August 4th
1978 During
the well publicized hearings on the extension of the ERA time limitation,
Mormon feminist Sonia Johnson, a fifth generation Mormon, was called to testify on behalf of the Equal
Rights Amendment before the Senate Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights.
Johnson and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah clashed on the issues of ERA.Sonia Johnson was excommunicated for opposing Mormon Leaders views on the ERA Sonia also declared herself a lesbian and began a relationship with
a woman. After ending that relationship, she wrote in "The Ship that Sailed Into
the Living Room" that even relationships between female couples are a dangerous
patriarchal trap, because "two is the ideal number for inequality, for
sadism, for the reproduction of patriarchy", and that relationships are
"slave Ships" (a concept from which she derived the title of the
book). "Nearly
four years after I began my rebellion against relation/sex/slave Ships,"
she wrote, "experience and my Wise Old Woman are telling me that sex as we
know it is a patriarchal construct and has no rightful, natural place in our
lives, no authentic function or ways. Synonymous with hierarchy/control, sex is
engineered as part of the siege against our wholeness and power."Johnson
also founded Wildfire, a short-lived separatist commune for women that
disbanded in 1993. She published several of her books under the imprint
"Wildfire Books."
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| 8th Annual Gay Rodeo at Reno |
1983-The 8th
Annual National Reno Gay Rodeo opened despite threats that snipers would shoot
at spectators and claims by the Pro-Family Christian Coalition that the event
was an orgy riddled with disease and that gays are un-American. 20,000 people
attended the opening ceremonies.
1987- Salt
Lake Affirmation discussed "Whether Gay Mormons have a Social Disadvantage
when it comes to making friends because of their cultural upbringing." The
topic of "Mormon social retardation" had about 20 people in attendance.
1987-The conservative
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to expand the use of
involuntary detention for people with AIDS who knowingly expose others to
infection. The vote was in response to Joseph Markowski, who gave blood knowing
he was infected with HIV.
- Liberal Governor Mario Cuomo of New York announced a program establishing anonymous confidential HIV testing as an effort to get an idea of the prevalence of HIV infection in New York.
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| Ben Williams |
1988-A
sold-out gospel show organized by Dionne Warwick and Rev. Carl Bean drew 6,500
people and raised $150,000 for the Los Angeles Minority AIDS Project.
Performers included Al Jarreau and Patti LaBelle.
1989 A letter,
on GOP stationery, and signed by Conservative Salt Lake County Republican
Chairman Peter Van Alstyne, was sent to Republican voting district officers,
urging District 5 voters to defeat incumbent SLC Councilman Tom Godfrey and high school teacher.
"Tom Godfrey does not represent the Republican values and philosophies of
high moral integrity," the letter read, because he spoke at Gay Pride Day
at Sunnyside Park. Van Alstyne questions Godfrey's stance on Gay Rights. A background article on Tom Godfrey
1989-A man who
was having sex with another man was shot by a Baltimore police officer. He was
hospitalized and charged with misdemeanor sexual offenses. The officer said the
shooting was an accident.
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| Bruce Hayes |
1996 Page:
A2 Salt Lake Tribune Letter From The
Editor Byline: BY MARK N. TRAHANT T.S.
Eliot once said: ``I suppose most editors are failed writers, but so are most
writers.'' The poet was not talking about the newspaper business, but he could
have been. We work in an environment where the presumption has been that if you
write well, you must manage well. Therefore, the reasoning went, all good
writers make good editors. Part of this was economics-- writers were paid less,
so there always was pressure to advance into management. But times -- and
management philosophy --have changed. Now editors are hired because they
demonstrate editing skills. They are promoted because they are perceived as
good managers of people, words and pictures.(Conversely, top-scale reporters
are paid enough so they are not forced into management for economic reasons.)
The Salt Lake Tribune subscribes to a convention of editing called coaching.
That means editors and reporters work together on a story, sometimes sitting
side by side, carrying out a conversation that shapes the story. This system
works best when we redefine the news, shifting away from routine and often
meaningless events toward more substantial issues of the day. Let us go then,
you and I, into the newsroom. Let us go through cluttered desks, restless
deadlines and questions that start with, ``How shall I begin?'' First meet Terri Ellefsen. She coordinates
virtually everything. She makes certain that editors communicate (a difficult
proposition in the communications business) with their colleagues, giving every
one an idea of what stories are planned for the next day's edition. The veteran news editor is Tim Fitzpatrick.
He has worked at The Tribune for 15 years. Fitzpatrick's charge is government
and science. A few months ago that was, perhaps, the most exciting -- and
time-consuming – editing assignment at the newspaper. He worked well into the
night while reporters chronicled every twist and turn in the Enid Greene and
Joe Waldholtz story. But the long hours paid off: The tribune's coverage was
excellent. Dawn House's editing challenge may be the most difficult:
Questioning the way this newspaper reports crime and safety. How far does a
reporter stray from the whodunit? Do the ethics change when the same story is
on television? What if we always have done it that way? As Justice Desk editor,
House balances Front Page zeal with new ideas about how we make crime and
safety relevant to the majority of Tribune readers. The staff writers with the
most territory work on the Communities Desk. Patty Henetz leads a team that
covers news from virtually anywhere along the Wasatch Front. The definition of
community is broad -- it adds race, gender and age to the traditional topics of
zoning, transportation and city ordinances in areas growing so fast that few
bureaucrats can keep pace. This desk is an area where The Trib's coverage
sparkles: Our readers should now understand Utah's uniquely urban problems
generated by a largely internal population boom. Peg McEntee is the editor
responsible for the Faith and Learning Desk. In Utah, it is difficult to think
of two institutions that have more influence over our lives than church and
school. It has been a busy desk, tracking school-board actions about gay and
lesbian clubs to a new president of the LDS Church. Now that the Olympics are
over, Kurt Kragthorpe, The Trib's sports editor, may take a short break -- at
least until the fall sports get busy. Day after day this desk handles more
volume of reportage than any other desk.
Shia Kapos, acting business editor, has seamlessly filled in for editor
Cherrill Crosby while the latter is away on leave. Business pages continue to
improve in style and presentation. Also, readers should take note that
business news no longer is relegated to
its own section --often stories are displayed prominently on A-1. The weekend news editor is Connie Coyne. She
manages a fun-house news mirror: Saturdays are as busy as any other day of the
week (try shopping if you don't believe me),while Sundays are so slow that one
reporter could count every car that drives downtown. Finally, at the end of the news-gathering
process, news editors David Noyce and Jeff Walton are the final eyes to see the
newspaper before it is delivered to readers. They are complete professionals,
acting with jack-rabbit speed when a story breaks late -- such as the pipe bomb
in Atlanta -- to get the most up-to-date version. I am introducing these news editors as my
way thanking them for all their help during my four-plus years at The Tribune.
I leave this week to be the editor and publisher of The Daily News, a Kearns-Tribune
group newspaper, in the university cities of Moscow, Idaho and Pullman, Wash. I
take with me wonderful memories, and I have learned much from the many talented
journalists here at The Tribune. I'll
end the way I began, quoting T.S. Eliot:
Deferential, glad to be of use, Politic, cautious, and meticulous; Full of high sentence, but a bit
obtuse; At times, indeed, almost
ridiculous. . . Mark N. Trahant Executive News Editor
 |
| Bare Ass Beach Great Salt Lake |
1998 Van H.
Andreasen , 36, of Guerneville, CA, formerly of Salt Lake City, passed away at
his home in Guerneville of a massive heart attack. Native of Idaho, spent most of his early life in Nephi and
Heber, Utah. He was survived by his life partner, Rob Leach, of Guerneville.
2006 Gay guidebook ranks U. in top 100 Friendly environs:
The rating evaluates school policies, campus safety and health services By
Shinika A. Sykes The Salt Lake Tribune The University of Utah has been
recognized as one of the best 100 campuses in the nation for gay students,
according to a new guidebook. The U. joins Cornell University, University of
Arizona, University of Oregon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ohio
State, University of Colorado-Boulder, Colorado State University, Northwestern
University and Princeton University on the list, which appears in The Advocate
College Guide for LGBT Students released Tuesday by Alyson Publications. The
U.'s inclusion on the list is based on 35-plus years of students, faculty and
staff working for "inclusion, equality and safe  |
| Charles Milne |
2000 Salt Lake
Tribune Urges Entrepreneur to Quit Selling Joke Olympic Pins. byine: Lori
Buttars Aug. 4--Mell Bailey peddles
Olympic pins. Some are serious, recalling moments of Olympic glory. Others,
such as the new scandal pin calling Salt Lake City's 2002 Winter Games
"The Best Games Money Can Buy," usually end up getting her in hot
water. But it was the Salt Lake Organizing Committee she expected to hear from.
Not The Salt Lake Tribune. "I never
expected a mogul in the community like The Tribune to get involved in something
that some people see as derogatory," said Bailey, who operates two
"Spirit of the Games" kiosks
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| Mell Bailey |
2006 Mell Bailey, community supporter and activist was found dead by her lover from an accidental overdose of drugs. She was a Gay entrepreneur who had a great love for animals. Melanie
Kay Bailey "Mell" Melanie "Mell" Kay Bailey passed away
unexpectedly Friday, August 4, 2006 in Murray, UT. A true "free
spirit", born Feb. 1, 1962 in Murray, UT to Fred and Loni Prince Bailey.
Mell accomplished many things in her short life. She was a gifted writer and
entrepreneur, excelled in sports and was a true lover and protector of animals.
Graduated from Murray High School in 1980 having been given many awards
including the "Hope of America". She received several scholarships in
tennis using one at University of Illinois and then graduating from the
University of Utah in 1984. She loved the TV broadcasting field, which she
worked in for several years. She went on to work at Eastern and Continental
Airlines, which helped fulfill her passion for travel. She was always on the
go, traveling to all corners of the world. She lived in Seoul Korea teaching
English and started a photography business at the US army base providing many
loving pictures of our soldiers to be sent home. After returning from Korea she
opened a coffee bar, Brews & Blues, at Trolley Square Mall with her partner,
Angela Mettler. Using strong determination and a lot of work she owned and
operated 4 Olympic merchandise outlets, Spirit of the Games, in Salt Lake,
Provo, and Layton. Many people knew her as the "Pin Lady". After 9-11
she designed and produced Olympic pins to help many causes including Engine Co.
235 in Brooklyn, NY, all proceeds of the sales benefited the families of the
Firemen that had lost their lives at the World Trade Center. Her diligent work
and devotion to help people in need earned her the award of Women Making a
Difference in 2002 by the Salt Lake Junior Miss Association. Her compassion for
homeless animals was overwhelming. Many animals benefited from her tireless
work to find homes. Most recently she adopted a horse that was to be destroyed. She felt he deserved to live and enjoy a grassy field
near her home. She recently started a fund to help provide food and other
supplies to needy families so that they could enjoy adopting a pet and afford
to care for the animal. She always looked forward to U of U home games and
meeting all her friends at the tail gate parties. She is survived by her
parents, Fred and Loni Bailey, Tucson, AZ; a sister, Marnie (John) Ajamie,
Knoxville, TN; two sweet nieces that she adored, Malia and Kaili; her partner, Angie
Mettler; aunts and uncles, Bob (Lee) Prince, Bob (Toni Fox) Paquette, Patti
Reed, Kay Soffe, Terry (Ruth) Bailey; many cousins and their extended families,
and numerous people from everywhere whose lives Mell has touched. She was
preceded in death by her grandparents; and a dear uncle, Randy Fox. A
celebration of Mell's life will be held Wednesday, August 9th, 7:00 p.m. at
Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary South Valley, 1007 West South Jordan Parkway (10600 So). Visitation with family from
6:00-7:00 p.m. prior to the celebration service. In accordance to Mell's
wishes, she will be cremated and her ashes along with the ashes of her beloved
"Sugar" scattered. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the
fund Mell established, Q Cares for Canines, c/o Washington Mutual, 5664 So 900
East, Murray, UT 84121. We all loved her so much and will miss her always. God
speed our "Free Spirit" we will be seeing you again! (SLTribune
08-08-06)Mell Bailey's obituary
- Ben Williams “I first met Mel Bailey in 1989 when she and others initially formed a Queer Nation group in SLC. She and others strong willed activists however could not come together on a vision for Queer Nation and the organization split into Queer Nation Utah and Utah Queer Nation. Bailey eventually could not get enough support for her faction and she left the scene. “
- Connell O’Donovan-Just wanted to say this is not quite how it went down. This is my recollection of what happened, but I'd have to check my journals and Queer Nation minutes I have archived for sure. The rest of us had a strong, cohesive vision for Queer Nation. Melanie did not. She would show up to meetings strung out on coke (and goddess knows what else) and demand attention, deference, coddling, and control of the meetings. She claimed to have gathered $1000 in "seed money" to start up Queer Nation Utah, but insisted we could not use it unless she was the de facto "head" of Queer Nation and did things her way, holding out that alleged funding as a carrot on a stick for us to follow around. Since we were pretty sure that other Queer Nations were run on a radical consensus basis and not as a typical hierarchy, I scraped some money together and flew to San Francisco in January 1990 to attend San Francisco Queer Nation to see how it was run. I came back, made my report that there was absolutely no hierarchy whatsoever, that committees dispersed funds, not individuals, and Melanie was aghast. I think it was Curtis who clued us in that the $1000 did not in fact exist and she was merely lying and grandstanding to have her way. After one particularly nasty confrontation at the "Other Place" Greek cafe on 300 South, we basically told her to "put up or shut up". She stormed off in her little sports car and that's the last I ever saw or heard of her. I never heard that she tried to start a rival group, especially not one called "Utah Queer Nation"!!! If so, perhaps it was only in her cocaine-addled head. Curtis Jensen had much more interaction with her than I did and I'm sure has many more details (and maybe some corrections) to add. –
2007 Bearhug Party- Just a quick
teaser announcement: Ron, John and I have finished the basement remodel, so
we'll be throwing our first bearhug party in way too long in August. Save the date:
Saturday, August 4th, from 7pm to 11pm. The same old place, but it looks very
VERY different.. Hugs, Daddy Todd |
| Michael Adamson |
Salt Lake Tribune article on Adamson
- Longtime Avenues shampoo-and-set salon owner dies by Kathy Stephenson SLTribune published 7 August 2009 -When customers showed up Thursday for their hair appointments at Ninth Avenue Salon, they suspected that the newspaper obituary for owner Michael Adamson was just another of his far-fetched pranks. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Adamson, who had operated the 30-year-old salon -- a favorite of the shampoo-and-set generation -- died Tuesday at age 55. Friends and family say Adamson was a relentless prankster. From turning back the clocks to make clients think they were late to hiding plastic spiders in the shampoo suds, he loved a good joke. His favorite toy was the "farting" machine he would hide in various spots around the salon and fire off with a remote control, embarrassing unsuspecting customers. But this week, friends remembered his compassionate side. Through the years, the businessman donated haircuts to those who were unable to pay. He was always willing to take his comb and scissors to hospitals and care facilities to do a cut and style for a customer who was sick or dying. "Hair makes a huge difference for people in the hospital or who are home-bound in some way," explained Peggy Battin, a longtime customer of Adamson's. Battin's husband, Brooke Hopkins, was paralyzed from the neck down in an accident in November. Adamson made several trips to University Hospital and to a nursing facility to cut Hopkins' hair."Brooke's head is the only part of his body that works at the moment," Battin said, "and having his hair cut and look nice -- even in these difficult circumstances -- makes a huge difference. Michael understood that." Battin considered Adamson to be courageous as well. In the late 1980s, Adamson was among the first Utahns to publicly announce he had contracted the HIV virus. While he lost a significant number of clients at the time, Adamson felt it important to talk about the disease. Adamson's illness was controlled by medication and never developed into full-blown case of AIDS. His family believes there is no connection between HIV and his recent death; however, an autopsy is pending. Since the late 1980s, Adamson had been donating his services to the Salt Lake Acting Company, cutting and dyeing actors' hair, as well as creating wigs for characters. A massive "beehive" wig used in the early years of "Saturday's Voyeur" was Adamson's creation, as was the 1950s Barbie wig used this year, said Keven Myhre, SLAC's producing director. Actors would seek him out before auditions asking him to style their hair to make them feel more in character. Myhre said he was a regular customer, drawn to the unpretentious, welcoming atmosphere that Adamson created at the salon "You could go in and there could be a 4-year-old in the chair or a 90-year-old," Myhre said. "What he provided and who he attracted was cross-generational." Some compared the neighborhood feel of the Ninth Avenue Salon to the beauty shop in the movie "Steel Magnolias." "But really it was better than that," said actor Brenda Sue Cowley, whose first job out of cosmetology school was at Adamson's shop. Her days at the salon inspired Cowley to write an original musical "Shear Luck!" which premiered at Salt Lake City's Grand Theatre in March 2006. "I wrote the musical because I loved Michael and I loved the shop and he believed in me as a writer," Cowley said. "Outside the beauty shop Michael was shy, but inside he was the master of ceremony. It was his whole life." Adamson, who was born in 1953 in Wichita Falls, Texas, is survived by his mother, three sisters, a brother and numerous nieces and nephews. His funeral is scheduled for Saturday at noon at Cache County's Richmond Cemetery. A viewing will be tonight at Evans and Early Mortuary, 574 E. 100 South, Salt Lake City
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| Becki Mecham as Althora 1987 |
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| Jeff Key |
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| Eric Ethington |
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| Cliff Rosky |
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| Brandie Balken |
- Judge overturns California gay-marriage ban By Lisa Leff and Paul Elias Associated Press Published: Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010 SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge overturned California's gay-marriage ban Wednesday in a landmark case that could eventually force the U.S. Supreme Court to confront the question of whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to wed. The ruling by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker touched off a celebration outside the courthouse. Gay couples waved rainbow and American flags and erupted with cheers in the city that has long been a haven for gays. Shelly Bailes held a sign reading "Life Feels Different When You're Married" as she embraced her wife, Ellen Pontac. People in the Castro neighborhood toasted with champagne as word of the ruling spread, and about 300 people assembled in a West Hollywood park waving rainbow gay-pride flags. In New York City, about 150 people gathered outside a lower Manhattan courthouse. They carried signs saying "Our Love Wins" as organizers read portions of the ruling. Protect Marriage, the coalition of religious and conservative groups that sponsored the ban, said it would immediately appeal the ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "In America, we should uphold and respect the right of people to make policy changes through the democratic process, especially changes that do nothing more than uphold the definition of marriage that has existed since the founding of this country and beyond," said Jim Campbell, a lawyer on the defense team. Walker methodically rejected every argument posed by sponsors of the ban in response to a lawsuit filed by two gay couples who claimed Proposition 8, the voter-approved ban, violated their civil rights. "Proposition 8 singles out gays and lesbians and legitimates their unequal treatment," the judge wrote in his 136-page opinion. "Proposition 8 perpetuates the stereotype that gays and lesbians are incapable of forming long-term loving relationships and that gays and lesbians are not good parents." Standing in front of eight American flags at a news conference, the two couples behind the case beamed and choked up as they related their feelings of validation. "Our courts are supposed to protect our Constitutional rights," lead plaintiff Kris Perry said as Sandy Stier, her partner of 10 years, stood at her side. "Today, they did." "We are not here to change the world. Equality is something our country has always been about," said co-plaintiff Jeff Zarrillo, who is seeking the right to marry his partner of nine years, Paul Katami. "Today's decision brings Paul and I and so many others like us closer to that equality, too." Judge Walker said he wants to decide whether his order should be suspended while the proponents of the ban pursue their appeal. He ordered both sides to submit written arguments by Friday on the issue. The appeal would go first to the 9th Circuit, then to the U.S. Supreme Court if the high court justices agree to review it. Voters passed Proposition 8 as a state constitutional amendment in November 2008, five months after the California Supreme Court legalized same-sex unions and an estimated 18,000 same-sex couples already had tied the knot. Despite Wednesday's ruling, it remains uncertain when gay weddings will be allowed to resume in the state. Supporters argued the ban was necessary to safeguard the traditional understanding of marriage and to encourage responsible childbearing. Walker, however, found it violated the Constitution's due process and equal protection clauses while failing "to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license." "Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples," the judge wrote. He also said proponents offered little evidence that they were motivated by anything other than animus toward gays — beginning with their campaign to pass the ban, which included claims of wanting to protect children from learning about same-sex marriage in school. "Proposition 8 played on the fear that exposure to homosexuality would turn children into homosexuals and that parents should dread having children who are not heterosexual," Walker wrote. Walker heard 13 days of testimony and arguments since January during the first trial in federal court to examine if states can prohibit gays from getting married. The plaintiffs presented 18 witnesses. Academic experts testified about topics ranging from the fitness of gay parents and religious views on homosexuality to the historical meaning of marriage and the political influence of the gay rights movement. Former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson teamed up with David Boies to argue the case, bringing together the two litigators best known for representing George W. Bush and Al Gore in the disputed 2000 election. Defense lawyers called just two witnesses, claiming they did not need to present expert testimony, because the U.S. Supreme Court had never specifically upheld the right to gay marriage. The attorneys also said gay marriage was an experiment with unknown social consequences that should be left to voters to accept or reject. Currently, same-sex couples can only legally wed in Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C. The ruling puts Walker, a Republican, at the forefront of the gay marriage debate and marks the latest in a long line of high-profile legal decisions for the longtime federal judge. He was appointed by Ronald Reagan, but his nomination was held up for two years, in part because of opposition from gay-rights activists. As a lawyer, he helped the U.S. Olympic Committee sue a gay ex-Olympian who had created an athletic competition called the Gay Olympics. Contributing: Jennifer Peltz Same-sex marriage timeline 1995: Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt signs the first Defense of Marriage Act; Utah doesn't have to recognize same-sex marriages from out of state.1996: The federal Defense of Marriage Act becomes law, allowing states to ban same-sex marriage and refuse to recognize those performed elsewhere. 2000: Vermont becomes the first state to grant civil unions to same-sex couples. 2004: Massachusetts becomes the first state to legalize same-sex marriage after a 2003 court ruling. Voters in 13 states, including Utah, approve constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage. 2005: Kansas and Texas voters approve constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage. Oregon's Supreme Court voids about 3,000 marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples in 2004. 2006: Voters in eight states approve constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage. 2008: The Connecticut Supreme Court overturns the state's ban on same-sex marriage, making it the second state to allow legal gay marriage. The California Supreme Court, in a 4-3 decision, rules that the state constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry. California voters adopt Prop. 8 to amend the state Constitution and ban same-sex marriage. 2009: Iowa, Vermont and New Hampshire become the third, fourth and fifth states to legalize same-sex marriage. The Washington, D.C., Council legalizes same-sex marriage in the district. Maine legalizes same-sex marriage as well, but voters later repeal it. California Supreme Court upholds Prop. 8 as a valid amendment to state Constitution. 2010: U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker overturns California's gay-marriage ban. Source: The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, USA Today, About.com
- Judge
overturns Prop 8; decision stayed pending appeals SALT LAKE CITY — Although a
federal judge on Wednesday overturned a ban on same-sex marriage in California,
it's apt to be at least a couple of years before anything really changes as the
case continues to wind its way through the appeals process. The ruling by Chief
U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker striking down Proposition 8's amendment to
the California Constitution banning same-sex marriage was expected, but
"it's not clear what the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court
might decide," said Clifford Rosky, a University of Utah law professor and
board member for Equality Utah. Immediately after he issued the ruling that
found the voter-prompted ban unconstitutional, Walker stayed his decision until
at least Friday. He said he will decide then whether to issue a longer stay.
Prior to the judge's ruling, both sides had vowed that if they lost they would
appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the last step before the U.S.
Supreme Court. Experts said it's likely the 9th Circuit or Walker will extend
the stay through the appeal, which would continue the ban on same-sex marriage
for its duration. Reaction to Walker's ruling was swift and reflected how
divided America is on same-sex marriage. The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints issued a statement saying it "regrets today's
decision." "California voters have twice been given the opportunity
to vote on the definition of marriage in their state and both times have
determined that marriage should be recognized as only between a man and a woman,"
spokesman Michael Purdy said. "We agree. Marriage between a man and woman
is the bedrock of society. "We recognize that this decision represents
only the opening of a vigorous debate in the courts over the rights of the
people to define and protect this most fundamental institution — marriage. "There is no doubt that today's ruling
will add to the marriage debate in this country, and we urge people on all
sides of this issue to act in a spirit of mutual respect and civility toward
those with a different opinion." The LDS Church did not make a direct
contribution to ProtectMarriage.com, the Prop. 8 campaign. But it did send a letter to
each LDS congregation in California asking Mormons to give time and money to
support it. A church spokesman told media that the church estimated the value
of its non-monetary, in-kind contributions at $189,900 — less than 1 percent of
the total funds donated to the "Yes on 8" campaign, which raised $40
million. In a statement issued from Washington, D.C., Cardinal Francis George
of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops also criticized the ruling. "Marriage
between a man and a woman is the bedrock of any society," he said.
"The misuse of law to change the nature of marriage undermines the common
good. It is tragic that a federal judge would overturn the clear and expressed
will of the people in their support for the institution of marriage. No court
of civil law has the authority to reach into areas of human experience that
nature itself has defined." Jubilation reigned in the gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgendered community, as several hundred opponents of
Proposition 8 rallied at the Utah Capitol Wednesday night to celebrate the
ruling. Some carried American flags, and others wrapped themselves in
rainbow-colored Pride flags. "It's a nicer flag than usual," said Jim
Grady, pointing to the Stars and Stripes. "It's about time it's all of our
flag again." Tanya Lookadoo was there with her toddler because her older
son, Justin Peterson, is gay. "I don't think people get it unless they
have a child who is gay," she said. "They deserve a life like every
other human being on this planet." "This is one of the most important
rulings for a minority that has ever come down," said Eric Ethington of Prideinutah.com,
which organized the rally. "Prop. 8 was the first time rights have been
taken from a minority." He said it means "that a federal judge said
that anything anybody in this country has the right to do, everybody has the
right to do." After
hearing a few speakers, the ralliers marched down State Street and circled the LDS Temple without incident. Republican Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch blasted the court ruling. "Two years ago, Californians voted to uphold traditional marriage. Today, one federal judge trumped 7 million voters by making up a right that is not in the Constitution. This is what happens when judges make up the Constitution as they go along, when judges rather than the Constitution are the supreme law of the land. "A judge who is a good student of the law makes all the difference and determines whether the people — and not unelected judges — will be allowed to decide these important cultural and political issues for themselves." "It's a bad ruling," said William Duncan, director of the Marriage Law Foundation, who said it was expected but disappointing, "particularly the way the judge justified his ruling." Duncan said Walker indicated that passage by the voters showed heterosexuals felt like they were "better than" same-sex couples. "It's hard to imagine that 7 million voters acted out of spite," he said. Andy Pugno, general counsel for ProtectMarriage.com, echoed the sentiment. "It is disturbing that the trial court, in order to strike down Prop. 8, has literally accused the majority of California voters of having ill and discriminatory intent when casting their votes for Prop. 8," he said in a statement. "But the reality is that Prop. 8 was simply about restoring and strengthening the traditional definition of marriage as a unique relationship of a man and a woman, for the benefit of children, families and society. "We are confident that the trial court record we built will help us ultimately prevail on appeal and reverse today's ruling," he said. Valerie Larabee,
Orrin Hatch
executive director of the Utah Pride Center, said she was most happy for the families directly involved in the case. "It was a very brave thing of them to take their lives into such a public forum, to fight for what they believe is their constitutional right. As a result of that, I think that many conversations have been had all over this country, and I think hearts and minds have been changed." "With a stroke of his pen, Judge Walker has overruled the votes and values of 7 million Californians who voted for marriage as one man and one woman," said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage. "This ruling, if allowed to stand, threatens not only Prop. 8 in California but the laws in 45 other states that define marriage as one man and one woman." A decision on the appeal could be years away. Rosky said the consensus in the legal community is that if the 9th Circuit Court agrees with Walker, the Supreme Court is much more likely to hear and decide the case than if he's overturned. That's because the 9th Circuit ruling would conflict with a decision by the 8th Circuit that several years ago found same-sex couples have no constitutional right to marry. A decision by the Supreme Court would apply to all the states.
Valerie Larabee
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| Brandon Burt |
2012
Brandon's Big Gay Blog Open
Letter to Eric Ethington posted
By Brandon Burt Dear
Eric Ethington, I remember you best as the man who organized
one of the most successful pro-LGBT-equality demonstrations in Utah history.
--- It was in 2010 that thousands of equality supporters wore black and lay
down on the sidewalk, forming a complete ring around the two blocks
encompassing Temple Square and the Church Office Building. This happened in
response to insensitive anti-gay remarks made during the LDS Church's October
General Conference by Quorum of the Twelve President Boyd K. Packer, who seemed
oblivious to the fact that a widely publicized epidemic of gay-teen suicides in
the previous month had galvanized the LGBT community. You, Eric, were credited
in the press (and in my heart) as the man most responsible for organizing this
remarkable event. Two years earlier, in 2008, another Temple Square protest
shocked and astounded us all when thousands of Utahns -- gay, straight and
otherwise -- expressed a ferocious outpouring of indignation against the LDS
Church's involvement in California's Prop. 8 tragedy. Both the 2008 and 2010
events made a significant impact on Utah's political discourse. No, the diehard
anti-gays were no more willing to treat us as equals than they ever had been,
but the moderates finally started to open their ears, realizing that equality
is not an issue that is going away. And, perhaps for the first time, the LGBT
community saw just how many friends and supporters we have among fair-minded
heterosexual citizens of Salt Lake City. Honestly, seeing all those cool straight
people making an actual effort to join our movement out of the love and respect
they have for their LGBT friends and loved ones -- well, it was genuinely
enough to bring tears to my eyes. This year has been a good one for the LGBT
cause. A majority of Americans now oppose discrimination against gays in
housing and employment, and support marriage equality. Not only did President
Barack Obama come out publicly to support gay equality, but the National
Democratic Party did, too. Maybe that's why the protest against this whole
stupid Chick-fil-A kerfuffle fizzled so badly. There's less outrage among the
LGBT community and our supporters. Suddenly, equality supporters are in the
majority. So, maybe it's time equality supporters learned to act like a
majority. It may not be an easy transition -- we’ve regarded ourselves for so
long as a fringe minority, it's difficult to know what to do now that we're on
the sunny side of the street. But already the anti-gays have taken up a siege
mentality, presenting themselves as victims of some kind of anti-religion,
anti-free-speech movement. They have given up their moral-high-ground strategy,
realizing that we now own that territory. Now, they are presenting themselves
as the overwhelmed minority suffering at the hands of the cruel and dastardly
LGBT machine. Our positions have been reversed. That's the good news. The
bad news is that we're in danger of becoming complacent. So now, I ask you,
Eric: How can the LGBT movement now generate the same vibrant emotional energy
we had when we were a minority?
- Eric Ethington Responds Even though the whole Chick-fil-A kerfuffle is so last week, and everybody's moved on to something else now, at least one good thing came of it. In response to my Aug. 4 blog entry lamenting the failure of the local chicken-chain protest, activist and PRIDEinUtah blog author Eric Ethington was inspired to write a thoughtful and well-worded essay, "Seizing the Future for the LGBT Community." Ethington makes a convincing case that it's really the courageous actions of individuals -- and not necessarily big, flashy demonstrations -- that win hearts and minds. In the end, however, the people who have a real impact on public policy are those who actually bother to show up to vote*. I think Ethington's essay is required reading for anybody interested in the future of the LGBT equality movement. * By the way, if you've always wanted to vote, but your life is simply so fabulous that you can never quite find the time to show up to the polls on that chilly Tuesday in November, why not consider voting by mail? In the Salt Lake area, all you have to do is register to vote, and then fill out one simple form. Yeah, it's two things, but you only have to do them once. Forever afterward, our friendly County Clerk Sherrie Swensen will be happy to mail you a ballot well in advance of every election. You'll have days and days to vote at your leisure, in the privacy of your own home. Then, with a bit of origami, your ballot cleverly converts into its own self-enclosed envelope! Simply pop it into the mailbox, and enjoy the blissful sensation of satisfaction that washes over you: It's the feeling that you, a good citizen, have fulfilled your democratic duty.
2017 The Rocky Mountain Rebellion is a three day conference focused around Leather, Fetish, BDSM and Power Exchange Relationships. We host classes on a variety of topics involving human sexuality, BDSM, M/s relationships and leather culture. We host pageant style competitions, vendors, socials, play parties a motorcycle ride and more. Our theme for 2017: Rebelling Against Conformity. With punk rock overtones, so come strut your inner punk rocker. Dates will be August 4th-6th 2017.
2018 Come celebrate with our community at the 4th annual
Ogden Pride Festival! Stand OUT and Speak UP with us! This is a FREE and family-friendly event! Anyone interested in sponsoring and/or donating to help make this event even bigger, prouder, and louder, please contact Harrison Spendlove
2018 Come celebrate with our community at the 4th annual
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