Equality Utah's Amazing Year of Fighting Discrimination

Earlier this year, Equality Utah launched a "Ten in 2010" campaign. The goal? To make sure that by December 31, 2010, there were at least 10 cities or municipalities in Utah that had anti-discrimination ordinances that included protections on the basis of sexual orientation.

Salt Lake City, in November of 2009, was the first community in Utah to ban anti-gay discrimination in housing and employment. In fact, they did so with an endorsement from the Church of Latter Day Saints. And now, just more than a year later, Grand County has become Utah's tenth community to offer gays and lesbians protections from discrimination. Congratulations, Equality Utah. You've beat your deadline by nine days.

"We now have a culture of … Utahns, as a whole, stating that we don’t believe in discrimination in any form and all hard-working people deserve to have a job and a roof over their heads if they can do the job and pay the rent," said Brandie Balken, executive director of Equality Utah. "Each of these local governments has set an example for their residents and for business owners and property owners. They’ve also set a good example for our legislature."

Between the 10 cities and counties that have enacted anti-discrimination legislation, there are roughly 775,000 residents represented. That is one in four Utahns. There remains no statewide bill, but Senator Ben McAdams has stated he plans to run the bill in the next legislative session, which starts in January.

But already opposition to a statewide anti-discrimination bill is brewing.

"We have been very resistant in the past to doing anything that might make sexual orientation a protected class. I don’t think that has changed," says House Speaker-elect Becky Lockhart, a Republican from Provo.

Given that kind of resistance, it makes these 10 victories all the much more important.

Photo Credit: Equality Utah Facebook