Voices of Equality: Rocky Anderson
Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson, a longtime proponent of gay rights and advocate for gay marriage, was born in Logan, Utah, and has served as Salt Lake City's mayor since January 3, 2000. He received his BS degree from the University of Utah and his law degree from George Washington University. For 21 years, he worked as an attorney specializing in civil litigation. During that time, he also worked as a community volunteer, serving on the boards of several community-based, non-profit organizations.
In 2005, Anderson announced a plan of extending health benefits to unmarried partners of gay and straight Salt Lake City city employees, with or without the agreement of the city council. He believes strongly in the value of diversity, promoting greater dialogue, understanding, and inclusiveness among people of different faiths, ages, genders, sexual orientations, races, economic circumstances and ethnic origins.
Anderson has received national recognition for several initiatives, including an award from the US Conference of Mayors for his pedestrian safety initiative, Reclaiming the Streets. In 2000, the Salt Lake Tribune named him "Utahn of the Year."
QUOTES
"Recognition of the equal rights of gays and lesbians, and decent treatment of everyone regardless of their sexual orientation, is indeed one of the crucial civil rights issues of our time. Although personal prejudices are difficult to overcome, we can — and should — achieve an approach in our public dealings that promotes fundamental morality — love, respect and compassion for all of our brothers and sisters. And, in our public and personal lives, we can endeavor to comply with what is perhaps the greatest of all moral injunctions: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Or, as Rabbi Hillel (first century bce) implored: 'What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow creature. That is the whole Law; the rest is commentary.'" — Anderson in The Enterprise, 12/1/97
"I'd like to go as far as we can to provide for equal treatment regardless of sexual orientation." — Anderson to the Salt Lake Tribune
"As long as we're going to do this, we should demonstrate unity on this issue. Providing for equality should not create more division in our community." — Anderson to the AP
ON THE WEB
- http://www.slcgov.com/mayor
- http://www.voterocky.com/
- Deseret News
- Salt Lake Tribune interview, 1/16/2006
Why Marriage Matters America, Equality, and Gay People's Right to Marry.
By Evan Wolfson
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Read families’ stories about how marriage discrimination affects everyday life. These stories communicate, in concrete ways, how the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage hurts families and helps no one.
Start in The Marriage Basics to get short answers to your big questions about the freedom to marry, and learn more about the protections and responsibilities of marriage, the historical background for this civil rights movement, why separate is not equal, and so much more.
