Beginning tomorrow, the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments on overturning (or sustaining) the Defense of Marriage Act, which dates from President Clinton’s term in office and California’s Proposition 8 which overturned marriage equality in the state of California (and which was to a great deal funded and pushed by the LDS church).

News reports today indicate that there has been a sea-change in public opinion over the last nine years, and that more than 53% of Americans now support marriage equality for  gays and lesbians. Most people now say they have a gay relative or friend, so apparently living in the closet helps no one.

I believe the rulings are not anticipated until June, so the next 2-3 months will be tense and a political hotbed. I can’t wait to see the tripe that will hit Facebook as those who want to maintain the status quo fight their losing battle via the social media.

In Utah, it is currently legal–

• To evict a tenant for being gay
• To fire an employee for being gay

The Salt Lake Tribune reports this morning that a gay anti-bias bill that would prohibit this type of discrimination will be attempted in this session of the Utah State legislature — even though the LDS church has reportedly chosen to not get behind it, as had seemed to be the case earlier this year.

This apparent refusal to provide its blessing (something that is literally required for most LDS legislators to get on board) may be tied to attempts to remove the clause allowing exemptions for people with “sincere religious beliefs against homosexuality”.

Maybe it’s me, but isn’t this exactly the group this bill is targeting? Keeping this clause in makes it essentially non-enforceable and non-effective.

ADDENDUM: It didn’t pass. Another year in Utah with no legal protections. I also read that the church fears this because they would not be able to fire church employees who are in a gay relationship as they currently do with impunity. Nice.

Now I certainly don’t begrudge the saints in France an opportunity to go to a more convenient and in-country temple, but two things stand out here:

1) The church is proposing building this new temple by the palace at Versailles

2) According to the Salt Lake Tribune, French authorities say the church has indicated that they’re spending 80 million euros ($113 million) to build it

A few rhetorical questions:

That $113 million comes to $3,228 per French church member (there are some 35,000 total).

At least it’s not another multi-billion-dollar mall.

The LDS General Conference started today and right off the bat we hear how members in Japan have donated 40,000 hours of humanitarian work to help the tsunami/earthquakes victims.

Oh, and that’s “from 4,000 members”.

Or about 10 hours a person.

Add 70 tons of “food, water, blankets, bedding, hygiene items, clothing and fuel” that were distributed.

That 70 tons (140,000 pounds) went to some reported 24,000 displaced persons in Japan — or an average of 5.833 pounds of “food, water, blankets, bedding, hygiene items, clothing and fuel” per person.

A gallon of water weighs 8 pounds.

Slate magazine has a nice recap of the 1st day

Gay Marriage Has a Good Day in Court

California’s Proposition 8, not so much.
By Emily Bazelon | Slate

Is there any reason to wall marriage off from gay couples? Any reason at all?

That is what the whole debate over the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8, the voter referendum that banned same-sex marriage, came down to Monday in a long argument before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. It was amazing to see lawyers and even one judge scrape around to find any sort of justification—and how thin what they finally dredged up was. Ten or even five years ago, opposition to gay marriage looked like a thick blanket you could wrap yourself in. Now it’s threadbare, with more holes than stitching.
(more…)

I turned on the 10 o’clock news and they were talking about a road rage incident with shots fired. They displayed the address on the bottom of the screen and I was surprised to recognize the coordinates at the foot of our cul-de-sac.

Then they showed the street sign by our mailbox, a cop car blocking our street’s entrance and the crazy, white-gloved neighbor talking to the police.

This happened this afternoon. I was working from home. I guess I missed it.

I took my honey to the airport today again, for his last (we hope) trip to Brazil for a while.

I’ve been watching the live reports from here in Salt Lake tonight as a gunman entered Trolley Square about 4 hours ago and began shooting indiscriminately. A police spokesperson just confirmed six fatalities–including the gunman–with at least four more in critical condition in area hospitals.

Things like this don’t happen in Salt Lake–or so everyone thought. We get the occasional gang shooting and drive-by, but this is something completely different.

A friend of ours, Doug Irie, was quoted on one channel. He works at the Pottery Barn which is where some of the action took place.

The police completely surrounded Trolley Square within 30 minutes. Amazing that something so large and covering several city blocks could be surrounded. This would have been a good time to rob a bank.