SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jackie Biskupski was sworn Monday as Salt Lake Cy's first openly gay mayor, a landmark the former state lawmaker acknowledged shortly after takg the oath of office. Biskupski, 49, said the historic moment should not be taken lightly, and noted great stris have been ma for LGBT people the state. "I know that we have work to do still. And is work that I take serly," she told reporters. "But I am a firm believer that orr for te equaly to exist for anyone, we mt pursue for everyone, and that is a goal of me." In a speech on the steps of the cy-unty buildg after beg sworn , Biskupski ced a gay rights battle Utah's pal cy two s ago that spurred her to enter polics. After the cy's East High School formed the state's first gay-straight alliance club 1995, the Salt Lake Cy School District banned all noncurricular clubs to try to block . The district reversed s cisn several years later after lawsus and protts. "That sparked me a rponsibily to my own muny," Biskupski said Monday. Biskupski said that when she beme Utah's first openly gay lawmaker 1998, she found mon ground to work wh people wh different iologi and cultur. She stck a siar note her speech, pivotg to air qualy and enomic velopment. She has said she plans to work on both issu wh the nservative, Salt Lake Cy-based Mormon church. Her ascensn to the mayor's office on the heels of new l by The Church of J Christ of Latter-day Sats targetg gay members and their children. The new policy, which prompted wispread backlash, bans baptisms for children of gay parents until the kids turn 18 and disavow same-sex relatnships. Biskupski is not a member of the fah and said she hop the church rensirs the policy. After her electn rults were certified, she met wh church officials December and gave them a letter explag her ncerns about the policy. But Biskupski's mpaign said the meetg was largely a discsn about cy issu such as air qualy and enomic velopment. LGBT issu also didn't fe the tight race between Biskupski and cumbent Ralph Becker. Salt Lake Cy is a liberal island the state where no Republin has been elected mayor four s. Becker, a proment Democrat, also was seen as an ally of the cy's strong LGBT muny, and the gay rights group Equaly Utah endorsed both ndidat. While the mayor's race centered more on issu such as bike lan and billboards, LGBT activists celebrated Biskupski's w as a tone the nservative state. Durg the mpaign and after her victory, Biskupski reflected on how the LGBT-movement had progrsed Utah sce she was first elected to the state Hoe. She said that at the time, several of her lleagu the Legislature wouldn't look her the eye or shake her hand. Biskupski served the Hoe until 2011. After that, she worked the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. Along wh Biskupski, new Salt Lake Cy uncilman Derek Kchen was sworn Monday, beg the cy's send stg gay uncilman. Kchen and his hband, Moudi Sbey, were one of three upl who sued to overturn the state's same-sex marriage ban. New Salt Lake Cy uncilman Andrew Johnston and cumbent uncilman Charlie Le also were sworn Monday.
Contents:
- JACKIE BISKUPSKI BE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR OF SALT LAKE CY
- SALT LAKE CY’S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR SWORN TO OFFICE
- UTAH PAL ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
- UTAH'S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR-ELECT HOP TO BUILD BRIDG WH LDS CHURCH
- SALT LAKE CY ELECTS S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
- SALT LAKE CY ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
- TROY WILLIAMS: THE 'GAY MAYOR OF SALT LAKE CY'
- SALT LAKE CY'S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR TAK OFFICE WH FIANCéE BY HER SI
- SALT LAKE CY CLOSE TO ELECTG 1ST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
JACKIE BISKUPSKI BE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR OF SALT LAKE CY
* gay mayor of salt lake city *
SALT LAKE CITY — Former Utah lawmaker Jackie Biskupski on Tuday beme the first openly gay mayor of Salt Lake Cy, the pal of the nservative state where the Mormon church and a small town judge livered setbacks last week to the LGBT victory by Biskupski marked another tone for LGBT people Utah who have ma major stris recent Utah lawmaker Jackie Biskupski pos for photograph after beg mayor of Salt Lake Bowmer / AP"Today is not jt about makg history, " Biskupski said.
SALT LAKE CY’S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR SWORN TO OFFICE
NPR's Kelly McEvers talks to Jackie Biskupski, mayor-elect of Salt Lake Cy. She is the first openly gay mayor of the cy, and one of the first openly gay policians the state of Utah. * gay mayor of salt lake city *
"Servg as mayor of Salt Lake Cy has been the richt workg experience of my life, " Becker told Lake Cy voters also elected Derek Kchen, who beme the send gay member of the Cy and his hband, Moudi Sbey, were one of three upl who sued to overturn the state's same-sex marriage ban. Biskupski tak over after progrs on gay rights was temporarily marred recent weeks when a judge orred a foster child to be removed om a lbian uple and placed wh a heterosexual uple.
UTAH PAL ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
The judge quickly reversed his cisn and took himself off the earlier, the Salt Lake Cy-based Mormon church issued new l targetg gay members and their children, promptg wispread backlash. The new policy bans baptisms for children of gay parents until the kids turn 18 and disavow same-sex relatnships. Jim Dabakis after she was elected Salt Lake Cy's first openly gay Bowmer / APBiskupski cled to discs the church policy further Tuday, sayg she wanted to meet wh Mormon officials first.
UTAH'S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR-ELECT HOP TO BUILD BRIDG WH LDS CHURCH
Earlier this year, the church endorsed a statewi anti-discrimatn law that protected gay and transgenr people om discrimatn hog and the 's a ntrast om 1998, when Biskupski beme Utah's first openly gay lawmaker and some of her lleagu the heavily Mormon and nservative Legislature wouldn't shake her about her w light of the recent ntroversi, Biskupski said, "It's 2015, and we've e a long way om, gosh, when I first got elected. Gay rights group Equaly Utah endorsed both Becker and, 63, has been lled an ally of the LGBT muny, helpg pass a 2009 cy anti-discrimatn ordance.
He also officiated dozens of the first gay marriag 2013 the hours after a surprisg lg overturned Utah's same sex marriage ban.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jackie Biskupski was sworn Monday as Salt Lake Cy’s first openly gay mayor, a landmark the former state lawmaker acknowledged shortly after takg the oath of office.
SALT LAKE CY ELECTS S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
In a speech on the steps of the cy-unty buildg after beg sworn , Biskupski ced a gay rights battle Utah’s pal cy two s ago that spurred her to enter polics. After the cy’s East High School formed the state’s first gay-straight alliance club 1995, the Salt Lake Cy School District banned all noncurricular clubs to try to block .
Biskupski said that when she beme Utah’s first openly gay lawmaker 1998, she found mon ground to work wh people wh different iologi and cultur. She has said she plans to work on both issu wh the nservative, Salt Lake Cy-based Mormon ascensn to the mayor’s office on the heels of new l by The Church of J Christ of Latter-day Sats targetg gay members and their children. The new policy, which prompted wispread backlash, bans baptisms for children of gay parents until the kids turn 18 and disavow same-sex relatnships.
Becker, a proment Democrat, also was seen as an ally of the cy’s strong LGBT muny, and the gay rights group Equaly Utah endorsed both the mayor’s race centered more on issu such as bike lan and billboards, LGBT activists celebrated Biskupski’s w as a tone the nservative the mpaign and after her victory, Biskupski reflected on how the LGBT-movement had progrsed Utah sce she was first elected to the state Hoe. Along wh Biskupski, new Salt Lake Cy uncilman Derek Kchen was sworn Monday, beg the cy’s send stg gay uncilman. A fal vote unt approved Tuday means the former legislator, as expected, will bee the first openly gay mayor of a major Utah cy January.
SALT LAKE CY ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
Biskupski, who 1999 beme the state's first openly gay lawmaker, now will mark another first as mayor of Salt Lake Cy. The first openly gay mayor the state was Willy Marshall, who was elected 2001 to lead the ty southern Utah town of Big Water.
TROY WILLIAMS: THE 'GAY MAYOR OF SALT LAKE CY'
She is the first openly gay mayor of the cy, and one of the first openly gay policians the state of Utah. (CHEERING)KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: Salt Lake Cy has jt elected s first openly gay mayor. The Advote lled the gayt cy Ameri for a few years back.
SALT LAKE CY'S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR TAK OFFICE WH FIANCéE BY HER SI
She was the first openly gay state reprentative to be elected the late '90s. MCEVERS: We've heard om people that - you know, now that you've been elected, you know, there are a lot of young, lbian, gay, bi, trans people out there who are gog to look up to you.
You know, when I ran '98, was not popular to be gay. SALT LAKE CITY -- Former Utah lawmaker Jackie Biskupski has bee the first openly gay mayor of Salt Lake Cy.
He later reversed his earlier, the Mormon church issued a new policy that bans baptisms for children of gay parents until the kids turn 18 and disavow same-sex relatnships. Salt Lake Cy voters elected Jackie Biskupski as the cy’s and the state of Utah’s first openly gay mayor. Williams, raised Eugene, Ore., moved to Utah and soon beme an tern for the Eagle Fom, led by Gayle Ruzicka, possibly the most powerful force for nservative valu the state.
SALT LAKE CY CLOSE TO ELECTG 1ST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
Williams, who had baptized 10 nverts to the LDS fah, fally had begun to acknowledge that he is gay.