19 May
1888 Ogden Standard Examiner
More Local News page 4 An
indictment charging Charles Thomas with house breaking was read to defendant.
He plead guilty. He had served two years and five months in the penitentiary
for committing a crime against nature.
Sentence was deferred until today
1891 Court Case 27 May: The People vs James Hamilton: Crime against
nature. Deseret New
1945 Manuel Cordova, 20, Penasco, NM convicted of attempted
sodomy Feb 2 1944 and served 1 year and
3 months of a 18 months to 10 year sentence. Paroled. Salt Lake Telegram
1950-The US Senate authorized an investigation into the employment
of homosexuals by the federal government.
1971 Gregory
Bartley of New York City was sentenced to three months in the Davis County jail
on a guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of sodomy. Bartley had already served
s ½ months in jail pending the sentence and was given time off for good
behavior. He was remanded to the custody of the Clearfield job corps center for
disciplinary action and transportation to New York. Ogden Standard Examiner
1983 - News program 20/20 did
its first show on AIDS. It had been a forbidden topic until
executives learned
that children were getting the disease.
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| Leonard Matlovitch |
1987-Mormon Convert Leonard
Matlovich, among the earliest Gay men to challenge the US military's policy against Gays
and lesbians, announced on Good Morning America that he had AIDS.
1991 The SL Tribune featured a news story “Salt Lake cross-dressers
look to support group” The Society for
The Second Self (Tri-Ess), a nationwide club was founded in the 1950s for
transvestites. A Salt Lake chapter was formed in 1988. There are 25 members
from Utah, Nevada and Idaho which represent a cross section of occupations
including a school administrator, lawyer, janitor, plumber and computer
programmer. Tri-Ess is specifically for
heterosexual cross-dressers and their spouses. Though female cross-dressers are
invited to join, the Salt Lake chapter is all male for now. There are clubs -
though not local - which cater to other members of the "gender
community" including transsexuals and homosexuals who like to dress as
women - sometimes called drag queens.
A transsexual is a person who feels trapped in the wrong body and wants
a sex change. The gender community has
its own organization called International Foundation for Gender Education
(IFGE), which functions like a chamber of commerce. IFGE meets regularly with
representatives from all groups and publishes a magazine called Tapestry.
1995 The 12th annual candlelight vigil will be held in Provo on
Sunday to remember those
who have died of AIDS and those living with HIV
or AIDS. Provo will join 230 cities in more than 40
nations in celebrating the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial and
Mobilization. The service begins with an Ecumenical Memorial Service at 7:30
p.m. at the Provo
Community Church University Avenue
and 200 North. Following the service, there will be a candlelight procession
down University Avenue
to the Utah County Building
 |
| Barbara Shaw |
1996 -
Daniel K. Evans 12/30/58 to 5/19/96 listening to the call
I'm guided home. I dwell now in your past and will call to you from your
future; your memory holds me ever-present. As we mourn for Danny, we celebrate
also the joy that his passing has brought him to. Through many trials Danny
prevailed. Never despairing, he relied upon the many friends who filled his
small world. He cultivated love and brought forth kindness and peace. We will
remember a friend who never faltered a spirit true. Daniel Kenneth Evans passed from us May 19,
1996. Though he lost the battle, he won the war, for AIDS could not conquer his
spirit, his faith in God or the unconditional love that radiated from him. Special thanks to
Dr. Kristin Ries and Maggie Snyder and all the Clinic 1 staff, and the Journey
Home Team at Community Nursing Services.
At Daniel's request, no services will be held. Family services pending.
In lieu of flowers, make donations to the Utah AIDS Foundation.
 |
1999 Salt Lake City Schools Superintendent Darline Robles rebuffed
a petition calling for disciplinary action against East High School Principal
Kay Petersen, saying it is time to put an end to the latest controversy
involving the school's Gay Straight Alliance. 1Page: D2 Salt Lake Tribune Salt Lake City Schools Superintendent Darline Robles has rebuffed a petition calling for disciplinary action against East High School Principal Kay Petersen, saying it is time to put an end to the latest controversy involving the school's Gay Straight Alliance. The petition stemmed from Petersen's decision to allow members of the GSA to participate in the school's annual multicultural assembly April 20. The student presentation lasted about six minutes and highlighted historical events involving gay, lesbian and bisexual people and offered definitions of commonly used words such as gay, faggot and dyke. Enraged parents stormed a meeting of the School Community Council the following week and asked Petersen to step down. Petersen, who has planned for months to retire at the end of the school year, accepted complete responsibility for the presentation and apologized for offending students and parents. Still not satisfied, parents circulated a petition and presented it to Robles, who had remained silent until Tuesday. "I do support the administration's intention to assist the GSA students by allowing students to present their concerns about harassment," Robles said in a prepared statement she read to the board. "The way it was handled and the content they allowed did come close to raising issues about human sexuality guidelines and did give me cause for concern." However, she said attorneys for the district and the state Office of Education viewed the presentation and determined it did not violate state law or the district policy. "The administration could have, and should have, exercised more control over the content of the presentation," she said. Parents and students were especially critical of the administration's decision to make attendance at the assembly mandatory without offering another activity for students who might have been offended at its content. Also during Tuesday's board meeting, a group calling itself The Coalition for Safe Schools offered its services to educate parents and students. "One of the biggest problems is ignorance. We don't feel our community is educated enough to speak. It's embarrassing to hear them. They aren't educated on this issue," said member Robb Steffensen, a retired educator. Emmaleigh Wheeler, an East High School student and member of the GSA, echoed the coalition's concern about safety at East High. Her friends are routinely pushed and taunted in the halls. One was even pushed down the stairs recently, she said. "The hall monitor saw it and didn't even do anything," Wheeler said.
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| Michael Chase |
2002 A Tribute to Michael Chase
by John-Charles Duffy On May 19, 2002, Norman Michael Chase passed away of a
heart attack in his apartment in Salt Lake City. For the last ten years, he had
made major contributions to the gay and lesbian community in Salt Lake City.
Although Michael was not LDS, he was a supporter of Affirmation: Gay and
Lesbian Mormons, Reconciliation, and any cause for gay and lesbian
spirituality. The following tribute was published in the June issue of The
Pillar: Michael Chase came to Salt Lake City because he believed God had called
him here. He believed he had a work to do: to minister to the needs of
gay/lesbian people in Utah. That's not to say Michael was an activist. On the
contrary, Michael felt highly ambivalent about the gay rights movement. Because
he believed that we are all created in God's image and are therefore good, as
God proclaims in Genesis 1, Michael was appalled by the way gay/lesbian people are
made to feel "less than" or "unworthy." At the same time,
Michael worried that the gay rights movement represented an impulse on the part
of gay/lesbian people to extract from society and church a feeling of
acceptance or validation that he believed ought to come only from God. You see,
Michael was a mystic. Powerful spiritual or revelatory experiences during a
time in his life when he had lost everything that had been important to
him--his wife, his money, the trappings of success--convinced him that the
material concerns which occupy so much of our attention do not truly matter.
All that matters is God and our connection to God. God is everywhere, Michael
believed. God shines through each of us like sunlight through a window pane.
Unfortunately, we get in God's way. Our fear, our insecurity, our jealousy, our
anger, our pride, prevent us from being what we were created to be--what we
already are, if we would only see it. Michael wasn't much interested in
changing society's attitudes towards gay/lesbian people. He was more interested
in changing gay/lesbian people's attitudes about themselves. Michael didn't
like the word "gay." It was limiting, he insisted. Watching The
Birdcage, Michael winced when Robin William's character declared: "All
right, so I wear make-up. So I'm a middle-aged fag. But I'm proud of who I
am." If defiant acceptance of the epithets and stereotypes people hurl at
us is "gay pride," then Michael wanted nothing to do with it. He
rarely appeared at gay pride celebrations. He refused to label his sexual
identity. In his writings for the Pillar, and in the talks he gave to groups
like Affirmation, Reconciliation, and MCC, Michael kept coming back to the same
simple message: We are children of God. We are made in God's image. God shines through
us. That some of us happen to experience love with someone of the same sex
rather than someone of the opposite sex is irrelevant. Implicitly, Michael was
trying to say: We don't need society's acceptance. We don't need the churches'
acceptance. All we need to know is that God accepts us. This message is simple,
even problematic; but it would be a mistake to blow it off as dime-store
spirituality. Saying "I know God accepts me for who I am" is easy.
It's quite another matter to feel that knowledge so deeply that
nothing--rejection by your family, condemnation from your church, anti-gay
rights politics, anti-gay violence--can make you react with fear, hate, or
despair. "Let nothing disturb you, let nothing alarm you," wrote one
of the great Western mystics, Teresa of Ávila. "They who have God lack for
nothing." Michael came to possess this kind of unshakeable confidence as
the result of his own mystical experiences. His ministry in Utah was to do what
he could to inspire that same unshakeable confidence in the gay/lesbian
individuals to whom he spoke and to whom he addressed his writings.
2003 David
Thometz to Ben Williams-Ben, I realize that many in the community see me and
David Nelson as interchangeable (or, perhaps, as the same person), but you
neither posted to any of my groups, nor did I edit such a post. If you are
referring to a post made to the GVUNewsTalk group, then you want to send your
complaint to David Nelson, not to me. By the way, thanks for your contributions
to the discussion on both Dem-UT and GVUNewsTalk. :) David Thometz
Moderator, Dem-UT Yahoo! Group
(Utah affiliate, Democrats.com online service)
- Ben Williams to David Thometz- You mean you and David are not Janus? LOL Sorry..Chad told me that you were the one editing. Wrong again. I will redirect to David Thanks By the way are you still living at home? How are you doing? I haven't seen you since last October I think! Ben
- David
Thometz to Ben Williams Heh heh... Sometimes I wonder.... :D I constantly
get
e-mail from people thinking that something David wrote or did was done by me, and vice-versa. (We are David. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile. >;] ) Yeah, I'm still trapped in South Jordan, thanks to slow business (partly Dubya's fault, partly the fault of some character assassination by Paula Wolfe, Jackie Biskupski, Michael Picardi and Doug Wortham, et al). But things are gaining momentum. I'm taking my design business online, and this month I'll release some original digital fonts that I have designed. With luck, I'll be able to ditch the graphic design business altogether and be a full-time typographer and font-designer. I've also been getting witchy again. I've even set up an altar in my parents' basement. They just seem to think it's an interesting display of incense, candles, chalices and rocks.... Heh heh....I haven't been able to come to the USHS meetings, but I've been lurking & following the discussion & posts on the Yahoo! Group. It's great to see the subscriber roles growing. Keep up the great work.David T. -- the other one ;)
David Thometz
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| Chad Keller |
2003 CHAD KELLER I would like to introduce Chad
Keller, our co-director and Executive Chair to those who do not know him. From
the moment Chad arrived in Utah he has worked his incredible imagination for
the benefit of the Lambda community of Utah. Not one to be a wilting flower,
Chad with bounding energy, appeared on the Gay scene and said, "Can I
play?"Chad cut his "Gay activist" teeth as a member of the Gay
and Lesbian Cache Valley Alliance where he became a member of the board after
holding several positions. From the fall of 1987 to the Spring of 1990, Chad
was an active member of Logan's Gay community serving as activity coordinator
and as a student representative. Chad left Logan in 1990 and moved to Salt Lake
City where, after settling in, once again became an asset. He joined LGSU and
became an LGSU representative while he worked at the university in catering. At
the same time he became a member of the Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire
of which he still is a member in good standing. It was his early years with the
court, where his talent for organizing events and fundraising was developed. A
few of his more important projects for the Royal Court of the Golden Spike
Empire were Coordinator for the Snowball Banquet for the 18th Reign of Sheneka
Christie Princess Royale, and Victory Brunch Coordinator for the 18th, 19th,
and 20th reigns. Chad is the creator and host of the Xmas Sock Auction, which
is an annual gift to the RCGSE to raise money for Snow Ball. He served as
advisor, as CZAR XXVII, to the current Emperor His Majesty Bob Childers. But
beyond the glitz and glamour of the court Chad, more importantly, took upon a
project to help "At Risk Kids" celebrate and enjoy the gift of
reading. He founded the Golden Spike Literacy Project in 1997 with the help of
Yvette Empress XXII, and has continued to work with people to donate used books
to the homeless and at risk kids. He has created a partnership with downtown
businesses and banks to provide annual gifts of books for this cause. As an
educator I feel for this project alone Chad deserves the award however there is
considerable more. Chad, to experience all the various dynamics of our
community, joined a host of organizations besides LGSU and the Royal Court. He
was even a member of the Wasatch Leathermen's Motor Cycle Club from 1991 to1993
where he served in the position of Scribe in 1992. That year (1992) Chad along
with Bob Childers attempted to start a community magazine after the Triangle
had folded. It only lasted three months but it showed Chad's willingness to
take risks. While no longer a publisher, Chad is currently a regular
contributor to the Pillar. He has recently found a niche for his creative
organizational skills by teaming up with Todd Dayley, publisher of the Pillar
to create organizations and services for the betterment and enrichment of our
community. In 2001 he was Community Service Project Coordinator, a project to
sponsor a day of community service from the Gay community to the general
community at large. In 2002 Todd and he were the creators and founders of the
Community Leadership Forum, and were creators and founding members of GBLT Business
Guild. Together Keller and Dayler also have teamed to organize a
"Sponsorship Program" to help worthy community organizations get
greater exposure and financial support by featuring monthly articles in the
Pillar.In 2003 the dynamic duo have created a Utah Stonewall Sports Authority,
a Lambda Arts Alliance, and became the sponsors of the FABI, Betty and DIG Awards, an important
community award originally created by Kevin Hillman and Brenda Voisard, past
Dr. Kristen Ries Award recipients.In 1998 Chad joined the Utah Gay Rodeo
Association and was that organization's fundraising Coordinator for three
years, 2000, 2001, 2003. He was the UGRA Rodeo Director in 2001.At the same
time as his involvement with UGRA, Chad also became a member of the Utah Gay
Pride Committee in 1997. He served the community for five years in various
positions with Utah Pride from 1997 to 2002. He was a Utah Pride Parade
Volunteer for three of those years (1997, 1998, 1999) where he implemented the
procedures to move the official color guard around from organization to
organizations and created an Honor Guard to welcome all organizations to walk
with the their flag immediately following the Color Guard. Chad founded the
first Children's area for the Pride Festival in 1999, and was the 2002 Chair of
The Pride Parade, Grand Marshall, and Reception Committee. With all this
involvement, Chad found time to serve as Art Chair in 2001 for the Gay and
Lesbian Community Center of Utah where he revitalized the struggling art
program and improved the quality of works shown. In the fall of 2002 Chad
badgered me to come out of retirement and become involved in the community
again. Relying on his endless supply of energy I recrudesced and he and I
became the Co founders of Utah Stonewall Historical Society. Chad has a vision
to rebuild our once massive historical collection, and more importantly
preserve our present history. I have a vision to go to bed early. I have
rambled on for some length about Chad's involvement in our Lambda Community
which many of you may know; but I suspect that what you don't know about Chad
is his involvement in the community at large. Chad is a member of the Downtown
Alliance of Salt Lake City. In 1999 Chad served as Children's Activity
Coordinator (Finger puppets) for Salt Lake City's Downtown Alliance First
Night. For the Downtown Alliance First Night 2003 he was Chair of the Family Processional
Children's Gathering Committee and he is currently serving on the Downtown
Alliance First Night 2004's Event Council as Chair of Family Processional and
Children's Gathering committee again and Main Celebration area Entrance
designer. Currently Chad sits on the development committee of the Downtown
Alliance to create an "In Search of the Best" project. It will be
launched this summer with events at the Gallivan Plaza in an effort to enliven
downtown. He is also serving on a new holiday committee working with other
Alliance members to create better Holiday lighting and displays. I might add
also that in an effort to keep Salt Lake beautiful Chad has personally adopted
three flower planters by the Downtown Alliance offices in the names of Mixed
Media, Utah Stonewall Historical Society, and the Julie Wright New Millennium
Chapter, City of Hope. No corner of Utah is too small for Chad to devote his
attention. On a larger scale then flower planters, Chad also served as creator,
and promoter of the "Adopt a Monument Program from 2001 to the present for
the Memory Grove Foundation. He is currently working on a Memory Grove Concert
Series Launching 2004 From 1999 to 2002 he was a sponsor and coordinator for
the Utah Heritage Foundation's "Historic Home Tour" and food and
beverage Chair for the Heritage Awards Reception in 1999 and 2000 Volunteering
for the City of Hope he was a founding Board Member of the Julie Wright New
Millennium Chapter, Salt Lake City 1999
to the-present and Table Host for the City of Hope's "Food For Hope" from 1995 to 2002. Additionally
he's been Registration Chair of the City
of Hope's "Work-Out For Hope" from 1995-1998, Decorative Chair from
1998 to 2002, and was the recipient of the First Benevolence in Service Buckle
in 2001. As great a service to our Gay community Chad has worked just as hard
for a variety of notable charitable community events, i.e.- "The Birds Movie
Party at Tracy Aviary, The Patriots Ball, The Planet of the Apes Movie Party at
Hogle Zoo, House on Haunted Hill Movie Party at McCune Mansion and the upcoming
Wizard of OZ movie party. It is easily estimated between the two UGRA rodeos,
the City of Hope, RCGSE, WLMC, GLCCU's art sales, and GLA, Chad has helped
raise for both the Gay and non Gay communities, though generating sponsorships,
donations, parties, and fundraising events, well over $200,000.00 or more
during his sixteen active years as a valued member of our community. Sincerely Ben
Williams Co-Director and Historian Class of `69
2006y “Mike [Aaron] I heard from Chuck that you received the
Golden Spike Award and was touched by your editorial comment in SLQ. You
deserve it so very much. Don't worry about my letter to editor...somethings get
in somethings don't. Just wanted Kim and Chuck to know how much I respect the
both of them for all they have done and I know a horse race can get pretty
heated at times. I didn't post it on the forum site until I saw that it didn't
make it in. I can always post my opinions here. LOL Besides I haven't stirred
anything up since the Immigrant march. Sounds like Donald [Steward] may be
having a stew over the parade. Ted McDonough of SLC Weekly was picking my brain
for a story on whether the police had been harassing the parade for a long
time. I said that in all the time I was aware of the parade in the 1990's they
were cool if not downright helpful.” Ben Williams.
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| Kim Russo |
2006 Dear Editor, It been rare lately that we get the caliber of
people we now have running for the office of Emperor of the Royal Court of the
Golden Spike Empire. RCGSE is an institution in the community, which functions
primarily as a charitable fundraising organization. Anyone who has been active
in this community knows that this organization has had its highs and lows over
the past 30 years. But this year I am very excited about the candidates for
Emperors, yet at the same time, I am very depressed since both are people I
would consider dear friends. One will win and one will lose. That's the name of
the game but the real loser will be RCGSE and in some respect the entire community
for not having the use of these incredibly gifted, dedicated, and talented
people. I certainly hope whoever does not win this year will be on the ballot
next year. I first met Kim Russo when she was an AIDS information activist for
UAF. She was and is a dynamo. She literally beat the bushes to find Gay men to
distribute condoms; without judgment. How many lives were saved by her
commitment to this community will never be known but her pain of losing her
life partner Barb Barnhart to the disease is known. Kim, a past recipient of
the Dr. Kristen Ries Community Service Award, served as an executive in the now
defunct Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah, she published her own newspaper,
the Xchange, served as Prince Royal of RCGSE and served on the Pride Day
Committee for years. Kim has served the community for over 15 years and I am
and always have been proud to call her my friend. Chuck Whyte is also running
for Emperor. Like Kim he is a past recipient of the Dr. Kristen Ries Award,
served as an executive in the GLCCU, and having lost his mother to breast
cancer, has raised thousands of dollars for breast cancer research, and along
with his brother paid for and donated a grieving room at the U of U medical center.
Chuck has been actively involved in the community for well over 25 years
specifically
within the Court system where he has earned numerous titles, accolades, and
honors. He has several life time achievement awards to his credit from various
organizations. He has been involved in the straight community as well serving
as a Vista volunteer, a board member of Central City Neighborhood Council, board
chair of Salt Lake Citizens Congress, board member of Crossroads Urban
Center Utah Stonewall
Center which spawned the GLBT Community
Center
 |
| Chuck Whyte |
Ben Williams
2006 THE ROYAL COURT OF THE GOLDEN SPIKE EMPIRE IN CONJUNCTION WITH
THE XXXI CANDIDATES PRESENTS "ITS UP TO YOU" (Anything Goes Theme) AT
"HEAD UP"** MAY 19TH AT 9:30 PM $5.00 suggested donation at the door
COME AND MEET THE CANDIDATES AND ENJOY SOME OF SALT LAKES FINEST
ENTERTAINER'S...TO NAME A FEW EMPRESS XXX KRYSTYNA SHAYLEE PRINCESS ROYALE XXX
KENNEDY CARTIER PRINCESS ROYALE 29 PARIS CHILDERS AND MANY MORE, PLEASE JOIN US
IN SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLES CONCERN FUND
**A Private Club For Members *Suggested Doantion to Benefit The Peoples Concern
Fund
2014 Judge: Utah must
honor same-sex marriages performed during 17-day window
Courts • Decision takes effect in 21 days, allowing Utah
attorney general’s office time to appeal. BY MARISSA LANG THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE A federal judge ruled Monday that Utah must recognize all
same-sex marriages performed in the state during a 17-day window when such
unions were legal. In a written ruling, U.S. District
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| Dale A Kimball |
 |
| Jim Dabakis |
2018 (KUTV)- The Utah Pride Center celebrated the
grand opening of their new location near 1380 S. Main Street Saturday. Starting with a ribbon cutting ceremony at
5:30 p.m., the center gave tours of the new building and provided snacks and
drinks for the community. “We are thrilled to share this gift with
everyone. This building will help ensure our ability to provide critical life
saving programs and services.” Rob Moolman, the new Utah Pride Center Executive
Director said. “We are striving to become a center that
serves our whole community by providing a space for different voices and ideas,
and by hosting events that cater to all. The Utah Pride Center is one of few
LGBTQ+ centers in the nation providing services to people of all ages, and this
new building symbolizes the importance of our work and the communities we
serve.” The Utah Pride Center offers a wide variety
of youth and adult services including mental health services, youth and adult
Survivors of Suicide Attempt (SOSA) support groups, Kids Like Me, Teens Like
Us, SAGE, PFLAG, Youth Activity Night, Youth Support Groups, 1 to 5 Club, Men's
and Women's support groups, Trans Youth and Adult support groups, and many
more. The Utah Pride Center unites, empowers, and
celebrates Utah’s diverse LGBTQ+ community by providing a safe and welcoming
space for education, partnerships, services, and events which advance our
collective health, wellness, and success.
- (Fox News 13) SALT LAKE CITY -- Hundreds of people gathered in Salt Lake City
Saturday as the new Utah Pride Center held their grand opening. Utah Pride held a ribbon cutting ceremony at their center's new location, 1380 South Main Street. Rob Moolman, the new Utah Pride Center Executive Director, said the new location ensures their ability to provide critical life saving programs and services, and he said they are striving to become a center that serves the whole community by providing space for different voices and ideas. Moolman also noted that the Utah Pride Center is one of few LGBTQ centers in the US that provide services to people of all ages. "A young person moves into that space and they see themselves reflected in the people that are there, and more than just reflected, they see themselves celebrated," Moolman said at Saturday's event.
Sue Robbins, Carol Gnade, Rob Moolman - What a night... and by “more than 100 people”, I am sure that when the dust cleared it will read “more than 500 people” Thanks to all of the media that was there for our evening.
- Michael Aaron I was verklempt a few times tonight as I thought about how the community is excited about the new Utah Pride Center, shown by the overwhelming crowd that showed up at the grand opening tonight. Then, for the stories I keep hearing of how a community came together to make each element happen. Hundreds of small stories that make up a large one. Yes, it takes a village, and Salt Lake is a wonderful village. Congrats to the leaders of the Center, congrats to the capital fund donors, congrats to the individuals and businesses who helped in a thousand ways to make it happen. That will be my story in the next issue: It took a village. "I am brave, I am bruised I am who I'm meant to be, this is me Look out 'cause here I come And I'm marching on to the beat I drum I'm not scared to be seen I make no apologies, this is me."
2018 Utah Pride Center opens doors of its new
'beacon' By Marjorie Cortez Deseret News May 19, 2018, SALT LAKE CITY — The
Utah Pride Center finally has a home of its own. Friends and supporters
gathered Saturday for the ribbon cutting of its new home at 1380 S. Main, just
south of Smith's Ballpark. "It's just such a fabulous day for us. When I
say us, I'm talking about our community. We waited a long time, I think since
the early '90s, to have a place to call our own that we own, that we can grow
all of our programs and save lives and make life entertaining. Now we have
it," said Carol Gnade, who recently retired as the center's executive
director. The building, which was once a bank (the vault remains inside) and
the Mexican Consulate, features an open flow and is flooded with natural light.
The center includes meeting spaces, inviting common areas and offices for small
groups and individual counseling. Sue Robbins, who leads the center's board of
directors, described pride centers as beacons for the LGBT community. "It's
where our community comes together, where we find community. If you don't know
where else to go, you go to your pride center. You move to another city, you
come to the pride center. It's our safe place, if you can call any place a safe
place," she said. Robbins added, "This amazing building is our
beacon. This is the place." The Utah Pride Center offers a wide variety of
services to youth and adults, including mental health services as well as
support groups for people who have attempted suicide, transgender youths and
adults and others. It is a "safe and welcoming space for education,
partnerships, services and events which advance our collective health, wellness
and success," a Utah Pride Center press release center says. Rob Moolman,
the Utah Pride Center executive director, explained his accent is "deep,
deep South," which in his case means South Africa. Moolman borrowed a term
often used by Nelson Mandela, a political leader and anti-apartheid
revolutionary, ubuntu, which is from the Nguni Bantu. "Ubuntu means, I am
because we are. Another way to look at it is, a person is a person through
other people," Moolman said. "We are here because we are connected.
We are connected through our history, through the struggle, through our highs,
through our lows, through love and through joy. We stand here because we see
each other." Moolman, in a prepared statement, said the Utah Pride Center
is "thrilled to share this gift with everyone. This building will help
ensure our ability to provide critical life-saving programs and services.”
2018 Excerpts from Journal of Ben Williams "After eating we all went to the Grand Opening of the Pride Center and there was huge turn out and very impressive waiting to go in after the speeches were made. We were somewhat in the back so didn’t hear much. We saw Walt Larrabee out and about and that was fun. He looked well. There were lots of others I knew and a lot more I didn’t. Once inside, it was so crowded that didn’t get to see Connell’ O'Donovan's gallery of Gay and Lesbian Pioneers but for a glimpse. The food was set up in that room and so it was the most crowded. They were serving wine so that was packing in the people as well. Since I had been in a few weeks before, I kind of took people around. Kent Scadlock was there volunteering for Pride Day. I saw Liz Pitts whose in charge of Pride Day and we hugged. I've known her since her LGSU days. She said she was 50 now…Wow that made me feel old. I introduce the new director Robert Moolman to Charlene Orchard the person who helped established the old Utah Stonewall Center for a bit of continuity. Mike Romero said that the center was filled with Trans people so I guess they found their space.
Kent Scadlock wrote; "The Grand Opening of the new Utah Pride Center was fantastic. The new space is incredible and it was an honor to volunteer for this event. Hundreds of people showed up to celebrate the opening of this facility that will change lives of members of my community. Thank you Liz, Carol, Robert, Sue for letting me volunteer and thank you Dennis Lee for being a great volunteer partner!
Robert Moolman wrote: I hear that the new director loved meeting you and that he looks forward to a far longer chat sometime soon. He is a little in awe of you and your work. Thank you so much for being there.
Ron Johnson wrote: Great to see you at the Pride Center Grand Opening. What a crowd! It didn't take long for my claustrophobia to kick in. I reluctantly made my exit and walked back home. On the way there, it was wonderful to see a bunch of other people heading the other direction. They'd parked on the streets and were making their way to the celebration. I saw several single people, a straight couple, a group of very masculine lesbians, gay guys holding hands as they walked and lastly, a trans person, as well. It was a wonderful sight to see such diversity on the streets near my home. I hope within my lifetime, we'll see that same thing everywhere. One of the items in your May 21st Gay History account struck a nerve. It was the accounting of Babs DeLay when she provided the membership list from the Puss & Boots bar to the Times attorneys. As your account mentioned, her actions divided the local lesbian community. At the time, I was much more active socially in the gay community than I've been in the past years. Back then, I felt more comfortable around lesbians than I did gay men. I eventually wanted to find a life-companion, but didn't appreciate the promiscuous one-night-stand aggressive social situations of the men's bars. That changed in the late 80s when I became active in the UGRA. But before then, I frequented Chars, Perky's and Puss & Boots in those early years. I made many lasting friendships. And I'm still in contact with those fine women even now. I vividly recall the animosity and hatred that Babs DeLay generated by her actions. The fact that she would "out" all the members of Puss & Boots by providing their names to a public organization was met with intense anger. I'm sure you're aware that during the 1980s, most gay people were very much in the closet, especially in ultra-conservative Utah. To have one of their own decide to "out" them for their own financial profit made it even worse. One of my closest lesbian friends worked for the State of Utah (Tax Commission) and worried right up until her retirement that she might be terminated by Babs' actions. Even though Babs DeLay has done some good things within the gay community since that unfortunate incident at Puss & Boots to long ago, many of the now-aging lesbians remember her actions and are hesitant to forgive. Just thought I'd add my 2-cents to the report of that incident. Thanks again for all you do for our community. You truly are a treasure.
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