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| Tuscarora, Nevada |
1877 Sarah Maud Pollard, as
Samuel M. Pollard, married Marancy Hughes in Tuscarora, Elko County, Nevada
Territory. Sarah Pollard was born in
1846 in New York, the daughter of a middle class merchant family. After working
in a shoe factory in Massachusetts and sewing shirts in New York, she headed
west to Colorado in the 1870s. She caused a stir because of her masculine
appearance. Around 1876 she moved to Nevada and took up wearing male clothing
in order to find work and she started calling herself “Sam.” She met young
Marancy Hughes, born in 1861 in Missouri, and actively courted her. Hughes’ family
hated Pollard and the couple eloped on September 28, 1877. They were happily
married for six months, and then Marancy broke the secret. The small
silver-mining town of Tuscarora, Nevada was transfixed by the story. The matter
ended up in court and after Marancy testified, a dramatic re-union took place.
Stories about the troubled marriage were carried in newspapers across the
country (even appearing in a New Zealand paper). The couple broke up two more
times, before Marancy moved on to a marriage with a man in 1880. The Salt Lake Tribune had a small blurb dated 6 June 1879 in the Pacific Coast News that said that Pollard went on a lecture tour regaling her same sex marriage. "The Pollard 'female husband' has returned to Tuscarora and according to the Times Review, he says she has been quite successful so far and proposed resuming her lecturing tour as soon as necessary additions can be made to his wardrobe for the female portion of his business." Sarah eventually moved to
Minnesota to start a new life by 1883, working by herself on a farm. The story
of her successful farming career again made national newspapers, which noted
she wore a bloomers-type outfit while plowing. By the 1890s she had met a woman
named Helen Stoddard, a schoolteacher who was born in 1864 in Vermont. In later
census records Helen was listed as her partner or companion. Sarah died in
1929, and Helen paid for her arrangements at a local funeral home, the owners
puzzling over the relationship of the two women.
1892 It was
expected that the trial of John Mack, who was indicted for sodomy, would be
called for hearing and a large number of witnesses and many morbid minded
spectators were in attendance but the time of the court was so occupied that a
continuation was taken until this morning. Ogden Standard Examiner First District Court News page 1
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| Building the Stockades at Greek Town |
1911 Salt Lake
City’s Stockade operated for three years
before Belle London called it quits. She had been convicted of "inducing
Dogney Grey, aged 16 years, to enter the stockade for immoral purposes."
At noon on September 28, 1911, she turned out the red lights. The Stockade was
torn down to rubble. It was the end of an era and authorities no longer looked
the other way. The location was directly behind where the Metro Club is located today (2013) and entrance was on 1st South. It was a social experiment to move prostitution away from downtown Salt Lake City to west of the tracks at Greek Town on 2nd South and 5th West which had a burgeoning male ethnic population.
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| Bob Waldrop |
1977- The White House responded to Salt Lake Metropolitan Community Church minister Bob Waldrop when Midge Costanza, assistant to the President Jimmy Carter
wrote “the President has clearly stated
on many occasions that he favors the end of discrimination harassment and abuse
of all citizens Gay or otherwise.”
1979- "Y
aide clarifies harassment story" and "Court day set for Oct. 25 in
felony trial", Daily Universe, September 28, 1979, p. 1; David Chipman entrapment case. David Chipman was arrested in Provo Canyon by an undercover BYU security intern who was enlisted to entrap homosexuals at BYU and prosecute them.
1987-The American Academy of Actuaries released a report
saying that because of the high mortality of HIV carriers, they cannot be
considered for life insurance.
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| David Sharpton |
1992 KUED DOCUMENTARY MOVINGLY PORTRAYS
AIDS ACTIVIST Byline: By Helen Forsberg THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Three years
before his death, David Sharpton spoke movingly about the disease that
eventually would ravage his body, leaving him a ghost of the strong and
vigorous man he once was. ``The message I would give would be that all of us
can be pioneers in the battle against AIDS. That we can all learn to overcome
this disease and I would hope that the people of this state will learn a lesson
from [this]. And that is that AIDS has been sent to us, possibly by God, but
it's been sent here as a tool of compassion to see how much like God we truly
are.'' It is with these words that ``Remembering David'' comes to its powerful
end. The documentary, produced by KUED's Ken Verdoia, premieres Wednesday on
Channel 7 at 8 p.m. Mr. Sharpton, a pioneer in Utah in the battle against AIDS,
died July 22 in a Dallas hospital, not far from the Lancaster home where he was
raised. He had left Utah -- his home of five years -- just months before, when
he sensed the end was near. ``When David no longer had the means to fight it
anymore,'' said Mr. Verdoia, ``when he said the best thing he could do was let
go and begin this journey, he went home . . . free-falling into his mother's
arms.'' Yet ``Remembering David'' is not about a man dying with AIDS; it is rather
about a man living with AIDS. David Sharpton came to Salt Lake City in 1987,
two years after his AIDS diagnosis at the age of 25. A convert to the Mormon
Church in his early teens, he was later excommunicated when he revealed his homosexuality.
Mr. Sharpton, according to Mr. Verdoia, never lost his affinity for the LDS
Church. But what drove him to Utah, said
the producer, was what he perceived as a glaring weakness within the community
in coming to grips with the AIDS crisis. It was this conviction that pushed Mr.
Sharpton into his role as a breakthrough figure in Utah in the battle against
AIDS. Along with Tom Lindsey, Mr. Sharpton co-founded and subsequently became
executive director of the People With AIDS Coalition of Utah. He then set about
conducting a high-profile, public-information campaign, saying he had
encountered ``so much ignorance [about AIDS] that no one was speaking out.'' ``David
was the first person with AIDS in Utah to come forward and say, `I am not going
to live in the shadows because I am a human being,' '' remembered Mr. Verdoia,
who became acquainted with Mr. Sharpton in early 1989. ``He
demystified the disease, he put a face on the disease and he had a riveting
effect on the audiences to whom he spoke.'' He frequently traveled throughout
rural Utah giving advice, in his headstrong and articulate manner, to
health-care givers, though in the documentary he admits that sometimes he was
scared. ``I was afraid I might be lynched,'' he said. But he was committed to
making a difference, said Mr. Verdoia, ``and his work had a marvelous rippling
effect . . . he broke through a wall of silence.'' His physician, Dr. Kristen
Ries, remembered, ``David didn't pussyfoot around. He just told it like it was
and that was very hard for some. But in doing so he did a great service to the
people of Utah.'' It was during these high-profile years -- when Mr. Sharpton,
among other things, spoke on behalf of the National Association of People With
AIDS at the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and later led a candlelight march
attended by more than 500 people in downtown Salt Lake City -- that he was at
his healthiest and most content. `That activism was his focus,'' said Dr. Ries
in the documentary. ``It enabled him to get up each day and live his life to
the fullest.'' But Act I, as Mr. Verdoia refers to the time period, came all
too quickly to its end. ``When the realization came that AIDS was not going to
be a quick, Desert Storm sort of victory for society, that it was going to be a
long process in which we would lose hundreds of thousands of individuals, that
it was not going to be quick, dramatic and uplifting, that took its toll on
David.'' He began to turn inward and one could sense his frustration, said Mr. Verdoia.
``You could see David's anger manifest itself and that anger was vented at a
very dear price.'' According to his colleagues at the time, the causes that Mr.
Sharpton had championed and fathered were in jeopardy because of his rage.
``They believed they could no longer afford to stay affiliated with David
because he was costing them allies, friendships and funding,'' said Mr.
Verdoia. Act II of ``Remembering David,'' played out over two years, chronicles
his loneliest years, a period when Mr. Sharpton was ``completely adrift.''
Stripped of his position at the People With AIDS Coalition, David explored his
fury, at first saying ``I have a right to this anger.'' He became involved with
several organizations, including a radical gay-activist group. ``None of them
worked for him,'' said Mr. Verdoia, ``and eventually he abandoned them all.'' Meanwhile,
his health began to fail. The documentary now focuses on a frail and weakened
David Sharpton. He had lost 50 pounds and half of his hair. Anger was replaced
by resignation. Ultimately, said Mr. Verdoia, Mr. Sharpton came to realize his
anger was wrong. He understood that it had devoured him and his causes. ``Seeing
David lose his focus, we see a very important lesson for people with AIDS. When
they lose their goals and visions, they often lose the very basis of life and
that is played out in David.'' As David Sharpton's life was entering its final
phase, so too was the documentary begun back in early 1989. After working
together on an earlier documentary, ``AIDS: The Quiet Cost,'' the two men
committed to another project: chronicling David's life to the end. ``I'm going to
go on and live my life and carry this battle forward and I want you to be part
of it,'' Mr. Sharpton told Mr. Verdoia, KUED's senior producer. ``It's very
easy to say you'll be there till the very end until the very end is staring you
in the face. Then it's not a grand project, watching this final leave-taking.''
Mr. Verdoia and crew traveled to Dallas in June. ``It was a pivotal time,
although we didn't realize it when we went down. . . . We knew he was failing,
but I didn't expect death to be imminent. ``Seven years of being ravaged by
this disease had finally taken its toll. He couldn't walk, the words came
slowly, but he was very much at peace with the world around him. ``The way he
died really sustains, for me, a conviction that when David was at his most
active, he wasn't just going through the motions, he wasn't just delivering
sound bites for the media, he wasn't standing up in front of audiences for the
adulation.'' At the height of his activism, Mr. Sharpton was criticized as a person
seeking the limelight, the producer recalled. ``Davis was up there for a
purpose and that purpose was genuine,'' said Mr. Verdoia. ``He wasn't in it for
David Sharpton. He was in it for the silent masses. . . . Now that he's gone,
no one has taken his place. A void exists there. For 42 months, David Sharpton
did everything he could to make a difference. His fight was real.'' After
``Remembering David,'' KUED will air ``America in the Age of AIDS'' at 9 p.m. SLTribune Page: B5
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| Sean Riker |
1995 Thursday, Police say vandals broke into
building, poured gas on floor, then lighted it. DID ARSONISTS SPARK BOOKSTORE
BLAZE? Associated Press Police believe arsonists sparked a blaze that caused
$200,000 damage to downtown bookstore and coffee shop.Vandals broke a small
window near the door, disengaged the locks and entered The Agave Bookstore early
Saturday morning, according to police reports.Gasoline was poured in circles on
the floor and lighted, activating the sprinkler system and alarm at about 3 a.m.
The high-pressure sprinklers quickly extinguished the blaze but kept running
until 7 a.m.when employees of a nearby business heard the alarm and called
police."It was an audible alarm," said Sgt. Marlon Stratton.
"It's just that nobody would have heard it until they showed up for
work."Flames and water destroyed much of the ground level merchandise of
cards and calendars, but the books stored on shelves downstairs were spared,
said co-owner Dave Hamilton. Hamilton called the fire a hate-crime, but declined
to elaborate.The bookstore and coffee shop sells a variety of publications
including new-age and alternative lifestyle books in addition to arts and
crafts."There are hate group elements out there with their own
agendas," he said. "We've had an outpouring of help from our customers
who are deeply offended."Police are conducting a follow-up investigation
into the blaze. © 1998 Deseret News Publishing Sleepy St. George wakes to Blaze Co. Gay Couple whose shop was hit are leaving Utah Bomb set to disguise a burgulary
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| Vittoria D'Alessio |
1996-An article in New Scientist by Vittoria D'Alessio reviewed
research projects on the Gay gene, and concluded that the existence of a
genetic link to homosexuality is almost indisputable. Vittoria
D'Alessio says that a gay gene could benefit the species as a whole ("Born
to be gay", 28 September, p 32). However, natural selection doesn't work
on the level of the species. Kinship theory is then mentioned, which is very
different to species selection. Kinship is a result of natural selection on the
level of the genes. Using the "selfish gene" theory, the gay gene may
benefit from causing altruistic behavior towards brothers. However, there is a
50 per cent chance the brothers do not carry the gene, or if they do, they have
an approximately 50 per cent chance of being gay themselves. In this case the
gay gene has a 25 per cent chance that a brother will be worth helping. This
suggests that altruism would be more common towards sisters. Sisters also have
a 50 per cent chance of carrying the gay gene
.jpg) |
| Michael Quinn |
1996 Oasis, a program for gay and lesbian persons, will meet at
St. James Episcopal Church, 7486 S.
Union Park Avenue, Salt Lake City, Tuesday at 7
p.m. The church also will be the site of the Blessing of the Animals Oct. 5
at noon in conjunction with the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. All are welcome
to bring their pets to be blessed, but all animals should be on a leash,in a
cage or container or otherwise controlled. MISCELLANEOUS Wasatch
Affirmation is sponsoring a mission reunion for Gay and Lesbian Mormons and former
Mormons Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Salt Lake Holiday Inn, 999 S. Main, Salt
Lake City. A $10 donation is requested. Activities include a ``Gay Mormon
Roadshow,'' a light buffet, and and remarks by historian D. Michael Quinn, who
will discuss his most recent book, Same-Sex Dynamics among
Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example. In addition, a fireside will be
held Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. at 823 S.600 East, Salt
Lake City. Speaker will be Edwin Firmage, a University of Utah law professor,who will talk about
his personal journey toward gay rights
advocacy. Refreshments will be served. Salt Lake Tribune 09/28/96 Page: C3--
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| Camille Lee |
1996 Byline: BY ROBERT BRYSON THE
SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Camille Lee shuffled
pamphlets and books at a booth in the Salt Palace Convention Hall, located near
vendors of wireless services, Mormon scriptures on video, and visual displays. But Lee is offering something at the Utah
Education Association convention that cannot be bought: respect. ``Walk the halls of Utah schools and the put-down
of choice is `fag,' '' says Lee, a teacher at Salt Lake City's East High and member
of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Teachers Network. This is the organization's first appearance
at the teachers' union annual convention. It will not be the last, vows Lee, a
lesbian. ``We need to be here,'' she
says, ``because respect for all is part of safe schools,'' the convention’s
theme. By and large, she says, the
response has been been positive. ``One
woman stopped at the booth and said she was uncomfortable, but has gay and lesbian students. She wondered if we had anything
to help them,'' Lee says. ``This information needs to be out there.'' The network has some 75 members on its mailing
list, she notes, including many who are straight. The group sponsored a screening of the
video: ``It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School,'' which drew a
full house. Earlier this month, only three of 104 legislators found the time to
attend a private screening at the State Capitol of the film by Academy Award winning
filmmaker Debra Chasnoff. The video
explores how experienced teachers address lesbian and gay issues. The film is
now on a 30-city national tour, but will not be shown in Utah schools. In Utah, the issue of gays and lesbians in
public schools came to a head last spring. The Salt Lake City School Board,
faced with a proposal to let East High students form a gay-lesbian alliance, decided to ban all
school clubs unrelated to academic courses rather than allow the alliance to be
formed. Lee says gay and lesbian
teachers were motivated to form the network by the courage of the high school students
-- gay and straight --who marched to the Capitol and filled school board
meetings in support of the alliance.
``Some claimed it was the opposite,'' says Lee, referring to claims by
some Utahns that the students were pushed into the fray by older homosexuals
with an agenda. ``But it has been the kids.'' The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Teachers
Network is involved in a number of activities. One is a back-to-school project
in which gay and lesbian high school graduates are asked to write of their
classroom experiences. ``We want to
record these. And we want to talk to different groups,'' Lee says. ``We are not
promoting sexuality, and the organization has nothing to do with sexual
activity, but respect and teaching kids how to live.'' Salt Lake Tribune /28/96Page: B3
 |
| Cleve Jones |
1997 Cleve Jones, founder of the now 40-acre AIDS Memorial
Quilt, spoke with East High students in Salt Lake City about the deadly disease
on Friday. A portion of the quilt is in back ground.East Students: Next for
AIDS? Byline: BY SHAWN FOSTER THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE First there were a thousand names on a
quilt, the next year 8,000, then 16,000. This year, 40,000 names on a 40-acre
quilt covered the mall in Washington,
D.C. Cleve Jones, founder of the AIDS Memorial
Quilt, spoke Friday to an audience of about 300 students at East High School
in Salt Lake City
about grieving for those who have died of the disease and honoring their
memories by preaching the AIDS-prevention message. ``I'm probably the wrong person to talk to
you about AIDS -- an old, white, gay guy from a big city,'' said Jones. ``I
look like AIDS cases from this decade, but the next decade of AIDS case looks
exactly like you.'' Federal health
officials reported this month that for the first time since the AIDS epidemic
was identified 16 years ago, the number of newly diagnosed cases of the disease
in adolescent and adult Americans declined.
But the incidence of cases traced to heterosexual transmission last year
continued to rise, jumping 11 percent among men and 7 percent among women. ``We dismissed it and said, `It's only a gay
problem,' '' Jones said. ``Today we are paying the price for that
mistake.'' Jones says his goal is not
to teach tolerance for homosexuality. ``Even if you think I'm a sinner, I want
to teach you how to prevent AIDS,'' he said.
But the job in Utah
is not easy. The state board of
education's policy on AIDS education prohibits teachers, counselors and
visiting speakers from discussing contraception or sexual practices. The ban
rankles many students. ``It's a serious
disease and it needs to be out in the open,'' said Chuck Kaiser, a junior. And students at East High School
face another obstacle: the shadow of the gay club controversy. Last year, the
Salt Lake City School Board banned most clubs in order to keep out a club for
gay, lesbian and straight students. SL Tribune Page: B8
2003 Leo Peter Anderson 8/11/34 ~
9/24/03 Leo Anderson passed away on
September 24, 2003 in his home in Sugar House. Cause of death is pending. Leo
was born in Ephraim, Utah to Harry Y and Mary Ava Anderson,
August 11, 1934. Married Arlene Johnson Christiansen in Elko, Nevada
June 17, 1974. Leo was a veteran of the Korean War and was honorably
discharged. He was a ardent supporter
of Alcoholics Anonymous and helped many people stay clean. Burial will follow in the Cleveland Cemetery, Cleveland, Utah at 1:00
p.m. SL Utah Page: B7
2010 Equality Utah’s annual Allies
Dinner is one of the highlights of the year for Utah’s gay, lesbian, bisexual,
transgender and queer community. Sponsored by philanthropist Bruce Bastian and
Jane and Tami Marquardt, the dinner is one of the gay and transgender rights
organization’s biggest fund-raisers, as well as a day for it to honor
individuals and organizations that have provided exemplary service to Utah’s queer
community. Named “Gaining Ground,” in honor of the spread of job and employment
protections for gay and transgender people, this year’s dinner featured
Dustin Lance Black as its keynote speaker. A writer for the television show Big Love, Black has won
numerous Writers Guild of America awards for his work on the HBO drama about
polygamy in Utah. In 2009, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay
for Milk, a
dramatization of the life and assassination of gay-rights activist and public
official Harvey Milk. He also narrated 8:
The Mormon Proposition, Reed Cowan’s controversial documentary
about the LDS Church’s involvement in the passage of California’s Proposition
8. During the dinner, Equality Utah will also give its Allies for Equality Award
to five recipients: Jane and Tami Marquardt, Gary and Millie Watts and the Salt
Lake City Human Rights Commission. Once a practicing attorney from 1979 to
2007, Jane Marquardt has served Utah’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
citizens since 1982, when she started offering seminars on establishing powers
of attorney, wills and other directives to same-sex couples. In 1996, she also
helped organize training sessions for Utah judges about “the cutting-edge
issues of the day like employment nondiscrimination” affecting gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender people. During those sessions, she faced off against
psychologists and BYU professors who presented what she called “the other side”
of the debate. “It was a chance to be a competent gay person standing up in
front of a group of judges who may have thought they didn’t know gay people,”
she said. “That was a fun thing to be involved in. It was a landmark that the
Utah Supreme Court even wanted to be educated on these issues in the middle of
the ’90s.” Marquardt also served as a board member for Equality Utah from
2001–2007, starting when the organization was known as Unity Utah, and is still
a member of the group’s advisory council. In 2004, she served as the chair for
the Don’t Amend campaign, Equality Utah’s effort to stop a state constitutional
ban on same-sex marriage. When founder Michael Mitchell departed the
organization, she also acted as interim director until the board hired Mike
Thompson. “I did a lot of legal work to help them grow from being just Equality
Utah to the three organizations it is today: Equality Utah, Equality Utah PAC
and Equality Utah Foundation,” she said. “I realized that was a good structure,
to combine a political action committee, a lobbying arm and a political foundation.
I think I followed the lead of the Human Rights Campaign, which is set up in a
similar way.” Marquardt is legally married to her partner Tami in Canada and in
a number of U.S. states that have legalized same-sex marriage. Tami Marquardt
served as the Utah Pride Center’s interim director in 2004 before the hiring of
Valerie Larabee and is a member of the Center’s board today. “Tami had a real
interest in youth,” Marquardt explained. “She has a real passion for talking to
young people, so when she was at the Center she helped to run programs for
youth. In life now she’s always willing to talk to people having issues coming
out. She’s so good at it people come to find her.” Like Tami Marquardt, Gary
and Millie Watts have also helped gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth,
as well as their families as the leaders of LDS Family Fellowship. Although the
two did not found the organization, they joined soon after its formation in
1993; two of their six children are gay, and one of them, Craig, has been excommunicated
from the LDS Church. “Our love for Craig lead to a family commitment to do all
we can to help people understand more about same-sex orientation,” the two
wrote in a 1994 letter viewable on their website, ldsfamilyfellowship.org
shortly before they began holding Family Fellowship meetings in their Utah
County home. “Not only do we share the scientific research that is coming
forth, we also try to help people realize how much discrimination hurts, not
only the homosexual person, but family and friends as well. It [Craig’s
coming out] has opened our eyes to the world of “justified” discrimination that
exists in many aspects of society.” As leaders of the support group, the
Wattses not only provide council and support for parents struggling to come to
terms with their child’s sexual orientations, but tireless advocacy for gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. “Education is one of our major goals,
and to just try to get the parents and siblings to love their gay child and
keep their gay child under their wing, not kick them out of the house like
happens so many times with gay children,” said Millie Watts in an interview
with KUED for Friends and
Neighbors: A Community Divided, a 1999 documentary about the
families and friends of gay and lesbian Utahns. Throughout the ’90s and 2000s,
the Wattses have spoken to journalists and organizations alike about their
work, and have spoken out against anti-gay pronouncements made by LDS
officials. A number of organizations have recognized them for these efforts,
including Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons, a support group for former and
current gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender members of the LDS Church. “Gary
and Millie possess a genuinely charitable spirit,” said Family Fellowship
supporter Marge Bradshaw in a 2006 ceremony where Affirmation honored the
couple with an award for outstanding leadership. “They give. They give time;
they give money; they give love. We spend four nights or so each year, with
several other couples, at the dining room table in their home stuffing and
addressing envelopes that contain a flyer announcing the upcoming Family
Fellowship gathering. They provide the home, the pizza and root beer, and
contribute to the spirit of friendship. There are no aides or secretaries; there
is only Watts’ generosity.” The eight-member Salt Lake City Human Rights
Commission has been an invaluable part of making the capital city a safer and
more just place for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender residents. In 2009,
its report on discrimination within the city’s boundaries revealed that
discrimination based on race, sexual orientation and gender identity were
significant problems. The report was the cornerstone upon which Mayor Ralph
Becker based two ordinances prohibiting housing and employment discrimination
against gay and transgender residents. The Salt Lake City Council ultimately
passed the ordinances near the end of last year, and seven other municipalities
have adopted them since. Lisa Harrison Smith, Becker’s deputy director of communications,
said that the commission was “honored and excited” to receive the recognition. “We’re really thrilled that we’re
recognized by Equality Utah. They’re a big part of many, if not all, of the
initiatives that come out in the city. It means a lot to us.” Upon entering
office, said Smith, Becker created the commission with Coordinator Yolanda
Francisco-Nez at the helm “with the charge to make some very big changes” in
how the city handled matters relating to diversity. “I think that set the tone
for a pretty progressive agenda when it comes to LGBT rights,” she said, adding
that the mayor’s office appreciated EU’s recognition of Francisco-Nez’s
efforts. Francisco-Nez was out of town and could not be reached for comment.
“Gaining Ground” will be held Sept. 28 at the Salt Palace. Tickets are $100 per
person or $900 for a table of 10. Proceeds will go to Equality Utah Political
Action Committee, to help elect fair-minded candidates who support equal rights
for Utah’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens. Vegetarian options
are available.
 |
| Isaac Higham |
2010 Equality Utah’s 9th Annual Fundraiser held
at the Salt Palace. A Few
Things I Learned At Equality Utah's Allies Dinner by Isaac Higham .This is by no means a comprehensive
list, and it is in no particular order of importance or chronology, but
here are a few things I learned at Equality Utah’s Allies Dinner:
- Sitting
at a table with Keri, Mike, and Jill made my teary eyes seem as dry as the
Sahara
- I want
to be like Millie and Gary Watts.
Taking life’s challenges head on and using them to strengthen their
relationship with their partner and their family as they advance through
the various stages of life.
- Kris Cantil is on my team
- Dustin Lance Black is
pretty. Ok so I didn’t really LEARN
this at Allies, I already knew this but it is worth mentioning anyway.
- I want to work with Mike
Thompson some day.
- Some Lesbian perfumes make
me sneeze.
- I finally learned what it
was like to bawl your eyes out listening to a “testimony” of a cute little
Mormon boy because you agree with everything they’re saying.
- Josh Lee and I will start
some shit if left without adult supervision for too long
- Waitresses are able to
easily steal things when the lights are low. Like my knife. And Cristy’s
salad
- The world needs power
dykes and Barbie dykes
- I made my first calendar
centerfold. I’m so hott right now.
- Will Carlson looks
adorable in a bow tie
- Ben McAdams is one of my
heroes
- That being introduced to
someone new as “The guy who writes stuff on facebook” can actually elicit
an excited response
- I have to watch Milk
again. It happens every time I
listen to DLB
- Brandie loves my blue
shirt. And I love Brandie (glitter or not)
- I like my new dress pants
- If I had half the energy
of Lauren Littlefield I would take over the world
- I love people that refuse
to listen to the world that tells them they can’t make a difference.
- I am impatient. Not
because I want certain things for myself, but because I want them for
others.
2013 The third-annual Moab Pride Festival is expected to be the largest yet, organizers say. This year, organizers anticipate that attendance at the Sept. 28 festival at Old City Park will triple and participation in a variety of events scheduled before and after the festival is expected to also grow. “This unique event is the second largest small-town Pride Festival in the United States,” festival officials said in a news release. Since 2011, when Moab Pride was launched by Amy Stocks, Ali Lingle and a handful of other local residents, the festival has drawn steady support from many local businesses and community members, and organizers have estimated that more than 700 people attended the 2012 festival. From the beginning, organizers have envisioned the event as inclusive for the entire community. “It’s about being visible and showing pride in the community and in ourselves,” Stocks said last year. This year’s festival kicks off at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27 with the Orange Party at Frankie D’s Bar and Grill, 44 West 200 North. The meet-and-greet event will feature music by Salt Lake City DJs Stackhouse and Sistamatic and will include an appearance by Indi Skies. Those who attend are encouraged to dress in orange attire. On Saturday, Sept. 28, the festival’s “visibility march” will get underway at 8:45 a.m. Participants in the march will meet at the southeast corner of Swanny City Park on 100 West at 9 a.m. Moab Mayor Dave Sakrison will address the crowd and read a proclamation before the march through town gets under way. At 11 a.m., the festival will begin at Old City Park, located on Murphy Lane southeast of Moab. This year, author and activist Wayne Besen will be a featured speaker at the festival. The author of “Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth,” Besen currently serves as the executive director of Truth Wins Out, an organization founded to combat the ‘ex-gay’ myth and right wing propaganda. Besen is a former spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay and lesbian advocacy group. The day-long festival will also include performances by a variety of musicians including Birdie and the Black Sheep, an all-female band, with a blues and rock sound, Nico Tower, alternative rock band The Vision, and The Lovebirds, a folk/pop duo. A festival after-party will be held at World Famous Woody’s Tavern, 221 S. Main St., featuring music by local DJs The Droogs and guest DJ La DivaDanielle. A drag performance by Indi Skies and friends is also scheduled. “It makes me proud, as a gay man from Moab, to see my hometown having such an inspiring event. When I was growing up there, I had no gay friends I could talk to. In fact, I was the only out kid in high school,” said Benton Johnson. “I really feel like this festival is a fantastic opportunity for gay youth in Moab who might be questioning or scared. It makes me happy to think that today’s youth won’t have to go through some of what I did.” The theme for this year’s festival is “Naturally Engayged,” and organizers said they see the event as “a gift to everyone and a chance to bring people together to enjoy the beauty and big heart of Moab.” Moab Times-Independent - 2013 Moab Pride Festival is expected to be the largest yet organizers say
2013 Small-Town
Utah, Big LGBT Pride By Kiri Westby
When you think of Utah, you
probably
conjure up images of vast desert landscapes, breathtaking rock formations,
expansive salt flats and towering, white Mormon temples. Chances are you don’t
picture rainbow flags, outrageous parties, activism and a massive public
outpouring of LGBT pride — at least not yet. Moab Pride has created one of the most unique pride
events in the country, one that is generating a lot of buzz now in its third
year. In fact, last year’s attendance made it the second largest “small-town
pride” in the nation. This year’s theme, “Naturally Engayged,” promises to
combine the beauty of Moab and its surrounding national parks with Utah’s
growing awareness and celebration of its LGBT population. Beginning with loads of outdoor fun, Moab Gay Adventure Week is an adrenalin-packed week
of hiking, rafting, canyoneering and exploring. (You can even take a jeep tour
out to Thelma & Louise Point!) This is the first national event to connect
outdoor recreation with LGBT pride. Adventure Week culminates in a drag hike to
Windows Arch in Arches National Park, where organizers promise that “the loop
trail is brief, mostly paved, perfect for heels and with several beautiful
photo opportunities to get your Vogue on!” There is an après-adventure mixer
every afternoon as part of Dine Out for Pride, in which participating
restaurants and bars will donate a percentage of proceeds to Moab Pride. This
year’s revenue will be put toward creating a permanent drop-in center in town,
offering a larger scope of services to local LGBT youth, allies and visitors. After a week of nonstop adventuring,
Pride Weekend kicks off with the Orange Party, an all-orange dance party
inspired by the color of Moab’s surrounding rocks. As the organizers put it,
“Moab has always known that Orange Is The New Black!” This official kick-off
party is a time to meet and greet and become more “engayged” with the Moab
community for events ahead. Moab’s “People Powered” Visibility
March will be launched Saturday morning by a mayoral proclamation and
encourages the whole town to participate on bikes, skates, skateboards,
unicycles or your own two legs, just nothing motorized, though the world-famous
art car “Chundra“ will lead the crowd through town to the
beat of the Fiery Furnace Marching Band. The march leads into an all-day
festival in Moab’s Old City Park, a picturesque venue south of town in Spanish
Valley. The festival is the perfect place to relax outdoors, meet new people
and enjoy amazing music, speakers, vendors and LGBT education, support and
services. This year’s keynote speaker is Wayne Besen, author of Anything But Straight:
Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth. Mr. Besen
currently serves as Executive Director of Truth Wins Out, an organization founded to combat
the “ex-gay” myth and right-wing propaganda around homosexuality. Besen’s work
is particularly poignant this month, as a federal appeals court recently sided
with California’s S.B. 1772, upholding the first law in the country to ban the
bogus psychological treatment that seeks to turn gay youth straight (known as
“conversion therapy” or “reparative therapy”). After the day at the park, there’s the
Annual After Party, where mistress of ceremonies Indi Skies will present the
Moab Pride drag queens and you can dance the night away surrounded by Moab’s
stunning natural beauty and the spinning sounds of DJ divaDanielle from Los Angeles. Just writing about Moab Pride this year makes me want to join in! It gets me
excited for the future of Utah and the entire country. As Donna Narducci,
former Executive Director of Atlanta Pride, put it, “Small-town Pride events are
the ones creating change. It’s easy to blend in with 300,000 of your friends
and another to be one of several hundred. That takes guts!” It is small-town
pride events in places like Moab that are changing the political landscape and
opening up dialogue in traditionally conservative states like Utah. Moab youth Audrey Baird, who participated in
last year’s visibility march for the first time, shared her story: It was a little bit hard, just because you
don’t really know what you should do, if you should come out or if you should
just keep it to yourself, because you really don’t know how people are going to
react, because everyone knows everyone here. Former resident Benton Johnson says such
experiences exemplify the need for LGBT festivities and services: It makes me proud, as a gay man from Moab, to
see my hometown having such an inspiring event. When I was growing up, I had no
gay friends I could talk to. In fact, I was the only out kid in high school. I
really feel like this festival is a fantastic opportunity for gay youth in Moab
who might be questioning or scared. It makes me happy to think that today’s
youth won’t have to go through some of what I did. Moab Pride’s lead organizer, Jenn Oestreich,
explained some of the significance behind the glitz and disco balls: For Moab, pride is more than just a party and
a parade. It is a political statement heard far beyond our town’s borders. The
attendance of approximately 500 people at the first pride event, which is 10
percent of Moab’s total population and a number we hope to triple this year,
illustrates how important it is, not only for the local GLBTQ community but
also for our rural citizens hoping to show that Utah is just as progressive and
supportive of equality and visibility as larger cities. I too believe that real change happens on the
fringe of society, and that it takes incredible courage to stand up and be seen
for pride in Utah. Such bravery requires — no, inspires — me to change my
preconceived notions of Utah and instead spend my energy and time getting
behind Moab’s brave trailblazers. While I’m admittedly not much of a hiker or
an outdoorswoman, I’ll get behind anything that creates political change for
all LGBT citizens and makes the world safer and more inclusive for all of
humanity. Road trip, anyone?
 |
| Hattie Raddon |
2018 Hattie McNeil Raddon 1942 ~ 2018 died. Raddon was born in SLC on
January 19, 1942. She lived her entire life in Utah. Hattie had a beauty shop, drove bus for UTA
and owned a bar Puss N Boots during her life. She played cards for her hobby. She worked
hard, fought hard, played hard, loved hard and lived hard. The rules didn't
apply to her. She said, "I did it My Way." And she did. In lieu of
flowers please donate to your favorite charity.
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