Tag Archives: marriage

Common Ground Initiative’s Nemesis: The Sacred Ground Initiative

Posted on January 31, 2009 | Leave a comment

(Cross posted from Utah Legislature Watch)

This legislative session, there is a series of 5 bills, as has been written about on this blog, called “Common Ground Initiative”, which advocate for the provisions of Expanding Health Care, Fair Housing & Employment, Wrongful Deaths, The Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act and Clarifying Amendment 3 (repealing the portion of Amendment 3 which states “no other domestic union, however denominated, may be recognized as marriage or be given the same or substantially equivalent legal effect – would not change Utah’s definition of marriage). Equality Utah is the organizing group behind this initiative.

Michael Mueller of Utahns for Marriage Equality :

There is phone banking, citizen lobbyist activities, and many other crucial activities they need are help with – now and throughout the year. As I have mentioned before, even though our group’s goal is full marriage equality for all Utahns, there is a long history in this country of marriages that are neither real marriages nor are they equal. In this case, these basic LGBT rights must be obtained whether or not marriage equality is obtained.

To counter-act the Common Ground Initiative, the Eagle Forum and the Sutherland Instituteare launching their very own copy cat initiative, the Sacred Ground Initiative. In a press release issued by these groups it was stated:

Following an unsuccessful campaign to dismantle traditional marriage in California, gay rights advocates are now turning their focus to Utah. Known for strong family values, Utahns are now being exposed to deceptive marketing campaigns based on a non-threatening appeal to “common ground.”

On Thursday, February 5th, these groups will present their Sacred Ground Initiative at an event titled “Stand Up To Protect Marriage” at Thanksgiving Point, State of the Union II: The Challenge to Family and Freedom. This free and open to the public event will be held at the Show Barn at Thanksgiving Point from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Speakers will include Paul T. Mero, LaVar Christensen, primary author of Utah’s Constitutional Amendment in support of traditional marriage, and Lauralyn B. Swim, Sutherland benefactor and former member of the Young Women General Board of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“Sutherland continues to defend the sacred ground of traditional marriage, and family as the fundamental unit of society,” said Institute President, Paul T. Mero. ”This session will talk directly to Utahns about how the gay marriage controversy has come to our state and what responsible citizens can do to stand up for and be advocates to protect marriage and optimal family structures.”

Anyone can attend this event by obtaining seat reservations. It has been advertised that participants must rsvp online, call (801) 355-1272, e-mail si@sutherlandinstitute.org, or visit www.sutherlandinstitute.org to reserve seats for the event. I’m not sure what information they will take from you but I’m guessing they will be screening interested parties.

I am urging everyone who can to pursue attending this event. Additionally, there will be a Protest and Infiltration of Sacred Ground Initiative Launch, the details which can be found here.

Here we go again……

Posted on November 19, 2006 | Leave a comment

Looks like its time to revive the “Beavers and Buttars” comic:

Duo take aim at gay-straight alliances

By Jennifer Toomer-Cook
Deseret Morning News

At least one bill targeting gay-straight alliances in Utah public schools is expected to reappear in the 2007 Legislature.

Chris Buttars

Aaron Tilton

Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, who carried a bill last year, says another clubs bill will appear and, from his perspective, be “pretty much the same.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Aaron Tilton, R-Springville, also says he’s working on a bill that would be similar to the legislation he carried last year.
It was not immediately clear whether the two would work together.
“There will be a bill run,” Tilton said. “It’s likely I will be the House sponsor.”
Utah Pride Center executive director Valerie Larabee says the bills attack gay students but also could open a dialogue about the difficulties gay students may face in Utah public schools.
“Teachers, administrators and counselors are dealing with a lot of different youth,” Larabee said. “In my view, there is a lack of understanding about the different populations they serve. Because of that, the school environment is not safe for many youths.”
Tilton’s bill last year sought to warn parents that certain clubs could, if state law is violated, expose students to concepts including homosexual, heterosexual, transgender and transsexual themes, adult sexual molestation and abuse. A House committee debate centered on gay-straight alliances, of which there were believed to be 14 in Utah public schools.
Buttars’ bill had attempted to let school boards deny club status to gay-straight alliances or others to “protect the physical, emotional, psychological or moral well-being of students and faculty” and other provisions.
The clubs issue is touchy in Utah. In the mid-1990s, Salt Lake City School District banned all student clubs after a petition to form a gay-straight alliance at East High. It went through a federal lawsuit and ended up reinstating clubs before the dust settled years later.
Federal law requires school boards to allow gay-straight alliances if they’re going to open the doors to other non-curriculum clubs.

E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com

Buttars At It Again

Posted on August 16, 2006 | Leave a comment

In today’s SL Tribune: Buttars’ crusade stirs the pot again Pending bills: Church and state, judges’ terms are the focus this time

The conservative West Jordan Republican has asked state attorneys to draft a bill defining the separation of church and state outlined by America’s and the state’s founding documents. At the same time, he is proposing legislation to require state judges to face legislators in a second confirmation hearing after their first term in office. Critics say such a law would undermine the sacrosanct division between the branches of government.

“It’s gotten ridiculous. We have Christmas wars and White Cross wars,” said the chairman of the Judicial Confirmation Committee, referring to battles between atheists and the state. “The state has become hostile to religion.”

Buttars won’t release the details of this bill.

The other bill on which Buttars is working is obviously a personal one to get rid of what he calls “activist judges”.

Buttars’ other bill to change judicial retention rules is much more public. Buttars believes the vast majority of Utah judges – “about 98 percent,” he says – are doing their jobs just fine. It’s the others, the ones who have overstepped their bounds, he wants to hold accountable. He has a growing list of a dozen cases where he says judges have ignored or redefined state law – including a divorce battle over insurance.

But has Buttars overstepped his boundaries?

Buttars acknowledges he has not reviewed whether such a law would be constitutional. Legal scholars and judges alike say Buttars is creating a problem where none exists. They say Buttars’ legislation would upset the time-honored, delicately-balanced separation between the branches of government. The U.S. and Utah Constitutions already provide frustrated lawmakers a simple remedy for errant judges – they can simply change a law if they do not like a judge’s interpretation. Disgruntled voters can dump a judge they don’t like.

Quite a few folks are interviewed in this article about Buttars’ proposed legislation, most of whom recognize the absurdity of it.

Former University of Utah Law School professor John Flynn, who specialized in the Utah Constitution, agrees. He says Buttars’ legislation would be constitutionally “suspect.” Beyond that, “it’s asinine and absurd.”

Hatch calls marriage issue “critical”

Posted on June 7, 2006 | 2 comments

Proposed amendment to define marriage

The resolution is S.J. Res. 1 ”Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman.”

Today is the day that U.S. Senators are expected to vote on ending the debate on the constitutional amendmnent defining marriage or taking it to a vote. U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch is a co-sponsor of the amendment. Both Hatch and Bennett say they are opposed gay marriage.
In today’s Salt Lake Tribune, Hatch is quoted as citing the constitutional amendment as “critical”:

Hatch also is outspoken on the amendment, calling it a “critical issue” for the country.
He took to the Senate floor Tuesday saying that while the Senate may not be able to agree to adopt the change, Americans have already “arrived at consensus” to ban gay marriages. He bashed “renegade judges” that have allowed such unions.

I concur with Senator Harry Reid’s (Nevada) comments:

“It is clear the reason for this debate is to divide our society, to pit one against another,” Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said this week on the Senate floor. “This is another one of the president’s efforts to frighten, to distort, to distract, and to confuse America.” Reid said it was a distraction from real issues of high gas prices, the war in Iraq and the national debt.

(However, it is important, and perhaps even puzzling, to note that Reid did vote for a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in his state but is against amending the U.S. Constitution.)

I would like to add to that list, poverty and hunger issues, homelessness, and lack of health care for millions of Americans.

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Tagged gay issues, marriage, politics, Utah