Quips & Quotes
“Clearly, the ultimate goal of the ‘Common Ground Initiative’ is ‘gay marriage.’ They [gay people] will take their ‘common ground’ incrementally until that singular goal is achieved. Utahns will have to decide if ‘common ground’ is good enough, or if ‘Sacred Ground’ is worth fighting for.”
– The Sutherland Institute, a self-described pro-family group based in Utah, in a statement on its Web site urging Utahns to oppose Equality Utah’s Common Ground initiative.
“From the beginning, we have made it clear — the Common Ground Initiative is not about marriage. It is about basic rights for gay and transgender Utahns. While we understand this, many legislators continue to respond to the same tired message from our opponents.”
– Equality Utah director Mike Thompson, in an action alert sent to Equality Utah supporters after Sen. Scott McCoy’s Wrongful Death Amendments bill died in committee.
“While I wish the State of Utah to treat all citizens with fairness and dignity, I am growing more and more concerned that anything the Legislature does to create rights for same-sex couples or GLBT individuals will be used by the courts — as is being done across the country — as the basis for extending the rights of marriage to same-sex couples. Thus I am very leery of voting for these bills …”
– An unnamed Utah State Senator in an email to a Common Ground Initiative supporter, as quoted in an Equality Utah action alert.
“The more I experience the actions of those in leadership positions or those who have power withing [sic] the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the more I become convinced that this organization is an instrument of organized homophobia and that there are no rights, no equalities, no measures of freedom for gay men and women that are too small for them to let pass unopposed.”
– Blogger Timothy Kincade writing about the defeat of Sen. Scott McCoy’s Wrongful Death Amendments bill in The Box Turtle Bulletin, a blog dedicated to “news, analysis and fact-checking of anti-gay rhetoric.”
“Gayle Ruzicka is our Anita Bryant, and if her personal mission is to defeat LGBT protections, then it will be my personal mission to fight against her.”
– Gay rights activist Jacob Whipple, in a post on his Facebook urging Utah gay and transgender people to speak out against Eagle Forum president Gayle Ruzicka, who is well-known for her anti-gay statements and activism.