold; Brigham Young University, Utah Valley University, and Utah's well-loved legislature.
Brigham Young University is Utah's largest university, and thousands of the school's graduates wind up living in various communities throughout the state. Attitudes about homosexuality are softening at the school, but we still have a long way to go. If we can get the school to advocate for our basic human rights, they will become a positive influence for change across Utah.
Utah Valley University is the largest public university in the state, and it's graduates also scatter throughout the state. Even though the school is in neighboring Orem, the combined student populations of BYU and UVU reaches to nearly 70,000 people. Imagine what we could accomplish in this state if we could get them all to stand on our side for equality.
Utah County also has some of the most influential members of the state legislature. Senator John Valentine is the president of the senate, and Curt Bramble from Provo was a key player in our marriage definition laws. Representative Becky Lockhart, also from Provo, is the Republican Speaker, and is one of the most powerful members of the legislature.
Although still considered the center of most conservative county in the nation, Provo made a big step forward this year when the first Provo Pride Celebration was held on September 21. The crowds may have been small compared to other festivals, but I hope it is a sign of good things to come throughout our state.
The thought came to me while at the BYU vs. Georgia Tech football game last Saturday. I was enjoying the game with friends when all of the sudden I realized these are the people we need to convince. We need the people in these stands as our allies.
So much work for tolerance and acceptance has been done in Salt Lake City, and it has worked. Salt Lake City and other municipalities in the county have passed non-discrimination ordinances, and life is much easier thanks to the work that has been done there. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the rest of the state.
When Salt Lake City was the first to pass anti-discrimination ordinances in 2009, fourteen other cities and counties followed their example. Not a single government entity in Utah County, however, has taken that giant leap in extending a hand of support to their LGBTQ neighbors. You can see a list of where Utah anti-discrimination laws exist here.
The reason I think that statewide equality will come through Utah County and Provo is three-fold; Brigham Young University, Utah Valley University, and Utah's well-loved legislature.
Brigham Young University is Utah's largest university, and thousands of the school's graduates wind up living in various communities throughout the state. Attitudes about homosexuality are softening at the school, but we still have a long way to go. If we can get the school to advocate for our basic human rights, they will become a positive influence for change across Utah.
Utah Valley University is the largest public university in the state, and it's graduates also scatter throughout the state. Even though the school is in neighboring Orem, the combined student populations of BYU and UVU reaches to nearly 70,000 people. Imagine what we could accomplish in this state if we could get them all to stand on our side for equality.
Utah County also has some of the most influential members of the state legislature. Senator John Valentine is the president of the senate, and Curt Bramble from Provo was a key player in our marriage definition laws. Representative Becky Lockhart, also from Provo, is the Republican Speaker, and is one of the most powerful members of the legislature.
Although still considered the center of most conservative county in the nation, Provo made a big step forward this year when the first Provo Pride Celebration was held on September 21. The crowds may have been small compared to other festivals, but I hope it is a sign of good things to come throughout our state.
