August 21st
 |
| Peter Doyle |
1869-Walt Whitman wrote to Peter Doyle, "My love for you is
indestructible, and since that night and morning has returned more than
before." Peter George Doyle's importance in the emotional life of
Walt Whitman is well established. The romantic friendship that sprang up in
1865 between the streetcar conductor and the poet spanned the years of
Whitman's residence in Washington, D.C, and continued nearly up through
Whitman's death in Camden, in 1892. Yet despite the prominent role that Doyle
played in Whitman's life, our knowledge of his personal history is incomplete. Poet John Burroughs hailed Doyle as "a mute inglorious
Whitman."
 |
| Huey Newton 1942-1989 |
1970-Huey Newton co founder of the Black Panthers publicly announced his
support of gay rights from a speech he gave August 15th. "During the past few years strong movements have developed
among women and among homosexuals seeking their liberation. There has been some
uncertainty about how to relate to these movements. Whatever your personal opinions and your insecurities about
homosexuality and the various liberation movements among homosexuals and women
(and I speak of the homosexuals and women as oppressed groups), we should try
to unite with them in a revolutionary fashion."
.jpg)
1977- A "kegger" was sponsored by Radio City Lounge up City Creek
Canyon in Salt Lake City for the Gay community. Serving Beer in kegs was legal in Utah in the 1970's and the Gay community sponsored lots of "kegger" parties in City Creek Canyon above Memory Grove for fundraisers and community building. Today Utah's Code 32A-10-206 states that a person “may not sell,
offer to sell, or otherwise furnish or supply beer to the general public in
containers larger than two liters.”
Being in possession of beer in a container larger than two liters is
likewise illegal.
1983-The Broadway musical version of La Cage Aux Folles opened. La
Cage aux Folles is a musical with a book by Harvey Fierstein and lyrics and
music by Jerry Herman. Based on the 1973 French play of the same name by Jean
Poiret, it focuses on a gay couple: Georges, the manager of a Saint-Tropez
nightclub featuring drag entertainment, and Albin, his romantic partner and
star attraction, and the farcical adventures that ensue when Georges' son,
Jean-Michel, brings home his fiancée's ultra-conservative parents to meet them.
The musical's original 1983 Broadway production received nine nominations for
Tony Awards and won six, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. The
success of the musical spawned a West End production and several international
runs. The 2004 Broadway revival won the Tony Award for Best Revival, the 2008
London revival garnered the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.
The 2010 Broadway revival was nominated for eleven Tony Awards, winning the
Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. "La Cage aux Folles" is the
only musical which has won the Tony award for best revival of a musical two
times. |
| John Reeves on the left |
1988 Dr. John Reeves PhD attended Affirmation where he received a
standing ovation for his efforts with making Beyond Stonewall, a Gay and
Lesbian weekend retreat a reality.
1988 Becky Moss and Ben Williams interviewed Debbie Fairchild,
former wife of Ted Fairchild, a Gay Mormon, at KRCL. Debbie Fairchild wanted to
share a Utah County study she participated in which claimed that women have a
harder time with divorce when a Gay man is involved because of issues over a
woman's insecurity over her own femininity.
1989-Lucie McKinney, the widow of Congressman Stewart McKinney
(R-CT), the first congressman to die of complications from AIDS, challenged his
will in court because he left a car and a 40% share of his Washington DC house
to Arnold Dennison, who claimed to be his lover.
1989 Ben Barr, executive director of the Utah AIDS Foundation, said
the organization wants to conduct a massive campaign to encourage people to be
tested for HIV. "But we don't feel we can do that until
anti-discrimination legislation is in place and unless
anonymous testing is
available," he said. Barr said that many people who willingly tell their
physicians that they are HIV positive are being discriminated against. In
short, their doctors are then refusing to treat them, he said. "It is true
that there are physicians who are uncomfortable in treating HIV individuals –
for personal reasons or lack of training," said state epidemiologist Craig
Nichols. "But I don't know of anyone who has been unable to be referred to
a physician for medication attention. That hasn't been a problem in Utah. In
fact, physicians have called the Health Department saying they are interested
in seeing more AIDS patients and HIV-infected individuals."
 |
| Ben Barr |
1990 Tuesday Robert J [Bobbie] Smith became chair of the Gay and
Lesbian
Community Council of Utah’s Stonewall Community Center sub-commitee
after James [Jim] Hunsaker had resigned.
Bobbie Smith came over my place after 9 pm
when his Stonewall Community Center meeting was over. He's the chair of it now that Jim Hunsaker
had resigned. He said that they are
raising a board of 100 to fund the community center like Albuquerque does. I'm
going to donate a monthly fee.
 |
| Bobbie Smith |
1991-Gay and Lesbian Community
Council of Utah’s Gay Day at Lagoon was held.
1993- Douglas Charles Koehler, 31, owner and operator of the FRAME-IT Shop, was murdered in Park City,
Utah. “Koehler was a 6-foot-4 ``gentle
giant'' who frequently rode his horse, Fred, in the Utah mountains, his friends
said. He was articulate and talented and had many friends, his Salt Lake
business partner said Monday. James Cornwall, co-owner of the Frame-It Shop,
3149 S. State, said he was still trying to understand why someone shot Mr.
Koehler, execution-style. Said Salt Lake tavern owner and friend John Paul Brophy:
``He was a
hell of an artist and someone who wouldn't harm a fly. This is such
a shock.” [David Nelson]Thacker kicked Koehler out of his apartment after Koehler allegedly
tried to kiss him. [Clint] Crane said that some time later, Thacker decided to "go
get the guy" and both drove to find him. Koehler was shot while his hands
were in his pockets, police said.
 |
| John Paul Brophy |
1994 Sunday, Outcry comes after judge decides to reduce sentence of
ParkWest slayer. GAYS WANT YOUNG REMOVED
FROM BENCH By Jason N. Swensen, Staff Writer Deseret News Members of Utah's gay
community are hoping that a judge's decision to reduce the sentence of a
Nevadan who shot and killed a
homosexual man will be counted among his last.
Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats filed a complaint Saturday with the Utah Judicial
Conduct Commission against 3rd District Judge David Young. The document calls
for the "strongest-possible penalty" against Young, including his
removal from office. The formal outcry comes days after Young ordered David
Thacker to serve a zero-to-five year sentence with a one-year enhancement for
shooting Douglas Koehler last August in a ParkWest parking lot. Prosecutors
originally charged Thacker, 26, with first-degree murder - claiming the slaying
was a blatant hate crime. The Unionville, Nev., man later pleaded guilty to
second-degree manslaughter. During Monday's sentencing hearing, Young said the
maximum prison term of 15 years for the reduced charge was "too
high," adding "I honestly believe in my own mind that Mr. Thacker is
not likely to reoffend." Saturday, a small group gathered at the Salt Lake
County Government Offices to review the complaint, enlist public unity and
demand action. "Our belief is that Judge Young has discredited the Utah
judicial system," said GLUD chairman Michael Aaron. "Judges are
trusted to reflect the values of the
communities in which they serve. Judge
Young has not only failed to do that, but has become an embarrassment for many
Utahns." The complaint claims Young ignored the hate-crime circumstances
surrounding Koehler's death along with prison sentence recommendations from
various state corrections officials. Participants also called for increased
awareness of other local judges' actions. Young has been targeted recently by
the National Organization for Women for "biased decisions" involving
ethnic minorities and women. State law prevents Young from commenting on cases
over which he presides. The complaint was also sent to the American Bar
Association, Utah Administrator of the Courts,Utah Bar Association, Gov. Mike
Leavitt and the Utah Judicial Council. _© 1998 Deseret News Publishing Co.
 |
| David S Young |
 |
| Michael Aaron |
- The Salt Lake Tribune Complaint Filed Against Judge Who Reduced Killer's Sentence THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats have filed a complaint over a judge's decision to reduce the sentence of a man who shot and killed a homosexual man. The complaint was filed Saturday with the Utah Judicial Conduct Commission against 3rd District Judge David Young. It calls for the "strongest possible penalty" against Young, including his removal from office. Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats believe Young acted unprofessionally and failed to consider the community when he decided Monday to reduce the sentence of David Nelson Thacker. "Judge Young's decision has received almost universal outrage from Utahns and others throughout the United States," said the group's founder, David Nelson. "People are complaining about him and working to have him removed from office immediately." Thacker was convicted of shooting Douglas Koehler in the head in what prosecutors said was a blatant hate crime. Thacker claims he and Koehler went into his bedroom after meeting in a Park City bar the night of August 22, 1993. He said he passed out after consuming alcohol and cocaine and then woke up and found Koehler fondling him. Thacker threw Koehler out of the condominium. He and a friend later found Koehler and confronted him in a parking lot, where he was shot once in the head. Young said Thacker wasn't likely to kill again and determined that the 1-to-15 year prison term he faced after pleading guilty to second-degree felony manslaughter was "too high." Instead, Young granted a motion by defense attorney Ron Yengich and agreed to reduce the sentence by a full degree. He ordered Thacker to spend no more than 6 years in prison, including a one-year firearm enhancement. The petition said Young "failed to consider the aggravated assault and hate-crime circumstances surrounding the victim's death." "Judges are trusted to reflect the values of the communities in which they serve," said Michael Aaron, the group's chairman. "Judge Young has not only failed to do that but has become an embarrassment for many Utahns." State law prevents Young from commenting on the cases over which he presides. Nelson said copies of the complaint have been filed with the American Bar Association, Utah Administrator of the Courts, Utah Bar Association, Gov. Mike Leavitt and Utah Judicial Council.
 |
| Camp Pine Cliff Utah |
1994 -AIDS camp participants join hands around fire for final
prayer during Sunday services. Carol France often thinks of son who died from
AIDS in 1992. Cindy Kidd, who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1991, takes communion
at Sunday services. Susan Spencer leads stress-management therapy session
Saturday at Camp Pine Cliff. Some looked thinner, weaker. Others were as robust
as they had been the year before. There were plenty of new faces, and a handful
of campers whose presence was sorely missed. The gathering, 15 miles east of
here at Camp Pine Cliff, was the second annual retreat for people with AIDS and
their loved ones. It took these campers longer than most to make the morning
hike. And the before-dinner volleyball games were filled more with laughter
than points. Campers too weary for vigorous activities teased from the
sidelines, fished in a nearby river or smoked cigarettes beneath shade trees in
front of the dining hall. Some ventured into tiny cabins and tents for midday
naps. All of them struggling with the deadly HIV virus took their pills and
medications throughout the weekend. ``You sit at home and you get depressed,''
said Ted, a camp organizer, who asked that his real name be withheld. ``But you
come out here, be yourself and meet other people in the same situations.'' On
Sunday morning, campers gathered around the campfire for a religious service in
which they shared stories of support, thankfulness and sorrow. Ted said he's
now at peace with himself. It has not always been that way. The day he found
out he had AIDS, the only thing Ted could think to do was get in his car and
drive. He was paralyzed by memories of loneliness and pain that friends had
experienced before dying of the disease. After four days on the road he landed
in Denver, suicidal and terrified. Something told him to call Bill, his
longtime lover, and talk about the diagnosis. ``He didn't react how I thought
he would,'' Ted told campers while clutching Bill's hand. `He didn't want to
get rid of me. Bill told his parents, and they said, `Get your butt back to
Salt Lake City and stay with us!' . . . I know I'm alive today because of their
support.'' Ted is one of the 961 Utahns
who have AIDS; another 776 people in the state have tested positive for the
HIV, the disease's precursor. More than
530 Utahns, and nearly 221,000 people nationwide have died of AIDS. Spiritual
and emotional support -- like that offered at Camp Pine Cliff -- does not cure
the disease. Scientists worldwide recently conceded they do not expect a cure
before 2000. But the campers who gathered in Summit County's mountains last
weekend know people with AIDS live longer when they're part of supportive
communities, rather than being alone and depressed. That's why three advocacy
groups for people with AIDS -- Horizon House Project, the People With AIDS
Coalition, and Shared AIDS Ministries -- worked with a handful of Utah
businesses to sponsor the retreat. Campers only had to pay $5 for the weekend.
``God identifies with you. It's true,'' Granger Community Christian Church
minister Dave Barnes reassured the men and women gathered around the fire at
the Sunday service. ``He is absolutely connected to you. . . . God has AIDS.''
The minister's proclamation helped end what already had been a healing and
joyful weekend for the campers. Though activities plugged on at a slower, more
relaxed pace than they might have at another camp, they did proceed. And
alterations on normal camp life cemented a camaraderie that began once they
arrived Friday night and lasted until their departure after Sunday's service.
``For most of us, this is a concrete event that improves the quality of life.
That keeps us alive,'' said Cindy Kidd, who was diagnosed with AIDS in
1991. Kidd attended the camp in honor of
Mark Pehrson, the camp's co-founder who died in June. ``He was my best friend,
and this camp was his dream.'' Kidd left her two children and husband behind
for the weekend. She needed time for introspection. Her family, however, was
still in her thoughts. ``It breaks my heart when my friends die, and my kid
puts her arms around me and says, `Mommy, I'm just glad it's not you,' '' she
said. ``My children are remarkable. . . . I've prepared them pretty well, but
they're scared.'' The camp was
designed to give people with AIDS a break from the issues and questions that
plague them. During a stress-relief workshop, the campers were advised to scream
at the top of their lungs or hit a pillow with a baseball bat to release
pent-up frustrations. ``And to the
people who think you've gone crazy,'' workshop leader Susan Spencer shouted to
her giggling students, ``just scream, `You will die of pent-up contractions and
I will be saved!'' Minutes later, the
campers stood in a circle with their arms around each other. They sang a
self-esteem song over and over, until it was loud enough to please Spencer.
Participants left the workshop with amused, but relaxed smiles. ``I loved it
last year and I couldn't wait to do it again,'' said second-year participant
Michael Adamson. ``Susan has a lot of knowledge and she delivers it in a fun
way.'' This year, Adamson, who is HIV
positive, had a guest to put his arm around during the midnight marshmallow
roasts: his little sister, Julie, who volunteered her services as a registered
nurse. I have a sense of closeness to her now that I didn't before,'' Adamson
said. ``I saw her at family reunions and things, but having a one-on-one with
her at the camp . . . it means a lot.''
Julie shares her brother's enthusiasm about the camp: ``I'm coming back
next year. I've never had an experience like this in my life.'' That is the response organizers had in mind.
They want people to know the power of group support. ``Outsiders cannot know
what it's like to cope with the loss of everything,'' said Carol France, whose
son Dion died of AIDS two years ago. `They are stripped of friends, family,
health, employment; they only have their spirits,'' France, a member of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said during the Sunday service.
She said camp camaraderie finally enabled her to find the supportive atmosphere
missing while her son still was alive. ``Dion was on an island without much
support.'' AIDS activists are aware, however, that even the most cared-for and
supported people will succumb to the disease. The last morning of the retreat,
a volunteer said goodbye to a new friend, hollering, ``I'll see you next year!''
``I hope so,'' he responded ``if I'm not dead.' (08/21/94: A17 Keywords: The
Salt Lake Tribune)
 |
| Camp Pine Cliff |
- Camp Pinecliff a retreat near Coalville, UT enjoying fellowship of loved ones. To Nature To Escape Isolation of AIDS! Coalville--AIDS has forced Jean to lead a double life. When the Salt Lake County woman first discovered she had AIDS...a few months before her husband died of the disease in 1988...she gave speeches warning others about the virus. Her activism led to harassment and ostracism and forced her and her two daughters to go "underground." "For every person with AIDS, there is a father, mother, brother, sister, spouse, partner or child also affected," said Larry Adams, a former Salt Lake man who has watched several friends die over the years. Recognizing that, organizers of this weekend's Camp Pinecliff retreat invited not only people with AIDS, but also families, friends and care givers. Jean and Larry were among the 47 people who attended the camp some 18 miles southeast of Coalville. Four years ago a similar camp was held but only for those with AIDS and a few nurses. "That was a mistake," Mr. Adams said Saturday. "What was done this time is open it up to non-infected people." "With others invited, campers with HIV don't feel stigmatized or isolated," said Mr. Adams, who helped organize the retreat. The activity schedule look like any other camp agenda: hikes, volleyball, basketball and baseball. But there also were workshops on massage and stress management. Adams said, "The community support made the retreat possible; Horizon House, People with AIDS Coalition and the MCC Church AIDS Ministry. Donations from area businesses and organizations, including $2,000 from the Salt Lake City mayor's office paid not only for this year's camp but will make next year's retreat also possible." Support for the camp is encouraging, but Mr. Adams stated that the AIDS crisis is over 12 years old and many still do not treat people with AIDS, their partners and their families with sensitivity. In the years that Mr. Adams has been involved in the AIDS movement, due to the deaths of several close friends, others assumed Mr. Adams also had AIDS (he does not) and ostracized him. "The gay community showed little more sensitivity than straight people did" he said. Mr. Adams and Jean both watched long time friends stop visiting or even calling. Jean talks tearfully of feeling isolated in her home, pretending to be simply a Mormon homemaker. For one weekend though, due to the work of Mr. Adams and others, she and others can be themselves and not have to live a lie.
 |
| Joe Pitti Mark Chambers |
1994-Sunday- Joe Pitti and Mark Chambers hosted a summer soiree -- one in a series of the
fourth annual event -- benefiting the Utah AIDS Foundation. Pitti and Chambers
are longtime volunteers for the foundation Pitti is a mime and
elementary-school teacher and Chambers an actor and box-office manager of Art
Tix. The party's theme was ``A Touch of
Italy.'' Chambers and Pitti, with the help of friends Mike Boswell, Mary Ogan
and Carolyn Wood, prepared the feast themselves. Italian delicacies included
Eggplant Parmesan, Pasta With Red Sauce and a salad of mixed greens with
vinaigrette. Bananas Flambe was the finale. Rick Pace, associate director of
the Utah AIDS Foundation, mingled with guests. The board recently named Pace
interim director until a replacement for LaDonna Moore, who resigned earlier in
the summer, can be found. An announcement should come by Oct. 1. Those who
shared the evening's pleasure were Mike Davis, Phil Zetzman, Keith Cromwell,
Bill Bartek, Joe Baldassare, Michael Carnac of Barcelona, Alain Regnier of
Paris, both in Salt Lake City for a hot summer visit. Also in the crowd:
Babette ``Babs'' De Lay, Nora Lewis, Myron Avila, Viola Tollis, Gordon Simpson
and his fiancee JoAn Ertel, Virginia Rainey and Simone Simonian, all Salt Lake
City. Most came, they said, because they
are interested in the fight against AIDS. `So many are gone,'' said Simonian, a
popular hair stylist, about those who have died of AIDS ``It's important to be
out there on their behalf, to raise as much money as we can.''` At the
conclusion of the evening, Pitti announced that he and Chambers had raised $850
for the Utah AIDS Foundation. Soirees earlier in the month raised $3,500 and
$800. The money, along with funds from remaining soirees, will be used for the
foundation's prevention-education program and direct-client services.
(08/21/94 Page: D6 SLTribune)
1994- In Salt Lake City, AIDS is the leading cause of death of men
ages 25 to 44. Statistics report that 948 Utahns have been diagnosed with HIV
or AIDS since 1983; 553 of those have died. (08/21/94 Page: D6 SLTribune)
1994-Rikki Streicher died of cancer at age 68 in San Francisco. She
opened Maud's, America's oldest continuously operating lesbian bar, in 1966 and
Amanda's, a lesbian dance club which opened in 1978. Maud's closed in 1989
because of financial problems. Streicher also helped organize the Gay Games in
San Francisco in 1986.
1996-Intel announced that the
company would begin offering domestic partner benefits.
1996-Denver Colorado's Career
Service Authority voted 5-0 to extend health insurance benefits to the partners
and children of Gay and lesbian city employees. The plan did not cover
unmarried heterosexual couples. Mayor Wellington Webb announced that he would
approve the plan, which had the support of the majority of the city council.
1997- Utah’s PFLAG showed video “Claiming America’s Promise”. "Claiming America's Promise" is the story of
PFLAG Houston's cross-country bus trip from Houston to Washington, D. C. The
trip started with only 30 people on the bus, but over 200 people arrived at the
nation's capitol to lobby for equal rights in the workplace.
1998 - Joe Redburn the father of "Talk Radio". A month ago the
"Radio Dial" listed the longest-working veteran DJs. Here's another
to
add to that list, Joe Redburn, now on "Radio One" and celebrating
33 years on the radio in Salt Lake this year. Redburn started on KSXX (AM-630)
(now KTKK) in May 1965. It was his idea to get Starley Bush, station owner, to
try the new controversial talk-radio style. First, there was just the one-hour
"Controversy" talk show by Redburn, and soon after, KSXX dropped its
folk music and modern jazz format to become one of the nation's first all-talk
stations. Redburn is now on KWUN week-days from 8-10 a.m. doing talk radio.
Last month he talked to Joe Waldholtz and the Saliva Sisters and examined UTA
and UDOT controversies. Deseret News
 |
| Joe Redburn |
1998-According to a survey by the Arizona Department of Public
Safety, hate crimes in the first part of 1998 were down 15% but gay males were
the second most commonly targeted group with twenty incidents. Ten incidents
against lesbians were reported.
1998- The 8th annual conference of Evergreen International was held
in Salt Lake City.
Presenter Jeff Robinson told Gay Mormons’ its all a question
how bad you want it. (to be straight.) Approximately 300 people attended paying
close to $100 to attend. Mormon General Authority Keith McMillin from the
General Bishopric gave an address although Evergreen claimed that it was not
affiliated with the Mormon Church.” For the 3rd year conference goers were
addressed by a Mormon general authority.
 |
| Bishop Keith McMillin |
1999 The Wasatch Bears held a River Float in Boise with the Boise
Bears
2004 Will you be the lucky winner of the Olivia 4 night cruise for
2 to the Bahamas? Come to the sWerve Garden Party and find out! Saturday,
August 21, 2004, 7:00 p.m. Cactus & Tropicals, 2735 South 2000 East, SLC Tickets
are $15, and each admission will receive one complimentary raffle ticket as
entry to our drawing. Grand Prize: A FREE four night cruise for 2 to the
Bahamas, courtesy of Olivia! FOUR NIGHTS IN PARADISE WITH THE WOMEN OF OLIVIA JAN.
29-FEB. 2, 2005 Treat yourself to a mid-winter burst of sunshine and relaxation
with our four-night cruise through
the Bahamas. We're joined by knock-down, drag-out funny comedian Elvira Kurt.
Her unscripted hijinx will keep you rolling with laughter. And, back by popular
demand, Halcyon rocks the ship. Escape the winter doldrums with the women of
Olivia. SAIL AWAY! Olivia is a proud sponsor of sWerve. Sure, the Grand Prize
is awesome, but there are other cool give-aways. Like two massage packages
generously donated by a local massage therapist! Come to the event, where you
could win big! The money raised at our Garden Party will go toward the
establishment of a scholarship fund to further the learning opportunites for
post High School women in Utah. Learn more about the scholarship fund and the
Garden Party at our website, www.swerveutah.com.
Live music by Honey, food, beer, wine, margaritas! Come dressed in your favorite
cruise attire and sail the seas with sWerve!
21 August 2000 Salt
Lake Tribune Page: A1 AIDS Memorial In Utah a Place Of Pain, Healing Memorial
Hall Commemorates AIDS Victims BY BOB MIMS
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE The Utah AIDS Foundation's Memorial Hall is barely
big enough for two chairs and a few end tables. But in its artwork, photographs
and scrapbooks are bittersweet memories no cathedral could hold. Smiling
snapshots of the dead serve as its icons; scrapbooks of obituaries,
occasionally punctuated with drawings or crushed flowers, comprise the canon of
a deadly worldwide epidemic that is making a resurgence in new victims among
the young -- particularly in Utah
treatment
regimens can, in some cases, stave off the disease's symptoms for many years. That
is cause for both celebration and consternation, said Doug Brunker, the
foundation's programming director. With hope, he says, has come a return by
some -- especially in the Gay community -- to the sexual carelessness of years
past. Brunker credits fear of the killer disease and safe sex education
campaigns for reversing the AIDS tide in Utah Utah Utah Utah Utah
where
AIDS takes on names and faces. Walking into the tiny room, the first thing a
visitor sees is "A Silent War," an oil painting by portrait artist Randall Lake Lake ,
who painted the scene in 1989 following the AIDS death of a friend. "When
these people are so sick, they turn inward. All their energy is used just
trying to stabilize their bodies. Their interest is focused on just surviving
the next hour." On the wall
opposite Lake 's painting is a patchwork quilt
bearing photo transfers of John W. Baldock, who died of AIDS in 1993. One
epitaph reads "Intelligent and Witty, Caring and Giving," another
"Friend and Companion, Never to be Forgotten." Amid a collection of
framed photos is one of Donald F. Garrett Jr., who died in 1994. It is
accompanied by a poem, which reads in part: "He's gone on, the rain has
ceased. His loving soul has been released." Nearby are the scrapbooks,
page after page of brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, friends and lovers cut
down by a modern-day plague: David Sharpton, the foundation's co-founder, dead
in 1992 at age 32; Lynn Topovski, a longtime performer and director in Utah Tyler Tyler Lake recalled. "One other model I tried to get also
was diagnosed with AIDS and then he couldn't do it. It was just too hard
emotionally for him." Eventually, he found yet another model, an emaciated
man recovering from surgery. The images flew off his brushes in six days.
"It was already in my head. I just needed to get it on canvas," said Lake , who is renowned for his still lifes and portraits. In
the decade since he donated the painting, Lake
has lost dozens more Gay friends and acquaintances to AIDS. "I've never been to the Memorial Hall.
It's just too close to the bone for me. I'm still dealing with grief," he
said. "There is an aversion to getting anywhere near an epidemic that has
torn me to pieces. I don't seek it out."
 |
| Doug Brucker |
 |
| Randall Lake |
 |
| Kolob, Utah |
2004 PFlag Potluck @ Claudia's cabin in Kolob August 21, 3 to 8pm come anytime!!! Claudia
will have roast beef and buns as well as cake for Little Aimee's 29th Birthday,
so bring a salad, chips, drinks or whatever. Directions: Take Highway 9 towards
Zion, into Virgin. Turn left to Kolob Reservoir, at top of lake/mountain you
will turn right at Blue Springs, from there follow PFlag signs. It is beautiful
up there, but there is no cell reception, so if you need more info call Claudia
before hand. OK everyone...one last reminder for GAMBALL. The 2004 PWA Kick off
Event!
2005 The Royal Court of the
Golden Spike Empire Along with the Imperial Rainbow Court of Northern Utah
Present: "United Courts of Utah Lagoon Day" Sunday August 21st We
have a group rate of $17.95 +tax/person
(Contact Krystyna or Sherry for your discount coupon) Gates open at
10:00 am We will be meeting at the Arbor Pavilion Light Breakfast will be
provided from 10:00 - 11:00 am Rides open @ 11:00 am Lunch will be served @
1:00 pm Group Photo @ 2:00 Pm (at the Arbor Pavilion) "United Courts of
Utah" Shirts are available for pre-sale Or you can buy one that day. Shirts are $10.00 and all proceeds will be
benefit The RCGSE & IRCONU General Funds. For more information please
contact; Krystyna Shaylee Empress 30 of the RCGSE Sherry Imperial Crown
Princess 5 of IRCONU
2005 – Gay Day at Lagoon! Out
at the Park Sunday at Lagoon, $17.95 day passes! Wear a red
T-shirt, group photo at 3PM at Dracula’s Castle. Contact SLMetro at 323-9500 LAGOON DAY
Sunday, August 21 We are participating with the KUTV Viewer Appreciation Day.
Tickets are 2-for-1 if you mention KUTV at the gate. Regular price entry is
$32.95, meaning the entry will be $16.47 each. We are not able to get coupons
for the event this year. There will be a group photo at the Dracula's Castle
plaza at 3pm. We are asking people to wear red t-shirts.
2005 Meth conference tackles HIV issue Meth, sex are often a dangerous
mixture By Michael N. Westley The Salt Lake Tribune At the height of his
methamphetamine-induced psychosis, Josh Pace found himself wandering through a
Salt Lake City cemetery following signs to a funeral. He was sure the funeral
he was looking for was his own. The psychosis, along with paranoia, compulsion
and restlessness, are all classic repercussions of a long-term, high-dose methamphetamine
addiction - effects that new reports show are including HIV infection at an
alarming rate. Pace was infected with HIV through unprotected sex with a man while
high on crystal meth in June 2002. His story reflects a rising trend of HIV
infection among gay men drawn in by the powerful allure of crystal
methamphetamine and the pleasure of having sex while high. "Every sense is
heightened. Everything is intense," said the 29-year-old Salt Lake City
man. The prevention and education of drug use and the promotion of safe sex were focal points of
the inaugural National Conference on Methamphetamine, HIV and Hepatitis held
Friday and Saturday in Salt Lake City. The conference, which was sponsored by
the Harm Reduction Project, attracted more than 900 attendees from around the
country. The harm-reduction model sits in stark contrast to the conservative
abstinence-only-based curriculum of Utah's education programs in that it
accepts drug use and sexual behavior and then searches for ways to inform
at-risk populations about how to engage in those behaviors safely. People have
been using some kind of substance for ages, said Patrick Fleming, director of
the Salt Lake County Division of Substance Abuse, during a panel discussion
Friday night. "It's the consequence of having a well-developed
brain." Though not connected with the weekend conference, Pace agreed to tell
his story. He says he tried meth for the first time when he was 18 years old.
He didn't use the drug again until he was 24, at which time he was battling
depression and was looking for an escape. "I was always open to
experimentation. I found it at parties and in the club scene. That's back when
it was all just fun for me," Pace said. "I did meth and everything
was fine. I was happy." That was December 2001. For a few months, his meth
use was recreational - every other weekend. But it didn't take long before it
became a weekly event, and the weekends stretched from Thursday to Tuesday. On
leave from his job for the depression, Pace had plenty of time to cycle the
party from one friend to the next. Within a few months, meth had become his
lifestyle. He would snort, smoke or ingest the powerful stimulant, he said. For
Pace, having sex on meth did not become a regular habit until more than a year
after he began using. The incident in which he contracted the virus in June
2002 was a random, brief and seemingly unsatisfying event, he said. By December
2002, and with his life in shambles - his job gone, his car impounded, his
belongings confiscated when he lost his apartment, and his original
"party" friends all taken in by their own addictions - Pace turned to
the Internet for validation through sex. From a random online hookup in March
2003, Pace found a man who was also HIV positive who was looking to
"PNP," an acronym that stands for "Party and Play," or have
sex on meth. It was his first experience with a needle. "I figured, why
not? Snorting and smoking isn't getting me high," Pace said. "And the
rush was wonderful." An HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment report funded by
the Utah Department of Health in 2004 revealed that youths, men who have sex with
men, intravenous drug users and inmates in prison or jail were more likely to
report having sex under the influence of drugs when compared with the overall
sample of 425 respondents. Mark Biggler, of Weber State University, explained
in a conference lecture on Saturday that the first step in preventing the PNP
phenomena is to address the pleasure factor associated with sex and drugs. "There
is a pleasure that bridges meth and sex. To recognize pleasure as a central
theme keeps us from lying about why it is appealing," he said, and that
honesty opens the door to effective education. Pace said he took tips from a
book distributed by the Harm Reduction Project titled Getting Off Right, which
taught him how to safely process and inject meth. "Most people want to
take care of themselves, and that includes people who use drugs," said
Michael Siever, director of the San Francisco-based Stonewall Project. The
harm-reduction model works because it allows people to be counseled on how to
reduce their drug use to a manageable level. "By not telling them what to
do, they can make the decision to quit by themselves," Siever said. For
Pace, that decision came in November after spending most of the year bouncing
from house to house, getting high and wandering the streets at night.
His
weight fell to 135 pounds. He began an outpatient drug-treatment program that
has helped him identify the depression that pushed him toward the drug. He
completed four months of the seven-month program and has not touched meth since
November. His fear of the psychosis keeps him clean, he said. Today, at 160
pounds, Pace is pleased with the man he sees in the mirror. He has a job, an
apartment and a partner. Telling his story was a big, and necessary, step
to his recovery by letting go of the shame of having contracted HIV and the
struggle of overcoming a drug addiction. "Nothing really good comes of
silence," he said.
2007 West Valley police nab 15 after complaints of lewdness
Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2007 WEST VALLEY CITY — Responding to recent complaints of
lewd acts being committed along the Jordan Parkway Trail in West Valley, police
conducted a day of "directed enforcement" Sunday. The result: 15 men
arrested for investigation of lewdness. Police had heavy patrols of the parkway
between 3100 South and 3500 South on Sunday. Those arrested were participating
or attempting to participate in sexual acts in the bushes just off the main
trail, said West Valley Assistant Police Chief Craig Black. Black said the
problem usually spikes for awhile and then calms down. "If it becomes a
problem again, we'll go down there on an as-needed basis," he said.
 |
| Bishop Gene Robinson |
2009 Friday First openly gay Episcopalian bishop: Faith a key to
civil-rights struggle By Kristen Moulton There may be one thing even more
difficult than coming out of the closet for many lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender people, said the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop. And
that's coming out as religious. Yet
reclaiming faith is vital to the success of the gay-rights movement, V. Gene
Robinson told Utahns this week at a Salt Lake City fundraiser for the nonprofit
group Equality Utah. "We need to
lay claim to the fact that we've been able to put our sexuality together with
our spirituality in a way that enlivens us and nourishes us," said Robinson,
whose landmark 2003 ordination as bishop of the New Hampshire Diocese drew
cheers in some quarters and scorn in others throughout the faith
community. "We have let the
religious right take the Bible hostage," he said, "and it's time we
took it back." In a speech meant to remind LGBT Utahns of "great
progress" in recent decades and to inspire them for the fight ahead,
Robinson likened the movement to the civil rights and women's movements of the
1960s and '70s. In both cases, he said, real change happened only after allies
-- whites with blacks and men with women -- joined the fight. "When straight allies are joining us in
our fight, then we can really make some progress," an optimistic Robinson
told the 1,200 gathered at the Calvin Rampton Salt Palace Convention
Center. Homophobia is waning, he said,
and there is a "vast, movable middle" in society that can be won
over. "They've stopped wanting to kill us, but they're not ready yet to
celebrate us either." The Allies
Dinner 2009 fundraiser honored those -- including one church, the South Valley
Unitarian Universalist Society -- who are helping to secure rights for LGBT
people. Others given awards were Salt Lake County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson and
partners Carol Gnade and Lorraine Miller.
Working from within faith communities is important, Robinson said,
because "90 percent, at least, of the oppression that you and I face as
LGBT people comes from the Abrahamic faiths -- from Judaism, Islam and
Christianity." Robinson predicted
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- as well as other churches --
will change its position. "Pretty
soon," Robinson said, "even the LDS Church is going to realize that
no one under 30 is interested in joining a church that discriminates against
us." Those Mormon families enduring
the conflict between what their church teaches and how many of their loved ones
live will influence their leaders, he said. "They are going to wake up.
They are going to see that the compassion they believe in extends to all of
God's children." While the LDS
Church was at the forefront of advocating California's Proposition 8 to ban gay
marriage last year, the church increasingly encourages compassion for those
with same-sex attraction. A 2006 church
pamphlet stresses that such attraction is not sinful, although acting on it is.
The church less often advocates marriage as a "cure" for
homosexuality and is more open than in the past to the contention that many gay
and lesbian people are born with such sexuality. Last year, the church said it
would not oppose some basic rights, such as hospital visitation and housing
nondiscrimination, for same-sex couples. Robinson said he is confident LGBT
people eventually will have full inclusion in all of society, including in
churches, synagogues and mosques. "In the end," he said, "we can
keep doing this work because we know how it's going to end." He encouraged
LGBT people to lives of joy, "fabulousness" and integrity so that no
one can deny "the eternal light that is in each one of us. "No matter
the setbacks, the costs, the price we pay," Robinson said, "we are
inexorably moving to a vision of the culture and of our religious institutions
which is closer to God's [vision]." kmoulton@sltrib.com
2018 The Utah Pride Center was happy to be invited to the Passage of the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act. The event was held at Utah State Capitol, congratulations to Congressman Chris Stewart Lt. Governor Spencer J. Cox Sean Reyes, Utah's Attorney General Representative Steve Eliason. Special thanks to Daniel W. Thatcher for Senate 12
 |
| Bev Grossaint & Bonnie Foerster |
2018 Enduring
love: woman attempting to marry her dead partner Bonnie Foerster and Beverly
Grossaint were together for 50 years By: Rick Aaron SOUTH SALT LAKE (News4Utah) -Hundreds of
marriage ceremonies take place throughout the state of Utah every day but the
Foerster-Grossaint wedding is unlike any other. You see, one of the brides is
74 years old and in a wheelchair...and the other bride died on May 27th. In
1968 Bonnie Foerster had just left her abusive husband when she met Beverly
Grossaint. "I met her with two black eyes and broken ribs and so on and so
forth, had sunglasses on," Foerster told News4Utah. "She told me to
take the damn sunglasses off and looked into my eyes and said she could see my
soul...I fell in love. She was my soulmate...When she met me we were both lost
and we became Bonnie and Bev...Bev and Bonnie for 50 years." For the next
five decades they were inseparable. "Dancing, laughing, singing, making up
stupid songs," Foerster recalls. They attended Dr. Martin Luther King
Junior's speech at the 1968 March on Washington and New York City's first Gay
Pride parade in the mid 70's. "People threw eggs at us," Foerster
said. "And rotten tomatoes and garbage at us and we were proud and we
never wavered." Over the years Bonnie has lost a lot - her eyesight, her
legs and most painfully, Beverly three months ago. "At 5:45 pm on a Sunday
and my world stopped," Foerster said. Now she's petitioning a judge to be
legally married to Beverly. "When that judge pronounces that we're married
my world will begin again," Foerster said. "I know that she will
smile down on me tomorrow and she will take the grief that I feel right now and
the sadness and she will turn my tears into love." Because people
die...but love never does. "Love is love and that's all that matters in
this world," Foerster said. "Our love meant so much to each other. We
meant so much to each other and I know when it's my time she will be waiting
for me in Heaven with open arms and she will hold me eternally." Bonnie
will find out if the judge grants her petition Tuesday at 2 o'clock at the
Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
We look forward to seeing this work evolve, to seeing our LGBTQ communities participate and we would invite any member of Utah Congress or Senate to the Utah Pride Center to see the amazing work being done.
No comments:
Post a Comment