September 29th
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| Ogden |
1892 In the case of the people vs Mack indicted on the charge of sodomy the trial was concluded and the jury found the defendant guilty as charged date of sentence set for Sept 30th.
- 1892 Ogden Standard Examiner Random References page 8 Officer Tom Conway went to Salt Lake last evening and had in his charge Al Wood, the colored dining car waiter who attempted to end the earthly career of Pat Boyle in a saloon on Twenty Fifth Street with a razor and John Mack charged with Sodomy and landed them in the penitentiary.
1896 The following business was transacted in the Fourth district
Court [Provo] yesterday. Frank Merrill, Patsy Calvey, and James Owens were arraigned on
information charging them with committing a crime of nature in Spanish Fork on
Sept 15th. They stated to the court that they had no money to employ
counsel at the present but expected to have some money in two weeks and would
try to engage Judge Powers. AL Booth was appointed to confer with them in
regard to their plea. Wednesday the 30th was set for time of taking
the pleas. Deseret News.
- 1896 Fourth District Court Last Sunday one of the companions of the three men who are in jail awaiting trial on the charge of committing a “Crime Against Nature” came to Provo and spoke to young Clark the victim of the crime who remains a witness against them. The man told Clark that it would be better to let the matter drop and not testify against the men. They boy however refused to agree to this. When the trial is over the officers have promised to send him to his home in California. Deseret News [Frank Merrill, Patsy Colvey, and James Owens charged with sodomy against 18 year old Thomas Clark]
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| Deseret Gym 1910-1962 |
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| Deseret Gym The Lord's Bathhouse |
- When the Deseret Gym was shutting down, several old photo graphs were hung in the Men's side of the gym. One showed a naked boy crouching on the the diving board. The next time I went to teh gym, rather than removing it, someone had inked in a pair of speedoes on the boy. (Ben Williams)
- Swimming suits were prohibited at the Deseret Gym for much of its existence. Early swimsuits were primarily made of cotton which tended to shed fibers which clogged the filter systems of the pools. It wasn’t until the 1960′s with the advent of nylon fabrics that the issue was resolved. It also coincided with the introduction of women to many organizations like the YMCA that the issue came up and was discussed. I believe it was about the same time that the Deseret Gym stopped the nude swimming as well. More than one source on this and at least one person directly confirmed seeing General Authorities swimming there in the nude. A Prescott, Arizona Man wrote … The Deseret Gym was an exercise facility that used to be across the street from Temple Square in Salt Lake City – removed to make way for the construction of the LDS Conference Center. This gym was frequented for many years by General Authorities and other workers from the Church Office Building. As a young boy in Salt Lake we used to go to the Deseret Gym to swim, or try to in my case, and we were not allowed to wear swim suits. We had to swim nude, no girls of course, and the same was true when I took swimming classes at the University Of Utah, no suits allowed. Many accounts confirm that nude swimming (among men) was the tradition there, as with all YMCA swimming pools across the country, until the time of their integration with female visitors for co-ed swimming.
- Luckily, I soon shifted my attention from my own body to
those of other boys. During my
years from 8 to 10, my happiest moments were spent at the [Deseret] gymnasium. Although I rarely exercised there, for over two years my heart and soul were at the gym—ironically far more than my gawky body. In utmost innocence, mother, signed me up for weekly swimming lessons at the Deseret Gym, the Church's "temple for the body," only two blocks from my grammar school. She couldn't have known what fears and pleasures she was unwittingly introducing me to. In our all-boy class, our swimming instructor, Mr. Welch, liked to pick out the most timid or underdeveloped boys and challenge them to show what they could do. He became for two years my principal villain. To my astonishment, even under the Church's auspices, males of all ages swam nude, and boys in their later teens and early 20s had the period after ours. When inside the locker room, I was always too self-conscious to be caught looking at other boys. But after I had dressed, I would run up to the balcony overlooking the pool and stare at these splendid examples of slightly older Mormon manhood to my heart's content. I was always alone. The gym's official (and wonderfully benighted) assumption seemed to be that no Mormon boy—"normal" by definition—would ever be interested in others of his own sex. If the door to the balcony was locked, I would climb up the fire escape to peer through the tops of windows to catch a glimpse of at least a chest or back. At other times, I would find an awkward low grill in a janitor's closet that enabled me to catch glimpses into the men's locker room. Like a straight boy trying to peek into the girls' room, I would have moved heaven and earth to appease my insatiable desires. With far more developed bodies than mine, these older boys were young gods to me. I had never before seen teenage men nude, but I knew at once that I would never again see anything so breathtakingly beautiful. Leaning over the balcony railing, I was fascinated by their larger penises, musculature, pubic and body hair, and their wonderful heads and faces. As apparent products of the Saints' clean living and pious thinking, these Apollos were phenomenal embodiments of the genus male. At times, I would nearly faint when an exceptionally handsome boy entered the pool room and went to the diving board. There he often would jump up and down for some time, preening like a bird of paradise, until he began to get an erection, of which he pretended to be utterly unaware. Then, to my disappointment, he would plunge into the blue-green waters and swim gracefully back and forth several times. Staring fixedly, I would follow this young prince until he hauled himself out onto the tile floor and started rubbing himself down nonchalantly with his towel. If he was unusually good-looking, I noted that other boys were also watching him. I learned early that, with furtive glances, most boys pay a silent tribute to male beauty. And as I have observed, most men—being competitive in every way—check one another out in showers. It also seemed to me that many boys expressed homosexual feelings before they adopted socially acceptable heterosexual identities. There was no nudity in my family, and my father was usually absent. Thus, these young males represented to me an unknown half of the world, a part of humanity that I'd only dreamed about. Or they were creatures of another species. Indeed, they seemed infinitely more beautiful nude than dressed. I no longer had to be my own phallic hero; more gifted heroes were exercising before me, and my eyes were now their adoring mirror. The bodies of these glorious young men seemed utterly unlike my own prepubescent skeleton. Because of the cold water, my small, late-developing penis always shriveled to nothing in the pool. Although it was my necessary badge of admission to the all-male hall, I was ashamed of my small equipment and tried to hide it. I was grateful and surprised, however, that an ambivalent boy like me was allowed into this enormous room full of naked men. I was like a spy in foreign territory. Of course I kept my exciting voyeurism as private as I had my displays before my mother's mirror. I divided my life into seemingly unrelated experiences. I never connected these secret moments at the gym, for instance, with the overtures of my piano teacher, or any other forbidden experiences. I would end sessions at the gym exhausted but satisfied. Applying my religious language to my desires, I came to feel that the human form is sacred, if anything is. Later, I understood why the Greeks portrayed their gods as beautiful human beings. Fixedly watching these naked young men at the gym initiated a lifelong preoccupation, one that never lessened, but very soon I had no way to satisfy it. It was never again as innocent, pure and selfless. I think that enormous numbers of boys who professedly become straight have enjoyed similar experiences, but they probably call their stolen glances "admiration" or "hero-worship." They usually deny that this admiration could be tinged with physical desire. Older men may repress their urge to stare, or else they become ever more furtive. (Memoirs of Joel Dorius)
Dr. Joel Dorius 1919-2006
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| The Captive |
1926- "The
Captive," a play about a young woman who was seduced by an older woman,
opened in New York." Irene de Montcel, ordered by her diplomatist father to
be prepared to move from Paris to Brussels, refuses to go. De Montcel,
suspecting Irene is held by the fascination a degenerate woman companion exerts
for her, insists upon her going. To escape submission Irene begs a girlhood
sweetheart, Jacques Virieu, to marry her. Jacques, though warned by the husband
of the degenerate that such a marriage cannot be successful, agrees to Irene's
proposal. A year later they are returned from their honeymoon. Their marriage
has been a failure and Irene, still under the influence of her friend, deserts
her husband." [from The Best Plays of 1926-
27, ed. by Burns Mantle (Dodd,
Mead and Co., 1927), page 390.] The play closed after a police raid arrested the actors. “…As we walked out onto the stage to await our first entrances
we were stopped by a plainclothes policeman who showed his badge and said,
‘Please don’t let it disturb your performance tonight but consider yourself
under arrest!’ At the close of the play the cast were all ordered to dress and
stand by to be escorted in police cars to a night court.” Basil Rathbone
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| Basil Rathbone |
1948 - The Rope, an Alfred Hitchcock film staring Jimmy Stewart with a gay subtext,
openedin theaters. The screenplay was
written by Arthur Laurents and two of the actors, Farley Granger and John Dall,
were also gay. The play was loosely based on Leopold and Loeb, the homosexual thrill killers.
1950 Brutal Attackers of local boy draw stiff term. For the brutal
beating and sexual assault on a nine year old Murray boy, two 15 year old youths Saturday
heard Third District court Judge A H Ellett order them confined from society
until they are 21 years old. The juveniles, Karl Marx Black, of 56 Columbia St and Franklin R
Westerfield, of Pueblo St, both were
sentenced to the state prison for from three to 20 years on the charge of
sodomy and for not more than five years on the charge of indecent assault. The
terms will run concurrently. However execution of the sentences were stayed by
the court on condition the youths remain in the custody of the state industrial
school until they reach at that time they must appear before the court again
for final disposition of their case. Black will be 21 Sept 6 1955 and
Westerfield on July 10 1956. The youths pleaded guilty to both charges
previously a charge of attempt to commit murder had been dropped. Black
received a sanity hearing prior to appearing before the court for preliminary
hearing. He was adjudged sane by court
appointed psychiatrists. In passing
sentence, Judge Ellett told the pair, “the crimes you have committed
have enraged and aroused the citizenry of this county and state it is one of
the most cowardly and dastardly crimes
in my experience.” “I have no desire at this time to place you in the state prison.” “You are too young and too little.” “It might be possible that the inmates would
visit on you many times the crime you have visited on your victim.” “I will
give you a stay until you reach 21 on condition you are made wards of the state
industrial school.” “When you have reached that age I direct that you be
returned to this court for further proceedings.” [Murray
Eagle 1950-09-29 Brutal Attackers of Local Boy Draw Stiff Term]
1954 - Weston
Craig Lee, (1920-1976) 33 Bountiful, Tuesday pleaded guilty of disorderly
conduct and fined $73 and 60 days in jail.
Judge J. Patton Neely suspended jail on payment of fine and his good
behavior. (SLTribune 09/29/54 Page 11 Col. 1)
1978 Republican Salt Lake County Commissioner William L. Hutchinson endured charges of
homosexual activity with a minor and a trial that ended in a hung jury. He ran for
re-election but lost and reportedly left office with ambivalence. He was the founder and director of the Utah Boys Ranch. Hutchinson Case a Mistrial by Christopher Hicks Salt Lake County Commissioner William L Hutchinson again declared his
innocence Thursday night after a mistrial was declared in his juvenile court
sex offense case. Hutchinson
smiled widely and hugged his wife after the announcement in 2nd District Juvenile Court
about 10:15 p.m.. The four members of the hung jury wer polled by Judge John
Farr Larson; each said the group could not reach a unanimous verdict in the
misdemeanor case. They had deliberated about five and a half hours after
Thursday’s closing arguments. The trial lasted four days, prolonged by the key
witness failure to sow up one day and by constant arguing between prosecuting
and defense attorneys. Hutchinson was charged with contributing to
the delinquency of a minor. He was alleged to have had homosexual relations
with a 17 year old by, Kerry Sorensen, now 18. Sorensen testified he and the
commissioner engaged in sodomy on three occasions last year. “I’m still
innocent,” Hutchinson
told reporters after Larson announced the mistrial, “and can be considered
innocent under the present conditions.” When asked what kept him going under
the intense pressure of anticipation over the year, Hutchinson brought his wife
Venida next to his side and said, “She kept me going; my strength comes from
her.” He said any decision about his political future “is a family decision.” Prosecutor Joseph E. Tesch said he does not
know iif the case will be retried; that decision is County attorney Pam Van
Dam’s. Van Dam told the Deseret News
Friday he intends to evaluate the evidence but declined to speculate on whether
he will pursue a retrial. But defense attorney Phil Hansen said it would be
harassment for the state to try Hutchinson
a 2nd time. “The state failed to provide its burden of guilt,” he
said. “I was totally shocked that the jury failed to acquit my client on the
basis of such evidence.” Jury foreman Roger Bennett said he and the only female
juror were unsure of Sorensen’s credibility and had reasonable doubt about Hutchinson ’s guilt. They
voted for acquittal. By law a jury must have no reasonable doubt to vote for a
conviction. That, Bennett said, was the case with the other two jurors, “one had no shadow of a doubt.”
He added, “Nobody wins on a hung jury.” Bennett, a United Press International
reporter, covered Hutchinson ’s
trial last May on a charge of harboring a minor. The commissioner was acquitted
in that case. But Bennett said he no
more knowledge about the case than the other jurors and his occupation had no
bearing. “It’s not an experience I’d want to go through again,” he said. In closing arguments, which lasted through
out the afternoon, Hansen told the jury it would make no sense for the commissioner
to put himself in a position of possible arrest by committing in broad daylight
the acts testified to by Sorensen. “You don’t think he’d be that dumb enough to
expose him self the way Kerry Sorensen says do You?” said Hansen. “If so,
convict him of stupidity, but not contributing.” He repeatedly called Sorensen
a liar, citing several examples of conflicting testimony and the youth’s
community reputation. “And speaking of liar,” the defense attorney said, “look
at the arrogance, to say he got paid by girls- can you believe that?” Sorensen
had testified he was a male prostitute for men and women. “If he lies once, you
don’t have to believe any of it,” Hansen repeated several times. “There’s got to be reasonable doubt as to
these charges. Lies, lies, lies.” Hansen also told the jury to remember the judges
instructions that they were not to consider sympathy, bias, or prejudice in their
deliberations. Hansen said prosecution’s arguments were purely philosophical.
“Mr. Tesch to the point of nausea almost kept referring to a ‘mere boy’. He’s a
17 year old, at the time, going on 35.” Tesch said it might be unreasonable for
a county commissioner to act as Sorensen said Hutchinson did, but “the sexual drive is
something-it must be a terrific drive.”
The prosecutor, who addressed the jury before and after Hansen’s final
arguments, said many famous people in history had homosexual tendencies, and
Sorensen should not be discredited because he is an admitted bisexual. Tesch
said of general sexual deviancies “We are not interested until they stat doing
it with our children, we can’t take chances with our children.” As to
Sorensen’s conflicting testimony, Tesch said, “Mr. Hansen says we have an
admitted liar-what we have here is an admitted truth-teller. Everybody lies
often and to say otherwise is a lie.” “Kerry Sorensen” is a truly courageous
boy,’ He said. “The boy tried to ruin the commissioner? What has the commissioner
done to himself?” Tesch urged the jury to be absolutely sure to vote their abiding
conviction.” He said repeatedly that Hansen’s cross examination was designed to
“trick the boy”. But he said, “the boy stuck to the truth and would not be
tricked.” Tesch likened the defense case to sand castles in the air drying out
and blowing away. He also said Sorensen was like a reed blowing in the wind
under Hansen’s cross examination. [Deseret News B1-2 ]SL Tribunes 1976 Election Report
 |
| Ed Koch |
 |
| Walter Mondale |
1982- Minnesota Democrat Walter
Mondale, presidential hopeful, announced his support for Gay rights. He would also met with the Human Rights Coalition/
 |
1985 Pamela Calkins was ordained an Elder when Antonio A. Feliz conferred upon her the Melchizedek Priesthood in the Church of All Latter Day Saints..
1987-After Congress passed a $20 million appropriation to fund a
project to mail information on AIDS to every household in the country, Robert
Windom, Asst. Secretary of Health, announced that instead it would mail info
only to health departments, community organizations, and major employers. He
said the decision to withhold the mass mailing came from White House officials.
1988 - Glen
Camomile, a bountiful high school teacher led the Gay Fathers meeting on co- dependency. He has a Masters in Oral Communication.
1996
Paul M. Callihan's obituary , Former Ririe Woodbury Dancer, Dies at 41 Paul M. Callihan, a former dancer
and administrator with the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, died Sept. 21 in Salt Lake City after a long
illness. He was 41. Callihan, a native
of Edmond , Okla. ,graduated
in biology from Oklahoma 's Central State University University of Utah
Orchesis Performing Award. After graduation, Callihan joined
the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, of which he was a member for five years. ``Paul
was a talented dancer with a wonderful musicality,''said co-artistic director
Joan Woodbury. ``He was a cornerstone of the company. He had a beautiful grasp of
the quality of each of the dances.''
After his retirement from the stage, Callihan became part of the company's administrative staff. He worked as director of education until earlier this
year. ``I never heard a negative
comment about Paul. Nor did I ever hear
any kind of criticism coming from him,'' said Woodbury.``He lived his life based
on a sense of love.'' He is survived by
his parents and a brother. In
Callihan's memory, donations may be made in his name to the Utah Arts Council or
a favorite charity. Salt Lake Tribune Page: D2
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| David Young |
29 September 2000 Affirmation’s Missionary Reunion held
at MCC
29 September 2000 The Salt Lake Tribune Page: B3 State
Street Cruiser a Loser; Court Rejects His Constitutional Appeal of Traffic
Ticket BY NESREEN KHASHAN THE SALT LAKE
TRIBUNE Ken Larsen, then a Libertarian mayoral candidate, became one of the first
drivers cited last summer for violating Salt Lake City's new cruising
ordinance. Larsen, 58, received the ticket a month after the June 1999 passage
of the no-cruising law on State
Street University of Utah
2003 Gays in Utah still face
struggle By Adam Benson Growing up in small-town Canada Utah Utah LGBT
Resource Center Elizabeth to
hear the experiences that youth and college students in Utah
2005 The Metropolitan Community Gay Church needs our help to
raise money for the church and to gain more members. They will be having a
spaghetti dinner on Thursday, September 29 at 7pm, with a $3 donation. Please
come if you can. The church could really
use our help. The Metropolitan Community Gay Church 823 S. 600 E.
2005 Thurs & Fri Sep 29th & 30th - Sirius OUTQ Radio
Comes to the Center - Center Space ( 8-11pm ) The John McMullen Show comes to
Salt Lake! Come participate in the Live Broadcast from the Center with national
host John McMullen as he interviews local celebrities, politicians and
activists from Salt
Lake America 's pioneering voice of GLBT
talk radio. As the creator of SIRIUS OutQ on SIRIUS Satellite Radio, McMullen
is in his ninth year of hosting talk programming for the GLBT community.
www.johnmcmullen.com
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| Mark Foley |
2009 The Daily Utah
Chronicle News Gay students struggle with self-censorship By
Chris Mumford Share this article Published: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 Among
the many misconceptions dogging members of the U’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender community, the most common might be the least obvious—the notion
that they agree on everything and face the same problems. On questions ranging
from whether homosexuality is a choice to the legality and desirability of
sanctioning gay marriage, a variety of perspectives can be found within the U’s
LGBT community. One of the purposes of the LGBT Resource Center, located in the
Union, is to create an environment in which individuals feel free to express
opinions that might be stifled elsewhere. The Utah Legislature shot down all of
the Common Ground initiatives that would have granted the state’s gay community
some of the same benefits as heterosexual couples. “I think I do very much censor
myself,” said James Lancaster, a junior in gender studies and mass
communication, who did not state his sexual orientation. “It’s just part of
survival.” Lancaster said he feels like he has only recently begun to come to
terms with his true identity, which he has become accustomed to suppressing. “I
don’t know what my behavior would be if I hadn’t grown up in such an oppressive
environment,” he said. Others, however, say they feel perfectly comfortable on
campus and that self-censorship isn’t a problem. Nate
Currey, a gay senior in
urban planning, said he feels comfortable on campus, but said this might be
because of the fact that he came out to his family and friends years ago and
has therefore had more time to adjust. Currey, who comes from a Latter-day
Saint background, spoke of accepting his sexuality as a choice, which provoked
some disagreement from other students at the center, who felt that sexuality
doesn’t involve choice. “It just seems like a lot of people are trying to make
sense of their sexual orientation and their religion,” said Allie Shephard, a
bisexual junior in pre-nursing, in attempting to explain how some people in the
LGBT community can hold opinions, such as opposing gay marriage, that seem at
odds with public assumptions. Lancaster and Currey both pointed out that
disagreements are handled civilly and that students interested in the LGBT
Center don’t need to worry about being interrogated about their political
views. The differing beliefs found at the center only illustrate the idea that
everyone is welcome. The principle aim, Lancaster said, is to make
individuals—and particularly newcomers—feel safe and comfortable. “I think it’s
just basic things like reading people and asking them how their day has been,”
he said.
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| Nate Currey |
2010 #10 Top read story on Utah Pride blog Gay Man’s Letter
To Mormon Church About His Temple Marriage posted September 29th. SLC, UT – I
was just forwarded this letter from a gay man in Utah whose Mormon bishop wrote
to him asking his permission for his ex-wife to get a “temple divorce.” Very
very interesting, take a look!
- 09/21/10 Dear Bishop Busch, After deciphering your incoherent letter, in which my name was misspelled multiple times, I have decided to respond to your request. Specifically the portion in which you say, “We would like to know if you have any objections, concerns or observations about her request.” I am very happy for —– and her family. I respect their religious beliefs and will not stand in their way. Although I do not have any objections or concerns, I do have a few observations that I would like to make. Personally, I find it interesting that I have received a request to allow an individual to make a deep, lasting commitment to her loved one, from the very same church that has single-handedly made it impossible for me to do so. The same church that made it feel so wrong to be a homosexual that I pretended for years to be straight, even going so far as to get married. The same church that then saw two young people, in the prime of their lives have to deal with divorce and all of the hate, pain and torment that accompanies such a situation. The same church that is still pretending to be an all encompassing, open and loving church but is in fact a cold, calculating corporation that cares for souls far less than it cares for profit and power. I am proud of —– and respect her choice but, I cannot give my permission to your church. My “permission,” as it were, goes directly to —–, along with my well wishes and love. I hope in some small way, I can be an example to you in that although I do not agree with your marriage practices, I will not stand in the way when it comes to marriage, and I expect the same. My God tells me to love. My God tells me to have respect. My God would never tell me to interfere, tear apart and terrorize another group of people. To be frank, I am very surprised that yours does. Be Well, Jacob J. Fluckiger
- Kevin Hillman- I find it interesting that only a women have to ask for permission to re-marry in the temple. All LDS men can re-marry any one at any time they wish and have as many temple marriages as they want. Meaning that the law of the land has nothing to do with their spiritual marriage that the hold in such high regard. Yet as this man pointed out they still want to meddle in the civil affairs of everyone else.
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2012 - California becomes the first state to ban reparative therapy on minors to "cure" them of their homosexuality.
2012 The Moab Pride Festival began last year in an effort to bring the local residents together to support other members of the community regardless of sexual orientation. The festival is also geared towards those seeking acceptance or just wishing to show support for their friends and loved ones. Last year, the parade and festival attracted about 500 people from around the state. This year, the coordinators are hoping to see up to twice as many people participate in the various events. “The festival last year was a big marking point of ‘I do feel accepted in this community, not based on sexuality or gender, but because I have the space to be who I want to be here,’” said Visibility March coordinator Jenna Oestreich. “It’s an opportunity to show off this great town we have that’s full of love, acceptance, and compassion for people to be able to…come out to just being themselves, however way that is.” This year, the event is preceded by “Gay Adventure Week,” a fundraiser for the festival. Gay Adventure Week begins Sunday, Sept. 23. “There are local guiding groups who have offered to run trips. You can sign up for various things like mountain biking, river rafting, four wheeling, hot air balloon rides—any kind of Moab adventure,” Oestrich said. Participants can purchase week-long packages in varying levels of difficulty or pick activities by the day. Various tour groups from around town are involved. All proceeds beyond the cost benefit Moab Pride. “Having the Moab Pride Festival be the culmination of a weeklong of festivities that bring people here can meet that goal of wanting a year-round presence,” Oestreich said. Gay Adventure Week kicks off the second annual Moab Pride festival, beginning the evening of Friday, Sept. 28 with an “orange” party at Frankie D’s. “Traditionally, Prides have a white party,” said coordinator Amy Stocks. “We decided to take a different spin on it. Being from this area, anything that you wear that’s white turns out orange.” This party serves to welcome guests from around the country and to introduce them to the area and the community. The visibility march will begin at 10 a.m., Saturday at Swanny City Park. The route will loop through town. “The visibility march, because it’s in town, is something that I’m excited about. I’m excited about capitalizing on last year’s event and having organizations and local businesses marching,” said Oestreich. “It just offers an opportunity for the community to see who’s involved and for visitors to see that we have a sweet town here.” The march will end at Swanny Park, where the festival will begin at noon. There will be performances by Nicole Torres from California, Justin Utley from New York, and a few local performers. Zach Wahls, author of “My Two Moms,” a memoir about being brought up by gay parents, will be speaking at the event. The festival also has a kids’ area run by a few local non-profits, including the Youth Garden Project, the Multicultural Center, Club Red, and Outward Bound. “This year, our theme is ‘Let Love Flow,’ and that’s the goal: to create acceptance and to continue this celebration of diversity within the community,” Stock said. The after party will be at Woody’s Tavern that evening, featuring last year’s DJ, Jen Woolfe. “Last year was our first year, so we were kind of getting our feet wet. This year we’re going to create some sustainability and have a year-round presence, so that we would be able to host other events around the year,” Stock said. “Our goal is to have that resource here for younger kids and even adults who feel more isolated, or even for people who identify as heterosexual who just want information.” By Maren Larsen/ Moab Sun News Contributor
2012 The Moab Pride Festival began last year in an effort to bring the local residents together to support other members of the community regardless of sexual orientation. The festival is also geared towards those seeking acceptance or just wishing to show support for their friends and loved ones. Last year, the parade and festival attracted about 500 people from around the state. This year, the coordinators are hoping to see up to twice as many people participate in the various events. “The festival last year was a big marking point of ‘I do feel accepted in this community, not based on sexuality or gender, but because I have the space to be who I want to be here,’” said Visibility March coordinator Jenna Oestreich. “It’s an opportunity to show off this great town we have that’s full of love, acceptance, and compassion for people to be able to…come out to just being themselves, however way that is.” This year, the event is preceded by “Gay Adventure Week,” a fundraiser for the festival. Gay Adventure Week begins Sunday, Sept. 23. “There are local guiding groups who have offered to run trips. You can sign up for various things like mountain biking, river rafting, four wheeling, hot air balloon rides—any kind of Moab adventure,” Oestrich said. Participants can purchase week-long packages in varying levels of difficulty or pick activities by the day. Various tour groups from around town are involved. All proceeds beyond the cost benefit Moab Pride. “Having the Moab Pride Festival be the culmination of a weeklong of festivities that bring people here can meet that goal of wanting a year-round presence,” Oestreich said. Gay Adventure Week kicks off the second annual Moab Pride festival, beginning the evening of Friday, Sept. 28 with an “orange” party at Frankie D’s. “Traditionally, Prides have a white party,” said coordinator Amy Stocks. “We decided to take a different spin on it. Being from this area, anything that you wear that’s white turns out orange.” This party serves to welcome guests from around the country and to introduce them to the area and the community. The visibility march will begin at 10 a.m., Saturday at Swanny City Park. The route will loop through town. “The visibility march, because it’s in town, is something that I’m excited about. I’m excited about capitalizing on last year’s event and having organizations and local businesses marching,” said Oestreich. “It just offers an opportunity for the community to see who’s involved and for visitors to see that we have a sweet town here.” The march will end at Swanny Park, where the festival will begin at noon. There will be performances by Nicole Torres from California, Justin Utley from New York, and a few local performers. Zach Wahls, author of “My Two Moms,” a memoir about being brought up by gay parents, will be speaking at the event. The festival also has a kids’ area run by a few local non-profits, including the Youth Garden Project, the Multicultural Center, Club Red, and Outward Bound. “This year, our theme is ‘Let Love Flow,’ and that’s the goal: to create acceptance and to continue this celebration of diversity within the community,” Stock said. The after party will be at Woody’s Tavern that evening, featuring last year’s DJ, Jen Woolfe. “Last year was our first year, so we were kind of getting our feet wet. This year we’re going to create some sustainability and have a year-round presence, so that we would be able to host other events around the year,” Stock said. “Our goal is to have that resource here for younger kids and even adults who feel more isolated, or even for people who identify as heterosexual who just want information.” By Maren Larsen/ Moab Sun News Contributor
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