Utah state senator Chris Buttars, an avowed opponent of gay rights, surprised many this week with his expression of potential support for statewide protections against employment and housing discrimination. But the Republican says there are limits, specifically, he does not want to see gay rights “creep” beyond the basic protections recently passed in Salt Lake City.

According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Buttars said he might sponsor statewide antidiscrimination legislation in 2010, now that the influential Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced its support for the measures in Salt Lake City. However, he says it needs to be done in such a way that clearly prevents extending into areas like marriage equality.

"Maybe we ought to have a statewide bill that allows those things," Buttars said, "but that's all it allows. No creep,” reported the Tribune.