This Day In Gay Utah History July 10th

10 July 10-

1519-In a report to Emperor Charles V, conquistador Hernan Cortez wrote that the natives of Mexico "are all sodomites and have recourse to that abominable sin."

1912-Bisexual poet Rupert Brooke wrote to James Strachey to describe the weekend when

Rupert Brooke

he lost his virginity to Denham Russell-Smith, a friend from Rugby school.

Joseph F. Smith III

1946- Mormon Church Patriarch, Joseph F. Smith was allowed to resign by his cousin President George Albert Smith for “illness” in October after the First Presidency learned that Smith had been in a sexual relationship with a 21 year old Mormon sailor. Presiding Church Patriarch Joseph Fielding Smith III’s (b. 1899) sexual relations with several young men is brought to the attention of the First Presidency.  On July 10th, the First Presidency is informed of Smith’s affair with a twenty-one-year-old Mormon sailor by the young man’s father.  After conferring with all involved, Church President George Albert Smith quietly releases Smith from his calling.  A resignation letter is read in the Oct. General Conference where Smith request is due to “an extended illness.” He is not disfellowshipped or excommunicated from the Church although he is asked not to use his priesthood.  He and his family move to Hawaii where in 1959 he is again able to use his priesthood after “confessed to his wife and wrote a full confession to the First Presidency.” Not the first General Authority to be released for homosexuality, John C. Bennett, Mayor of Nauvoo and councilor in Joseph Smith’s First Presidency was excommunicated for a number of sexual crimes including buggery (Nauvoo Wasp Extra 27 June 1842) On 5 Oct 1840 John C. Bennett had the October General Conference approve that no one be judge guilty of a crime unless proven, “by two or three witnesses” which was Bennett’s way of shielding his own extra marital sexual activities with both males and females

1957- Mormon President David O. McKay restores all church privileges to Joseph F. Smith, the former patriarch.

1964-Friday- Spencer W. Kimball gave a speech entitled “A Counseling Problem in the

Spencer Kimball

Church” to a conference of Mormon Church seminary and Institute religion teachers  assembled at BYU because apparently “quite a number of (Mormon) men were being arrested” at that time for being “peeping Toms’, exhibitionists, homosexuals, and perverts in other areas.” An identical talk had earlier been given to a group of LDS psychiatrist but no text of that one survives. The largest portion of A Counseling Problem in the Church dealt with homosexuality and became the basis for all subsequent homophobic pseudo-intellectual discourse in the Church. Kimball stated “We are told that as far back as Henry VIII, this vice was referred to as ‘The Abominable and Detestable “Crime Against Nature”’ and some of our statutes have followed that wording”.  Spencer W. Kimball, said "The cure for this malady [homosexuality] lies in self-mastery". [July 10, 1964, "A Counseling Problem in the Church" - BYU Devotional for LDS Seminary & Institute Instructors]

1969  Letter in Village Voice, Greenwich Village, New York entitled “Scared No More: “The Stonewall raid was not the only reason for incidents occurring on the great and glorious weekend.  In the last three weeks five Gay Bars in the village area that I know of of been hit by the police…”   Kevan Lisco. They were The Snake Pit, the Sewer, the Checkerboard, the Tele-Star

1971-The Austrian Parliament decriminalized homosexual acts between consenting adults.

Stephen Holbrook

1972- Stephen Holbrook, a Gay man of Salt Lake City, was a Democrat Delegate to the 3 day Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach Florida representing Utah.

1972-Ann Arbor Michigan passed a broad gay rights law.

1975-The Austin city council passed the Equal Employment Opportunity Ordinance, which included sexual orientation, making Austin the first Texas city to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

1985-An editorial in the Arlington Texas Daily News about an upcoming Ku Klux Klan anti-gay rally stated, "Given a choice between sharing a park with homosexuals or a bunch of white-sheeted, racist, hate-peddling losers, we think we would prefer the homosexuals."

1987- The Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire’s Prince and Princess Royale’s P.R. Ball was held at Backstreet. Darlene (Dave Waters) of the Lovebirds got into a fight with another drag Queen “Juanita” with lots of fists flying. [Journal of Ben Williams] 

1988 Gordon Winslow shot in Jordan Park and died of his wounds.

1988 - I wrote up my historical column for The Triangle Community Digest on King James I of England.  Randy Olsen dropped by to visit and I had him take me to Satu Servigna to deliver my column. About 7 p.m. Ben Barr came over and took Mark LaMarr and I to KRCL to meet Becky Moss. We did a radio program for Concerning Gays and Lesbians interviewing Ben Barr about his work at the Salt Lake AIDS Foundation and about Pride Day which is next Sunday. We did two shows again so we won’t have to return until the 24th . John Reeves the other day said I have extreme views. I said, “It’s hard being an extremist without being extreme.”  Challenge, push, forever forward in the cause of social justice and the end of bigotry.  I just feel like we truly magnify God’s creation by our diversity not our sameness. The Restoration Church once just had two questions for their Temple Recommend: “Do you love God and how do you show it? Do you love your neighbor and how do you show it?”  In five years when we are all either dead, dying, or taking care of the dead and dying who then will have the strength to stay in a closet. How sad to be a Rock Hudson faggot.  [Journal of Ben Williams]

1990-The Wisconsin Court of Appeals ruled that the Green Bay Press-Gazette could reject ads from gay and lesbian organizations.

1994 GAY BUSINESSES HOPE ALLIANCE ERODES BARRIERS FEAR FADING FOR UTAH'S GAY BUSINESS BUT OWNERS HOPE ALLIANCE FURTHER ERODES BARRIERS Salt Lake Tribune Page: F1  Customers rarely take offense with Joyce Eden's gift shop, a cards and crafts boutique perfumed with scented candles and stuffed with handmade pottery and funky jewelry.    Yet, one time a customer huffed out the door over the pink-triangle theme of a few items. The triangles, an emblem of gay and lesbian pride in the '90s, are adapted from the symbol Nazis used to mark homosexuals during the Holocaust -- and they reveal the shop owner's bond with the homosexual community.  As they watch that earlier brand of hostility fade, Eden and other gay-lesbian business owners in Utah feel more comfortable stepping into the mainstream without leaving their personal identities in the shadows.  ``I certainly don't want to make a point of it,'' says Eden. ``It's a small part of our lives. And, hopefully, people will get it someday that I am just another business person trying to make a living.'' Utah's gay-lesbian business owners still wait for the day customers regard a proprietor's sexual orientation as being as irrelevant to business as shoe sizes or favorite colors. But, in the meantime, they hope their new Utah Gay & Lesbian Business & Professional Alliance will crumble the barriers they face.     ``[The alliance] creates a gay chamber of commerce,'' says Don Austin, a Salt Lake City therapist who specializes in helping gay men and AIDS victims.    Among the advantages he sees in being a member of the alliance: networking, political clout and group advertising. ``As a gay business owner, I have to worry about the same things as anyone else,'' he notes. The alliance has about three dozen members but many more supporters, including ``gay friendly'' businesses listed in the 1994 Stonewall Community Directory. The directory is co-published by the alliance and the Stonewall Center, a community center for homosexuals in Salt Lake City. `Nobody's Damned Business': Nationally, homosexual business owners also are banding together. In April, they organized the first National Gay and Lesbian Business Expo at a New Jersey convention center. Among the 150 exhibitors, one-third were mainstream companies such as AT&T, Continental Airlines and IDS Financial Corp. But not all business owners are delighted with the trend. They fear the stigma against homosexuality is sure to drive away straight customers. A number of local business owners declined to be interviewed for this article because of that fear.  ``It would be the death knell for my business,'' says one east-side antique dealer who requested anonymity.    ``Some [straight people] are offended, but most people are OK with it as long as you don't rub it in their noses -- and calling your business `gay' or `lesbian' is just that,'' he says. ``No one needs to know that. It's not a matter of shame. It's just nobody's damned business.'' Experience lends some justification to that fear. Some Salt Lake City businesses have suffered because of their ties to the homosexual community. For instance, the Sun, a private club near downtown Salt Lake City that is favored by gays and lesbians, has been the target of hate crimes throughout its 21-year history. Bigots have soiled the club with eggs. Hecklers have taunted patrons headed through the door. Customers get roughed up

Nikki Boyer

from time to time. And Sun co-owner Nikki Boyer walked to the parking lot one night to discover three .45-caliber slugs in her new Subaru. ``It used to be a lot worse,'' says Boyer, who also owns a video store.``There used to be more violence.''  She credits a security staff for easing the fear of hate crimes around her club -- which, incidentally, has the largest membership of any private club in the state.  But she also thinks changing attitudes have helped. ``People are just becoming more aware,'' she says. ``The more visibility [homosexuals] have, the less threatening we become. We put our pants on one leg at a time and we pay our taxes, just like everyone else.''  They're Not Pretending: Some gay-lesbian business owners have discovered personal, social and business benefits in being candid about sexual orientation. Alan Hebertson owns the Coffee Garden, an offbeat espresso bar at the

Alan Herbertson

corner of 900 South and 900 East. He sees openness about being gay as a matter of basic self-acceptance.  ``I'm not going to open a business and pretend I'm something I'm not just to attract business,'' he says.   ``I'm just a gay man in business,'' he adds. ``If they are drinking my coffee and they don't like the fact that I am gay, I can't let it bother me.'' Julie Mohr shares that view. Owner of the Blue Marble gift shop on Salt Lake City's east side, she puts her politics on her shelves for all to see: pro-environment, anti-racist and gay-friendly. Her Mohr's Tropical pet store also is listed in the Stonewall Directory as gay-owned.  She explains that starting a business allowed her to escape sexism and gay bigotry she found at other companies. ``One of the pluses for me was that I could be myself.'' The financial benefits of being gay-owned or gay-friendly may be the most persuasive. What the Numbers Say: The Pillar, Utah's gay, lesbian and bisexual monthly, recently illuminated the unusual wealth of the community it serves. The newspaper found:-- Its readers earn about $30,000 a year -- more than double the state average.  -- Of the 225 who responded to the survey, nearly three-fourths have incomes greater than $25,000 a year. -- Four of every five has national credit cards and department-store charge cards. -- 98% have savings accounts.-- Four out of five dine out more than three times a week.    While other recent surveys have disputed the notion that homosexuals comprise a poorly tapped, multibillion-dollar consumer niche, many mainstream companies have decided to pursue gay dollars with targeted marketing campaigns. One is AT&T, which already is delighted with customer response to the 70,000 leaflets it sent this spring promoting long-distance telephone services to consumers identified as gay men and lesbians. Another is Ikea, the furniture retailer ,which depicted in a television commercial a gay couple shopping for furniture.   Park City learned the power of this market firsthand during the Winterfest '94 Gay Ski Games. The week long event brought Park City an estimated 1,500 overnight guests, notes Nancy Volmer, spokeswoman for the Park City Chamber of Commerce. ``It was a large ski group for us and a big piece of business,'' she says. Curiously, many of those who came to Park City that week were protesting Colorado's referendum vote last fall against extending civil-rights protections to homosexuals. Loyal Customers: Therapist Don Austin sees his candor about being gay as one reason his clientele has grown steadily during the past 2 1/2years. Like 36 others, he taps the homosexual community's checkbook loyalty by listing his business as gay-owned in the Stonewall Directory. ``I cannot do gay therapy and be closeted ,''he says.``There's always that part of you that says, `Oh, God! I hope I don't get bombed,' but I have had

Brandon Creer

nothing but positive reinforcement.''   Another success story is The Pillar. Its five co-owners hit their growth projections in three months, rather than the year or more they had expected. The 17-month-old publication has a circulation of 6,000 Says co-owner Brandon Creer, ``We're doing very well, much better than we expected.''

1998-The White House issued a statement that it was appalled by a measure by Joel Hefley (R-CO) to introduce a bill to overturn President Clinton's executive order barring discrimination based on sexual orientation in federal employment. Hefley claimed the executive order established quotas for homosexual employees (it didn't). He would withdraw the amendment after attempting to attach it to a bill sponsored by openly gay Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ).

1999 Saturday MORMON ANTI GAY MARRIAGE UTAH GALPAC URGES CHURCH TO STOP SUPPORTING CALIFORNIA MEASURE GALPAC Says Church Exports Hate The Gay and Lesbian Political Action Committee of Utah on Friday urged the LDS Church to halt its backing for an initiative that would ban same-sex marriage in California.  "The LDS Church should not export the politics of division and hatred to California," said Jared Wood, a GALPAC board member during a news conference in Salt Lake. "No church should pressure its members to devalue the relationships of consenting, committed individuals." In a recent letter from top California church leaders, 740,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in that state were encouraged to "do all you can by donating your means and time to assure a successful vote" on a ballot initiative that would deem only heterosexual marriages as "valid and recognized." The Knight Initiative, named for its chief sponsor, Republican state Sen. William "Pete" Knight, is "a divisive, anti-gay ballot measure," GALPAC said in a printed statement.  "It is an unnecessary, divisive and mean-spirited attack on gay and lesbian families that will threaten hospital visitation rights and other rights and responsibilities . . . that all people in committed relationships should take for granted."     The GALPAC statement said that the LDS Church's actions in California, as well as similar moves in Hawaii and Alaska, "show a disturbing trend in an aggressive political agenda." ……. San Francisco Supervisor Mark Leno, who is gay, is a leading critic of the initiative. This week he asked City Attorney Louise Renne and state Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer to look into the LDS Church's tax-exempt status.  "This is an out-of-state religious organization weighing in on a political issue here, and it should be investigated," Leno said. The LDS Church, however, argues that same-sex marriage is "a moral issue, not a political issue," church spokesman Dan Rascon said. "It really all comes back to the family and the relationship between a man and woman . . . that is the whole focus of the church, the family unit." Several gay couples at Friday's press conference gave personal testimonials about the need for recognition of same-sex relationships. Blair Lewis described himself as Mormon, gay and in a committed relationship for nine years. Lewis said during those years, he and his partner have attempted to live traditional family values of love, freedom and acceptance. "The church has in this and other states helped pass laws to limit my agency, demean my love, and compromise my acceptance in society," Lewis said.  Amy Alleman and Kerrie Thometz also said they were LDS and have been together for four years. "Kerrie and I were very fortunate to come from loving Mormon homes. In our families, we learned the meaning of charity, morality and unconditional love," Alleman said. "Our parents' dedication to these fundamental values has given us a strong framework for creating our own loving and productive relationship." Alleman and Thometz said Friday they intended to have their names removed from Mormon membership rolls.  The GALPAC representatives acknowledged they were unlikely to sway the church's position. "We may not change the church, but maybe we can change the minds of some members," Lewis said.

1999 MORMON ANTI GAY MARRIAGE  BYU LAW PROFESSORS SAY ATTACK ON CHURCH'S TAX STATUS IS AN ASSAULT ON RELIGION DESERET NEWS, Tax threat against church assailed Activists' plan called an attack on religion By Carrie A. Moore, Deseret News religion editor Two Brigham Young University law professors say a move earlier this week to challenge the LDS Church's tax-exempt status for supporting a ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage in California is just the latest in a series of attempts to block the influence of religion in public life.  "Regrettably some gay and lesbian activists are very vindictive and play a very mean brand of hardball. If anyone opposes their political agenda, they go out to punish them," said Lynn Wardle, a legal scholar who has written and participated in panel discussions nationwide about the societal pitfalls of legalizing same-sex marriage. Earlier this week, San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Mark Leno, who is also a gay activist, told the San Francisco Chronicle he has asked the city attorney and the state attorney general to examine the LDS Church's tax-exempt status after a letter was sent to church leaders throughout the state…… Also, Friday afternoon in Salt Lake City, the Gay and Lesbian Political Action Committee held a press conference to decry the LDS Church's political involvement in California.  "This action transgresses the autonomy of church and state," said Jared Wood, spokesman for the Salt Lake group, in calling for the church to end such political action.  "Today I call upon the church to get out of the political arena, which is eroding our family values," said Blair Lewis, a gay church member from Salt Lake City. Sponsored by California Sen. Pete Knight, a Republican, the Protection of Marriage Initiative states that "only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized" in that state. While same-sex marriage is not legally sanctioned there or in any state, initiative sponsors hope the ballot measure will rebuff any future legislative attempts to legalize it.  LDS Church spokesman Dale Bills referred questions regarding the church's letter to Elder Douglas Callister, Area Authority Seventy for the North America West Area, who issued the following statement: "We firmly believe that this is a moral issue. The church in California is simply adding its voice to a broad-based coalition of many who feel strongly about preserving the traditional family."  Bills said the church had no comment on the question about its tax-exempt status. Wardle said Leno's public call for examination of the church's standing with the IRS is "typical" of some activists, who have a two-fold agenda by using such tactics. "They hope to dilute the influence of those who have spoken against their agenda, but they also send a message to rest of the community about the price people will have to pay who oppose them.  "That has a very chilling effect on free speech and the political process. I consider it to be very anti-democratic and irresponsible. People can certainly disagree about political proposals and still be civil and show respect to those they disagree with. Punitive responses to coerce and intimidate people because of their political positions are simply inappropriate in a democracy," he said. The newspaper quoted Leno as saying the church's letter to members is "pretty outrageous" and that "the Internal Revenue Service might weigh in on this. This is an out-of-state religious organization weighing in on a political issue here, and it should be investigated," the report said. The controversy is the latest in a series of statements directed toward the church by gay and lesbian activists fearful of the Mormons' monetary and potential volunteer clout….Also last year, the church filed a joint legal brief with the Catholic Church in a Vermont civil suit opposing the legalization of same-sex marriage there. ….."Sending out a letter to leaders of the church in California would hardly constitute much of an expense. Certainly churches are not prohibited from literally taking a position on an issue,".  Stutzman said as far as any threat to the church's tax-exempt status, "with any nonprofit organization, as long as they do not expend what's generally believed to be more than 5 percent of their total resources on an issue, it does not approach any type of red line (with the IRS) for that organization." While his organization normally does not release information about contributions other than what is required by law, Stutzman said "given the accusations that have been widely made, the LDS Church has not contributed any money whatsoever" to the California initiative campaign. Stutzman said he hasn't seen anything like Leno's challenge to the church regarding a public stance before. "This seems to be an accusation specific against the LDS Church. The Conference of Catholic Bishops endorsed the initiative with a statement about two weeks ago and that wasn't challenged, nor has the church's support for any issue in the past been challenged to my knowledge." Leno's statements challenging the church illustrate how "religion has become the new pornography," said Richard Wilkins, also a professor of law at BYU. "You can be religious only as long as your doors are shut, your windows are drawn and you don't do any of it in the public square. Now we enshrine people's right to consume real pornography, and we've made religion the new pornography" that can't be seen or heard except in private. Wilkins said it is ironic that a gay activist who seeks public support or his own ideas about what is morally right would try to squelch religious dialogue and participation on a public issue. "The effort to silence churches is deeply disturbing," agreed Wardle. "It was those kinds of efforts that led directly to the First Amendment. We seem to have forgotten what that was all about. It was intended to secure the rights of religious expression and belief for people of all faiths. It seems very fashionable in some quarters today to attempt to exclude religious institutions and voices from the public place." Deseret News staff writer Lynn Arave contributed to this story.

1999 Homosexual tendencies aren't genetic traits, researchers say in book   By Carrie A. Moore Deseret News religion editor   Despite characterizations made by politicians, several mental health organizations and  even some church leaders, homosexuality is not a genetic predisposition, the authors of a  new book on the subject say. The question is a highly divisive issue within many Judeo-Christian denominations, some  of whose members have long debated internal policy statements on whether homosexuality is  genetic and how they should deal with those who live a lifestyle many believe is sinful. Just last year, a major philosophical battle ensued nationwide over placement of  full-page ads in the nation's leading newspapers, placed by conservative Christian groups, advocating that a change from homosexuality to heterosexuality is possible. Despite the rancor that attends such debates, those who characterize homosexuality as inborn are "either grossly misled or have an agenda" to push, according to Dr. Neil  Whitehead and his wife, Briar, authors of "My Genes Made Me Do It: A Scientific Look At  Sexual Orientation."  The two are in Salt Lake City this weekend to address a meeting of LDS therapists and  to present a daylong workshop on Saturday for Evergreen International, a local organization  that "offers help to people working to diminish homosexual attractions."  In fact, they say, changing such attractions is possible -- though not easy.  "There is plenty of scientific data that backs up the fact that you can change sexual  orientation," Whitehead said. After eight years of research into all the available scientific data on the subject, the couple has concluded that

being "born that way" is a myth unsupported by the facts. The two agree that, from a religious standpoint, the argument for genetic predisposition presents a huge barrier for homosexuals "who really want to change, because it says God  has created them that way and they can't. Well that's just not true." To illustrate, they cite a variety of scientific studies carried out worldwide, including  several involving identical twins. "You take many documented cases of identical twins with identical genes. Now if the genes inescapably force you into homosexuality, if one is gay the other would be gay 100 percent of the time. We find it's 50 percent and downward. Different papers have different figures, but the percentage is relatively low. That presents a very clear conclusion: genes don't force you inescapably into being gay."  Whitehead worked for 30 years as a biochemist for the government of New Zealand. Briar Whitehead is a print journalist who started investigating a characterization made by a gay associate several years ago that he believed change was possible. She didn't believe it until she started looking at scientific studies. What she found shocked her, she said. She looked at the positions taken by professional organizations, including the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association, who declassified homosexuality as a mental illness several years ago. "You have these gay and lesbian activists pushing for that type of action and the organizations are capitulating, and then mandating pro-homosexual values for the whole of the associations. They play them off each other. The vast memberships of these organizations don't know what to think, they're not scientifically trained. They simply leave it to the governing bodies and specialist committees who are under enormous pressure from gay caucuses, so you get these statements being made that people accept as fact about homosexuality being genetic. That's just not the case." From a religious standpoint, "what the book is really saying is that what you do with your life depends on you. We say you can go with any slight genetic tendency you might have for anything. You can dwell on it and make it a major factor in your life. "We like to use the example of someone who might have the genes for good muscles and quick reflexes, giving them the potential to be an Olympic champion. Yes, they have the potential, but what do you do with it? If you train and take full advantage of that heritage, you may become an Olympic champion. But another very possible scenario is that they just become a couch potato in front of TV and watch someone else getting the gold medal. "The point here is, it's up to you what you do. It's a very religious conclusion in many ways. Frequently in the Bible there are statements talking about choosing who you will serve. In the biblical phrase, you can dwell on the flesh or cultivate the flesh, or you can put  your direction, mind, your whole direction of life on the things of the spirit."    

Becky Moss

2003 Thursday Subject: RE: [UTStonewallHS] Becky Moss Retires from Concerning Gays and Lesbians Erick Meyers to Ben Williams- Hi Ben, I don't know exactly how I got on your email distribution list, but I have been receiving the voluminous epistles you pen daily. [One could argue that you need to get a life, but on the other hand, what's a teacher going to do during the summer holidays anyway?;-))) ] This one finally caught my eye: I worked with Becky for a brief period on the radio program, and was honored to be part of the show. When I was married and struggling with how to deal with who I am, I, too, listened to Becky's program. Her intelligent, gentle and caring attitudes were evident in every program. Her encouraging, supportive, and a much-needed alternative point of view in Utah was one more factor that helped me to leave my marriage and come out of the closet. An indirect evidence of Becky's impact was the fact that former US Senator Jessie Helms had placed her on his list of enemies. High praise from an unexpected source! From my current life as an American-trying-to-become-a-European by working and living in Brussels, Belgium, I wish Becky all the best. She has been a tremendous friend to me over the years. Her selfless devotion to the liberation of sexual minorities has had far-reaching impacts, the extent of which is still being felt today. Whatever is next for Becky, it will be something worth watching. Very best wishes, Erick Myers Past Officer Utah Gay & Lesbian History Association

• RE: [UTStonewallHS] Becky Moss Retires from Concerning Gays and Lesbians Ben Williams - Hi Erick,Hope life is going good for you.. If you would like to be deleted from the site I can do that for you. Or just delete the messages in your email account for they are all on the Yahoo group site. I am trying to get my voluminous archives off just my hard drive into cyberspace. Until we get our web site up and going the group site is all we have. Unfortunately it does fill up people's email sites. So just delete them and if you ever have the time of inclination just go to groups.yahoo.com/UTStonewallHS. Sorry for the inconvenience Best Regards Ben Williams

2003 Lesbian couple  To counter the certain flood of anti-gay letters regarding Kari Fuller and Sonja Kaufman ("Lesbian couple challenging gay adoption ban in Utah," Tribune, July 7), I would like to say that these ladies deserve a lot of credit.  Here's what I got out of the story: 1) that Fuller and Kaufman are willing to become targets of narrow-minded individuals who will throw all kinds of judgment their way in the hope that legal action will secure their right to remain a family with full entitlements; 2) that Fuller and Kaufman are not typically tied to money and have decided in the best interests of their children to have one parent stay home to care for them; and 3) that Sutherland Institute President Paul Mero (Opinion, June 29) needs to do a little catching up on the state of families in the 21st century if he thinks "complementary roles between a male and a female in a family" trumps love. Phyllis Polster  Salt Lake City

2004 Deseret Morning News, Saturday, Gays say they grapple with pain, LDS policy By

Clay Essig

Deborah Bulkeley Deseret Morning News Clay Essig says he lives the chaste life required of a devout Latter-day Saint. He says he attends church, complies with Mormon doctrine and hopes to someday fall in love and get married. I'm thrilled to be gay," says Clay Essig, who says he's active in church. But Essig will likely never marry in a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That's because he's looking for a husband, not a wife. Being gay was for years a struggle that would depress and discourage Essig. At one point he left a boyfriend to "go straight," an effort that didn't succeed. "But now I'm thrilled to be gay, I'm grateful to be gay," he said. "I'm also grateful for the truth that I've gained as a Latter-day Saint." But Essig admits it hurt when the church's First Presidency issued a statement this week saying it "favors a constitutional amendment preserving marriage as the lawful union of a man and woman." It didn't come as a surprise. LDS doctrine is clear on the matter that acting on homosexual urges is a sin. And Essig copes by seeing his relationship with his church and with his God as separate. "Certainly there's a conflict between the church and what I am," Essig said. "There is not a conflict between what I am and God or the gospel. "The church kept saying I was wrong, even when I was with my boyfriend, and I was incredibly happy and at peace," he said. "I said, 'I guess I'm not supposed to be happy with my life.' . . . Gradually (God) helped me understand that what I am is perfectly fine with him as long as I lead a good life. That includes having a happy family in my creation as a gay man." The church's statement doesn't favor any specific legislation but clearly supports both federal and state efforts to constitutionally ban same-sex marriages. Utah is among 11 states where voters will decide on such proposed amendments this November. In Utah, the amendment would also forbid recognition of other types of unions, such as civil unions. Debate on the federal constitutional amendment started Friday and could be voted on as early as Wednesday. Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV polls conducted before the church's statement have suggested that most Utahns would vote in favor of the proposed state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Support for such an amendment was especially strong among LDS Church members, who comprise about 66 percent of the state's population, according to a 2000 report by the American Religion Data Archive. Life of loneliness But for those who are homosexual and LDS, the church's stand creates a conflict for them as well as for their families and friends. Gary Watts of Provo and his wife co-chair Family Fellowship, a

Mille and Gary Watts

support group for LDS parents of gays and lesbians. The group's mailing list includes about 1,700 families. And it can be difficult for those with homosexual loved ones. One  woman, who asked not to be identified, said she is "generally alarmed" by the church's position on the issue. Watts said the church unfairly expects gays to live a life of loneliness, "one that isn't as meaningful as one that's enriched by a companion." "There is no place in the Mormon Church for gay people, there is basically no place," said Watts, who has six children, two of whom are homosexual. "Our gay kids are terrific." Watts and his wife are no longer active in the LDS Church, and he has daughters — some married in an LDS temple — who now aren't sure if they want to raise their children in the church because of its stand on homosexuality. In 1998, LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley issued a statement that said, "We love (gays and lesbians) as sons and daughters of God. . . . We want to help these

Gordon Hinckley

people, to strengthen them, to assist them with their problems and to help them with their difficulties. But we cannot stand idle if they indulge in immoral activity, if they try to uphold and defend and live in a so-called same-sex marriage situation." President Hinckley has also said gay marriage is a moral issue, not one of civil rights. In a 1999 talk at the church's general conference, he described the church's duty of "defending this sacred institution." "God-sanctioned marriage between a man and a woman has been the basis of civilization for thousands of years," he said. "There is no justification to redefine what marriage is. Such is not our right, and those who try will find themselves answerable to God." But Watts described the church's position of separating its opposition to gay marriage from civil rights as "double speak." "It's about my gay kids' civil rights," he said. "It just makes my blood boil." Learned or genetic Church therapists do, in general, have sympathy for homosexuals, but they also contend that sexual orientation is learned and can be changed. David Pruden, executive director of Evergreen International, a resource, education and referral program for those who have

David Pruden

unwanted feelings of same-sex attraction, believes that no one is born gay.  Pruden said Evergreen's anonymous help line receives about 300 calls a month, and many of those calls come from married men. Most of Evergreen's clientele are LDS Church members. He said the first step is to make sure everyone who contacts his group knows their feelings are normal and they are not alone — he believes about 2 to 3 percent of the LDS population has had same-sex attraction feelings. "This is very difficult," he said. "We are all called upon to live the same doctrine, the same standards. . . . The question is how are you going to cope with those very difficult feelings." Pruden said a good portion of people never make any attempt to change their orientation. For those who do decide to remain in the church and seek therapy, there are ways to cope. Some people choose a life of celibacy, others may eventually lose their sexual feelings altogether, and he said some do eventually become heterosexuals. Pruden said when homosexuals fail at their attempts to change, "I do honor the idea they believe they've done their best. I can believe that and love them. . . . I can't believe theologically that God meant them to be gay." However, many therapists believe sexual orientation is a genetic trait and can't be changed. Kay Packard is a marriage and family therapist, her husband, Ted, is a counseling psychologist. They believe their son, Mark Stanfield Packard, was born gay. Mark Packard, 41, of London, gave up on the LDS Church when he was 16 and left Utah at 18. "It was like eating glass every day," Mark Packard said. "The pressure I felt growing up was very very difficult, very very painful. . . . I grew up with a strong sense I was going to burn in hell for something I could do nothing about . . . I knew there was some problem between me and the Mormon Church years before I could figure out what it was." Packard's parents, who raised all their children LDS, said the church's strong stance against homosexuality is detrimental not only to themselves but to their patients. Kay Packard said some of her clients are married couples with one homosexual partner. Some were advised to get married as a way to change sexual orientation, while other couples thought they could work together and pray for a change. "It's excruciatingly painful for them," she said. "The heartbreaking thing is it doesn't work. Five, 10, 15 years down the road — the heartbreak comes sooner or later." Speaking from her own experience, Kay Packard said, "it has been difficult at best," with women in a church group often making derogatory comments about homosexuals. She said official church support for the constitutional amendment "is going to make it even harder." "It just seems discriminatory," she said. "It would seem that if we truly love them, then we would want them to have as close and warm and loving a relationship as they can."

2004- Hi, Ben, this is Susan Killfoile, (Jimmy's friend, Susie.)  I have had a hell of a time getting your address.  I'll tell you about that later.  I'm having a reception for Jimmy [Hamamoto] and John [Reeves] at my house on this upcoming Saturday, July 10.  Obviously, the happy couple won’t be here, and I’m hoping the video we make will surprise and delight them.  I’m asking all friends of Jimmy and John come to my house and wish them well on the video or by writing in the book I got.  Please feel free to pass this message on to anyone else that Jimmy and John may know here in Utah.  I sent an email to all users at KRCL and have contacted Carolyn Person and John's grandson, Chris.  Any way, if you have questions, call me on my cell.  This soiree will begin around 5:00 and will end when people stop coming.  Please bring an appetizer or a beverage of your choice.  I hope to see you sometime on Saturday.  Susan K. 

2005 Sunday, July 10th - Centered YOGA!! - Center Space (10-11am) NEW! Up- dog , Down-dog ? What dog?? Come find out what it all means and find YOUR personal center at your community center! FREE every Sunday with the amazing and lovely Leraine. Bring your own mat if you have one. All levels welcome. It's best not to eat before hand - so save your appetite for the potluck brunch that follows!!

2005 Sunday,  Sunday Brunch and Potluck - Center Space (11am-2pm) NEW! Every Sunday! It's a potluck! Come socialize with old friends and make new ones over coffee and a dish you have brought to share. Everyone welcome!

Matt Aune and Derek Jones

2009 Gay couple detained near Mormon plaza after kiss By ELIZABETH WHITE, Associated Press Writer A gay couple say they were detained by security guards on a plaza owned by the Mormon church and later cited by police, claiming it stemmed from a kiss on the cheek. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said that the men became argumentative and refused to leave after being asked to stop their "inappropriate behavior." The men say they were targeted because they are gay. Matt Aune said he and his partner, Derek Jones, were walking home from a concert nearby on Thursday night, cutting through the plaza near the Salt Lake City Mormon temple. Aune, 28, said he gave Jones, 25, a hug and kiss and that the two were then approached by a security guard, who asked them to leave, telling them they were being inappropriate and that public displays of affection aren't allowed on the property. He said other guards arrived and the men were handcuffed. "We asked what we were doing wrong," Aune told The Associated Press. Church spokeswoman Kim Farah said in a statement Friday that the men were "politely asked to stop engaging in inappropriate behavior — just as any other couple would have been." "They became argumentative and used profanity and refused to leave the property," she said. The church did not immediately respond to a request for more comment. Police later arrived and both men were cited with misdemeanor trespassing, Salt Lake City Police Sgt. Robin Snyder said. "It doesn't matter what they were asked to leave for," Snyder said. "If they are asked to leave and don't they are ... trespassing." The church has been the target of protests over its support of a ban on gay marriage in California.

2009 Trespassing case? Gay couple detained after kiss near LDS temple Plaza walkway is church property. By Lindsay Whitehurst The Salt Lake Tribune Matt Aune and his gay partner, Derek Jones. (Scott Sommerdorf/The Salt Lake Tribune)A gay couple says they were detained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints security guards after one man kissed another on the cheek Thursday on Main Street Plaza. "They targeted us," said Matt Aune, 28. "We weren't doing anything inappropriate or illegal, or anything most people would consider inappropriate for any other couple." Aune and his partner, Derek Jones, 25, were cited by Salt Lake City police for trespassing on the plaza, located at 50 East North Temple, according to Sgt. Robin Snyder. In a written statement, church spokeswoman Kim Farah denied the two were singled out for being gay. "Two individuals came on church property and were politely asked to stop engaging in inappropriate behavior -- just as any other couple would have been," she said. She declined to comment on what is considered inappropriate behavior, and on the rules governing the plaza. Though Salt Lake City sold the property to the church in the late 1990s, it remains a popular pedestrian thoroughfare, and a site where couples often pose affectionately for photos. The Salt Lake Police Department on Friday denied a Salt Lake Tribune request for a full police report on the incident, citing Utah laws giving them five business days to respond to records requests.  Snyder refused to name the reason security guards gave for alerting police, saying it is "irrelevant." "If a person is asked to leave private property for whatever reason and refuses to do so, that is technically trespassing," she said.  Aune said the incident started when he and Jones were walking back to their Salt Lake City home from a Twilight Concert Series show at the Gallivan Center. The couple live just blocks away from the plaza in the Marmalade district of the Capitol Hill neighborhood. The pair crossed the plaza holding hands, Aune said. About 20 feet from the edge of the plaza, Aune said he stopped, put his arm on Jones' back and kissed him on the cheek. Several security guards then arrived and asked the pair to leave, saying that public displays of affection are not allowed on the church property, Aune and Jones said. They protested, saying they often see other couples holding hands and kissing there, said Jones.  "We were kind of standing up for ourselves," Jones said. "It was obviously because we were gay." The guards put Jones on the ground and handcuffed him, he said. Aune said he was also cuffed roughly, and suffered bruises and a swollen wrist. The injuries did not require medical treatment, Snyder said.  Farah said the two men "became argumentative," refused to leave, and used profanity.  Aune said he felt "upset" and "affronted" during the approximately five-minute exchange. "When I was handcuffed, I was very pissed and I unleashed a flurry of profanities," he said. Police arrived about 10:30 p.m. They spoke with the couple and two security guards before issuing the citations, Snyder said. The pair was banned from LDS Church Headquarters' campus for six months, Farah confirmed. That does not include the City Creek or any other properties.  The kiss happened on a former public easement given up by city in 2003 in a controversial land-swap deal. The easement became private property, allowing the church to ban protesting, smoking, sunbathing and other "offensive, indecent, obscene, lewd or disorderly speech, dress or conduct," church officials said at the time. In exchange, the city got church property for a west-side community center.  Aune said he was one of those who protested the transfer at the time.  "They claimed in 2003 this would never happen, they were never going to arrest anyone," he said. "It's clear now they do have an agenda."

2009  Kiss Off: A gay couple cited for holding hands on Main Street Plaza. By Eric S. Peterson What better image of a friendly, walkable city can there be than a seeing a couple stroll along the charming Main Street Plaza after enjoying a free evening concert: holding hands, engaged in small talk, taking in the night air. It’s picture perfect. Unless the couple happens to be gay. On Thursday night, Derek Jones (right) and boyfriend Matt Aune claim they were simply holding hands, walking through the LDS Church’s easement between North and South Temple on Main Street, when they inadvertently became a target for LDS Church security officers. For their public display of affection on church property, the couple say they were detained by officers and even handcuffed. Jones was forced to the asphalt. Following the Thursday Twilight concert, Jones, an advertising account manager for City Weekly, says he and his boyfriend thought they were alone on the plaza as they walked to their home to Capitol Hill around 11 p.m. It was a walk they’d taken on many occasions. The couple paused for a moment, Aune put his arm around Jones and gave him a kiss on the cheek. At that moment, Jones says, a number of security guards descended upon them. “They said they wanted us to leave because of the public display of affection, and that they do not allow any sort of public displays of affection on the easement whatsoever,” Jones says. Representatives of the LDS Church would not return calls to comment on this story. Aune said that once officers detained them, he challenged them to find out what they were doing that was actually wrong. “I was trying to get the real reason out of them, which obviously was they were targeting us because we were a gay couple," Aune says.  As Aune pressed officers to explain, the couple says as many as half a dozen security officers responded to the call. In between security officers allegedly telling the couple their behavior was “unnatural” and “just wrong,” the pair were split up. Jones says he was forced to the ground on his stomach and handcuffed and that Aune was also detained and cuffed. Both, he said, were searched by church security. “At no time did we ever refuse to leave,” Aune says. “After we were in handcuffs, they said, ‘You can leave, or we can call the police.’” Officers of the Salt Lake City Police Department arrived and issued the pair misdemeanor citations for trespassing. SLCPD spokeswoman Robin Snyder could not comment to specific details of the incident but did say that on private property, individuals who are said to be refusing to leave are subject to trespassing violations. Karen McCreary, executive director of the ACLU of Utah, was not familiar with the incident. She notes that the Main Street Plaza has been private property since 2003 when the Salt Lake City Council relinquished public easements over the property in exchange for LDS Church-owned property on Salt Lake City’s west side and money to build the Sorenson Unity Center at 1383 S. 900 West. The 2003 city-church land swap, and the ACLU lawsuit that followed, were the final act in an eight-year battle over the plaza. When the city initially sold a portion of Main Street to the LDS Church in 1999, the sale came with four public easements, including an easement for the public to use the plaza as a through street between South Temple and North Temple. But the public easement came with all sorts of behavior rules (forbidding things such as swearing) and the subsequent arrest of a Christian preacher on the plaza began the first of two lawsuits that would take the plaza issue to federal court.  The ACLU sued Salt Lake City, arguing that the plaza conduct restrictions were unconstitutional. In 2002, the federal 10th Circuit Court agreed with the ACLU. But one line in the court’s ruling said the city could get around the problem by getting rid of the easements. That’s what the City Council did in 2003. The ACLU sued again, arguing that the city couldn’t sell the public’s rights. The ACLU likened the city-church deal to Southern cities deeding public parks to private groups in an effort to avoid desegregation. But the 10th Circuit Court upheld the city-church deal, which allowed the creation of the private plaza that only looks like a public space. "This is what [the LDS Church] claimed in 2003 would never happen,” Aune says. “When the controversy over the easement was high, they said it was a paperwork issue. It wasn't. We knew it back then. They want to filter activity through that plaza."

2010 DRAG RACE Sat. July 10th - 7pm Warm Springs Pk. /Just North of JAM (north lot) Attire - dress or skirt, wig and anything that works with your outfit* (without giving a contestant an unfair advantage) No more than 7 people to a Heat, winners advance to Final Race. Race is roughly 25yds on asphalt Registration -$10 contribution to SLCGAA to participate/ waiver All contestants get in free to after party & get Swag-Bag All Heat Winners get dinner for 2 @ Stoneground & other prizes Drag Race Grand Diva 2010 (Winner) gets $150 and numerous prizes!! Heel length – TBD  Bring the whole family to watch this Event!!! Next year, let's have it on Main St.!! The After-Party @ JAM: $5 suggested donation to SLCGAA (free T-shirt) 8pm BBQ  9pm PARTY

2010 Rate of syphilis cases on the rise By heather may The Salt Lake Tribune Syphillis cases The Utah Valley Health Department says the number of reported syphillis cases has risen dramatically in the last decade. The Salt Lake Valley Health Department is warning men who have sex with men that they are at risk of contracting syphilis, which is easily transmitted and can be deadly if left untreated. “We need to sound the alarm,” said Lynn Beltran, who oversees sexually transmitted disease programs for the Salt Lake Valley Health Department. “Men engaging in sexual activity with other men need to realize this is out there.” The 40 new syphilis cases seen in Salt Lake County so far this year already surpasses last year’s total of 37, putting the county on track to potentially double the number of cases. Beltran recommends that men who have sex with men be routinely screened twice a year for the STD. The blood test can cost as little as $5 at the Utah AIDS Foundation. At one point in the 1980s, national public health officials believed syphilis could be eradicated. But now, Beltran says the disease, which can look like eczema, is an “epidemic.” The bacterium is spiral shaped, she said, making it “incredibly infectious.” A person with syphilis is also more likely to contract HIV because the ulcers caused by syphilis increase the

Tyler Fisher

infectiousness and susceptibility to HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Beltran said she knows of “several” patients who have both diseases, with one to two needing to be hospitalized. “A lot of HIV-positive men are having unprotected sex with other HIV-positive men,” she said. Syphilis has “permeated those networks and is now spreading.” The Utah AIDS Foundation hasn’t seen the same dramatic jump in syphilis cases as the health department, according to programming director Tyler Fisher. That may be because the population that gets tested at UAF is different — higher income and less dependent on drug use. Still, Fisher agrees the threat to the entire gay and bisexual community is there. “It just takes one person” to spread the disease.

2018 The Imperial Rainbow Court of Northern Utah is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that raises awareness and funds for causes and non-profits in the Northern Utah communities. As we celebrate our 25 years of Noble Deeds, we invite you to celebrate with us, with this commemorative special edition t-shirt. This FUNdraiser benefits the Power, Strength, and Wisdom Scholarship Fund. This Scholarship is to promote our organization by showing our commitment as well as our concern for those that are trying to further their educational needs. The funding for this Scholarship will be a minimum of $200 and a maximum of $500 per eligible applicant. This is presented each year to applicant recipients at our Coronation celebration. If education is important to you, please support our efforts by purchasing a t-shirt and sharing this campaign with your friends and family.