New laws protect gay rights in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - A pair of new laws protecting rights of gays and lesbians in Salt Lake City goes into effect Friday. The new laws will make it illegal to fire or evict someone simply because they are gay.

City leaders will hold a press conference Friday morning at 10 a.m. at the City and County Building in downtown Salt Lake City to introduce the new laws. The city ordinances specifically prohibit discrimination for things like jobs and housing based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Salt Lake City Council unanimously adopted the new laws last fall. The measure got strong and unexpected support from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A representative from the church spoke at the meeting offering compassion to the issue.

"The issues before you tonight are the right of people to have a roof over their heads and the right to work without being discriminated against," said Michael Otterson, LDS Church, Nov. 2009.

According to city leaders, because of what Salt Lake City is doing other cities around the state and the country are also looking at adopting similar laws.