The Utah Legislature has approved a
bill that seeks to repeal a law that prohibits talk about
homosexuality in sex-education classes.
According to The
Salt Lake Tribune, Senate Bill 196, sponsored by Republican
Senator Stuart Adams, won final Senate approval on Wednesday, with
one Republican, Senator Margaret Dayton, voting against it.
Utah's so-called “no promo homo”
law bars “advocacy of homosexuality.” Adams' bill strikes out
the restriction while adding a restriction on the “advocacy of
premarital or extramarital sexual activity.”
The repeal bill now heads to the desk
of Governor Gary Herbert, a Republican opposed to marriage equality
and who once said that being
gay is a choice.
A legal challenge to the law was put on
hold as the repeal legislation wound its way through the Legislature.
Equality Utah and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)
filed their lawsuit in October.
“This is a historic day for LGBTQ
students in Utah,” Equality Utah Executive Director Troy Williams
said. “We commend Senator Adams and the Utah Legislature for
recognizing that LGBTQ students should be treated with the same
respect and dignity as straight students. The removal of
discriminatory language from school curriculum will send a positive
message that all students are valued in Utah.”