This Day In Gay Utah History January 23rd

William Pitt the Younger

January 23

1806-William Pitt, The Younger died in London. The Prime Minister who "loved wine but not women" furthered the careers of many of his young friends, and Tom Steele was given the job of Secretary to the Treasury.

1926 Ogden The first of a series of dancing parties of the Bohemian Club will be held in the Weber Club Friday Jan 28. The committee in charge is Dr. Hugh M Rowe, George Eccles, Lawrence T Dee and William Rice Kimball  Deseret News

Paul Mantee

1964 “At the same studio this week, ex-footballer, Paul Mantee, did a nude bathing scene for “Robinson Crusoe on Mars”. He barred all women from the set except a feminine monkey who shares a space capsule with him in the movie. Later it was found out that the monkey is a female impersonator in the script. His off stage name is Barney.” Ogden Standard Examiner.

1974-Two men were arrested by vice officers in Denver , Colorado and charged with lewd fondling in public because one kissed the other on the cheek as they left the dance floor. After ten minutes of deliberation the jury found the men not guilty, instead condemning the police for blatant harassment.

1976- Daily Utah Chronicle Reporter Mary Dickson wrote an article entitled “Graduate Student Studies Lesbian Lifestyle”.  Only since the 1960’s has an attempt been made to study the socially sensitive area of homosexuality. While much has been written on homosexual men scientific studies on homosexual women have not. Mary Jo Olsen, a 23 year old graduate study studying in sociology recently lived with Lesbians for 5 weeks to research her master’s thesis “Lesbians: A Minority Group”.  Her study is unique in that she is the first female to under take a study on Lesbians.  In the past when studies on Lesbianism were made, they were made by men. Her study is also unique because it looks at Lesbians as a minority group and not as a deviant subculture. “This is the 1st study I’ve seen do this,” she said.  “I don’t believe they are sick or deviant in the sense they’re bad. Deviant is only a differing from the norm-I’m deviant because I’m a graduate student. They shouldn’t be considered subculture deviants but minorities fitting minority characteristics.” Concerning Lesbianism Olsen said “It was not a choice they made but something in them.” Olsen obtained an objective view of Lesbian life style and their status as a minority group by living with Lesbians in a Mid West city, 24 hours a day and viewing all aspects of their life style. The study was funded by a University Bi-Centennial Awards Grant. (My note-Actually the first known study of Lesbianism in Utah was done by Mildred Berryman while a student at Westminster College in the late 1910’s and early 1920’s)

1976- -Friday GAY Letters to Editor Daily Utah Chronicle The Monday Chrony really takes the cake. Another fine example of uncut, uncensored, and unadulterated garbage.  You had better get your act together and stop trying to prove how liberated you can be with your “freedom of the press”. Your freedom stops when it infringes on my rights as a student to read anything but junk in the University paper. Most of us students don’t appreciate the trash you print and the ”mouthy majority” is the reason we have to put up with it. About Monday’s Chrony; It is a mark of sheer perversion and depredation when society accepts homosexuality as “normal” and “natural”.  It is about as normal and natural as trying to pet a rattlesnake or making friends with a  pack of wolves or anything else equally “normal”. Remember when sex was for making babies?  What if your father had been a fag?  If you have that problem, snap out of it.  You need help. Lorin Twede.

Ed Koch

1978-Ed Koch, mayor of New York City, issued executive order 50 which banned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in municipal government, including agencies which receive funds from the city. It would be struck down by the courts.

1988- The INBETWEEN Bar in SLC UT held their 4th anniversary party even though they opened their doors in 1986. In 1984 the Bar was still the Three Aces.

1989 Monday I went to the Crossroads Urban Center to

Chuck Whyte

meet with Chuck Whyte and to try and figure out the mess inherited from former Secretary's record keeping. The Membership records, financial records, and minutes were in every state of disarray.  All jumbled up. We finally managed to separate them into 3 categories-Membership, financial, and minutes. We worked for two hours and Chuck really helped a lot.  I wouldn’t have been motivated to do them by myself. [1989 Journal of Ben Williams]

1994 Sunday, Archuleta convicted of 1988 torture-murder in canyon near Cedar City. EXECUTION DATE SET FOR KILLER OF SUU STUDENT Associated Press Michael A. Archuleta, on death row since 1989 for the torture-murder of a Cedar City university student, has been given an execution date. Fourth District Judge George E. Balliff on Friday ordered Archuleta to die March 18, and allowed the condemned man to change his preference from lethal injection to death by firing squad. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected without comment 30-year-old Archuleta's petition for a rehearing of the case last November.  He was originally scheduled to die on Feb. 12, 1990. The Utah Supreme Court upheld Archuleta's death sentence in March, ruling it was appropriate in light of what the justices called the "atrocious, cruel . . . exceptionally depraved" murder of 28-year-old Gordon R. Church on Nov. 22, 1988. Lance C. Wood, who participated in the murder, was convicted of capital homicide in a separate trial but was sentenced to life in prison because he was barely 20 at the time of the crime. Provo attorney Michael Esplin, who has been Archuleta's court-appointed lawyer since his murder trial, said the new date of execution can be appealed. Esplin said his client wants to die by firing squad because "he doesn't want to go out lying down. With lethal injection, he would be strapped to a stretcher, and he doesn't want that." Archuleta's adoptive parents, Stella and Amos Archuleta, were visibly shaken at the hearing. "(Everything is) a terrible thing, not just for us but for everyone, especially the victim's family," said Stella Archuleta, fighting back tears. Archuleta and Wood were on parole from the Utah State Prison when they abducted Church, a drama student at Southern Utah University, after meeting him at a Cedar City convenience store. They drove to nearby Cedar Canyon where they broke Church's arm, slashed his throat, bound him in chains and stuffed him in the trunk of their car. They then drove north 76 miles to a remote valley in Millard County near Cove Fort. There, they tortured Church, who died of massive blood loss as a result of injuries inflicted when the killers repeatedly jammed him with a tire iron, piercing his liver. After he died, they buried him in a shallow grave.

Joseph Nicolosi

1995 California psychotherapist Joseph Nicolosi visited the University of Utah to discuss reparative therapy for what he calls ``non Gay homosexuals'' -- men who want to change their sexual orientation. Nicolosi, a clinical psychologist, founded the Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic in Encino, Calif. There he supervised a staff of 18 therapists who specialize in treating homosexual men who are dissatisfied with their sexual orientation. The subject of his lecture, sponsored by the Historical Study Group at the U., was "Healing Homosexuality."  Immediately afterward, the Women's Resource Center in the same building hosted a rebuttal panel.  Student Arlen Shepherd spent $1,800 of his own money to advertise Nicolosi's views. The Associated Students of the University of Utah funded the $1,250 for Nicolosi’s lecture fee, air fare and hotel room. Robert Rhoades, president of the Lesbian and Gay Student Union (LGSU) at the U., defended Nicolosi's right to express his views but stated that the notion of reparative therapy was too dangerous to leave unanswered. Approximately 250 attending the lecture, held in the University of Utah Union Building.

1995 Monday Roger Lynn Gilson of Payson, Utah lost his battle with AIDS He was 38.  He was selected to represent Tintic High in the summer of 1975 at both the American Legion's Boys State in Logan and the Utah National Guard's Freedom Academy at Camp Williams. He was graduated as class valedictorian by Tintic High School in May 1974. After attending classes in Office Administration as SUSC in Cedar City Roger served in the U.S. Army from 1976 to 1979 and earned the rank of Specialist Four and acting Sergeant as junior administrative NCO in the Office of the Division Surgeon, Fourth Infantry Division (Mechanized), Ft. Carson, Colorado. He was selected as post-wide Soldier-of-the-Year in May 1979, and was discharged with top honors in June 1979. He returned to Utah in August 1979 and found employment with the Anaconda Copper Corporation in Tooele as a laborer and underground ore train operator. He relocated to Stoneham, Mass. in October 1982, and took a position with the Center for Theoretical Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as a senior technical editor and electronic typesetter. He was also the senior partner of Prototype, Inc., and international electronic multi-media technical typesetting service, which he founded in 1984.  Failing health forced his double retirements in April 1993, and he returned to Utah to spend his remaining days with his family and the loving home care provided by his mother until his death. He was an extremely fortunate man to have had the unconditional love and support of his mother and siblings and his circle of friends. He was in awe of his mother's strength, dedication and courage throughout his illness. Prior to retirement, Roger's greatest joys were frequent whale watches off the coasts of New England and international and domestic travel. He had vacationed in almost every U.S. state and territory, Northern Europe, Scandinavia, Japan, Hong Kong, and in June of 1989, he was in Beijing, China, during the student uprising and subsequent government massacre in Tianamen Square. He was arrested by the Chinese military, briefly detained and forcibly deported, unharmed, to Hong Kong. In June of 1993 he became a part-time volunteer for the Utah AIDS Foundation, serving as a telephone receptionist, computer data entry clerk and staffer of the Foundation's AIDS Hot-line. He also became a public speaker for their Educational Out-Reach Program, lecturing to the public about the dangers of AIDS and its prevention and methods of treatment. Rapid development of peripheral neuropathy in his legs/feet and arms/hands eventually made the three-times-a-week drive to Salt Lake impossible and he resigned in March 1994. Gilson was a member of the Utah County AIDS Support Group in Provo and a frequent lecturer at numerous area high schools for the American Red Cross. In May 1994, he consented to be the subject of a well-received, in-depth profile article published in the Provo Herald, about living with AIDS in "Happy Valley" (Utah County). "My life was a most excellent adventure."

1996-The state senate of Vermont voted 22-7 to reject a measure that would have banned adoption by same-sex couples.

1998 Author: PATTY HENETZ THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Salt Lake Tribune Page: C2 Corradini Restricts Meeting A day after confirming she would meet with a broad coalition of human-rights activists on whether she would consider vetoing a City Council action, Salt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradini laid down some ground rules: Only eight people would be allowed in the meeting. And none of them would be reporters. Representatives of the Utah Progressive Network on Thursday said Corradini's chief of staff, Kay Christensen, relayed the mayor's conditions late Wednesday.

1999 Same-sex couples, unmarried straight couples and polygamists will be prohibited from adopting children in state custody. The Board of Child and Family Services voted 7-2 Friday to require that caseworkers verify that adults in prospective adoptive homes are related to prospective parents by blood, legal marriage or adoption. The policy does not prevent single-parent adoptions. The revision, which also calls for criminal background and child abuse screenings of each adult present in the adoptive home, goes into effect

Scott Clark

immediately, said board chairman Scott H. Clark, who proposed the change. Clark, a Salt Lake attorney and adoptive father of 18 children, said his proposal was grounded in law, social science research and his own belief that traditional two-parent families can provide the greatest degree of stability to children in the state's foster care system. Most private adoption agencies in Utah follow a similar rule, he said. "I believe the state has the ultimate responsibility to make the best placement choices for its children. We have the most vulnerable, most needy children in our custody," he said. Regnal Garff, a board member and retired juvenile court judge, said he resists any policy that makes adoption placements more difficult. "I don't think married couples have a monopoly on the ability to love, understand or create a stable, loving environment," Garff said. He and board member Paula Johnson cast dissenting votes. Each of the councils that advise the board -- among them the Child Abuse and Neglect Council and the Adoption Advisory Council -- opposed the policy. Bradley Weischedel, a social worker who with his gay partner adopted a son through a private agency, urged the board to reject the policy. "As a gay couple who recently completed the 28-hour foster parent/adoption preparation course offered by the DCFS (Division of Child and Family Services), we are completely dumbfounded that anyone on the board of DCFS would even consider reducing the number of potential parents for at-risk children in the state's custody. "That training helped us become even more clearly aware of the great need for loving, safe homes for these children," Weischedel said. Gayle Ruzicka of the Utah Eagle Forum urged adoption of the policy. She questioned whether a child adopted by a same-sex household would one day wonder "Why me? Why wasn't she placed in a home where she had a mommy and daddy? Would she ever wonder why a state would let that happen?" Salt Lake attorney Joanna Kobak-Hudson testified that she was raised by a lesbian couple. "The only difference I had growing up was trying to understand the hatred people had toward my family. This policy is based on quite outdated assumptions," she said. Carmen Thompson, spokeswoman for Tapestry of Polygamy, testified in support of the portion of the policy that would prohibit couples practicing polygamy from adopting children. Children in polygamous households often receive inadequate education, health care and parenting, she said. "Some are even forced into arranged marriages at a premature age," Thompson said. "I recently returned from southern Utah, where I was told of two 8-year-old girls who were married to men in their late 40s. Utah cannot allow this to continue, but to voluntarily place a child in this situation is inhumane and an atrocity." The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah lobbied against the policy, calling it illegal and unwise. "Obviously, I'm disappointed. I think the hearing clearly demonstrates this is a non-solution to a non-problem in this state. Children in the custody of DCFS are overwhelmingly placed with heterosexual, married couples, and in limited circumstances, DCFS exercised judgment (about) what was in the best interest of children to make other placements," said Stephen Clark, legal director for the ACLU, following the vote. DCFS director Ken Patterson told the board that in fiscal year 1998, 328 children in state custody were adopted. Of those, 305 were placed with married couples and 23 were adopted by single parents. "This data tells me we're able to attract married couples and allow single people to adopt if this is in the best interest of the child," Patterson said. Doug Wortham, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah, decried the decision and predicted it will face a legal challenge. "When you move to eliminate very worthy and caring parents, children suffer first and families suffer second," he said.

2000-Sunday, Guest speaker Kurt Howard, pastor of the Community Congregational Church in Provo (who happens to be gay), will speak at Provo Affirmation on being gay and Christian. Held at the home of Gary and Millie Watts, in Provo.

2004 The fight isn’t over! Yesterday the Utah State Senate Judic0iary Committee voted to “hold” the so-called “Marriage Defined” bill in committee.   However, even the Chairman of the committee admitted that that was only a temporary hold-up of the bill, and it would eventually receive a vote in the Utah State Senate. Bills are only officially open for public comment while in committee.  We need your voice on this now, while it’s still in committee! Today progressive voices rang loud.  Today voices for equality and freedom won in the Utah Senate Judiciary Committee.  Today the Constitution won the day. Tomorrow is a different day.  The committee will vote on this bill again, and the members of the committee were clear:  they plan to vote for this bill when it comes up again. That could be any day now. What can you do for equality and freedom and the Constitution?  You can call all eight members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  You can thank them for voting to hold Senate Bill 24, Marriage Defined, in committee today.  You can then ask them to vote against this bill when it comes to committee next.  Call them even if you called them about this bill already.   The members of the committee’s phone numbers and fax numbers are listed below.  Please contact them, leave messages, etc.  The other side of this debate is strong, and they will definitely try to limit our access as GLBT and non-traditional families to equal rights.  We must act as strongly as them and do the same activist activities – to protect our basic civil liberties. Please be polite, but be firm.  The senators have a lot of pressure on this bill, and we must make sure that they know we respect the difficult position they are in, but demand that there is only one reasonable way to vote: 

Adam Bass

AGAINST Senate Bill 24, Marriage Defined. Feel free to share your personal stories liberally with the Senators.  They need to see that this bill does matter real families in Utah. Any Senator, his or her intern, or voicemail can be reached during business hours Monday through Friday at 801-538-1035.   Please feel free to contact Adam Bass with any questions.  Please feel free to distribute this email as liberally as you choose.

Rocky Anderson

2004 Rocky takes gay support national By Heather May The Salt Lake Tribune Rocky Anderson has been the grand marshal of a gay pride parade. He has raised the rainbow flag over City Hall and delivered rousing speeches about gay rights. Now, he has gone national. The Salt Lake City mayor recently accepted a post as a "key spokesman" for a new pro-gay-marriage group called Freedom to Marry. Anderson’s duties as a member of the organization's honorary board, known as "Voices of Equality," include helping "end discrimination in civil marriage" and eventually "influence the decision makers," according to a letter asking for his support. But the national recognition won't help at home, where state Sen.D. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, is sponsoring a bill in the Legislature to prevent the state from recognizing civil unions performed in other states or countries. Utah defines marriage as between a man and woman.” He’s always been for that kind of thing [gay marriage]," Buttars said of Anderson. "He calls that diversity. I call that a perversion." The senator doesn't expect Anderson's post to generate retribution at the Legislature, where lawmakers have tried to punish the city in the past over Anderson's stances on Legacy Highway, for example. "I don't see any backlash like that. Nor do I see him anymore effective in blocking this bill. This bill will pass," Buttars declared. Anderson is in Washington this week attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Blythe Nobleman, his minority affairs and communications

Blythe Nobleman

coordinator, said Anderson's involvement with Freedom to Marry is to make "a statement about his position regarding equal human rights. This is a way that he's leading out in the fight for equality for everyone. "New York City-based Freedom to Marry seeks "equal access to civil marriage licenses" according to its Web site. Anderson was one of the first people asked to be on what amounts to the organization's honorary board, along with the civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia. The organization plans to add more members. The duties could include speaking engagements and signing opinion pieces for news media outlets. Evan Wolfson, the organization's executive director, said in an interview that he heard about Anderson's pro-gay rights stand in 1999 during Anderson's first bid for mayor. It was a speech Anderson made in August -- during his second mayoral bid -- that led the organization to ask him for help. During a keynote speech to a group of gay advocacy organizations, Anderson criticized the federal "Defense of Marriage Act" for defining marriage as between opposite-sex couples.” Instead of pushing such polarizing and discriminatory language, leadership demands that we define marriage as a legal, matrimonial union between two people," Anderson told the crowd. "Laws against gay marriage violate constitutional rights to equality and dignity. And, worse yet, they violate the inherent rights of dignity and respect that should be accorded to all. A family consists of who we love --who we care for.” The mayor has estimated that Salt Lake City has more than 18,000 gay, bisexual or transgendered residents. He said he plans to explore offering benefits to domestic partners of city employees and establishing a city registry for civil unions. He would run into opposition in the Salt Lake City Council. Wolfson said Anderson may have more cachet outside of Utah.” In other parts of the country people will be surprised to seethe mayor of Salt Lake City [has joined the organization], to know that people in Utah do support equality as well," Wolfson said.

2004 I would like to respectfully disagree with Chad Keller also. I emailed Madstone Theaters corporate offices after learning of the cancellation of Latter Days also. Not surprisingly I did not get a reply. My main objection is similar to Tim Keller's that as an adult I should be allowed make decisions regarding what I choose to see and hear. As a film buff I have seen hundred's of B grade movies or worse yet it was my choice to view them. Why did Madstone not let the market place decide whether the film had merit rather than them deciding for us? Thank you but I decline the offer to have a baby sitter. As the new LDS "genre" of film making is being regularly touted here in Utah (and some of it very dismal from what I hear), I can only assume that Latter Days was not reviewed and promoted because it deals with two subjects that the powers in Utah find too controversial; sexuality and homosexuality. And this is in a state where highway billboards promote "Pride and Prejudice" a Latter Day Comedy and promote the study of polygamy as a matter of faith. As a historian I am also dismayed over the fact that the "first" film dealing with homosexuality and LDS missionaries can be so easily swept under the beehive patterned rugs. Sometimes horrible films find a niche despite critics and go on to become cult classics. "Plan 10 from Outer Space", "Orgazmo", "Trapped by the Mormons", "Carnival of Souls", and "The Attack of the Giant Brine Shrimp" come to mind. Ben Williams

2004 Don't Miss the Sweetest Show to date....WONKA VISION At the Trapp Door (a private club)Saturday January 24, 20049:00 pm Hosted by Imperial Crown Prince Chad Keller and the R C G S E Proceeds for the Peoples Concern Fund Experience the Spike www.RCGSE.org

2004 It has been awhile since there's been in-your-face stuff going on in Salt Lake.  The Utah Lesbian Avengers are hoping to change that and in fact DID have an "action" during the last LDS conference; Two avengers were dressed as brides and one gay man acting as a "minister" to marry them.  We stood on the corner of N. Temple and W. Temple and repeated a save-sex marriage ceremony several times, so the people walking back and forth from the Conference Center could see it. The ceremony ended with a "you may now kiss your brides", and they did.   We then walked thru the crowded sidewalk in front of the Center (it was in-between sessions and there were 100's of people) with the brides holding hands, others holding "just married" signs and chanting "Queer Marriage Now!".  We actually stole the attention of the "bible thumpers" away from their focus on the Mormons and we had it on us... which actually was mildly disturbing... but never-the-less, we were noticed.  So... maybe activism isn't dead in Salt Lake... just resting a bit.... The Lesbian Avengers hope to carry out more radical actions in the future, but we're running into the good ole apathy thing and could sure use some support and bodies. Queerly, Toni Palmer

 2004I think we would all benefit from living in a world where gay films could receive the same level of critical analysis as other films without provoking conspiracy theories. Some gay movies that have been made really are terrible--they can be as emotionally manipulative and devoid of artistic value as any other flick at the Multimegaplex, and Chad's right that a theater is under no obligation to show bad movies.” Latter Days" may well be in this category--I'll withhold judgment until I see it. Still, from what I understand, Madstone is still planning on screening this movie in some of its other locations. If their reason for cancelling it here is, as their spokesman said, that it lacks artistic merit, then it's hard to see why they would do this. Do audiences in Salt Lake have such exceptional artistic sensibilities that a film that's good enough for, say, Atlanta is beyond the pale here? Regardless of the quality of the film, I think it's clear that Madstone caved to the threat of an anti-gay boycott. This kind of cowardice does not encourage me to spend my entertainment dollars at Trolley Square. Still, Madstone's relatively new to Utah--they're from New York; they don’t know how things work here. Ruzicka and her minions are always boycotting something. Give Madstone a couple years and they'll learn to ignore her like everybody else does. Brandon Burt

2004 OUR LAWMAKERS ARE TRYING TO LEGISLATE OUR LGBT FAMILIES OUT OF EXISTENCE Tell them NO! Monday, January 26, 6:00 PM Capitol Rotunda From SB 24 (Marriage Defined) to the Federal Marriage Amendment, LGBT families are under attack. Bring your families, friends, allies, neighbors and coworkers to find out what you can do advocate for our families.  Community leaders will be speaking(Rallies are not allowed in the Capitol Rotunda.  Please do not bring signs on sticks.  No chanting.)Sponsored by the EQUAL families Coalition: ACLU Utah Equality Utah GLBT Community Center of Utah HRC Utah Steering Committee Log Cabin Republicans PFLAG Stonewall Democrats swerve UPNet

2004 The Paper Moon’s 10th Anniversary Celebrated

2004 The Salt Lake City mayor recently accepted a post as a "key spokesman" for a new pro-gay-marriage group called Freedom to Marry. Anderson was one of the first people asked to be on what amounts to the organization's honorary board, along with the civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia.

2006 Monday COMMUNITY CALL TO ACTION! AUTHOR CAROL LYNN PEARSON IS LOOKING FOR STORIES FROM OR ABOUT GAY MEMBERS OF RELIGIOUS FAMILIES  WHO I AM. I am Carol Lynn Pearson (www.clpearson.com), a well published author. My widely publicized book Goodbye, I Love You (1986, Random House) told the story of my life with my husband Gerald, a homosexual man, our twelve year Mormon temple marriage, our four children, our mutual anguish over Gerald’s inability to change his orientation, our divorce and continuing friendship, and his death from AIDS in my home, where I was caring for him.  WHAT I NEED. I am currently (early 2006) gathering true stories to assist me in writing a new book that will appear late this year. The title is No More Goodbyes—Embracing our Gay Family and Friends in spite of and because of Our Religions. My one goal is to assist in healing relationships. I will deal with the tragic and unnecessary goodbyes that arise from— Family alienation Ill-fated marriages based on unrealistic expectations of change Suicide I am looking for true experiences from gay people, parents, siblings, wives/former wives, friends, that involve religion either as a part of the problem or a part of the solution (or both) in terms of the above subjects. To establish the pain of the unnecessary goodbyes, I require stories that show our failures, but I especially want stories that show our successes—families and friends refusing to allow anything, including religion, to come between them and their gay loved ones. It is important to me that the accounts come from many different religious cultures— Christian—Evangelical, Catholic, Baptist, Mormon, etc.Jewish, Muslim, all other faiths  WHAT YOU CAN DO: Email your story to clp@.... Each email will be acknowledged. Neither your name nor your family’s name will be used without your permission. Please keep your story concise, but tell all that is important. If used, your story may be told in its full version, condensed version, or perhaps in brief reference. Due to my deadlines, these accounts need to be received soon, by July 15, 2006 at the latest (although I will still read and appreciate every story sent). THANK YOU! Your response may further the ongoing healing that is one of the challenges of our day. Sincerely,  Carol Lynn Pearson

2007 The Film and Discussion Series presents: Chasing Amy Holden and Banky are comic book artists. Everything's going good for them until they meet Alyssa, also a comic book artist. Holden falls for her, but his hopes are crushed when he finds out she's a lesbian.  Or is she?  One of the first movies to really talk about what it’s like to dare to seek love outside of the labels.

2009 Gay students at BYU still struggle for acceptance BY BRIAN MAFFLY THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Provo » Dan Embree came to Brigham Young University four years ago, in part, to iron out his sexual orientation. Hailing from a Chicago-area Mormon family, Embree grew up believing his same-sex attraction was deviant and unclean. But he is healing in a way he did not anticipate when he matriculated at the church-owned school. "I was not in a healthy frame of mind, doing self-destructive things," says Embree, a senior who is studying painting. "I did therapy and it didn't work. After my mission, I realized it wasn't going to go away. When I accepted that, it really improved my life." Last fall, Embree was one of several gay BYU students who posed for portraits shot by photography student Michael Wiltbank. The portraits were hung as part of a class show, but after a week college administrators ordered the portraits taken down. The move disturbed some BYU arts faculty, as well as critics who lit up the blogosphere with renewed allegations that BYU does not tolerate a free exchange of ideas. Within days, officials declared the portraits acceptable for public display and invited Wiltbank to rehang them.  The incident illustrates how sensitive the subject of homosexuality is on the BYU campus, particularly at a time when its owner, the Mormon Church, was playing a pivotal role in the divisive fight over California's Proposition 8, defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Gay students say they sat through religion classes last fall, listening to professors liken the California ballot initiative to God's war against Satan. "I have never been comfortable at BYU," Embree says. "During the Prop 8 campaign I had to listen to peers talk about homosexuality being the same as a pedophile and an alcoholic." Looking for support » That BYU allowed the gay-portrait exhibit shows how far the school has come since the student days of its most famous gay alumnus, Bruce Bastian, who happens to be Embree's granduncle. Bastian, the Utah County software developer behind WordPerfect, attended BYU in the late 1960s when gay colleagues did not venture from the closet and many hid their struggle with same-sex attractions.  "It wasn't an issue because you wouldn't dare talk about it," says Bastian, who contributed $1 million to defeat Proposition 8. "If people let gay people be gay, there would be a lot less pain surrounding it all. Gay men shouldn't marry straight women and try to become straight." Recent studies show that gays rejected by their families have a far higher incidence of suicide, while mainstream psychology flatly rejects therapies intended to "cure" same-sex attraction. Wiltbank, a 28-year-old senior from the tiny Arizona town of Eager, solicited his portrait subjects through Facebook and his social networks. Embree and a friend went together to Wiltbank's Orem studio and sat in front of a camera as the photographer shot dozens of digital images of their faces. "I participated to show other students who might be struggling that it is OK to accept the fact that you are gay and know that there are people at BYU who do support you," Embree says. The faces in the finished portraits have neutral expressions with only the eyes in sharp focus. "It's visual communication. When you want to get into someone's face you look in their eyes," Wiltbank says. His untitled series was one of 16 student shows in a class exhibit hung in the Harris Fine Arts Center's Gallery 303 for a two-week run starting in late November. Four portraits each depicted a gay student along with a supportive person in his life. "I have not included labels with these portraits as I feel that labels only create separation and division and further ungrounded stereotypes," Wiltbank wrote in an artist's statement. "We never know who may identify themselves as homosexual and I felt that not labeling these images would force us as a society to question what it is to be homosexual." No Honor Code violation » On Dec. 5, the exhibit came down on orders from the dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications to the dismay of gay students who sat for Wiltbank. "The project wasn't promoting homosexuality," says English major Tommy Johnson. "It was promoting understanding of a group that doesn't have a lot of understanding in the Mormon power structure." University officials declined to discuss the incident, attributing the take-down order to a "miscommunication" between arts dean Stephen Jones and faculty. Arts faculty contacted by the Tribune declined to speak on the record; while Wiltbank's professor, Paul Adams, also declined comment.  Administrators say the exhibit did not violate the university's Honor Code, which obligates students to abide by strict moral standards.  Last year, BYU sharpened its position on homosexuality to make it clear that same-sex attraction does not run afoul of the code, although acting on it does. Homosexual behavior and advocacy therefore constitute violations, according to university spokeswoman Carri Jenkins. "However, the Honor Code requires all members of the university community to manifest a strict commitment to the law of chastity," Jenkins wrote in response to e-mail queries. "Homosexual behavior includes not only sexual relations between members of the same sex, but all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings. Advocacy includes seeking to influence others to engage in homosexual behavior or promoting homosexual relations as being morally acceptable." Bastian takes issue with the idea that gays should deny themselves one of the great comforts of life to remain in the good graces of the church. "It's really unfair and ridiculous to say gay people are supposed to remain celibate," he said. "You get to live half a life? They are so determined to punish people who don't fit in their box."  Before his show, Wiltbank says he showed the portraits to arts faculty to ensure their support. He did exclude one portrait pairing that could be seen as an Honor Code violation because it depicted a friend's father who lives in a gay relationship.  In the ensuing hubbub, Wiltbank was unnerved that his exhibit upstaged the good work of his classmates, such as portraits of Mexican immigrants who held professional jobs in their homeland. Another series paired photos of natural objects, such as mushrooms and poppies, with the contraband they produce. Still, Wiltbank sees the outcome as a "win-win" in that his ideas were aired, and BYU showed it isn't the fortress of bigotry and homophobia painted by critics. "I can't tell you how may people have seen [the portraits]," says Wiltbank, who intends to move to New York City after graduation. "I thank BYU for that. I got the message out much farther than I could have on my own. I like that they are being used to open dialogue."

2009 Hanks apologizes for Mormon 'un-American' diss Tom Hanks says he's sorry he told FOXNews.com that Mormons who supported California's gay marriage ban, Proposition 8, were "un-American." "Last week, I labeled members of the Mormon church who supported California's Proposition 8 as 'un-American,' " the actor said in a statement released Friday. "I believe Proposition 8 is counter to the promise of our Constitution; 

Ben McAdams 2010 Utah's newest senator - he's LDS, liberal and rising rapidly Politics »Becker's key adviser brokers deals with conservatives, die-hard Dems and Mormon leaders. By Derek P. Jensen Salt Lake Tribune 01/23/2010 To say he simply is a rising Democratic star might be a perversion of astronomy. Ben McAdams is an internationally seasoned securities lawyer with Wall Street cred. He has orchestrated the advance team's global itinerary for two U.S. presidents as well as for Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. He moonlights as a university professor but maneuvers daily as Salt Lake City's most effective - maybe ever - legislative lobbyist. And the former University of Utah student body president has just taken his oath as a state senator. McAdams is all of 35. "That guy has a Blackberry to envy," marvels Lisa Harrison Smith, spokeswoman for Mayor Ralph Becker, McAdams' boss. "I hope he has it insured." Carting a network in his pocket, Becker's baby-faced senior adviser has ready access to the political class in Washington, the financial class in New York and the ruling class at Temple Square. As such, the devout Mormon -- with his unapologetic progressive politics -- has become an insurance policy for Becker's capital agenda. And make no mistake, McAdams doesn't soft-pedal the connection between his liberalism and his religion. Instead, the working-class kid from West Bountiful argues the bond is natural -- indeed necessary. "In some ways, I'm a minority in my own faith," the father of three says between slurps of oatmeal at downtown's venerable Lamb's restaurant. "It is who I am. My faith requires me to act in accordance with my conscience. I don't feel like an oxymoron. I do what I think is right." For McAdams, granting equal protection to gays is right -- not only for his politics but also for his faith. He isn't a progressive despite his religion. He's a progressive because of his religion. Political cliques already are whispering the soft-spoken Avenues resident would be the perfect candidate to capture a seat in Congress, or higher, after a term or two on Utah's Capitol Hill. "I hope not," Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, jokes about the grooming of McAdams, "because he could probably win some pretty big elections." Humble nearly to a fault, McAdams shrugs off the hype. Dead Head to Wall Street Reared LDS with five siblings, basically on his mom's sixth-grade teacher's salary, McAdams learned early about class warfare and came to appreciate subsidized school lunches. Seeing the struggles of his dad, a smoker and "not a very good" used-car salesman, taught the youngster to value diversity and labor. The young McAdams went to work at age 12 on a Davis County farm, then leaned carpets and slung fast food before landing a job at a guitar shop, where he could noodle tunes to his beloved Grateful Dead and The Doors. McAdams went on to join "awful" high school garage bands and still keeps one guitar at his office and another at home. Strumming, he says, "clears my mind." More "activist" than partisan, McAdams headed the Viewmont High environmental club then lobbed leaflets for the late Wayne Owens, a Democratic folk hero who failed in his 1992 bid for U.S. Senate. After a Mormon mission to Såo Paulo, Brazil, the sterling student developed a feisty taste for politics at the U., where he snagged a Karen Shepherd scholarship and later led the College Democrats. McAdams also did Hinckley Institute internships in the White House west wing and the Utah Legislature, where he met Becker, a "political hero." Politically driven in his 20s, McAdams also was socially stubborn. Courting his girlfriend, Julie, a friend from Viewmont, McAdams repeatedly squeezed out dollars for dates by donating blood at a North Temple plasma center. "She never knew," he remembers wryly, recalling he would give extra for the $50 payoff. The desperate effort failed at first -- Julie briefly dumped him before he came clean about the blood. "He said, 'Do you know what I've been doing for you?,' " says Julie McAdams, who would marry him eight months later. "I was flattered. I mean, it was weird, but he did it for me." The couple later landed at Columbia Law School and lived in New York another three years. With Julie busy at another law firm, McAdams survived 80-hour weeks doing securities contracts for the prestigious Davis Polk & Wardwell. The job would frequently ferry McAdams back to Latin America, where the corporate deals piqued his penchant for politics. "He's one of those people whose smarts are exceeded by a basic sense of decency," says James Sample, a Columbia classmate and a law professor at Hofstra. "He's got an open mind, he's a listener. And yet, when he feels conviction about something, he sticks with it without being disagreeable." Bizarre brush with al-Qaida Despite excelling on Wall Street, McAdams always has kept a foot in Washington. Since the late '90s, he has held key positions with the advance teams for President Bill Clinton and, later, Hillary Clinton during her New York Senate run. But that "adrenaline rush" turned to fear in the spring of 2000, when McAdams was in Bangladesh to stage an event for Bill Clinton. A then-little-known al-Qaida cell had planted rocket launchers and Stinger missiles along the border to shoot down the president during a visit to a village. Only a handful on the advance team knew, including McAdams, and they had precious hours to move villagers under nightfall to the safety of the U.S. Embassy. "It was very cloak and dagger; it was like the movies," says D. Foster, McAdams' advance colleague, who notes that while the rest of the world didn't learn of al-Qaida until 9/11, "we found out that day." When Clinton arrived in an unmarked jet, McAdams' group had pulled off the feat, giving the appearance of a village inside the Dhaka embassy. "If I had to go to war, he would be in the foxhole with me," Foster says of McAdams. "In the darkest hour, when things look bleak, Ben is the shining light." Though the work doesn't pay much -- he often survived on PB&J sandwiches -- McAdams continues the advance gigs. He worked for John Kerry in 2004 and even President Barack Obama last summer. Hoping for a sexy, international trip, McAdams says he was told by Obama's brain trust he first must pay his dues. "They suggested I start in Cleveland." Paging a politician After returning to Utah, McAdams plunged into law but quickly was approached by Becker to help run City Hall. "I said yes within an hour." He became the mayor's mind and muscle at the Legislature, where insiders only half-jokingly say "he speaks Mormon." Democrats and Republicans agree McAdams has been almost frighteningly effective. "Rocky's administration didn't get a lot of Christmas cards from the Legislature, so Ben had some ground to make up," says Sen. Curtis Bramble, R-Provo. "He brings a willingness to find solutions and not necessarily just posture." His score card includes saving the funding for the airport TRAX line and scoring 20 million for a new North Temple viaduct. The latter is considered the linchpin for a west-side "Grand Boulevard" and a key cog for a streetcar line to Davis County. The deal followed plenty of face time with then-Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack, who credits McAdams' temperament. "He keeps emotions in check and stays objective," the Syracuse Republican said days before resigning his Senate seat in the wake of a DUI arrest. "He never burns bridges. But lobbying is a much different game than legislating. There's added complexity now because your votes are being tracked." Even so, McAdams already stands as a hero for preserving the city's mutual-commitment registry and brokering the recent deal for Becker's anti-discrimination ordinances. To smooth waters about what conservatives labeled gay-rights laws, McAdams spent hours negotiating in the living room of Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan. McAdams "stands as a bridge between different worlds," Bramble says. For his part, McAdams downplays his influence, saying he simply builds coalitions by camping at the Capitol around the clock. "We shouldn't pity ourselves as poor Salt Lake," he says. "We need to get in there and play the game." Stephenson says McAdams is the city's most effective voice on Capitol Hill in decades. And he marvels at the "impressive" role McAdams played in winning the LDS Church's endorsement of the anti-discrimination measures. McAdams, who was in the LDS bishopric in New York and teaches Sunday school to 17-year-olds, says his sit-downs with church leaders seemed natural.  "I wanted to see my faith do the right thing." Face for the future Angling for the District 2 Senate seat, McAdams literally spent the past year getting fit for office. He lost 40 pounds wrestling his household elliptical machine and regularly gets ribbed by the City Council as a "stranger." But party insiders say the Senate freshman easily has the makeup for Congress or a statewide seat. "He's a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, connected to labor, connected to the LGBT community, to low-income issues," the Target Group's Jim Gonzales says. "If you were going to build one in the basement, those are the parts you'd use. For many Democrats, he's what we hope the future will look like." Julie McAdams, an attorney at the U.'s office of general counsel, says her husband always finds time for his key constituency: The couple's 4-year-old twins and 1 1/2 -year-old son. He has read the tattered Monster at the End of this Book to daughter Kate so many times, McAdams had to buy a second one. "He brings home surprises for the kids -- PEZ dispensers," Julie says. "I like to call it spoiling. But they go crazy for them." McAdams will continue his work sweetening the fortunes of Salt Lake City after he takes an unpaid leave of absence for the 2010 legislative session. And since the last effort seemed so clandestine, no one can be sure if McAdams' future role will include brokering policy changes with the LDS Church. Back to that. Did the 35-year-old son of a used-car salesman, with a weighty assist from the mayor and the city's Human Rights Commission, really force an epiphany in favor of gay rights from the Brethren? Asked directly, McAdams pauses, shifts in his seat, takes a sip of water, then another - and smiles. About Ben McAdams Age » 35 Family » Wife Julie, 4-year-old twins James and Kate; 1 1/2-year-old son Robert. Elected office » Replaced Democratic state Sen. Scott McCoy. Education » Bachelor's degree in political science from University of Utah; law degree from Columbia. Experience » Stint at Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York; political advance teams for Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, along with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; adjunct professor of securities regulation at University of Utah; senior adviser to Mayor Ralph Becker. Extras » Speaks Portuguese; participated in Spanish immersion program in Costa Rica; will celebrate 10-year wedding anniversary during 2010 legislative session 2010 200 at rally call for 'common ground' in gay-rights fight By Aaron Falk Deseret News Published: Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010 SALT LAKE CITY — A year removed from arguably the most significant legislative push for gay rights in state history, more than 200 people rallied at the Capitol on Saturday to again call for "common ground." Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black called on members of the gay and lesbian community to be peaceful but persistent in their fight, to share their stories and to reach out to others. "If people don't know who they're voting against ... they don't so much mind taking away our rights," said Black, who last year won an Academy Award for his screenplay for "Milk." "I did not come to Salt Lake City to protest. I came here to introduce myself and to share a message of love and respect." Officials from the state's largest gay and lesbian advocacy group, Equality Utah, said their efforts on Capitol Hill would be "scaled back" after last year's campaign — a massive push that never saw a bill escape legislative committee. "We're going to focus on our municipal Brandi Balken efforts," Equality Utah Director Brandie Balken told the Deseret News. "The way we're able to change policy is by getting people on the ground to support those policies. In looking at what happened with our very common sense bills last year, we saw we needed to do more work on the ground." Balken pointed to the successful passage of Salt Lake City's nondiscrimination ordinances in November as a model for advancing gay rights at the local level. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints publicly supported the ordinances. "They brought stakeholders to the table, and we want other municipalities to have a chance to do the same thing," she said. Salt Lake City Councilman Luke Garrott called the ordinances' unanimous passage an important milestone for the city and its residents. "They are about protection from fear," he said. "But they're also about recognition, and recognition is part of dignity." Still, a handful of state lawmakers have vowed to carry gay rights legislation — workplace and housing nondiscrimination, probate rights and adoption rights — during the 2010 session." 2014 Utah governor says he’s open to civil unions, but must defend same-sex ban Gay rights • Gov. Gary Herbert sticks by Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage but says it may be time to consider statewide anti-discrimination law and civil unions. BY ROBERT GEHRKE THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Gov. Gary Herbert said Thursday he has a duty to defend Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage, but expressed potential flexibility on the issue of civil unions and a statewide ban on housing and employment discrimination against gay Utahns. Utahns expressed the “will of the people,” Herbert said, when they passed Amendment 3 in 2004, banning same-sex marriage. As governor, Herbert said he took an oath to defend the state’s constitution and laws. “We have some states out there that are forgetting that they need to represent the people and taking a pass on defending laws because they pick and choose what is right and wrong. That’s not the way it should work,” Herbert said. The attorney general from Virginia said Thursday he would not enforce that state’s prohibition on gay marriage, believing it was unconstitutional. Herbert said others, including Gov. Jerry Brown in California, refuse to enforce Proposition 8 banning gay marriage in that state. “That’s a very, dangerous, in fact, footing when we have elected officials picking and choosing which laws they’re going to enforce,” Herbert said during his monthly news conference at KUED, calling it the “next step to dictatorship.” “We are going to follow the rule of law wherever it takes us,” Herbert said. Utah needs to “put its best foot forward in defending its constitution,” Herbert said, adding that he supports the hiring of outside counsel to handle the case, which he noted will cost taxpayers about $300,000 as it goes to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. “The debate shouldn’t be same-sex marriage. It should be states’ rights,” Herbert said later, but it hasn’t been “because you have an activist on the bench.” Herbert again criticized the Dec. 20 decision by U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby, who struck down Utah’s Amendment 3 last month and then refused to stay his ruling, allowing hundreds of gay Utah couples to marry. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay Jan. 6, creating uncertainty for those couples who wed. “I have empathy for their plight,” Herbert said. “I have empathy for their joy and the confusion that’s been created by the Judge Shelby ruling.” Despite holding firm on his position against same-sex marriage, Herbert expressed a willingness to explore other issues — including civil unions for same-sex couples and a statewide ban on housing and employment discrimination against gay Utahns. Herbert said that, in light of Shelby’s ruling, it is an “opportunity to reflect and review” Utah’s laws, including whether civil unions might be permissible. “If there are other ways to get from here to there that can be the common-ground approach and find the proverbial win-win, let’s take a look at it,” Herbert said. However, the Republican governor said he believes such civil arrangements are currently barred by Amendment 3 — which forbids any unions that have “substantially equivalent legal effect” as marriage — and the state constitution would have to be changed. While a recent poll for The Salt Lake Tribune found Utahns were evenly split on whether gay couples should be allowed to marry, 72 percent of those surveyed said they supported civil unions or domestic partnerships. Such unions are seen by many in the gay community as a “separate-but-equal” arrangement short of marriage. “It’s unfortunate that the chief executive of the State of Utah would waffle over a constitutional amendment that was passed years ago with overwhelming support,” said Paul Mero, president of The Sutherland Institute. “It seems like he’s got his finger in the wind and that would be unfortunate if that were true.” Mero said he hopes that Herbert was only indicating a willingness to discuss the issue, but understands the problems inherent in the arrangement. Brandie Balken, executive director with Equality Utah, said that, with the marriage issue pending in the courts, now is probably not the best use of time and energy to debate policies that depend on the outcome of the pending litigation. Herbert also expressed a willingness to consider a statewide nondiscrimination ordinance, which is being sponsored this year by state Sen. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George.  “I’ve supported nondiscrimination statutes at our local level and our cities,” Herbert said. Currently 18 municipalities and local districts have such ordinances on the books. “The idea of nondiscrimination, I support and endorse. I don’t think we should discriminate in the workplace or housing based on sexual orientation, so I support the concept.” Herbert said he would have to see the specifics of Urquhart’s legislation before he officially endorses the bill.  Urquhart praised the governor for supporting efforts to prevent discrimination. “Clearly it’s helpful,” Urquhart said. “That’s the job of a governor, to lead, and the only way to lead is by taking positions on issues. I think this is good leadership on his part and I think he recognizes the will of most Utahns as reflected in poll after poll. I’m proud of him.”  Urquhart said he would also like to see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints take a stand on the bill, as the church did in opposing changes to Utah’s alcohol policy this week. “While it is silent, others are speaking on the church’s behalf,” Urquhart said. “In the void you have Sutherland and others who are rushing in to say that the Mormon church wants the right for its members to individually discriminate against the LGBT individuals and I don’t think that’s correct.” Mero said he’s not convinced there is a problem with housing and workplace discrimination against gay Utahns now — since only three complaints have been filed since Salt Lake City adopted its ordinance in 2009 and all three were dismissed. “I think it’s more Urquhart playing to the gay community and the Sundance crowd and trying out a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist,” Mero said. “I think Steve is in the business of baiting the LDS Church, because he knows there’s no deal on this bill unless the LDS Church signs off on it.” In various concessions and carve-outs to the non-discrimination bill, Mero said that Urquhart has created legalized discrimination in order to win votes and it is wise for Herbert to stop short of endorsing a bill that Mero said is fraught with problems. Balken, of Equality Utah, praised Herbert’s openness on anti-discrimination legislation. “I think it’s important to acknowledge Governor Herbert for being willing to have a meaningful conversation on non-discrimination protections,” she said. It is part of a discussion other states are having “and demonstrates a willingness to engage in that conversation in a way that is thoughtful and inclusive and not only speaks well of Governor Herbert, but speaks well of Utah.” Mama Dragons 2014 How the Mama Dragon Group was Created By Jen Blair Each time I think about the origins and growth of the Mama Dragons, I am in awe. Over a few short years, in different places across the country, Mormon women were each approaching the issue of the LGBTQ and LDS intersection on their own. Each was prayerfully reaching the same conclusion: to love, support, and protect the LGBTQ people they were coming into contact with. In May of 2013, one of those women, Meg Abhau, coined the term “Mama Dragon” on her blog to describe herself as a mom who was prepared to defend her gay teen at all costs. This blog post was shared across social media in groups like Mormons Building Bridges and LDS Family Fellowship. Several people commented that they were also mama dragons in defending their LGBTQ children. Gina Crivello was one of these. She had gotten approval to form a GSA at American Fork High School in Utah to begin in the fall of 2013.   Several months into the school year, one of Gina’s GSA members sought her help. Gina sought the advice of some of the mother’s she had come to know through the Mormons Building Bridges and LDS Family Fellowship groups. She started a private message on Facebook with Meg Abhau (Phoenix, AZ), Wendy Montgomery (Bakersfield, CA), Jill Rowe (Draper, UT), and Christy Cottle (Boise, ID). More moms were added to contribute to the conversation and by the end of December the private message thread also included Yvette Zobell (Salt Lake City, UT), Vicki Johnson (Phoenix, AZ), Liz Deane (Oakley, UT), and Pamela Weyman (Saratoga Springs, UT). Tears, laughter, and raw vulnerability were the baseline for the hours they spent in conversation. Each woman was able to lend and seek support during their private journeys with their LGBTQ children. They were able to understand the unique challenges that were associated with this LDS intersection. They built friendships and trust and offered unconditional support as their children made decisions and as each family also navigated faith in new ways. On January 23, 2014, Gina decided to create a Facebook group as conversations in the long message thread were getting difficult to track. She called this secret group the Mama Dragon Council. In addition to those listed above, Neca Allgood (Syracuse, UT), Diane Oviatt (Moraga, CA), Christy Searle (Manteca, CA), Nancy Meyers, (Rockwell, TX), Leslie Cordon (Syracuse, UT), Becky Ransom (Mill Creek, WA), and Sara Cook (Mesa, AZ) were by then participating in the message thread and were added to the secret group that first day. At the time of this blog writing (just over 2 years later), our group is about 850 women. The growth has been organic and beautiful. When we receive requests from those who are not appropriate for the Mama Dragon group, we are generally able to help them find other groups that will help fill their needs. The Mama Dragons have been able to do some really amazing things to help raise funds, provide housing, support loved ones, attend funerals, and much more. But we primarily remain true to the primary purpose of that original private message thread started by Gina. We provide support, help and encouragement (without judgment) to women who are mothers or “mothering” within the LGBTQ community. 2016  On Jan. 23 the Cache Valley Gay-Straight Alliance held their annual gender blender event to help fund raise money for the Utah State University Love Is For Everyone (USU LIFE). The theme for this year’s event was Cosplay. The LGBT community from all over Northern Utah were able to attend the event dressed in either Cosplay or drag apparel. In attendance at the event were three of the Empresses and an Emperor involved in The Imperial Rainbow Court of Northern Logan. The Imperial Rainbow Court is just one of hundreds of courts across North America whose primary goal is to further relationships with organizations and businesses within their community, to hold functions and fundraisers for the enjoyment of the community, to raise money for charitable organizations and to help those in the community who are in need of assistance. “I “Some of them were a little too sexualized than what I think a drag show normally is… it feels more like a strip tease. The members of the Royal Court did a great Lady Delish job at performing real drag, though,” said Duckie, one of the drag queens attending the event.  In addition to the show, all members who attended the event were entered in a raffle where they had the chance to win LIFE apparel and anyone who dressed up was also entered into a completion for either Best Costume, Drag Prince, Drag Princess, Drag King or Drag Queen. I haven’t been to this event in years but when I came before it was an absolute blast and I am excited for tonight,” said Lady Delish, Empress 16 on the Imperial Rainbow Court. During the event, the Empresses performed in a drag show to help raise money for USU LIFE. In addition to their show, other people dressed in drag were also invited to come up and perform. However, not everyone was impressed with the performances. Utah Statesman  Cache Valley Gay-Straight Alliance holds 2016 Gender Blender with Cosplay theme Shanie Howard January 27, 2016