Is bigotry dying or Alive and Well? 1 Anti-Gay Bill dies, 1 Pro-Gay Bill Joins it

[WillParkinson]

Wyoming anti-gay bill dies

(Cheyenne, Wyoming) Legislation to amend the Wyoming constitution to ban same-sex marriage has been defeated in the state legislature.

The House voted 35-25 against it, despite massive lobbying by socially conservative groups. The vote ensures the measure will not appear on the ballot in 2010.

The proposed amendment would have defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman and would block the state recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states or countries where they are legal.

The measure needed a two-thirds vote in each house of the legislature and to then be signed by the governor in order to make it onto the ballot.

A similar proposed amendment passed the Senate two years ago but died in the House.

http://www.365gay.com/news/wyoming-anti-gay-bill-dies/

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Second Utah LGBT bill dies

(Salt Lake City, Utah) A bill that would have repealed a section of Utah’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage has been killed by its sponsor in a bid to save four other pro-gay bills before the Legislature.

In addition to banning same-sex marriage, the amendment, known as Amendment 3 and approved by voters in 2004, bars civil unions. Rep. Jackie Biskupski (D) had sought to remove the section dealing with civil unions.

Opponents claimed the move was an attempt to bring in gay marriage through the backdoor.

Biskupski pulled the bill because she feared the argument would be used to block other LGBT legislation - including a bill to include gays in job and housing protections, a domestic partner registry and partner health care rights.

http://www.365gay.com/news/second-utah-lgbt-bill-dies/

(On Edit...I misread the headline, sorry!)

[FreeState]

1. That second bill is Pro-gay n/t

[WillParkinson]

2. Thank you!

I misread the headline. Thank you for pointing it out.

[TheWraith]

3. Enh, it's Utah. Frankly I'm surprised the Wyoming vote happened.

By the way, there should be a rule against referring to gay marriage "through the backdoor." Too much snickering.