Sunday, August 4, 2013

This Day in Gay Utah History AUGUST 4th

August 4th

1978 During the well publicized hearings on the extension of the ERA time limitation, Mormon feminist Sonia Johnson, a fifth generation Mormon, was called to testify on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment before the Senate Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights. Johnson and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah clashed on the issues of ERA.Sonia Johnson was excommunicated for opposing Mormon Leaders views on the ERA Sonia also declared herself a lesbian and began a relationship with a woman. After ending that relationship, she wrote in "The Ship that Sailed Into the Living Room" that even relationships between female couples are a dangerous patriarchal trap, because "two is the ideal number for inequality, for sadism, for the reproduction of patriarchy", and that relationships are "slave Ships" (a concept from which she derived the title of the book). "Nearly four years after I began my rebellion against relation/sex/slave Ships," she wrote, "experience and my Wise Old Woman are telling me that sex as we know it is a patriarchal construct and has no rightful, natural place in our lives, no authentic function or ways. Synonymous with hierarchy/control, sex is engineered as part of the siege against our wholeness and power."Johnson also founded Wildfire, a short-lived separatist commune for women that disbanded in 1993. She published several of her books under the imprint "Wildfire Books."

8th Annual Gay Rodeo at Reno
1983-The 8th Annual National Reno Gay Rodeo opened despite threats that snipers would shoot at spectators and claims by the Pro-Family Christian Coalition that the event was an orgy riddled with disease and that gays are un-American. 20,000 people attended the opening ceremonies.

1987- Salt Lake Affirmation discussed "Whether Gay Mormons have a Social Disadvantage when it comes to making friends because of their cultural upbringing." The topic of "Mormon social retardation" had about 20 people in attendance.

1987-The conservative Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to expand the use of involuntary detention for people with AIDS who knowingly expose others to infection. The vote was in response to Joseph Markowski, who gave blood knowing he was infected with HIV.
  • Liberal Governor Mario Cuomo of New York announced a program establishing anonymous confidential HIV testing as an effort to get an idea of the prevalence of HIV infection in New York.
Ben Williams
 1988 The Gay and Lesbian Community Council met and discussed Ben Williams’ motion to form a political subcommittee to educate the politicians of this community and state about Gay and Lesbian Issues. Conservative Greg Stanger countered that the council should not be political at all. First time the word Gay Liberation has been used in the council.

1988-A sold-out gospel show organized by Dionne Warwick and Rev. Carl Bean drew 6,500 people and raised $150,000 for the Los Angeles Minority AIDS Project. Performers included Al Jarreau and Patti LaBelle.

1989 A letter, on GOP stationery, and signed by Conservative Salt Lake County Republican Chairman Peter Van Alstyne, was sent to Republican voting district officers, urging District 5 voters to defeat incumbent SLC Councilman Tom Godfrey and high school teacher. "Tom Godfrey does not represent the Republican values and philosophies of high moral integrity," the letter read, because he spoke at Gay Pride Day at Sunnyside Park. Van Alstyne questions Godfrey's stance on Gay RightsA background article on Tom Godfrey

1989 Beyond Stonewall '89 opening day was held at Camp Rogers at YMCA camp in the Soapstone Basin, Utah. Over 100 people attended the weekend retreat which included a key note speaker, a bonfire sing along, workshops, an under the stars dance, and Sunday devotional.

1989-A man who was having sex with another man was shot by a Baltimore police officer. He was hospitalized and charged with misdemeanor sexual offenses. The officer said the shooting was an accident.

Bruce Hayes
1990-The Gay Games III opened in Vancouver, British Columbia. A number of prominent Olympians from several countries have taken part in LGBT aquatics over the years, but Bruce – anchor leg of the U.S.’ gold medal winning 4 x 200 m. freestyle “Grossbusters” relay from 1984 – was the first. Bruce competed at Vancouver’s 1990 Gay Games and went on to set five Masters world marks in his hometown of New York at Gay Games IV in 1994, including being the first Masters swimmer to break four minutes in the 400 m. freestyle (short course). Bruce has been a prominent spokesman for the LGBT community ever since and continues training and competing today.

1996 Page: A2  Salt Lake Tribune Letter From The Editor Byline: BY MARK N. TRAHANT   T.S. Eliot once said: ``I suppose most editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.'' The poet was not talking about the newspaper business, but he could have been. We work in an environment where the presumption has been that if you write well, you must manage well. Therefore, the reasoning went, all good writers make good editors. Part of this was economics-- writers were paid less, so there always was pressure to advance into management. But times -- and management philosophy --have changed. Now editors are hired because they demonstrate editing skills. They are promoted because they are perceived as good managers of people, words and pictures.(Conversely, top-scale reporters are paid enough so they are not forced into management for economic reasons.) The Salt Lake Tribune subscribes to a convention of editing called coaching. That means editors and reporters work together on a story, sometimes sitting side by side, carrying out a conversation that shapes the story. This system works best when we redefine the news, shifting away from routine and often meaningless events toward more substantial issues of the day. Let us go then, you and I, into the newsroom. Let us go through cluttered desks, restless deadlines and questions that start with, ``How shall I begin?''   First meet Terri Ellefsen. She coordinates virtually everything. She makes certain that editors communicate (a difficult proposition in the communications business) with their colleagues, giving every one an idea of what stories are planned for the next day's edition.   The veteran news editor is Tim Fitzpatrick. He has worked at The Tribune for 15 years. Fitzpatrick's charge is government and science. A few months ago that was, perhaps, the most exciting -- and time-consuming – editing assignment at the newspaper. He worked well into the night while reporters chronicled every twist and turn in the Enid Greene and Joe Waldholtz story. But the long hours paid off: The tribune's coverage was excellent. Dawn House's editing challenge may be the most difficult: Questioning the way this newspaper reports crime and safety. How far does a reporter stray from the whodunit? Do the ethics change when the same story is on television? What if we always have done it that way? As Justice Desk editor, House balances Front Page zeal with new ideas about how we make crime and safety relevant to the majority of Tribune readers. The staff writers with the most territory work on the Communities Desk. Patty Henetz leads a team that covers news from virtually anywhere along the Wasatch Front. The definition of community is broad -- it adds race, gender and age to the traditional topics of zoning, transportation and city ordinances in areas growing so fast that few bureaucrats can keep pace. This desk is an area where The Trib's coverage sparkles: Our readers should now understand Utah's uniquely urban problems generated by a largely internal population boom. Peg McEntee is the editor responsible for the Faith and Learning Desk. In Utah, it is difficult to think of two institutions that have more influence over our lives than church and school. It has been a busy desk, tracking school-board actions about gay and lesbian clubs to a new president of the LDS Church. Now that the Olympics are over, Kurt Kragthorpe, The Trib's sports editor, may take a short break -- at least until the fall sports get busy. Day after day this desk handles more volume of reportage than any other desk.   Shia Kapos, acting business editor, has seamlessly filled in for editor Cherrill Crosby while the latter is away on leave. Business pages continue to improve in style and presentation. Also, readers should take note that business  news no longer is relegated to its own section --often stories are displayed prominently on A-1.   The weekend news editor is Connie Coyne. She manages a fun-house news mirror: Saturdays are as busy as any other day of the week (try shopping if you don't believe me),while Sundays are so slow that one reporter could count every car that drives downtown.   Finally, at the end of the news-gathering process, news editors David Noyce and Jeff Walton are the final eyes to see the newspaper before it is delivered to readers. They are complete professionals, acting with jack-rabbit speed when a story breaks late -- such as the pipe bomb in Atlanta -- to get the most up-to-date version.   I am introducing these news editors as my way thanking them for all their help during my four-plus years at The Tribune. I leave this week to be the editor and publisher of The Daily News, a Kearns-Tribune group newspaper, in the university cities of Moscow, Idaho and Pullman, Wash. I take with me wonderful memories, and I have learned much from the many talented journalists here at The Tribune.   I'll end the way I began, quoting T.S. Eliot:   Deferential, glad to be of use, Politic, cautious, and meticulous;   Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;   At times, indeed, almost ridiculous. . .   Mark N. Trahant   Executive News Editor

Bare Ass Beach Great Salt Lake
1997 The Two Halves of "Bare Bum Beach"  SL City Weekly By Ben Fulton AUGUST 4, 1997:  When nature calls, nature calls. "Sam," as he shall be known, was walking about the northeast shoreline of the Great Salt Lake in shorts and thongs when he had to urinate. Two minutes after he pulled his shorts back up he was in handcuffs.  So were 33 others arrested for misdemeanor lewdness almost two weeks ago on a Saturday afternoon. It was quite a haul for the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Deputies who orchestrated the raid. The strip of shoreline, known as "Bare Bum Beach" or "Exit 111," has been a magnet for nudists for years. The recent arrests, though, have sparked the ire of people who say their activities are harmless at best, insipid at worst.  "I'd like to know where they [sheriff's deputies] took a leak when they were out here all day," says Sam, who requested anonymity. "There's lewdness out here, but it all depends on what's lewd to you." Lafe Case, a retired trucking supervisor, who's frequented this side of the lake for some 30 years, is upset that recent media reports have pigeonholed the area as nothing but a sordid pick-up spot for gays. "The only thing they're telling the public is what they want the public to know," said Case, who saw the raid take place but was not arrested. He enjoys the area clothed, preferably with a book, and has helped many beach roamers pull their cars out of the mud with a tow attached to his truck. "There are heterosexuals as well as homosexuals out here. But more than that, people just come out here to relax in the sun and solitude. People fly kites, ride bikes and fly miniature planes out here." Indeed, even on a Wednesday afternoon with overcast clouds, you can find a solitary walker, or one man reading in the passenger seat of his parked car, door open. Those who know each other call out with nicknames over this vast expanse of flat beach dotted with pools of salt water.  "It's very compatible. You don't see arguments between different people," Case continued. "Yet it is a very clean beach for all those who use it. Do you find your park and recreation areas this clean?"  He admits that from time to time there's some "funny stuff happening," though. So does law enforcement, or they wouldn't have sent five unmarked cars out to the four-mile long beach. It's practically a two-year ritual, brought on whenever spectators — usually tourists at the nearby Salt Air public park — complain about what they see from a distance. If anything, the recent arrests help define the right place and time to bare your derriere. Life's a beach: "People just come out here to relax in the sun and solitude," says Lafe Case.  According to Andrew McCullough, attorney for Utah Naturists, Inc., if people take sufficient lengths to be sure they're away from the public eye when disrobing, all's fine. And if "textiles," that is clothed people, come within sight, be courteous enough to cover up. It's as simple as that, really, if you want to be a naturist or nudist. There have been instances, however, when law enforcement has gone the extra mile to find naturists. More than a year ago, a pair of officers hiked two miles to Diamond Fork Hot Springs late one evening where they arrested several nude bathers.  "That's not legitimate law enforcement in my opinion," McCullough said. "If officers do that they're wasting everyone's time and money."  While not fully aware of all the circumstances surrounding the "Bare Bum Beach" raid, McCullough doesn't rule out looking into it at some point. "We'll put the police to the test and see if they're protecting society or just being a nuisance." For his part, Salt Lake County Sheriff's Deputy Rod Norton appreciates any effort nudists may make to stay out of public view. But the July 19 operation dealt with people who could be seen from the highway, he explained. There were some unsavory aspects as well, such as sexual activity. "I hate to have to accentuate that, but that's reality," said Norton, almost blushing through the phone. Case, however, maintains there was no beach-side sex that he noticed the day of the bust. "There wasn't anything like that carrying on while I was there," he said. "That kind of stuff only happens once in a while, usually while very few people are out there."  Even without the naughty bits, though, the raid was conducted within the law, not to mention the confines of good taste, Norton said. "Some may say it's just nudity, but it's still a violation of law and within our purview to enforce the law." Naturists have tried in the past to walk the beach without being seen, according to Case. They built a small bridge over the area's more muddy expanses to get farther out to shore away from sight, but expanded water covered it up over the years. In fact, one advantage beach regulars have over law enforcement is that they know the area's hazards well. During the raid, one sheriff's deputy in hot pursuit of a lewd offender peeled across a watery pool in his vehicle, only to find himself stuck 3-feet-deep in mud.  "I just laughed like hell, it was a zoo," Case said. "That tied up operations for about an hour. All the cops came to help him get out. Everyone else just laughed like hell." 

1998 Van H. Andreasen , 36, of Guerneville, CA, formerly of Salt Lake City, passed away at his home in Guerneville of a massive heart attack. Native of Idaho,  spent most of his early life in Nephi and Heber, Utah. He was survived by his life partner, Rob Leach, of Guerneville.

1999-New Jersey's Supreme Court unanimously voted to strike down the Boy Scouts' policy banning gays from being members or leaders of the organization.

2006 Gay guidebook ranks U. in top 100 Friendly environs: The rating evaluates school policies, campus safety and health services By Shinika A. Sykes The Salt Lake Tribune The University of Utah has been recognized as one of the best 100 campuses in the nation for gay students, according to a new guidebook. The U. joins Cornell University, University of Arizona, University of Oregon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ohio State, University of Colorado-Boulder, Colorado State University, Northwestern University and Princeton University on the list, which appears in The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students released Tuesday by Alyson Publications. The U.'s inclusion on the list is based on 35-plus years of students, faculty and staff working for "inclusion, equality and safe
Charles Milne
places for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals," said Charles Milne director of the U's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center. "While we still have much to accomplish, the LGBT and ally communities have made many strides forward." Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus PrideNet, a national organization for LGBT student leaders, is the author of the Advocate guide. According to Windmeyer, the U.'s LGBT's center, programs, services and student coalition were instrumental in landing the U. on his list. Windmeyer's guidebook is the first comprehensive guide to highlight LGBT-friendly campuses in the United States, he noted. The 100 campuses were selected from a list of 680 nominees, based on institutional policies, commitment and support, academic life, housing, counseling, health services, campus safety, recruitment and retention efforts. "We are pleased the university community is being recognized as a productive and safe learning environment for individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds," said Stayner Landward, U. dean of students. The guide includes information about individual campuses, number of students, tuition, admissions procedures and deadlines, gay- affirmative policies, events and other resources.comIn 2012 still ranked in the top 25 Gay friendliest colleges.

2000 Salt Lake Tribune Urges Entrepreneur to Quit Selling Joke Olympic Pins. byine: Lori Buttars  Aug. 4--Mell Bailey peddles Olympic pins. Some are serious, recalling moments of Olympic glory. Others, such as the new scandal pin calling Salt Lake City's 2002 Winter Games "The Best Games Money Can Buy," usually end up getting her in hot water. But it was the Salt Lake Organizing Committee she expected to hear from. Not The Salt Lake Tribune.  "I never expected a mogul in the community like The Tribune to get involved in something that some people see as derogatory," said Bailey, who operates two "Spirit of the Games" kiosks


Mell Bailey
2006 Mell Bailey, community supporter and activist was found dead by her lover from an accidental overdose of drugs. She was a Gay entrepreneur who had a great love for animals. Melanie Kay Bailey "Mell" Melanie "Mell" Kay Bailey passed away unexpectedly Friday, August 4, 2006 in Murray, UT. A true "free spirit", born Feb. 1, 1962 in Murray, UT to Fred and Loni Prince Bailey. Mell accomplished many things in her short life. She was a gifted writer and entrepreneur, excelled in sports and was a true lover and protector of animals. Graduated from Murray High School in 1980 having been given many awards including the "Hope of America". She received several scholarships in tennis using one at University of Illinois and then graduating from the University of Utah in 1984. She loved the TV broadcasting field, which she worked in for several years. She went on to work at Eastern and Continental Airlines, which helped fulfill her passion for travel. She was always on the go, traveling to all corners of the world. She lived in Seoul Korea teaching English and started a photography business at the US army base providing many loving pictures of our soldiers to be sent home. After returning from Korea she opened a coffee bar, Brews & Blues, at Trolley Square Mall with her partner, Angela Mettler. Using strong determination and a lot of work she owned and operated 4 Olympic merchandise outlets, Spirit of the Games, in Salt Lake, Provo, and Layton. Many people knew her as the "Pin Lady". After 9-11 she designed and produced Olympic pins to help many causes including Engine Co. 235 in Brooklyn, NY, all proceeds of the sales benefited the families of the Firemen that had lost their lives at the World Trade Center. Her diligent work and devotion to help people in need earned her the award of Women Making a Difference in 2002 by the Salt Lake Junior Miss Association. Her compassion for homeless animals was overwhelming. Many animals benefited from her tireless work to find homes. Most recently she adopted a horse that was to be destroyed. She felt he deserved to live and enjoy a grassy field near her home. She recently started a fund to help provide food and other supplies to needy families so that they could enjoy adopting a pet and afford to care for the animal. She always looked forward to U of U home games and meeting all her friends at the tail gate parties. She is survived by her parents, Fred and Loni Bailey, Tucson, AZ; a sister, Marnie (John) Ajamie, Knoxville, TN; two sweet nieces that she adored, Malia and Kaili; her partner, Angie Mettler; aunts and uncles, Bob (Lee) Prince, Bob (Toni Fox) Paquette, Patti Reed, Kay Soffe, Terry (Ruth) Bailey; many cousins and their extended families, and numerous people from everywhere whose lives Mell has touched. She was preceded in death by her grandparents; and a dear uncle, Randy Fox. A celebration of Mell's life will be held Wednesday, August 9th, 7:00 p.m. at Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary South Valley, 1007 West South Jordan Parkway (10600 So). Visitation with family from 6:00-7:00 p.m. prior to the celebration service. In accordance to Mell's wishes, she will be cremated and her ashes along with the ashes of her beloved "Sugar" scattered. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the fund Mell established, Q Cares for Canines, c/o Washington Mutual, 5664 So 900 East, Murray, UT 84121. We all loved her so much and will miss her always. God speed our "Free Spirit" we will be seeing you again! (SLTribune 08-08-06)Mell Bailey's obituary
  •  Ben Williams  “I first met Mel Bailey in 1989 when she and others initially formed a Queer Nation group in SLC. She and others strong willed activists however could not come together on a vision for Queer Nation and the organization split into Queer Nation Utah and Utah Queer Nation. Bailey eventually could not get enough support for her faction and she left the scene. “ 
  • Connell O’Donovan-Just wanted to say this is not quite how it went down.  This is my recollection of what happened, but I'd have to check my journals and Queer Nation minutes I have archived for sure. The rest of us had a strong, cohesive vision for Queer Nation.  Melanie did not.  She would show up to meetings strung out on coke (and goddess knows what else) and demand attention, deference, coddling, and control of the meetings.  She claimed to have gathered $1000 in "seed money" to start up Queer Nation Utah, but insisted we could not use it unless she was the de facto "head" of Queer Nation and did things her way, holding out that alleged funding as a carrot on a stick for us to follow around.  Since we were pretty sure that other Queer Nations were run on a radical consensus basis and not as a typical hierarchy, I scraped some money together and flew to San Francisco in January 1990 to attend San Francisco Queer Nation to see how it was run.  I came back, made my report that there was absolutely no hierarchy whatsoever, that committees dispersed funds, not individuals, and Melanie was aghast.  I think it was Curtis who clued us in that the $1000 did not in fact exist and she was merely lying and grandstanding to have her way.  After one particularly nasty confrontation at the "Other Place" Greek cafe on 300 South, we basically told her to "put up or shut up".  She stormed off in her little sports car and that's the last I ever saw or heard of her.  I never heard that she tried to start a rival group, especially not one called "Utah Queer Nation"!!!  If so, perhaps it was only in her cocaine-addled head.  Curtis Jensen had much more interaction with her than I did and I'm sure has many more details (and maybe some corrections) to add. –
2007 Bearhug Party- Just a quick teaser announcement: Ron, John and I have finished the basement remodel, so we'll be throwing our first bearhug party in way too long in August. Save the date: Saturday, August 4th, from 7pm to 11pm. The same old place, but it looks very VERY different.. Hugs, Daddy Todd

Michael Adamson
2009 MICHAEL ADAMSON  1953 ~ 2009 Michael R. Adamson obituary passed away August 4th, 2009 at the age of 55. He was born in Wichita Falls, Texas on November 18, 1953 Michael owned and operated 9th Avenue Salon for over 30 years. He was very passionate about his work. He adored and cared deeply for his "varied" clients. Michael would extend thanks to all his customers for their years of patronage. He spent a lot of time at the Salt Lake Acting Company. Won many awards for hair styling. Volunteered community services for people in need. Michael loved skiing, scuba diving, traveling, spending time with family and friends, shopping at Costco, 'sticker' wars with his mother, camping and using his RV, pottery, etc. He will be deeply missed by many. His life's work inspired artists to paint, create hand-made works of art, and writers to compile stories and a musical to celebrate his life and his shop. There will be a viewing Friday evening August 7th from 6-8:00 p.m. at Evans and Early Mortuary, 574 East 100 South, Salt Lake City. Services will be Sat., August 8th at 12:00 noon at Richmond Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Evans and Early Mortuary, Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake Tribune article on Adamson
    Becki Mecham as Althora 1987
  • Longtime Avenues shampoo-and-set salon owner dies by Kathy Stephenson SLTribune published 7 August 2009 -When customers showed up Thursday for their hair appointments at Ninth Avenue Salon, they suspected that the newspaper obituary for owner Michael Adamson was just another of his far-fetched pranks. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Adamson, who had operated the 30-year-old salon -- a favorite of the shampoo-and-set generation -- died Tuesday at age 55. Friends and family say Adamson was a relentless prankster. From turning back the clocks to make clients think they were late to hiding plastic spiders in the shampoo suds, he loved a good joke. His favorite toy was the "farting" machine he would hide in various spots around the salon and fire off with a remote control, embarrassing unsuspecting customers. But this week, friends remembered his compassionate side. Through the years, the businessman donated haircuts to those who were unable to pay. He was always willing to take his comb and scissors to hospitals and care facilities to do a cut and style for a customer who was sick or dying. "Hair makes a huge difference for people in the hospital or who are home-bound in some way," explained Peggy Battin, a longtime customer of Adamson's. Battin's husband, Brooke Hopkins, was paralyzed from the neck down in an accident in November. Adamson made several trips to University Hospital and to a nursing facility to cut Hopkins' hair."Brooke's head is the only part of his body that works at the moment," Battin said, "and having his hair cut and look nice -- even in these difficult circumstances -- makes a huge difference. Michael understood that." Battin considered Adamson to be courageous as well. In the late 1980s, Adamson was among the first Utahns to publicly announce he had contracted the HIV virus. While he lost a significant number of clients at the time, Adamson felt it important to talk about the disease. Adamson's illness was controlled by medication and never developed into full-blown case of AIDS. His family believes there is no connection between HIV and his recent death; however, an autopsy is pending. Since the late 1980s, Adamson had been donating his services to the Salt Lake Acting Company, cutting and dyeing actors' hair, as well as creating wigs for characters. A massive "beehive" wig used in the early years of "Saturday's Voyeur" was Adamson's creation, as was the 1950s Barbie wig used this year, said Keven Myhre, SLAC's producing director. Actors would seek him out before auditions asking him to style their hair to make them feel more in character. Myhre said he was a regular customer, drawn to the unpretentious, welcoming atmosphere that Adamson created at the salon "You could go in and there could be a 4-year-old in the chair or a 90-year-old," Myhre said. "What he provided and who he attracted was cross-generational." Some compared the neighborhood feel of the Ninth Avenue Salon to the beauty shop in the movie "Steel Magnolias." "But really it was better than that," said actor Brenda Sue Cowley, whose first job out of cosmetology school was at Adamson's shop. Her days at the salon inspired Cowley to write an original musical "Shear Luck!" which premiered at Salt Lake City's Grand Theatre in March 2006. "I wrote the musical because I loved Michael and I loved the shop and he believed in me as a writer," Cowley said. "Outside the beauty shop Michael was shy, but inside he was the master of ceremony. It was his whole life." Adamson, who was born in 1953 in Wichita Falls, Texas, is survived by his mother, three sisters, a brother and numerous nieces and nephews. His funeral is scheduled for Saturday at noon at Cache County's Richmond Cemetery. A viewing will be tonight at Evans and Early Mortuary, 574 E. 100 South, Salt Lake City
Jeff Key
2010 Gay-marriage ruling brings split Utah reaction By Rosemary Winters The Salt Lake Tribune The Salt Lake Tribune As a rainbow appears in the background Jeff Key, of Salt Lake City, proudly holds the flag as advocates for gay marriage rally on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City after a federal court judge overturned California's same-sex marriage ban Wednesday. Key asked his husband to remarry him during the rally. The LDS Church expressed disappointment at the news from California. Hundreds of jubilant gay-marriage supporters marched around the church’s Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City.On Wednesday, Utahns both panned and praised the decision of a federal judge in San Francisco to overturn Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that eliminated gay marriage in California. Two years ago, the campaign drew intense interest in Utah after the LDS Church urged its members to support Prop 8 with their cash and time. Utahns spent $3.8 million — most of it to defeat gay marriage — in the $83 million fight. The federal ruling means, for now, gay marriage is legal — again —in the Golden State. But Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker has put a temporary hold on issuing marriage licenses while he gives opposing sides in the lawsuit, Perry v. Schwarzenegger, time to debate whether there should be a long-term stay during appeals, which could extend for years and stretch as far as the U.S. Supreme Court. “We have plans to go to California as soon as possible and make our marriage legal,” said Salt Lake City resident Jeff Key, who, on Wednesday, celebrated not only the ruling but the three-year-anniversary of his nonlegal wedding with his partner, Adam Nelson. “I’m feeling pretty proud to be an American right now.” In fact, Key knelt on one knee at a Capitol Hill rally Wednesday evening and asked Nelson, “Will you remarry me?” Nelson said “yes” to the cheers of nearly 400 supporters of gay marriage. The crowd, flying both rainbow and American flags, swelled to 600, said organizer Eric Ethington, as the group marched from
Eric Ethington
the Capitol to LDS Church headquarters and around Temple Square. “We’re all here. We’re all equal,” Ethington said before leading the march. “Get it through your head.” Earlier on Wednesday, the LDS Church lamented the overturn of the ballot measure it helped to pass, spending nearly $200,000 on the campaign, according to campaign disclosures. “California voters have twice been given the opportunity to vote on the definition of marriage in their state and both times have determined that marriage should be recognized as only between a man and a woman. We agree,” said LDS Church spokesman Michael Purdy. “Marriage between a man and woman is the bedrock of society.” The church also called for “mutual respect” and “civility” in the ongoing debate over marriage. Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican, blasted Walker. “This is what happens when judges make up the Constitution as they go along,”
Cliff Rosky
Hatch said in a statement. Cliff Rosky, a law professor at the University of Utah, praised the analysis that went into the decision as “correct.” Walker concluded that Proposition 8 denied gay men and lesbians their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection. “Marriage is a fundamental right. The Supreme Court has made that very clear,” Rosky said. “I don’t think that same-sex marriage is so different than other forms of marriage that it becomes [excluded from] the right to marry.” Brandie Balken, executive director of Equality Utah, agreed. “Equality Utah has always believed that the Constitution does cover gay and transgender people,” she said. “We support full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, 
Brandie Balken
which includes the right to marry.” In 2004, Utah voters approved a state constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage and civil unions. If the Prop 8 lawsuit eventually lands in the U.S. Supreme Court, a decision there in favor of gay marriage could create a right for gay men and lesbians to marry in every state, said Bill Duncan, director of the Lehi-based Marriage Law Foundation. Duncan, who filed a brief in the California lawsuit on behalf of religious groups siding with the Prop 8 defendants, disagrees with Walker’s ruling. “In order for something to be a fundamental right, it has to be deeply rooted in our nation’s history and tradition,” said Duncan, who filed an amicus. “Same-sex marriage is not deeply rooted in our nation’s history and tradition.” Currently, same-sex marriages are allowed in Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C.


  • Judge overturns California gay-marriage ban By Lisa Leff and Paul Elias Associated Press Published: Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010 SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge overturned California's gay-marriage ban Wednesday in a landmark case that could eventually force the U.S. Supreme Court to confront the question of whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to wed. The ruling by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker touched off a celebration outside the courthouse. Gay couples waved rainbow and American flags and erupted with cheers in the city that has long been a haven for gays. Shelly Bailes held a sign reading "Life Feels Different When You're Married" as she embraced her wife, Ellen Pontac. People in the Castro neighborhood toasted with champagne as word of the ruling spread, and about 300 people assembled in a West Hollywood park waving rainbow gay-pride flags. In New York City, about 150 people gathered outside a lower Manhattan courthouse. They carried signs saying "Our Love Wins" as organizers read portions of the ruling. Protect Marriage, the coalition of religious and conservative groups that sponsored the ban, said it would immediately appeal the ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "In America, we should uphold and respect the right of people to make policy changes through the democratic process, especially changes that do nothing more than uphold the definition of marriage that has existed since the founding of this country and beyond," said Jim Campbell, a lawyer on the defense team. Walker methodically rejected every argument posed by sponsors of the ban in response to a lawsuit filed by two gay couples who claimed Proposition 8, the voter-approved ban, violated their civil rights. "Proposition 8 singles out gays and lesbians and legitimates their unequal treatment," the judge wrote in his 136-page opinion. "Proposition 8 perpetuates the stereotype that gays and lesbians are incapable of forming long-term loving relationships and that gays and lesbians are not good parents." Standing in front of eight American flags at a news conference, the two couples behind the case beamed and choked up as they related their feelings of validation. "Our courts are supposed to protect our Constitutional rights," lead plaintiff Kris Perry said as Sandy Stier, her partner of 10 years, stood at her side. "Today, they did." "We are not here to change the world. Equality is something our country has always been about," said co-plaintiff Jeff Zarrillo, who is seeking the right to marry his partner of nine years, Paul Katami. "Today's decision brings Paul and I and so many others like us closer to that equality, too." Judge Walker said he wants to decide whether his order should be suspended while the proponents of the ban pursue their appeal. He ordered both sides to submit written arguments by Friday on the issue. The appeal would go first to the 9th Circuit, then to the U.S. Supreme Court if the high court justices agree to review it. Voters passed Proposition 8 as a state constitutional amendment in November 2008, five months after the California Supreme Court legalized same-sex unions and an estimated 18,000 same-sex couples already had tied the knot. Despite Wednesday's ruling, it remains uncertain when gay weddings will be allowed to resume in the state. Supporters argued the ban was necessary to safeguard the traditional understanding of marriage and to encourage responsible childbearing. Walker, however, found it violated the Constitution's due process and equal protection clauses while failing "to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license." "Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples," the judge wrote. He also said proponents offered little evidence that they were motivated by anything other than animus toward gays — beginning with their campaign to pass the ban, which included claims of wanting to protect children from learning about same-sex marriage in school. "Proposition 8 played on the fear that exposure to homosexuality would turn children into homosexuals and that parents should dread having children who are not heterosexual," Walker wrote. Walker heard 13 days of testimony and arguments since January during the first trial in federal court to examine if states can prohibit gays from getting married. The plaintiffs presented 18 witnesses. Academic experts testified about topics ranging from the fitness of gay parents and religious views on homosexuality to the historical meaning of marriage and the political influence of the gay rights movement. Former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson teamed up with David Boies to argue the case, bringing together the two litigators best known for representing George W. Bush and Al Gore in the disputed 2000 election. Defense lawyers called just two witnesses, claiming they did not need to present expert testimony, because the U.S. Supreme Court had never specifically upheld the right to gay marriage. The attorneys also said gay marriage was an experiment with unknown social consequences that should be left to voters to accept or reject. Currently, same-sex couples can only legally wed in Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C. The ruling puts Walker, a Republican, at the forefront of the gay marriage debate and marks the latest in a long line of high-profile legal decisions for the longtime federal judge. He was appointed by Ronald Reagan, but his nomination was held up for two years, in part because of opposition from gay-rights activists. As a lawyer, he helped the U.S. Olympic Committee sue a gay ex-Olympian who had created an athletic competition called the Gay Olympics. Contributing: Jennifer Peltz Same-sex marriage timeline 1995: Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt signs the first Defense of Marriage Act; Utah doesn't have to recognize same-sex marriages from out of state.1996: The federal Defense of Marriage Act becomes law, allowing states to ban same-sex marriage and refuse to recognize those performed elsewhere. 2000: Vermont becomes the first state to grant civil unions to same-sex couples. 2004: Massachusetts becomes the first state to legalize same-sex marriage after a 2003 court ruling. Voters in 13 states, including Utah, approve constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage. 2005: Kansas and Texas voters approve constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage. Oregon's Supreme Court voids about 3,000 marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples in 2004. 2006: Voters in eight states approve constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage. 2008: The Connecticut Supreme Court overturns the state's ban on same-sex marriage, making it the second state to allow legal gay marriage. The California Supreme Court, in a 4-3 decision, rules that the state constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry. California voters adopt Prop. 8 to amend the state Constitution and ban same-sex marriage. 2009: Iowa, Vermont and New Hampshire become the third, fourth and fifth states to legalize same-sex marriage. The Washington, D.C., Council legalizes same-sex marriage in the district. Maine legalizes same-sex marriage as well, but voters later repeal it. California Supreme Court upholds Prop. 8 as a valid amendment to state Constitution. 2010: U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker overturns California's gay-marriage ban. Source: The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, USA Today, About.com
  • Judge overturns Prop 8; decision stayed pending appeals SALT LAKE CITY — Although a federal judge on Wednesday overturned a ban on same-sex marriage in California, it's apt to be at least a couple of years before anything really changes as the case continues to wind its way through the appeals process. The ruling by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker striking down Proposition 8's amendment to the California Constitution banning same-sex marriage was expected, but "it's not clear what the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court might decide," said Clifford Rosky, a University of Utah law professor and board member for Equality Utah. Immediately after he issued the ruling that found the voter-prompted ban unconstitutional, Walker stayed his decision until at least Friday. He said he will decide then whether to issue a longer stay. Prior to the judge's ruling, both sides had vowed that if they lost they would appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the last step before the U.S. Supreme Court. Experts said it's likely the 9th Circuit or Walker will extend the stay through the appeal, which would continue the ban on same-sex marriage for its duration. Reaction to Walker's ruling was swift and reflected how divided America is on same-sex marriage. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement saying it "regrets today's decision." "California voters have twice been given the opportunity to vote on the definition of marriage in their state and both times have determined that marriage should be recognized as only between a man and a woman," spokesman Michael Purdy said. "We agree. Marriage between a man and woman is the bedrock of society. "We recognize that this decision represents only the opening of a vigorous debate in the courts over the rights of the people to define and protect this most fundamental institution — marriage.  "There is no doubt that today's ruling will add to the marriage debate in this country, and we urge people on all sides of this issue to act in a spirit of mutual respect and civility toward those with a different opinion." The LDS Church did not make a direct contribution to ProtectMarriage.com, the Prop. 8 campaign. But it did send a letter to each LDS congregation in California asking Mormons to give time and money to support it. A church spokesman told media that the church estimated the value of its non-monetary, in-kind contributions at $189,900 — less than 1 percent of the total funds donated to the "Yes on 8" campaign, which raised $40 million. In a statement issued from Washington, D.C., Cardinal Francis George of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops also criticized the ruling. "Marriage between a man and a woman is the bedrock of any society," he said. "The misuse of law to change the nature of marriage undermines the common good. It is tragic that a federal judge would overturn the clear and expressed will of the people in their support for the institution of marriage. No court of civil law has the authority to reach into areas of human experience that nature itself has defined." Jubilation reigned in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community, as several hundred opponents of Proposition 8 rallied at the Utah Capitol Wednesday night to celebrate the ruling. Some carried American flags, and others wrapped themselves in rainbow-colored Pride flags. "It's a nicer flag than usual," said Jim Grady, pointing to the Stars and Stripes. "It's about time it's all of our flag again." Tanya Lookadoo was there with her toddler because her older son, Justin Peterson, is gay. "I don't think people get it unless they have a child who is gay," she said. "They deserve a life like every other human being on this planet." "This is one of the most important rulings for a minority that has ever come down," said Eric Ethington of Prideinutah.com, which organized the rally. "Prop. 8 was the first time rights have been taken from a minority." He said it means "that a federal judge said that anything anybody in this country has the right to do, everybody has the right to do." After
    Orrin Hatch
    hearing a few speakers, the ralliers marched down State Street and circled the LDS Temple without incident. Republican Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch blasted the court ruling. "Two years ago, Californians voted to uphold traditional marriage. Today, one federal judge trumped 7 million voters by making up a right that is not in the Constitution. This is what happens when judges make up the Constitution as they go along, when judges rather than the Constitution are the supreme law of the land. "A judge who is a good student of the law makes all the difference and determines whether the people — and not unelected judges — will be allowed to decide these important cultural and political issues for themselves." "It's a bad ruling," said William Duncan, director of the Marriage Law Foundation, who said it was expected but disappointing, "particularly the way the judge justified his ruling." Duncan said Walker indicated that passage by the voters showed heterosexuals felt like they were "better than" same-sex couples. "It's hard to imagine that 7 million voters acted out of spite," he said. Andy Pugno, general counsel for ProtectMarriage.com, echoed the sentiment. "It is disturbing that the trial court, in order to strike down Prop. 8, has literally accused the majority of California voters of having ill and discriminatory intent when casting their votes for Prop. 8," he said in a statement. "But the reality is that Prop. 8 was simply about restoring and strengthening the traditional definition of marriage as a unique relationship of a man and a woman, for the benefit of children, families and society. "We are confident that the trial court record we built will help us ultimately prevail on appeal and reverse today's ruling," he said. Valerie Larabee,
    Valerie Larabee
    executive director of the Utah Pride Center, said she was most happy for the families directly involved in the case. "It was a very brave thing of them to take their lives into such a public forum, to fight for what they believe is their constitutional right. As a result of that, I think that many conversations have been had all over this country, and I think hearts and minds have been changed." "With a stroke of his pen, Judge Walker has overruled the votes and values of 7 million Californians who voted for marriage as one man and one woman," said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage. "This ruling, if allowed to stand, threatens not only Prop. 8 in California but the laws in 45 other states that define marriage as one man and one woman." A decision on the appeal could be years away. Rosky said the consensus in the legal community is that if the 9th Circuit Court agrees with Walker, the Supreme Court is much more likely to hear and decide the case than if he's overturned. That's because the 9th Circuit ruling would conflict with a decision by the 8th Circuit that several years ago found same-sex couples have no constitutional right to marry. A decision by the Supreme Court would apply to all the states.



Brandon Burt
2012 Brandon's Big Gay Blog Open Letter to Eric Ethington posted By Brandon Burt Dear Eric Ethington, I remember you best as the man who organized one of the most successful pro-LGBT-equality demonstrations in Utah history. --- It was in 2010 that thousands of equality supporters wore black and lay down on the sidewalk, forming a complete ring around the two blocks encompassing Temple Square and the Church Office Building. This happened in response to insensitive anti-gay remarks made during the LDS Church's October General Conference by Quorum of the Twelve President Boyd K. Packer, who seemed oblivious to the fact that a widely publicized epidemic of gay-teen suicides in the previous month had galvanized the LGBT community. You, Eric, were credited in the press (and in my heart) as the man most responsible for organizing this remarkable event. Two years earlier, in 2008, another Temple Square protest shocked and astounded us all when thousands of Utahns -- gay, straight and otherwise -- expressed a ferocious outpouring of indignation against the LDS Church's involvement in California's Prop. 8 tragedy. Both the 2008 and 2010 events made a significant impact on Utah's political discourse. No, the diehard anti-gays were no more willing to treat us as equals than they ever had been, but the moderates finally started to open their ears, realizing that equality is not an issue that is going away. And, perhaps for the first time, the LGBT community saw just how many friends and supporters we have among fair-minded heterosexual citizens of Salt Lake City. Honestly, seeing all those cool straight people making an actual effort to join our movement out of the love and respect they have for their LGBT friends and loved ones -- well, it was genuinely enough to bring tears to my eyes. This year has been a good one for the LGBT cause. A majority of Americans now oppose discrimination against gays in housing and employment, and support marriage equality. Not only did President Barack Obama come out publicly to support gay equality, but the National Democratic Party did, too. Maybe that's why the protest against this whole stupid Chick-fil-A kerfuffle fizzled so badly. There's less outrage among the LGBT community and our supporters. Suddenly, equality supporters are in the majority. So, maybe it's time equality supporters learned to act like a majority. It may not be an easy transition -- we’ve regarded ourselves for so long as a fringe minority, it's difficult to know what to do now that we're on the sunny side of the street. But already the anti-gays have taken up a siege mentality, presenting themselves as victims of some kind of anti-religion, anti-free-speech movement. They have given up their moral-high-ground strategy, realizing that we now own that territory. Now, they are presenting themselves as the overwhelmed minority suffering at the hands of the cruel and dastardly LGBT machine. Our positions have been reversed. That's the good news. The bad news is that we're in danger of becoming complacent. So now, I ask you, Eric: How can the LGBT movement now generate the same vibrant emotional energy we had when we were a minority?
  • Eric Ethington Responds Even though the whole Chick-fil-A kerfuffle is so last week, and everybody's moved on to something else now, at least one good thing came of it. In response to my Aug. 4 blog entry lamenting the failure of the local chicken-chain protest, activist and PRIDEinUtah blog author Eric Ethington was inspired to write a thoughtful and well-worded essay, "Seizing the Future for the LGBT Community."  Ethington makes a convincing case that it's really the courageous actions of individuals -- and not necessarily big, flashy demonstrations -- that win hearts and minds. In the end, however, the people who have a real impact on public policy are those who actually bother to show up to vote*. I think Ethington's essay is required reading for anybody interested in the future of the LGBT equality movement. * By the way, if you've always wanted to vote, but your life is simply so fabulous that you can never quite find the time to show up to the polls on that chilly Tuesday in November, why not consider voting by mail? In the Salt Lake area, all you have to do is register to vote, and then fill out one simple form. Yeah, it's two things, but you only have to do them once. Forever afterward, our friendly County Clerk Sherrie Swensen will be happy to mail you a ballot well in advance of every election. You'll have days and days to vote at your leisure, in the privacy of your own home. Then, with a bit of origami, your ballot cleverly converts into its own self-enclosed envelope! Simply pop it into the mailbox, and enjoy the blissful sensation of satisfaction that washes over you: It's the feeling that you, a good citizen, have fulfilled your democratic duty.

2017 The Rocky Mountain Rebellion is a three day conference focused around Leather, Fetish, BDSM and Power Exchange Relationships. We host classes on a variety of topics involving human sexuality, BDSM, M/s relationships and leather culture.  We host pageant style competitions, vendors, socials, play parties a motorcycle ride and more.   Our theme for 2017:   Rebelling Against Conformity.  With punk rock overtones, so come strut your inner punk rocker. Dates will be August 4th-6th 2017.

2018 Come celebrate with our community at the 4th annual
Ogden Pride Festival! Stand OUT and Speak UP with us! This is a FREE and family-friendly event! Anyone interested in sponsoring and/or donating to help make this event even bigger, prouder, and louder, please contact Harrison Spendlove 

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