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SLC Mayor and Council Shun Miss., No. Carolina for LGBT Discrimination

KUER Brian Grimmett
Salt Lake City/County Building

Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski and the City Council are taking action in the wake of recent legislation in Mississippi and North Carolina that discriminates against the LGBT communities in those states. The Mayor and Council announced Tuesday the joint signing of a letter promoting the city as being inclusive rather than one that discriminates based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Mayor Biskupski is also prohibiting city-funded or sponsored travel to those states.

“I think it’s important that our city stand up against discriminatory policies that are happening in other city governments," says Biskupski.

The Mayor says her travel ban is in effect until further notice and allows travel for city business only to meet any prior agreements or to enforce the law.  City Council members unanimously signed the letter inviting businesses concerned about the hostile nature of the new Mississippi and North Carolina laws to consider moving their business to Salt Lake City. James Rogers is the Salt Lake City Council chair. He says Salt Lake City has built a reputation as a welcoming city.

“If people aren’t willing to do that and be open and neutral across the board, come to Salt Lake City. We are, we welcome everybody,” Rogers says.

According to a statement from the Mayor’s office, the letter is to be published on-line, promoted to businesses in Mississippi and North Carolina and sent directly to companies like PayPal that have threatened to pull back from those states.   

Bob Nelson is a graduate of the University of Utah with a BA in mass communications. He began his radio career at KUER in 1978 when it was still in Kingsbury Hall. That’s also where he met his wife, Maria Shilaos, in 1981. Bob left KUER for commercial radio where he worked for 25 years, and he is thrilled to be back at KUER. Bob and his family are part of an explorer group, fondly known as The Hordes and Masses, which has been seeking out ghost towns and little-known places in Utah for more than twenty years.
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