There's some surprising anti-discrimination legislature emerging in Utah these days in the form of House Bill 89. You can find out more about it yourself from the Utah House web site.
The U.S. has been unable to put together a truly effective workplace anti-discrimination bill at a federal level, so states have been taking it upon themselves to do what the fat cats in Washington DC won't – and they should be applauded.
Under this bill – and this is what separates it from federal attempts – is that it extends to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Can anyone still honesty believes that we've having trouble passing that because some people find that acceptable?
What's important to note here, for those against passage of this bill, is that the law gives people under these categories equal protection, not special privileges. There's a huge difference.
To that end, it's not really surprising that Utah is making a move on this. After all, Utah is known for its prevalence of Mormon and Latter Day Saints followers, many of whom feel discriminated against for their religious beliefs.
It's good to see people working together to end discrimination in the workplace in all its forms and not to pick and choose ones that jive with our own personal beliefs. Remember, in a democracy, we're supposed to make laws that best govern all the people, not just some of the people or those we like best.
