This Day In Gay Utah History December 6th

December 6

1972- LDS Apostle Marvin J. Ashton was asked by BYU trustees to help further define a clearer policy on homosexuals at BYU because the new president of the university, Dallin Oaks, was concerned about what to do with those students or school personnel who had homosexual desires but were not "overtly homosexual."

1976  Utah Daily Chronicle pg. 11 Weeks Events. Gay Student Union 6 p.m. OSH 137 Will discuss membership drive, elections and plans for Winter Quarter. Gay Consciousness Raising Group 7:30 OSH 135

Harvey Milk

1978 The Utah Daily Chronicle published an editorial by David Armstrong titled: Memoriam to Harvey Milk

Randy Olsen

1988  Randy Olsen led the meeting of Unconditional Support. The group to agree to buy a case of food for The People With AIDS Coalition of Utah.

1988 LOSS OF AIDS PROJECT MAY LEAD TO BETTER SERVICES By JoAnn Jacobsen-Wells, Medical Writer The dissolution of AIDS Project Utah, a non-profit organization that educates and provides emotional support to people with AIDS, won't affect services to patients or the public in general, local health officials said Tuesday. In fact, one official maintains the organization's closing could enhance services in the long run because non-profit agencies won’t be competing for scarce funding.” If one project can consolidate the services and bring the volunteers together, it will be more successful," said Craig Nichols, state epidemiologist. It was announced this week that AIDS Project Utah, founded in 1985, will dissolve effective Dec. 31 due to financial problems. In October, the project canceled its annual benefit because of poor ticket sales. In November, the organization received notice that a potential major funding source had denied its proposal. The group's board voted to close the project by the end of the year. Nevertheless, services are expected to continue. The Salt Lake AIDS Foundation, another non-profit group founded in 1985 and headed by former AIDS Project Utah Director Ben Barr, will be the main volunteer

Ben Barr

agency in Utah addressing AIDS issues. On Tuesday Barr announced an emergency holiday expansion of the foundation's goals and services. Previously, the foundation's focus has been on education and prevention. "But with the closing of AIDS Project Utah, we will be taking over direct-services programs, such as the "Buddy Program,' and emotional support groups," Barr said. Volunteers for the two organizations, in fact, met Monday night and committed to continue those programs under the foundation "so those clients won't go one day without services." The foundation's hotline hours will also be expanded. The security of the foundation also is threatened by limited funds. Barr said it is in desperate need of financial support. But Barr isn't looking to the government for help. State and federal money is allocated to other, specific AIDS programs. Nichols said $180,000 in state money is designated for epidemiology, which provides for reporting of AIDS cases, contact tracing/partner notification and general public education. The Medicaid program has a combination of state and federal money used for AIDS patient care. To be eligible, patients must meet certain disease guidelines and income standards. As part of that treatment, patients can receive AZT, the drug most effective in increasing the person's well-being and lengthening his or her life span. "The greatest benefit is that the person has lower overall medical costs," Nichols said. "Even though the drug is expensive, patients who use it are hospitalized less. They also remain more productive." Last year, Congress approved funding so that AIDS patients who are not eligible for Medicaid can receive AZT. "The idea was that many patients need the drug, and with it can continue working and thus won't become disabled and Medicaid-eligible," Nichols said. That funding will continue for six months. The Utah Department of Health is also negotiating with the Centers for Disease Control for additional money to be used for laboratory testing and support of county health departments' counseling and testing sites. Telephone information and hotline services, like the one operated by Salt Lake AIDS Foundation, could also receive Centers for Disease Control money obtained by the health department. But that's where the buck stops. Nichols said next year Congress will appropriate money directly to community-based AIDS organizations. "But the early reports I have received say that Utah may not receive any funds because of our small population and few AIDS cases," he said. "Yet they (non-profit organizations) play an important role because they provide services that we can't now and never will. " Some 155 cases of AIDS have been reported in Utah. The number is expected to increase while scientists search for a cure for the deadly virus. Meanwhile, Barr hopes the public will rally around AIDS patients. "As there is no state or federal funding available for the continuance of these essential programs, the Salt Lake AIDS Foundation is issuing an emergency request for special Christmas support from the public so there will be no interruption over the holidays for those in need of these vital services," Barr said. Contributions or questions may be directed to the Salt Lake AIDS Foundation, P.O. Box 3373, Salt Lake City, UT 84110.

1989 PROSECUTORS HOPE TO PROCEED IN ARCHULETA TRIAL  Following a day of legal deadlock, prosecutors said they hoped to resume calling witnesses Wednesday in the capital-homicide trial of Michael Anthony Archuleta. Archuleta, 26, is one of two men charged in the Nov. 22, 1988, torture slaying of 28-year-old Gordon Ray Church, whose badly beaten body was found a day after the murder off an I-15 exit near Kanosh. A second defendant, Lance Conway Wood, 20, will be tried Feb. 20. Testimony had been expected to continue for the second day Tuesday, but 4th District Judge George E. Ballif began the day by dismissing jurors until 1:30 p.m. After jurors reassembled, Ballif said he still had not resolved a legal question and dismissed jurors again until Wednesday morning. Attorneys in the case refused to comment on the nature of the legal question, but the issue likely deals with an objection raised Monday by defense attorney Michael Esplin. Witness Anna Marie Luce testified Monday that she saw Archuleta and Wood in Cedar City riding with Church in his car the night he was murdered. When questioned by Millard County Attorney Warren Peterson about how Archuleta was dressed, Luce testified that the defendant had a long, narrow knife in a black case strapped to his side.  Following Luce's statement about the knife, Esplin approached Ballif with an objection, after which the judge and attorneys held a 15-minute, closed-door discussion in Ballif's chambers.

Michael Archuleta

1989  Defense: Attorney will cast blame for SUSC student's death on co-defendant. PROSECUTORS IN ARCHULETA TRIAL LIKELY TO FOCUS ON SLAYING SITE Prosecutors in the trial of Michael Anthony Archuleta were expected Tuesday to present evidence and testimony about an area just off I-15 near Kanosh where they believe the defendant brutally murdered a Southern Utah State College student. Defense attorney Michael Esplin, during opening statements Monday in 4th District Court, admitted Archuleta was present when Gordon Ray Church, 28, was murdered early Nov. 22, 1988. According to his brief opening remarks, Esplin's defense strategy will apparently be to cast blame for the slaying upon co-defendant Lance Conway Wood, who also faces a capital-homicide charge in Church's death. Wood, 20, will face trial Feb. 20 before 4th District Judge Boyd L. Park. Archuleta, 26, is being tried before Judge George E. Ballif. If convicted, the defendants could receive the death penalty. "You're going to have to consider Lance Conway Wood's part in this case," Esplin told the jury of seven men and five women. He said evidence will have to show that Archuleta committed murder, not just that he was present at the murder scene. In his opening remarks, Millard County Attorney Warren Peterson said evidence will show that the defendant and Wood committed the "cruel and atrocious murder of Gordon Church" after they had kidnapped, terrorized, tortured and sexually abused and assaulted the victim. Wood led Millard County Sheriff's Office officials to Church's badly beaten and tortured body a day after the murder. The body - gagged, wrapped in tire chains and nude from the waste down - was buried in a shallow grave south of Dog Valley near an I-15 frontage road. Peterson and co-prosecutor Carvel Harward had little trouble Monday placing Archuleta and Wood with the victim the night of the murder and proving that they were driving the victim's car later that night and early the next morning.  Angela Robins and Anna Luce testified that they were dragging Main Street in Cedar City when they saw Archuleta and Wood riding with the victim in his 1978 white Ford Thunderbird about 10:15 p.m. Nov. 21. The witnesses said Archuleta and Wood tried to "pick them up" and that Archuleta introduced Church after the men followed Robins and Luce to a parking lot where they stopped to talk. About a half hour later, Robins and Luce testified, they saw Archuleta standing on a Main Street sidewalk and that Church's car had pulled into a nearby convenience store. Peggy Johnson, an employee at the Summit Truck Stop 10 miles north of Cedar City, testified that Archuleta bought gas for a white Ford Thunderbird sometime after 11 p.m. Nov. 21. She said she didn't notice whether Archuleta was driving alone, and she had trouble remembering what he was wearing. Robert Moffitt, who owns Bob's Conoco in northwest Spanish Fork, testified that Archuleta and Wood bought gas from his station at about 5:45 a.m. Nov. 22. Moffitt said he remembered Archuleta because he at first mistook the defendant for somebody else. Moffitt testified that Wood and Archuleta looked like they had "worked all night," that they were dirty and their clothes wrinkled and soiled. (Deseret News)

Ted Cannon

1990- Former Salt Lake County Attorney, Ted Cannon and former smut fighter, created the Bobby Dubray Memorial Legal Assistance Fund in which he pledged $5000 worth of legal service to the Gay and Lesbian Community. The pro bono services are to be provided to local organization such as the Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah, and The Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire. Cannon indicated he preferred that the cases be ones that "have the potential of advancing in some way the cause of Gay Rights. In 1987, Cannon was convicted of defaming a TV reporter. Cannon was indicted by a county grand jury, which brought so many other charges that the Legislature later reformed the grand jury system in Utah after one official called it a "Star Chamber" that unfairly treated citizens.

1991 - I went to Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah tonight with Jeff Workman and Debbie Rosenberg.  Elections took place tonight.  I had called a bunch of people this week

Melissa Sillitoe

encouraging them to attend GLCCU and to vote for Melissa Sillitoe and Ola Robinson and it paid off.  Michael Aarons even printed campaign flyers!  No one had ever done that before.

Michael Aaron

Well it back fired on him and when Melissa spoke, she lightheartedly said she didn’t know she was suppose to bring a resume.  Melissa will represent the Gay and Lesbian organizations well.  Michael lost on the 2^nd ballot. The first ballot was 18 to 13.  I was really upset with Rocky O’Donavan and Devon Hanson for leaving the meeting before the election.  Fortunately we did not need their votes but we could have.  Ola Robinson chose not to run for Vice-Chair after all and so I nominated Alice Hart of the Bridge.  She was elected unopposed but that left David Nelsont. He was unopposed as secretary.  Earlier in the meeting before the elections, Dale Sorenson made a motion that nominees for GLCCU officers be allowed to stay

Dale Sorenson

in the room during the voting.  It had been customary that they leave so members could speak frankly without offending the nominees. I suppose Michael and David were so afraid of what would be said in their absence that they put Dale up to this.  When the motion failed to pass David Nelson, very antagonistically countered with the question, “How are you going to make someone leave who doesn’t want to leave? Because I will not leave!”  His obvious contempt for members of the council was very clear.  Well when it became time to nominate people for Secretary I approached everyone I knew who I thought might accept the position to run against David.  I finally asked Curtis Jensen to nominate me as a last resort but fortunately David Ball’s sense of duty kicked in and he agreed to accept the nomination. Curtis Jensen unaware of my getting David Ball to run was about to nominate me but I hushed him in time. When David Ball name was placed in nomination, David Nelson withdrew his. David Ball a representative of Unconditional Support was then elected Secretary, carrying on the US tradition of service to the council.  The election of Michael Aaron and David Nelson would have in my opinion totally transfigured the direction of GLCCU away from being a sounding board for the Gay and Lesbian organizations in the community to being a political organization of its own.  The Royal Court representatives even made a motion to scrap the “one minute” organizations report time limit because it wants the council to go back to its original purpose.  Dale Sorenson insensitive to the mood of the Royal Court wanted to table the motion and move it to a Board of Trustee’s meeting. I was aghast! This was the Royal Court’s last attempt to remain within GLCCU and surely would have pulled out if we would have just shelved the motion without considering its merits. Dale was superseded and the motion was voted on and it was passed. Now Organizations would have the same amount of time the GLCCU’s committees which is “three minutes”.  Officer David Ward, of police liaison announced that he is being replaced with Officer Steve Cheber. Officer Ward was great and will be sorely missed.  Today was the 5^th anniversary of GLCCU and the last meeting chaired by Brenda Voisard.  Robert Austin and Bobbie Smith were also stepping down after serving two years each.  Robert Austin as vice chair this year tried to make his position more like a co-chair. After the meeting a bunch of us went to Bill and Nada’s to celebrate our victory.  We stayed out late celebrating with Becky Moorman, Alice Hart, Bobbie Smith, Robert Olson, David Ball, Jimmy Hamamoto, and Frank Loymeyer. (memoirs of Ben Williams)

Stephen Pieter

1991 The Rev. A. Stephen Pieters, a long-term survivor of AIDS, will be in Salt Lake City for three speaking engagements beginning today. Rev. Pieters, director of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches in Los Angeles, was diagnosed with AIDS in April 1984. A doctor told him that attendant cases of Kaposi's Sarcoma and stage 4 lymphoma would make it likely that he would die before 1985. When 1985 rolled around, he was not only alive but he took part in an experimental anti-viral drug trial, taking suramin for 39 weeks. While taking the drug, both cancers went into remission. He will speak today at 7 p.m. at the Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church, 823 S. 600 East. He will address the church's congregation Sunday at 11 a.m. Saturday, he will conduct workshops from 10 a.m. until noon and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Horizon House, 667 S. 1300 East.  Rev. Pieters has been field director of his church's AIDS ministry in Los Angeles since 1987 and speaks on his belief in God's healing and sustaining power while living with AIDS. He meditates daily, maintains a healthy diet, is a bodybuilder who works out regularly and does not take AZT or aerosolized pentamidine, a drug effective in preventing AIDS pneumonia. The public is invited to the free programs and people who are HIV positive are urged to attend. In the 1980s, the First Unitarian Church supported the Metropolitan Community Church, which serves the gay and lesbian community. (SLTribune 12/06/91  Page: B11)

Ben Barr

1991 Anonymous tests are ``one of the most important weapons we have in stopping the spread of HIV'' and should get continued government support, a legislative committee was told. That comment was from Ben Barr, director of the Utah AIDS Foundation, who also said Wednesday he wished other AIDS programs worked as well as the anonymous-testing program. A man infected with HIV, addressing the committee, agreed. He found out he was afflicted through the test program, and said a lot of people will not be tested without anonymity. He said society needs the program to protect itself. Since diagnosis, he has followed through by naming his contacts for further health department follow-up.  Sen. Winn L. Richards, D-Morgan, pointed to the estimated 2,400 to 4,000 Utahns who have HIV. The physician said the state will see a 40 percent to 45 percent increase in HIV cases in1991 compared to 1990. ``We are seeing a very dramatic escalation,''  Dr. Richards said. He said that 2 percent of babies in New York City are born with HIV and health departments must be given every weapon available to ``fight the war'' against AIDS. Dr. Richards urged legislators to spend more to fight AIDS. The comments followed a report by Suzanne Dandoy, executive director of the Utah Department of Health, that more people are being tested anonymously. She said the tests are an important tool in the fight against the spread of the deadly disease. Anonymous tests by the Salt Lake City-County Health Department cost $20 and people are not required to give their names. They are, however, required to give personal data such as their age and why they feel they need the test. The department also offers $10 confidential tests in which the subjects are required to give their names and other personal data but the information is, by law, secret. But one lawmaker, Rep. Haynes R. Fuller, D-Eden, reminded legislators of his proposal that was defeated in 1987 that would have by law required everyone in the state be tested for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.  ``Maybe we all ought to be . . . anonymously tested,'' Mr. Fuller told the Health and Environment Interim Committee. He said the number of cases would be known, under his plan, and every one would find out secretly ``if I'm at risk.'' Dr. Harry Gibbons, director of the Salt Lake City-County Department of Health, said Mr.Fuller's proposal was dangerous, impractical and would prove too costly. Dr. Gibbons said it is ``far more important to counsel'' the public so that individuals can decide if they fall into high-risk categories. ``That legislation increases the possibility of false positive [tests], and that can be devastating,'' Dr. Gibbons said. (SLTribune12/06/91 Page: B13 )

1993- Beloved son, brother, uncle and friend, Dale Harold Christensen, 30, died on December 6, 1993 in Salt Lake City of complications do to AIDS. Born January 21, 1963 in Heber City, Utah to Harold R. and Dorothy S. Christensen. Graduated from Wasatch High School in 1981. He loved the great outdoors. Enjoyed clamping, golfing and photography.  Survived by his significant other Brian Maddocks, Salt Lake City, Utah.  The family wishes a special thanks to Dr. Ina Amber; Dr. Kristen Ries and a home health care nurse Charlie Gregor. T 12/8 N 12/8

1993 FAMILIES AND FRIENDS GATHER TO UNVEIL UTAH AIDS MEMORIAL  By Jerry Spangler, Staff Writer  Lost but never forgotten. That was the message repeated over and over Sunday night as friends and family members of those afflicted with AIDS or HIV gathered at Dinwoody Park, 45 W. 100 South, to unveil a memorial plaque honoring the 476 Utahns who have died of the AIDS virus since 1983. "My son Chance and I face our mortality here today,"

Kim Russo

said Peggy Tingey, who has been diagnosed with AIDS. "Thank you. You have made us immortal."The small memorial was erected in Dinwoody Park after months of raising funds from private sources and lobbying city officials for a suitable location for the memorial. The memorial, which is shaped like the state of Utah, features the 23rd Psalm - The Lord's Prayer - followed by "Let us not forget." According to Kim Russo, outreach coordinator for the Utah AIDS Foundation, 744 Utahns have tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Another 860 Utahns have been diagnosed with AIDS. The memorial, she said, is the work of "individuals who have come forward with compassion. Thank, you for your gift of caring." The memorial was the work of the Utah AIDS Memorial Project, a group of volunteers led by Bobby Hubert, who spent 17 months raising almost $2,000 to build the memorial. Organizers say the memorial is meant to be a permanent reminder of the life AIDS victims lived -their music, compassion, beauty and humor. "This is important not only for those we have lost, but for ourselves," said Walter Larabee, co-president of the Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire. The memorial, he said, stands as a reminder of "the lessons they gave to us while they were here."  Rev. Bruce Barton of the Metropolitan Community Church offered the invocation, praying that a memorial like this one would never again have to be dedicated. "We stand united in our memories and our anger," he said, "and most of all our hope." Salt Lake City Council chair Rosalind Kirk accepted the memorial plaque on behalf of the city. The ceremony concluded with participants lighting candles and singing "We Shall Overcome." _© 1998 Deseret News Publishing Co.

1998 Page: C4 Impeachment Buffoonery Getting Old Byline: BY TOM BARBERI  I am really embarrassed. I thought it was bad enough when President Bill Clinton 'fessed up to the world that he lied and indeed had been fooling around with a post-pubescent intern. Now the House Judiciary Committee handling the impeachment hearings tried to bolster its position of moving forward by calling a bus loadof witnesses to define perjury. They paraded a bunch of legal scholars, judges, Army generals, Navy commanders, Air Force brass and for comedy relief, Alan Dershowitz.   Figuring that should do it, I stopped paying attention until the ``Hyde and Seek'' juggernaut pulled out the big guns. A lesbian basketball coach and a female psychiatrist. To top it all off, the coach was called to recount how she suffered the consequences of lying

Pam Parson

under oath about her escapades at the ``Puss & Boots''  lesbian bar in Salt Lake City that happened to be housed in a building owned by a polygamist clan back in the '80s. The other witness was from Boise, and she had to tell how she was punished for lying under oath about having sex with someone from a V.A. hospital.   And I thought that living in Utah would shield us from being dragged into this farce.   Of all the people who had to pay a price for lying under oath, the best they could find to make their point were these two? The theater of the absurd just got weirder. That laughter you hear is coming out of the White House TV room.   The only thing that could top any of the antics of this Comedy Central Special would be if the Democrats called chairman Henry Hyde's former lover or sat Rep. Merrill Cook on the panel instead of Rep. Chris Cannon.   In the middle of all this, Rep. Mary Bono is spouting off how her deceased husband Sonny was hooked on painkillers and that is what led to his untimely death.   How I long for the days of Watergate, where serious people debated serious issues instead of this Def Washington Comedy Jam.   Ciao!   Tom Barberi is a talk-show host on KALL-AM.

2004 Familiar story Jessica Ravitz's Dec. 2 article on a Gay teen facing discrimination in high

Jason Atwood

school is an all-too-familiar story. As an alumna of Copper Hills and as one of the founding members of the school's Gay-Straight Alliance, I can empathize with Jason Atwood's struggle and I admire his courage. The school's explanation that discrimination is necessary to guarantee student safety is the same excuse I was given when I and other Gay students were kicked out of a school dance at Copper Hills back in 1999. This reasoning only sends a message that behavior which threatens the safety of gay students is expected, and furthermore, is acceptable. Demanding that parents sign a permission form to allow their children to be subjected to possible violence shows that school officials would rather prevent Gay students from attending dances than take responsibility to ensure that such harassment does not occur. Instead of inventing legal forms to hide behind, school officials and teachers should be educating their student body on why harassment and violence against other students is wrong, as well as providing sufficient oversight to immediately stop any violence that may still occur. In any case, thanks to the efforts of students like Jason Atwood and organizations like the ACLU, I'm inclined to believe that high school will eventually be better for future generations of Gay students at Copper Hills High. Rosemary Russo Bountiful

Valerie Larabee

2004 Valarie Larabee named Executive Chair of Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgendered Community Council of Utah by Maryanne Martindale Chair of the Board of Trustees

2004 Monday Young activist channels passion Joshua Nowitz wants a hate-crimes law By Mike Cronin The Salt Lake Tribune Rain fell around him. Oblivious, the 18-year-old kept reading. Joshua Nowitz

Josh Nowitz

stared at the epitaph of one of the first Utahns known to have died because of violence motivated by hatred. He knew the story well. In 1879, a band of 12 men murdered Joseph Standing, a 24-year-old Mormon missionary serving in Georgia, simply because he was a member of the LDS Church. The acquitted killers had boasted, "There is no law in Georgia for the Mormons." "[Utah] was founded by people who sought to escape persecution," Nowitz said last month in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. "But now, we're in danger of falling into a state of persecution ourselves." What was once a mere high-school senior project - a paper and field work on hate crimes - at central Utah's Wasatch Academy ultimately compelled Nowitz to put his college plans on hold, shunning more than $100,000 worth of academic scholarships in the process. Nowitz moved to Utah's capital at the end of the

David Litvack

summer to help Rep. David Litvack, D-Salt Lake City, pass a new law banning hate crimes. Litvack and his predecessors have failed in that task for each of the last 13 years. All that exists on the books is a form of hate-crimes legislation that is so vague even Attorney General Mark Shurtleff decries it as useless. Utah remains one of only a handful of states that do not have an enforceable, prosecutable hate-crimes law. "I think it's disgusting," Nowitz said last month over breakfast at a downtown restaurant. "It's about human rights. A hate crime is an attempt to silence someone because of who they are, what they believe and what makes them different. It makes us all victims." He believes the issue is significant because advocates for a tougher standard, along with the Salt Lake City Police Department, agree that hate crimes occur. Police statistics show that a total of 43 hate crimes were reported during 2002 and 2003. A visible advocate: Salt Lake City Detective Dwayne Baird said police are powerless to prosecute hate crimes. Enforcement gets murky, he said, when it's difficult to tell whether the crime was motivated by hate or another reason. Of the 43 crimes reported, police determined that 24 were primarily motivated by hate. Nowitz said that since there is no way to track the crimes without first passing a law, "It's kind of like trying to desegregate the country before abolishing slavery." A Jew with nearly shoulder-length brown hair and a pierced eyebrow, Nowitz himself could be a hate-crime target. Lanky, loud and loquacious, the 5-foot-11, 140-pound teenager often elicits powerful reactions from those he meets. Those who encounter him have no choice but to form an opinion. His demeanor demands it. "The first thing I asked him was, 'Why are you here?' " said his 28-year-old roommate, Adam Milman, a medical student at the University of Utah. "He told me he wanted to pass hate-crimes legislation in Utah. I wanted to know why a person's motivation to commit a crime was essential." Milman, who also is Jewish and leans to the right politically, said he recognized that though he might not agree with Nowitz's views, he couldn't dismiss them. "His responses are not based on emotions," Milman said. "He provides articulate, intelligent answers that I have to address." Hate-crimes legislation is a controversial issue nationally, and particularly in Utah. Some opponents claim that it's part of "the gay agenda." In past years, legislators have cited the Bill of Rights' guarantees of free speech as a reason to block passage. During other sessions, they have argued that Litvack and his predecessors have sought to extend protection to some groups, but not to others. With those roadblocks, a stronger hate-crimes bill has faltered every year since 1991. "No golden egg": Litvack, Nowitz and Shurtleff say an effective law would actually protect all groups from hate-motivated violence. Mark Cohen, a Democratic Pennsylvania legislator, sums up that perspective. "Hate crimes deserve to be taken even more seriously than ordinary crimes because they victimize all they threaten, as well as all they directly harm." In May, Nowitz organized a Capitol Hill rally in favor of stronger hate-crimes legislation that attracted about 150 people. The coalition Nowitz helped found - Utahns Together Against Hate, or UTAH - has hired a lobbyist to work on behalf of a new hate-crimes law. Litvack said the lobbyist's salary will come from private donations. The Democratic lawmaker couldn't say whether this January's legislative session will be the one that leads to the long-awaited hate-crimes triumph. "It's hard to have an accurate feel for where my colleagues are at this point," he said. But Litvack said Nowitz's presence on the team could have an impact. "If there's one thing I've learned about this issue, it's that there is no golden egg in the sense that one person, one thing is going to push us over the edge," Litvack said. "But one thing Josh is bringing that we haven't had in the past is devoted time. Up 'til now, the individuals who fought for it have done it only part time, in addition to their own full-time jobs." Nowitz works about 40 hours a week on the issue, crafting recruitment letters, compiling hate-crimes data and connecting the coalition's growing network of contacts. His passion for the cause, and life in general, surprises virtually no one. Nowitz, who says he has been diagnosed with an attention-deficit disorder, has interests that span a wide spectrum. He has a black belt in tae kwon do, is an actor and a songwriter, and plays the piano. "He's got something driving him that you can't quantify," says Tass Bey, his former debate coach and rhetoric teacher at Wasatch Academy. "In class, when most students are content, Josh is wanting to break new ground. Generally, he's categorized by upper-end originality and unpredictability." Bey says that Nowitz's brilliance and boldness compensates for what he lacks in patience, careful plotting and understanding. "The majority has been wrong": Another teacher - Lee Thomsen, who taught English to Nowitz in Houston before the teen transferred to Wasatch Academy - has witnessed a transformation in his former student. "[In Houston,] you knew there was a lot going on there. But you got the sense of him not being really sure of who he was," said Thomsen, now principal of Rowland Hall-St. Mark's Upper School in Salt Lake City. "It's clear that he's much more confident, that he knows himself in a much deeper way than he did a year and a half ago." Yet with a self-awareness unusual for one so young, Nowitz concedes that one of his flaws remains following through. "I've always had a lot of different ideas, but my eyes are often bigger than my stomach," he says. Thomsen and Nowitz see the young man's hate-crimes work as a  nontraditional vehicle for self-exploration, and simultaneously, an opportunity to permanently alter Utah's political landscape. His current journey is important enough to Nowitz that he's chosen to finance his own stay in Salt Lake. Some days he doesn't know how he's going to eat. He earns no money from his hate-crimes activism and his wages are $6.50 an hour plus tips at a neighborhood coffee shop, where he works 30 hours a week. Nowitz also pays $400 a month in rent. He fibbed to his parents that he had another $900 saved up to convince them that he was financially independent. His father, Les Nowitz, a 64-year-old Houston physician, confirmed that he and his wife, Leora, 57, are not financially supporting their son. "He's standing on his own two feet," Les Nowitz says. "I'd like to see him achieve it [passing the hate-crimes law]. He's only 18 years old. If he can pull it off, it would be a big feather in his cap." Though conservatives in the Legislature could prove nearly as challenging as his personal finances, they don't daunt Nowitz either. "In most moral crises that caused a societal change, the majority has been wrong," he said. "Look at the civil-rights movement. It's always been the few who have turned out to be right." mcronin@sltrib.com

• What is a hate crime? Nationally: The U.S. Congress' definition of what constitutes a hate crime has evolved since it first identified the term in 1992. Today, a hate crime is any crime committed due to the perpetrator's hatred, bias or prejudice based on a person's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. In Utah: Utah's current law defines a hate crime as a civil- rights violation and is categorized as a third-degree felony. Acts committed by perpetrators that could fall under this law consist of: the misdemeanor offenses of assault, property destruction, any criminal trespass offense, theft, obstructing government operations, any offense of interfering or intending to interfere with activities of colleges and universities, any offense against public order and decency, any telephone abuse offense, any cruelty to animal offense or any weapons offense. If the perpetrator commits any of those offenses with the intent to intimidate or terrorize another person or with reason to believe that his action would intimidate or terrorize that person is guilty of a third degree felony. The law states that "intimidate or terrorize" means an act which causes the person to fear for his physical safety or damages the property of that person or another. The act must be accompanied with the intent to cause a person to fear to freely exercise or enjoy any right secured by the Constitution or laws of the state or by the Constitution or laws of the United States.
• Donald Steward commented: People, we have work to do before the 2005 legislature!

  

  Donald Steward

  Over four hours ago I started doing some research on Hate Crimes in preparation for this years legislative session, and I am absolutely in shock! I pulled up the policy statement on hate crimes from the Sutherland Institute and its Director Paul Mero. That led me to a bunch of LDS "pro-family" sites, and Meridian Magazine (an online magazine for LDS), Concerned Women for America, Focus on the Family, and some of the most ultra-ultra right wing stuff I have ever seen. Did anyone else know that Mero was a congressional aide for Dannemeyer and Dornan!!!???!!! Or that he wrote a report in 1997 called "Homosexuality: Your Tax Dollars at Work." arguing against AIDS funding. No wonder he is gunning for the hate crimes bill. Seriously folks, spend some time going through these "pro-family" sites, look at their bio's and boards, and see what sort of arguments and moralizations these folks are using. Ten to one, they are going to get thrown at us this session. I spent two hours in the Ideas and Society section of Meridian Magazine alone and I am just dumbfounded at how there is absolutely no discussion of our perspective or GLBT representation, and how close to hate speech their arguments really are. I was especially amazed to see all of the articles blasting gay marriage as the end of the traditional marriage and families, and not one mention of divorce anywhere! Talk about selective vision. If we are going to fight these people for our basic rights, we need to know who they are, who they are connected to, and how and what they think. To all of you folks ticked about the election and wanting to do something constructive...educate yourself, get to know these arguments and be prepared to counter them. Fergie.

2005 Youth Group Subject: Improving space for queer youth In 1998, no one but those closest to the decisions to start a "Youth Activities Program" at the GLBT Community Center believed it would survive and flourish in Salt Lake City - a place so often perceived as conservative, close-minded, and not safe for GLBT people, especially youth.  In addition, no one could have predicted that in 2005 there would be over 14 high schools with Gay Straight Alliances and our Youth Activities Center (YAC) would demand even more of a "home of its own."   Well that time is here.  Today, young people are coming out to themselves, friends, and family much earlier in life.  Because of this, the GLBT community is experiencing a sort of "baby boom."  For example, last year's Queer Prom was attended by 365 young people. The Youth Activity Center brings youth together and builds a peer-based community by and for young people. The YAC provides activities, programs, and events that allow queer youth to grow and enjoy themselves in a safe and supportive environment.  The YAC is also a key resource to young people who are in the process of coming out, who are starting or running Gay/Straight Alliances, or who find themselves homeless. In an effort to better support and nurture the growing queer youth population, the GLBT Community Center is moving the Youth Activity Center from its current location to the front of the building (the "front" and "middle" meeting rooms).  This will provide more space, greater security, and allow for more diverse activities.  This enhancement to the YAC will require help from the entire community.  We are seeking donations of specific items, money to cover building improvements, and volunteer time in order to make this move as successful as possible. Please consider donating one of the following items: 27"-32" Television/DVD player Pool Table Foosball Table Area Rugs Refrigerator Plants Keyboard All cash donations welcome!!! For more information, contact Stan Burnett, the Director of Youth

Programs,

2005 16 SLC workers apply on partners' behalf By Lori Buttars The Salt Lake Tribune Sixteen Salt Lake City employees are ready to take out health insurance for their domestic partners - as soon as a 3rd District judge rules on whether the city's new benefits program is legal. The deadline for the partner-benefits program passed last week. Sixteen of the 28 employees who requested packets completed the applications. They won't be processed until at least Jan. 5. That's when Judge Stephen Roth will hear arguments from attorneys representing three citizens who sued the city, charging that Mayor Rocky Anderson's plan to extend benefits to domestic partners violates Utah's Defense of Marriage Act. "If the judge says it's OK, we'll process the paperwork," said Jodi Langford, Salt Lake City employee-benefits administrator. "Otherwise, we'll just hold on to them until it is resolved one way or another." According to the application forms, city employees had to agree to certain criteria to qualify. The main requirement is that the couple declare they have been together for at least six months and have a "long-term committed relationship and intend to remain together indefinitely." Other requirements include documentation for joint mortgages or leases, joint ownership of a vehicle or power of attorney. "We won't know how much it will cost the city - assuming the judge allows it - until a full year passes and all the claims have been processed," Langford added. The Salt Lake City Council also is waiting for the ruling before proceeding with its plan to extend benefits on a household basis - allowing employees to include siblings or aging parents - as well as domestic partners. "It won't preclude us from proceeding forward," said Councilwoman Jill Remington Love. "But it could help us prepare in case our benefits plan ends up in court." lorib@sltrib.com

2005 USU Senate plans an open discussion on partner benefits By Arrin Newton Brunson Special to The Tribune LOGAN - It's an issue that won't go away, and the Utah State University Faculty Senate said Monday it is ready and willing to talk about domestic partner benefits for gay and lesbian employees. A majority of the 50-plus group of professors, who represent all of the land-grant institution's colleges and extension programs, said they want to bring the controversial issue out from behind closed doors. More than two-thirds of the group approved a motion to make all previously gathered information and opinion about domestic partner benefits, as well as all new data presented by faculty members, available online to university employees in anticipation of making a recommendation to USU President Stan Albrecht in the future. Same-sex-partner benefits have been quietly debated on the campus for more than three years, but the Faculty Senate was denied the opportunity to discuss two specific domestic partner benefit proposals when the Faculty Senate Executive Committee killed them this spring, amid budget negotiations with state legislators. In March, USU legal counsel Craig Simper said, "Utah State University does not want to be the test case and does not intend to be the test case." The University of Utah in Salt Lake City has since begun to offer insurance to same-sex partners, a benefit that is paid in full by the employee partner. USU Faculty Senate Chairman Derek Mason told the group Monday that a petition recently initiated by Barry Franklin of the College of Education and Human Services was valid and that all 28 signatures had been verified for proper employment rank and authenticity. Arguments for and against providing health benefits for same-sex partners began immediately Monday. Computer science professor Gregory Jones said some of the definitions of domestic partnership "clearly run afoul of the amendment passed in Utah last November," which defines marriage as a legal union between a man and a woman. Another faculty senator said marriage has nothing to do with the partner benefits issue, a case that is being made by the ACLU. "Given what goes on in the rest of the U.S., the number, I think, of same-sex domestic partners, would be under 10 for this university - more like 2 to 4," said Stephen Bialkowski, a chemistry professor. "It came down to less than $1 per member per year to support that." The committee will add new developments to its previous findings and post them online. Although some USU senators were skeptical of the online public dialogue, professor Dallas Holmes denounced censorship of the issue. "I would like to see that, as an institution of higher education, we accept the opportunity to receive knowledge as it continues to grow in this area." Tom Schroeder said Salt Lake City's new policy has come under fire because the domestic partner benefits information was not available to the committee before the decision was made. abrunson@sltrib.com

2007 Senate drops insistence that Congress cover attacks against gays in hate crimes laws By Anne Flaherty Associated Press  Published: Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007 WASHINGTON — The Senate has dropped its insistence that Congress pass legislation expanding hate crime laws to include attacks on gays, after it became clear the measure wouldn't pass the House, according to congressional aides. House and Senate negotiators agreed on Thursday to drop the provision from a major defense policy bill. The legislation authorizes the military to spend some $150 billion in money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and provides detailed policy guidance on the Pentagon's multibillion weapons programs. The exclusion of the hate-crimes legislation, sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., is a blow to civil rights groups who say it is necessary to address a rise in crimes motivated by prejudice against a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. The military bill is "the last clear chance this year for Congress to make a meaningful effort to stop hate crime violence," said Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. But Democratic leaders said the bundled legislation posed too high a hurdle. A substantial number of liberal House Democrats routinely vote against the annual defense policy bill because of the billions of dollars it authorizes for the war and expensive weapons programs like missile defense. At the same time, some conservative Democrats and Republicans said they would oppose the legislation if the hate crimes provisions were attached — either because they don't think hate crimes laws should be changed or because they don't think the issue should be tied to a bill for the troops. In a private meeting on Wednesday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and House Democratic Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., told Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., that if the Senate continued to insist on the hate crimes provision the defense legislation would fail. Levin, as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, oversees the defense authorization bill, which covers the 2008 budget year. "We don't have the votes," said one House Democratic aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because conference negotiations are ongoing. "We're about 40 votes short, not four or six." The Senate had voted in September to include the hate-crimes measure in the bill. The House version of the defense authorization bill, approved in May by a 397-27 vote, did not include Kennedy's proposal. The House passed a similar hate crimes measure as a stand-alone bill this year. After the Senate vote, which prompted nine Republicans to break ranks and swing behind the measure, the White House stopped short of reiterating President Bush's veto threat against the hate crimes measure. But presidential spokeswoman Dana Perino made clear that Bush believes the federal provision is unnecessary. "State and local law enforcement agencies are effectively using their laws to the full extent they can," Perino said.

2012 'Stay with us,' new LDS website urges gay Mormons By Joseph Walker , Deseret News The LDS Church today launched a new website aimed at providing “greater sensitivity and better understanding” among Latter-day Saints with regards to same-sex attraction. (www.mormonsandgays.org) The LDS Church today launched a new website aimed at providing “greater sensitivity and better understanding” among Latter-day Saints with regards to same-sex attraction. (www.mormonsandgays.org)   SALT LAKE CITY — With a clear invitation to gay Mormons to “stay with us,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints launched a new website aimed at providing “greater sensitivity and better understanding” among Latter-day Saints with regards to same-sex attraction. “When people have those (same-sex) desires and attractions our attitude is, ‘stay with us,’” said Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the LDS Church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during a video that introduces the subject of the website. “I think that’s what God is saying: stay with me. And I think that’s what we want to say in the church: stay with us, and let’s work together in friendship and commonality and brotherhood and sisterhood. “Here (in the church) more than anywhere, it’s important that there be love, that there be hope,” Elder Christofferson continued. “We want to be with you and work together.” The website is part of an effort by the church “to teach and clarify the church’s positions” on various issues, said LDS spokesman Michael Purdy. “There are some aspects of our belief and practice that are simply not well understood,” Purdy continued, adding that other issues will be addressed by the church in a similar fashion during the next few weeks. Production for the site has been underway for more than two years, Purdy said. "Too often these types of big, important issues are dealt with in sound bites, and often by individuals who do not have the complete picture of what the church is doing," Purdy said. "We hope (the website) will be a resource for better understanding and better communication." Rather than provide a detailed presentation of LDS doctrine and policies relative to homosexuality, the website relies on text and video to “show the human face of a sensitive matter.” Drawing extensively from personal, real-life stories told by members of the church who have first-hand experience with same-sex attraction themselves or through close friends and family members, the website’s stated objective is to help Latter-day Saints “come together to foster a climate of goodwill and a determination to understand the workings of God in each individual life.” “We’re not endeavoring here to cover the waterfront and address every issue that could be, and needs to be, addressed in different settings relating to same-sex attraction,” Elder Christofferson said. “The idea is to open all of us to greater understanding.” On the website, he said, “you’ll hear stories and experiences from people with quite a diversity of backgrounds and perceptions. They are genuine. They are real and authentic … We feel this can only lead to greater sensitivity and better understanding among people, and that’s what we’re about.” After being given an opportunity to explore the new website on Monday, Valerie Larabee, executive director of the Utah Pride Center, a non-profit organization that serves Utah's gay community, said she "applauds any institution, religious or otherwise, for increasing the availability of potentially lifesaving resources to bridge the gap in human understanding, respect and acceptance of differences." "It is my hope that our Utah LGBTQ community will embrace the fact that saving lives may be the greatest gift of this new resource for LDS members, giving LGBTQ and questioning Mormons hope through knowing that their families and church leaders are committed to reducing judgment, rejection and isolation," Larabee said. "Having a resource whose purpose is to help Mormon families and leadership recognize the ways they can reduce the isolation and rejection often felt by LGBTQ or questioning Mormons is a huge step in the right direction." Similarly, Brandie Balken, executive director of Equality Utah, a civil rights organization that focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, acknowledged the efforts of LDS leaders in creating what she called an "important resource for the LDS faithful to better understand gay and transgender people, and their lived experiences." "We appreciate the level of demonstrated commitment to building communities based on our shared values: compassion, understanding and respect," Balken said. "I think it is extraordinary," said Jim Dabakis, chairman of the Utah State Democratic Party, recently elected state legislator and an outspoken advocate of gay rights. "I'm very pleased with the website and its message. It shows wisdom, and the ability to temper doctrine in love that is the essence of Christianity. "The church has its doctrine," Debakis continued. "But at the core of Christian doctrine is love and acceptance and understanding. This website is the beginning of an education process that will allow Latter-day Saints all over the world to speak about LGBT issues and not hide the discussion." In a brief video on the website, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve makes it clear that the doctrine of the church – that sexual activity should only occur between a man and a woman who are married – “has not changed and is not changing.” But he also acknowledges that “there is so much that we don’t understand about this subject that we do well to stay with what we know from the revealed word of God.” “What is changing, and what needs to change, is to help our own members and families understand how to deal with same-gender attraction.” Among the issues not discussed on the website is the controversial subject of gay marriage. “The church’s position on marriage is clear,” Purdy said. In 1995, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” in which the church’s position was stated: “Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God.” Even so, Purdy noted that it is not the intent of the site to address every issue related to same-sex attraction.“Rather, the site is a collection of personal reflections and experiences to help people understand the issue better and to better address it inside their families, their congregations and their communities,” Purdy continued. “The church has consistently recognized that this is a difficult issue for many, and has called for civility and respect in dealing with it. This site is another reminder and tool to make that happen.” According to the website, the posted statements from Elder Oaks and Elder Christofferson “reflect the sentiments and teachings of the highest church authorities – the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.” But the rest of the website comes from the thoughts of church members who speak “from the heart.” While their words “may not necessarily represent in every word and detail the policies or positions of the LDS Church,” they “speak with authenticity because they reflect what has happened in their own lives and the experiences of those they love.” “It is important that people hear the first-hand experiences of others,” Purdy said. “Much like no two stories are the same, there is no one approach to addressing same-sex attraction.” And that, Elder Christofferson said, is critical for everyone to understand. “Each case is different and each person is different,” he said. “We don’t take a uniform position and say ‘yes’ always or ‘no’ always.” Elder Christofferson also observed that “although we don’t know everything, we know enough to be able to say that same-sex attraction is not itself sin. The feeling, the desire is not classified the same as homosexual behavior itself.” Sexual identification, he continued, “is but one aspect of any person’s life, and it need not become the consuming element of any person’s life.” What is important, he said, is “how we relate to one another, how we preserve hope and understanding and love, and how we struggle together in some cases.” “We want people to feel that they have a home here (in the LDS Church), and that we have much more in common than anything that’s different about us,” Elder Christofferson said. Mormon Gay Blog

• Michael Aaron Green My 2 cents. We all have a role to play in this game called social reform. We need our good cops and or bad cops. The ones who play the game and the ones who take it to the streets. I would rather point my arrows at the 'enemy' than at those who say they are working on our side. We can disagree on the path, but we are headed to the same place. While we can disagree with our friends/family in private, I think or public discourse is better served against those against us. As my wall photo on stonewall says, we cannot be weak. Those who disagree with the church's web site need to stand up and be heard. Because someone else spoke first, doesn't mean we cannot also speak. This forum could be a place to find the best way to do that. 
• Michael Aaron West Think about this...what would Harvey Milk say? 
• Ben Edgar Williams I've always said the enemy is out there not within here.... and I appreciate all that anyone is doing to build community but once in awhile there is a strong enough disagreement that we have to voice an opinion... years ago when I was on the board of the Utah Stonewall Center I was shocked to learn that Allen Seegmiller was asking the board to run a support group out of the Center... I was the only one there that had the history to know that Allen was a founding member of Evergreen, the LDS flavored ex-Gay group. I was able to get a thorough talk with him and he at that time said he gave up Evergreen and had come out of the closet. Having repudiated reorientation therapy. I still hold that it's wrong to endorse or give out as a resource any website that hasn't fully repudiated ex-Gay therapy. Remember the old GLCCU days when views were brought before the council for discussion before adopting especially anything this controversal. Neither one of us always got what we wanted but we did have our voices heard...
• Ross Poore I think this is a great step Ben. If I have learned anything in writing the Blood Doctrine with Ryan it is that the new website changes nothing. Ryan and I talked today and he said, "what has changed"? The dignity of being able to live a life, as a person chooses is still repudiated. The essence of who you are is still rejected, but with the hope that "there will be more warmth and acceptance (conditional). Let me know how I can help. Take care my friend.
• Mike Criquelion Until the LDS church is willing to accept all its members without requiring them to deny themselves a whole life, the answer is HELL NO. 
• Connell O'Donovan I've been depressed since I first saw the website four days ago. But this site helped! Mormons and Negroes Few topics are more sensitive than that of skin color.  This is a complicated subject... 
• Brandon Burt It's always disheartening to be referred to by LDS Church officials as a person experiencing "same-sex attraction." It's an awkward phrase calculated to negate our identity by denying the reality of sexual orientation as a fundamental personality trait. And, unfortunately, this dreaded phrase has yet to be relegated to the dustbin of history. The Mormons and Gays website still talks about "homosexual behavior" as if being gay is a thing you do, rather than who you are. Still, the fact that it also uses terminology such as "gay and lesbian" shows progress. It seems like a minor thing, a quibble over semantics -- but perhaps it is significant that an official LDS Church publication may grudgingly recognize that, yes, we actually do exist as a community. 
• Utah Stonewall Community Forum I agree Brandon Burt and it is heartening to know the LDS church finally recognizes that being Gay is not a choice but the fact that they insist that our lives and our loves have no validity and are evil and the only way to remain in the church is either celibate or heterosexually IS NOT a reason that the Pride Center should have endorsed this site as a resource for Gay Mormons... My beef here is not the Mormon Church but so called leaders of our community so gushingly endorsing this site regardless to the insensitivity it was to a large portion of the Gay community who are still healing from scars inflcited on them by the hands of Mormon homophobia
• Bob Henline I don't see that acknowledgement as progress, Ben. It's science. What's next, a "revelation" that water is wet or the Earth is round? I am fine with giving credit where it's due, but admitting to something already proven as biological fact is not progress
• Peggy Bon To everyone reading and participating in this thread: OUTreach is sponsoring a time for everyone to get together and discuss this! Tuesday, December 11, 7:00, Main Library,