How Long Until We See Such A Call For Human Rights in Venango County and/or Pennsylvania?

Utah is one of the most conservative states in the country, nonetheless, this editorial, titled "Human Rights," recently appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune:

New grass-roots groups. Marches. Benefits. Service projects. A rally at Delicate Arch.

Utah's lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender community, with support from a consortium of more than 30 organizations known as the Common Ground Coalition, is finding its voice and speaking up for its rights. And its message sounds just fine to a majority of Utahns, according to a pair of public opinion polls conducted this month.

Separate polls by the gay-rights group Equality Utah and The Salt Lake Tribune indicate that the public supports expanded legal protections for gay and transgender couples and individuals. And the Utah Legislature, when it convenes Monday for its 2009 general session, will have the opportunity to give the people what they want.

A package of five bills, sponsored by House and Senate Democrats and known as the Common Ground Initiative, will be on the agenda. And, in the name of fairness and decency, the measures should be approved.

The bills include protections against discrimination in housing and employment for gays, coverage for domestic partners in health insurance plans, extending the right to sue to financially dependent members of non-nuclear families in the event of a wrongful death and a statewide domestic partnership registry to help determine insurance eligibility, rights of inheritance and hospital visitation rights.

A fifth and final bill would give the electorate the opportunity to amend the Utah Constitution to allow for all of the above.

A poll commissioned by the Tribune of 500 registered voters found that 56 percent of respondents favor legal protections for same-sex couples, such as hospital visitation and inheritance rights and employment protections.

The Equality Utah poll, conducted by the independent research firm Information Alliance of Ogden, sampled 600 Utahns and found support for making it illegal to fire workers (62 percent) or deny housing (56.5 percent) to persons because of their sexual orientation, while 63 percent favored providing gay and lesbian couples with hospital visitation, health insurance and inheritance rights.

Rev. Russell Baker of the Bountiful Community Church said it best in support of the Common Ground initiative. "This is not a gay agenda. This is about human rights."

We echo that view, and praise Common Ground supporters for speaking out loud and clear. Lawmakers should listen.