December 18
1889 Ogden Standard
Examiner 1889-12-18 First District Court page 7 Harry Merrill was arraigned on
an indictment charging him with a “Crime Against Nature”. On questioning him it
was learned that his father had not come down to assist him, that he was fifteen
years of age and resided in Logan. The officers stated that his father wanted
him sent to the Reform School. Major Breedon was appointed to act in his behalf
and owing to his youth and the desire of his father, no plea to the charge was
taken. He is out on bond of $500. (Frank Merrill born 18 Feb 1874 died 28 Apr
1931
1902- Dr William S
Barker of St Louis presented a paper to the Medical Society of City Hospital
Alumni about two men he identified as "W" and "B", saying W
showed an unnatural fondness for B and the two were inseparable.
 |
| Harry Benjamin |
1971 Brad Lauritzen
(1947 - 1971) committed suicide The son of
Gilbert Fay and Lucy Pettingill
Lauritzen, Brad G. Lauritzen born in Brigham City, Utah on October 26, 1947. In
1966, Brad registered in Brigham Young University's Study Abroad Program and
spent a semester in Grenoble, France. While a student at BYU, Brad became
affiliated with a social group for Gay people in 1967 and early 1968 that met
regularly in the “step down lounge” at the Wilkinson Center. Brad was outed by
Donald Attridge, another gay student, in the early spring of 1968. Attridge had
turned in a lengthy list of names to Apostle Spencer Kimball after receiving
assurances from both BYU's head of Standards Office, Kenneth Lauritzen (no
relation to Brad), and Kimball that those on the list would be “helped” by
Kimball. Instead, Brad was hospitalized in the psychiatric ward of a mental
institution by his family. He later escaped and ran away to San Francisco,
where he committed suicide just before Christmas, on December 18, 1971. He was
24 years old.
 |
| Brad Lauritzen |
1974-The first International Gay Rights Conference began. It would lead to the formation of the International Lesbian and Gay Association in 1978.
1979-ABC News
Close-Up featured a documentary on homosexuals. Fifteen affiliates refused to
air it and the network was not able to find a single commercial sponsor. It
covered topics such as promiscuity and implied that gays could not form stable
relationships.
1980-The New York
State Court of Appeals abolished New York's sodomy laws.
1984-"The
Times of Harvey Milk" was awarded the New York Film Critics Award for Best
Documentary.
 |
| Ralph Goff |
1987- Unconditional
Support co-sponsored a Christmas Dance with LGSU at the Central City Community Center
1987- The Gay Help
line was reconnected by Beau Chaine. The
phone number was the only number listed in the white pages under the word "Gay".
1988- AIDS VICTIM,
JOY BEECH FIND COMMON GROUND OVER LUNCH Joy Beech says she never knowingly met
any of the homosexuals whose lifestyle she decries. But that changed when the
founder of Families Alert deigned to dine with a gay man with AIDS. Not only
did Beech and Roy Mark Harrison share sandwiches and turkey a la king at the
Capitol cafeteria this past week, but the unlikely pair found common ground, a
small patch on terrain long mined with suspicion. "These ladies want to be
out there and help, but they are going about it the wrong way, especially with
gays and Mormons," said Harrison, a former hairdresser who learned last
March he has acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Harrison contacted Beech
after he learned that Families Alert had complained to the State Board of
education because the director of the Salt Lake AIDS Foundation was giving AIDS
education seminars to Utah teachers. The instruction included information on
condoms as a method of preventing transmission of the deadly virus, a concept
Harrison supports. Beech and her group said they protested because they believe
the spread of AIDS can only be arrested by abstention from all sexual activity
outside of marriage. Harrison knows how that idea is received by the homosexual
community. "My gay friends chuckle about ladies like Joy Beech because
they might think you can change the homosexuals. You can't change a person's
identity or gender, but you can change their way of thinking," Harrison
said. "Being gay is just there. It will never go away." At the
luncheon, Harrison told Beech, a Mormon, that he had served a mission for The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, been excommunicated for homosexual
activities and then was rebaptized into the religion. He said he has been
celibate for several years, since again becoming a Mormon, and was stunned to
learn he has AIDS. Harrison told Beech he agreed that abstinence is by far the
best way to control the spread of AIDS, but he added the idea does not work for
everyone. He said he wanted to meet with her to explain that some members of
the homosexual community think groups like Families Alert contribute to the
fear many have of AIDS and homosexuals. He also wanted to let her know what it is
really like to know a homosexual. Beech remained quiet during much of the
lunch. But when it was over, she said she was glad Harrison had made the effort
to meet with her. She said she had little to say because she thought it would
be best to just listen. "But that doesn't mean I agreed with everything he
said," she added. Beech said her group bases all its activities on the
belief that morals should be taught in Utah schools, and that when morals are
not taught, it's a violation of Utah law. During the three-hour conversation,
Beech read aloud from a letter Harrison had written to his family in Iowa,
telling them he has AIDS. She requested a copy and said they may meet again
soon. "I see the possibility of forming a cooperative effort with Roy. I
think he has a wonderful message to tell people," she said. Harrison said
he felt lucky that Beech had not been hostile. "She wanted me to invite
some other gays and I tried, but because of who she is, they wouldn't come with
me," he said. Ben Barr, director of the Salt Lake AIDS Foundation,
admitted he was shocked to learn the two had met. "I think it's wonderful
they could meet and learn to talk to each other. It was a beautiful gesture,
" he said, adding he wished he had been able to talk to Beech before her
group sent the letter to the state school board complaining about his training
sessions. Harrison came away from the luncheon with a range of impressions.
"In a way, the ladies of Families Alert want this state to be a pure
state, but the gay community here is as large as the gay community in San
Francisco. They are going to live in homosexual lifestyles whether Families
Alert wants them to or not," Harrison said. However, Harrison said he was
glad to find a willing listener in Beech and another Families Alert member,
Sharon Ernst of Provo. "They are good ladies," he said, "I am
glad I got to speak to them even though I have a few differences." Asked
her impression of Harrison, Beech said his celibacy and return to Mormonism
contained "a beautiful Christmas message." "Roy is an example of
how people can bring homosexual activities under control and live a healthier
lifestyle," she said. "I think it has helped his AIDS. He looks great
to me." (Deseret News)
 |
| David Sharpton |
 |
| Garth Chamberlain |
1990 Tuesday David
Sharpton called me tonight and we visited for a while. We haven't been able to
connect up in a long time and it was good to hear from him. He said that he's
turning ACT-UP over to others. He just doesn't have the energy and strength
anymore and he said it’s time that someone else does the fighting. He's home
from the hospital again but is very weak. You could hear it in his voice. He's
got retinitus in his eyes and is afraid of going blind. He's still losing
weight and he said he's tired of fighting the health care bureaucracy for his
medicine. The government keeps holding it back. It’s killing him as much as the
disease. I hate Republicans and hope they all rot in hell with their money
stuffed down their throats suffocating them. I'm afraid we are losing David
this time. I told him that I loved him and that the Circle will turn again one
day for us. [Journal of Ben Williams]
 |
| Dr. Stanley Biber |
1991- QUEER NATION
UTAH leader Rocky O'Donovan partially gotwhat he wanted from the LDS Church.
Church officials granted his request to be excommunicated, but informed him of
the action by letter in lieu of the traditional hearing before Mormon officials.
So he didn't get to give a speech. O'Donovan, 30, served a mission to Brazil,
was married in an LDS Temple and recently became a Quaker. Still, he was
incensed that he was deprived of his soap box. Queer Nation is a
gay-rights
group. Members picketed the spring LDS Conference, protested gay bashing and
marched in front of radio station KTKK because disc jockey Jim Kirkwood
supposedly made anti-gay statements. In
a letter released by O'Donovan, Salt Lake City Stake President Paul A. Hanks
announced his excommunication but implored O'Donovan to reconsider. -
(12/18/91 Page: C1 )
 |
| Rocky O'Donovan |
1993 C3 EX-THERAPIST FACES PRISON IN SEX ABUSE OF
S.L. BOY AFTER VIOLATING COURT ORDER Byline: By Stephen Hunt THE SALT LAKE
TRIBUNE Despite a court order against
unsupervised contact with juveniles, a former Salt Lake City therapist has been
counseling teen-age boys in California.
Therapist Richard S. Swart will be sentenced in Utah next month for
sexually abusing a 14-year-old male patient in1990. In northern California, psychologist William
J. Shryer said Swart worked for him at his Bay Area office from August to Dec.
10. That was the day Swart pleaded guilty in Utah's 3rd District Court to two
counts of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse. Mr. Shryer said he terminated Swart as soon
as he learned the man was involved in sexual abuse. Sentencing is set for Jan. 21 before Judge
Leslie A. Lewis in Salt Lake City. Swart could not be reached for comment. ``I knew there was something hanging over
him in Utah, but he made it sound like a malpractice suit,'' Mr. Shryer said in
a telephone interview on Friday.
Because Swart was counseling teens on his own, as well as for Mr.
Shryer, it is unclear how many children he was seeing, Mr. Shryer said. The psychologist said he knows of no
misconduct by Swart, but the parents of boys he counseled are upset. ``The
parents are devastated,'' Mr. Shryer said.
Deputy Salt Lake County Attorney James Cope was surprised to learn Swart
was counseling teens. ``I knew he was working in California, but I thought it
was something to do with personal services,'' he said. Swart got into trouble three years ago,
while working as a therapist for Psychological Associates, 77 S. 700 East, Salt
Lake City. He sexually abused a male
patient during a dozen therapy sessions. But because of death threats, the boy
did not tell his parents about the incidents for nearly two years, prosecutors
said. Meanwhile, Swart's employers
learned he had molested another teen-age male patient. Swart left town in
November1990 and moved to California, according to a civil suit filed against
him on behalf of the boy. In
California, Swart worked for a San Francisco psychiatric hospital, rising to
the job of director of social services, Mr.Shryer said. He also worked as a
contract therapist for a mental-health group, before coming to Mr. Shryer for a
job. ``He had great recommendations,''
Mr. Shryer said. ``He established many programs for gifted kids. His work was
exemplary.'' Mr. Shryer described Swart
as ``a brainy, nerdlike character'' who was expert in the field of ``gifted and
talented'' teen-age boys. ``He was
gifted himself,'' Mr. Shryer said, adding that Swart earned a master's degree
in social work at the age of 22.
Meantime, Mr. Shryer said he has asked California authorities to
investigate Swart for allegedly stealing $6,000 fromthe office. ``We found out
he was having some clients pay him directly,'' Mr. Shryer claimed.
1997 Gov. Mike
Leavitt said homosexuality should not be a factor in public employment, but he
added that sexual orientation also should not be classified as a civil right.
Page: A1 Gay Public Workers Need No Special Civil Rights; Leavitt: No Special
Rights For Gay Workers Byline: BY JUDY FAHYS THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Gov. Mike Leavitt on Thursday said
homosexuality should not be a factor in public employment, but he added that
sexual orientation also should not be classified as a civil right. The governor's careful comments came at a
time when a handful of Utah communities are looking to state government for
guidance on the question of providing equal protection to public employees who
are gay. ``I don't know that there
needs to be a proactive statement on it,'' Leavitt said in response to a
reporter's question during his monthly news conference at KUED-Channel 7.``I
don't know that you improve the situation by doing that.'' Leavitt also discussed his efforts to reduce
domestic violence in Utah and his objections to allowing Utah to become a
storage area for high-level nuclear waste from other states. The governor's
remarks on gay rights come within days of a deadline for the Utah Attorney
General's Office to respond to a lawsuit brought by the American Civil
Liberties Union of Utah on behalf of Wendy Weaver, a lesbian teacher in Spanish
Fork. Weaver contends the Nebo School
District has no right to impose a gag order on her regarding private matters.
The state's response to her lawsuit is expected to set the tone on the issue
statewide. At the same time, the Salt
Lake City Council is embroiled in controversy about what protections should be
extended to homosexual employees. While the council adopted a policy that
prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, it is expected to
revive the issue next month when new council members are sworn in. Besides the city, Salt Lake County and the
University of Utah are the only governmental entities in the state to extend
civil-rights protections based on sexual orientation. Carol Gnade, executive director of the Utah ALCU, said the Weaver case has blurred the
lines between politics and the law on the question of sexual orientation.
Ultimately she predicts the question will be debated in both forums. ``Will the state of Utah make a decision to
become more tolerant toward diversity, or will the state become increasingly
involved in people’s personal lives in private?'' Gnade wondered aloud. She said it is possible lawmakers will take
up the question during the 1998 Legislature, which begins Jan. 19. The Utah Public Employees Association
(UPEA), a union representing 8,000, said its members are protected under
current laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of age, sex or
religion. ``City and county employees
are protected from wrongful terminations under current merit systems,'' said
Tom Bielen, associate director of UPEA.
``The merit process offers public-sector workers the right to appeal
decisions the employee feels are unjustified or wrongful,'' he added. ``Additionally,
public employees have access to the courts if they need to file
wrongful-termination actions.
1997-Navy Secretary
John Dalton denied that the US Navy violates the "don't ask, don't
tell" policy by participating in witch hunts.
1998 The First
Annual Christmas Party Social held at The Gay and Lesbian Community Center
.jpg) |
| Joe Redburn |
1998 Gay Issues
Come to The Forefront in Heavily Mormon State 'It's Been A Long Time Coming'
Washington Blade, December 18, 1998 By Peter Freiberg For a conservative Gay
backwater state, Utah has generated an impressive flow of Gay news lately. A
major reason, according to activists, is simply that the state's Gay community
is finally coming of age. More Gay Utahans, activists say, are rebelling
against the negative portrayals and anti-Gay political stances taken by many
politicians. The result has been a constant stream of controversies, bringing
Gay issues to the forefront in a heavily Mormon state that has preferred to
keep Gays - and their issues -invisible. Beginning in 1996, when the Salt Lake
City school board and the state legislature drew national attention with
efforts to ban Gay-straight student groups in the public schools, the level of
activism in the state has steadily increased. In recent months, for instance:
The club controversy has continued to percolate, as the Salt Lake City school
system persists in attempts to ban the East High Gay/Straight Alliance. A
federal judge recently rejected a request from four civil rights organizations
to allow the club to meet pending a trial on charges that the Board of
Education is violating the federal Equal Access Act. Jackie Biskupski, a
Democrat, became Utah's first openly Gay elected official when voters in a Salt
Lake City district overwhelmingly chose her for the state legislature.
Biskupski was aided by a new state group, the Gay and Lesbian Political Action
Committee (GALPAC), which helped raise money for her campaign. A federal judge,
in a strong opinion, ruled in favor of Wendy Weaver, a longtime teacher and
coach who argued that a suburban school district unconstitutionally restricted
her freedom of speech when it ordered her not to discuss the fact that she is
Lesbian with students, staff, or parents of students. The state is still
considering whether to appeal. A new Gay community center was dedicated in
October, a two-story building in downtown Salt Lake City that organizers hope
will eventually spawn satellite centers in rural Utah. Although there were two
Gay community centers previously, this one appears to have a better chance of
becoming financially viable and a unifying force in the community. Also in
October, Gov. Mike Leavitt, a conservative Republican, held an unpublicized
75-minute meeting with a dozen Gay high school students. The meeting was
arranged by Jim Debakis, a Gay art dealer and former talk show host and a
leader of the community center project. The Salt Lake City Council, unwilling
to retain an ordinance that explicitly protected Gay city employees from
discrimination, eliminated all mention of specific categories of discrimination
in the law and said simply that no discrimination is acceptable. But activists
say a change of one vote - which might happen after the next Council elections
- could reinstate the explicit protection. (Salt Lake County already prohibits
discrimination for its employees and services.) And Mormon Church leaders
donated more than $1 million to anti-Gay initiative campaigns in Alaska and
Hawaii to win voter support in November to block legal recognition of same-sex
marriages. Accident is part of the reason all these developments seem to be
coming at once: It was coincidence, activists note, that a federal judge
rendered a judgment in the Weaver lawsuit at about the same time as he rejected
a preliminary injunction in the clubs case. But deeper reasons, they say, are
that more Gays are coming out and the community is maturing. "It's been a
long time coming," says Robert Austin, an openly Gay teacher and father
who is co-chair of the Utah chapter of the Gay, Lesbian Straight Education
Network (GLSEN), a group that works to improve school conditions for Gay
students and teachers. "There's been a lot of groundwork laid by folks
over the years," Austin says. "And there are times, especially in a
very conservative culture [like Utah], when people feel compelled to draw a
line in the sand and say, 'We cannot accept this.'" Carol Gnade, the
openly Lesbian executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of
Utah, says, "The time is ripe. People have come out who lived in silence
for years. It's really quite empowering." One indication of a different
climate in Salt Lake City, says Doug Wortham, an openly Gay private school
teacher and leader of the new GALPAC, is the Gay Pride parade. Until 1996, he
says, "we had a Gay Pride that was so in the closet there was no
parade." Instead, people assembled in suburban Murray, in a park whose
tall hedges kept passersby from looking in. The past three years, Wortham says,
a parade has been held in downtown Salt Lake City, where marchers gather at the
state capitol and then walk past the Mormon office building. Laurie Wood, an
openly Lesbian college teacher in a very conservative county, said
"hurtful and ignorant" letters to the editor and politicians'
statements over the clubs issue made many Gays feel they had to speak out.
"More and more people were emboldened by state senators likening Gay
people to animals," Wood said. "You can take only so many slings and
arrows before you say, 'Enough is enough.'" Wood says local activism has
been stoked by the involvement of several organizations in Utah issues - the
national and state ACLU, GLSEN and Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, a
national Gay legal group. "I've had a number of people come up to me and
say our litigation in Utah has been a big impetus to organizing activity,"
says Lambda attorney David Buckel. "It sends the message that there are
people who are willing to fight for Gay people, and they're not alone. The ACLU
of Utah has also played that role." Nevertheless, progress on Gay issues
is being fought every step of the way in the mostly Republican state, where,
according to University of Utah political scientist Matthew Burbank, more than
60 percent of the population is Mormon. The politically influential Mormon
church maintains that while homosexual orientation should not be condemned,
homosexual sex is immoral. In Utah, the overwhelmingly Mormon, GOP-controlled
state legislature was the first to ban recognition of Gay marriage and has refused
to include anti-Gay violence in its hate crimes protection laws. Kate Kendell,
executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and a
former Utah resident, cautions that, while the state and its Gay community are
changing, "much of the dialogue and visibility around Gay issues is based
on homophobia and [anti-Gay] discrimination." "They do things in Utah
that wouldn't happen in other states," says Kendell, pointing to the
speech restrictions placed on teacher Wendy Weaver as an example. Burbank
doesn't think it likely that either public opinion or the stance of most
politicians has changed much on Gay issues. Even Biskupski's election, he
notes, came in a mostly Democratic urban district. Her presence will
"provide a human face" when Gay issues come up, Burbank says, but
"I wouldn't be under any illusions that it's going to change policy in the
state legislature." The legislature in 1996 entered the school clubs
controversy by voting to require local school boards to ban certain student
groups, including those that discuss "human sexuality." Earlier, the
Salt Lake City school board, seeking a legal way to keep the Gay/Straight
Alliance from meeting, had banned all non-curricular clubs. Under the federal
Equal Access Act, a federally funded public school that permits any
non-curricular club to use its facilities must grant such access to all other
non-curricular clubs. In a lawsuit, Lambda, the ACLU, and the NCLR argue that
East High has allowed other non-curricular clubs to meet on school grounds and
that the Gay/Straight Alliance should be permitted to meet as well. The school
board is not relying on the state law banning clubs that discuss "human
sexuality," so that law has not yet been challenged. Federal Judge Bruce
Jenkins is scheduled to hold a trial on the lawsuit next year. In the meantime,
the Gay/Straight Alliance, drawing anywhere from 15 to 45 students, meets
weekly at the school - but, like any outside youth organization, must have an
adult adviser and a sponsor and pay a fee. The Alliance adviser is Camille Lee,
an East High science teacher who has been out as a Lesbian for over three
years. GLSEN is the Alliance's sponsor and pays the meeting fee. Alliance
members say having Lee as adviser gives them a good "role model." We
have someone who's willing to stick her neck out for us," says Chris
Trindel, a 17-year-old openly Gay varsity cheerleader. "Most of the time,
that pushes us to do better." The group gives support to its members,
performs community volunteer work, and is planning a prom for Gay students and
their backers. Lee says the current East High principal has been extremely
supportive of her and sensitive to the needs of Gay students. The furor over
Gay support clubs in the schools helped get GLSEN's state chapter started, says
teacher Doug Wortham, who helped lead the chapter and was a founder of GALPAC,
which contributes to Gay-supportive candidates. But Wortham says that, in Utah,
activism must be tempered with a strong dose of political reality. Fearful that
Biskupski's campaign would be hurt if a Gay organization contributed a
substantial amount to her campaign, GALPAC helped people make individual
donations, which he says totaled $3,000. "We're not hiding anything, but
people are playing it carefully right now," says Wortham. "We're not
out and screaming." Similarly, when Jim Debakis, an openly Gay art dealer,
called his old friend the governor to ask him to meet with a group of Gay
youth, he did not publicize the request - or the eventual meeting - for fear it
might hurt the governor and derail any future meetings. Debakis says Leavitt, a
Mormon, listened intently as the young people told him, among other things,
about their fears of anti-Gay violence in the schools, problems with their
families, and their opposition to the ban on Gay support clubs. "The
governor made it clear he didn't agree with a lot of our political goals,"
Debakis said, "but he said he had learned so much." Debakis says he
told the governor that when politicians employ anti-Gay rhetoric, it encourages
acts of bias and violence against Gay kids. Debakis, a relatively new activist,
has been a key figure in raising money for the just-opened community center. So
far, he says, about $150,000 has been raised, almost enough for the first
year's budget. "I really don't see financing as the biggest
challenge," Debakis says. "The bigger challenges are programming,
keeping the community unified, and making sure we meet the needs of rural
Utah." Executive director Monique Predovich says close to 300 people a
week are coming to the center's coffee shop or meeting in groups that use the
center. Efforts are under way that will test how much the political and
judicial climates have changed. Longtime Gay activist David Nelson and the Utah
ACLU's Carol Gnade are putting together a task force to come up with a long
term strategy for eliminating the state's sodomy law. And Nelson says an
amendment specifically including sexual orientation in Utah's hate crimes law
will be proposed at next year's session - and he is optimistic it will pass.
But Utah lacks a statewide Gay political organization and is one of only five
states without plans under way for joining in the nationwide actions by state
Gay groups scheduled for next March. Utah may yet participate, says Nelson, but
he's doubtful it will happen. "We have an incredible burnout rate [among
leaders]," says Nelson. "Certainly a state march is noble, but my
guess is we're just very busy focusing on other things."
2002 Chad Keller to
Darin Hobbs: Regarding Pride T-Shirts: I am getting calls from Sue at the
t-shirt place for the Bagley shirts.
Please call her immediately at 269-1282. They are asking I pay and get
reimbursement from Pride, but I explained that it would not be an option, and
would need to get payment from you. She wants this resolved before January 1
Thanks! Chad Keller
2002-A Reminder of
December's Monthly Meeting for the Utah Stonewall Historical Society Wednesday,
December 18 7-8 PM Angles Café 511 West 200 South SLC UT If we do not preserve
our own history, no one will. In attendance at December's monthly meeting of
the Stonewall Historical Society was the
former Director of Salt Lake Affirmation
John Cooper who led that group from 1984-1987. Cooper shared some of his
memories of that period when Affirmation was in transition and prior to when
the Wasatch Affirmation Chapter was established in 1986. Cooper also added that
he has several file cabinet drawers of newsletters and periodicals that he is
interested in having the Historical Society peruse before perhaps donating them
to the Marriott Library's Special Collections. Gay historian Jay Bell who
specializes in the LDS factor of Lambda history of Utah was also present. He is
currently working on a compilation of Lambda history in the context of the LDS
faith and culture. Alma Smith, founder of LGSU at SLCC in 1987-8, currently
residing in California, has agreed to help preserve some of the history of that
organization. We have recieved several updates on the 1980-1989 Who's Who List
and shortly a new list will be posted. Please continue to send insights and
recollections of people from this time period.
 |
| Jay Bell |
• Ben Williams posted; I believe Jay Bell
is at University Hospital. Ric Bickmore of Wasatch Affirmation is posting more
information on their web site. I just heard about the accident on the 17th and
will post updates on his condition as I am informed. Jay was instrumental in
saving the old Utah Stonewall Center's archives from lost and also having the
Marriott Library accept it as the bulk of their Lambda collection at the U of
U. He was working on a definitive history of the LDS church's struggle to
derail Equal Rights for homosexuals. Members of Affirmation are working with
members of Jay's family to keep his life work from being lost if he does not
recover.
• Jay Bell, Gay historian and board member
of the Utah Stonewall Historical Society died December 18th 2003 at the age of
55 years from the results of a tragic auto pedestrian accident. Jay was a
scholar whose collections of papers and research on the Mormon Gay community in
Utah reside at the University of Utah Marriott Library. According to his
friends he was an important link between the Mormon Gay community and the
Sunstone and Dialogue groups. He collected the history of Affirmation and its
chapters across the nation and around the world as well as drafted an 800-page
book to organize and present this information in a readable way. I am deeply sadden by the passing of Jay
Bell. I have his voice on my cell phone answering machine from just a couple of
days before his accident. I never got back with him because of the hectic
holiday schedule. I will never know now what he wanted to share with me to my
deep regret. Jay and I shared a love of being Gay and of history. It was he who
approached me with the concept of saving the old Utah Stonewall Archives by
having the Marriott Library be a repository for them. He made all the contacts
between the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah's board and the Marriott Library's
special collection department. One very hot summer day Jay and I spent the
afternoon lugging out over 30 cardboard boxes from a dusty and dirty garage.
Jay was a doer. More so he was a visionary. He understood that our time here is
so fleeting and it is the records that we leave behind which will make us
immortal. Jay has left us a legacy insuring his immortality. He was dedicated
in preserving the history of Affirmation in Utah and of the LDS church's
recessive attitude towards homosexuality. The Board of Directors of the Utah
Stonewall Historical Society shall miss him not only for the giant he was in
historical research but also for his wicked humor and tidbits of gossip that
also makes history exciting as well as entertaining.
• This is Jay Bell's obituary from the SL
Tribune. (On a personal note I feel sadden that his family chose to ignore his
life work and his passion for chronicling the history of the Lambda people in
the LDS Church. Again I am reminded how it is so important that we reclaim our
histories and our lives from heterosexual bias. This is not how the Jay Bell I
knew would have wanted his obituary to read as if his homosexuality was a dirty
little secret). Edward Jay Bell Edward Jay Bell 09/04/48 ~ 12/18/03 E. Jay Bell
was born in the small town of Trona, California in the Mojave Desert on
September 4, 1948 to Clarence M. and Deola S. Bell. After graduating from Trona
High School, Jay went on to serve an LDS mission, then to BYU where he received
a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1986. Since then he has lived and worked in the
Salt Lake Valley, and dedicated many hours to research and in support of the
diverse cultures of America. Jay will always be remembered for his brilliant
mind, his love of knowledge and especially his delightful sense of humor. Jay
is survived by his mother Deola; two brothers, Ray (Gloria) and Lynn (Debbie);
nieces, nephews and cousins. His father Clarence preceded him in death. Funeral
services will be Monday, December 22, 2003 at 11:00 in the Mountain View
Memorial Chapel, 3115 East 7800 South (Bengal Ave). Friends and family may
visit one hour prior to service. Interment Mountain View Memorial Cemetery.
Published in the Salt Lake Tribune on 12/21/2003.
• Jay, You are embarked on a great
adventure. We are all spirit beings temporarily living a human existence.
Congratulations, Jay, on graduating this life and on your advancement into the
next. No one dies. We just change form. I love you, Jay. See you soon. Michael
Pierce (Spanish Fork, UT ) December 21, 2003
• Jay was a wonderful person, a true
saint, who influenced many in his daily activites. He always had a smile, a
hug, and words of support for all who came his way. As a result his friends are
numbered as the sands of the sea. He will be remembered by many who knew him
and his influence in the causes that mattered to him will live on. His research
will provide future generations of Mormons, struggling with themselves and
their religious community, a platform on which to understand the past and live
for the future. Bless you Jay for a life well lived and for the example you
leave all of us. There will always be a rainbow to remind us of you just like
the one that spun in the wind from your balcony. David Knowlton (Salt Lake
City, UT ) December 21, 2003
• I knew Jay for 16 years and there never
was a kinder person in life. Jay had an enormous impact on many individuals
throughout his life. He was active in a variety of civic and religious
organizations. He will be remembered for his intense, personal commitment to research
on a variety of subjects but particularly on the issue of civil rights. His
pursuit of knowledge was driven by a desire to better understand and appreciate
diverse human experiences and to raise awareness about the need for social
reform. He was a strong advocate for anyone who has struggled to find a place
in mainstream society and he frequently opened his heart and home to people in
crisis. I was one of those people and I will always be grateful for that. He
always inspired me to follow my passions and to trust in my heart and know that
the simple belief was the true way of life. He taught me the deep meaning of
tolerance and that we are all human, regardless of who we all. Jay, I will miss
you and the many talks we had on just about every subject in life. All of the
phone calls and emails we shared from an informative article to a joke that
made us laugh. You were a true friend to me and my life is better because of
that. May you touch the hearts and minds of others that you meet with as you
did in this life. Marty Mankins (Salt Lake City, UT ) December 21, 2003
• Jay's death diminishes the community
that he so loved. The Utah Stonewall Historical Society on whose board he was a
member sends our deepest condolences in this time of sorrow. Ben Williams (Salt
Lake City, UT ) December 21, 2003
• jay will be missed in the community
earle jensen (salt lake city, UT ) December 21, 2003
• dear deola and family: my condolences to
you all at the passing of your son, ed. may the lord comfort you in this time
of need. Michael c. kenyon (son of nellie kenyon, one of your teaching
associates) michael kenyon (st. george, UT ) December 21, 2003
• I have known and loved Jay as a friend
since our BYU days in the early 1980s. We shared an interest in LDS Church history
and culture. From there our friendship grew over the years. My wife (Barbara)
and I considered Jay as one of our dearest friends. It was a sad time when Jay
moved from Orem to Salt Lake because we did not get to see him as much. We
spent many delightful days and evenings together at family events, dinners and
movies. Jay and I researched together in the libraries and archives here in
Utah. Jay would also call me to catch up on what was going on in my family's
life and my work as a research historian in early Mormon history. My children
all loved Jay for his honest and true concern for their happiness and well
being. He was closer to me and my family than any of my siblings. My now- grown
children all thought of Jay as family and a true friend in whom they could
confide in. I will miss my friendship with Jay, but know that we shall all be
together in the eternities. Farewell for now my friend. I love you as a brother
and comrade in our research of Mormonism. Scott Faulring (Orem, UT ) December
21, 2003
2005 Marriage
resolution is rejected Salt Lake Tribune The North Salt Lake City Council
declined to adopt a proposal by the Sutherland Institute last month affirming
the sanctity of marriage because it excluded adoptive families, single parents
and same-sex couples. The institute's resolution read, in part: "We
envision a local culture that upholds the marriage of woman to a man, and a man to a woman, as
ordained of God. This culture affirms marriage as the best path to health
security, fulfillment and joy." Members of the the City Council, however,
believed the resolution did not reflect the reality of the city's makeup and
wanted a version that would include all residents. Paul T. Mero, president of
the Sutherland Institute, has sent similar resolutions to every city and county
council in the state as a vision statement. - Davis County Clipper
 |
| Chris Buttars |
2005 9 Buttars is
immoral Salt Lake Tribune Freedom of speech, expression and association are
all-important rights to every citizen of this country and to all people who
decided to make this country their home. Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan,
cannot choose which individuals or groups can exercise their right, because he
is "concerned about gay clubs" and because he thinks "it's just
wrong." It's immoral to exclude people based on that belief. Sen. Buttars
is known as an advocate for parental rights. He should understand then that he
is overriding other parents' rights to raise their children based on their
beliefs. It's immoral to think you are a better parent than somebody else who
gave permission to his or her child to join a gay-straight alliance club. It's
immoral to use his senatorial position to push his personal beliefs on others
and not to take into consideration the constitutionality of his actions.
Francisca Blanc Salt Lake City
2005 Love one
another Salt Lake Tribune I am tired of Sen. Chris Butters, R-West Jordan, and
Gayle Ruzicka of the Eagle Forum. They cannot continue to do what they are
trying to do with regard to the proposal of banning gay/straight clubs in
schools ("Gay-straight clubs under fire," Tribune, Dec. 16). Don't
they have a soul or a heart? When will they realize that there are many
different types of people? The gay community is getting tired of their ongoing
efforts to wipe out any reference to our lifestyle. They may not like it, but
we are not going anywhere. So I suggest that they learn to accept that there
are gay people in their state, city, neighborhood and schools (or tolerate it,
for goodness' sake). As the Good Book says, "Love one another as I have
loved you." Jerold Burbank Salt Lake City
2005 Pride
Basketball When: Sunday’s Time:10:30 AM Where: Rowland Hall (approx.
900 South And 950 East – on Lincoln) Come out and play ball with members of
your community and their friends. All levels welcome Competitive members are
organizing for the Gay Games and other Tournaments. $1 from each player every
Sunday goes towards Rowland Hall’s Electric Bill. Multiple games can be played
simultaneously. Contact Information: Jeffrey Sanchez, Stewart Ralphs, Tyler
Dahlsrud
2012 The new kinder, gentler language is a velvet coated cudgel. But it's still a cudgel and will have the same effect as Boyd K.'s naked iron cudgel. I don't see the witch's hammer turning into a flower any time soon. That would require a miraculous discovery of self-awareness, compassion, and imagination on the part of church leadership. It would also require eating a likely fatal dose of crow.- Edwin Firmage, Jr. Agnostic, one-time academic, who dabbled in high-tech before finding his bliss in outdoor photography, who rediscovered his academic roots and is now translating the book of Jeremiah.
2015 Congratulations to Gay Men Aloud member Michael Sanders for being a QSalt Lake
Reader's Choice for Person
of the Year.
- Richard Harmston wrote Michael certainly deserves this recognition. He is a man who gets things done!
2019
The December Public Oratory of the Utah Queer Historical Society featured Coral Mangus and Andrea Dahl! This month, the Queer Historical Society presents Andrea Dahl and Coral Mangus, who have been together over 30 years and have been married three times, a story by itself. Coral was fired from teaching after their first marriage ceremony in 1990. After a few interviews, the story of our marriage in UT with photos ended up in newspapers, Twitter, and other sources across the country and world. During the 1980s and 1990s, Andrea was actively involved in AIDS education. "Although we don’t feel like LBGTQ+ activists, others have told us we have inspired them". You be the judge after hearing our stories. Coral is a great storyteller so be prepared for laughs along the way. And yes, they love the Packers!
The December Public Oratory of the Utah Queer Historical Society featured Coral Mangus and Andrea Dahl! This month, the Queer Historical Society presents Andrea Dahl and Coral Mangus, who have been together over 30 years and have been married three times, a story by itself. Coral was fired from teaching after their first marriage ceremony in 1990. After a few interviews, the story of our marriage in UT with photos ended up in newspapers, Twitter, and other sources across the country and world. During the 1980s and 1990s, Andrea was actively involved in AIDS education. "Although we don’t feel like LBGTQ+ activists, others have told us we have inspired them". You be the judge after hearing our stories. Coral is a great storyteller so be prepared for laughs along the way. And yes, they love the Packers!
 |
| Andrea and Coral |
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete