December 19
1962 Because of a
growing number of sex offenses and offenders within the city, the Salt Lake
City Police Department will create a special squad in the department’s youth
bureau. Chief Ralph C. Knudsen said Tuesday that the special squad will include
a Sergeant and three patrolmen will probably be effective January 1. At least two of the four members of the said
will be officers who have acquired considerable experience in the investigation
and prosecution of sex offenses. The
formation of the special squad is necessitated by the growing number of sex
offenses reported to the police and by the necessity of concentrating
investigation of such offenses into one unit, the chief said. Presently sex offenses involving juveniles
are handled by the youth bureau. Homosexuals offenses are handled by the vice
squad. Cases involving rape are investigated by either homicide detail or the
youth bureau. (12/19/62 page 6C Col. 8 SLTribune)
1963-Indecent
exposure offense in Salt Lake City resulted in a sharp increase in the number
of sex crimes reported to police in the 1st eleven months of 1963. A total of
474 sex cases in the eleven month period compared with only 453 in the same
period a year ago, the department reported Wednesday. Of the total 292 were
indecent exposure cases . Of the remaining
182 cases 155 were molestation and 15 rapes. 12/19/63 page B4 Col. 3 SLTribune)
1966 18 year old
Michael Holtz , of 331 Reed Ave., SLC, a senior at West High was kidnapped by
Walter Bernard Kelbach age 28 and Myron Darl Lance age 25.
He was stripped nude on a lonely road
near Wanship and stabbed five times. Died from stab wounds to the heart.
Police Officers stated that Holtz did not appear to have been sexually
molested.
 |
| Walter Kelbach |
.jpg) |
| Myron Lance |
- [1966 Walter Kelbach, 28, and 25-year-old Myron Lance had many things in common. Both were veterans of prison and aggressive homosexuals, each given to abuse of drugs and alcohol. Above all else, they shared a fondness for inflicting pain -- and, ultimately, death -- on fellow human beings. In December 1966, their twisted passion claimed five lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, touching off a local reign of terror. On December 17, hopped up on pills and wine, the duo stopped for gas at a service station where 18-year-old Stephen Shea was working the night shift alone. Impulsively, the "customers" drew weapons, robbing Shea of $147, forcing him into the back of their station wagon and driving him into the desert. There, Shea was ordered to strip, and was raped by both Kelbach and Lance. Afterward, a coin was tossed to see who would receive the "honor" of eliminating Shea. The winner -- Kelbach -- plunged a knife into his victim's chest five times and left the body Iying on a lonely desert road. Repeating their performance on the eighteenth of December, Lance and Kelbach kidnapped Michael Holtz, the night attendant at another Salt Lake City filling station. Raped by both of his abductors, Holtz was forced to watch while coins were tossed to choose his executioner. Lance won, this time, and stabbed his victim once in the heart with the same stiletto used on Stephen Shea. December 21. The killers changed their modus operandi flagging down a taxi driver named Grant Strong, directing him to Salt Lake City's airport. On the way, Strong stopped off at the taxi barn to tell his supervisor that he didn't trust his latest fares. It was decided Strong should click his microphone transmitter switch in case of any trouble, and he flashed the signal moments later, after Kelbach drew a gun and pressed it to his skull, demanding money. Strong surrendered all his cash on hand -- nine dollars -- but his captors were not seriously interested in robbery. Police and fellow cabbies were converging on the scene when Kelbach put a bullet through his victim's brain. "I just pulled the trigger and blood flew everywhere," he later told an NBC reporter. "Oh boy! I never seen so much blood!" Police found Strong a short time later, Iying dead inside his cab. By that time, Lance and Kelbach had arrived at Lolly's Tavern, near the airport, acting casual as they perused the bar for further victims. Kelbach tinkered with a pinball game while Lance walked up behind a patron, 47-year-old James Sizemore, and coolly shot him in the head, immediately ordering the manager to empty out his till. Pocketing $300 from the cash register, Lance and Kelbach turned their pistols on the bartender and his four surviving customers; Fred Lillie and Beverly Mace were killed where they stood, three other human targets feigning death until the manic marksmen took their leave. As Lance and Kelbach left, the manager retrieved a pistol from behind the bar and opened fire; he scored no hits, but panicked his assailants, and they fled on foot. Retrieving their car, both gunmen were captured at a roadblock several hours later. Convicted on five counts of murder, Kelbach and Lance were sentenced to death, their penalties commuted to life imprisonment after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional . [Walter Kelbach, a man without a conscience, gave new meaning to the words natural born killer. Kelbach was a homosexual who did not try to hide his sexual preference from anybody, and he openly displayed his homosexuality in public and gay bars all over Salt Lake City, Utah. He lived most of his adulthood in and out of prison for drugs and burglary. Kelbach lived in a perpetual drug-induced state and took many types of narcotics in the form of pills where he would wash the drugs down with huge gulps of alcohol. Kelbach met a man, Myron Lance, at one of the many gay bars he frequented, and the two became lovers and compadres who shared many commonalties with the other, including a fascination with inflicting pain and death on others. Both Kelbach and Lance set out to claim six victims without an inkling of remorse when they started a killing spree that would last for four terror-filled days. Kelback and Lance robbed two gas stations just days apart and murdered the attendants who were working there alone, by taking them to a secluded spot and raping them. Kelbach and Lance proved their savageness when they made their victims watch as they tossed a coin to see who would be the one to murder them first. On December 21st of 1966, Kelbach and Lance were finally captured at a road block after they robbed a bar and sprayed the bar with bullets, killing three patrons in the bar and a cab driver earlier that same day. Both Kelbach and Lance were given the death penalty, but had the conviction changed to life in prison after the United States Supreme Court ruled the death penalty as unconstitutional. Climb to Fame One of the most deadliest spree killers who killed with no remorse, claiming the lives of six people. Work History (1960s) Makes a living by robbing and burglarizing gas stations. As lifers, Lance and Kelbach are theoretically eligible for parole. It is a prospect that concerns the residents of Utah, and the common fear was spread from coast to coast in 1972, after Kelbach was tapped for an interview by NBC News, on a televised program entitled Thou Shalt Not Kill. "I haven't any feelings toward the victims," Walter told his audience of millions, grinning for the camera. "I don't mind people getting hurt because I just like to watch it." • Posted by Joe on November 16 2004 11:14
- The body of Michael Holtz, 18, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter E. Holtz, 331 Reed Ave. (735 North), was discovered Monday about 11:15 a.m. just a few feet off the westbound access road to Interstate 80, three miles west of Wanship. He was abducted sometime between 8 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday from the Premium Service Station, 803 S. 8th West. FUNERAL SERVICES Funeral services for Michael Kent Holtz will be Thursday, 2 p.m., at 260 E. South Temple, where friends may call Wednesday, 6-8 p.m. and Thursday prior to services. Burial will be in Memorial Gardens of the Valley.Born Nov. 16, 1948, Salt Lake City, he was a senior at West High School and a member of the Twenty-fourth Ward, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is survived by his parents and a brother, James W. Holtz, Salt Lake City.
1970 A Utah Judge deems homosexuality to be
minimal at state prison so refuses appeal of an inmate homosexual victim for
release (SLTribune12/19/1970 25-1)
1981 A startled
mailman, Warren T. Ashby, 27, told Salt Lake Police he was assaulted by a naked
man. The naked man stormed out of a basement apartment and shouted “Its show
and tell time.” Then shoved Ashby off the porch. (12/19/1981 SLTribune B5)
.jpg) |
| Jerry Falwell |
1985-Edward Johnson
was threatened by the phone company with the loss of his phone service. He had
programmed his computer to call Jerry Falwell's toll-free number every thirty
seconds. By the time it was discovered it had cost Falwell an estimated
$500,000.
 |
| Ben Cabey |
1988- Davyyd
Daniels called and said that Charles Van Dam died from complications from AIDS
in Phoenix, Arizona today. He never regained his coherent speech so I have the
last interview he ever gave anyone for the Historical Society and Archives.
(Memoirs of Ben Williams)
1988 Monday I
talked to David Sharpton tonight, The People
With AIDS Coalition was broken
into last night, Nothing was taken. David suspects that people were looking for
names and information. [Journal of Ben Williams]
 |
| David Sharpton |
• ACLU, AIDS FOUNDATION ARE BURGLARIZED
Salt Lake police are investigating the burglary of the American Civil Liberties
Union and the Salt Lake AIDS Foundation offices in which a small amount of cash
was stolen. Robin Blumner, director of the ACLU's Utah office, said she was
notified at home Monday about 8:30 a.m. of the burglary. "It's really
bizarre," said Blumner. "They left the computers . . . they left
everything of value." Just $15 was taken from the ACLU offices in a
professional plaza at 450 S. Ninth East, Blumner
said. Some files were rifled
through during the burglary, which apparently occurred Sunday night or early
Monday morning. "It looks like we had some kids looking for money. It
looks really rinky dink," said Ben Barr, director of the Salt Lake AIDS
Foundation. "They did some real damage - they brought along a
crowbar" and smashed a glass door. The two offices were the only ones in
the building that were burglarized. "That's the thing that's perplexing,"
Barr said. "There were other offices in the building that weren't
touched." No files from either office were taken, and the thieves did not
take any other valuable items, both Blumner and Barr said.
.jpg) |
| Ben Barr |
1988 "Utah Shanti Model Closes Down" New York Native (12/19/88) Vol. 9, No. 2, P. 6 Whelan, Jim Abstract: Salt Lake City's AIDS Project Utah, a service
agency modeled after San Francisco's Shanti Project, will close its doors in
the next few weeks because of a lack of funds. Ben Barr, formerly of the AIDS
Project and now the Salt Lake AIDS Foundation's executive director, says the
political atmosphere in Utah is such that his current organization received
$6,000 for an AIDS hotline last year from the State Health Department at the
same time, the department was establishing a $700,000 "AIDS Control Unit"
to conduct "partner notification." When Barr testified before the
state legislature's Health Interim Committee that six young men had tried to
kill themselves after learning they were HIV-positive from physicians who said
they "had AIDS" and not much could be done, the committee chairman
reportedly said, "Mr. Barr, we know why people kill themselves. It's their
guilt about their immoral lifestyles." The state legislature is currently
considering bills to mandate reporting of HIV-positive test results and to test
all prisoners for HIV and isolate those who test positive.
881219 AD880410
1990-On "The
700 Club" televangelist Pat Robertson told viewers that homosexuality is
the very worst sin in the Bible.
1990-The ACLU
announced that it would seek to legalize same-sex marriage.
1996 MAN CHARGED
WITH FORCING A BOY TO PERFORM SEX ACT A 27-year-old man was charged Monday with
forcing a 17-year-old boy to perform a sex act. he man faces one count of
forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony, according to charges filed in 3rd
District Court. In either March or April, the man took the juvenile to his
apartment in the 2100 East block of Bengal Boulevard (7600 South)and forced him
to perform the sex act, the documents say.© 1998 Deseret News Publishing Co.
2002 Letter from
Chad Keller to Geoffrey Partain GLCCU Board Member; regarding the assimilation
of Pride Day by the GLCCU-Geoff, Thanks
for mentioning me in your diatribe. I have
sat silent waiting for a member of the Utah Pride Committee to attack me
publicly for attempting as a Pride Board Member to protect our community's
interests and our community's event in the wake of another financial mess. A mess created by those executives in charge
of finances and spending to launch the takeover. So I guess it is my turn to start to set the
record straight. (Geoff and I must be in
the same lunar cycle, so this is a warning) Being a merger is far from the truth
as Pride has lost its autonomy and is nothing more than a program to generate
funding to sponsor the organizations and individuals programming and causes
deemed acceptable by the Center and its board.
For the record Mr. Partian, Mr. Hobbs, Mr. Miller and the missing Ms.
Booth, I was asked specific questions related to the hostile take over of the Utah GLBT's Pride Day by many people
including Mr. Nelson. There were, and up until you refused to listen, many
people willing to step forward to save Utah GLBT Pride. The merger is not a popular as you have led
yourself to believe. The community was
never given a chance. I was however the
only one on the board willing to honestly answer any of the questions because I
had nothing at stake in the deal, and did not stand to benefit from an
appointment. Of course the Pride
Committee insured that I would be no where around. You each allowed a calling of a vote to
remove me from the board at a meeting that each committee member knew full well
I could not attend, and without hearing all sides of the party's involved. And then justified the removal based on
attendance. I had attended every meeting
but one. Pride, Geoff, could have been
saved as an independent organization with some effort and disclosure to the
community. With some cutbacks and
changes in event planning, organization, and with the establishment of a board
representative of the community the event would have in a few years, by all
estimates, had a paid executive director, and eventually offices and its own
warehouse. But it seemed that no one was willing to dig in
and do the work. The hole that Pride was
in was portrayed to be large and unconquerable.
The man in charge of the money and the daily accounting, who worked for
the Center did his job well. As a new board member of the Center, appointed
through the takeover, tell us Geoff, exactly where was the community
input? The meetings were never
announced. I'll take that back, one was
in November, but was announced though limited media venues, and without much
time for people to plan to attend. And
this entire decision making occurred behind closed doors without any comments
from the true owners of Utah Pride, the GLBT community. Where is the final analysis of the books for
2002, and where are the various proposals and options regarding Utah Pride for
the community to review and make comment.
Seems that there was another Main Street Plaza deal at work. What problems shall we expect in the
future? Who will be left out in the
purification of pride? While you have
accused me by stating "we all know who you want on or off the
board," I will add we all know who
you want in or out of Pride. Pride under my understanding still has not closed
it books. The same books that were
disclosed to the director of a local foundation before reviewed by the Pride
Board. If they have been closed I and
many of us would like to see them Where
in this deal does the Youth Activity Center Council get the $2000.00 donation
is lieu of the committee paying the appearance fees of Steve Kmetko. A sizable donation, that was to be used at
the desecration of the YAC Council. Was
the donation actually traded for water in the early days of the talks of a
merger. How old west! What is to happen to the $11,000.00
restitution that is going to start coming in from the judgement against former
Co-Chair Kim Russo? That is community
money. Perhaps Utah Pride can begin to
redeem itself by donating that money to establish an independent trust fund
governed by a board reflective of the local gay diversity to help all GLBT organizations produce events for and by our
community that help in our battle for equality. Finally Geoff, I have been
accused of many things in this life. I
have broad shoulders, and when I have screwed up will admit it and will take my
public thrashing like a man. But one
thing is for certain, I have never been accused of being lazy, uncaring,
deceptive, elitist and selling out those I care about. Its something to think about. Chad Keller
Former Utah Pride Board Member
2003 Jay Bell Gay
Mormon Historian died.
• December 19 2003 Dear Friends of Jay
Bell: I just wanted to post some information
about Jay Bell's funeral, since I
was at the planning meeting today at the hospital. Bob Bell, Jay's half
brother, was there, along with his wife, representing the family; a number of
Jay's friends were there,
including Brent Pace & his partner Ralph, Jed
Brubaker & partner Josh, and a neighbor of Jay's. Ralph's role has been wonderful, because he
works at the hospital and helped us find a quiet room where we could meet. The
meeting was very positive, and we found common ground for a funeral service in
which both biological family and his family of choice (i.e., us) will attend.
The family was open to having Affirmation people speak & participate. Jay
was out to most of his family; most family members are not pleased that he was
gay & open about it, but some compromises have been reached regarding the
language and explicitness in the service. Brent Pace will most likely be our
speaker. This is very appropriate, because Brent was very close to Jay--more
than I or other Affirmation friends. Jed Brubaker is setting up a bank account
for receiving donations to help pay for some of the funeral expenses; Besides
providing one or two speakers at the service, Affirmation will be in charge of
planning a reception at a room at the Marriott after the burial. Apparently the
Marriott has offered a room for this event because of Jay's involvement with
the company (Jay worked for the Marriot). Affirmation will help pay for the
refreshments, etc. Several Affirmation friends are planning to travel from far
away to the service. Others are sending money or flowers. I would like to
invite everyone to send tributes to James Kent for a memorial page that will be
permanently posted at the Affirmation national website. Obituary notices will
appear in the Salt Lake City papers this weekend and in the next issue of
Sunstone magazine. Regarding the accident in which Jay lost his life, Robert
Bell told us that he talked with the sheriff, and it is believed that it was a
genuine accident. Jay was legally blind. Apparently Jay was crossing the street
between some cars that were stopped as they were waiting to turn, and a car in
the other lane hit him. The driver immediately stopped and tried to help. The
police do not believe the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol or
drugs. Jay was hit in the head, went into a coma and never regained
consciousness. Let me add that the family knows perfectly well about the
importance of Jay's research, and are committed to make sure that his papers
and research, including files in his computer, be donated to the University of
Utah. His papers belong in the very collection that he was instrumental in
creating. When I contacted the Special Collections desk with news of his
demise, the staff was shocked--Jay had spent many hours that very week doing
research there. Something very interesting that I didn't fully know is that Jay
had recently been making what now seem "preparations" for death. And
there was a sense of urgency about his research projects. Recently he had
finished a new version of his CD-Rom on GLBTI Studies. He felt very honored by
Affirmation, which nominated him for a second year in a row as a Paul Mortensen
Award candidate, and gave him a special award of $1,000 for his remarkable
contributions to gay Mormon research. He was very excited about the Mormon
Alliance publishing some of his research in an upcoming report. And at the time
of his death he was dedicating many hours to gay & lesbian research in the
Special Collections at the University of Utah with a renewed sense of urgency.
Jay had also recently talked with close friend Brent Pace about some of his
wishes for when the time came to go. Specifically, he had told Brent that he
wanted to be an organ donor--a request that the family honored. Jay's life
touched the lives of many people. Despite his bad sight, despite his terrible
spelling, despite his love-hate relationship with his hard drive and its
tendency to crash, and despite his uncontrollable urge to spread juicy stories
(often based on unconfirmed, or totally false, rumors), Jay's passion for life
and for research are an inspiration for us all.
Jay knew that the dead are not really dead--that they continue to talk
to us through the documents and the papers they leave behind. Jay inspired me
to start doing my own research on gay Mormon topics. He also inspired me to
start expanding the Affirmation website in celebrating the history of our tribe
and giving tribute to those who have helped us make that history. He started to
do gay Mormon research in 1995--the same year he came out. His first research
project was looking for gay Mormon related articles in the local
papers--especially the Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune. He later
expanded his research over the internet, "capturing" hundreds of
pages with gay Mormon-related articles from the web. He also conducted research
outside Utah--at the One Institute and Archives in Los Angeles
(http://www.oneinstitute.org/) and at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.
Research was Jay's passion. He was a fixture at the Church Historical Library
and Archives, and at the Special Collections reading room in the University of
Utah. He was also a fixture at Benchmark Books on Main Street, the place where
he would go to buy & sell books--and to gossip with Dan Wotherspoon and
Anne Wilde. He was also a fixture at the Sunstone Symposiums, which he would
attend every year, either to present papers or to chair sessions. Jay is gone
precisely when his vision was beginning to take flight; a number of articles
that he was writing for the Affirmation website are left unfinished, including
one on the life of Steve Zakharias (a.k.a. Matthew Price), one about
Affirmation's "mother" Ina Mae Murri, and one on the important connection
between the Advocate magazine and Affirmation in the early days of our
organization. I am committed to either finish the articles myself, or hopefully
recruit someone's help in celebrating these and other aspects of gay Mormon
history. In Affirmation, Jay Bell blossomed. His interest in Affirmation, and
his desire to start his coming out process, began, like many of his passions,
in a very intellectual way: One day, BYU zoology professor Duane Jeffries gave
Jay a copy of Prologue, the article that had caused a stir at BYU. Some time
after that, Jay started to attend Family Fellowship forums, still very closeted
and shy. He attended his first Affirmation meeting in Salt Lake City in 1995--
a meeting conducted by Duane Jennings. Jay recently told me that he went to
that meeting "chaperoned" by Gary and Millie Watts, afraid that
"people would be interested in [my] body"--"and I left," he
quipped, "disappointed that they weren't!" Let me finish with two
quotes from an article that Jay wrote for Affinity in March 2000, shortly after
visiting Washington DC for the Millennium March: As I sat on the grass of the
National Mall [during the Millennium March in Washington D.C.], I found myself
reflecting on what had brought me here from a very closeted and homophobic
condition. I remember gingerly going to a Family Fellowship quarterly forum,
and then under the "protection" of Gary and Millie Watts, attending
my first Affirmation meeting in Salt Lake City. I soon found out that there was
no need for my homophobia or stereotyping of gays. I was brainwashed and I
needed reeducation." "I sat there on the National Mall grass
realizing that each Affirmation conference has empowered and refreshed me,
making me a better human being. It's helped me feel secure in my identity. I'd
come a long way from those days when I thought the conferences were evil."
So long, my dear friend. I am so sad that you left us, and yet so glad that you
made it to the Gaylestial Kingdom before me; when I get there, I'll learn all
the local gossip from you. Hugo Salinas, December 2003
 |
| Jay Bell |
 |
| Brent Pace |
2004 RCGSE
presented Snow Ball with Theme A Christmas Carol: Past, Present, and Future at
Club Sound
2004 GLBTCCU
elected Evelyn Garrington President of the Board of Directors, and Robert
Austin, as Vice President of the board. Marianne Martindale will step down
January 1
2005 Tuesday
Gay-straight clubs issue is already settled By Marjorie Cortez Deseret Morning
News Any discussion about reconsidering the appropriateness of gay- straight
student alliances in Utah public schools is like picking a scab. Don't go
there. Please. I say this as an observer of the previous GSA debates. They were
painful and divisive discussions that literally divided communities. It's not
something we should revisit. Here's why. Most people's feelings about gays,
lesbians, transgendered people and issues are deeply entrenched. Their feelings
are colored by their personal experiences, religious beliefs and their study of
issues. It's like debating abortion or the death penalty. There are few
fence-sitters. When I covered this issue in the Salt Lake City School District
in the 1990s, the debate quickly degenerated from its initial point — whether
students at East High School could form a gay-straight alliance — to a
referendum on homosexuality. People who opposed the club were labeled as bigots
and gay-bashers. People who supported the club were demonized for attempting to
"recruit" straight people into the gay agenda. The school board
debate became a national platform for gay rights organizations as well as
arch-conservative groups —each plying their respective agendas. This was a
local debate, but Congress basically decided the issue in 1984 when it passed
the federal Equal Access Act. It's intent was to halt discrimination against
religious clubs. In essence, the Equal Access Act spells out that curriculum
clubs are run by schools. "But if kids want to get together and meet on
other topics, if you open your door to any of those clubs, you open your door
to all clubs," explains Martin Bates, assistant to the superintendent on
legal issues and policy in Granite School District, in a recent Deseret Morning
News report. The proper venue for this fight, if it indeed needs to be fought,
would be Congress, but no one seems anxious to move on the point. There's
always the courts, you might say, but the courts have already answered this
issue. There's little point in spending more taxpayer resources to address an
issue that the courts have already ruled upon. The real question is, why do we
want to open an old wound? This issue rightly belongs in the hands of parents
and local school boards. If a school board permits a gay-straight alliance,
it's up to individual families to decide whether their children can
participate. If gay-straight alliances, as school principals represent, are
doing service work and helping students to feel less isolated during their high
school years, what's the harm of that? Frankly, I'm more concerned about the
prevalence of suicide among young gays and lesbians and that "gay"
and "lesbian" are used as pejorative terms in our junior highs and
high schools. Seemingly, there's a real need for support groups and greater
compassion for our fellow travelers. As much as I'd like to slam the brakes on
this discussion before it goes any further, the reality is gay-straight
alliances will be debated again and with great intensity. I'm not afraid of the
debate. My fear is dividing communities — yet again — over an issue that is
settled law. Somehow we have to reach a place in the discourse where the debate
doesn't devolve into name-calling and cheap shots. Because when it's over, no
one is going to remember the high-minded conversations. They'll remember, as
they do from the East High debate nearly a decade ago, when it turned ugly.
Marjorie Cortez is a Deseret Morning News editorial writer. E-mail her at
marjorie@desnews.com.
2005 Mon Dec 19,
2005 11:08 pm posted by Ben Williams Peace On Earth Goodwill Towards Men It’s
my opinion that people should bury the hatchet and not in each other’s back
either. Attacking people is not cool. Attacking ideas, concepts, operational
procedures, all are fair game. Since this is a time where we are suppose to be
kinder to each other how about a cease fire on the personal attacks. They often
reflect more on the character of the sender then on the recipient. Disagreement
over any issue should be directed at the issue and not a person. There is no
one in the community, who is actively trying to serve this community, that
deserves to be disparaged by anyone. There were once two Lesbians wanting to
control the Utah Stonewall Center and steer it away from the mandate set by the
GLCCU. When I confronted them and called the community together to respond to
my allegations, they accused me of having made threatening phone calls to them
and that they were afraid of me. It was an absolute lie, and I didn't even know
their phone numbers, and anyone who truly knew me and my dedication to
community building knew it was a lie, but to the uninformed, I was being asked
if their statements were true. I couldn't even respond. I couldn't even dignify
the accusation with a denial. But the mere accusation was wounding to my soul.
My integrity prevailed but it was a bitter blow to my desire to serve in any
leadership capacity knowing that there are those out there who are mean and low
and will stoop to telling lies. Of course
they are gone now and I am still around. Because I have a love for the Gay
community of Utah and do not have a need for fleeting power playing, I plug
along and do my Ben Williams’ thing. My advice to anyone in leadership position
is, and always has been, have complete integrity, don't lie, renege, put others
down, keep your word, and have everything above board. Then you can sleep easy
and not care what others think. My only complaint with the center is that past
directors geared so much of the activities there towards obtaining grants for
youth programs at the expense of other populations. Everything was so geared to
the youth that everyone else seemed left out. This policy bit the center in the
butt big time when its budget was tied to youth grants from the state's
anti-smoking program and they then approved a slogan that was in your face
Utah. The powers that be pulled its money, the center was left in crisis, and
the ED got out of town. The youth programs are valuable but why more so then
programs for the aging populations. If I don't support the center's activities
perhaps it’s because I don't feel the center tries very hard to reach out to
older Gay males. When was the last time a community dance was held by the
center? Could be wrong but thats how I feel.
Ben Williams
• Tue Dec 20, 2005 10:01 am posted by Re:
Peace On Earth Goodwill Towards Men Ben, Thanks for this valid and appreciated
observation regarding The Center and aging communities. Would you mind if I
invited board member Polly Stewart to get in touch with you? She has recently
been tasked with coming up with some way to better serve the aging communities,
both men and women, and I'm sure she'd welcome your comments and thoughts on
developing programs for Pride and The Center. Although it's probably not the
perfect solution, our monthly bingo night was conceived as a program that could
appeal to adult and aging members of our community. Many aspects of our
upcoming Winterfest are also meant to cater to our community elders. I honestly
don't know when the last time a dance was held at The Center, but it may
certainly be time to bring them back.
Jere Keys
• Tue Dec 20, 2005 5:56 pm posted by Ben
Williams Jere I am happy to meet with Polly, however if a Gay man was in charge
of creating services for Lesbians that would raise a lot of eyebrows. Lesbians
are well represented at the center and it would be nice if Gay men had the same
voice. Dave Turner, Marlin Criddle's
partner, is an excellent source for aging concerns since he works for the state
in Aging Services. But instead of having the center create organizations they
think men want how about polling the men's community for what services they
need and could support. Men who have great support systems probably don't need
more services but rather the single aging population are the ones looking for
group activities. It’s been my impression, right or wrong, that in the past
there has been a definite bias against Gay men, even in some of the center's
announcements it’s been suggested that Gay men couldn't be trusted with the
youth. I found that very offensive. The youth have much to learn from senior
Gays and separating them from us, I feel, is a big mistake and sends out the
wrong message. We have enough of the Chicken and Troll stereotypes without
center leadership buying in to it. In the early 1990's members of GLCCU
resigned in protest because fundraisers were held at bars where the youth group
could not participate. It appears that it’s almost the opposite today. Gay
men's health, sexual and emotional issues are different from women as the
center knows, by their promoting women only health fairs when I have never seen
a Gay man's health fair ever promoted, sorry it just appears bias. I have no
problem with addressing women health issues but it’s easy to see why men feel
slighted. Gay men have other health issues beside AIDS. A monthly Gay men's
health and social forum where men could get information and interact with
others would be helpful. Aging is the worse crisis in Gay men's lives. The youth
live in mortal fear of it. It would be nice if the center could address this in
some way. Bingo just doesn't cut it even if it is fun! If Bingo is the best the
center can do for aging Gay men I will stay home thank you very much.
• Wed Dec 21, 2005 8:30 am posted by Mark
Swonson Re: [gay_forum_utah] Center Outreach to Seniors and Middle Age Men Yeah! This is issue needs to be addressed.
This issue was also raised at The National Gay Men's Health Summit. There needs
to be more programs for Gay men 40+ and the issues that we will face as we get
close to retirement. Plus, each age group men will have different issues so for
a Gay man who is 43 than a man who is 62
or a Gay man who is 62 than a man who is in 80's. As Gay Men we really need to
take charge of this issue either from the Gay Men's Health Summit as a Source
or UAF that resources for us Gay men. But we need to do something since a lot
the Gay Men Baby Boomers are reaching this vital age as we speak. Mark
Swonson
2008 Kirby on gay
marriage: It's official - I don't care Robert Kirby Tribune Columnist A couple of years ago, I wrote a column in
which I announced my official position on gay marriage. Basically, I don't
care. Not only do I not care if gays get
married, it is none of my business. As a flaming heterosexual, it's a full-time
job for me just to keep my thoughts clean in church. I don't have the energy to
fret about somebody else's libido. The
column must have resurfaced on the Internet. I'm getting mail again telling me
what a failure I am as a Mormon because I'm not solidly behind Proposition 8.
As I understand it, the California ballot item would prevent the domestication
of homosexuals. Or something like that. Here are just a few of the attempts to
get me to see reason. "Are you a member or not? Do you want gays to get
married in the temple? Please follow the brotheren's [sic] council [sic] on
Proposition 8. This is a important gospel principal [sic]." G.,
e-mail. "No unclean thing can enter
the house of the Lord. Gays are unclean because of the Scriptures. You have to
be hot or cold about it or the Lord will spat you out." T., e-mail. "Were you listening in church when the
letter was read from the First Presidency about supporting proposition
eight?" R.Y., e-mail. "Get
with Prop 8 or your [sic] a homo." Anonymous, letter. Hard as it is to counter such brilliant
logic, my position hasn't changed. The only serious concern I have about gays
getting married is that they'll register someplace pricey. The church is serious about the sanctity of
marriage. I get that. But aren't more potentially "dangerous"
marriages already being performed out there? For example, I hear in church all
the time about marriage being ordained of God. But I also hear about how the
glory of God is intelligence. Shouldn't
it be against the law for stupid people to get married? What's more harmful to
society - two well-dressed men getting married and settling down, or two idiots
tying the knot and cranking out any number of additional idiots? You should have
to pass a harder test to get married than the one we currently have.
Essentially, there are but two questions: "How old are you?" and
"Is that your sister?" Hell, you could pass this test just by
guessing. There are drawbacks. Most people get married when hormones and youth
make them about as dumb as they'll ever be. So, even a relatively easy test
would by default raise the age limit to about 40. With an increased marriage
age limit, there would be fewer births. Genealogy would become easier to do. With
fewer births, there would be fewer children born gay. Hey, isn't that what
Heavenly Father would want? OK, I was
just kidding about that. But if you're really serious about putting a stop to
gay sex, let them get married.
2008 Reporter Cathy
Mckitrick wrote for The Salt Lake Tribune “Utahns divided over inaugural choice
“Utahns are divided over President-elect Barack Obama's recent pick of Rev.
Rick Warren -- a conservative evangelical who opposes gay marriage -- to give
the invocation at his Jan. 20 inauguration. "I sent a letter to Obama
asking him to change his mind," said state Rep Christine Johnson, D-Salt
Lake City. "I wish he would have made a better choice." Johnson, an
openly gay lawmaker, is sponsoring state legislation for Equality Utah.
2008 Salt Lake
Tribune featured article “Gay mag names LDS president 'person of the year'”
It's time to update LDS President Thomas S. Monson's résumé. The LDS Church
leader now can add "Q Salt Lake Person of the Year" to his list of
notable honors, which range from Brigham Young University's "Exemplary
Manhood Award" to the Boy Scouts' Silver Beaver prize. Q Salt Lake ,
Utah's gay and lesbian magazine, recognized Monson for having the biggest
impact on the gay civil rights comment.
 |
| Ben McAdams |
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