This Day In Gay Utah History March 3rd

 

This Day In Gay Utah History March 3rd

3 March 

1849 - At Council of Fifty meeting, Brigham Young speaks concerning thieves, murderers, and sexually licentious in Utah: "I want their cursed heads to be cut off that they may atone for their crimes." Next day, the council agrees that man has "forfeited his Head," and decides it would be best "to dispose of him privately." Instead, they allow him to live.

1951 Utah Parole Board Lists Action on Applications, Harry Jaques, sodomy, parole denied Salt Lake Telegram

1953 - First Presidency secretary answers Mormon's inquiry about receiving blood transfusions from African Americans: "The LDS Hospital here in Salt Lake City has a blood bank which does not contain any colored blood." This represents five year effort to keep LDS Hospital's blood bank separate from American Red Cross system in order "to protect the purity of the blood streams of the people of this Church" (Counselor J. Reuben Clark's phrase.) 

1965 - Apostle Harold B. Lee is "protesting vigorously over our having given a scholarship at BYU to a negro student from Africa. Brother Lee holds the traditional belief as revealed in the Old Testament that the races ought not to be kept together and that there is danger in trying to integrate them on the BYU campus." 

1981- Dan Wilcox of Salt Lake Affirmation was granted permission to air a regular radio talk show on KRCL. The program was on a weekly basis and ran 32 weeks. The program discussed among other things the situation of the Gay Mormon and the help that Affirmation offers.  After the program ended Wilcox moved to California

1984- A support group for survivors of child abuse began at 20 Jacob Rue. Women only.

1987-The US Supreme Court ruled that federal anti-discrimination laws protect people with infectious diseases.

1988- Fourth Annual Fordham Debate held at the University of Utah College of Law Topic “ Be It Resolved that Congress should adopt legislation to forbid discrimination against  homosexuals in the areas of housing and employment”. Panelists were Lois Galgay Reckitt deputy director of Human Rights Campaign Fund,  Matt Coles of the ACLU, Greg Anderson asst. pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Craig Nichols Director of the Epidemiology Bureau of Utah State Dept. of Health, Gerry Johnson of People Who Care,  against were Attorney Roger J. Manguson, attorney Randall Raider, Robert Sykes and Wayne McCormick professor of law. " Up at the university there was a debate on whether congress should support a bill protecting Gay Rights. I wanted to be there for that but the Community Council was holding elections. Chris Brown said it was wonderful." [Journal of Ben Williams]

1988- YWCA Noontime Network presents “The recent conspiracy of silence : are we or are we not sexual beings” Dr. Patti Reagan spoke on the topic (85)

1988-Thursday at The Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah Jim Hunsaker was elected to replace John Bennett as Chair, John Reeves replaced Satu Servigna, and Rev. Bruce Barton was elected Secretary/Treasurer.  John Bennett  moved to San Diego and Satu Servigna became ill with a chronic disease.  The community council was electing new leadership tonight so it was important to be there because I was nominating Dr. John Reeves for vice chair. The meeting was sparse because of the debates over Gay Rights on campus was drawing off community leaders.  Anyway Jim Hunsaker and Lyle Bradley were nominated for chair with Jim winning overwhelmingly.  Then John Reeves and Lyle Bradley were nominated for vice chair. The first vote was 13 to 13. I know because Greg Garcia of the Leather Men and I were the vote tallyers. A second vote was taken and Lyle Bradley was in the lead with 11 to 15 however the by laws stated that an election has to be by a 2/3 majority. Six ballots later and no one was giving an inch.  I was so proud of John Reeves for holding his own.  Finally Lyle Bradley made a concession speech of sorts, throwing his support to John Reeves who was elected on the 7^th ballot by a 2/3 majority. Lyle gave his reasons for throwing in the towel was that he didn’t want the council to be divided and that his first love anyway was the Anti-Violence Project of which he is the chair. Mark LaMarr and Rev. Bruce Barton were nominated for Secretary/Treasurer with Bruce winning on the first ballot with a 2/3 majority.  This was the first and last meeting chaired by Satu Servigna who you could tell was visibly ill. Jim Hunsaker assumed the Chair to relieve Satu and he read a letter from Rep. Wayne Owens in which he said that he would supporting Congress an Gay anti- discrimination bill.

1989  I went to the Utah AIDS Foundation to give Ben Barr the AIDS quilt panel I made for Michael Spense last year. I saw David Sharpton while there. He must be totally frazzled because he is so rude anymore. [Journal of Ben Williams]

1990 VIDEO INTERVIEW IS SHOWN IN MURDER TRIAL  WOOD TOLD DEPUTIES HE WATCHED KILLING FROM CAR, BUT SOME EVIDENCE CONFLICTS By Lane Williams, Staff Writer Lance Conway Wood told investigators that he watched from a car while Michael Anthony Archuleta first sodomized and later murdered a Southern Utah State College student. But the information conflicts with some evidence presented at the trial and with testimony from Archuleta's trial in December. In a videotaped interview with Millard County deputy sheriffs, Wood, 21, said he, Archuleta and Gordon Ray Church were driving to Salt Lake City when, apparently without warning, Archuleta took a knife and slashed Church's throat. The videotape was shown during the fifth day of testimony in Wood's trial for Church's murder. It was made along I-15 and at the murder scene on Nov. 24, 1988, two days after the murder and one day after Wood went to investigators and led them to Church's body. In the videotape, deputies and Wood are driving just north of the I-70 interchange. There, Wood said Archuleta slashed Church's neck and Church said something like, "ow" or "ouch," the defendant claimed. Wood said he did not remember any words that preceded the sudden slashing. Wood said Church stopped the car and got out with Archuleta. Archuleta then sodomized Church in the emergency lane of the freeway, late at night, on the hood of the car. Wood said that Church remained still while Archuleta got chains and jumper cables from the trunk and tied Church up. Archuleta then forced Church into the trunk, Wood said. But prosecutors hope to show that Church's neck was slashed and he was tied up in Cedar Canyon near Cedar City. During his own trial, Archuleta said it was Wood who slashed Church's neck in Cedar Canyon. Friday, prosecutors presented botanical evidence to link the defendant to Cedar Canyon. Archuleta was supposed to appear as a prosecution witness Thursday. Officials brought him to 4th District Court from the state prison, but under the advice of his attorney, he decided not to testify. Archuleta was found guilty of capital homicide in December and sentenced to die. His case is on appeal to the state Supreme Court. In Wood's videotape, the defendant said Archuleta took the next exit, Dog Valley, drove about a half mile from the freeway and stopped. Church, he said, was pulled from the trunk and beaten to death by Archuleta while Wood stayed in the car. Wood said Archuleta then asked him to help bury Church under branches, dirt and leaves, which Wood said he did. As he has throughout the trial, Wood sat quietly as he watched his description of events. He was wearing a conservative blue suit with his ponytail tucked into his shirt. The defendant is expected to testify in his own defense. (Deseret News)

1995 The Salt Lake Tribune Ban On Gay Marriages To Be Annulled? Passage May Have Come Too Late To Be Valid Marriage Ban For Gays May Be Annulled By Tony Semerad The hectic vote by Utah senators to forbid recognition of same-sex marriages probably is invalid, judging from the time printed on the official vote tally. Senate bill-tracking computers recorded the 24-1 vote passing Senate Bill 366 at 12:03:26 a.m. Thursday, putting it past the legal deadline of the 45-day legislative session. The measure had passed moments before -- without debate. An official verdict on the validity of SB366 will not be available for days as legislative attorneys sort through the 384 separate bills and resolutions passed by lawmakers. But supporters and angry gay-rights advocates are watching that outcome intently. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Norm Nielsen, R-Orem, changes portions of Utah law that might oblige the state to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states and countries. It has been prompted by emerging case law in Hawaii that could legalize homosexual marriages. A year ago, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement officially condemning same-sex marriages. The document from Utah's dominant institution also urged faithful members to lobby legislators and public officials in support of a ban. And while such same-sex unions clearly are illegal under Utah law, some believe other legal provisions requiring recognition of marriages are vague. "It's a very, very important bill," Nielsen said Thursday. "There is a basic issue here of consistency in our law." Gov. Mike Leavitt said he supports the legislation and plans to sign  it into law -- if it is valid. "This was one that was needed," the  first-term Republican said in a post-session news conference. Representatives of Utah's gay community, meanwhile, are vowing to launch a court battle over the measure, which was placed on a Republican fast track late Wednesday. The Senate leadership's last-minute motion to bypass all other bills and take up SB366 for debate "was sneaky, underhanded and railroaded," said David Nelson, founder of Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats. Senate Democrats said they felt much the same, even though all but Sen. Robert Steiner of Salt Lake City voted for the bill. Many had prepared amendments, but were left stuttering at the speed of passage. The Republicans violated their own rules in placing the bill at the head of their calendar, Senate Minority Leader Scott Howell said. "It wasn't right," the Sandy Democrat sniffed. GOP members countered at the time that the bill had a high priority and deserved to be lifted. Nelson said his group will seek an official opinion on the measure's constitutionality from Atty. Gen. Jan Graham as well as pressure Leavitt into vetoing it. Failing that, he said, gay activists will ask officials with the International Olympic Committee to intercede in denying Salt Lake City's bid to stage the 2002 Winter Games. "The Olympics deserve to be hosted by a venue which recognizes and protects the diversity of the world's athletes and citizens," Nelson said.  Leavitt said he contacted the  Salt Lake Olympic Bid Committee this week "and they didn't have a  problem with the change."

• 1995 The New York Times Utah won't accept same-sex marriages The Utah Senate passed a bill on Mar 1, 1995 prohibiting recognition of same-sex marriages by the state. David Nelson, founder of Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats, said he planned to challenge the vote, which he believes came after the midnight deadline.
• March 4, 1995  Deseret News Same-sex-marriage bill ruled legal Ban affirmed despite computer clock that said vote taken past midnight. By Bob Bernick Jr., Staff Writer A bill that would make it clear that same-sex marriages in Utah are banned will be ruled legal by legislative attorneys, even though a computer clock on the Senate voting computer records the vote at three minutes after midnight last Wednesday. Legally, a bill can't pass after midnight on the 45th day of the session. But who gets to decide when "midnight" strikes? It appears to be the call of the Senate president and House speaker. Lawmakers adjourned around midnight last Wednesday, but, as usual, passed bill right up until the final minutes. Richard Strong, executive director of the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, said Friday he spent two hours listening to tapes of the final minutes of the House and Senate sessions. "We don't go by the computer clocks (on the voting computers) in the House or Senate, but by the clocks located over the (House) speaker's chair and the (Senate) president's chair," said Strong. The Senate's computer clock isn't even visible to the Senate president, Strong added. Both the clocks hanging over the chambers tell slightly different time; both are several minutes slower than the computer clocks on each bodies' voting machines, said Strong. "By the way,  the computer clocks don't match each other either," said Strong. The ornate clocks over the chambers are older timepieces, sometimes difficult to read from the back of the chambers where majority leaders stand directing last-minute hectic voting. Strong said he could hear on the Senate audio tape, after HB366 had been voted on and recorded, Senate  Majority Whip Leonard Blackham, R-Moroni, asking Senate President Lane Beattie, R-West Bountiful, if he (Beattie) didn't think think there was enough time to deal with another bill. After nearly a minute of silence, Beattie said he thought they'd come to the end of their work. There was another pause, and then Senate Majority Leader Craig Peterson, R-Orem, moved to officially end the session, said Strong. "It's clear everyone, senators and the clerks on the circle (who record the voice votes of senators and then enter them into the electronic voting machine) believed the bill (HB366) passed OK. Unless there are some other problems with HB366, I can't see us (legislative attorneys) saying it didn't" pass, said Strong. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Norm Nielsen, R-Orem, says Utah will only recognize marriages that fit Utah law, no matter where the marriages are legally conducted. Utah already bans marriages of a man to a man, a woman to a woman. Thirty-five other states do, too. But  some states may soon make such same-sex marriages legal. And since Utah's law also says marriages legally conducted in other states are recognized in Utah, Nielsen said his bill is needed to make clear same-sex marriages won't be allowed here. The bill is much disliked by gay Democratic and Republican groups, both of whom issued press releases opposing the bill. Utah Gay and Lesbian Democrats spokesman David Nelson said if the bill is approved, and ruled legal even after passing too late in his opinion, his group would inform the International Olympic Committee that Utah discriminates against gays. Gov. Mike Leavitt says if the bill is ruled legal and sent to him, he'll sign it into law.
• March 5, 1995 The Salt Lake Tribune Gays, Lesbians Vow Marriage-Ban Fight TRIBUNE STAFF AND NEWS REPORTS Utah gay and lesbian groups agree to fight a legislative bill that bans same-sex marriages, but one organization acknowledges it will be an uphill battle to show it passed illegally. The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel ruled that House Bill 366 legally passed the Senate during the final seconds of the 1995 session even though the Senate clock indicated it passed three minutes after midnight. By law, the Legislature concludes business after exactly 45 days of business. Senate bill-tracking computers recorded the the bill's 24-1 vote at 12:03:26. Gay and lesbian groups cried foul, saying that the bill passed illegally. David Nelson, founder of the Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats, said his group would question the constitutionality of passing the bill after midnight. But Chris Ryan, president of the organization of gay Republicans known as the Utah Log Cabin Club, said the American Civil Liberties Union is balking at fighting that aspect. "I talked to the ACLU, and they claim it may not be worth it to fight it on that issue," Ryan said. Instead, both groups have sent a letter to Utah Atty. Gen. Jan Graham, urging her to tell Gov. Mike Leavitt not to sign the bill based on the issue of discrimination. "I'm disappointed the staff felt it was legal [passage]," Nelson said. "If they fudge on three minutes later, they might fudge on three hours." The Utah Log Cabin Club is waiting to see how Graham responds to the request. If the governor signs the bill -- and Ryan suspects he will -- the organization will begin fund-raising efforts for a defense fund. The Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats, however, has started an all-out media juggernaut aimed at derailing Utah's chances at the 2002 Winter Olympics. The organization faxed releases to the International and U.S. Olympic committees Friday. It also sent out alert messages on the Internet, the worldwide computer network, and 400 press releases to news media throughout the country. "We're going to escalate this as much as necessary to convince them that Utah is going to be a controversial location to hold the Olympics," he said. "There needs to be a price tag for this kind of  discrimination." Ryan disagrees. "We don't see the connection. "We  don't see why the state should be punished for the actions of a few  narrow-minded people," Ryan said. "The Olympics will benefit a lot of gay business owners. These people will lose out." The International Olympic Committee claims to be impervious to pressure from outside groups, especially those of a political nature.

1995  KRCL PRESENTS 9TH ANNUAL WOMEN ALOUD Byline: By Steven M. Brophy Page: D12 THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE    In honor of Women's History Month – which runs through March -- the Women's Radio Collective of KRCL (91 FM) presents its ninth annual Women Aloud Saturday and Sunday. Women Aloud features a full weekend of uninterrupted programming produced by and about women, and provides a forum for women's voices and issues. The programs begin Saturday at 8 a.m. and end Sunday at 7 p.m. The weekend will feature topics ranging from  Becky Moss' ``Whose Body Is It?'' – a show dealing with issues including prenatal care and the risk to women's reproductive rights in today's political environment -- to Jodi Stewart-Browning's tribute to female musicians, ``Bitchin' Babes of Bluegrass.'' The event also features an open-microphone session for women interested in getting involved with community radio and the Women's Collective. Interspersed with programs offering poetry, local music, and discussions of gender and spirituality, Women Aloud acts as a cultural and political sounding board for Utah women by providing a forum not found on traditional radio.  ``That is our mission,'' says Donna Land, program director at KRCL and a member of the Women's Radio Collective. ``To give access to those voices that have been denied or are missing.'' In addition to special programs like Women Aloud, the community-supported station regularly schedules program access for Latinos, African-Americans, Asians, gays, lesbians, community activists and a host of other groups. Women Aloud started at a radio conference in Illinois, when Land and KRCL volunteer Maggie Laun heard of a similar weeklong program at another community station. ``We came back from the conference and Maggie said, `We can do that,' '' Land remembers.    It was easier said than done.   ``We went through our growing period and there were times when it was really rough, and one year it almost didn't happen, but the staff pitched in and we pulled it off,'' Land says of her all-volunteer staff.    Land says it was worth it. ``It's so energizing. We get calls from men and women saying `Thank you,' `I didn't know that' or `That's something I needed to hear right now.' ''    The weekend concludes with an open house Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the station, 208 W. 800 South, Salt Lake City.

1996 Gayle Ruzicka, armed with her ever-present and networked cellular telephone, directs the Utah Eagle Forum in an effort to steer the Legislature toward her vision of the moral high ground. Legislature Scores a Morals Victory Lawmakers Made Clear The Value of Values In Their Works, Words  Legislature Offers Utah Morals Support Byline: By Dan Harrie THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE From the opening prayer by President James E. Faust of the Mormon Church's ruling First Presidency to final passage 45 days later of a law aimed at barring homosexual-promoting activities in schools, the 1996 Legislature was a study in moral certitude.  ``Community values'' was its watchword. One hundred years after Utah gained statehood with a constitution that promised an end to theocracy, political leaders -- at times -- were overcome with nostalgia for that pioneer blend of religion and government credited with producing societal harmony.  Faust, in his Senate blessing Jan. 15, referred to Utah as ``a beacon on the hill of this nation, and even the world.''  Later that same evening, Gov. Mike Leavitt delivered a State of the State address flush with references to Utah's centennial and its destiny as a ``keeper of the flame'' -- a place ``where the world turns to renew its sense of basic values.'' House Minority Leader Frank Pignanelli of Salt Lake City, not to be outdone, used the word ``values'' 21 times in his Democratic response to the Republican governor. The tone established on that first day carried through the legislative session, which was infused with more morals legislation and sermonizing speeches than any in the past 10 years.  ``It has been one of our better years. We ended up with some great legislation,'' said Gayle Ruzicka, president of the Utah Eagle Forum. The ultraconservative, Christian political-action group was a driving force in the Legislature's pilgrimage to the moral  high ground. It seemed that in the key battles, Ruzicka always was there, armed with her most powerful weapon: a cellular telephone that could, at the tap of a touch-tone, light up a phone tree of hundreds of followers.    From a bill supporting a daily ``moment of silence'' in classrooms to new abortion restrictions that are expected to draw court challenges, lawmakers advanced an ambitious values-laden agenda. At the same time, they defeated -- amid claims of government interference in parental responsibilities -- an initiative to expand state oversight of day-care centers.  Lawmakers also spent time on a stack of other bills -- including a proposal to soften the state constitution's church-state separation clause -- that received serious consideration before ultimately failing.  ``I was enormously disturbed by their activity on the morals front,'' said retired University of Utah political scientist J.D. Williams, a lifelong Democrat who described the session as one long ``morality play .'' ``All of a sudden, they have put themselves in the kind of business -- regulating private conduct -- that you would think conservatives would be the last ones to interfere with,'' lamented Williams.  While the Eagle Forum played a key role, the focus on values was due as much to pressure from within the Legislature as from outside lobbying.  Several lawmakers stepped forward as protectors of the public morals, notably Sens. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper; Charles Stewart, R-Provo; and Craig Taylor, R-Kaysville. Taylor particularly stood out by combating what he called the ``moral crisis'' in society, characterized by homosexuality, pornography and a general lack of responsibility. He acknowledged his belief in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shaped his opinions and legislation. And his wife, Reva, said his motivation was ``evil vs. right for the betterment of the human soul.'' More than 80 percent of Utah lawmakers are practicing Mormons. That compares to the approximately 70 percent of residents listed on membership roles. A church spokesman said the institution took no official stand on any of the bills considered this year.  Nevertheless, attention to the inspired side of lawmaking was pronounced on Capitol Hill ``I've definitely sat up there and had some spiritual experiences when passing legislation that would benefit Utah in a very moral way,'' said Ruzicka. But the LDS mother of 12 said, ``I don't believe it's a Mormon thing.'' Rather, she attributes this Legislature's focus on values to public outrage about the petition of a small group of East High School students to form a gay-straight alliance club.  ``It kind of seemed to give a moral push to the Legislature,'' she said.  A few legislators pushed back  ``I'm tired of being part of the moral police of the state of Utah,'' Sen. Millie Peterson, D-West Valley City, complained during emotional debate on an anti-abortion bill. The measure originally proposed requiring women to watch a state-produced video on abortion. Then it was watered down to mandate that the state provide the tape. Lawmakers approved it, a second bill banning two rarely used methods of late-term abortions and $200,000 in expected legal-defense funds on the final night of the session. Also passed in the final hours was the controversial bill prohibiting teachers from condoning or supporting illegal behavior -- even in their private lives -- if it disrupts or interferes with normal school activities.    Republican proponents of the measure shied away from taking a moral tone in floor debate on the bill, saying it was aimed only at preventing illegal influences. Earlier, senators were embarrassed by accounts leaking out about their secret, illegal meeting at which school officials were questioned about allegations of homosexual-promoting activities in classrooms and lecture halls. But even Democrats who unsuccessfully opposed the bill put a heavy religious veneer on their speeches. Rep. Kurt Oscarson, D-Sandy, quoted one-time LDS President Joseph Fielding Smith, while Rep. Grant Protzman, D-North Ogden, talked of ``free agency.'' Meanwhile, Rep. Steve Barth, D-Salt Lake City, thundered in defense of homosexuals that ``these people have a God, too -- the same God. . . . And it's God's place to judge, not ours.''  While publicly defending the civil rights of homosexuals and other minorities, Democrats privately distanced themselves from a gay-rights agenda. Legislative leaders of the minority party and state Democratic boss Mike Zuhl summoned officials of the Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats [GLUD] to a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill and demanded the group remove the party tag from its name.  That confrontation, along with the vocal religious references in floor debate, is part of a long-term Democratic survival strategy. Political advisers have for several years warned Democrats that to reverse their declining electability in Utah, they must appeal to a larger bloc of LDS voters now securely in Republican hands.

1996  Judicial Misconduct Has Judicial Watchdog Grown Teeth?  Judicial Watchdog Vows To Earn Trust yline: By Sheila R. McCann THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE    Battling an image of secrecy and weakness, Utah's judicial watchdog says it is poised to win the public's trust.  The Judicial Conduct Commission has been a low-budget and low-profile agency charged with monitoring the ethical behavior of judges. Its part-time staff has labored in obscurity since its inception in 1977. Now, after 18 months of unusual public scrutiny, the commission has hired its first full-time executive director and secured a visible office in the Utah Law and Justice Center in downtown Salt Lake City. Attorney Steven H. Stewart, who formerly regulated Utah's real-estate industry, promises to provide accountability and professionalism. Critics say the commission has a long way to go. Before Stewart took control, it quietly dismissed two complaints against 3rd District Judge David S. Young -- without hearing from those complaining. Ironically, it was those cases that drew enough fire to merit budget increases from the Legislature, put Stewart on the payroll and taught Utahns where to complain about state judges. Alicia Larson accused Young of religious and gender bias after he ruled she would lose custody of her children if she moved away from Utah and the Mormon environment.  No one from the commission checked with Larson before the complaint was dismissed months ago. And she did not learn of the dismissal until last week when she called to check the status of the case.  ``I'm just boggled,'' says Larson. ``How do you do an investigation without interviewing the person who filed the complaint? They have no credibility.'' The Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats (GLUD) filed a complaint against Young after he gave a reduced prison sentence to David N. Thacker, who killed Douglas C. Koehler in 1993 after Koehler allegedly tried to kiss him. Thacker kicked Koehler out of his Park City apartment, later tracked him down and shot him between the eyes. Young sentenced Thacker to a maximum of 6 years in prison -- rather than the usual term of up to 15 years. GLUD says it was told by the commission that it did not have the right -- called legal standing -- to complain. ``That ignores the merits of the complaint,'' says founder David Nelson. ``The person who was harmed is dead.'' Additional complaints have been lodged against Young. But since the commission keeps its work secret, it is possible all of them have been thrown out with no action.    Meanwhile, Stewart and chairwoman Denise Dragoo believe the commission will begin earning the public's trust as it winds through its pending agenda: -- An unprecedented 10 formal misconduct charges are pending against justice and state court judges, based on complaints dating back to 1993. Historically, three or fewer formal charges are filed each year. Most cases end in dismissals or private, informal scoldings. -- For two of the 10 misconduct charges -- which remain secret -- the commission has asked the Utah Supreme Court to approve its recommendations for public sanctions. The commission publicly has sanctioned one judge since it was created in 1977. -- State lawmakers just passed a bill allowing the commission to alert Utahns when their claims against judges are dismissed, ending a policy of silence that left critics -- like Larson -- with no idea their case had been resolved. The bill becomes law April 29, Stewart says. -- A task force will be named this month to examine whether the intense secrecy surrounding the commission's work should be rolled back. Dragoo says the commission is finally coming of age. ``We've had a chance to look at the long-term and where we're going,'' says Dragoo, an attorney. ``We've really turned things around, and that helps the judiciary overall.'' Rep. David Ure, R-Kamas, agrees. ``We are starting to do our job,'' says Ure, who also is a commission member. ``Judges are taking a second look and realizing we mean business.''  Nelson of GLUD says the jury is still out.  ``All of that is for naught if the commission is allowed to disregard --  without interviewing anyone -- the complaints that come before it,'' he says.  Critics assailed the commission last year when the series of publicized bias complaints against Young appeared to be stalled. An anonymous legislator and the Utah chapter of the National Organization for Women called for an audit of the commission, laboring under a tripled workload of complaints. But legislative auditors decided no independent review could be done, because state law and the Utah Constitution give the commission and judges unusually rigid confidentiality. While claims against other Utah professionals -- doctors, lawyers, accountants, contractors -- become public if misconduct charges are filed, formal charges against judges remain cloaked in secrecy.  Thirty-one states make formal charges against their judges public.    Making those charges public in Utah would maintain confidentiality for the vast majority of the commission's cases. Changing Utah's system may require an amendment to the state constitution. That is what California voters did last year. A 1988 law had given California's Commission on Judicial Performance the discretion to open its hearings to the public when certain types of formal complaints were filed. But when the commission tried to hold public hearings, judges contested the issue to the state Supreme Court, delaying their discipline cases, says Victoria Henley, the commission's director and chief counsel.  ``The voters got annoyed when six years later there were no public hearings,'' Henley says.Last November, California voters approved a constitutional amendment overhauling the commission and making discipline proceedings against judges public as soon as charges are filed. A tragedy led Washington state voters to approve their constitutional amendment to make judicial discipline more open. The Washington Commission on Judicial Conduct secretly had admonished a King County judge in 1982 for improper out-of-court contacts with male juveniles. The judge killed himself in 1988 as a Seattle newspaper prepared to run a story about allegations that he had sexually molested young men before his appointment to the bench. Washington lawmakers determined the commission had failed to pursue the allegations and the constitutional amendment was approved the next year.  Arkansas' commission is considered one of the most accessible. All final actions are public -- dismissals, letters of admonishment, or formal charges. Arkansas' Supreme Court has abolished private reprimands, says James Badami, executive director of the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission. But each state has to strike its own balance between judicial privacy and independence and the public's right to know whether their judges are abiding by a code of conduct, Badami says.  ``There has to be an active discussion about what is needed . . . and what is best for the culture of the state,'' he says. The national trend toward openness represents a second stage for judicial conduct commissions, created in the 1960s and '70s, Henley says. Today, the public's demand for increased accountability from courts has spread to judges and discipline commissions, she says. Utah's task force will begin by surveying what other states do, Stewart says.  ``I welcome the task force and would like to have things a little more open to the public,'' commission member Ure adds. Building public confidence in the judicial discipline system helps ``take the cloud off'' judges, he says.    ``There are lots of good judges out there,'' he says, ``who don't have to worry about us.''

1999  Family Fellowship 7pm upper level at the GL Community Center

1999 Alternative Garden Club 730pm at the Garden Center in Sugar House Park  East end by the Rose Garden

2000 Gay Mormon Kills Self on Church Steps California man had expressed anguish over anti-gay-marriage Proposition 22 By Dan Egan and Michael Vigh, Salt Lake Tribune March 3, 2000  A gay California man's suicide on the steps of a Mormon church has come at the peak of a raging debate over gay civil rights in the nation's most populous state. Police say Stuart Matis, 32, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Santa Clara, Calif., shot himself with a handgun on the steps of a Mormon church in Los Altos in the early hours of Feb. 25. The suicide occurred less than two weeks before voters will decide on California's controversial Proposition 22, which states that only heterosexual marriages can be recognized legally in that state. Matis' parents say their son's suicide had nothing to do with the fiercely debated initiative, which is supported by a number of religious organizations, including the LDS and Catholic Churches. "Adding to the tragedy of the event, there are those who would create political ramifications from this," the family said in a statement. "The family sincerely requests that the exemplary life of this good and well-respected young man not become fodder for anyone's campaign forum." Santa Clara police said a suicide note made no reference to either Matis' Mormon faith or the controversy around Proposition 22, but "he felt there was a conflict between Christianity and the gay lifestyle," said Santa Clara Police Sgt. Anton Morec. "He said he had been in pain for a number of years." In the suicide note read at a Wednesday memorial service in California for Matis, he said he hoped some good would come from his death. "I am now free," the San Francisco Examiner reported Matis wrote. "I am no longer in pain and I no longer hate myself. As it turns out, God never intended for me to be straight. Perhaps my death might become the catalyst for some good." While Matis' parents say there is no connection between their son's death and Proposition 22, Matis staunchly opposed the initiative, writing recently to a family member about the pain he suffered because of the LDS Church's support. California church leaders have embarked on a campaign fund-raising drive, and letters have been read during Sunday services urging members to vote March 7 in favor of the proposition, also known as the Knight Initiative. "On the night of March 7th, many California couples will retire to their beds thrilled that they helped pass the Knight Initiative," Matis wrote to a cousin. "What they don't realize is that in the next room, their son or daughter is lying in bed crying and could very well one day be the victim of society's homophobia. The Knight Initiative will certainly save no family. It is codified hatred. It is anti-family, anti-love and it is wrong." On Feb. 22, three days before his suicide, Matis wrote a letter to the student newspaper at Brigham Young University, from which he graduated in 1994, urging students to harbor more tolerance toward gays. "I am gay. I am also LDS. I realized the significance of my sexuality when I was around 13, and for the next two decades, I traveled down a tortuous path of internalized homophobia, immense self-hatred, depression and suicidal thoughts. Despite the calluses on my knees, frequent trips to the temple, fasts and devotion to my mission and church callings such as Elders' Quorum president, I continually failed to attenuate my homosexuality," Matis wrote. " . . . I read a recent letter to the editor with great regret. The author compared my friends and me to murderers, satanists, prostitutes and pedophiles. Imagine having to live with this rhetoric constantly being spewed at you."  It is this and other recent statements that have convinced anti-Proposition 22 activist Jeanie Mortensen-Besamo the issue "was just ripping him apart" during Matis' last days. She said it wasn't necessarily the political campaign but a culture of homophobia that troubled Matis so much. "It's been so predominant in California for several months. You can't go anywhere in California without seeing those stupid blue and yellow signs [in favor of Proposition 22]," said Mortensen-Besamo, who began corresponding with Matis about a month ago. "For him, it was paralyzing. He couldn't handle it anymore." A spokesman for the Yes on 22 campaign declined comment other than to say, "It's a personal family matter."  LDS Church spokesman Michael Purdy expressed condolences to the Matis family, and also stressed the suicide should not be exploited for political purposes. "We are aware of the feelings and requests of the Matis family that their grief and personal tragedy not become a matter of public discussion or political posturing," said Purdy. Gary Watts, co-chairman of Family Fellowship, a Utah support group for Mormon parents of gays and lesbians, called the suicide "very distressing" and said an anti-gay climate is a likely factor in Matis' death. "There is little question that the environment in California has played a major role in his decision and his inability to cope with his homosexuality," said Watts. Robert Rees, a family friend and spiritual counselor to Matis during the last year of his life, says the root of Matis' despair will remain a mystery. "For somebody to make such an ultimate decision, no one can know what goes on in that person's mind," said Rees, a retired professor at the University of California Los Angeles. Burial services for Matis are scheduled for today at 11 a.m. at the Orem City Cemetery.

2004 The Joint Resolution on Marriage (HJR25), a proposed amendment to the Utah Constitution to define marriage and prohibit civil unions, was passed its final vote in the House. About 200 men and women were seated in the gallery above the floor of the House.  Rep. Jackie Biskupski, D-Salt Lake, asked these people to quietly stand so that the members of the House could see first-hand the people whose lives would be affected. Many House members gave these people a standing ovation, and then proceeded to pass the resolution. Rally at State Capitol Wednesday March 3  Help Stop Constitutional Discrimination! Utah's Legislature ends this session at midnight on Wednesday. The Utah State Senate is expected to bring the anti-gay constitutional amendment to a vote on the floor that evening. Be there to show them that what they are doing is wrong. We need to have as many people present as possible. So, bring your partner, bring your friends, your family and your kids. We need the legislature to see how many people discrimination like this effects! We'd like a mass showing at 5:30) Where: Utah State Capitol Building Contact: Adam Bass In the mean time contact your State Senator and ask them to oppose HJR25, a constitutional amendment against GLBT families. Do not sit home on Wednesday, we need to be there in mass to show opposition to such blatant discrimination against our families! Feel free to forward this email on to everyone you know (please do)! Come right up after work, school, whatever. Please try to be there at 5:30, but if you can't be there until later, your presence is still important!

2006 Review: Powerful 'Perestroika' a celebration of humanity by Barbara M. Bannon Special to The Tribune Salt Lake Tribune Trying to assess in a brief review the impact of Tony Kushner's monumental "Perestroika," the second part of his eloquent "Angels in America," is like the proverbial task of inscribing the Lord's Prayer on the head of a pin. "Angels in America" may be the most significant American play to emerge from the last decades of the 20th century. A year ago, the University of Utah's Babcock Theatre mounted an outstanding production of the first part, "Millennium Approaches." This week "Perestroika" opened its run at the Babcock. Incredibly, this production is more emotionally powerful than its predecessor. Although familiarity with "Millennium Approaches" gives these overachieving students an advantage, "Perestroika" is more challenging. It moves beyond the political, religious, and social panorama of 1980s America at the heart of "Millennium" into an almost cosmic consciousness. An angel announces that God has abandoned his creatures, and the characters struggle to make sense of their lives without him. Power broker Roy Cohn lies in a hospital dying of AIDS, nursed by the pragmatic Belize. Mormons Joe and Harper Pitt search for ways to repair their fractured lives, aided by Joe's mother, Hannah. The visionary Prior tries to come to grips with his new role as prophet while he copes with his illness. His ex-boyfriend Louis, wracked by guilt and uncertainty, drifts into a relationship with Joe. Their lives intertwine in a world where Kushner shatters every theatrical convention and characters walk in and out of each other's dreams and visions. "Perestroika" turns on a set of finely wrought polarities: Exploring versus standing still; devastation and heartbreak versus progress and building; material prosperity versus plague; pragmatists versus prophets; sin and guilt versus forgiveness; sensual versus spiritual; and love versus loss. Ultimately, it is a celebration of shared humanity. It has moments of perception and piercing poetry that leave you breathless, and also manages to be truly funny. Without exception, the actors in "Perestroika" understand their characters completely, and their performances are so genuine and natural that we feel we're eavesdropping on real conversations. Anita Holland's articulate, awe-inspiring Angel; A-Ron Anderson's self- righteous Joe; Nicholas Bayne's intellectual, insecure Louis; Jonah Taylor's outspoken Belize; Kristen Bailey's vulnerable Harper; and especially Aaron Adams's abusive, larger-than-life Roy Cohn and Thomas Marcus' deeply spiritual Prior are anchored by Sarah Shippobotham's no-nonsense yet compassionate Hannah. Major credit for this production's professionalism goes to director L.L. West, who fluidly moves the actors around a demanding set and navigates Kushner's emotional peaks and valleys with ease. Thomas George's set with its jagged brick wall and global backdrop, Danny Dunn and Libby Oberg's focused lighting, and Melissa Pearcy's evocative sound design create a vivid sense of time and place. People who have seen "Millennium Approaches" will have more depth and context for "Perestroika," but the actors give a neat summary at the start so you won't get lost. "Perestroika" is not only an engrossing theatrical experience - it's an engaging and provocative look back at a turbulent time in American history. Perestroika WHERE: The Babcock Theatre, downstairs from Pioneer Memorial Theatre, 300 S. University Ave., Salt Lake City WHEN: Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m through March 11, with a 2 p.m. matinee today and March 11. RUNNING TIME: 3 hours, 30 minutes, with two intermissions TICKETS: $12, $6 for students. Call 581-7100 or 355-ARTS fortickets or information. "Perestroika" contains adult language and situations. BOTTOM LINE: Even if you've never seen "Millennium Approaches," the first part of Tony Kushner's "Angels in America," don't miss this opportunity to see an exceptional production of part two, "Perestroika."

Chad Beyer

2008 The OUTreach Resource Center in Ogden, also known as OUTreach Ogden, was formed in 2005 by the UU Church of Ogden. Chad Beyer, a substitute public school teacher and partner of the 

Matthew Cockrum

Rev. Matthew Cockrum, the church’s minister at the time, observed that LGBTQ kids at school and in his neighborhood were having difficulty. “There was a boy in the neighborhood who had been kicked out of his home after he came out,” said Cockrum. “He had no place to go.” A group that had formed at the church to focus on LGBTQ issues saw the need and decided to reach out to these youth. OUTreach Ogden includes a Wednesday night drop-in center at the church. Supporters represent the LGBTQ community at meetings in the larger community, provide a resource library, and hold an annual open house for educators. They also work with community service organizations and help train lobbyists.  The UU Funding Program’s Fund for Social Responsibility has supported the center with grants of $34,000 over three years. The grants end in June, after which the center will be supported primarily by the congregation and other grants it can procure. Some support has been received from the United Church of Christ Rocky Mountain Conference, the Episcopal Diocese of Utah, and an Episcopal minister. Gary Horenkamp is project leader for 

Gary Horenkamp

OUTreach Ogden. A lifelong Roman Catholic, he responded to an ad for the job and is now a part-time employee of the church. “We wanted to have a place where teens could feel comfortable—a safe space. Last week we had 37 people, although 25 is about average.” He added, “There is nothing else in the community for these kids. Last year a state legislator tried to outlaw gay-straight alliances in the high schools. That’s the climate we’re operating in. “Without the church this program would not exist. No one else would take it on,” Horenkamp said. “Other pastors have said they appreciate what we are doing, but their congregations are conflicted about this topic.” Operating LGBTQ programs is a significant expense for the congregation. The first two years it cost about $25,000, including $20,000 to pay Horenkamp for 20 hours a week. This year Horenkamp is up to 30 hours and the center added classes in suicide prevention, sexuality education, and it is also mentoring a United Church of Christ congregation that wants to start a similar center. Costs this year will be $43,000. Last summer the church raised $6,000 for the center, but most of the expenses thus far have been covered by grants. Horenkamp acknowledged that it will be a challenge to come up with continued funding when the UU Funding Program grants run out next December.  In comparison to OUTreach Ogden, Spectrum Café in Knoxville is funded on a shoestring. Massey says costs are less than $1,000 annually, mostly for food, video rentals, books, etc. All staff hours are volunteer and the church pays utility bills and similar costs. The Rev. Theresa Novak, consulting minister at the Ogden church, said, “There’s a lot of pride in the church about this program. With the anti-gay climate in Utah, this creates positive energy. It’s really making a difference. What keeps it going is the need.” High school junior Ian Becker attends OUTreach regularly. “I just recently came out to students at my school. The school happens to be a very accepting environment, but most of the rest of the state seems to hate people who are gay. Being able to be with people who accept you at OUTreach, and to learn about the LGBTQ community, is very important. I never thought there would be a place like this in Utah.” [Churches sponsor drop-in centers for gay teens Unitarian Universalist congregations in Tennessee, Utah, and Maryland affirm LGBTQ youth. By Donald E. Skinner  3.3.08]