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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- After an emotionally charged debate, the bill that many fear or hope will ban gay-straight alliances in Utah schools passed the Utah Senate on Wednesday.
But its sponsor, despite all of his oratory against the clubs, claims the bill will not shut down any school club.
"We're not declaring any club that's out there unlawful," Sen. Chris Buttars said. "What we have done is present an outline of criteria that schools can use to evaluate (clubs) of all sorts."
That criteria is needed, Buttars said, so that the state's 40 school districts can have a consistent policy in state law, leaving districts free to make decisions about club charters without fear of being sued by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Senate Bill 97 passed on a vote of 18-11, with three Republicans crossing the aisle to vote with the Democrats against the bill.
It will now be considered by the House, where a similar bill is offered by Rep. Aaron Tilton, R-Springville. House Bill 393 was endorsed last week by a committee and awaits a floor debate. Buttars' bill was amended before the Senate vote to more closely align with Tilton's proposal by changing language Utah's attorney general said would run afoul of federal law.
SB97 has been seen as a threat to GSAs but Buttars said Wednesday that isn't his intention.
"It can apply to any groups," Buttars said. "The only group that's made this their battle ground is the gay and lesbian community."
But Buttars' own rhetoric in arguing for the bill has focused on GSAs. In committee earlier this week and on the Senate floor Wednesday, he said GSAs are a recruiting tool for homosexuals and are tearing down the moral pillars of society.
In a somewhat unusual move, Buttars requested -- and was granted -- permission for a citizen to address the Senate during the presentation of his bill. Senate rules allow for this during the discussion of any bill, the practice is most often used when commendations are being presented or a member of Utah Congressional delegation or other dignitary addresses the body.
Buttars' guest was Scott M. Soulier, a constituent, who recounted a family story of a niece who had attended a GSA at her high school and then said attempts were made to "recruit" her to homosexuality, Soulier said. He gave similar testimony at a committee hearing on Monday.
Sen. Scott McCoy, who is gay, reacted strongly to Soulier's remarks, and to statements from Buttars that gays are trying to tear down the moral pillars of society.
"I have never recruited a single person into the homosexual lifestyle because it's not a chosen lifestyle," said McCoy, D-Salt Lake City. "I didn't wake up one day and chose to be gay and I don't believe that anybody wakes up and choses to be gay. I don't think any of you woke up one day and chose to be heterosexual. It's what you are."
McCoy said GSAs are havens for gay and lesbian students who are the frequent targets of bigoted remarks and teasing in schools.
"The most common epithets thrown about in our high schools are words like faggot and dyke," McCoy said. "What these clubs exist to do is not to recruit people to change they way they live their lives. These clubs are simply places they can come together and say, `We don't think people should be treated like that."
McCoy objected to the idea that gay and lesbian people are immoral and said a debate of morals on Capitol Hill should be focused on using the state's $1 billion budget surplus to fund programs for the underserved and fully fund education programs.
Passing SB97 won't get rid of gays, McCoy said.
"Gay and lesbian people are going to be in the state of Utah. We're going to be in the high schools. We're going to have families and we're going to be raising them here," he said. "I would simply ask that you allow us to do that and leave us alone."
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
