Rain Doesn’t Dampen Equal Rights Event

Cross posted from Utah Legislature Watch, with additional footage

A couple of hundred people put up their umbrellas today and came out for the “Common Ground” March and Rally today as a kick off to the upcoming Utah legisative session. Equality Utah:

During the 2009 General Session ot the Utah State Legislative Session, Equality Utah will be introducing 6 bills known as the Common Ground Initiative. These bills will expand on rights and protections for the LGBT community living in Utah.

Quotes from a Salt Lake Tribune article today on the event with regards to the Common Ground Initiative:

These five bills would make it illegal to fire an employee or evict a tenant for being gay or transgender, provide wider rights for inheritance and health insurance and give same-sex partners the ability to sue in cases of wrongful death, among other things.

“The era of discrimination, fear, hatred and prejudice is coming to an end, said openly gay Unitarian Church Reverend Sean Dennison, addressing the crowd. “I would like to see Utah take the surprising step and lead the way.

A recent poll shows that most Utahns favor workplace and housing protections for gay or transgender residents as well as health-insurance availability for same-sex partners.

This may the year that ground-breaking legislation on equal rights breaks through.

I attended the beginning of rally at the end of the march at the capitol buiding.  I was performing with Utah’s Radical Cheerleaders “Pom Poms Not Bomb Bombs” as was Utah Legislature Watch Co-Founder and Auther Jenni Killpack-Knutsen.

Here are two videos of the Radical Cheerleaders: