Pernicious trap | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

With the current debate about gay marriage, I've been thinking about the statement by state Sen. Stuart Reid, R-Ogden, that he opposed a bill to ban discriminating against Utah gays in housing and employment because "homosexual activity is immoral."

It's interesting that for many Mormons, and Christians, too, the immorality of homosexuality comes down to the sex act (as if that's all there is to being gay). For religious heterosexuals, the sex act is only immoral when it's performed outside the bounds the Lord has set — within marriage. Yet they deny to gays that option to be "moral."

It's a pernicious trap they have set: You're immoral because you have sex outside of marriage, and it's evil to let you marry. It's hard to believe a loving God would set up such a bind.

All people, even gays, deserve to pursue committed lives full of love, to pursue happiness.

George Hanson

Los Angeles