This day In Gay Utah History June 25th

25 June 25-

1965 Registration Held Way to Deter Sex Offenders Salt Lake City [UPI] A Salt Lake poffice sergeant told the Utah Council of Ciminal Justice Administration Thrursday, that a registration law for sex offenders would serve as a deterrant. Sergeat Dean Eskridge, who is in charge of the police department sex crime squad, said registration would at least deter persons committing indecnt exposure. He told the council that 1,111 of the 2, 307 sex crimes investigated in Salt Lake City during the past five years fell into the indecent category OTHERS LISTED Others included 758 for indecent molest, 117 for rape, 152 for homosexual acts, and 169 for other classification.  Sergeant Eskridge said the most difficult for police to deal with was violators in the homosexual classification. He said they are anti-social and anti-law in attitude, see nothing wrong with their actions, and regard the police as offenders for “trapping” and interfering with them. Ogden Standard Examiner.

1969 Wednesday Salt Lake Tribune Editorial-For 2 decades, Judy Garland, led a some what tawdry life. Her tangled domestic affairs made lurid headlines. Her emotional out bursts were childish.  Her temperamental tantrums robbed her of the dignity of a mature entertainer.  Yet with all her faults, she posses extraordinary talent-an instinctive actress and comedienne with a singing voice of almost indescribable quality.  Audiences booed her bad performances when she was good, they screamed. We love you Judy, we love you.  Now she is dead at the age of 47 and a world which never has enough joy will remember the pleasure she brought to millions during her troubled career.  Judy captured for an all too brief moment the very essence of youth.  She will always be the appealing wide eyed Dorothy of The Wizard of Oz.  She was indeed eternal youth looking Over The Rainbow. Let us hope she has finally found this special place. (06/25/69 SLTribune Page 13)

1969 - The Killing of Sister George opened at The Cinema, 45 West Broadway in SLC.

Director Robert Aldrich. “The Killing of Sister George is unimpeachably the Best Picture I’ve seen in years! A Power House. ”-Rex Reed.  Rated X No one under 18 admitted.  Lesbian Themed film. The Killing of Sister George is a 1968 film directed by Robert Aldrich based on the 1964 play by Frank Marcus. In the film, an aging lesbian television actress, June "George" Buckridge (Beryl Reid, reprising her role from the stage play), simultaneously faces the loss of her popular television role and the breakdown of her long-term relationship with a younger woman (Susannah York). Although Marcus's play was a black comedy, the film version was marketed as a "shocking drama";] it added explicit lesbian content that was not in the original play, and was presented as a serious treatment of lesbianism. 

1971-The Gay Activist Alliance demonstrated at city hall in New York in support of a bill to grant homosexuals protection from employment discrimination.

1972-William Johnson became the first openly gay ordained minister in the United Church of Christ.

1972-San Francisco held its first Gay Freedom  Day parade called "Christopher Street West" Parade. The first Gay Pride Parade in downtown San Francisco on June 25, 1972, was deemed too small for Market Street. Police reported just 15,000 spectators. But the parade already had the self-confident, celebratory and happily subversive spirit that continues today — now known as San Francisco Pride, which is expected to attract a million-plus to the center of the city on June 26. “A spirited gay parade with more than 2,000 male and female participants marched with full flourish through 22 blocks of the city yesterday,” reported Chronicle staff writer Larry Liebert. “A gay clown roller-skated down Polk Street in a diaper and stopped to kiss men he knew in the crowd. A leather-outfitted couple waved from the float of the Metropolitan Community Church, as gay marchers alongside sang, ‘Praise Be the Lord.’” The Chronicle, less than two years after writing a 1970 editorial supporting same-sex marriage, offered positive coverage of the 1972 march, then called the Christopher Street West Parade. (The first official San Francisco Pride event centered on a “Gay-in” gathering at Golden Gate Park on June 28, 1970, one year after the Stonewall riots in New York. There was no event in 1971.)

1977 At the Three Day Gay Pride Conference 1977 in Los Angeles, the Gay Mormons United group was formed to met the needs Of Gay and Lesbian Latter Day Saints. Gay Mormons  in Los Angeles founded a support group for Gay and Lesbian Mormons. Originally called the “Gay Mormon United (GMU), it soon changed its name to Affirmation.   Other GMU chapters were organized in Salt Lake City and San Francisco within the year

1978 A Gay Pride Ecumenical Services was sponsored by Metropolitan Community Church of Salt Lake, Dignity, Affirmation, & Integrity. A Softball Game & Cookout along with a Candlelight Vigil was held at Memory Grove.

1978 R. Joseph Dover bought The Open Door newspaper for $500 from the board of

Ken Kline

Trustees of the Gay Service Coalition and agreed to pay for Gay Helpline monthly phone bill. The contract was signed by Bill Woodbury acting President, and John Meng Secretary. Dover used the pseudonym of R. Spike Joseph as editor. The Board Members were Bill Woodbury, John Meng, Ray Henke, Ken Kline, and Bob Waldrop. Ken Kline former owner of the Open Door resigned this day from the board.

1978-Harvey Milk made an impassioned speech before 350,000 in a rally at City Hall in San Francisco, urging the crowd to fight against those who were attempting to take away their rights and pass legislation which would mandate bigotry. Rainbow Gay Pride flag was debuted. The original flag, hand-dyed by Gilbert Baker, first flew in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day parade on June 25, 1978. The original 1978 flag consisted of eight stripes, with each stripe assigned a specific meaning. By 1979 it was pared down to the 6 colored flag that is a universal symbol for Gay Pride.

1982 Wasatch County Sheriff, Steven Spanos says he is investigating the possibility  a recent Daniels Canyon mutilation -murder may be related to motorcycle gang activities. “We have not ruled out the homosexuality aspect of it and we have heard there may be some connection with gang wars among biker groups.” The still unidentified body of a man in his 20’s was found June 14 off US 40.  He had been shot in the head and castrated. Douglas, Wyoming police reported a similar mutilation incidents in the community two months ago.  A young man was castrated then shot in the back of the head but lived to describe his assailants. Wyoming police drew a composite sketch of the two suspects, but Spanos said, “I guess the victim was in a sad state of affairs, and one of the sketches was pretty far off.”  We are waiting for pictures for the suspects from Wyoming, which are coming from a Colorado agency.”  Spanos said. There was an informant in Wyoming and five eye witnesses who may identify the 2 men.”  Spanos said the men may be Colorado residents and are reported to have met the Wyoming victim in a bar. He said the bartender and the bar maid have claimed they could identify the suspects. The men may also have been sighted in Vernal two days before the Daniels Canyon’s murder and Spanos said he will circulate the photos for confirmation when they arrive later this week. “We have absolutely no identification the victim yet,” Spanos said. “Because of relatively small number of local people calling in to identify him. I think he may have been a hitchhiker or transient. (06/25/1982 SLTribune B8)

1982 Friday- The Republican State Convention opened in the Salt Palace. A plank in the

Mason Rankin

 state platform singled out homosexuals to be denied political, civil, economic, and social rights that were pledged equally to others regardless of race, national origin, age, creed, sex, or marital status.  One delegate [Mason Rankins] seeking to delete the anti-homosexual language, contented it was a “”blight” on the platform to single out any groups for denial of rights.  An overwhelming  voice vote rejected the plea with another delegate declaring “this city should stand as a moral beacon.” (06/28/1982 SLTribune B1)

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985 Two more cases of AIDS Reported (B1-2) Two Utah women, one an intravenous drug user and the other a recipient of blood transfusion have boosted Utah’s toll of AIDS cases to 13, according to the Utah Department of Health. Craig Nichols said the woman contracted AIDS through a transfusion prior to the use of a test to screen donated blood for AIDS anti-bodies. Three Utah victims had been women representing 23 percent of all Utah Cases. Nationally the incidence of AIDS in women is only 7 per cent according to the CDC.  7 of the 13 cases have died.  Since the disease first became reportable, the CDC has modified its lists of pop groups considered at risk.  Haitian immigrants are no longer classified as a separate risk group. Current groups include male homosexual, intravenous drug users, hemophiliacs and blood transfusion recipients.

1986- Church Records of the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ were lost when records were stolen in Los Angeles from back pack of Eddie Muldong.

Becky Moss

1988 Becky Moss picked me up about 8 a.m. to go to the Democratic State Convention held at Cottonwood High School. I was dressed in slacks and wore a tie but I also wore my Gay Pride buttons.  I was a delegate to the state convention but I really wanted to be there to have an openly Gay presence. The convention had a carnival atmosphere and it was lots of fun with lots of food and hand shakes. Lots of people promoting themselves.  Becky Moss and I talked to several candidates about Gay Rights issues as well as how they felt about mandatory AIDS testing. We spoke with Zane Gill who was running against Paul Van Dam for state attorney general. Gill said he favored civil rights for all people. Stringham who was running for Congressional Representative from the 3rd District acted amazed when we told him that Gay people did not have the same rights as other citizens. He gave us his card and asked to be more informed on the issue. When the planks of the platform were being voted on the words “sexual orientation” was added to the list of people who should not be discriminated

David Nelson

against by the efforts of David Nelson.  But at the last minute the wording was changed to “discrimination against all people”. The convention lasted until 5 p.m. at that time Becky Moss and I exhaustedly left. [Journel of Ben Williams]

1988- Alan Peterson and I went to Brook Hallocks and Nancy Diatima Perez where they were hosting a Poetry Reading Party. That was fun. I got to know Becky Moorman and Tom Abizu Jensen better who were there reading their writings.  It was an enjoyable evening. Brook Hallock and I had an academic debate on whether being Gay was a modern phenomenon or not. I said I believe it is because

we define ourselves by the post world war II concept of Gay people as something we are and not something we do.  Later Brook Hallock  said that James Kepner of the International Gay Archives called Satu Servigna to tell her that The Triangle Community Digest was the best community magazine being sent to him due primarily to the quality of the writers including me. I got chills when I heard that because of the honor of recognition from James Kepner.

1989 I woke up about 6 a.m. after not getting back to the YMCA until almost 2 a.m.  I couldn't sleep.  Images of me running through the streets of the village, singing "Somewhere over the rainbow" kept me keyed up.  In fact my circuit board was over loaded with the sights, and smells, and sounds of NYC.  I'm on the 11th floor of the Sloan International YMCA and I can see the Hudson River from my room.  I kept my window open because it was stuffy and the constant traffic noise was always with me like a vibrating blanket.  My feet are full of blisters and only sheer will power keeps me from collapsing but while to some this may seem like a nightmare, to me it is celestial bliss.  I am animated.  I no longer feel like dead men bones. I've been jolted by the purging, cleansing fire of Gay Pride and filled with the spirit.  I just couldn't lie in bed any longer then 6:30 a.m. so I got up to shower.  My clothes are so damp and moist from the humidity.  It's not like anything I've experienced before.  Cute foreign, uncut students traveling abroad were in the shower room.  It's like Babel with all the different tongues.  I can spot the Israelis right away because I think they and Americans are the only men circumcised anymore. (Journal of Ben Williams)

1989-The US Postal Service issued a lesbian and gay pride postmark to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

1992 GAYS, LESBIANS AIM TO FIGHT PREJUDICE WITH UNITY AND PRIDE By Amy Donaldson, Staff Writer  Hoping to promote unity and understanding, about 250 people marched in a parade promoting gay and lesbian pride Wednesday night. They started with speeches at the Capitol and ended with speeches at the City and County Building. Touting "power equals pride" as their theme, speakers urged marchers to unite and get involved in politics. The group met with cheers, honks and waves along the route. One man was removed from the parade by Salt Lake City police officers after he rode his bicycle into the crowd causing a slight disturbance.

 "We want people to know that we're here," said parade organizer Antonia De La Guerra. "We're members of everybody's families. We want people to recognize us for the gentle, loving people that we are. We want to dispel the myths." De La Guerra said she was happy with the turnout and added that the number of supporters grows daily. Maureen [Davies], who asked that her last name not be used, said she and her partner of seven years, Brenda Voisard, just want the same rights and benefits afforded other couples. They say their union isn't recognized legally, even as a common law marriage. That means no sharing work

Brenda Voisard

benefits, like insurance coverage, no funeral leave, no tax deductions, etc., Maureen said. "Now, we're going to work toward recognition," she said. Voisard said the parade helps both those marching and those watching. "It helps the people who are here feel more solid in themselves," Voisard said. "And people have to see that there are other ways (of living)." LaDonna Moore, a social worker said her heart led her to the organization, and she asked for continued support. Greg Garcia of Wasatch Leather Men Motorcycle Club said, "We are building our unity step by step,

Greg Garcia

connection by connection." He asked the group to reach out to others and build understanding in the community. "We have the power," he said. "We have the pride to overcome any prejudice."

1992 

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1998-The US Supreme Court ruled that the Americans with Disabilities Act protects asymptomatic people who are HIV positive.

2000 06/25/2000 The Salt Lake Tribune Page: B1 University WSU Selects Recipients of Gay-Rights Scholarships 3 Students Given Scholarship For Gays at WSU BY KIRSTEN STEWART   THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Legal and moral objections to a controversial Weber State University scholarship earmarked for students who support   Gay, lesbian and bisexual rights won't prevent the school from awarding it to three students this fall. The first winners of the Matthew Shepard scholarship were chosen in May from a pool of eight applicants. WSU senior Emily Turner will receive a year's full tuition, and two other students,

who were not identified by the university, will get partial tuition. Endowed in January with money raised by an independent committee of university and community members, the Shepard scholarship was created in memory of a Gay University of Wyoming student who was brutally slain in 1998. It originally was intended to provide $2,000 in tuition assistance to a Gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender student with a minimum 3.25 grade point average. The criteria later were broadened to include students actively sympathetic to   Gay, lesbian and bisexual issues. Two of the winners have requested to remain anonymous, said university President Paul Thompson. The school is bound by the Family Educational

Paul Thompson

Rights and Privacy Act to protect students' privacy, he said. Federal law prevents public disclosure of student records and other personal information without their consent.    "It's a sad day when you can't print your name in the paper for fear that someone's going to hurt you," said one of the winners of partial tuition, a 35-year-old WSU junior who lives in Ogden with her partner and 5-year-old daughter.  A criminal justice major interested in pursuing a career in family law, she said, "I haven't been discriminated against in a big way. I never lost a job or anything. But I see things. I see the Matthew Shepards in the world.    "If I were younger and I didn't have a family, I wouldn't have as much to lose," she added.    Turner, on the other hand, feared there was more to be lost by not publicly claiming the award.  "I can't even tell you how honored I am to receive this scholarship in Shepard's name. I consider it a great victory for the Gay movement and the Utah community," said Turner, who is majoring in sociology and women's studies. "You can't really have a movement if the people in the movement aren't visible, united and confident."   After she returns from an internship in Washington, D.C., where she tracks legislation for the National Gay and   Lesbian Task Force, Turner will serve as president of WSU's Delta Lambda Sappho Union, a Gay-straight alliance on campus. Like Turner, all Shepard scholarship winners have extensive backgrounds in community service and social activism, said Richard Beatch, one of the scholarship committee members and a philosophy professor. The recipients are expected to pursue work or study in human rights. Beatch said committee members were "delighted" to offer the grant-in-aid this year. Since its announcement, the scholarship has been under fire. Some have questioned the legality of the university's administering scholarships that aren't tied to the curriculum or based on academic merit or financial need.   Partly in response to these concerns, WSU trustees recommended in April that the school look into administering all privately funded, donor-directed scholarships through an off-campus foundation. The board hoped to distance the public university from scholarships that might be seen as discriminatory or offensive.    Weber State officials are still investigating the possibility of working with a private foundation.    Administrators are awaiting opinions from the Internal Revenue Service and the state auditor before proceeding, said Thompson, who expects the administration will report back to the board in the fall.    One unforeseen benefit of all the attention was that the scholarship committee raised more than $10,000 above its goal of $40,000. The fund is supported by more than 203 donors, most of whom are Utahns.    The Shepard scholarship is the first of its kind in the state, but not the first in the nation. Earlier this month, three Gay and lesbian high school students were awarded full tuition to Iowa state universities under a scholarship in Matthew Shepard's name.

Marlin Criddle

2003 Marlin Criddle  to Gay Lesbian Community - Tomorrow morning the US Supreme Court is expected to issue its decision in Lawrence v. Texas, a challenge to the Texas law that criminalizes sexual conduct between same-sex couples, but not opposite-sex couples. The decision is being challenged on two grounds: privacy and equal protection. The privacy argument essentially says that the government has no business regulating private, non-commercial, consensual sexual conduct. The equal protection argument states that it is not reasonable to treat same-sex couples differently from opposite-sex couples.  Currently, only 13 states continue to have "sodomy" laws. If the court finds that the Texas statute is unconstitutional on equal protection grounds alone, the decision would have the effect of invalidating laws in four states. If the court finds that the law is unconstitutional on privacy grounds, it would invalidate sodomy laws in all 13 states, including Utah. It is also possible, though not likely, that the court could find the Texas law constitutional reaffirming its ruling in Bowers v. Hardwick in 1986.  Beginning in the 1970s the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality as a mental illness. Various religions began reassessing the theological implications of sexual orientation finding that gay people were equally deserving of God's love and that openly gay people could serve as members and ministers in religious communities. A number of states through legislation and court decisions began to remove sodomy statutes from their criminal codes.  Unfortunately, a few states, including Utah, refused to act. In the context of public debates in Utah over school clubs, hate crimes legislation, marriage, and adoption, lesbian school teachers, local non-discrimination ordinances, gays in scouting, and gays in the military some hateful remarks have been made. Former Utah state senator, Craig Taylor, in the context of gay/straight alliances said, "I have strong feelings about ultimately the gay and lesbian agenda. . . . They are promoters and have come right out and said we will seduce and sodomize your children." (Salt Lake Tribune, 02/26/1996).  In this very case, Alabama attorney general William Pryor wrote a brief to the high court in which he said, "Petitioners' protestations to the contrary notwithstanding, a constitutional right that protects 'the choice of one's partner' and 'whether and how to connect sexually' must logically extend to activities like prostitution, adultery, necrophilia, bestiality, possession of child pornography, and even incest and pedophilia." Incredibly, Utah's attorney general, Mark Shurtleff, signed onto this brief. Personally I am hopeful that the court will find the Texas statute unconstitutional on privacy grounds. I do not think the court would expend so much effort to invalidate "sodomy" laws in just four states. If my intuition is correct, this would mean that lesbian and gay people would no longer be criminals in the eyes of the law. Legislatures and courts have for decades used sodomy statutes to marginalize gay people and to use their so-called "criminal" lifestyle to deny adoption rights, deny inclusion in hate crime statutes, deny equal protection under the law, deny job security, deny non-discrimination protections in housing and access to public accommodations.  I look forward to the day when we will no longer need to feel afraid, when our relationships will be given the respect they deserve, when we are free to be ourselves. Perhaps that day will begin to dawn tomorrow.   If you are in Salt Lake City, please join us for a rally at the Utah State Capitol to celebrate or protest the US Supreme Court decision re the Texas Sodomy Law WHEN 6:00 pm on Thursday, June 26, 2003 Watch your email here, or check out www.cabn.org  WHERE On the steps in front of the State Capitol Building, 325 North State St, Salt Lake City, Utah. WHO     Sponsored by Utah Lawyers for Human Rights. For questions or to get involved, contact: Kenni Littlefield or Marlin Criddle

Chad Kelelr, Mark Thrash, Michael Aaron

2006 Sunday- Mark your calendars for the annual kickoff for Pride365 Gay Freedom Day Sunday, June 25 from 11am-4pm Harmony Park - 3700 S. Main Street 2 blocks from the Trax Meadowbrook Station 1 block west of Paper Moon Please join us at a relaxing yet rousing day in the park to celebrate the beginning of the gay movement - the Stonewall Riots of 1969, and the beginning of an exciting new project in Utah's gay community - Pride365. Volleyball, horseshoes, an open mike with performers, Utah Gay Rodeo barbecue, community booths and more. Open softball game, room for soccer.  Bring your cooler or get your food and drink there. Support your local organizations. This is a pet-friendly event. Groups - come early to set up your booth. It's free. If you wish to sell anything, please set that up with the City of South Salt Lake.  We hope to see you there. Celebrate Freedom! More information at http://www.pride365.org Don't forget Gay Freedom Day is today at Harmony Park roughly 3900 South on Main

Street. Its just one street over from Paper Moon. Its a picnic but the rodeo assoc. will be BBQing also. From 11 am-4 pm Volleyball, horseshoes softball  sunshine  Gay Freedom Day is a kick off event for QSL's Pride 365 to commemorate the Stonewall Rebellion of June 27-29, 1969. See Ya there Notes: Come join us at a day in the park in celebration of the 37th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots - the beginning of gay pride as we know it. Bring a picnic or enjoy a bbq put together by UGRA. Volleyball, softball, horseshoes, an open mike, community booths and more. http://pride365.org The park is two blocks from the 3900 S Trax station and one block from Paper Moon, three blocks from MoDiggity's. The whole park is ours, so come on down and enjoy a relaxing afternoon. 

2006 Salt Lake Mens Choir Summer Concert Sunday June 25, 2006 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm   Event Location: Jeanne Wagner Theatre, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Ctr  Street: 138 W Broadway  City, State, Zip: Salt Lake City UT  Phone: 801-355-2787  Notes: "Unexpected Songs"

2007 Chad Keller, Gay activist took his own life age 38. Had been in chronic pain. Funeral service for Chad C. Keller will be held Monday, July 1, 2007 at Noon at the Thatcher LDS Ward Chapel in Thatcher, Idaho. Family will meet friends Monday morning from 10:30 to 11:30 at the Church prior to services. Burial will be in the Thatcher Cemetery. Services are under the direction of the Sims Funeral Home. Chad Keller, was a QSaltLake columnist and community activist, He died a few days before Gay Freedom Day, a celebration Keller co-founded to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots

• Idaho State Journal, 07/01/07 SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Chad Curtis Keller, 38, of Salt Lake City, formerly of the Thatcher, Grace, Idaho, area, passed away at his home on Monday, June 25, 2007. Chad was born May 19, 1969, the son of Curtis Anthony Keller and Loy Raye Smith.  He lived in Grace until graduation from Grace High School and then moved to Logan, Utah for two years and then moved to Salt Lake City, Utah for the past 17 years.  He attended USU in advertising Design and Eagle Gate Community College Graphic Design where he was a two time recipient of the Merit Scholarship Award. He was also an Eagle Scout.  He enjoyed being a part of the Pillar, Salt lake City Literacy Project, Salt Lake Rodeo, City of Hope, Salt Lake City First Night, and numerous other events. He was a member of the Royal Court of The Golden Spike Empire, Stonewall Historical Society of Utah. Chad loved art, design, music, theatre, cooking and gardening. He is survived by his mother Loy Raye Smith of Grace, ID; father Curtis Anthony and Kathy Keller of Soda Springs, ID; and two brothers, Dave and Marcene Bennett of Hyrum, UT; and Regan and Sheri Phillips of Lago, ID; and grandparents Curtis B. and Elsie Keller of Preston, ID.Chad was preceded in death by grandparents Milton and Alice Smith.  Chad's creativity, intelligence, humor, passion for life, his laugh and mile will be sorely missed.  Services will be held Monday, July 2, 2007, at noon at the Thatcher LDS Ward Building. Family will meet friends Monday morning from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Church prior to services. Burial will be in the Thatcher Cemetery. Services are under the direction of the Sims Funeral Home. 

2009 Man stabbed by cross-dresser in SLC By Lindsay Whitehurst The Salt Lake Tribune A 64-year-old man was stabbed once in the neck Thursday evening by a man dressed as a woman, police said.  The victim was at Gateway Inn, located at 819 W. North Temple, in a room where he lives, said Salt Lake City police Lt. Scott White. Several neighbors called police when they heard screaming coming from his room just after 5 p.m., White said. The 64-year-old man was taken to University Hospital in fair condition. They found the other man, age 49, hiding in a shed close by, near 150 North and 800 West, and witnesses confirmed it was the same person from the room, White said. It was unclear why the man was wearing women's clothing, or why the two were in the room together, though there did not seem to be signs of forced entry, White said. The 49-year-old was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault.

2010 Sodom come to SLC Letter to editor Salt Lake Tribune One recent morning I took my dogs to the off-leash dog park just above Memory Grove. You have to pass through Memory

Stuart McDonald

Grove both going and returning. On the way back, there were dozens of high school kids. The boys were all wearing identical suits; the girls, identical dresses. As we passed among them, one boy yelled to another and said that I wanted him to meet me in the bushes. Then many kids started staring at me, and kept staring. Now, the wooded, off-leash dog park was once a notorious cruising area for guys wanting sex with other guys, but that hasn’t been true for a long time, at least not during the daytime when I take the dogs. But obviously it still has that reputation among local high school kids. However, I am gay — the students got that part right. But the rest of the attack was pure false stereotyping, slander and bullying.  It’s sad to see that the next generation of Utah youth are just as much anti-gay bigots as their parents. Utah is what Sodom and Gomorrah were really like. If it weren’t for the minority of decent gay-friendly people here, God would destroy this place in a heartbeat. Stuart McDonald Salt Lake City

Derek Kitchen Moudi Sbeity

2014 10th Circuit Court upholds same-sex marriage Courts • State of Utah will ruling appeal to U.S. Supreme Court. BY JESSICA MILLER, KIRSTEN STEWART AND PAMELA MANSON THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Plaintiffs, including Moudi Sbeity, left and Derek Kitchen, gather at a press conference to celebrate the 10th Circuit Court's ruling on same-sex marriage on June 25, 2014. A federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled that states outlawing same-sex marriage are in violation of the U.S. Constitution. By upholding a Utah judge’s decision, a three-member panel of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver became the first appeals court in the nation to rule on the issue, setting a historic precedent that voter-approved bans on same-sex marriage violate the Fourteenth Amendment rights of same-sex couples to equal protection and due process. But the court immediately stayed the implementation of its decision, pending an anticipated appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Utah attorney general’s office said Wednesday it will initiate that appeal. Meanwhile, the state could ask the 10th Circuit Court to re-hear the matter before the full court. University of Utah law professor Clifford Rosky called Wednesday’s ruling, “the

Clifford Rosky

most important victory of the entire gay rights movement.” It is the first time a federal appeals court has recognized that same-sex couples have the same fundamental right to marry as all Americans, said Rosky, chairman of Equality Utah’s board of directors. “Very few courts have embraced the fundamental rights argument and this court seems to have completely embraced it and applied ‘strict scrutiny,’ the highest standard recognized under constitutional law,” Rosky said. If the state asks the 10th Circuit Court to re-hear the matter before the full court of 12 judges, Rosky said he doubts they will get a different result, and the request may not even be granted. The court’s two-to-one ruling affirms U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby’s December decision, which struck down Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage and prompted more than a 1,000 same-sex couples to marry during a 17-day window before the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay, halting all such weddings. Wednesday’s decision “certainly lends legal clarity at this stage,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. But it remains unclear what practical effect it will have, if any, Gill

Sim Gill

said. The state of Utah now has 90 days to ask the high court to weigh in, Gill said. The only way that counties would be free to immediately start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples would be if the state chooses not to petition the high court, he said. “The ball really goes back to the state of Utah,” Gill said. The Utah attorney general’s office released this statement Wednesday: “Although the Court’s 2-1 split decision does not favor the State, we are pleased that the ruling has been issued and takes us one step closer to reaching certainty and finality for all Utahns on such an important issue with a decision from the highest court. “For that to happen, the Utah Attorney General’s Office intends to file a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court. The Tenth Circuit Court’s issuance of a stay will avoid further uncertainty until the case is finally resolved. Whether the Utah Attorney General’s Office seeks en banc [full court] review of the Tenth Circuit’s ruling has yet to be determined.” Despite the continuing uncertainty, attorney Peggy Tomsic, who represented the three same-sex couples who are plaintiffs in the Kitchen v. Herbert lawsuit that is the subject of Wednesday’s decision, called the ruling “an absolute

Peggy Tomsic

victory for fairness and equality” for the people of Utah and other states in the 10th Circuit. Plaintiff’s Moudi Sbeity and Derek Kitchen, had posted this Facebook comment: “Today is a great day for all that came before us, for all in the current trenches fighting for equality, and for all who are affected. “The 10th Circuit upheld Judge Shelby’s ruling, affirming that the right to marry and love is a right guaranteed to all Americans,” the couple said. “Thank you all for the outpouring of love and support, and especially a huge thank you to our team and co-plaintiffs. Love on, Utah!” Many conservatives in Utah were disheartened by the ruling, but they have not given up in their fight to keep marriage between a man and a woman. Gov. Gary Herbert issued a statement saying he was disappointed.” “I believe states have the right to determine their laws regarding marriage. I am grateful the Court issued a stay to allow time to analyze the decision and our options. But as I have always said, all Utahns deserve clarity and finality regarding same-sex marriage and that will only come from the Supreme Court.” Sen. Orrin Hatch made headlines recently by saying in May that it was almost a certainty that gay marriage will become legal. That said, he still expressed disappointment at the 10th Circuit’s actions. “Although I am not surprised by today’s decision, I disagree with the court’s reasoning and hope the Supreme Court ultimately adheres to the original understanding of the Constitution and allow each state to define marriage for itself,” he said. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, said, “Utahns have made clear their wishes on this subject and their wishes should not be superseded by a judge. Additionally, protecting the 1st Amendment and religious institutions’ rights and ability to uphold and act in accordance with their beliefs and principles must be a priority.” The Sutherland Institute, a conservative think tank, promised to help gather a legal team to defend the state’s gay marriage ban. “Any appeal at the U.S. Supreme Court is the main event and may decide the future of marriage for decades,” according to a statement from Sutherland. “Defenders of marriage must be prepared. It’s disappointing to have a few federal judges decide that they can unilaterally override the decision of Utah voters to preserve marriage as society’s way of preserving children’s opportunity to be reared by a mother and father.” The ruling affects all states in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming. The court’s majority opinion focused on the 14th Amendment, which gives equal protection to American citizens. The court said its reading of the Constitution shows that the legal rights of married couples has nothing to do with the gender of those in the union. “We hold that the Fourteenth Amendment protects the fundamental right to marry, establish a family, raise children, and enjoy the full protection of a state’s marital laws. A state may not deny the issuance of a marriage license to two persons, or refuse to recognize their marriage, based solely upon the sex of the persons in the marriage union,” the appellate court said. “Courts do not sit in judgment of the hearts and minds of citizens.” The majority judges attacked the state’s arguments, which centered largely around how same-sex marriage affects child-rearing and religious freedom. The judges wrote that the state’s arguments rested on a link between marriage and procreation — an argument that they said failed because opposite-sex couples who do not or cannot procreate are still allowed to marry. “Utah citizens may choose a spouse of the opposite sex regardless of the pairing’s procreative capacity,” the opinion reads. “The elderly, those medically unable to conceive, and those who exercise their fundamental right not to have biological children are free to marry and have their out-of-state marriages recognized in Utah, apparently without breaking the ‘conceptual link between marriage and procreation.’” The judges pointed out that the only reference to reproduction in Utah’s marriage law is a provision that allows first cousins to marry if they are over 65 years old or are over 55 and cannot reproduce. The judges also emphasized that religious leaders are still free to practice their sacraments and traditions as they see fit, and are not required to allow same-sex marriage in their churches. “We continue to recognize the right of the various religions to define marriage according to their moral, historical and ethical precepts,” the opinion reads. “Our opinion does not intrude into that domain or the exercise of religious principles in this arena. The right of an officiant to perform or decline to perform a religious ceremony in unaffected by today’s ruling.” Also Wednesday, a federal judge in Indianapolis struck down Indiana’s ban on same-sex marriage Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. The ruling took effect immediately, allowing same-sex couples to marry. The 10th Circuit Court on Wednesday split along that same lines that were formed during oral arguments in April, with pointed questions asked by the three judges — Paul J. Kelly Jr., Carlos F. Lucero and Jerome A. Holmes — about marriage studies, jurisdiction and standard of scrutiny. At that time, Kelly — who was the dissenting judge in Wednesday’s opinion — had asked the plaintiffs’ attorney hard questions about state authority. Kelly on Wednesday disagreed that the Fourteenth Amendment requires Utah to extend marriage to same-sex couple or recognize those marriages from other states. He noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized a fundamental right to marriage but said every decision vindicating that right has involved two opposite-gender people. “Indeed, the Court has been less than solicitous of plural marriages or polygamy,” Kelly wrote. “If the States are the laboratories of democracy, requiring every state to recognize same-gender unions — contrary to the views of its electorate and representatives — [it] turns the notion of a limited national government on its head.” Marriage does not exist in a vacuum and states have the right to regulate it, the judge said. He said Utah should prevail because the state has shown a rational basis for its decision — responsible procreation, effective parenting and the desire to proceed cautiously with a new social phenomenon. “Utah’s justifications for not extending marriage to include same-gender couples are not irrefutable. But they don’t need to be; they need only be based upon ‘any reasonably conceivable state of facts,’ “ Kelly wrote. He also wrote, “We should resist the temptation to become philosopher-kings, imposing our views under the guise of constitutional interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment.” During the April arguments in Denver, Tomsic had asked the judges to ensure marriage equality for all, while the state’s lead attorney, Gene C. Schaerr, asked them to preserve marriage rights only for opposite-sex couples. The state argued at that hearing that children benefit from being parented by a mother and a father, not two mothers or two fathers. But Tomsic also argued that the case is about family. She said couples want to provide for and protect each other legally, and children are demeaned and humiliated when their parents are unable to marry and provide them with the benefits and protections associated with the civil institution. Rosky called Wednesday’s ruling “a bipartisan decision,” noting that Kelly was nominated to the bench by former President George H.W. Bush, Lucero was nominated in by former President Bill Clinton and Holmes was nominated by former President George W. Bush. Utah legislator

Jim Dabakis

Jim Dabakis, who is openly gay and was married during the brief time in December when same-sex marriage in Utah was legal, said of the ruling: “I am joyous, as I know hundreds of thousands of LGBT folks and their families are, all across the great state of Utah. This is a pro-family decision and it fits squarely with true Utah family values — love, kindness and a fair playing field for all. It’s wonderful to see Utah, once again lead the country in gay rights.” Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker said, “This is a great day for the laws of the United States, but it still has a long way to go,” noting that the 10th Circuit expects the Supreme Court to have the final say. The mayor, who helped marry gay couples in the hours after Judge Shelby’s ruling last December, noted that Utah’s key role in a legal process that may affect the entire nation. The state “is playing a leading role in one of the major issues in our day for social justice” Becker said. “For me, it is exciting.” Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry, released a statement saying that ruling ”has brought us one giant step closer to the day when all Americans will have the freedom to marry. This first federal appellate ruling affirms what more than 20 other courts all across the country have found: There is no good reason to perpetuate unfair marriage discrimination any longer. America is ready for the freedom to marry, and it is time for the Supreme Court to bring our country to national resolution and it should do so now.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement saying: “The Church has been consistent in its support of marriage between a man and a woman and teaches that all people should be treated with respect. In anticipation that the case will be brought before the U.S. Supreme Court, it is our hope that the nation’s highest court will uphold traditional marriage.” Meanwhile, a group called Mormons for Equality said many LDS Church members around the country were “celebrating today’s ruling as a positive step toward protecting more families and children in our society. “We appreciate in particular that the judges clearly addressed the distinction between the civil and religious marriage, and affirmed that ‘religious institutions remain as free as they always have been to practice their sacraments and traditions as they see fit.’ ”This ruling confirms that civil marriage equality is not a question about religious beliefs or practices, but rather of what public policies will treat all members of our society fairly and protect the diverse families which exist in our communities.” John Mejia, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, said in a news release, “This is a proud day for everybody in the state of Utah, and everybody across the country, who supports marriage equality. ” The ACLU had submitted a “friend of the court” brief in support of the plaintiffs in the Kitchen v. Herbert lawsuit. The ACLU also has filed a lawsuit in Utah federal court seeking recognition of the marriages of same-sex couples who were wed during the 17-day period when they were legal. The Democratic candidate for Utah attorney general, Charles Stormont, said that as attorney general, he would immediately drop the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, because it is “an enormous waste of money and we should be fighting to protect people’s rights, not to take them away. The state has no business dictating how people build their families, and the State should never tell children or their parents that they are second class citizens.” Regarding the decision in Indiana, Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said, “We are delighted that same-sex couples in the Hoosier State will now have the option of marriage. Marriage equality has clearly reached a critical mass and we can look forward to all Americans having the freedom to marry.” The Tribune will continue updating this story as more information becomes available. — Tribune reporters Thomas Burr, Matt Canham and Marissa Lang contributed to this story.

2016 First St. George Pride Festival Love reigns louder at St. George gay pride celebration Written by Hollie Reina ST. GEORGE – Hundreds of members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community along with supporters and allies painted the town rainbow as they gathered at Vernon Worthen park in St. George Saturday for the first official gay pride event and celebration held in the city. Attendees of the gay pride celebration dressed in rainbow clothing and enjoyed an evening at Vernon Worthen Park, St. George, Utah, June 25, 2016.  June is designated as Gay Pride Month for the LGBT community and celebrations are held throughout the United States and in parts of the world to honor the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had and will continue to have on history. While several celebrations centered around pride month have been held in Southern Utah, including one held in Springdale about six years ago and an informal potluck held on July 3, 2015, at Sandtown Park on Bluff Street, this year’s event marks the first official St. George Gay Pride. The idea for the event was sparked by two high school students who felt St. George should have a gay pride celebration. Spurred on by the recent shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that killed 49 people and injured 53 others, the young duo reached out to area LGBT activists to help bring the event together. One of the organizers, Sam, whose last name has been withheld for safety and privacy reasons, said that the shooting in Orlando really hurt the community and added that this event was really needed. From planning to fruition, organizers had about 10 days to secure the needed permits to hold the event at Vernon Worthen Park, create a lineup of entertainment and solicit volunteers to help, but the event came together in spectacular fashion, drawing a large crowd of supporters who came to celebrate their diversity in a safe and welcoming

Elise West 

space. Elise West, one of the event organizers and a co-chair for the Equality Utah Celebration, which has been held annually for the past six years in Southern Utah, said that she, along with fellow Equality Utah Celebration co-chair Linda Stay were asked to help because of their expertise in organizing events and gatherings. “As far as

Linda Stay

the pride event here, the pride festival, we were contacted to see if we could help and offer our expertise since we love to throw happy parties,” West said. “So we offered our support and it’s been pretty much nonstop for the last 10 days from six in the morning until midnight and beyond and we knew that it was going to be very, very important to the community.” Stay and West were joined by a group of volunteer organizers – including Cody Ham, whom West and Stay credit with taking the lead on the organization – who shared the same passion for seeing the St. George gay pride event be realized on such short notice. “This event, really, I think it’s miraculous,” Stay said. “I don’t think it’s ever been done to pull together a pride event, especially at this magnitude, in 10 days.” The large turnout surprised event organizers who had originally estimated a crowd of around 200 people. But as the event drew nearer, West said, they watched as the Facebook event page was shared nearly 1,000 times and over 500 people said they planned on attending. The event was free to attend but donations were accepted and items such as buttons and bracelets were sold to cover expenses. Money raised beyond the expenses of the event are going to be donated to the new LGBTQIA – which generally refers to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex and asexual community – Resource Center which is set to open on the Dixie State University campus in August. The center is part of the Multicultural Inclusion Center and will be located in the Browning Building. “Our purpose is to be a resource for DSU students, faculty and staff,” Barrett Beck, the LGBTQIA community specialist said adding that they will first and foremost be a resource for the students who may be living openly for the fist time. Beck said the new facility will provide education and mentors and that the money donated from the gay pride event will go directly toward establishing a scholarship fund for LGBT students.

Berta Marquez

2018 Berta Marquez The world lost a bright light this week with the passing of Berta Marquez. Her loss is mourned by her wife, extended family, and countless friends in the LGBTQ+ Mormon community to whom she has dedicated her boundless love and energy. Throughout her life, Berta enjoyed the love and support of her entire family. Berta was born on August 31, 1978, in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Berta's family emigrated from Guatemala with her family to escape persecution as a result of the civil war. They first found refuge in Costa Rica, and then immigrated to Mexico and later settled in Santa Ana, California. Berta muscled her way through school, learning English as well as how to navigate her "barrio" with grace and grit. Berta attended Brigham Young University, studying Media Arts and Film. She loved the arts and excelled at drawing, as well as having an ear for music and teaching herself how to play multiple instruments over the years. In 2014, after praying for a loving companion to accompany her in life's journey, Berta met Kathy Carlston. They married on a bright, sunny day surrounded by many who love them. To be near them was to know love and laughter. Having known sorrow, they created joy. Together they lifted countless young people from depths of abandonment and loneliness, lending hope and a safe place to land. Berta's wisdom and gentle but fierce compassion and empathy drew people to her. She had a gift of making all she met feel heard, safe, and loved. Her way of life consistently echoed the Savior she loved. Prior to her and Kathy's wedding lunch, she became aware of a young woman begging at the entrance. The woman was ill. Berta knelt by her side and spent 15 minutes to comfort her and tell her about the 4th Street Clinic so she could get help. Berta was a fierce and devoted advocate for others.. She used her considerable intellect and limitless empathy to lift, protect, and give voice to marginalized individuals and groups. Berta lived a full life, full of light and love, full of compassion and generosity. All who knew Berta were touched by her bold stand for loving and including one and all. To honor Berta, we encourage you to continue her legacy of kindness and compassion, and remember that you are loved. Berta inspired each of us with her soft-spoken and powerful calls to reach out to both those we know and strangers. She exemplified unconditional love and with her actions and her words, all who listened were reminded of our duty to those with whom we journey on this earth: "I know it is important to try to protect our hearts - to explain the suffering of others to keep our own hearts from hurting or being confronted with dissonance. I do this sometimes too I think. But please if you can, try not to explain away our suffering in order to feel emotionally or spiritually comforted and comfortable. We are taught to have a ready answer in all things. If you can, mourn with us, for we are mourning. I know that to many we are the unwashed, the Samaritan, we are other. But we are not. We are yours. If you can, walk with us, talk with us, hear our stories. The resplendent gift of listening is a balm of Gilead." - Berta Eloisa Marquez. Berta is survived by her wife Kathy Carlston; Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 30, 2018, at the Stake Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 475 N 1600 W (US Hwy 89), Mapleton, Utah, 84664. A burial service and grave dedication will be held at 4 p.m. after the funeral service at the Mapleton Cemetery. Published in Deseret News on June 28, 2018

• Berta worked with several organizations that work at the intersection of Mormonism and the LGBT community, including Mormons for Marriage, Affirmation, Mormons Building Bridges, the Dragon Moms, Out in Zion, Utah LGBTQ Stories and LDS Walk With You. She had collaborated with Equality Utah and the ACLU on social justice work specific to LGBT rights and is working with Operation Shine America which works with and advocates for homeless youth, which is perhaps her greatest passion. She and her wife lived in Springville, Utah. They regularly worked with and minister to LDS LGBT youth and young adults in crisis. All of her work is focused on improving conditions for LGBT youth and elevating the conversation and work surrounding the LDS LGBT community.

Tim Seelig

2018  The Mormon Tabernacle Choir gets a gay conductor — on one night By Peggy Fletcher Stack The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra have welcomed many guest conductors through the years, but few have been as symbolically potent as Monday night’s choice: Tim Seelig, who directs the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. Seelig will stand before the Mormon musicians — and some 21,000 patrons at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif. — to conduct one song as “an out, proud, gay man,” he said on Facebook. Beyond that, Seelig said in the post, a group from the Gay Men’s Chorus were scheduled to join the MoTabs during the afternoon rehearsal to perform a single number with the famed LDS singers. They planned to wear their “Love Can Build A Bridge” T-shirts, the gay leader wrote, “with the rainbow logo.” The Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints often has had a fraught relationship with gay groups, including some within its ranks. The church maintains that being gay is not a sin, but acting on it is. It opposes same-sex marriage and any gay relationships. In November 2015, the church instituted a policy that declared same-sex LDS couples to be “apostates” and bars their children from Mormon rituals until they are age 18 or older. Seelig agreed to the guest conductor invitation “with eyes wide open,” he said in his post. “We have no delusions about changing the course of the Mormon religion. Nor does this wipe away the pain inflicted on the LGBTQ community over the years.” Still, the gay musician reasoned, there could be “a young closeted Mormon in the audience or who finds out about tonight’s concert and may see a glimmer of hope.” Selig said That is enough for us.

Arlyn Bradshaw

2019 Salt Lake County urges Utah Legislature to pass conversion therapy ban By Katie McKellar Deseret News SALT LAKE CITY — After legislation that would have banned conversion therapy in Utah was gutted on Capitol Hill earlier this year, the body overseeing Utah's most populous county is calling on the Utah Legislature to act. Both Republicans and Democrats on the Salt Lake County Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to urge lawmakers to revive and pass a law that would have prohibited therapy attempting to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBT minors. The Republican-controlled County Council passed the resolution with complete support, with all members on the council agreeing conversion therapy is a practice that should not happen in Utah. The resolution, though not legally binding, formalizes Salt Lake County's stance that children should be "protected" from conversion therapy by prohibiting licensed therapists from "subjecting minors to these harmful and discredited practices." Councilman Arlyn Bradshaw, who has been openly gay since he was a teenager, brought forward the resolution, aiming to address an issue that affected him personally. Bradshaw, a Democrat, said he was 17 when he moved from Idaho to Orem in the '90s, and he was still "coming to terms" with his sexuality at the time. It was then that the gruesome murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, rattled Bradshaw on a "very personal" level, he said. At that time, Bradshaw said he was asked if he wanted therapy for his sexual orientation — "not in a malicious way," he told his fellow council members, but the person thought "perhaps it could help me with what I was dealing with." "I made the decision to turn down that offer," Bradshaw said, crediting his family for not "forcing" him. "I often wonder how my life would be different had I undergone that," he said. The county resolution acknowledges conversion therapy has been "disavowed" by the nation's leading medical and mental health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American College of Physicians, the American Medical Association and others. Utah would have been the 16th state to ban conversion therapy, but the bill faltered after lawmakers altered the bill, including language that LGBT advocates said would not stop conversion therapy. The bill stalled, never seeing a vote on the House

Troy Williams

floor. Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah, told the council of times when "so-called conversion therapy fails to work, Utahns told us of their feelings of despair." He described how studies show conversion therapy is associated with increased rates of depression and suicide among minors. "They felt that they had failed their therapist, failed their church, failed their families, and maybe even failed their God," Williams said. "That sense of failure and that lack of self-worth — that's the danger." The resolution was met with some pushback from critics. Gayle Ruzicka, president of the Utah Eagle Forum, spoke against it, arguing the Utah Legislature did "deal with this" and "a lot of work was done to bring together a compromise bill." She said the language included in the county's resolution and in the original bill would have a "chilling effect" on therapists. Clifford Rosky, a constitutional law professor at the University of Utah who helped draft the original bill, dismissed Ruzicka's comments. He said the original bill was carefully drafted based off of other states' legislation and with input of the nation's leading therapy

Clifford Rosky 

experts. County Councilman Steve DeBry, a Republican, thanked Bradshaw for bringing forward the resolution. "Thank you for reaching out … and educating me on conversion therapy and the appalling number of suicides," DeBry said. "That really grabbed me. … We have to do everything we can to save lives." After Tuesday's vote, Rosky and Williams applauded the County Council for encouraging "life-saving" legislation. "It's significant that we had a unanimous vote of support from both Democrats and Republicans," Williams said. "What we all share in common is the desire to help young people, to reduce the number of suicides. Utahns are kind and compassionate people, and this vote really represents our state at its best." Williams said the Salt Lake County resolution will help encourage the Utah Legislature to pass a bill banning conversion therapy next year. "We are going to pass legislation to protect kids from conversion therapy," he said. "It's just a matter of time."