This Day In Gay Utah History SEPTEMBER 24

 September 24th

1731- In Amsterdam, 22 men were executed for sodomy.

1900  Late Saturday afternoon the case of Thomas Smith charged with attempted sodomy and assault and battery was taken up and Smith was given thirty days in the county jail. Ogden Standard Examiner In Court This Morning page 5

Leopold and Loeb

1924 -Nathan Freudenthal Leopold, Jr., (1904 –1971) and Richard Albert Loeb (1905 –1936), more commonly known as "Leopold and Loeb", were two wealthy homosexual University of Chicago law students who in 1924 kidnapped and murdered 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks who was both the neighbor and second cousin of Loeb as a "thrill kill". Leopold was 19 years old at the time of the murder, and Loeb was 18. They believed themselves to be Nietzschean supermen who could commit a "perfect crime". Once

apprehended, Leopold and Loeb retained legendary attorney Clarence Darrow as counsel. Darrow’s summation in their trial is noted for its influential criticism of capital punishment and retributive, as opposed to rehabilitative, penal systems. Leopold and Loeb were sentenced to life imprisonment. Loeb was killed by a fellow prisoner in 1936 whom claimed Loeb made a sexual assault on him and Leopold was released on parole in 1958. Leopold and Loeb have been the inspiration for several works in film, theater, and fiction, such as the 1929 play Rope by Patrick Hamilton and Alfred Hitchcock's 1948 film of the same name. The New Queer Cinema film Swoon released in 1992, based on the 1924 Leopold and Loeb murder case, focused more on the homosexuality of the killers than other movies based on the case.

1932- Transient Charles Brown was tried in Utah 3rd District Court for the infamous “Crime Against Nature” for raping a fellow hobo in the Rio Grande Depot train yards. He was only sentenced to one year in prison because the Prosecuting Attorney argued that the state was broke: “the penalty provided by the statute is from three to twenty years, but in view of the fact that this defendant and the complaining witness are both non residents of this state (read Not Mormons), there is no material harm done…All the interest that the State has in this case, or could have, is just a technical theory of a violation of the law…in view of the fact that in the time of this depression, when they county and the city and all of us need money for the relief of our citizens…the expense required to keep this defendant there (prison) for from three to twenty years would be a whole lot more than what would benefit the state.”

1951-Christine Jorgensen entered the hospital for the first sex change surgery. She became the most famous transsexual. Procedure was done in Denmark.

1958 Wednesday Deno R. Nichols age 28 of 348 Harrison

Salt Lake Public Library

Avenue was sentence Tuesday in police Court to 90 days in jail on charges of being a disorderly person.  Nichols was arrested by anti-vice squad officers who alleged the defendant attempted indecent liberties on the officer at the Salt Lake Public Library 15 South State. City Judge Arthur J. Mays granted Nichols a stay of execution until Friday (09/24/58 Page 18 Col. 1 SLTribune)

1984-A New York psychiatrist announced his belief that AIDS is caused by depression.

1985 -An inmate received at Utah State Prison last week has been placed in medical isolation in the institution’s infirmary until testing is completed to determine whether he has AIDS or is a carrier, a prison official said. (09/25/1985 SLTribune B1)

1986-First meeting of Married and Divorce Gays and Lesbians (MADGAL) organized by Ben Williams held at Crossroads Urban Center. In attendance were Jon Butler, Guy Larson, Mark Crux, Craig Hunter, Derek Kaufman, and Alma Smith.

Robert McIntier

1988 - The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ held its bi-annual conference in Southern California. Bob McIntier was sustained as President of the church.

David Sharpton

1992 Thursday Jeff Workman and I went to the preview of Ken Vendoia's documentary on the life of David Sharpton. We arrived late because Norma had misinformed me about the starting time. There was a bigger turn out than I expected. The film was very hard for me to watch because it showed David after he went home to Lancaster, Texas just before he died. Seeing the fragile shell of his former dynamic self I started to cry again and thought I wouldn't stop. When I learned from the film that David had fallen while taking the trash out and no one stopped to help pick him up except for some elderly neighbors. I was so hurt for David's sake. Where was compassion for the sick and dying? Jimmy Hamamoto and Tom Henacy were at the preview as were Melissa Sillitoe, Marlin Criddle and his lover David Turner, Dale Sorenson and David Nelson. I mostly stayed with Norma since I was her invited guest and Dee Dee Sharpton, David's cousin from Texas. She and David's mother came up to Utah from Texas with the help of Ken Vendoia for the premier of his documentary. When I met Doreen Sharpton it was the first time I realized that David had family. I mean I knew it but so many of us in the Gay community have created our own relationships that sometimes we forget we have biological families also. When I considered how Doreen Sharpton loved David to the bitter end while Jeff's mother basically shuns him, I get angry and thank God I have  family I do. (Journel of Ben Williams)

1992-The US House of Representatives passed a resolution by a vote of 235-173 to allow a Washington DC ordinance which extends spousal health insurance benefits to same sex partners of district employees to remain on the books, but prohibited money to be spent on its enforcement. The Senate had already approved the measure.

Joseph Ratzinger

1992-The Twin Cities chapter of Dignity, an organization for gay and lesbian Roman Catholics, was evicted from its meeting space at St. Stephens Church in Minneapolis. Archbishop John Roach ordered that the organization could not use church space unless it publicly said it agrees with church teaching that homosexuality is an intrinsic moral evil as taught by Joseph Ratzinger Arch Bishop of Munich who later became Pope Benedict

1994 Intermountain Chamber. After an

Jeff Manookian

acclaimed debut in July, the new 30-piece has scheduled four concerts during the 1994-95 season, beginning Oct. 1 with cellist Ellen Bridger as soloist.   Other Saturday concerts are Jan. 14 with pianist Endre Hegedus soloing in Beethoven's` `Emperor'' Concerto, March 18 with guitarist Steve Lyman as soloist, and May 6 featuring singer Doris Brunatti.   All concerts are at the Cathedral Church of St. Mark, 231 E. 100 South, Salt Lake City, under the baton of founding music director Jeff Manookian

1994-The Marking the 25^th Anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion the Exhibition "Becoming Visible: The Legacy of Stonewall" closed at the New York Public Library. It had been there just over three months.

2001 Duane F. Catten Jr. (1965-2001) committed suicide A gentle spirit has left this world September 24, 2001 to reach his highest destiny. Duane was born Dec. 31, 1965. Those who knew him shared his humor, his dedication and most of all his love. He will be greatly missed by those he left behind, but he will be waiting on the other side with his gentle, outreached hand to lead us on our infinite journey. He graduated from Kearns High School, had a Degree in Electronics and was a loyal Honeywell Employee. Duane is survived by his parents, sisters, and dearest friend, Mark Ferraro.

2004 SUPPORT UTAH'S GLBT COMMUNITY CENTER! Steven Fales' funny and moving "Confessions of a Mormon Boy" is opening this Friday, September 24., at the Leona Wagner Black Box Theatre in Salt Lake City. The Center will receive $15 for each ticket sold to Friday's (Sept 24) performance.  Following the performance, there will be a  reception at Baci. Please come and bring your friends! Thanks! Chad Beyer Executive Director GLBTCCU

Sheri Dew

2004 Rolly & Wells: Web site squelches 'Hitler' talk  Paul Rolly and JoAnn Jacobsen-Wells  Salt Lake Tribune Columnists Salt Lake Tribune  Sept 24, 2004  A speech delivered last February by Deseret Book CEO Sheri Dew has been deleted from Meridian Magazine, an online magazine geared toward LDS readers, after complaints that she compared the gay rights movement to the rise of Hitler.   A story on the Web page of Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons, says that "two weeks after the Human Rights Campaign and the National Black Justice Coalition called on President Bush to repudiate Mormon leader Sheri Dew for controversial remarks posted on the Meridian Magazine Web site, the speech was removed from the site."  Dew had given the prayer at a session of the Republican National Convention, prompting the groups to write to Bush that "featuring individuals on the stage of your convention who compare a group of Americans to Hitler . . . is divisive and irresponsible," according to the Affirmation story. Dew's remarks on the Meridian Web site implied that the gay rights movement threatened the traditional family, and she warned against complacency, stating that people ignored the dangers of the rising Nazi movement in the 1930s until it was too late. "At first it may seem a bit extreme to imply a comparison between the atrocities of Hitler and what is happening in terms of contemporary threats against the family - but maybe not," said Dew, who had been considered by several Republican Utah gubernatorial candidates as a possible lieutenant governor running mate prior to the GOP state convention.     

• Mike Picardi “SHE COULD HAVE BEEN OUR LT. GOVERNOR”-

• Kathy Worthington- For a time Sheri Dew was a member of the Relief Society Presidency of the Mormon Church.  She is the author of several books, including a biography of church president Gordon B Hinckley. She has been CEO of Deseret Books for several years.  Dew has never married nor had children.  When she was younger, Dew had a female friend and the two were practically inseparable; they lived together, traveled together, were in the Relief Society presidency of their (single) ward together, and went through the temple together.

2005 Saturday 9:30pm @ the Trapp (on the dance floor)Patrick and Lucky Bring us the 2nd installment of "How Gay is That"  A Game show type event.  This is only a half hour long so please be on time if you want to catch the whole show.  Proceeds benefiting the people concern fund.

2005 Saturday 10:00pm @ The Trapp Door Empress 30 Krystyna Shaylee, Prince & Princess Royale 30 Alfredo & Kennedy, Empress 28 Heidi, Emperor 1 Pepper, Crown Prince 29 Chuck Whyte and Valerie Goodfellew are hosting a Hurricane Relief Show.  All proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross and one of our employers will match the money raised 100%.  Please join us for a showette and a chance to win some great raffle prizes.