This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
After a decade in the Utah Senate, Chris Buttars, the West Jordan Republican who helped craft Utah's constitutional gay-marriage ban, is retiring.
During his time in the Legislature, Buttars made remarks about the LGBT community that raised eyebrows, prompted calls for his resignation and even sparked a protest festival dubbed "Buttars-palooza."
After Buttars announced his retirement this week, ally Gayle Ruzicka, president of the Utah Eagle Forum, said Buttars "always stood strong for moral values" and that made him a "target."
Buttars' statements did grab headlines frequently, both in Utah and nationally. From The Salt Lake Tribune archives, here are some of his most memorable quotes:
"The gay?" — Upon learning in 2005 that Scott McCoy, an openly gay attorney, had been appointed to the Senate.
"We get different types of dogs and different types of cats, but you have never seen a 'dat.'" — Explaining his support in 2005 for teaching "divine design" alongside evolution.
"They're everywhere. They're getting into everything. … The homosexual community is going to undermine society." — At the 2006 Utah Eagle Forum convention.
"If you read the homosexual rule book, you'll find their greatest target is your kids." — At the 2006 Utah Eagle Forum convention, the same year he attempted to block gay-straight clubs in schools.
"This baby is black . . . It's a dark, ugly thing." — Referring to a complex school-funding bill during the 2008 Legislature.
Finally, these come from a 2009 interview about the the LGBT community with documentary filmmaker Reed Cowan. Cowan released "8: The Mormon Proposition" a year later.
"They're probably the greatest threat to America going down I know of."
"It's the beginning of the end. Oh, it's worse than that. Sure. Sodom and Gomorrah was localized. This is worldwide."
"To me, homosexuality will always be a sexual perversion. And you say that around here now, and everybody goes nuts. But I don't care."