utah: the good and the bad

In Utah, there’s always been a bit of third-rail quality to the issue of LGBT rights – part and parcel of being a theocracy. The LDS faith is not the most accepting to the LGBT community, though they tend to work on a more under-the-radar level of persecution.

Sometimes, though, it looks like progress is happening with regard to the LGBT community in Utah. Rocky Anderson, mayor of Salt Lake City, noted in his 2006 “State of the City” address that more needs to be done about gay rights in Utah:

Next in his State of the City address Tuesday night, he ventured where most mayors don’t: He spoke of the status of gays and lesbians and declared they are “consistently marginalized” and treated as “second-class citizens.”

“Society’s treatment of gays and lesbians has made life tragically difficult and painful for them, and has too often deprived our community of the valuable perspectives and resources they offer,” Anderson said at City Hall during the start of his 50-minute speech.

Anderson opened with this salvo in part to highlight his own achievements in advancing LGBT rights (such as extending health benefits to same-sex domestic partners), and partly to address the controversy caused by auto dealership mogul and Utah Jazz owner, Larry Miller, who recently pulled the highly-acclaimed Brokeback Mountain from his chain of Salt Lake County-based movie theatres.

Miller’s move has garnered mostly negative press, and he has not been particularly pleased with the media coverage (witness this outburst). Given that Salt Lake City was recently cited by The Advocate as one of the more gay-friendly cities in the U.S., and given that Salt Lake (along with Park City) hosts the Sundance Film Festival, it is quite notable that Miller, a devout Mormon, decided to make such a move.

Anderson notes, however, that Miller’s theatres are showing Hostel, a movie that many call misogynistic and sadistic:

“Apparently some members of our community find this despicable, sick, women-hating film more acceptable than a beautifully rendered love story – on the sole ground that the people portrayed as loving each other are gay men,” Anderson said.

Salt Lake City’s mayor is taking a brave, progressive stand against the dominant culture of Utah – something that draws him raves both locally and nationally. He is the most successful liberal politician in modern Utah history, and serves his constituents very, very well. Even my mom, who isn’t the most liberal person on the planet, gives Rocky very high marks, both as a person and as mayor.

So kudos to Rocky Anderson – keep up the great work!

And as far as Larry Miller is concerned, I doubt I’ll be attending a Jazz game the next time I’m in SLC.