Utah tea party groups stay silent on gay marriage, other social issues

SALT LAKE CITY — Tea partiers aren't known for their aversion to heated debates, but Utah's grassroots conservative groups are joining activists nationwide in ignoring — even avoiding — controversial social issues.

In the wake of last week's federal court ruling striking down California's ban on gay marriage, social issues are once again making headlines around the country. But one of the most high-profile political forces in the country has largely remained silent.

Alternately political hot potatoes and partisan wedge issues, social questions about gay marriage, abortion and legalized drugs have often slipped below the surface as the tea party movement peddles a message based on economics and government intervention, rather than culture.

"The common idea became, 'If we don't save the republic from economic catastrophe, those other issues don't matter,' " said Christine Botteri, whose work with the National Tea Party Federation gives her the opportunity to observe such groups across the country. "While there is often disagreement, most groups came to agree to that premise."

And while their fluid nature makes it difficult to generalize, Utah grassroots conservative groups have come to mirror that premise, says Davis County 9/12 organizer Darcy Van Orden.

Even in a state as socially conservative as Utah, the patchwork of tea party and related groups that has sprung up since the 2008 election of President Barack Obama remains focused on smaller government, lower taxes and less spending, Van Orden said.

In fact, Van Orden insists that establishment politicians have used divisive social issues to distract voters from out-of-control government growth.

"The point is the level of risk," she said. "The danger posed by fiscal irresponsibility and government power far outweighs that of the culture wars. We just don't have the luxury of debating social issues now."

Salt Lake County Grassroots Alliance organizer Larry Jensen agreed, adding that there is another reason for ignoring such "moral" issues.

"We consciously avoided social issues because they are divisive," he said.

According to The New York Times, 40 percent of tea party supporters oppose legal recognition for gay couples, but 41 percent support civil unions and 40 percent said they think the Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion was a good thing.

Issues like gay marriage have the potential to split the groups, which often include libertarians, who think government should stay out of people's lives as much as possible, and more traditional conservatives, who support laws against gay marriage.