this day In Gay Utah History December 2nd

December 2

1920 Bohemian Club Pledges Appear on Campus With Powder Puffs in Lapels.  Five pledges of the Bohemian Club of the University of Utah created something of a sensation yesterday when they appeared with miniature powder puffs in their coat lapels. Officers of the club were silent upon the significance of the curious emblm, saying it pertained to a deep and profound secret of the organization. The next social event of the organization will be held Saturday evening in the Emery Hall was announced. At a meeting of the club held Monday iy was decided that all members should appear in full dress suits and wollen shirts, or artistic variations as black velvet socks and other Greenwich Village Creations. Each member is required to wear a flowing black silk tie it was announced. As part of the initiation the five pledges of the organization will be expected to act as waiters at the social. The pledges are R W Cannon, DW Clifford, L J Paufer, DL Murdock and David Watts. Deseret News[ A powder puff was a slang word for an effeminate homosexual male}

1966 An ordinance providing mandatory 30 days jail sentence for person convicted of

J Bracken Lee

prostitution or pandering was approved by Salt Lake Commissioners. Passed over the dissent of Mayor J. Bracken Lee. He voted against the measure because he said it would be unconstitutional, an opinion shared by city Judge J. Patton Neely.

1976- pg. 7 Utah Daily Chronicle Gay Protest This letter is to protest the article by Helen Lacko on the motion picture, The Ritz. If you would reprint the article and put in nigger in place of fag each time she used it, the ACLU and NAACP would have filed a law suit.  She also accused the audience of being Gay because they laughed at what she called fag jokes. Each member of the audience could and should file a law suit against your paper. and Helen Lacko. The Daily Utah Chronicle is ready we hope to point an apology. Nikki Kramer.

1978 - Douglas Ray Coleman died 30 November 1978 in Salt Lake City. He was born 1 December 1951 in Ogden Utah to Robert C. and Merle Williams Coleman. He graduated from Box Elder High School in Brigham City and attended Utah State University. He received rewards on Peach Days for his Oil Paintings. Former employee at Safeway Stores as produce manager. He was buried in Brigham City Cemetery. Murder after leaving the Sun Tavern

1979-A TV critic reviewed the play "Bent," saying that the play about two homosexuals who died in a concentration camp had "nothing at all to do with the real tragedy of the holocaust," and called the play's message insignificant.

1987-  “In the evening right after work I rushed over to Becky Moss to go

Becky Moss

with her up to Weber State College to discuss homosexuality with a class on Human Sexuality and Development.  Five of us went all together, Glen,  Ray Henke, Becky Moss, Kris Scott (a Lesbian who had been married to a Gay man), and myself. Ray and Glen were older Gays in their early 50’s and 60’s and really out of touch with the Gay community of 1987, I thought. To me they were perpetuating certain stereotypes. Both had been married and were now in a Gay relationship. Chris is a Lesbian who had been married 3 years and her experiences are similar to mine.  She had a lot of guts because she had been a student in the class and now she was openly declaring her Gayness.  About 50 students participated and we were very frank and open.  The students voiced a lot of common misconceptions such as that homosexuality is a behavior selection- a choice.  Some thought it was incredulous when we said we all knew that we were homosexuals from as early as 2 and 3 years old.  They were a pretty understanding group and Gordon, the instructor, was great.  (Memoirs of Ben Williams

Gordon Church

1988 COED ACCUSED OF LYING  A Southern Utah State College coed was being held Thursday in the Iron County Jail on accusations of lying to lawmen investigating the abduction-murder of a Cedar City man, authorities said. Cedar City police and Millard County deputies Wednesday night arrested a woman they said was the girlfriend of Lance Conway Wood, 20, one of two suspects in the slaying of Gordon Ray Church.  Paula Sue Jones, 22, an SUSC senior, is accused of obstruction of justice, authorities said. Iron County Sheriff Ira Schoppman said she was being held on $5,000 bail. Wood and Michael Anthony Archuleta, 26, had been staying in a Cedar City apartment with Jones and another woman just before Church's Nov. 21 disappearance, said Parole Officer Ron Wodehouse. The two accused kidnap-murderers, who were paroled Oct. 11 from the Utah State Prison after serving time for unrelated charges, were being held in the Millard County Jail without bail. The body of Church, a 28-year-old SUSC student, was discovered Nov. 23 about a mile from I-15. Wood and Archuleta are charged with first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, assault and auto theft. (DN)

1991- Salt Lake City Mayor Palmer DePaulis challenged government leaders to join as

Palmer De Paulis

partners with groups fighting the AIDS disease that has killed at least 230 Utahns.  His comments coincided with the U.S. Public Health Service's observance of National AIDS Awareness Day ``Utahns may under estimate the importance of efforts'' by AIDS awareness advocates, the mayor said. He said that government should lead education, treatment and prevention of AIDS and HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS, if the illness is to be controlled and eventually eradicated. ``AIDS affects everyone,'' said the mayor, as he urged broader government support during a news conference at the Utah AIDS  Foundation offices in Salt Lake City. ``This disease needs to have heightened visibility'' that government leaders can provide, he added. The conference was held to announce distribution of more than $45,000 raised at the1991 Walk for Life in September. Foundation director Ben Barr said the foundation will keep $32,833 for its own programs. The rest will be distributed thusly: Cache Valley AIDS Council, $1,000. Northern Wasatch AIDS Coalition, Ogden, $1,000. Planned Parenthood Association of  Utah, $1,000. YWCA of Salt Lake City, $1,000. Utah Stonewall Center, $1,000. Mountain States Regional Hemophilia Center, $2,000. Continuity of Care Program at Holy Cross Hospital, $3,000. People with AIDS Coalition of Utah, $3,000. Mr. Barr also presented a plaque in recognition of service in fighting AIDS to the Salvation Army for its help in development of a Home Meal Delivery program for people with  AIDS.  Also honored was the Sun Club for helping the  foundation reach some 14,000 people with its AIDS education program. (12/03/91 page B3 SLTribune)

1991 SALT LAKE MEN'S CHOIR, Ninth Annual Christmas Concert, T. Brent Carter conducting.Kingsbury Hall, Dec. 1 and 2 at 7 p.m. S.L. MEN'S CHOIR DELIVERS A REAL CROWD-PLEASING GIFT FOR THE CHRISTMAS SEASON By Dorothy Stowe, Music Critic For nine years they have been doing it - giving a Christmas concert that draws bigger crowds every year. So it was time to look in on the Salt Lake Men's Choir and see what was going on.  These men are indeed legitimate crowd pleasers, who sing a program that's familiar and accessible - without intellectual strain, to be sure, but varied, classy and appealing to all grades of music lovers. Their music making is unassuming and without pretense. There seem to be few highly trained voices, but many good natural instruments, and they sing out clearly, simply and without affectation, producing some of the finest diction in town. Every word is projected cleanly and distinctly. The balance and blend among parts is exceptional, with plenty of tenor voices, and the ensemble sound is mellow and unforced. In short, this choir is made for easy listening, the kind that encourages you to ease back in your chair and just go with the flow. Brief commentary by Amanda Dickson is perfectly attuned to enhance the evening, and Steve Zakharias' lyric and fluid signing for the deaf seems to carry a musical message all its own.  Songs of mainstream feeling dominate the program, which opens with "Rejoice and Sing Noel!" a bright little canonic invitation to enjoyment. The Pachelbel Canon in D also appears in a smooth arrangement, and three early Christmas carols include "Masters in This Hall" and the beloved Coventry Carol. Mendelssohn's "Song of the Three Wisemen" is a welcome unfamiliar work, and arrangements of "Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming" and "I Saw Three Ships" do not gild the lily, but pretty much revel in their own sweet simplicity. "The Innkeeper's Carol" with oboe and synthesizer has the plaintive aura of a mountain ballad, and "The Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy," a calypso carol, gives the singers their cue to cut loose with typical Latin exuberance. Post intermission pleasures include the rollicking "A Caroling We Go," with flutist Janet Peaden, Jules Stein's "Let It Snow," and "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas." Popping on Santa hats and baseball caps, they do a lot for the funny "Nuttin' for Christmas," a la Lawrence Welk. And "Jingle All the Way" is a parody that lists the many headaches of preparing Christmas, though it turns out they wouldn't have it any other way. Several good soloists enhance this program, beginning with Allen Ofeldt in "Sweet Little Jesus Boy,"and Lee Smith, giving a wild, sweet resonance to the modal "Carol from an Irish Cabin." You'll alsolikely enjoy "Merry Christmas Darling" sung by Chris Frogner with Ken Sargeant playing saxophone, and "I'll be Home for Christmas," in Craig Roberts' high, nostalgic tenor.Kingsbury Hall looks very gala for this concert, with a massive display of poinsettias and miniatureChristmas trees that overflow the stage. (Note Allen Ofelt had died 30 November and wasn’t in the program)

1992 –Gene Gudaitis age, 39, native of New York lost a long hard battle with AIDS. He is loved  by many and has left a large void in numerous lives. Since coming to Utah 4 years ago, he has been a dedicated worker for HIV --AIDS education and awareness. He was also a great help to many in his work with ``PWCU''.    He is survived by his partner, Jack Droitcourt; Utah’s PWAC's activist, Gene Gudaitis age, 39, native of New York died of AIDS

Derek Jarman

1993-Hank Hanna of the Utah AIDS Foundation was elected chair of Gay and Lesbian Community Council. Intererest in the council began to dissipate under his lack of leadership.

1994- The late Derek Jarman's ``Blue,'' his personal film chronicle of living and dying with   AIDS, was shown at the Salt Lake Art Center Auditorium, 20 S. West Temple, (11-27-94  Page: F3 SLTribune )

Henderson and McKinney

1998- Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney pleaded innocent in the murder of Gay Laramie college student Matthew Shepard. Trial dates for both set for December 10 in Wyoming. Henderson and McKinney, both 21, are charged with first-degree murder, aggravated robbery and kidnapping with intent to inflict bodily injury or to terrorize.

2004  To dance, gay teen needs OK of parents Principal says: "There's a danger" for the

Jason Atwood 

senior to attend the event in West Jordan with his boyfriend By Jessica Ravitz The Salt Lake Tribune WEST JORDAN - The story began innocently enough. A high school dance. A teenage romance. And a boy who wanted to attend the event with his boyfriend. But Jason Atwood, a 17-year-old senior at Copper Hills High, knew better than to show up at the November dance unprepared. He had been openly gay for four years, and his experiences had taught him that peers could be cruel. Screams of "faggot," warnings that he would burn in hell, taunts in the hallway. He had heard it all. So he asked to see the chaperone list to make sure he and his boyfriend would be watched over. "I was worried about my safety," Atwood said. And so was the school - which is where the conflict arose. Principal Tom Worlton, who acknowledged that harassment was an issue in his West Jordan school, told Atwood same-sex couples would need parental permission to attend the dance. "There's a danger, and I believe the parents ought to be aware of that," Worlton said Wednesday. "If parents were OK with it, I'd make no judgment." But that extra requirement smacked of discrimination to Atwood. And it kept at least two students away from the dance. One of Atwood's friends - who's not openly gay at home - didn't even try to attend. And Atwood said his father wouldn't sign the permission slip for fear that it would absolve the school of responsibility if anything were to happen to his son. Liability, however, wasn't the issue in Worlton's mind. An assault at a school dance would weigh on him, he said, as would the cries from parents who might turn around and say: "You knew this was a dangerous situation, and

Dani Eyer

you didn't tell us?" Dani Eyer, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, said Worlton's reasoning is off the mark. State law explicitly places the burden on schools to protect students from harassment and promote tolerance, she said. Eyer added that equal treatment of students means an evenhanded application of policies. "Would you require a note for a disabled student to go to a dance?" she asked. Even so, Worlton is not budging. He said his position as principal - this is his sixth year at Copper Hills - gives him wiggle room when it comes to making safety decisions. "I don't feel like I'm really discriminating," he said. "Unless someone can convince me that it's an unfair policy, we'll live with it." At Midvale's Hillcrest High last spring, gay students were prevented from wearing anti-smoking "Queers Kick Ash" T-shirts out of fear for their safety. Atwood takes a different tack. "I've turned my pride shirt inside out, I've hid my rainbows," he said, noting that he never wanted this to be about "making a statement." He just wanted to be a typical teen. A boy having fun with friends at a high school dance. But the administration's reaction has galvanized him and others to speak out. Supporters and members of the school's Gay-Straight Alliance - Atwood is a co-chair - banded together in all-day protests this week just off school property. The number of demonstrators has fluctuated, because of the cold, and the reactions from passers-by have run the gamut. Some have emboldened him but others have greeted him with obscenities, snowballs and glares. The bump on his head from a soda can - thrown from a car Wednesday - was a reminder of what he's up against. "It's something no student should experience, especially in a place where they're supposed to be learning," he said. "But it's something I've been dealing with since I was 13 . . . and I've been raised to stand up for what I believe in." jravitz@sltrib.com

2005 Police respond to harassment  By: Andrew Kirk Daily Chronicle  Four University of Utah Police Department cars drove down sidewalks toward the Union on Thursday afternoon in response to a sexual harassment complaint. Representatives from the Lesbian Gay Student Union were tabling in the Union building to promote World AIDS Day when a young man began crumpling their handouts and refused to leave them alone. "He kept walking past saying, 'F*** queers,' flipping us off and trying to tear down our sign," said Thomas Nelson, sophomore in

Mell Baley

communication and co-president of the LGSU. Nelson was joined by John Spillman, a senior in political science and sociology, and Mell Bailey from Salt Lake Metro, a newspaper for the homosexual community. "I've been to every campus around, and I've never seen that before," said Bailey, who made the call. Nelson said he was grateful for the quick response from campus security. "We appreciate that this is the first and only incident like this so far this year," he said of the harassment. Bailey said she only wanted the young man to leave them alone. "I didn't want it to be such a big deal," she said of the five security personnel who detained the young man. Spillman, Bailey and Nelson decided not to press charges after the young man apologized for his actions. UUPD Public Information Officer Lynn Rohland has not returned phone calls to provide more information about the young man. Andrew Kirk

2009 McCoy is leaving Legislature to focus on his legal career By Lisa Riley Roche Deseret

Scott McCoy

News Published: Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009 12:55 a.m. MST Utah's only openly gay state senator, Democrat Scott McCoy, said Tuesday he is resigning. "It's just a work thing," McCoy told the Deseret News. "If I want to be a partner in my law firm and have a robust legal career, I have to be a lawyer rather than a politician." McCoy said his resignation will be effective Friday. He would have been up for re-election from his Salt Lake City district next year, but said he had already decided not to run. McCoy is a lawyer specializing in federal securities and antitrust litigation with the Salt Lake office of Howrey LLP, a firm based in Washington, D.C., that employs 750 lawyers worldwide. He said he currently has a major trial scheduled to start Feb. 15, about midway through the 2010 Legislature. "I need to be available to do that," McCoy said, describing the case as involving accounting malpractice. Still, he said it was a tough decision. "I do have a little sadness and I'm sorry we'll be losing that little bit of diversity from the Senate," McCoy said. "But good things can and still will happen whether or not I'm there, or a gay person is in the Senate." Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, said he'll miss McCoy. "He and I disagree on political subjects. But this is a fine guy. I've come to really respect him," said Buttars, an outspoken opponent of gay rights. When McCoy was chosen to fill a Senate vacancy in 2004, Buttars referred to him as "the gay" and expressed surprise at the delegates' choice. "I was wrong," Buttars said Tuesday. "This guy is an intelligent, real smart guy on a lot of issues. He represents them well. Scott McCoy isn't a one-issue guy like a lot of people think he is." Senate Minority Leader Pat Jones, D-Holladay, said the Senate is "losing, I think, one of the brightest minds in the Legislature" who was respected by both sides of the aisle "because he was Scott, not because of his sexual preference." Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, said McCoy was seen as a Democrat who could be reasoned with by the GOP majority. "I don't look at him as a gay senator. I look at him as a senator," Waddoups said, adding he was surprised by McCoy's resignation. "I didn't see it coming at this point. I thought he was doing work that was needful for the gay and lesbian community in our state." Now that Salt Lake City has passed ordinances to protect gays and lesbians from housing and employment discrimination, lawmakers are expected to consider extending those protections statewide. Because the ordinances were supported by the LDS Church, they are seen as more likely to pass. McCoy said he would miss being part of that effort, but his decision doesn't mean he's through with politics. "It's the end of my political career for now, but not forever," he said. "If I'm not at court, I'm sure it would be impossible for me as a citizen lobbyist to stay away from Capitol Hill." His successor will be chosen by Democratic delegates in District 2 and appointed by Gov. Gary Herbert. McCoy said he is aware of three people interested in the position: Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck, D-Salt Lake; Ben McAdams, a senior adviser to Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker; and Salt Lake County Democratic Party Chairman Weston Clark. McAdams has represented the city on Capitol Hill for the past two legislative sessions. "I feel I'm up to the challenge," McAdams said. "Scott and I share the same values and I've worked side by side" with McCoy on a number of progressive issues. Becker has "encouraged" McAdams to pursue the position. McAdams said he would continue working for the city but would take an unpaid leave of absence during the legislative session. Clark, who is also openly gay, said he believes he would represent "the majority mindset" in District 2. He said voters in the Avenues, Capitol Hill and downtown Salt Lake district elected a gay senator "for a lot of reasons. I am gay and I think there is a lot of important value in keeping that place in the Senate." Like Democrats, Clark said gay Utahns are underrepresented in the Legislature. Besides McCoy, there are two other openly gay members of the Legislature, Democratic Reps. Christine Johnson and Jackie Biskupski, both of Salt Lake. Clark said he may have to resign his volunteer post with the Democratic Party to run for the Senate seat. Contributing: Aaron Falk

2017 Jim Dabakis: It was only a few minutes. But I don't think I will ever speak to an audience that moves me more than today. Hundreds of high school LGBTQ+ students gathered from all across our state. My voice quivered as I welcomed them to the first annual IGNITE Utah Youth Conference. Looking into their faces, I saw all that is good about Utah. I told the gathering of a tale they had not heard. The courage of two students, Kelly Petersen and Jacob Orozco, from East High School in 1995. Two students that simply wanted to have a safe place in their school. Kelly and Jacob asked for a Gay, Straight, Alliance Club at East. I told the Class of 2020ish about the forces of fear and bigotry that immediately engulfed the brave children from East. The bullying of these students was from a threatened state power structure that saw some great threat in the simple request of two students. The Salt Lake City Board of Education, the Utah Senate, the Governor and so many others wanted this idea crushed. The Board of Education chose to stop all not-curriculum clubs rather than let a few GSA students meet at East. For four years clubs like the Young Republicans, Future Farmers, Future Homemakers, and the Polynesian Club could not meet, as federal law required the GSA be allowed to meet if the Board gave others meeting rights. I told these brave young people that they were sitting today at Utah Valley University courtesy of courageous people like Kelly, Jacob, and so many others. Trump or not, being with these students has renewed my faith in the future of the United States of America and in Utah! Thanks to amazing Encircle for organizing this landmark day.