This day In Gay Utah History May 7th

7 May

1965 Friday- Parents teach their children to exercise  care in pedestrian traffic to avoid injury. They must also educate their children to help police apprehend sex offenders,” Captain E.G. Cederlof Police Youth Bureau commander said Thursday.  Citing recent increase in molestation and indecent exposure cases in city parks areas. Capt. Cederlof warned that “time is the most critical factor in apprehending the sex offenders. The violation should be reported by the child at once, not necessarily to the parent but to the nearest responsible adult. Capt. Cederlof said. The adult should make immediate notification to police before attempting to accompany the child to the scene of the offense.(page D4 col. 3 SLTribune)

1987- Gay Community Council met at MCC. In attendance were Ben Williams, Mike Anderson, Mel Baker, Ken Bruck, Ken Francis, Rev. Bruce Barton, John Sasserman, Scott Dunn, David Nelson, Michael Aarons, Greg Garcia, Ben Barr, and Lyle Bradley. John Sasserman facilitated the group. Council met for 2 ½ hours to discuss Pride Day, how political the council wanted to become and who does it actually represent. Also discussed doing a media event on June 30th  to protest Utah’s exclusion of the Gay Community from Safe Sex AIDS information.  The council wanted to blow up condoms filled with  helium and release them over the capitol. (155)

• 1987 Thursday Tonight was community council at MCC church at 7:00. In attendance was Mike Anderson, Mel Baker of Concerning Gays and Lesbians, Ken Bruck, Ken Francis, Rev. Bruce Barton, Scott Dunn owner of the Triangle Magazine, David Nelson and his lover Michael Aaron, Greg Garcia of the Wasatch Leathermen, Ben Barr of AIDS Project Utah,  Lyle Bradley and John Sasserman who is the moderator.  We discussed how Gay Pride Day is progressing for July and we also discussed doing a media event on June 30th protesting Utah’s exclusion of funding the Gay Community through AIDS Project Utah.  We talked about blowing up condoms with helium and then letting them loose over the state capitol.  Other matter s discussed included how political does the council want to become and who does the council actually represent. The meeting lasted 2 1/2 hours.  really enjoyed it. [Journal of Ben Williams]

1988-The 39 member Salt Lake Men’s Choir presented its 5^th annual Spring Concert at Bryant Immediate School (88)

7-8 May 1988- The Youth Group sponsored a Car Wash at Our Place as a fund raiser

Chuck Whyte

1988 Chuck Whyte received the 1988 Golden Spike Community Service Award  from the Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire. 

1990  I've decided not to move from Utah today but to make Utah my home and fight the good fight here.  I love too many people here to abandon them.  My work is here, and for what ever reason my fate seems to be linked to this place.  This is my battlefield.  Here is where I'm needed.  This is where the Gay Spirit wants me. I went to LGSU tonight and the people there who I told, like Curtis Jensen and Liza Smart, that I was not moving were very excited.  In fact this one guy I really didn't know, named Clint came up to me and said, "Keep pounding away. I appreciate all that you do." [Journal 1990 of Ben Williams]

1992 Mark L. Simonson, age 27,died of AIDS Survived by spouse, Deland Locklear. Mark had a very special spirit and loved life to the fullest, no task was to hard for Mark to complete. He also had the gift of unconditional love. Obituary

1996 The Salt Lake Tribune Statistics Reveal Powerful Gay Voting Bloc Group Favors Demos, But Not Impressed by Clinton By Lili Wright Harnessing data collected at the 1992 presidential election, a Washington gay-rights organization has released a report stating that gays, lesbians and bisexuals comprise at least 3.2 percent of the American electorate. That makes the gay vote comparable to the Latino vote nationally, and larger than the Asian American or farm vote. The study's author, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, claims its study is the first statistically reliable portrait of self-identified gays, lesbians and bisexuals in relation to the overall voting population. The 1992 poll was conducted by Voter Research and Surveys, now called Voter News Service, an association of ABC News, CNN, CBS News, NBC News and The Associated Press. A total of 15,488 voters were polled in 350 precincts nationwide. The margin of error was three-tenths of a percent. While the data were collected four years ago, the survey results were not widely released. "The gay story was just a tiny footnote to the larger story of the election," says the report's author, John D'Emilio. "The information had not been analyzed before." The poll reveals a large disparity in the size of the gay vote in rural and urban areas. In small towns, the gay vote drops to a mere 1.3 percent. But in cities of 250,000 to 500,000, 8 percent of voters identified themselves as gay, lesbian and bisexual. Lesbians and gays tend to migrate to urban areas in search of a social network, support services and a more accepting environment. Utah gay activist David

David Nelson

Nelson can hardly suppress his glee over the findings. For years, Nelson has been trying to convince skeptical Utah politicians that the gay vote packs a punch. "It's perhaps the most important thing to come out of a gay organization since some of the early anti-gay violence statistics in the mid-1980s," says Nelson, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats. "I don't know a candidate willing to say he does not need 8 percent." But Salt Lake City, with a 1994 population of 179,000, is not Manhattan or San Francisco. And there is no way of knowing what percentage of this city's voters are gay, lesbian or bisexual. While Salt Lake City has a gay community center, a monthly gay newspaper and several gay clubs and bars, the capital city is not known for its tolerance of homosexuals. Indeed, even Democrats are skittish. Earlier this year, Democratic party leaders asked Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats to remove the party label from its name. So far, the group has refused. Utah has made national headlines with the ongoing controversy surrounding a proposed gay-straight student alliance at East High School. This spring the Legislature passed a law banning all student clubs related to sexuality, including the gay alliance. The national study discovered other patterns among respondents who identified themselves as gay: --The gay vote tends to be young, perhaps because older people are more reticent to claim their orientation. The gay vote represented 5 percent of voters under 30. --The gay vote is highly Democratic. In the Clinton-Bush race, Clinton received 72 percent of the gay vote. The  remainder split between Bush and Perot. --Gay voters are three times as likely to wear a campaign button and twice as likely to have been contacted by a campaign. -Three-quarters of those who did not identify themselves as gay said they thought government should encourage traditional values, but 70 percent of gays and lesbians want government to promote tolerance of diverse values. --Most gay respondents supported levying higher taxes to pay for health care and social services. Gay voters care about social issues such as abortion and gay rights, but put less of a priority on balancing the federal deficit. "There is more of a gay voting bloc than we realize," says Murray Edelman of Voter News Services. "As more gay people come out of the closet, their potential political influence will increase." As the poll asked voters who are gay, lesbian or bisexual to check a box in a public setting, it is possible some respondents declined to identify themselves. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Forces maintains the 3 percent is a floor not a ceiling; that is, the true number may be higher. Interestingly, the 1994 midterm elections -- the year of the Republican takeover of Congress -- the gay vote shrank to 2 percent, according to another exit poll conducted by the same organization. D'Emilio, author of the study, hypothesizes that many homosexuals stayed home from the polls after Clinton's compromise on gays in the military and his decision not to file an amicus brief challenging the constitutionality of Colorado's Amendment 2. "While it is not true that the gay, lesbian and bisexual vote is up for grabs, its loyalties and turnout level are uncertain," he says. "The Republican presidential candidate is unlikely to capture this vote, but the Democratic presidential candidates can lose it by inaction."

Richard and Renee
Van Wagoner

1999 We must be more tolerant According to an Associated Press excerpt from Deseret News, April 25, quoting a member of "the outsiders, called the Trenchcoat Mafia," in Littleton, Colo., a "youth told . . . that life for members of his group was hell . . . pure hell." He said that athletes at the school called him "faggot," bashed him into lockers and threw rocks at him as he rode his bike home. Another recorded incident, in a school parking lot, had a young man bound, with a noose around his neck, the other end tied to the bumper of a car. One student revved the motor while others chanted, "Die, fag, die." Isolated incidents? Not on your life. "Fag," "faggot" and "queer" are now the insults of choice among our high school youth. Unfortunately, the Salt Lake School Board, the Eagle Forum's witch hunt of outstanding teachers (who happen to be gay or lesbian), the 1996 Legislature, to name a few, give a dangerous message to our youth. So do adults, who would never let an ethnic slur pass, but who ignore the epithets mentioned above. They validate, yes, encourage those very kinds of activities engendered against students by their peers. During the 11 years I worked at a local high school, I heard homosexual hate words spoken every day. Because I know many outstanding gay individuals, I was especially sensitive to, and pained by, those hate words. I wonder how lacerating they were to a young person struggling with self-esteem and sexual identity. Most gay students would never dream of turning a gun on others. All too often, though, they do turn a gun on themselves. There is never an excuse for any kind of violence such as the massacres or the mistreatment of one student by others, but there may be reasons. Are we looking deeply enough? Could it be that our attitudes and words to our youth are conveying the message that it is OK to hurt another if that other is different from ourselves? Are we unthinkingly, or, heaven forbid, intentionally part of the problem? Renee H. Van Wagoner Ogden

1999 Contractor and former legislative candidate, Bryan J. Irving, 33, was arrested on state charges of money laundering, theft and forgery in an alleged scheme that also implicates two vice presidents at First Security Bank. Irving, who lost a November District 30 House race against Salt Lake City insurance agent Jackie Biskupski, was booked into Salt Lake City's Metro jail and released on a $5,000 bond.  In 1998 Bryan  Irving ran against  Jackie Biskupski for a state legislative seat. He was supported by the Eagle Forum as a family man as opposed to Biskupski being a Lesbian. Ruzicka claimed that she was unfit for office because Sodomy was illegal in Utah.  But in 1999 there was this- Ex-Legislative Hopeful Faces Multiple Charges Contractor and former legislative candidate Bryan J. Irving has been arrested on state charges of money laundering, theft and forgery in an alleged scheme that also implicates two vice presidents at First Security Bank. Irving, who lost a November District 30 House race against Salt Lake City insurance agent Jackie Biskupski, was booked into Salt   Lake City's Metro jail Wednesday and released on a $5,000 bond. He was arrested by special agents with the FBI and detectives from the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. Charged in March were Clement Jackson, a former vice president of First Security Bank, and Durrell Dibb, a First Security senior vice president now on paid administrative leave. Both were released on their own recognizance after brief court appearances. Dibb, 39, is charged with second- and third-degree felony theft of services, theft by deception, forgery, tampering with evidence and tampering with a witness. Jackson, 44, is charged with second-degree felony theft of services and six counts of third-degree forgery. Irving, 33, is charged with five separate second- and third-degree felonies. According to investigators, Irving was one of several vendors the bank executives used for personal projects that were later billed to the bank. "I trusted somebody and it didn't work out the way it was indicated to me," Irving said Thursday. "I really can't comment about anything." Irving has worked for several years as a contractor and is currently the general contractor for a remodeling project at The Salt Lake Tribune. The FBI was investigating his involvement with the First Security executives during last November's election campaign.

Chad Keller 

2003 Chad Keller  Pride Parade Not sure quite how to approach this, so here goes; From an email circulating:  "Our goal is to make the parade look bigger, brighter and more animated than the semi-funereal parades of the past."          This is just one of a couple that I have taken the time to read.  And I'm sure that there are more, as people have referenced them in other ways, of chairs speaking on or about a variety of areas, not just the parade.  The parade chairs of the past including myself, did rather well with what we were given to work with as far as a budget, and the number of volunteers that were willing to give some time on the biggest Utah gay day of the year.  They were as history and records will show collectively, and alone, as animated as the community was willing to make it through the community's participation. as animated and lively as the chairs ingenuity and resourcefulness could make them, and all in keeping with what small budget   And the rest of it I'm growing too board with  the current situation and attitudes surrounding the situation to address, and am saving energy for later. While this may just be someone being funny, it really is poor form on the current administrations part, and makes those of us who were the caretakers of the Pride parade look as if we were do nothings. It doesn't quite reach some level of respect for those who gave not only much of their own time and creativity, but allowed for the sake of Pride the Parade to consume their lives for 5 or more months. For that the 8 year of Pride Parades and their 4 respective chairs do deserve a little more credit, and respect. We played by the rules and budgets of the of the respective Pride committees. With what recourses and money we had.  While I cannot speak for the Bruce's, I will say that for 2002 their was a very small budget for the parade, and getting more of a budget was not an option. Pride Committees of the Past did not take shots at each other publicly, and tried to continue on the legacy of each perspective project a chair was assigned with some respect to what the past had gone through from year to year.      Let’s make sure that we are honoring the work that others have done, or at the very least respectful. But more importantly let’s make sure that the lessons of the past are reviewed.  Be careful to look at and use the volunteers wisely.  The parade has had trouble getting people to carry the flag down the street, participate in the Honor Guard, or just plain sign up to do a float or an entry. There is a lot going on that weekend in the community with Pride, and other activities celebrating the community.  I would not want to see the parade in a situation waiting for some arches, as SLPD takes the parade and goes.  Its your getting a greater response, congratulations. The comment may have been a simple joke, but the people who help in the past did not see it that way, and have been hurt by the comment, and are now coming to me.  Best of luck, and may it all be what you have dreamed of, and planned. Respectfully Chad Keller 2002 Parade & Grand Marshal Chair Utah Pride, Inc.

Bruce Harmon

2003 Bruce Harmon to Chad Keller Subject: Re: Parade -Chad: Well you need to continue to push them for what they are doing. They need to be held accountable. The fear we all had was that they would use the money received for Pride to fund their stupid programs. Pride can be a huge money generator and any excess should not be put into Stonewall Center programs but used for Pride Day. No one put those people in power and they need to be held accountable. Bruce Harmon

2003 Chad Keller Remember this for later....I may need it...  "Pride Day is an event for the Gay community and by the Gay community.  It is to celebrating all that we are and all that we strive to be.  As an event I agree it is on the wrong path, and there are there is nothing at this moment to be done. Gay Pride does not belong in the hands of assimulationists who would rather see us in Shades of Gray, rather than our bold Technicolor.  Our community has become weathered, worn and grey like an old white shirt that has never been washed properly.  The time is at hand for some all temperature Cheer. I am gay, and like a black or latino, I cannot just be assimulated by stripping me or those around me of their color and diversity.  They proclaim they protect diversity, but have no diversity to show for it on the upper levels unless in the unless green in the colors wheel of diversity represents money.

2005 Gays slighted at Logan High Story Saturday, May 7, 2005 Journal Herald To the editor: I need to voice my concern regarding Logan High barring its GSA from the Diversity Assembly earlier this school year (the presentation prepared for the assembly was rejected on the basis of its content). The same presentation, courtesy of the Logan High/s GSA, ran in USU/s sixth annual Gay and Lesbian Film Festival "Pridefest." We would like to thank Jordan Davis for presenting it and answering our questions. For those who are unaware, the presentation consisted of some of the most recognized images embodying hate throughout history. While sobering and disheartening in nature, the presentation served as a reminder that hatred and fear of differences still exist. We as a society must reconcile such differences and come to an understanding of each other if we are to make any progress. The presentation condemns all hatred, past and present, at any varying degree. Logan High/s administration claimed the presentation was rejected on the grounds that it was too dark or depressing and therefore inappropriate for the diversity assembly. I cannot help but question if this is the real reason, as many of the photographs are the same ones that frequently are found in high school textbooks nationwide on topics such as the Holocaust. I wonder if instead the presentation was excluded because it included gays and lesbians among the victims of hate and violence. Hatred of GLBT people continues today in our own community. Such dark attitudes continue at LHS where surveys about the GSA included many that were clearly hateful. In or out of the closet, gays exist. I see no reason to encourage such hatred. Open dialogue is always the best line of defense, which is all that the GSA wishes to accomplish. The topic of gay rights is a highlighted political issue today, but it is inappropriate to encourage either political ideology over another in a public school setting 77 even the popular opinion. Of course it is not the place of a public school to advocate same-gender marriage but it is equally, if not more, inappropriate to censor part of its student body and exclude a student club representing diversity at its own Diversity Assembly. Trends of censorship within high school papers, publications, assemblies such as this and even non-obscene T-shirts are on the rise. Do we really wish to train our children to believe that it is okay to silence the opposing voice to a popular opinion?  This is an issue that concerns Utah citizens and Americans, gay or straight, because we need to be affirming the American value of free speech, not circumventing it in the education of our children. Whatever your stance on homosexuality, it shouldn’t affect your belief in First Amendment rights. Matthew Blackham Logan

2

David Nelson

005 UTAH DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION (May 7) Gay and lesbian Utahns have been a prominent part of the Utah Democratic Party for more than 15 years, but the state-party convention planned for Saturday will mark the first time some of them will join firearm advocates and owners to promote the U.S. Second Amendment among conventioneers. Stonewall Shooting Sports of Utah owner and longtime party leader David Nelson, who first organized gay and lesbian Democrats in 1990, accepted an invitation by state National Rifle Association leaders to help recruit more firearm advocates among Democrats. Nelson and the leaders will share their ideas and information at an NRA-sponsored convention exhibit. The outreach was the idea of party Vice Chairwoman Nancy Jane Woodside who is also a candidate for election to serve as chairwoman."Not surprisingly, many Democrats are already supportive of firearm ownership," nelson said. "Our job is to reach out to those who haven't yet considered legal, responsible and safe self defense as the human right  and winning Democratic issue that it is. From Presidents Jefferson and  Kennedy, and Vice Presidents Humphrey and Mondale, to national-party chairman Gov. Howard Dean and the state's own U.S.Rep. Jim Matheson,  traditional Democrats have a long and proud history of protecting the  right to bear arms." Based on their supportive opinions about the Second Amendment, Nelson endorsed Tracy Van Wagoner and Nancy Jane Woodside for party chairwoman; and Josh Ewing, Robert D. Miller and Colt Smith for vice chairman. If Nelson's 25-year state-party past is an indication of his success, more Democrats might soon agree with his firearm-ownership ideas. The convention is planned for May 7 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Salt Palace Convention Center, where legally concealed firearms are  permitted.

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

2005 Everyone is welcome;  The hot tub will be open, so bring a towel and flip-flops if you want to get wet! We are requesting a $5 donation for this party, to help cover expenses. Saturday, May 7th, 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM In beautiful Slut Lake City, UT As always, you will be greeted at the side door off the driveway,

so please cum around to the lighted door at the side. Please arrive by 7:30, so your hosts don't have to spend all night doing door duty! This will be an old-fashioned Bear Hug for Bears, Cubs, Daddies and Chubs, and men of all descriptions who admire them. Soft Drinks, Water and Snacks will be provided.

2005  Ben Williams to: Michael Aaron Subject: Thanks for the Party Your house is fabulous. Thanks for hosting a party. Michael I have a question that is kind of delicate but here goes anyway. In your interview about the paper in the last issue you commented that all writers and staff were being paid. That isn't exactly true because I have never been paid for any articles or columns. I know the paper is still struggling to pay off printer costs and such but is it true that other columnists are getting paid? If so I am kind of feeling slighted. Money really isn't the real issue because I make a decent living teaching and I've spent more money on helping build a community then I'd ever see come back. I paid 1500 dollar to start up the Pillar and only saw a pittance come back so its really not a money issue but just feeling kind of low man on a totem pole if others are being paid and I am not. Kind of like they are valued and I am not. If  money is a issue I'd rather not be paid because this community needs the Metro but if others are and there is money out there for them it makes me wonder if my contribution is worth anything. I do spend several hours researching and writing up a column that I hoped people found interesting as well as entertaining. Just wondering Ben

Michael Aaron & Ben Williams

• 19 May 2005 I am so sorry to take so long to respond to this. I got it during our deadline-crunch-press time and wanted to reply when I had a chance to spend a bit of time on it. We are paying columnists and newswriters as well as photographers for their contributions to the paper. When we first talked about you doing a column, you said that you didn't want to receive anything as long as Steve and I aren't getting paid. We have been keeping track of what we would have paid you for the columns and articles and Steve was supposed to be sending you 'receipts' that could be used as trade for advertising if you wanted to put something in for the Historical Society, for instance. I hope that has been happening. We are, however, getting close to being able to pay me. We keep thinking it will be "the next issue," but it keeps being "the NEXT issue" - lol. I fully intend to pay you (and one other writer) beginning in a few issues - if not Pride. Sales are picking up and I hope they are not just a "pride bubble." We are beginning to pay back, little by little, what we have had to borrow from others to get and keep this paper running. I'm personally into this venture about $25K. Hopefully it will come back to me in time, but, like you, that's not what I'm in this for. I very much appreciate how much work goes into your articles and columns. I like that they have an opinion behind them (which is why they are in the Opinion section), and I have liked the topics. I think it's great that we are teaching people that we have a history - and an interesting one at that. I feel horrible that you are feeling slighted. We were just going by our earlier conversation. I will talk to Steve about what we can do and when. I was glad that you were able to come over to the house. I was very surprised you hadn't been there before. -Michael

2007 Kristen Ries Award Nominees-

Julien Puzey

Julian Puzey nominated by LisaNa RedBear [Julien Puzey is a social psychologist, the director of End-of-Life Care Partnership, a wellness educator and a health care consumer advocate], 

Gary F Horenkamp nominated by Jay Heuman [Gary F. Horenkamp,

Gary Horenkamp

M.S., Licensed Professional Counselor, Ogden, Utah, $40/individual session (sliding scale); $60/couples; $25/group session. Non-judgmental psychotherapy/counseling for adolescents and adults; all orientations. Comfortable with alternative sexuality and the leather community. Specializing in adjustment, anger, anxiety, depression, identity and stress issues. Member,, American Counseling Association and International Critical Incident Stress Foundation.]  

Todd Dayley

Todd Dayley nominated by Mark Swonson, owner and published of the Pillar Gay Newspaper founded 1993

Mike Picardi nominated by Adam Bass,  actor and political activist with Utah Stonewall Democrats

Stan Penfold nominated by Tim Houpt, executivr director of the Utah AIDS Foundation

Clay Essig nominated by Patrick Hutchings, promotor of

Clay Essig

Reconcilliation

Doug Fadel nominated by Jane and Tami Marquardt and Laura Millikin Grey, organizer of Quac a aquatic sports club

Kathryn Stockton nominated by Troy Williams, professor of Womens Studies at the U of U

Stuart Merrill nominated by Mike Thompson, AIDS prevention advocate 

Kilo Zamora

Kilo Zamora nominated by Scott McLeod [Kilo Zamora is the executive director for the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ). Zamora has been with NCCJ for the last 13 years. With the direction of NCCJ to fight bias, bigotry and racism by promoting understanding and respect for all people, Zamora has experience working with groups locally and across the country.]

2007 Matheson vote not in tune Deseret News Letter to editor I learned today Rep. Jim Matheson, who claims to represent Utah values, voted for the Hate Crimes Act that was recently passed by

Jim Matheson

the House of Representatives. The Hate Crimes Act confers upon homosexuals special rights not given to others and makes them a "protected class" under the bill. Supporters of this legislation have claimed this is not the case and that the legislation only seeks to protect members of our society who are subject to hate crimes. However, this argument rings hollow when Mr. Matheson, Nancy Pelosi and their Democratic friends voted down all attempts by the Republicans in the House to add senior citizens, pregnant women, prior victims, children under 18, the unborn, court witnesses and members of our armed forces to the bill and denying them the same "protected class" given homosexuals. I do not believe Mr. Matheson's support of this act is in keeping with the values or desires of the majority of the citizens he was elected to represent and will not be voting to send him back to aid the Democratic majority in the House push their agenda. L.D. "Jake" Jacobson Draper

Auntie De
Empress VIII of the Royal Court

Dean Walton

2009 Dean Lyle Foss Walton The Moon Empress EMPRESS VIII Auntie De' of the Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire, Dean Lyle Foss Walton 63, beloved dad, grand-father, brother, uncle and friend passed away peacefully in his home, Thursday, May 7th 2009. Dean, the son of William Lyle Walton and Nethie Leavitt was born February 25th 1946, in Afton Wyoming, where he spent his childhood. He attended grade school in Auburn Wyoming, until moving to Logan Utah in 1959, where he graduated from Logan High School. Dean married and later divorced Shiree, with whom he had a daughter, he learned of later in life, and was proud to have gotten to know Alysse Cotton and gain a bond with her and his only grandson Shaun Devin Hales, both of whom he loved dearly. He served an LDS mission to Vancouver British Columbia. Spent years in the army after being drafted and stationed in Germany, where he served as chaplain and made his move to Salt Lake Valley, where he chose to stay. Dean was quite artistic in everything he did and had a passion for the floral industry, where he developed a friendship with his boss, and co workers. Dean was a perfectionist in all he did, and the bigger the better, impressing many brides with his bouquets and arrangements. Known to many as "Auntie De'", Dean was very active in the gay community, and instrumental in founding and serving many of its associations. Many of us will remember him as the father to all wayward children, welcoming us with open arms and supporting us when no other would. Dean loved all he knew and people were drawn to his presence. He had a countless number of friends, and a kind word for all of them. He leaves behind his daughter Alysse, his grandson Shaun and his brother, Michael Walton (Val). Preceding him in death were his parents, brothers Forrest and Junior and a sister Verla Izatt. A viewing will be held Monday, May 11th from 6-8 p.m. at Larkin Mortuary 260 E. South Temple, SLC Utah. A memorial service will then be held Tuesday, May 12th at 12:00 p.m., at the same location, with a short viewing prior to at 11:00 a.m. Interment will then be held Wednesday, May 13th at 10:00 a.m. at the Auburn Cemetery in Wyoming. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.larkinmortuary.com  

2017 AP NEWS Microphone cut after Mormon girl reveals she’s gay at church By BRADY McCOMBS June 23, 2017  SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A video of a young Mormon girl revealing to her congregation that she is lesbian and still loved by God — before her microphone is turned off by local church leaders — is sparking a new round of discussions about how the religion handles LGBT issues. Savannah, 13, spoke on May 7 in Eagle Mountain, Utah, about her belief that she is the child of heavenly parents who didn’t make any mistakes when she was created. Her comments came during a once-a-month portion of Mormon Sunday services where members are encouraged to share feelings and beliefs. “They did not mess up when they gave me freckles or when they made me to be gay,” she said, wearing a white shirt and red tie. “God loves me just this way.” Her mother, Heather Kester, said Friday that her daughter was passionate about coming out in church to be a voice and example for other LGBT children who struggle for acceptance within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She asked that Savannah’s full name be withheld to protect her privacy. The Mormon religion is one of many conservative faith groups upholding theological opposition to same-sex relationships amid widespread social acceptance and the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision legalizing gay marriage. At the same time, the Mormon church is trying to foster an empathetic stance toward LGBT people. The video , which Kester says was taken by a friend of Savannah who came to support her, has generated buzz after it was circulated online this month and featured in a Mormon LGBT podcast. While some consider Savannah a hero, other Mormons are upset that it was videotaped and is being circulated by church critics to try and paint the church in an unflattering light. Judd Law, the lay bishop who leads the congregation south of Salt Lake City, said in a statement distributed by church headquarters that Savannah is a “brave young girl” and that the congregation is making sure she and her family feel loved. But he called problematic the unauthorized recording and the “disruptive demonstration” by a group of non-Mormon adults who were there. Law said they exploited the events to politicize worship services and violate church decorum. “We do not politic in our chapels, and exploiting this recording for political purposes is inconsistent with the nature of our worship services,” he said. Law didn’t address or explain the decision by two of his counselors to cut the microphone. Law wasn’t at the service that day. Savannah read from written notes from the pulpit. Kester said she is not Mormon, but her husband is and Savannah has been raised in the religion. “I do not choose to be this way and this is not a fad,” Savannah said on May 7. “I cannot make someone else gay ... I believe that God wants us to treat each other with kindness, even if people are different, especially if they are different.” Her microphone was muted after about two minutes — shortly after she said she’s not a “horrible sinner” and that she someday hopes to have a partner, get married and have a family. She turned around to listen to something a man in a suit told her and then was walked down from the pulpit.

Kester said her daughter came and cried in her lap. She told her she was beautiful and that God loved her, Kester said. “I was devastated for her,” said Kester, adding. “I was angry at how that was handled.” After the Utah-based Mormon church received backlash in 2008 for helping lead the fight for California’s Proposition 8 constitutional ban on gay marriage, religious leaders spent several years carefully developing a more empathetic LGBT tone. That was interrupted in 2015 when the church adopted new rules banning children living with gay parents from being baptized until age 18. In October, church leaders updated a website created in 2012 to let members know that that attraction to people of the same sex is not a sin or a measure of their faithfulness and may never go away. But the church reminded members that having gay sex violates fundamental doctrinal beliefs that will not change. Scott Gordon, president of FairMormon, a volunteer organization that supports the church, wrote a blog defending the church against a rash of criticism over the incident. Gordon said it would have been OK for Savannah to come out as gay during testimony, but that she crossed the line when she mischaracterized church teachings by saying God would want her to have a partner and get married. “While you can believe almost anything you want to believe, you can’t preach it from the pulpit,” Gordon said. Britt Jones, a bisexual Mormon who runs a podcast called “I like to look for Rainbows” that featured Savannah’s story, said the leaders should have allowed Savannah to finish. “Queer issues don’t get talked about in the church enough,” said Jones, who is married to a woman and has children. “It was really brave and really admirable, particularly for somebody that young, that she not only wanted to talk about it herself but be a voice for others suffering in silence.”

Keith Cook

2018  Keith Brighton Cook, 60 passed away on May 7, 2018. He was born November 17, 1957 in SLC, Utah He graduated from Skyline High School in 1975 and attending the University of Utah. He lived life to the fullest by traveling, creating and enjoying art, collecting antiques and had a strong admiration for Cadillacs. He also loved chatting and visiting his friends and family.  He was an active member of many Gay organizations including Gay Men Aloud and The Gay Men Lunch Social. Cook committed suicide. Richard Harmston wrote "I, too, am grieved to hear of Keith's death. I will miss his stories and cheerfulness at men's lunch. I wish him well on his journey through the eternities."

2018  Last year they banned Encircle (Utah County's LGBT+Family+Youth Resource Center). My sources tell me now, Provo's Freedom Festival Board is debating if Encircle's logo "No Sides, Only Love" is too political! The festivals' homophobic executive director Paul Warner argues that although his event gets hundreds of thousands in government welfare, the Utah County nondiscrimination clause prohibiting anti-LGBTQ bias exempts his parade. Good Luck Encircle! Truth is, people like Warner needs YOU more than you need him. Kids of Encircle--you are loved! Warner--not so much. Jim Dabakis