World
CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Utah governor Gary Herbert (pictured) said on Thursday that he does not believe sexual orientation should be a protected class from discrimination in the way race, gender, and religion are, reports the Associated Press.
"We don't have to have a rule for everybody to do the right thing. We ought to just do the right thing because it's the right thing to do and we don't have to have a law that punishes us if we don't," said Herbert at a KUED news conference, according to the AP.
Herbert, a Republican who served as lieutenant governor to Jon Huntsman, took over this month after Huntsman left to take an appointed position as U.S. ambassador to China.
Last year, Huntsman supported a package of legislative proposals, which did not pass, to protect LGBT people from discrimination. He also expressed support for same-sex civil unions.
Herbert appears to hold a different attitude. He said that naming sexual orientation as a protected class against discrimination would put Utah on a "slippery slope" and burden the government with "minutiae."
"Where do you stop? I mean, that's the problem going down that slippery road. Pretty soon we're going to have a special law for blue-eyed blonds ... or people who are losing their hair a little bit," Herbert said, according to the AP. "There's some support for about anything we put out there. I'm just saying we end up getting bogged down sometimes with the minutiae of things that government has really no role to be involved in."
Despite his statements, Herbert declined to commit to a position on a Salt Lake City ordinance likely to be adopted that would ban discrimination against LGBT people in employment and housing. Republicans in the state legislature have suggested they may attempt to block the ordinance.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Limited gender markers add hurdles for nonbinary people
April 12 2024 9:34 AM
Suspect in killing of Black trans man Righteous Torrence 'TK' Hill identified by police
April 12 2024 9:13 AM
Hilary Cass' NHS report is rife with debunked theories and falsehoods
April 11 2024 6:52 PM
Wherever drag queen Tara Hoot goes, bomb threats seem to follow
April 11 2024 4:26 PM