December 2, 2009, On Top Magazine, Utah's Gay Senator Calls It Quits,

December 2, 2009, On Top Magazine, Utah's Gay Senator Calls It Quits, 

Utah's only openly gay state senator, Scott McCoy, has resigned his position. McCoy told the Deseret News Tuesday that his resignation will be effective as of Friday.

"It's jut a work thing," McCoy told the paper. "If I want to be a partner in my law firm and have a robust legal career, I have to be a lawyer rather than a politician."

Last year, McCoy was instrumental in bringing a package of gay rights bills to the Utah Legislature, which rebuffed all five bills. Equality Utah, the gay rights group that sponsored the effort, vowed it would resubmit the bills next year. Activists believe support by the Mormon Church for a Salt Lake City ordinance that prohibits discrimination in housing and employment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity has improved their odds of passing statewide gay rights laws.

McCoy specializes in federal securities and antitrust litigation with the law firm of Howrey LLP.