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SALT LAKE CITY — A decade after a federal judge struck down a Utah constitutional amendment that essentially prohibited same-sex marriage, attitudes on the issue seem to have shifted dramatically.
Speaking Wednesday on the 10-year anniversary of the ruling, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox offered conciliatory words on the same-sex marriage question.
"I think there's been a major shift in making sure we're protecting people's rights. I wish nothing but the best for those couples who've been married and are trying to make marriage work for them," Cox said during his monthly PBS Utah press conference, responding to a query on the issue.
On Dec. 20, 2013, U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby wrote that Utah's laws at the time "demean the dignity of these same-sex couples for no rational reason" in striking down Amendment 3, according to a Deseret News article that day. Amendment 3 was the 2004 voter-approved measure that defined marriage in the Utah Constitution as the union of one man and one woman, essentially prohibiting same-sex marriage.
At the time, Cox's predecessor, Gov. Gary Herbert, offered a tough response to Shelby's decision: "I am very disappointed an activist federal judge is attempting to override the will of the people of Utah. I am working with my legal counsel and the acting attorney general to determine the best course to defend traditional marriage within the borders of Utah."
Cox said he has "a differing personal view" on the same-sex marriage issue. "But from a legal standpoint," he continued, "I think that that's really important and I'm grateful to see this is one area where we have seen people coming together to help each other and to protect each other's rights."
A leader from Equality Utah, meantime, also noted a change in attitudes since the Dec. 20, 2013, decision. Court wrangling continued after Shelby's decision, but ultimately the judge's ruling stood.
Marina Lowe, policy director for the organization, which advocates for the LGBTQ community, said polling today indicates broad support for same-sex marriage, in Utah and across the nation.
"I think we've just seen a radical shift in how people feel about the ability for LGBTQ individuals to marry one another," she said, particularly among younger generations. "Now I think there's sort of an understanding that, of course, marriage should be available to anyone regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity."
Meantime, the political focus of many LGBTQ advocates has shifted from the same-sex marriage issue, more lately to the defense of transgender rights as lawmakers have increasingly turned their focus to the transgender community, she said. "The LGBTQ community is trying to push back against that very targeted sort of attention that's being placed on the transgender community," Lowe said.
