This Day In Gay Utah History February 6th

6 February

1970 Thirty year old Charles "Charlie Brown" Altman counter culture activist, who stated his address was the jail was sentenced to 6 months in jail for drug possession in SLC UT. Anti-establishment Charlie Brown was a hippie activist advocating Peace, Freedom, and Love. [Tried on Dope Count SLTribune B-8]

1979 Ed D. Lauritsen, Values Institute, BYU February 6, 1979, "The Role of the Father in Male Homosexuality", paper presented to LDS Social Services "[N]urturant fathering...almost serves as a form of psychological immunization against homosexuality in most cases". He also told his audience that "it is incumbent upon...all LDS clinicians to labor for the prevention of homosexuality" (emphasis in original). He indicated that every time "we assist a man toward improving his relationships with his children...we are, in effect, helping him reduce the possibility of homosexuality among his children, and in turn, among his children's children".

1981-In response to the raids on four gay bathhouses the night before, a demonstration of 3,000 in Toronto erupts in a riot.

1988 Saturday-In the evening Steve Breckenbury of Gay Fathers wanted to get a bunch together because it was his birthday and go bar hopping. He’s 25 years old now. So Mike Anderson, Mark LaMarr, Brent Fotheringham, Dan Fahndrich, John Reeves, Steve and I went to the In-Between. I wanted to meet with Bruce Harmon and Chuck Whyte to hand out flyers for the water slide. There at the in-between, Donny Eastepp the co-owner pulled me aside and gave me a royal rimming which pissed me off for the rest of the evening. He complained that I went on and on in January’s Community Council’s meeting, implying that I was monopolizing it. That hurt because it really isn’t fair. He said that people think I am too opinionated. I told him in my defense that my only motivation is to see a strong, healthy, and vibrant Gay community and if I am involved in a lot its only because there is a lot to be done! I said I only want to see all organizations strong and healthy and not in competition with each others.  But because he is the Royal Court’s Emperor, and he has a lot of influence, I just took a lot of his berating. But I think its extremely petty if the only thing people can find to criticize about me is how involved I am in the community. John Reeves later said that I probably got chewed out because I represent a threat to the bars and the Royal Court and that there is a power shift away from the bar scene to support and social groups.  Perhaps. Or maybe Donny Eastepp was just drunk.  He did sell $80 worth of tickets for the Newgate Water slide even though he was ragging on me that it will never work.  I said if we have fifty people we will be successful. Hell even if we have only 25. We aren’t here to make money off of this even though it is a fund raiser but rather to promote within the community the AIDS Quilt Project.  After leaving the in-between we went to the Deerhunter and Your Place or Mine which I heard are referred to now as the Queer Hunter and Your Face or Mine. [1988 Journal of Ben Williams]

1989 Monday- In the evening we had our first official Beyond Stonewall 89 meeting with all the committee chairs. All were in attendant except for Neil Hoyt who was speaking at the Utah Valley Men’s Group in Orem. The heads of the committees were the following-Ben Williams Program Director, John Bush Registration and Finances, Guy Larson Hospitality, Dan Fahndrich Accommodations, Neil Hoyt Promotion, and Mike Anderson Publicity. We kicked around some wonderful ideas. Guy is going to have his staff be responsible for a group of cabins, placing candies, flowers, etc. in each cabin. Wonderful idea. [1988 Journal of Ben Williams]

1989- The American Bar Association House of Delegates voted 251 to 121 in favor of supporting federal gay rights legislation.

1991- The Centers for Disease Control released a highly criticized report that between 13 and 128 people had contracted HIV through dental work. CDC officials claimed the study was misunderstood.

Debra Burrington 

1996- At a Salt Lake City School Board meeting Debra Burrington of the Utah Human Rights Coalition urged the board to allow East High students to form homosexual support groups to help reduce the disproportionately high rate of suicide among Gay and Lesbian youths. Homosexual youths are also more likely to drop out of school, she said. "These are not sex clubs. They're not going to sit around and talk about how to do it or what's the latest technique," she said. In the course of the debate on the issue, Gays and Lesbians have been likened to Nazis, animals and said to have no human qualities, Burrington said. "In a Christian society, that sounds awfully unchristian."

1996 - David Nelson remembers his senior year well, even though

David Nelson 

he only attended about one week. It was 1979 and being gay at Salt Lake City's Skyline High School was too much. ``There was harassment, students avoiding me. The administration didn't have the tools to deal with it,'' he said. If there had been a club to join, he would have. Nelson ended up taking the high school equivalency test and going on to college. Now he is director of Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats, the group poised to file a lawsuit if students at East High are not allowed to form the East High Gay-Straight Student Alliance. Doug Bates, attorney for the state Office of Education, said students at West and Highland high schools also want permission to form such clubs. ``The more fuss that is made, the more exciting it becomes for kids to tweak the administration and their parents. The fastest way to get kids to wear strange clothes is to tell them they can't, '' he said. Official formation of East's club is on hold until the Salt Lake City Board of Education meets tonight to discuss the request. The board will consider two options. One would allow students to form and organize groups that are not related to school curriculum, like chess clubs or Highland High's nationally ranked rugby club. The other would allow only groups related to the curriculum, like science clubs. In 1984, Congress passed the Equal Access Act to address the belief that public schools discriminated against religious speech. The act had the support of several conservative and religious groups, which were pressing for Bible and Christian clubs to be allowed in schools. When Congress opened the door to religious groups, it opened it for other groups as well. The act states any school that receives federal funds, and also allows non-curricular clubs, may not deny students equal access to on-campus facilities on the basis of religious, political, philosophical or other content of speech When the furor over the possibility of gay and lesbian clubs arose, some Republican lawmakers threatened to ban all school clubs if the East High group continued to meet. The club has not been officially designated, and its roughly two dozen members describe themselves as an informal alliance. Lawmakers had until midnight Monday to file any new bills. However, Gayle Ruzicka of the archconservative Eagle Forum -- which has lobbied against gay clubs -- said she was aware of one or two bills that could be introduced by the deadline. Lawmakers also have the option of adding language to earlier legislation to address a particular issue. Ruzicka would not identify who would sponsor such legislation, but she did say it likely would involve ``clarifying the rights of parents and students.''  She suggested such bills could take the form of requiring parental permission for club membership, and not a wholesale ban on clubs in general. (02/06/96 Page: B1 SLTribune)

6 February 2000 Provo Paul Reams Wilderness Park. "The woods adjacent to the railroad tracks where everyone used to go off Independence Street now has a very tall fence that completely blocks access to the woods. This makes it very easy for a couple of cop cars to block off the exit, and then roust everyone. Provo Police raid the park every other evening now and if you even look remotely like you are cruising, they bother you."

David Knowlton

2000 Sunday, February 6, 5:00 pm – Wasatch Affirmation Spiritual Journey - Spiritual Reconciliation. Professor David Knowlton will lead an interactive workshop the first Sunday of each even month. Held at MCC Salt Lake (823 S. 600 E.) (February, June, August & December - Remember April & October are Conference Sunday and  we have our annual and semi-annual firesides with a special guest speaker)

• Affirmation is a non-profit fellowship serving gay, lesbian, bi & transgendered Latter-day Saints since 1977. The Wasatch Chapter aims to provide a safe, inclusive space for gay men and lesbians from Mormon backgrounds who live along the Wasatch front. We affirm that a gay/lesbian lifestyle can be a positive one and that homosexuality is not incompatible with spirituality. At the same time, we are a diverse group who embrace a variety of lifestyles and hold a variety of attitudes toward spirituality, religion, morality and politics. We are united chiefly by our desire to interact with others who share our dual background - Mormon and gay/lesbian - and who therefore share the unique struggle and blessings which that duality engenders. Meetings are held the 1st & 3rd Sundays in Salt Lake City. The 2nd Sunday is in Ogden and the 4th is in Utah County. Call 801-534-8693 for specific information.  Wasatch Leadership Co-Director: Rick Bickmore & Joe Dallin Ogden Coordinator: Kim Saunders & Angelika Bertrand Provo Coordinator: (volunteer!) Education Coordinator Jay Bell  Family Fellowship/P-Flag Liaison: Morgan Smith Gamofite Liaison: Lars Hansen Newsletter/Publicity: Duane Jennings Outreach: Willy Marshall Secretary: Angelika Bertrand Treasurer: Allen Anderson Women’s Outreach : Cela Whitaker-DeLaRosa Youth Support Rep: Duane Jennings

2004- COME SUPPORT EQUALITY UTAH! JT Thorpe and Les Bailey  request the honor of your company at the  1st Annual Forbidden Fruit Extravaganza Friday, February 6, 2004 8:00 – 11:00 PM Club 6 Lounge (private club for members) 115 South West Temple Cover: $2.00 minimum donation Benefiting Equality Utah Whatever you pay at the door will be deducted from the cost of a new Equality Utah membership that night!  (Equality Utah memberships are $20 for one, $35 for two, $10 for students)ADMITTANCE IS BY INVITATION ONLY.  RSVP IS REQUIRED.Please call 801.575.9000 to RSVP (ignore the recording that says you must RSVP by the 4th)If you don’t RSVP – YOU DON’T MAKE IT IN This is a private party Visit www.sixlive.com for directions. ID required for 21 & up lounges as well as 18 No Restrictions Dance Floor See you there!

D Michael Quinn

2004 Sparks fly as U. rejects an LDS studies scholar D. Michael Quinn By Peggy Fletcher Stack and Linda Fantin (c)2004, The Salt Lake Tribune History teachers at the University of Utah see no "intellectual or cultural merit in Mormonism," says U. religious historian Colleen McDannell. As proof, she points to the recent rejection of a controversial Mormon studies scholar for a Utah history position. In a Feb. 3 letter to U. administrators, McDannell said her colleagues' refusal to hire D. Michael Quinn, a Yale-educated author and excommunicated Mormon, is "blatant discrimination" and might be "actionable." McDannell added: "The absence on this campus of scholarly attention to Mormon history, theology and practice is profound." Others on the search committee with McDannell deny allegations of bias. History Department Chairman Eric Hinderaker said he was incensed by her characterization of the committee's motives and by McDannell's "astonishingly egregious breach of confidentiality" of closed-door personnel discussions. The dispute comes at a volatile time for the U. The school is battling the LDS-dominated Legislature over funds and guns. And a long-festering lawsuit alleging anti-Mormon discrimination in the U.'s theater department is headed back to court. On a more philosophical level, the personnel debate highlights an ongoing dilemma for Utah's public colleges and universities: How to promote free inquiry and academic freedom without disparaging – or advocating -- the LDS faith. The tightrope is especially perilous when the subject is Utah history, which can't be separated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The course is required of every graduate who plans to teach history. The latest spat is complicated by Quinn's biography. Quinn was one of six scholars recruited to fill the vacancy left by longtime history professor Dean May, who died last summer. Students and faculty members revered May, who was LDS, for his objectivity and soft touch. Quinn believes in Mormonism's divine origins and has many fans. Scholars praise his groundbreaking research on early Mormons and their ties to the occult. Church officials were less impressed; Quinn's books got him fired from Brigham Young University and booted from the church. Hiring Quinn might rankle the LDS faithful. But to McDannell, rejecting Quinn was tantamount to saying he's a bad historian. "The word would be out: The Mormon church was right," McDannell told The Salt Lake Tribune. In a phone interview from his Southern California home, Quinn said there has been a "historical pattern of hostility toward Mormonism" at the U., but he did not detect any during his job visit. Even so, McDannell, who holds a privately funded professorship of religious studies within the History Department, has requested that the position be moved to a different department. McDannell's accusations stung U. historian Robert Goldberg, one of eight professors on the search committee. In the 1990s, Goldberg, who is Jewish, spoke against anti- Mormonism on campus -- citing several examples from his own department. Today, he insists, the department is "clean" of any discrimination. "Not one of the votes against Michael had anything to do with denigrating Mormon history or the Mormon church," he said. "In my mind, it was just the opposite." Goldberg said he and the five others who voted against hiring Quinn are not looking for a Mormon apologist. But they don't want an avowed critic, either. Jim Clayton, a senior historian in the department, said the school has no mandate to teach Mormon history. "It presents all kinds of difficulties. Who could teach it without criticism from either side?" Clayton said. "Mormons who want the church's perspective can take a class at the LDS Institute across the street." pstack@sltrib.com lfantin@strib.com

 2004 Pridefest A ground-breaking documentary about gay youth in America, a look at gay

Cy Martz

subtexts in a popular mainstream film and an appearance by Frank DeCaro of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" will highlight the fifth annual Pridefest film festival presented by Utah State University's Gay and Lesbian Student Resource Center. The festival, which runs Feb. 9-14, is sponsored by Cache Valley community members as well as USU gay and lesbian alumni. This year's offerings represent the theme "Something Queer in Everything I See." This theme emphasizes the prominent cultural impact of the gay and lesbian communities, according to Cy Martz, a student majoring in public relations and festival coordinator. "We want to let people know that gay culture affects everybody's life, whether they recognize it or not," Martz said. The festival will feature a wide range of documentaries, feature-length and short films and guest speakers designed to provide a greater cultural awareness of the impact of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community. All events for Pridefest 5 will be held in the Taggart Student Center Auditorium. "The festival has traditionally provided the motivation for individuals to become more comfortable and open about their sexual identity," said Tim Keller, festival founder and programming director, adding that he hopes that USU faculty will encourage students to attend the various events. Exemplary of this year's offerings is "Jim in Bold," a 2003 documentary about Jim Wheeler, a young gay poet and artist who was the victim of homophobic attacks during his childhood days in rural Pennsylvania. In the aftermath of Wheeler's 1997 suicide, three members of Young Gay America, inspired by the poet's work, traveled across the country interviewing the gay youth about their experiences. The film will be screened on Monday, Feb. 9, at 8:30 p.m. Proceeds from the screening will go to the Gay-Straight Student Alliance at Logan High School. "X2," the hit 2003 sequel to X-Men will be screened on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 8:30 p.m. Audience members will be asked to identify and discuss examples of gay sub-texts in mainstream films, Martz said. The festival will conclude with "Flaming Screens," an evening of clips and comedy featuring DeCaro, whose outrageous "Out at the Movies" reviews were a favorite on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" for seven years. Known for his pop culture punditry on numerous VH1 shows 77 most notoriously on "Britney vs. Christina" 77 DeCaro is a frequent contributor to such publications as TV Guide, The New York Times and The Advocate. His 1996 book, "A Boy Named Phyllis: A Suburban Memoir," was called "hilarious" by Vanity Fair. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door. The cost will be ,3 for matinee documentaries and ,5 for feature films. Festival passes also can be purchased for ,25 for all screenings or ,30 which includes the DeCaro show. Student discounts are also available. More information and a complete festival schedule can be found r by calling Cy Martz.

2004--As some of you know, Patrick and I were planning to enter the Star 102.7(KQMB FM) "Lip-Lockin' for McLachlan" contest, where couples compete in a kissing marathon of sorts and the couple that lasts the longest without breaking the kiss wins front-row tickets to the upcoming Sarah McLachlan concert (July 19, E Center). The contest was held at Fashion Place Mall on Friday, February 6 from 7pm to about 9pm, with registration beginning at 6pm. Patrick and I arrived just after 6 and got in the registration line. When we got to the front of the line, the girl who seemed to be in charge (Karly - I kind of know her from when I was at channel 4) said, "You guys are here to enter the contest?" "Yeah," I said. She looked over at one of the other promotion people and back at us and said, "Well . . . I just . . . I don't . . . I'm not sure . . . I can let you enter." "Why not?" "Just . . . some contractual reasons, some legal reasons." "There are no legal reasons - I know that." She was quiet for a minute, then: "You're right. I can't keep you from entering the contest if you want to do it . . . BUT, is there anything I can give you to keep you from wanting to enter?" "Like what?" "How about I just give you a pair of tickets to compensate?" "Where are the tickets?" "Well, they're not front-row, but they're pretty good. It's where I'll be sitting!" "Honestly, I can get those seats on my own.  It's front-row we're here for." "What else can I give you? Do you want Barenaked  Ladies tickets too? Or Maroon 5?" "You know I can get those tickets too, if I  ant, through channel 4. It's front-row I can't get." "Yeah . . ." "Just explain to me why this is a problem." "Look, you know it's not a problem for me personally, and I can promise you Star has no problem at all with the idea either. It's just that when we negotiated using the mall for this, Fashion Place asked us to . . . kind of discourage this situation from taking place. It's just . . . they're worried because they've got kids and families walking by and they just don't want anyone offended." I told her we'd think about it and be right back. Now, Patrick didn't really want to do this, he just knew I wanted tickets really badly. Entering the contest with the 12 other couples didn't give us great odds of winning. Taking Karly up on her offer did at least guarantee us free tickets. But there was definitely a principle at stake here. I called friends to ask opinions and after chatting for a while went back to the registration table. "Well, number one, if we can't sit front-row, we want to sit with our friends. And number two, which is a much bigger issue, I'm not comfortable letting you discriminate like this." "I know, I absolutely sympathize. I'm trying to keep everybody happy here.If you really want to enter, go for it. I  can't stop you from entering, and you know I don't really want to, but I have to do what the venue asked and try to get you to reconsider in exchange for some  other compensation." "How about you give me 6 tickets so we can sit with our friends who are getting ready to stand in line tomorrow morning to buy tickets of their own?" "And then we're good?" "Then we're good." "Done."  She was right, the tickets aren't front-row, but they're decent. It was a personal win since I got 6 $55.00 tickets for free, but it was definitely a loss in other ways, and I still have mixed feelings about not standing up for my (our) right to enter. But, it's done and we're going to the concert.  I do want to emphasize that Karly was very nice and I could tell she was truly upset she was in this position - she did everything she could to be of help. I definitely do not think Star was responsible for anything other than a poor choice of venue.  I am sending a letter to Fashion Place Mall, Star 102.7, Sarah McLachlan, and Arista & Nettwerk Records (McLachlan's labels), and I'm telling as many people as I can that Fashion Place Mall is not as gay-friendly as it should be. They're to blame for the discrimination and truly "offensive" behavior. In that spirit, feel free to pass this along to whomever you choose.  

2005-Dems pick gay advocate to fill state Senate spot  Scott McCoy: The vice chairman of Equality Utah is tapped to fill the seat vacated by Paula Julander  By Thomas Burr  and Kirsten Stewart  The Salt Lake Tribune  Salt Lake Tribune  In a surprise move, Democrats named gay-rights advocate Scott McCoy to the state Senate on Saturday, making him Utah's second openly gay lawmaker and setting up what could be an interesting matchup in the conservative Legislature.    It's a case of if you can't stand 'em, join 'em.   Just last week, McCoy, as vice chairman of Equality Utah, criticized senators for defeating, in an 18-10 vote, a Senate bill that would have given two adults - gay or otherwise - marriagelike rights. "This is about the fact that they don't want to do anything that would be beneficial for gay people," he said at the time.    "No one can say Democrats are boring," County Party Chairwoman Nichole Adams said Saturday. Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. is expected to formally appoint McCoy, an attorney, to the Senate on Monday to fill a seat being vacated by Sen. Paula Julander, a Salt Lake City Democrat who is resigning for health reasons.    Democrats elected McCoy, 34, and a former registered Republican, by three votes over Julander's choice to fill her post, her husband Rod. The vote came during a Saturday morning emergency meeting of District 2 county delegates.     McCoy says the fact he is gay wasn't the primary reason he was picked and he promises not to be a single-issue senator.  "I represent probably one of the most diverse constituencies in the Senate," he said. "I'm committed to doing my level best to represent not only gays and lesbians, but all people." He also vowed to continue Julander's push to require insurance companies to cover contraceptives in prescription plans and to fight for issues such as a hate-crimes law. Gayle Ruzicka, founder of the conservative Eagle Forum, called the choice "very interesting." "That gives us two people [in the Legislature] living that lifestyle," she said. But "he and Paula probably vote the same, so at the end of the day it probably won't make a difference." When told McCoy had been elected, Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, who pushed the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, asked, "The gay?" Buttars then said he didn't want to comment.    McCoy's election comes as a surprise to many Democratic leaders. Senate minority leaders and all elected House Democrats had publicly backed Rod Julander for the seat. Still, state Democratic Party Chairman Donald Dunn said McCoy will be welcomed. "We'll do some fence-mending," Dunn said. Rod Julander says he and his wife were "disappointed" in the outcome, but that they would continue to be involved in politics. "We're taking it well," Rod Julander said, noting that his wife had "wanted it very badly" to go to him. Paula Julander, who suffers from an internal inflammation called diverticulitis, came home Saturday from the hospital.  "What she is upset about is that she had supported [gay-rights] issues and then they organized to defeat her candidate," Rod Julander said.  Rep. Jackie Biskupski, a Democrat from Salt Lake City and until now the only openly gay legislator, had also backed Rod Julander. But she said it would be nice to have another voice on the Hill for gay issues. "I welcome the help, that's for sure," she said. "And I welcome having that on the Senate side." Of course, chances are it will be a difficult transition for McCoy. Soon after Biskupski was elected, some lawmakers wouldn't even look at her. She says things are changing now, but McCoy will still face challenges. "It'll be hard at first for Scott, there's no doubt," she said. Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, was surprised as well that delegates didn't choose Rod Julander. "I wouldn't have expected that," Valentine said. But "we're excited to get our new senator to work and have him join the body on Monday." Senate Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich, D-Price, shared in Valentine's surprise. "The delegates have spoken and it will be interesting to have him join us," Dmitrich said. "He'll add something to our  caucus, that's for sure."  tburr@sltrib.com  kstewart@sltrib.com     ---    Tribune reporter Rebecca Walsh contributed to this story. SCOTT MCCOY   Age: 34  Education: B.A. from William Jewell College in Missouri M.A. from George Washington University J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University Member of the American Bar Association and the New York and Utah  bars Work experience:  Vice chairman, Equality Utah Director, now-defunct Don't Amend Alliance Clerked for Utah Supreme Court Justice Leonard Russon Associate with law firm Bendinger, Crockett, Peterson, Greenwood & Casey

2005 Ladies and Gentlemen, Some of you have asked when Scott would sworn in- in the Senate. My understanding is that it will take place around 10:00 am in the Senate Chamber. Remember, there is MAJOR construction up at the hill, so parking is a nightmare. The Senate Chamber is on the first floor of the west building. Just an FYI to you all. Mike Picardi

2005 INDOOR SHOOTING-RANGE MEETING of the Pink Pistols  monthly indoor shooting-range meeting planned for Feb. 8 at 7:00 p.m. at Doug's Shoot 'N Sports  at 4926 South Redwood Road  (1700 West) in Taylorsville, Utah (16-minutes from Salt Lake City), (801)966-1802.

2005 Dear Friends in/to the GLBT Community: We invite you to join us for the first meeting

Duane Jennings 

of the Utah Interfaith Pride Celebration planning, to be held Sunday, February 6, at 4:00 pm, at the home of Duane Jennings: 32 East Bryan Ave (1560 South between Main & State), Salt Lake City. The 2005 service is tentatively scheduled for June 11--the day  before Pride.

2006 Winter Fest –Music review and discussion~ come hear the latest in queer music and discuss how music plays a unique role in our lives at the Center~ Mon Feb 6 th – GLBT Music Reviews & Discussion – Center Space (7pm)

2006 It’s all about the music. Come find out what is happening in the music scene, from the homo-hop of Katastophe and Scream Club, to the tried and true music of Ani and Melissa. We will also be exploring the offerings of Salt Lake’s own GLBT artists, and discussing how music has played a role in our lives as GLBT people.

2006 Deseret Morning News, Rocky receives award from gay-rights group Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson was honored Friday by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Utah for supporting the state's gay and lesbian community. Anderson received the center's "Champion" award during a kick-off ceremony for Winterfest, a weeklong festival hosted by the GLBT Community Center. Valerie Larabee, executive director of the GLBT Community Center, said in a statement that Anderson "has been and continues to be a pillar of strength." Winterfest will run until next Saturday. The event includes forums, rallies and entertainment. For information, log on to www.slcwinterfest.com.

  

2007 Arrested last time Gay-rights group plans BYU encore But the university doesn't want them back, as individuals or a group By Todd Hollingshead The Salt Lake Tribune Salt Lake Tribune PROVO - The Soulforce Equality Riders are coming back to Brigham Young University this year, and they are doubling their efforts. The gay-rights advocacy group - which saw 29 of its members peacefully arrested last year at BYU - plans to return to Provo on March 21-22 and make an additional stop April 16-17 at BYU-Idaho in Rexburg. The two stops are part of a beefed-up two-month, two-bus nationwide tour during which 56 Soulforce members will visit 34 colleges they allege discriminate against homosexuals. Last year's Equality Ride featured 19 stops, one bus and 33 riders. "If at all possible, I don't want to see [arrests] happen again," said former BYU student Matthew Kulisch, who joined Soulforce during last year's visit and is organizing the Provo stop. "It's not something the BYU and Utah communities understand very well." Kulisch and roommate Emil Pohlig are two of five students who were disciplined by the LDS Church-owned university for their involvement in last year's protests. Neither was kicked out, but the two friends have since transferred to the University of Utah and will be a part of this year's U.S. tour, which starts March 1.  "We want to get the word out and get more people involved," Pohlig said. Soulforce Equality Riders were allowed on BYU's campus last year to speak with students individually, but administrators warned they would be escorted away if they attempted to assemble and use the campus as a public forum. Several Equality Riders let administrators know they intended to break school policies and subsequently were arrested for civil disobedience. BYU administrators said Monday they will not allow a repeat performance. "[Last year] they made it very clear that their intent was to be arrested," said BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins. "In seeing that, we have let them know they will not be welcomed on our campus as a group or individuals." Equality Riders also were arrested at Liberty University, Regent University, the Air Force Academy and the U.S. Military Academy during last year's tour. Jenkins said BYU policy prohibits any outside organization from using the private, LDS Church-owned campus as a public forum. "We have responded to Soulforce as we would to any organization or group that wants to use our campus," Jenkins said. "We don't change our practices to accommodate any particular organization." Kulisch said Soulforce has some special events planned for the BYU stop. The group already has distributed an e-mail soliciting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender current or former BYU students to air their grievances with the school. Soulforce plans to create a "list of concerns" about unequal treatment and present it to administrators. They also will submit it as part of an official complaint to be filed with the accreditation office at the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The group also plans to stage a six-hour march around the edge of the Provo campus with hopes of invoking shades of the biblical story of the walls of Jericho. "We see a disconnect in [LDS] Church doctrine and how that doctrine is put into practice at BYU," said Kulisch, who during last year's visit declared he was gay. "But, in the end, this isn't really about BYU, it's about equality."    toddh@sltrib.com Soulforce II Equality Ride * MARCH 21-22: Brigham Young University in Provo  * APRIL 16-17: BYU-Idaho in Rexburg 

Aaron Tilton

2007 Gay-clubs bill loses some bite Buttars seeks to restore language in the Senate by Matt Canham Salt Lake Tribune Lawmakers dissected a bill targeting gay-support clubs at high schools Monday, ripping out a provision that would have given school administrators legal cover to block groups they found objectionable.  A majority of House members thought the bill, sponsored by Rep. Aaron Tilton, R-Springville, imposed onerous requirements to create a club and unnecessarily stepped on the authority of school districts. The bill in its amended form still requires parents to sign a consent form before their child could join a club, but little else. "They gutted the bill," fumed Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, who for two years has led the charge to eliminate "gay-straight alliances." The bill now goes to the Senate, where Buttars promised to try to restore the dropped language. He criticized Rep. Scott Wyatt, R-Logan, who pushed a substitute bill that won House support. "He has a hidden agenda," Buttars said. "My agenda is straight and clear. I don't like gay clubs." The "agenda" Buttars alleges is a college friend of Wyatt's who is gay and who has lobbied Tilton, the House sponsor. Wyatt denied that his friend's position had anything to do with his efforts to temper the bill. "My agenda is simple," he said. "We cannot come down here and take away the school districts' jobs." Wyatt rallied against three provisions that placed "a bureaucratic stamp" on clubs - one requiring students to create bylaws and present a schedule of events annually, one mandating that students give principals hand-outs a week ahead of time so parents can review them and one restricting which adults can attend meetings.     He and other opponents of Tilton's original bill complained that 16 pages of restrictions on something as benign as school clubs went too far.  Wyatt never mentioned the section of the bill that would require the state to pay for any lawsuits stemming from the acceptance or rejection of a club, or the expanded definition of "human sexuality" - provisions Buttars hoped would allow districts to stamp out gay-straight alliances.   But his substitute bill struck that language as well. The move came as a surprise to Rep. Jackie Biskupski, D-Salt Lake City, an openly gay lawmaker who had negotiated with Tilton to soften the bill's effect.     House members rejected that version. Biskupski favors Wyatt's substitute bill more than any other, but she still doesn't like the parental-consent requirement.     "A lot of our students have absent parents, and they probably need the clubs more than most," she said. Under the proposal pushed by Wyatt, all clubs must have a name that clearly indicates its purpose, the club can't deviate from that purpose and each student must have a signed parental-consent form to participate. Gay-straight alliances were only mentioned once on the House floor, and that was after lawmakers gutted the bill. Tilton complained the vote struck provisions allowing students to appeal the decisions of administrators, which he described as a protection for the gay-support clubs. Dejected after the vote that eliminated most of his proposal, Tilton said: "We essentially have what we had before." mcanham@sltrib.com HB236 Would require parental consent for student club participation Next step: Goes to Senate committee 

2016  You are cordially invited to Utah Polyamory Society’s Second Annual Valentine’s Day Poly Prom. Don your finest accoutrement, link arms with your loving poly web, and join us for a night of dancing and celebration! There will even be an opportunity to have your pictures taken in your finery, immortalizing you and your loves at your most dapper, lovely, and…dovely? Lapper? All proceeds go to the Utah Polyamory Society’s operating costs for the year. Light refreshments will be served and non-alcoholic beverages will be available. We’re unable to provide alcoholic beverages, but you’re more than welcome to bring some for yourself or to share.