This Day In Gay Utah History AUGUST 12th

August 12th

1893 Charged with a horrible crime Clarence Fielding, a colored waiter on the diner “Golden Gate” was arrested yesterday afternoon by officer Folker charged with one of the most heinous crimes in the legal category, that of a “Crime Against Nature”.  His hearing will take place this morning in the police court.  It seems from complaints made that Fielding had made it a practice since the bathing season commenced to visit several bathing holes on the Weber west of the railroad yards, where the small boys delight to sport in the waters of the river and entice the lads to submit themselves to his horrible passions. Ogden Standard The next day Justice Cahoon decided there was not enough proof to convict Fielding of Sodomy under territorial statutes but Fielding pleaded guilty of lewd and lascivious conduct and was fined $30 which he could not pay and so was confined to the Ogden city jail for 30 days. Ogden Standard

1967 - Armed with a search warrant Salt Lake City Deputies confiscated 23 boxes of assorted 

magazines, motion pictures film, and candid photographs. Sid Elliott of the detective division, who termed the material pornographic, said one man was arrested. John L. Dobson, 51, 3964 South 3250 East was charged with Lewdness following his arrest.  The raid followed a tip from the Denver Regional Office of the US Post Office Department. (SL Tribune 08/12/67 Page 32) In the late 1950s, Postmaster General Arthur Summerfield launched his “war on smut” and joined forces with Kathryn Granahan, chair of the House Subcommittee on Postal Operations. Together they campaigned for stronger legislation against obscenity, and in 1960 Granahan passed a bill that allowed the Postal Service "to seize and detail the mail of anyone suspected of trafficking in obscenity." It was called The Postal Service and Privacy Act. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill, empowered police troops began to search private houses for obscene material, and seize at will.

Frank Kameny holding sign Gay is Good

1968 The week long North American Conference of Homophile Organizations, nicknamed NACHO, made up of delegates from 26 groups, convenes in Chicago to discuss goals and strategy. A number of lesbian organizations, still concerned over the lack of attention being paid to their issues, refused to participate. Daughters of Bilitis president Rita LaPorte compared the relationship between NACHO and DOB to a husband and wife. Heterosexual women, she argued, dissipated their energy through their marriages; similarly, lesbians risked dissipating their energy should DOB become a surrogate "wife" to what she perceived as the male-centered NACHO. Although delegates fail to form a unified national organization, they pass a five-point "Homosexual Bill of Rights" and resolved to send questionnaires to political candidates to determine their positions on the points of the Bill. NACHO also adopted the slogan "Gay is Good". Coined by founding member Frank Kameny, the slogan was modeled on the African American slogan "Black is Beautiful." NACHO'sfive-point Homosexual Bill of Rights at its 1968 meeting:

1. Private consensual sex between persons over the age of consent shall not be an offense.
2. Solicitation for any sexual acts shall not be an offense except upon the filing of a complaint by the aggrieved party, not a police officer or agent. 
3. A person's sexual orientation or practice shall not be a factor in the granting or renewing of federal security clearances or visas, or in the granting of citizenship. 
4. Service in and discharge from the Armed Forces and eligibility for veteran's benefits shall be without reference to homosexuality. 
5. A person's sexual orientation or practice shall not affect his eligibility for employment with federal, state, or local governments, or private employers. 

Victor B Cline

1970 In an unpublished study, Salt Lake Atty. Rene V. Nelson, after conducting several thousand interview among young adults and adolescents in Utah and California focusing on the porno viewing habits, found, among other things, a not uncommon syndrome where some husbands had developed a preference for porno as a sexual stimuli rather than their wives. Dr. Victor B. Cline chairman of the Salt Lake area Youth Protection Committee and U of U psychologist testified before Home subcommittee on postal operations criticizing the President’s Commission on Obscenity saying the report was rigged.

• A 1969 United States Supreme Court decision that held that people could view whatever they wished in the privacy of their own homes caused the United States Congress to fund the President's Commission on Obscenity and Pornography, set up by President Lyndon B. Johnson to study pornography.The commission's report, called Report of the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography, and published in 1970, recommended sex education, funding of research into the effects of pornography and restriction of children's access to pornography, and recommended against any restrictions for adults. On balance the report found that obscenity and pornography were not important social problems, that there was no evidence that exposure to such material was harmful to individuals, and that current legal and policy initiatives were more likely to create problems than solve them. The report was widely criticized and rejected by Congress.The Senate rejected the commission's findings and recommendations by a 60–5 vote, with 34 abstentions. President Richard Nixon, who had succeeded Johnson in 1969, also emphatically rejected the report.
  
• The senate rejected the following findings and recommendations in particular 

1. That there was "no evidence to date that exposure to explicit sexual materials plays a significant role in the causation of delinquent or criminal behavior among youths or adults." 
2. That "a majority of American adults believe that adults should be allowed to read or see any sexual materials they wish." 
3. That "there is no reason to suppose that elimination of governmental prohibitions upon the sexual materials which may be made available to adults would adversely affect the availability to the public of other books, magazines, or films."
4. That there was no "evidence that exposure to explicit sexual materials adversely affects character or moral attitudes regarding sex and sexual conduct." 
5. That "Federal, State, and Local legislation prohibiting the sale, exhibition, or distribution of sexual materials to consenting adults should be repealed."

 1970 In Box Elder County, a 42 year old Brigham City man was found 1 mile west of south marina with a small caliber bullet wound in his left abdomen. The man had been robbed and shot lain for several hour. Area was a known cruising area for Gay men of northern Utah.

1974  "No Freedom for This Guy- But Then He Asked for It"- Second District judge has sent a Clearfield job corpsman to a halfway house for rehabilitation after the defendant asked that he not be completely freed from incarceration. Eddie Lee Mathews, 19, was sentenced in June to six months term in the Davis County jail after he pleaded guilty to forcible sexual abuse. He had originally been charged with Sodomy. Judge Thornley K Swan said the court was prepared to release Mathews on probation and return him to his home state of California but that the defendant had requested to go to the half way house. The defense attorney said the reason for the request was to allow Mr. Mathews to receive further treatment under a county psychiatric program. 1974 An 18 year old Clearfield job corpsman has been booked into the Davis County jail on a charge of sodomy officials reported today. Arrested at the center was Eddy L Mathews. An official of the job corps said the allege incident was reported by another corpsman Ogden Standard Examiner

1985 Nine New Cases of AIDS in Utah for ’85; 19 cases of AIDS have been identified in Utah including 9 new cases so far this year and that has alarms ringing in the medical community say State Health specialists.  The deadly AIDS and has been labeled as Utah’s top health problem and has led to the establishment of 21 blood testing centers, said state epidemiologist Craig Nichols. “The disease is usually contracted through sexual intercourse but researchers also believe it can be transmitted through intermingling of blood and possibly even saliva. About 3/4 of known AIDS victims are homosexual males. And intravenous dug users and Haitians have been identified as groups particularly vulnerable to the disease. But health officials expect AIDS to cross those characteristics boundaries and spread among groups not previously considered as high risks.  “The real concern is that we are just seeing the beginning of this disease.  We may be looking at something that is truly terrible, the tip of a very scary iceberg said Dr. Jon Green, an infectious disease specialist from University of Utah.  Nichols said he expects the number of cases to increase from 19-30 by years end.  Ten of the known AIDS victims have died from diseases contracted by the impairment of the immunity systems. Utah’s treatment and diagnosis capabilities rival those anywhere in the nation. Nichols said. “We’ve talked to some AIDS patients who have gone to San Francisco and found our medical services identical.”  Officials estimate that San Francisco with the highest rate of AIDS cases in the United States, an average of 40 people a month die from the disease.(SLTribune 08/12/85 C4)

1986-Supermarket tabloid The Weekly World News ran an article about Gay opposition to the US Supreme Court decision in Bowers v Hardwick, which upheld Georgia's sodomy laws. The Headline read- "Gays threaten civil war…Onward sissy soldiers! Peeved pansies predict revolt! The squawking boys burned flags, cursed the court and disrupted traffic for hours on end. Between teh wails they blew kisses to each other and proclaimed themselves proud as peacocks to be in love with their fellow man." 

1986  Jon Butler confided confidentially to me that attorneys for the LDS Church have brought a copyright lawsuit against the Restoration Church saying that the name The Church of Jesus Christ of All Latter Day Saints is an infringement. He also said

1987 David Nelson, Nancy, Tony Feliz, John Butler
March on Washington

that Tony Feliz was coming up to Salt Lake City for the Sunstone Symposium this weekend. Jon also told me that Tony and David Ewing have broken up and Tony is now pursuing Jon. I told Jon he ought to jump at it and then maybe he'll make him an Apostle. It's pretty obvious to me that Tony hands out church callings to his special favorites. Sounds kind of like Joseph Smith now that I think about it. Maybe Tony is a prophet! ha! Not unless you spell it profit.(Ben Williams Journal) Wikipedia The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ

1989 "Say Yes to Life Day" was held in Jordan Park with many New Age and alternative SLC organizations. Gay man Dan Fahndrich instrumental in promoting the

Dan Fahndrich

festival.

1989 Gay and Lesbian Historical Society of Utah's officers, Rocky O'Donavan and Liza Smart were invited to speak on Utah Gay and Lesbian history UC campus at Berkeley, California.

1991 Karen Bell wrote to the Deseret News saying, “Joy Beech of Ogden has been on KTKK radio promoting hate against gay men and women. She even told a caller it was "OK to bash gay people. Maybe they will leave the state."

1992 Students from the University of Utah's Actor's Training Program, performed for 4 days a comedy by Charles Busch’s called

Psycho Beach Party' at the 100-seat Cellophane Theatre at Beau Chane’s Aardvark's Cabaret, The preview performance was a benefit, with all proceeds going to the Utah AIDS Foundation. (8/02/92 Page: E4 BEST BETS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD)

1993 Deseret News Demo chief hailed for naming 4 gays to party committees By Bob Bernick Jr., Staff Writer Leaders of the Gay and Lesbian Democrats lauded Democratic Party Chairman Dave Jones this week for appointing four gay men to party committees. But Jones says his recent 140 appointments to various committee had nothing to do with any appointee's sexual orientation. "I don't know who is gay or not and I don't care. That wasn't an issue at all," Jones

David Nelson

said. David Nelson, founder of Gay and Lesbian Democrats, sent out a press release congratulating Jones on the appointments of himself, Dale Sorenson and two other men to party committees. Sorenson was appointed to the Platform and Policy Standing Committee, a prime committee within the party. Nelson said all four appointments are directors of Gay and Lesbian Democrats. Jones said he assumed that Sorenson and Nelson are gay

Dale Sorenson

because of their participation in Gay and Lesbian Democrats. "I didn't even know the other two men's sexual orientation and don't care. We don't ask what they are, there's no such sexual orientation criteria for any of the committee's make-up," said Jones. "We try to find the best qualified Democrats, and these people are good." However, Jones said he did try to balance the 140 appointments on gender. "Not all the committees are 50-50 by sex, but they're close." Said Nelson: "These appointments (of the four gay men) mark a new level of inclusion that bisexual, gay and lesbian people, and our issues, have in our party." He added that more appointments of gays and Lesbians are expected. Jones said he may appoint people who are gay to more boards, but that their sexuality won't be an issue in the appointments. Bruce Hough, chairman of the State Republican Party, said, "we're against quotas of any kind," and so don't pick or exclude anyone based of sexual preference. "We may have gay people on some of our (party) committees, but I don't know of any. That is, I don't know of any (appointee) who has come out openly and said “I'm gay.'"

1994- God promises to be with me thru my tribulations. Stephen C. Sanders, 40, died at his home in Salt Lake City of complications related to AIDS. Born September 11, 1953 in Portsmouth, Virginia Received his B.S. in Nursing in June 1984 from the University of Utah College of Nursing. Steve dedicated himself to his work with people on 5 West at University Hospital. He was an active member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church and was active in The People With Aids Coalition of Utah. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The People With Aids coalition of Utah, 1390 South 1100 East, Suite 107, S.L.C., Utah 84105.

Mary Fisher

1996-Mary Fisher addressed the Republican convention in San Diego to remind them that AIDS is caused by infection, not immorality. (An interesting note about this convention-a group representatives from the Christian Coalition chose to stay at a hotel in the heavily gay Hillcrest district.)

1997 , Artist is one of 12 from around the world chosen to participate in program.  S.L. woman chosen as Yamagata Visual Arts fellow By Dave Gagon, visual arts writer Utah artist Carla Gourdin of Salt Lake City was one of 12 artists from around the world chosen to participate as a fellow in this year's Yamagata Visual Arts Institute, a program of Very Special Arts. The institute is an intensive weeklong program to advance the artists' technical expertise in adaptive techniques for people with disabilities. During the week, Aug. 10-15, Gourdin will join other artists with disabilities in presentations and studio sessions at the Corcoran School of Art at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C. "My life changed dramatically at age 14 when I became a quadriplegic due to

Carla Gourdin

a trampoline accident," Gourdin said. When a friend gave her a set of oil paints, art became more than just a time filler. She began painting a series of self-portraits using images of "what I saw everyday - lots of hands, feet, my lap. Through my painting I learned to be comfortable with how I saw myself."  Gourdin received a BFA in painting from Brigham Young University in 1980. Her stunning depictions of nature have been extensively exhibited at the Very Special Arts Utah Art Access Gallery. She is also one of 20 artists featured in the book, "Wonderfully Worth Doing," which

Desert Roots

commemorates the gallery's fifth anniversary. After her return from Washington, D.C., Gourdin plans to collaborate with Utah's Very Special Arts affiliate so others may benefit from her experiences at the institute. Founded by Jean Kennedy Smith in 1974 as an affiliate of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Very Special Arts sponsors programs in creative writing, drama, dance, music and the visual arts for people with disabilities throughout the United States and in 86 countries worldwide.  © 1998 Deseret News Publishing Co.

Chad Keller

2002 Chad Keller to Geoff Partain Subject Pride Merger: Geoff, Being one of the two people who took Monday off after Pride to contact various Gay and mainstream clubs and coffee houses, my figures show that we would have only had 10 to 15 cases of water left, had Billy [Lewis] and I been allowed to move forward with the sale of the water.  Which would have left some for donation and special events. For the public record; It would seem that there is a lot of smoke and mirrors surrounding this whole issue of a "take over"/ "merger."  Let it be clear that to this point all that has been discussed is that being taken over by the Center is the only thing on the table.  And as with the missing $11,000.00 we will sequester ourselves, waiting, taking no action until it will not be an option but a necessity.  When what we should be doing is re-working the out of date bylaws, creating the organization that should have been created when Pride was pulled away from Community Council, and moving forward with events to get money in the bank for Pride to do great thing for the community, or protect the organization in the event there is a short fall, while entertaining this notion of a merger. This "merger" has been the plan of member(s) of the Executive Committee all along.  I wasn't convinced by their arguments relating to the "merger" in November and I am not convinced now.   It would have to be the deal of the century to convince me.  The Center is a wonderful place, but it is not the cure all for the community or Pride. Yes the "merger" does have its valid and good points, if you are looking at it from the perspective of what is good for "me".  It is not about us, but the community, and I fear that we are justifying this merger concept based on our personal time and commitments.  If there are people who are burnt out, or tired, or restrained by time, they should say so, and then evaluate if they can continue, or move on.  There is no shame is saying "I have done my time."  People when informed step forward.  It is not that people don't want to, it is that we have failed to ask until it is too late to be worth their time Truly if we are who we profess to be as an organization, and under fair practices and policies we needed to not only announce vacancies but invite the community to participate, and share in the decision process, whether to sit on the sub committee looking into the merger, sit on board as a voting member, join the committee, or just voice their opinion.  How refreshing it would be. The community has a right to weigh in on the issue and we should take our direction from the community's guidance.  Utah Pride is about the whole community, not the elite few. As many organizations have proven there really is no need ever to for a closed door meeting.  Pride shouldn't have anything so personal or secret to warrant closing the door and leaving the public debate out. Bad things go on behind closed doors, and agendas are well feed.  Had we been more open all along peoples terms of office would have been shorter, more people would have stepped forward more often, and $11,000.00 may have not been lost. Chad Keller p.s.  I would encourage you to read David Thometz article in this months addition of the Pillar as it truly sums up how many feel about the issues surrounding Pride, the Center, and this talk of merging. 

• "Geoff Partain" to Chad Keller Subject Pride Merger: To maintain the integrity of my

  

  Geoff Partain

  previous posting, I must acknowledge that an article about the potential merger of Utah Pride Inc. and the GLCCU has been published in the Pillar magazine. I do not know the details of how the article came to be published, however. The article illustrates what a potential merger may look like, and outlines some benefits of merger for both organizations. It should be remembered, however, that merger is only one option being considered at this time. The article reports that some of Utah Pride and GLCCU sponsors are "...already negotiating discounts, more dollars, and blanket sponsorship packages that would benefit both organizations". This is somewhat misleading as there have been no negotiations with Utah Pride Inc. Utah Pride Inc. co-chair, Craig Miller, summed up the current status of the merger when he said: "So far, Utah Pride's board  has only voted to give serious consideration to study whether the community would best be served by having Pride be organized by the existing entirely volunteer organization, or by combining its mission and direction with the Center's". I will attempt to keep readers of this forum abreast of future developments of Utah Pride Inc. Perhaps then there will be no need to concoct scenarios of nefarious scheming. Geoff Partain Board Member Utah Pride Inc. In response to Dominique's [Storni] message, let me say that the idea of a merger between Utah Pride Inc. and the GLCCU was presented to a meeting of the board of trustees of Utah Pride only just 11 days ago, and in that time a sub-committee has been formed to study the proposed merger, and other possible plans for the future of Utah Pride Inc. To fully explore the relative benefits and liabilities of merger and to determine the best course for the future of the organization, Utah Pride will necessarily seek the comments and opinions of the LGBT community. Utah Pride will not make deals in secret back room meetings, nor will Utah Pride bar anyone from addressing the board to share their concerns, ideas, criticisms, comments, or vision. I respect Dominique, and have appreciated that she has expressed her opinions in meetings of Utah Pride Inc. I would like to thank Dominique for her hard work on behalf of our community and for her involvement in this newsgroup. Dominique has certainly been a valuable asset in the organization of the Utah Pride festival and I personally invite her to continue to be involved in what I believe is a strong and valuable organization with a bright and strong future. Whether Utah Pride Inc. merges with GLCCU or not, there will always be room for anyone who is willing to lend their time and energy toward building  better Pride events. Geoff Partain Board Member Utah Pride Inc..
• Chad Keller Subject Pride Merger: I have pondered Geoff's [Partain] response for some time now.  There is something inside my gut just twisting me in knots. If someone hasn’t the balls to make a public statement, or to have an open ... well publicized ... meeting to discuss the pros and cons, to gather public opinion, and to honestly divulge the motives behind the proposed merger, just how the hell are we supposed to believe ANYTHING that comes out of the mouths of those involved??? It is more than ironic to me that the same people who cry foul when the predominantly white, male, Mormon legislative members meet in back rooms, under the cloak of darkness and/or deceit are now doing exactly the same thing. Something stinks in Salt Lake City.  And, this time, it isn't the Mormons. I am just sure that I'm committing political suicide with these comments, but frankly Scarlet, I don't give a damn.  It’s not like the minority group I belong to has had a strong voice anyway, nor do I foresee that happening in the near future. I have given my heart and soul and sacrificed my own goals for a community that seems to not give a damn about anyone who doesn't fit or who won't play along with the power brokers. Hmmmmm . . . another irony????

2005 - Cyber Sluts Gay Bingo! Multi-Purpose Room ( 7pm ) $5.00  Stave off the Back to School Blues with Bingo! Learn the Bingo Basics from the Teacher's of Tawdry, the Instructors of Impropriety, the Professors of Panache, the Mentor's of Mischief. Dress as your favorite school year! Admission $5, includes your first game board.

2006 GLCCU Center Stage: Live Music Series Starts August 12! Lexie Levitt performs innovative interpretations of rock and folk classics as well as current hits. Come and experience her live on the Center Stage on Saturday August 12 at 7:00 pm! Then on Saturday, August 19, Derek Bentivegna will be appearing live on the Center Stage for your listening pleasure.  If you like an original mix of Acoustic/Rock/Alternative/ Folk with a twist of Blues and an incredibly edgy voice then look no further than this up an coming Singer/Songwriter from Long Island NY that is now a resident of beautiful Salt Lake.  

2006 QVinum Next wine tasting Saturday Aug. 12 – 7:00 PM Max. 16 people    RSVP to Dan Fahndrich. When you RSVP, I will give you directions to Jim's place. Our next tasting will be a white wine tasting but with some  different wines that you may not have tried before.....When you RSVP, please tell me if you will be bringing wine or food. Wine options : Albarino - Viognier – Pinot Gris – Symphony - Something Fun ( not chardonnay or Sauv Blanc, Chenin Blanc, etc....) Be adventurous, get something different, or if you are in love with a favorite white, bring that and let others fall in  love with it. I suggest you going to the wine store downtown or on Fort Union. Remember, Drew works at the Fort Union store and he can  suggest some fun wines... Dan Fahndrich

2007 Candidates are courting gay, lesbian vote in Salt Lake City By Bob Bernick Jr. and Lee Davidson Deseret Morning News  Published: Sunday, Aug. 12, 2007 As the Salt Lake City mayoral race approaches next month's Sept. 11 primary, the campaigns of several candidates are behaving more like they're running races in San Francisco or Boston than Utah. Campaign reports show candidates are spending money to court gay and lesbian groups, to support Planned Parenthood, to buy liquor and even to entertain campaign staff at the Salt Lake Acting Company's famously irreverent "Saturday's Voyeur." Maybe the most significant finding emerging from spending data is the candidates' increasing perceived importance of the gay vote in Utah's capital city. "I've been told by the (Democratic) party and those who know city elections that if you don't do well in the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) community, you don't do well" in the election, said mayoral candidate Jenny Wilson, a Salt Lake County councilwoman. Wilson held a slight lead among the nine official candidates in a recent Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll conducted by Dan Jones & Associates. Mike Thompson,

Mike Thompson

executive director of Equality Utah, a GLBT group, says candidates are courting the gay community more, in part because they know it is highly politically active — making large donations, volunteering and voting. He says gays are politically active because "when issues affect your family and your livelihood, that's when people are most engaged. And we are engaged." Gay-group money can be significant. Thompson said that the three Utah groups that give the largest donations per candidate are, in order: Bruce Bastian

Bruce Bastian

(the gay-activist co-founder of WordPerfect), the Utah Education Association and Equality Utah. "The fact we trail only the UEA (and gay-activist Bastian) in average gift size shows the influence we have. Candidates know that. And not only do they want that financial support, but also the volunteers we can provide," he said. With that, Thompson said, all major candidates for mayor and the city council have agreed to candidate endorsement interviews with his group this year. All major mayoral candidates also recently appeared at an forum sponsored by Equality Utah and Planned Parenthood. This new political reality has led to expenditures on spending reports such as a $2,500 donation by Wilson to Equality Utah; about $400 by candidate Ralph Becker for tickets or ads at gay pride events; and a $125 gay pride parade fee by candidate Keith Christensen. Ads and stands Becker, the State House Democratic minority leader from Salt Lake, has a new TV ad that seems to subtly court the gay vote. The ad leads off listing endorsements by Sen. Scott McCoy and Rep. Jackie Biskupski, both D-Salt Lake, and both openly gay members of the Legislature. It also pictures Becker with them and with Rep. Chris Johnson, D-Salt Lake, the only other openly gay legislator. The ad shows Becker with a sign with rainbow colors — another symbol of gay and lesbian support — at a local gay pride event. Becker's ad does not say the candidate supports gay issues (although on his Web site, he does), nor does it identify the three lawmakers as gay public servants. Thus, a voter not familiar with gay issues may not get a gay-support message from the ad, while gay city dwellers probably will see a gay-support message. Becker denies any covert coding in the spot. "That never occurred to me. We just wanted to show a broad range of support." Former Utah first lady Norma Matheson is also named in the spot, and Becker said there was no subliminal intent in showing her, either. On their Web sites, both Wilson and Becker outline aggressive programs to protect all citizens' human rights, but with special emphasis on the rights of gay and lesbian Salt Lakers. Wilson writes on her site: "I am proud to stand behind the GLBT community as an ally and a friend." Former city councilman Christensen, a political independent, posts on his Web site a newspaper story quoting him saying that Salt Lake City businesses should be required by ordinance to protect gay rights by adopting nondiscrimination policies. GOP mayoral candidate Dave Buhler didn't give money to some of those same groups and doesn't mention GLBT issues on his Web site — but he did attend a Equality Utah/Planned Parenthood candidate forum, where he voiced moderate support for some gay issues, such as flying a gay pride flag at City Hall during gay pride events. The gay community No one knows exactly how large the gay vote is in the city, or the vote by heterosexuals who actively support gay and lesbian issues. But the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey in 2000 estimated that Salt Lake City had 968 homes headed by gay couples (or 1,936 people). Of course, that doesn't count any gays who were not then in a live-in situation, or any same-sex couples who decided not to list themselves as such on the official census records. But Thompson says thousands of gays living in the city is significant because in 2003 only 25,000 Salt Lakers voted in the mayoral primary and just over 40,000 voted in the final. That means gays are likely a significant number of those who do vote. If most of those gays voted, they would have made up 8 percent of the primary voters and 5 percent of the final election voters. Thompson said Equality Utah itself has hundreds of active supporters who live in Salt Lake City — and 1,200 people have tickets for a political fund-raising dinner later this month. "They are an active voter population," Wilson said. The gay and lesbian Salt Lake community "is very well organized. I'm in alignment with that group and seek their support." Among tangible support she received were the maximum-possible donations of $7,500 each from gay activists Bastian and Jane Marquardt. Some other spending and actions by candidates, besides

Jane Marquardt

courting the gay community, also would appear nontraditional for Utah. Wilson, for example, took her campaign staffers and a few volunteers to "Saturday's Voyeur," spending $528 on the tickets. "Voyeur" is a well-known satirical play — rewritten each year with annual themes of making light of Utah's cultural, political and religious oddities. Wilson spent just over $600 in buying wine for her a Gallivan Center fund-raiser held about a month ago. Becker has also spent money on beer for one of his fund-raisers. "Most of the nonprofit entities in the city provide some alcohol at their fund-raising events," said Wilson. So mayoral campaigns are not so different in that respect, she added. Wilson also used campaign money to pay dues to two environmental groups. She paid $100 in dues to the Sierra Club and $25 to the Environmental Defense Council. Wilson also made a $750 donation to Planned Parenthood. Candidate J.P. Hughes paid $75 to Planned Parenthood for a booth rental.

2009 From: Michael Aaron Subject: Equality Utah 's Allies Dinner - tickets available We have tickets to the Equality Utah Allies Dinner Aug. 18. If you are interested in sitting at the QSaltLake table, dinner is on us. Email me so I know the level of interest and I’ll find a way to equitably dole them out. Thanks for all you do for Q.  -Michael Aaron

• From: Ben Edgar Williams To: Michael Aaron Subject: Re: Equality Utah 's Allies Dinner - tickets available  How much are they?
• From: Michael Aaron Nada for you, honey
• From: "Ben Edgar Williams" To: "Michael Aaron" Yes I'd like to attend...see what the hob nobs are up to these days... I need to get out more just learned that The Trapp Door has been closed since Memorial Day ha!

2018 Trans Family Pool Party Celebrate summer and trans families! Trans and gender non-conforming parents and kids can dive in and have the White Towers Pool all to ourselves, surrounded by friendly, supportive community. As always, no one turned away for lack of funds, but donations are welcome. There will be food and snacks provided. Contact the UPC or TEA of Utah with any questions, ideas or comments. We strive to make our programs accessible to all families. Please let us know if you need any accommodations that would help your family participate to the fullest.