News
2006-01-19
Salt Lake City
mayor faces uphill battle in pushing for gay rights
In his state of
the city address, Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson
spoke of the status of gays and lesbians an
In his state of
the city address, Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson
spoke of the status of gays and lesbians and said 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 Tuesday.
The mayor said the city has made strides in
becoming more inclusive of gays. He cited his
executive order offering health insurance to city
employees' domestic partners, the city's inclusion in a book
on gay-friendly cities, and his being named a top
straight advocate for gay people. But he said
obstacles remain.
City councilwoman Jill Remington Love, who also
is considered one of Salt Lake City's gay rights
advocates, said she agreed with the mayor's sentiment
about the status of gays. "Gay rights is the civil rights
issue of our day," she said.
She said she was glad Anderson did not renew his
criticism of the council's plan to supersede his
health benefits executive order and offer health
insurance to employees' adult designees, including domestic
partners. "I don't think our benefits package in any way
takes away from the gay community," she said. (AP)
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