Gary Herbert on Civil Rights

Discriminating against gay people shouldn't be illegal

Herbert said that discriminating against gay people shouldn't be illegal, although he would prefer that everyone be treated with respect. In his most definitive comments yet on gay rights, Herbert told reporters he doesn't believe sexual orientation should be a protected class in the way that race, gender and religion are.

"We don't have to have a rule for everybody to do the right thing. We ought to just do the right thing because it's the right thing to do and we don't have to have a law that punishes us if we don't," Herbert said in his first monthly news conference.

In Utah, it is legal to fire someone for being gay or transgender. The gay rights advocacy group Equality Utah has been trying to change state law for several years but has been rebuffed by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Salt Lake City is considering an anti-discrimination ordinance, but conservative state lawmakers are eyeing passage of a law that would trump it.

Source: Associated Press, "Gays aren't in protected class" , Aug 28, 2009

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