On Tuesday morning, the LDS Church announced their support for a statewide non-discrimination bill. That move flies directly in the face of the political landscape in Utah.
While it's not an apples-to-apples comparison, look at these two maps from L2 Political, a company that provides voter mapping software. The first is a look at voters along the Wasatch Front that oppose same-sex-marriage, represented by the red dots.
Now, here's the same map with voters who support same-sex marriage, represented by the blue and purple dots.
While opposition to same-sex marriage does not automatically equate to opposition to a non-discrimination law, clearly, today's decision by the LDS Church does not square with the political mainstream in Utah. Hard data shows Utah is not a completely hospitable environment for gay rights, but the announcement should be a big step toward changing those attitudes.
