17 July
1897 Sheriff
Davis of Box Elder county was in Ogden yesterday looking for the two boys who
escaped from jail in Brigham City Thursday night. The boys names are Pratt and
Frank. Each Is about 10 years of age and they are charged with the crime
of sodomy. The Salt Lake herald. (Salt
Lake City [Utah)1930 Deseret News
1967 Monday- Justices F. Henri
Henriod, E. R. Callister and R.L. Tuckett of Utah Supreme Court declared
invalid part of Salt Lake City ’s
ordinance dealing with prostitution. The court said. “We are of the opinion that
the state by enacting comprehensive and complete laws pertaining to sexual
offenses has pre-empted that field. It
does not appear that the state intended that the municipalities deal with these
offenses except in those areas pertaining to prostitution where the Legislature
had made specific grants of authority to municipalities (07/18/67 SLTribune
page 15)
1982- Commander Michael Trestrail, Queen Elizabeth's personal
bodyguard, was forced to resign after he was outed in the British newspapers.
Soon after, reports surfaced that Margaret Thatcher wanted to raise the issue
of gays in the palace until the Queen summoned her to Buckingham Palace
1986- Infomer Cory
De Young claimed that the Sun Tavern owner, Joe Redburn, knew of the cocaine and marijuana drug dealing
by his employees at a meeting before the department of business regulations. The Salt Lake City Police department was seeking to revoke the Sun’s business
license. The hearing was postponed indefinitely after city prosecutor Art Keesler
suffered a heart attack.
1986 CROSS
COUNTRY CYCLISTS VISIT SL TO RAISE CASH FOR AIDS VICTIMS (SLTribune B3-1) Article on a bicyclist cross country tour to raise money and AIDS awareness stopping in Salt Lake City.
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| Floyd Gamble |
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| Bruce Barton |
- “How can we instill a sense of Gay Pride into our closeted brothers and sisters if we our selves are afraid to proclaim that we are Gay and Proud at our own Gay Pride Day Celebration for Gods sake?!”-Ben Williams said at a community council debate
- “John Reeves and Jeff McGrath from the Provo’s Men’s Group came by to pick me up at 9:30. I was a zombie from being up so late. At Sunnyside Park I helped set up our booth and I displayed the panel from the Utah AIDS Quilt I made for Tracy Ross. I hope to stimulate some more interest in the project. Everyone else has given up on it. I sold giant Chocolate Chip cookies for a $1 from our booth. Mark LaMarr was walking around all day wearing a cowboy hat, boots, a security head set phone, a T-shirt and a bikini swim suit. The Saliva Sisters were great as usual. Later I heard that about 1,200 people showed up this year throughout the day.” [Journal of Ben Williams]
1998-The Red
Lobster restaurant announced that it was dropping a legal challenge to a Cook
County Illinois Human Rights ordinance
which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.
1998-A group of Orthodox Jews in Israel gathered to discuss
the plight of Gay men and women who are also Orthodox Jews.
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| Kristin Rushforth |
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| Charles Milne |
2003 Laws on consensual sodomy, premarital sex targets of suit By
Elizabeth Neff The Salt Lake Tribune
Supported by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, a Salt Lake County man on
Wednesday asked a judge to invalidate without a trial Utah laws against
consensual sodomy and premarital sex.
In a motion for summary judgment, a man identifying himself only as D.
Berg has asked 3rd District Judge L.A. Dever to determine whether either
statute applies to his "past and future conduct." Utah's consensual sodomy law forbids
"any sexual act with a [unmarried] person who is 14 years of age or older
involving the genitals of one person and the mouth or anus of another person,
regardless of the sex of either participant." The antifornication statute
bans premarital sex, saying "any unmarried person who shall voluntarily
engage in sexual intercourse with another is guilty of fornication." Both crimes are class B misdemeanors
punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff readily admits
a U.S. Supreme Court ruling issued last month has already nullified both laws,
although they have not yet been repealed by legislators. But Shurtleff said
Wednesday his office will probably still ask Dever to throw out Berg's lawsuit,
arguing Berg has no right to bring the suit because he was not charged with
either crime. Allowing Berg to bring the
lawsuit could establish a precedent for others without standing in court to do
the same, Shurtleff said. "Right
now the law is unenforceable . . . for an attorney to bring a case that he
knows he can't bring is not responsible," Shurtleff said. "I have a
duty to protect the taxpayers from attorneys trying to get attorneys' fees at
taxpayers' expense." Berg's
attorney, Salt Lake City civil rights attorney
Brian Barnard, said he thinks his client can meet the burden of standing in
state court, and that the Attorney General's Office could end the case quickly. "The way to handle it is simply
to say the statute is simply unconstitutional, and that keeps attorneys fees to
a minimum," Barnard said. Berg claims although he has not been arrested,
he has privately violated the sodomy law by having heterosexual oral sex, and
the fornication law by having sex with another unmarried person. He is also
seeking a temporary restraining order preventing the laws from being enforced
while the lawsuit is pending, $1 in damages, and attorney's fees. The U.S.
Supreme Court in June held a Texas law banning gay sex unconstitutional, as it
dictates to consenting adults what should take place in the privacy of their
bedrooms. The justices said consensual sodomy laws are attempts to control
personal relationships that are "within the liberty of persons to choose
without being punished as criminals."
The decision did not apply to two other portions of Utah's statute that
prohibit forcible, or nonconsensual, sodomy and sodomy on a child.
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| Brian Barnard |
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| Michael Aaron |
2003 Subject Patty
Reagan's AIDS Lecture; Ben Williams to
Stan Penfold “I dropped a CD for you of the
Patty Reagan Lecture at your reception desk about 2:30 today. After August 1st
only USHS members will have access to USHS archives and materials. Membership
is $10, $15, and $50. All PWA's can get membership at $10 or less due to
hardship. Please do not duplicate the interview without permission from board
members of USHS. Thank You, Ben Williams
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| Stan Penfold |
- Subject: Patty Reagan’s Interview CD Stan Penfold to Ben Williams Thanks Ben. It was great to listen to. I put it back up at our front desk with your name on it. You can come by and pick it up anytime. Thanks again. Stan
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| Simon LeVay |
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| Matt Aune |
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| Derek Jones |
- 2009 Casey Jones: A kiss, a kiss-off, an apology due- It was the kiss heard 'round the world. Matt Aune, 28, put his arm around Derek Jones, 25, and gave him a smooch on the cheek in front of God, the Angel Moroni and a couple of LDS security guards a week ago last Thursday. God, who loves all his children, and
- 2009 Acceptable behavior Public Forum Letter The First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City offers unqualified support to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. We extend our sympathetic concern to Derek Jones and Matthew Aune for the degradation they suffered on the Main Street Plaza in downtown Salt Lake City ("Gay couple cited, cuffed after kiss near LDS temple," Tribune , July 11). The much-discussed issue of bridging the religious divide in
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| Stella Lopez-Armijo & Ina Mae MurriAdd caption |
2010 Ina
Mae Murri (1935 – 2010) & Stella Lopez-Armijo (1934 – 2010) It is with
sadness that we announce the passing of beloved Affirmation leader Ina Mae
Murri along with her partner Stella Lopez-Armijo as a result of injuries both
received in a car accident in Idaho. Ina Mae and Stella were visiting Idaho for
a family reunion. Ina Mae wrote often about her life, including for the 1991
book Peculiar People. Stella also wrote about her life, and her story was
published in From Wedded Wife to Lesbian Life: Stories of Transformation
(1995).
Statement
& Tribute by David Melson Executive Director Affirmation:
Gay and Lesbian Mormons With
deep sadness we announce that we have received word that Ina Mae Murri and her
partner Stella Lopez-Armijo passed away this weekend following an automobile
accident in Southern Idaho. Ina Mae led Affirmation in 1986, and was a great
inspiration to many of us in Affirmation. She was recipient of the Mortensen
Award in 1989.
- Tribute by Leon D. Berg It was quite a shock to read this yesterday as it circulated among the Affirmation membership far and wide. Ina Mae and Stella were among the dear friends who kept me alive in the early 1980s in San Francisco, California as I came out as a gay Mormon. Their long time relationship gave me hope and their wisdom and guidance and humor led me into Affirmation leadership roles for the next 10 years.
- Tribute by Duane Jennings What a shock to receive word at work this morning about the accident and untimely deaths. It left me numb all day. I met Stella and Ina Mae at my first Affirmation Conference back in San Diego in 1993. Then I read Peculiar People and learned more about Ina Mae - pre-don't ask, don't tell US military court marshal if I recall. Since 1993 there have been many opportunities to hear their stories, and laugh and cry. God bless them for all they've done for gay and lesbian people and for Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons. They will be missed, but fondly remembered.
- Tribute by Walt Richey Ina Mae and Stella were remarkable women. They are part of the foundation that has eliminated most of the bigotry LGBTI experienced forty years ago. They have provided role models for scores of people, including Jaysen and myself. They gave of their time and energy freely to help others. They had colorful personalities with big tempers that were balanced by big hearts. Thank you, ladies, for all you have done. When I read that they had been killed, I got a little tearful. I wondered why. I was not close to them and had not seen them for many years. Then I realized my tears were more related to joy than sorrow. They died together. They shared a long and wonderful life together and they left together. I have little doubt this is they way they would have wanted it to be.
- Tribute by James Kent Ina Mae & Stella go back to the very beginning of my involvement in the San Francisco Chapter of Affirmation in 1988. They were the very first two people who greeted me, and enthusiastically welcomed me to the group. I was so closeted that it would still take me a few more weeks to admit to myself that I was gay. Ina Mae was one of the founders of the San Francisco Chapter of Affirmation in 1979. In 1989, she was the third recipient of the Mortensen Award for outstanding leadership and service to Affirmation. She has thus far been the only woman to lead Affirmation (as a General Coordinator). But she didn't do it on her own. Her Catholic partner Stella was with her 110% in everything they did. I could not think of either person without thinking of the other. I owe a lot to Stella in helping me to overcome my LDS patriarchy and misogynist prejudices. When I said something sexist out of total ignorance, she would call me on it. She helped me to be more inclusive with my words. Their influence went far beyond Affirmation, as they involved themselves in several women and senior organizations. Their home in Hayward, and then in Fremont, was a haven to hundreds of LDS GLBTI over the years. They were among our first historians in taking photographs, keeping newsletters, and anything that might be of potential historical significance for Affirmation. But more than anything else, there were very dear friends of mine.
- Tribute by Lowell Goodsell I first met Ina Mae and Stella about 25 years ago at an Affirmation conference. I am forever grateful for their friendship, example, and love. In those early years of my coming out they were both there to support me and guide me on my journey. I remember one of them (tho' I don't remember which) holding me in her arms one day while I cried about something. As we got to know each other better, I learned that Ina Mae grew up in Newdale near my family's farm (we had a Newdale RFD mailing address), and that Ina Mae's father and my Aunt Carma were first cousins. Stella and Ina Mae's lifelong devotion to each other has always been an example to me. I am glad they are together, and hope to see them again one day.
- Tribute by Mark Coberly My heart just broke when I learned of Ina Mae and Stella's passing. I first met them in 1995 when I first attended the San Francisco chapter of Affirmation. They greeted me with arms wide open. I had a special love for Stella, as she and I would joke and banter constantly. Ina was the rock, always had wonderful ideas of how to do things and get things done. I especially loved it when we would have an activity at their home in Fremont. I will miss them very much, but I am also at peace knowing they are together . . . as it should be.
- Tribute by W. Lee Beardall I was saddened to learn about the untimely deaths of Ina Mae and Stella. They were two of the rocks of the Affirmation community. And they were two of the friendly faces who welcomed me at my 'official' coming-out at Affirmation in San Francisco in October 1986. I appreciated their hospitality in hosting the annual chapter Thanksgiving dinners at their Fremont home in the late 1980s and early 90s. They lived remarkable lives, were dear friends, and were real characters in the best sense of that term.
- Tribute by Monica Palacios Please accept my deepest sympathy for the passing of Stella and Ina Mae. I met them when I first started doing stand up comedy in San Francisco in 1982 at the Valencia Rose Cafe. They were extremely supportive and loving women to us gay comics. They were perfect role models for the LGBT community. They will be hugely missed.
- Tribute by Carole Isaacks I am deeply saddened to hear of the deaths of these wonderful women. I am glad to have been a part of thier lives, at least for a time. I first met Ina at a Halloween party she and her then partner had in 1977. It was my first party as a LESBIAN and I was more than a little freaked out by the whole business.... especially when Ina's then partner dumped Ina at the party and announced she was now in a relationship with another woman, also at the party. Ina eventually found her soul mate in Stella, and I was fortunate to have their support through my own "dramas" as I sorted my life out and found my own soul mate. I Last saw them at my wedding in 1999, where both wore their infamous tux t-shirts. Their love a support was amazing over the years, I will miss them.
- Tribute by Devin Baker I first met Ina and Stella through Affirmation back in 1985. The two were instantly welcoming, warm and ridiculously funny. I remember one Halloween where they dressed as Bartles and Jaymes, with a twist. A smile comes to my face as I recall the laughs; there were a lot of laughs. I feel joy in my heart for having known you both.
By Hugo Salinas Exactly one year ago, I had brunch with Ina Mae. I had to go to the Bay
Area for an Affirmation leadership meeting, and I flew in one day earlier
to visit Ina Mae and Stella. I taped a wonderful interview with Ina Mae
(Stella had her say, too!), we took pictures, and I helped Ina Mae organize
her Mormon papers for a donation to the Special Collections at the
University of Utah's Marriott Library. Among the thousands of papers, letters, and miscellaneous materials that we
unearthed on that day, an old picture popped out. When Ina Mae saw it, her
face lit up: It was a picture of Ina Mae pitching hay on her brother's land
in southern Idaho in 1953. Except for the real old-timers, it is difficult for most of us to fathom
how much work Ina Mae put into Affirmation over the years. We know, of
course that she was Affirmation's director (or the "general coordinator,"
as it was then called) for 1984 and 1985, and the 1989 recipient of the
Mortensen Award. But there is so much about Ina Mae and Stella that you may
not know! Ina worked hard all her life. She was born in Newdale, Idaho, on January
15, 1935, the 8th of 9 children, in a devout LDS family. She grew up
working hard in a farming community. "By the age of 10 I worked the fist
time in the potato harvest," she wrote many years later. "School was let
out for two weeks, and you got a partner and picked up potatoes. It was
hard work, but we also played with our friends working with us and earned a
little money for school clothes." Ina Mae discovered Affirmation in San Francisco in 1979. By that time she
had served in the Air Force, married, divorced, and been in two long-time
relationships with women. Ina Mae got involved in the gay and women's liberation movements in the early 1970s;
helped run a women's center in Hayward, California, in the mid 1970s; and
became a strong supporter of Mormons for ERA in 1979. "I am a Lesbian," Ina
Mae wrote in a letter she sent to all her siblings in 1982. "The reason why
I'm telling you this now is because I want you to know the whole person. I
want you to know there is a lesbian in the Murri family and in the Church.
If I am fighting to change the attitude of the Church and members of it, I
have to start with my own family." Ina Mae's 1982 letter received mixed responses. One older sister, who had
served a mission, sent her a reply which included a list of 13 scriptures
which, the sister said, warned against homosexuality. Yet over time, Ina
Mae's family learned to love her partner Stella, and both became a fixture
in the family reunions the Murris held every summer in Idaho. Ina Mae was the rock. Stella was the comedian. They complemented each other
so well, and were so united in everything they did, that some relatives
called them "Stina," as if they were a single person. Stella once wrote a delightful account of how the two met, and how unlikely
it first seemed that they would end up together. "Ina and I were introduced
at a Gay Pride Parade, and then she called me to find out if I wanted to go
to this rally and that political meeting. I said, I don't do that stuff. I
asked her if she went to bars. She said no. We didn't think we had anything
in common. We went to a movie, she dragged me to a Slightly Older Lesbians
meeting, and the next thing I knew I was at an Equal Rights Amendment
rally." At Affirmation, Ina Mae excelled. In May 1980, before the days of the
Internet, she decided to start what she called "a unique experiment," a
newsletter for Mormon lesbians. Ina Mae was also Affirmation's first
official matchmaker, as she launched the Pen Pal program in 1983. By the
mid-1980s she had become Affirmation's general coordinator, a position
which she held for two years. Then in June 1988, when she no longer had the
heavy burden of being national director, she focused again on the women of
Affirmation by creating "An Affinity for Women," a publication which she
edited between 1988 and 1998. During those ten years, Ina Mae and Stella's home in Fremont became Lesbian
Mormon Central. Ina Mae corresponded with hundreds of people. She wrote
dozens of articles and made presentations for Sunstone and other forums.
She received mail from women all over the U.S., England, Switzerland, and
Japan. Her correspondence sometimes turned into deeply personal exchanges
with Mormon women who were barely coming out and desperately trying to
reconcile their orientation and their religion. Ina Mae's purpose was
always the same: To help her fellow sisters and brothers get to know each
other, support each other, and strengthen each other. Ina Mae and Stella died in a car accident three weeks ago. Neither the
Mormon service held in Idaho nor the Catholic mass held in California was
your average funeral. Both the Mormon bishop and the Catholic priest
validated Stella and Ina Mae's love. Morgan Smith, who went to high school
with Ina Mae, was one of the Affirmation members who attended the service
in Idaho. In California, another Affirmation member, John Minagro, took his
guitar to the funeral mass and during the offertory sang a beautiful
adaptation of a song from the classic movie Brother Sun, Sister Moon, which
is the tale of St. Francis of Assisi. What is so compelling about Ina Mae and Stella's story is that it proves
that love really can conquer all—even the deep-rooted prejudices that we
may experience in our families. As she described the multiple funeral
arrangements, one of Stella's daughters wrote to me, "Everything will be
with both: Together forever, side by side." The day after Ina Mae died, one
of her Mormon nieces told me, "Our consolation is that they died together
and now they are in heaven, together forever." Ina Mae herself expressed that wish in a 1989 article published in Marty
Beaudet's Flamingo News: "I remain a Mormon in thought, if not in activity.
I have a great concern for my brothers and sisters who are struggling to
reconcile their sexuality with the Church. It is a tremendous burden to be
labeled a 'sinner' when what you really want is to love and to be loved; to
be open with our love, and to have the acceptance of our families, friends,
and yes, our Church." May we never forget Ina Mae and Stella's legacy. And every time another
lesbian Mormon comes out, every time an Affirmation couple gets married,
and every time a judge rules for equality, let's remember with a smile that
we all have in Ina Mae and Stella two of our Founding Mothers.
2010 Drop your crinolines and
grab your high-tops! The only thing
"old fashion" will be the fun! Salt Lake's only GLBT square dance
club invites you to come "give it a whirl" at our latest
"Taste" of Square Dancing event on July 17, 7-9pm. Being led by our favorite caller Ross Lopton,
this energetic, non-traditional and fun evening will give beginners a chance to
"get a taste" of what Modern Western Square Dancing is all about with
help from experienced "angels" from Temple Squares. If you've square
danced with us before, you'll have a chance to "brush-up" your
footwork. This FREE of charge, public-participation event will take place this
coming Saturday, July 17, 7-9pm, at the Columbus Center in South Salt Lake.
Click here for a map. I know, you're thinking "SQUARE dancing?" But
as we say at Temple Squares: "This ain't your Grandma's square
dancing!" Modern Western Square Dancing gives anyone the chance to dance
either "boy" or "girl," in casual clothing, with a
community of supportive gay, lesbian and straight friends. You're just as
likely to be square dancing to the beat of Pop, Salsa, Ethnic, Sinatra or
Madonna, as Country Western or Bluegrass music. Singles or couples are welcome,
but bringing a whole group of friends makes it even more fun! Make it a special night out - challenge your
friends! But remember, for everyone's
safety and comfort, these events are alcohol-free. look forward to seeing you! Yellow
Rocks (We'll teach you what that means on Saturday.)
2014 Utah asks U.S. Supreme Court for urgent intervention to halt same-sex-marriage recognition Emergency order • The state says it will prevail in defending its same-sex marriage ban. BY MARISSA LANG THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Utah asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to issue an emergency order that would prevent the state from recognizing the marriages of thousands of gay and lesbian Utahns, because the state believes it will ultimately prevail in its fight to revive a ban on such unions. If it does, the state wrote, Utah will do “everything possible” to enforce the law. That means effectively nullifying the more than 1,000 unions gay and lesbian Utahns entered into during a 17-day window when such weddings were legal. “If Utah’s laws are struck down, Utah will
recognize [same-sex couples’]
interim marriages,” wrote the state’s hired counsel Gene C. Schaerr. “If Utah’s
laws are upheld, Utah will do everything possible to comply with them.” Utah
continues to defend its right to define marriage as a union between one man and
one woman on two fronts — in the historic Kitchen v. Herbert case that toppled
the state’s ban on same-sex unions in December, and in a newer Evans v. Utah
suit, in which several gay and lesbian couples have challenged the state to
recognize their Utah marriages. Should married same-sex couples be allowed to
apply for spousal benefits before the 10th Circuit has ruled on Utah’s appeal
in the Evans case, the state argued, the case itself is moot. “The district
court in this case erred in holding that [same-sex couples] are entitled to an
injunction now that directs Utah to recognize [same-sex couples’] interim
marriages regardless of this court’s ultimate decision in Kitchen,” Schaerr
wrote. “Absent a final decision by an appellate court of last resort declaring
Utah’s marriage laws unconstitutional, the democratically produced decisions of
Utah’s citizens should not be overturned based on the discretion of a single
federal district judge unchecked by subsequent appellate review.” It is for
that reason, Schaerr wrote, the Supreme Court must issue a stay to protect the
state’s status quo. If the high court declines to
intervene, more than 1,000 same-sex marriages performed in Utah during a brief
window when such unions were legal will be eligible for spousal benefits at 8
a.m. Monday. Time, the state wrote, is of the essence. The U.S. Supreme Court
“will soon have the final, dispositive word on the important issue of who gets
to decide how to define marriage: the people of a state participating in the
democratic process, or the federal courts,” Schaerr wrote. “If allowed to
stand, the district court’s decision in this case will severely limit [the
Supreme Court’s] ability to grant complete relief if it reverses the Kitchen
decision. ... This court will only be able to ensure that the democratically
expressed will of Utah’s people is respected in the future; it will not be able
to ensure that the people’s will is respected as to the interim marriages that
occurred before this court stepped in and stayed the Kitchen injunction.” The
emergency application filed with Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who oversees the
federal court circuit of which Utah is a part and who, in January, halted the
issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Utah after 17 days of
marriages. In its brief Wednesday, Utah expressed confidence about its chance
of reviving a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage that has been ruled
unconstitutional by two federal courts. The
most recent court to declare Utah’s embattled Amendment 3 a violation of the
federal Constitution was the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. A panel of three judges, who heard, and
ultimately ruled, in Utah’s historic Kitchen v. Herbert lawsuit — which first
toppled the state’s ban on same-sex marriages on Dec. 20, 2013 — subsequently
denied Utah’s request to indefinitely stop married gay and lesbian couples from
applying for benefits until all litigation was settled. Judges Carlos F. Lucero
and Jerome A. Holmes authored the succinct denial without offering an analysis
of their reasons. But, in denying Utah’s request, the judges declared the state
failed to prove it would suffer irreparable harm in recognizing the marriages
and didn’t demonstrate that the state is likely to prevail in its appeal. In
Utah’s brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, Schaerr wrote that there was “a
certainty” of harm being done to the state in denying it the right to enforce
its own laws and undergo the judicial process of appeal. “Absent a stay,”
Schaerr wrote, “the state and its people will also suffer severe harm to their
sovereign dignity.” Last week, one appeals judge, Judge Paul J. Kelly, wrote a
dissent, backing the state’s right to judicial resolution and arguing that
allowing gay and lesbian couples’ marriages to be imbued with rights would
undermine the appeals process. “In denying a stay pending appeal, this court is
running roughshod over state laws which are currently in force,” Kelly wrote.
“It is disingenuous to contend that the state will suffer no harm if the matter
is not stayed; undoing what is about to be done will be labyrinthine and has
the very real possibility to moot important issues that deserve serious
consideration.” Utah also asserted that
because marriage is not a right overtly named in the U.S. Constitution, and
same-sex marriage was only found to be covered under the Fourteenth Amendment
by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby less than seven months ago, the
plaintiffs cannot argue that they are being denied their right to marriage
because Shelby’s ruling is still in contention. If Sotomayor refuses to
intervene, the state wrote, it will seek relief from the full U.S. Supreme
Court. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents the four plaintiff
couples in the Evans case, has said they are also prepared to file a brief to
the Supreme Court, urging the nine justices to allow the 10th Circuit’s
temporary hold to expire — and thousands of couples to begin applying for state
benefits.
2014 Utah asks U.S. Supreme Court for urgent intervention to halt same-sex-marriage recognition Emergency order • The state says it will prevail in defending its same-sex marriage ban. BY MARISSA LANG THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Utah asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to issue an emergency order that would prevent the state from recognizing the marriages of thousands of gay and lesbian Utahns, because the state believes it will ultimately prevail in its fight to revive a ban on such unions. If it does, the state wrote, Utah will do “everything possible” to enforce the law. That means effectively nullifying the more than 1,000 unions gay and lesbian Utahns entered into during a 17-day window when such weddings were legal. “If Utah’s laws are struck down, Utah will
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| Gene C Schaerr |
- In an email purportedly sent to his colleagues, Gene Schaerr made it clear why he was leaving his lucrative post as a partner at a prestigious Washington, D.C., law firm to defend Utah's laws barring same-sex marriage: his Mormon faith. The leaked email was first posted by Elie Mystal on the Above The Law blog. In it, Schaerr said he was taking a temporary position with the Utah attorney general's office. "I have accepted that position so that I can fulfill what I have come to see as a religious and family duty: defending the constitutionality of traditional marriage in the state where my church is headquartered and where most of my family resides," Schaerr said in the Jan. 17 email to co-workers at Winston & Strawn. SL Tribune 31 Jan 2014
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