This Day In Utah Gay History March 27th

27 March 

1857 - Brigham Young permits a woman to select faithful elders to act as "proxy" to father children for her sexually impotent living husband. Young performs polyandrous ceremony "for time," and the relationship lasts for several years producing two sons, (1858, 1861). Mother's legal husband raises boys with her, and later tells them he loves them as much as if they were his natural sons. Both boys grow up to become devoted Mormons and polygamists. This is last known case of authorized polyandry.

1894 Random References John Mason was arrested last evening on a charge of indecent exposure, and he will answer in Justie Bagley’s court today. The Standard, Ogden Utah

• 28 March 1894 Tom Mason who was arrested Monday for indecent exposure was tried yesterday and fined $5.00 which he failed to pay and was committed for five days. The Standard Utah Ogden.

1964 Friday-Police arrested a man accused on molesting women at Rancho Lanes a bowling alley located at 641 West North Temple. Upon his person was found $320 worth of counterfeit bills as well as “several pictures of nude men and women and a publication depicting life in a nudist colony”. (03/27/64 page B1 col.5 SLTribune)

Larry

1976-Saturday “About noon Larry came over looking super depressed. He said to me ‘Ben I ain’t going to make it’.  I took him into my bedroom where we could talk in private. He said that he was picked up at the Pleasant Grove rest stop and was turned into security. In the bedroom Larry then told me that he swallowed a bottle of aspirin about 100 of them and had come over here to pass out and to be near me.  I was stunned.  My worse fears were realized.  My first reaction was not to believe it.  He wouldn’t actually commit suicide but I knew that he had tried.  I started to cry until I could get a hold of myself and start thinking what to do.  He would not let me call Utah Valley Hospital and struggled to leave when he thought I was going to call.  He’s 6’4” and we struggled some to keep him from leaving until I convinced him that I would not do anything which might drive him away.  He finally said that I could call Dr. Jenkins, the school psychiatrist but that was no help because he wasn’t in the office. I called my Branch President Paul Thompson but he was at the temple.  My roommates Mike and Terry knew something desperate was up but avoided the situation and separated from it not wanting to get involved.  I was frantic.  It didn’t seem real like a fantasy but it was too deadly real.  Finally I convinced him to walk with me outside hoping to keep him awake and we walked about a mile in the blowing snow.  I was hoping the cold and the exercise might help.  I didn’t know what to do and I felt so helpless. Finally he agreed to go for a drive up the canyon where he was hoping to die there but I thought I could rush him to the hospital when he became too weak to resist any longer which I did at 4:00 p.m. when he started to get violently sick.  His ears were ringing, stomach cramping, and eyes dilating. I entered him through the emergency and told them that he had an overdose of medicine and they promptly gave his ipecac to throw up.  From 4:30 to 6:30 he was heaving blood and everything while I paced out side, my mind in a daze. After he had thrown so much up they said they’d have to admit him to the hospital and keep him over night because so much aspirin had been absorbed already.  There was nothing more I could do but go tell his wife that he was in the hospital. Mike my roommate drove Larry’s car down to Springville and I told his wife that Larry was in the hospital because of some reaction to some medicine.  I then went back to the hospital to be with Larry.  His wife came down about 7:30 and stayed until about 8:00.  I told her that if there’s anything I can do to help please let me. Larry’s nurse asked me to stay by Larry’s side since his wife had left so I did until 11:00 when they made me leave.  I wiped the sweat from his burning forehead as the aspirin burned through his system.  Nobody came to see Larry but his wife, BYU security, and a BYU psychiatrist. No friends, no Bishop, or Elder Quorum President”. Writes  a BYU student in his journal.

James Kepner

1984  Keynote address for the Lesbian and Gay Student Union  Conference ’85 was given by James Kepner director of the National Gay and Lesbian Archives in Hollywood

1987-In Newsweek magazine a reviewer of the Oxford English Dictionary complained that homosexuals have irrevocably damaged the word "Gay."

Curtis Jensen aka Marlene Lovebird

1987- Curtis Jensen, a member of the Utah planning committee of the Mountain and Desert States Conference, raised funds by sponsoring  a drag show at Backstreet and by selling rubber stamps that read GAY $.(74) Curtis Jensen, Greg Harden, and David Waters form the Lovebirds, a drag group lip synching old girl group songs from the 1960’s. (155)

1992 Utah health officials said that 500 AIDS cases have

been reported in the state since1983. Of those cases, 303 people have died. So far this year, about 20 new AIDS cases have been reported..  ``It took almost 4 1/2 years to record the first 100 cases; 18 months more to reach 200 cases; an additional 13 months for 300 cases; 11 months more for 400 cases; and just eight additional months to reach 500 cases,'' said Geoff Wertzberger, director of the Utah Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control. So far, 669 HIV infections have been reported in Utah. The Health Department estimates there are 2,500 to 4,000 Utah residents who are infected with HIV. (03/27/92  Page: A7 SLTribune)

1

John Bennett

995-John Bennett executive director of the Utah Stonewall Center and Sen. Bob Bennett's nephew interviewed in the Salt Lake Tribune. “Some people want Utah Stonewall Center to hold poetry readings. Others just want to flop on the worn couches and channel surf. John Bennett wants the gay and lesbian community center to serve both functions and more. ``We need to have it be all things as much as possible,'' says the new executive director. The soft-spoken executive director has been active in the community virtually since he came out at the University of Utah.  Bennett, 32, has worked with Lesbian and  Gay Student Union, AIDS Project Utah and the Gay and Lesbian Community  Council of Utah. For three years, he played piano for the Salt Lake Men's Choir and in 1993 founded The Lesbian and Gay Chorus of Salt Lake City.  And yes, Bennett is Sen. Bob Bennett's nephew. While he can get the senator's ear, they rarely agree. ``I am a registered Democrat,'' he says. ``He is a conservative Republican. This is an ideological gulf that would be difficult to cross.'' Bennett subscribes to the theory that the best cure for prejudice is for homosexuals to disclose their orientation. Bennett was fortunate. His parents were understanding when he told them. ``They wished they had known when I was an adolescent so they would have made those years easier for me,'' says Bennett. ``That was a pretty remarkable thing for them to say.'' (SLTRIBUNE  03-27-95 Page: D2)

1995  Page: J6 AND THE WINNER IS ... R.S.V.P.: GOOD PEOPLE, GOOD CAUSES Byline: By Judy Magid -- Utah Aids Foundation -- S'PLORE: Adventure Therapy Wildly costumed dancers Erick Brito and Vivian Contrera in feathers and spangles were doing the samba when the first of more than 1,400 guests walked through the doors for BRAZIL!, the fourth annual Oscar Night Gala presented by the Utah AIDS Foundation.  ``The event was paid for before we opened the doors. Everything [from tonight's event] goes to critical-care services,'' said John Johnson, development coordinator. The March 27 event netted close to $60,000. Guests strolled under rainbows of balloons in the Salt Palace exhibit hall, and through flower arrangements contributed by Salt Lake-area florists. While some corporate tables were reserved, most people gathered at small tables in front of strategically placed television sets. Food and drink from a dozen and a half eateries and caterers ranged from lip-smarting chicken wings to potstickers, ravioli, smoked-salmon rolls and salsa. Latecomers had to stand in line, but they got to watch the Academy Award presentations. Early-arriving guests Sam and Rebecca Guevara, Paul Fraughton and Patti Palmer, and Scott and Kris Hale watched David Northfield and Mary Sawyers of 4Utah begin the Academy of Friends Awards.  The Michael L. Elliott Award for Volunteer of the Year went to John and Carol Huffman. Benefactors of the Year were Rob Schmidt and Brent Moosman; and the Best Foundation Award went to Bruce W. Bastian and the BWB Charitable Trust.    Gastronomy Inc. was named Corporation of the Year, with Best Supporting Cast awarded to the US WEST team. Diane Clark and Joe Pitti were recognized for the Most Committed Support; the Best Collaborative Effort award went to The Royal Court. Larry Lee received an award for the Most Original Support, developing gardens providing produce for the Utah AIDS Foundation Food Bank. Kristen Ries, a doctor specializing in the care of AIDS patients, presented Lee's award. Other presenters included executive director   Barbara Shaw; foundation board president Sudhir Amembal; George Miller, vice president; Kim Segal, secretary; and board members Jill Andrews, Linda Hamilton, Jon Christensen and Sharon Loya. Among dozens of prizes were two tickets to ``Phantom of the Opera,'' with an overnight stay at the Marriott in San Francisco and round-trip airfare. Someone won 12 games of bowling at the Bonwood Bowl and five CDs from Raspberry Records. Bill Balkin attended, as did Dawn Leavitt, Deanna Foxley, Julie Mayhew, Bill Loya, Tom Seig, Merlin Olsen and Nancy Sauder with daughter Kendra Sauder. Salt Lake County Commissioners Randy Horiuchi and Brent Overson stopped by. Kate Palmer was there along with Jodee Young, Barbara Bills, Pam Scarpelli, Tahna Clyde, Verna Randall, Doug and Jody Adams, Cindy Taylor, Susan Tillman, Maxine and Marvin Turner, Don R. Austin, Brett Clifford, Janet Lund, Virginia Rainey, Betsy Baker, Chad Smith, Dell Larsen, Maggie Snyder and Frank   Shaw.

  

1995 Salt Lake Tribune Prints A Brief History of Lesbians and Gays in Utah from information supplied by Ben Williams.(03/27/95 Page D2: The Salt Lake Tribune Graphic) First History of the Gay Community published in the media.

1995  FIGHT FOR GAY RIGHTS CAN BE EXHAUSTING GAY ACTIVISM STANDS AT CROSSROADS?  By Lili Wright -Page: D1 SLTribune) Kathy Worthington is moving from Utah and will no longer publish `Womyn's Community News,'' a paper for lesbians. Four years ago, Kathy Worthington used her $1,500 income-tax refund to launch a monthly newsletter about lesbians. It was to be a tasteful

Kathy Worthington & Sara Hamblin 

publication, no girly jokes or racy personals. Solid journalism about events and issues. Since then, the Womyn's Community News has grown to 32 pages, attracting 1,000 readers from Seattle to Bridgeport, Conn. Worthington estimates she has spent more than $15,000 and thousands of hours on the newsletter. She once told her future partner, Sara Hamblin, that she was ``married to this publication.''  This month, the last issue is on the stands. Worthington and Hamblin are moving out of state. But a new publication, Labrys, is ready to take its place. And that, Worthington maintains, is proof that gay and lesbians have come into their own in Utah. `This is a watershed time,'' says Worthington. ``Now when leaders move on, there is not only one person, but several people waiting to take their place. People used to think it was frightening to be a gay or lesbian leader. Now more people are coming forward and saying, `I'll do that.' '' The past year has put this theory to the test. High-profile leaders have stepped down from the Utah chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Utah Stonewall Center, the Utah AIDS Foundation and Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats (GLUD). Community leaders call the rash of departures coincidental. Activists or their partners got jobs elsewhere, or their priorities changed. But there's another issue at play, a complex confluence of issues and emotions known as burn out. Long hours, lousy pay or none at all, and emotional pressures can wear down even the most zealous crusaders. Unlike the Junior League or Sierra Club, gay leaders must defend their personal lives and morality.

Dale Sorenson 

``Out'' activists -- those who publicly acknowledge their sexual orientation -- have the added burden of being the public face for thousands who live in silence. Many gays are quick to criticize but slow to pitch in. GLUD activist Dale Sorenson used to revel in being among reporters' first calls for response to gay issues. ``For four years, I was the No. 1 queer in all the Rolodexes,'' recalls Sorenson, Utah's first openly gay Democratic National Convention delegate. ``It was fun, but it got really tiring after a while. I had work and activism and that was my whole life. I wrecked a couple relationships. I was doing it because I felt I had to, because no one else was. I saw them as worthy causes and could not let them go.'' The pride Sorenson felt when strangers thanked him for being out eventually turned to bitterness. ``If you don't come out,'' he used to tell people, ``nothing I do matters.'' Exhausted, Sorenson moved last fall to Manhattan. AIDS has also gutted leadership. Several influential gay leaders are among the 600 people who have died of AIDS in Utah, including David Sharpton, founder of the Utah People with AIDS Coalition, and John Sassaman, the first chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Community Council. For survivors, the cause can become emotionally overwhelming. At the Utah AIDS Foundation, Rick Pace watched young people fight not only the disease but the stigma, discrimination and insurance battles. Then there were the funeral announcements, two or three a week. ``You just keep getting punched and punched and punched and after a while you don't want to get punched anymore,'' says Pace, who recently resigned. ``You become battle-weary.'' By most accounts, the modern gay rights movement began in Greenwich Village in 1969, when homosexuals fought police for three days in what became known as the Stonewall riots. But in Utah during the '70s and '80s, the movement was sporadic. A community center opened in 1975, only to close a year later. Activists rallied behind issues, then receded into the shadows. That began to change in the mid-1980s. Since then, the community has steadily grown and entrenched. Dozens of social and political groups have formed, and the community is now diverse enough for dissent. Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians each have organizations. There are two performing choruses. By some measures, Utah is less hostile to homosexuals than other states. Worthington says she has never received a hate call. The only vandalism to the Stonewall Center, which is boldly decorated with pink trim and rainbow flags, was a robbery committed by someone who knew the access code. Still, Utah gays and lesbians lack the basic civil rights afforded most citizens. They can be fired or evicted because of their sexual orientation. Salt Lake County and the University of Utah are two exceptions. Furthermore, no Utah elected official is openly gay. And the overwhelmingly Republican Legislature could hardly be called gay-friendly. This year Utah became the first state to pass a law prohibiting recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other states. Although no state permits such unions, Hawaii's blatant ban has been challenged in court. If the same-sex marriage ban is overturned, the Utah ACLU has several gay couples ready to hop a plane to Hawaii, wed, return to Utah and sue the state for not recognizing their marriage contract. In one way, all this presents an exciting opportunity for gay leaders to make a difference, says Kate Kendell, the former ACLU

Kate Kendall

lawyer who left Utah last fall to work for the San Francisco National Center for Lesbian Rights. In San Francisco, where an estimated 15% to 20% of the population is gay, Kendell believes her effectiveness is somewhat diluted. ``In a place like Utah, activists are sorely needed,'' says Kendell, who was quietly out during her tenure. ``In a place like San Francisco, it's a big yawn.'' With the rush of new groups, it was inevitable some would not survive: Gay Fathers, Unconditional Support and Act-Up, the Utah chapter of the national AIDS activism group have disbanded. Perhaps the most visible loss was Queer Nation, which was founded locally in 1990. Infamous for staging ``kiss-ins'' on the sidewalk outside Mormon Church general conferences, Queer Nation specialized in ``in-your-face'' stunts that forced straight people to acknowledge homosexuality. Bill Clinton's election was one reason the group

Curtis Jensen 

faded out, according to one founder, Curtis Jensen. There did not seem to be any Republican dragons to slay. Still, members were drained. `It was such an intense experience for people involved in it,'' says Jensen. ``It couldn't last forever.'' Rocky O'Donovan also helped found Queer Nation. But after 50 extra pounds, 15 death threats and several broken relationships, O'Donovan realized he was subsisting on anger. Two events finally undid him. While protesting an Andrew Dice Clay concert, O'Donovan was punched

Connell aka Rocky O'Donovan

in his stomach and head. Then, when the U. passed its anti-discrimination policy, O'Donovan, executive secretary for its admissions department, received a death threat through campus mail. Later, a stranger called: ``I know your car. I know where you live. You are dead.''  After notifying the police, O'Donovan went home to find someone had broken into his house. Fed up, O'Donovan moved to Moab for two years, then to Santa Cruz, Calif., where his activism has taken a more subtle turn. ``Every time I am holding hands with my boyfriend, that is activism,'' he says. ``I don't live by straight rules. I feel a profound sense of liberation. Whether straight people accept or tolerate me does not matter so long as I am happy and loving of myself.''  What Now? As for the future, visions differ. Some activists see the community hunkering down, waiting for the next great cause. Others maintain that Utah is entering a burgeoning period of acceptance and energy.  Kendell's view is less rosy. She believes Utah's same-sex marriage law is a message to the gay community that it has gone too far. ``As with any movement that threatens people as it gains more visibility, a backlash is inevitable,'' she says. ``Things will

Ben Williams 

get worse before they get better.'' On some days, Ben Williams, the Stonewall archivist, grows nostalgic. The 43-year-old reminiscences about the old days when the torch was carried by folks with nothing more than a fire in their guts. Now the Stonewall Center has computers. The Utah AIDS Foundation accepts resumes. And activists wear suits. ``There were so few of us, we kind of all rallied together,'' Williams recalls wistfully. ``Gay has become a job instead of an adventure.

1995 Barbara Shaw the first straight executive director of

Barbara Shaw 

Utah AIDS Foundation  interviewed by Tribune Like many Texans, Barbara Shaw likes a good story. Like the one about why she keeps a starfish on her desk at the Utah AIDS Foundation. As the story goes, one night a storm washed thousands of starfish on the shore. A man spotted a beachcomber throwing the crustaceans, one by one, back to sea. ``There are too many,'' the man called out. ``You can't make a difference.'' The man picked up another starfish and threw it to safety. ``I made a difference for that one.'' That sums up Shaw's attitude about her new post as executive director. ``I am not going to make a difference to everybody, but I am going to make a difference.'' Prior to moving to Utah, Shaw worked at the Liberace Foundation in Las Vegas, Nebraska AIDS Project and Wyoming Children's Society. One of her main goals is to expand services statewide and ensure that people at all stages of the disease receive support. She also plans to speak to civic groups to impress, among other things, that HIV can infect anyone. ``This is not a gay disease, a man's disease, a minority's disease,'' says Shaw, who is married and has five children. ``It's a disease. Disease is not discriminatory. We should not be either.'' (SLTRIBUNE  03-27-95 Page: D2)

  

1998-Our intrepid report from the Utah AIDS  Foundation Oscar Night Gala: One of the silent auction's most coveted items was awalk-on part on the popular CBS-TV series,``Touched by an Angel.'' Bidding was furious in the moments before the 10 p.m. deadline, especially between two women eager to rub elbows with Roma Downey and Della Reese. When the dust cleared, Kathryn Ariotti, Fruit Heights, was the winner --for $340. ``It was a war,'' said a giddy Ariotti, a wholesale florist and self-confessed acting novice. No word yet on what role she will play or when the episode will be taped 03/27/1998Page: F1Keywords: Staff ColumnCulture VultureByline: By Brandon Griggs

1999  Reconciliation Line Dancing Lessons and Party held at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center

1999 GALPAC Rally at the State Capitol Steps Saturday, March 27, 1999 at noon As a part of the "Equality Begins at Home" campaign, Utah will join 49other states to rally for equal rights for the gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) community. During the week of March21-27, tens of thousands of GLBT individuals and their allies will tell American Legislators that bigotry is un-American. Speakers include:  NGLTF organizer Alexis Sinze, Dr Thresea Martinez, Professor Deb Burrington,  ACLU Attorney Steve Clark,  Debra Dean, Holly Peterson, Wendy Weaver and others With Special musical guest: Trace Wiren, Mary Tebbs, and Kathryn Warner

• 1999 GALPAC The Gay and Lesbian Political Action Committee of Utah (GALPAC) and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Invite You to Rally at the State Capitol Steps Saturday, March 27, 1999 at noon to tell Utah Legislators to ADD US TO THE LIST! Employment Discrimination cannot continue! As a part of the "Equality Begins at Home" campaign, Utah will join 49 other states to rally for equal rights for the gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) community. During the week of March 21-27, tens of thousands of GLBT individuals and their allies will tell American Legislators that bigotry is un-American. Guest speaker include: Dr. Debra Burrington- Assistant Director Womens Studies Program U of U Charlene Orchard-Political Organizer Dr. Theresa Martinez-Social Work U of U, and KRCL's "the voice of the people", Rocky Anderson-Mayoral Candidate, Alexis Page-NGLTF, Ed Mayne-AFLCIO Jackie Biskuspi-UHR and Possibly  Dr. Kathry Stockton-English Dept U 0f U, and Queer Theorist Paid for by the Gay and Lesbian Political Action Committee of Utah, anon-partisan, grass roots organization that promotes equality for the GLBT community of Utah and supports candidates committed to achieving that goal
• 1999 Saturday GALPAC UTAH SALT LAKE RALLY ON SATURDAY TO CALL FOR LEGAL PROTECTION AGAINSTDISCRIMINATION Wednesday, March 24, 1999 BY SHAWN FOSTERTHE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Many city, state and federal laws protect people from discrimination based on their race, national origin, religion, gender, disability or political belief. Missing from that list, say advocates for gays and lesbians, is sexual orientation.  On Saturday, Utahns will join thousands of others across the nation in urging policymakers to make it illegal to discriminate against people because of their sexual partners. The Salt Lake City rally will be held at noon on the state Capitol steps. "People should be judged on their job performance, not their personal lives," said Ben Dieterle, one of the organizers of the event. "Gays and lesbians want to be able to work, do a good job and live their lives without discrimination. For the average person, it's a no-brainer that sexual orientation needs to be added to anti-discrimination laws."    The issues have been raised before in Utah. Last year, the Salt Lake City Council repealed a month-old city law that protected city employees from discrimination based on their sexual orientation.    And in the past session of the Legislature, a bill that would have toughened the state's hate-crime law was defeated in committee.    "We cannot treat groups differently," Sen. Terry Spencer, R-Layton, said at the February committee hearing. "`This would be a step backwards to classify people . . . that does a disservice to all of us."    Salt Lake City Councilman Bryce Jolley shared the sentiment.    "Every time we enumerate another class, we only create more division," Jolley said Tuesday. "We should say we don't discriminate period. No one should be discriminated against." Dieterle said opponents misunderstand the issue.  "We're not asking for an affirmative-action program," he said. "We're not asking for any special consideration. We are recognizing that people are discriminated against because of sexual orientation, and that it is wrong."    Heterosexuals, Dieterle argued, have as much reason to support this kindof legislation as gays and lesbians.    If a gay boss targets an employee because he or she is straight, the worker should be protected.    "We are still living in a society where not all people are treated equally," said Jackie Biskupski, a first-term Democratic state representative who is a lesbian."The point of the rally is to say that it is not OK." 
• 1999 GALPAC Gay activists rally at Capitol in campaign to seek equality Another group protests what it calls propaganda By Jana McQuay Deseret News staff writer More than 200 gay and lesbian activists filled the steps of the Utah Capitol Saturday as part of an "Equality Begins at Home" campaign, which has involved more than 250 similar demonstrations in 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Supporters of the effort have included the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Gay and Lesbian Political Action Committee and the American Civil Liberties Union. The campaign began last Sunday and ended Saturday. Spanish Fork High School teacher Wendy Weaver was among the speakers who talked about discrimination in the workplace. Weaver recently won a discrimination lawsuit against school officials. U.S. District Judge Bruce S. Jenkins ruled in favor of Weaver's constitutional rights of free speech and equal protection. Weaver called herself an "accidental activist" who fell into national media attention after being complacent for 17 years as a teacher and volleyball coach. ACLU attorney Stephen C. Clark continues to represent Weaver in a lawsuit filed against her by a citizens group in Utah County. Dave Jones, Rocky Anderson and Jim Bradley, Democratic mayoral candidates for Salt Lake City, all spoke out against discrimination based on sexual orientation.  Jackie Biskupski, the first lesbian candidate elected to the Utah House from District 30, said she wanted activists to do more than just sit on the steps of the state Capitol. Biskupski asked activists to get involved and dedicate their time, energy and finances to win the battle for equality.  Gay activist Richard Teerlink said he had retired from Kearns High School after 31 years of employment as a biology and chemistry teacher. He held a poster that read: "Some of your best teachers are gay."   Teerlink said he kept his sexual orientation quiet until after his retirement in 1997 to protect his career and retirement benefits. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force field organizer Alexis Sainz said she was confident that full equality for activists could be achieved in the next decade.  The rally came to a close with live music performed by Gearl Jam, a local group of singers and songwriters. During Saturday's rally, the America Forever Foundation protested across the street against homosexuality "propaganda." The foundation held a three-day vigil to promote a Youth and Children Human Rights Campaign, which ended Friday evening. A Utah family founded the America Forever Foundation last October. PHOTO: Kathy Worthington waves a flag during the gay-rights rally at Capitol. UTAH DESERET NEWS ARTICLE ON RALLY AT THE CAPITOL YESTERDAY  Sunday, March 28, 1999

2003 Gays think like women and lesbians' brains work like heterosexual men's, according to a new study by English psychiatrists.  In tests, scientists from the Institute of Psychiatry in London found that gay men excelled at mental tasks women generally perform better than men, but were not so good at tasks traditionally seen as "male."  Similarly, lesbians did as badly as heterosexual men in a test geared to women.  The researchers conducted a series of neurocognitive tests of spatial skill -- the ability to mentally reposition shapes and objects and judge the orientation of lines. They found that gay men performed less well than heterosexual men, but matched the ability of women.  But gay men performed better than heterosexuals and as well as women at remembering the locations of objects in an array. In several language tests, traditionally a female strong point, gay men did as well as heterosexual women. Lesbians, on the other hand, performed the tests as poorly as straight men.  The findings by Doctors Qazi Rahman and Glenn Wilson are published in the journal Neuropsychology. The researchers theorize that that the results indicate that varying levels of exposure to the male hormone testosterone before birth plays a role in "hard-wiring" the brain.  Rahman said: "The fact that gay men and lesbians show cross-sex shifts in their brain functioning might also be related, partly, to the cross-sex  shifts in their presentation of certain mental health problems in gay men, such as higher levels of anxiety disorders, depression and eating disorders usually found in women."   Rahman added that the findings suggest that homosexuality is a normal biological phenomenon, and not the result of biological fault.  

• Ben Williams to Chad Keller: Study does not mean we are women trapped in male bodies...it just re affirms that we are not just like heterosexuals but indeed a separate people what they use to call "intersex".
• Chad Keller wrote: Great....one more thing that the world can group me and the rest of us in with Dominique Storni ...but tell us something we didn’t know...and  they get paid I’m sure millions to research it  “

2003 Ben Willaims to Chad Keller: Who is going to break the news to Pride Day that Pride day has been around since 1975? 

• Paula Wolfe to Chad Keller: Chad, 20 years from when they first applied for a city permit. 29 years from the first gathering. Craig Miller was our source. 
• Chad to Paula Wolfe “I had someone bring me the Pete Suazo plaque, they had it in their trunk since last June.” 
• Paula to Chad “ I'm around most of Friday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (up to April 2, I believe). After that I'm out of town for a few days, and the following week is pretty busy as well.  I have lunch or breakfast meetings next week but otherwise around. Do tend to leave around 5 p.m. unless I know someone needs to meet with me. Paula. 
• Chad to Paula “I will see Michael Mitchell, and will just give them to him to bring to the pride meeting as he is one of the selection committee.  And it looks like we won’t either of us have a break in our schedules.”

2003 Daily Chronicle  Lawmakers Debate Utah Hate Crime Bill by Adam Benson Although Utah remains one of four states that has yet to pass a hate crime legislation bill, Rep. Chad Bennion, R-UT, can see that changing. "I think in several years, we're going to have something that gives more discretion to hold those who commit these crimes accountable," Bennion said. "It's just a matter of time before we have some sort of hate crime legislation." Bennion and Rep. David Litvack, D-UT, spent an hour debating the future of hate crime bill

David Litvack

legislation in Utah at the Hinckley Institute of Politics Tuesday afternoon. Litvack told the sparse crowd that "hate crime legislation is not something new under the sun in the state of Utah," noting that in 1992, former state representative and current Salt Lake City mayoral candidate Frank Pignanelli pitched a hate crimes bill to state lawmakers. "Since then, that bill has not been an effective tool for law enforcement and prosecutors," Litvack said. Though crimes motivated solely by hate are not in their own category in the state of Utah, judges have the power to enhance a sentence based on the motive of a crime, Bennion said. "There should be justice under the law...not only are criminals being tried for a crime that is committed, but they're being tried for belonging to a certain group [under hate crime bill legislation], and that's an injustice," Bennion said. But, Litvack says, the degree of severity and the motivation that goes into committing a crime should be an important part of the sentencing phase. "When somebody is attacked based on ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or any other basis of their character, the impact of that crime affects not only the victim, but the entire community. Motivation is a fundamental element in criminal behavior and in my mind, hate crime bills are no different," Litvack said. Both representatives agreed that some form of hate crime legislation needs to be passed in Utah, and both said there are reasons why that has yet to happen. "As a nation, our ideals and principles have always seemed to be ahead of our actions...you've got to have justice under the law, and it can be hard to step back at times and look at a very emotionally charged issue like this one," Bennion said. According to Litvack, the main sticking point for many of the state's lawmakers in passing any sort of hate crimes legislation is including sexual orientation as a category. "I think that category is the hardest thing to address, because it's like diving into a swamp in this state," he said. However, Bennion said that hate crime bills currently on the floor of the Capitol fail for other reasons. "The difficulty with this issue is that it undermines individual responsibility and criminal intent and begins creating categories and classifications of victims," he said. Bennion juxtaposed the beating death of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming with that of a 15-year- old girl who was stabbed 17 times by her boyfriend because she refused to have an abortion. "The problem I have is that one of these crimes gets national attention, and one barely gets covered in the local press," Bennion said. abenson@chronicle.utah.edu

2004 Celebrating the Body Erotic workshop held  Salt Lake City sponsored by Utah AIDS Foundation. Body Electric offers an experience of coming home to ourselves. It allows us to remember and to come back to a real, felt sense of self, in all of its wonder. Founded in 1984, Body Electric has fostered the experiential integration of sexuality and spirituality. Safe group spaces are created where individuals are free to connect with their bodies without judgment, to uncover the life-enhancing potentials of erotic energy so it becomes a healing force in our lives.

2004 Prominent gay activist leaving Utah  The Associated Press Saturday,  After battling for gay rights in Utah for nearly five years, the head of Salt Lake City's only gay and lesbian community center is leaving the state to work on public policy in the national arena. Paula Wolfe, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Utah, cited Utah's increasingly conservative political landscape as another reason for her resignation, announced Thursday. This year's legislative session was "one of the more vicious ones that I've seen," said Wolfe, who will leave the center April 9. Lawmakers this year not only banned gay marriage but also put that in the form of a constitutional amendment, to be decided by the state's voters in November. The Legislature also opposed gay surrogate parenting and defeated hate-crimes legislation. Average Utah voters with more "centered viewpoints" need to get involved in the political process because the Legislature is being run by extremists, Wolfe said. Mike Picardi, chairman of the Stonewall Democrats, said Wolfe will be greatly missed, except by conservative lawmakers on the opposite end of the political spectrum. Gay rights "is challenging work, especially when you're in a community like Utah where the dominant religion is one of the strongest opponents of human gay rights," said Utah Progressive Network's Lorna Vogt. About 70 percent of the state's 2.2 million residents are nominally members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which strongly espouses traditional family values. Wolfe said she's "leaving the center in good shape." "I really feel the center is seen as a bridge builder not only within factions in the gay community, but between the gay community and non-gay community," Wolfe said. Supporters of Wolfe point out that her resignation should not be seen as a defeat for gay rights nor a victory for conservative lawmakers. "This is motivating Paula to direct her efforts on a national level and make an impact on what's going on across the country," said Blythe Nobleman, Salt Lake City's minority affairs communications coordinator. This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D4. [Legislature did drive gay rights leader from Utah April 5, 2004 I recently heard on the news that a local gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender leader has left Utah for Seattle. It seems she was angry that our Legislature banned gay marriage and failed to pass a hate crimes bill. Good riddance lady, we're happy to see you go. Please don't come back. Thank you Legislature. You did good work. Neil Mitchell, Provo]

  

2005 The Utah Gay Travel Group is hosting their first group adventure, "Easter at Wendover". We are going to be taking the Utah Trailways bus From the Downtown Sheraton and spending Easter morning hanging with friends and having brunch at "The Cathedral of the Holy buffet". The cost is $15.00 per person to go. $10.00 for the bus and $5.00 as a fund raiser to help GUTG get started. If we have a group over 25 payed people we can have our own bus. Final reservations and payments are to be made by March 23rd You get with the trip: $7.00 in Cash Back A Free Grand Buffet A Free Drink at any Casino Bar A Free Starbucks Coffee Drink A Lucky Buck to be used at the table games 10% Discount on Gift Shop Merchandise Every Trip is Fully Escorted with On-Board Games AND MORE! ***** The meeting location for the bus *****Sheraton City Center Hotel Approximately 130 West 400 South Sheraton City Center Hotel North (back) parking lot ( Enter the parking gate from 500 South West side of the Sheraton Hotel ). Logan Brueck, President, Randy Laub, Don Demke, Secretary Co-Founders, Gay Utah Travel Group

Troy Williams 

2006 Radio for those on the fringe KRCL offers a different view with the new 'Now Queer This!' By Brandon Griggs The Salt Lake Tribune Salt Lake Tribune If you tuned into Salt Lake City's KRCL (90.9 FM) Wednesday afternoon, you heard gay-themed news bites, rock by feminist punk band Le Tigre, a definition of "queer theory" and a spoken-word rant about the high-profile murders of Matthew Shepard and Brandon Teena. The occasion was the debut of "Now Queer This!" It's a weekly radio program devoted to the more radical, politicized elements of gay and lesbian culture. The 30-minute show will be heard every Wednesday at 1 p.m. on KRCL, the community radio station that has long given voice to Utah's minority populations. "This is not a gay and lesbian show. It's a queer show. There's an important difference," says producer Troy Williams, a fast-talking provocateur in scruffy jeans and a YBU T-shirt. To Williams, the term "queer" recognizes that human sexuality is too complex to be reduced to such labels as gay, lesbian, transgendered or whatever. "It's all about transcending boundaries." "Now Queer This!" is by no means the first gay-centric radio program on Utah's airwaves. KRCL launched one of the first such radio shows in the nation in 1980 and later ran "Concerning Gays and Lesbians" for more than two decades. But the new show is the first in Utah to embrace the edgier, younger-skewing "queer" sensibility, which has reclaimed a derogatory word as a symbol of defiance and pride. Queer theory proposes that one's sexual identity is not merely innate but is at least partly socially constructed. It also challenges the way society categorizes groups of people according to habits or lifestyle. Classes in queer theory are now taught on many college campuses, and the term "queer" has moved into the mainstream with such TV shows as "Queer as Folk" and "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." "The mission of the show is to celebrate that which is eccentric and exceptional," says Williams, who grew up Mormon in Oregon before leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and coming out as a gay man. Williams believes the term "queer" encompasses anyone on the fringes of mainstream society. "You don't have to be gay to be queer," he says. "I hope that on the radio we can create space for all kinds of views." Williams, a paid KRCL staffer, produces "Now Queer This!" with a handful of volunteers. In addition to news, music by gay artists and commentary, the prerecorded program also features satire. Wednesday's inaugural show included a bit by "Sister Dottie S. Dixon," a confused Mormon from Spanish Fork who is trying to reconcile her religious views with her love for her gay son. The program thus far has a provocative political tone that Williams hopes will help mobilize Utah's gay community to fight what he sees as anti-gay rhetoric by the state's most conservative lawmakers. "I've got a platform, and I want to be more radical," he says. "You have to provoke. You have to antagonize. You have to disrupt, because the status quo right now is oppressing people and denying their freedoms. If I'm not provoking, I'm not doing my job." Members of Equality Utah, a political-advocacy group that lobbies for gay rights, are supportive of Williams' show and don't fear that his confrontational style will hurt their cause among moderate listeners. "I don't know if his perspective is my perspective," says Jane Marquardt, chairwoman of Equality Utah's board of directors, who has not heard the show. "But I welcome the dialogue. The gay community speaks with a variety of voices." --

2006 Dear Friends, Thanks to all of you, the Campaign 2 End AIDS-Utah, (C2EA-Utah) had a good year at the 2006 Utah Legislative Session. We were able to get the funding needed to treat HIV/AIDS in Utah for one more year. We will be going back next year again and, hopefully, be in a position to ask for permanent funding. We were also successful in building a very broad base of support, putting us in a good position as we prepare for next year. Please join us in a "Victory Celebration" and an "Open House" at our new C2EA-Utah office. C2EA-Utah will be sharing office space with the People with AIDS Coalition of Utah, PWACU. The "Victory Celebration-Open House" will be on Thursday, March 30th from 5:00 to 7:00pm. The location is: 175 W. 200 S., Suite 2010 Salt Lake City, UT 84101 (The old Equality Utah office) Hope to see you there!!! Come and sign up officially as a member of C2EA-Utah!!! Also, over the next few days please take the time to send thank you emails to the following Legislators. I know the list is very very long, but we had a great deal of support from our Legislators this year and it is extremely helpful when we all express our gratitude. Between now and next year we also need to concentrate on putting together a network of support in Cache County. This is crucial, as we have some powerful opposition centered in Logan. If you have ANY friends in Cache County who could to help us please let me know. Just for a bit of background information... C2EA-Utah has given legislators our word that between now and next year we will: 1) Work hard on our "back-to-work program" that will assist not only HIV+ Utahns, but all citizens who are trying to re-enter the work force. 2) Hardily support our allies who are fighting to get 100% of HIV/AIDS funding taken care of at the federal level where it belongs. In the coming year we will be asking for your help on both these issues. Please email the following Legislators, again I am sorry the list is sooo very long, but it is very important: (there is suggested text below the list, but its best in your own words)

Maureen and Brenda 

2019 The March Public Oratory of the Utah Queer Historical Society featured Brenda Voisard and Maureen Davies. REMINDER! Tonight's Oratory presentation by Maureen Davies and Brenda Voisard starts at 6:30 at the Pride Center. I'm so excited to learn more of their stories! Connell O’Donovan wrote: “A delicious thank you to everyone who was able to attend last night's Oratory with Brenda and Maureen! They brought all kinds of memorabilia and photos, which was such an unexpected treat. They are both such loving, warm, passionate womyn, dedicated to the care and nurturing of our community over the decades, and they led us all in a delightful Love Fest. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Pic is of Maureen and Brenda - courtesy of Becky Moss

2019 Kent Frogley sent out the Dr. Kristen Ries Communitt Service nominees. 
·         Dr. Matt Bryan MD With great admiration, I nominate Dr. Matt Bryan, MD for the Kristen

Ries Award. Matt has dedicated his internal medicine career to providing thorough and compassionate care to the LGBTQ community and inspiring his colleagues within Intermountain Healthcare (IHC) to do the same. Noticing the shortage of medical providers in Utah who are trained in LGBTQ medicine, he now limits his practice to this patient population. Matt has been working through a telemedicine project to educate providers across the state to care for LGBTQ patients. He spends countless hours of his personal time to teach others about the unique health issues in this population. Matt has developed ways to help LGBTQ patients feel comfortable at all IHC clinics.  He implemented a “preferred name” tab in the medical record as well as a process for patients to self-identify sexual orientation and gender identity.  Matt recognized that IHC had limited visibility in support of LGBTQ providers, thus he partnered with the administration to publicize Diversity Week.  He was featured in an IHC Podcast to raise awareness about LGBTQ health. Matt has become a true advocate for LGBTQ patients through his own practice and also by encouraging his colleagues to provide competent care to this population. He has motivated us all to become more compassionate humans, dedicated to equality for all patients we are privileged to serve. I am excited to see how Matt's energy and passion will continue to improve the care for LGBTQ patients in Utah and beyond.
·         Sean Childers-Gray Sean is an incredibly hard working volunteer board member for

Ogden Pride. He tirelessly designs all of the Ogden Pride graphics and logos. He's an outspoken, compassionate trans-man who has fought to set precedence on gender change in Utah courts. Additionally, he volunteers countless hours for the Imperial Rainbow Court of Northern Utah, volunteers at his kids' school, works full- time and is working on his doctorate.  Sean is a hard working, positive, kind, inspiring member of the LGBTQ community.
·         Kylee Howell Kylee is the owner of Friar Tuck’s Barbershop, a safe space for all LGBTQ+ to explore their grooming needs. She is also the Vice Chair of the Utah

LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, a volunteer leadership position. The Chamber provides opportunities for businesses to advocate, educate, and communicate and Kylee has been instrumental in recent outreach/visibility projects, such as organizing Pride nights with the Salt Lake Stallions and Utah Jazz. She also works with the Pride Center to educate trans folk about getting the haircuts or grooming products that will support their gender identity. She volunteers at the VOA Youth Shelter, giving haircuts to homeless teens and young adults, many of whom are LGBTQ. She will be participating in USU-Eastern’s Diversity Conference in April as a returning presenter and will discuss the importance of Safe Zones, visibility, and acceptance on college campuses and in smaller communities.  
·         Sue Robbins I would like to nominate Sue Robbins for the Kristen Ries Community Service Award. Sue Robbins has been an incredibly dedicated and effective advocate for

the LGBTQA community.  She was a founding member and inaugural president of Phi Delta, a local tri-ESS chapter in Salt Lake City. After coming out more publicly as a transgender woman she became a member of the board of directors of the Utah pride center and served as president of the board in 2017 – 2018. During this time she committed much of her time and energy to building a strong and effective team of board of directors to guide the Pride Center to greatly improved financials, a new building, and the hiring of an incredible new executive director to lead the centers operations and improve community services. Sue continues to be involved having more recently become the Chair of Transgender Education Advocates, working to build and grow that organization and to help it be more effective in its mission to serve the Transgender community in Utah. She has also recently taken a position with Equality Utah transgender Advisory committee. Behind the scenes she has spent much time and effort on legislative issues affecting the community by working with equality Utah and meeting with state lawmakers. These have included efforts for a possible bill to allowing transgender people to more easily change their gender markers and helping to stop negative bills from advancing. She always makes herself available to help the community whether it is taking a call from parents with a child who has recently come out or meeting with school officials regarding trans or other lgbtqa issues. In fact I would not know her, and be her wife today, if it was for her involvement in helping a young trans boy and his family in Idaho which allowed us to meet. Sue believes education leads to change and she is a true example of this by always being willing to educate and advocate for the community bringing about positive change. She has been a very steady, consistent, rational, and incredibly effective advocate and voice for the Utah LGBTQA community.

2019 I  typed up some of my 1990 and 1988 journals. I need to get them out there to Daniel Cureton and Dillon Harker. I did that all morning until leaving to go to the Pride Center for the Noon Sack Lunch. It was kind of boring for me because everyone was talking about cruises they had been on. I have never been on a cruise ship in my life. The only cruising I ever did was in Memory Grove. As I was getting ready to leave, Robert Moolman stopped me to tell me that I was being given a Life Time Achievement Award at the Spectacular Pride Celebration on May 17^th. I went to Terry Gilman’s Men’s On Group instead of to the Queer Utah History Society’s Oratory with Brenda Voisard and Maureen Davies as speakers. I had told Terry that I’d go to his group and bring cookies which I did. The speaker was Peter Stoker Workman who talked about Sexual Transmitted Infections. I was originally only going to stay for a little bit then go to hear Brenda but I stayed the whole time. TJ Otaka and Jim McMullin came to night but TJ was upstairs with me while Jim went to hear Brenda. Actually Even though I am not sexual active anymore the STI presentation was interesting on what Gay men in the 21^st century have to deal with health wise. I guess PrEP is a part of Gay men’s lives like taking daily vitamins. It’s kind of sad but it’s better than dying off like my generation. Ben Williams Journal

Horns and Shutkind

2020  SL Tribune Ballet West dancers talk about surviving coronavirus and having fun in quarantine by Sean P Means Lucas Horns says his boyfriend, Josh Shutkind, was suffering “the worst fever he’s ever had.” Shutkind agrees: “The headache that I felt was unlike anything else. It was, like, crippling.” That was Monday, March 16 — a night when the couple, both corps artists in Utah’s Ballet West troupe, say they got maybe an hour’s sleep. Because they were feeling so sick — Horns also had a fever, but not as severe — they missed a voicemail message from the hospital where they had been treated on Sunday, March 15. When they heard the message on the morning of Tuesday, March 17, Horns and Shutkind learned they had COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. “It just kind of shows how variable this virus affects people, even among very similar people like us,” Horns said in a Skype interview with The Salt Lake Tribune this week, as they were beginning their second week of quarantine. Horns, 25, and Shutkind, 23, were finishing a three-week break from Ballet West, visiting Shutkind’s family in New York. “We were watching the city shut down around us,” Horns said. “Broadway shut down — we were supposed to go to a show. All the restaurants were closing.” They flew back to Salt Lake City on Saturday, March 14. They both felt ill, Horns said, “but it was unclear if it was just stepping-off-a-plane sick or sick-sick.” On Sunday, they still felt sick, so they went in for a test that evening. Their contact with anyone in Utah that weekend was limited, Horns said. They had not been in contact with their fellow dancers, or with students at the Ballet West Academy. Once they got tested, they followed doctors’ orders and went into self-quarantine. Shutkind said he started to feel a low-grade fever, and both had a dry cough. “Once we were in quarantine and we were both at home, both of our fevers kind of spiked,” Shutkind said. “And that put us out for, like, two days.” Those two days peaked with the sleepless Monday night, and the news received on St. Patrick’s Day that they tested positive for the coronavirus. On March 17, there were only 51 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Utah. As of March 26, there were more than 400 cases confirmed by the Utah Department of Health. A week later, Horns and Shutkind — who met at Ballet West and have been dating for two years — are feeling much better, and are enjoying spending the time together. “We thought we were close before,” Shutkind said, laughing. Shutkind continued: “Now that we’re feeling better, it’s been a fun time for us. Catching up on all of our TV shows, and making yummy meals, and FaceTiming with family.” They’re also trying to stay in shape, to be ready when they can go back to dancing. “Lucas has been helping me keep in shape by being my pull-up coach,” Shutkind said. “I’m very lucky to be dating somebody who keeps us on a good regimen. … We both miss dancing a lot, and we miss our jobs at Ballet West.” The couple has kept in touch with their fellow dancers through FaceTime and many offers of food. “We have not been hungry,” Horns said. “The camaraderie of the company is one of my favorite parts of working there.” “It’s fun how everybody wants to just keep in touch,” Shutkind said, noting that the couple has also enjoyed watching the other dancers post videos of their dance classes online. Horns said they feel grateful at making it through their brush with coronavirus, but that the outbreak and the closing down of public gatherings has been hard on the performing art world. “We work in an industry that relies on people coming together,” Horns said. “It’s kind of sad we’re not able to bring that to the world. People are posting videos, but it’s not the same as putting on a live performance.” “The arts always have been resilient,” Shutkind said. “We always have been like the phoenix and risen out of the ashes. … The arts aren’t going anywhere, and we are so looking forward to being back on stage.”

Shutkind sees their COVID-19 experience as “a good reality check.” “Especially in youth, you can start to feel invincible,” Shutkind said. “As dancers, we feel so [close to our] physical peak so often. I think this is just a good reminder for all of us that we need to take insanely good care of ourselves.”

Arlyn Bradshaw

2020 Salt Lake County Councilman Arlyn Bradshaw tests positive for coronavirus. He was the first openly gay councilman in Salt Lake County in 2010 Bradshaw announced on Facebook he has tested positive for the virus after experiencing symptoms for several days, during which he says he’s remained self-isolated. Bradshaw encouraged the state to issue a stay-at-home order, and urged the community to continue supporting health care workers by practicing social distancing. Bradshaw is the executive director of Best Friends Animal Society – Utah and serves as a member of the Salt Lake County Council.  Bradshaw has served on the Visit Salt Lake Executive Board, Salt Lake County Board of Health, Planned Parenthood Association of Utah Board and as chair of the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake County. He is a former Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Utah, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration. Bradshaw has also served as executive director of the Utah Democratic Party.