Utah

[caption id="attachment_6776" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Johnson"][/caption] Rep. Christine Johnson, one of Utah's two openly gay lawmakers, will step down from her seat in the State House at year's end, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. "I'm not leaving because I'm giving up on the fight in... [ Read more → ]

On Friday, three Democratic lawmakers announced they are dropping bills -- until 2011 -- that would provide anti-discrimination protections, probate rights and adoption rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Utahns. In exchange, opponents of gay-rights legislation will drop any effort to prevent local... [ Read more → ]

Utah lesbian lawmaker, Rep. Christine Johnson (D-Salt Lake City) has announced she's a surrogate mother, carrying a baby for two gay men. In April, Johnson (pictured) offered to be a surrogate for the Salt Lake County couple, her close friends, after they expressed frustration with... [ Read more → ]

Salt Lake has its first openly gay city council member, reports KTVX-TV. On Monday afternoon, Stan Penfold (pictured) took the oath of office, in both a historic and emotional day. Penfold told ABC 4: "I was a little surprised I got kind of choked up.... [ Read more → ]

A man once on the Salt Lake City Police Department's "Most Wanted" list has been sentenced to probation and a year in jail for 2008 attack that SLC police have called a hate crime. [caption id="attachment_4188" align="alignleft" width="260" caption="Moi Moi"][/caption] Fa Junior Moi Moi, 21,... [ Read more → ]

Utah's first openly gay state senator will be resigning from office effective the end of this week to focus more time on practicing law, reports the Salt Lake Tribune. [caption id="attachment_3438" align="alignleft" width="207" caption="Scott McCoy"][/caption]Democratic state Sen. Scott McCoy, announced Tuesday that he had already... [ Read more → ]

In a rare move, the LDS Church announced Tuesday night its support of Salt Lake City's proposed ordinances protecting gay and transgender people from discrimination in housing and employment, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Hours later, the City Council approved the measures unanimously. "The church... [ Read more → ]

Like Mormon pioneers in the 1850s, gay-rights supporters pulled a handcart through Salt Lake City on Wednesday in what they dubbed a "rescue" mission, The Salt Lake City Tribune reports. The Foundation for Reconciliation carted more than 2,000 petition signatures to LDS Church headquarters, calling... [ Read more → ]

Four gay advocacy groups that include Mormons and former church members released a joint statement Friday disagreeing with points made earlier this week in a speech on freedom of religion by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles of The Church of... [ Read more → ]

If you walk through the LDS Church Plaza in Salt Lake City you'll see some new signs. They put visitors on notice that the Church can refuse access to anyone for any reason. The added language to the signs address concerns about how the Church... [ Read more → ]

In his most definitive comments yet on gay rights, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said Thursday he doesn't believe sexual orientation should be a protected class in the way that race, gender and religion are. "I don't think we should discriminate against people," Herbert said during... [ Read more → ]

Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker is proposing a new city ordinance that includes protections for sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. The public discussion draft is based on a July report by the Salt Lake City Human Rights Commission that provides "factual confirmation... [ Read more → ]

A southern Utah newspaper has rejected a gay couple's wedding announcement, saying its policy is to publish announcements only for marriages legal under Utah law. The Spectrum in St. George initially accepted [...] [ Read more → ]

Newly released film footage shows four LDS Church security guards separating and handcuffing a gay couple after the two men kissed on the Main Street Plaza. The Salt Lake Tribune obtained the film through an open-records request with Salt Lake City. The church provided the... [ Read more → ]

A gay couple say they were detained by LDS security guards on a plaza owned by the Mormon church and later cited by police, claiming it stemmed from a kiss on the cheek. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said that the men... [ Read more → ]