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The crimes of adultery and sodomy move closer to repeal in the Utah legislature

Posted at 10:27 AM, Nov 14, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-14 12:27:47-05

SALT LAKE CITY — A legislative committee unanimously voted for a bill that repeals a number of crimes in Utah, including adultery and sodomy among consenting adults.

The vote by the Utah State Legislature’s Law Enforcement Interim Committee speeds up the process to getting the law changed. The bill moves directly to the full House of Representatives, skipping a committee hearing when the full legislature convenes in January.

FOX 13 first reported last month the legislature was contemplating repealing adultery and sodomy, which are still on the books under “crimes against the family” despite court rulings finding they are largely unenforceable. (Sodomy on a child is under a separate section of the law and would, of course, remain a crime.) Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, said he intended to run the bill through the legislature.

Past efforts to repeal the crime of sodomy among consenting adults have failed in the Utah State Legislature under pushback from social conservatives. This year, however, some have indicated to FOX 13 they do not plan to fight it. The LGBTQ rights group Equality Utah said it supports the law change.