Unity Utah Is Born 2001
To change Utah, we needed a seat at the table. In 2001, during a time when LGBTQ acceptance was low and our rights remained unprotected, our founding members Doug Wortham, Jim Dabakis, and Michelle Turpin recognized that real change would require political influence. Over dinner, they conceived Unity Utah, the state’s first LGBTQ Political Action Committee (PAC). With founding support from philanthropist Bruce Bastian, they launched what would become Utah’s leading LGBTQ political voice. As a PAC, Unity Utah’s mission was to support and elect fair-minded leaders who would stand with the LGBTQ community. We understood that by supporting candidates’ campaigns and offering endorsements from the LGBTQ community, we could begin to secure our seat.
Becoming Equality Utah 2004
When the state passed Amendment 3 by referendum, restricting relationship recognition for LGBTQ couples in our constitution, we took decisive action. At the time, Amendment 3 not only defined marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman but also prohibited any form of legal recognition for same-sex relationships, effectively denying LGBTQ families basic protections. We formed the Don’t Amend Alliance to challenge Amendment 3, and evolved from Unity Utah to become Equality Utah, expanding our scope into a comprehensive political education and lobbying organization. This strategic evolution strengthened our ability to elect fair-minded leaders and advocate for change.
Launching the Common Ground Initiative 2009
In response to California’s Proposition 8, we launched The Common Ground Initiative, marking the beginning of our successful campaign for nondiscrimination protections. At this time, LGBTQ Utahns could legally be fired from their jobs or evicted from their homes simply for who they were or whom they loved. Through our advocacy, we brought together Mayor Ralph Becker, the Salt Lake City Council to pass the state’s first nondiscrimination ordinance protecting sexual orientation and gender identity. This groundbreaking ordinance meant LGBTQ residents of Salt Lake City could live and work without fear of discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Expanding Protections Across Utah 2010
We launched a statewide campaign for local protections, working closely with the Salt Lake Human Rights Commission. Starting with Salt Lake City’s groundbreaking ordinance, we successfully advocated for similar protections in West Valley, Park City, Ogden, Logan, and beyond. Each ordinance required careful relationship building and education. We brought LGBTQ families to city council meetings to share their stories of discrimination and hope, helping council members understand the real human impact of these protections. These local victories laid crucial groundwork for what was yet to come.
Marriage Equality Comes to Utah 2013
On December 21st, 2013 the historic Kitchen v. Herbert ruling was made when a federal court struck down Amendment 3 as unconstitutional. This landmark decision meant that, for the first time, LGBTQ couples in Utah could legally marry. 1,200 couples married in the following week, many of whom had waited decades to have their relationships legally recognized. With this ruling, Utah became the first state to overturn a constitutional ban on marriage equality, opening the door for other states to follow.
Achieving Statewide Non-Discrimination Protections 2015
Through historic collaboration between Equality Utah, the ACLU of Utah, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and other faith communities, we secured a landmark victory. Governor Gary Herbert signed our comprehensive nondiscrimination bill, SB 296, commonly known as “The Utah Compromise,” on March 12, 2015. This groundbreaking law balanced protections for both LGBTQ and religious communities, making Utah the first Republican-led state to pass pro-LGBTQ legislation. For the first time, LGBTQ Utahns in every city and town gained legal protection against workplace discrimination and housing denial based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Later that year, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision guaranteed nationwide marriage equality, completing the journey Utah began when we challenged Amendment 3.
Harvey Milk Blvd Created 2016
Through collaboration with the Salt Lake City Council and the Mayor’s office, we dedicated 20 blocks of downtown’s 900 South as Harvey Milk Boulevard on May 16, 2016, honoring the pioneering gay rights leader. This dedication reflected the progress both the state and capital city had made in advancing LGBTQ equality.
Protecting LGBTQ Youth in Schools 2017
We took bold action by joining three students in challenging Utah’s “No Promo Homo” law that prohibited discussion of LGBTQ people or issues in schools. Educators were uncertain about what they could say or do, at times, preventing them from intervening when LGBTQ students faced bullying or harassment. Following our successful litigation, we championed the passage of the near unanimous vote of SB 196 the Utah legislature in 2017, removing these restrictions in state code. This victory meant fairness for all, ensuring students were treated equally. Now teachers could acknowledge and support LGBTQ students facing bullying or harassment without fear of violating state law.
Securing Hate Crimes Protections 2019
During the 2019 Utah legislative session, we championed and secured passage of SB 103, Utah’s first comprehensive hate crimes law, signed by Governor Gary Herbert. This legislation provided specific protections for LGBTQ individuals, religious groups, and other minority communities against bias-motivated crimes. For the first time, crimes targeting LGBTQ Utahns would be recognized and prosecuted as hate crimes, protecting all Utahns from violence and intimidation.
Protecting LGBTQ Youth from Conversion Therapy 2020
Our strategic approach to change reached another milestone when we successfully worked with the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing to prohibit conversion therapy for minors. This harmful practice, which attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, has been linked to increased rates of depression and suicide among LGBTQ youth. Utah became the 19th state to ban this dangerous practice, protecting vulnerable young people from psychological trauma and affirming that LGBTQ identities were not something to be “cured.”
Launching the Business Equality Leader Program 2021
Drawing from our years of successful advocacy, we developed an innovative program to share our proven approach with businesses and organizations. This program teaches the strategies that have made our work successful like honoring viewpoint diversity, finding common ground, listening to understand, and recognizing shared humanity. Through this initiative, we help create workplaces where LGBTQ employees can thrive and bring their full selves to work.
Training the Next Generation 2022
In 2022 we launched our College Ambassador Program, extending our legacy by training the next generation of LGBTQ leaders. This program equips students on campuses across the state with the tools and strategies that have proven successful in Utah. Through the program, we teach effective advocacy approaches, including how to communicate across ideological divides and build on shared values, ensuring our movement’s future leaders understand how to make a meaningful and lasting change in our state.
Strengthening Conversion Therapy Ban 2023
When faced with efforts to reverse our conversion therapy ban, we demonstrated our approach in action. While Utah’s division of professional licensing division had successfully regulated conversion therapy for minors, we still needed a state law to codify and strengthen the ban. By engaging directly with lawmakers who raised concerns about the administrative ban, listening to understand their perspective, and working closely with all stakeholders, we transformed a potential setback into an opportunity. The amended bill HB 228 passed unanimously, codifying Utah’s conversion therapy ban into law and demonstrating once again how building bridges across divides can lead to unprecedented support for LGBTQ protections.
Secured LGBTQ Protections in Religious Freedom Law 2024
When Utah considered a state version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), we engaged in thoughtful collaboration with legislators and stakeholders. Though some national groups used RFRA as as sword to undermine LGBTQ rights, we worked to secure unprecedented protections within the bill, ensuring the legislation would safeguard rather than diminish LGBTQ rights. This achievement made Utah the only conservative state where Religious Freedom law explicitly protects LGBTQ rights.
Today: Continuing Our Work 2025
We have a bold track record now of achieving what many observers have argued would be impossible in Utah. We maintain our year-round presence, working with legislators to shape and improve legislation affecting our community. Even when challenging bills pass, we stay engaged to minimize potential harm through strategic amendments. Our twenty-plus years of experience have proven that there is nothing we can’t accomplish through strategic advocacy. While some seek to divide our community with “us versus them” rhetoric, we continue to break down these barriers by fostering dialogue and creating common ground. Our commitment to the LGBTQ community and all of Utah remains as we continue our work to create lasting change in a state we call home.
