This Day In Gay Utah History SEPTEMBER 15

September 15th

Thomas Taylor

1887 A Southern Sensation- Thomas Taylor Indicted in the Second District Beaver Utah Sept 14- [Special to the Herald] Thomas Taylor ex-bishop of the 14^th Ward of Salt Lake City was arrested in Cedar City, yesterday by Deputy Marshal McGarry. He was indicted by the Grand Jury of this Term, charged with committing a “Crime Against Nature”, and which is alleged to have occurred at Iron County within the last six months. Two good bondmen came with him. His bonds were placed at $3,000. The parties that came with him say he can raise $10,000 more if necessary. There was only one witness before the Grand Jury, Henry Eddards, and he is said to be totally unreliable as to veracity. Many seem to think it is a clear case of blackmailing and are not slow in saying so. Denny is counsel for Taylor and will urge trial this Term. Salt Lake Herald

Parowan

1944 Parowan Times District Court Busy with Criminal Cases page 8 Another criminal case on the calendar is one me of the state vs William Fee, a railroad worker of Cedar City, with the latter being charged with a hideous “Crime Against Nature”.  He was arraigned and pleaded not guilty the first of the week and his trial is set to follow the one being tried today. He was unable to obtain counsel and the court appointed attorney A M Marsden to defend him. A jury will be needed for this trial also.

Sir John Wolfenden

1954-The Wolfenden Committee met for the first time to study homosexual offenses in Britain and the treatment of those convicted. They would meet several times over a three-year period. Twelve of the thirteen members who served the full three years recommended that private, consensual homosexual behavior no longer be considered a crime. They suggested that the age of consent be set at 21, and stated that homosexuality cannot be legitimately considered a disease. 

Victor Cline

1967 PORNOGRAPHY SMUT LINKED TO BOY’S SEX OFFENSE: A U of U professor, Victor B. Cline told a Youth Protector Committee that pornography contributed to a psychological aberration experienced by a 14 year old Southern Utah boy. Cline told the committee who was being treated after the police apprehended him for being an exhibitionist. “The boy comes from a solid family background, an ideal family situation” Investigation determined that the boy had received obscene photos and books apparently the result of solicitation by mail. (09/15/67 Salt Lake Tribune page B4) Obituary

1969-The first issue of Gay Power was published in New York. New York’s First Homosexual Newspaper and a biweekly, was first published. Its editor until July 1970 was John Heys. Gay Power, the first publication to emerge from the post-Stonewall movement, publishes its premiere issue. Although the ADVOCATE began publishing 2 years earlier at that time the publication had a West Coast take on the gay life style and was not readily available on the East Coast. Gay Power, was a biweekly newspaper, edited by John Heys,  and covered the culture and politics of the New York gay scene through a very personal vision. Each issue featured psychedelic covers and centerfolds and one of its covers was created by Robert Mapplethorpe. The newspaper also contained illustrations by Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland, as well as regular contributors as Arthur Bell, Taylor Mead, Charles Ludlam, Pudgy Roberts, Bill Vehr, Pat Maxwell, Clayton Cole and regular columns from all of the active gay activists groups, from the most conservative Mattachine Society to the most radical The Gay Liberation Front, and all the other groups in between. John Heys would later go on to become an important star on the downtown scene as a drag queen, performance artist, and visual artist.

Allen Bergin

Cloy Jenkins

1977- BYU’s Executive Committee met and discussed Allen Bergin rebuttal to the Payne Papers. The committee hailed Bergin’s response as “an excellent paper refuting [the] major claims” of the Payne Papers. Despite this initial optimism, one BYU Professor said the rebuttal on behalf of the church was so poorly written that “it was an embarrassment to all involved.” The rebuttal proved difficult because Cloy Jenkins had made several “really good and indisputable points”, his figures on the number of Gays at BYU were accurate and BYU’s Executive Committee admitted that Jenkins had used a “rather sophisticated pro-homosexuality platform” in writing the Payne Papers.  BYU eventually had all the copies of the rebuttal returned to Bergin “as he hopes to rewrite his reply”. Bergin did try to rewrite his response without much success. Bergin’s colleague, Victor Brown Jr. also tried to rebut the Payne Papers but his response was so poorly written that it was never released to the public.

1984- Twenty-Seven Gay and Lesbian Organizations existed in Utah from the Royal Court to the Knights of Malta and from the Tavern Guild to the Fourth Sunday Group.

Leonard Matlovich

1986-Leonard Matlovich was diagnosed with AIDS.

1986 Mark A. Taylor, "The Love That Dares Not Speak Its Name," Utah Holiday 15 (September. 1986

Chuck Whyte

1987- Salt Lake City Mayor Palmer DePaulis refused to sign a Human Rights Ordinance which would guarantee anti-discrimination laws for Gays and other minorities

1987- At Salt Lake Affirmation Guest speaker Chuck Whyte discussed purpose and mission of The Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire 

1989- Rep. William Dannemeyer  a radical Anti-Gay conservative from California  attended Salt Lake City to receive a John Birch Society Award. 

Maud's

1989-Maud's in San Francisco, described as the world's oldest lesbian bar, closed after 23 years. Maud's Study was the longest-running lesbian bar in San Francisco history, opened in 1966 by Rikki Streicher, and closed in 1989. The bar inspired a documentary film, "Last Call At Maud's," which depicted the bar's role in the fight for gay and lesbian civil rights. Streicher was active in helping organize the Gay Games in San Francisco in 1986.  The space is now occupied by Finnegans Wake.

1990-Saturday- I missed the AIDS Walk For Life fund-raiser this morning  Debbie Rosenberg called me to say that she and Carla won the trip to New

Carla Gourdin and Deb Rosenberg

Orleans by raising nearly $2,500 in pledges for the AIDS Foundation.  I am really happy for them. In the late afternoon  Mike Pipkim and I went over to Memory Grove where I picked and bound some more wild wheat.  In the evening I went out with Chuck Whyte and Jimmy Hamamoto, first to the Deerhunter and then to Club 108. Jimmy and I visited and we got to know each other better.  

• UAF WALK FOR LIFE The police estimated that 1,300 people walked from Liberty Park up Main Street, past The Tribune Building and returned to Liberty Park. These 1,300 people walked 6.2miles as part of "A Walk For Life." This pledge walk raised funds to provide support for the Utah AIDS Foundation and other AIDS service providers in Utah. We are appalled that the Sunday Tribune carried no mention what so ever of this walk when 1,300 Salt Lake citizens directly participated in

  

  Fran Pruyn

  the event and thousands of others pledged funds. Over $45,000 was raised. Gov. Bangerter and Mayor DePaulis sent personal endorsements. Many local government representatives and candidates attended. City Councilman Tom Godfrey and State Rep. Frank Pignanelli spoke. Michele Parish-Pixler executive director of Utah ACLU offered the opening prayer. The Salt Lake Tribune did see fit to cover another significant event taking place that day, the Make-a-Wish Foundation's Rubber Ducky Derby. By its non-coverage of the Walk for Life, The Tribune has stated its position on AIDS and AIDS-related issues clearly. FRAN PRUYN, KAREN MELVILLE, TROY HUNTER Salt Lake City -   : (11/09/90 pg. A 21  SL Tribune)

Amendment 2 Protest

1994-Colorado attorney general Gale Norton confirmed that Dr Paul Cameron had been paid to testify in defense of Amendment 2. The testimony was never used. She refused to disclose the amount, but Denver gay newspaper OutFront said the fee was $10,125. Cameron was expelled from the American Psychological Association in 1983 for falsifying research data about gays and lesbians, and was barred from practicing in Nebraska, the only state in which he had been licensed.

1994 CONVICTED KIDNAPPER FIGHTS FOR JOB, NEW VERDICT  byline: By Joshua B. Good THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE (Page: D1)  Weber State University student adviser Phillip O. Austin now is fighting two battles. He is trying to stay out of jail and keep his $38,000-a-year job. Austin was found

Philip Austin

guilty Tuesday of kidnapping Colby Clifford, 20. Austin picked up Clifford on an Ogden street and requested sexual favors, a Weber County jury decided. The jury found Austin did not use a gun during the March 12 kidnapping, as the defendant had claimed. His attorney Don Hughes argues that his client could not have intimidated Clifford, since no gun was used. On Wednesday, WSU officials announced they planned to fire Austin, 43. He served as the university's director of student advisement until his arrest in April. Austin has been placed on disciplinary leave with pay. His attorney said he will appeal Austin's firing and the conviction.  ``The university is premature on that,'' Hughes said Wednesday. ``The safety of our students is of paramount importance,'' said Carol J. Berrey, assistant to the president of Weber State.   Meantime, Hughes said he will ask 2nd District Judge Stanton Taylor to dismiss the jury's verdict because of ``inconsistencies.''  Austin testified he is homosexual and has picked up men for sex before, but claimed he did not proposition Clifford. Clifford, a former football player, is more than 6 feet tall and weighs more than 200 pounds, according to The Associated Press. Judge Taylor set Nov. 14 to decide if he will set aside the jury's verdict. Sentencing is set for the same day. Austin could face penalties ranging from probation to 15 years in prison.

1996-The European Parliament approved a resolution urging an end to discrimination and unequal treatment directed toward homosexuals in every country in the European Union.

1996 While Congress continues to pummel pleas for  gay rights in the workplace, much of corporate America is quietly formalizing policies that invite some of the same protections many politicians shun.   In Utah and nationwide, corporate anti-discrimination policies that expressly forbid unequal treatment of gays and lesbians are increasingly commonplace. Many companies sanction employee networking and resource groups for gays.   And more firms -- including Utah County's Novell Inc. and Intel Corp. -- are extending employee health insurance and other benefits to same-sex partners.   At a time when gay bashing abounds in Washington, D.C., characteristically conservative corporate America is becoming a  gay-rights vanguard.   The apparent dichotomy has a simple explanation, gay-rights activists say.   ``Most companies are more concerned with making money than they are with serving out prejudices,'' says Jim Newton, vice president of Intel Gay Lesbian or Bisexual Employees, a networking group. ``They know equitable environments improve their competitiveness and help them attract the best employees.''   Patricia Callahan, Wells Fargo Bank personnel director, agrees.   ``No matter what the legislation says, you do what's good for your business,'' she says. ``Work environments that respect diversity make good business sense.''   According to the Washington, D.C.-based National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), there are more than 500 corporations, governmental bodies and universities that offer full or partial benefits to  gay and lesbian employees.   And the number is growing, says Melinda Paras, NGLTF executive director. ``It's a hugely popular trend for which we see no signs of reversal.''   Paras says attention to gay-rights issues in the workplace is more common in California and the Northwest than it is in other regions of the country. But it also is more common in some sectors and particularly in high-tech industries.   That is where Utah comes in.   Computer-industry leaders Novell, Apple Computer Co., Microsoft Corp. and Oracle Corp. have offered employee benefits to domestic partners since at least 1993.   Digital Queers: Newton says the high-tech industry extends out from California's Silicon Valley, where San Francisco-based activist groups such as High-Tech Gays and Digital Queers have helped bring gay workplace issues to executives' attention. The companies also typically are run by younger, more progressive managers.   Sonya Keetch, Novell benefits program manager, says competition partially motivated Novell to adopt domestic-partner benefits. But she adds Novell also prides itself as a leader in the area.   ``We value diversity and practice that philosophy with family-friendly benefits that include everyone's definition of family,'' she says.   Novell has a policy called FlexWare that allows employees to tailor health care, disability, survivor, long-term care and legal benefits to their family needs. Domestic partners, whether they be of the same or opposite sex, are expressly included in the company's definition of family.   The Orem-based company with 2,800 Utah   employees has an anti-discrimination policy and includes sexual-orientation issues in its diversity training. It also recently paid for employees to participate in a national conference on gay workplace issues.   Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel Corp., which operates a facility in American Fork, adopted a policy extending employee health insurance and other benefits to same-sex domestic partners effective Jan. 1, 1997, says company spokeswoman Stacey O'Hara.   Employees will begin signing up for the benefits during an open-enrollment period in October.   Intel also adopted the policy to compete. ``We need our benefits to compare with those of our competitors so we can attract key performers,'' O'Hara says.   Not an Added Burden: Gay-rights activists say domestic-partner benefits typically cost companies little because few employees take advantage of them. For example, a Brown University study cited in the June 1995 American Bar Association Journal, found only 0.36% to 0.77% of employees sign up for the benefits once they're offered.   A City of San Francisco study similarly found that fewer than 1% of its workforce uses the benefits. The study went further to address a common fear that domestic-partner benefits escalate companies' insurance costs because they can be used to pay for AIDS-related treatments. According to the study, the lifetime health-care cost for treating an AIDS patient is $50,000, an amount similar to what it costs to care for a premature infant.   ``There's a lot of hue and cry about cost and about the fact that companies can't get insurers to go for it,'' says James Dean, president of The Stonewall Index money-management firm. ``It simply isn't true.''   Scott Jeffries, chairman of an employee taskforce working to secure domestic-partnership benefits at US WEST, says making them available is a simple matter of fairness. Because benefits typically make up 25% to30% of total compensation, ``Denying me my share says I'm worth less to the company than someone who is legally married,'' he says. ``That isn't fair.''   The Future Is Calling: The Employee Association of Gays and Lesbians (EAGLE) Domestic Partnership Task Force at US WEST has tried unsuccessfully since 1992 to convince company officials to extend employee benefits to domestic partners, Jeffries says.   The most recent of three formal appeals for the policy change was rejected earlier this year by officials who cited prohibitive costs.US WEST spokesman Duane Cooke says the company rejected the policy change in partbecause such benefits are not commonly offered by US WEST competitors.   For now, US WEST will continue to enforce an anti-discrimination policy addressing sexual orientation and will continue to sanction EAGLE and other employee groups promoting diversity, Cooke says. That puts US WEST in a category with many other companies. Paras says most corporations begin by adopting anti-discrimination policies, sanctioning employee groups or extending bereavement and other family-leave to domestic partners. Companies that offer some or all of those benefits include AT&T, American Express, Wells Fargo, Hewlett Packard Co., International Business Machines, Lotus Development Corp., Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems and NeXT Computer Inc.   Wells Fargo, which formally enters Utah later this fall through its acquisition of 32 First Interstate Bank branches, allows employees to use the Family and Medical Leave Act to care for domestic partners who are ill, Callahan says.   ``We have a policy of tolerance that is made clear to all employees,'' she says. ``When people come to the table, we take them as they are. That's our basic philosophy.''   Callahan says Wells Fargo has stopped short of offering domestic-partner benefits because no other banks do.   ``It gets a lot of notice, frankly,'' she says. ``We therefore have decided not to take a leadership position in this area.''   What Are the Risks? There can be hazards for companies that adopt gay-friendly policies.   Walt Disney Co., for example, is the target of a nationwide boycott by the Tupelo, Miss based American Family Association and other conservative Christian groups in part because it extends employee benefits to same-sex domestic partners.   ``Some companies are under the false impression that this is healthy for their bottom line,'' AFA spokesman Allen Wildmon says. ``But they need to remember that there are plenty of moral individuals who are unwilling to support them if they insist on rewarding deviant behavior.''   But Paras points out that Disney has held firm on its support for the policy and hasn't appeared to suffer. As more corporations adopt gay-friendly policies, the public and politicians will accept them as part of the normal course of doing business just as they have accepted the entry of more women and other minorities into a workforce once dominated by white men.   Mark Provost, president of US West’s EAGLE chapter in Utah, agrees.   ``It will happen one day even here,'' he says. ‘It has to because it's the right thing to do.'' SL Tribune Page: F1 

  

1997-Vice President Al Gore gave a speech at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's annual gala. Among those honored at the event were Coretta Scott King, AFL-CIO president John Sweeney, and the Mautner Project, a service organization for lesbians with cancer.

Carol Gnade

1998-Tuesday-The Salt Lake City School Board voted 4-3 to keep Gay Clubs out of schools again in response to the ACLU law suit. Carol Gnade, executive director of the ACLU in Salt Lake city described the Board’s decision as an outrage and compared it to segregation. SL District will not re exam Gay ban

Ben Williams

2007 From: "Ben Williams" To: Todd Bennett Hi Todd.  I don't want anything to do with the Center. I have been burned too often and don't feel any desire to help them.  Lord knows I have in the past. In 2002 I was finally able to recover a portion of the old Utah Stonewall Archives which Jay Bell and I was able to donate to the Marriott Library. No one at the center wanted them, after stealing them from me, nor offered to help us move them. When Stan Larson said that the U didn't want the paraphernalia like t-shirts, buttons, posters etc I left them at the center and they are now gone. After 1997 I spent ten years trying to recover what was lost, spending thousands of hours and my own money on reconstructing our history in a manner that people can not steal from any

Todd Bennett

more. In 2003 the Center approached the Historical Society and me to make history kiosks for Pride Day saying that we would be considered a community partner.  We built them, Chuck Whyte and I labored painting them and then after pride day I had to beg for the money. Erin Litvack said that they had no copy of our application so tough shit. When I complained to Paula Wolfe saying we delivered on our promise where's our share as a community partner we were cut a $200 check that didn't even pay for the materials involved.  Plus when we kept trying to tell them that Pride day in Utah is older then twenty-years which is what they were promoting they just brushed us off. In 2005 after seeing that on the official web page the wrong date for how old the center is if they are saying they are an extension of the old Utah Stonewall Center, I emailed the new director that date was incorrect and she gave me some bullshit answer about incorporation dates and basically blowing me off. Last year Luci Malin who I consider a friend asked if I had a record of all the past members of the board of directors of the center. I said I didn't but I would research it and get her a copy which I did. It was 8 hours of work and never a thank you did I receive. The Center has never ever respected the work I do and have done for this community and I am not about to do more for them which I will never get credit nor a thank you. It's only when they actually need some historical perspective that I am ever even contacted. And then they usually go through Michael Aaron first. I have never taken a dime from this community and I don't intend to start. Every project I have been involved I have either financed myself or donated my time. My bi-monthly columns for the QSL are donated even though other columnists are paid. There are at least four graduate students that I know of that I have freely shared ever thing in my archives. I even met with a straight guy who had to do "community service" and Gay history research for some judgment against him. But for the Center if the Center has so much money to spend on salaries, then to use my expertise and collection its $100 an hour.  Now for you Todd anything that is in my archives that you want I will freely give to you and if you want to do something with it feel free. If you want to know about a subject I will send you what I have but am not interested in writing it or researching it but I do want credit for the historical society if you do use anything of mine. I know you are still on the board of directors and I will let you have any information I have but for the rest of that crew over there...they can look it up themselves or make it up which what they usually do. 

2006 Friday September 15th there will be a benefit show for the family of Andrew Reed aka "Anya". Anya was in the hospital for almost 2 weeks and she did not have any insurance. We are going to be holding a show at the Paper Moon to help raise some money for the family to pay for hospital bills and also for final expenses. Anya was Closet Ball Queen 2004 - 2005 sponsored by me and she was also in my top 10 as my Duchess. Sunday September 17th there will be a wake in memory of Andrew Steven Reed AKA Anya at the Paper Moon from 3-7pm. The Bar will be closed except for those attending the wake. You will still have to have your ID. Krystyna Shaylee Empress 30

2006 Two charged with sex abuse, sodomy against teenage boy 4th District Court By Stephen Hunt The Salt Lake Tribune With his hands and feet strapped in a leather swing hanging from the ceiling of a Provo home, the 14-year-old boy kept saying he wanted to leave. But that didn't happen until after 48-year-old Brad Gale sexually abused the boy as another man watched, according to documents filed this week in 4th District Court. Gale, of Roosevelt, and John West, 76, are each charged with one count each of first-degree felony forcible sodomy and second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse. Utah County

Brad Gale

prosecutor Donna Kelly said Thursday that $25,000 cash-only warrants had been issued for the men. She said West was reportedly on vacation in Hawaii, but expected to turn himself in. Gale was in custody at the Duchesne County jail, Kelly said. No court dates have been set. Gale - part-owner of Gale's Office Supply and Books in Roosevelt and Vernal, which sell LDS scriptures and authors - was charged in July with 33 counts of sex-related crimes in Roosevelt's 8th District Court. In the Roosevelt case, Gale is alleged to have been sexually abusing the boy and showing him pornography since he was young. A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 28 before Judge John Anderson. Gale had posted $20,000 and was free until arrested this week on the Provo case. In a strange twist of the Roosevelt case, Deputy Duchesne County Attorney Roland Uresk has been charged with two class B misdemeanors for his alleged failure to report information about the boy being sexually abused to police or the state Division of Child and Family Services, as required by law. Uresk received information in September 2005 and May 2006 that Gale was abusing the boy, but has said he did not feel compelled to report because the person who called him had heard the information third-hand. The Utah Attorney General's Office filed the charges against Uresk in the Salt Lake County Justice Court, where an arraignment is set for Sept. 22. It was a police investigation into the Roosevelt case that led to charges in the Provo case. A Duchesne County sheriff's detective investigating Gale for child sexual abuse and possession of child pornography learned from Gale that he had engaged in sex acts with the boy in Provo on at least one occasion, according to court documents, which described in lurid detail the alleged

John West

crimes. Gale later told a Provo detective about going to West's home in the 100 West block of Parkway Drive, strapping the boy into the swing and sexually abusing the boy, according to court records. Gale also said that he tried to get the boy to sodomize him. Gale stated that West never touched the boy, but was in the room watching while naked. Gale also said that he and West masturbated each other, according to court documents. The boy confirmed much of that story to police, according to court documents. The boy also told police he "kept telling [Gale] he wanted to leave," the documents state. Gale apparently met West during one of the older man's all-male sex parties, according to police reports. West admitted to police he hosted male parties, but claimed he checked the ID of anyone who looked under 20 years old, according to police reports. West also confirmed that Gale had put the boy in the swing and sexually abused him.  Deseret News Report

2006 Hundreds gather at Evergreen conference Homosexuality among Mormons By Peggy Fletcher Stack The Salt Lake Tribune Hundreds of Mormon leaders, psychologists and individuals interested in homosexuality are meeting starting today in Salt Lake City for the 16th annual Evergreen International Conference. Speakers will address topics such as addiction to pornography, building faith for healing, fitting into an LDS congregation, helping a child with same-sex attraction, developing healthy emotional boundaries, encouraging radical self-acceptance and dealing with same-sex attraction in a marriage. "Homosexual feelings affect thousands of Latter-day Saints," said David Pruden, Evergreen's executive director. "The [LDS] church is committed to assisting those who wish to live gospel standards, and Evergreen International is here to offer resources and information." Evergreen, which bills itself as "the leading organization for Latter-day Saints dealing with unwanted homosexuality," has no official affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but many LDS bishops and stake presidents are among the attendees each year. Also, its board of trustees usually includes one or more emeritus general authorities of the church and at least one such authority

Rex D. Pinegar

has spoken at the annual conference every year for the past decade. This year, Elder Rex Pinegar, an emeritus member of the First Quorum of Seventy, will address the conference Saturday at 8 a.m. at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in downtown Salt Lake City. In recent weeks, the church's position on same-sex attraction has been in the news with the online publication of a wide-ranging interview with LDS Apostle Dallin Oaks and Elder Lance Wickman about homosexuality. In the interview, the two say the church does not endorse any specific therapy to overcome homosexuality nor any particular support groups, which would clearly include Evergreen. That's OK with Pruden. "We've never endorsed any kind of therapy," he said. "Evergreen has never employed therapists. We provide names of therapists who will work with [clients] in ways that are consistent with [LDS] church standards. Dealing with same-sex feelings is very different from person to person; how they manage that process can be real different, too." Another keynote speaker at the two-day conference is Alan Chambers, a leading Evangelical author who lived as a gay teen and young adult before he "overcame unwanted homosexuality." Chambers is

Alan Chambers

president of Exodus International, a nonprofit, interdenominational Christian organization promoting the message of freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ. Since 1976, Exodus has grown to include more than 120 local ministries in the U.S. and Canada, according to its official Web site. The conference also will feature testimonials by Mormon homosexuals "who have been successful in living the doctrines and standards of the [LDS] church while confronting difficult same-sex feelings in their own personal lives," Pruden said. Fred and Marilyn Matis are an LDS couple whose son, Stuart  struggled to balance his homosexual attractions with Mormon teachings and eventually took his own life. The Matises, along with Ty Mansfield, a celibate gay Mormon, wrote about their experiences in an LDS published volume, In Quiet Desperation. One thing Evergreen does not allow, however, is open dialogue on the topic. "Using this conference to promote alternative philosophical or political views, or for seeking inappropriate relationships will not be tolerated," the conference publicity states The LDS Church entered the political fray earlier this year by suggesting support for the Constitutional Marriage Amendment that would limit marriage to one man and one woman. And many psychologists reject the premise that sexual orientation can be changed through therapy. Pruden said discussions of these issues are outside Evergreen's mission. "We don't want to turn the sessions into debates," he said. "This isn't an open forum for people with alternative viewpoints on homosexuality. There are plenty of forums for that. We try to avoid political topics completely."  Alan Chambers apologized to Gay Community

2017 

2018 The Board of Trustees of Provo Pride would like to thank all the people who participated in all the festivities associated with Provo Pride this week. This year, in addition to a day-long festival, we enjoyed a week’s worth of activities hosted by the various local LGBTQ+ organizations—we enjoyed crafts, community worship, the spoken word, a picnic, a 5K, a pride march, an all-ages after party, as well as adult party gatherings. The Provo Pride Festival was bigger and better than ever with more vendors and more community partners than ever before. Provo Pride seeks to create an inclusive celebration of all humans, forms of expression, and ways of being. Therefore, we were disappointed to hear that one of our former board members, Tosh Metzger, made social media posts in which he claimed that Provo Pride had rejected an application by the Provo Police Department to have a booth at the Provo Pride Festival. This claim is simply false. The Provo Police Department never made an application to be part of the Provo Pride Festival. For some context, the LGBTQ+ community and law enforcement has had a difficult past, due in large part to the criminalization of LGBTQ+ lives and bodies—let us we remind people that Stonewall, long considered the birth-place of Pride, was a riot that began as a police raid. The members of the Provo Pride Board of Trustees continue to hear of

Tosh Metzger

discrimination and mistreatment of LGBTQ+ individuals at the hand of local law enforcement agencies. As a board, we have discussed ways in which we could improve relationships with law enforcement and the LGBTQ+ community. As a board, we discussed at length the possibility of having the Provo Police Department have a booth at the festival (without the Provo Police Department ever making that request). The focus of our conversation was always the concern and safety of the LGBTQ+ community who remain at the very center of everything we do.  Ultimately, we decided to participate in Provo Police Department’s Citizen Academy. As such, one current member of our Board of Trustees has completed four of the seven week-course. We have also had many other meetings outside of the Citizen’s Academy with members of the Provo Police department in order to advocate for the local LGBTQ+ community. Because of our efforts and public advocacy, we have been able to assist in the reporting of six local crimes against members of the LGBTQ+ community in just the last three weeks that would have otherwise gone unreported. We also negotiated with the Utah County Sheriff’s office to provide security for our all ages Pride After Party. Relationship building is a long process of education, interaction, and patience. It requires all parties to step outside of their comfort zones, shed memories of past wrongs, and work to create new ways of interacting. We, frankly, share outrage over the discriminatory treatment toward members of the LGBTQ+ community by local law enforcement. We have begun conversations to confront those issues, and to the credit of the Provo Police Department, there are many people who are very interested in listening and learning about how they can do better. Truly we have hope for our community and know that pride marches forward.

Edited: Tosh Metzger has retracted his original social media posts and issued an apology. He has acknowleged that he made his statement without complete knowledge of the situation. We appreciate the dialogue and vulnerability of the people who have responded to this post.