Polygamy Youth Rally

A pro-polygamy rally at the Salt Lake City-County Building attracted around 250 young people, many from polygamous families. [Photo by August Miller, Deseret Morning News.]

From Jennifer Dobner, Associated Press --

The rally [...] is thought to be the first of its kind, said Mary Batchelor, co-founder of Principle Voices of Polygamy, a pro-polygamy education and advocacy group that helped organize the event.

All of the speakers praised their parents and families and said their lives were absent of the abuse, neglect, forced marriages and other "horror stories" sometimes associated with polygamist communities.

"Because of our beliefs, many of our people have been incarcerated and had their basic human rights stripped of them," said a 19-year-old identified only as Tyler. "Namely life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I didn't come here today to ask for your permission to live my beliefs. I shouldn't have to."

Salt Lake City Tribune's Brooke Adams also covered the rally -- Polygamists' Children Speak. Al Hartmann took the photo on the right, and many others to create a photo album of the event.