Tag Archives: Utah

Newsweek reports: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints considers same-sex marriage to be a “serious transgression” — and, until this spring, treated Mormons involved in these unions as apostates, subject to church disciplinary hearings that could result in their excommunication. So a commencement ceremony on Friday at Brigham Young University, the flagship academic institution of the Mormon Church, …

The New York Times reports: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a remarkable reversal to its policies on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people on Thursday. The decision rolls back a 2015 policy that barred children living with same-sex couples from important religious practices like baby-naming ceremonies and baptisms. That policy also declared that church members in …

Ben Winslow reports at Salt Lake City’s Fox affiliate: After years and years of trying and failing, Utah finally has a working hate crimes law. In a public ceremony at the Utah State Capitol on Tuesday, Governor Gary Herbert signed Senate Bill 103 into law. “I think with the passage of Senate Bill 103, we are sending a message that …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: The Florida man who was caught on video asking a Utah man if he is gay and then punching him failed to show up for a court date on Friday, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Carlo Alazo, 22, faces three misdemeanors — one count of threatening to use a weapon in a …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: After years of stalling in the Utah Legislature, a bill to strengthen the state’s hate crimes law has now cleared both chambers by commanding margins. Before passing the bill, the House adopted an amendment that added “political expression” to the list of categories that would be protected by the updated hate crimes statue. Rep. Karianne …

Salt Lake City’s Fox affiliate reports: A group of young LGBTQ rights activists staged a sit-in outside Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s office over a gutted bill that banned conversion therapy. The changes were so dramatic that HB399’s sponsor, Rep. Craig Hall, R-West Valley City, said he could no longer support his own legislation. On Wednesday, he told FOX 13 he …

The Associated Press reports: Supporters of a proposed gay conversion therapy ban for minors in conservative Utah said it was gutted Tuesday by changes that would allow therapists to have some discussion about changing sexual orientation with young patients. The changes approved by GOP lawmakers in committee come after opponents marshalled a strong pushback against the plan that’s similar to …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: He asked the man if he was gay and when he responded “I am,” he hit him. Now, that alleged attacker faces assault charges — but those will not be enhanced as a hate crime. Carlo Alazo, 22 from Florida, was charged Friday by the Salt Lake County district attorney with three misdemeanors for threatening …

Salt Lake City’s Fox affiliate reports: A bill to ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ children is set to be unveiled in the Utah State Legislature. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told FOX 13 it will not oppose the bill, which could give it a boost on Capitol Hill. The bill is being carried by two Republican lawmakers: …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: In a bid to raise money to promote hunting rights and the removal of protection for predator species, a new group co-founded by Utahn Don Peay is selling $10 tickets for a chance to spend five days with Donald Trump Jr. on a guided elk hunt in Utah. Hunter Nation recently posted the foray with …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Salt Lake City police are asking the public for help identifying a man who hit another after asking if he was gay. The assault is captured in an eight-second video posted to Twitter on Sunday by Sal Trejo and quickly spread through social media. The assault took place downtown and the video starts with the …

Ben Winslow reports at Salt Lake City’s Fox affiliate: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said it will not oppose a bill that would expand Utah’s hate crimes law to include protections for LGBTQ people. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been the recipients of hate crimes over the years. We understand that,” Marty Stephens, …

Provo’s Gephardt Daily reports: A 27-year-old Provo man has been arrested after he allegedly wrote on his Facebook page that he was going to kill “as many girls as I see,” because he had been rejected. Christopher Wayne Cleary is facing charges of third-degree felony threat of terrorism as well as probation violation, according to a probable cause statement from …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Final vote counts Tuesday showed that Democrat Ben McAdams did not jump the gun when he declared victory a day earlier over two-term Republican Rep. Mia Love. He won by 694 votes, or a margin of 50.129 percent to 49.871. That margin of 0.258 was just barely outside the 0.25 percent that would have allowed …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: A judge has dismissed U.S. Rep. Mia Love’s legal challenge to the ballot-counting process in vote-rich Salt Lake County, where the congresswoman’s Democratic rival holds a slight advantage. The Republican incumbent — who’s trailing Democrat Ben McAdams in the 4th Congressional District race — earlier this week filed her lawsuit calling for the Salt Lake …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Amid a flurry of national proposals to bring exorbitant U.S. drug prices in line with other countries’ charges, one Utah insurer has a different option for patients: Pay them to go to Mexico. PEHP, which covers 160,000 public employees and family members, is offering plane tickets to San Diego, transportation to Tijuana, and a $500 …

The Huffington Post reports: A gay Utah Republican official is experiencing a backlash after implying that suicide rates in the LGBTQ community are linked to having a high number of sex partners. Dave Robinson, who is the Salt Lake County Republican Party’s new communication director, said in a Monday meeting with the Salt Lake Tribune’s editorial board that he knows …

The Herald Extra reports: As Imagine Dragons neared the end of a hot, busy summer day and upbeat onstage rock set Saturday night in Salt Lake City, a full crowd proudly displaying rainbow colors and flags cheered as frontman and LoveLoud founder Dan Reynolds announced that the 2018 festival had reached its goal of raising more than $1 million in …

Salt Lake City’s CBS affiliate reports: As new tariffs on internationally imported goods go into effect today, Mitt Romney tweeted his disapproval towards the trade wars these tariffs are causing. “I’m not a fan of trade wars,” Romney tweeted. “I hope the new tariffs going into effect today can soon be removed and replaced by a mutually agreeable trade agreement.” …

Ben Winslow reports at Salt Lake City’s Fox affiliate: Among the high school marching bands, veterans, pageant queens and politicians, groups representing Utah Valley’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community took some historic steps. After years of being rejected from one of America’s largest patriotic celebrations in one of Utah’s most conservative cities, several LGBT community groups were finally allowed …