Do Porn-Loving Utahans Secretly Support Same-Sex Marriage?

UTAH—While the decision by Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes to appeal a recent ruling by a federal judge striking down the state's law against same-sex marriage may on its face make perfect sense—Utah, after all, is known to be one of the most conservative states in the Union, so an official opposition to same-sex marriage would seem to be a foregone conclusion—in terms of reflecting the true attitude of Utah's citizenry, it's quite possible that the state is getting it all wrong. A study earlier this year strongly suggests that Utahans in their heart of hearts actually support same-sex marriage. The study, which was conducted by Indiana University professors Paul J. Wright and Ashley K. Randall and published in the academic journal Communication Research, found that straight men who watch porn are more likely to support gay marriage. Add that finding to the longstanding fact that Utah is one of the most porn-friendly states in the Union—historically placing at the top in terms of porn searches and subscriptions—and you have a syllogism made in same-sex heaven. * Straight men who watch porn are more likely to support same-sex marriage. * Utahans rank at the top in terms of porn consumption. * Utahans (at least the straight ones) support same-sex marriage. It's not a scientific conclusion, to be sure, but it makes twisted sense to us and we're going with it. In line with that thinking, we also suggest that AG Reyes and his reactionary brethren take a moment to reconsider their knee-jerk reaction to the decision by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby, who wrote in his ruling that Utah's laws prohibiting same-sex marriage deny "its gay and lesbian citizens their fundamental right to marry and, in so doing, demean the dignity of these same-sex couples for no rational reason. Accordingly, the court finds that these laws are unconstitutional." While Reyes and his ilk may take those to be fighting words, it's a little more than idle conjecture to suggest that the porn-loving citizens of his state take no issue with them at all.