7 February
1968 Larry Mitchell was charged with showing obscene films after a May 29, 1967 raid on a SL Tavern. He was fined $100 which was imposed December 22, 1967. The six pornographic films were stolen from the police's evidence room at the end of Jan. (02/07/68 SLTribune page 32)
1977- The US State Department lifts the ban on the employment of homosexuals.
1978 Tuesday Daily Utah Chronicle's published an article by a former BYU student who asked to have name with held Daily Utah Chronicle, A Guest Opinion “The Misery and suffering of homosexuals at B.Y.U. “ As I sit down to write this letter, I am filled with mixed emotions. The front page article of the Chronicle dated January 31, 1978, affected me so personally that I feel I must write this letter. It will do little good published and yet even if published anonymous letters are not usually treated as seriously, or given the same respect, consideration or authority as those bearing the author's name. But is it worth the risk of probable negative effect on family, friends or career to sign my name to what I am about to write? In response to editorial comments preceding the letter written by the man signing himself L.M.L. and published under the banner " Mormon and Gay " ... I can only say I have no question as to the authenticity of events related in that letter. Sufficient information is presented in that letter to leave little doubt that I was one of those whose lives were affected by L.M.L.'s actions. A decade ago, during the school year 1967-68 I was a senior at Brigham Young University ( B.Y.U.) After successfully completing a Mormon mission, I had returned to B.Y.U. and had completed my sophomore and junior years. My Mormon upbringing had filled me with aversion, remorse, and guilt when it became impossible to avoid recognizing my homosexuality. I had continued at B.Y.U. to live with the knowledge that it would not be desirable or acceptable if the truth were known. And yet wouldn't repentance and a solution to my problem be more difficult on other campuses of the latter 60's with agnostic and atheistic professors and students, student riots, hippies, free love and drugs? Under such conditions would I be able to find a solution or the incentive to overcome my problem? L.M.L. writes of "... the paranoia homosexuals at that institution were by necessity forced to live with." B.Y.U. students were instructed that it was their duty and obligation to inform on any fellow student known or even suspected of not conforming to university standards. Then there were those students assigned by Standards or Housing to inspect the living quarters of other students, even those who lived off campus unless they lived with their families, and report any evidence of non-conformity to standards. Whether or not a spy ring actually existed on campus, there was little reason to be convinced that it didn't. Being gay at B.Y.U. was like being in the CIA or the Communist Party (depending on your point of view). Even before one gay student would introduce two gay friends ( as gay ) without revealing names, he had to give each friend sufficient information about the other to enable the friend to satisfy himself that the other could be trusted and that he could give his permission to be introduced as being gay. In case of parties or get-togethers, the precautions were even more complex. One had to be certain that a new friend was not an informer or a plant. During the school year of 1967-68, given the proper clearance, I was eventually invited to a few parties. Sometimes we played party games, Battleship or the like, but mostly talked. We discussed our school activities, and aspirations. And of course there was the ever present, ever oppressive question," What do we do about our Homosexuality?" If we can change, individually or collectively, how do we live with our homosexuality in the Church most of us loved? Those who had sought professional or ecclesiastical counseling reported that no matter how well intentioned, those consulted were so unknowledgeable, and so unappreciative of the real feelings and problems of the homosexual that little was accomplished and it had been a waste of time. Then came the night of that infamous party. I was casually introduced to someone I did not remember having ever met before. We seemed to have little in common and, as I remember, talked little. Some days later the host asked if I remembered this individual from the party. I was told that someone had turned him in and that he, in turn, had provided a list of names, naming everyone he knew or had met. What happened in the weeks that followed came to be called by those involved as the Witch Hunts of 1968. One by one, students were called into Standards. One by one, students reported their experiences. (One thing the efforts of B.Y.U. accomplished was a breakdown of the previous reticence on the part of gay students to be known by other gays. We had to hang together or hang separately.) It was always the same. The initial approach was the expression of a desire to help. Conditions for remaining at B.Y.U. were their supplying of additional names and the approval of President Kimball (then Elder Kimball.) The request for names was so that all of those with the same problem could be helped. If the student cooperated and supplied a list of names his trip to standards was relatively painless; if not, interrogation procedures were put into effect, threats of immediate expulsion or worse, being confined in a room alone (solitary ) to think about it, a barrage of insistent questions, sometimes from more than one source and the like. Some reported that even after being detained for hours they had still refused to supply additional names only to later seem to disappear from campus, apparently forced to leave so suddenly that friends did not know when they had left or where they had gone. Others reported that to make their visits as brief as possible they had supplied fictitious names or the names of only those they knew had already been reported. Apparently, however, some supplied additional names as the number of those called into Standards steadily grew. L.M.L. writes of "...the hell broke loose in the lives of those I had revealed. Hell such as excommunications, degrees denied, careers interrupted or even ruined, and, perhaps, lives ended.“ This I can verify. Those I knew who were involved were not hippies or the less desirables (except for their homosexuality).These were for the most part Mormon elders very active in their wards. Some had received recognition for the participation in student affairs. A significant number maintained B averages or better through three years of college. There was the ROTC officer who faced not only expulsion but the loss of his commission and career as well as the scholarship which enabled him to go to school at all. There were college seniors who had been promised good positions as management trainees or junior executives upon graduation but who would now have to give up such dreams. Even if one were allowed to graduate what hope did one have when his official school records, open to prospective employers, labeled him as a homosexual? In addition to the personal lives of the students there were also the families to consider. Some were the sons of prominent civic or church leaders in their respective communities and some were even related to a General Authority as I was. Feelings and emotions were especially high since it was reported that our friend had confided in another that he had been promised that if he would supply a list of names he would be allowed to remain in school at least until the end of the term with no difficulties presented if he then wished to transfer to another university or college. If he failed to supply names he would be expelled immediately with a good chance that this would be the end of his college career. Who could feel good about a traitor who would sell out his friends just to save his own skin? There is more I could write, much more, of difficulties encountered in obtaining employment, of the fact that although I was not expelled but chose to leave school at the end of the term without seeing Elder Kimball or attempting to obtain his approval for further studies, B.Y.U. still coded my records so that I could not obtain an official transcript to go to school elsewhere because of a problem with Standards which had not been cleared. In fairness, some months later I discovered that this had been cleared and I could obtain a transcript. B.Y.U. did not notify me of this fact, however, and it was only by accident that I found out. I could write of my personal experiences in seeing no evidence of any desire to help but only to rid the campus of undesirables. But why? Why should I relate the misery and suffering I have both seen and experienced as a result of attitudes such as those expressed by President Kimball and the Mormon Church? My reason for writing this letter was twofold, to say, yes, it did ( and I suppose does ) happen at B.Y.U., that what L.M.L. relates is based on what I know to be fact, and to say to L.M.L. if you are who I have every reason to believe you are, it was all so long ago. I do not know that I can totally forgive and forget. The publication of your letter brought back too many painful memories. Still, I cannot hold you personally responsible. I can only denounce and decry those conditions and circumstances which did and do make such things possible. This is one former B.Y.U. student, at least, from whom you need have no fear of retaliation. ---Name withheld [Donald Attridge]
1978-The Oklahoma State House of Representatives passed a law allowing the school board to fire homosexual teachers or teachers supportive of gay rights. State Rep. John Monks announced that it would cover "both queers and lesbians."
1984-Women Aware met at 20 Jacob Rue. Its meetings were changed to the first Tuesday of the month to help facilitate timely distribution of the newsletter
1988 Wasatch Affirmation held their first of the month pot luck at Crossroads Urban Center .
1989- At Unconditional Support Ray Neilson led the meeting on a discussion of "Ducks" or LDS spies who attend Gay and Lesbian support groups looking for BYU students. “At Unconditional Support there was a really different crowd turned out. There were a lot of men I didn’t know. Derek S didn’t come and Ray Neilson led the meeting on “Ducks”.. At the very beginning I said “I don’t think any body’s name should be discussed here tonight.” It was a pretty good meeting and more upbeat and positive then Affirmation’s meeting. [1988 Journal of Ben Williams]
1991-The first romantic kiss between women on American television was aired on "L.A. Law"
1991-Fenway Community Health Center in Boston reported a 75% increase in anti-gay violence.
1993-A Romanian senator proposed that male homosexuals be put in women's prisons, and lesbians in men's prisons, so that they could be forcibly taught the joy of intercourse with the opposite sex.
1993- Sunday Timothy Heidel, age 51 died of AIDS complications at his home in San Diego. Tim and Terry Scott were proprietors of Timothy's Restaurant, ``Utah's finest restaurant'' (Jay Livingood-Deseret News). Tim and Larry Wood were owners of Heidelwood Grooming. Survived by long-time companion, Terry Scott
1994 The University of Utah’s Women's Resource Center held a sack-lunch seminar, ``A
Gay History for Straight People,'' with Patty Reagan, 293 Union Building.
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| Dr. Patty Reagan |
1996 Wednesday, LAWMAKERS ACCUSED OF GAY-BASHING It began a week ago as a quiet, secret meeting of Utah senators to discuss ways to legally prevent gay and lesbian students at East High School from forming an extracurricular social club. On Tuesday, the broader issue of gay rights exploded in legislators' faces with angry accusations and protests that lawmakers use family values as a forum for gay-bashing. Hundreds of gay rights and civil rights advocates rallied on Capitol Hill, chanting "we will not go back" and castigating conservative lawmakers for trying to push Utah back to an age when women stayed in the kitchen, people of color stayed in the back of buses and gays and lesbians stayed in the closet. The advocates, including the parents of many teenage homosexuals, decried what they called legislative fear-mongering that has created an atmosphere of hate, lies and prejudice ."The constitutional right to free speech should not end at the doors of East High School," said one parent of a gay student. "The constitutional
right of free assembly should not end at the doors of East High School." Kelli Peterson, the East High teenager who petitioned to organize the gay and lesbian club, told cheering supporters she did not start the group to advocate homosexuality or to recruit heterosexual classmates into a homosexual lifestyle. Rather, "I started this group to end the misery and isolation of being gay in high school," she said. West High School student Rachel Bauchman, who brought suit against the Salt Lake City School District two years ago over the singing of what she considered religious songs in the West High choir, denounced the Eagle Forum and conservative legislators who labeled gays and lesbians as perverts." It is Eagle Forum and legislators who themselves are perverts" for bringing misunderstanding and hate into the debate over homosexual clubs in the high schools, she said. Salt Lake City Councilwoman Deeda Seed said children should have the right to grow up in a world where hate is not a family value. "Young people have to know they have the right of freedom of speech," said Seed. "We have to defend the right of students to talk about the important issues of the day." Gay rights advocates used the rally to plead for tolerance and equal treatment from a heterosexual majority. Barbara
Hamilton-Holway, minister of the South Valley Unitarian Universalist Society, unveiled a valentine to legislators reading "love is justice," and she prayed for "love to triumph over hate, love to triumph over lies and love to triumph over fear." However, when the crowd booed the mention of Gayle Ruzicka of the Utah Eagle Forum, Ruzicka, who was watching the rally from a third-floor railing, shouted back "tolerance . . . what about tolerance?" Her words were swallowed by the growing chorus of boos. "It (the rally) proves my point that it is adult homosexuals behind this whole thing (gay rights controversy at East High)," she said. "It proves our point that they are using young people to go into high schools and do their recruiting for them. It ought to be a wake-up call for parents." Senate President Lane Beattie called Tuesday's protest much ado about nothing. "The information given them was in error," he said. "It (last week's secret Senate meeting) was not an anti-gay, anti-lesbian meeting. The meeting was not held to discuss issues they think we discussed." Rather than anti-gay, Beattie said, the Senate is anti-immorality. "That includes heterosexual immorality as well as homosexual immorality. We are not going to allow immorality to be taught or encouraged in our public education system. Period." That appears to be the thrust behind SB246, sponsored by Sen. Craig Taylor, R-Kaysville. The title of the bill - the bill itself has not been printed and is therefore not available for public review - states the measure would "prohibit schools from supporting illegal conduct." Given that lawmakers are already considering a $100 million tax cut, Sen. Charles Stewart, R-Provo, suggested the state might forgo a $100 million tax cut and instead thumb its nose at the federal education money the state receives (currently about $120 million a year). By not accepting the federal money, the state might ignore the federal law that prevents schools from discriminating against certain school clubs. Meanwhile, legislative Democrats and party chairman Mike Zuhl held a closed-door meeting Tuesday morning with leaders of Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats to say the association of the Democratic Party with gay rights hurts the party in Utah. And some Democrats apparently suggested that the organization drop the word "Democrats" from its name - a suggestion that outraged GLUD founder Dave Nelson. "It is not just a cute name. It is a boring name, frankly," Nelson said. "But it is who we are. We are gay and lesbians and we are Democrats. The name Democrat is not theirs and Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats is our registered trademark." To underscore how strongly GLUD feels about a name change, Nelson suggested, hypothetically, that GLUD would drop the Democrat from the name if Democrats would sponsor legislation removing sodomy from Utah's criminal code. Democratic leadership is terrified of the political ramifications of that and flatly refused to tread those waters. Advocating removing the sodomy prohibitions in the law could be detrimental, said House Minority Whip Kelly Atkinson. "Hey, when was the last time anyone in this state was prosecuted under the (sodomy) law? It doesn't happen. It's like polygamy. But you aren't going to win (politically) trying to do away with" the sodomy law, said Atkinson. "We told (GLUD) that we can't let the (Utah Democratic) party be captured, or harmed, by one or two special interest groups and their specific agenda. We (the leaders) won't do that." Atkinson confirmed that a Democratic lawmaker, he declined to name the person, had opened a confidential bill file dealing with removing the prohibition on sodomy from state law. Tuesday was the last day to officially number bills, and Atkinson said that Monday night the sodomy bill file was closed. "To my knowledge, there will be no bill filed changing sodomy law," said Atkinson. Democratic leadership was also concerned over perceived threats that GLUD would campaign to unseat Democrats unsympathetic to gay causes. GLUD activists already claim responsibility for unseating former Democratic Reps. Ted Lewis and Ron Greensides. "We have our agenda, and it should not surprise them we would go after Democrats during the legislative season any more than it should surprise them if we go after a Republican," Nelson said. Democratic leaders were not amused. "When I draw the line is when their advocacy turns to threats," Atkinson said. © 1998 Deseret News Publishing Co.
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| Kelli Peterson |
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| Gail Ruzicka |
1996 DIVIDED THEY'LL STAND AND SPEAK ON CLUBS WHEN SCHOOL BOARD HOLDS PUBLIC HEARING By Marjorie Cortez, Staff Writer Deseret News Published: Wednesday, Feb. 7, 1996 With patrons overflowing the board room, the Salt Lake City Board of Education made but one decision Tuesday night regarding requests to form student gay and lesbian groups on the district's high school campuses: to conduct a public hearing. A hearing has been set tentatively for Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The location not yet been determined, but the school district will provide to the public copies of two policy drafts prior to the meeting.The board is considering two options - to eliminate all non-curriculum groups or to allow all such clubs as prescribed by the federal Equal Access Act and Supreme Court decisions. The board will hear 45 minutes of testimony on each option. Most school board members have indicated they would prefer to retain non-curriculum clubs and work within the law to develop restrictions that would apply to all student groups not tied to a class offered at school. Restrictions could include requiring parental permission to participate in such clubs; requiring disclosure statements from the groups; or restricting access to school media such as the student newspaper, bulletin boards or the public address system. If Tuesday's board meeting is any preview of the upcoming public hearing, the debate will be divided among people who believe the gay/lesbian groups are needed to help young people who are struggling with their sexuality, those who believe allowing the clubs is immoral and those who view the request as a legal issue. Irene Erickson, a parent of two elementary school-age sons, said although two members of her extended family are gay, she believes the homosexual lifestyles are not desirable. "If you allow a homosexual club to form now, what will be happening 10 years from now when my boys are there?" The real issue, she said, "ought to be what is best for
the majority of students." Debra Burrington urged the board to allow the 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." Board member D. Kent Michie said the district should invite Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett as well as Rep. Enid Greene Waldholtz to the hearing since the federal legislation has tied the district's hands in dealing with controversial clubs. Hatch was instrumental in the passage of the federal Equal Access Act, legislation brought at the behest of conservative groups that wanted to form Bible clubs in schools. The East High School Community Council has voted to allow the Gay-Straight Alliance the same privileges as other non-curricular groups. However, the council wants to require parental permission forms of all student groups not directly tied to a class offered at the school.
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| Debra Burrington |
1996: Leading Utah Democrats confronted officers of Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats (GLUD) Tuesday, demanding that the group remove the party label from its name and ease up on its lobbying in the Legislature. The private meeting in the old Senate Rules Committee room lasted two turbulent hours, growing so overheated at one point that GLUD Founder
David Nelson walked out in fury. Nelson later described the meeting as being ``hauled into the woodshed.'' It was just the latest development on Utah's Capitol Hill in what appears to be a swelling tide of political hostility -- or at least frostiness -- toward homosexuals. Tuesday's confrontation, which included minority party leaders from the House and Senate, Utah Democratic Chairman Mike Zuhl and three GLUD representatives, came precisely a week after the Senate conducted a secret, illegal meeting to air accusations of homosexual-promoting activities in public schools. Last week's meeting, including Senate Republicans and Democrats, began with discussion of a gay-student club at East High School, but ranged into emotional charges that schools and universities are promoting a pro-homosexual agenda. ``They're blaming us for their inability to grapple with this issue called East High,'' said Nelson. GLUD Chairman Michael Aaron, who also attended Tuesday's meeting, said the source of friction is ``the Democratic Party has not been willing to stand up for our issues.'' Complaints of the group ranged from Democrats' failure to oppose a Republican bill last year strengthening Utah's ban on same-sex marriage to refusal by the party to sponsor legislation this year liberalizing state anti-sodomy laws. Both sides emerged from the closed-door meeting saying they were in ``negotiations'' over the continued use of ``Utah Democrats'' in the gay group's name and legislative matters. The session was not covered by the open-meetings law because no quorum of an official government body was involved. At one point, Nelson said he asked what GLUD could expect in return if it agreed to give up its name -- for which he obtained a trademark a year ago. Gay constituents want Democrats to sponsor a bill legalizing sodomy in the state. Democrats refused. House Minority Leader Frank Pignanelli, D-Salt Lake City, pointed to Republican-led efforts to curb existing gay rights, adding that now is no time to push for expanded rights. ``You have a Senate that basically wants to eradicate them,'' Pignanelli said. At the same time, Pignanelli said GLUD has threatened to campaign against him, Rep. Loretta Baca, D-Salt Lake City, and other urban Democrats if they will not cooperate on legislation. ``Right now it's a time for defense, and threatening and intimidating friends is not the best way to do that,'' Pignanelli said. ``Our concern with GLUD is GLUD. We're expressing concern with the organization. It is not an attack on gay rights or anything like that.' Last year, House Minority Whip Kelly Atkinson, D-West Jordan, angered gay groups by saying the party needed to end the perception that it was controlled by ``fringe groups'' such as gay- and abortion-rights groups. Atkinson, who later apologized, said Tuesday that despite efforts to establish the party's independence from ``controversial issue groups,'' Democrats remain committed to human rights. ``This party stands very firmly and strongly for . . . people not being discriminated against or bashed,'' Atkinson said. ``Sometimes our message is diluted because we're the party of inclusion,'' he added. ``I'm not saying we should be the party of exclusion.'' Democratic Chairman Zuhl said the party stands firmly on its tradition of diversity. ``I don't think anyone here is disavowing support of gays and lesbians or any group,'' Zuhl said. ``We are a party that welcomes different philosophies. We welcome people from all walks of life.'' That ``big tent'' stance has cost Democrats at times in conservative Utah, he said, especially when Republicans attempt to portray their political opponents as puppets of special-interest groups, including homosexuals. ``It's outrageous politics,'' said Zuhl, ``but it works.'' (02/07/96 Page: A1 SLTribune) -TOPIC-GAY POLITICS- During the 1996 legislative session several leading Democratic legislators asked The Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats to change its name. The office holders said continued public activity by the group-and the use of “Democrat” in its name- was hurting their efforts to a broader political base. ( SL Tribune B4-6 Nov 1996)
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| David Nelson |
1996 Wednesday, GAY STUDENT CLUBS DIVIDED THEY'LL STAND AND SPEAK ON CLUBS WHEN SCHOOL BOARD HOLDS PUBLIC HEARING By Marjorie Cortez, Staff Writer With patrons overflowing the board room, the Salt Lake City Board of Education made but one decision Tuesday night regarding requests to form student gay and lesbian groups on the district's high school campuses: to conduct a public hearing. A hearing has been set tentatively for Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The location not yet been determined, but the school district will provide to the public copies of two policy drafts prior tothe meeting. The board is considering two options - to eliminate all non-curriculum groups or to allow all such clubs as prescribed by the federal Equal Access Act and Supreme Court decisions. The board will hear 45 minutes of testimony on each option. Most school board members have indicated they would prefer to retain non-curriculum clubs and work within the law to develop restrictions that would apply to all student groups not tied to a class offered at school. Restrictions could include requiring parental permission to participate in such clubs; requiring disclosure statements from the groups; or restricting access to school media such as the student newspaper, bulletin boards or the public address system. If Tuesday's board meeting is any preview of the upcoming public hearing, the debate will be divided among people who believe the gay/lesbian groups are needed to help young people who are struggling with their sexuality, those who believe allowing the clubs is immoral and those who view the request as a legal issue. Irene Erickson, a parent of two elementary school-age sons, said although two members of her extended family are gay, she believes the homosexual lifestyles are not desirable. "If you allow a homosexual club to form now, what will be happening 10 years from now when my boys are there?" The real issue, she said, "ought to be what is best for the majority of students." Debra Burrington urged the board to allow the students to form homosexual support groups to help reduce the disproportionately high rate of suicide among gay and lesbian youths. Homosexual youthsare 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." Board member D. Kent Michie said the district should invite Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett as well as Rep. Enid Greene Waldholtz to the hearing since the federal legislation has tied the district's hands in dealing with controversial clubs. Hatch was instrumental in the passage of the federal Equal Access Act, legislation brought at the behest of conservative groups that wanted to form Bible clubs in schools. The East High School Community Council has voted to allow the Gay-Straight Alliance the same privileges as other non-curricular groups. However, the council wants to require parental permission forms of all student groups not directly tied to a class offered at the school. © 1998 Deseret News Publishing Co
1996-In Denver Colorado a state senate committee voted 7-2 in favor of approving a hate crimes bill including sexual orientation.
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| Stan Penfold |
1999- Three men Brian E. Hitt, 25, Scott Presley, 22, and Jason Millard, 25, attacked two outside the Sun Club at 200 South and 700 West. Presley punched one of the men several times in the chest and face, and Millard hit the other victim multiple times in the face. The executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah Doug Wotham "The attack doesn't surprise me; it's certainly something that has gone on forever
2004- Morning all...On Gay.com's movie review of "Latter Days" (they dismissed the movie as cliche) there is an interesting Google link at the bottom of the page. Based on their word search engine the related links go to the Deseret Book web site...an LDS Singles web site, and an LDS Internet Filter. How wonderfully ironic. I wonder if Deseret Book can get me a price match on Manhandler Magazine? Fergie [Donald Steward]
2004 Saturday night at 8p at Bon Wood 2500 So. Main the UGRA is having a bowling night.
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| Scott McCoy |
2005 Subject: Aimee S. on 890 KDXU w/ Lavar Christiansen Aimee Selfridge (Little Aimee) will be on 890 KDXU on Wednesday Febuary 9th at 9:30 am discussing SB89 with Lavar Christensen. If anyone has any "pointers" to offer, please let me know.
- Mon Feb 7, 2005 Subject: Aimee S. on 890 KDXU w/ Lavar Christiansen All I know is he's frightened of us, he is afraid that we are anti-family and obviously doesn't know anyone who is gay or lesbian. I'd like someone to ask him "when did Gays & Lesbians become anti-family?" I keep hearing right-wing religionists say they are "Pro-Family" and Gays & Lesbians are not. I'm confused because I know thousand of GLBT people who are completely and totally "Pro-Family." Perhaps we need to start a new organizations called "Gays & Lesbians for Pro-Family?" Ask Lavar if he's against Gays and Lesbians being part of any family? Let him know that, by telling our community that we can only be pro-family if we are Mormon or some other Christian Religion then, he is in-fact anti-family. We need to take back the term "family" and put it into our own community. I have to ask who will be the next target? I'm wondering if he would target the Jewish Community for not being Christians and start excluding them from this deranged "pro-family" movement? Sounds reminiscent of the Nazi Movement doesn't it? My best to you, James Hicks
2005 Subject: Hate Crimes Legislation (SB 161) Ladies and Gentlemen, Tomorrow morning
Tuesday Feb. 8th, SB161, "Criminal Code Amendments Bill" will be heard and voted on in the Judiciary, Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice Committee. Please help if you can: First: if you live in Senate District 9, Senator Al Mansell, or Senate District 18, Senator David Thomas, contact YOUR senator and ask him to vote to allow this bill to be heard by the full Senate. When you contact them be cordial and polite, remember, this bill is being sponsored by Senators Karen Hale(D) and Greg Bell(R). Second: if you can attend the hearing, it begins at 8:00 AM in committee room WEST 130. Thanks to all of you who can help. And remember, you didn't have to had voted for them,
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| Mike Picardi |
they are still your senators!! Mike Picardi
2005 LHS Gay-Straight Alliance officers speak out By Carrie Brown High school is a difficult time for many kids. But Jordan Davis and Miranda Trostle, two student officers of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Logan High School, say the stress is amplified for students who have alternative sexual preferences, and even for GSA members who are straight but support the club's goals. Physical assault, name calling, discrimination and other hate-related behavior are a few of the things members of Logan High School's GSA club deal with on a daily basis, they say. In July 2003, after some controversy, the GSA club was approved at the school. School officials determined that denying the club would be against federal law. According to the federal Equal Access Act, if a school allows any club whose purpose is not directly related to the school's curriculum to meet on school grounds, it cannot deny other groups the same access based on the content of their proposed discussions. Now in its second year, the GSA club continues to battle for mere tolerance, members say. On Wednesday, Davis and Trostle talked about the club's activities this year, the reception it's getting and a recent situation in which the GSA was barred from making a video presentation at the school's diversity week assembly. Q: How many members do you have in your club? JD: On a good day about 30. A lot of (it) just depends, but at the beginning of the year and on our roster we have about 30, and then at the meetings we have about 15 to 20. Q: I understand there's a mixed population in your club. How many are gay, lesbian, straight or bisexual? JD: Our club is actually a predominantly straight group. We do have a few who associate themselves as gay and a few that associate themselves as bisexual, but we try not to infringe on their personal ... so we don't really ask people, "Are you gay?" or, "Are you straight?" And a lot of them are just, they don't know. They're questioning. They're just trying to figure out who they are. It's a very small (gay) percentage, like I would say maybe 10 percent, if that. Like I said, it's predominantly straight, and so a lot of them are just trying to make friends and teach tolerance. Q: How often does your club meet? JD: We try to meet every Monday. Q: What are some of the activities or events that you've organized? MT: This year we had Transgender Day of Remembrance, and we did sort of like a week-long thing where we had different activities. We had a candlelight vigil. JD: It's just to honor those who've died from hate crimes for being transgendered or gay or bisexual. For instance, Matthew Sheppard. But there are quite a lot of people who have (died), so we did hold a candlelight vigil in their honor. We did a panel where we had homosexual people from USU come, and we invited the whole school to come in and they answered questions and they talked about how it was to be in high school and the troubles they faced. It was one of those things where we wanted to get everybody educated, but again it's hard because you can't force them to come. I tried to focus on all of the groups, but the actual day, I think, was the 18th of October ... and that day is specifically to honor transgender people. Q: What other activities do you have? JD: Coming up in April (13) we have the National Day of Silence, and that again is to honor gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people who have been silenced by discrimination, and so for a whole day the group goes silent. You start in the morning, and you're silent all day, and then you have a breaking of the silence at the end of the day. We have (also) started preparation on a language policy proposal for the school. Q: What do you mean by a language policy proposal? JD: To bar hate language. There's not really a policy in our school constitution, I guess you could call it, that really focuses on hate language, and it's a pretty big deal at Logan because hate language is used pretty widely spread. So we're trying to get that passed so everyone knows that's not OK. Q: So what's the whole focus of the club? JD: Our mission statement is to have a group where people who do feel discriminated against because they are bisexual or transgender or whatever, to come and have a support group for them. It's also to spread education and tolerance throughout the school so there's not such a barrier between those groups of people. Q: Now there was some controversy when the club was first started. How has the reception been on campus among students, teachers and administrators? MT: Half the people at Logan high now are used to it (the club). So I think it was harder last year because it was something new, and we were sort of trying to establish ourselves as a club. JD: It's still a problem. We definitely have an issue with, again, with the language. You can walk down the hall and be called certain names just because you are in the club regardless of whether they know if you're straight or bisexual or whatever. There have been instances of pushing in the hallway. They just walk by and shove them, so that's an issue. One of my issues is that a lot of times faculty will just turn their heads. Like in the classroom, occasionally you'll hear a word -- such as a hate language word toward the homosexual community -- and nothing will be said, you know. But then if you hear a racial term it's a completely different situation. It's automatically like you can't say that. So one of the things with the language policy proposal is we're trying to get people aware that it's just as big of an issue. Q: So do you think the majority of the problems come from student-to-student interaction with club members? JD: Yeah, mostly from there. There is some hostility, I think, between faculty and the actual club. You know, it's not voiced and it's not as physical, I guess, as the student-to-student interaction, but there's definitely a tension there. Q: What about administrators? How's the reception there? MT: Well, they sort of pay lip service to it (the club). They'll say that they support us, but then they will "forget" to propose the language policy at the board meeting. ... In some ways it's worse because you can't say, "Oh, you're not supporting us." Because they'll say, "Oh yeah, we support you all the time." JD: Well it's like they build you up right before. Like right before the video (at the Diversity Week assembly). They build you up and get you to where you think, "This is good and they want to help us." It's kind of been the typical situation throughout this year. It's like you get up to that point where it's right there and it's the brink of when it's got to happen and then it's not OK. Q: Have you expressed your frustration to administrators? JD: Every time I set up a meeting, unless I just walk in there, it seems like the administrators are not there. ... I haven't really voiced my opinion necessarily quite yet. I'm waiting for the right time. ... Our moms have been great supporters to us. As far as community, the community doesn't really know a lot about us, either, and what we're doing. Q: Tell me about this video. How did it get started and what happened with it? JD: Well, there's an assembly in January every year, and it used to be called the Multicultural Assembly. In about October or November, I think, I went in to the administration and asked for them to change the name to Diversity Assembly and to allow us -- the GSA -- to have a spot in the assembly each year. Because before it was just like the multicultural club. It was another place for us to get our mission statement out there and let them know what our beliefs were. Q: And they agree to let, allow, you to be in the assembly? JD: They agreed and they changed the name (of the assembly). Q: Who did you have to ask? JD: I went and talked to (Principal) Pat Hansen, and I had a meeting with her. That was about the same time I went to talk to her about the (language) policy proposal. And then I guess it was two weeks before Christmas break that I ran into the person in charge of the Multicultural Assembly, Mr. Frank Schofield. And I told him kind of the storyboard of the video and that we would like to be part of it and he said, "That's great." I didn't go into details, but I did tell him that we were going to show different sources of discrimination and he said, "That's great, sounds good." At the time, he didn't mention anything about how he wanted the video to be. So over Christmas break I made a rough draft of the video, showed it to the Gay-Straight Alliance after Christmas break was over and they really liked it. I changed a couple things, just timing on the pictures and stuff. And we (the club) decided that we wanted audio. So I wrote up a couple of questions, and we interviewed five different teachers, one of them being the principal, and we recorded her voice and were going to play it over the video. Q: What were the questions like? JD: The video started out with four or five pictures of the Holocaust, four or five pictures of the Ku Klux Klan. Then it moved into the Civil Rights movement. You know, just to show that these people had been liberated. Then it moved to instances like we had a picture of Matthew Sheppard, and I put in a gay pride parade (photo) in there. Then I put up a summary of (Utah Constitutional) Amendment 3, and I put the Logan High Gay-Straight Alliance mission statement on there. ... At the end I had a picture of a bunch of different types of people ... and they were hugging and holding hands and everything was happy. The audio questions were like: "What do you feel the Civil Rights movement did for America? Do you feel we have discrimination in our society today? And stuff like that. So it wasn't necessarily like an extremely negative video, and it wasn't accusatory. So then, it was a couple of weeks until they had faculty meeting on Jan. 14, which was where they were supposed to present the (language) policy proposal. I went to talk to Pat Hansen and interview her for her question that morning because she was going out of town. I reminded her about the proposal because she was going out of town to Arizona State University with the debate team. So when she got back I talked with her again about the video. And we had to audition for the assembly. So I showed Mr. Schofield my questions, I told him again about the video, and I dropped off a video for him. This was on the 17th, I believe. ... Then he took one of the videos up to the administration. The morning of the assembly I went to talk to him again to see if he had approved it and if it was OK and he said, "Yeah, you're excused second hour so we can get set up." So I went to first hour and I was sitting in class. Then the teacher gets a phone call and it was Mrs. Hansen and she asked if I could come up to the office. So I did. They (administrators and the GSA club advisor) were having problems getting it to play on the laptop, which is what we'd have to use to show it. So they decided to view it again ... on just the regular computer. And then they were like, "Jordan, why don't you go get the computer guy to come up here and try and play this on the laptop." ... When I came back I could definitely tell that they were talking about me when I walked in the room. I walked in and sat down. ... Then Pat Hansen was like, "Well, I don't think we're going to show the video." And this was five minutes before second hour, which was when we were supposed to set up (for the assembly). Needless to say, I was extremely upset because up until that time they had told me that I was in the assembly. Q: Did they give you a reasons why it couldn't be shown? JD: I think that's what they were talking about when I came back in, and Pat just looked at me and said, "You know, I just don't think it goes with the assembly." She gave me a couple reasons. ... The audio clarity was kind of bad, and I told them that we didn't necessarily need to play the audio because I had meant the video to be silent when I first made it. And so then one of their (other) excuses was ... one of the speeches was about standing up for what you believe in, and it was playing during the Ku Klux Klan pictures and people said that they might think that we were for the Ku Klux Klan. ... Another reason they said was because the assembly was to celebrate diversity, and I understand that completely. There were some pictures in there that were completely about celebrating diversity, but then there were others that weren't. I understand that aspect of it, but what I don't understand is how they had viewed it before and told me that I was in the assembly that morning. I had a speech prepared afterward that was welcoming everyone to come to our meetings ... so the end was extremely uplifting. It was kind of like, in my opinion, just a sneaky way of not letting us be in the assembly. In my opinion, as of now, the gay and lesbian community doesn't really have a lot to celebrate. You know ... like Amendment 3 and especially during that time it was like, "What rights do we have that would make us want to celebrate?" MT: It was just so disrespectful. I mean, we all saw how stressed out she was. I just think it's so ridiculous, and one of the problems at Logan high is lots of people don't know what the GSA is for ... that's what our surveys tell us. And our mission statement, like Jordan said, was in the video, and I think that would eliminate a lot of problems. Q: How long do you think it took you to prepare the video and your speech? JD: Forever. It probably took me about two months to prepare everything and get everything perfect. Q: Do you get any kind of support from the national Gay-Straight Alliance? JD: The Gay, Lesbian Education Student Network, or GLESN (pronounced glisten), have helped us a lot. They've sent us a lot of resources. They notify of us of when events are coming up. ... Also, on the national level there's a man -- he doesn't really have a whole lot to do with any certain network -- but he was very supportive. And I wrote a grant and he funded us $500 at the beginning of the year to help throughout the year. I wrote it at the beginning of August and we got it in September. Q: So you don't really have any legal backing or defense as far as school issues that may come up? JD: Well, definitely if we had a really big issue and we were to contact GLESN about it, or there are a number of organizations that are just specifically targeted to Gay-Straight Alliances and they have legal document after legal document and they'll call you and say, "This isn't legal, and here's the evidence." MT: When the club was trying to get started the school or the district said, "No, you can't be a club." And then the ACLU stepped in because it's illegal to disallow a GSA if it's requested legitimately. So, our friends -- Mark Sailor and Jessica Liddell (former club president and vice president) -- they got a lawyer from the ACLU that helped them out. JD: And I've been in contact with the ACLU ... just because they really are interested in what issues we are facing. Q: You mentioned some members getting pushed around. Have there been any other incidents where club members have been subject to harassment? JD: We have a member right now who feels discrimination quite heavily every day. And the Gay-Straight Alliance has definitely been a place for her to be able to voice that opinion and let people know that what they're doing to her is not OK. Horrible names get yelled at her. She gets pushed. She gets punched. Last year, one of the founders actually, Jessica Liddell, got hit in the face with a water balloon and got called some names while that was happening. They may not be as severe, like there's no killing, but they are important and they are out there. Q: It was said when the club was first started that there was a real need for a GSA at Logan High School -- especially due to some of the school and community perceptions, beliefs or attitudes. Do you think that your club and its members have been successful in changing some of those things? JD: It's happening very slowly. But they need to know who we are. A lot of people who come into the school as freshmen or sophomores don't really know what the club's about. ... The big issue, I think, is education because a lot of people are ignorant to the issue. The problem is, how do we get everyone in the room because we can't really be like this is mandatory unless it's approved by the administration. ... But until we have an extended period of time where we can educate them on the issue, I think it's definitely going to keep going slowly. We have had more people warm up to us, I believe, and a lot of people who last year were not so favorable to the club are accepting of us and realize that what we're doing is not necessarily to change their beliefs but to ask them to help us in our struggle. Q: This is the only high school in the valley with a GSA. Have you heard about any efforts to start chapters in any of the other two high schools? JD: There was effort about two or three years ago, before our Gay-Straight Alliance started, at Mountain Crest, I believe. It got shot down, and they (students) didn't really fight for it after that. The problem with starting other chapters is there has to be a big enough interest group at the school, and in Cache Valley the interest group isn't that large. ... A couple students from other high schools actually come to our club because they don't have one. Like people from Fast Forward will come or South Campus and some from Mountain Crest. We'll (usually) have one or two kids from different high schools that come in. ... I haven't heard if anyone from Sky View that's been interested, but I haven't been in contact there. Q: Some people reading this in a primarily conservative Cache Valley might say, "Those kids are participating in something that's morally wrong, and they are just confused." What would your response be to that? MT: Well, that's what we're trying to fight, because people are allowed to have their beliefs, but not if it's at the expense of someone's freedom, you know. If someone is being discriminated against, that's what we're trying to stop really. We're not trying to turn people gay or anything; we're just trying to educate people to make them more tolerant. JD: A good example that I like to bring up a lot of times is interracial marriages. When the whole civil rights movement was going on people were extremely opposed to having interracial relationships and marriages. And interracial couples were not allowed to get married for a long time. I try to bring this up to people like it's the same thing. Interracial couples are now allowed to get married, but there's still this other group of people that can't have the life they want and they can't adopt children and they can't get married. And now with Amendment 3, they can't visit their partner in the hospital or take care of their estate or funeral arrangements or whatever. And it's like you're taking away the Bill of Rights. You're taking away everything that they have that they need. It's everybody's American dream to be married and have the life that they want, and they can't have that. Q: Is there anything that we haven't talked about as far as the status of the club this year or how things are going for the GSA? JD: Well, we definitely want to keep building the club just because the more people and the more support we have, the easier it'll be to educate. But like we said, we aren't trying to change people's beliefs. We're just asking for their support and their tolerance. And we're not asking them to be gay. We just want support.
2006 Winter Political Rally ~ Plaza at the state capital ~ WINTERFEST POLITICAL RALLY at the State Capital Tuesday, Feb. 7th 6:00 PM ~ Outdoors, So Dress Warm Our Winterfest theme, “Love American Style,” is an inclusive theme! At the height of Utah’s annual 45-day legislative session our theme is more relevant than ever. Tomorrow, February 7th, after a day of lobbying by Equality Utah, The Stonewall Democrats, and The Log Cabin Republicans, GLBT individuals, families, friends, and allies are invited to gather and unite for the Winterfest Political Rally. We hope you will join us at this important gathering on the Plaza directly behind the main capitol building and between the East and West Wing additions. We promise our speakers will be brief because of the outdoor location however, the impact of informing the public about our political concerns during this crucial time of year cannot be underestimated!Our agenda, irrespective of political party, is a continued push for respect and equality for members our community and our families. Please bring your families, friends, co-workers and everyone around you who supports full equality for the many wonderful types of love that make our country and state great! ~The Winterfest Political Rally is being graciously underwritten by HRC~
2007 City Library Auditorium, 210 East 400 South. Cost: Free. METH is a new film exploring the rising wave of crystal methamphetamine use within the gay population. The documentary takes an unflinching, provocative look at past and present gay users. Ahlberg gained remarkable access to their lives, their drug use (shown with unnerving candor onscreen), and even a "party and play" sex event popular among users. The result is a candid, judge-for-yourself take on the topic. For mature audiences only.After the screening there will be a Q & A. Visit http://www.utahaids .org/meth for more information. METH is being shown in conjunction with the 2nd National Conference
2009 Legislature: Another gay-rights bill goes down Another Common Ground gay-rights bill has died. But this one wasn't killed by opposing state lawmakers - it was done in by the sponsor herself. Rep. Jackie Biskupski, D-Salt Lake City, pulled a measure Friday that would have sought voter approval to repeal a portion of Utah's gay-marriage ban (known as Amendment 3) to avoid confusion about which protections are the legal equivalent of marriage. Author: JEREMIAH STETTLER The Salt Lake Tribune
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