Harrison Thacker

Jennifer Courtney

Thacker 1

9-28-16
SLCC 2010

Equality Utah Report

Are you a Utahn? Do you value a community in which everybody is accepted regardless
of whatever gender identity and sexual orientation they may have? If you want such a
community to happen, then youre in luck. Equality Utah is an organization dedicated to make
such a community a reality in our state. Its members are actual LGBT citizens who are
advocating for policies that give legal parities for all Utahns in areas with civil law. The entire
LGBT community is actually the largest target for hate crimes nowadays, surpassing African
Americans and the Jewish. In wake of the hate crime at Orlando, Mark Potok, a senior fellow at
the Southern Poverty Law Center said this: As the majority of society becomes more tolerant of
LGBT people, those who are opposed to them become more radical. Equality Utah stands for
many things, among them removing hate crimes from schools, churches, and other locations.
This way, hopefully no such citizen will come under attack by those who see their way of life
being threatened.

(Source 5)

Thacker 2
It took quite a while until LGBT rights were actually seen as a necessity. They only got
into the limelight four years ago, in which they became part of the Democratic Partys platform.
More than 60 percent of Americans supported the idea, according to a July Gallup Poll. In 1996,
only 27 percent agreed with same-sex marriage being legal. Support also started to become more
bipartisan based, with Ohio Sen. Rob Portman having embraced it. But in Utah, much headway
has yet to be made. Talks have been made between the community and the leaders, what is
missing is plenty of support. Utah is a predominantly conservative state, which is what makes
these matters more difficult.
In terms of the workforce, the LGBT community is sorely lacking statutory protection.
All they have is a minimal degree of legal protection. With different approaches to resolving this,
a solution is limited to a conciliation or mediation by a local agency. Nondiscrimination
enforcement remains uneven. Even in the absence of federal statutes, employers and recruiters
are likely to have some legal obligations regarding sexual minority employees, meaning they
must be educated so no discrimination or embarrassing circumstances ever happen. Sexual
minority employees actually have great productivity, which would ensure that their treatment
would be of the utmost dignity and respect. A recent survey conducted by the Williams Institute
shows that employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is a
pervasive problem in Utah, along with many other states. Forty-three percent of the surveys gay,
lesbian and bisexual respondents and 67% of the transgender respondents said they have
experienced discrimination in employment at one point or another. Some even have problems
getting Health Insurance for themselves and their spouse, leaving their hands tied.
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As for the opposing side, the way they were raised may have resulted in their view on the
subject. While most may start to warm up and become accepting of the LGBT community,
extremists will start to become more and more hostile. There is a reason behind the hate the
radicals have. Being genuinely disturbed and having the way they see the world being
threatened, they lash out however they can, including senseless acts of violence. Interestingly
enough, not all cases of LGBT hate crimes have been reported. One possible cause is the victims
themselves. Being fearful of outing themselves to others, they simply choose not to report the
attack that happened to them. The stigma based on sexual orientation is still in place to this very
day, with a lot of work behind overcoming the prejudice inherent in the legal system, and offered
social services. While radicals may see their views being threatened, their beliefs should never be
heard on violent terms.
A year ago, the US Supreme Court ruled in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges. The 5-4
opinion, declared that the U.S. constitution requires states to perform same-sex marriages. But it
took Utah a while until their law was lifted. So far, LGBT children in Utah have access to health
insurance coverage, quality care, with educational programs early in their lives. Its now possible
for LGBT people to raise and adopt kids in our state. So long as there are laws that perpetuate the
divide in the community, Equality Utah wont stop until all policies that oppose them are gone.
Equal rights and opportunities are present, but many more have yet to be secured by the
organization.

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In conclusion, the LGBT community has made many existing strides. From the time of
the Gay Pride Flag to their acceptance by the Democratic Party. Although rights arent as

prevalent in more conservative states, a lot of progress has been made. Gary Herbert passed
SB296 back in 2015, which allows 55,000 LGBT Utahns access to the same workforce and
housing market as everybody else. But discrimination is still a very big issue, with over 43%
having experienced discrimination in the workplace. This isnt right. Preventing harassment and
discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity has yet to be accomplished. Like
the rest of the community, Equality Utah has made excellent progress, but everything is far from
over.

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Works Cited:
Source 1: Pathe, Simone. "How Democrats Came Around on Gay Rights." Roll Call. 28 Jul.
2016: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 14 Sep. 2016.

Source 2: Park, Haeyoun, and Iaryna Mykhyalyshyn. "Hate Crimes Now Directed at L.G.B.T.
People the Most." New York Times. 18 Jun. 2016: A.12. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 14 Sep.
2016.

Source 3: ProQuest Staff. "LGBT Rights Timeline." Leading Issues Timelines. 2016: n.p. SIRS
Issues Researcher. Web. 14 Sep. 2016.

Source 4: Leonard, Arthur S.. "The Gay Rights Workplace Revolution." Human Rights Journal.
Summer 2003: 14+. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 14 Sep. 2016.

Source 5: Latest Hate Crime Statistics Report. Digital image. FBI. N.p., Dec.-Jan. 14. Web. 20
Sept. 16. <https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/latest-hate-crime-statistics-report-released>

Source 6: "Equality Utah - Our Families." Equality Utah - Our Families. N.p., n.d. Web. 21
Sept. 2016.