This Day In Gay Utah History October 3

October 3rd

Hans Christian Andersen

1847-Hans Christian Andersen wrote to the Hereditary Grand-duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, "I love you as a man can only love the noblest and best. This time I felt that you were still more ardent, more affectionate to me. Every little trait is preserved in 
my heart."

1872: Bloomingdale’s department store opens in Manhattan. YES, this is gay history, just ask any gay man from New York City over 40 about the ever popular men’s room in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Well, some places just become notorious, like the Bloomingdale’s bathroom or certain train cars during rush hour. For those spots, it’s the thrill of danger that IS the appeal. It’s like a form of exhibitionism, the idea that you might get caught. Shopping and sex all in one place?  Who could ask for anything more? (And when they were done many a shopping queen didn’t. (Tap…tap….tap.) [Back2Stonewall Blog]

George Q Cannon

1897 Contagion requiring destruction of the contagious-   George Q. Cannon, 1st Counselor in First Presidency October 1897, Report of the 68th Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 65-66 "If we may believe that which is told to us, without going into researches ourselves, it and other kindred wickedness, is far too common. The same sin that caused the utter destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah! This and other abominable crimes are being practiced. How will these be stopped? Only by the destruction of those who practice them. Why, if a little nest of them were left that were guilty of these things, they would soon corrupt others, as some are being corrupted among us. In coming to these mountains we hoped to find a place where we could live secluded from the abominations of Babylon. But here in this secluded place wickedness intrudes itself, and is practiced in this land which we have dedicated to the Lord as a land of Zion! How can this be stopped? Not while those who have knowledge of these filthy crimes exist. The only way, according to all that I can understand as the word of God, is for the Lord to wipe them out, that there will be none left to perpetuate the knowledge of these dreadful practices among the children of men. And God will do it, as sure as He has spoken by the mouths of His prophets." [Connell O’Donovan- The Etiology of Homosexuality from Authoritative Latter-day Saint Perspectives, 1879-2006]

George Albert Smith

1909 - October at General Conference, Apostle George Albert Smith stops speaking after three minutes as he begins to "tremble and perspire." Apostle Reed Smoot had referred two weeks earlier to Smith's "mental trouble." Since January Smith's diary has described symptoms of his eventual collapse. At age thirty-nine he is first general authority whose debilitating mental problems cannot be attributed to senility. Hospitalized for ten weeks at Gray's Sanitarium in Salt Lake City, Smith does not recover from his emotional breakdown until 1913. Problem re-emerges in 1930's and in 1949-51. [Speculation has it that he was struggling with latent same sex attraction issues]

1973: Dr. Howard Brown, former New York City Health Administrator, made history when he came out of the closet in a speech in front of 600 colleagues. He later became the director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

  

Robert Bauman

1980 US Representative Robert Bauman (R-MD) was arrested in Washington DC for soliciting sex from a male prostitute. Bauman was a supporter of the Moral Majority and a founding member of the American Conservative Union. While running for re-election, Bauman married with four children was charged for attempting to solicit sex from a 16-year-old male prostitute. After the charges were made public, Bauman said he was suffering from alcoholism and entered himself into a court-supervised rehabilitation program, which, upon successful completion, resulted in the charges being dropped. Bauman stated he would continue his re-election campaign, and apologized to voters for his indiscretions. Bauman was defeated by Democrat Roy Dyson on November 5, 1980. Dyson was not considered a serious contender for the seat before the charges were filed against Bauman. In 1982, Bauman again ran for the nomination for the House seat he had lost, but withdrew from the race before primary election day. Bauman now serves as legal counsel for the Sovereign Society, a group dedicated to offshore banking and investment, and is the author of numerous books on offshore and tax haven issues. He also wrote an autobiography, The Gentleman from Maryland: The Conscience of a Gay Conservative, which was published in 1986.

1980 Page 4 THE HERALD. Prove Utah. Friday. October 3, 1980 Several Experts Disagree on Sexual Preference By .ROD COLLETT Herald Staff Reporter Last Aug 21. Provo Police Cpl. Randy Johnson was loitering around the public restrooms in North Park waiting for someone to pick him up. And on that Thursday evening, he didn't have to wait long. He soon arrested a 51-year-old Pleasant Grove man on a charge of public lewdness after the man allegedly exposed himself to Johnson and offered to engage in homosexual acts with him. For Johnson, who has worked with the now-dissolved police tactical squad which has dealt with drugs, vice and undercover work, it was a normal part of the job. He has gained a reputation among his coworkers for tracking down the shady side of life in Utah Valley, and that latest arrest was a symptom of the chronic problem of people using the North Park restrooms as a gathering place for homosexual activity. The man charged with lewdness if convicted, could be fined as much as $299 or sent to jail for as long as six months for the Class B misdemeanor. He told Johnson under questioning that his family problems led him to seek the North Park restrooms as an outlet for his frustrations. For this man it was a second-time offense. Johnson had arrested him on June 22. 1976, for soliciting. Johnson .said Provo police are especially concerned about the North Park activities because the restrooms are so close to the public swimming pool and the youth baseball diamonds. The cycle of activity. Johnson says, is highly predictable. Many of the arrests are businessmen and other executives who show up at the restrooms at the lunch hour and dinner time. "The amount of activity at North Park, for example, is very predictable," he says. "We have staked out the area and observed car after car pull in and wait for some sign to begin meeting in the restroom." It's a fallacy in homosexual counseling to think the problem cannot be solved, Johnson said. "From questioning the more than 100 arrested, a majority of those have indicated the desire to participate in such behavior was something that was learned and not something they were born with or inherited." Johnson says. "In addition about 90 percent of those who are practicing homosexuals have revealed that it was some experience early in life that prompted this kind of lifestyle." Only one in 10 of those arrested is considered a transient or out-of-town resident, Johnson says. "Our arrest files are full of individuals who have a background of decency and respectability in their communities, yet they have been caught soliciting for sex in the public restrooms and generally being a nuisance to those people who want to use the public facilities for what they were intended." A University of Utah psychologist told the Daily Herald that it is possible to "counsel a homosexual out of his problem." Dr. Victor Cline, considered one of the foremost experts in the Inter-mountain area in counseling deviant behavior said while a strong sex drive can be inherited, the direction of a person's sexual attitudes is learned. "There are therapists all over the world who treat homosexuals. But it is not easy. It takes a combination of a qualified doctor and motivation on the part of the homosexual to want to change," Dr. Cline stated. The U of U psychologist said there is no real evidence to suggest a person may be born a homosexual. "A majority of the homosexuals are a result of accidental conditioning from some experience early in life. Most people don't consciously decide to become homosexuals. "When the character blocks of a man are being formed and built, many of these blocks prevent a person from developing any close or intimate relationship with a woman. When a man feels stifled in his feelings toward a woman he will often seek out male companionship to release the pent up anxiety. "I know of no study anywhere that points to the conclusion that homosexuality is inherited. What can be learned, can also be unlearned." Dr. David T. Seamons, clinical psychologist at the Timpanogos Mental Health Center concurred with Dr. Cline's opinion that homosexuality is not inherited. "I know there are many who adhere to that theory that it is a genetic imbalance of some sort, but I choose not to support that concept." Seamons defended his position by saying that in counseling various offenders at the health center he has learned that many homosexuals had some childhood experience which led them to such a deviant behavior. "A child goes through a self-exploratory phase and when he reaches adolescence, the sexual response starts to become strong and if there happens to be contact with the same sex and arousal does occur, what happens is called a paired-association response." Dr. Seamons added that it takes more than one sexual experience with a person of the same sex for homosexual behavior to fully establish itself.  "If a constant reinforcement does occur early in childhood then a boy's image of men is not often a positive one." He said many people he has counseled may have predispositions or tendencies toward homosexual activity but have never acted out the behavior. "Many people are afraid they are homosexual because that is where their feelings are and many are torn between what they feel and their upbringing or social values they were taught. In a sense their sexual identity is up in the air," he said. The health center psychologist ad mitted he has no concrete evidence which points to homosexuality being learned. "But the belief that such persons have inherited the problem simply gives them the excuse that they cannot change because of some biological error." But the executive director of the Metropolitan Community Church in Salt Lake City, often called a "church for sexual minorities," disputed both psychologists' comments as being "grossly misinformed." Dan Wilcox told the Daily Herald that he has numerous medical books and in periodicals which purport that hormones in the body have a lot to do with the formation of the brain and its characteristics. He said he has talked to many psychiatrists and psychologists about the "true nature of homosexuality." "I am the project director of an institute doing academic research in sexual orientation and from my experience I would say 80 percent of the specialists who claim knowledge about homosexuality are grossly misinformed about the true nature of the issue." Wilcox, who declined to say if he was a homosexual, said there is a large library in California called the National Gay Archives or the Barney Carpenter Library containing 10,000 volumes on the subject. "It is a crying shame that these doctors by virtue of their credentials say they are experts. Most of these supposed experts rely on information published 25-30 years ago." Wilcox said he is appalled at Dr. Cline's comments but added it is not surprising since many researchers do not know what current data is available on homosexuality. He referred to a book by C.A. Tripp entitled "Homosexual Matrix," and an article in the October issue of "Quest Magazine" by Joe Durden-Smith as being accurate, factual reports on homosexuality. Wilcox qualified his research materials by saying "we don't know enough at this, stage to say for sure that a genetic imbalance by itself causes homosexuality." "But the current facts in libraries and scientific institutes fly in the face of Dr. Cline's comments and the age-old myths he puts forward," He said people who have a fear of their children being taught by homosexuals in schools are bending to "gross ignorance." "These straight folks should look within themselves and at the nature of homosexuality before they should pass such quick judgment." The executive director said the IDS Church position on homosexuality is "tragic." "If young men and women who have the homosexual and bisexual orientation listen to the LDS beliefs then they will spend their entire lives trying to change and a majority of these are unsuccessful." Wilcox also declined to say if he was of the LDS faith, but did say he does not oppose the religion's culture. He said reports that the Metropolitan Community Church is strictly for gays Is a fallacy. "This church is Christian which has a special outreach program to sexual minorities including homosexuals, bisexuals, transsexuals. It would be false to call it a gay church and it's an affront to those who attend its services to do so." While the battle rages between homosexuals who want more rights, parents who fear for their children and psychologists who can't agree on how the problem originates, Cpl. Johnson boiled the controversy down to its finite point. "Parents have a genuine right to fear because most practicing homosexuals go beyond just meeting in gay bars or doing their thing as consenting adults," he said. "While I as a law enforcement officer can't pass judgment like the courts, those homosexuals who have had a chance to visit the Provo City Jail must have second thoughts about their lifestyle. The professionals are there to help them if they want to change badly enough."

Carol Lynn Pearson

David Sharpton

1987 The Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists held a two day conference at the University of Utah. Carol Lynn Pearson, author of Goodbye I Love You, and David Sharpton, a 26 year-old LDS native of Dallas, spoke at the conference.

1988 Utah Valley Men’s Group was informed that the standards office of Brigham Young University would no longer allow students to attend any Gay organization.

1990 NEW Hepatitis A Cases Nearly Double For S.L. County  Byline: Jess Gomez Tribune Medical Writer  Page: B1 (Copyright 1990)   The number of reported cases of Hepatitis A in Salt Lake County has nearly doubled in the last nine months, but officials say the virus hasn’t reached epidemic proportions.   "We've seen a dramatic increase in the last nine months but I wouldn't call it an epidemic,” said Peggy Eklund, communicable diseases supervisor for the Salt Lake City-County Health Department.   In August, the last month for which statistics are available, 118 cases of the virus statewide were reported to the Utah Department of Health. One hundred cases came from Salt Lake County alone.   That compares to the 82 Hepatitis A cases for the entire state during August 1989. A total of 381 cases have been reported this year, compared to 371 during the same period last year.   Ms. Eklund said the number of reported cases investigated by the health department have about doubled since January. However, preliminary data for September indicates the numbers have began to level off, she said.   Health department officials attribute the increase to two factors: poor health habits and a low exposure rate to the virus in the 1980s.   Ms. Eklund said the spread of the virus can be easily prevented if people wash their hands with hot soapy water prior to eating and preparing meals and immediately after using the rest room.   Hepatitis A, which results from a parasite infecting and inflaming the liver, is typically transmitted from sewage or feces contaminated food or water. It is passed from a person's hands to food during preparation or consumption of meals, especially uncooked items such as salads and sandwiches, said Ms. Eklund.   She also believes the increase may be due to the fact no large outbreaks of the virus occurred in the state during the 1980s, allowing scores of people to be exposed. Once exposed, a person is immune for life.   "In the 1980s, we had a pretty even number of cases reported," she said. "There were just not enough people exposed to become immune to it."   Symptoms of the Hepatitis A include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dark colored urine, light or "coffee" colored stools and yellowing of the whites of the eyes. Symptoms may occur in any variation.   -  The health department, like agencies throughout the nation, have also been stymied in the battle against Hepatitis A by a lack of gamma globulin - an antibody believed to be effective against the virus. Most supplies of the antibody have been sent to Saudi Arabia to treat soldiers deployed there, Ms.  Eklund said.   If left untreated, hepatitis A can result in liver damage.

1993- -Les Stewart a Gay man living with AIDS was subject of an article for the SL Tribune. “Stewart says he is tired -- tired from overcoming one near-insurmountable illness and now facing a daily battle with AIDS. He turns 48 this month; reaching 50 is a goal. He was not always so motivated. At one point, Stewart told his doctor, Kristen Ries, that after his ``first, big, nasty [AIDS-related] illness,'' he wanted her to with hold medication and let him go. She told her patient to go home and think it through. ``With your luck, Les, it probably wouldn't kill you.''   Stewart took his doctor's advice and decided to be ``a brave boy.''  Stewart was born in the small town of Springville and raised in a traditional LDS home. ``I pretty much did the whole Mormon thing, a mission, temple marriage and three children.''   Today, only the children remain in his life. In his early 30s, after a divorce, Stewart decided to act on feelings that he was gay. When he initially broached the idea that he might be homosexual, he turned to therapy. ``I took all the cures including shock therapy, anything that would cure me from being gay. I thought that was the only thing that would help my life.'' After a post-divorce heterosexual relationship, he met a man who would be his companion for the next 14 years. ``I did what I thought men couldn't do, and that was fall in love with each other.''   At one point, Stewart thought homosexuality was the worst thing that could happen. ``But now, I'm so glad I'm gay. Suddenly it felt, strangely enough, wholesome and honorable. I've learned things I never would have otherwise.'' ``Les is committed to educating people about AIDS and sensitizing them to sexual orientation,'' says his friend Jane Edwards, executive director of the Salt Lake YWCA and chairwoman of the board, Utah AIDS Foundation. ``He may have a disease called   AIDS, but he does not have a disease called gay.'' ``We have a responsibility to the next generation of gays,'' Stewart says. ``The ignorance has to stop. It should not be such a burden for gay people to accept themselves. It leaves a dent in the human soul.'' As a gay man, Stewart says, prejudice knows no bounds. He has dealt with negligent medical care -- ``many in the medical profession write you off if you're HIV'' -- and graffiti on his house. He awoke one morning to find his home splashed with the words ``Faggots live here.''   ``It was pretty ugly. My companion said, `That's it, we're going to leave.' I said, `No, I'm going to stay till they carry me out of here dead. 'Little did I know that I may very well get carried out of this house dead.''  Others, in what he calls an august neighborhood, have been more kind. When he was ill, one woman wrote to compliment him on his flowers and the lights that go up each year at Christmas time. ``Les has three incredible children,'' Edwards says. ``They are all different from one another, yet each has a piece of their father's strength.''   Youngest son Zach works side-by-side with his father on the AIDS-education dais. ``People treat me differently if he's there,'' says his dad. ``He's a great kid, an all-American boy. And I think people tend to be more sympathetic than if you're just a gay guy standing up there.'' Says Zack: ``Before the coma, I didn't feel like I knew my father that well. When he came back to the living, it was my opportunity to know him a lot better. My works with AIDS [education] is to carry on a part of my dad as much as I can. . . . When we're on these panels ,people have commented on what a close relationship we have. I consider my dad my best friend.'' Stewart was diagnosed with AIDS in April 1988, after being hospitalized in North Carolina awhile attending a furniture market. Suffering severe headaches, he collapsed and was temporarily blind. Two months later, and after surgery, Stewart, minus a large piece of skull and barely conscious, was flown home. A nurse advised Stewart's companion to get him out of the North Carolina hospital, saying, ``I don't want to lose my job, but don't keep him here. . . . He won't live if he stays.''   At home in Salt Lake City, Stewart spent a month at Holy Cross Hospital, partially paralyzed on his left side. Eventually he regained single vision and some movement on his left side. But as he remembers, ``Every thing got quieter and quieter and darker and darker'' and he lapsed into a coma. It was October, and he was sent home to die.  According to Dr. Ries, Stewart had developed blood clots and what she believes was AIDS-related encephalitis. ``But there was no way to know that for sure.'' She remembers that in December his parents thought it was time to pull the feeding tube. ``I went up to the house  to see him and told them I sensed he was a little too alert to do that.''   There was little change. At one point, his family planned a funeral. Some months later, Stewart's son, Zach, hearing the song, ``Bring Him Home'' from ``Les Miserables'' at a concert, said ``Dad, that's what we were going to sing at your funeral!''  ``I told him I approved.'' Edwards, then a neighbor, remembers sitting at Stewart's bed side. ``I started knowing him as a dying man. He couldn't move, didn't talk. Then, little by little, he began to recover. I'd visit him every Sunday, it was like getting a present each week.''   In April 1989, Stewart began to come around. It was a miracle, says Dr. Ries. ``I've only had one other [AIDS] patient do that.'' Stewart becomes most angry when speaking of what he perceives as the prejudice against gay men, particularly those with HIV. ``If it had struck a group of Republican bankers, instead of gay men, how different would the progression of the disease have been?''   On the other hand, he knows of no other part of the population who could deal with AIDS better than gay men. ``We already know what it's like to lose friends, family, jobs, and promotions. Dealing with loss is second nature to us.''   ``Les has his own sadnesses, his own dreams,'' says Edwards ``He would like to be in a loving partnership. He'd like to see his grandbabies. He knows that may never happen.''   Meanwhile, he surrounds himself with family and friends.  ``There's always a lot going on in his life,'' says Edwards. ``He has the kind of household that's open to any friend or neighbor and it's always a beautiful mix -- single women, gay couples, married friends. There's a sense of community-building in his home.''   Daughter Sara also comments on the ambiance of her father's home. ``He's sociable. A great story teller, a great conversationalist. He's fun to talk to and has always gotten along with my friends.'' `I like to be with people who think differently than I do. Affection is not something I will turn away,'' says Stewart. When he speaks of his illness, it is not in the living-with-AIDS scenario. ``When people tell me that I want to say `Go see another Hayley Mills movie and shut up.'  I refuse to sentimentalize to that extent. Let's get real here. This disease is a killer.'' At the same time, he says, ``I don't go around white knuckling or gritting my teeth. I've learned the whole thing is pretty tenuous. My friends say ``You're too stubborn to die.' I would like to think it works like that.'' (SLTribune 10/03/93  Page: C1)

Ragnar McCall

1994 - Gay artist and activist Richard (Ragnar) McCall, age 35 died of  AIDS at home, October 3, 1994. Survived by Everett Moss. He was a long time Gay activist and early member of LGSU.  And member of the Pagan Community.

Tab Hunter and Roddy McDowall

1998  Prolific actor  Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude “Roddy” McDowall died In How Green Was My Valley (1941), he met and became lifelong friends with Maureen O’Hara. The film won an Academy Award for Best Picture, and made him a household name. He starred in Lassie Come Home (1943), a film that introduced a girl who would become his lifelong friend – Elizabeth Taylor.  McDowall continued his career successfully into adulthood, a rare event for any child star  and  also became a film director, photographer and voice artist. and is probably best known today for his roles in Fright Night, The Poseidon Adventure, and as Cornelius, Caesar, and Galen in the original Planet of the Apes films and television series. Although Roddy McDowall made no public statements about his sexual orientation during his lifetime, it was a well known fact in Hollywood that he was gay. passes away from lung cancer at age 70 in Studio City, CA. 

1998- LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley made strong and unequivocal

Gordon Hinckley

statements about homosexuality in his address at the LDS General Conference. ``People inquire on those who consider themselves so-called Gays and Lesbians. My response is that we love them as sons and daughters of God. They may have certain inclinations which are powerful and which may be difficult to control. If they do not act upon these inclinations, they can go forward as do all other members of the church. But we cannot stand silent if they indulge in immoral activity, if they try to uphold and defend and live in a so-called same-sex marriage situation.''  

1999 MORMON HEAD OPPOSES GAY MARRIAGE c The Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Gay marriage is morally wrong and Mormons should feel compelled to oppose it, church President Gordon B. Hinckley told the faith Saturday. ``Some portray legalization of so-called same-sex marriage as a civil right,'' Hinckley said at the faith's 169th Annual General Conference. ``This issue has nothing to do with civil rights. For men to marry men, or women to marry women, is a moral wrong.'' Hinckley said the church's support of California's Knight Initiative, which would only allow marriages between men and women, is an attempt to safeguard God-sanctioned marriage - and the moral fiber of society - from forces trying to undermine it. Even before Hinckley addressed the subject, local gay-rights groups announced plans to protest outside Temple Square during the second day of the conference Sunday. Earlier this year, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent a letter to branches in  California asking them to urge their 740,000 members ``to do all you can by donating your means and time to assure a successful vote'' on the March 2000 measure. The church conducted similar efforts in Alaska and Hawaii last year, and members raised $1.1 million for the successful campaigns to block same-sex marriages in those states. Hinckley made it clear to the conference's priesthood session Saturday night that the money going to California has come from individual members; gay-rights groups have threatened to fight the faith's tax-exempt status if church institutions or foundations get involved. . . . . . 

1999 DETAILS OF SPEECH BY LDS PRESIDENT - FOCUS ON FIGHTING SAME SEX MARRIAGE Excerpt   All of this was the lead story today on Page A1 of the Tribune Rest of the article was on page A4 Salt Lake Tribune, October 3, 1999 LDS Leader Defends Activism BY BOB MIMS and PEGGY FLETCHER STACK, THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE  LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley declares the 10 million-member faith remains steadfastly committed to opposing same-sex marriages as sinful, despite protests from civil libertarians and even some Mormons. Speaking to the 169th Semi-Annual General Conference's Priesthood Session Saturday night, the 89-year-old "prophet, seer and revelator" of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said there could be no compromise in protecting "God-sanctioned" male-female unions.     To successfully battle 1998 gay marriage proposals in Hawaii and Alaska, the church anted up a total $1.1 million.  More recently, church leadership has encouraged California members to make sizeable contributions to the campaign there for a ballot imitative banning same-sex marriages.     "We regard it as not only our right, but our duty to oppose those forces which we feel undermine the moral fiber of society," Hinckley said.  "Such is currently the case in California, where Latter-day Saints are working as part of a coalition to safeguard traditional marriage from forces in our society which are attempting to redefine that sacred institution."     The church's California campaign has brought protests from some members, a number of whom have publicly demanded removal from LDS membership rolls. Other critics have contended the church's stance flies in the face of civil liberties.     "This issue has nothing to do with civil rights," Hinckley said.  "For men to marry men, or women to marry women, is a moral wrong.     "Others question our right as a church to raise our voice on an issue that is of critical importance to the future of the family," he added.  "We believe that defending this sacred institution . . . lies clearly within our religious and constitutional prerogatives."     Still, Hinckley cautioned against allowing the fervor over the gay marriage issue to spill over into "hatred, intolerance or abuse of those who profess homosexuality. . . .  Our hearts reach out to those who refer to themselves as gays and lesbians.  We love and honor them as sons and daughters of God."  Earlier Saturday, the Mormon leader's rhetoric was less fiery, focusing instead on the 10 million-member church's continued growth.  Hinckley said the evidence of that growth was evident to anyone watching the dozens of new Mormon temples rising. 

1999 DESERET NEWS STORY ON THE SAME SPEECH LDS stance reaffirmed Church will continue to be involved in moral issues By Steve Fidel Deseret News staff writer       The LDS Church is engaged in a California debate over same-sex marriages and will continue to be involved in moral issues, church President Gordon B. Hinckley told a general conference priesthood audience in the Tabernacle on Temple Square Saturday evening.       The church is supporting the Knight Initiative, slated for a March 7 ballot in California, that would legally define marriage in that state as between one man and one woman. The church also supported 1998 ballot measures blocking same-sex marriages in Alaska and Hawaii.  "We deal with those legislative matters which are of a strictly moral nature, or which directly affect the welfare of the church," President Hinckley said. "We have opposed gambling and liquor and will continue to do so. We regard it as not only our right but our duty to oppose those forces which we feel undermine the moral fiber of society."       His sermon was the final message offered during the opening day of the LDS Church's 169th Semiannual General Conference. President Hinckley's remarks anchored a sermon describing some of the church's activities and came in advance of a planned Sunday protest outside Temple Square by Utahns for  fairness, which organizers say is to send a message that the church's anti-gay efforts in places like Hawaii, Alaska and California are not appreciated.   The political efforts of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are largely conducted in association with others whose interests are similar. "We have worked with  Jewish groups, Catholics, Muslims, Protestants and those of no particular religious affiliation, in coalitions formed to advocate positions on vital moral issues," President Hinckley said. "Such is currently the case in California, where Latter-day Saints are working as part of a coalition to safeguard traditional marriage from forces in our society which are attempting to redefine that sacred institution. God-sanctioned marriage between a man and a woman has been the basis of civilization for thousands of years. There is no justification to redefine what marriage is. Such is not our right, and those who try will find themselves answerable to God."  President Hinckley said the church is an ecclesiastical organization primarily concerned with worship of Jesus Christ, its great mission is to testify of Christ's living reality. He said the church should not be involved with anything not in harmony with this major objective, but "We should be involved with whatever is in harmony with this objective."   "We believe that defending this sacred institution by working to preserve traditional marriage lies clearly within our religious and constitutional prerogatives. Indeed, we are compelled by our doctrine to speak out."   President Hinckley said he wanted to make it clear that while the church opposes attempts to legalize same-sex marriages, the position "should never be interpreted as justification for hatred, intolerance or abuse of those who profess homosexual tendencies, either individually or as a group. As I said from this pulpit one year ago, our hearts reach out to those who refer to themselves as gays and lesbians. We love and honor them as sons and daughters of God. They are welcome in the church. It is expected, however, that they follow the same God-given rules of conduct that apply to everyone else, whether single or married."  Money being raised in California to support the Knight Initiative is being donated to the coalition by individual members of the church, he said.  . . . . .  

1999  UTAH   SAME STORY FROM PROVO (only publication to get  a comment from the GLBT community) THE DAILY HERALD  LDS president defends activism 10/03/99 BY STEVEN GARDNER The Daily Herald SALT LAKE CITY -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will continue to speak out on moral issues and those considered to directly affect the welfare of the church. President Gordon B. Hinckley, world leader of the LDS Church, answered critics who questioned the church's involvement in opposing legislation in California that would allow same-sex marriages. "God-sanctioned marriage between a man and a woman has been the basis of civilization for thousands of years," he said at the priesthood session of the church's 169th Semiannual General Conference Saturday night. "For men to marry men, or women to marry women, is a moral wrong." President Hinckley said it is not only the church's right, but its duty to oppose forces that church leaders feel would undermine the moral fiber of society. As for the effort in California, President Hinckley said individuals are funding the anti-same-sex marriage plan, with the church's encouragement. Defenders of gay rights plan to protest outside Temple Square on Sunday. "This doesn't surprise me," said Kathy J. Worthington, a gay activist and former LDS Church member. "Spokespeople for the church continue to insist that their efforts are part of a coalition effort, but their efforts in California and Hawaii and Alaska are way overboard in proportion to their numbers in those states," she said.  Worthington said LDS Church members make up 3 percent of the population in Hawaii, but money spent to oppose a same-sex marriage initiative there far outweighed donations from people of other religions. "They haven't given concrete reasons why us having the right to marriage would damage their families or their way of life," Worthington said. . . . . . . .   (continues on other subjects) This Story appeared in The Daily Herald on Sunday, October 3, 1999 and was printed on page A1

3 October 1999 OGDEN UTAH COVERAGE OF SAME SPEECH -  story unfinished due to "computer problems" STANDARD EXAMINER  Hinckley condemns marriage of gays LDS Church president re-emphasizes support for California initiative  SALT LAKE CITY -- Gay marriage is morally wrong and Mormons should feel compelled to oppose it, church President Gordon B. Hinckley told the faith Saturday. Hinckley said the church's support of California's Knight Initiative, which would allow marriages only between men and women, is an attempt to safeguard God-sanctioned marriage -- and the moral fiber of society -- from forces trying to undermine it. Even before Hinckley addressed the subject, local gay rights groups announced plans to protest outside Temple Square during the second day of the conference on Sunday.  This issue has nothing to do with civil rights," Hinckley said. "For men to marry men, or women to marry women, is a moral wrong."

3 October 1999 Sunday 169th Semi Annual General Conference, President Gordon B. Hinckley, October 2, 1999 I have time for one more question. Why does the Church become involved in moral issues that come before the legislature and the electorate? We deal with those legislative matters which are of a strictly moral nature, of which directly affect the  welfare of the Church. We have opposed gambling and liquor and will continue to do so. We regard it as not only our right, but our duty to oppose those forces which we feel undermine the moral fiber of society.  Much of our effort, a very great deal of it, is in association with others whose interests are similar. We have worked with Jewish groups, Catholic, Muslims, Protestants, and those of no particular religious affiliation, in coalitions formed to advocate positions on vital moral issues. Such is currently the case in California when Latter day Saints are working as part of a coalition to safeguard traditional marriage from forces in our society which are attempting to redefine that sacred institution. God sanctioned marriage between a man and a woman has been the basis of civilization for thousands of years. There is no justification to redefine what marriage is.  Such is not our right, and those who try will find themselves answerable to God Himself. Some portray legalization of so called same sex marriage as a civil right. This issue has nothing to do with civil rights. For men to marry men, or women to marry women, is {7} a moral wrong. Others question our constitutional right as a Church to raise our voice on an issue that is of critical importance to the future of the family. We believe that defending this sacred institution by working to preserve traditional marriage lies clearly within our religious and constitutional prerogatives.  Indeed, we are compelled by our doctrine to speak out. Nevertheless, I wish to say that our opposition to attempts to legitimize same-sex marriage should never be interpreted as justification for hatred, intolerance, or abuse of those who profess homosexuality, either individually  or as a group.  As I said from this pulpit one year ago, our hearts reach out to those who refer to themselves as gays and lesbians. We love and honor them as sons and daughters of God. They are welcome in the Church. It is expected, however, that they follow the same God given rules of sexual conduct that apply to everyone else, whether single or married.{ We want to help these people, to strengthen them, to assist them with their problems and to help them with their difficulties. But we cannot stand idle if they indulge in immoral activity, if they try to uphold and defend and live in a so called same-sex marriage situation. To permit such would be to make light of the very serious and sacred foundation of God sanctioned marriage and its very purpose, the rearing of families. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Official Report of the One Hundred Sixty eighth semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, October 3 and 4, 1998, 91; or Hinckley,  “What Are People Asking about Us?,” The Ensign, 28 (November 1998): 71)} I commend those of our own membership who have voluntarily joined with other likeminded people to defend the sanctity of traditional marriage. As part of a coalition that embraces those of other faiths you are giving substantially of your means. The money being used in California has been donated to the coalition by individual members of the Church. You are contributing your time and talents in a cause that in some quarters may not be politically correct, but which, nevertheless, lies at the heart of the Lord's eternal plan for His children, just as those of many other churches are doing. This is a united effort.{8} I think that s all I need to say on that and the other matters on which I have commented. I ha e tried to explain why we do some of the things that we do. I hope I have been helpful. (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Why We Do Some of the Things We Do,” Advance press release from Church Public Affairs, October 2, 1999, 5:30 pm., 6-8.)

1999 Sunday About 150 to 200 people demonstrated outside Temple Square today in a successful silent (mostly) protest of the LDS Church's excessive and obsessive involvement in an anti-gay initiative in California. Pretty well all of the Utah media were there, including reporters from the Daily Chronicle at the U of U, from several radio stations and from the Provo Daily Herald.  Most of those entities don't usually send reporters to cover these things, they just use wire service stories.  Unfortunately, the TV stations did a much better job of telling the Mormon side of the story than they did the GLBT side, . . . but that's no big surprise.   AND the church is managing to pass off to everyone the story that it was not only members who are donating in California, but that the donations in Hawaii and Alaska were made the same way.  NOT! Oh, well, what can we expect? All in all, today’s protest was much more fun than it could have been, with a lot of the protestors smiling and enjoying themselves despite being totally outnumbered by the Mormons, who've been thoroughly indoctrinated lately to think we are wicked and sinful.  It was obvious that many of the LDS conference goers were VERY uncomfortable walking through our lines of people holding signs and they would not even look at those protesting or they would give angry or distressed looks.  A few of them, however, were actually friendly, said hello, stopped to read signs or to talk to people.  A few, of course, had to tell people that homosexuality is evil or other similar things.  Some were amazingly ignorant of what their church has been doing. THAT was no big surprise, since they usually limit their sources of information to church-approved ones. At the end of the protest I sat alone on a cement planter just outside the gates of Temple Square and got to hear conference goers and police and sheriff's officers discuss the protest.  It was especially nice to listen to those law enforcements types saying how well the protest had gone, how "well behaved" we all were, and how they hadn't had any problems with the protestors.  Then they launched into how ridiculous the anti-gay woman across the street, with her "anti-species" and other signs was.   These officers were talking among themselves and had no idea that one of the gay protestors was listening. I finally joined their conversation, a couple of them sat by me on the planter, and it was an enjoyable discussion.  They were quite nice about it and didn't exhibit any facial expressions or body language that showed they had a problem talking to me or talking about our protest and about the anti-gay woman (something Rodriguez) across the street. Just my personal report of the day's events.  As for the silent aspect of the protest, well I didn't stick to that one too well myself.  When I wasn't telling jokes or greeting friends among the protestors, I was making quiet little comments to the conference folks.  I tried to be as nice as I could, but it was an opportunity that it was hard to pass up . . . Kathy Worthington Salt Lake City

1999   Salt Lake City PROTEST ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 3 IN SALT LAKE Utahns for Fairness has planned a protest for this coming Sunday in connection with the General Conference of the LDS (Mormon) church in Salt Lake City.  People of all ages and persuasions are invited to join the protest - or to drive by and honk or wave and show your support. NOT IN SALT LAKE? People from outside of Utah are definitely encouraged to be a part of this event and Kathy Worthington of Salt Lake is willing to help arrange community housing for people who drive or fly in for the protest.  Californians in particular are encouraged to come to Salt Lake to protest the well-orchestrated and high-pressure fundraising being done by California church leaders on behalf of the Knight Initiative, which will be voted on inarch of 2000 in California. WHY A PROTEST? The principal reason for the protest is to send a message that the church's anti-gay efforts in places like Hawaii, Alaska and California are not appreciated.  The church has been doing some well-orchestrated high pressure fundraising on behalf of the anti-gay Knight Initiative in California, which is scheduled to be voted on in March of 2000.Since July over 100 people have sent in letters of resignation in response tithe anti-gay efforts by the church, and quite of few of the letter writers have gotten unwanted phone calls, unannounced visits and requests for interviews and other types of harassment and delays from bishops and from the member records office in Salt Lake. Because of that, some people at the protest will be protesting the church's unwillingness to just accept resignations without harassment or hassles.  (I think it would be great if someone would dress like Moses and carry a sign that says "Let my people go!")Here are the details on the protest from Utahns for Fairness: The protest at Mormon General Conference will be held this Sunday, October3rd, beginning at 11:30 a.m. on the south sidewalk of temple square in Salt Lake City.  It is a silent protest.  However, witty signs and attire are encouraged.  In accordance with Utah law, signs cannot be attached to any stick or post, as sticks can be used as weapons. Individuals who cannot make it for the entire protest are encouraged to drive by and "honk" to show their support. Ideas for signs include the following: I am a child of fraud! Keep your bigotries to yourself. Freedom from Religion! No on Knight! on-prophet Organization! Please attend this protest and encourage your friends (both gay and straight)to participate also!  If you have questions, please call Jared Wood @537-8600 during the day or Darin @ 557-2597 any time else. If you are coming in from out of town and would like free community housing, please write to me, Kathy Worthington, at KathyWUT@aol.com or call me at801-963-7922.  If you need someone to pick you up at the airport, we can probably also arrange that.  We can also arrange a ride to the protest itself. If you live in Salt Lake and are willing to offer free housing to folks from out of town, even if it's just a sofa to sleep on, please let me know.   Kathy Worthington

Fred Phelps

2001 Anti-Gay Protester Comes to U By Matt Canham The Lesbian and Gay Student Union will make money off of the anti-gay protests held by Pastor Fred Phelps. Phelps gained national attention for protesting at the funeral of Matthew Shepard, who was murdered because he was gay, in 1998. Phelps is now conducting protests around the country to mark the third anniversary of Shepard’s death. Phelps will be at the University of Utah Friday at 11:30 a.m. near the U’s seal at the bottom of Presidents Circle. Members of the Utah AIDS Foundation will attend the event to mark the amount of time he speaks and what words he says. KRCL Producer Becky Moss started an unofficial pledge drive to help

Becky Moss

the U’s Lesbian and Gay Student Union (LGSU), the AIDS Foundation and the Gay and Lesbian Community Center when she heard about Phelps’ planned arrival in Salt Lake City. “We are not counter-protesting him. We are thanking him for letting us raise funds for organizations that always need it,” said Moss, who produces the show “Concerning Gays and Lesbians” on KRCL 90.9 FM. Moss is working directly with the AIDS Foundation to coordinate the drive, which she said has already brought in “hundreds of dollars.” People can pledge money for every minute Phelps protests, or they can pledge money for every time he uses a derogatory term such as “fag” or “dike,” she said. Those who donate can select which organization will receive the money. The AIDS Foundation will also have representatives at his protests to encourage people not to engage Phelps. “We don’t want to lower ourselves to that same sort of hate message,” said Stan Penfold, executive director of the Utah AIDS Foundation. “This drive is a good, positive spin to put on something

Kalina Duncan

that is pretty hateful.” Kalina Duncan, LGSU co-vice president, said the U’s gay and lesbian population originally planned on an “angel protest,” where the members would wear large angel wings that would block Phelps from the public. They later decided to ignore him.  “Our opinion is more apathetic. He is coming on fall break, and he is not going to be heard by a lot of people,” Duncan said. Phelps has sent faxes to campus organizations that read God destroyed the World Trade Center in New York City to show the world America’s sins. He called the U “a prime example of America’s irreversible apostasy.” The flyer reads that gays and lesbians “run the school.” While in Salt Lake City, Phelps will also protest churches that he believes are sympathetic to gays and lesbians, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, All Saints Episcopal Church, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church and the United Church of Christ. “He hates Mormons as

much as he hates gays and lesbians,” Moss said. The pledge drive also includes raising money for each of these churches. Moss and the AIDS Foundation are attempting to contact each entity to see how they would like to accept the donations.

Steve Kmetko

2002 Chad Keller to Gay Utah Forum Subject Kmetko Fees: I have had several of the Youth Council come to me over this past week rather upset that they have been told that by Pride and the Center they will not receive the $2000.00 cash in lieu of Kmetko's regular fees.  Is this so? The $2000.00 was a definite must be paid item.  He allowed this to happen to assist us due to the Russo problem, and because sponsorships were not in at that time. I also provided to him a tax benefit. Then when we did not buy first class as promised due to cost, he upgraded, and it definitely was not an option that Pride could opt out. All of this was made quite clear in several committees, and in board meetings.  I personally do not appreciate me looking really bad over this situation due to Sherry [Booth] and Darrin’s [Hobbs] mismanaged unchecked spending spree. And it more than upsets me as this has flung a bucket of mud directly at me and my reputation. Kmetko announced it to the youth in the Conversations with Youth that he had given his fees of $2000.00 to them.  He is waiting for not only the receipt but a letter from the youth council as to how they intend or have utilized the funds.  All of that can be forwarded either to me to be sent to him (so I know that Pride didn't weasel out of it) or Some one other than anyone involved ( i.e. Sherry, Darien, you, Paula [Wolfe], or any Pride or Center Board member)  I'm sure those adults gathered in the room to listen like Alicia Suazo, Mike Piccardi, Trevor Johnson, Ryan Shippers, Trent Romijn to name a few will definitely take issue with this also. By not keeping the agreement this will definitely have an effect on the future participation of national public figures.  It shows sadly Pride’s true commitment to youth, and to the community.  Cash flow or not it is owed, and they will not be brushed aside. I would hope that in an very upcoming edition of the Pillar, that Pride uses this available gay public forum, if they do not have the funds, to lay out a comprehensive plan to the community and to the youth on how they will not only keep its obligation to both of their Grand Marshal's, but how they plan and what the pay schedule will be to keep that commitment.  Otherwise, I am prepared and will assist in helping the youth in bringing this to the forefront.  And the rumor of trading the water for the fees had better be just that, a rumor.  CK

Teinamarie Nelson

•  From Teinamarrie Nelson to Craig Miller Subject Pride Merger: Craig, It's nice to finally hear something as to Pride happenings.  It would have been nice to have an evaluation/wrap up meeting.  I will do my best to get you the information you've asked for as soon as possible.  At this point in time I can not give a definite answer as to when I'll be able to give you the information.  I have more important things happening in my life right now.  Pride is not a high priority at the moment especially since I keep hearing rumors about the Center taking Pride over.  So what is happening?  By the way a volunteer told me that Pride has filed for bankruptcy.  Is this true?  Also I've had youth come to me asking about their $2000 from Kmetko.  I explained that I've been kept in the dark and they needed to ask someone from the board. Best, Teinamarrie
• Craig Miller to Teinamarrie Nelson: Hi, Teinamarrie, Thanks for the note.  I'm getting

  

  Craig Miller

  ready to leave town for the next 10 days, so there's no rush in compiling your notes. I'll start putting everyone's collected thoughts together when I return.  You had a crucial role this past year, so I'd really like to include your views.  If you don't have time to write anything down, maybe we can just talk over the phone.  I think I can say for everyone that you and your committee did a great job organizing the volunteers and seeing your duties through to the very end, the volunteer party.  I'd like to be certain all the work you did this year will help to make a stronger Pride next year.  At the very least, I hope we can maintain all the contacts for this year's volunteers so we could invite them to participate again next year. An evaluation meeting certainly would have been nice.  That's an understatement, I know.  I kept expecting we would have one, and that's what I thought our August meeting was to have been.  None of us expected all the crises that arose this summer- the death of a family member that resulted in Billy's resignation, illness and surgery of another board member, scheduling conflicts, and the loss of jobs, not to mention the energy lost to drama and rumors- but then that's Pride..... I've taken a more aggressive role now, trying to help get things back on track. There are still a lot of rumors out there, I know.  Basically, we are very close to breaking even after 2002.  The whopping $106,000 cost for Pride this year took a lot of us off guard.  Like I mentioned in the earlier email, we are working hard to get in the black and I think we're just a few hundred dollars short- but we've got lots of liquid assets (water!).  We are still waiting for checks to come in from some of our Pride Guide advertisers. We've been selling water wherever we can.  (A big thanks to Angles for their purchase!- need any more yet?)  Bankruptcy isn't even a word I've heard yet.  Who told you THAT? We are entering into negotiations to see if it would be beneficial for the Center to take over the administration of Pride.  We've had a couple of task force meetings and in the next couple of months we'll be preparing a report to take back to both boards and they will make a decision on how we will progress from there.  Dominique [Storni] might be submitting an article about this for the October Pillar. Despite what you may have heard, we are looking at a lot of options including staying the same.  Other options include a merger with the Center, contracting with them to do administration and oversight, or becoming an affiliated arm of the Center, in a way that we would keep our accounting completely separate and maintain our own 501 ( c)  3 status.  Despite any administrative changes that may take place, I think we will plan to keep the same committee structure with the same sorts of tasks. The good news is we are getting a jump on fundraising in comparison with previous years.  We have started preparing Sponsorship packets to send out by the end of this month and have already begun receiving money for Pride 2003. Having last year's records has made a big difference! I appreciate your writing, Teinamarrie.  I'll be in touch when I return to town after the 14th. Craig 

Connell Rocky O'Donovan

2005  Subject: Congratulation to former SLC Actvist Connell (Rocky) O'Donovan  Hey yall! I just wanted to let you know that I have won first place in an international writing competition on issues relating to the Mormonism (through "Affirmation" - a support group for GLBT Mormons). Not Only did I get the recognition of the judges (who are some of the most brilliant minds in Mormonism today), but $1000 to boot! That's right ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS! Sweet! I sure can use it....My essay is about my long, painful journey out of Mormonism. It humorously details some of the torturous experiments and other garbage the Mormons put me through (and I do name names!) It's called "'Losing My Religion': Or How I Baked a Custard Pudding and Lost My Belief in Mormonism". Peace, Connell

2005: This week’s TIME cover story is titled “The Battle Over Gay Teens”. TIME’s cover story in 2005 touched on the effort to eradicate anti-gay speech in schools and to set up clubs and advocacy groups to support gay teens. But the story also underscored the ongoing tension between religion and homosexuality that still continues today.

2006 LGBT Volleyball League to Begin Oct. 3rd - Dec.12th Look for more information in The Pillar & QSalt Lake.

2006 Choir member accused of taking pictures of nude boys The Salt Lake Tribune Officials from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints confirmed the arrest of an Orem man, a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, who is accused of taking pictures of young boys in the nude while on a camping trip in late July. Police told KUTV Channel 2 the man took the pictures of four boys who range in age from 7 to 15 during a camp-out in Diamond Fork Canyon. He then ordered the boys not to tell their parents about the alleged photos, according to KUTV. The LDS Church issued a statement regarding the arrest Monday night: "The Church strongly condemns child abuse and will not tolerate such actions by anyone affiliated with our faith. Any member convicted of child abuse faces Church disciplinary action," wrote spokesman Dale Bills. The man had became a choir member earlier this year, Bills said. He has been released from his position in the choir pending the outcome of the police investigation. - Michael N. Westley

Hatch, Joe Walsh, Foley

2006 Hatch finds Foley's downfall 'unsettling' By Thomas Burr The Salt Lake Tribune WASHINGTON - At a Rose Garden ceremony in July, Sen. Orrin Hatch and Rep. Mark Foley were standing behind the president when he spoke about protecting children from online predators. Hatch was the Senate sponsor of a measure to launch a national sex-offender registry, and Foley sponsored the legislation in the House. Now, months later, Foley has resigned from office and is under an FBI investigation over allegations he sent sexually explicit messages to teens who are former congressional pages. Hatch, a member of the Senate Caucus on Missing, Exploited and Runaway Children, said Monday it was "shattering news" that someone who had helped him write legislation to harbor children from pedophiles could be involved in sending such messages to minors. "It's really unsettling to me that someone who worked so hard to pass what everyone is saying is a landmark child-protection law could do something like this," Hatch said. "I just don't understand it." Foley, a Florida Republican and co-chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, resigned from office Friday after ABC News revealed that the congressman had several explicit instant-message conversations with former male pages. The House also started an ethics investigation into the former congressman, who this session had sponsored three bills dealing with the exploitation of children, including one for the purpose of protecting "youth from exploitation by adults using the Internet, and for other purposes." Hatch and Foley had worked together to pass the legislation aimed at ensuring a national clearinghouse for people to find out if sex offenders were living in their neighborhoods. In July, Hatch wrote on the Hill newspaper blog that: "Pedophiles use the web to hunt our children. After working for years with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and others, my House colleagues - notably Rep. Mark Foley - and I introduced a bill that would use the Web to hunt the predators."  Hatch said Monday that he is "deeply aware of the trust parents place in Congress" when their children come to Washington to serve as pages or interns, and that he worries about the children involved. "There has to be serious consequences for anyone who violates that trust so things like this don't happen again," Hatch said. The 186-year-old congressional page program allows high school students to live in Washington and serve as essentially gofers for members of Congress at the Capitol. The students live in dorms, attend school and other activities under close supervision. Several Utahns have participated in the program, including James Keifert of West Jordan, who in 2004 served as a Senate page. He says he never heard of any inappropriate contact between pages and members of Congress. "It's hard to believe one of those guys would just be like that," Keifert said. "To do such a thing - it's an atrocity." Even so, Keifert says the page program should continue because it provides a valuable experience for aspiring youth. "I don't think it should be scrapped," Keifert said. "I wouldn't let one little thing like this ruin a good program."

Carol Lynn Pearson

2008 5 Spot | Poet, playwright and author Carol Lynn Pearson By Jerre Wroble  Salt Lake City weekly Nonprofit Grounded in Grace Community is hosting a “Triangle of Empowerment” retreat in Eden, Utah, on Oct. 3 & 4 for men and women. Poet, playwright and author Carol Lynn Pearson is its keynote speaker. You live to write, it seems. Where does inspiration come from? I observe what’s happening in my life and in the lives of people around me and, of course, some of the pressing social issues obvious to me and most people. I do have a pretty rich inner life that does involve meditation. When those things come together, there appears a project that seems to have my name on it. Often, it’s the ending of that project, like a punch line or the last line in a poem, or where the play Facing East is finally gonna take us. That’s the inspiration. I think, “Yeah, I need to do something that will get me and hopefully others to that point.”  And then it’s just a matter of discipline, it is just a matter of taking time to sit down and say, “Right now, I am going to do nothing else” and forget about writer’s block—especially if, like me, you just barely earn a living by doing your writing, you don’t have the luxury of writer’s block. There’s always just one project or another that I have enough enthusiasm about that that’s never a problem. Many claim to have a book inside them. What’s the best way to dig it out? You have to believe that your book is important. And it better be more important than all the trees that are going be cut down to make it, which not all books are. My brother is fond of saying, “That book would have been much better left as a tree.”  Honestly, when people write to me, I always encourage them to go ahead and write their book, no matter what comes of it. If it does not get published, at least you will know on your deathbed, “Hey, I did that.” Even if it’s something that you’ve self-published to give to a hundred friends and family, that’s something that they will treasure.  The act of writing is enormously important for one’s soul to be able to put into words all of the things you’re thinking about, no matter if they turn out. Just the act of writing helps you get clear on who you are and how you’re thinking.  Then sit down and be disciplined. Lots of people have a book they want to write but they don’t have the dedication to say, “All right, this is the block of time every day or three times a week that I am going to do nothing else but work on the book.”  And, of course to get enthusiasm from other people is a very helpful thing. Maybe go to a conference. Mark Victor Hansen is the Chicken Soup for the Soul guru who knows everybody and has excellent people at his weekend conferences. To have a fire lit under you by attending a conference is sometimes very valuable.  What’s your cure for writer’s block? Go for a walk and put away the problem that’s concerning you. And then, just often, out of the blue, without even making an effort, as I’m walking along, some subconscious door will open and I think, “Well, yeah, that’s the way to do it.”  You’ve had a dream come true to have your play Facing East produced Off Broadway. Any unexpected highlights? I remember when I was in New York, I got an e-mail from a lesbian in Utah who said, “Thank you for saving the life of my partner.” The woman’s partner was truly on the brink of ending her life over her conflict between her homosexuality and her LDS religion and family. The day that she went to the play, there was an audience discussion afterwards. She asked a question, and she was clearly so distressed. The woman who e-mailed me remembered that I left the stage and went over and hugged her partner, and I told her to hang on, that things were going to get better, and I was counting on her to shine brightly. The e-mail said that seeing the play that night and my hug and the words that were said saved her partner. Now, it doesn’t get any better than that. I know the play has healed untold numbers of families and probably saved more lives than one. What were your challenges getting the play staged? This project seemed to have been graced by whatever angels are assigned to these projects because it happened very, very smoothly. As soon as I had the idea and let it mull around for a

Jerry Rapier

while, I told [Plan B Theatre Company director] Jerry Rapier, and he said, “I want to see it as soon as it’s done.” So I just blocked off a couple of months and wrote the play. I just dove in and wrote the scenes that were ripe and wrote backwards and forwards. Then I had a reading in Utah. Jerry and his board and Bruce Bastion were there, and it just took off. There are a lot of things whose time has come. Clearly, the issues of religion and homosexuality are here to stay until we get them solved. I’m grateful that I have been given a voice and experience in order to make my contribution to that.  You’ve made a name for yourself as an author who sheds light on the gay Mormon experience. Has the LDS Church ever given you an official response to your work? No. Which is, of course, a good thing. For a writer to get an official response from the Mormon church would be a very bad, bad thing. I have not been chastised in any way—which is not to stay I have not been watched carefully. I am sure that is true. My local leaders, my bishops, my stake presidencies have always been very kind, not only respectful but very appreciative of my work. When Facing East was in San Francisco, my stake president and former bishop were both there with their wives and allowed me to invite the local leadership, the high council, the various bishops and Relief Society presidents. By the time the run was done here, there were dozens of church leaders from my stake who had gone, and I received only appreciation. As you are a resident of California, how do you feel about the LDS Church’s support of Proposition 8, which, if passed, will outlaw same-sex marriage currently allowed in the state? I don’t have any official involvement with it. I recently wrote an editorial in The Salt Lake Tribune pointing out the ongoing tremendous pressure that we put on gay people, especially in terms of so many that are driven to suicide. I am giving my opinion here where I feel they can be helpful. I’m sad to see the tremendous divisiveness that this thing is causing among LDS Californians. If you could have a personal audience with church leaders about the church’s stance on homosexuality, what you say to them? I occasionally write letters, and I generally receive answers that “We appreciate receiving this.” Everything that I’ve been writing, everything in my book No More Goodbyes, has exactly what I would say to all the General Authorities. Last fall, I signed a book with a letter to every General Authority, and I sent the book to them. I have already expressed to them all the things that I feel about homosexuality, which is, in general, that we need to be doing far, far more than we are. Do you foresee a day when the church will welcome gay couples? I am hoping for a time when there will be a place at the table for committed gay couples. When that might be, who knows? All the huge energy going on around Prop 8 is going to put any possibility back considerably. But I am open to surprises.  You’re appearing at a conference in Eden, Utah, this weekend. What will you be speaking about? I am giving a scaled-down readers’ theater version of Mother Wove the Morning. It’s a one-woman play that I have done over 300 times. I play 16 women throughout history in search of God the Mother, which is still—until we figure out how to invite her back into our consciousness—a vital issue. I am also speaking on synchronicity. It is a phenomenon that I have studied a great deal and written about. The hardback was called Consider the Butterfly. It is now out in paperback and called Embracing Coincidence. It tells 44 of my personal stories of experiencing this wonderful phenomenon of the magic of coincidences. My specialty is seeing them as metaphorical meaning. Just like the symbols in a dream, they invite us to consider something in our life that is important, to encourage us that we are in the right place at the right time, sometimes they make us laugh. In my diary, I write down every synchronicity. I have for about 10 years now. So I have thousands in my diary. Just little tiny ones or some really significant ones. The more you notice them, as you write them down and talk about them, you invite more. Deepak Chopra insists that as you observe them and take them seriously and write them down that not only do you see more because you’re more attuned to seeing them but that you actually create more. So what will people come away with? Seeing Mother Wove the Morning, they will come away with a renewed passion that the well being of our human family is dependent on acknowledging our need for the divine feminine. From my talk on synchronicity, I’m sure people will go away thinking, “Wow, I forgot this happened to me. Let me remember and take it seriously and see if it has some meaning for me.” And not only that, but to look at the overarching experiences of their lives, which I’ll address in my talk—not just daily little moments that grab us and surprise us—but the themes of our lives. If we can look at the themes that we’re developing, we can better participate in them.  I will go into a theme that my life has clearly shown me, which is validating femaleness in a world that does not. There was a time when writing Goodbye I Love You that I wrote, “So here I am. Seemingly, God, certainly my church, and now my husband all prefer men.” And that, in the context of my having come here, was an extraordinary feminist consciousness. Those are synchronistic platforms that I think many of us can identify with as we examine our lives. We are not victims to a random life that seems to have no meaning. Backstage, there is a lot of meaning going on. The threads behind the tapestry are all connected. By being alert, we can observe and work with them and let that magic help us. We can have confidence that life is this awesome, meaningful pool of creativity—not by accident or by anybody’s doctrinal explanation—and we’re to live in the magic, to believe in it, and to watch it and participate in it.

2010 Pride In Utah Mormon Church: Wanting Gay Rights Is Like Opposing Gravity Salt Lake

Eric Ethington

City, UT – This weekend is the Mormon Church’s semi-annual General Conference, where 20,000 members gather in person to listen to the heads of the church, and 12 million more watch live around the world. What did they hear today? Boyd K Packer of their ’12 apostles’ telling them that supporting gay rights is like opposing gravity.

• Boyd K Packer “There are those today who not only tolerate but advocate voting to change laws that would legalize immorality, as if a vote would somehow alter the designs of God’s laws and nature,” Boyd K. Packer, president of the church’s Quorum of Twelve Apostles, said in a strongly worded sermon about the dangers of pornography and same-sex marriage. “A law against nature would be impossible to enforce. Do you think a vote to repeal the law of gravity would do any good?” He also went on to oppose the church’s own website and resources by saying that people are not born gay or with “same sex attraction. Sexual orientation can be changed he says – and it is evil of anyone to disagree with him or who

  

  Boyd Packer

  tell homosexuals they should embrace who they are. Some argue that attraction that is “impure and unnatural” is “pre-set and cannot [be] overcome, Packer said. “Not so! Why would our Heavenly Father do that to anyone? Remember he is our father.” Let’s follow that line of reasoning shall we? If god would never make people gay because it’s wrong, then why would he make someone a parapalegic, or epileptic… there is no line of reason or logic to this man’s thoughts. But let’s be clear. What are the real consequences of this man’s words today? Death. Death by suicide by millions of LGBT teens who just heard a man whom they are taught speaks directly with god tell them that they are not of worth, that they have to change who they are. And the world has seen over and over again the results of such efforts – suicide. All too often these young kids commit suicide because they are unable to change themselves to match what their church tells them to be. Or if not suicide – we also have thousands of LGBT youth who are thrown from their homes because their LDS families do not want them living at home with what their church tells them is an ‘evil condition.’ Please.. if you know of one of these youth or if you are one yourself. Tell them this: There is nothing wrong with you! You are a wonderful beautiful human being with talents you’re only beginning to realize. You can live a happy, productive life with the person of your choosing and it doesn’t matter what this man says. If there is a god, that god is one of love – not hate as Boyd K Packer says.

Isaac Higham

2010 “Letter From A Gay Man To Mormon Boyd K Packer” Sixth most read posting from Eric Ethington's Pride in Utah Very beautiful letter written by one of Utah’s strongest activists, Isaac Higham, in response to Mormon Boyd K Packer’s evil speech calling homosexuals evil. Take a look!

• Isaac Higham Sometimes there are nights where I wake drenched in sweat, heart pounding, horrified by the dreams that had seconds before been playing out in my mind.  These are the nights where I relive my days in high school.  These are the nights where I relive the shame and the embarrassment, I felt over not speaking out—over not standing up for another when they most desperately needed it. Too many times to count I witnessed those who were brave enough to have come out in high school, or those who simply didn’t seem to fit the mold of their heteronormative gender expectations, be mocked, bullied, and outcast.  Oh how badly I wanted to speak up! And oh the shame I felt for staying silent out of cowardice and fear of my big gay secret being found out. I stayed silent.  I didn’t stand up to the bullies. I am silent no longer. And it is this determination to speak out and stand up to the bullies that drives me to address the talk given by LDS apostle Boyd K. Packer given at general conference this weekend.  In his talk Packer made statements that “unnatural” same sex attractions can, and should, be overcome.  He spoke of those who support marriage equality through their votes at the ballot box being akin to those who would vote against the existence of gravity. I have no interest in arguing the absurdity of such things with the leaders of the LDS church.  These are smart, accomplished, and for the most part well educated men who know better.  No, I do not speak out and respond to argue their beliefs because surely they have the right to believe whatever they please; however disturbing and absurd they may be. No, I speak out because I know that somewhere in some LDS family room or chapel pew, there sits a little boy or little girl who was just like me.  A little one who desires nothing more than to be “worthy” and to have the approval of their church and of their family.  I know that somewhere there is a child who, just like a younger me, quivers in fear of eternal damnation and fear of disappointing the family and the church culture they have been raised in because they are gay. It is for these little ones that I refuse to stay silent. The message delivered from the LDS pulpit continues to be a message of false hope, of misery, and of death for our LGBT children.  LGBT youth are FOUR TIMES more likely to attempt suicide than their peers and they make up somewhere between twenty and forty percent of the homeless youth population—despite making up less than ten percent of the population of youth as a whole. For twenty years I listened to the message of self loathing preached from LDS authorities.  For twenty years I believed in their false hope that I could pray and fast and serve away my sexual orientation and God would then reward me with “righteous” heterosexual desires. When the change never came, the blame became even more internalized, and I lost hope.  But after a thankfully failed attempt to end the misery of this life, I finally found the true peace of my divine identity.  I finally realized that all of those years I didn’t change because I didn’t need to.  I was the way God intended me to be. I began speaking out against the message of death that is killing our brothers, sisters, and friends.  I began to work fight youth homelessness, youth suicide, and LGBT discrimination in housing and employment.  I found new role models beyond the old men in the LDS hierarchy: like Reed Cowan who spends his time and efforts helping others in memory of his son, Dustin Lance Black who brought to life Harvey Milk’s message of hope and shared it with millions of LGBT persons who desperately need it, and hundreds and thousands of other activists fighting for change that is so desperately needed. If this message should reach one of those precious souls who is somehow struggling and fighting that internal fight know this: there is hope. You are exactly the beautiful creature you were created and intended to be.  There is love in this world beyond the message of death—find it. And if this message becomes nothing more than a prayer in my heart, may the universe take it and share my love, and my hope, to those who in some way or another find themselves “in the thick of things”. I stand confident of two things: First, that the blood of the innocents drips from the hands of those who strangle the life and the hope out of them through their bully pulpit. Second, that in the end I can stand upright and guilt free along side those who worked to make this world a better and safer place for everyone while others will hang their head in shame and weep for the hurt they inflicted on others in the name of self righteous piety. “I know that you can’t live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living.”

2012: Orlando Cruz became the first out gay professional boxer when USA Today broke the

news of the athlete coming out. Cruz said in a statement: “I’ve been fighting for more than 24 years and as I continue my ascendant career, I want to be true to myself. I want to try to be the best role model I can be for kids who might look into boxing as a sport and a professional career. I have and will always be a proud Puerto Rican. I have always been and always will be a proud gay man.”



2014 Paul Rolly: LDS Church quashes gay member’s fliers BY PAUL ROLLY THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE A gay Mormon who planned to hand out informational cards outside Temple Square during LDS General Conference this weekend has been served with a cease-and-desist order by church attorneys. Michael Ferguson, a returned missionary, and his partner, J. Seth Anderson, became the first same-sex couple married in Salt Lake City after a federal judge ruled that Utah’s ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional. The cards he had printed and planned to distribute on the sidewalk outside the temple grounds outlined the church’s position on gays and lesbians, as stated on the church’s official website, mormonsandgays.org. The cards also contained the web address for that site. Ferguson said he didn’t understand the objection since it’s the church’s own site. But what spawned the objection was that the card also contained the official logo of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said spokesman Dale Jones. “When an individual or group adds the church’s logo to a promotional item, it implies that the item has the church’s official stamp of approval,” Jones said. “That is not honest. Irrespective of the message contained in the promotional product, all organizations are obligated to protect their state and federally registered trademarks and logos.” Ferguson said his intentions were merely to spread understanding and love and help Mormons understand their own church’s position on gays and lesbians through the church’s own writings. The card’s three bullet points, as explained through various interviews on the website, were that same-sex attraction is not a choice, that love is the greatest commandment and that therapy does not change one’s same-sex attraction. “Those principles are important for [Mormons] to understand,” said Ferguson, noting that many Latter-day Saints believe wrongly that being gay is a choice and can be “cured” by therapy. An ironic comparison • Ferguson planned to simply pass out the cards directing church members to the LDS official website on gays. As a believing Mormon, he planned to be peaceful and respectful. And while the cease-and-desist order resulted from the use of the copyrighted church logo, it’s still unsettling that a peaceful message sent by a fellow devotee of the faith is banned, while those obnoxious anti-Mormon “fundamentalists” can use their First Amendment rights to scream at Mormons walking to LDS General Conference, call them names and disrespect their sacred garments by waving them at attendees. 

2015  Equality Utah Allies Dinner 2015 Equality--much like life, liberty, and the pursuit of all that jazz--just seems like one of those fabulously fundamental human rights that we all ought to be entitled to. But if 5th grade American History taught us anything, it's that (sadly) this just ain't the case. And, though here we are, smack dab at the rear end of 2015, it still seems to be something all too many are fighting for. Equality Utah is one of our stately champions working for the equal rights of LGBTQ folks and their families statewide, and we can hardly think of a more worthy cause to champion.  While many-a stride have been made to that end in 2015 (nationwide marriage equality, anyone?), there is still much work to be done, and the fight is far from over. To help Equality Utah continue their efforts, the organization is holding their annual Allies Dinner fundraiser. According to the group, the evening will be an "inspirational and entertaining evening to celebrate our victories this year, look to the work still ahead, and uplift our community values of love and opportunity for all Utahns". The dinner's theme is an apt (and fab) Queer New World, and Tyler Glenn of pop/rock group Neon Trees (Provo--represent!) will be present as keynote speaker and performer. Let's come together to honor the past, celebrate the present, and get all hyped about the good that the future will bring. Allies Dinner: Queer New World | Saturday, October 3, 2015 | Salt Palace Convention Center

• 2015 This year, Equality Utah has chosen to honor Dr. Kathryn Bond Stockton with a 2015 Allies Award. As a distinguished professor of English at the University of Utah, she inspires her students to reclaim the word “queer” - a word that previously was

  

  Kathryn Stockton

  used to harm LGBTQ people. Her groundbreaking lectures on queer theory resulted her winning the prestigious Rosenblatt Prize in 2013.  As Dr. Stockton explains, “If you look the word “queer” up in the dictionary, there are two different definitions that are important to queer theory. One is slang, usually derisive for ‘homosexuals’ (though obviously less derisive now, as gay folks have embraced it) and the other definition is simply, ‘strange’. At its most fundamental level, ‘queer’ means ‘strange.’ Queer theory likes both of those parts of the definition

  

  Connell O Donovan

  to be active.” More than 2,100 of Utah’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and ally community packed in for a night of passion, gaiety and glitter. The evening’s honorees also included Queer Nation activist and historian, Connell O'Donovan  and the Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts, who earlier this year crowned the state’s first transgender prom queen.