Utah State Senator compares gays to radical Muslims.

It's hard enough to tell people I'm from Utah as it is now, we got this guy upholding the stereotypes.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Utah state senator Chris Buttars is now comparing some in the gay community to radical Muslims. Buttars makes this strong comment in an upcoming documentary about Prop 8. And they come just a year after remarks by Buttars greatly offended many African-Americans. In late January of this year, Senator Buttars sat down for an interview with documentary maker and former ABC 4 reporter Reed Cowan. Cowan’s documentary is called, "8: The Mormon Proposition. " In it, Buttars not only makes the comparison to radical Muslims, but also suggests that gays could pose the greatest threat to America.

Full article...

And because this is Utah, we can expect no disciplinary action and he'll probably get re-elected.

Well it's nice to see that Union is still going strong eh folks?

Wow, it's funny how the people we give the power to make decisions like running a state can be so backward thinking and get away with this kind of stuff.

I hope he has a kid that has a gay kid, just to teach him some tolerance, then again it may breed his intolerence and we'll have another missing child case.


HAHAH ohh and yes, Gay's are ruining America!! Ofcourse they are, all the dancing and the leather and human rights advocation that we do, along with a very varied and accepting culture.

It's not the government killing innocent civilians or the Corporations bleeding us for money...no no, it's the gays...yes..that's the answer...

Good Job USA...Good Job...

~Keeper

Even if Senator Buttars had a gay son, he would just send him to his boys ranch to beat and pray the gay away.

sn.im...

Yes, these are the type of people that run Utah. The Mormon majority can't seem to get enough of their hate mongering zealots.

I don't want to make light of this guys awful comments but as a big south park fan its difficult to take anyone called buttars seriously

This guy is unintentionally hilarious.

OH NOES! Teh gays are taking over!!!

Look on the bright side, at least we'll all be better-dressed.

ya gotta love people in the public eye that abuse their golden power...

what are they trying to uphold? what are they trying to get out of running for public office?
is it a bench for them to announce all their short minded views? just do your job asshat.

The exerpt from the article says that he called some in the gay community as bad as radical Muslims--not all. Perhaps, before getting bent out of shape, you should look into why he would be inclined to say something like this. There are some in the gay community that are very 'in your face' with their lifestyle--even trying to say that it's more natural than heterosexuality. I rememer reading about a group of homosexuals in San Francisco that, in the early 90s, surrounded a church and threatened to kill the pastor and make his son gay and prevented congregants from going in for the evening service. Definitely didn't them in a good light!

I don't think he's abusing his power either. He's taking part in a documentary--is he not allowed to have opinions/beliefs about issues simply because he's a public figure?

I live in Utah as well. I heard about this yesterday and was not shocked at all. After what he said last year about the "Black baby" I knew excatly what he was.

Just have to ignore him. He is like 8000 years old and will be gone soon enough.

reply to post by octotom


To tell you the truth, he should not have the right to be in a position of public office, unless he is helping and representing the PUBLIC...not a specific sect of the public, but all of it, including the ones he does not agree with. That's what a democracy is, representation for the biggest and smallest of communities and groups.

For him to be a Senator no less, in today's world, refering the gays in such ways is simply making it easier for the rest of the world to treat these people like animals than human beings.

I understand that Utah is mormon country and he might get lynched if he doesn't follow the ring leader, but there should be a line drawn.

He can believe whatever he wants, but HIS beliefs should not be affecting the rights of others who do not share those beliefs. His oath of office is to forgoe his personnal opininions so that hey may represent the people to the best of his abilities.

~Keeper

One's beliefs are always going to influence how one governs though, to some extent at least. It's unavoidable.

To tell you the truth, he should not have the right to be in a position of public office, unless he is helping and representing the PUBLIC

With that attitude, there would be no one in government representing anyone! Especially with the helping aspect. Whether or not a politician is helping someone is 'in the eye of the beholder', so to speak. For example, I am a Christian who believes that it is wrong to abort babies. So, I'm going to do what I can do stop that because, one day, God will judge those who killed their babies. Some, of a more liberal persuasion, believe that it is good to just hand money out to people because, after all, it's helping them. The receipient will be all for it--they're being helped. The person that the money is coming from won't be too happy. It's not helping them at all.

reply to post by octotom


Thats the flaw in political ideology, that you're beliefs MUST be used in order to govern things properly. Thats a complete lie, that is how people get away with the things they say and do when in office.

The truth is, yes you're pro-life, so as a senator, I would assume you would vote with the Pro-Life senators on any legislation regarding abortion, that is fine. But you would not go on national televsion and say that abortionists are kin to terrorists would you?

You would not say that non-christians are like fanatical muslims would you? No, you would not, because it's not true. This comparison is Apples and Oranges, the quote the Senator made was not even in context to what he was expressing.

You can't compare gays conduct to radicul muslims...i don't see them blowing themselves up to be accepted, I don't see them taking hostages and burning little girls with acid.

Furthermore, IMO the "in your face" group of gays out there were created in retaliation of the suppression and ridicule these people (me included) have faced during the many decades of our struggle for equality. Cause and effect are in play here.

I will admit you do make a credible point that some beliefs must be counted when making decisions regarding certain things that require it. This does not. The gay rights movement has nothing to do with what you "believe" to be true, or what you want to be true, the fact remains that people deserve the same rights under law as any other person regardless of sexual orientation.

To make such a big deal out of this situation in these times is quite plainly criminal, don't people have other things to worry about then who is getting married and who is sleeping with who?

~Keeper

The senator didn't make these comments on national television, but rather in a documentary.

I didn't say it before, but now's a good time I think. I bet the reason that he said that some gays are as bad as radical muslims is because some are trying to completely change the way that some American institutions work, just as radical muslims do through terrorism. The biggest thing that I can think of is trying to make it a crime for pastor's to say that homosexuality is wrong/a sin. That's pretty big, trying to make a belief, which is taught in Scripture, a crime. I think that that may be what the Senator was trying to get at, but maybe didn't go about it in the right way.

I understand that some of the attitude that is in the gay community stems from people being oppressed, but in the example I gave earlier, it was a random attack. They were protesting a Christian church because it happened to be a Baptist church and Baptist's usually think homosexuality is a sin.

The gay rights movement has nothing to do with what you "believe" to be true

The gay rights movement doesn't but homosexuality does play a role in what some people hold to be true. I think that homosexuality is wrong--it's not what God wants. So, if I'm a politician, I wouldn't be able to vote in favor of something, such as gay marriage, because in effect, I'd be ordaining something that God doesn't approve of. In the end, I'd be judged for this and, to be honest, I would want to be judged for as little as possible!

To make such a big deal out of this situation in these times is quite plainly criminal, don't people have other things to worry about then who is getting married and who is sleeping with who?

Some do, but, as I said before, those that have certain belief systems don't. Ultimately, we're all going to be judged for our actions.

[Just for the record, simply because I believe that homosexuality is wrong, I don't think they're 'the worst of sinners' or that gays go straight to hell simply because they're gay, like some of the wingnuts in my faith do. We're all sinners--I'm probably more of a sinner than some gays! It pains me to no end though that a lot of my Christian brethern stoop to such levels as some do in regards to homosexuals--even hating them. I think of the own clique "hate the sin, love the sinner" and when Jesus said "take the log out of your eye before you take the speck out of your brother's".]

You know what pains me?
Religious zealots, oppressing people based on fairy tales and then saying that they do it out of love.
Bigotry isn't love.
If you think your mythical god is going to judge everybody anyway, shouldn't you let him do it.
Don't force your mythology on to everybody else.

Run it's the gays!!! Were all going to die!!!

reply to post by NotTooHappy


I hate those radical Muslims. They're always bumping those techno remixes of Donna Summer songs and dancing all night long. Plus those pink triangles and rainbows are just tacky.


________
You know, I bet this senator has more in common with radical Muslims than most gays do.
________

[edit on 20-2-2009 by Hellish-D]

So for Senator Chris Buttars, you can't be black, a Muslim or gay? In Buttar's world, to be accepted, be White, christian and heterosexual?

And people actually voted for him?

Which group of people goes on the FEMA train first?

Originally posted by mithrawept
So for Senator Chris Buttars, you can't be black, a Muslim or gay? In Buttar's world, to be accepted, be White, christian and heterosexual?

It's not just Sen. Buttars it's how Mormons as a whole seem to feel. At least the Mormon Church in Utah. And that's White, Mormon and Heterosexual. If you're not a Mormon then your an Apostate or a Gentile or some other name they've co-opted and decided to use to refer to non-Mormons.
Oh wait, the Mormon Church is based in Utah.

Originally posted by mithrawept
So for Senator Chris Buttars, you can't be black, a Muslim or gay? In Buttar's world, to be accepted, be White, christian and heterosexual?

And people actually voted for him?

Which group of people goes on the FEMA train first?

Probably the gay black Muslims!

Are there any in Utah?

EDIT: Additional text.

Words matter. They can't just be laughed or shrugged off. In the interview, Sen. Buttars calls LGBT people "the meanest buggers I've ever seen" – this kind of rhetoric creates an atmosphere of hatred that incites violence against LGBT Americans.

Here are a few more lowlights from Buttars' vile rant:
• LGBT people "are destroying the Constitution."
• Their "number one goal is to proselytize to youth" and use schools as "a recruiting station."
• Thanks to them we are, "moving toward a society that has no morals."
• They will "destroy the foundation of American society... In my mind, it is the beginning of the end."

I receive HRC emails, so I heard about this. Also, I used their link to send a message to Senate President Waddoups, asking him to denounce Buttars' remarks.

[edit on 21-2-2009 by FreddyAuratus]

reply to post by octotom


I can understand your point, you fear some non-existant fictional character in the sky, that's fine, you enjoy that.

Not saying I don't believe in God, I do, but that concept is far more complex and above me for anybody including myself to understand let alone interpret and attempt to do what God wanted or saw fit. We do not have the ability to even comprehend or understand our souls, we don't even know how our bodies function completely, and some people think that they can understand what created all of it?

That my friend is the blasphemy as far as I'm concerned

Thats besides the point. The point is you're logic is flawed, why do you believe that homosexuality is wrong? Does it affect you as a heterosexual? Does it make your life more difficult? Does it make you loose money? Does it make you loose sleep? Does it ruin your child's education? Does it kill millions of people? Does it make you pay more taxes? Does it affect your day to day life in ANY way other than hurt your feelings or your misplaced faith in god?

I could go on, but I would assume the answers would be no. You see if your not gay, then gay people should NOT concern you. It should not bother you that they are getting married, that they are professing their love to eachother, because you are not gay therefore, again it does not concern you or your day to day routine.

I am at a loss for words, I just can't comprehend that a religion that preaches so much love and acceptance can spew so much bigotted hate and fear. And a minority religion no less.

Simply ridiculous. You do know that TPTB is winning because of people like this don't you? That's their ultimate goal, to keep us distracted from real world issues while we argue amongst ourselves over who gets to put their hands in the cookie jar.

~Keeper

Looks like he got the old slap on the wrist/pat on the back treatment.

Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, announced Friday that he was removing Buttars from two committees: the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee and the Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee, both of which Buttars had chaired. In making the announcement, Waddoups said he was trying to ensure the Senate runs smoothly, but also noted that "we agree with many of the things he said. … We stand four-square behind his right [to say what he wants]."

Full article...

They should just change the state nick name from the "Beehive state" to the "Bigot state".
Most on the State Senate seem clueless as to why Buttar's comments even upset people.