This Day In Gay Utah History AUGUST 29th

August 29th

Karl Ulrichs

1867-he homosexual emancipation movement in Germany began when Karl Heinrich Ulrichs spoke before the Congress of German Jurists in Munich to ask for humane treatment for homosexual men and women and an end to sodomy laws. As an openly homosexua

Dioning was the term for Heterosexual

l man before the Congress of German Jurists in Munich, he urged the repeal of all anti-homosexual laws. He was shouted down. Karl Henrich Ulrichs declared himself to be a "Uranian" and became the first known person in modern times to describe himself as a Gay man.  The term Uranian or Urning was introduced by Karl Heinrich Ulrich to describe same sex love.

1890 A filthy case came up in the Police Court yesterday that elicited the deepest disgust A young man from P V Junction named Divine was charged with the crime against Nature. The witnesses in the case were the constable from Colton and a boy who were in some way connected with the case whose testimony proved Divine to be of the most brutish instincts. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was bound over in $3000 bonds. Provo Post

Hell's Canyon above Beck Street

1902 Collins Murder Case In Court Probability That Clyde Felt Will Never be Tried For the Gruesome Hells Hollow Tragedy- Murder Case Set for September 9  From statements made by District Attorney Elchnor this morning during the setting of criminal cases In Judge Morses court it is more than probable that the case against young Clyde Felt [Newspaper picture of Clyde Felt] charged with the murder of Samuel Collins in Hells Hollow [Picture of cave] several months ago will be dismissed. When the case was called for setting Mr Elchnor stated that he had fully Investigated the case and be did not know whether or not It would ever be tried. He therefore asked that It be passed for the present with the understanding that It would either be tried or dismissed at this term of court. The case was accordingly passed by the court and from the stand taken by the district attorney. Is believed that Clyde Felt will never have to stand trial for the crime with which he In charged.

• 15 year old Clyde Felt slit 63 year old Samuel Collin's throat as a blood atonement act on the request of Collins for having sexually molested Felt and several of his friends.

2nd South and 4th West Owner of Cosmic Airplane in front. Railroad Exchange became the Original Sun Tavern cir 1970

1979- The Salt Lake City Gay Inter-Bar Volleyball League held their final league game.  The Rail Tavern defeated Radio City Tavern two games to none and then defeated the Sun Tavern two games to none.  The league had the support of Joe Redburn, Susan Denny, Krazy Pete, Larry White, and Weldon Young

1985 List of Utahns With AIDS Grows to 21 The Confirmation of two new cases of AIDS brings Utah’s total number of reported cases to 21. Eleven cases have been reported this year, 3 more than were reported in all of 1984 and twice the number diagnosed in 1983  Utah’s official expect an additional 9 to be diagnosed this year. 10 of the 21 have died of the disease. Of the 21 cases reported to date 15 were homosexual or bi sexual men, four of the victims were intravenous drug users and 2 patients acquired the disease through transfusion of blood. (SLTRibune 08/29/1985 B2-6)

1986- The Knights of Malta’s three day Assembly '86 was held for the first time in Salt Lake City sponsored by the Beehive Chapter. Knights of Malta, a social, levi, leather Club raised $1000 for AIDS education. A Check presented to the Royal Court's AIDS fund.

• Knights of Malta There is not a lot of information on the Utah Chapter of the Knights of Malta that I could locate. They were a Levi / leather social group that was around back in the late eighties and early nineties. Some of the activities they would be involved with would be to provide aid for people in need in the gay and lesbian community. An example of this was when they helped out a couple with Aids one Christmas by paying some of their bills and providing them with food. The club was registered in Utah  24 November 1981

1987-Barbara Dickie hosted her annual raucous community "Lesbian Luau" in West Valley.

Andrew Dice Clay

1991 Andrew Dice Clay, performed his stand up comedy routine at Symphony Hall but steered away from homosexual jokes. In front of Symphony Hall a large band of protesters gathered including Queer Nation.  While KTVX, KUTV, KSL and the Deseret News covered the protest accuracy, and portrayed the discriminatory attitude and hostility of Clay and his fans, The Salt Lake Tribune did not even mention the severity of the abuse Queer Nation received from the concert goers, or the lack of action on the part of local police officers and the security at Symphony Hall.  Some of the Clay Fans actually attacked Queer Nation protesters by ramming them with their heads.  Rocky O’Donavan was assaulted and hit in the head. No one was arrested, police had to be prodded to take any action, which only amounted to “talking” to one of the suspects and then allowing him to enter the Hall for the performance.  A security guard let another suspect walk off even though protesters and neutral parties pleaded to have him stopped.

1992-, A garden party was held by former Utah Attorney General Paul Van Dam, Randi

Paul Van Dam

Wagner and Kiran Puri,  as part of a series of Soirees held in private homes as fund raisers for the Utah   AIDS Foundation. A Texas-style feast at Meg Averett's home was held as part of a series of Soirees held in private homes as fund raisers for the Utah AIDS Foundation. Call the foundation for reservations and locations. (08/20/92 Page: A8 PARTY LINE: HABITAT HOMES ARE THE EPITOME OF LABORS OF LOVE Byline: By Pat Capson THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE)

1993- In an article on protests in Utah Salt Lake Tribune printed, “The gay and lesbian community faces a particular challenge: Not everyone who supports the cause is ``out.'' ``I don't know if we could get people out even if we were violent,'' says Mr.[Michael] Aaron, chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats.    Aside from Gay Pride Day, which attracted gathered more than 2,000 people this year, most events are small scale. Queer Nation, for example, has in recent years protested at Temple Square conference, an Andrew Dice Clay concert and staged ``kiss-ins'' at Snelgroves. (Aug 29 93 A 11)

1997-Jim McKnight discussed his research on the gay gene on the BBC program Science Now. His research group at the University of Western Sidney studied gayness within the families of homosexuals, and discovered that evidence exists to suggest that homosexuality is an inherited trait.

Trevor Southey

1997 : Page: B6 U. Students Condemn Moving of Painting   Students should have been consulted before a University of Utah administrator altered an art exhibit at the Union Building, student government leaders said Wednesday.   The Associated Students of the University of Utah Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn the rearrangement of a Trevor Southey painting a less conspicuous spot. ``This sets a dangerous precedent,'' said ASUU Assembly member Kevin Haasch, one of the sponsors of the resolution, who called the administrator's action censorship. ``Who knows whether this will extend into the classroom?''   The Southey painting, titled ``Prodigal Son'' was part of a small exhibit presented during last week's conference for Affirmation, a group of  gay and lesbian Mormons.  After receiving a few complaints that the large triptych was offensive, Union Manager Peter Richards moved it around a corner to a less conspicuous spot. The exhibit ended earlier this week and was subsequently moved out of the building.   Deidre Hughes, a student member of a board that advises on Union Building operations, said the manager should not have acted unilaterally. Students should have been consulted.   Richards could not be reached for comment Thursday. Earlier this week he said he had the support of his boss. He also noted that Affirmation is not a student group. As for students' complaints that  they should have been consulted, he said that in retrospect the might have done things differently. ``But I can second-guess myself endlessly. The only thing that's going to do is give me a headache at this time.''

1997 08/29/97 Page: B2 For the Record MORE SEX CHARGES A 45-year-old man already in jail on sex charges was charged Wednesday with forcible   sodomy and sexual abuse for allegedly attempting to force two men to have sex. On Aug. 6, Qassim Ali Al-Raheemi grabbed a man from behind as he was walking by 135 S. State St., police said. Al-Raheemi purportedly dragged the man to a parking lot, forced him to the ground and pulled down the man's pants. The victim managed to escape. That same day, police allege Al-Raheemi grabbed another man while he was urinating and attempted to kiss him. The victim fled. The new charges were filed as Al-Raheemi sits in jail awaiting trial on aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault for an Aug. 14 incident.

1998 Who’s Who In Northern Utah Award Show held at Brass Rail in Ogden

1999 The Family Fellowship Quarterly Forum was held at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, in Provo.

Steve Baxter

2004 Steven Mark Baxter 1949 ~ 2004 died of AIDS. Born to Art and Joan Baxter on May 10, 1949 in Portland, Oregon. He grew up in the Oregon/Washington area. Enlisted in the US Navy in 1968-1972 and served during the Vietnam War. Employed by Bausch & Lomb and transferred to Utah where he started an optical store in Sandy. In 1980 he opened The Deerhunter Club and was the proprietor until it was tragically destroyed by fire in 2001. Survived by his son Michael A. (Karen) Baxter of Salt Lake City, UT; four grandchildren, his parents Art and Joan Baxter of Sun City, AZ; brother David A. Baxter, Sun City, AZ. Preceded in death by his sister Susan Jo Bunnell (6/21/04). He also leaves behind companion Dan and close friends Santos and Gene and a whole community of friends. Steve passed away in Arizona on August 29, 2004, it was his wish to be cremated. We will miss his laughter, his listening ear, his energy and drive. 

•  It is with great sadness that we note the death of Steve Baxter, who has long been a familiar and beloved face in our community. Steve passed away Aug. 29 due to AIDS complications. Steve was born in Oregon to Joan and Art Baxter. He is survived by his son Michael Baxter, his sister Suzie, and his brother David. He grew up in the Oregon/Washington area. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War in San Diego, alifornia as a supply officer. He later moved to Salt Lake City and, in 1980, opened the popular gay club The Deerhunter on 300 West. The bar operated continually until, tragically, it burned down in August 2001. Earlier this year, Steve moved to live with his mom in Arizona, where he eventually passed away. Steve was known by many and loved by all who encountered him and will be greatly missed in our community.

•  [ September 6, 2004 Have known Steve since the mid 80's when the Deerhunter was just a small house, been there throughout the remodeling and then the devastating fire. Became awesome friends and even roommates for a while. Even if Steve didn't remember your name he still walked up and grabbed your hand and asked "How have you been Buddy?" To me he will remain an awesome and dear friend. I will miss the many times we all got Jagermeistered together. May peace be with you Steve.
•  Dennis Rowley (Salt Lake City, UT )-September 6, 2004 Condolences to Steve's partner Dan and extended family. I knew Steve as a patron of his business from the early years until the early 1990s. Always, he was cordial, warm and easy-going, regardless of how pressured he might have been. I will always remember Steve as being just one heck of nice guy. It was at the Deerhunter that I would eventually have the opportunity to meet my partner and husband of (now) 12 years. Sadly, I never thanked Steve for the part he played in that serendipitous meeting. I thank you now, Steve. Verne (Minneapolis, MN )-
•  September 5, 2004 I only knew Steve as a patron but he was always so happy and treated everyone with respect. Steve Baxter's business endeavors provided a great time for a great many people in SLC. He will be in our memories forever. Ben Williams (SLC, UT)-
• September 14, 2004 I WOULD LIKE TO THANK JEN, BOB, DENNIS,VERNE, BEN. I ENJOYED READING THE MESSAGES YOU ALL LEFT. They remind me of the good old bar days. I still feel that Steve is looking out for me like he always did. He had the biggest heart, I miss him every day, and think about him just as much. My family has been a great part of his and my life- helping us out when we needed it the most, including Gene, Santos, and everyone of the Deerhunter's members. Both Steve and I crave to hear the laughter from all of you and to be able to call YOU a friend. YOU were the biggest and best part of his life and will never be forgetable. Please feel free to email me Dan Baker (Sandy, UT )  September 9, 2004 For the last 10 years Steve has been my friend. I will miss him every day. To Steve's family and especially Dan, I feel your pain. Please remember he will always be with you. Jennifer Evans (SLC, UT ) 
• September 7, 2004 I worked for Steve as a bartender at the Deerhunter when he had just opened the place. He was always a great guy and a wonderful boss. I moved away before the fire. I always just assumed the place was still there, with Steve behind the bar with a wink and a smile for everyone. My condolences to Dan and all the guys who knew Steve. Bob Paolino (Albuquerque, NM ) 
• Deerhunter Provided Cherished Memories by Brandon Burt By the time I started

  

  Brandon Burt

  sneaking into bars, the Deerhunter was already an institution in Salt Lake’s gay community. Back in those days it was the closest thing we had to a Levi/leather club. At age 19 I would present my fake I.D. — which, to tell the truth, was as convincing as the GOP’s recent pretense at inclusiveness — and somehow the doorman would let me in. Most nights, having successfully negotiated the tight squeeze up to the bar, I would be greeted by a handsome, jovial, bearded man. I’d plonk down my dough for a dollar draft and, as he gave me my change, Steve Baxter would briskly tap the bar twice — a friendly, trademark gesture — and say, “Thanks, buddy!” I don’t think he ever learned my name. But it was enough for me, at that tender age, to be his “buddy.” Eventually I turned 21, and, as it turned out, half of Salt Lake’s gay male community was Steve’s buddy. But somehow he always made each of his customers feel special, and whatever profits he made — on the narrow margin that any bar business earns — he invested back into the business. City Cab dispatchers, with cynical wit, would call it “Bambi’s.” It had a reputation for attracting a somewhat more butch clientele than many straight people were willing to associate with a gay bar in those days. To begin with, it was a quirky and somewhat cramped place — just a bar and a tight spot with a pool table — but Steve kept expanding and adding onto it. The game room was notorious, but then a front bar was opened, and with it enough space for multiple pool tables. Tournaments started up. The summer the patio appeared, with its quaking aspen and ponderosa pine, was glorious.       The Wasatch Leathermen Motorcycle Club adopted it as their home bar, and would regularly hold fundraising beer busts. Steve himself would offer weekly two-for-one specials, and in odd compliance with DABC regulations, would present customers with a “wooden nickel” — a pine slug exchangeable for a draft beer — with each purchase. Only last week I was going through a box and came across a few of those beer tokens.       One of my fondest memories was the night I was blindfolded, handcuffed, and carried bodily out of the Deerhunter by the WLMC. My pledge period was finally over and it was time for the big initiation. When I, along with the rest of my new club brothers, returned, I was a changed person. Suddenly, I was part of something larger than myself — something that often freaked out a lot of other people. In some ways that was the best part — the shock value — but, no matter how far we went with our raucous, somewhat perverse fun, Steve always made us feel our presence was valued. In some ways we were the floorshow, and on the bright side, nobody ever lost an eye. For many of the Deerhunter’s customers, the beginning of the end came with the addition of the dance floor. A friend of mine, John Martin, mainly objected to the inclusion of a Confederate flag along with all the other banners hanging from the ceiling. (After complaints were met with little response, John’s plan to get rid of the flag was to bring a bullhorn and begin to agitate the crowd against racism. During the ensuing brouhaha, another friend would just “happen by” carrying a gas can. John would run into the bar, tear down the flag, grab the gas can and engage in an “impromptu” flag burning. For better or worse, this bit of street theater never actually took place.) For the rest of us, however, the dance floor simply changed the dynamic of the bar. It brought with it a flood of people we would derisively refer to as “the Sun crowd” — twinks, sweater queens. I’m pretty sure now they were not much different from the rest of us, but at the time it marked a distinct change in the Deerhunter’s clientele. After the Sun blew down during a freak tornado, the change was complete — the Deerhunter would never be the same. Later, the Deerhunter itself burned down and Club Blue was closed by the DABC Gestapo. It was a bad period for gay clubs in Salt Lake City.       There’s more to life than going to the bar, of course. But Steve Baxter provided a comfortable, friendly place for us to meet, and without him, Salt Lake’s gay community wouldn’t have been the same. And for that, all I can say is, “Thanks, buddy.”

Jane Marquart

Lynn Wardle

2004 LDS FAMILY FELLOWSHIP QUARTERLY FORUM Aug 29, 2004 2:30 p.m. SLC Main Library Building Bridges - Healing Relationships - Loving and Serving All The quarterly Family Fellowship Forum will be held on Sunday, August 29th at 2:30 p.m. in the Salt Lake City Public Library Auditorium. The forum will begin at 2:30 p.m. rather than our customary time. We have invited BYU law professor Lynn Wardle and practicing attorney Jane Marquardt to discuss the pro and con considerations of the proposed state constitutional amendment, Amendment 3. As you are probably aware, that amendment would change the state constitution by defining marriage as "the legal union between a man and a woman," and further stating that "no other domestic status or union, however denominated, between persons is valid or recognized or may be authorized, sanctioned or given the same or substantially equivalent legal effect as a marriage." Each presenter will be given 15 minutes to present their pro and con perspectives to be followed by a question and answer session with the audience. The forum will be open to the general public and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. We will not have our usual light buffet following the meeting as it is too difficult in the library setting. Family

Fellowship is a volunteer service organization, a diverse collection of primarily Mormon families engaged in the cause of strengthening families with homosexual members. We share our witness that gay and lesbian Mormons can be great blessings in the lives of their families, and that families can be great blessings in the lives of the gay and lesbian members. We strive to become more understanding and appreciative of each other. We seek to put behind us all attitudes which are anti-family or which threaten loving relationships. All who can support these goals are welcome to contribute.  The Salt Lake City library is on the corner of 2nd east and 4th south. Sincerely, Family Fellowship

Right Rev. Carolyn Irish

2007 Dear Community Members: Equality Utah is pleased to announce our 2007 Allies for Equality award recipients.   Allies for Equality awards are given annually to select individuals and organizations who share our vision of a fair & just Utah and who’ve been critical to the advancement of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender equality.  Recipients will be honored at Equality Utah’s annual Allies Dinner, which will be held on Wednesday, August 29th at The Salt Palace.  The Right Rev. Carolyn Tanner Irish for her outstanding work

Peter Corroon

in support of LGBT people and their roles in the Episcopal Church. Mayor Peter Corroon for his commitment to a government accessible to all citizens and for the priority he has placed on promoting diversity. Plan-B Theatre Company for producing theatre that is socially and politically conscious.  Plan-B productions that have addressed LGBT issues or have included LGBT characters are:  Alienation Effekt, Hedwig & the Angry Inch, A Letter to Harvey Milk, The Laramie Project, My Left Breast, Patient A, A Perfect Ganesh and Facing East. Please Save August 29th on your calendar and join us as we honor these allies and their work for LGBT equality.