This Day In Gay Utah History June 6th

1957 Davis Offender Handed Two Prison Terms- A Layton 20 year old Robert Dripps has been sentenced to two separate prison terms by a 2^nd District Court Judge: three to twenty for sodomy and one to twenty for probation violation. Ogden Standard Examiner

1977 Newsweek printed an issue containing articles on Anita Bryant and the "Battle Over Gay Rights

1978 Affirmation-Gay Mormons United had a guest speaker Gale Saltas.

1982 Dr. Wolf Szmuness who conducted the Hepatitis B Experiments  in Gay Populations died of lung cancer. In his eulogy,  Aaron Kellner of the Blood Center wrote: "It is the rare physician who, like Wolf Szmuness, is given the grace to touch the lives of billions of people; those living on this planet and generations yet unborn." Szmuness first became interested in the hepatitis B virus when his wife, Maya, was nearly killed by the liver disease caused

Wolf Szmuness

by the virus, which she contracted through a blood transfusion. In New York, Szmuness investigated the natural history of hepatitis B. A vaccine was produced in the late 1970s, and Szmuness designed and conducted vaccine trials to determine its efficacy. Over 1000 male homosexuals participated in the trials; they were chosen as participants because they "had been found to have a risk of developing hepatitis B that is 10 times greater than that for the population in general". A highly controversial theory suggested that HIV-contaminated Hepatitis B vaccine trials in 1978 were responsible for the original spread of AIDS in the United States by infecting gay men in New York City with HIV. Evidence as to the presence of HIV in Szmuness's lab, or a mechanism for this introduction have not been offered. 

Chris Brown

 1988 Monday In the evening I went to Lesbian and Gay Student Union. Dave Omer saw me walking and gave me a ride up to campus. This was the last official meeting for the year. Chris Brown LGSU’s President is leaving the 15th to go home and the and then down to Phoenix, Arizona to live with his boyfriend from The Desert and Mountain States Conference.  The meeting tonight was on Feminism and Gender Identification. It was a good meeting and we all went out to Denny’s for coffee. LGSU officer Jeff Partain and his

Jeff Partain

boyfriend Blaine from the Youth Group are moving to Denver this month and hope to go to New York City. Graham Bell has left Utah for Portland Oregon. I heard from Dave Omer that Rob Ivey and David Sharpton got into a terrific fight last Friday night where Rob hit David hard enough that he had to go to the hospital. Since David Sharpton has AIDS he is legally considered disabled and if he presses charges against Rob and if convicted Rob could loose his broker’s license. [Journal of Ben Williams]

• 6 June 1988 Monday David Sharpton called me to tell me about a terrific fight he and Rob had last Friday night when David came home and found Rob in bed with some guy. I guess Rob hit David so hard that he had to go to the hospital for stitches. The police was called by

  

  David Sharpton

  neighbors in the apartment complex even. I guess David just came unglued. David said that Rob is in deep shit because since David has AIDS, legally he's considered handicapped. If he presses charges Rob could be charged with a felony and loose his broker's license! I don't think David will because he loves Rob too much and this is too good to hang over Rob's head to keep him in line. Well David is passionate if he's anything. It comes from being a Southerner like me. Only he's Scarlet O'Hara and I'm more Melanie Wilkes. [Journal of Ben Williams]

1991- The Desert & Mountain States Lesbian and Gay 3 day Conference was held at Las Vegas’ Palace Station. Workshops included Unity In Diversity, Emotional Growth and Support, Spirituality, Erotica, Health, Empowerment, and community building. Entertainment included Romanovski and Phillips, Lynn Lavner, Karen Williams. The keynote speakers were Harry Britt and Joyce Hunter.

1991  “I went out to Bare Ass beach and read “In Search of Gay America” for the rest of the day. It wasn’t too warm today and while it was still wet out there on some of the roads it was quiet and peaceful out there. Funny thing, this orange breasted bird kep flying into my van, hovering and chirping “hi” at me. The bird would fly into the van and then dart out.  It was really amazing. I thought I was in a Walt Disney movie.In the evening went to Unconditional Support at 7 pm at the Stonewall Center and discussed Gay literature. I attended the tail end of a Queer Nation meeting which is dissolving it’s name Qutah and dissociating itself

Mel Bailey

from Melanie Bailey whom Curtis Jensen and Rocky O’Donovan hate. I bought a Queer Nation t-shirt for $15 and paid Devon [Hanson] $51 for the San Francisco trip. Rocky O’Donovan made a proposal that Queer Nation talk to Affirmation about its alleged racist attitudes about having a ‘slave auction’. I was adamantly opposed, saying Queer Nation has no right to become a thought police for the Gay Community. What ever happened to the 1^st Amendment’s right to free speech. Anyway I killed the notion by blocking concensus. Whether I agree with Affirmation’s slave auction or not I will not stand for one Gay group acting as a censor for another.  In his attempt at being so ‘Poltically Correct’ Queer Nation become an anti-free thought advocate. I mentioned that they as group which attacked people by how they looked, had very little room to maneuver about other people’s alledged racist attitudes. Radical groups that do not have the qualities of mercy and forgiveness will eat themselves up and no one will shed tears. [Journal of Ben Williams]

1992- “Utah Democrats and Republicans are taking their strongest stands ever on Gay

rights in proposed party platforms, with Democrats supporting anti-discrimination laws and Republicans denouncing homosexual sex as a health threat.”  The panel that drafted the Republican proposal included Eagle Forum member Don Ruzicka.  “The greatest discrimination that currently exists is treating AIDS as a civil rights issue rather than as a public health issue.  We decry the myth that there is safety in any sexual practice outside monogamous, heterosexual relationships.”  The Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats wrote the Democrats position. (SL TribuneC3 6/6/92)

1996 When it comes to gay clubs in school,  Utah and Massachusetts have the same stated aim: to protect the well-being of students. But the two states could not be more different in their approaches.   Utah recently passed legislation to ban gay and lesbian clubs in high schools, while Massachusetts officially encourages their formation.  Legislators in both states acknowledge that gay students are far more likely to commit suicide and to be targets of violence than are their heterosexual peers. But that's where agreement ends.   Utah politicians argue that gay student support clubs promote homosexuality and recruit confused teens, thus endangering the school population by exposing it to greater incidence of assault, suicide and schools

1998- Pride Art Show held at Westminster College.  This year theme was “Diversity Around the World.”

  

2002-Neil Billy To Wasatch Leather Association Community and Friends: The WLA got a little surprise last night at the Grand Marshall Reception.  Utah Pride Inc. Gave Three awards.  The Dr. Kristen Ries, the Pete and Alicia Suazo, and Organization of the year awards.  The Organization of the year award was given to the Wasatch Leatherman's Association.  We have a beautiful plaque which we will display at our booth on Sunday.  This is a great honor for us.  Thank you all for helping make our first year a success; and a special thanks to Bryant for planting the seeds.  The community is starting to really know who we are.  They are changing their attitudes about the leather lifestyle.  We have gotten to know much more about the other diverse groups in our community as well.  There are so many wonderful people to know once we remove the label and get to know them.   Our thanks to Utah PRIDE Inc., Chad Keller, and all those who gave us a vote of confidence.  We look forward to another year of service and involvement with the community.   Yours in Pride, Neil

2002 Bruce Harmon To Chad Keller regarding how to manage the parade; "I did the large

Bruce Harmon

pride flag on the grassy area of the park, then I had the VIPS line up along the north side of 900 South, then I broke it down by floats, cars only, cars with walkers, and then walkers. I used orange cones along 900 south from green street back to 700 East to divide them up and then I had a stitcher with the megaphone stitch it together. Does that make sense? Have you made a tentative line up to include the banners, the parade banner, then the theme banner, your color guard, the VIPS, the large pride flag, etc. You can line that part up in advance and assign them there numbers. E-mail me back if it doesn’t.

2002 Ron Johnson od Signs and Such SLC To Chad Keller: Chad-Oh man, don't do this to me ...Didn't you guys already know about the requirements for Bud Light's logo to be on all signs?  The 11th hour isn't the time to be making that decision. I've already completed over half of the vehicle signs and didn't leave room for a logo.  If anything, it would have to be tiny and stashed in a corner somewhere.  Don't tell me you even want a Bud Light logo on the "In Memoriam" sign? How tacky!  Not only that, but whoever "she" is didn't e-mail me anything today.  I haven't been online all day because I've been working on yours and a few other people's Pride signs.  It's after 5pm now, I just signed on, and your message is the only e-mail dealing with Pride Day stuff.  "She" didn't send the Bud Light logo like she told you she would. I'll be working the rest of tonight on Pride signs, as per MY schedule.  Like I told you, I want to have them done tomorrow evening, if at all possible.  If I need to add B.L. logos on them, it will have to be Saturday.  But regardless, I want you to see the signs and proof read everything to make sure there aren't any mistakes. Find out what happened to "her" and the Bud Light logo.  See if Budweiser has some small decals (like calling card size or something) that I can stick someone on the signs.  Let me know. Ron    

Kate Kendall

2003 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRIDE DAY 2003 TO HONOR KATE KENDELL AS GRAND MARSHALL This year's Grand Marshall for Pride Day is Utahn Kate Kendell.  She will be honored with a Grand Marshall Reception on the 5th Floor Terrace of the City Library on Friday, June 6, from 6-10pm.  Music will be provided by Stonecircle and the recipients of the Pride Community Award, the Pete Suazo Award and the Kristen Ries Award will also be honored.  Tickets are $25.

2004 Sunday, June 6 - Sunday, June, 13: PRIDE Film Festival - DAMN THESE HEELS! 2004 City Library Auditorium, 210 East 400 South Much of the content of this program is for mature audiences. Dear Salt Lake Cine Lovers, GAY PRIDE celebrations, which sprang from the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York, are celebrated across the nation every year in the month of June. In Utah, PRIDE has been celebrated for the past 26 years. This year, the GLCCU (Gay, Lesbian Community Center of Utah) invited the SLC Film Center to create a film component to the celebration. The choices were vast. But curator and SLC board member John Patton has come up with a week of funny, sad, happy, revealing and affirming films that he has dubbed, DAMN THESE HEELS! 2004. Actors Hugh Grant, Russell Crowe, Brendon Fraser, Anne Bancroft, Matthew Broderick, Vanessa Redgrave and Jude Law are among the stars featured in the almost 20 films that make up the festival. The week begins with a kick-off party at 7pm on Saturday, June 5th at Mo Diggity's, 3424 S. State. Join us there for the first films of the festival as well as entertainment, raffles and more. There is a $20 entry fee for this evening of fun. On Sunday, June 6th, the festival opens with a short address by Rabbi Tracee Rosen of Temple Kol Ami. Local filmmaker Steve Williams will also be present for discussion of his film, THE BLESSING which will be part of the program on opening day. Festival special guest is director Sandi Dubowski, who will show his film, TREMBLING BEFORE G_D, which examines orthodox Judaism and homosexuality, on Tuesday, June 8th at 6:30 pm at the City Library. (We thank Beano Solomon and Rabbi Traccee Rosen for making Sandi's visit possible.) All events other than the opening evening are FREE. Please check our website www.slcfilmcenter.org for a complete schedule. We hope you make this exciting and revealing week of film a part of your schedule. Geralyn and Kathryn Volunteers are needed for this event. If you are available,please email info@slcfilmcenter.org or call Alexi Buhler The SLC Film Center and its programs are made possible bymajor funding from: The George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation The Swartz Foundation Trust We are also grateful for the support of: The City Library    The Salt Lake Chamber    Zions Bank    CounterPoint Studios    Lynn Dougan and the Catalyst Foundation    John & Anne Milliken    Hilton Salt Lake City Center    The S..J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation    Utah Film Commission    Axiom Designed Communications    John K. Patton of Coldwell Banker Real Estate    Dana Ballard of Intermountain Mortgage    Integra Telecom    Xmission    W Communications    OurCommunityConnection.com     Skyline Printing

2005 Scot A. Jensen (1975 - 2005) committed suicide Scot Jensen was born August 30, 1975. A returned LDS missionary, Scot flew the rainbow flag at his home. He was known for his huge heart that had enough room to fit the entire world in it. He was a compassionate and caring individual, who was a true gift to know. He had a laugh that will never be forgotten and a smile to match. He was a great friend to everyone and deeply loved his family and friends. He committed suicide on June 6, 2005 at the age of 29. 

Tim Keller

2005 Hey everyone, I apologize if this post is inconsistent with the purpose for this group but I just have to vent to someone that doesn't call me extreme and then run like hell before I respond. It's this whole Mormon (and others) Church getting behind the marriage amendment thing that has me worked up. Not that I'm all that surprised or even upset that they are in it up to their necks as I've come to expect this. No, I'm pissed that this is an obvious attempt on the part of the Church's to back the current administration. An effort to manipulate the electorate into keeping a corrupt system in place. In other words to keep the hate mongers in power. As we all know it is no accident that this is being brought up in an election year. It's getting to the point where I can't turn on the TV without some religious nut job in my face screaming about Gays, the ACLU or the fact that Mel Gibson cannot beat the baby Jesus on a courthouse lawn. As for homosexuals, they attack us in the name of Christ and decency and children and then claim it is defense of themselves and their so called values. They want us , science and reason out of schools and they want God .. and only their version of him in. So, what I am about to say is likely to offend a few people and if so feel free to publicly disagree. Discussion is healthy, after all, and we're not in a Bush Town Hall meeting. I digress. Bottom line, I say in response to their lament about a war on religion/Christianity we should give them one! A real one. The rapture right in this country is a vulnerable and very vocal minority that has hijacked rational discussion in the American debate. I repeat, they are vulnerable, extremely vulnerable. People of faith and in the name of faith have committed all manner of atrocities; they all believe in and practice all sorts of weirdness. It is time for an unapologetic and "secular left" in this country to expose and defame these kneeling whack jobs for the body-of-Christ-eating, kolob- loving, funny-hat wearing hypocrites that they are. Doctrine and Dogma have been perverted by fallible people controlling fallible institutions. Institutions that have over time infused faith with hatred and phobias. They are institutions that have ceased being self- contained organizations of piety and instead decided to take part in our political and public sphere breaching the sacred wall between church and state; A wall which protected them as much as it protected those to whom they were opposed. Thus, making churches and religions vulnerable. My recommendation is strategic multi-lateral and prolonged attack. We first hit their pocket books. These institutions that promote discrimination and hate are able to do so under a tax exempt umbrella. Civilians have free speech, but they pay for the privilege. We must make it so for the Churches. The letter that was read in sacrament meetings encouraging support for this thing violates the terms and conditions of their tax exempt status. So we sue. Yes I realize that given the wording of the letter we may lose but the suit alone will bring tons of unwanted publicity to the Church and have the added advantage of placing them on the defensive. Second we draw attention to the unbelievable wealth the church has and wonder why a corporation bigger than Microsoft, who is able to purchase land, stocks and is competitive to major media conglomerates isn't being taxed. Again, this will put the church on the defense, having to publicly justify their greedy actions and try to protect their sacred tax-exempt status. In my opinion the separation of Church and state would naturally forbid interference in political matters by the church regardless of tax status. So we concentrate on pushing legislation that will tax them and muzzle them. This will add revenue to the tax base while starving the church's. Once they have to worry about taxes and of course once donations are no longer tax deductible they will have to start being a lot more careful with their millions. Secondly, we defame without benevolence. We bring up polygamy and the fact that the from a doctrinal stand point the church still believes in it. We concentrate on Mountain Meadows, The BYU raids, all the atrocities committed by the early settlers and every other piece of dirty laundry we can dig up ( I bet Ben has it all in a file somewhere.) and we hammer it on every talk show, every letter to the editor of every news paper and laugh about it in public. Did you know that God lives near a planet named Kolob? Silly Mitt Romney! When you think about it Christianity is no more plausible than paganism or other types of mythological worship. We challenge them on faith and on the actions they take in its name. Taking the most embarrassing parts of any belief and reporting them out of context can be most effective. Next we borrow a tactic from the radical right. We've all seen those propaganda videos they're always showing with selectively edited versions of Pride celebrations to attack us? You know the propaganda that gets lots of play on Fox News of Glittery-mustached drag queens or the hot guy on the tastefully decorated float clad only in a colorful schlong-sling and a pride flag. Quid pro-quo, lets expose these born-again zealots for the convulsing, wannbe faith healing and getting-saved weirdo's in a way that would make Jesus blush! The Baptists that play with rattlesnakes for Jesus for instance, (Show me the biblical reference for that one.) Imagine the fun we could have with video for a Pentecostal service, (So was that divine revelation or did you forget your seiazure medication?) The taped ramblings of Southern Baptist ministers going off on the other religions of the planet would also prove useful in the splitting of very lose alliances. Religions have never gotten along with each other for very long so it shouldn't be too hard. As for the Catholics they are even more vulnerable by virtue of having been around longer from the Crusades, Iquisitions, and Child-Fondling Cover-ups to a Nazi Pope. (Yes I know it was the Nazi youth but he does appear to buy into several party positions.) They are easily discredited. Being nice hasn't helped, trying to communicate hasn't helped, logic and reason have been ignored, It's time to bitch slap these medieval fools right back to the inquisition. Now I realize that some will be concerned about backlash. It is this fear that has stopped others from trying this tactic. However I would point out that they have legally done all the can do to us. There isn't a lot of risk left. plus we don't just attack as gay people we attack them across the board beginning every attack with the same "I don't have anything against "them" disclaimers that the right focuses on anyone that dares to disagree. "We have nothing against them, we just want to know why they get a free ride" and "People can choose to believe what they wish so long as that belief isn't forced on others. As Boyd K packer once said … "The enemies of the Church are Feminists, Intellectuals and Homosexuals. I have to agree, intellect and independent thought are the enemies of organized religion. I just think it's time to drive that point home. Not that I have anything against any of them you understand, As long as they keep it to themselves. :) Tim Keller

2006 Deseret Morning News, Police recruiting efforts 'fantastic' at Pride fest Police agencies weren't sure what kind of response they'd get when they set up a recruiting booth at the annual Utah Pride Festival. It turned out to be "fantastic," said South Salt Lake Police Capt. Tracy Tingey, co-chairman of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Public Safety Liaison Committee. It was the first such recruiting effort by seven Wasatch Front police agencies. In the past, police agencies had attended the event in a public outreach role. "It's just amazing," Tingey said. "They have just been crowded around the booth." In addition to adult career seekers, several teenagers also approached the booth. "They may want a career down the road," Tingey said. "We can tell them what not to do. To stay out of trouble, to stay in school, to stay away from drugs."

2006 Deseret Morning News, Monday, June 05, 2006 Social, political mix at Pride Parade- Gay, lesbian festival precedes debate on same-sex marriage By Deborah Bulkeley Deseret Morning News Political activism blended with celebration Sunday as cheerleaders with rainbow colored pompoms, drag queens donning tiaras, men in hula skirts, or less, took to the streets of downtown Salt Lake for the annual Utah Pride Parade and Festival. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender participants march along with straight supporters in the Utah Pride Parade on Sunday. For Sue Rogers, 51, of Ogden and Karen Weaver, 51, of Layton, the parade was "awesome." So was the crowd of thousands. The two friends had only been to Pride once, about 20 years ago, when the celebration was indoors and much, much smaller. "It's just grown so much, I can't believe it," said Weaver. "It's great it's come this far. We shouldn't have any prejudice." It's purely coincidental that the annual Utah Pride Parade and Festival took place just days before the Senate is expected to take up the debate on a federal constitutional amendment to prevent states from recognizing same-sex marriage. But the issue is on the minds of many of the of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals who attended the festival, along with their straight supporters. "It's never just social, it's never just political," said Dee Jost, 48, of Salt Lake. "It's just nice to feel like the majority, just for a day." Jost, who's had the same lesbian partner for 15 years, was among those in line at a Human Rights Campaign booth to fill out postcards expressing their opposition to the federal amendment. "It's already illegal," she said. "I don't see why they have to underscore it. . . . There are so many things you try to do to prepare to take care of the person you love. But there are laws." In the wake of a statement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reaffirming support for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, both of Utah's senators have been flooded with phone calls and correspondence over the past week, overwhelmingly in support of the measure. Utah Republican Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch both support the proposed amendment. But as they prepare to debate the measure this week, they'll receive stacks of postcards from constituents with a different point of view. "It wouldn't be right to write in something that limits people's rights, rather than expands them," said Joe Norman of Salt Lake, whose tote bag carried a sign reading "straight not narrow."  Some of those filling out the cards said they doubted they'd be able to change their lawmakers' minds, but felt it was important to have their say anyway. "It's such a conservative state," said Sara Simmons. "If I'm going to live here, I need to at least have a voice." Unofficial counts for Pride Festival attendance weren't yet available late

Jere Keys

Sunday, but organizer Jere Keys said the event had grown since the previous year, when 15,000 people attended the festival. As Pride attendees made their voices heard, so did those who support the amendment. Members of the conservative issues group Utah Eagle Forum called their senators last week in support of the measure. And the LDS-targeted Meridian online magazine and the Family Leader Network sponsored a nationwide petition drive which had received more than 15,000 signatures as of Friday. President Bush is expected to speak in favor of the Amendment today. "We've certainly received increased correspondence this week from Utahns," said Bennett's spokeswoman MaryJane Collipriest. "The vast majority of those contacting our office are in favor of the amendment." Hatch, a co-sponsor of the amendment, had received at least 12,000 calls, along with 2,400 faxes and letters, as of Friday, said spokeswoman Heather Barney. About 98 to 99 percent support the amendment, Barney said. To become law, the proposal would need two-thirds support in the Senate and House, and then be ratified by at least 38 state legislatures. Despite overwhelming support in Utah, where same-sex marriage is already banned by a state constitutional amendment, the federal measure stands little chance of passing the Senate, where proponents are struggling to get even a simple majority for a preliminary vote. "We just need to show our support with our phone calls, asking not only for them to vote for it, but to stand up and speak out," said Gayle Ruzicka, president of the Utah Eagle Forum. "It's going to be a lot of hard work to get those votes." Meanwhile, those opposed to the amendment realize that Bennett and Hatch, both members of the LDS Church, won't likely change their votes. "It's a given they'll vote for it," said Maryann Martindale, political co-chair of the Human Rights Campaign's Utah chapter. "The point is it's our job to show them that not everyone does think that's OK. In Utah we have a lot of allies."

2006 Two Sirius satellite radio DJs, "Derek and Romaine," will be in Salt Lake City this weekend for Utah Gay Pride events. This gay/lesbian duo have a show on Sirius OutQ. Derek also grew up in Salt Lake City

2009 Guy: SLC Gay Pride Parade is a sign of progress By Barb Guy My friend is graduating from high school this year, and like me, she turned 18 in the days just before donning her cap and gown; two momentous occasions in the space of a fortnight.  Talking with her and celebrating our birthdays together has got me thinking about how the events of 1978 -- the year I turned 18 and graduated from high school -- and 2009, the year my friend is doing those things, are similar and how they're different.  I'm also thinking about this weekend's Utah Pride Festival; it falls between my friend's birthday and her graduation. Pride weekend brings forth another important reason to celebrate during this already crowded calendar. The year I graduated from high school was a good news/bad news year for gay rights, just like 2009. Progress is sometimes hard to perceive when you look over your shoulder, but when you use binoculars and peer back over the last mountain range you crossed, you see how far you've come. In 1978 in the space of one month, three cities, St. Paul, Minn.; Eugene, Ore.; and Wichita, Kan., repealed by 2-to-1 margins ordinances that had recently passed prohibiting discrimination against gay people. Big steps backward.  We're still fighting those battles today -- a humane law passes here and one is repealed over there -- but in 1978, gay and lesbian people weren't worried about being prohibited from marrying, they were worried about being arrested and jailed for holding hands. Gays in 1978 were concerned about being fired by their employers. California's "Prop" of 1978 was Prop. 6, a proposal to ban gay and lesbian people from teaching school. We're not home free on these issues now, far from it. Now we're fighting against Prop. 8 and its aftermath, but I frequently see openly gay people holding hands, right here in River City. That is, indeed, progress.  Openly gay people teach school here now, mostly with little fuss. More progress. While some read this newspaper in the midst of Sunday morning reverie, Utah's gay and lesbian people might be reading it in the clamor of revelry. There's an immense celebration happening in downtown Salt Lake City. After a weekend already filled with rallies, marches, entertainment, an interfaith church service, nightlife, comedy, distinguished guests and parties, the gay community gets up on this Sunday morning and marches through town. They march because they're proud of who they are. They march to educate people. They march for civil rights. They march to honor those who marched in 1978. One fellow who

Cleve Jones

marched in San Francisco in 1978, Cleve Jones, will lead this year's Salt Lake City parade. He led the march in San Francisco when they were fighting against Prop. 6. He walked then with his friend, the openly gay Harvey Milk, newly elected as a city supervisor. That was revolutionary stuff.  Thirty-one years later, Jones is still marching while the late, great Supervisor Milk has been introduced to my friend's generation through the recent film, "Milk." Some people today will carry an item invented in 1978, the gay pride flag. It was created by a friend of Jones and Milk, Gilbert Baker. He chose eight bands of color to symbolize spirit, harmony, art, nature, sexuality, sunlight, healing and life.  The big news in '78 was that the city of San Francisco, for the first time, contributed cash to the gay community to help defray the costs of their parade.  Today, for our parade in Salt Lake City, 28 corporate sponsors very publicly lend their support and more than 20,000 people are expected to participate. That's progress. You can be part of progress. Cheer as the parade goes by. Barb Guy is a regular contributor to these pages.

2009 Saturday, Well, Pride is here and we have been scurrying around building our float

Michael Aaron

and a 24-foot wall for our booth – a wall which people can write a message to Utahns and which we hope will travel the state. We’d like to invite you to be part of the booth and join us in the parade. Parade: Sunday morning, we will be one of the last few entries in the parade (#74). This means you can watch most of the parade and then join us on the float. We have room for about 20 people on the float or millions walking alongside. I’d love to have some of the familiar faces joining us. So you are aware, we have teamed up with Club Jam for the parade, as they had a truck and 16-foot trailer and we did the décor. So, there will be some Bud(weiser) Boys and a DJ on the float as well.  We will be staged on 300 South very close to 200 East. The float is red and will have 6 (or 12) flags – one (or two) of each of the rainbow colors. I know. Tres gay. Booth: We need people to help by handing out markers to write on the wall with, and explain what is happening with the wall (you know – be positive, no profanity, etc.). We also need help handing out TheQPages and newspaper issues.  For those helping with the booth, we have QSaltLake t-shirts, we’ll pay your way in to the festival, and we’ll get you a drink ticket for each hour you are with us. You can get your ticket to the festival from me when you arrive by calling my cell – 801-856-5655. Please use the North Entrance, as our booth is close-by. (We are located not too far from the member garden/North Stage.) If you want to work in the booth AND be in the parade, I can get your ticket to you at the parade. Hope to see you at Pride! -Michael Aaron

Sister Dottie Dixon

2010 Sister Dottie S. Dixon was the Grand Marshal for this years Pride Parade. Mark Swonson was chosen as this years Dr. Kristen Ries Community Service Recipient.  The theme was Our History Our Future. Thousands celebrate gay rights advances in Salt Lake parade Published: Sunday, SALT LAKE CITY — There was an air of celebration as thousands of attendees of the Utah Pride Festival gathered Sunday in the heart of a city that has banned discrimination against gays in housing and employment. The festival's third and final day featured a raucous parade that wound through downtown to the Salt Lake City-County Building, where the City Council unanimously passed the anti-bias ordinances in November. "I think there's a celebratory mood because we're honoring our history and looking forward to the future," said Valerie Larabee, executive director of the Utah Pride Center. "In all of the conversations that have happened since Prop. 8 in California, we've gone from being very frustrated to having very productive dialogues in the state of Utah, and people are very excited about that." Anti-discrimination measures, like the Salt Lake one that received an endorsement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have also passed in the past year in Logan, West Valley City and Park City and are under consideration in several other places. Legislators decided not to take statewide action in this year's session, and Gov. Gary Herbert has expressed his preference to tackle the issue at the local level. Pride Center spokesman Michael Westle

Michael Westley

y told The Associated Press that attendance this year appeared to be more than the record of 20,000 set in 2009. Sunday's parade saw many participants dancing along to booming music and enjoying a hot, clear day in a minimum of clothing. The crowd held its loudest applause for a float backing marriage equality, with a male couple and a female couple dressed in wedding attire. Other floats promoted adoption by same-sex couples and other gay-rights causes. Dozens of people at the tail end of the procession carried a giant rainbow flag stretching half a block. "God said love everyone. No exceptions," read one parade sign. Another proclaimed, "Those who demean gays demean themselves." A handful of demonstrators at the corner of 100 South and State Street held signs telling parade attendees to "fear God" and "read the Bible."  Several Democratic candidates for various political offices took part in the parade, including Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, who is running for governor. The parade's grand marshal was theater character Sister Dottie S. Dixon, a Mormon mom — portrayed by Charles Lynn Frost — who has to come to terms with her son coming out of the closet.

• 2010 Pride Parade in SLC draws throng Festival » The celebration of Utah's diversity follows the theme: "Our History, Our Future."  By Judy Fahys The Salt Lake Tribune The Pride Parade boisterously filled the heart of Salt Lake City on Sunday morning for what organizers believe will be another record year in the event celebrating Utah's diversity. Though focused on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, Utah's second-largest parade drew thousands of friends and family who came out for the weekend-long Utah Pride Festival to enjoy the entertainment and camaraderie. "Everybody's being themselves, and that doesn't' happen all the time," said Rebecca Robert, who drove from Logan to watch the parade and support her friend Kristin, a lesbian. "It's a great thing to do. Everybody deserves the right to be who they are."  Parade watchers clapped, danced and hooted on the sidelines at the usual floats -- with political candidates, banner-carrying spirit teams, rousing musical acts and horse-drawn carriages -- as well as lots of people dressed in the LGBT community's emblematic rainbow colors and more than a few marchers dressed in drag. Warm, sunny skies infused the crowd with happy energy. The celebration's headliners

  

  Sandra Bernhard

  included comedian Sandra Bernhard, singer Martha Wash and the gay dance company, the D.C. Cowboys. A man dressed as the fictional Mormon housewife character, Sister Dottie S. Dixon, stepped up to be grand marshal for the parade. The theme of the Pride Festival was "Our History; Our Future," partly in recognition of the 40th anniversary of the first gay-pride parade in New York. Pride Center spokesman Michael Westley declined to estimate the crowd's size Sunday, but noted revenues and attendance seemed to be up from last year's record 20,000 attendees. "Yesterday was tremendous," he

  

  Martha Wash

  said at the festival grounds on Washington Square. "It exceeded our expectations by 100 percent."  Westley credited a greater public acceptance of the LGBT community as a key factor in the annual event's growing popularity. The parade had nearly 90 floats. Afterward, about 120 vendors tended booths on the festival grounds to tout businesses, political candidates and causes, such as the gay-rights advocacy group Equality Utah. Myles Davis, of Layton, watched the parade from the shade of a street-side tree before volunteering at the Utah AIDS Foundation booth. "It's been fun seeing people living out loud," he said, with the Salt Lake Men's Choir belting out "Find Me Somebody to Love" as their float passed by.  Jocelyn Johnson and Denise Druce sported Equality Utah T-shirts as they hung out near the parade's end on 300 South. Druce's husband and sons Van, 5, and Bode, 7, had marched, too.  For two women who had grown up in the LDS culture in less accepting times, they are determined to see their children grow up without prejudice. "I value diversity so much, and I want them to know diversity," she said. "Jesus said, 'Love one another,'" she added, "and I don't remember him making any exceptions." Johnson, who grew up in northern Utah farm country and did not come out as a lesbian until after she had moved away, said she came back seven years ago so her daughter could come to know the caring and genuine people of Johnson's childhood. But she also found a much larger LGBT community than she had expected.

2014 Utah Pride Festival expands in its 40th year BY MATT CANHAM THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE It’s a music festival and a parade, an art show and a political demonstration all wrapped up in one big rainbow flag. The Utah Pride Festival, now in its 40th year, expands into Library Square this year, and its accompanying parade received so many entries that organizers had to turn down two dozen groups. “Salt Lake loves its gay people,” said

Matt Landis

Matthew Landis, who is in charge of organizing the entertainment for this weekend’s festivities centered around the City and County Building in downtown Salt Lake City and the library across the street. The festival gates open Saturday at 3 p.m. and will include for the first time free movies at the library, a spoken word stage for comedians and poets and an expanded area for people selling art. The parade starts Sunday morning at 10 a.m., a block east of Library Square. It ends six blocks later at the Salt Palace Convention Center. The first float will carry the parade’s grand marshals, who this year are the six plaintiffs in Utah’s Amendment 3 case, which is now before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Last December, Federal District Judge Robert Shelby struck down Utah’s constitutional amendment banning gay marriage starting 17 days where same-sex couples could get legally hitched. That ended when the Supreme Court issued a stay pending an appeal by the state. Utah’s political leaders are also fighting against recognizing the more than 1,000 same-sex couples who rushed to get married. Many of those couples are expected to walk next to a massive marriage equality float that will follow the grand marshals. “Our community right now is as

John Netto

strong or stronger than it has ever been,” said John Netto, chairman of the board of the Utah Pride Center. “We have so much commitment from our people that we cannot fail.” The festival costs $10 at the gate, and organizers anticipate more than 30,000 people will attend by the end of the weekend, making the pride festival one of the state’s largest parties. It’s expected to be a sunny, hot weekend, with temperatures getting into the mid-80s during the day and dropping into the high 50s at night. While the recent court rulings in Utah and elsewhere dominate much of the conversation, leaders of the Utah Pride Center say they want the festivities to remain a broader celebration of the LGBT community and its supporters. “As we reach out with love, we get love in return,” said Netto. “This movement has always been about reaching people with love.”

Mark Lawrence

2014 The Grand Marshal reception held this year in Washington Square. Mark Lawrence and Fran Pryn

Fran Pryn

recieved this years Dr. Kristen Ries Award for Community Service. All six plaintiffs in the Kitchen V. Herbert case are honored as Grand Marshals for this year's parade.

2014 Utah same-sex couples ask for immediate ruling on stay BY MARISSA LANG THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE The same-sex couples suing the state over its reluctance to legally honor their Utah marriages have asked a federal appeals court to rule immediately and deny the state’s request to halt all movement in allotting these couples spousal benefits. In a motion filed with the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday afternoon, the three plaintiff couples in the case accused Utah’s attorney general of waiting until the last-minute to file an appeal. This last-minute filing, they argued, forced the appeals court to issue a stop-gap Thursday that prevents any same-sex couples from applying for marriage benefits in Utah until the court has had a chance to examine the merits of the state’s request for a permanent stay. American Civil Liberties Union attorney John Mejía, who represents the plaintiffs in this case, wrote that Utah “took advantage of the courtesy extended by” U.S. District Judge Dale A. Kimball when the judge allowed them 21 days to respond to his ruling — mandating that the state honor same-sex marriages performed in Utah during a 17-day window when such unions were legal. The judge’s original grace period was set to expire on Monday.  “This left only two business days remaining before the district court’s injunction was to go into effect,” Mejía wrote in the court motion. “This court should not reward [Utah’s] decision to sit on their hands for over two weeks and then seek a last-minute extension of the stay based on time constraints that their own delay created.” A panel of three federal judges in Denver issued a temporary stay on Thursday that extended Kimball’s three-week hold so the court could decide whether a permanent stay — that would be in effect until the Evans v. Utah appeal is resolved — is merited in this case. If such a stay is imposed, the more than 1,000 gay and lesbian couples whose marriages were issued and solemnized in Utah will continue living in the “legal limbo” of not knowing whether their marriages are, or will be, recognized under Utah law. Attorney General Sean Reyes said Thursday that there was no delay tactic in the state’s decision to file its appeal when it did. “We did what competent lawyers do and undertook a careful and well-researched analysis of all options, including implementation or appeal of the court’s order,” Reyes told The Tribune in a written statement. “For counsel to mislead people by feigning ignorance or disadvantage when [the plaintiffs], themselves, rejected offers for more time that our office made in good faith is beneath them.” Friday’s motion became the latest move in the case after the state announced late Wednesday it would appeal Kimball’s ruling. On May 19, Kimball ruled that Utah must recognize and imbue all same-sex marriages performed in the state with the same rights and privileges afforded to married opposite-sex couples. He declared the state’s reluctance to do so in violation of the couples’ constitutionally protected rights. More than 1,000 same-sex couples were granted Utah marriage licenses after U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby on Dec. 20 overturned Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage. For the next 17 days, gay and lesbian unions were legal in the state. Gov. Gary Herbert ordered county clerk offices to adhere to the judge’s ruling and issue marriage licenses to all couples seeking them — regardless of the gender of the applicants. The weddings stopped when the U.S. Supreme court issued a stay until the state could make an appeal to the 10th Circuit in defense of Utah’s voter-approved Amendment 3.   The state has argued that marriages performed in the wake of Shelby’s decision may be impacted by Utah’s landmark case against the same-sex marriage ban — Kitchen v. Herbert — should the 10th Circuit, or, ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court, side with the state. But Judge Kimball ruled last month that regardless of what happens with the Kitchen lawsuit, denying married same-sex couples the rights afforded to their opposite-sex counterparts from the moment their unions are solemnized is an unjustifiable harm that violates their right to due process as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. “The district court correctly concluded that [Utah’s] unconstitutional attempt to strip recognition from legally valid marriages imposes severe and irreparable harm on  plaintiffs and other same-sex couples,” Mejía wrote in Friday’s motion. The state “should not be allowed to continue perpetuating that harm through a stay pending appeal.” To receive a permanent stay from the 10th Circuit, Utah will have to convince the court the stay is necessary to maintain order and also that Utah has a high chance of likelihood on appeal. The 10th Circuit has been the subject of elevated interest in recent weeks as Utah and the rest of the nation await what may be the first appellate court finding on whether state same-sex marriage bans violate the federal constitution. As of Friday, every state in the country with a ban on gay and lesbian unions had been challenged in court. A ruling from the 10th Circuit would set a precedent in these cases and would immediately affect marriage bans in the states over which it presides: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming. A decision in the Kitchen lawsuit could come any day.

2014 Utah police officer on leave for refusing Gay Pride Parade assignment Police • Officer expressed “personal opinion,” being investigated by internal affairs. BY ERIN ALBERTY THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE A Salt Lake City police officer has been put on leave due to allegations that he refused to work at this weekend’s Utah Pride Parade. “If you refuse to do an assignment, that’s going to be a problem inside the police department,” police spokeswoman Lara Jones said Friday of the need for officers to follow orders. Internal affairs officers are investigating the officer’s refusal while he is on paid leave, Jones confirmed. She would not discuss the officer’s reason for refusing the assignment, but said: “The vast majority of officers, when they come to work, they understand that they leave their personal opinions at home and serve the community.” Jones said about 30 officers are scheduled to provide traffic control and security for the 120-entry parade, Utah’s premier LGBT celebration. The parade begins at 10 a.m. Sunday in downtown Salt Lake City. “We have provided public

Chris Burbank

safety services to this event since its inception,” Jones said. Police Chief Chris Burbank has marched in the parade in previous years; this year three deputy chiefs are marching in his stead while he is out of town. The police department also will have a community outreach and recruitment booth at the Utah Pride festival on Saturday, and participates in a standing committee to address public safety issues relating to LGBT residents, Jones said. “We have gay men and women that serve in the police department,” Jones said. “One officer’s situation does not reflect the vast majority of officers that work in the Salt Lake City Police Department, and certainly not Chief Burbank’s. “Personal opinions in the police department have evolved along with the community,” she added. The department staffs several community events in Salt Lake City, Jones said, the Days of ‘47 Parade and the Salt Lake City Marathon being among the largest. For those events, officers are asked to sign up for duties of their choosing before commanders fill empty posts by assignment, Jones said. The Utah Pride Parade is a smaller event, so all officers involved were assigned. Ranking officers over internal affairs cannot remember a previous event where an officer refused an assignment because of personal reservations, Jones said. However, she said, with a department of more than 400 employees and a city that employs hundreds more, “H.R. issues like this I wouldn’t say are routine but are not unexpected, and we have a process to deal with them and provide due process to those involved.”   Jones would not confirm the identity of the officer placed on leave; The Tribune could not reach him for confirmation or comment. A union leader said the officer is not a member.

2014  Op-ed: Much to be proud of on Pride Day, and much more to come in Utah BY PAUL C. BURKE, BRETT L. TOLMAN AND JOHN W. MACKAY This weekend Salt Lake City is hosting a jubilant festival to celebrate the U.S. Constitution, the promotion of marriage, and the dignity of all Utah families. Leading Sunday’s massive parade will be newlyweds and long-time committed couples, as well as their children and loving families. Unfortunately, these families find themselves under siege by the government of their home state. The State of Utah is fighting to preserve a system of discriminatory laws that targets gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens. Utah law currently excludes gay couples from exercising their right to marry, bars them from legally adopting their children, and mandates the inculcation by public schools of negative views towards LGBT people. At every stage in life — from the moment a child has an inkling of being gay, during adolescence, throughout adulthood and all the way to the grave — LGBT Utahns remain haunted by laws that deny their existence, demean them as lesser human beings, and denigrate their lives and family relationships. Fortunately, the inexorable march of freedom is destined to leave Utah’s system of discrimination against LGBT citizens on the ash-heap of history. Over the last year, remarkable progress has been made towards dismantling Utah’s system of discrimination. Last summer, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for the federal government to discriminate against gay citizens by adopting a definition of marriage that excluded gay couples. Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage was doomed the moment the Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The Constitutional law of this country now protects the fundamental rights of all citizens and LGBT families are no longer strangers to the law. Utahns should be proud that our courageous federal judges have affirmed not only the right of all Utahns to marry but also the obligation of the State of Utah to recognize their lawful marriages. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby’s decision last December to strike down Amendment 3 has been lauded in other court decisions from coast to coast for its fidelity to the Constitution and its reasoned application of Supreme Court precedent. Judge Dale Kimball’s ruling last month forbade the State from ignoring existing same-sex marriages because, as in the Supreme Court’s DOMA case, “the ‘principal effect’ of the State’s actions is ‘to identify a subset of state-sanctioned marriages and make them unequal.’” Judge Kimball thus rebuked Utah’s attempt to retroactively void the marriages of more than 1,300 couples. Governors and state attorney generals across the country, including Democrats and Republicans alike, have heeded this jurisprudence and have fulfilled their oaths of office and duty to enforce the Constitution by acknowledging the unconstitutionality of anti-gay laws. In sad contrast, Utah’s elected officials continue to resist the Constitution’s promise of equality to gay Americans. Despite these efforts to cling to a system of legal denigration of LGBT citizens, the shameful era of discrimination by the State of Utah is nearing its end. We expect that, by end of next June, marriage equality will be firmly and finally established in every state, including Utah. We look forward to the day when Utah’s governor and other officials join the parade by sustaining the U.S. Constitution’s promise of equal protection under the law for all. Paul C. Burke, Brett L. Tolman and John W. Mackay led a team of lawyers representing the Utah Pride Center to file an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the case that successfully challenged parts of the Defense of Marriage Act.

2017 UGRA Wow we had so much fun at pride thank you all who came out and seen us you guys rock can't wait for next year love you all and don't forget to tell all your friends to join ugra we still have a long way to go to get a rodeo in 2018 and we need all the help we can get. If you like to host a fundraiser for the 2018 rodeo please don't hesitate to message one of our board members Raeann Grow president, Joni Holm secretary, Jim Baker Treasurer Kevin Clair Hillman trustee,  Kristen Tycksen rodeo director/member at large, Kevin Clark
Sevcik historian, Brad Earl member at large.  We will be happy to help you any way we can hugs and kisses lets get the rodeo back to utah we cant do it with out everyones help thank you all

Terrance Manning

2018  He fought a mob that chased gay people into a Utah cafe. Now some are bringing him balloons and calling him a hero. By Courtney Tanner “Are you the one who saved those people?” Terrance Mannery, a little caught off guard, turned his head from the window and looked up at the woman who was asking. “Um … yeah,” he told her, a bit uncertain and a little shy.  It was enough confirmation for Kae Clark, though. She shoved a string with a silver star balloon floating above it into Mannery’s hand and started thanking him. “It’s just really nice to see someone stand up,” she said. After four days, the attention and appreciation still surprises Mannery. People have stopped him to shake his hand. Some have offered to buy him lunch. Many have come to the Salt Lake City dessert shop where he works just to meet him and show their support. They’re calling him a hero. “I’m kind of used to being a background character,” Mannery said with a laugh. “I’m not used to being in the spotlight of attention.” Mannery, an employee at Doki Doki, is credited with fighting off a mob of men who were harassing four men leaving the Utah Pride festival last weekend.  On Saturday night, the 21-year-old was working behind the counter at Doki Doki dessert shop during a quiet shift. Just before closing, about 10:30 p.m., four frightened men who had just left the Utah Pride Festival burst through the door. The group of guys that had chased them in was gathering outside, making taunting gestures and yelling homophobic slurs. Mannery ran to the entrance to block the mob from coming into the cafe. One attacker shoved Mannery into the glass and metal door, breaking its hinge. Some of them started punching. It was dark and Mannery couldn’t see how many there were. He felt at least seven hits; one left a dark red scratch on his cheek. Witnesses have said he was trying to fend off some 15 to 20 muscular men. The group, described by one bystander as some “wholesome Utah boys,” dispersed when a security guard approached. Mannery went back inside Doki Doki. Not knowing what else to do, he went back to taking orders. The four victims who ran in left in a Lyft. It was over in minutes.  “I’m just glad they were able to get away and be safe,” Mannery said Wednesday, reflecting on the episode. Clark, who is bisexual and marched in Sunday’s Pride Parade, heard about the attack on Facebook and wanted to personally thank Mannery for putting himself in front of the mob and protecting those inside. “Yeah, my boyfriend was working in the back,” he said, pointing to the kitchen where Richard was scooping ice cream. “Wow,” she said. “So you’ve probably faced this kind of hate before.” Clark’s friend, Atlas Morgan, stood nearby and added: “In a state like Utah, we have huge communities of gay people and anti-gay people.” “And a lot of negative things happen to the LGBT community,” said Mason Smith. The three friends also brought Mannery a card. The front said “You happy up the world.” As they talked, blenders sounded in the background. A few folks walked in, chatting about how they wanted to try this place after hearing about what Mannery did. “I’ve never been here before,” one woman noted. The shop, on 400 South near 300 East, serves smoothies and teas and desserts. The name Doki Doki is a Japanese term for the sound a beating heart makes. When Mannery first started talking about Saturday night, he thumped his hand to his chest. His own heart raced during the attack. Today, it’s much calmer, and he’s more assured. “Even in hindsight, I would have still gone out,” said Mannery, who came to Utah from Wisconsin three years ago for school. During his first summer here, he went to the 2016 Pride Parade. There were a few protesters but nothing like what he saw Saturday. “I hope this inspires more people to stand up, but hopefully they do it in a safer way. I don’t want people to try to take on entire groups by themselves, but if you hear your friends making jokes, definitely say something.” As he started his afternoon shift Wednesday at the dessert shop, Mannery zipped the star balloon into his jacket pocket and carried it around as he helped customers.