10 February
1911-In Germany ,
the feminist League for the Protection of Mothers condemned Paragraph 175, the
German sodomy law, and voiced its objection to attempts to extend the law to
cover women as well as men.
1963- Creating a squad of police officers to investigate sex crimes
reported to the Salt Lake City Police Department has necessitated a rotation of
several officers it was reported Saturday. The new squad will be activated
March 1, Asst. Chief of Police E.J. Steinfeldt said. An increase in sex offenses has necessitated
the forming of the squad he added. Officer Oscar J. Henderson, and A.H. Pahl
have been assigned to the new squad.
They will join Sergeant Dean L. Eskridge in charge of the squad and
Officer Bruce Austin who have been handling sex cases since the first of the
year. Officer Paul R. Lamont was also assigned to vice. (02/10.63 A15 col.1
SLTribune)
1976-Andy Lippincott, a Gay character, was introduced into Garry
Trudeau's comic strip Doonesbury.
1981-The Moral Majority announced plans for a $3 million campaign
to strike out homosexuality and Gay rights in San Francisco. A spokesman
announced that homosexual conduct should be a capital crime as it is as serious
an offense as murder.
1982-US President Ronald Reagan nominated radio evangelist Sam Hart
to the US Civil Rights Commission. Hart was known for his opposition to the
Equal Rights Amendment, school integration, and Gay rights. The nomination was
opposed by nearly everyone, including the Philadelphia Conference of Baptist
Ministers. When he was forced to withdraw, he blamed "the militant
homosexuals."
1984- Survivors of Child Abuse support group held
at 20 Jacob Rue building sponsored by Women Aware for women only.
1985-In Atlanta police raided a bathhouse and arrested ten people,
even though bathhouses would remain legal for another fourteen months.
1989- Tony Feliz, former President of the Reformation
Church of Jesus Christ appeared on Geraldo Rivera Televisions show to promote
his book Out of The Bishop's Closet.
1993. William Gregory Albiston 43, died in
Los Angeles , California Ogden , Utah East High School Los Angeles , Calif.
1996 DIVERSITY IS GREAT Saturday, February 10, 1996 US West Communication
Building 250 East 200 South -At this time we would like to welcome you all to
the 1996 Diversity is Great Recognition Banquet. As the Co-chairs we hope that
tonight will give you an opportunity to meet some of the people who have made Utah a better place for
all of us to live and that it will be an inspiring time for all. We hope that
when you leave here tonight that you will be a proud of the community that you
live in as we are. Our recipients tonight are part of the vast number of people
it takes to create change and keep our community running. From Logan to St. George and
every place in between there are Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and
heterosexual people who continually fight for our rights. This evening we would
like you to think about the people who have helped you or even made it possible
for you to be proud of who you are. It is also a time for you to recognize the
effect you have had on others by being who you are. Started in 1993 as a
fundraiser for the Utah
Stonewall Center Utah Stonewall
Center
RICHARD COTTINO-1996 LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT RECIPIENT Presented by Luci Malin Since "coming out" in
1990, Richard has done a lifetime's worth of work in the Gay and lesbian
community! As he says, "Well, when you first come out you have a huge
burst of energy." Richard was born in Cedar City Nevada .
He moved back to Cedar
City Southern Utah . He feels that his theatrical
training has been invaluable in observing and interacting with people when he
facilitates a diversity class or runs training for the Utah Aids Foundation. In
1981 Richard moved to Salt Lake City .
In his job he focused on bettering the environment that he found within the
workplace for employees of all types. One of Richard's personal crusades is
being out in his workplace. "People's awareness is raised just knowing
they are working with a Gay man, and I can involve people in working for
Gay/lesbian issues who otherwise would not realize the need to be
involved." In 1990 he attended a volunteer training at the Utah Aids
Foundation. There, his stereotypes of what and who Gay people were became
obsolete. He had known he was "different" from schoolmates and peers
for a long time, but the stereotypes with which he grew up kept him from
identifying as Gay. Suddenly he was in the company of Gay men who were
intelligent and caring. That training included an appreciation-of -diversity
exercise in which participants were asked to show what labels they identified
with. When the facilitator asked all the Gay and lesbian people to go to one
side of the room, Richard stayed where he was. Six months later, however,
Richard was the facilitator asking people to identify themselves, and he
"pushed people out of the way so I could be the first one on the Gay side
of the room—and I was! For so long I had bought into the Mormon teaching that
if I just ignored my feelings and didn't act on them, I would be OK. I had
decided l would just be by myself forever." But he was changing. "I
leapt out of that closed". Richard has been heavily involved with the Utah
Aids Foundation, doing every type of volunteer work possible. He has delivered
food through the Health at Home program, he has organized teams at his job to
raise money for people with AIDS. That team has also been involved for along
time in the Walk For Life. Richard is particularly proud that his US West team
has received the award for the most money raised by a group on the UAF walk for
5 years in a row. He has worked with the Stop AIDS program, educating and
handing out condoms; he has run volunteer trainings; he has worked on bulk
mailings. He has been a volunteer at the Utah Stonewall
Center Salt
Lake Salt Lake Salt Lake
City . The Eagles arranged for a rainbow flag to be
flown on National Coming Out Day in front of the US West building this year.
Richard has also been recognized by the People with ADS Coalition of Utah,
receiving the PWA Red Ribbon award for Volunteer of the Year two years ago. He
has been in the news media often, radio, newspaper or TV. Richard has found
volunteering to be an enjoyable and safe way of meeting people in the Gay and
lesbian community, and he enjoys the camaraderie of working with others to
create change. Richard became so
involved because "I know there are people that just don't get it-
heterosexual people that don't understand us as a minority and homosexual
people who still have the stereotypes that kept me back so may years. I work to
help people learn to live with each other and use our differences to grow. The
fabric of life is better because we are different from one another." When
asked further about his goals, Richard points out that he's somewhat cynical
about what we can expect from the legislature as far as Gay and lesbian rights.
Where he is optimistic for change is in the business sector: domestic
partnership benefits, diversity training, recognizing equality among employees.
He would like to see more of a network develop between employee groups from
different businesses that helps each other grow and create change within the
work setting. It is clear that Richard Cottino is someone who makes change
happen. He works in many ways, both in obvious positions of leadership and in
many hours of volunteer work that are not so obvious to others. He is a model
for us all.
DOUG WORTHAM- 1996 DIG AWARD RECIPENT Presented by Brian Hartman: When
told he was one of the recipients, he said, "'l haven't done
anything." But there seems to be an excitement among the young people that
he's taught, as to the kind of role model he is. Doug comes from a small town
outside of Boise , Idaho Utah to attend Weber
State College, graduating with a BA. in Education with an emphasis in French.
Right from college he took a teaching assignment at Roland Hall where he has
been for the past 17 years. He teaches first year French to Advanced Placement
students. He has coached basketball, volleyball, and soccer during his tenure
at Roland Hall. His students see him as a friend and teacher first; being Gay
is just another aspect of who he is. Gaining their respect and helping them to
learn to become successful is Doug's goal. Breaking down stereotypes is just a
natural consequence of this process. He's also had the opportunity to travel to
Holland to
study Dutch, and he received a National Endowment Award to study French abroad.
In 1993 he attended the March on Washington .
It was at this time that he no longer hid the fact that he was a Gay man.
Everyone knew; it was no longer a secret. Having waited 13 years to come out openly
at school might have been a little bit too long. "I probably could have
done it sooner," but being cautious is in all of our natures. He and his
life-partner of 13 years, Nick Nero, are listed together in the faculty
directory which, believe it or not, is one of the things that excites the kids
most at school. Doug has been involved with Queer Nation for about one and half
years, when they were an active part of Salt
Lake City 's activist Community. He also was involved
with ACT UP. He has wonderful memories of the different actions he was involved
in with Queer Nation. And, as he said, "I really enjoyed it. It was a lot
of fun." He's been involved with different political campaigns and is a
member of Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats, PFLAG and has been involved with
setting up Utahns for Hate-Free Schools. In some ways Doug is a reluctant role
mode, but that doesn't stop his students from seeing him as one, nonetheless.
Doug does those things that he knows will make Utah a better place for him and his partner
and the rest of us to live in.
MILLIE and GARY WATTS 1996 DIG AWARD RECIPENTS Presented
by Lynette Malmstrom: Millie and Gary are the proud parents of six children and
3 grandchildren. One of their treasured children, their second oldest son, was
excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1993.
Millie and Gary have since used the hurt and frustration that came from that
experience and turned it into a sense of caring for many Mormon parents and
their Gay/lesbian children. In the summer of 1993. Millie and Gary attended a
retreat with other parents when they "screamed, yelled, and cried
together," became energized to take action, and began working with a group
called Family Fellowship. They decided to start holding meetings in Utah Valley Utah Valley
Hospital Gary says, "I don't
want regrets about how I have related to my own children. I feel I have become
a better parent through having a Gay son. We work with Family Fellowship in
order to smooth the way for people who are lesbian and Gay." Gary and
Millie are currently the chairs of Family Fellowship and have co-chaired
through that organization the Intermountain Conference on Sexuality and
Homosexuality for several years. This conference convenes every other year at
the U of U School of Social work and has a very respected intellectual foundation.
In alternate years, they present a conference directed mainly toward parents
where the emotional aspects are the emphasis. On May 3rd and 4th this year the
parents' conference will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Salt Lake City . Family Fellowship is a
support group, some of whose members take action outside the group, such as
writing letters to the editor or writing responses to editorials to counter act
the negative comments about Gay men and lesbians. Through Family Fellowship,
Millie and Gary work to keep families united, to keep them from being torn
apart by homophobia and fear. They ask that Gay sons and lesbian daughters
"turn their parents in" so they can get them on the mailing list for
the quarterly newsletter. There are Family Fellowship meetings from Idaho Falls to Provo
and many points in between. The Watts have the philosophy that there is nothing
to be secretive about, and are "out" in every aspect of their lives.
They have held many leadership position in the LDS church. They find that many
church members have empathy for Gay men and lesbians. When Gary does discuss the issue with someone who
has a negative reaction, he likes to ask them "Is it possible in your mind
for a Gay person to have a moral relationship with a partner?" He believes
it most definitely is possible. Gary
arid Millie have talked with their bishop and stake president a great deal
about this issue. They feel that their own parents, as welt as their church,
have shown them the importance of social action and public service. They
believe having a Gay son has blessed them, that they've learned and been given
much, and "because I have been given much, I must give." Both Millie,
who has been active in many organizations including the PTA at the local and
state level, and Gary, who is a physician on the Board of Trustees of the Utah
Medical Association say, "The emotional rewards are great, more than we've
received from any other work, and there's a lot to do!"
JODI
BROOKINS-FISHER 1996 DIG AWARD RECIPENT resented by Camille Lee: Jodi
has created and orchestrated a class for junior high and high school teachers
and counselors titled "Gay Youth: At Risk in the Classroom ." She has
taught this class pro bono threes times, reaching 60 teachers, counselors, and
large numbers with her message of appreciation for diversity and respect for
lesbian and Gay people. She was raised in Michigan , attending a Catholic high school
in her hometown. She earned a B 5. in Public Health and MS. in Health
Education, and then came to the University
of Utah Midwest . She was married three years ago
and has along background of working with people who are disadvantaged in our
society. Jodi was the AIDS Coordinator for the County Health Department and gave
statewide trainings before moving to Utah .
That was the first time she clearly saw that there are "people who have
things and people who don't, and that having AIDS or a certain sexual
preference makes a difference in how people are treated." She saw that
people were not getting things they needed, and she became an advocate who
chooses to notice that she has privileges as a heterosexual white woman, and
chooses to use those privileges to work for under-served groups. She feels her
life work is in influencing others to appreciate human sexuality and diversity
and wants to work at the university level teaching and writing in this area.
When creating the Gay Youth project, she spoke with teachers and counselors
throughout the Salt
Lake Valley Alliance for Hate-Free Schools. The latter
group has formed as a result of East High Students' attempts to have a club for
lesbian, Gay and supportive straight students. Jodi hopes her efforts at
education help people to move from "working out of fear and hate to
interacting with others with respect and knowledge.
" She feels that only
then will we make 9reat strides in gaining equal rights for all people.
1997 -LEGISLATURE CONSIDERS FLURRY OF SEX-RELATED
BILLS By Bob Bernick Jr. and Jerry Spangler, Staff Writers As spring
approaches, the Legislature is turning to a number of sex-related bills.
Included on the agenda are bills to confiscate the cars of men who solicit
prostitutes; decriminalize sodomy among married couples and make forcible
sodomy penalties the same as rape; outlaw nude dancing and make all exotic
dancers put away their G-strings and wear bikinis; and classify as statutory
rape having sex with anyone 18 years old and younger. - Sen. Craig Taylor,
R-Kaysville, says new federal court rulings lead him to believe Utah can crack down on
nude and semi-nude dancers. Utah
law prohibits any establishment that has all-nude dancers from getting a liquor
license. So most "topless" dancing bars make the dancers wear pasties
over nipples and G-strings over private parts. But now the group Citizens For
Positive Community Values believes federal case law will allow local
prosecutors to force all clubs to make dancers wear "bikini-type"
clothing, says former federal prosecutor Brent Ward, who is working with Taylor on the bill. Taylor especially wants to
go after the several all-nude, no-liquor clubs in the state, as well as escort
services, where dancers or models take off all their clothes. "There are
even some places where (patrons) can get a private session with the
dancer," said Taylor, who has not pushed the bill yet because he was
seriously ill for several days of the session. - Taylor also has filed a bill, not yet
printed, that deals with illegal sex acts among minors. The senator declined to
talk specifically about that measure, saying he hadn't decided the route he
wants to take on the issue. Taylor
made a name for himself last year when he carried the bill that outlawed gay student
clubs in public high schools. Ward said Utah 's
lewdness law is too vague for prosecutors to use effectively. "Indiana has a tough (no public nudity) law that has been
upheld" in federal court, Taylor
said. Utah
could model its statute after that law. The bill could also apply to bachelor
parties, where a woman strips for the groom, Ward said. Local prosecutors would
have to use good judgment, Ward added. Bills introduced in past legislatures
had problems. How would you deal with art classes at the University of Utah Utah
law, officers can confiscate the vehicles, but they typically give them back.
If Barth's bill becomes law, law enforcement will be allowed to keep the cars,
whereas the "johns" will keep the responsibility to pay the loan.
"If the car was used in the commission of a crime, they lose it," he
said. Given that automobiles can cost between $20,000 and $30,000, it might
seem a harsh penalty for the Class B misdemeanor of soliciting sex. "Those
who say that are rationalizing away the fact it was used in a crime," he
said. Salt Lake City
is currently on a prostitution "circuit" involving about nine other
cities. Prostitutes stay in one place until they get two or three tickets for
prostitution and then move on. Attempts by police to thwart prostitution by
arresting the prostitutes have proven fruitless. Consequently, Barth said it is
time to attack the problem by attacking the customer.- Rep. David Ure, R-Kamas,
has a bill that would decriminalize sodomy for married couples and makes the
penalty for forcible sodomy the same as forcible rape, a first degree felony.
Ure's bill leaves in place Utah 's
prohibition on sodomy for unmarried couples; that would remain a Class B
misdemeanor. Ure says he's carrying the bill for the Statewide Association of Prosecutors.
Ure said there should be no penalty for sodomy between married couples, even if
the law is not enforced. "What happens (in a married couple's) bedroom is
between them," and the state should not be involved, Ure said.- Sen.
Robert Montgomery, R-North Ogden, is concerned about the availability of pornography
on the Internet, particularly to underage school children. The Senate approved Montgomery 's bill
proposing creation of a task force to look at ways schools can filter the
pornography. Critics of the bill argue that the task force is an unnecessary
duplication of efforts nationally toward that same end, noting there is little
individual states can do to stem pornography on the Internet. Should the state
pursue Internet legislation on its own, the state would likely be faced with
costly First Amendment challenges.- Anything to keep Utah children away from sex typically has
broad-based support in the conservative Legislature. But not always. A House
committee killed a bill by Rep. Lowell Nelson, R-Highland, to make it statutory
rape to have sex with anyone age 18 and under. Nelson said he wants to have
some penalty for cases like that involving players on the Portland
Trailblazers. Several years ago several members of the professional basketball
team picked up some underage girls at a Utah
mall and had sex with them. No charges were filed. Although Nelson's bill was
killed, he may amend it and bring it back this year. "My bill was tough; a
16-year-old boy could get a prison sentence" for having sex with his
16-year-old girlfriend. He may change it "to find a way to get at older
men who are running off with these underage girls," he said. A spin-off of
such a law, Nelson said, is that gang prevention officers unable to pin crimes
on the offenders could use the statutory rape provision against gang members who
are having sex with their girlfriends and getting them pregnant. © 1998 Deseret
News Publishing Co.
2004 Dear Ben, [Williams] I was wondering if you
would be interested in writing a recurring gay history column for Salt Lake
Metro News. I am imagining yours either as a bi-weekly or a monthly column,
probably around 600-800 words, although this is a ballpark estimate--I will be
able to give you an accurate word count once I have more format information.
I'm thinking something along the lines of "This Month in Gay
History," although we can probably come up with a more catchy name. Once
the business model is completed I will know how much our writers will be
getting paid; it will be comparable to what City Weekly contributors earn. You
would be reaching a readership which is very interested in your subject matter,
and I am very excited about having smart writers who can provide useful and
entertaining content and who have expertise in their fields. I won't be issuing
a formal call for submissions on this, because I can't think of anybody better
suited for writing this column than you. If you have any questions or need more
information, please let me know. Sincerely, Brandon Burt Managing Editor Salt
Lake Metro News [I never took a dime for writing the Lambda Lore Column. It was my service to the Gay community-Ben Williams]
- 2004 Great, Ben. Things are moving really fast, and I'm going to be getting the contributor base together over the next two weeks. I'm very glad to hear that you're interested. The first formal submission deadline will be noon Thursday, April 8. However, I would like to get one or two sample columns by Feb. 27; that way we can get some idea the direction the column will be taking, and we'll be able to able to see how it's going to look on the page. Our photographer will be able to take mug shots of columnists; however, if there is some photo you really want to use we can submit it to the design department. Any specific questions? Brandon
2004 Kim Russo to Ben Williams never really got a
chance to thank you for your kind words to me at Smith's many weeks ago. You
have given me some incentive and some strength. I appreciate everything, and
just needed you to know that. Kim
2005 Subject: Scott
McCoy "the Gay" to be targeted by Neo-Cons Senator could face
residency challenge
Requirement violation? The Constitution is vague about how long an appointee
must live in a district By Rebecca Walsh and Thomas Burr The Salt Lake Tribune
The Utah Senate's newest member may not be qualified to be there. Scott McCoy -
who became the state's first openly gay senator this week - may not meet state
residency requirements to be in the Legislature and there could be an effort by
conservative lawmakers to remove him. It probably would be a short-lived
attempt, though, since Senate leadership says it won't support McCoy's removal.
Utah's Constitution requires that legislators live in the state for three years
and in their district for six months prior to state deadlines to file for
office - typically the March before each election. The Constitution does not
lay out a procedure for midterm appointments, such as McCoy's. He was named
Monday to replace Sen. Paula Julander, who resigned from her District 2 seat
for health reasons. It could be argued that McCoy would have had to move to
Utah three years before the last time Julander would have filed for office -
March 2002. McCoy moved to Utah just three months before that deadline. Senate
President John Valentine said Wednesday that leadership has decided not to pursue any action
on McCoy because the Constitution and law governing replacements are too
ambiguous. "We do not feel it's appropriate to take any action on Sen.
McCoy," Valentine said. "We need to give him the benefit of the
doubt." That doesn't mean an attempt won't happen. Sen. Curtis Bramble,
R-Provo, said earlier Wednesday that in general, requirements should be applied
consistently. "If residency requirements aren't met, then action should be
taken without regard to party," Bramble said. He said he would support an
action, but he wouldn't lead it. Robert Wright, one of McCoy's old political
opponents in the 2004 election battle over Utah's gay-marriage amendment,
raised questions about the new senator's residency this week. Wright, a Salt
Lake County Republican Central Committee member who alerted the news media to
the potential problem, says McCoy's appointment to office is not legitimate. He
insists his opposition is unrelated to the fact that McCoy is openly gay.
"He shouldn't be in the state Senate," said Wright. "It just
blows me away that [Democrats] elected somebody who couldn't get elected in his
own right. The whole thing stinks." Wright, an evangelical minister, was
one of the organizers of Yes on 3. While Wright was largely in the background
of supporters of the constitutional change meant to block gay marriage, McCoy,
an attorney, was the outspoken director of the Don't Amend Alliance. About 100
Salt Lake County Democratic delegates met Saturday and picked McCoy over
Julander's husband, Rod Julander, to fill her senate seat for two years. At
that meeting, Utah Democratic Party Chairman Donald Dunn asked McCoy to sign an
affidavit that he met all the requirements. "No matter how you calculate
it, I've lived here three years or more," McCoy said. "This is not
something the party brought up." Dunn says McCoy still meets all the
eligibility rules. He figures the three-year residency requirement should be
counted back from Saturday - the day Julander's seat became vacant. "I
believe we should follow the rules. I believe we have," Dunn said.
Legislative attorneys who advised Senate leadership Wednesday say the state law
is ambiguous on the issue. "It's unclear whether the Constitution's
provisions apply to a person who is appointed to fill a midterm vacancy,"
said John Fellows, of the Office of Legislative General Counsel. "It would
be up to the Senate to decide the application of that provision." Because
McCoy already was sworn into office, his removal would require a Senate vote to
expel him. Under state law, one senator can make a motion from the floor to oust
a member "for cause." If after debate two-thirds of the senators
agree, the member would be expelled. In the 29-member Senate, Republicans hold
21 seats, one more than the two-thirds threshold. But with Senate leadership
opposing any effort, there would not be enough votes to oust McCoy. In 1987,
Utah House members briefly considered excluding three representatives who
worked for the state after questions were raised about separation of powers.
Eventually, those lawmakers were sworn in. And four years later, there was talk
of expelling Democratic Rep. Dionne Halverson after she was
arrested for shoplifting. Halverson resigned. Sen. Michael Waddoups,
R-Taylorsville, said he was not ready to support any action if the residency
requirement isn't met. "That's up to his party and his constituents,"
he said. Bramble insists senators have to act if there is a question. He notes he supported
review of former Orem Republican Rep. Kathryn Bryson's residency last year. But
he worries his impartiality will be questioned. After McCoy was elected,
Bramble was quoted in the Deseret Morning News accusing the new senator of
having a gay rights agenda. "My concern is it could be perceived as a
witch hunt," Bramble said Wednesday. Dunn says Wright's and Bramble's
motives are suspect. "This is an attempt of the radical right wing to
inflict their bigoted agenda into the legislative process," Dunn said.
"I would hate to see the Senate even spend time on this rather than
focusing on hate crimes or legislation to figure out the budget." What's
next? l A vote will be taken if a single senator makes a motion to expel McCoy
"for cause." Possible action: l If two-thirds of senators approved,
he would be expelled.
2006 Friday Memorial
services for Eric Tierney (actor, filmmaker and arts editor for the Salt Lake
Metro) will be held on Friday, February 10 at 4pm in the Jeanne Wagner Theatre
at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. The address is 138 West Broadway
(300 South).
2006 Winter Fest Club Nights! Boys night at the
Trapp, Girls night at MoDiggities
2006 Holly Near will be appearing in concert at the Rose Wagner Black Box Theater on Friday, February 10. There will be a wine and cheese reception starting at 6:00 and the concert starts at 7:00. Tickets cost $20 and are available by calling 801-355-ARTS. Holly will also deliver the keynote address at the Winterfest Conference 8:30 to 9:30 am. Tickets for the Winterfest Conference are $50 and can be purchased at the Center or by logging on to the Winterfest site at www.slcwinterfest.com . Hope to see you there!
2006 The Egyptian Theatre Company is proud to
present THE FULL MONTY Come celebrate our 25th Anniversary Season with the Utah
Premiere of this hilarious and heartwarming Tony Award winning musical. Six
unemployed steel workers with nothing to lose turn their struggle to survive
into a blue-collared, madcap, adventure.
This show is a must-see event-full of
heart and soul and just a bit of skin. It will charm your pants
off! The Full Monty Feb. 10 - Mar. 11
2006 You and a guest are cordially invited to the
Official Grand Opening Party of the new Heads Up, located at 1330 South State
Street Salt Lake City, Utah. Friday and Saturday February 10-11 7:00p.m
til close. Join us for entertainment,
light buffet, dancing and drinking. Come
join all your old friends and check ou
the new space. Watch for our new website
at clubheadsup.com. Mon: Karaoke Tues: 50 cent draft Wed: Abfab night Thurs: Karaoke
Fri: Drink specials Sat: Krazy Karaoke Sun: Blues night
2006 S.L. benefits plan gets council's OK By Kersten Swinyard
Deseret Morning News Pending approval from the city's insurer, Salt Lake City
employees will be able to enroll adult siblings, roommates, parents, friends or
romantic partners for insurance through the city. The City Council gave final
approval Tuesday night for a plan that would allow city employees to designate
an adult who can be part of the employee's insurance plan. The measure passed
unanimously. "Families (that) are support systems sometimes come in
non-traditional packages," said Jill Remington Love, the council member
who first broached the idea in July. "With this ordinance, we are offering
our city employees the opportunity to recognize someone in their household they
can be in a long-term caring relationship with." The city would offer
coverage through the Public Employees Health Plan (PEHP), which the city
already uses for roughly 2,900 employees, and expand the categories of people
who can enroll to allow an additional 58 to 96 people access to the plan.
Employees first must show joint financial obligations such as car or house
loans, joint checking accounts or credit cards, or mutual beneficiaries on life
insurance policies. It's estimated to cost the city between $140,000 and
$225,000. Before the council can start enrolling people, PEHP likely will issue
a decision about whether the plan meets PEHP's criteria for coverage, said
Jennifer Bruno, a policy analyst for the council. If not, the council may have
to come up with a new plan, she said. The council developed the adult-designee
idea after Mayor Rocky Anderson proposed a similar measure which would have
offered insurance exclusively to unmarried couples with a strong emphasis on
equality for homosexual partners. Anderson's executive order in September would
have covered between 10 and 22 people and would have cost the city between
$17,000 and $63,000. "My proposal was simply to provide equity for
employees regardless of marital status or sexual orientation," Anderson
said. The City Council's plan "dodges the issue of equality
altogether." Eric Jergensen, one of the council members on a subcommittee
that hammered out the ordinance, said the council did not dodge equality issues
and the council's plan does not shun gay or lesbian rights. "We are
pro-employees, pro-providing quality of life," Jergensen said. PEHP asked
a judge to decide whether Anderson's order was legal, and then an Arizona law
group and several Salt Lake residents sued to block the order. Third District
Court Judge Stephen Roth heard the case Jan. 5 and has not yet ruled. Since the
council last considered the benefits plan at its Jan. 10 meeting, a state
representative has proposed a bill that would alter the way the city pays for
the additional insurance coverage. Rep. LaVar Christensen, R-Draper, is waiting
for House floor debate on HB327, which would require employees to completely
pay for coverage beyond what is traditionally offered to spouses and children.
The Salt Lake City Council approved the use of city money to offset the cost of
insurance premiums, similar to what it administers now for its employees. At
the bill's first public hearing Feb. 1, Christensen said it's his place as a
lawmaker to direct what tax money pays for rather than "watch piecemeal
adoption of public policy (through) random court decisions." Christensen
also wants the legislative bodies of cities and public entities, rather than
mayors or executive officers, to decide whether to offer additional insurance
coverage. With three weeks left in the legislative session, the council plans
to work around whatever legislation passes between now and March 1, said Dave
Buhler, council chairman. "A lot of things could happen, but we can't be
paralyzed by that," Buhler said. "I'd like to be an optimist. We're
acting very appropriately under our authority."
2007 I would like to invite one and all out to the Royal Courts
Annual King and Queen of Hearts pageant.
Saturday February 10th. 8pm at
the Trapp Door* $6 cover. This is a
pageant where the audience members are the judges and final results will be
decided upon by the Audience members. .Thank you! Krystyna Shaylee Empress 30
of the Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire and current Board President of
the Board of Directors of the RCGSE
2009 Councilwoman resumes fight for adult-designee benefits
While the campaign continues for wider rights for gay and lesbian couples on
Utah's Capitol Hill, a second front is opening in Salt Lake County government.
County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson confirmed plans Tuesday to push -- again --
for health and employment benefits for the live-in partners and relatives of
county workers. The measure -- which she has lobbied unsuccessfully for since
entering office in 2005 -- would enable the partners of gay and lesbian
employees to share benefits...Author:
Jeremiah Stettler The Salt Lake Tribune
2017 Notes from noted Salt Lake ‘restaurant manager’ Tom Guinney The Salt Lake
Tribune) Guinney joined the Gastronomy restaurant group in 1980, two years after original co-founders John Williams and Tom Sieg opened the New Yorker. Some 37 years later, Guinney is the last surviving member of the trio. Guinney was recently honored by being given the “Key to the City” by Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski. By Kathy Stephenson The Salt Lake Tribune The salt and pepper shakers always are filled and wiped sparkling clean; the legendary clam chowder is served in heated bowls; and the liquor bottles — which the owner could make visible — remain hidden behind the bar. These are details that Tom Guinney initiated 37 years ago when he — along with business partners Tom Sieg and John Williams — opened the first Market Street Grill and Oyster Bar in downtown Salt Lake City. Sieg and Williams had opened The New Yorker in 1978 and brought Guinney, a California native with experience running a series of seafood restaurants, into the fold in 1980. Eventually, the three formed Gastronomy Inc., opening Market Street Broiler near the University of Utah — which they sold in 2014 — as well as Market Street Grill and Oyster Bars at the Salt Lake International Airport and in Cottonwood Heights and West Jordan. Guinney is the last survivor of the founding trio. Sieg died in 2008 and Williams, who retired more than six years ago, was killed in a house fire in 2016, the blaze allegedly set by his estranged husband, Craig Crawford. A preliminary hearing is set in the case in March. Guinney, who turned 69 last month, was given the “Key to the City” by Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski recently, in recognition of his years of “leadership in Salt Lake City’s restaurant and hospitality industry, contributions to the local economy and cultural scene, and for his support of numerous philanthropies and historic preservation work.” Before accepting the honor, Guinney sat down with The Salt Lake Tribune to talk about the future of Gastronomy, the company’s policy on the state liquor barrier — aka “Zion Curtain” — law and why he hates to be called a “restaurateur.” His comments have been edited for space and clarity. With both your business partners gone, what is the future for Gastronomy Inc.? It’s not time for Tom to exit, not with more than 500 employees. But I don’t see us building another Market Street anywhere in Utah, the demographics aren’t there. But there is the possibility of expansion into airports in other cities — Phoenix, Denver, Minneapolis. Like many older restaurants in Utah, Market Street Grill is exempt from the state’s “Zion Curtain” law, yet the shelves behind the bar are empty? We don’t display the [liquor] bottles even though we could. It’s my philosophy that you should know where you live and understand the community and the historical culture of the state. Does that mean you believe the “Zion Curtain” should stay? I’d rather see a regulation that requires restaurants to have a sign on the door that says liquor is sold on the premises. What are some of your experiences working with the Legislature? This year will be my 37th session. I’m not partisan, I don’t go there. But through the years I’ve worked with many of the lawmakers — [Rep. Greg] Hughes, [Sen. Curtis] Bramble and [Sen. Jerry] Stevenson — on issues that have an impact on the industry, like liquor and health department regulations. Sen. Howard Stephenson has me on his Red Meat Radio show a few times a year but we always end up talking about food rather than policy. And the public affairs department [for the LDS Church] has asked me to come in and talk to [President Thomas S. Monson]. Whoever it is I ask them, “What do you need to know that you don’t understand?” But I’ve never asked for anything that has benefited [Gastronomy] in particular. How did you get started in the restaurant industry? My father operated a coffee shop so I’ve been wandering a restaurant kitchen since I was 5. I started peeling potatoes and busing tables, then did kitchen prep work. In 1967, I joined the Navy and worked as a cook. After the Navy, in 1971, I worked at Delaney’s seafood in Newport Beach opening up new restaurants. It was high volume and it equipped me when I came here. How did you end up in Utah? A mutual friend
introduced me to John Williams. We must have talked for 1 ½ to two years about opening a restaurant. But there was no discussion about what type; we knew it was going to be a seafood. I thought Utah was the perfect place to grow a business. Salt Lake City was more affordable [than California] and there was this readily available workforce just a few miles away at the University of Utah. Who developed the Market Street recipes? When we opened the grill, I had this scroungy notebook, covered with stains, with recipes like the clam chowder, the cocktail sauce and tartar sauce. Our clam chowder is different than most because we use butter and flour to make a roux. Then we add onions, celery, fresh leeks, sherry and extra-heavy whipping cream. I still believe it’s one of the finest clam chowders in the United States; the consistency is perfect. So many employees in Utah’s restaurant industry got their start working for a Gastronomy restaurant. How does that make you feel? I don’t ski, I’m not LDS. When I came to Utah, I didn’t know anyone except John. But I did have an eye for particulars and I developed an employee manual that is still used today. It created a structure of service that employees follow — our bowls sit under heat lamps so the soup always stays warm; we freeze the plates so the shrimp Louie (salad) always comes out cold. The salt and pepper shakers are always filled and cleaned; so is the ketchup bottle. The water always has ice. Managers we’ve had over the past 36 [years] have gone on to other things and been successful because of the experience they had here. That’s why I don’t like the term “restaurateur” or “businessman.” When people ask me what I do, I say I’m a restaurant manager.
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| Tom Guinney |
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| John Williams |
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