Utahns Support Some Antidiscrimination Measures

Utah may be known as one of the most conservative states in the nation, but a majority of its residents favor LGBT-inclusive laws against discrimination in employment and housing, according to a new poll.

In the poll, commissioned by gay rights group Equality Utah, 73% of respondents said they somewhat or strongly favor adoption of state laws to ban workplace and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, Salt Lake City TV station KSL reports. More than 80% believed the state already had such laws; it does not.

Respondents were less supportive of equal rights in the realm of parenting and marriage. More than half opposed adoption or foster parenting by gay couples and transgender people, while 65% opposed marriage equality. Some 64%, though, favored legal relationship recognition short of marriage, such as a system of domestic partnerships or civil unions.

While the news was not all positive, it was encouraging to Equality Utah executive director Brandie Balken. "Utahns at their core are nondiscriminatory people," she told KSL, adding, "As understanding about the broad support of these protections and also understanding about the implications of discrimination on our communities continues to grow, it enhances our opportunity to achieve statewide passage for these important protections." Several cities and counties in the state have adopted such protections, and an LGBT-inclusive antidiscrimination measure was tabled last week in the town of American Fork but may come up for consideration again next year.