A Utah lawmaker on Wednesday introduced a bill that would reinforce the state’s law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman and mandate that and publicly funded programs, laws and regulations be “carefully scrutinized to ensure that they promote the family.”
The bill, introduced by Rep. LaVar Christensen (R-Draper), states that a married straight father and mother and their children are the “fundamental unit of society,” mirroring language included in the Mormon church’s “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”
Christensen has also filed a one-sentence bill that states, “An arrangement, agreement or transaction that is unlawful or violates public policy is void and unenforceable.”
LGBT equality advocates are very concerned that if passed, this bill could be used to derail any legal protections gay and lesbian Utah families may be entitled to.
“It could be used to create a filter for public agencies and a way to target laws, services and funding that currently help single Utahns or Utahns with families that differ from Representative Christensen’s,” said Equality Utah Executive Director Brandie Balken.
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