This Day In Gay Utah History March 26th

26 March 26-

1970-US Representative Edward Koch (D-NY) wrote to police commissioner Howard Leary about the arrest of 167 people at the Snake Pit, a Gay bar. He stated that this incident and four others like it in the previous twelve months pointed to evidence of an attempt by police to harass homosexuals, and reminded him that it is not illegal to be homosexual and the law  should not be used as a tool of harassment.

1976-“Some bad news. Talking to Mr. Prestwich today he said that there was a major arrest out in Pleasant Grove of homosexuals at the rest stop. Mr. Prestwich was very indignant that homosexuals even existed in Utah County. He said some professor was caught in the net and killed himself with a shot gun because he couldn’t face the shame.  On campus I read in the Daily Universe on the front page about the arrest of over 100 homosexuals at the rest stop in Pleasant Grove.  The paper said that many of them are BYU students.  I am just sick about wondering whether security will come and pick me up.  Larry is the only person who knows my name so maybe I’m safe.  But Larry said that security has made a list of known homosexuals on campus from their records and from Branch Presidents reports.  I hope my being caught in the Wilkinson Center last December won’t cause me more trouble.  I don’t want to get kicked out of school so close to getting my teaching degree.  I don’t dare call Larry if his phone is being tapped but I need to know if he’s okay”. Writes  a BYU student in his journal.

1975-Clela Rorex, a county clerk in Boulder Colorado, issued a marriage license to two Gay men, Dave McCord and Dave Zamora, after  verifying there were no county laws preventing people of the same sex from getting married. Over the next month she would issue five more licenses to  same-sex couples. Rorex began receiving death threats and harassing telephone calls because of the national attention she received. In response, a man applied for a marriage license to wed his eight-year-old mare-Rorex rejected the application on the grounds that the horse was underage. 

1985-An Oklahoma law banning, homosexuality or anyone who defends homosexuality, from teaching in public schools was overturned by the US Supreme Court by a 4-4 vote. (Justice Lewis was absent due to surgery.)

John Reeves

1988- LGSU, Wasatch Affirmation, MCC and Unconditional Support sponsored an interorganizational dance held at the Central City Community Center in Salt Lake City. John Reeves and I went over to the Central City Community Center to set up the dance. It lasted from eight to midnight and I think it was a great success.  Dave Malmstrom sat with me and took money. The dance was $3.00 per person and we made $224. The Youth Group, Affirmation, Unconditional Support, and The Provo Men’s Group all came out in support however LGSU was very lacking in representation and support. None of the leadership attended.  There were a lot of people at the dance I had never seen before which must have read about it in The Triangle which was great. Dave Malmstrom and I agreed to lend our share of the profit from this dance to helping the Community Council finance bringing Romanovski and Phillips to town.  Bruce Harmon needs $215 to rent Bryant Intermediate for the concert so this money will help go towards that. [Journal of Ben Williams]

Michael Archuleta

1990 Death-row inmate: Prison officials say wounds weren't serious, but they plan to keep a closer eye on Archuleta now. KILLER RECOVERING AT PRISON AFTER APPARENT SUICIDE TRY  Condemned killer Michael Anthony Archuleta remains under observation in the Utah State Prison infirmary after attempting suicide with a razor blade last week, Warden Eldon Barnes said. "Yes, he did attempt suicide last Tuesday," cutting his arms and neck with the blade from a disposable razor issued to prisoners for shaving, Barnes said Sunday. Archuleta, 26, was treated at the University of Utah Medical Center and released the same day to the prison. "It wasn't very serious or they would've kept him at (the medical center)," Barnes said. Archuleta will remain in the infirmary until prison medical personnel authorize his release back to regular housing in the Uinta II maximum security unit. Barnes said a deputy warden who spoke with Archuleta about the incident indicated the inmate was "depressed about the situation he was in." "Well, for some reason he was upset. I can't tell you it was a diagnosis of depression. He was just upset with being in prison," the warden said. Barnes said there is no way to predict suicide attempts at the prison, but Archuleta will be watched more closely. "For anybody that wants to try to attempt to kill themselves, there's not much we can do. Otherwise, we're now aware that he's inclined that way and we'll pay closer attention as we deal with him. We'll have doctors and, if we need to, psychiatrists," he said. In December, Archuleta was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to die for the November 1988 torture murder of Gordon Ray Church of Delta. Co-defendant Lance Conway Wood, 21, earlier this month received a life sentence for his role in the slaying.

1990 [Deseret News] ANTI GAY COALITION LASHES OUT AT EXHIBIT INCIDENT KICKING OF TRIANGLES AT HOLOCAUST DISPLAY ANGERS GAY ACTIVISTS At an exhibit Sunday recalling the hatred and bigotry that fed the Holocaust, a woman outraged by the presence of gay activists angrily kicked a box full of symbolic pink triangles down the steps of the Salt Lake City-County Building. Those who witnessed the incident said nothing could have illustrated the purpose of the exhibit - "The World of Anne Frank" - as vividly as that woman's intolerance. "Hopefully, the exhibit taught her something," said one member of a civil liberties coalition that held a vigil and rally outside the building. The gay activists were offering the pink triangles to everyone who entered the exhibit, explaining that they were used by the Nazis to identify homosexuals. About half of those visiting the exhibit

Robert Austin

Sunday afternoon accepted the emblem. Spokesman Robert Austin said the coalition was formed in response to a short-lived plan to exclude mention of the Nazi persecution of homosexuals from instructional packets distributed to Utah teachers. The controversy that followed actually increased public awareness of the plight of homosexuals in the Holocaust, Austin said. Michele Parish-Pixler, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, agreed, saying, "Regardless of whether they support gay rights or not, a lot of people were outraged at the attempt to censor history." Two weeks ago, a spokeswoman for Geneva Steel, the corporate sponsor of the exhibit, said the firm had deleted a three-page section - "The Fate of Homosexuals under Nazi Rule" - from the instructional packets at what it thought was the request of state education officials. But school officials responded that there had been a "misunderstanding" and that the material would be distributed to the 70 teachers who had requested the packets in preparation for class tours of the exhibit. State Superintendent of Public Instruction James E. Moss later explained that his staff had alerted Geneva officials to one page on "current homosexual activities" and warned that it could cause some public concern. The page depicts a triangle with the words "Gays Against Fascism," a symbol that was developed by the Gay Liberation Movement as a tribute to homosexuals who were victims of the Nazi persecution. Moss said that while the symbol had some historical roots, it appeared to be associated to a potentially controversial contemporary movement. "Our staff merely advised Geneva Steel of this concern," Moss said. Geneva contributed about $50,000 to sponsor the program, which opened at noon Sunday at the City-County Building. Gay activists had threatened to protest the exhibit but decided on the vigil instead when the misunderstanding was resolved. "I think people know more about both the exhibit and the fact that homosexuals were one of the groups targeted for extermination. That in itself is important," Austin said. "Now all we can hope for is that teachers use the information provided and teach the entire history associated with the Holocaust." Parish-Pixler, who was visiting the exhibit with her children, said ignorance perpetuates discrimination, fear and hatred. "If you teach kids tolerance when they are young, they are less likely to be bigots when they grow up." After participating in a rally at the City-County Building east steps, about 100 people marched to St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral for a memorial service honoring Holocaust victims. In addition to the pink triangles, coalition members distributed an informational flier relating some of the history of the persecution of homosexuals. It noted that between 250,000 and 500,000 homosexuals were killed in Nazi death camps. "After the war, Allied troops liberated the camps and helped many of the survivors go back to European life," the flier said. "But the troops sent the homosexual survivors to German jails for being "criminals.' Almost all died there."

1990-Rob Epstein won an Oscar for Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt. Common

Threads: Stories from the Quilt is a 1989 documentary film that tells the story of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. Narrated by Dustin Hoffman with a musical score written and performed by Bobby McFerrin, the film focuses on several people who are represented by panels in the Quilt

International Chrysis

1990-International Chrysis, a transgendered performer, died of lung cancer at age 38.  International Chrysis was a member of the Hot Peaches troupe and appeared briefly in the 1968 documentary The Queen. She toured drag supper clubs in the 1970s and moved her show to nightclubs in the 1980s, performing her revues Jesus Chrysis Superstar and the Last Temptation of Chrysis. She appeared in the 1990 film Q&A shortly before her death. Chrysis died of liver cancer, attributed to illegal breast enhancement injections and high levels of hormones. A documentary about her life was released posthumously. Dead or Alive briefly recorded under the name "International Chrysis" in her honor.

1990-Fashion designer Halston died of complications from AIDS, age 57. Roy Halston 

Frowick, known simply as Halston, was an American fashion designer, who rose to international fame in the 1970s. His designs were popular fashion wear in mid-1970s discotheques and redefined American fashion. An American designer, Halston was well known for creating a style for “American Women”. From his point of view, the “American Woman” was about having a relaxed urban lifestyle. He created a new phenomenon in the 1970s. Halston believed that women can wear the same clothing for the entire day on any occasion

1993
-Comic strip For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston began a series in which character Lawrence Poirier comes out. Johnston wrote "It felt right for Lawrence to be gay. He was like so many people I know who have had to deal with this traumatic realization and who have done so with courage and honesty. I wrote and sent in the material eight weeks before my deadline. Although [my editor] cautioned me that it was a sensitive issue and there could be some negative response, he felt that I had written the story well, that it contained no offensive material, and, that if I wished to run it, he and Universal Press would be supportive."

1999 UTAH AIDS FOUNDATION STAN PENFOLD 03/26/1999 Page: F7 Utah AIDS Foundation Associate Director Stan Penfold has been named acting executive director of the foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to prevent the spread of HIV. He succeeds former Executive Director Barbara Shaw, who has accepted a position as development director for the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Stan Penfold

1999 UTAH AIDS FOUNDATION 03/26/1999 Page: D13 By Lisa Johnson Moving from Miami to Salt Lake City can be a culture shock. "Thank God for events like the AIDS Foundation's Academy Awards party," says KSTU (Ch. 13) news director Geoff Roth. He had heard about Utah's conservative culture and night life when here located here three years ago, and wasn't expecting much when he happened upon this wild gala during his first few months on the Wasatch Front. "It made me feel much better about my decision," he says. "I attend this party every year. I wouldn't miss it."   It's true there is not an event in March that rivals this one for sheer surprise and entertainment value. Sure, you can catch the boys from the local universities gliding across the basketball courts in sleek uniforms during March Madness, at least for a while. What's not expected is to see the volunteers with the Utah AIDS Foundation gliding across a ball room in lame loincloths, painted metallic gold from head to toe, imitating Oscar himself. The six live Oscars were a nice touch at this year's party, named "Sunday Matinee" because, for the first time, the awards were presented on Sunday.   But the Oscars weren't the only changes in this year's festivities at the Double Tree hotel. For the past two years, the event was at the Utah State Fair park, which was unavailable to the Utah AIDS Foundation this year. "I think the move was a good one," says director of development Julie Mayhew. "Even though we raised the price $10, we had more people this year. I think people like being uptown."   The carpet at the Double Tree did deter the drag queens on roller skates selling tequila shots. There wasn't a single one to be found. Instead, the cross-dressing highlight of the evening was made by Geoffrey Darian, who spent all day with Edith Martin, decorating the party venue. When the woman who was supposed to wear the Carmen Miranda costume failed to show up, Darian donned it himself, fruit-basket headdress and all. Partygoers did a double take when they noticed the Latina film star of yore had a hairy chest and a mustache. It was all part of the raucous fun. This year, shot sales were left exclusively to members of the Utah Gay Rodeo Association, who dressed in full cowboy regalia, with chaps, hats, kerchiefs and holsters to fit in with the matinee theme. They spent the week prior whipping up hundreds of Jell-O shooters, pouring them into little plastic-lidded cups, to be sold for a buck apiece. You had your choice of peach Jell-O with schnapps, sparkling grape Jell-O with vodka, or this year's new addition of "Drunken Cherries," marinated in liqueur then dolloped with whipped cream. All proceeds went directly to the Utah AIDS Foundation. The Gay Rodeo Association, by the way, is the second largest rodeo association in the world.   Prominent Salt Lake residents from the straight side of the community were there, many looking swank in classic tuxedos and elegant ball gowns. But their eagerness to participate went beyond that. "It's good to see such a large cross-section of the community here, supporting such a great cause," said architect Bernardo Flores-Sahagun. The evening included an hors d'oeuvres reception, with food contributed by the DoubleTree, the Wyndham Hotel, Tuscany, the Marriott Hotel, Pomodoro, the Little America Hotel and Granato's, all volunteering time and food for the event. Such competitors teaming together made for a remarkable repast.   There was also a silent auction with fabulous items like Rosenthall furniture, ski passes, jewelry, a Trevor Southey limited-edition lithograph framed by the "A" Gallery, and, as last year, a walk-on part in "Touched by an Angel." Of course, there was also the sit-down dinner with Cornish game chicks, in dining rooms equipped with large television screens so guests could watch the broadcast. And, finally, there was dancing to the music of the Swingorillas.   Many members of Utah's Hollywood crowd gathered at private homes, like people from the cast of "Promised Land," who intently watched the awards while noshing on Gerald MacRainy's homemade crawfish gumbo. But over at the DoubleTree, conversation was light and raucous. One table got into a spirited debate over who is the most beautiful man in Hollywood. The conversation was spearheaded by Adam Jensen and Robert Trujillo, first-timers at the event who swear they won't miss it next year. After eliminating young hunks like Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck, Sean Connery won the title.   Another table was stricken by the remarkable similarity between Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Jack Valenti and Utah's First Security Bank president Spence Eccles. Could they be twins separated at birth? several people wondered.   At the end of the day, the Utah AIDS Foundation had surpassed its goal of raising $110,000.  “The very next day, I got phone calls from two companies about reserving corporate tables already for next year, and one from another woman who said she heard that this benefit was THE place to see and be seen, so she wanted her name put on the mailing list for next year.  "That's a development director's dream," Mayhew said with a laugh. So if you missed it this year, tickets are still available for next. Party on.

2003 SLC: Mayor Anderson Courts Gay Voters as Election Nears By Heather MayThe Salt Lake Tribune   Rocky Anderson says he never was homophobic, but he acknowledges he used to harbor biases against gays and lesbians.     Not anymore. The Salt Lake City mayor -- who was defeated in a Utah congressional race partly because of his liberal views on gay issues -- is highlighting those policy positions as he runs for re-election this year. Last weekend, speaking at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah, Anderson praised the city's police department for a new outreach program to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered residents. He said he supported offering city benefits to domestic partners of gay and lesbian employees. He expressed interest in a coalition's move to change a state law that forbids gay and lesbian couples from adopting or housing foster children. If such a thing as a gay voting bloc exists, Anderson is going after it. He already has the endorsement of Unity Utah, a political action committee focused on gay issues. Though Saturday's speech was a city function, Anderson's campaign manager was present, too, with "Rocky II" bumper stickers and fund-raiser fliers at the ready. "One of the best families I know, across the street from where I live, is two lesbian women and their two wonderful kids. People need to understand there are all sorts of different families that provide healthy, loving homes to children," the mayor said. Utah Families Coalition wants Anderson's support in fighting a 2000 law that prohibits the state from placing children in homes of cohabiting couples. The mayor said he would overturn it in Salt Lake City if he could, but he can't.    Support for gay issues is a hot-button topic that can swing elections. Anderson says he lost his 1996 congressional bid to Merrill Cook because of his support for legalizing same-sex marriage. During that campaign, he moderated the statement, saying he would set aside his personal beliefs and vote the will of the residents in the 2nd Congressional District. It was such a critical issue, that in the last weekend of that election, Anderson paid for a TV ad where he declared: "I'm not going to advocate same-sex marriage in Congress." The backpedaling angered the Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats (GLUD), but the group stood by him.    Anderson lost that race, though he had support from Salt Lake City voters and easily carried the capital. When he ran for mayor in 1999, he was attacked for supporting gays. Fliers accused him of owning gay bars and rumors flew that he was gay. But the allegations backfired.    Unity Utah Director Michael Mitchell believes gay voters and volunteers helped boost Anderson then and could do the same this year. "We do have the numbers in Salt Lake to swing an election," Mitchell said. "We tend to vote for people who are good to us more than not -- not that we're single-issue voters. I would hope somebody wouldn't vote for Rocky simply on gay and lesbian rights."    Unity Utah's endorsement of Anderson does not mean the PAC disproves of the other candidates. Mitchell said Frank Pignanelli, a mayoral hopeful and former legislator, is a "very good man. He's a man that's very open" about gay issues. But Mitchell said Anderson was more up to speed, while he would have to educate other candidates. Consider: Anderson issued an executive order to protect gay city employees from discrimination after taking office. Several employees have used it to complain about inappropriate workplace talk, said Greg Coronado, the city's equal employment opportunity manager.  The mayor recently created a Police Civilian Review Board and asked Paula Wolfe, executive director of Utah's Gay and Lesbian Community Center, to join.   "I first saw him at a drag show," Wolfe said. "There are very few politicians who have that comfort level."  In addition, the police department created a Gay and Lesbian Public Safety Liaison Committee. It works with owners of gay bars and is creating a gay-sensitive DUI campaign this summer. It also developed a program for people caught committing homosexual acts in public places. Offenders are offered 10 hours of therapy and charges are dropped if they do not reoffend. Lt. Kyle Jones said 100 people have completed the program and there is a low recidivism rate. The program also appears to help some people recognize they are gay. He said 60 percent to 70 percent of the men initially identify themselves as heterosexual and "after therapy realize they are bisexual and probably gay."    Pignanelli has a record of advocating for gays and lesbians, too. As a legislator, he pushed for a hate-crimes bill that included protections for gays and lesbians and other groups. He criticized the city's school board for banning all nonacademic clubs in order to ban gay clubs. And he vows to keep Anderson's nondiscrimination order. But Pignanelli and other Democrats angered GLUD when they sought to distance themselves from gay issues and asked the group to drop the party label.   "I have witnessed firsthand the contributions gay and lesbians have made to our community," Pignanelli said. "We need to make sure they feel and believe Salt Lake City is a comfortable place for them to live and thrive."    Molonai Hola, another mayoral hopeful, said he is sensitive to such issues, but they are not his focus. "My priorities are revamping the city and recruiting businesses to come in."    On Saturday in response to questions from people at the center, Anderson said he supported extending city benefits to partners of gay and lesbian employees. Pignanelli supports the idea too, but would want to study the costs first.    An actual ordinance extending those benefits appears unlikely. The mayor has not discussed it with City Council members, who would have to approve it. Even if they agreed, state lawmakers likely would have final say.

2003 SUPREME COURT COULD REVERSE BAN ON HOMOSEXUAL SEX By ANNE GEARAN.c The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - A gay-rights case before the Supreme court tests how times have changed for the country and for the court itself, which was widely criticized for a ruling 17 years ago that upheld a ban on homosexual sex. The court could reverse course and declare a similar ban unconstitutional. A large crowd gathered outside the court Wednesday in hopes of hearing oral arguments in one of the court's biggest cases this year. A knot of protesters stood apart, holding signs that read ``AIDS is God's revenge,'' ``God sent the sniper'' and other messages. Lawyers for two Texas men arrested in their bedroom are asking the court to overturn their convictions for sodomy under a state ``Homosexual Conduct'' law. The law unfairly treats gay men and lesbians differently from heterosexuals who may engage in the same kinds of sex acts and violates privacy rights, the opponents argued in court filings. State anti-sodomy laws, once universal, now are rare. Those on the books are infrequently enforced but underpin other kinds of discrimination, lawyers and gay rights supporters said.``We truly hope the Supreme Court in its wisdom will remove this mechanism that has been used for so long to obstruct basic civility to gay and lesbian people,'' said Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the gay rights organization Human Rights Campaign. In 1986, a narrow majority of the court upheld Georgia's sodomy law in a ruling that became a touchstone for the growing gay rights movement. Even then the court's decision seemed out of step and was publicly unpopular, said Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe, who argued on the losing side of the case. ``We're now dealing with a very small handful of statutes in a circumstance where the country, whatever its attitudes toward discrimination based on sexual orientation, (has reached) a broad consensus that what happens in the privacy of the bedroom between consenting adults is simply none of the state's business.'' As recently as 1960, every state had a sodomy law. In 37 states, the statutes have been repealed by lawmakers or blocked by state courts. Of the 13 states with sodomy laws, four - Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri - prohibit ``deviate sexual intercourse,'' or oral and anal sex, between same-sex couples. The other nine ban consensual sodomy for everyone: Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia. An unusual array of organizations is backing the two Texas men. In addition to a long list of gay rights, human rights and medical groups, a group of conservative Republicans and the libertarian Cato Institute and Institute for Justice argued in friend of the court filings that government should stay out of the bedroom. ``This case is an opportunity to confirm that the constitutional command of equal protection requires that gays be treated as equal to all other citizens under the law, subject to neither special preferences nor special disabilities,'' the brief for the Republican Unity Coalition said. On the other side, the Texas government and its allies say the case is about the right of states to enforce the moral standards of their communities.
``The states of the union have historically prohibited a wide variety of extramarital sexual conduct,'' Texas authorities argued in legal papers. Nothing in that legal tradition recognizes ``a constitutionally protected liberty interest in engaging in any form of sexual conduct with whomever one chooses,'' the state argued. Conservative legal and social organizations, religious groups and the states of Alabama, South Carolina and Utah back Texas in the case. The case began in 1998, when a neighbor tricked police with a false report of a black man ``going crazy'' in John Geddes Lawrence's apartment. Police smashed their way in and found Lawrence having anal sex with another man, Tyron Garner. Although Texas rarely enforced its antisodomy law, officers decided to book the two men and jail them overnight on charges of ``deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex.'' They were each fined $200 plus court costs. The case is Lawrence v. Texas, 02-102.

2003 Ben, Please advise me on my opening remarks. It is not hard to introduce Todd or The mayor....but what to say to introduce the Guild....what do you think of the following. CK “ A community is found in not just it social and political structure, but in the goods and services it produces and provides to its citizens. If as Senator Hillary Clinton has indicated that it takes a village to raise a child., then it is the businesses that have financed the child’s

Chad Keller 

education. Six months ago after conducting a meeting of the Community Leadership Forum, Todd Dayley and I saw a need that was being overlooked. We saw a need, and today after gathering the input from some great business leaders, we have arrived to take our first steps, and prepare to contribute to the positive growth of the community, Our GLBT Business community for years had been the group of individuals that had financed and nurtured the Utah Gay Community. In 1974 it was the Sun and other known gay clubs that had served as hosts of parties and events that raised the money for the early days of Gay liberation often time financing the movement right out of the til. In the 80’s as a community we relied on GLBT business people and business friends sympathetic to the AIDS crisis to anti up to help save lives. In the 90’s business still played a role in financing the community’s various organizations and their goals, but local GLBT and Friendly businesses but were quickly becoming a secondary line of finance due to the many foundations springing forth due to finical prosperity of many innovators of the GLBT Community. In the times of need and in time of celebrations through years of strong and poor economy. it is the GLBT and friendly Businesses and that step forward to see that the projects of our community are funded and supported. Today March 28, 2003 marks a new era for the Utah Lambda Business community, as we launch the Utah GLBT Business Guild. It is a little bit better business beau; a lot of chamber of commerce, part welcome wagon, and a pinch of philanthropy. But importantly a New and colorful voice to help lend its expertise in the growth and direction of our community. The possibilities od the Utah GLBT Business guild are endless.

2004 Deseret Morning News By Jeff Vice It isn't only LDS filmgoers who should feel offended by "Latter Days." Gay filmgoers have reason to be miffed with the film's stereotypical characters and borderline offensive insinuations. And even those who aren't immediately put off by the film's brazen attacks on religion and in particular, the LDS Church  will likely be bored by this clumsy, incredibly contrived comedy, which has little charm. The only real interest the film holds is seeing just how far it will go to fulfill its agenda which is so heavy-handed you may feel like you've been pummeled by anti-religious pamphlets. There's also the fascination at seeing what screen veterans Jacqueline Bisset and Mary Kay Place might do to elevate this material. But both are stuck in thankless supporting roles that don't afford them the opportunities they deserve. "Latter Days" also features one of the least appealing and most unsympathetic lead characters in recent memory in Christian (Wesley A. Ramsey), a struggling actor who's waiting tables while he waits for his big break. To amuse himself, the sexually aggressive Christian has taken to seducing supposedly straight men. In fact, he's so good at it, his co-workers have bet that he can't work his "magic" on one newcomer to L.A. naive LDS missionary Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss), who has just arrived from Idaho. Elder Davis immediately rebuffs Christian's too-obvious advances, though he does try to befriend his new neighbor. And surprisingly, Christian begins enjoying the time the two spend together. Where writer-director C. Jay Cox (screenwriter of "Sweet Home Alabama") takes this material won't exactly surprise anyone (not to spoil anything here, but Christian's attempts at seduction eventually succeed). And it's a toss-up as to which is worse the supposed humorous scenes that are laughless or the supposed dramatic scenes that are laughable. Not that the cast is any help. Lead actor Ramsey is stiff as a board, and the incredibly bland Sandvoss isn't much better. And what Bisset and Place (who plays Elder Davis' homophobic mother) are doing here is anyone's guess. "Latter Days" is not rated but would probably receive an R for scenes of simulated gay sex and other sexual contact, occasional use of strong sexual profanity, male nudity, crude sexual talk and use of sexual slang, and some brief violence (a scuffle). Running time: 108 minutes.

• 2004 The Tower Theater agreed to show the movie "Latter Days," a romantic comedy centering on a gay LDS missionary after Madstone Theaters refused to premier the film

2004 LATTER-DAYS IS ON A MISSION TO RANT, RATHER THAN EXPLORE ROMANCE By Sean P. Means The Salt Lake Tribune A tender gay romance is buried under its heavy-handed message. Not rated, but probably R for strong sexuality, language, and disturbing images; 97 minutes. Opening today at the Tower Theatre. There are two groups in Utah who will make their decision about watching the gay/LDS comedy-drama "Latter Days" regardless of what critics like me say: Gays and lesbians, especially those who grew up Mormon, who want to see people like themselves on screen; and those members of the LDS Church who, because they believe there are no such people as homosexuals, would be offended by a screen depiction of one. For the rest of us, "Latter Days" is a mixed bag. Writer-director C. Jay Cox (who wrote "Sweet Home Alabama") has created a tender gay love story, and then buries it under shrill diatribes, plot clichés and one-note characters.  That love story begins when Christian (Wes Ramsey), a party-hearty gay man in West Hollywood, notices some new neighbors in his apartment complex: LDS missionaries. One of them, Elder Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss), finds himself confused over his attraction to this California stud.    Here's where the clichés start rolling in: Christian makes a bet with his friends that he can seduce a missionary -- but, of course, by the time he does have sex with Aaron in a Salt Lake motel, the commitment-phobic Christian has started falling in love and (thanks to an encounter with an embittered AIDS patient, played by Erik Palladino) learned to grow as a person.  The diatribes begin with the homophobic rants of Aaron's mission companion (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, from "3rd Rock from the Sun"). They continue when Aaron, caught in a clinch with Christian, is sent home to Pocatello to face his shrewish mom (Mary Kay Place) and a church tribunal.  Cox, who is gay and grew up Mormon, has lots to say about how members and leaders of the LDS Church deal with -- or go into denial about -- homosexuality. His script depicts Aaron's father (Jim Ortlieb) burying himself in church work just to avoid sitting in the same house as his son. It also depicts, in darkly lit moments that play like a dream sequence, the horrors of electroshock aversion therapy. (LDS Church officials say such techniques are ancient history, though a gay activist in Utah has claimed Brigham Young University was using the therapy as recently as 1989.) But Cox beats his message into the audience's heads, where a subtler approach would have sufficed. There are small charms in "Latter Days," notably the welcome presence of Place and Jacqueline Bisset (as Christian's all-wise employer), and the sensitive performance by newcomer Sandvoss. But overall "Latter Days" is too slight for its subject matter; a great movie about homosexuality and the LDS Church is still waiting to be made.

2004 Gay rights activist is resigning Paula Wolfe By Rhina Guidos and Jacob Santini The Salt Lake Tribune Citing a "vicious" legislative session biased against gays, the head of Salt Lake City's sole gay and lesbian community center announced her resignation Thursday. Paula Wolfe, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Utah (GLBTCCU) since 1999, said this year's legislative session was "one of the more vicious ones that I've seen." Utah lawmakers' opposition to partial-birth abortion, gay marriage, gay surrogate parenting and the defeat of hate-crimes legislation were among her reasons for leaving the center and the state of Utah, said Wolfe, who is heading to the more liberal pastures of Seattle. April 9 is her last day at the center. For the state's conservative lawmakers, her resignation is likely a victory, Wolfe said. "That's probably what they want," she said. Others said her departure is a loss for the center and for the state, especially because few in politically conservative Utah are willing to demand civil rights for gays the way Wolfe did. Blythe Nobleman, minority affairs communications

Blythe Nobleman

coordinator for the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office, said even some in gay activist circles want to conform to the mainstream culture of Utah, but Wolfe was always standing up for civil rights -- for all. Others say they understand Wolfe's decision, considering the conservative climate. "It [gay rights] is challenging work, especially when you're in a community like Utah where the dominant religion is one of the strongest opponents of human gay rights," said Utah Progressive Network's Lorna Vogt, who has worked with Wolfe on gay rights issues during the legislative session. Maryann Martindale, chairwoman of the GLBTCCU board, said the decision to end Wolfe's 4 1/2-year stint at the center was mutual. "I wouldn't consider it adversarial," she said. Wolfe has left the center financially stronger than when she came, Martindale said. The center, near downtown, has grown in size and membership, including its youth center, thanks to Wolfe, she said, but the board and Wolfe agreed it was time for a change. Mike Picardi, chairman of the Stonewall Democrats, said Wolfe will be greatly missed, but not by conservative lawmakers who contributed to her departure. She was passionate and compassionate, Picardi said. Together they commiserated about legislators who were opposed to gay males using a surrogate mother so they could have a child. Paula was offended by that because it was taking rights away from people," he said. Wolfe supporters say her departure doesn't mean a victory for conservatives nor a defeat for gay rights in the state. "Absolutely not," said Nobleman of the mayor's office. "This is motivating Paula to direct her efforts on a national level and make an impact on what's going on across the country." Wolfe will address the National Center for Lesbian Rights at an April 3 fund-raiser and plans to work on policy issues internationally. rguidos@sltrib.com

2005 Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA) Group meets every Saturday from 7:30- 8:30 pm in the Middle Meeting Room.  Crystal Meth Anonymous is a 12 step fellowship for those in recovery  from addiction to crystal meth. There are no dues or fees for membership. Membership in CMA is open to anyone with a desire to stop using drugs.

2005 Equality Utah Newsletter Spring 2005 The 2005 legislative session is over, but we're still working hard for the rights of LGBT Utahns and their families here at Equality Utah.  Last Saturday, over 250 people showed up to show appreciation to three hardworking community members: Rep. Jackie Biskupski, Sen. Scott McCoy and our own executive director, Michael Mitchell. Jane Marquardt, who will soon be stepping down as EU's board chair to run for Salt Lake City Council, took the mike to talk about her upcoming race and received some of the loudest applause of the evening.   Jane, along with 16 other Utahns, recently completed the Victory Fund Leadership Institute's Candidate training that was held here in Salt Lake and co-hosted with Equality Utah. The Victory Fund conducts 3-4 of these trainings around the country each year, so we're very excited to have been able to have had one here in Utah. One of our goals at Equality Utah is to have more representation from our community in elected offices, from the school board to the state house. With so many qualified LGBT Utahns, we're certain that the goal of more out elected officials is a reachable reality.   You can read more about the Victory Fund training in a couple of recent articles by going to the News section of our website.  During the legislative session, we had a great victory in our first Meet Your Legislators Day with almost 40 citizen lobbyists, some of them coming up to the Hill for the first time in their lives, talking with our lawmakers. We have plans to make it bigger and better next year and to do it on several days so more people can get involved. 

Kathryn Stockton

2007 The University of Utah College of Social Work Diversity and Social Justice Lecture Series: Allies for Equity Knowing History: Yours, Mine, and Ours March 26, 2007 1:00 - 3:00 pm  Hayes Christensen Theatre at the University of Utah Marriott Center for Dance   Queer Theory and You Genitals, Clothing, Pleasure, and Shame Presentation by Kathryn Stockton What in the world is “queer theory,” and why should we care?  Presented in a humorous, accessible style, this talk will stretch your thinking on what you think you know (and what our culture thinks it knows)  about important matters surrounding your genitals, your clothing, your pleasure, and your shame. Dr. Stockton’s presentation will be followed by a panel discussion about queer theory.  In addition to Dr. Stockton, panel members will include Lee Beckstead, a psychologist at Aspen Grove Counseling, and John Spillman, a current University of Utah student.  The panel will be moderated by Kim Hall, the interim director of the U’s LGBT Resource Center .  This and all Allies for Equity lectures will be held in the  Hayes Christensen Theatre at the University of Utah Marriott Center for Dance.  All lectures in this series are free and open to the public. The first lecture in the 2007-2008 Allies for Equity series will be on September 24, 2007.