Utah ranks last in attitude to pro-gay policies

A recent study ranks Utah last in pro-gay policy attitudes. By these criteria, Utah's percentage who favor gay protections and rights (38%) is 5% lower than the next lowest state - Oklahoma; and 30% below the highest ranked state - Massachusetts (68%). Utah's ranking for each category is as follows:

• 50th ∙Adoption—Do you think there should be adoption rights for gay and lesbian couples?
• 50th ∙Hate Crimes—If a hate crime law were enacted in your state, do you think that homosexuals should be covered?
• 50th ∙Health: Should there be health insurance and other employee benefits for gay spouses?
• 50th ∙Housing: Should there be laws protecting homosexuals from discrimination in housing?
• 50th ∙Jobs: Should there be laws to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination in job opportunities?
• 46th ∙Marriage: Do you favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally?
• 45th ∙Sodomy: Do you think homosexual relations between consenting adults should be legal?
• 50th ∙Unions: Do you favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to form legally recognized civil unions, giving them many of the legal rights of married couples?
• 50th: Overall

From Jeffrey Lax and Justin Phillips, “Gay Rights in the States: Public Opinion and Policy Responsiveness,” American Political Science Review, p.41. Estimates of explicit pro-gay policy support are shown by state as a percentage, ordered by average opinion.

. State 2nd Parent Adoption Hate Crimes Health Benefits Housing Jobs Marriage Sodomy Civil Unions Mean Opinion . mean 43 70 59 75 62 39 45 49 55 . st. dev. 8 6 6 5 6 9 9 9 7 . total congruent 43 31 16 20 22 46 32 37 245 . Utah 22 55 41 57 40 25 33 31 38 . Oklahoma 26 59 49 65 50 25 32 35 43 . Arkansas 27 65 51 68 50 25 30 34 44 . Alabama 29 61 54 68 53 23 28 34 44 . Mississippi 29 64 55 71 55 23 28 34 45 . Tennessee 31 65 54 70 53 26 29 35 45 . Kentucky 32 63 52 69 53 28 35 39 46 . Idaho 33 59 51 67 53 34 42 40 47 . South Carolina 33 66 57 73 59 28 33 42 49 . Louisiana 36 67 58 76 62 30 34 40 51 . Georgia 36 68 58 74 60 30 39 43 51 . North Carolina 36 68 58 74 60 31 34 40 50 . Wyoming 37 59 54 70 58 36 45 45 51 . Texas 37 65 59 74 61 32 38 43 51 . Nebraska 39 62 53 72 60 32 39 43 50 . Kansas 39 65 54 73 61 36 41 46 52

. South Dakota 40 65 55 73 60 35 40 44 51 . Missouri 40 69 54 73 57 34 44 45 52 . North Dakota 41 63 55 73 62 33 41 44 51 . Indiana 41 66 54 74 60 35 42 45 52 . West Virginia 41 67 57 75 62 33 38 44 52 . Montana 43 66 58 73 61 41 51 52 56 . Alaska 43 66 59 75 62 42 49 50 56 . Virginia 43 71 62 77 64 37 44 45 55 . Arizona 44 70 62 76 64 44 52 54 58 . Wisconsin 44 73 56 77 62 42 51 50 57 . Florida 45 71 63 76 64 39 49 52 57 . Iowa 45 72 58 76 62 38 44 51 56 . Ohio 46 73 60 78 64 39 42 46 56 . Pennsylvania 46 73 61 78 66 43 47 52 58 . New Mexico 47 73 61 78 65 45 52 53 59 . Michigan 47 74 60 78 64 39 44 49 57 . Minnesota 47 74 60 78 64 42 49 51 58 . Oregon 47 75 61 77 63 45 54 56 60 . Nevada 48 73 63 78 65 46 51 55 60 . Colorado 48 74 61 78 66 47 55 56 61

. Illinois 48 77 64 80 66 42 50 53 60 . Delaware 49 76 66 81 68 41 46 54 60 . Maryland 49 79 67 82 69 41 50 55 61 . Hawaii 50 76 62 78 65 49 56 57 62 . Washington 51 76 61 79 65 49 56 57 62 . California 51 78 65 81 68 50 58 58 64 . Maine 52 75 64 79 67 49 52 58 62 . New Hampshire 52 75 66 80 68 51 53 61 63 . New Jersey 53 76 67 81 70 48 53 61 64 . Connecticut 54 77 68 81 70 52 56 62 65 . Vermont 55 79 66 81 69 53 56 62 65 . Rhode Island 55 79 67 82 70 53 57 64 66 . New York 56 79 71 82 70 52 58 63 66 . Massachusetts 57 81 68 82 70 56 61 69 68

Polygamy: What Love Is This?

Polygamy: What Love Is This? is the only broadcast television program dedicated to exploring the subject of polygamy from a biblical perspective. Since June of 2008, this call-in program has been broadcast live from Salt Lake City on KTMW TV-20 on Thursday nights at 8:00 PM. (The show is re-broadcast on Boise's KCLP TV-18 on Sunday nights at 5:00 PM). In addition, all episodes of the program are also available for online viewing from this website, and are also available as a free video Podcast through iTunes™. (Click here to subscribe to the Podcast!)

Polygamy: What Love Is This? is production of A Shield and Refuge Ministry a weekly talk show hosted by Doris Hanson, a former Mormon Fundamentalist.

Episodes from 2009:

	Episode	Date	Description	Link
	2.01	08 Jan 09	Doris interviews a former polygamist husband.	watch online
	2.02	15 Jan 09	Doris interviews Sandra Tanner.	watch online
	2.03	22 Jan 09	Doris interviews former polygamist Mary Mackert & Christian wife Dorothy Catlin.	watch online
	2.04	29 Jan 09	Doris interviews Brian Mackert, author of the book, Illegitimate on the special needs of those exiting polygamy	watch online
	2.05	5 Feb 09	Doris addresses recent and new questions and comments from viewers	watch online
	2.06	12 Feb 09	Doris interviews Bill McKeever	watch online
	2.07	19 Feb 09	Doris addresses early Mormon polygamy myth #5, and answers viewer questions.	watch online
	2.08	26 Feb 09	Doris addresses another polygamy myth #6, and discusses David's polygamy--is it from God or man?	watch online
	2.09	5 Mar 09	Doris interviews guest Russ East concerning his family's polygamist heritage.	watch online
	2.10	12 Mar 09	Doris interviews Shawn McCraney, host of TV20's "Heart of the Matter"	watch online
	2.11	19 Mar 09	Doris addresses polygamy myth #7, and discuss "faith without works".	watch online
	2.12	26 Mar 09	Doris interviews Kathy Jo Nicholson, formerly of the FLDS group.	watch online
	2.13	2 Apr 09	Doris "interviews" two of Joseph Smith's wives! (Part 1)	watch online
	2.14	9 Apr 09	Doris addresses viewer calls and emails.	watch online
	2.15	16 Apr 09	Doris "interviews" two more of Joseph Smith's wives! (Part 2)	watch online
	2.16	23 Apr 09	Doris interviews Susan Ray Schmidt, formerly of the notorious LeBaron group, about the powerful testimony of Rena Chenowyth, who had participated in this group's "blood atonement" killings.	watch online
	2.17	30 Apr 09	Doris "interviews" two more of Joseph Smith's wives! (Part 3)	watch online
	2.18	07 May 09	Polygamy Myths: Myth #9	watch online
	2.19	14 May 09	Doris interviews pastor Ross Anderson concerning the reliability of the Bible.	watch online
	2.20	21 May 09	Doris addresses polygamy myth #10; also, do we really "bash" Mormons?	watch online
	2.21	28 May 09	Myths of Polygamy, part 11; Doris adddresses viewer letters, emails, and calls; Polygamy in the Old Testament.	watch online
	2.22	04 June 09	Doris interviews pastor Ross Anderson on the reliability of the Bible (part 2)	watch online
	2.23	11 June 09	Anatomy of an escape: told by one assisting a successful rescue.	watch online
	2.24	18 June 09	Doris interviews Danielle Pimentel, a former polygamist	watch online
	2.25	25 June 09	Doris interviews Pastor Hartog about the religious culture of Utah	watch online
	2.26	02 July 09	Doris talks about polygamy in the news, and addresses viewer calls and emails.	watch online
	2.27	09 July 09	Doris interviews Kay Brown, on how the subject of polygamy contributed toward her exit from Mormonism.	watch online
	2.28	16 July 09	Doris interviews former polygamist Mary Mackert, about her ministry to those trapped in polygamy.	watch online
	2.29	23 July 09	Doris interviews Bill McKeever of Mormon Research Ministry, on "contending for the faith".	watch online
	2.30	30 July 09	Interview with Joseph Smith's 2nd plural wife, Lucinda Pendleton (dramatization by Dorothy Catlin).	watch online
	2.31	06 Aug 09	Doris addresses polygamy myth #12; The United Order	watch online
	2.32	13 Aug 09	Doris reviews the LDS film, Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration together with guests Tracy and Quentin Ferguson	watch online
	2.33	20 Aug 09	Doris interviews Bill McKeever, who continues his discussion on "contending for the faith."	watch online
	2.34	27 Aug 09	Doris interviews Beckie Whittaker, who explains the reasons behind her leaving the LDS Church.	watch online
	2.35	03 Sept 09	Doris interviews Kay Brown, who shares more of her story and testimony.	watch online
	2.36	10 Sept 09	Doris interviews Sandra Tanner, on the re-defined terminology that tends to confuse mainline and Fundamentalist Mormonism.	watch online
	2.37	17 Sept 09	Doris interviews Rauni Higley, to discuss the question of whether Joseph Smith believed the Book of Mormon.	watch online
	2.38	24 Sept 09	Doris discusses Polygamy Myth #13, as well as so-called "Christian" polygamy, and addresses viewer calls and questions.	watch online
	2.39	01 Oct 09	Doris interviews Susan Schmidt and Kathie Jo Nicholson (prerecorded episode).	watch online
	2.40	08 Oct 09	Doris dedicates this show to the memory of the late Charlie Kingston, whose moving testimony of leaving fundamentalism and finding freedom in Christ will be an encouragement!	watch online
	2.41	15 Oct 09	Doris discusses polygamy myth #14, and "Is Jesus the Christ?"	watch online
	2.42	22 Oct 09	Doris interviews childcare specialist Karen Holder on how abuses within the polygamist lifestyle affects children.	watch online
	2.43	29 Oct 09	Doris interviews Rauni Higley a second time, and examines the contradictions between the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine & Covenants.	watch online
	2.44	05 Nov 09	Doris interviews Kay Brown, who looks at the journals of early polygamists.	watch online