This Day In Gay Utah History November 11th

November 11

1634-The Irish House of Commons passed an Act for the Punishment of the Vice of Buggery. John Atherton, bishop of Waterford, and Lismore, was the driving force behind the passage of the law and ironically, the first to be hanged because of it in 1640

1907-A Colorado newspaper, The Trinidad Advertiser, carried a story

about the death of Katherine Vosbaugh, who had lived as a man for 60 years and married a woman. Even after being hospitalized in 1905 for pneumonia and discovered to be physically female, Vosbaugh continued to live as a man and was referred to by the nickname "Grandpa." (Ironically, years later Trinidad Colorado would become "the sex change capital of the world," where over 50% of sex change operations in the US were performed.)

1950- On November 11th, 1950 Harry Hay and a group of Los Angeles friends formed The Mattachine Society, a group to protect and improve the rights of gay men. American Communist Harry Hay, along with Rusi Gernreich and friends Dale Jennings and lovers Bob Hull and Chuck Rowland, held the first meeting of the Mattachine Society in Silver Lake District of Los Angeles, under the name "Society of Fools".The first national organization of American homosexuals, it was formally organized on April 1, 1951. United States: Harry Hay founds the Mattachine Society, one of the earliest gay groups in the US, Although Hay eventually breaks with the group because of criticism about his Communist past, he was active in gay causes up until his death, helping to form the Radical Fairies and participating in protests and marches. (Jay Bell) Harry Hay conceived of the idea of a “homosexual” activist group in 1948. After signing a petition for Progressive Party presidential candidate Henry A. Wallace. Hay had planned to call this organization “Bachelors Anonymous” and envisioned it serving a similar function and purpose as Alcoholics Anonymous. , Hay wrote the organizing principles that night, a document he referred to as “The Call”.  Hay met Rudi Gernreich in July 1950. The two became lovers, and Hay showed Gernreich The Call.  Gernreich, declared that the document “the most dangerous thing [he had] ever read”, and became an enthusiastic financial supporter of the venture, although he did not lend his name to it going instead by the initial “R”. Finally on November 11th, 1950, Hay, along with Gernreich and friends Dale Jennings and lovers Bob Hull and Chuck Rowland, held the first meeting of the Mattachine Society in Los Angeles, at Hay’s apartment under the name Society of Fools. James Gruber and Konrad Stevens joined the Society in April 1951 and are generally considered to be original members. The Mattachine Society was named by Harry Hay at the suggestion of James Gruber, inspired by a French medieval and renaissance masque group he had studied while preparing a course on the history of popular music for a workers’ education project. In a 1976 interview with Jonathan Ned Katz, Hay was asked the origin of the name Mattachine. He mentioned the medieval-Renaissance French Sociétés Joyeuses: One masque group was known as the “Société Mattachine.” These societies, lifelong secret fraternities of unmarried townsmen who never performed in public unmasked, were dedicated to going out into the countryside and conducting dances and rituals during the Feast of Fools, at the Vernal Equinox. Sometimes these dance rituals, or masques, were peasant protests against oppression—with the maskers, in the people’s name, receiving the brunt of a given lord’s vicious retaliation. So we took the name Mattachine because we felt that we 1950s Gays were also a masked people, unknown and anonymous, who might become engaged in morale building and helping ourselves and others, through struggle, to move toward total redress and change. The Mattachine Society existed as a single national organization headquartered first in Los Angeles and then, beginning around 1956, in San Francisco. Outside of Los Angeles and San Francisco, chapters were established in New The primary goals of the society were to “Unify homosexuals isolated from their own kind”; “Educate homosexuals and heterosexuals toward an ethical homosexual culture paralleling the cultures of the Negro, Mexican and Jewish peoples”;“Lead the more socially conscious homosexual to provide leadership to the whole mass of social variants”; and “Assist gays who are victimized daily as a result of oppression” In 1963 Congressman John Dowdy introduced a bill which resulted in congressional hearings to revoke the license for solicitation of funds of the Mattachine Society of Washington; the license was not revoked. During the 1960s, the various unaffiliated Mattachine Societies, especially the Mattachine Society in San Francisco and the Mattachine Society of New York, were among the foremost gay rights groups in the United States, but beginning in the middle 1960s and, especially, following the Stonewall riots of 1969, they began increasingly to be seen as too traditional, and not willing enough to be confrontational.

York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and other locales.

1966 Utah Sex Crime Conference Scheduled. A sex crime conference for Utah lawmen will be held Thursday at Metro Hall of Justice Auditorium. Salt Lake County Dept Sheriff John Llewellyn said, “We are coordinating our efforts to combat the sex offender along the Wasatch Front.”  Main theme of the conference was the “child molester”. Dr. Robert D. Card, a Salt Lake Psychologist was a guest speaker. A newly purchased film on the child molester, how he performs and why he acts the way he does will be the “highlight” of the afternoon session.

1970-The New York Times announced that an unpublished novel by E.M. Forster would be released. The author requested that the publication of "Maurice" be delayed until after his death because of the homosexual content.

Babs De Lay

1975 A Consciousness Raising Group for women was held by Babs De Lay at the Gay Community Service Center. The group discussed problems of the Gay people living in Salt Lake City.

1978-Dan White resigned as San Francisco City Supervisor, claiming he could not make ends meet on a Supervisor's salary.

The Sun Tavern

1981 Wednesday -Salt Lake Man Stabbed Behind Sun Tavern A Salt Lake City man was stabbed about 10:50 p.m. in a driveway behind the Sun Tavern 100 South 400 West during a fight with another man. Lt. Hawkness said police were looking for a man who fled in a white van.  The man was described as 5 ‘8” tall, Caucasian about 23 years old with a heavy build and a mustache.  Mr. Morris told police he believed he was stabbed with a switch blade knife because he heard it flip open. The police said it was unknown what triggered the fight and the direction the suspects fled.(11/12/1998 SLTribune B7)

Cast of An Eraly Frost

1985-"An Early Frost" was broadcast, the first TV movie to deal with AIDS. Set in the mid-eighties Michael Pierson, (Aidan Quinn) a young Gay man, is struck with AIDS in the prime of his life. He's forced to be open about the disease and his homosexuality for the first time with his co-workers (he's a successful lawyer) and family. He, and the people around him, must face up to the inevitability of his death and the disease that's killing him. "An Early Frost" was many people's first look at an AIDS victim as a human being instead of a statistic. Aidan Quinn was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special

1987-Ben Williams made the first official compilation of support groups and Gay and Lesbian organizations for the Gay and Lesbian Community of Utah.

1994 Friday- Donald "Russel" Baumann died in Phoenix, Arizona age 34. Russel was an employee of America West Airlines.  He loved music, dogs, and the beauty of the outdoors.Obituary

1994-Pedro Zamora, who was on MTV's The Real World, died of complications from AIDS.

11 November 2000 BY ROBERT KIRBY SALT LAKE TRIBUNE COLUMNIST It's time to wrap up our post election coverage by holding a special LDS Church court. If you are Mormon, and voted Democrat in Tuesday's election, you need to be disciplined. We can do this the hard way or the easy way. It's up to you. This refers, of course, to a pre-election comment by Rep. Bill Wright, of Utah County, who claimed that good Mormons could not in good conscience support the Democratic Party. Writing in the Payson Chronicle, Wright linked Utah Democrats to socialists, called Democrats pro-homosexual and claimed those

who didn't change parties were in league with the moral evil of abortion. Having voted for several Democrats on Tuesday, at least some of Bill's charges apply to me. I'm just not sure which ones. There are plenty of moral evils I am in league with, but abortion isn't one of them. Calling me pro-homosexual is an insult. Thanks to marriage, church, and increasing age, I'm barely pro-heterosexual anymore. But if I were Gay, or, better yet, a lesbian, I would be very pro that it was none of your damn business. As for socialism, I am guilty only by association. Being married to a Canadian makes me at best a step-socialist. I handle political decisions the same way I handle ecclesiastical ones: I listen, curse under my breath, ponder, pray, maybe take a little nap, then decide. I never let a group of people make up my mind for me. Not unless it's like a SWAT team or something. Decisions like this come down to personal rather than group

priorities. Bill and I have different ones. Homosexuality ranks way below telemarketing on my "Things People Do That Bug The Hell Out Of Me" list. To some people, this means I'm not a good Mormon. It's a snotty attitude that bothers me way more than socialism or abortion. Then I have to decide in good conscience whether to sit next to them in church, or go to jail for punching them in the head. But I digress. The fact is that I am guilty of voting for some Democrats. Ditto at least one Libertarian, and a couple of free agents. I'm here to turn myself in. Because the official position of the LDS Church is that good members can in fact be Democrats, these proceedings are completely voluntary. It's punishment by the honor system. Please consider yourself on immediate LDS Church probation if you voted for anyone other than a Republican (Pat Buchanan not included) on Tuesday. You still have to do all your church jobs while on probation, but your activity in and out of church will be closely monitored. Don't even turn left without signaling first. Mormons that voted for just one Democrat are hereby placed on double secret probation. Cease performing your church callings, and move to the back row of chapel. If you voted for at least two (but no more than four) Democrats, you are hereby disfellowshipped. Turn in your temple recommend and all lesson manuals. Any attempt to cast a sustaining vote in church will result in immediate ejection. If you voted the straight Democrat ticket, there is only one clear choice. Since Initiative X (blood atonement) failed to get on Tuesday's ballot, that just leaves excommunication. The good news is that we can change. There's a reason why Republican and repentance both start with R. Salt Lake Tribune columnist Robert Kirby lives in Springville. He welcomes mail at P.O. Box 684 Springville, UT, 84663, or e-mail at dark@a...

 11 November 2000 The Salt Lake Tribune Page: A1 Novell Halts Boy Scout Contributions, Cites Its Anti-Discrimination Policy Novell to Stop Matching Funds To Boy Scouts BY BOB MIMS   THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Novell Inc. will no longer match employee contributions to the Boy Scouts of America, citing the youth organization's exclusion of homosexual scoutmasters as a violation of the company's anti-discrimination policies. The Provo-based software firm has matched employee donations to a variety of charities through its Community Support Campaign for the past five years. However, company executives decided to end Scouting's participation in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling in June upholding the Scouts' right to exclude Gays. "Novell has criteria for organizations that can participate [in the campaign]. It is a fairly standard line about not discriminating on the basis of race, religion or sexual orientation," Novell spokesman Bruce Lowry said Friday. "The Boy Scouts of America no longer complies with that requirement, based on the Supreme Court decision."    Novell's decision was not expected to have much impact on the bottom lines of local Scouting programs, however. No more than 5 percent of the $100,000 Community Support Program, or about $5,000, has ever made it into Scouting coffers nationwide during the five years the youth organization was included in donations, the company said. The National Parks Boy Scout Council, based in Utah County, where about 2,500 of Novell's 4,600 worldwide employees reside, received roughly half the matching funds, according to Ron Nyman, the council's director of field service. "Our records only show that last year we received a total of $5,300 from Novell, with the corporate matching funds coming to about $2,650," he said. Kay Godfrey, spokesman for the BSA's Great Salt Lake Council, could not recall any specific matching funds coming from Novell. Lowry acknowledged there had been some "internal discussions" about the matching funds before the Scouts were excluded, but underscored the decision was clearly in keeping with Novell's anti-discrimination policies. "Our employees are aware of this, and Novell continues to support a vast number of other charities with this program," Lowry said, adding that individual employees' rights to donate to the Scouts would not be challenged. Lowry acknowledges the company's decision may raise the ire of some Utahns, given the more than 150,000 scouts in the state -- 90 percent of whom are sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But, he said, they need to understand Novell's status as an international corporation. "Utahns tend to look at Novell as just a Utah company. The headquarters are here, but we are a global company," he said. "We have to ensure we have a very open, competitive work situation" reflected in anti-discrimination policies common to international corporations. Whether Novell's decision will bring a pro-Scout backlash remains to be seen, but Nyman said he and other Scouting officials certainly won't encourage that. "As an organization, we have chosen not to beat up on anyone who makes this kind of decision," he said. "That is their right, and we will go on and we are confident that we will continue to be funded. We're not concerned about this." A separate charitable funding organization, the United Way of the Great Salt Lake Area, has found Utahns largely unconcerned about the Scouts' anti-Gay stance. Kristi Long, chief operating officer for the United Way's Salt Lake City office, said telephone calls and letters since the Supreme Court ruling have been overwhelmingly in favor of the organization's $188,000 annual donation to the Scouts. That overall support is reflected by the fact that few have chosen to withhold their donations from the Scouts. Out of the tens of thousands of pledge cards the United Way is receiving this year, just 50 so far have specified their money not go to Scouting, Long said.

   e-mail: bmims@sltrib.com

Donald Steward

2005 Friday, Gay Bingo! Multi-Purpose Room (7-9pm) $5 Fall is here. Another year is coming to an end. Summer's finished, Summer's gone, Winter's round the bend. Fall is piles of crunchy leaves, orange, gold, and red. Fall is sweaters with long sleeves and blankets on the bed. Fall is football, Fall is pumpkins, Fall's where summer ends. And Fall is coming back to BINGO, and seeing all our friends. Join us for Autumn Bingo, with Ruby and all the gang! Rake in some fine prizes and celebrate the harvest of our diversity!!! See you there!!! GLBTCCU 

Dianna Goodlife on right

2005 Partner benefits wins ACLU boost Salt Lake Tribune The American Civil Liberties Union wants a judge to allow Salt Lake City to offer domestic-partner benefits to its employees, saying it's good for employees and for the community. The ACLU filed a friend-of-the-court brief Thursday asking 3^rd District Judge Stephen Roth to rule that Utah's traditional marriage laws don't stop cities from offering health benefits to the gay and unmarried partners of city employees. The ACLU found a city employee who wants to sign up her lesbian partner for health and dental benefits. Dianna Goodliffe, a victim advocate in the police department, has been in a committed relationship with her partner, Lisa, for more than five years. While Lisa has health insurance through her job, she may opt to stay home to take care of the couple's daughter, who has diabetes. "Dianna would like Salt Lake City to allow her to give the same protections to her family that married heterosexual employees are able to provide for their families," says the brief. The ACLU is interested in the case, saying it presents implications on the civil rights of employees: the right to be free from discrimination based on their relationships and the right to equal compensation for equal work. The city's employee union also joined the ACLU, saying the benefits are necessary to recruit and retain employees. Mayor Rocky Anderson signed an executive order in September providing the domestic-partner benefits. But the city's insurance administrator asked Judge Roth to rule on whether those benefits are legal because of Utah's traditional marriage law and constitutional amendment - which the city and ACLU contend don't bar the benefits. So far, about 20 employees have expressed interest in applying  for the benefits. - Heather May  ACLU article

2009 Salt Lake City adopts pro-gay statutes -- with LDS Church support Dialogue » Ordinances would protect against housing and employment discrimination and are a first for Utah By Matt Canham, Derek P. Jensen And Rosemary Winters Salt Lake Tribune Hours after the LDS Church announced its support Tuesday night of proposed Salt Lake City ordinances aimed at protecting gay and transgender residents from discrimination in housing and employment, the City Council unanimously approved the measures. "The church supports these ordinances," spokesman Michael Otterson told the council, "because they are fair and reasonable and do not do violence to the institution of marriage."  They also are consistent with Mormon teachings, he said. "I believe in a church that believes in human dignity, in treating people with respect even when we disagree -- in fact, especially when we disagree."  Normally more deliberate, the council opted to vote after dozens of residents in the overflowing crowd expressed their support. "Guaranteeing a right to fair housing and fair employment is not an issue of compromise," Councilwoman Jill Remington Love said. "We are a stronger, better city this evening. I'm proud to serve on a City Council where this isn't even controversial." The LDS Church's endorsement was hailed by leaders of Utah's gay community -- some of them stunned -- who called it a historic night they hope will set the stage for statewide legislation. "This is a great step," said Will Carlson, director of public policy for the advocacy group Equality Utah. But, he noted, four out of five gay Utahns live outside the capital and should be afforded protection as well. "Equality Utah will continue to work for that." Councilman J.T. Martin said some will dismiss the church's move, arguing LDS leaders blinked or caved to pressure. "That's not the case," he said. "I can tell you they do have compassion. They have church members who have gay sons and daughters, and they know this is an issue that touches everyone's life." Tuesday's announcement and subsequent vote follow more than two months of secret meetings between midlevel LDS officials and five of Utah's most prominent gay leaders. Those meetings have their roots in the "kiss-in" protests that took place after LDS security detained two gay men spotted hugging and kissing on the church's Main Street Plaza. Former City Councilwoman Deeda Seed organized the first kiss-in and called Council Chairman Carlton Christensen to talk it over. Christensen suggested to LDS leaders that a dialogue with Utah's gay community may ease hostilities. The officials reached out to leaders of Equality Utah and the Utah Pride Center, proposing they huddle at the Church Office Building. The gay leaders suggested a coffee shop at the Utah Pride Center. They settled on a neutral location -- the Avenues home of Sam and Diane Stewart. The Stewarts are active Mormons and close friends of Jim Dabakis, who helped found Equality Utah and the Pride Center. Suspicion marred initial meetings. "These were two communities living in the same town that just had no understanding of each other," Dabakis said. "It was quite uncomfortable in the beginning." Slowly they built a level of trust and good will. They searched for common ground, understanding that the LDS Church wasn't about to back gay marriage and Utah's gay community would not stop pushing for what it considers civil rights. The meetings fizzled a few weeks ago, but then Dabakis got a call from an LDS official asking to reconvene the "gang of five." They met four times since Thursday in the lead up to Tuesday's announcement. The LDS Church sees its move as an olive branch to the gay community after months of growing tension over the church-backed Proposition 8 vote -- barring gay marriage in California -- and the kiss-ins. Dabakis hopes it isn't the end of the discussion, but a high point in a burgeoning "friendship." "They are really trying to put some of the Prop 8 stuff behind them," Dabakis said. "The discussions we have had over the last several months have shown what a caring, loving, concerned institution [the LDS Church] is." The discussion, he said, "changed all of our lives." Seed describes the tone of the meetings as sincere. "What everyone found is that we really liked each other. There was a good rapport," she said. "It reaffirmed for me the power of people talking to each other -- even if you have incredible differences. You start to see the humanity." The meetings were emotional, Seed says. Gay leaders recounted "horrible" anecdotes about being shut out of decisions regarding a partner's will and medical care. "It's the power of stories," she added. "We had tears in our eyes." Salt Lake City's newly passed measures are firsts for Utah. A campaign promise by Mayor Ralph Becker, they apply to allegations of bias that occur in the city and set up a complaint process. "We ultimately fashioned ordinances," Becker said, "that reflect the needs of our community." More than 100 U.S. cities have enacted similar protections for gay and transgender people. The Sutherland Institute, a conservative Salt Lake City think tank, reaffirmed its opposition to the anti-discrimination laws and repeated its call for the Legislature to overturn them. "Each new inclusion in the law of such vague terms as 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity,' " the group said, "represents a mounting threat to the meaning of marriage." Utah has a constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage. Brandie Balken, executive director of Equality Utah, applauded Becker for introducing protections she would "love to see" take hold across the state. Her group pushed a collection of "Common Ground" bills in the 2009 Legislature that would have enacted protections, including safeguards from housing and employment discrimination, after the church said it does not oppose certain legal rights for same-sex couples. Advocates plan to try again next year. State Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake City and one of three openly gay Utah lawmakers, hopes the church backs such statewide legislation. "If this is good and right and OK for Salt Lake City," he said, "why wouldn't it be good and right and OK for all the citizens in Utah?"  Participants in the secret meetings note both sides spoke philosophically about the need for public policy to be formed without fear of reprisal from the Legislature. House Speaker David Clark, R-Santa Clara, said the press has been more active in talking about a possible legislative repeal than lawmakers themselves. But he said it would be "interesting" to watch how the church's statement moves public opinion. "History has proven that the side of the issue [church officials] take has public-opinion sway," Clark said. "Public-opinion sway has a sway on legislators." At least one legislator isn't swayed. Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, said he does not plan to run a repeal bill himself, but he would vote for one if someone else does. "There are people who are working to that end," he said. "My opinion was mostly based off of the harm that it can and will cause to businesses and private property owners. That principle still stands." In Tuesday's passion-filled public hearing, speakers emphasized the ordinances do not create special classes, but simply afford the same rights straight residents enjoy. ""I want my family and my friends to have the same protections I have," said Gail Turpin, a stepmother and sister of lesbian women. "I see no reason on earth why they shouldn't." Jon Jepsen, a member of the city's Human Rights Commission, pointed to a UCLA study that reported Utah has vaulted from 38th to 14th in the nation for people living in committed same-sex relationships. "There are LGBT people everywhere in our community. Maybe we should raise the terror alert to rainbow." But Jessica Rodrigues argued homosexuality is akin to pornography and said residents should have the right not to associate with gay people. ""It is a moral wrong to pass this ordinance," she said, "It is awful that you get the support of the LDS Church on this." Still, the council's unanimous passage drew an extended standing ovation. Text of LDS statement on anti-bias proposal "Good evening. My name is Michael Otterson, and I am here tonight officially representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The nondiscrimination ordinance being reviewed by the City Council concerns important questions for the thoughtful people of this community. "Like most of America, our community in Salt Lake City is comprised of citizens of different faiths and values, different races and cultures, different political views and divergent demographics. Across America and around the world, diverse communities such as ours are wrestling with complex social and moral questions. People often feel strongly about such issues. Sometimes they feel so strongly that the ways in which they relate to one another seem to strain the fabric of our society, especially where the interests of one group seem to collide with the interests of another. "The issue before you tonight is the right of people to have a roof over their heads and the right to work without being discriminated against. But, importantly, the ordinance also attempts to balance vital issues of religious freedom. In essence, the church agrees with the approach which Mayor [Ralph] Becker is taking on this matter. "In drafting this ordinance, the city has granted common-sense rights that should be available to everyone, while safeguarding the crucial rights of religious organizations, for example, in their hiring of people whose lives are in harmony with their tenets, or when providing housing for their university students and others that preserve religious requirements. "The church supports this ordinance because it is fair and reasonable and does not do violence to the institution of marriage. It is also entirely consistent with the church's prior position on these matters. The church remains unequivocally committed to defending the bedrock foundation of marriage between a man and a woman. "I represent a church that believes in human dignity, in treating others with respect even when we disagree -- in fact, especially when we disagree. The church's past statements are on the public record for all to see. In these comments and in our actions, we try to follow what Jesus Christ taught. Our language will always be respectful and acknowledge those who differ, but will also be clear on matters that we feel are of great consequence to our society. "Thank you." The proposed ordinances would: » Forbid housing and employment discrimination based on a person's sexual orientation or gender identity in Salt Lake City. » Exempt religious organizations, businesses with fewer than 15 employees and some small landlords. (The exemptions mirror those in state and federal laws.) » "Not create any special rights or privileges," the ordinances state, because "every person has a sexual orientation and a gender identity." » Create a complaint and investigation process. The complaint could be resolved through mediation or a fine of up to $1,000. » Not create a "private right of action" to sue over alleged discrimination. » Require annual reports by the city's Human Rights Commission on the effectiveness of the statutes. Source: Salt Lake City

Michael Mitchell

2009  Unity Utah By Josh Loftin Salt Lake City Weekly Trained in Zion The new executive director for the National Stonewall Democrats, Michael Mitchell, cut his teeth fighting for gay rights in Utah as the first executive director of Unity Utah (now Equality Utah). In 2004, he was a leading voice of opposition to the constitutional amendment that banned gay marriage despite a well-run campaign against it. He left Utah a few years ago to work with the American Civil Liberties Union gay marriage initiative. Gay rights may be a long-time coming in Utah, but the inhospitable environment may provide the best training possible for aspiring activists.