ACLU of Utah Lauds Bill Providing Protections for Gay and Transgender Utahns

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: 212-549-2666, media@aclu.org

SALT LAKE CITY – A historic piece of legislation was introduced today that will provide long-needed, express protections for gay and transgender Utahns from discrimination in housing and employment.

SB 296 modifies the Utah Antidiscrimination Act and the Utah Fair Housing Act to address discrimination and religious freedom by including sexual orientation and gender identity as prohibited bases for unequal treatment. The ACLU of Utah strongly supports this effort and encourages Utah’s lawmakers to pass this bill.

“Everyone deserves to be free from discrimination in their workplace and in their homes,” said Marina Lowe, Legislative and Policy Counsel for the ACLU of Utah. “We strongly urge our legislators to adopt this legislation.”

In addition to providing protections from discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, the bill also ensures that no one can be fired or disciplined at work for their speech or expression outside of work on matters including those related to marriage, family or sexuality.

“Utah is poised to join the 18 other states, plus Washington D.C., with express prohibitions on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” said Rose Saxe, Senior Staff Attorney with the ACLU LGBT Project. “Importantly, this bill rejects efforts to authorize special discrimination against gay and transgender people, and embraces the fundamental principle that discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity should be treated the same other kinds of prohibited discrimination.”

We are pleased that this legislation has the support of the LDS Church. We look forward to joining with a broad coalition of groups and individuals to support the passage of this essential and historic legislation.