Homophobia and Assholism: Are They Connected?

[Anthropology] I can see why somebody might want to be a homophobe. It's probably fun to have a whole group at your disposal to sneer at and feel morally superior to. Even better if you think you don't personally know any members of that group.

And it's probably best if you can somehow make it a part of your religion. That way, you don't have to take responsibility for your own dislikes and prejudices—just say God hates the same people you do. That way, you're simply doing God's will.

"Them there gay homos are eviller than the Mooslims, hyuck-hyuck!"

What I don't understand is why homophobes can't just sit around feeling all hate-y and morally superior; why do they have to be so swinish? Why are homophobes so often assholes?

It's not enough that they promote constitutional amendments and blindly support even the dumbest laws, as long as they can further restrict the rights of gays and lesbians. (A law making it illegal for gays to buy ice cream? Bring it on; those queers are a threat to our families' ice-cream consumption!)

No, they also have to say cruel, senseless things about me: That I'm a greater "threat" to America than a terrorist is, that I'm liable to harm children, that I'm really, really mean and I have no morals.

Maybe they don't intend to be assholes. Maybe they're just deluded.

Buttars, apparently, even thinks that there's some new perversion sweeping the gay and lesbian community, something that's so bad the ABC 4 Utah Website wouldn't publish it. I can't listen to the recorded interview without throwing office equipment, but my guess is Buttars watched the Family Research Council scare-video from years ago that makes gross and incredible claims about, er, massive coprophilia.

Shows how gullible homophobes are. It isn't the gays who are full of shit.

(Brandon Burt)

Gay People are Not "Dirty Shirts"

[Your Utah Legislature] Last night, in his State of the State address, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. offered the typical laundry list an executive hands off to the legislative branch. Fund some new roads (though this was a surprise, given all highway projects had been put on hold last fall when the economy tanked). Support health care reform. Go for green energy projects.

And be kind to others. Help your neighbors in need. Help neighbors you don't even know. Be decent.

Funny. Just a few hours earlier, the Senate Judiciary Committee slammed to the ground the first in a rational package of gay-rights bills to the ground--right along party lines, of course. Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake, sponsored the measure as part of what gay-rights activists are calling the "Common Ground Initiative." It would have allowed financial dependents to sue if a breadwinner suffers a wrongful death. The law would have covered same-sex, long-term partners as well as anyone else in a family who relies on someone for financial support--grandparents or siblings, for example.

Republicans on the committee, of which Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, is chairman, were in fine form. They pulled out the "slippery slope" argument--as in, if we pass this bill, gay people will soon be nabbing our children off the street. (Don't laugh. I don't even want to know how many legislators actually believe it.) Another senator fretted that McCoy's bill is a "dirty shirt" in a laundry basket of marriage rights that would lead to legalization of same-sex marriage. Even though the state of Utah amended its constitution in 2004 to ban same sex-marriage.

McCoy and others who support Common Ground (and recent polls show most Utahns do), promise they'll work the other bills in the package and not give up. It's going to take the patience of those who fought for civil rights for blacks and for suffragists who battled for equal rights for women. It's going to take forever.

That said, will our elected leaders in this state ever, ever rise to a higher level of debate on this matter? Hate-filled speech, ugly analogies, unkind and fear-based arguments overshadow every discussion about gay rights at this Legislature. Their own Republican governor has implored them to practice basic human kindness to others. Still, comparing the gay and lesbian civil rights fight to a "dirty shirt?" Just sad. (Holly Mullen)

Buttars, Be Merry

[Holiday Dig] From our godless, communist acquaintance Brian M. Barnard, who is also a Salt Lake City attorney practicing at 214 E. 500 South, comes this holiday greeting.

(Holly Mullen)

Merry Xmas, Buttars! Love, Keith

[Buttars Watch] Utah Loon of Note Chris Buttars has finally arrived: He's MSNBC's Countdown's Worst Person In the World for a day. Take it away, Keith Olbermann:



(Bill Frost)

It's No on Judge Hilder

[Checks and Balances...Not] The state Senate just voted against confirming 3rd District Judge Robert Hilder for the Utah Court of Appeals. It went as most legal types expected. A man with a long record as a fair and professional district court judge went down in flames.

The vote was 16-12, including the anticipated rant from Sen. Chris Buttars, (R-West Jordan) questioning Hilder's temperament. Questions had also surfaced during earlier hearings about the judge's moral character because he has been married, divorced and married again.

Another stinking sign of your Legislature at work. (Holly Mullen)

Buttars 101

[Theater] What do you get when you combine local YouTube star Deena Marie "Beaner LaRue" Manzanares with the satirical institution that is Salt Lake Acting Company's Saturday's Voyeur? How about a five-minute video introduction to Utah's own foot-in-mouth poster boy Chris Buttars? If you've ever wanted a compendium of Buttars' greatest jaw-dropping hits, here's a good start. And if that's not enough, you can learn a little about Gayle Ruzicka from Deena Marie as well.





Saturday's Voyeur 2008 has it's official opening night tonight and runs through Aug. 17. (Scott Renshaw)

The Winds of Change ...

[Politics] Apparently, John Valentine is living in fear for his Utah Senate presidency.

The Trib's Robert Gehrke reports that, according to a member of the Utah Bar Commission, Valentine's response to one of Sen. Chris Buttars' inappropriate acts may have cost Valentine political points, leaving him on the verge of vulnerability.

(Since it may be difficult for readers to remember exactly which of Buttars' myriad slip-ups led to exactly which fucked-up state of affairs, we propose the Buttarsflap indexing system: "Buttarsflap 2008-1(b)" denotes the one where Buttars wrote an imperious letter to a judge for ruling against his developer buddy.)

Valentine punished Buttars for this lapse of decorum merely by removing Buttars as chairman of a Senate committee--which was not exactly draconian. Buttars was even allowed to remain on the committee. If this kind of self-regulation is what merits "a political hit" against Valentine in the Utah GOP, it's no wonder the party elite are so afraid to clean up fellow Republicans' ethical problems. The fact that it took place during the fallout from Buttarsflap 2008-2(a)--the black baby remark--should have no bearing on the matter.

But, there's always a bright side. If Valentine loses his post, Sen. Mike Waddoups might become Senate president.

In other words, a Republican from West Jordan might replace a Republican from Orem because of another Republican from West Jordan. And what a breath of fresh air that will be. (Brandon Burt)

Happy Birthday Buttars!

[Bigot Birthday] Hey gang, it's state Sen. Chris Buttars' birthday!

No foolin.'

E-mail your favorite homophobe, racist (and fool) lawmaker a b-day salutation:

dcbuttars@utahsenate.org

(Holly Mullen)

And the Waters Did Fall Back ...

[Buttars Watch] With so many good reasons to despise Chris Buttars, it's hard to keep up sometimes.

That's why I found myself recently Googling Judge Derek Pullan--a brain cramp made it difficult to recall exactly what Buttars' scathing letter to Pullan was about. Did Pullan grant joint custody to a lesbian mom? No. Rule that the DCFS is legally able to do its job? No.

Oh, that's right--Pullan ruled against one of Buttars' li'l buddies who bought some environmentally protected property and then sued when--surprise!--he wasn't allowed to build on it. (Seems to me a developer would be wise to check whether or not it's legal to develop property before purchasing it. I guess when you've got friends in the Senate, you don't have to worry about pissy little details like that--especially if your Senate friends are far more concerned with other people's sexual morality than they are with their own political ethics.)

In a February story about the Pullan incident, the Provo Daily Herald ran this AP photo, taken during Buttars' 2006 bid to require public schools teach so-called "intelligent design" creation theories as if they were genuine science. Great photo, AP! (Brandon Burt)

Sen. Chris Buttars parts the Red Sea.

He's Got a Friend[s]

[Buttars Watch] As of this moment, some 312 supporters have signed an online petition backing celebrity beleaguered state senator, Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan.

Most of the names don't register in Salt Blog's sharp-as-a-trap mind. We're assuming most are neighbors, church members and a few constituents like petition signer #34, who's identified as Wendell Gibby, MD. Gibby has been on the sweet receiving end of Buttars' land use and eminent domain law largese. He also writes a mean Buttars defense, quoting on the petition from a favorite LDS hymn (that's Official Hymn #235 for those following at home).

Buttars made nice with one faction of Utah's black population (as if there were only one!) on Sunday by visiting Salt Lake City's Calvary Baptist Church and seeking the congregation's forgiveness for his "ugly black baby" slur earlier in the month.

And while many of his friends on the pro-Buttars petition stress they know only a man who hasn't "a racist bone in his body," they might want to check the vita of petition signer #36. That would be Eli Cawley, the new director of the vehemently anti-immigration Utah Minuteman Project. Now that's a friend.

And for those who cannot resist channeling their opposing political rage online, go here to sign an anti-Buttars petition. (Holly Mullen)

Tricks with Pricks

[Publishing] Oh, the sly world of book publishing.

A press release just landed in my e-mailbox announcing a new book titled
The Prick Index.

And state Sen. Chris Buttars isn't even on it.

That's because it's not really about big pricks.

Says the press release:

Prick isn't a dirty word. The book is about insights into thorny relationships. These relationships are both male and female in gender. The term "prick" is a metaphor for a rose thorn. The book has a new method of quantifying the level of pricking in a light, playful tone while capturing the seriousness of the subject. Recent readers of the book are quoted as saying "I couldn't wait to turn the pages. It is a fun book to read! It made me laugh!"

Got it. Bwahahaha. (Holly Mullen)

The Buttars-Huckabee Connection

[Cultural Hypocrisy] In the current issue of City Weekly, I interviewed Rob Miller, vice chairman of the State Democratic Committee and active blogger, about any party effort to oust embattled state Sen. Chris Buttars this November with a Democrat.

His answers are here.

But I had to leave a few tidbits on the cutting room floor.

Miller, for instance, found a fascinating parallel between Buttars' repeated racial slurs and another recent, well-publicized comment that millions of Mormons found deeply offensive.

Said Miller: "People in Utah blew up when Mike Huckabee made his remark that Mormons believe Jesus and Satan are brothers. But somehow, to a lot of people in this state, Chris Buttars can say whatever comes to his mind [about minority groups] and it's OK. There's a real hypocrisy there." (Holly Mullen)

"Buttars, Elevated"

[ButtarsWatch] According to a Trib story, Chris Buttars has a box of T-shirts in his office bearing the slogan "We Support Chris Buttars," intended for distribution to his buddies at a Wednesday rally. This whole "hate lynch mob" thing has really gotten him down, as lynch mobs are wont to do, so, as a little pick-me-up, he's organizing a rally for himself.

It's a great idea, though; couldn't we all use a rally every now and then? It's kind of like throwing yourself a surprise birthday party or sending flowers to yourself at work.

Still, how can it be that Buttars doesn't know what a lynch mob really is? Phone calls? E-mails? People calling him names? Please. What a sensitive, delicate little flower he is. Trouble is, he can dish out the hate, but he can't take it. Poor blossom.

Which brings us to tomorrow's rally. I wonder if "the gays" will be there to help Buttars with his little celebration of himself? It would be only fair; he always manages to make us feel included in his psycho legislation.

There's something a bit unimaginative about his slogan, though. "We support Chris Buttars." It has all the pizazz and zing of an insurance policy. A boring insurance policy. Without even trying, you could come up with dozens of unimaginative slogans like that: "Buttars? Yes, Buttars!" or "Buttars. Now more than ever." How many can you come up with?

That man says he's a champion for morals--but, oh, what a twisted conception he has of morality. (Brandon Burt)

S-c-r-e-e-ch!

[Talk Radio] Now is the time to come to the aid of Chris Buttars.

At least Buttars' favorite political bedfellow (now that's an image, eh?) Gayle Ruzicka thinks so. The director of the right-wing Eagle Forum in Utah is standing by her man in the state Senate, even though Buttars continues to dig a deeper hole for himself every time the grumpy old racist opens his mouth.

The latest: Buttars uses the term "hate lynch mob" in describing the public outcry against his infamous "black baby" remark last week on the Senate floor. Uh, another unfortunate choice of words, Senator?


Anyway, Ruzicka has said her organization will continue to defend the battered Buttars because he's so often on the correct side of their "family values" agenda. Today at 4:35 p.m., Ruzicka will be on KVNU radio out of Logan, on the station's "For The People" local talk show. The 610-AM radio station's Web site points out that Ruzicka has graciously agreed to discuss the Buttars controversy and to take phone calls on any topic. Get your speed-dials ready...

You can go to KVNU's site and listen live, on-line. (Holly Mullen)

Sad Day in the Utah Senate

[Loose Lips] Senate President John Valentine called it a "slight breach of decorum." He was referring to a comment Sen. Chris Buttars made yesterday during Senate floor debate on a bill addressing school equalization. During discussion, Buttars stretched a metaphor his colleague, that Draper Republican Sen. Howard Stephenson, had started--"the ugly baby bill."

Except by now, people's jaws are dropping all over the country, having read how Buttars called the bill a "black baby. A dark and ugly thing." The blogs and other media are all over it. Go here and here and here just for starters.

After a short recess yesterday, and a complaint from Sen. Ross Romero (D-Salt Lake), Valentine announced that Buttars would address the body. He apologized for the remark.

There aren't many ways to interpret the comment, really. Talk jocks and rhetoricians will pounce all over it today guessing about Buttars' meaning and intentions. State NAACP Director Jeanetta Williams isn't terribly satisfied with the senator's apology, right now. Romero said yesterday after Buttar's apology he would accept it.

The world is swimming with public figures who say classless things, shocking things, really awful things. Then they apologize, and expect us to all move on. It worked for radio shock jock Don Imus, after all. Last year, following his infamous "nappy-headed hos" remark on the air critics figured his career had tanked. He took a brief hiatus and now he's back. Whoosh. Nothing ever happened.

Expect more dissection of Buttars' speech in the next few days. The West Jordan Republican has built his reputation in Utah as the master of sloppy grammar (never met a double negative he didn't like) and vehemently anti-gay legislation. Some people will simply step back today and shrug their shoulders. "What do you expect," they will say. "It's Chris Buttars."

Well yes. It is Chris Buttars. And that's why we can take his remarks for what they were: cold and racist. It's like this: Human beings who fuel themselves on hate and bigotry betray themselves sooner or later by their language. People who respect others and at least try to live in a world of color and diversity simply do not talk the way Chris Buttars did on the Senate floor yesterday. They don't think of themselves as better than others; their language reflects who they are.

Language is raw. It's visceral. People who understand that don't toss it around lightly.

So the critics can wrap up their analysis in pretty paper and ribbon, they can guess Buttars' motivations and even give him a pass for, as he said it letting his "brain run ahead of his mouth."

In the end, racist is as racist does. His own language painted his true persona more than any gay activist or Democratic opponent ever could.

E-mail your feelings to the man at: dcbuttars@utahsenate.org

Also, you can let his boss know how you feel. That would be John Valentine. His email address is: jvalentine@utahsenate.org (Holly Mullen)

Junk the Junk

[Drug Reform] This week's cover feature follows the leap many Utahns have been taking from prescription pain pills to heroin. For those of us who have seen how this deadly trap can consume and eradicate the lives of those close to us, this is an issue that strikes a sore nerve. I can attest to this personally and for anyone else who has had family struggle with this same nightmare, its important to stay current on what your community and government is doing about these problems.

It is worth pointing out some recent success Utah lawmakers are having with the Drug Offender Reform Act, a program still in its pilot stage that would link drug offenders with existing community rehabilitation resources in a way that would allow offenders to be put more efficiently through treatment, as opposed to being shuffled in and out of jail where there is a tragic dearth of treatment options. The legislation would hopefully also clear alot of space in our overcrowded corrections facilities.

This rather progressive bit of legislation actually was sponsored by Sen. Chris Buttars R-West Jordan. While Buttars has been at the receiving end of some of the Weekly's criticism for many of his positions, the pragmatism he has displayed on this front is admirable. "Al ot of people say we should get tough on crime," says Buttars "I think we need to get smart on crime first."

While it is early in the programs test phase if you are interested in seeing the progress of the Drug Offender Reform Act to see whether or not its something you believe is worth nagging your rep to support, check out the 2005 report to the legislature here or the DORA fact sheet here. (Eric S. Peterson)