This Day In Gay Utah History July 14th

Karl Ulrichs

14 July 14-

1895-Karl Heinrich Ulrichs died. Ulrichs was an openly gay lawyer who was among the earliest to call for the repeal of Germany's sodomy law. Used the term Uranian for before the word homosexual was coined by the medical profession. The term referred to Plato's idea of the highest form of love which was between equals.

1900 In the District Court- A colored man named Lee was also arrested on the charge of committing a “Crime Against Nature”. [Deseret News]

1971- Hearing Set for 2 on Sodomy Charge.  Preliminary hearings for two men charged with forcibly sodomy in the city-county jail has been set for August 31 at 2 p.m. The two were arraigned in City court Tuesday afternoon. Legal defenders were appointed by the court. The men are Grent  [Grant?] Carson, 19, 3369 South State and Maurice Williams, 21, a transient. They have been charged with acts of sodomy on a fellow prisoner in the jail on July 1. Carson is in jail in lieu of $5,000 bail awaiting trial on charges of burglary and grand larceny. Williams is serving time for escape while waiting trial on charge of rape [Deseret News B-13]

1977 The Salt Lake Coalition for Human Rights held it first public meeting at the Salt Lake Metropolitan Community Church. The purpose of the meeting was to inform others what each member group and organization was doing and to coordinate plans for the September performance of Anita Bryant at the Utah State Fair.  Eight organizations sent representatives.  They included Metropolitan Community Church of Salt Lake, The Gay Services Coalition, the Gay Student Union, Affirmation (formerly known as the Gay Mormon United), Women Aware and the Socialist Worker’s Party. Integrity/Dignity a group of Gay Catholics and Episcopalians turned down an invitation to join stating that they had reservations over joining forces with a group which included Marxists, a reference to the Socialist Workers Party. Salt Lake Coalition for Human Rights was organized from representatives of these groups.

Gerry Studds

1983-Rep. Gerry Studds (D-MA) came out, making him the first member of Congress to do so. Studds was a central figure in the 1983 Congressional page sex scandal, when he and Representative Dan Crane were each separately censured by the House of Representatives for an inappropriate relationship with a congressional page — in Studds' case, a 1983 sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male. During the course of the House Ethics Committee's investigation, Studds publicly acknowledged his homosexuality, a disclosure that, according to a Washington Post article, "apparently was not news to many of his constituents." Studds stated in an address to the House, "It is not a simple task for any of us to meet adequately the obligations of either public or private life, let alone both, but these challenges are made substantially more complex when one is, as I am, both an elected public official and gay." He acknowledged that it had been inappropriate to engage in a relationship with a subordinate, and said his actions represented "a very serious error in judgment." On July 20, 1983, the House voted to censure Studds, by a vote of 420-3. With his back to the other members, Studds faced the Speaker who was reading the motion. In addition to voting the censure, the Democratic leadership stripped Studds of his chairmanship of the House Merchant Marine Subcommittee. (Seven years later, in 1990, Studds was appointed chair of the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries.) Studds received two standing ovations from supporters in his home district at his first town meeting following his congressional censure. Studds defended his sexual involvement as a "consensual relationship with a young adult." Dean Hara, whom Studds married in 2004, said after Studds' death in 2006 that Studds had never been ashamed of the relationship. "This young man knew what he was doing," Hara said.[6] In testimony to investigators, the page described the relationship as consensual and not intimidating. Although Studds said he disagreed with the committee's findings of improper sexual conduct, he waived his right to public hearings on the allegations in order to protect the privacy of those involved: "...I have foremost in my mind the need to protect, to the extent it is still possible given the committee's action, the privacy of other individuals affected by these allegations," said Studds. "Those individuals have a right to personal privacy that would be inevitably and irremediably shattered if I were to insist on public hearings...." Studds said that deciding not to have a hearing "presented me with the most difficult choice I have had to make in my life."Studds was re-elected to the House six more times after the 1983 censure. He fought for many issues, including environmental and maritime issues, same-sex marriage, AIDS funding, and civil rights, particularly for gays and lesbians. Studds was an outspoken opponent of the Strategic Defense Initiative missile defense system, which he considered wasteful and ineffective, and he criticized the United States government's secretive support for the Contra fighters in Nicaragua.

Roy Cohn

1986-In an interview with People magazine, Roy Cohn denied that he was gay or that he had AIDS. He died of AIDS in less than three weeks.  In a 2008 article published in The New Yorker magazine, Jeffrey Toobin quotes Roger Stonem a Nixon operative: "Roy was not gay. He was a man who liked having sex with men. Gays were weak, effeminate. He always seemed to have these young blond boys around. It just wasn't discussed. He was interested in power and access." Stone worked with Cohn beginning with the Reagan campaign during the 1976 Republican Party presidential primaries.

Eric Scott Berger

1986- Lesbian and Gay Student Union of the University of Utah had another BBQ at Liberty Park.  Duane Dawson took everyone on a “cruise” seminar around Liberty Park. [Journal of Ben Williams]

1986 Eric Scott Berger age 24 died of AIDS in Salt Lake City. He was born 5 February 1962 in Murray to Blaine and Elaine Berger. He loved music, philosophy, tennis, karate and composed many beautiful songs. He was a volunteer for Utahns Against Hunger

1987- Salt Lake Affirmation held a Pizza Party  and discussed Gay Pride and the difference between being Gay and being a homosexual. In attendance were Chris Brown, Ken Bruck, Ray Nelson, James Connally, Jerry Springer, Ken Francis, Kevin Clark, Mike Anderson, Billy Bikowski, Ned, John Reeves, Mark LaMar, Steve Breckenbury, Shawn Donnelly,  and Ben Williams

1987-In Williamson West Virginia, a public swimming pool was closed temporarily by Mayor Sam Kapourales, who ordered a scrub down of the diving board, lounge chairs, and locker room, the pool drained and refilled, and 16 times the normal amount of chlorine added because he learned that a man with AIDS had gone swimming in the pool. The action drew criticism from Dr Richard Hopkins, a state health official.

Palmer DePaulis

1988  AIDS GROUP, S.L. RELEASE STATEMENT ON EDUCATION  By Robert Rice, Staff Writer Deseret News Salt Lake City and the Salt Lake AIDS Foundation, which proposed to distribute condoms inside a brochure at a Pioneer Day fair, issued a joint agreement Wednesday expressing their mutual concern over AIDS education. The statement comes the day after Mayor Palmer DePaulis ruled the organization could not distribute condoms at the Neighborfair scheduled for July 25 in Liberty Park. The ruling Tuesday, prompted by city concerns that children attending the popular fair might obtain condoms, sparked criticism and threats of legal action by the American Civil Liberties Union. DePaulis said the agreement signaled a coming to terms, noting that the city was hoping to avoid a constitutional battle over the matter. The foundation has said it hoped to avoid any bad feelings, also. "We really feel at this point that everyone has worked well together," he said. The statement emphasizes the city and the foundation's commitment to education about the fatal disease. "Education and information are essential in the prevention, treatment and understanding of this important problem," the statement read. In the statement, the city acknowledges the foundation's right to participate in the fair and the foundation recognizes that families and children may be present at the fair. But both agreed that "given the presence of children . . . (all parties) agree that specific AIDS Protection products should not be distributed at the Neighborfair," the statement said. "I think we want to support the educational aspect, but we don't want to support the product," the mayor said. Future distributions may be regulated by mayoral executive order or possible city legislation, he added. The ACLU said the condom was part of an informational campaign and therefore was an element of speech protected by the Constitution. But the city argued it had the ability to regulate "time, place and manner" of such speech.

1990 At Beyond Stonewall I believe my workshop on Gay History went well.  It was good that I have prepared my life to teach this, because I hadn't really prepared for the workshop with all I had to do at the last minute to get presenters.  But my knowledge is in my head. The Goddess workshop taught by Luci Malin was wonderful.  I was sorry that she had to leave this afternoon. Later in the day, Rod came up to me and asked if I wanted Beyond Stonewall back to run myself and I asked, "Are you tired of it?" and he said "No," that he was still excited by it so I just told him "let's be co-directors for next year", since that is how it was ran with John Reeves and I in 1988 and John Bush and I in 1989.  I didn't want to pull the rug out from underneath Rod since he was the one who stepped forward to keep this retreat going when I had plans to move to New Mexico.  At dinner I even made an announcement to that effect, saying that Rod had done a wonderful job and that it is thanks to him that we were all here at the camp this weekend. Ben Barr suggested later to me that we find a new camp for next year. I don't think so.  The memories are here at Camp Rogers. Anyway I read Kathryn Warner's medicine cards because she wants to become a Sacred Faerie. Her main totem was the Raven- Magick! That was wonderful considering how much magick has been here this weekend.  Robert Erichsson's main totem is Raven- magick too!  He wasn't feeling too good this afternoon.  Rocky and he were experimenting with making plaster of Paris death masks and Robert got some plaster in his eye. It was, on the whole a very nice warm mountain day.  I was meeting new people, sitting on lounging chairs around the flag pole, just visiting. In the evening, while Richard Morris was having his dance under the stars, Debbie, Carla, Liza Smart, Val Mansfield, and his boyfriend David Estes went to the main campfire ring to set up an altar and do a ceremony.  I felt we were all in harmony because it went well and it was a truly a healing experience although I did miss the other pillars.  Gillian is the one I felt the most badly for because he was torn between loyalty to me and his need for a spiritual experience that included a sweat lodge.  I didn't make an issue of it.  I was more upset with Rocky and Mike for being so cavalier and making decisions for the group that were not inclusive.  As long as their needs were met they didn't care.  I still think an underlying issue is that women were brought into the Faeries.  That has never been completely addressed. [Journal of Ben Williams]

Feliz Urioste

1995- Two Men Were Sealed in the Salt Lake Temple for Time and All Eternity. On July 14th, 1995, The Salt Lake Tribune reported an article titled Marital Masquerade Man posing as wife jailed for fraud Bruce Jensen, 39, of Bountiful, Utah found out his wife of 3 1/2 years was a man. His `wife,'' Felix Urioste, ended up in the Davis County Jail for a year after pleading guilty to bilking Jensen of $60,000. ``I feel pretty stupid,'' said Jensen. ``There's no way to describe this feeling.'' Still, Urioste's sister said the couple were ``made for each other.” Marlin Criddle was attorney for Urioste. Felix Urioste was arrested for stealing $40,000 from his husband of

Marlin Criddle

3½ years. Apparently Urioste convinced Bruce Jensen that he was pregnant with twins after they’d had a single sexual encounter. Jensen did the right thing and married the man he thought was a woman in a Mormon ceremony. Of course at the time he thought Felix's name was Leasa. "I feel pretty stupid," Jensen was reported to have said after the police convinced him his wife was a man. His wife was arrested on fraud charges, and police had to break it to him that his wife of 3-1/2 years was a man, Felix Urioste. The bishop of Jensen’s Mormon church confirms that Jensen is “just a little country bumpkin from Wyoming.” Jensen has filed for an annulment of the marriage based on irreconcilable differences and has left Bountiful, but he told a newspaper that when the case is over, he plans to return to Wyoming, “crawl in a hole for a few years and not let anyone within rifle range.” (AP) LDS Records Confirm The 'Sealing' of 'Leasa' (Felix) and Bruce. Apparently, the two lovebirds ended up getting sealed in the Salt Lake Temple for time and all eternity. (Same Sex Dynamics Among Nineteenth Century Americans, pp152)Weekly World News

DJ Thompson

1996 Page: AA2 Public Forum Letter Democrats Desert Gays The dust up between the Democratic candidates in the 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts over support of controversial issues is an important object lesson for gay, lesbian and bisexual voters in Utah. That lesson is you're better off voting for the candidate who represents you on the broadest basis, because at the end of the day the Democrats will throw you overboard anyway. We are constantly asked how gay, lesbian and bisexual people can be part of the Republican Party when the party so obviously snubs us. Well, this dustup shows that the Democrats think gay, lesbian and bisexual people have nowhere to go, so they take GLB votes for granted. The Republicans, on the other hand, are at least honest about their feelings and don't lead us on. Ross Anderson needs to dance with the date who brought him. Like it or not, he made some vague promises to Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats and just can't walk away from the group. If GLUD members are upset, we invite them to join us on the conservative side of politics.    D.J. THOMPSON   President   Utah Log Cabin Republicans   Salt Lake City [DJ Thompson committed suicide 9 March 2000 in Kingman Arizona

2003 Monday Subject: Gay BYU dynamics Anoymous “so i'll be honest, this email is stemming from a lot of frustrations and sadness.  I have been here at BYU now for almost 3 years.  It's been an interesting experience and I have certainly learned a whole lot, mostly from outside the classroom.  I will admit that my learning to face up to my sexuality and accept it and still love myself has been a bumpy road but I can finally say that I am where I want to stay.  I would think that a good majority of you reading this email are somewhere along that same path; barely beginning or well down the road in one of the many possible directions that can be taken. for all of you still trying to figure things out, for those who have been there a while and are beginning to wonder if they have really figured things out and for those of you who just gave up on trying to figure things out, let me share a little something with you...i have sat here and listened to so many boys come to me and say, "I'm so confused I don't know what to do.  I love the church but I'm gay."  ok, story of my life. i have sat here and heard that story from boy after boy after boy and i have stuck through it and  have done my best to give these boys the best advice possible. i believe the church to be true.  there are no doubts in my mind about the leadership that we have.  i have no reservations, no if's no and's and no but's.  i love the church one hundred percent and believe that by relying on the lord and living church standards one can live a full, happy, successful life.  for some marriage is not an option, that is fine and acceptable. the lord will provide other means for individuals to fulfill their divine potential.  i for one am not married and do not foresee such a move in my life in the near future. it is not easy to remain active in the church but coming from one who has seen so much unhappiness and so much discontent and so much heartache i would recommend no other path.  gaining a testimony and living by that testimony no matter how hard it may be can afford you great blessings and allow you to live in a way that you could not otherwise enjoy.  i know that i am gay but i am a member of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints and want to live my faith to the fullest.  i have made mistakes i will admit but there is nothing like turning to the savior and finding hope in his gospel. now each time i have shared this the boys have been receptive and for the most part agreed.  but nearly every one has made a choice contrary to our conversations.  nearly every one has left the church.  i watched and admired so many who were wonderful examples and had strong testimonies, gradually and even suddenly turn from the church and lead a different life.  they are void of that joy that they once radiated.  they are unhappy.  they are emotional.  they are living happily yet constantly searching for something to make them happier.  this makes me so sad.  it tears at my heart.  there is a statistic that says that in general only 7% of LDS homosexuals will stay active in the church for more than 10-15 years after their coming out.  that is a sad and disheartening figure.  why?  why are there only 7% that remain active?  i guess that's my question for you?  those who are inactive why?  why did you leave your testimony behind?  why did you turn from the lord?  i realized in my own life that when it came down to it i had to choose. i could choose to abandon one part of me, be it my testimony and my faith or my sexual indulgence and friends and relationships in a homosexual atmosphere.  i chose the latter.  if i am to live the entirety of my life unwhole i will live it with the comfort of the gospel.  now i'm sure many of you are saying... "sure that's what we all said at one point in time, you'll soon forget that idealistic way of thinking and move on..."  BUT NO i won't.  i respect each of you and love you and care for you.  which is why i am sharing this with you.  i am attempting to begin a group at BYU to encourage homosexual members to remain strong and faithful, to offer a healthy and positive environment for social development as well and counseling and help when needed.  we're being watched by general authorities, bishops, stake presidents and former mission presidents, temple sealers, professors and families from all over.  they all want to see the success of this group. they are praying for us. helping us and pleading with the lord to bless us with the strength to do his will. please check it out.  please join.  please talk and find help and encouragement.  this is far from another evergreen.  we want to simply encourage a balance, to encourage living a life of honor and standards, but also recognize that we are homosexual and need a certain strength.  i feel very strongly that we have many people routing for our success. please don't hesitate to join or to check it out.  we'll be having a meeting the 10th of august in provo.  all are welcome to come. 

2005 The Utah GLBT Business Guild Mixer will meet on Thursday, July 14th UTAH GLBT BUSINESS SOCIAL MIXER 600-800pm UNDER THE LINDNENS (Bed and Breakfast) 128 South 1000 East SLC, UT 84102

2005  - Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous - Multi-Purpose Room (7pm). NEW support group being offered at the Center, occurring every Thursday night. Addicted to love, but not in the good way? There is a new group for you. Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous is a Twelve Step - Twelve Tradition oriented fellowship based on the model pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous. Many people feel the effects of love and sex addiction in their lives, and now there is an affirming place to find the support you need. Members reach out to others in the fellowship, practice the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of S.L.A.A. and seek a relationship with a higher power to counter the destructive consequences of one or more addictive behaviors related to sex addiction, love addiction, dependency on romantic attachments, emotional dependency, and sexual, social and emotional anorexia. We find a common denominator in our obsessive, compulsive patterns which renders any personal differences of sexual or gender orientation irrelevant. Please come and see if this is something that can work for you.

2005- Mullen: Fear drove county vote on benefits By Holly Mullen Tribune Columnist Salt Lake Tribune The back story of the Salt Lake County Council's 5-4 vote Tuesday against extending health insurance and other benefits to employees in established domestic partnerships got its start in the hallways outside the chambers. "They know what's right. You could hear it in their statements," said Councilman Joe Hatch to fellow Democrat Jenny Wilson, the proposal's sponsor (and in the interest of disclosure, my stepdaughter). "It's only a matter of time before they come around." The "they" to whom Hatch referred were the five Republicans on the nine-member council, each of whom gave a passionate - if not downright pained - explanation of his vote being less about moral judgments on homosexuality than a simple desire to reflect the will of the people in opposing same-sex unions. Councilman Michael Jensen, a bright and typically moderate sort, said "government derives its power from the people. And most people would tie this into [the passage of Amendment 3 to ban gay marriage]." At least no one made any outer-limits statements of the kind we usually hear at the Legislature or at the annual meeting of the Eagle Forum. No references to the "gay agenda," the book of Deuteronomy or Heather Has Two Mommies, thank goodness. It was all quite thoughtful. Republican Councilman Mark Crockett, for one,

Mark Crockett

described the many gay friends and associates he has had. "I couldn't tell you how important these people were and are in my life," he said. Minutes later, his voice catching, Crockett voted "no." If Hatch was correct in his summary - that his opponents knew what was right - what kept them from actually choosing the right? It wasn't about money. The estimate on the benefits change came to less than $75,000. There wasn't a good legal argument, either. The council's own lawyer advised they were on firm ground. Other legal decisions, he said, have established that local governments may set their own employee benefits policies, which likely removed this issue from the state's ban on same-sex marriage. So, we return to the back story. What the vote truly reflects is a palpable fear among council members of the few but powerful moral bigots in the Republican Party. This amounts to 300 to 400 ultraconservative votes at the Salt Lake County nominating convention, which rolls around every even-numbered year. Keeping these single-minded folks happy is lesson No. 1 for any Republican hoping to win reelection to the County Council or to launch into greater power in Utah politics. Stories of moderate Republicans who got drummed out of a race by the party's right-wing are legend, with gubernatorial candidates Olene Walker and Nolan Karras (neither liked tuition tax credits) in 2004 as the latest examples. We live in a state that shows no political will for establishing a direct primary election system - which might actually result in a win for the people's will over ideologue shrill. So we will continue to get just what we deserve: Policy built on cowardice. Down inside, those council members who voted "no" knew to do otherwise might put their political life at stake. Anger the vocal GOP right wing on anything that even hints at true equality for gay people and you may as well start packing. Watch something like Tuesday's vote and it becomes clear as a cold day in the Wasatch: The tears, anguished sighs and hand wringing amount to little more than theatrics. There is doing what is right and there is doing what is politically expedient. Next time, we could use more of the right thing and less of the drama.

2005 Disappointing vote: Amendment 3 has insidious effect on County Council's decision PARTNER BENEFITS DENIED Salt Lake Tribune Amendment 3 changed the Utah Constitution to reflect the prevailing belief that marriage is solely for a man and a woman. But the new law is also cheating unmarried couples out of basic legal rights -something many of the amendment's supporters vowed would never happen. The latest evidence of this ostensibly unintended consequence of the amendment is the 5-4 decision of the Salt Lake County Council to unfairly deny cohabiting county employees - gay and straight – the same insurance and family leave benefits as married couples. Utah State University earlier this year also decided against granting benefits to domestic partners, citing a potential legal battle over Part 2 of the amendment. The amendment states: (1) Marriage consists only of the legal union between a man and a woman. (2) No other domestic union, however denominated, may be recognized as a marriage or given the same or substantially equivalent legal effect. The amendment passed by a huge margin last November, even though polls showed only about half of Utahns would favor refusing marriage-like rights to cohabiting adults, gay or otherwise. The other half were convinced by amendment supporters, including the conservative "Yes on 3" group, that Part 2 would not prohibit governments or private companies from offering benefits like health, dental and life insurance and funeral leave to unmarried couples. They were duped. Wednesday's party-line vote clearly demonstrates how Amendment 3 neatly, and insidiously, links the specter of gay marriage to the fair-minded recognition that domestic couples who decide to make a life together deserve legal protections and benefits. The Tribune does not support gay marriage but favors legal rights for domestic partnerships. Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., as a candidate last year, supported Amendment 3 but also backed legislation that would have made it possible for unmarried adults who live together to contractually grant each other some of the rights afforded married couples. That proposal was voted down in the Utah Senate 18-10. Though some legislators denied they were influenced by the amendment, it clearly gave them political cover to deny equal rights to all Utah citizens. Some of the five Republicans on the Salt Lake County Council cited Amendment 3 as justification for their negative votes, affirming yet again Part 2's utility as political cover for what is morally indefensible.

 2005 It didn't seem logical  Both sides say homicide was not about sexual orientation Victim's aunt says: The slain woman was a lesbian but the family doesn't want that to be an issue By Stephen Hunt  The Salt Lake Tribune The word "lesbian" was never mentioned at a Tuesday preliminary hearing for Trey Holloway Brown, who is accused of fatally stabbing his estranged wife's girlfriend last month outside a West Valley City apartment complex. Gay and lesbian groups have used the June 10 death of 27-year-old Norma Hernandez Espinoza to rally support against hate crimes. But prosecutors and the defense insist the victim's sexual orientation had nothing to do with the slaying. According to testimony, Brown, 25, was upset because he believed his wife had left their children - ages 3, 5 and 10 - home alone. And he attacked Espinoza only after she intervened in the married couple's argument. Third District Judge Denise Lindberg ordered Brown to stand trial on one count of first-degree felony murder. A scheduling hearing is set for Monday. If convicted, Brown faces up to life in prison. But the defense may claim Brown was under extreme emotional distress and that manslaughter is the more appropriate charge. But West Valley City Detective Gavin Cook testified that during an interview just hours after the stabbing, Brown was "very calm, relaxed."  "He was not upset at all," Cook said. "There was no remorse." Even more bizarre, Cook added, was Brown's purported motive for the slaying. After dazing the woman by punching her in the head, Brown told the detective he got a knife from the kitchen to give to Espinoza. "He said it was to even up the odds," Cook testified. "The knife was to make the fight more fair." But when Espinoza ran outside, Brown became enraged. "He said he doesn't like people to run away from him," Cook testified. "It upset him extremely - he snapped."  Chasing Espinoza across a parking lot, Brown stabbed her three times in the chest. After the bleeding woman collapsed, Brown kicked her in the head several times and jumped up and down on her chest. The defendant told Cook he continued the attack "to finish the job, to kill her . . . because he was going to jail anyway." Brown's explanation dumbfounded the detective. "It didn't make sense to me," Cook said. "It didn't seem logical." Brown's wife of five years, Miriam Olvera, called the dead woman "my friend." Olvera testified that she, Brown and Espinoza all met while working at a fast food restaurant, and that Brown and Espinoza got along. "He told me she was a good person," Olvera testified.  As for Brown, from whom she had separated about two weeks before the homicide, Olvera said she had never seen him so angry before. Espinoza joined in the couple's argument by telling Olvera she "didn't have to explain anything" to her husband. Olvera said Brown started hitting Espinoza after he asked Olvera for a hug and Espinoza told him to leave her alone. Brown told police that he hit Espinoza only after she pushed him. But Olvera said she never saw Espinoza touch her husband. The victim's aunt, who asked not to be named, said Espinoza was a lesbian but added family members do not want that to become an issue. "We loved her and we miss her," the aunt said, adding that Espinoza provided the sole financial support for her aging mother and three younger siblings who reside in Mexico.

2006 Friday Michael Aaron's Deck 244 Reed Ave, Salt Lake City, UT When:  , Hey Boys and Girls! I have a preview copy of "Another Gay Movie" coming in before it goes to the Tower. So... let's have a party! We'll watch the movie out on the deck (just like a drive-in, without cars), and if too many of you want to show up, I'll put another copy on in the front room (if it copies).This movie is raunchy, funny and may contain some nudity (gasp!). It is a take-off on all the straight high school movies, like American Pie, but gay... very gay. For those that are wondering ... this is a clothed event :o) - the hot tub is broken as well. Sorry. BYOB and if you want to bring munchies, that'd be dandy. Since it is so late, we won't be grilling anything. CYa!

2006 Sex offender gets prison The Associated Press Salt Lake Tribune ST. GEORGE - Angela Camarena, an undocumented immigrant who had been living in the Virgin area, has been sentenced to one to 15 years in prison for having sexual relations with a girl younger than 14. Camarena, 25, was sentenced Wednesday in 5th District Court. She also was ordered to pay $2,500 in restitution. Camarena was arrested in April at her workplace in Springdale

2015  Peggy Bon died today, Michael Aaron wrote To say Peggy Bon was a firecracker is

Peggy Bon

an understatement. She worked hard for everything she believed in. She delivered QSaltLake Magazines through Ogden and refused any attempts to pay her. She worked tirelessly at the Ogden OUTreach Resource Centers, volunteered for campaigns and so much more. The world lost a warrior for love. Weston Clark wrote Of the too few people who stood by me and encouraged me when I stood up against the Davis School District over their banning of the book, In Our Mothers' House, Peggy Bon was there. What a huge loss to the world. Rest in peace.   The world lost an amazing soul today. Ann Clark wrote Peggy Bon was such an inspiration to me. Her work will continue on in those of us that celebrate equality like she did. I told her I wanted my hair like hers, one day I may do it as a tribute. You will be sorely missed Peggy. 

Michael Sanders

2017 Boston Globe by Christopher Muther For real: Salt Lake City is America’s super gay, super cool hipster haven SALT LAKE CITY — Here are three short paragraphs I never thought I would write. Ever. Paragraph one: I was nursing a rum and Diet Coke at a gay bar in Salt Lake City when a thunderbolt of excitement hit the room. I was told that Michael Sanders, the reigning Mr. Leather Slut of Utah, had arrived! Paragraph two: I walked into a tiny Salt Lake bar called Bodega — this one is not a gay bar — and a man in a tailored vest who looks like a refugee from Brooklyn escorted me downstairs to an expansive speakeasy and restaurant where diners were enjoying beer can chicken and beignets in a room that looked like a haunted museum of natural history. Paragraph three: The once Mormon-dominated Salt Lake City is much gayer, and much cooler, than I ever expected. By now you are likely scratching your head and thinking, “What in the name of Osmond is going on here?” I experienced the same reaction, although in my case I invoked the Romney moniker. Regardless of your preferred interjection, a Gallup poll ranked Salt Lake as the seventh gayest city in the country. That means 4.7 percent of Salt Lake’s population identified as LGBT, making it slightly less gay than Boston (4.8 percent), but gayer than Los Angeles (4.6 percent). Salt Lake also made the top 10 list of Advocate magazine’s Queerest Cities in America in 2016. It missed the list this year, but I was assured that Salt Lake is still pretty darn gay. Brigham Young would probably have a panic attack if he saw all the rainbow flags. “We have a really great gay community here in Salt Lake,” said city councilor Derek Kitchen. “I don’t know exactly how it happened, but I have a

Derek Kitchen

hunch. My feeling is that as the Mormons came through and dominated the region, it provided an opportunity for a strong counterculture to grow and thrive. And the LGBT community has always been a part of the counterculture.” Kitchen and his now-husband were one of three couples that filed a lawsuit in United States District Court for the District of Utah in 2013 seeking to declare the state’s prohibition of same-sex marriage unconstitutional. The court agreed, and in 2014 Utah began issuing same-sex marriage licenses.  In addition to two gay city councilors, Salt Lake also has a lesbian mayor, Jackie Biskupski. At the same time she married her fiance Betty Iverson last year, nearly 100 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints filed papers to remove their names from the church’s rolls to protest its stance toward LGBT members. The church’s latest policy is that you can be Mormon and gay — as long as you don’t have sex with members of the same sex. I haven’t heard of Salt Lake Celibacy Pride, so that policy may not be very popular. Last month, Utah’s 42nd annual Pride march drew 40,000 people from across the state. The Salt Lake gay tide — yes, a lake can have a tide — even swept over Ty Burrell. The “Modern Family” actor lives half the year in Salt Lake and officiated a lesbian wedding at the bar he owns in there. It’s called Bar X, and for the record, Bar X is not a gay bar. When I was sitting with Councilman Kitchen at the restaurant he owns with his husband, he explained that there are gay bars in Salt Lake, but like most of the country, the community there has gone post-gay. People go to whatever bar or restaurant they choose. None of this is news to those who live in Utah or have spent any time here. But for me, and pretty much all my friends, it was a pleasant shock. It’s also important to point out that Salt Lake City isn’t just getting gayer, it’s also getting cooler. I’m not saying it’s Austin or San Francisco, but there are signs of indie life emerging. Independent shops, art house theaters, restaurants, and cafes in neighborhoods such as 9 & 9th, Sugar House, and the Marmalade District, are drawing young, tattooed (and non-tattooed) denizens out on the town. You can still find Chick-fil-A’s and Carl’s Jr. in the city center, but I’d recommend dining at the Copper Onion instead. There’s a Nordstrom Rack, but you might want to shop at local businesses such as Unhinged Boutique, where I found offerings from local artists and lots of vintage goodies. There’s a punk record store called Raunch Records, and, brace yourselves, a store that specializes in raw milk. If you’re not interested in shopping, eating, or drinking raw milk, you can linger in parks that dot the city and offer views of the majestic mountains. There is a misconception about Salt Lake that needs to get cleared up, and that’s the booze situation. There was a time when you needed to belong to a private club in order to drink. That law was eliminated around the time of the 2002 Winter Olympics. One of the last remaining quirky liquor laws was abolished earlier this month when the so-called “Zion Curtains” were finally allowed to come down. These are walls that prevented patrons from seeing drinks being made in a restaurant. It was a law intended to protect children from seeing the heinous act of mixology. Local distilleries and breweries have a sense of humor about it all. One poster for Brigham Rum reads “Support your local non-prophet.” Another for Five Wives Vodka gives a playful wink to Mormon polygamy doctrine of yore with five 19th century women coyly lifting their underpinnings. Posters and polygamy aside, it feels like Salt Lake City is a destination waiting to happen. It has a booming culinary scene, opportunities to enjoy nature, a gorgeous new theater (with “Book of Mormon” opening soon) and, yes, a cool bar scene. If you’re contemplating a visit, please don’t assume you need to be Mormon, gay, celibate, or enjoy raw milk to have a good time. I have a feeling that even the most heterosexual among you would still like it here. chicken and beignets in a room that looked like a haunted museum of natural history.