This Day In Gay Utah History SEPTEMBER 18

September 18th

1976 Saturday- First annual workshop for the Gay community was held at St. Marks Cathedral organized by Paul Larson and Hal Carter. Twenty people attended with Carter and Larson facilitating the meeting.

1977 First Gay Protest in Utah organized against Anita Bryant who sang at the State Fair Grounds. Anita Bryant visit to Utah, resulted in Utah’s first openly Gay demonstration. The “State Fair Committee of Salt Lake Coalition for Human Rights” coordinated the protest. Prince Royale III Camille [Camille Tartagila] was chair of the State Fair Committee. Under her leadership a picket line of over 100 people was formed at the fair grounds and she organized the vigil at

Anita Bryant

Memory Grove where over 500 people attended. She brought in Bob Kuntz from Florida to be a key note speaker at the Candle Light Vigil. Committee’s slogan was “This Is Not the Place for Human Rights”. The committee raised money for the

event from posters, buttons, T-shirts, and bumper stickers. Metropolitan Community Church of Salt Lake City, led by Rev. Bob Waldrop, had a booth at the State Fair and donated the use of that facility to the committee. Metropolitan Community Church of Salt Lake served a Mexican Brunch at the booth as a fundraiser. Anita Bryant sang on the Grandstand stage, “Onward Christian Soldiers” and Battle Hymn of the Republic as over 100 Gays and Lesbians picketed outside. Some managed to get inside.  “Thousands of foot stomping,

Camille Tartagila

Bible toting zealots ignorance overriding good taste, filled the stadium while a handful of brave men and women picketed in the cause of human dignity against man’s inhumanity to man. Being spat upon and facing an openly hostile mob, the supporters of Gay Liberation silently spoke out in favor of love and the right to co-exist on this planet with their brothers and sisters”.  At Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Gay protesters walked around Temple Square chanting slogans. The protest march was without incident and violence.  In the evening Women Aware held a candle light vigil at Memory Grove for those killed as a direct result of the Dade County, Florida controversy.  The Candle Light Vigil was organized by Camille Tartagila and her committee and 500 people attended. She brought in Bob Kuntz, the write of Dade County’s Pro-Gay ordinance from Florida to be a key note speaker at the Candle Light Vigil.

• Lambda Lore Issue 6 Volume 2 7 Mar 2005 THE ANITA BRYANT FAIRGROUNDS AFFAIR On 18 September 1977 the first organized Gay protest in Utah was held against Anita Bryant, singer and spokeswoman for the anti homosexual backlash of the late seventies. After the heady days of the early seventies, when Gay Civil Rights seemed unstoppable, a movement of radical right wing Christians sprang up in opposition. This backlash was spear headed by a former beauty queen and semi talented singer named Anita Bryant. However Bryant was mainly known as a pitchwoman for the Florida Citrus industry. “A day with out orange juice is like a day without sunshine.” Dade County Florida had recently passed an anti-discrimination ordinance protecting the rights of its Gay citizens. A group known as “Save Our Children Committee”, quickly mobilized to over turn the ordinance and organized nationally to roll back similar measures.  While Utah had no pro Gay ordinances, the state “powers” wholeheartedly embraced Anita Bryant’s message. Utah Senator Orrin Hatch on May 24, 1977 addressed the listeners of radio station KSXX stating, “Well I can tell you this, I think if you take what she (Anita Bryant) says as truth, that she is not prejudiced against the homosexual, but she realizes what they have done, that she does not want them teaching her children. I tell you this I don’t want them teaching My children, and I don’t want them teaching YOUR children either and I think they are becoming too blatant in our society and I don’t want to take other rights away from them but I sure as heck don’t want them teaching, and I don’t want them in sensitive areas around children.” While Utah is often loathed to become political, Utah State Fair director, Hugh C. Bringhurst, announced on 28 June 1977 that Anita Bryant, “songstress and antigay rights publicist” would be performing along with country singers Lynn Anderson, Bill Anderson, Barbi Benton, Anne Murray and Crystal Gayle. The burgeoning Gay community was outraged over the choice of Bryant and began to organize. The Mormon response was given on July 9, 1977, when Mormon Apostle Mark

  

  Mark E. Petersen

  E. Peterson, in an article entitled "Unnatural Without Excuse", argued that "every right thinking person will sustain Miss Bryant, a prayerful, upright citizen, for her stand", which Peterson had hoped would, "keep this evil (homosexuality) from spreading, by legal acceptance, through our society". Within a week on Peterson’s attack on the Gay community the Salt Lake Coalition for Human Rights held it first public meeting at the Salt Lake Metropolitan Community Church. Their purpose was to inform others in the Gay Community what each member group was doing in response to Anita Bryant’s invitation to appear at the State Fair. Eight organizations sent representatives to the meeting. They included the Metropolitan Community Church of Salt Lake, the Gay Services Coalition, the Gay Student Union (LGSU), Affirmation, Women Aware, and the Socialist Worker's Party.    Integrity/Dignity, a group of Gay Catholics and Episcopalians, turned down an invitation to join the effort stating that they had reservations over joining forces with any

  

  Tony Adams

  group which included Marxists. This response was in reference to Tony Adams, a member of the Socialist Workers Party.  Representatives from Women Aware, a Lesbian-Feminist organization,stated that they tried to solicit straight feminists, with only a moderate response, to join the march in protest against Anita Bryant's appearance at the Utah State Fair. WA told the State Fair Committee members not to expect much straight support. Nevertheless Women Aware was “jazzed” about staging a protest stating that "the purpose of any demonstration around Anita Bryant's appearance would be to bring solidarity to the Gay community and to get media coverage". Camille Tartagila, a member of Women Aware, was elected Chairwoman of the State Fair Committee of the coalition. Under her leadership money was raised for the protest movement by selling anti-Anita Bryant posters, buttons, T-shirts, and bumper stickers. Much of the
  
  money raised went to bring Gay Rights Activist Bob Kuntz from Florida as a key note speaker for a candlelight vigil. During the two weeks in September in which the State Fair was held, Metropolitan Community Church, led by Rev.

  

  Bob Waldrop

  Bob Waldrop, managed to secure a booth in the fairgrounds and donated that facility to be the coalition’s command post. Tartagila's committee came up with the slogan "This Is Not The Place for Human Rights", and organized a picket line of over 100 people to march at the fair grounds. On September 18th Anita Bryant sang "Onward Christian Soldiers" and the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" in the old round stadium at the fair. One Gay observer wrote: "Thousands of foot stomping, Bible toting zealots, ignorance overriding good taste, filled the stadium while a handful of brave men and women picketed in the cause of human dignity against man's inhumanity to man. Being spat upon and facing an openly hostile mob, the supporters of Gay Liberation silently spoke out in favor of love and the right to co-exist on this planet with their brothers and sisters". Although some people were escorted out of the stadium by security on the whole the protest was without incident and violence. Some members of the Gay community even walked around Temple Square chanting pro-Gay slogans. In the evening, the candlelight vigil, organized by Tartagila, was held at Memory Grove where over 500 people attended to hear Bob Kutz speak. The Memory Grove vigil was held in memory of those who would be killed as a direct result of the Dade County, Florida

  

  Babs DeLay

  controversy.  Babs Dalay published several photos of the protest in her newspaper "The Rocky Mountain Woman". If any one has photos or that newspaper a scanned copy would be greatly appreciated by the Utah Stonewall Historical Society. Camille Tartagila went on to serve as Prince Royal III in the Imperial Court of Utah (now RCGSE.) Bob Waldrop ran for state offices as a Libertarian candidate during the 1980’s and is now a Catholic lay man serving in the Cesar Chavez Humanity House in Oklahoma City. 

1987-The Ivory Merchant film "Maurice" opened in New York City. Maurice (pronounced Morris) is a British romantic drama film based on the novel of the same title by E. M. Forster. It is a tale of homosexual love in early 20th century England, following its main character Maurice Hall from his school days through university until he is united with his life partner.

1988 - At Wasatch Affirmation Glen Camomile led a rap group on Co Dependent Relationships.

1988-During a speech by Rep. Bob Dornan, his wife Sallie Dornan screamed "Shut up, Fag!" at a heckler.

Bobby Joe Dubray

1990 Tuesday- Bobby Joe Dubray died of AIDS at age of 47- The community lost a good friend and tireless supporter when Bobby Joe Dubray, husband of Donny Eastepp and co-owner of the Inbetween Tavern passed away after a courageous battle with AIDS. Bobby was Founder and President of Remember the Forgotten Children. His good will and sense of humor was indefatigable  Ours hearts go out to Donny and their friends and family. A longtime Utah resident he was born 17 Nov 1947 in Boulder Colorado. He is survived by his lifetime companion, lover, partner, and friend Donny Eastepp. Obituary

1990  Joe Redburn opened The Trapp a Cowboy Levi Bar at 102 S. 600 West, Salt Lake City

Phyllis Schlafly and John Schlafly

1992-In an interview published in the San Francisco Examiner, attorney John Schlafly, son of conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly founder of the Eagle Forum, said that he is Gay but he supports his mother's right wing politics. He also said it is not hypocritical of her to fight against equality for gays and lesbians while knowing he is Gay. John Schlafly is a lawyer and is the director of Alton, Illinois branch of the anti-gay Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund, a conservative group founded by his mother. 

1993-Saturday- Ralph Martinez  age 45, a native of Durango, Colorado, died peacefully at his home in Payson, Utah, under the loving care of his mother and sisters. Ralph will be deeply missed by his family and very special friends, especially those in San Diego, California, where he resided for 20 years. Ralph graduated from Payson High School in 1967. He worked for the Veterans Hospital for 25 years and the Kaiser Hospital in Portland, Oregon. He retired from the San Diego Veterans Hospital in LaJolla, California in August of 1992. Ralph was active in competition clogging with the Quarter-Note Cloggers. He was president of the San Diego [Gay] Rodeo Association for three years. He was to be Grand Marshall of the 1993 Rodeo, being held September 25, 1993. Under Ralph's appointment as president, the Rodeo Association donated over $30,000 to the AIDS hospice program. He dedicated much of his last years to this organization. The family would like to thank his very special friends, especially Clay Wright, Michael Taylor, Lee Silva, Drew Leappes.

Michael Quinn

1993 Page: B1 Salt Lake Tribune LDS CHURCH SANCTIONS SIX PROMINENT SCHOLARS FEMINISTS, INTELLECTUALS FACE HEARINGS BEFORE DISCIPLINARY COUNCILS LDS CHURCH SANCTIONS 6 SCHOLARS WHO QUESTION AUTHORITY Byline: By Peter Scarlet  The six scholars being called into the ecclesiastical woodshed this month share two key characteristics: They are

Maxine Hanks

Mormons and they publicly question authority. Paul Toscano, Lavina Fielding Anderson, Maxine Hanks, Avraham Gileadi, D. Michael Quinn and Lynne Kanavel Whitesides, all intellectuals and/or feminists, have been chastised or are awaiting censure from local leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. -- Mr. Toscano, a Salt Lake attorney, is scheduled to appear Sunday at a stake disciplinary council for ``apostasy.'' The council is scheduled for 6 a.m. and his supporters are planning a sunrise service at the stake center, 1785 E. Spring Lane (5000 South), Salt Lake City. He has differed publicly with church leaders  and spoke at this year's Sunstone Symposium on the topic, ``All is Not Well in Zion: False Teachings of the True Church,'' against the wishes of his local church leaders.-- Ms. Anderson last Sunday received a notice of a stake disciplinary council for ``conduct unbecoming a member.'' Her meeting is scheduled for Thursday, but she says she will not attend. In the spring issue of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Ms. Anderson compiled a chronology of incidents and events within the church that she called instances of spiritual abuse against LDS members. -- Ms. Hanks, editor of a book

Sunstone

containing essays and writings about Mormon feminism, Women and Authority: Re-emerging Mormon Feminism, has received a letter asking her to attend a stake disciplinary council for ``apostasy.'' She says she will not attend her Sunday hearing. Ms. Hanks' book -- she has spoken publicly about it often – contains essays and letters about Mother in Heaven, women and priesthood and other controversial feminist issues. -- Mr. Gileadi, noted for his translation and commentary on the Old Testament book of Isaiah, was asked to attend a stake disciplinary council Wednesday for ``apostasy.'' He declined to comment on its outcome. Unlike the other five, Mr. Gileadi has not promoted his ideas in the popular press. -- Mr. Quinn, a historian and former Brigham Young University professor, has spoken and written about a number of controversial subjects, including church leader-sanctioned polygamy after church President Wilford Woodruff prohibited it in 1890, President Ezra Taft Benson's involvement in right-wing politics while he was serving as an apostle during the '60s and church founder Joseph Smith's interest in folk magic in the early 19th century. -- Ms. Whitesides, president of the Mormon Women's Forum, was disfellowshiped Tuesday night by bishop Virgil Merrill of Salt Lake City's 11th Ward. Disfellowshipment cuts off many privileges of church membership, but it falls short of excommunication. ``I'm really pleased I'm still a member,'' she says. ``It [the LDS Church] is a large part of my life.''    Ms. Whitesides, who joined the LDS Church more than 20 years ago, says she was accused of opposing Mormon general authorities and speaking about Mother in Heaven after President Gordon B. Hinckley of the church's First Presidency instructed Latter-day Saints to refrain from praying to her. Mormon feminists and intellectuals formed Mormon Women's Forum several years ago to promote public discussion of feminist topics in Mormonism, including women and the church's all-male priesthood and physical and sexual abuse. ``I have disagreed with general authorities,'' Ms. Whitesides admits. ``But I respect these men and don't feel it is apostasy to disagree.''  She says she will continue to speak publicly about Mormon women's issues.  Mormon intellectuals say the sanctions represent a centrally directed purge before the church's General Conference Oct. 2-3 in Salt Lake City.  But church spokesmen suggest happenstance is the only reason behind the timing of the ecclesiastical censures.  ``Apparently,'' says church spokesman Bruce L. Olsen, ``several of these instances have converged as local authorities have felt it their duty to act.'' Don LeFevre, another church spokesman, says disciplinary matters within the church are not handled by the general authorities.  ``They are decided locally,'' he says. ``That's the policy. What, if any, action is to be taken is up to local church leaders, who also are bound by policy to

maintain confidentiality.'' Aside from their claim that the actions were instigated by general authorities, Mormon intellectuals have a bogyman they say is behind it all: Apostle Boyd K. Packer. They recall a speech he gave late last spring to church employees in which he cited three threats to the church.  ``The dangers I speak of come from the gay-lesbian movement, the feminist movement (both of which are relatively new), and the ever-present challenge from the so-called scholars or intellectuals,'' Elder Packer said. ``Our local leaders must deal with all three of them with ever-increasing frequency.'' Elder Packer was ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve in April 1970 at the age of 45.  ``I'm a DNA Mormon,'' said historian D. Michael Quinn. ``It's in me, whether they accept or remove me. This is true for converts as well as those who are born into the church.''  Mr. Quinn, disfellowshiped last July, was notified earlier this week that his local church leaders will convene a disciplinary council Sept. 26 to consider excommunication. He likened the church to a dysfunctional family where the parent kicks out a child.  ``But the relationship does not end,'' Mr. Quinn said. ``My personal feeling is that we all are indispensable to God. No one can be written off. No one is unimportant.'' Mr. Toscano said church membership unites all Latter-day Saints despite differences of opinion.  ``We may picture God differently. We may differ on doctrine, but we all are united in the church of Jesus Christ,'' he said. ``And the church of Jesus Christ should be grounded on the principle of love, not purity.''

1994-Sunday- Brunch With a Side of Mah Jong, a benefit for the Utah AIDS Foundation hosted by Malon Richardson, (08/21/94  Page: D6 SLTribune)

  

Millie and Gary Watts

1996 Page: B2 Maybe it was the sensitive topic that kept them away or maybe it was the news media.   Either way, none of the 130 Utah lawmakers, Salt Lake City School Board members or principals invited to Tuesday’s private screening of ``It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School'' attended, although three legislators had viewed it earlier that day.  ``I'm not surprised, but I thought at least a couple would come,'' said Charlene Orchard, who helps head

the Utah Human Rights Coalition, one of five local organizations bringing the documentary to Utah for its premiere next week. The 87-minute film, by Academy-award winning filmmaker Debra Chasnoff, explores how experienced teachers address lesbian and gay issues with schoolchildren ages 5 through 13.   The lessons are more about teaching tolerance of others and not about affirming homosexuality, said Gary Watts, a parent of a homosexual child and organizer of Family Fellowship.   The film's public premiere is scheduled for 7p.m. on Sept. 26 at the Tower Theater in Salt Lake City and will kick off a 30-city national tour. Tickets are $10 and include a reception. Orchard said filmmakers selected the cities ``where the gay issues in public schools were controversial and there was a lot of misunderstanding.''   In Utah, the gay and lesbian issue came to a head last spring when students at East High School wanted to form a gay-straight alliance.   The Salt Lake City School Board decided to ban all clubs not related to academic courses rather than to allow the club to form. The Legislature answered with a law prohibiting teachers from promoting any illegal activity. In light of that controversy, ``we felt it was important for concerned policy-makers to have an opportunity to see this documentary before the public screening, since they will need to answer questions that will undoubtedly be raised,'' said Orchard.   But the only people who showed for the 3:30p.m. screening at the state Capitol we reorganizers and members of the news media.   Timing may have been a factor. The Salt Lake City School Board members already had scheduled a 4 p.m. meeting and several legislative committees met throughout the day.   However, three Republican lawmakers --anticipating scheduling conflicts -- did make arrangements to view the movie earlier in the day.   Rep. Jordan Tanner, R-Provo, said the film was really about teaching tolerance.   ``It is a good story to show the need to get this kind of education into the schools,'' said Tanner, who saw the film along with Reps. Darlene Gubler, R-Holladay and Nora Stephens, R-Sunset.   Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, did not make it to either screening.   ``I had committee meetings I had to be in,'' he said. ``There were a lot of conflicting committee meetings today.''   In addition, he noted, a retirement party was planned in the afternoon for a legislator.   Filmmakers hope to raise enough money through the tour for wider distribution, especially to teachers.   But in Utah it will take changes in laws and attitudes before there are classroom discussions about tolerance of gays and lesbians.   ``Nothing in that video could be taught in  Utah public schools,'' said Judy Allen, HIV and AIDS specialist for the state, who has seen the film at conferences.    Allen said acceptance or advocacy of homosexuality is one of the four taboo topics for  Utah teachers. The others are intricacies of sex, use of contraceptives and advocating promiscuity.   (DG) 1/2   Tribune reporter Judy Fahys contributed to this story.

Alan Ahtow

1997- Alan Ahtow interim director of the Utah Stonewall Center barred Ben Williams archivist from inventorying the archives for removal.  Ahtow threatened to call the police if Ben Williams made a disturbance. Williams left on the assurance from board member Chuck Whyte that the archives would be secure. However the integrity of the archives was violated when books were removed, magazines thrown away, and files dumped on orders of Ahtow.  Williams personal property in the archives was also seized. It would be five years before he was able to retrieve personal items.

Dan White

1998-Datalounge News reported that Fran Falzon, a detective who investigated the murders of Harvey Milk and George Moscone, had written an article for the October issue of San Francisco magazine in which he revealed that Dan White had also planned to murder Willie Brown and Carol Ruth Silver.

1998 Friday- The Delta Lambda Sappho Union of Weber State University 3^rd annual Rainbow Ball was officially included as part of the WSU Homecoming celebration.

1998-Friday The Salt Lake Tribune Editorial espoused the repeal of Utah’s Sodomy Laws

2002 From: "Craig Miller" To: Chad Keller Dear Chad, I am

Craig Miller

leaving town this morning and wanted to give you this Notification before I leave. Last night the Board of Utah Pride, Inc., met and voted unanimously to relieve you of your responsibilities as a board member in this organization. After I return, I will write you a more formal letter thanking you for your participation with Utah Pride this year.  I am serious about the thank you part. We removed you from the board because of difficulties in communication and difficulties in working with you, but each of us is aware of your contributions also.  Chad, thanks for the good times.  There will be more. Craig

Chad Keller

• From: "Chad Keller" To: "Craig Miller" Please, do not waste your time with a thank you of any kind, as unless it can be signed by the entire board and the EC with a clear conscious it is not genuine.  Being un-genuine it would mean absolutely nothing to me, and would really be a further slap in the face. I leave knowing that I did a tremendous job in accomplishing Utah Pride.  I also leave knowing that I confronted the establishment that seems to feel it is the cure all for the final acceptance of our community. I wish you all well in finding yourself as an organization and reconnecting to the community; Pride will not survive without it.  It may however be the time for Pride to just cease to exist for a while as I have found that it has no purpose anymore other than to be a party. I can now move clearly forward with other plans and things far more important. As it seems that my only remaining head shot cannot be found, and as it is the original, and I gave specific instructions for it to be returned safely, and it has not.....I hereby request that Utah Pride Inc see that the Photo be Mailed back to me by September 30, 2002.   At that time if it is not back, I will need to have a new one taken, and will forward the bill on to UTAH PRIDE for the loss of the photo, as I should not have to absorb the loss personal property due to the negligence of the Executive Committee.  Scott Greene served as the Photographer and is now out of commission due to the loss of the use of his hand.  I will select a photographer from a list that he recommends.  Please forward photo immediately. Thanks! CK
• David Thometz to Chad Keller: Chad. Oh -- sorry for the delay. :) I'm just trying to deal with

  

  David Thometz

  my own life here today -- and it's definitely seen better days, to be sure. As for the Pride meeting on Monday, it went about as you might expect. Every member in attendance essentially said that you had done great things for Pride, but due to your (paraphrasing here) absences from recent meetings, e-mails to several people making attacks on board members and revealing "proprietary information", and general inability to work with board members, they saw "no alternative" but to remove you from the board. It was an unanimous decision, which was no surprise after hearing the opinions of each board member. It was pretty clear that their minds were made up. The only board member who offered any alternative was Geoff Partain, who suggested tabling the motion until you could be present to answer the charges. This was shot down by everyone else in attendance, and then Geoff voted with the others to remove you. As an aside, it seemed pretty apparent to me that the Pride board is a uniquely dysfunctional group -- at least as far as their desire to work above board and refrain from ad hominim attacks against people with whom they disagree. Most of the "discussion" centered on things that you had reportedly done that angered other board members, and seemed to have little relevance to actual Pride business. In fact, they all agreed that in terms of actual performance, with the exception of missed meetings, you had done an exemplary job. While they seemed to have some real issues with your lack of attendance, my impression was that this was more a decision based on personality conflicts than on any actual malfeasance on your part. To that end, I think you should have been in attendance. Your absence made it difficult for me to say anything useful in your defense, and it gave them an issue (attendance) behind which to mask their real intentions. Still, I have little doubt that some watch dogging needs to take place with this group. These are my perceptions of what happened, anyway. David T.
• Chad Keller to David Thometz: Thanks.... Unfortunately as indicated in the letter I sent to the Board/Committee on September 11, 2002 I would not be available with such short notice until on September 24, 2002.   This was to not only insure that I had my ducks in a row, but to insure that some type of meeting schedule was finally implemented.  Sherry [Booth] and Darrin [Hobbs] prefer the fly by the seat of their pants method, calling meetings with a under a weeks notice.  As they did when Craig [Miller] emailed me on September 12, 2002 (Thursday) to inform me of a meeting on (Monday) September 16, 2002  Of which I did not receive until Friday as I had already left work....So where it the fairness in that for me, my business, and the issues at hand.  As it was clear to them that I would make the 24th a community affair they worked in the manner they typically do and did what they could to stop the confrontation. I must say that your attendance per Ryan was surprising to Darien and Sherry, and he has commented that they especially Darien is concerned that you attended. CK
• Chad Keller to Maureen Aisling Duffy-Boose:  Just an FYI....Sherry Booth, Darrin Hobbs and Craig Miller got their Way last night....I was officially removed from the board and committee of Pride....sadly it will all be for not as the two people that I do not get along with (Darrin [Hobbs] and Sherry [Booth]) will be resigning.....and then of course Darrin taking over the books again when the merger (take over) is complete… is there are any great spells or sacrifices I can make to the universe to make things better for me and save pride let me know! Maureen Aisling Duffy-Boose to Chad Keller: I think the best Work you could do would be to continue what you are doing to try to be a voice of Truth and Reason in the Gay Community, and as far as magickal working, try a mirror spell. It sends the energy sent at you back threefold to the sender. If someone sends you love and good stuff they get back a bunch of the same, and as for eejits who send you Da  Nazzztiezz..well, three times and more is a beeyotch, ain't it? And YOU do nothing...it's THEIR energy. And think of this. Yes, you do wish Pride will become a true voice of, and service to, the community. But Craft teaches that people get the lessons they need and the outcomes they cause. If the current climate of the Gay community is such that they are willing to let a bunch of cheats and crooks run their Center and their Pride Day, then they are the ones calling in/down that energy. If they want something different they will have to stop putting up with what they are getting. You can't convince someone their fudge is a plate of shit while they are still eating it. A big hug to you. You may yet find the Universe has done you a great favor removing your name from association with the Pride Committee and the Center before the cosmic booger hits the windshield. Peaceably, Aisling "Never miss a good opportunity to shut up"

2004 Mr. Salt Lake Leather Competition will take place on Saturday night September 18th, at Club 161 (161 South 1440 West). The competition actually begins on Friday during private interviews between the judges and the contestants. On Saturday night starting at 10:00 PM the contestants will present themselves in their leather wear and give 90 second speeches on the reason they believe they would be the best Mr. Salt Lake Leather. At approx. Midnight Mr. Salt Lake Leather 2005 will be announced and presented to the audience.  In addition to the competition there will be a raffle for various leather items.  Throughout the night the bar will be giving away various prizes for "Best Basket", "Best Chest", Best Leather" and a variety of other things our sick minds can come up with (within legal constraints of course). On Sunday Blue Alley Fair will start at Noon and go till 5 PM. This will take place at Club 161, the back parking area will be fenced off so you can check out the variety booths while enjoying an adult beverage, or two. We look forward to seeing you all there.

2005 Sunday- Come see our contestants "Come out of the Closet" at Closet Ball 2005.  Show time 7pm at the Paper Moon.  $6 Cover for everyone. This is also the weekend of Baker NV trip.  If you are going or need further information, please contact Scott Stites or John Appel.

2005 Plan B Theater is performing special benefit for PWACU from there play Patient A tickets are $15.00 call 484-2205  PWACU-  End of Summer BBQ Bash

Keith McMullin

2010 God can lift your ‘burden,’ LDS leader tells gay Mormons By Rosemary Winters The Salt Lake Tribune Bishop Keith B. McMullin • Second counselor in the LDS Church's Presiding Bishopric. An LDS general authority on Saturday comforted Mormons who are attracted to people of the same sex but want to live by the church’s chastity rules, which bar sexual acts outside of marriage between a man and a woman. “Each of us has problems,” said Bishop Keith B. McMullin, second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “Together, we shall overcome them.” McMullin spoke at the 20th annual conference of Evergreen International, a nonprofit support group for Mormons who want to “overcome homosexual behavior.” Evergreen is not officially affiliated with the church, but a leader of the Utah-based faith addresses the group each year. On Saturday, McMullin said people with same-sex attraction should not call themselves “gay” or “lesbian.” He offered advice to LDS ecclesiastical leaders in the audience of about 200 people. “If someone seeking your help says to you, ‘I am a homosexual,’ or, ‘I am lesbian,’ or, ‘I am gay,’ correct this miscasting,” McMullin said. “Heavenly Father does not speak of his children this way and neither should we. It is simply not true. To speak this way seeds a doubt and deceit about who we really are.” He said every individual is a “son or daughter” of God. Jesus Christ, McMullin said, has the power to lift the “burden” of every “man and woman, boy and girl.” McMullin also spoke at the conference 17 years ago, when it was held at a hotel. He said it was “appropriate” that the group now meets in the LDS

Joseph Smith Memorial Building

chapel inside the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in downtown Salt Lake City. “We’ve improved. We’ve come from the hotel to the meetinghouse,” McMullin said. “This has to be an inspiration to us all in whatever circumstance we may find ourselves.” David Pruden, Evergreen’s executive director, said hearing an LDS leader such as McMullin speak openly about same-sex attraction “means the world” to individuals and families grappling with the issue. “Let’s be honest. Not that many years ago, you couldn't even have a conversation about [this],” Pruden said. “Those people get very isolated, and it’s kind of a frightening thing for them.” Evergreen hopes to boost awareness of the support services it offers by splitting the conference into two parts next year. One would be more publicized, with seminars for LDS clergy and others. The second would be a private “growth and accountability” conference for individuals seeking to diminish their same-sex attractions. The American Psychological Association has advised mental health professionals against telling their clients they can change their sexual orientation through therapy or other treatments, saying doing so has the potential for harm. The “long-standing consensus” of the behavioral and social sciences, the APA noted in a report last year, is that homosexuality is a “normal and positive variation of human sexual orientation.” April-Dawn, a California woman, spoke Saturday of her own “fierce” struggle to overcome her attractions to women. She asked that her last name not be used because she has not shared this part of her life with family 

members. “I am very thankful for the [LDS] gospel in my life,” she said. “I am beginning to recognize the blessings that this struggle or any trial can bring. How could we ever grow or stretch if we did not have struggles?” 

• Another LDS support group to meet Affirmation, a support group for gay and lesbian Mormons that believes everyone’s sexual orientation is a “special gift from God,” will hold its annual conference Oct. 8-10 in San Francisco.  
• LDS and gay members Re “God can lift the ‘burden’ of gay LDS, leader says” (Tribune, Sept. 19): As one who struggled for years with being Mormon and gay, my spiritual life was severely dimmed by that never-ceasing internal war. The counsel of Bishop Keith McMullin of the LDS Presiding Bishopric to Mormon gays to focus on being a true child of God and not on one’s homosexuality creates a war with oneself that only heightens your focus on sex as, or more likely because, you fight so hard against it. Only when I accepted that I am the child of a God who created me with same-sex attraction could I take “joy in my creation” and in channeling my spiritual gifts and passions into constructive relationships of love that bless me and many others. “Each of us has problems,” McMullin said of the same-sex attraction “burden.” Well, calling good evil and labeling natural sexual drives as evil is itself evil. Mormonism criticizes Christian theologies that see sex as inherently sinful. Rather, it equates sex that creates love with a fundamental attribute of godhood. Instead of turning gays into eunuchs or ever-conflicted heterosexual partners, invite them to channel their gifts into productive, loving relationships. Colin Smith Salt Lake City

2010 The Trapp Turns 20 The Trapp is almost old enough to buy one of the drinks it serves. On Sept. 18 the iconic bar celebrated its 20th anniversary in style with a drag show featuring local stars Coco, Walter Larabee and Sheneka Christie, the Queen Mother of local charitable drag group the Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire. “The Trapp is really the offshoot of the old Sun Tavern I owned, where the first [Utah] gay pride started as a kegger and we had our first community center,” said owner Joe Redburn, who is also well-known as one of Utah’s first and most outspoken liberal radio personalities. The Sun Tavern met an untimely demise in the summer of 1999. Shortly after Redburn sold it to new owners a freak tornado tore through downtown Salt Lake City, tearing shingles off several buildings and

Joe Redburn

slamming right into the bar. “[The tornado] barely missed The Trapp,” said Redburn. “It tore off a neon sign and that was it, so we were lucky.” As for The Trapp itself, Redburn purchased the building in which it now resides in 1990 from Max Mercier, who also owned the property that is now Studio 27 (previously it was home to The Trapp Door, which closed last year). Redburn said he bought the building because he liked its look. “I like small bars, not great big ones,” he explained. When Redburn purchased the building, its walls were covered with cement. When he tore that away, he found the beautiful bricks that patrons now love. He then added some stained glass to complete the look. “In the beginning we just had the front part which is now the dance floor,” he said. In 1991, he added a patio, which he then had enclosed. An outdoor patio followed shortly after. Today it is the home of the bar’s famous summer barbecues and its weekend buffets. The Trapp is also famous for its charitable work. Each year Redburn holds a fund raiser for the Utah AIDS Foundation. RCGSE performers also hold yearly drag shows to raise money for Utahns living with HIV/AIDS and for breast cancer research. And that, said Redburn, is part of his favorite thing about the bar. “One of the things I’m proudest about The Trapp is it’s such a family bar,” he said. “We have gay, straight and trans people come here. If someone loses their job we try to help them get a job. It’s a very close knit group of people, especially the afternoon crowd. The nighttime is a lot of the younger crowd and I think they kind of bar hop.” If you missed out on The Trapp’s 20th birthday bash, there’s no need to worry. With Halloween right around the corner, there will be another fabulous party to attend. “The Trapp’s always been the place for Halloween,” said Redburn. “We have prizes for the best costume, the most original costume and other costumes that we think deserve a prize of $25. We hope everyone will show up.” If you want to show up, The Trapp is located at 102 S. 600 West. Costume judging begins at 10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 29. “But I think the whole weekend will be Halloween,” Redburn added.

2017 Join us this coming Monday, September 18th, 2017 at City Creek Park (the corner of State Street and 2nd Avenue), for The Gayest Bake Sale in all of Salt Lake City. The event begins at 5PM and goes until 7:30 PM, providing a slew of baked goods donated from local bakeries and given out in exchange for donations. All donations raised will go to support programs for at-risk queer youth. This action is in response to the LDS Church and local state senators (22 out of 24 Republicans) who have signed on to friend-of-the-court briefs in support of the Colorado bakery who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding. The event is less a response to the case and more to the Church, once ag...ain, choosing to involve themselves in law making activities that affect the LGBTQIA+ community--as well as exerting their influence on local government to do the same. “The Church always seems to show up whenever gay rights are on the table,” co-organizer Kat Kellermeyer says. “They’ve had dozens of legal opportunities to show up for ‘the family’--protecting immigrant rights, DACA recipients, speaking up for healthcare--but, even historically, they’ve shown they’re only interested in legally turning up when it comes to LGBTQIA+ rights, and it is always on the side against us.” The organizers say the timing of this action taken by the church is particularly damaging considering mere weeks ago the church threw in their support for the LoveLoud Festival, an event organized to support and raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ youth suicide risk and encourage creating a community of love and support. “Do I really think having this bake sale will change the policies within the LDS church?” asks former LDS missionary and co-organizer Hillary McDaniel. “The answer is ‘no.’ To me it is more important to have queer youth and their families seeing people standing up to this massive entity and saying, ‘No, queer lives are valuable and we deserve to be loved and appreciated.’” Organizers also want to see the event used as an opportunity for community education and spreading information about volunteer opportunities and resources for queer youth and their families. Since 2008 Utah’s leading cause of teen death is suicide, a time coinciding with the LDS Church’s push for Proposition 8 in California. Organizers feel there is a direct link between the actions of the LDS church against the LGBTQIA+ community and the high suicide rates. “Too often the church extends an olive branch in one hand while working local and national law against the queer community with the other,” Kellermeyer says. “I think it is important for youth to know there is a queer community that is here to support and love them, regardless of anything else. No matter what the laws say, we in the queer community will always find a way to come together and show support and love for each other.” All money raised by the bake sale will go to the Utah Pride Center, specifically to fund the Pride Center’s “LGBTQ+ Youth Survivors of Suicide Support Group.” ​This is a group that will be launchinf soon whose specific purpose is to provide support and community for young folks (ages 16-20) who have attempted suicide. For those unable to donate, organizers still encourage you to come and have a treat at no-cost to show support and learn more about volunteer opportunities to uplift and support local queer youth. For media questions or for volunteer or donation questions, please contact Hillary McDaniel (contact info at the top of page). “Mostly,” says McDaniel, “We just want everyone to have a lot of fun and come away having learned something and wanting to get involved.”

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