University of Utah Student Newspapers--The Chronicle | 2007-11-19 | Page 3

.THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE Monday, November 19, 2007 Debaters clash over job discrimination Clayton Norlen STAFF WRITER Although conservatives in the Utah State Legislature argue that current laws already protect against discrimination in the workplace, liberals claim that the law should specifically outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The U Debate Team and the department of communication hosted a parliamentary debate and panel discussion to debate whether Utah should create laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. Panel guests included Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan; Rep. Christine Johnson, D-Salt Lake City; Gayle Ruzicka, of the Utah Eagle Forum; and Will Carlson, who manages policy issues for Equality Utah. The panelists responded to arguments made by students and debated about hypothetical legislation to change the law. "There is still (discrimination) despite the fact we have (a) constitutional guarantee of equal protections," said Johnson, who identifies as a lesbian. "When society fails to regulate its behavior in a corrected and constructive manner, it falls on the government to create the conditions necessary to end the abuses. In the 2008 general legislative session, employment antidiscrimination amendments represent such necessary corrections." However, others argue that the law already protects employees from discrimination. "To answer the question proposed here tonight—no, we should not pass this," Ruzicka said. "All people already enjoy equality in the law and in the workplace. Gay and lesbian people are single, and as single people, they receive equally the same benefits of all single people, and that is the way it should be." Opponents against more specific discrimination laws argued that the change could lead to further legal battles over workplace discrimination, discourage new businesses from coming to the state and go against Utah's moral values. Carlson argued that antidiscrimination laws are in keeping with the state's values, saying the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encourages its members to be accepting of all people and not to reject others because of their sexuality. He countered arguments that the change could discourage businesses from coming to Utah with statistics showing that the gay community has historically had the highest spending power and that by passing this legislation, Utah would become a magnet for gay-friendly businesses and employees. "Employees and applicants have a right to be judged based on what counts. Education, experience, job performance, sexual orientation and gender identity all count until Utah legislature changes the law," Carlson said. "We need to make this change so that it is clear that the workplace is for work, and sexual orientation and gender identity, regardless of what you think about it, is irrelevant as to if you can do a job." Ruzicka said the legislation could cause reverse discrimination against the religious. She questioned whether someone who reads their Bible at work and voices the opinion that homosexuality is morally wrong would be fired. She said the people of Utah have already spoken and sided with morality when they voted for an amendment to the Utah Constitution banning gay marriage. "Nobody should be discriminated against, but this idea means we should go out and do something that has never been done in America and provide special protections to sub-groups," Buttars said. "This won't stop—everybody will come forward looking for protection. 'Hey, I got tattoos all over my body and I couldn't get the job, so I should be protected.' And if anyone here thinks it won't, it will happen—it will." TERESA GET!ZN/rheDefy Utotiartaitlt Nina Hall and Danielle Hughes debate against passing workplace discrimination legislation. The University of Utah Debate Team and the department of communication hosted the debate Thursday in the 05H Auditorium. TERESA GETTEN/fof te-1;-t/B Anastasia Niedrich and Chrissey Hayes prepare an argument in support of passing legislation to protect against workplace discrimination regarding sexual orientation. Buttars said that because being gay is a choice, like getting a tattoo, the gay community didn't qualify for protection under the law. The passage of this legislation would be Like rewriting the Ten Commandments to say that morality no longer exists and that there is no wrong. In theory, it should be enough to say that all men are created equal, Johnson said, telling the crowd to look at the history of discrimination in the United States. It has taken governmental action to end slavery, segregation and to allow women and colored peoples the right to vote, she said, adding that it will take government action to end the emotional and physical abuse that the gay community still faces today. "This legislation does not create a protected class Senator Buttars talks about. Everyone in this room has a sexual orientation, everyone in this room has a gender identity, just as everyone in this room has a race and a sex," Carlson said. "Now any one of us can be discriminated against for one of those things. Two of them are legal, and the other two are illegal to discriminate against." [e-mail] TASK FORCE GIVES REPORT continued from Page 1 The Office of Student Affairs and Human Relations are trying to identify individuals who signal potential for such behaviors and provide them with help. They will establish a threat assessment team to address behavioral issues and work with the University Counseling Center. A major concern of the task force is to find a practicable way to notify the campus in case of an emergency, an issue that also came up this summer when a Utah Department of Corrections officer was shot and killed by an inmate receiving treatment at a medical center in Research Park. But the answer to the question isn't so simple, McCormack said. "No notification can have counter-productive effects," he said. "You don't rely on one system." Members of the task force are considering using a combination of telephone services, e-mail, text messaging, electronic message boards and the media to get the message out. The notification would go through three tiers of people—vice presidents and administrators; deans, directors and building supervisors; and students and employees. The task force When confronted with a considered text messaging every- weapon or threatening one, but reconsid- behavior: ered after finding that mass-texting > Stay calm would paralyze > Contact law enforcement at the entire Salt (801J585-2677 (COPS) or 911 Lake Valley phone > Avoid confrontation if possible system for four or five hours. Look for solid protection The next challenge of commu- Source: Campus Security Task Force Report nication is what message to send, "Our ultimate goal is to McCormack said, noting that they would need save lives," McCormack sajd. to get information out quick- "We know there will be emergencies and tragedies, but ly but accurately. Some members of the we want to make sure we've Board of Trustees said the done everything we can." r.mcconkie@ task force should look into chronicle.utah.edu media management during crisis events to make sure the information is correctly portrayed and that the media helps—rather than hinders— emergency response. Now that Young has approved the recommendations, the next step is to assemble a policy group composed of key administrators, operational members, such as facilities and police, and one member of the Board of Trustees. The group will implement and coordinate security policy between organizations on campus. The task force will also hire a special assistant for emergency management to serve in the policy group, which McCormack expects to start meeting in the next few weeks. SALE DONATES TO ANIMALS continued from Page 1 ly for this bazaar, the second one she has participated in. Twenty percent of her sales were donated to help the animals find homes. Last year, the sales raised about $1,400. This year's total is not yet available. "It started out really small. The research community is really supportive," said Schmidt. For information on adopting a retired research animal, contact Tena Varvil at [e-mail]. [e-mail] NEED MONEY? WE NEED YOU! You could qualify for a special blood program if you have recently been diagnosed with any of the following: Wie/gies ^PBS Simplex I 'Momudeosis *Lyme Tftpf 'EpsteifiBarr W/us lupus *Hepate^ 'CJiy/amydia *Ofher cond/f/ons moy be surttib/e,ra//fordeta//s JEWELERS Fashion Plaza, 152 Easl Winchester, Murray • [phone] The Gateway, 157 South Rio Grande, Salt Lake City • [phone] MEMBER AMERICAN GEM SOCIETY Bateman's Moside Farms, 11 miles north of of Elberta, PO Box 119 Elberta, Utah 84626 needs additional labor to fence 80 miles of new corrals and grazing lands. Tasks include digging holes 3 feet of depth, the area Is stony, we need to clean the area, extracting undergrowth and digging holes. Other tasks include putting In posts, pulling the wires, putting the barbed wire. After finishing the fence, tasks Include cleaning the area, cutting trees, removing roots, preparing the land for planting, harvesting, weeding, watering, harvesting alfalfa. Prepaf ing, repairing and cleaning irrigation ditches. Qualified Doners receive $200 per donation, plus mileage reimbursement.1 Please contact [phone] for more information. MlCalls m Confidential Site # 04-030 *Fw1lKr screening may be necessay in cmter to quaGfiL }. Brooks ^ This Is a temporary position from 12/22/07 to 07/22/08. Pay rate is $8.64/hr, 3/4 guaranteed. Tools, supplies & equipment provided no cost to worker. Transport to job site and housing will be provided without cost to workers who cannot reasonably return to their residence. Apply for this job at the Utah Department of Workforce Services office using Job Listing Number 8553522. 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