This Day In Gay Utah History July 5th

5 July 5-

1961 Patrick Perez, 20, who escaped from the county jail at 2 a.m. Friday was caught by police and a sheriff deputy at 8 p.m. Friday hiding in a closet at his father’s home 3209 Adams. Perez was one of three who slid down a makeshift rope to the 5^th floor of the municipal building broke out a window and walked down to the 2^nd floor. Perez and Frank J Lobato, 30, of Greeley Colorado jumped from the second floor window. Perez made his escape although he also had an injured foot from the 15 foot jump. At 7:30 pm acting on a tip deputies went to the home of Perez’ father. Dupties knocked and said they wanted to search for the young Perez and the father admitted the officers. Perez bolted out the back door practically into the arms of a deputy. He ducked back into the house and a few minutes later he was found in  a closet covered with clothes jerked off the hangers. Perez charged with sodomy and indecent assault. Ogden Standard Examiner

1978:  A gang of anti-gay youth, went storming through The Rambles area of Central Park

Dick Button

in New York City with baseball bats, bashing any men they thought were gay that came across their path. By the end of the night five men were hospitalized with serious injuries including Dick Button, former Olympic ice-skating star and sportscaster. For many years a section of the west side 30-acre section of Central Park known as The Rambles was notorious for being a meeting and sex playground for gay men after dark.

• From The New Yorker: The nighttime sex scene in the Ramble is conducted in silence, lest the voice dissipate the mutual fantasy evoked by the look, the pose, the costume, the attitude. Body language is the only language needed for success here. Some night people prefer a particular quiet corner, for one-on-one encounters. Others gravitate toward the Tunnel, that part of the Bridle Path which runs under the 77th Street overpass. The Tunnel is the most active group-sex scene in that area of the park. Some nights it will be crowded wall to wall with men until four in the morning. Some nights, too, the cops
  
  decide to come full speed down the Bridle Path in their squad cars, headlights and spotlights blazing, barely giving the preoccupants in those close encounters time to pick up their pants and run—before being run over. “For their own protection,” say the cops. In the wake of the most recent gay beatings, there was much bitterness voiced against the police by gays—and straights—who frequent the Ramble. “They said only five gays were attacked, and that’s bullshit,” said Don, a young, straight doctor with a large gay practice in the neighborhood. “I’ve already heard about three other guys—one of them came to me—who were beaten by that same bunch. But at least they could walk.” Why don’t they go to the cops? “For what?” snorts Dr. Don. “If it happened on Central Park West, okay. The guys at the 20th Precinct are pretty good. But the cops in the park have seldom given gays anything but harassment. Go to them and you, the victim, are made to feel like a criminal.” Dick Button to this day has never come out .

David Chipman

1979- " I met David Chipman who like myself was from New York State. He had been a member of the Orchard Park Branch near my home town of Buffalo, New York. David told me that he was a student at B.Y.U. but was expelled. He related that he went for a ride into the Provo Canyon with another male student who he thought was a person interested in forming a relationship with him. They arrived at a place of privacy and got comfortable. David said in conversation with this man he touched the man's leg and security from B.Y.U. were swarming around his car. He was actually followed by security, entrapped by this fellow student, and was under some kind of arrest. He said he nearly drove off the road with his car several times as the security officers from B.Y.U. followed behind him back to campus to interrogate him. He told me that he thought someone had been opening his mail where he lived off campus. He became very emotionally distressed all evening during our talk. He slept over and we cuddled. He did become aroused but l thought not to complicate either of our situations. I felt sad that the B.Y.U. security were still behaving in a way that violated privacy especially off campus. It reminded me of my situation at B.Y.U. with security taking license plate numbers of the cars outside of Gay bars, inquisiting (sic) people’s names from those found to be gay. " Later I was to learn from Jason ( former B.Y.U. student ) and his lover that David had gone to Brother Vaughn Featherstone for counsel. He was told to change his name to David Kennedy and was reported to be married. That was the desperate advice given in those days by men trusted with our eternal life. It was also during this time I met up with one of my missionary companions in a gay bar. I knew he was a homosexual when I met him in the mission home. He seemed very flamboyant to me. So I had thought if he could go I could go. David Chipman was thinking of rooming with me but after our talk, overnight cuddling and some telephone conversations he did not keep in touch. There seemed to be a myriad of people coming out of the woodwork who were gay and had similar experiences to mine during that period which were surfacing in my life.  [Diary and Memoirs of Donald Attridge]

1982   -The Republican State chairman said Sunday that two groups objecting to the party’s stand on homosexuality  have “overstated “ the issues. The Equal Rights Amendment Coalition of Utah says the Republican platform is “hideous” and the Committee for the Preservation of Individual Rights says the platform is “reminiscent of Hitler’s Germany.” The platform is a far cry, from Hitler’s Germany said Charles Akerlow, state party chairman. One section of the Republican platform denies homosexuals the right to such activities as adopting children, being an agent in the CIA, and handling state secrets. “Our delegates are concerned about recent movement to legitimize homosexuality. I agree the planks is broadly drafted but its intent is to register’s the party’s view.  The platform does not deny rights to homosexuals on all counts. Only those areas which have historically been denied to homosexuals,” said Mr. Akerlow.  There is no intention, and never has been any Republican candidate who tried to seek legislation to deny homosexuals the right to vote or any other civil liberties.  The party only wants to assert its concern he said.  Iris Lein president of the ERA coalition called the platform “hideous”. How will they determine who is homosexual and who is not? If a citizen is labeled a homosexual what means will be use to deny all rights?  Banishment? Imprisonment? Will there be trials? Will people be stoned to death?” A report from the coalition states this platform position together with one opposing the ERA proves what supporters of the ERA believed. Upon defeat of the ERA its opponents have singled out another group to deny rights to instead of presenting an effective alternative to the ERA. After the women and homosexuals who will be next? Mrs. Lein asked, “All Utahns and all Americans should be aware of the dangerous language in the platform resolution reminiscent of Hitler’s Germany. To single out any one group for denial of basic rights strike at the core of our American Constitutional system, and is a threat to every ones freedom”, said David Braley spokesman for the Committee for Preservation of Individual Rights a group of citizens who is opposing the Republican platform. Mr. Akerlow replied, “This plank has been in the Republican platform for a number of years. I don’t know why they have such strong reaction now” (SLTribune 5 July 1982 B12)

• In 1990 Prominent businessman and former Utah Republican Party Chairman Charles W. "Chuck" Akerlow was sentenced to a year in prison for his role in a scheme that cost taxpayers $600,000. Akerlow, once a multimillionaire and a boy-wonder land developer, served as GOP party head from 1981 to 1985. He was an elector in the 1988 election, casting one of five Utah votes in the Electoral College for President Bush. He was involved in the business failures of the Governor's Plaza Condominiums and the Salt Palace Holiday Inn Hotel.

Dean Walton

1984- Empress Auntie De VII [Dean Walton] presented the IX Reign and Court the Bylaws and Certificate of Incorporation for The Gay Community Service Center and Clinic with the state of Utah and asked them to participate. Board of Directors was to be picked throughout the Salt Lake Communities. $10,000 Grant was applied for.

1985  Antonio A. Feliz approached LaMar Hamilton, then a leader of L.A. Affirmation, about the  possibility of joining with other excommunicated priesthood holders for the purpose of functioning once again in their priesthood  since it was still their obligation to so do.When they met the following week, the idea of establishing a new restoration church was discussed and was dismissed by Elder Feliz as inappropriate. However, Elder Hamilton agreed to present the concept of having the ordinances of the Sacrament in someone's home to other excommunicated priesthood holders to determine their points of view

Russ Lane

1987-“It was pot luck at Wasatch Affirmation tonight but there wasn’t very many people attending probably from a combination of being a holiday weekend and people being turned off from last week. Probably not more than 25 people came.  Ken Francis was just fuming about Russ Lane. He is so pissed at him I don’t think  he will come back. It was hot in the cultural hall so I suggested that we all eat outside and have a picnic on the grass. And soon all but about 5 people were outside eating, drinking, laughing, and fellowshipping in the truest sense.  Russ Lane stayed inside but we outside had a good time. Anyway at one point in the kitchen with Michelle Schulz, Billy Bikowski, and Russ Lane, Michelle kept teasing Billy saying how I liked to show off her tits and I said Like this? And I pulled down her top flashing her tits at Billy.  Billy goes Oh my gosh I’ve never seen them that up front before.! He was embarrassed but I could tell he thought it was kind of funny. So he goes to Russ and acts like he’s telling on me by saying, Ben’s going around showing off Michelle’s tits! I act the innocent and say C’est Moi? And so while Russ turns to give me a stern look, I say I would never do anything like this and I flashed Michelle’s tits at Russ. Oh Russ is pissed! He growls under his breath  ‘Michelle! You’re not a very good Lesbian!’ [Journal of Ben Williams]

1987:  James Donovan, a New York state senator, suggested that giving teens rosary beads would prevent the spread of AIDS more effectively than the distribution of condoms.

1988 At Unconditional Support, John Reeves taught a lesson “On the Origins of

John Reeves

Homosexuality” which was similar to the workshop he gave at The Mountain and Desert States Conference last Spring

1998 Sunday- Utah Couples Group held a Summer Family Picnic at Jordannelle State Park at the Beach Pavilion

Dee Bradshaw

1998- SLCMCC worship coordinator is Dee Bradshaw (165) 

1998- Tolerance on tap at the Sun  There are older bars, newer bars, fancier bars. But perhaps none is as famous or infamous in Salt Lake City as The Sun, the city's second-oldest gay bar. For years, The Sun was the city's best-known secret -- the most popular dance spot for gays and straights alike. It still draws a big dance crowd on Saturday nights and is a favorite haunt for the college crowd on Tuesdays. And unlike many bars, it serves more than beer. Tolerance is in large supply. Everyone is welcome at The Sun. ``Because of The Sun, there is more understanding between heterosexual and  homosexual people,'' said radio talk-show host Joe Redburn, who opened the bar Feb. 17, 1973. Redburn also believes it changed Salt Lake's nightlife. ``Up until then, it was pretty dull. . . .People were dying for a place to go.''  Sometimes, perhaps, it was not dull enough. In its heyday, The Sun was loose and wild. Hate crimes were not uncommon. They still happen today, but not as often. Nikki Boyer, a bartender at The Sun for many years and now one of a group of owners, said of the bar's earlier years: ``It was unusual to have a bar like that in any place. It embodied the whole movement of the '60s and '70s, the freedom everyone was experiencing. ``It was the gathering place for the gay community and the hip straight crowd of Salt Lake.''  The old Sun, as it is called today, was on the corner of 400 West and South Temple, where the Delta Center stands. Before that, it was a bar called the Railroad Exchange, a hippie hang out. When it closed, Redburn took it over. Then, he did something new. He hired a male dancer, and the gay crowd turned out. ``That's when it became a gay bar. ``The old Sun brought people out of the closet,'' said Redburn, a gay-rights activist. But women also like the place. ``They knew they could go to a gay bar and not get hit on,and that made them more relaxed,'' Redburn said. The Sun also served as a ``de facto community center'' for Salt Lake's growing gay population, according to Sharon Strickler, general manager and an owner

of The Sun, on a corner of 700 West and 200 South.``It became a home, a place to feel comfortable,'' said Marshall Brunner, who has worked at The Sun for 20 years. ``We've had weddings and wakes and everything in between here. The only thing we haven't had is a christening.''  The Sun also is where the comic doo-wop Saliva Sisters trio first gained a following, performing there on a regular basis from the mid-'70s to 1982. ``I've seen most everyone in this town in there,'' said Boyer. ``Although not everyone will admit it. But the politicians can breathe easy, I'm not going to write my memoirs.'' The Sun, named after San Francisco's Midnight Sun bar, has a national reputation. It was mentioned in Out in America, a gay and  lebian almanac, and another book called it an ``outlaw bar.'' ``The old Sun seemed like that,'' Redburn said. ``Everything going on was so different from the Mormon culture.'' The Sun, now a private club, moved to its resent location in 1983.Over the years, celebrities have dropped in. Some say actor Rock Hudson was there. Everyone knows comedian Paul Lynde was here. He was busted outside for interfering with a police officer in January 1978; a charge of public intoxication was dismissed. Redburn said rock goddess Stevie Nicks appeared on several occasions and actor Jan-Michael Vincent played DJ several nights. ``The Sun is an institution,'' Strickler said. ``It's taken on a life of its own.''  Remember the ``Time Warp'' song from the movie ``The Rocky Horror Picture Show''?   It's just a jump to the left and a step to the right    Put your hands on your hips    And pull your knees in tight    It's the pelvic thrust that really drives them insane   Let's do the time warp again. In the olden days, the song closed The Sun each night.

1999 The SL Tribune has a lead story about the Mormon Church’s financial support of California’s anti-Gay "Knight Initiative".

2006 Subject: [gay_forum_utah] Join Utah Queer Events  This group is for those who want to post social, recreational, political, and spiritual events or parties pertaining to the Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, and Trans gendered community of Utah. Also, will lists any Events from other States that might be of interests to our Queer Community. There will be no personal or sexual websites ads listed on this site. Optional clothing organizations or individuals are welcome to post there events or parties but they must be specific with age (18+) stating for adults only. Also, they must state what type of group event or party it well be with all necessary information like contact person and phone number. ***Only Events, Parties, and Meetings will be listed on site.***There well be no graphic language used to describe such parties or events at ALL. ***Articles or related stories for the most part will not be accepted however there will now be some exceptions when it concerns a major event regarding our community *** No sexual or personal dating Ads will not be approved ***Please send messages in "TEXT Form" only, messages that are sent as "Attachements" only do not show up the next day ***Adding more Links to other Utah Groups or Organizations so you can find out what is happening with them. ***When signing up for this yahoogroup I recommend signing up for the DAILY DIGEST instead of individual mails since there is so much happening. Mark Swonson

2006 Ben Williams" Subject: History Column To: "Michael Aaron" Salt Lake City 1957 As hard as it was for Gay people to meet one another in Salt Lake City, it became increasingly harder in 1957. After years of a more lenient approach towards the sentencing of arrested homosexuals by Utah judges, Salt Lake City Judge Marcellus K. Snow (1914-1978) stated in an article for the Salt Lake Tribune that he planned “more use of the jail sentence to curb such offenses,”  in an effort to stem an “alarming increase” in cases involving homosexuals. Some three years earlier, in 1954 and for the first time, a jail sentence for “disorderly conduct” was suspended in lieu of payment of a fine in Salt Lake City. “Disorderly conduct” was a legalese word for a whole series of behaviors including public sexual deeds for which, before this, meant usually some serious jail time. The Utah legal code was written in a way that one could be arrested for “knowingly” creating a “physically offensive condition” or committing “any act which serves no legitimate purpose”… intending to cause public inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm”. Often but not always “disorderly conduct” was a synonym for homosexual behavior and was used instead of the charge of lewdness due to the unrealistic penalty for lewdness in the state in the 1950’s. Hysteria over the morals of the citizens of Utah was exasperated in the mid-1950’s by several public disclosures of sex crimes which created the impression in the minds of the general public that all “sex offenders” were predators. There was of course the national scandal involving a sex ring between men and male prostitutes in Boise Idaho. The homosexual nature of the Idaho crimes created an outrage in the Intermountain West; linking the idea that all homosexuals and "other mentally challenged people" were potential sex offenders. The confession of a mentally ill Utah County man to the murder of a young girl, prompted Governor George D. Clyde in 1955 to order a study of Utah’s ability to protect its citizen’s against sex offenders. Gov. Clyde said that the first duty of the state was to guard the public and the second duty is “to provide the laws and facilities needed for sex criminal, especially those who pose a foreseeable menace,” such as homosexuals. Utah’s governor named a committee to study the problem of sex offenders which however, after a series of hearings, came out against establishing a separate institution to incarcerate sex deviants. The committee determined that improved diagnostic and treatment facilities at existing institutions would serve better to control the problem of sex offenders and was cheaper. Out of these hearings came one of reasons why state and city judges were “loathe” to charge minor homosexual offenses for the crime of lewdness “under the present law”. The superintendent of State Mental Hospital in Provo Utah told committee members that under Utah state law all persons convicted of sex offenses had to be committed to the Provo institution and kept there until, in the opinion of the superintendent, they were unlikely to repeat their offenses. The superintendent claimed that the Utah law did not discriminate between minor offenders such as “peeping Toms” and those who committed serious crimes like rape and murder and thus the law was not “realistic.”  He even explained how that under Utah law a person who told “a dirty story” could under strict application of the law be committed to the mental hospital. One of the criminal offenses named by the law for which one could be and was committed to the mental hospital was lewdness.  Lewdness is defined in Utah’s legal code as “any of the following acts in a public place”, including sexual intercourse, sodomy, public exposure, masturbation and the catch all phrase “any other act of lewdness,” which leaves up to the discretion of the arresting officer what he considers lewd. In 1954 a more “enlightened” Judge J. Patton Neely had suspended a Bountiful man’s jail sentence after his arrest for “disorderly conduct” on payment of a fine and his good behavior. The motive for Judge Neely’s more “liberal” approach is unknown. Perhaps the jails were full or perhaps Neely was part of the post World War II progressive movement that viewed homosexuality as a mental disorder rather the a criminal act. He was the first of many other judges who were ordering homosexuals to seek counseling as part of their sentencing rather then having them serve automatic jail time until Judge Snow put the brakes on in 1957.  Judge Marcellus Snow told the Salt Lake Tribune that because certain places in Salt Lake City were widely known as “Mecca’s for sexually maladjusted person,” he was determined to hand out more jail time. The fact that Salt Lake City, the “Crossroad of the West” was well known for its large Gay population was bore out by a news account of a recent arrest in the city. A vice squad officer had arrested in an Aberdeen, Idaho man for “disorderly conduct” who said he had been told in Spokane, Washington of a downtown Salt Lake City theater (State Theater) and tavern (Radio City Lounge) which was used as a “rendezvous for homosexuals”. Months prior to Judge Snow’s pronouncement, according to the Salt Lake City vice squad, police had nabbed a half dozen men ages ranging from 21 to 57 years who “attempted indecent liberties with an undercover agent as he sat in the theater.” Judge Snow told news reporters his crack down was intended “to curb continuing (homosexual) practices already in the city and keep others from coming here.”  He feared that “sexually maladjusted persons” were “proselytizing our youth”, using the old trumped up story that homosexuals were all pedophiles, as an excuse for his draconian directive, even when the police's own files showed that men were being  arrested for trying to have sex with other men. Judge Snow said he would now issue six months jail sentences for all such “sexually maladjusted persons”, unless circumstances indicated otherwise, with a suspension of the sentence on condition the defendant leave the city for six months. “If he returns within that time,” the judge said, “He will be subject to arrest in the city on sight.”  Judge Snow also said he would retain jurisdiction in all homosexual cases to permit closer supervision and in event the defendant requested “psychiatric treatment”. It is interesting to note that Judge Snow used the term “unless circumstances indicated otherwise” which was his way of being  able to discreetly deal with citizens from "good families" who would never be given jail time for their sexual indiscretions. Not in the City of the Saints.

• Michael Aaron - Thanks, Ben.This is one of my favorites so far.
• Thanks i was asleep this morning when trying to come up with a topic.

Jerry Buie

2010 Queer Spirit July Heart Circle We will explore and share the intentions and passions of our hearts for ourselves and our community. In this sharing and creative process we will share, listen and refine the intentions we carry for ourselves. At the conclusion of this sharing we will participate in a Sacred Pipe Ceremony. Pipe Ceremony is considered to be a powerful way to send our intentions into the Universe and is approached with great respect and reverence. Monday July 5, 2010 at 7:00 pm RSVP IS HELPFUL

2011:  Assembly Speaker John Perez, D-Los Angeles, the first openly gay Speaker of the California State Assembly, urged lawmakers to approve a measure requiring public schools to teach the historical contributions of gay Americans, in Sacramento, CA.  California becomes the first state in the nation to require public schools to add lessons about gay history to social studies classes, after Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs the landmark bill into law the next week.

2014 Lawyers take over fund-raising efforts in Utah same-sex marriage case BY MARISSA LANG THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE The lawyers for three gay couples aiming to permanently topple Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage are taking over efforts to raise money to support their lawsuit, which is widely expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in coming weeks. The law firm of Magleby & Greenwood, P.C., has joined with Equality Utah to continue soliciting financial support of Utah’s landmark Kitchen v. Herbert lawsuit. The new partnership takes the place of efforts previously spearheaded by Restore Our Humanity, an organization led by Mark Lawrence, who has been widely credited with recruiting the plaintiff couples and jump-starting the lawsuit. Restore Our Humanity, which attempted to attract donors by asking for small amounts of money from everyday people throughout the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals’ jurisdiction — in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming — will continue to aid the case by raising awareness and “developing its mission as a broader human rights organization,” according to a statement released by the Magleby & Greenwood law firm.  The case, which overturned Utah’s voter-approved Amendment 3 ban on same-sex unions, has torn through the courts at a faster rate than expected, leaving the lawyers and plaintiffs with less time to raise the necessary funds. Thanks to gay-rights group Equality Utah and others, a website portal a website portal has been created through which donations will be collected for the case: www.equalityutah.org/kitchenvherbert. On June 25, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision of U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby that Utah’s ban on gay and lesbian unions violates the federal constitution. Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes has said the state intends to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court, which last year struck down significant portions of the national Defense of Marriage Act, may elect to take on Utah’s case, a case from another district or decline to hear any such challenge. The latter would mean rulings by federal appeals courts — like that in the 10th Circuit last week — would stand as the law of the land. As of press time, more than 76 cases challenging bans and restrictions on same-sex marriage have been filed in 32 states. Five challenges have reached the federal appellate level.

This Day In Gay Utah History July 4th

4 July 4-

1663-A New Hampshire colony court ruled that the wife of Mathew Giles falsely accused him of buggery with a male servant, and she was sentenced to be whipped 20 times.

Walt Whitman

1855-Gay poet Walt Whitman published the first edition of "Leaves of Grass." The homoerotic "Calamus" would not be included until the publication of the third edition in 1860.

1965-On July 4, 1965, forty people carried signs in

front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia PA supporting gay emancipation. Each year in NY, DC and Philadelphia their numbers grew. By July 4, 1969, one month after Stonewall one hundred and fifty (150) people demonstrated at Independence Hall. The event marked the first annual "Reminder," a demonstration to remind people that in America homosexuals did not have their basic rights, which was held at Independence Hall. It would occur every year through 1969.  In 1970 the event was replaced with Parades to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall Riot

1969 Friday About 40 New York Gays boarded a Homophile Youth Movement (HYMN) chartered bus to go to Philadelphia for the Annual Reminder, a homosexual picketing demonstration in front of Independence Hall.  Sponsored by the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organizations (ERCHO), the demonstration was celebrating its fifth birthday. The New Yorkers brought with them the memories of the first strike for Liberation in America and brought to the demonstration a new militant self respect. Frank Kameny founder of the Mattachine Society of Washington DC and organizer of the Annual Reminder saw two New York Lesbians holding hands and slapped their hands shouting “You can’t do that! You can’t do that!” The New York people freaked out caucused and wrote on their picket signs Equality For Homosexuals-Smash Sexual Facism!! After several hours of picketting, many were walking hand in hand as couples and the Annual Reminder disbanded, for the last time.  The new young militants stared at the older homophile organizers across a wide “generation gap”. (200)

1973-Seattle: The Lesbian Separatist Group (later the Gorgons) issues The Amazon Analysis, a manifesto and handbook of lesbian separatism. The paper's nearly 100 mimeographed pages are passed among lesbians across the Country.

1977-Denis Lemon, editor of The Gay News, was tried under the UK's blasphemy libel law and convicted for publishing a poem by James Kirkup. The Poem, entitled "The Love That Dares to Speak Its Name," was about Jesus and a Roman centurion having sex.

1986-Friday- The Triangle Magazine sponsored a social to watch the 4^th of July Fireworks at the Rice Stadium. An area just west of the medical center was the gathering area.  “ I went with Lon Wright and Jon Butler to the U of U Medical Center to watch the fireworks with the Triangle Group. I bought a quilt to lay on and I am so glad I did because it turned so cold! About 60 degree and windy. There was a good turn out about 20 Gays. Lon Wright, Jon Butler, and I along with Alma Smith and his friend Stephen Baustraud huddle beneath my quilt trying to stay warm.  I was only dressed in shorts because who would have thought the 4^th of July would be so cold.  Walter Larabee was being a cut up wearing an outrageous Commodore naval hat. 

1986- Women On Wheels sponsored three days of camping in the Uintahs surrounded by sun, trees, mountain air, laughter and of course women. About 25 Lesbians participated.

1986-During a New York celebration for the Statue of Liberty, comedian Bob Hope said that the statue had AIDS, but no one knew if she got it from the mouth of the Hudson or the Staten Island ferry. The audience responded with stunned silence, and Hope later apologized.

1988 Monday About 7 p.m. people started dropping by to go up to the U of U to watch the fire works at Rice Stadium. Mike Pipkim, Steve Oldroyd, Mark LaMarr, John Reeves, Alan Peterson, Dave Omer, Chuck Whyte and I walked up behind the stadium. We all were in kind of a bitchy mood but it still was a lot of fun. The Fireworks were fun. Big crowd as usual and the boy watching was exciting.  After coming back to my apartment Shaun Hughes from The Youth Group and his boyfriend Bob came by to visit at 2 a.m. and we stayed up talking about what they and the group is up to until 5:00 in the morning.

1988  To bolster gay pride, Bob Dubray owner of the

InBetween Bar pledged to sit up on the platform atop one of the pillars on the Inbetween patio for 72 hours. (July 1 to July 4). His descent on the 4th was marked with a BBQ and fireworks. Event called Pillar of Pride, a Red White and Blue BBQ

1990-200 demonstrators in Stockholm protested the Iranian government's execution of gays.

1990 Wednesday- Mike Pipkim, Rocky O’Donavan and I went out to West Jordan Park to see the Indian Pow Wow.  The costumes were crafted beautifully and there was a power and magic in their circle procession.  We ate some fry bread and sat on the grass and watched the dances. I want to do some in the Faerie circle. [Journal of Ben Williams]

1991.SL. VICE OFFICER IS BITTEN WHILE MAKING ARREST  Thursday, July 4, 1991 A Salt Lake police officer was bitten Tuesday by a man who was being arrested for lewdness. Vice officer Bryan Jewkes was working undercover on the east side of Memory Grove, an area where homosexuals often congregate, when the incident occurred. About 12:45 p.m. Tuesday the officer said he caught a 24-year-old man committing a lewd act, showed him his badge and explained that he was under arrest. Jewkes said he asked the man for identification, but the man said he had none and refused to tell the officer his name. The man stood up to leave, but the officer grabbed him and again advised him that he was under arrest. He said the man tried to break free again, so he wrestled him to the ground and sat on top of him. The man continued to resist and at one point bit the officer's left wrist, breaking the skin and drawing blood, Jewkes' police report states. The officer eventually restrained him and took him to jail. The man told the officer he had been tested for AIDS about five months ago and was "clean" at the time. Jewkes was taken to a clinic and received medical treatment and preventative shots. The Salt Lake man was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of assault on a police officer, resisting arrest and lewdness.

1996 Page: A18 It was with supreme irony that I read the editorial, ``Vote in Today's Primary'' (Tribune,June 25). We were informed that, ``Today marks the first time that Utah voters can have their say about (gay and lesbian clubs in high schools) at the ballot box; they should respond.'' At least for those voters in Salt Lake City, the editorial might have been better if it had read: ``Good luck trying to send a message.'' For all the public outcry and supposedly fervent concern on the part of civil libertarians who blasted the Salt Lake City School Board's decision to ban gay and lesbian clubs in high schools, they apparently don't have it together when it comes to figuring out how to put their political muscle into effect.   Some poor thinking went into forcing Ila Rose Fife, a current Salt Lake School Board member who voted to keep gay and lesbian clubs, to waste her time, money and energy competing against four challengers. Where are those supposedly concerned civil libertarians to compete against those Salt Lake School Board members who actually did vote to ban gay and lesbian clubs? If the primary school board election in Salt Lake City is any reflection on the low level of intelligence of and the lack of real commitment on the part of civil libertarians(of which I count myself as one), then perhaps we deserve what we get, which is to lose our effort to reverse the school club ban. Never during all the time this big controversy raged did I receive one damn telephone call to encourage me to run for the board after I resigned (which happened before the petition for a gay club at East High School was presented to the board). It really bewilders me how out of touch from political reality these people are. I feel sorry for Ila Rose, whose consistent and firm voting pattern to uphold the rights and privileges of all children was questioned by having all those challengers campaign against her. Civil libertarians are sending the wrong message to those elected officials who have supported you.   TAB L. UNO   Salt Lake City

1998 Saturday- The Utah Gay Couples Group held a 4th of July BBQ

1998 SLC Metropolitan Community Church met to watch fireworks display

2002 Billy Lewis Volunteer Recognition Party: Hey everyone, Just wanted to give you all an update.  The Volunteer recognition party was a success.  There were approximately 100 people that showed up in/out during the party.  There was a steady group of about 40 there the whole time.  The peak amount was 68.  It was a lot of fun.  There was Frisbee, football, badminton, and the crazy water fight with big ol' water balloons.  The food was consumed with very little left over.  We had a beautiful rainbow pride sheet cake that some Mormon housewife made at Albertsons.  Though a great party and everyone had a good time,  I do want to thank the board members and committee members that made it to the party. Craig Miller Chad Keller Stacy Robinson, Trevor Johnson Ryan Schippers, Adam Frost The volunteers seemed to enjoy having you all there saying thank you! Thanks again, Billy

2002 David Nelson Subject: ADVOCATE: Ashamed of pride: "What does pride mean? Is our pride best represented by the big gay parties that explode every summer in big cities across the country? We have to face it: More and more gays and lesbians are opting out. They don't need a flag, a parade, a banner to be proud. They just need to live openly...." --Charles Karel Bouley, Advocate, June 19. Though I'm a big believer in our annual pride events and haven't missed one since 1983, I wonder "is that all that there is?” After all, though I attended this year's events for about an hour, I left with less than a cursory nod to the crowd. There must be a way to include a more critical and inclusive look at where we are and what we want without losing much of our celebration. What do you think? David Nelson Salt Lake City.

• Chad Keller Ashamed of Pride David Nelson wrote:” Your implication is that Utah Pride Inc. wouldn't organize a political event as much as it does with a pride dinner, pride awards, pride water, pride parade, pride art, pride comedy, pride run-walk, pride food, pride hats, pride entertainers, pride news, pride guides, pride shirts, pride dance and pride parties. I doubt the group is so burdened. It seems your suggestion is to pass the buck rather than respond to a specific programming request." Believe it or not we were stretched to the limits as a committee.  In  all of this bantering I am yet to hear one person say, "I would like to serve a committee chair and do big fantastic political rally, where do I go or who do I need to talk to?" Again, I challenge the political organizations of our community to come together, create a proposal for the Pride Board, and once approved work together the political voice back in.  I think it would sail by the  board with no problem.  And it will be interesting to see how this develops. Chad Keller
• Ben Williams to David Nelson:ADVOCATE: Ashamed of pride: David, I too think Pride Day seems lacking any substance these days but I think I may know why. When Jeff [Freedman] became Co-Chair of Gay Pride Day, it was his agenda to de-emphasize the political nature of the event and change it into a giant party. He eliminated the role of Key Note Speakers and other aspects of pride day which commemorated the Stonewall Rebellion of 1969 and celebrated the struggles of Gay Civil Rights movement.  Jeff told me that he wasn't interested at all in politics and wanted it out of the event. When the committee stopped having any connection with the Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah, the change to a "party" was complete. I think it is a real disservice to Gay Youth who think that all we are doing is celebrating being "Gay" instead celebrating the strides that the Gay Civil Rights Movement has made in the past 33 years. The Pride Day committee seems  to be only interested in bigger and better parties and have the lost the vision of why we come together each June in the first place. (I'll probably get crap for this)-Ben Williams.
• Billy Lewis to Ben Williams; Ashamed of Pride: Ben, First of all Ben, this is not giving you "crap", but just a response to your e-mail.  I too agree with you that Pride is no longer a political movement.  It has become a celebration and here are the reasons why we as a Pride Committee have kept it that way to many extents. 
• 1.  Pride Day is our "holiday" it is the one time during the year that we actually come together as a group and celebrate ourselves and our role in the community.  It's the one day that we come together and most of our own personal bias and prejudices within our own community are dropped.  (I am being careful not to you the words 'can'  because we can and would if more was organized more throughout the year). 
• 2.  One of the things about politics and keynote speakers is that not only do some find them boring, while others find them very stimulating and inspiring, but they can also be very divisive.  Not everyone agrees with every speaker’s points and beliefs and may not feel that they represent their feelings and beliefs and my end up feeling unwelcome. 
• 3.  Because Pride Day is a celebration it should leave the politics to the groups that can affect those that are more in tune and educated on politics in Utah. 
• 4.  And personally through my reading and history research of Gay America I feel that most the people that fought back at Stonewall and most of the early activist would be tickled pink to know that their GLBT brothers and sisters can parade down the street, have celebrations during the day, have street banners announcing the celebration, and have the police protecting them the entire time.  So, it's not just a celebration for us it's also a celebration of what they started. By the way, I would love to see a political rally/event during Pride Week as one of the events that we ad.   Just who to organize it?????? With Pride, Billy Lewis Executive Co-Chair, Utah Pride Inc.
• David Nelson to Billy Lewis; Ashamed of Pride:  Billy Lewis wrote:  Pride Day ... is the one time during the year that we actually come together as a group and celebrate ourselves and our role in the community. [T]he things about politics and keynote  speakers is that ... some find them boring [and] they can also be very divisive. But, Billy, this seems contradictory: We come together and celebrate, but not by any political perspective. Which is it, do we come together or excise politics from a political holiday? I would love to see a political rally/event during Pride Week. Just who to organize it? Your implication is that Utah Pride Inc. wouldn't organize a political event as much as it does with a pride dinner, pride awards, pride water, pride parade, pride art, pride comedy, pride run-walk, pride food, pride hats, pride entertainers, pride news, pride guides, pride shirts, pride dance and pride parties. I doubt the group is so burdened. It seems your suggestion is to pass the buck rather than respond to a specific programming request. With respect to yours and Michael Aaron's comparison of our pride event with other holiday parties, I agree. Our pride event has become a fantastic celebration. You and everyone involved deserve thanks. But I disagree that something political couldn't fit in the event profile. Why not borrow from the state Holocaust Memorial leaders who produce a series of event-related political discussions, speeches and documentaries APART from their memorial event? This would suggest that our pride leaders plan similar political events at times and places that are better suited for such events; a documentary screening with a panel debate-discussion about the effect of 33 post-Stonewall years, maybe. Invite a celebrity politician. It might not be the buffo event that most pride-event goers are used to, but it would inform those who wonder what the day celebrates. Then again, so would at least a brief explanation of the 1969 Stonewall riots in the pride guide. David Nelson Salt Lake City.
• Billy Lewis Ashamed of Pride: Wow, I thought that my letter would give some discussion, but I didn't think that I would tick off anyone. First of all, my comment about organizing an event and who to do it was an open invite to anyone that would like to work with the Pride Committee and have an endorsed event for Utah Pride events by Utah Pride Inc.  I was not passing the buck.  I only gave a smartass invitation to anyone willing to accept it. Second of all, this will go on official record.  I was not in agreement with the wording for the banners.  I wanted Gay on them, I wanted the word Gay plastered throughout downtown SLC.  But it wasn't ultimately my decision.  But can anyone argue that really anyone knew what they were?  Yeah, maybe some people that don't have TV's and don't get the newspapers, or live in isolation.  Pride Day has never received as much publicity as it did from those banners.  The story was ran on channels 2, 4, 13, and 30.  It was also on the major radio stations and the Deseret News.  And the words Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered were uttered in the media many many times during the week before Pride Day 2002.  We have never been more visible.  Also, from my own research and that is all I have is books and people to ask that lived it (which there are many left) I do feel that they would be very happy with the way that the gay community has evolved.  Being only 29, I wasn't born until 4 years after the Stonewall riots.  The community back then were sick of being treated like criminals in every aspect of their life.  They were scared of people finding out who they were.  Yes, there were some that were out, but no where close to the amount that are out today.  Do I feel that we are done, hell no.  I feel that there are many, many, many more leaps and bounds, not just steps, that we have to make.  We are still second class citizens. And we need the political statements and representation out there, but isn't that what this talk group, Unity Utah, The Gay and Lesbian Caucus, HRC, Log Cabin Republicans, and the Stonewall Democrats are for.  Isn't that what they were organized and meant to do.  Utah Pride should be the celebration that we have each year.  To say to the community that we are here, were happy, and "fuck you" we aren't going anywhere.  We made it through one more year of their bigotries, biases, and their "laws".  We make accomplishments each year in many different aspects and we should be celebrating those.  Pride is a political statement itself, but not is a speech, but in presence and very fun and relaxing presence. Now for the beer garden.  If it wasn't for the beer garden their probably wouldn't be a Pride Day for us to be discussing right now since it brings in 1/2 to 2/3 of the income to keep Pride Day going. Last of all, to be nasty.  The ones that are bitching about Pride and what it has become why the hell haven't you done something about.  Why haven't you contacted the Pride committee and shared your ideas.  Asked to come to a meeting?   Join the committee?   I always notice that those that criticize the most are the last to do anything about it.  And don't give me the excuses that I hear all the time.  "I don't have time. I don't like the way it's operated.  I don't know how to get a hold of them.  Or my personal favorite,  "I tried in the past and wasn't contacted back or they didn't listen to me."  Because if it is that important to you, you make the time, you find a way, you try to change things, or you are persistent.  Well, as all of you know this is a new committee and we are willing to listen and try new things.  This last year proves it.  We did run out of time and energy, but we want to ! add new things and try new ideas.  We just need people to bring them forth. And thank you for all your support this last year and the thanks from those that gave them.  We try, it may not be what everyone wants, but we try to make it so. With Pride, Billy Lewis Executive Co-chair Utah Pride Inc. 
• Chad Keller Ashamed of Pride: Let’s remember that Community Council ceased to exist. It was at one time a good community resources that over the years legislated itself out of usefulness.  If anything it is the poster child for the many quagmire's full of personal agendas. Pride is a brand.  And it’s the branding of Pride has been because of years of hard work, rallies, and vigilance.  It is viewed coast to coast the same as Cinco de Mayo, and St Patrick's Day. Thanks to all the people in the past for your commitment and service to making our Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered community what it is today.  We didn’t need an act of congress to make it official, and put it on the calendar.  As a community we took it ownership of the word and made it ours.  How many cultures, sub communities, or whatever you want to call them use the work Pride in creating events to celebrate or promote there history?  As the person who arranged for the hanging of the banners, and negotiated the sponsorship, the wording "Gay Pride" was discussed.  It was met with great hesitation.  Pride was controversial enough.  And if we did "Gay Pride" then what about Bisexual, Lesbian, Transgendered and Queer?  They are after all small street signs.... I refer back to its all in the Branding...
• Ben Williams Ashamed of Pride: First let me be clear that I think that the hard work and time put in by the Pride Committees is phenomenal and by no means do I want to seem critical or disparage any of their convictions. There has been enough of that. As a former member of Pride and speaking as a long time community organizer I realize that the only pay off for endless hours of devotion to the Gay Community is mostly just a great big thank you. I still stand by my belief however that the whole event (Pride Day) is still a Civil Rights Movement not just a holiday. But be that as it may, even Holidays commemorate an event. What does Gay Pride commemorate anymore? Not that I really care what the non Gay friendly world thinks but it is quite evident that they believe we are just having a party to celebrate being able to have homosexual relationships. They see it as being as ridiculous as having a Straight Pride Day.  In 1988 at Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah I heard the same excuse as you iterated in section 2. I proposed that we have at least a sign at Pride Day saying that it was indeed Gay and Lesbian Pride Day. A few objected, most noticeably John Bennett, that such an obvious sign would keep potential people away from celebrating. I replied that if we can't show them our Pride how will they ever developed theirs?  The council voted to endorse my proposal and I made the first Gay and Lesbian Pride Day Banner for Pride Day.  And while not putting a too fine a point on things, since in Utah we take baby steps (and even then usually fall down a lot), my lover who is from Wyoming kept asking me why did the street signs only say Utah Pride Day. He felt that it implied that we were celebrating the state of Utah! and not Queer Culture and history. Yes everyone loves as party.....however as community leaders (if we are) I feel it is paramount and our very obligation to educate those just coming out about the struggle for sexual equality in America.  If two stages could be built to accommodate! performers couldn't one have been used for a keynote speaker? Can't the Kristen Ries Award winner be given time to tell the community why he/she devotes so much time and energy to this community? There will always be those who eschew any semblance of political awareness. Let them go to the Beer Garden then. LOL
• Toni Palmer: Ashamed of Pride " Ben said.........my lover who is from Wyoming kept asking me why did the street signs only say Utah Pride Day. He felt that it implied that we were celebrating the state of Utah! and not Queer Culture and history." I was amazed to see the signs lining the streets.  Truly, I never thought it would happen here, but I too wondered why it didn't state the true purpose of the day, that it was Queer Pride Day and not Pride in Utah day.  While I was happy to see them, I was also bitterly disappointed by that exclusion. It's Very frustrating to me that in our "pride" we still are not proud enough to say THE words (gay/lez/bi/trans). Let me add too that I am aware that had we used "those words" more than likely the city wouldn't have allowed those signs to be put up.  But by accepting that, we are only going 1/2 way, haven't we sold ourselves short in an effort to appear more acceptable or to not make certain people uncomfortable? To often, I feel, we just accept whatever "they" "give" us, when we should just simply EXPECT full equality (in all areas) and we should EXUDE with that expectation.  The str8's don't Own our rights. To paraphrase Ben: <"In 1988 at GLCCU...........I proposed that we have at least a sign at Pride Day saying that it was indeed Gay and Lesbian Pride Day. A few objected.......... that such an obvious sign would keep potential people away from celebrating. I replied that if we can't show them our Pride how will they ever develop theirs?"> I couldn't agree more with that last line. Toni Palmer.  
• Chad Keller; Ashamed of Pride It is true that Utah Pride is at a crossroads.  In the weeks to come it will continue its transformation, and continue the process from rising from the ashes left by the past.  There is not one Pride Day that was the Utopia we collectively dream of.    I am not sure as a committee we will ever get the recipe right.  To me that would be a good thing, as it would be a sign that as a community we are growing and that we are reaching goals and changing things.  It is my personal hope that it returns to its roots, but doing so while standing firm in the present creating the future. We were lucky to have the small board that produced this years Pride.  It does take time, and it is a personal sacrifice to participate as each of our board and committee members will testify.  It was like pulling teeth to get people to participate and take leadership positions.  Ben and others who helped create the Pride Day's of the past I'm sure remember the headaches and heartaches, and financial woes.  Pride can become a big taxation on ones personal life.  That has been the one constant, unchanging thing. The current Pride Committee is an amazing and wonderful group of people.  I have and will express again the deep appreciation I have for them, and how much I stand in amazement.  They are the best.  And it is not easy  taking on the responsibility of being a leader in this community.  They have done  it well, and created one of the better pride days despite the cold. My thought is that Pride should be a year round organization that  educates, inspires, and yes even entertains.  Its a fact it takes money to  produce anything of value and quality.  Even a simple rally in today's world  has its costs.  There is a fine line that we must always be vigilant in protecting and defining when it comes to the amount of politics that is implemented. I'm sure had we put more into political side of Pride (and there were  some speeches from the stage) we would have still have upset someone.  Utah Pride is lucky, as we are young enough as an organization to embrace change easily. Yes personal agendas have play a role in the producing of Pride in the past, and it often has come with its price.  The financial mess that we have and continue to struggle with is one.  It is a fact agendas will somehow always come into play it is a fact of every organization.  They have been in play during this entire debate. This is the time to come forward and commit to helping Pride grow.  We called and asked for the communities advise every month, and had round  table after round table.  And very few people came forward. I challenge the leadership of the Political Organizations (Unity Utah, GL Democratic Caucus, GayUtahVote.com and the many others) to come together and come up with a plan for a Rally that could be implemented as one of the Pride events.  Select one person to come regularly to Pride meeting as a representative.  It will be interesting to see what you can come up with to fill this need. Sincerely, Chad Keller.  
• John Wilkes Ashamed of Pride Billy: I subscribe to your favorite excuse:  After trying to get involved in Pride, being met with elitism and "superior to thou" attitudes, I didn't give up.  I e-mailed and called and came to a meeting and talked to members.  I met with no response. Yet I still tried to contact individual members to try and just volunteer on the day.  The only one who replied and I was able to help in a small way was Chad Keller.  We may not all agree with his methods, but he gets things done and he doesn't have to hold a retreat, do a survey or study, or go on a hiatus to do it!  Chad kicks butt. The times I offered to help out Chad and had to bow out, I wasn't shunned or my valid excuse met with some defensive rhetoric about "get involved" (If you can, I say.  GOOD LUCK) Instead of expecting the masses to come to you--Pride Committee needs to work harder, I feel, at going out among the masses at every club, group, church, gathering where Pride might find support and assuring them what you promise-that Pride is for everyone and everyone should be involved in whatever way they can.  Grass roots is the best, most cohesive networking you can do.  You got a good start with the club crawls this year, but places were omitted and groups of people were disenfranchised from your process.  This is the public view, not only of Pride, but of The Court as well. Get "in touch" with the needs of people you profess to serve (i.e. 'the community').  Nothing of any lasting notoriety was ever accomplished by any elite clique, unless you count The Nazis. I hope my opinion DOES inflame you and other committee members.  I'm sure there are many others who bite their tongues as I have , in hopes of avoiding exclusion.  After my experience this year, I don't care which of you I alienate.  I also hope hearing this type of honest criticism affects  REAL change in Pride Committee. Sincerely: John P Wilkes

2005 The Center Space and the Administrative Space of the GLBTCCU will be CLOSED Monday, July 4th for the holiday. Gay Men's AA will still be meeting in the Multi-purpose room at 8pm.

D J Bell

2008 – DJ Bell and Dan Fair were brutally attacked. A neglectful mother’s heavy drinking and homophobia led her to falsely accuse them of trying to harm her children. The children were not present when men broke through the locked windows and doors of their home. Some have called it attempted murder. We were the ones who called the police. The police arrived - found two gay men beaten, accused of kidnapping, and only streets away from a recent child homicide. They didn’t ask questions, they didn’t interview their friends who were in the house. They arrested DJ, and charged him with two counts of attempted kidnapping. No charges were brought against their assailants. Assumptions were made, justice not served, Investigations not conducted – because who wouldn’t believe two gay men did this! Many of you know DJ (Lola) and Dan. You know they are Innocent! DJ is facing 30 years in prison. Show the jury just how many of us BELIEVE! DONTATIONS Donations are NOT tax deductible. We are still raising money to help with legal and medical bills. We have set up a bank account at US Bank. Go to any branch and deposit money into an account

2014 Scott D. Pierce: Utah Gov. Herbert will look bad in future docs about gay-rights movement THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Utah Gov. Gary Herbert needs to watch more TV. There’s no need for him to spend his valuable time watching sitcoms, dramas or reality shows. But, clearly, he hasn’t spent enough time watching documentaries about the civil-rights movement. Two such documentaries aired in the past couple of weeks. “Freedom Summer” was the latest in a series of outstanding programs on PBS. And CNN’s “The Sixties” included the riveting two-hour episode “The Long March to Freedom.” Neither documentary made any effort to draw parallels between the civil-rights movement in the 1960s and the gay-rights movement today, but the similarities are unmistakable. Had Herbert seen either documentary, one would hope it would give him pause about his continued fight against same-sex marriage. You watch those programs, and your jaw hits the floor. It’s astonishing to see then-Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett insisting that the end of segregation would be the end of life as we know it. “God was the original segregationist,’’ he declared. ‘’He made the white man white and the black man black, and he did not intend for them to mix.’’ Barnett, Alabama Gov. George Wallace and various other racist mayors and sheriffs insist they’re just upholding the laws of their states. Sound familiar? The tone may have been different, but the message was the same five decades later when Herbert responded to a federal court striking down Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage. Decades from now, clips of his public statements will be part of documentaries about the fight for gay rights. Viewers’ jaws will drop when they hear him say that governors and attorneys general who choose not to defend their state’s same-sex marriage bans were taking “the next step toward anarchy.” Future documentarians will salivate when they come across the clip of Herbert saying, “What you choose to do with your sexual orientation is different in my mind than what you’re born with as far as your race.” And those future documentarians will, no doubt, draw the parallel between the LDS Church’s stance and Herbert’s statement, “What your attraction may be is something else, but how you act upon those impulses is a choice.” Viewers will cringe. Herbert’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be embarrassed. In those future documentaries, Utah will play the part of Mississippi in the 1960s — a backward state whose elected officials fought to deny many of its citizens basic rights. Herbert will be remembered. But not in the way he hopes.

2017 PROVO, Utah — (KUTV) The annual Provo Freedom Festival decided July 3 that a local LGBT resource center would not be allowed to walk in Grand Parade, according to Encircle: LGBT + Family & Youth Resource Center. The Festival, according to its website, "highlights freedom through bands, professionally crafted floats, giant helium balloons and local and national performers," while encouraging participants to "promote patriotism and traditional family values to around 300,000 spectators." According to a Facebook post by Encircle, the Festival revoked its previously approved application to participate because it is being classified as an advocacy group. Encircle disputes that classification, however, citing its status as a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

2018  FOX 13 PROVO, Utah -- Among the high school marching bands, veterans, pageant queens and politicians, groups representing Utah Valley's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community took some historic steps. After years of being rejected from one of America's largest patriotic celebrations in one of Utah's most conservative cities, several LGBT community groups were finally allowed in the Freedom Festival parade. LGBTQ veterans march in Provo's Freedom Festival parade on July 4, 2018.  This is about America, all the people here, the community," said Sgt. Jeff Clement, a Utah Army National Guard veteran who rode a float highlighting LGBT veterans put together by Mormons Building Bridges. "I get to be a part of it." After years of being rejected from the parade, the groups were finally allowed in after Utah County Commissioners and Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi inked contracts with America's Freedom Festival that included non-discrimination clauses. The festival's exclusion of those groups put taxpayer dollars for the parade and festival at risk. It led to back-and-forth battles over whether the LGBT groups really would be allowed in the parade. "We're here, we're marching!" said Brianna Cluck with Provo Pride, which pushed to be in the grand parade alongside the floats before a crowd of about 250,000. Provo Pride and Provo PFLAG marched with a 40-foot quilt made with squares from different families across Utah Valley -- gay families, lesbian families, the parents of transgender children, straight couples and single parents. Members of Provo Pride and Provo PFLAG march with a quilt banner at the Freedom Festival Parade. "It really just means a lot, especially to the kids," said Cluck. "When I was in high school, if I could have seen a parade entry like this, where it's these groups working together to say, 'We love you and we want you. You're here and part of my family,' that would have changed a lot growing up." There were no jeers, but the applause was a little more tepid than other groups received. Still, they had supporters. Some lined the parade route waving rainbow flags and giving high-fives. Provo Pride and Provo PFLAG got louder cheers when they engaged in the traditional "spin the banner" for the crowd. In this case, they spun their quilt around as they marched. The director of the Freedom Festival told FOX 13 he was pleased with how the float and other entries turned out. "We're very pleased," Paul Warner said. "We think they were well received along the parade route, too." After all the controversy, the groups said they do plan to return next year. Even Warner said he welcomed them back.  member of the Provo Pride group blows a kiss to the crowd watching the Freedom Festival parade. 

"That's the plan, yep," he told FOX 13. "What we do is, we'll have an application process every year and I think now that they know what we want, clearly when they make their application it will reflect the Fourth of July, America and the red, white and blue of the American flag." Mayor Kaufusi said she wanted to see the groups back in next year's parade. She urged both sides to negotiate to ensure entries fit the theme of the event and to get the LGBT groups in. "Everyone's coming together to celebrate really what it's all about," she said. "Freedom of speech is one of them."

This Day In Gay Utah History July 3rd

3 July 3-

1904 Dr. Cook Cures Men Loss of Manly Vigor- you may be lacking in the power of manhood. If so I will restore you to the snap, vim, and vigor of vitality, the loss of which may be the result of indiscretions, excesses, and unnatural weakness. “Private Disease- Newly contracted cases cured. All burning and itching, inflammation and unnatural discharge stopped in 24 hours- cure effected in 7 days. Cook Medical Co. 116 South Main The Salt Lake Herald Section 3 Advertisement of Dr. W.A. Cook.

1969 The Gay View, Newsletter of the MSNY wrote “We didn’t know what it was like not to be mistreated, expected to be mistreated, and accepted harassment when it came. Now we’ve walked in the open and know how pleasant it is to have self respect and to be treated as citizens and human bengs. There’s no possible way to make us accept the “old way” again.  The homosexual community has tired of the old “we Walk In Shadows” routine. We want to stay in the sunlight from now on. Efforts to force us back into the clsoet could be disasterous for all concerned.” 

Frank Kameny

1975-Thanks to the efforts of Gay activist Frank Kameny, the anti-gay policies of the US Civil Service Commission were reversed.

1981 - After nearly eleven years of losing advertising revenues, Deseret News begins publishing ads for R-rated movies.

1981- “Rare Cancer seen in 41 Homosexuals”-The New York Times newspaper ran a small article concerning a disease affecting normally healthy Gay young men and was the first public article on AIDS in a newspaper in the United States.

1986-Gay Singer Boy George responded to persistent rumors that his

Boy George

weight loss was caused by AIDS, calling the rumors ridiculous speculation. Soon after he entered a drug treatment facility for heroin addiction.

1987- “I saw John Sasserman at the In-Between and I told him how much I admired him, and how I was glad to see an issue of  the Triangle come out even if just a complimentary one, so that people can see  continuity in the transition.  John Sasserman said that he thought that I was an important asset to the community. That was pleasing to hear. [Journal of Ben Williams]

1988-Several recent studies showed that both the frequency and severity of anti-gay hate crimes had been increasing across the country.

Bill Badger

1988 William Burton Badger (1925-1988) committed sucide- William Burton Badger was  born on October 24, 1925, in Holden, Utah. He was baptized in the LDS Church on November 5, 1933. He married in Salt Lake City on June 6, 1950, and had four sons. Later he divorced. William was a teacher, working in the Alpine, Salt Lake City, Millard, and Davis County school districts. He was a member of the Metropolitan Community Church. William committed suicide on July 3, 1988, in Salt Lake City. He was 62 years old. William is buried at the Orem City Cemetery in Utah. He was a member of the Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church.

Add caption

1989-Andy Lippincott, a character in the cartoon strip "Doonesbury," was hospitalized with AIDS.  His storyline led to a Pulitzer Prize nomination for Garry Trudeau, but three newspapers of the 900 carrying the strip refused to publish it as being in bad taste. Andy Lippincott may be the only fictional character with a panel on the AIDS quilt. The panel (created by G. Scott Austen, Marceo Miranda and Juan-Carlos Castano) reads: "In Loving Memory: Andy Lippincott 1945–1990. Community leader, conservationist, author, Olympic medalist, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize!" The panel hangs in The NAMES Project Foundation's offices in Atlanta and was not actually sewn into a block of The AIDS Memorial Quilt.

1990 It’s been much cooler at night but I'm still having the strangest dreams.  It’s just too hot to go into Alpha so I stay hovering in the Dream time.  At one point I was dreaming I was home with my father and he was grumbling about ACT-UP and I verbally pounced on him

Tom Henecy

and was yelling at him saying, "You have a Gay son who is in mortal danger from this disease. Why aren't you out in the streets protesting too? Why aren't the parents of America demanding a cure for what is killing their children- what might kill me?  My friends are dying and I may be next. Why aren't you with ACT-UP too? Daddy I'm so scared!" then my dream segued wayed into being with Judy Garland! I was introducing her to my friends and saying how embarrassed I was to have to grade her singing when I know nothing about music.  Strange dreams. Full of fire works, marathon running, fascist religious zealots trying to control every one's thoughts. Well so much for keeping a dream log.  Kind of silly.  In the afternoon I went to the County Health to find out the results of my HIV test. I was negative thank the Goddess.  I guess I'm still supposed to be around for a while. Later in the evening, Mike Pipkim and I went to a party over at Tom Henacy's after the bars closed. I didn't know anyone there but Mike. Pot was being passed around but I was tired and felt old, unattractive, and damn it I'm tired of falling in love. [Journal of Ben Williams]

1998- Gay and Lesbian Center Gets New Start in Salt Lake Byline: Patty Henetz SLTribune The Utah Stonewall Center has been reborn, and this manifestation has a new name and a new leader who learned her best lessons in the military. During her nine years on active duty with the Utah Army National Guard, Monique Predovich said, ``they taught me everything useful in life. Basic leadership skills. To prioritize, not react. To plan and organize, how to handle stress. And how to be in the woods and eat snakes to survive.'' Those skills are bound to be useful in her role as an executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah, which will open in October in a new building at 361 N.300 West in Salt Lake City. The 3,000-square-foot building is next door to the offices of

Carol Gnade

the Utah chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. ACLU Executive Director Carol Gnade helped the Gay and Lesbian Community Center secure a 10-year lease. Gnade also sits on the community center board of directors, and was instrumental in hiring Predovich and getting the board to promise the position a professional-level salary of more than $30,000 per year for a minimum of two years. There also is funding for a year of operations. ``People in the community have realized they want this [center] to be a real business,'' Gnade said. ``The funding came from a few people in the community willing to make a commitment to a business and a living wage. It's been a rough road, and there are plenty of criticisms. But we have great hopes this organization will survive.''  The Utah Stonewall Center, formerly housed in a rundown warehouse at 770S. 300 West, closed in the fall amid a financial crisis. It continued to provide some referral and calendar services via a Web site that has been all but abandoned since March. But the board of directors and others in the community were determined to reorganize. Predovich was the first female 1st lieutenant to hold an artillery command in Utah without having had a prior command. She has extensive training in leadership, budgets and communication. She enlisted in the Guard in 1989 and received her commission in 1994. Predovich, hired June 1 as the center's executive director, immediately understood the board's desire for a professional operation. ``This is a business,'' she said. ``We will no longer be looked at as the bottom of the bottom of nonprofits. We have clients we are looking after.'' That determination dovetailed nicely with her personal decision to leave the Guard--she has gone inactive but has not resigned her commission -- and quit living the lie required by the military's ``don't ask, don't tell'' policy, which allows gays to serve in the armed services only if they do not disclose their sexual orientation or engage in homosexual behavior. ``They teach you to be proud. Proud of yourself, proud of your country, proud of your Constitution,'' Predovich said. ``I was proud. But I also was hiding.''  A lesbian with a committed partner, Predovich wrestled with ``don't ask, don't tell'' every day. Her co-workers regularly urged her to bring the boyfriend she did not have to social functions. When she attended functions, she could not bring her partner, who Predovich wanted to receive the same recognition as the other officers' spouses. The stress became unbearable. `You think you can leave it at work, but you can't,'' she said. ``I started having this fear I couldn't even hold her hand in the car. I was doing less and less in my life, fearful of going out to do anything, fearful of someone seeing me. That's when I decided enough was enough.''  Predovich is now out of the closet.  So, too, is the former Stonewall Center, said Gay and Lesbian Community Center Deputy Director Alan Ahtow. Informal surveys of the community revealed a general unawareness of the significance of the name, which commemorates the three-day civil disturbance that followed a 1969 police raid of The Stonewall Inn in New York City. While police often shut down gay bars, the Stonewall riots marked the first time patrons fought back. But, as Ahtow pointed out, gay and lesbian history is not taught in Utah. ``People didn't know what Stonewall was,'' he said. ``And the board felt it was time to include `gay and lesbian' in our name and not hide behind a generic.'' The center will house the Stonewall Library. ``It's important to keep that history alive,'' Ahtow said. ``Believe it or not, Utah has one of the largest libraries dedicated to the literature of gays and lesbians.'' That bookishness may have grown from the relative isolation of Utah's gay population. The Gay and Lesbian Center of Utah, Predovich said, should go a long way toward changing that. She cheerfully compares her new assignment to her old one. ``Being a director of a nonprofit organization and commander of an artillery unit are much the same,'' she said. Defining her mission, Predovich said it is twofold: ``To provide a safe and comfortable environment for people. And to be a voice for the gay community to the state, to challenge the discrimination that goes on here.'' (07/03/1998 Page: A1)

Jay Fowler

2002 - Jay H. Fowler Jr., 52, passed away at his home in Salt Lake City July 3, 2002. He was born May 19, 1950 in Dragerton, UT tJay was a graduate of East Carbon High School, College of Eastern Utah, and also attended the University of Utah. He was employed by the State of Utah as a Human Resource Specialist. Jay was a wonderful son, brother, uncle, and friend. He loved his pets, music, gardening, and will be missed by many. Interment, Valley View Cemetery, Sunnyside. He was an active community member when few people dared be out.

2003 LGBT Community Spirits High After Texas Sodomy Decision By Sheena McFarland Instead of having a serious sit-down meeting this week, the Lesbian Gay Student Union went bowling to celebrate the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on sodomy laws. Many in the gay community heralded the 6-3 ruling, which declared Texas' sodomy laws as unconstitutional, as a huge step forward in the fight for gay rights. Jasmine Linam, co-vice

Jamine Linam

president of LGSU, was excited about the decision, but not necessarily surprised. "I think the Supreme Court is fairly liberal, and I figured it would go that way. The United States is always changing, and minorities are always gaining more rights," she said. "This means people are recognizing us, and we have the same rights as everyone

Derick Stephensen

else." Derick Stephensen, co-president of LGSU, shares the excitement. "The idea that we are not being frowned upon legally is a step toward the gratification of being recognized for who we are," he said. Charles Milne, director of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center, says the ruling has heartened the gay community. "I think it gave the LGBT community the sense that we can get things accomplished, but I think it also shows how far we have to go to obtain true equality," he said. Milne recounted the suicide of a Salt Lake Community College student who took his life about 10 days before the ruling. Milne said the student's actions came from the pressure and isolation he felt after coming out. Milne also says this is not just a gay issue, but one which affects all people, regardless of sexual orientation. This is evidenced by the suit filed last Friday, which attorney Brian Barnard filed to annul Utah's consensual sodomy law on behalf of plaintiff D. Berg, who is straight.  But Linam still worries lawmakers won't take the law off the books. "We've had Republicans support hate crime legislation, and it still didn't pass. With Utah as conservative as it is, this ruling may not have as much hold here," she said. Milne believes the Utah State Legislature won't remove the laws of its own volition, but the Berg court case may. Erik Luna, a U College of Law professor, says that in a practical sense, the ruling does not force Utah to remove the laws, but a court case will likely strike down the sodomy statute. Luna says of the three Utah sodomy statutes-which deal with non-consensual sodomy, sodomy with a child and consensual sodomy-only the last is "squarely unconstitutional." "There is no way to save the law on voluntary sexual conduct done in private. There is no way for creative legislators to keep it on the books," he said. Such information may come as a sigh of relief, as Utah's legal leaders supported the Texas laws. Only three of the 13 states with sodomy laws filed briefs in support of the Texas laws-including Utah's Attorney General, Mark Shurtleff. "The states should not be required to accept, as a matter of constitutional doctrine, that homosexual activity is harmless and does not expose both the individual and the public to deleterious spiritual and physical consequences," the brief said. Milne says regardless of such opinions, he is happy that the ruling at least legalizes homosexual relationships. "It's nice to see that the LGBT community is no longer deemed criminal," he said.

James Sever

2003 Thursday Subject: gay Professional Tattoo Artist "James Sever" Utah's only Licensed openly gay Professional Tattoo Artist - 18 years exp - Naughty Jimmy serves only the gay community and doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for quality work. By Appointment only in SLC Downtown parlor on State Street- After hours Privacy available. Looking to fulfill a fantasy - Having fun while putting a tattoo on ya at the same time. See ad in Little Lavender Book pg 56

2004  Subject: SL Tribune Transgender Sex change leads to lawsuit against UTA By Pamela Manson The Salt Lake Tribune A former bus driver who was born a man but is becoming a woman sued the Utah Transit Authority on Friday, claiming the agency fired him because he failed to conform to stereotypical male behavior. Krystal S. Etsitty, who was born a biological male named Michael R. Etsitty and is planning to undergo a sex change operation, contends UTA officials said they had to let him go because he looked like a female and they were afraid of what the public and other employees would think. In addition, they expressed concerns about which restroom he would use, Etsitty alleges in his lawsuit. The legal action, which was filed in U.S. District Court and accuses the UTA of sex stereotyping and gender discrimination, seeks unspecified damages. It uses male pronouns because the claims are based on Etsitty's biological sex. Justin Jones, a UTA spokesman, said Friday that the agency has not seen the lawsuit. However, he said, "We cannot comment on current litigation but UTA does have policies in place that ensure we are in compliance with the equal opportunity laws." The suit says the 41-year-old Etsitty has been diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder and decided in the late 1990s to begin a transition to female, which he considers his true sexual identity. It says he changed his name then and began hormone therapy under the direction of his physician. When he applied at UTA, he put down "Krystal Etsitty" on his application, according to the suit. It says that at his job interview, Etsitty had medium length hair, wore minimal makeup and was dressed in gender-neutral clothes, a pair of khakis and a shirt. Etsitty, who began work in December 2001, said he put Krystal on his name badge and slowly began to make his appearance more feminine by wearing more makeup and acrylic finger nails. After UTA officials heard about the changes, an operations manager and human resources officer told him they were unable to accommodate him, the suit claims. He was forced out in February 2002, it says. The U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission, where Etsitty first filed a complaint, issued a report last year saying there is "reasonable cause" to believe his civil rights were violated. "The Commission has previously determined that employers may not discriminate against an individual because he or she fails to act in the way expected of a male or female," the report says.

• Utah Transit Authority (UTA) hired Krystal Etsitty as a bus driver in 2001. Her work

  

  Krystal Etsitty

  record was spotless. After telling her supervisor that she was undergoing gender transition and would be appearing more feminine at work, Etsitty gradually began to wear makeup and jewelry. Soon after, her supervisors decided that Etsitty’s transition created an “image issue” for UTA, and they terminated her. Although UTA acknowledged that no one had complained about her performance or appearance, it claimed that the public would see Etsitty as “inappropriate.” The U.S. District Court for the district of Utah ruled against Etsitty, holding that Title VII does not protect transgender employees. Lambda Legal filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the Tenth Circuit court of Appeals in Etsitty’s support, pointing out that many courts have affirmed Title VII’s application to transgender employees and arguing that customer prejudices are not a legitimate basis for employment decisions.

2006 The Saliva Sister performed at Joe Redburn’s bar the Trapp. The SALIVA SISTERS have performed for: WARM-UP ACT for Roseann Barr, Joan Rivers, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Klein. They onced jumped out of a cake at the Sun’s Anniversary

2018  There was some last-minute hearburn Tuesday surrounding America’s Freedom Festival in Provo, with one LGBTQ group getting a scare about its placement in the parade and the Provo mayor pleading for everyone to “be our best selves” during the Independence Day event. With those theatrics out of the way, the parade — taking place in one of Utah’s most conservative communities — can now make history, as it will allow, for the first time, participation from several LGBTQ groups. “We are happy that we were able to work out a situation that is a win-win for everybody,” said Paul Warner, the executive director of the parade, which kicks off Wednesday at 9 a.m. Of course, that wasn’t the case earlier in the day when Provo Pride and PFLAG learned they might have to walk in the entertainment or “pre-parade” section of the event — and not in what the Freedom Festival calls the “grand parade.” Warner called the situation “a misunderstanding.” “They’ll be in the grand parade with the other floats and marching bands,” he told The Salt Lake Tribune in a telephone interview.  “It’s disappointing that they initially tried to put us in the pre-parade,” said Brianna Cluck, Provo Pride  spokeswoman, “but we are satisfied with our parade status now.” The centerpiece of the Provo Pride and PFLAG entry is a quilt that showcases themes of unity, family and freedom. ”It is a beautiful expression of diversity and will be a phenomenal entry,“ said Utah County Commissioner Nathan Ivie, who said he would have been disappointed if the groups had not been in the “real parade.” Tuesday’s drama was the latest involving the Utah County event. In June, parade applications from five LGBTQ organizations were denied by America’s Freedom Festival, which generated criticism from residents and accusations that festival organizers had breeched nondiscrimination clauses in its contracts with Provo City and Utah County, which provided $100,000 for the event. The next day, representatives of Utah’s LGBTQ community met with festival organizers in an intense two-hour meeting, that ultimately resulted in a compromise. Mormons Building Bridges will also participate in Wednesday’s grand parade after agreeing to build a float. The nonprofit is still gathering donations through crowd-funding to pay the $5,000 costs, said co-founder Erika Munson. The float, entitled “Utah Salutes Our LGBTQ Veterans: United We Stand,” honors LGBTQ soldiers from all branches of the military, many of whom served when they were prohibited from being open about their sexuality, Munson said. Encircle, an LGBTQ resource center for teens, will march in the “pre-parade.” Youths will wear matching t-shirts and carry red, white and blue balloons, said leader Stephanie Larsen. In 2017, Encircle was cut from the parade, the day before the July 4 event. The Provo-based nonprofit was told it had been disqualified because it was an advocacy group. “It’s a small step that means a lot,” Larsen said of being allowed to finally participate. “It really helps these kids, who often feel like they are outside of their community and not accepted or understood by others. They will feel just a little bit more a part of our great community.” While Tuesday’s parade dispute was unfolding, Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi issued an open letter to residents asking them to be respectful. “I call on each of us to be our best selves,” she wrote, noting the recent divide over LGBTQ participation in the parade. “One of the freedoms we are so proud of in America is the freedom of speech,” she said. “Each of us is entitled to an opinion, and we have opportunities to share those opinions. What a fabulous thing!“  Kaufusi offered an open door to residents and encouraged then to bring their concerns to the her or the City Council. As for Wednesday’s parade, she said, “I hope each of us will tap into our highest instincts. That we will focus on being good citizens and strive to come together in celebration of the miraculous formation of this country. Let’s show each other the neighborliness that helps make this a place we all love to be.”