This Day In Gay Utah History December 26th

December 26

Mary Jo Risher

1951 The Utah Health Department reported that Gonorrhea reached a high point of 1097 cases in 1945. Since that time has declined steadily to a low of 113 cases in 1950. During the past 10 years the number of syphilis cases has dropped from 869 to 189.

1975-Mary Jo Risher announced that she planned to appeal a Dallas jury's decision to remove her son from her custody because she is a lesbian. (Her appeal would fail.)

Anita Bryant

1977-Anita Bryant was named one of the Twenty-Five Most Intriguing People of 1977 in People magazine.

1986- Salt Lake Tribune features article on Utah's prisons refusal to provide condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS in the states penal system-"Prison AIDS Policy Stresses Education Not Prophylactics." Another article states that the "Salt Lake Red Cross Launches AIDS Program. Prison AIDS Policy Stresses Education Not Prophylactics (B2)

2000 Lambda Weekly made the claim of being the longest running Gay and Lesbian radio show on the air also made the claim that they made history on December 26, 2000 "as the first regularly-scheduled KNON program to go live on the web!" Catch our webcast from anywhere in world live each Sunday!! Log on &;listen at KNONRadio.org Or you can connect via the link at our own website, Lambda Weekly ONLINE . In fact Concerning Gays and Lesbians was the longest running locally  produce radio show in the nation.

• Becky Moss program producer for Concerning Gays and Lesbians responded that her program had been streaming live throughout the year of 2001 on the internet. However the program has been and is available through KRCL's website at any time. She went on to say, "We started the website access in the late 90's before KRCL moved to the new building. Just another FYI. It seems that we have some "listeners" in Australia."

Gordon Hinckley

2004 Gordon B. Hinckley, Church President interview with Larry King, on CNN's "Larry King Live"; transcript available on cnn.com The president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says that gays have "a problem" and need help. Appearing on CNN's Larry King Live, Gordon B. Hinckley stressed the importance of the traditional family, telling King that of gays, "We love these people and try to work with them and help them. We know they have a problem. We want to help them solve that problem." King then asked the 94-year old leader of the world's Mormons if the "problem" is one caused by gays themselves or one they were born with. "I don't know. I'm not an expert on these things. I don't pretend to be an expert on these things. The fact is, they have a problem, Hinckley replied. "Many people who have to discipline themselves. If they transgress, they become subject to the discipline of the Church. But we try in every way that we know how to help them, to assist them, to bless their lives." Hinckley also reiterated the LDS opposition to same-sex marriage. Asked about civil unions Hinckley told King that the Church wants to be cautious. "Well, we want to be very careful about that, because that - whatever may lead to gay marriage, we're not in favor of." Earlier this year the Mormon Church was instrumental in getting passage of an amendment to the Utah Constitution banning gay marriage.  In a statement published by the Church two weeks before voters in the heavily LDS state went to the polls the Church said that men should only marry women and that ''any other sexual relations, including [those] between persons of the same gender, undermine the divinely created institution of family.''  (story) Hinckley's appearance on the King show was his fourth. The interview also touched on the church's relationship to African Americans. The Church did not allow blacks to hold the priesthood until 1978.  King, who is Jewish, but whose wife is a Mormon, asked if there will ever be a black prophet. "There could be," Hinckley responded noting that he earlier this year dedicated an LDS temple in Ghana and expects to dedicate another one in Nigeria next year. [Mormon Leader: 'Gays Have A Problem' by Ed Welch 365Gay.com Los Angeles Bureau]

2005 The blame for Buttars Salt Lake Tribune Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, is being unfairly singled out as a hate-filled, narrow-minded bigot. While his views on science in the classroom, gay existence and just about everything else clearly prove these charges right, we must acknowledge that he was probably raised to believe all of these things. He is about as likely to have a humane thought for anyone outside of his self-righteous existence as I am to win the lottery 10 times consecutively. Those really to blame for his views are the voters of West Jordan who have twice said that he represents their way of thinking. Just as much to blame are the non-voters of West Jordan who are obviously not offended by these views. Daryl Babcock Bountiful

2005 Monday Buttars attacks children Salt Lake Tribune Thank you for your editorial in support of the gay-straight alliance clubs and your comments that Sen. Chris Buttars' peers should rein him in (Tribune, Dec. 19). Thanks to Gov. Jon Huntsman for his support of parental rights for these clubs. My husband and I have five children and six grandchildren. We are not going to stand for the kind of bigotry and hatred that Sen. Buttars and those like him attempt to spread throughout this valley. Our son is not a "perversion." How dare Chris Buttars put this kind of label on our children. It's time for parents to stand up for what is right. Our children may be different from what Mr. Buttars thinks they should be, but they were sent to us as they are to be loved as they are, not to be objects of hatred and ignorance, two qualities that Mr. Buttars has more than his share of. Shame on Chris Buttars for causing our 80-year-old mother to cry as he launches, once again, his attacks against her grandson, granddaughter and all other children like them. Julie and Garth Samuels Taylorsville

2005 Utah Gay Forum posted by Stuart Merrill In a world where success is measured by

Stuart Merrill

the size of someone's house, car, or check to a charity, it was wonderful to see the Salt Lake Tribune announce Pamela Atkinson as the Utahn of the year. Pamela carries clothing and sleeping bags in her car to give to anyone in need. She arranges meetings with the Governor when she sees an injustice. She has truly devoted her life to caring for those in need. I salute the Tribune's choice for Utahn of the year. I pray we will all see her as an example to emulate. As we approach our 2006 Utah Legislative Session we face many harsh realities for Utah's less privileged. Before leaving Washington to celebrate the birth of Christ, our national leaders voted to cut healthcare and housing for the needy. We now must ask our local leaders to make up for these funds in our state budget. With tax cut fever gripping our state, the outlook is bleak; mothers with special needs infants, the homeless, and people living with HIV/AIDS are in fear of losing the assistance they need to stay, or become taxpaying members of society. If these needs are not met today the cost to Utah taxpayers will be many times higher in the future. We live in a democracy where one voice can make a difference. We live in a democracy where an army of voices can change reality. This is the year to make your voices heard. Stuart Merrill

2008 : Corey J. Hodges wrote article printed by The Tribune  “Hodges: Obama's decision to split prayer duties reflects our unity despite diversity” President-elect Barack Obama sparked outrage among liberal and social activist groups for his selection of Pastor Rick Warren to give the opening prayer at the inauguration. Warren, an evangelical pastor of one of the largest churches in the country, is a vocal opponent of gay marriage; most recently, he campaigned in favor of California's Proposition 8 which amended the state's constitution to define marriage as only a union between a man and a woman.

Rick Warren

2008 The Salt Lake Tribune wrote an opinion on Barack Obama’s choice of Rick Warren to give an inauguration prayer. “Obama's inauguration and politics of prayer These days everything is political, or can be made so; even an inaugural prayer. That isn't exactly correct. The inaugural prayer in question is not the Rev. Joseph Lowery's benediction, but Rick Warren's invocation. Lowery favors same-sex "marriage" and Warren does not. Homosexual activist groups and individuals such as Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) are angry, upset and hurt (and probably many other things, too).

2013 Women aim to block Idaho from gay marriage fight Deborah Ferguson, the couples’ Boise-based lawyer, contends allowing Idaho  attorney General Lawrence Wasden to intervene on behalf of the state isn’t necessary, since Otter is already an adequate representative of the state’s interests. “It is unusual to have the state intervene when its interests are already represented through the governor,” Ferguson said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday. This Idaho case is developing just as judges in New Mexico, Ohio and Utah ruled in favor of same-sex marriage recently. The eight Idaho women who sued are Sue Latta and Traci Ehlers, Lori and Sharene Watsen, Shelia Robertson and Andrea Altmayer, and Amber Beierle and Rachael Robertson. Ferguson said Wasden’s bid to intervene didn’t identify any state interest that’s distinct from the interests of Otter or Rich, nor did the attorney general demonstrate that state officers will fail to adequately represent Idaho’s interests. “Inserting an additional party into this case with interests identical to those of existing defendants will prejudice plaintiffs by causing complication and delay,” she said. Meanwhile, Wasden counters Idaho has a strong interest and right to defend its laws that come under constitutional attack — and it’s his job to do it. “I have an obligation to defend the Constitution and the statutes of Idaho, and that’s what we intend to do,” he said Thursday. “The position of the governor and the attorney general will be very similar. I don’t see how it’s going to complicate the process.” Wasden also said the federal courts’ decisions — whether in Idaho, Utah, Ohio or elsewhere — are almost certainly not going to be the last word in the matter of whether state gay marriage bans are legal. “The ultimate answer is going to be issued by the U.S. Supreme Court,” he said. The Idaho women, represented by Ferguson as well as the National Center for Lesbian Rights, have adopted a legal strategy that’s been effective in Ohio, so far. They contend Idaho has historically recognized marriages performed in other states that would have been considered illegal under Idaho law, such as marriages between first cousins and common-law marriages, but has unconstitutionally drawn the line at gay marriage. Among other things, the women say they’re already facing potential discrimination as a result of Idaho’s ban: For instance, even though they’re allowed to file joint federal tax returns like other married couples, they’re prohibited from joint state tax filing status in Idaho, forcing them to do extra work and potentially subjecting them to financial penalties. Through his own attorneys, Rich, the Ada County clerk, has said he had no objection to Wasden intervening on the state’s behalf.