1 April 1
1902 EVIDENCE INDICATES OLD MAN WAS MURDERED-
Autopsy Shows That Samuel Collins Was Engaged in a Struggle Before He Died No
Knife is Found in the Cave Blood Discovered Beneath Stones at the Mouth- Hell’s
Hollow has not yet given up the whole secret of the mysterious tragedy within
its walls and whether Samuel Collins died the victim of a murderer’s bIade or
by his own hand has not been positively proven but In the light of developments
yesterday. It seems almost certain that a murderer sought to hide his bloody
crime in that narrow cave. A thorough search of the cave failed to reveal any
knife that must have been near by if Collin’s hand drew it across his own
throat and an autopsy upon the body disclosed evidences of a struggle before
death that must have occurred in a hard fight life. Added to this evidence of
murder, clotted blood was found beneath the rocks piled in the mouth of the
cave indicatlng that the stones had been piled upon the blood covered ground.
It now develops that a strange man who has as not been seen since made an
engagement on the fatal Monday to meet Collins at his home just two hours
before the latter disappeared and two strangers were seen hanging about the the
Wasatka building but a short time before Collins left. Evidence has developed to the effect that
Collins had money. Some half burned clothes that were found in the southern
part of the city were secured and one of the shirts was partially identified as
one worn by Collins the Sunday before he disappeared. The hills were searched
in every crack and crevice by officers and curious men and boys but nothing of
importance in the case was found. The officers profess to hold firmly to the
theory of suicide but an inquest will be held this afternoon to determine the
nature of the death. SHOWS COLLINS WAS MURDERED New Evidence Brought Out Points
to Foul Play- The evidences that developed in the mystery yesterday are held by
nearly every one except the officers as almost conclusive proof that Collins
was the victim of a murderer’s knife. The bruises upon his body Indicating that
there was was a struggle before death and the fact that a thorough search of
the cave revealed no knife with which Collins could have taken his own would
seem to confirm beyond a doubt the murder theory. Other evidence also developed
which tend to strengthen the belief. Upon removing the rocks from the mouth of
the cave it was found that a thick coating of clotted blood lay beneath the
rocks and the bloodsoaked earth showing that the rocks were piled in the mouth
of the cave after the blood had flowed over the ground. Some of these rocks
with clinging blood were taken as evidence to be offered at the inquest R F
Averson, who was the first man to enter the cave and move the dead body, says
the blood was under the rocks when he removed them, and soft earth looked as if
the body been pushed head first into the cave.
He says he made a thorough examination of the cave when it was first
opened, and no signs of any weapon were there. Those who hold to the murder
theory believe Collins was knocked insensible by a blow in the eye and after
being being stripped of his clothing was tied by the rope to the stakes found
by the grave and carried to his tomb. They think his throat was cut after he
was put in the cave and the indications substantiate the theory. He was
stripped of his clothing it is thought because the murderers believed he had
his money sewed in them. The county authorities and police officers profess to
hold firmly to the theory that Collins walled himself in his own tomb then cut
his throat. They argue that he stripped himself and disposed his clothing to
prevent identification and wrapped the rope around himself to prevent kicking
the wall out in his death struggles The knife or razor with which the cut was
made they believe was removed by some small boy or other person before the cave
was searched thoroughly. Attorney Loofbourow stated that he thought Collins
took the stakes and rope along to tie himself down with before cutting his
throat but lost hatchet on the way and wrapped the rope around himself instead.
The rope, it was discovered, had been borrowed by Collins from Mrs Orson Parker
when Collins moved from her place. DIED IN A FEW SECONDS Collins Expired Almost
Immediately an Autopsy Shows- Under the direction of the county physician an
autopsy was performed upon the body of Collins and all indications, according
to the verdict of the doctors, pointed to the fact that the dead man had been
severely bruised before death occurred. Dr Mayo says the indications are that
there was a struggle made by Collins before death and the bruises were
sustained then. The condition of the body, he says, shows clearly that they
could not have been made after death. An examiration of the gash in the throat
showed the Jugular vein had been cut and death resulted from the loss of blood.
“Death must have resulted within a few seconds after the cut was made,” said
the doctor “and if he had cut the gash himself the knife with which he did it
would undoubtedly have been by his side as he could not possibly have retained
vitality long enough to hide it or even throw it away. If there was no knife in
the cave when it was opened then he never committed suicide.” “The man was
evidently in good physical condition before he died but his left eye had the
appearance of having received a blow. If he was murdered he was probably
knocked unconscious first and then his throat was cut. However that was, it is
evident that the throat was cut after was in the cave. The officers who uphold
the suicide theory claim that the bruises were inflicted himself by Collins
while clambering over the rocks to get to the cave. They also contend he
bruised himself against the rock of the cave in his death struggles. The county
authorities ordered an inquest to be held over the body today and it will take
place at the office of Justice Nielsen in the Constitution block at 2 p m. Upon
the result of this investigation will depend the farther action of the
officers. COLLINS MET STRANGERS Had Engagement to Keep Immediately Before
Disapearence-It was not more than four hours before he was last seen on Ensign
peak that Collins met a stranger who is believed to have figured in the mystery
at the Rio Grande depot and made an engagement to meet him later at the Wasatka
bottling works. The story of the meeting and the arrangement for the second
meeting was related by Collins a few minutes after it occurred to Mrs Charles H
Woodward of 968 West Fourth South street to whose home he was going when the
meeting took place. The story told by Mrs Woodward is that Collins who had been
a friend of the family for years came to her house about 2 o’clock Monday
afternoon and stated that he had intended to remain for supper but while on the
way had been met at the depot by a stranger who wanted to meet him at the
bottling works at 2 o’clock. “He told me that the man said he wanted to
purchase a case of mineral water,” said Mrs Woodward, “and that he would have
to catch the next Jordan bridge car in order to get back in time to meet the
man.” “He remained at my house about
twenty minutes and started for the car. Before he left he promised to take
dinner with me yesterday and left my husband’s bank book which he had had
arranging some business affairs for him. After he left I did not see or hear anything
more of him until I saw the account of his death in the papers.” Who this man was, that made the engagement,
no one knows whether or not he kept the engagement is equally mysterious. The
stranger evidently knew Collins but from the latter’s conversation it is
thought that he did not know the man. The question that is agitating the
persons who know of this incident is, ”Who was the strange man and did he have
anything to do with Collins death?” This incident, in the light of other
circumstances of the case, is regarded as suspicious suspicious. A little after
3 o’clock that afternoon, an old miner who was passing by the Wasatka building
saw two men, he claims, hanging about the building and acting in a suspicious
manner. He approached them he said and when he did so they eyed him rather
closely and walked away in the direction of the foothills. He did not see the
men any more and thought nothing of the occurrence until the dead body of
Collins was taken from the cave. He readily recollected the affair then but was
unable yesterday to give any description of the men he saw. Whether the man who
met Collins at the depot was one of these two is a matter of conjecture. The
fact remains however that Collins disappeared over the mountains shortly after
these men were seen near near his place and nothing has been seen of them
since. FEARED A VIOLENT DEATH Collins Said to Have Had a Secret Horror- Another
fact that seems to lend strong color to the belief that Collins suspected or
knew that he was in danger of foul treatment at the hands of some person or
persons was disclosed by Mrs Woodward who stated that ever since she had known
Collins he had always refused to be out after dark alone and seemed to be in of
something all the time. She said there seemed to be some dark secret
overclouding his life something of which he would not tell to any one. “In all
the time I have known him,” said Mrs Woodward, “he would never venture out of
his house after dark unless there was a man or boy with him.” “It has been his
custom to come to our house every two or three days for several years past and
he often remained for supper but when the meal detained him until after dark he
would always have my boy go home with him. He used to tell me when he came that
if I did not have supper before dark he could not stay because he had to be
home before night.” “When asked why he would never venture out alone after
night, he would never explain. He seemed to be in fear of danger from some
source all the time but he was of that reticent disposition that tells nothing.
I am confident that he met with foul play, for knowing the man as I do, I know
that he would not take his own life. He was a man of refinement and education
and often expressed his abhorrence of suicide. It was only a few months ago
that he read an account of a suicide to me where a man had killed himself
because of financial reverses and he remarked that a man who would take his own
life could never get forgiveness. He said a man would have to be insane to
think of such a thing. He was of a very peculiar disposition but never showed
any signs of being mentally unbalanced and when he was at my house, just a few
hours before he disappeared, he was as sane and cheerful as any person could
be. He never even hinted that anything anything was troubling him and had never
men mentioned that he had any intentions of going to New York or any other
place. In fact he promised faithfully to come to dinner yesterday and I thought
when he did not come that he was sick until I saw the paper this morning.” SAYS
COLLINS HAD MONEY Mrs Woodward Positive his Financial Condition Was Good-
Although it has been stated that Collins had no money, Mrs Woodward furnishes
evidence that he had or at least had it but a short time before his death.
According to her statement, he loaned Mr Woodward an amount which she did not
care to state, but a few months before, and when they offered to repay him, he
said he did not need it, and they need not hurry to return it. “The full amount
however was paid back to him,” she said. “Besides this he was a veteran of the
Civil War and drew a pension from the government.” “Just a short time ago,” she
said, ”my husband placed a hundred shares of May Day stock in his hands to
handle and the records show that he sold it, but we have not received any money
from the sale. He had some other that belonged to my husband but there is no
record as to whether it has been sold or not. He always seemed to have plenty
of money since I have known him and was free with it in helping those who need
assistance. I have every reason to believe he had some money at least.” Mrs
Orson Parker, however, says Collins told her just before he went to the Wasatka
building to live six weeks ago, that he had lost all his money on mining
stocks, and was afraid he would die poor.
It was learned at the Utah National bank that Collins bought some a
short time ago and borrowed a $30 from the bank to complete the payment on it
giving the stock as security. He later paid the amount however. In another
instance he borrowed $10 from the bank to pay an assessment on some other stock
and gave the stock as security but this amount he also paid a short time after
borrowing it. Those who had any dealings with him say he always seemed to have
money enough to pay his obligations HAD COLLECTED SOME MONEY Collins Made Trip
to Get Cash Be Before Disappearance- One of the most intimate friends of the
old man who was slain is Clyde Woodward the 15 year old son of C H Woodard 968
West Fourth South Street. The boy together with Clyde Felt perhaps enjoyed the
old man’s confidence and friendship to a greater extent than anyone else in the
city. Always respectful and heedless to the eccentricities of Collins, the boys
endeared themselves to him in a way that made the trio almost inseparable. One
of the lads usually spent the night with the old man, and shared most of his
secrets and hopes. They were the recipients of many presents from their aged
friend who tried in even way possible to show his appreciation of their
friendship. Young Woodward was with Collins from Saturday forenoon until 2
o’clock Sunday afternoon. The boy called
at the Wasatka mineral springs where Collins worked early Saturday morning and
at the earnest solicitation of his friend spent the remainder of the day and
stayed until Sunday afternoon. Saturday afternoon Collins made a trip to the
Sugar House ward for the expressed purpose of collecting some money which he
claimed had been owing to him for the year. The exact amount of the money is
not known by the officers nor have they learned whether he was successful at
his efforts. It is believed however that he collected at least a part of the
money owing him and returning to the springs late in the afternoon concealed it
in his grip. The fact that he had made the trip to that ward for the stated
purpose was noised through the neighborhood and it was generally believed that
he had a sum of money in his room. The police officers working on this clue are
using every effort to learn the exact facts in the case and if possible discover
just how much money the man had at the time of his making the trip to Ensign
peak from which he never returned. Young
Woodward was taken to the office of the chief of police last night and put
through a series of cross-questionings which brought to light numbers of facts
that have never before been told. He was also confronted with the articles
which were found near the tomb on Easter morning and positively identified most
of the articles of wearing apparel as belonging to his dead friend. The charred
and burnt remnants of clothing, that were discovered yesterday morning at 6
o’clock, burning in a vacant lot at Eighth South and Main streets were also
shown to the boy. He failed in the identification of the clothing but declared
that the sleeve of a flannel shirt which had almost been consumed by the flames
resembled both in texture and in color to the one worn by Collins Sunday when
last seen by him. The boy did not identify the purse which was found near the
cavern in which Collins body was discovered but declared when he saw it on
Sunday was not torn nor was there any hole in it. The suspenders that were
found in the tomb and were one of the few articles that were discovered behind
the pile of rocks, were at once recognized by the boy. The shoes were also
recognized by young Woodward but the other articles that were found in the
southern part of the city are thought to have no connection with the taking
away of the old man ROPE IS IDENTIFIED Mrs Parker Says She Lent It to Collins
The rope with which Collins was bound and which left deep imprints on the mans
legs and body has been positively identified by its owner from whom it was
borrowed a few weeks ago. Considerable significance had been attached to the
Identification of the cord by the officers who he hoped In this way to
establish a clue that would would either point to suicide or murder and throw
some light upon the mystery which surrounds the death of the old man. The cord
is a large cotton rope ten or twelve feet In length which had been coiled around
the man’s legs and body pinioning his right arm tightly to his form. It was
found on his person when the gruesome discovery was made Sunday by the crowd of
young youngsters who went camping on the mountain side. The officers claim now
that the cord was loosely fastened and could have been placed there by the man
himself before death. Large deep impressions on the body and legs however tend
to disprove the theory plainly showing that the rope was placed in the position
in which it was found by other than those of the dead man. An officer received a clue Sunday night as to
the owner of the rope, and following it up found that it was the property of
Mrs Parker 413 West Second North street. The woman positively identified the rope as the one she had loaned
Collins just one month ago yesterday. He had called at her home on that day
with the request that he desired to pack up some clothing and needed the rope.
It was loaned to him but was seen no more until Sunday night when it was
brought to her by the officer. When Collins went on the mountain side with
young Felt it is not known whether he took the rope but the lad declares that
he had numbers of articles in his pockets and the grip which he carried was
extremely heavy. THOROUGH SEARCH MADE Cave and Vicinity Give No Further
Evidence- The foothills and ravines for more than a mile each way from Hells
hollow were a scene of unusual activity from early morning until late afternoon
yesterday. Almost every foot of ground that would afford a hiding place for anything
that might be evidence in the case was thoroughly searched but nothing that
threw any light on the mystery was found. Boys and men by the score scampered
over the hills searching every cave and nook. At early day Officer Roberts went
to the cave and with a shovel dug out the dirt in search of the weapon with
which the fatal cut was inflicted. Every portion of the cave was thoroughly
searched but no sign of any weapon was discovered. Nothing was discovered
except a notebook that proved to belong to a boy who had lighted and thrown it
in to light up the cave. Later in the morning Assistant County Attorney
Loofbourow appeared and took several samples of the blood soaked dirt and some
of the blood covered rooks at the mouth of the cave to use as evidence at the
inquest. In the meantime the ravine from mouth to head was thoroughly searched
by police officers but the quest was fruitless. Some boys found rocks several
hundred yards above the cave that appeared to be blood covered but when taken
to Dr Mayo the reddish substance proved to be iron stain. Sheriff Naylor and
Deputy Raleigh went to the scene with Clyde Felt and had the boy retrace the
steps of himself and Collins on the day of the latter’s disappearance as nearly
as possible. From the peak the officers searched all the intervening hills to
the grave but not even a fragment of the clothes was found. After the officers
had left some boys who were exploring a cave below the grave found what they
thought were blood stains and Sheriff Naylor made a hurried run to the scene
but found that more iron stains had caused a false alarm. The officers are
confident that the clothes and belongings of Collins are somewhere near the
place where his body was found and Sheriff Naylor believes they are at the
bottom of a spring found in a cave below the grave. He intends to drag the
bottom of the spring this morning with grappling hooks MYSTERY OF HIS VALISE
Collin is Said to Have Guarded It Closely- Another mystery, that seems to
figured very prominently in the life of Collins for the past few years, hangs
about his valise, no trace of which has been discovered yet. He guarded the
valise it is said with a jealousy that almost led those with whom be lived to
believe he was mentally unbalanced. When he roomed at the Warm Springs it was
learned yesterday he would never allow the chambermaid to enter his room to
clean it without watching her all the time and would not allow anyone to touch
the valise. He guarded it as though it contained some powerful secret and so
far as known no one ever handled it except himself until Clyde Felt carried it
to the top of Ensign peak for him on the
Monday of his disappearance. Long before Collins disappeared conjecture was
rampant about the valise and what it might contain and by some it is thought
that it holds that which will explain the strange death of its owner. The
officers believe it contains his papers and probably all that would throw any
light on his financial condition. In view of this every effort is being made
now to find the missing valise. The Salt Lake herald. (Salt Lake City [Utah)
- Murder at Hell’s Hollow Ben Williams On Easter Sunday, 1902, a group of youths,
hiking the western slopes of Ensign Peak in an area known as “Hell’s Hollow,” made a grisly discovery. Finding a pile of stones carefully placed in front of a small cave, out of curiosity, the boys removed the stones and peeked inside. Entombed within a cavern, stripped naked except for socks, was Samuel G. Collins, a veteran of the Grand Army of the Republic. Collin’s legs and right arm were tightly bound, his throat slit and an eye gouged out. The frightened boys fled down the hill and telling of their find, the Salt Lake City Police were summoned. The police, upon examining the body, at first assumed suicide, however the coroner determined it was foul play and demanded an inquest. It was then discovered that Collins was last seen in the company of David Clyde Felt, scion of a prominent Mormon family. Sixty-two-year-old Samuel Collins was reported to have been “a queer and mysterious character.” Records show while born in Ireland, at the time of the Civil War, Collins was a member of 61st Infantry Regiment of New York. The 1880 Census showed that later he lived in New York City as a night watchman, boarding with a single man Edward N. Bull, also a night watchman. By the 1890s Collin had moved to Salt Lake City. In Utah he worked as a miner and also as a night watchman at the old Wasatka Mineral Springs Company at 400 West and 900 North near the warms springs on Beck Street. On March 24, 1902, Samuel Collin was last seen in the company David "Clyde" Felt, 14-year-old son of David Pile Felt, president of the Utah Press Association. Felt claimed he left Collins after he had given Felt a watch and another boy $5 to remember him by. Felt told the police that Collins was climbing the side of the peak to look over the valley for the last time before going back east. From Felt’s testimony the police speculated that perhaps Collins was robbed while on the peak sunset. On April 4, nearly two weeks after the murder, Clyde Felt, having been caught in several lies, confessed to causing the death of Collins. “Did I kill old man Collins?” “Yes,” he said with no indication of regret. “I cut his throat with his razor. He asked me, begged me to do it and I did so.” The confession shocked and horrified the state. The Salt Lake Herald wrote, “The deed is simply without parallel or precedent in the annals of local crime.” According to Clyde Felt, Samuel Collins procured sexual favors from Felt and two of his other teenage friends, Henry Potts and Clyde Woodward by paying them money and giving them gifts. The boys “enjoyed the old man’s confidence and friendship to a greater extent than anyone else in the city. Always respectful and heedless to the eccentricities of Collins, the boys endeared themselves to him in a way that made the trio almost inseparable. One of the lads usually spent the night with the old man, and shared most of his secrets and hopes. They were the recipients of many presents from their aged friend who tried in every way possible to show his appreciation of their friendship.” Felt told an even darker tale to the police; that Collins had been coaxing the boys to kill him. They claimed the reason Collins wanted to die was “because he was sorry for what he had been doing to us boys and he was afraid someone would find it out,” but on March 24, he only thought he was going up to Hell’s Hollow for the purpose of committing a “crime against nature.” Felt said, “I went with Mr Collins into Hell’s Hollow and for a long time he walked around as though looking for some place. When we got to the cave he undressed himself, took all his clothes off, and told me he was going to crawl into the cave to get some money he had there. Then he asked me to get in there with him and I did. When I got into the cave with him I didn’t know what he wanted to do. I was scared and he begged me so hard and said ‘Please kill me.'” Clyde Felt’s family was devastated. His father believed that his son was a victim of “the baleful influence of a depraved moral degenerate and the evil effects of dime novel reading.” The father told the papers that “In my search about the house I looked underneath the building and found hidden below the rafters 11 dime novels of the “Dick Brady” and “Frank Meriwether” variety and a revolver, this latter, Clyde purchased with the $5 that he took from the old man’s pocket. I cannot understand it at all, except from the point of view that Collins exercised a hypnotic influence over the boy. I have never seriously thought of hypnotism as practical science or potent manner of exerting an influence over others but now I cannot possibly think of any other explanation of my boy’s conduct.” It was clear from the empathic reports of the time that Clyde Felt was not going to be punished. “Letters of sympathy and offers of assistance were sent to the Salt Lake County jail from all over the country.” The Salt Lake detectives who took Felt’s confession would not even write an affidavit against the youth. Salt Lake’s chief of police finally had to sign the murder charge, which was later that year dropped because no jury was ever going to convict Felt, who had become a minor national hero. The sensational sex scandal and grisly murder had Salt Lake City papers in 1902 advocating the formation of a society for the protection of children from “vices of that kind” — meaning homosexuality — “in every city, town and hamlet within the commonwealth.” “Ancestry or good home training will not save a boy from degradation, if his companions are filled with vice.” The Ogden Standard warned parents: “Only the breaking up of the relationship of bad boys will prove a purifier and it is for parents to discover the unnatural and immoral conditions and then apply the remedy. Our opinion is moral disease requires the same treatment applied to physical disease. The bad should be placed in quarantine until their minds have had time to cleanse themselves. Isolate the impure and keep the innocent free from contaminating influences.” The paper suggested that youths caught engaging in homosexual “be kept at home or under impressive moral lessons for about six months, not once in that period mingling with their old company or experiencing the degradation power of sin, the chances are all would emerge with healthy minds and firm resolves to enjoy life in wholesome thoughts, words and actions.” Even Joseph F, Smith, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints wrote an article in the Juvenile of the crime, warning the Church youth to avoid dime novels less they too become corrupt and depraved.“We have learned of a recent terrible occurrence in this city where in a little boy was influenced to commit murder by a wicked man and the testimony of his friends was that it was brought about through reading dime novels and falling into diabolical habits taught by the wicked and ungodly among the Latter-day Saints.” As for Clyde Felt, he eventually went on a LDS mission, was married in the Salt Lake Temple and moved to Los Angeles, Calif., where he died in 1973, at age 85.
Clyde Felt
1930- In Hollywood, the Motion Picture Producers and
Distributors of America introduced a self-regulatory code of movie ethics,
nicknamed the Hays Code. It discouraged filmmakers from including depictions of
sex and sexuality. The regulations would become mandatory four years later. Topics
considered "perverse" could not be discussed or depicted in any way.
Such topics included—but were not limited to— homosexuality, miscegenation
(interracial relationships), bestiality, and venereal diseases.
1950
Nine other defendants pleaded innocent to charges They included Willard M. Manwell, 45, 2763 S. State facing
charges of sodomy Trial was set April 17 and 18 respectively Salt Lake
Telegram
- 1950 Two Sentenced to Prison for Grand Larceny Finds Morals Guilt Willard L. Manwell, 45, 2763 S. State charged with sodomy was found guilty in a verdict returned Wednesday by a Third district court jury following trial before Judge Clarence E. Baker. Another jury acquitted Vera Gray, 39, no address listed also charged with sodomy Salt Lake Telegram 1950-04-20
- 22 April 1950 Finds Morals Guilty Appearing before Judge Clarence E Baker were Willard L Manwell, 45, 2763 S. State Manwell was sentenced to a term of 3 to 20 years on a conviction of sodomy. He was given a stay of execution until next Saturday Salt Lake Telegram 1950-04-22 4 Salt Lakers Sentenced for Carnal Knowledge
1951 The
Mattachine Foundation, founded by
Harry Hay and Chuck Rowland and
six other homosexual men, began the modern Civil Rights movement for
homosexuals. The Mattachine Society was the first national organization of
American homosexuals and was formally organized in Los Angeles, California .
“Mattachine holds it possible and
desirable that a highly ethically homosexual culture emerge as a consequence of
its work, paralleling the emerging cultures of our fellow minorities … the
Negro, Mexican and Jewish people.” The name Mattachine was an Italian jester,
acrobat, mimic who pleased crowds but kept his truer feelings out of sight.
1964- A man
found in Salt Lake City with $320 in counterfeit $20 bills and several pictures
of nude men and women in his possession was committed to the Utah State
Hospital. 4th District Court. Judge A.H. Ellett 3rd District Court, Salt Lake
City signed the order to hold the man in protective custody in the hospital
until his hearing. On advice of examining physicians the man was not brought to
hearing on city and federal charges because of his mental condition (04/01/64
page B2 col. 2 SLTribune)
1967 Dr. Jess Groesbeck, M.D, a second year resident psychiatrist
wrote the first professional article dealing in part with homosexuality published
in a Mormon periodical, “Psychosexual
Identity and the Marriage Relationship,” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
Spring Issue 1967 Vol 2 Number 1
1969 -Utah State
University in Logan published the first student poem with a subtle Lesbian theme,
“Modigliani’s Gypsy.”
 |
| Gale Whittington with sign |
1969
Homosexuals Intransigent! (HI!), was chartered at City College/University of
New York. Founded by Craig Schoonmaker who published newsletter Homosexual
Renaissance “Homosexual-most groups in the homosexual civil rights movement
call themselves homophile organizations.
We think the word homophile is a stupid, cowardly euphemism-and one uses
euphemisms only when there is something wrong with the ordinary word. We see
nothing wrong with the word homosexual.
Intransigent on certain points there can be no compromise. Homosexuals
must demand their rights undiluted. We
must be militant:intransigent.
1971-French
newspaper Tout called for sexual liberation in France and the rights of
homosexuals. The newspaper was seized for being offensive to public morals
1972
Due to Mormon Church pressure, the Idaho legislature repealed the state’s 1971
criminal code revision, but passed no replacement code leaving the legislature
to work against the clock to pass a new code.
1972 The US Supreme Court upheld the right to refuse employment on
the grounds of homosexuality by refusing to review the case of a man who was
refused a job by the University of Minnesota library because he was openly gay.
1973-
Metropolitan Community Church of Salt Lake City held its last services on 740 S
700 East, Salt Lake City and moved to 870 West 400 South the site of the former
Grace Methodist Church.
1975 The Gay
Community Service Center was established as Salt Lake City first Gay Community
Center. Joe Redburn owner of the Sun Tavern and Gay activist was instrumental
in establishing the Community Center. Redburn establish the center by securing
the Taylor Restaurant and Grill south of The Sun at 11 South 400 West. The
center established a Gay-Crisis line 533-0927 while modified is was one of the
longest running Gay help line in the nation. The Gay Help Line listing was the
first time the word Gay was allowed in the Salt Lake telephone directory. The
new center had a coke machine, some couches and a reading room. The Gay Crisis
Line was funded from profits from the coke machine. Boards of Director Meetings were held every
Mondays at 7 p.m. The Gay Community Service Center’s first Board of Directors
was represented by the activists of the early 1970’s. Chairperson Dorothy Makin
a native of England was chosen as Chairwoman and first acting director of the
center. Her lover Billie Hayes was elected Vice Chair and Assistant Acting
Director. Joe Redburn, was the Committee Advisor, Ron Hunt was in charge of
programs. Alan Blaich. Budget and Finance Virgil L. Hyder Grants and Funding.
Ken Kline was in charge of
Procurement. Other Board members
whose name are unknown were Don S. Secretary, Katherine K., Treasurer, Kip L.
committee by-laws, Herb D., Publications,
Jim C. Public Relations- Marty M., Gay Rights- Terry J. Volunteer Services, and -Dave B.
1976- The
Salt Lick Paper a Gay newsletter for Salt Lake City announced “Recently there
has been a series of arrests of Gay people in the Orem/ Provo area “
1976 The Gay
Community Center Service Center closed its doors at 11 South 400 West due to
financial difficulties. The 24 Hour crisis line is replaced with call
forwarding. The phone line is kept going by Ray Hencke. The Gay Community
Center closed because there was no support from Bar owners other then Joe
Redburn. They felt that the center was
Joe Redburn’s and wouldn’t accept donation jars in their bars.
1977 Dignity/Integrity formed in Salt Lake
City. Founding members were Hal Carter, Michael C. Cress, Duane R. Daniel, R.
Joseph Dover, Paul Larson, C. Lovely, Richard Park, J. Michael Reid. Support
group for Gay Catholics and Episcopalians.
 |
| Stephen Holbrook |
1982- Kim Shirtliff becomes director of Salt
Lake Chapter of Affirmation
 |
| Mason Rankin |
1982 Gay Republican Mason Rankin forms the
Committee for the Preservation of Human Rights. Questionnaires were sent to
local candidates asking if they would support denying rights to Gay people.
Seven candidates answered yes including Frances Merrill, Senator Orin Hatch’s
sister.
1984- Lesbian Collective and support center
20 Jacob Rue closes it’s doors and Women Aware and other women functions became
homeless and eventually dissolved.
1985-The Harvey Milk School in New York City
began holding classes in a church with twenty students. All students are Gay,
lesbian, or bisexual students who have been harassed, threatened and abused at
other schools.
1985-Salt Lake Tribune quoted M Richard
Maxfield chairman of Utah State Board of Education as saying, “My own feeling
is that homosexuality is against Utah statutes. If it becomes known (that
someone practices homosexuality), I think we have every right in the world to
withdraw their certificate.” Quote was in response to the US Supreme Court
decision barring Oklahoma school boards from firing teachers for advocating
homosexuality.
1985 The Intermountain Red Cross began
screening blood for AIDS anti-bodies using a test called ELISA. The test can
detect the presence of anti-bodies to HTLVIII.
So far the Red Cross had found no tainted blood. While ELISA test is not
diagnostic for AIDS, health officials feared that homosexuals, bisexuals,
intravenous drug abusers, Haitian Immigrants and hemophiliacs would attempt to
donate just to have their blood screened.
1985- The Three Aces opens on 579 West 200
South as a Gay men’s bar
1985 Dr. Reuben W. Rhees (Zoology, BYU) and
Dr. Donovan E. Fleming (Psychology, BYU) April 1985, "Scientists Study
Effects of Prenatal Stress", BYU Today, April 1985, p. 14 "If you
block those critical [male] hormones or disturb that delicate balance, masculinization
does not occur." "The demasculinized behavior of male rats includes
decreased sexual activity in the male role and, given the right cues by
aggressive males, female-like responses."
1988- First Gay Owned Auto Repair Service
offered by in-between owner Bobby Dupree.
1988- Triangle Community Digest magazine
prints the last exclusive interview given by Drag Queen Devine before she died
to LGSU member Daniel Humphreys. Humphries interviewed the actor Glen Milstead
who was hired to play a role on Married With Children.
1988- The Gay Help Line organized a 3 phase
training program for volunteers in response to community criticism. Beau Chaine
was coordinator. The line cost $66 a month, with return calls to long distance
callers requesting information between $10 and $40 a month more. “Since the
line was re-established last year GHL has referred 236 bar calls, 27 to APU, 42
callers that was new to organizations, 183 hang ups, 49 talk counseling, 22 non
bar calls, 20 to the youth group, 36 to
Affirmation, 25 to women groups, 7 to AA 14 to national information groups, 3
to AVP, 3 to People Who Care, 3 to Gay Fathers, 7 Transvestite and transsexuals
to the Royal Court, 2 to the Restoration Church.”
.jpg) |
| Steve Oldroyd |
1988- Juliard trained pianist Steve Oldroyd
of Salt Lake City passed the first national screening for candidates for “Who’s
Who in Entertainment”.
1988- After two years of being in Limbo, The
Golden Spike Gay Rodeo Association was recently taken over by several members
of Salt Lake City’s Gay community. The
officers are President Earl Ashley; Vice President Chris Trujillo; Secretary
Chip and Treasurers Earl Ashley and Donny Eastepp. Reigning Mr. Gay Rodeo was Chris Trujillo and
Ms Gay Rodeo was Terri Romero.
1991 Curtis Jensen wrote: "April 1 1991 was the date of the first EVER "action" of Queer Nation Utah. We were in the planning stage for the protest at LDS General Conference a few days later, and this action as kind of our "soft launch" if you will. This was the night of the Pet Shop Boys "Performance Tour" concert at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah Campus. A group of Queer Nation Utah members bought a block of tickets on the front row of the balcony in the concert hall. At the end of the concert we tossed out fliers that said "Pet Shop Boys Absolutely Queer" on them. We all wore Queer themed t-shirts of one sort or another. The purpose of the action was to promote Queer visibility and to point out to a largely oblivious audience that they had just enjoyed a night of pop culture created by Queer artists."
1993- The Pillar Gay Men Newspaper first issue
published founded by Uranian Publications a general corporation founded by Ben
Williams, Robert Smith, David Ball, Todd Dayley, and Brandon Creer
1995- Dina and Whitney Hannah expect the
first issue of Labrys to be on the stands in April. While neither worked in
publishing, Whitney, 27, a financial planner, has experience in layout and
Dina, 31, a medical technologist at the University of Utah, writes regularly at
work. In September, the couple were joined in a commitment ceremony at South
Valley Unitarian Universalist Society, with 100 guests attending. Whitney has
since had her last name legally changed to Hannah. They are changing the format
from their predecessor, Womyn's Community News, to incorporate articles about
politics, sports and pets. Angela Black, author of Bitter Brush, will write a
fiction series. `We want it to be a support for people who are not in the
mainstream in Salt Lake,'' says whitney. ``Something for them to identify
with.'' Dina plans to write a column called ``Broadening Horizons,'' which will
address topical issues such as same-sex marriages. ``I have always felt a need
to and desire to do something for the community,'' says Dina. ``We'll be around
until we burn out, I guess.''(SLTRIBUNE
03-27-95 Page: D2)
1995 Wasatch Affirmation presented its 3rd
annual Gay & Lesbian Return Missionary Reunion in the Utah Stonewall
Center. Guest speaker was feminist author and activist Maxine Hanks.
1996 George Whiting Jr., opened the Ogden Iron Company a gay novelty
store in Ogden Utah
1996 CHARLOTTE, N.C.-- Once, Pam Parsons
stood on the edge of success with South Carolina's women's basketball team. Her
1980 team finished third in the nation. The next year, the team was ranked No.
2 and was undefeated when it all came crashing down after Parsons was caught in
an affair with one of her players. "I want to apologize to all those
players I hurt, and I want to apologize to their parents," she told The
Charlotte Observer in a story Sunday. "They gave me their most prized
possessions -- their daughters. Those girls had hopes and dreams, and I let
them down." Parsons' relationship with Tina Buck, who was then 17, tarred
the sport, coaches said. "Pam Parsons left a cloud over women's
basketball," said North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell, incoming president
of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Parsons made the stereotypes
seem true -- that untrustworthy lesbians pervade women's basketball and they
entice impressionable young people. "Pam Parsons created fear because she
represented the worst stereotype," Central Connecticut State coach Brenda
Reilly said. "But she really was the extreme." Parsons, 48, now lives
in Atlanta with Buck, 33. The couple get by on $15,000 a year. In her day,
Parsons was one of the best. She went 49-31 in her first coaching job at Old
Dominion from 1974 to 1977, but she agonized over her sexuality. "It was a
terrible struggle," she says. "I was dating men, but I almost always
had a secret relationship going with a woman." After taking over the Lady
Gamecocks, she went 51-20 in her first two years. In 1980, the unranked
Gamecocks fought their way into the Final Four -- ultimately finishing third in
the nation with a 30-6 record. That same year, Parsons met Buck in an Atlanta
bar. Parsons, then 32, says she didn't know Buck played high school basketball
or that she was 17. On Nov. 2, 1980, the
couple got caught. A private detective documented that Buck had spent a night
at Parsons' house -- violating recruiting rules because Buck was considered a
visiting high school recruit. Parsons
admitted her affair after a confrontation with South Carolina's athletic
director, but she still offered Buck a scholarship. "If I had it to do
over, I would have gone to a different college," Buck said. "That
way, we could have continued seeing each other, and maybe all the crazy stuff
wouldn't have happened." With Buck, who had a 30-point high school
average, the Lady Gamecocks won their first seven games in 1981. But in December,
a player told her mother she'd seen Parsons and Buck embrace and kiss. Later
that month, Parsons resigned, citing health problems. In 1982, Sports Illustrated reported that
Parsons was a lesbian. Parsons sued for $75 million. She and Buck testified in
a 1984 trial that they were not lesbians and that they had not been intimate.
But then Babs DeLay, a disc jockey from Salt Lake City, testified that Parsons
and Buck frequently visited a gay bar there called the Puss 'n' Boots.
"That's the one thing people ask me most: Why did you lie?" Parsons
says. "All I can say is I wasn't thinking clearly." The couple pleaded guilty to perjury and
spent 109 days in a minimum-security prison in Lexington, Ky. Since then,
they've worked as house painters, waitresses and yard keepers, making less than
$5,000 in some years. As for basketball, Parsons says she'd like to coach or
help market the women's professional basketball league -- "if they'll have
me." She believes she lost her way because she felt forced to lie about
her sexuality. "I finally found what I was looking for -- peace," she
said. "I'm not afraid of being found out. I don't have to lie or concoct
an image. It's an amazing space to be in. It is something I've wanted more than
a national championship."- 1996 Pam Parson's Testimony Hearing Focuses on Perjury's Effect By LAURIE KELLMAN / Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) From judges and retired military officers to two women prosecuted for lying in sex cases, the House Judiciary Committee heard Tuesday from witnesses who said perjury undermines the court system and, if committed by a president, can weaken the military. "We're exploring whether there's one rule of law for the powerful and the rulers and another for the ruled," Chairman Henry Hyde, R-Ill., told the 37-member panel. "I just think it's important to understand that there are consequences for perjury." But the legal witnesses were split on whether President Clinton committed perjury when he misled questioners under oath about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, and if so, whether that would be an impeachable offense. "Perjury has gradations. Some are serious, some are less," said A. Leon Higgenbotham, a former federal appeals judge. For impeachment purposes, he said, lying about a sexual affair is about the same as lying about exceeding the speed limit in a car. Democrats said Republicans had staged the perjury session to rally support for impeachment articles, which House leaders hope to bring to a floor vote later this month. "This is an effort to increase votes on the floor because they're in a little bit of trouble," Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said. "We did not need this panel of witnesses to explain the obvious," said Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. Several times, the panel veered off into debates about the purpose and direction of the impeachment inquiry, with Democrats angry that Republicans were seeking information about Clinton's campaign finances. "We'll do it our way," Hyde snapped at one point. The hearing featured 11 witnesses, some chosen by each party. Republicans questioned two women prosecuted for lying in sex cases as they explored whether Clinton should be held to the same standard. One was Barbara Battalino, a former Veterans Affairs hospital psychologist who is serving a home detention sentence after pleading guilty to lying about a sexual relationship with a patient. She said she would expect a presidential pardon if Clinton is not impeached. "If indeed there is no reason for anything ... more than censure, then certainly I would hope that the administration would consider leniency for me," she said under questioning by Rep. James Rogan, R-Calif. "Because a president is not a king, he or she must abide by the same laws as the rest of us," Battalino said. The committee also heard from Pam Parsons of Atlanta, a former University of South Carolina women's basketball coach who pleaded guilty to a federal perjury charge in the mid-1980s for giving false testimony in a civil case about a sexual relationship she had with a player. Parsons spent four months in prison and was put on probation for five years. The punishment for lying under oath should be the same for everyone, Parsons said. MCCOLLUM: Am I correct that the subject of your perjury was consensual sex? PARSONS: No. MCCOLLUM: No? What was the subject of the perjury then? Please clarify that. PARSONS: Well, it's really kind of funny. There is a gay bar called "Puss and Boots" in Salt Lake City, Utah. It wasn't easy to say I'd been there. That occurrence was two years after the things that I was suing "Sports Illustrated" for. It wasn't a pretty picture for me. I thought I had many reasons for why I couldn't -- could say no, but it was an out-and-out lie. I had been there. MCCOLLUM: And that's what the perjury was about? About whether you had been to that bar or not? PARSONS: Yes. Now, I went to the FBI about that. MCCOLLUM: All right.
 |
| Renee Rinaldi |
1997-Renee Rinaldi resigned as executive
director of the Utah Stonewall Center to pursue educational goals.
1997- More than 200 Utah women have been
diagnosed with HIV/AIDS according to the Utah Department of Health
1998- The Utah Chapter of the National
Association of Social Workers issued a statement that discourages the practice
of reparative therapy. The Association
issued the statement due to lack of sufficient data supporting the practice
that many believe is actually focused on bigotry and homophobia. The
professional; organization of social workers has declared doubt on claims that
individuals can alter or change their sexual orientation through reparative or
conversion therapy. LDS Social Services
and Evergreen have publicly denounced the association’s statements.
1999-The Nevada Assembly voted 30-11 to add
sexual orientation to the categories protected from employment discrimination.
2000 Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons
held its annual mission reunion at Metropolitan Janis Allred and Camille Biexei
spoke on "Creating a Spiritual Community".
1 April 2000 Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons will
hold its annual mission reunion today at 7 p.m. at Metropolitan
Community Church ,
823 S. 600 East, Salt Lake City
486-6977. "After Conference Sunday Fireside" --
Sunday at 5 p.m. Janis Allred and Camille Biexei will speak on "Creating a
Spiritual Community” at Metropolitan Community Church ,
823 S. 600 East, Salt Lake City
2003 Chad Keller to Randal C Meyers “Randal
Hope your feeling well. You need to send
me the time this week we can meet on the kiosks and other stuff. I need an ad
for the USHS for the RCGSE Coronation program.
I'm giving the free one that I get for helping them to the USHS. Design
it for 81/2 x 11 for now, they may change sizes tonight but it is unlikely as
they are trying to save money. Have fun
with it...Text can be altered if need be.
Will need a couple versions to be voted on this month Suggested Text for
the Ad: (I go for Fun and in your Face)
To Their Most Imperial Majesties Bob Childers and Agnes of Cheesecake You're
History... Wow, 27 Reigns...that's impressive!
Many organizations have come and gone but one thing has been constant in
the collective history of Gay Utah, The Royal Court of the Golden Spike
Empire. The Utah Stonewall Historical
Society salutes the RCGSE for all you've done for all you're doing, and for
what you'll do. Join the Utah Stonewall
Historical Society October 2003 for Gay and Lesbian History Month with Keynote
speaker Eric Marcus, author of Gay History, The Half Century fight for Lesbian
and Gay Rights.
2003 Bob Childers to All- “Greetings one and
all, If you are planning to place an ad in the Salt Lake Coronation Program,
please contact either Chad Keller at or Doug Roy at Full page is 10.5" x 6" no color
Full $150.00 Half
$100.00 Quarter $ 50.00 The
program is a unique size this year. I know you will you will like it. If you have any questions, please feel
free to contact me. Bob Childers-Convention Services Manager
2003 Chad Keller to Erin Litvack: “I have had
several people from the Business Guild inquire on Pride Sponsorships. Could you
please send me a packet so that members of the Guild who are interested in
sponsoring Pride Day can look it over and get you some cash. Also if you have
information on the costs of ads in the Pride Guide that would also be helpful.
Thanks! Chad Keller Interim Coordinator The Utah GLBT Business Guild
2004 Groups at U. face off on gay
marriage MOCK BRIDE AND GROOM Suzy Richardson and Matthew Overly, representing
the College Republicans Utah Chapter, talk with people from the Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Student Union on their views about gay marriage
Wednesday near the library on the campus of the University of Utah. The College
Republicans were on campus asking people to sign a petition in support of
federal legislation banning gay marriage. The LGBT Student Union organized its
rally to coincide with the petition drive. (Steve Griffin/The Salt Lake
Tribune) By Kirsten Stewart The Salt Lake Tribune Tim Carter considers himself
"politically dispassionate." He doesn't subscribe to a political
party, sign petitions or write to elected officials. But a contentious debate
over gay marriage sweeping the United States has stirred the 28-year-old
University of Utah student to activism. "I'm fed up with fear; sick of my
own fear and sick of their fear," said Carter, gesturing to a gathering of
College Republicans who staged a mock heterosexual wedding Wednesday at the U.
campus and handed out cake to passers-by who agreed to sign a petition against
gay marriage. Responding to the stunt, Carter and other members of the
university's Lesbian, Gay and Transgendered Student Union organized their own
demonstration, marching and carrying signs that read: "Discrimination is
not a family value" and "With justice and marriage for all." The
opposing groups -- each 75 to 100 people strong -- faced off at the Marriott
Library plaza. And while demonstrators kept the peace, the fear and anger were
palpable as students sporadically crossed the plaza to confront one another and
erupted into shouting matches. "Both sides are afraid of each other's
agenda," said David Cunliffe, a 25-year-old majoring in Chinese. "If
all the liberals get their way and homosexual marriage becomes OK, what's next,
polygamy? Where does that leave our country?" Cunliffe, who is engaged to
be married, takes comfort in polls showing most Utahns support proposed
amendments to the U.S. and Utah constitutions banning gay marriage. But he
worries that the growing gay rights movement will eventually take hold and
prevail, even in "Mormon country." "We're doing our best do slow
it down," said Cunliffe. "Marriage should be between a man, woman and
God. It's that simple." But Carter doesn't understand why people consider
his lifestyle threatening. Nor does he hold out much hope for rapid change in Utah,
where civil unions are illegal and lawmakers recently passed a law prohibiting
the state from recognizing same-sex unions performed in other states.
Legislators also approved an amendment to the Utah Constitution, which voters
will have a chance to approve or reject in November. "Win or lose, I
figured it's time for me stand up for something I believe in. I want kids, I
want a family. And I don't want my children to grow up in a world that preaches
hate," said Carter. Carter and other gay-rights activists found allies in
another group of campus Republicans who decried Wednesday's mock nuptials as
"tasteless." Dave Busby, president of College Republicans at the
University of Utah -- not to be confused with College Republicans -- said his
group neither endorses nor opposes efforts to ban gay marriage, although he
believes a constitutional amendment is unnecessary. "We're here to send a
message that to disrespect and make light of another group's differences is
unacceptable," he said.
2004 Austrian Film Makers Subject: reffered
from glccu - movies script research Dear Ben Williams ! My name is Carl
Achleitner. I got your email from the gay&lesbian community center in Salt
Lake City. They said that you might be the right person for me to talk to. I am
an actor/screenwriter from Austria, Europe. Together with Austrian film maker
Ulrike Schweiger, I am developing a movie script for a 90 min feature film. Our
story takes place in 1986/87, and it is "based on a true story". A
major part of it takes place in Salt Lake City, Utah, another one in Salzburg,
Austria. One of our main characters is
Scott, a 19 year old gay musician, who lives in Salt Lake. Scott has an
important reason to go to Austria in our story. But - he can not leave the
country for several months for some legal matter, connected with his
homosexuality. What we don't know is:
What could this "legal matter" be ? We have got the script
developement financed, and we will be in Salt Lake to do some research from
April 6.th to April 13th. So may I ask
you two questions: 1) According to the legal situation in Utah in 1986/87 -
what gay-related "crime" could Scott have committed that would cause
him not to be able to leave the country? We only know that there are some
states that forbid certain sexual practicies by law. But we don't know the
situation in Utah in '86. Is there an
authentic basis to say that Scott was caught/observed in any homosexual activiy that would lead to
such a stiuation ? Maybe he was reported and "listed" ? What could he
have done in specific ? 2) Could you
name us a contact person (maybe yourself ?)
in Salt Lake who could meet with us between 6th & 13th April, to discuss this and answer a few other
questions ? The best time for us to meet you would be either Wed., April 7th in
the afternoon/eveneing, or at any time on the 8./9./10. or 11 April. If any of
those days is convienient for you, please just give me time and location by
email. I'll confirm that and we will show up. I did not get your phone number,
but of course you can also call me. My phone-number from the US: 011-43-2237-8503
(We're 9 hours behind your time.) I can promise that this is going to be a
beautiful film. We'd very much
appreciate your help !! Thanks for your answer and best regards from Austria, Carl Achleitner Sittendorfer Str. 35 A -
2531 Gaaden, Austria www.austrian-actors.com
- To: Carl Achleitner Sent: Friday, April 02, 2004 4:20 AM Subject: Re: reffered from glccu - movies script research I will be happy to assist in anyway I can. Right now I came down with a head cold and am doped up with cold medicene. I will see what I have in my files as soon as I can and email as attachments what I may have. Sincerely Ben Williams Utah STonewall Historical Society
- Carl Achleitner wrote: Great !! Thank you very much ! We hope you'll get well soon ! All the best so far, Carl Achleitner p.s.: Given that you're in town and fine again - do you think we could meet ? As I wrote in my mail, we'll be in Salt Lake from 6. - 13th April.
- From: Ben Edgar Williams To: Carl Achleitner Sent: Friday, April 02, 2004 4:13 PM Subject: Re: reffered from glccu - movies script research I am going down to Southern California from April 3-April 8. I should be back in SLC on the 9th. April 10-11 look open. cell 801-631-8243 landphone 801 364-3713 "Carl Achleitner" <carl.achleitner@aon.at>
- To: "Ben Edgar Williams" Subject: Re: reffered from glccu - movies script research Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 19:17:31 +0200 This is just perfect ! Would the 10th at 10 a.m. be good for you ? We're at the Holiday Inn downtown, but of course we will come and meet you anywhere else you want. Just let us know which location you'd recommand. As soon as we're there, we'll get us a cell phone and leave our number at your mailbox. Very much looking forward to talk to you, and again, thank you for your support. Carl p.s.: Could you let me know if the 10th at 10.00 is ok, and if not, just give us any other time ?
- Wed, 19 May 2004 10:18:39 Subject: "Hedy's Lullaby" – script From: "Ulrike Schweiger" To: utstonewallhs1969@yahoo.com Dear Ben, thanks to your great help we now have a new version of our script. We would love to hear your opinion about it. Would you be interested in reading it? We would very much appreciate if you could check if the story is as near to life as possible. If you agree to read it, we would have to ask you to treat it strictly confidentially and not show it to anybody else. We hope that you are doing fine and are very much looking forward to hearing from you. Best, Carl & Ulrike Ulrike Schweiger Silbergasse 19/8A -1190 Vienna, Austria
- Wed, 19 May 2004 20:56: Subject: Re: "Hedy's Lullaby" - script From: "Ulrike Schweiger" To: "Ben Edgar Williams" Dear Ben, that was quick! Thanks a lot for your interest. We are very happy to send you the script and are very much looking forward to hearing what you Think about it. Please feel free to be even "strict" with us, so we can make as many improvements as possible. Good to hear you're doing fine! Take care, Ulrike & Carl
- Wed, 19 May 2004 21:01:Subject: PS From: "Ulrike Schweiger" To: "Ben Edgar Williams" Dear Ben, us again. One more little thing. If the language in our script (especially the dialogues) seem strange to you, please let us know as well. (As non-native speakers we are very much aware of the fact, that our English needs some polishing still ...) Best, your Austrian friends Ulrike Schweiger
- "Carl Achleitner" To: "Ben Edgar Williams" Subject: Hedy's lullaby Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 09:24: Dear Ben! How are you ?!? Since we did not hear from you for such a long time, we think it's time to ask if everything is ok with you? Did you have a chance to read our script yet? If not, no worries. I include the latest version, which is in a better english. Your help and advice was absolutely essential to us, you'll find some of it included in the script. Of course we would be VERY interested in your opinion. We are in the most difficult part of developement ritght now, which of course is the financing. But we're confident to get the money together and make this script into a movie, hopefully soon. You're probably very busy with getting rid of George W., (and we hope you'll succeed...) so if you don't have the time to read the script before the elections, no problem. We would just like to hear that you are doing fine, so please give us a short note. All the best for you, and once again: Thank you so much for your support! We really had a great time with you!! Big hug, Carl p.s.: Ulrike sends greetings, too. She is in Berlin right now
- Urilke to Ben Williams ben, thanks again for all your help with our research. it was wonderful going toall those places and spending time with you. let's keep in touch. take care, Ulrike I could send more pictures.
2005 QUEER VISIONARIES What is your vision of
the future? KRCL's progressive talk show RadioActive and the GLBTCCU unite for
our First Friday Forum. Join us this
Friday, April 1st at The Center from noon to 1pm for our live broadcast.
Panelists include: D. Michael Quinn, Mormon social historian, author of Same
Sex Dynamics in the Nineteenth Century: A Mormon Example, Evelyn Garlington,
artist, Center chair, Samantha Harmon, youth activist, Queers in Action Tala
Fakhouri, Phd candidate, Lesbian Chair of Utah Now, National Equal Marriage
Taskforce We will be joined later in the show by Kate Kendall, ED of The Center
for Lesbian Rights There will be an open mic, and an opportunity to share your
vision and your voice - live - on air.
Join us the Conversation at The Center, 361 N 300 W in SLC this Friday!
Jennifer Nuttall Program Director GLBT Community Center of Utah
2005 Coming up on April 1 is a local
fundraiser for a great organization, the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
Equality Utah is honored to be a co-beneficiary of the event which features
NCLR executive director (and native Utahn) Kate Kendall, the Sister Wives and
the Blue Lotus Egyptian Dancers. Although there will be a lot of wonderful
women there, don't think that guys won't have a great time as well! Several men
we know attended last year and had a fantastic time.
2005 RED NECK WEDDIN' Crown Prince Chuck
Whyte and Crown Princess Chevy Suburban & RCGSE Present Crown Prince and
Princess Ball or CP BALL: When: Saturday, April 2nd 2005 Where: Grand Opening
Night at The Trapp Door Time: Doors Open 8:00pm Show starts at 9:00pm Cost:
$6.00 at Door supports RCGSE Funds This is more than a Drag Show it's an Event
you don't want to miss....it will be night filled
with lots of laughs, camp, fun, and various performers from our community.
.jpg) |
| Babs DeLay |
2005
Subject: BabsDe Lay Response to Article in SLMetro I have just read "The Pam Parson
Scandal" under "Lambda Lore". "Lore" is correct, the
facts are not. There is a difference in publishing as to editorial columns and
historical information. I'm afraid was presented as historical, but had it's
own editorial bent. I am amazed that a) I was not called to check on facts
(especially those regarding me) and that b) the facts would not be checked
prior to publication, to wit: 1) The Parsons/Buck story was actually made
public first at the University of South Carolina. Sports Illustrated (then
Time, Inc.) picked up the story because Parsons was such a famous coach in the
U.S. I was told they made further allegations that she traded favors to advance
her students and paid to have her star athletes tests done by other to keep
those athletes in good academic standings. What unraveled was that-male or
female-she was practicing unethical academic and coaching standards as well as
denying she was a lesbian. 2) I did see the story break on KUTV and was
infuriated that Parsons got on the stand, in Federal Court and testified that
she was not a lesbian and "that lesbians made her sick". I did not …
`have a secret that she could not wait to tell' about Parsons or Buck. This is
an editorial comment and not factual. As Mr. Williams was not present at that
moment, it would seem to me that he had the choice to write his opinion or the
facts. Indeed, I never knew they had a secret. I didn't follow basketball or
sports. They were two women who came to Puss N Boots all summer to dance, and
ended up being invited to spend the night at friends homes, to BBQ's and
parties. I did however, after seeing the news, call the bar manager and met
with her and 6 other women the next day. To my knowledge, all of those 6 women
called KUTV after seeing the story and were just as infuriated that Parsons was
testifying in Federal Court that she was not a lesbian and most important,
saying `that lesbians made her sick'. 3) When the 6 of us got together, we knew
that the law was being broken by Parsons via her testimony. She wasn't just
saying these statements to the press, this was testimony in FEDERAL court and
she and her partner were suing for $75,000,000. All of us had been working, in
our own ways for gay rights in Utah. We wanted the laws to respect us, and we
wanted hate crimes and hate legislation to disappear in our State. As an
example, all of us went to the State Fair Grounds to boycott Anita Bryant, by
standing up during her performance, facing backwards, and then leaving in mass.
We marched together and protested many times to get the ERA passed. That Bryant
boycott may not seem much today when compared with the efforts of the HRC,
Amendment 3/Equality Utah, and the NCLR, but it was big enough then to bring
100 troopers/police to circle the fairgrounds to protect her from `fags and
dykes'. None of the
other 6 women were out, but all of us knew someone had to
come forth for Utah gays and our queer nation to say that these women were
lying. We did not wish to gain our equality, our freedoms via people who lied
in court about their gayness-let alone potentially winning $75million on the
backs of those lies. I was the only one out publicly of the 6 and I agreed to
go. The bar manager (who was a manager at a local utilities company and deeply
in the closet at work) reviewed the
membership log and pointed out Parsons and Buck's signatures. That log,
by the way, was only a signature book and had no information about addresses or
phones on any person who had walked into the door. 4) I never told the Time
attorneys I had a `smoking gun' (i.e. the membership log/signature book). They
interviewed several of us on the phone and also agreed that I would be the best
person to travel to No. Carolina-because I was OUT and didn't have a job/ that
would fire me for being gay. The owner of the bar, Hattie, did not give me the
membership log. The attorneys requested the signature log, and the 6 of us
agreed I should bring it. The bar manager provided it. It didn't leave my sight
in the 24 hours I was gone to testify and back. What was also important is that
ALL the signatures were blacked out EXCEPT for Parsons and Buck's on the page
(I still have a copy of it) and again, there was no information on the page
with address or phone of the signators. It was a signature log and not a
membership list or membership data. As a matter of fact, the attorneys I met
with representing Time, Inc. told me on the way to court that IF no one had
come forward from Utah to testify of Parsons and Bucks lies in Federal Court,
they would have "turned Salt Lake upside down and subpoenaed the full
membership records of not only Puss N Boots but the Sun Tavern and Radio City
as well". Membership records, with addresses, phones, etc. are far more
revealing than a signature log. For me, hearing them threaten that potential
witch hunt was chilling. Time, Inc. was one of the biggest corporations in the
U.S. at that time and they had the money and resources to turn the Utah gay
scene upside down and expose hundreds of gays. I don't like to re-live the hell
I went through from those many gays in this community when I returned after the
trial. I was banned from all gay bars for years here in Utah. Joe Redburn was
the first owner to allow me to come back in any club about three years after
the trial. The Royal Court threw me out as a member of the Royalty and officer
of the court. It was my testimony, and mine alone, that caused Parsons and Buck
to not only lose their suit against Time, Inc and Sports Illustrated, but
caused the Federal Judge to find them guilty of Federal perjury. On the other
side of the coin, I received dozens of letters from judges, attorneys and
community leaders from around the country and Utah applauding my honesty in
stepping forward and risking so much to stand up for the truth. And, as the
Williams article stated, I received numerous and constant death threats for
over two years. My phone was tapped because of the extreme threats I was
receiving from local lesbians. I lived to tell about it, yet there are still
gays in this community who will not speak to me or even be pleasant to me in
social situations because of their judgment and bad information they conjured
up about my actions. My 6 other friends who helped make the decision to testify
are all great people who, 20 years later are all out at work and to their
families. Some of them even have jobs where their insurance benefits cover
their same sex partners and kids. We've come a long way in 20 years
individually and as a community, and it's my belief we've only come this far by
telling the truth. One particular letter I received from a California gay
activist months after the trial said, "without the truth, gays will never
gain the respect and rights they deserve in this country." Many have
always wondered what would have happened had Parsons and Buck won their
$75,000,000 libel suit against Time, Inc. Given that they denied being lesbians
and `that lesbians made them sick', I doubt they would have ever filtered their
libel `winnings' down to the gay community. I didn't receive any money for what
I did and never expected to from the get-go. My motive was the truth. I have
always worked quietly (usually) in Utah to better the lives of both gays and
straights here through volunteerism and donations each and every day of my life
and will continue to do so until the day I die. Most important, I always tell
the truth and am proud to be a lesbian. I would hope that Ben Williams,
president of a historical society for gays here in Utah will correct his facts
for future generations of gays, lesbians and transgendered people. All the
testimonies and magazine, newspaper articles are in public domain. Babs De Lay
.jpg) |
| Pam Parson |
2006 “Preparing for the Games”
Saturday, April 1, 2006 3-4pm 4th Floor Meeting Room Salt Lake City Library 210
East 400 South Salt Lake City , UT 84111 Who Should Attend? -All athletes
currently registered to attend
Gay Games VII in Chicago. All athletes planning
on, or thinking about, registering to attend the Games. -Anyone thinking about
attending the games in any other capacity (volunteer, staff, cheerleader) What
Will Be Addressed? -Sports currently represented on Team SLC -Recruiting more
athletes -Venues for competition in Chicago Cheering for and supporting all
Team SLC athletes in Chicago-Travel and Lodging options -Team SLC headquarters
in Chicago -Team SLC Dinner one night in Chicago -Team SLC uniforms, t-shirts,
and banner - Utah Pride Parade and Booth Entries -Team SLC upcoming events and
individual sport fundraisers Please note: The Salt Lake County Library does not
offer free public parking. There is hourly parking available beneath the
library. Parking on the streets near the library is metered, so plan
accordingly.
2006 Excellent opportunity for GLBT Families!
Jamarama – a National show geared towards children– is coming to Salt Lake
City! The promoters, MTV Networks and
Noggin, are interested in having GLBT families represented in the
audience. This is a golden opportunity
to include our community visibly and make sure they are part of a very
entertaining afternoon. It is also an
important message to Comcast, the local sponsor of the show! If you are
interested in obtaining free tickets for you and your family, please send your
name, daytime phone and email address to: Jackie Biskupski Jamarama Live! April 1st Capitol
Theatre 50 West 200 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 Doors open at 1pm; show
starts at 2pm
2006 This will be an old-fashioned Bear Hug
for Bears, Cubs, Daddies and Chubs, and men of all descriptions who admire
them.
2009 Gay-rights service event delayed General
Service Weekend, intended to rally gay-rights supporters around community
projects in the Salt Lake Valley and Ogden, has been delayed a week. Initially
timed to coincide with LDS general conference on Saturday and Sunday, the
service weekend was planned in place of political protests outside of Salt Lake
City's Temple Square, which was the site of a large demonstration in November
after an LDS Church-backed gay-marriage ban won voter approval in California. The Salt Lake Tribune
2020 Today is a heavy one for the Pride Coalition
of UTAH and for Logan Pride as they announced the passing of their president
and fearless Leader Crista Sorenson, after her fight from a recent stroke. Our
hearts are with the community of Logan, and LGBTQ+ organizations across the
state, who have benefitted from Crista’s advocacy, strong heart, and love for
all people. Please keep her family and friends in your hearts, as we remember
her for her strength and determination to provide for so many people.
 |
| Crista Sorenson |
No comments:
Post a Comment