This Day In Gay Utah History SEPTEMBER 1st

September 1st

1950- Salt Lake City Police reported that 30 people were arrested for disorderly conduct along with two sex offenses during the month of September. Most disorderly conduct charges were for public homosexual encounters.

1966- Theater 138 at 138 South 200 East starts in Salt Lake City with “This Is The Place?” The 27 musical selections had a 130 costume change for the 9 cast members written by Ron Daum, Tom Carlin, and Ariel Baliff. Theater 138 founders Ariel Balif, Tom Carlin, and Stu Falconer move their theater back to Salt Lake City from Richmond, Virginia because Black people were segregated there (Daily Utah Chronicle) Theater 138 History

1967 The first issue of the Los Angeles Advocate was published under the editorship of Dick Michaels. It was the primarily source of Gay news for Gays west of the Rocky Mountains. It began as 8 ½ by 11, 2 column monthly publication of PRIDE (Personal Rights In Defence and Education. PRIDE organized the Black Cat demonstration

Ernest L Wilkinson

1967- Ernest Wilkinson received permission to ask Mormon Bishops at BYU to provide the BYU Standard Office with lists of students who were “inactive in the church” or who had confessed to “not living the standards of the Church”. The first year of the new policy, Standards counseled 72 students who were “suspected of  homosexual activity”  The discovery of so many Gays on campus spurred the administration into action in which security files were kept on suspected Gay students, student spying was encouraged, and suspensions  increased.

1967 Salt Lake Tribune wrote that a proposed Salt Lake City ordinance to address sex offenses was drafted by Asst. City Attorney Leon A. Halgreen who said it will include the provision that ”It shall be unlawful for a prostitute, courtesan, lewd woman, or any person, to solicit for immoral purposes, or make insulting or licentious advances.  The proposed law would have made it unlawful for homosexuals to proposition each other.

1970-An organization called Transsexuals and Transvestites was formed by Judy Bowen in New York to help them better understand each other and the challenges they face. It only lasted a few months. TAT did not want to be part of Gay Liberation or other radical changes but wanted male to female transsexuals to be accepted as women.

1971 New York City’s Gay Activists Alliance launched a letter writing campaign against Johnny Carson because of the late night talk show host’s anti-Gay humor and continual use of the word fag.  GAA promoted the lambda as a symbol of the Gay rights movement 

1972-A California Superior Court judge ruled unconstitutional a law that made oral sex a felony.

1972- Disneyland guards prevented a man from entering the theme park wearing a T-shirt with the words Groovy Guy on it until he turned the shirt inside out.

1973 The American Baptist Association, The American Lutheran Association, the United Presbyterians, the United Methodists, and the Society of Friends (Quakers) launched the National Task Force on Gay People in the Church to press for reforms in the National Council of Churches of Christ.

1974- The scholarly quarterly Journal of Homosexuality made its debut. The Journal of Homosexuality is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering research into sexual practices and gender roles in their cultural, historical, interpersonal, and modern social contexts.

1975 Salt Lake City’s Sun Tavern held its annual Labor Day picnic in City Creek  Canyon

Allen Bergin

1976 Wednesday BYU and LDS church officials grew so alarmed about a homosexual “ring” on campus that they established The Institute for Studies in Values and Human Behavior with psychology professor Allen Bergin as director. The Values Institute was charged with producing a manuscript “which would set forth significant empirical evidence in support of the Church’s position on Homosexuality. This book funded by the LDS church would be written for a “New York Times type of audience” by Bergin and Victor L. Brown Jr., approved of by at least one general authority, published by a popular eastern press, and made to appear as though it had no ties at all to the church.  The resulting book would be then available as “secular evidence” to back up the church’s anti-Gay position. " The Institute for Studies in Values and Human Behavior was established in 1976. Its sole director was Dr. Allen E. Bergin, with Robert K. Thomas sometimes serving as Acting Director in Dr. Bergin's absence. The Institute served as the experimental arm of the Comprehensive Clinic. The Institute was also allied with the Dept. of Psychology. The Institute was also closely tied to LDS Social Services. The Institute closed its doors in 1985. The Institute was established to gain an accurate understanding of how the LDS people behave, and then to first prevent and second to change behavior that leads LDS people away from eternal life. These behaviors included alcoholism, crime, adultery, and, most heavily focused upon, homosexuality. The Institute worked in conjunction with the Comprehensive Clinic as a place for experimentation in psychotherapy as a means of behavioral reformation. The Institute was also dedicated to establishing a therapeutic process rooted in the Gospel. It worked to develop an institutional approach to therapy that utilized the Patriarchy as its foundation. The Institute worked to produce scholarly papers, present at symposiums and conventions, and conduct field research. Harold B Lee Library

President Jimmy Carter

1977 Democratic Party President Jimmy Carter’s administration ordered The Internal Revenue Service to drop a rule that required Gay educational and charitable groups to publicly state that homosexuality is “a sickness, disturbance, or diseased pathology.”

The Payne Papers republished
 as Prologue
by Affirnation

1977- The Open Door began the serialization of “The Payne Papers” written anonymously by a BYU student named Cloy Jenkins’ in response to BYU professor, Reed Payne’s, lecture on homosexuality. Later is published as Prologue by Affirmation. In Spring of 1977 Dr. Reed Payne touched on the subject of homosexuality in a lecture to his beginning Psychology class, which set off a chain of events bringing the Church's and university's dealings with homosexuals into public view. Apparently his comments weren't taken well by those present who were gay, which led Lee Williams to publish a 52 page letter explaining what it was like to be gay. Williams, one of the principle authors, wrote the letter anonymously because at the time he was an instructor at BYU. In the letter Williams et al asserted that homosexuality was a state of being and not just a chosen pattern of behavior; that it cannot be cured, and those claiming to have been cured might have experienced modification of their sexual behavior but not their preference. Wrote Williams, "No one knows what causes homosexuality. However, we do know one thing that does not cause homosexuality and that is free choice. Until the cause or causes are known it is grossly inappropriate to moralize about it." Williams went on to give a warning. "As the homosexual becomes less and less willing to submit to this damaging influence [humiliation and discrimination from the Church,] and the rest of the world comes to realize the plight of the Mormon homosexual, the Church stands to face a very serious and embarrassing blow to its integrity." Prologue had been written in the spring of 1977 mainly by

Advocate's cartoon lampooning
Spencer W. Kimball

Gay BYU student Cloy Jenkins, aided by Ricks College faculty member Howard Salisbury. Jenkins wrote this paper in response to an anti-Gay lecture he had attended on campus delivered by Dr. Reed Payne – at the time, Jenkins’ remarks were simply known as “the Payne Papers”. Kenneth Kline had gotten Donald Attridge to do a pencil sketch of the BYU campus for the cover artwork, and published the Payne Papers, and then somehow had gotten the pamphlet to be mailed out by the Church Office Building to all General Authorities, plus TV and radio stations, and many BYU professors, etc. making it look as though the pamphlet was a BYU publication and approved of by the Church. I never knew Jeff, but his Gay brother, Lee Williams, was my boss for about a year at the Sinclair gas station on the 6th So. Exit off the freeway in 1987. Both Jeff and Lee were BYU students in the late 1970s who assisted Cloy Jenkins, Howard Salisbury, and Don Attridge in rewriting and publishing what was then (in 1977) called "The Payne Papers" and is now Affirmation's seminal pamphlet, Prologue. It wasn't until after I quit working at the Sinclair that I found out what important roles my boss and his brother had played in the early stages of Affirmation.

1977 Anheuser-Busch-King of Beers, Coors, and Schlitz are first beer advertisers to publish ads in The Open Door, a Utah Gay newspaper. The Village Idiot head shop advertised ”poppers” RUSH and Locker Room “as something for your head” and sold T-shirts saying “Let He who has not sinned cast the first orange”  and “ Anita Bryant Sucks  Oranges”. Also sold Bumper stickers stating “Hurricane Anita”

1977- A former LDS Church president, Democratic Utah Congressman Gunn McKay answered a question about Gay rights saying,“ I do not believe that the gay’s right to be free from discrimination is greater than the right to live and work in a community whose moral standards reject homosexual activity. People should not be compelled against their will to hire, rent to, or have their children taught by homosexuals.”

1977- The Salt Lake Gay Community began a blood drive to raise 100 gallons of blood as a Christmas Gift to Salt Lake City as part of a national Gay movement public relations project.  Goal was to raise more blood than any other group and asked to donate to the Red Cross under the name of ACTION Gay Community, METROPOLITAN COMMUNTY CHURCH, or the Open Door.

1977- Salt Lake City’s Gay Bar owners shared their views on Disco Music after complaints that the bars play too much disco: Joe Redburn of the Sun: “I totally agree that disco is boring. We have had disco music at the sun for 2 and a half years and I’m as tired of it as any one. When we try to break out of disco we get complaints and loss of business. I understand the boredom of disco...it is hard to dance to.” 

• Larry White, Radio City Lounge bar manager;” We find that music other than disco does not get people on the dance floor. Here at Radio City we have the juke box and not a lot of requests for disco type music. We try to make available what is requested. We must respect the majority. We have no choice but to go with what people want. After all we are in the business to make money.” 
• Mac Hunt owner of the Club Comeback “I’m tired of disco music. However most of the customers seem to request this type of music. We comply with requests and give what is most requested. So we are forced to play the music that customers request.” 
• Rick Noblis, manager of Odyssey Records: Many facets are involved in disco. One is that people were ready for something new and glittery. Disco grew out of Soul music and people like to get funky. It is the beat that made disco, more than anything else. A lot of rock has the same beat.”

1977-The Log Cabin Republicans held their first meeting in California as a rallying point for Republicans opposed to the Briggs Initiative, which attempted to ban homosexuals from teaching in public schools. In addition to sanctioning the termination of openly gay and lesbian teachers, the proposed legislation authorized the firing of those teachers that supported homosexuality. While mounting his imminent presidential campaign, Ronald Reagan publicly expressed his opposition to the discriminatory policy. Reagan’s contention of the bill—epitomized in an op-ed piece in a California newspaper—played an influential role in the eventual defeat of the Briggs Initiative. In the midst of this victory, gay conservatives in California created the Log Cabin Republicans. The group initially proposed to name themselves Lincoln Club, but found that name was already in use by another California Republican organization. Thus, the name Log Cabin Republicans was chosen as an alternative title. This designation calls attention to the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln. The Log Cabin Republicans suggest that Lincoln founded the Republican Party on the philosophies of liberty and equality. These principles, Log Cabin argue, are consistent with their platform of an inclusive Republican Party.

1978- Shirley Pedler, director of Utah’s ACLU stated her organization is preparing a  respond to Gay harassment by Salt Lake City Vice squad.

1978-A gay man in Colorado Springs who was denied a discharge from the armed forces unless he named other gay men showed up for lunch at the base mess hall in full drag. He was soon given a discharge.

David Chipman

1979- Associated Press Newswire carried story of the arrest of a BYU

David Newmann

student named David Chipman, who had been propositioned by a BYU Security office in Provo Canyon and then arrested. David Newmann, posing as a homosexual, had previously written a letter which appeared in a gay publication, expressing a desire to organize a gay underground group at BYU. Chipman, a non-student, responded to Newmann's letter and they arranged to meet at BYU. After meeting, they consented to go to Squaw Peak for sexual activity. After sexual activity had been initiated, Chipman was taken to the BYU Security office where he was placed under arrest. Upon learning of the account, President Oaks put a halt to such tactics. However, Chipman was prosecuted and convicted.

1979- Lee Baldwin director of Integrity of Salt Lake,  an organization for Gay Episcopalians was elected Vice President of the national organization of Integrity.

1979- The Metropolitan Community Church of SLC church suffered broken windows and general annoyance from an “unusual hail of tomatoes”. Also the church was broken into one morning by breaking down the back doors. Nothing was stolen which fact was considered unusual.

1980- The first San Francisco AIDS case appeared in that city six months after Dr. Wolf Szmuness’ Hepatitis-B experiment was started there. No one knew what it was but symptoms were cancerous.

1980- Salt Lake Chapter of Affirmation Executive Committee announced a policy change. Since the start of Affirmation several years ago it “has been the practiced policy to discourage anyone from attending Affirmations meeting that was not 18 years of age. In the future Affirmation will welcome people of all ages to attend the Affirmation meetings.”  Affirmation Executive members for 1980-1981 were Chapter Director Lee Williams, Executive Secretary-Raymond King, Social Chairman- Phil Foster, Treasurer Ray Paluso, Advisors Jim Dabakis. & Communication Advisor-Van Summerhill. Affirmation's phone number  is listed in the White pages 263-1518

John Boswell PhD
1947-1994

1980- John Boswell published Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality, arguing that Christianity did not become severely hostile to same sex relations until the second half of the 12^th century.

Mark E. Petersen

1981 - Branch presidents at the Missionary Training Center in Provo receive 21-point handout to help "both male and female" missionaries avoid masturbation. Point 19: "In very severe cases it may be necessary to tie a hand to the bed frame with a tie in order that the habit of masturbating in a semi-sleep condition can be broken." In May 1995 article about masturbation, national magazine "Details" publishes seventeen of the recommendations and identifies Apostle Mark E. Petersen as author of "Steps in Overcoming Masturbation: A Guide to Self-Control." In 1996, spokesman at LDS headquarters denies that Elder Petersen authored this document and denies that it was ever distributed.  The supposed Masturbation Text

1981-The International Football League recommended that players be banned from embracing or slapping each other's backsides because it is offensive.

1981- Mary Morgan became the first openly lesbian judge in the country when California Governor Jerry Brown appointed  her to a Municipal Court judgeship in San Francisco.

1981-The California Office of Post-Secondary Education granted Los Angeles’ ONE Institute recognition as a Graduate School of Homophile Studies able to grant master’s and doctoral degrees.

1982-President Reagan vetoed a bill which would have granted $500,000 to the Centers for Disease Control to fight AIDS.

Mason Rankin

1982- On the evening of the Utah Primary election, Charles Akerlow, Republican Party Chairman of Utah, Bob James, public information Officer, Mike Miller Democratic Party State Chairman and Gay Republican Activist Mason Rankin participated in a discussion on KALL Radio 910 AM. The Republican platform contained the statement that “homosexuality shall not be considered a right” with regard to the platform plank supporting equality of rights.

1983-The University of Utah’s Lesbian and Gay Student Union was granted funding for the first time by the ASUU Assembly after being denied similar requests for the past two years. LGSU received $100 out of the $6000 requested. The money marked the first official recognition of the group by the student government.

1983- The 20 Jacob Rue Lesbian experiment at being a collective in Salt Lake City ended. The Rue reverted back to private ownership after a year of being run by collective members. The coopt was located at 232 E 800 S  Salt Lake City.

1983- Empress Aunti De and Beau Chaine began the process to create a community center for “the under the bar age, for those not into the bar scenes, for counseling, for medical aid, and many other worthwhile causes.

1984- The First Board of Directors meeting adopted by-laws for the Utah Community Service Center and Clinic.

1984- A Reagan Administration proposal for a list of Americans exposed to the AIDS virus drew fire from Gay and civil rights leaders. The proposal was dropped. Scientists created a clone of the AIDS virus. They considered this an important step toward developing a vaccine against the disease.

1985- Father Don Bramble, a priest/chaplain for the Gay Catholic organization Dignity formed a support group for AIDS patients in Salt Lake City. Purpose of the group is not to ease the participants out of life but “to enhance the present process of living.” Support group admitted openly people who have been diagnosed as having AIDS.

Bruce Harmon

1986 [The following is taken from Taylor, Mark A., "The Love That Dares Not Speak Its Name: A Day in the Life," Utah Holiday, September 1986, pp. 35-51.] [Bruce] Harmon says job discrimination can be devastating, but when a person's family turns away, it's tragic. "A couple of years ago, a young man called our hotline and told us his name. He said he had just told his parents he was homosexual. There was hollering and an argument going on in the background. The father said, 'I'd rather see you dead than be gay,' and then the line suddenly went dead. Someone hung the telephone up. The young man didn't give us a telephone number, so we had no way of calling back. One week later, we read his obituary."

Dr. Patty Reagan PhD

1986- Financial troubles beset the Salt Lake AIDS Foundation. The Foundation was staffed by three unpaid volunteers, a director and two health educators. Dr. Patty Reagan director.  The State health department refused to provide any financial help to the foundation. Reagan had submitted a grant proposal for $88,000 to produce video tapes and public service announcements about the risks of contracting AIDS from CDC money given to the state for AIDS prevention. Grant was refused. Reapplied for money to pay for the phone information line and was also refused. During the first year the SLAF answered over 500 calls and gave over 25 speeches.  Reagan claimed that the state health department questioned her credibility because she promoted condom use. “They said if I’m promoting condom use, I’m promoting homosexuality.”

Greg Garcia far left

1986- Greg Garcia elected master of the Wasatch Leathermen Motorcycle club replacing Les Emmett.

1986- New Zealand decriminalized homosexual activity and set the age of consent for Gay at 16, the same as for heterosexuals.

1987 - Beau Chaine’s Utah Community Services Center and Clinic, Cabaret  Corporation, Cabaret Catering, Gingerbread House Café, Aardvark Café, is joined by La Morena Café a non profit organization to raise funds for the Guadelupe Educational Programs. The Aardvark Café was established to raise funds for Concerning Gays and Lesbians, MCC building fund AIDS -Project Utah, and the Gay Help Line. The Gay Help Line became permanently installed at the Aardvark Café.

1987-Satu Servigna takes over the publishing of the Triangle transforming it into the Triangle Community Digest “Idea was to make the digest a community oriented information line. A source where monthly our community as a whole can find out what is going on, when and where.”

AZT

1987- Salt Lake County Health Department proposed a budget for 1988, which included $500,000 for AZT. 40 people had been treated with AZT  through Utah’s Medicaid program  and currently there were 6 people being treated with AZT. Annual cost per patient was $8,000-$10,000. Thirty new cases of AIDS projected for 1988.

Ben Williams

1987-Salt Lake Affirmation met with about 30 people in attendance. Director Ben Williams gave the Lesson  on John Alan Lee's Book The Color of Love. John Alan Lee is a 20th century Canadian psychologist who proposed the idea that there are six types of interpersonal love (three primary and three secondary). In his 1973 book entitled, The Colors of Love, Lee explains the six love types and assigns a color to each.

1988 Police Probing Homosexual Rape Salt Lake Police are investigating a report of homosexual rape Sunday. A 19 year old man accepted a ride from a  male, Lt. Tom Brown said Sunday. The driver who was described as a 22 year old white man drove to 6^th North and 12^th West  where he sexually assaulted the victim, Brown said.  Deseret News

Tom Hennacy

1990 Saturday I was a little groggy this morning from staying out so late last night so I went up to the sauna at the U of U to soak and sweat.  I saw Tom Hennacy there doing some stretching in the sauna.  He's a dancer. At 2:30 I went to Sugar House Park for the Joe Hill Memorial Concert and Labor Rally. I imagine about 1500 people attended. Bob

Bob Waldrop

Waldrop was there trying to get people to sign his liquor petition and to legalize Adulthood in Utah.  John Bennett was helping some friends of his sell labor cassette tapes.  Michael Aaron and David Nelson said that Karen Shepherd backed out of her commitment to the Gay and Lesbian Democrats dinner. I also saw Diane Herschi, the Quaker Peace Activist, at the Joe Hill Rally and she asked if I had forgiven the Quakers yet? That

John Bennett

touched this old hard heart and I said that I would attend Meeting tomorrow.  She was having people sign a peace initiative to stop testing nuclear bombs in the west desert. It was a great rally but it got quite warm at the

Michael Aaron

park.  I did get to hear Pete Seeger sing. I guess Joe Hill was executed 75 years ago in Sugar House Park which was once the state prison. (Ben Williams Journal)

1995 - Ensign magazine publishes LDS First Presidency message by second counselor James E. Faust which denounces "the false belief of inborn homosexual orientation."

• Next month's Ensign contains what appears as one apostle's direct challenge to First Presidency's unequivocal statement. In his October article "Same-Gender Attraction," Dallin H. Oaks writes: "There are also theories and some evidence that inheritance is a factor in susceptibilities to various behavior-related disorders like aggression, alcoholism, and obesity. It is easy to hypothesize that inheritance plays a role in sexual orientation."

Nikki Boyer

1995- Nikki Boyer succeeds Clare Coonan as Chair of Board of Directors of the Utah Stonewall Center after the board asks for Coonan’s resignation. The Utah Stonewall Center had been operating without an executive director since July due to Coonan’s reluctance to hire a replacement.

1999 Wednesday, Defendant escapes hate-crime charge  By Derek Jensen Deseret News staff writer  One of three men charged with a felony hate crime will spend no more than one year in jail.  Scott Presley, 23, 8669 S. Altair Drive, pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of assault, a class B misdemeanor, for beating a man he allegedly believed to be homosexual. Prosecutors dropped one count of a hate crime, a third-degree felony and criminal mischief, a class B misdemeanor, in exchange for Presley's plea.    Presley faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for each charge. Third District Judge William Barrett will sentence Presley Oct. 18.  Brian E. Hitt and Jason Millard, both 25, were with Presley the night of Feb. 7. All three "verbally taunted the victims for allegedly being homosexual," charging documents state.  Hitt and Millard both face one count of a hate crime, a third-degree felony; one count of criminal mischief, a class B misdemeanor; and two counts of assault, a class B misdemeanor. According to charging documents, Hitt, Millard and Presley approached one victim outside the Sun Club at 200 South and 700 West and asked if he was homosexual. The victim did not answer but got into his car and locked the doors. Hitt, Millard and Presley pounded on the car, and the victim fled his vehicle and ran into the club to call police, charges state. Thirty minutes later Hitt, Millard and Presley drove up to a car with two men inside and threatened them, according to charges. Fifteen minutes later Hitt, Millard and Presley approached two men as they were leaving the Sun Club, charges state.   "Presley assaulted (one of the victims) by striking (him) several times in the chest and face," charges state.  © 1999 Deseret News Publishing Co.

2005 Hey, Country dance lessons Thursday nites at the Paper Moon. $1 drafts $1.50 nats. The police have backed off targeting the gay bars for pull overs. Hope to see you there. Steve

2006 Friday The Trapp Door* Along with Sheneka Christie and Krystyna Shaylee: Would like to invite you all out to the Luau at the Trapp Door Friday September 1st @9pm. There will be Polynesian Dancers, limbo contest and a whole Polynesian feast, pig included. So if you have nothing to do or are looking for something to do his Friday, come down to the Trapp Door have some fun and maybe get LEI'D Polynesian style!!!!!!!!

2015 Stand For Queer Lives: An Interview with Adrian Romero By Alex Vermillion SLUG magazine Members of Stand For Queer Lives hold up signs for their upcoming rally on Sep. 3. At 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 28, 2014, Leelah Alcorn’s suicide note was automatically posted to her Tumblr, hours after her death. This note shared Alcorn’s grievance she felt as a trans person, who so often fall into self-loathing and hopelessness due to society’s treatment towards trans and queer people. Alcorn is only one of many trans/queer persons to have died from either suicide or murder in the last year, and the numbers are rising. Utah resident Adrian Romero was outraged by the rising statistics and also with how little the media was concerned about raising awareness for trans and queer lives. In January of 2015, Adrian founded the group Stand for Queer Lives, a support and activist group dedicated to aiding the lives of LGBTQ+ people, especially the youth who have the highest risk of LGBTQ+ suicides, such as that of Alcorn. “I took [her death] really personally,” says Romero, who has dealt with the depression and frustration that many trans and queer people experience. “These terrible circumstances have inspired me in a positive way because somebody needs to do something about it,” Romero says. Stand For Queer Lives typically has eight dedicated members who regularly attend meetings. Though they are small, they are mighty in their passion and dedication to fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. So far, they have hosted a trans vigil for youth that have either taken their lives or had their lives taken from them. During our interview, Romero and Stand For Queer Lives members were making signs for their upcoming rally this Thursday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. This rally is an outcry and a promise to not be silent while trans women are killed. The number of trans women reported murdered in the U.S. was 19 for this month—which surpasses the record of 14 women for 2014—and most recently, three black trans women died in a 24-hour period. The signs for the rally read “Say Her Name,” “Not One More,” and, appropriately, “Fuck the cis-tem.” “A lot of people still don’t even understand what trans is,” says Romero. “There’s a huge intersectionality being a trans person of color. There’s a different culture between white trans and trans people of color, and it’s extremely dangerous to be a trans person of color.” The National Coalition of Anti-Violence found in 2013 that almost 90 percent of LGBTQ homicide victims were people of color. Seventy-two percent were transgender women and 67 percent of these women were women of color. The stats, the news, and our queer youth are screaming the statistics, and SFQL will not stay seated politely and make excuses while lives are diminishing at increasingly rapid rates. Romero hopes to amplify the number of consistent SFQL members and has many plans for the future of Utah LGBTQ+ residents. “We want more gender neutral bathrooms throughout the state, Romero says. “We want greater awareness of trans and queer lives, education, and understanding throughout the state. And we want to break the gender binary!” Romero is especially going to be seeking out more help from the LGBTQ+ community in Utah itself. “[The community] is so caught up in celebrating who they are—i.e. gay marriage—that they don’t think about the community as a whole, and it is the communities that need the most help.” Stand for Queer Lives has been growing steadily and expects to contain more members after the rally on Thursday. It is always refreshing to see inspired groups dedicated to enhancing the lives of their community members, and this group has not stopped the momentum since it found its legs in January. If there is one message Romero wants Utah citizens to hear, it’s “Get involved in your community! People are dying! If you think it doesn’t concern you, it will.” Though SFQL is small, nearly 200 are said to have committed to joining their march in the rally. The more we come together as a community, the easier it will be to accomplish our goals of abolishing hatred and intolerance and the closer we will be to living in an inclusive, safe environment for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Stand For Queer Lives will be hosting a rally at the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building on Thursday, Sep. 3 at 6 p.m.

2019 The Utah Queer Historical Society restructured the Society's committees. An Education Committee was added under which the monthly Oratories will go and a Pride Participation Committee. Archival Committee - Daniel Cureton, Education Committee - Connell O'Donovan (assisted by Becky Moss and Willy Palomo), Exhibition Committee - Roy Zhang, Landmarks Committee – Open, Oral History Project - Owen Edwards, Pride Participation Committee - Roy Zhang and Cristi Hebert, Publications Committee - Daniel Cureton and Cristi Hebert (assisted by Willy Palomo), Writing Committee - Cristi Hebert