Salt Lake City close to electing 1st openly gay mayor

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Vote tallies indicated Salt Lake City was poised to narrowly elect its first openly gay mayor in what would mark another milestone for the LGBT movement in the conservative state with a history of hostility toward gays and lesbians.

Equality Utah executive director Troy Williams said Biskupski's apparent win shows sexual orientation isn't a barrier to serving in public office in Utah.

Biskupski served in the Legislature until 2011.

[...] she has worked in the Salt Lake County Sheriff's office.

Earlier this year, a Mormon-backed Utah law was passed that provided protections against housing and employment discrimination for LGBT people while also creating shields for religious freedom.

Church leaders now preach a "fairness for all" approach in which the right to beliefs are balanced with compassion and understanding for gays and lesbians.