Utah Lawmakers Unveil Bill Protecting LGBT and Religious Rights

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah lawmakers on Wednesday will unveil a compromise bill that protects LGBT individuals against discrimination in housing and employment while also protecting religious rights.

Utah Senators, LGBT-rights activists and representatives of the Mormon church are scheduled to discuss the bill at a noon news conference at the state Capitol. Lawmakers have held closed-door negotiations on the compromise for weeks. Supporters of gay rights have unsuccessfully pushed for a statewide non-discrimination law for years.

Those efforts were fast-tracked after the Mormon church issued a nationwide call earlier this year for laws that balance both religious rights and LGBT protections. It's unclear how lawmakers plan to balance those issues, but advocates say they can do so with the hope of winning approval from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.