This Day In Gay Utah History January 21st

 

This Day In Gay Utah History January 21st

January 21

1923-A delegation of doctors from Russia viewed the gay rights film Different from Others in Berlin. They expressed surprise that such a film would be banned.

1966-Time magazine ran a two-page article titled "The Homosexual in America." It called homosexuality " a pathetic little second-rate substitute for reality, a pitiable flight from life," and warned against seeing homosexuality as anything other than a "pernicious sickness."

1978- An after hours party was sponsored by The Gay Service Center at the GYM at 2827 South 2300 East a Gay men’s bathhouse in Salt Lake City. “Refreshments of a Kegger type will be available. Bring your own towel.”

1989- The Mid Winter Meeting for the Society of Friends (Quakers) was held at the Methodist Church on 2nd South and 3rd East. Allen Stokes of Logan led a meeting on the Quaker Role in the Gay Civil Rights Movement.

1991-Results of a survey on anti-gay violence conducted by the Gay and Lesbian Council of Utah were released. 90% of gay men and 74% of lesbians had been targeted. 377 incidents were recorded from those surveyed. Most of the incidents were verbal abuse, 38 were violent attacks.1991   The Gay And Lesbian Utah Democrats released a 24-page report entitled "Anti-Gay and Lesbian Violence in Utah," during it s first annual lobby day at the State Capitol.  Report stated “Last year 377 homosexuals were verbally or physically attacked in the state, according to findings of the Anti-Violence Project of the Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah.”

1991 The Salt Lake Tribune Democratic Leader Wants State to Keep Track of Hate Crimes By Douglas Parker Tribune Political Editor A proposed Utah Hate Crime Statistics Act was highlighted Monday as  a meeting of gays and lesbians convened at the state Capitol to discuss legislative lobbying techniques. At the same time, a 14-page report  asserting documentation of 377 threatening and violent incidents in the  state last year against this minority group was released by the  Anti-Violence Project of the Gay and Lesbian Community Council of  Utah."What's happening in Utah, I think, is that a lot of people don't believe there is a problem here of minority groups' constitutional rights being violated," said Rep. Frank R. Pignanelli, D-Salt Lake City, minority leader. He will sponsor a bill to have law-enforcement agencies submit statistics to a central state office on crimes committed against  individuals based on their race, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity. The legislation is being drafted for introduction.The Utah Hate Crime Statistics Act is modeled after federal legislation passed last year that requires the U.S. Justice Department to collect similar data, a bill sponsored by Utah's Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch. Guidelines for compiling federal statistics are still to be circulated, gay leaders noted. Rep. Pignanelli addressed a Human Rights Day seminar of the Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats, the political action committee founded last year by David Nelson, who serves as co-chairman. County Commissioner Randy Horiuchi welcomed participants and encouraged private citizen lobbying.The data gathered on 1990 incidents against gays and lesbians came from victims' reports given on 24-hour telephone "hotline" and a month-long circulation of a questionnaire among 234 gay and lesbian Utahns by the Anti-Violence Project."We documented 172 incidents of verbal harassment {epithets and anti-AIDS language}, and 205 incidents of physical violence - including 48 physical assaults, two homicides and 22 cases of arson or vandalism," said Michael Aaron, who prepared the report."Perhaps a better indication of the actual scope of anti-gay and lesbian violence is the indication that 84 percent of those surveyed have experienced some sort of victimization in their lifetime because they are gay or lesbian. Fifteen percent reported that they were a victim of physical violence in just the past year," he added.Mr. Aaron suggested the number of episodes documented is still greatly less than the actual extent of the problem because many in the community are reluctant to report incidents with the AVP or the police to protect their privacy.

1998 Author: PATTY HENETZ THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Salt Lake Tribune  Page: B2 Groups Hope to Inspire Corradini Veto Representatives from dozens of community organizations angered by the Salt Lake City Council's decision to scrap a civil-rights ordinance will have an hour on Friday to persuade Salt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradini she ought to use her veto power. They want her to overturn the City Council's Jan. 13 repeal of a month-old ordinance that prohibited job discrimination based on sexual orientation. Some will plead with her to reconsider early indications that she would. -Representatives from dozens of community organizations angered by the Salt Lake City Council's decision to scrap a civil-rights ordinance tried to persuade Salt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradini she ought to use her veto power to over turn the City Council's Jan. 13 repeal of a month-old ordinance that prohibited job discrimination based on sexual orientation. She said she had no intention of using her veto, which prompted Gay activist 

Doug Wortham

Doug Wortham to say this position enraged the gay community, strong backers of Corradini in 1995, when she won re-election by barely 400 votes.  Attendees were members of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays; the National Organization for Women; the Utah AIDS Foundation; the Anti-Violence Project; Utah Lawyers for Human Rights; the First Unitarian Church; and the Utah Progressive NetworkEducation Fund (UPNet), a nonprofit umbrella covering more than 25 citizen groups including Planned Parenthood, the Sierra Club, the Predator Education Fund, the Central Utah Federation of Labor, the Stonewall Center and the Utah Women's Political Caucus.

1998 -Wednesday Representatives from dozens of community organizations angered by the Salt Lake City Council's decision to scrap a civil-rights ordinance will have an hour on Friday to persuade Salt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradini she ought to use her veto power. They want her to over turn the City Council's Jan. 13 repeal of a month-old ordinance that prohibited job discrimination based on sexual orientation. Some will plead with her to reconsider early indications that she would not use her veto. Others will demand she do so – or suffer political consequences. ``This is going to be a tough meeting for her, and maybe she doesn't want to go,'' said Doug Wortham, a gay teacher at Rowland Hall-St. Mark's School and member of the Utah chapter of the Gay-Lesbian-Straight Education Network. ``But the gay community is ready to dump her lock, stock and barrel.''  The mayor agreed to the hour long meeting to hear reactions to the council's decision of a week ago, when they voted 4-3 to rescind an ordinance passed by the lame-duck council in December. That ordinance extended job protections to city workers regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability or sexual orientation.   It was the last category that rankled the four council members who voted to repeal – Carlton Christensen, Roger Thompson, Keith Christensen and Bryce Jolley. All four are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which argued against the original ordinance and commended the repeal via editorials in the church-owned Deseret News. The council majority say they want a more generic law that protects all city employees without naming the protected classes. Since the vote, a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations have called on Corradini to exercise her veto. She has until Jan. 28 to sign, veto or allow the decision to go into effect without her signature. Corradini, through her aide Ken Connaughton, said she plans to let the repeal stand. Wortham said that has enraged the gay community, strong backers of Corradini in 1995, when she won re-election by barely 400 votes. If she doesn't veto, pay back will come if she runs again next year. Attendees will include members of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays; the National Organization for Women; the Utah AIDS Foundation; the Anti-Violence Project; Utah Lawyers for Human Rights; the First Unitarian Church; and the Utah Progressive Network Education Fund (UPNet), a nonprofit umbrella covering more than 25 citizen groups including Planned Parenthood, the Sierra Club, the Predator Education Fund, the Central Utah Federation of Labor, The Stonewall Center and the Utah Women's Political Caucus. (01/21/1998 Page: B2 Salt Lake Tribune)

1999 Gay Activists Robert Austin and his lover attempt to be first Gay male couple to adopt in Utah and challenge Utah’s laws. (Channel 13 Fox News)

2000 Page: C9 Testimony: Jordanian Woman Feared an 'Honor Killing' BY STEPHEN HUNT   THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Months before Muna Hawatmeh was allegedly beaten and kidnapped by four family members who planned to take her back to their native country of Jordan, she feared her brothers might kill her because she is a lesbian, Hawatmeh's lover testified Thursday. At a preliminary hearing for the family members, who are charged with assault and kidnapping, Leticia Rivera said she and Hawatmeh had used the Internet to research the Middle Eastern practice of "honor killing," in which women who have premarital sex are slain by male relatives to preserve family honor.  Yet, despite Hawatmeh's apparent fear, and protective orders filed by the couple against Hawatmeh's brothers, she returned to her family's Sandy home the night of the alleged beating. Defense attorneys say Hawatmeh's voluntary return shows she did not really fear her family, and supports their claim that she has falsely accused them of kidnapping and assault. Even assuming that Hawatmeh is telling the truth, the defense insists, there was no kidnapping, and the lawyers moved for dismissal of those counts during the hearing in 3rd District Court. They cited a recent Utah Supreme Court decision that kidnapping cannot be charged unless it is separate and distinct from the underlying crime.   Defense attorney Earl Xaiz said the underlying crime in the Hawatmeh case is the alleged assault and that any detention suffered by Hawatmeh was a necessary part of that assault. Additionally, he noted that Hawatmeh family members willingly aborted their trip to the airport and returned to Sandy when police called Muna Hawatmeh's brother on his cell phone.  "There was no kidnapping," Xaiz said.     Judge William Barrett asked attorneys to submit legal briefs and said he would not decide until March whether to bind the family members over for trial.    Hawatmeh's brothers, Iehab Hawatmeh, 32, and Shaher Hawatmeh, 33; her father, Jamil Hawatmeh, 64; and her mother, Wedad Hawatmeh, 54, are charged with first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping and third-degree felony aggravated assault. A first-degree felony is punishable by up to life in prison; a third-degree felony by up to 5 years. Family members have said they were taking Muna Hawatmeh to visit her sister in San Francisco on Oct. 14, 1999, not to Jordan. They also contend she has been "unstable, confused, depressed" and, at one time, suicidal. Brothers Iehab and Shaher Hawatmeh last year filed court documents to gain guardianship over their 23-year-old sister, but later withdrew the petition. Defense attorney Walter Bugden suggested there was a tug of war over Muna Hawatmeh between her family and Rivera, 29. Attorney Edward Brass suggested Rivera increased the tensions by making the younger woman's decisions for her. Rivera insisted Muna Hawatmeh has made her own decisions during the year they have been living together. Muna Hawatmeh came to America about four years ago. Her brothers have been in this country for 15 years. Hawatmeh and Rivera are now living outside Utah.

2003 Author: MARK EDDINGTON THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE  Page: B1 Gays Are 

David Nelson

Packing Pistols in Utah BASHERS BEWARE David Nelson, founder of the Pink Pistols of Utah, practices shooting during a recent meeting of the group in Springville.;  Members of the Utah chapter of the Pink Pistols, a gay and lesbian group dedicated to Second Amendment rights, listen to their instructor during a recent concealed-carry permit class. The national organization's motto is, "Armed gays don't get bashed." Utah Gays Ready for Trouble Pink Pistols encourage members to arm themselves for protection;  BY MARK EDDINGTON   THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE A gay Democrat firing a 9 mm pistol is not something you see every day in Utah County. But that was the scene recently at a Springville shooting range, where David Nelson assumed a traditional firing stance  --  legs shoulder-width apart, a slight forward lean, arms extended -- with a semiautomatic and peppered targets.   And he was not alone. Seven others  --  though not all Democrats  --  were there with him, taking the four-hour gun-orientation class from certified instructor Michael Stilwell. Their message for those who say guns and gays don't or shouldn't mix: Get used to it.   Nelson is the founder of Pink Pistols of Utah, which aims to educate gays and lesbians about their Second Amendment rights in general and firearms in particular. Doug Krick, a bisexual from Boston, started Pink Pistols in 2000. Members say they have joined the group because they want the ability to fight back if they become targets. Gays, lesbians and bisexuals ranked fourth in the FBI hierarchy of hate-crimes victims, according to 2001 statistics. In the absence of effective hate-crime laws, more gays are turning to guns to defend themselves, families and friends. Utah's Pink Pistols  -- formed in November and now the nation's largest chapter with more than 100 gay, lesbian and straight members  --  are believers in the loose-knit organization's national motto: "Armed gays don't get bashed." Nelson says gays and lesbians should familiarize themselves with firearms for self-preservation.   "I'm not advocating vigilante bands of gays and lesbians running around with guns and taking the law into their own hands," says Nelson, a Salt Lake City resident who also founded the Utah Democratic Gay and Lesbian Caucus. "But I've read about instances where guns helped gays and lesbians from becoming victims." Nelson and a partner were mugged at knifepoint in 1985 by "wannabe gang members" in San Francisco. While the couple lost only $20, Nelson remembers feeling psychologically numb from the crime. He believes carrying a gun would at least have helped him feel more in control, even though he says would not have used it in that situation.  Salt Lake City activist Michael Aaron, another Pink Pistol, has been followed by motorists and had his front door kicked in because of his sexual orientation and advocacy for gay and lesbian rights.  "The last thing I want to do is get in a situation where I need to use a gun," he says. "But if there ever was a situation calling for a flight-or-fight response, it's good to know the fight option is there." Self-defense is not the only reason for gun ownership and Pink Pistol membership. Nelson and others are interested in the competitive aspect of firearms, hoping maybe to compete in the Federation of Gay Games. Politics also helps explain some members' passion for guns. Aaron, for instance, was intrigued by the prospect of uniting gay activists from the political left with gun advocates from the political right. "I wanted to see what would result," he says.   The juxtaposition can be jarring. Pink Pistols and traditional gay groups, the latter typically favoring gun control, do not see eye to eye.   When Pink Pistols are not drawing fire in the gay community, they often are being greeted with rolled eyes and raised eyebrows.  "It's great they are exercising their Second Amendment rights, but I don't see this as a real issue right now," says Michael Mitchell, executive director of Unity Utah, a lesbian and gay political action committee. "Utah is not a place that denies gun ownership to anyone."   Others battling for gay rights favor passive or nonviolent tactics, the so-called moral high ground. But Nelson does not aspire to those heights, not if it means absorbing a beating or being killed while waiting for police to arrive.  "Is a Matthew Shepard dead on a fence morally superior to a Matthew Shepard having to explain to law enforcement officers why he shot the two perpetrators in self-defense?" he asks.  "If he had been armed like the perpetrators, there could have been a completely different outcome."  Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, died in 1998 after being beaten and tied to a fence post.   With their orientation class out of the way, the Pink Pistols will be applying for concealed-firearms permits from Utah's Bureau of Criminal Identification. Members are also setting their sights on changing attitudes on guns within the gay community. Utah's Pink Pistols meet monthly at various ranges. More information can be found on the group's Web site at www.groups.yahoo.com/group/PinkPistolsUtah.___

2004 A lot is currently being said about the Movie Latter days.  As a plot concept about a Mormon Missionary coming to terms with his sexuality, and falling in love it is great. To be honest though, I must side with the MadStone Theater.  I was invited with 40 other Utah Movie Promoters to see a screening of the film.  It lacks a lot!  I cam away wondering why the film maker just didn't make it a porn, as the concept would have worked just as well in that context, and some of the casts fantasy’s fulfilled.

 2004-Hello Everyone, I apologize in advance for the spam-mail.  However, I believe this is 

James Hicks

a very important issue and I don't think most people realize the Utah has given away our Civil Rights to Foreigners.  If you take a look at this Senate House Bill 24 it states that no gay or lesbian living in the state of Utah has any Civil Rights and even if you get married or have any type of Civil Marriage from another state, it will not be recognized in the state of Utah.  However, what it doesn't mention is the simple fact that if I am a foreigner I can come to this country with my opposite sex significant other, and get married in the state of Utah.  I can go back to my country and this marriage is legal.  The state of Utah has chosen to give away our Civil Rights as American Citizens to foreigners.  Which means that you and I have less rights as American Citizens then a foreigner who has no allegiance to this country? Presently, my partner and I are putting together a web site titled.  www.givingawaycivilrights.com this site will have an area for a forum for discussion.  I would love to hear your feedback on this subject.  We've already lost our rights in Utah, however we can't allow the United States change the U.S. Constitution.  President Bush said he already plans to sign a bill which will change our U.S. Constitution and basically eliminate any chance we have of obtaining full Civil Rights in our own country.  I say don't mess with the U.S. "Constitution" God Bless America and all our Families! Sincerely, James P. Hicks Sandy, Utah

2005 Friday Subject: [slmetro_staff] Queer Lounge Panel Discussions Hey SLMetro folks! Here is a schedule of the panel discussions that happen during the day at the Queer Lounge. As sponsors, you are welcome to attend any of these events. If you want VIP seating, please call 435-655-0322 and get on the list. -

• FENTON BAILEY & RANDY BARBATO: TAMMY FAYE TO TOTALLY GAY...Sunday, January 23, 2005, 3pm Host: David Keeps Guests:  Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato Award-winning film and television directors/producers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato founded World of Wonder Productions in 1991, sometime after they met at NYU Film School. Champions of the misunderstood, the two have grown their company from the idea that "today's marginal is tomorrow's mainstream." Along with this year's documentary "Inside Deep Throat," (Sundance Premieres) the  pair have been showcased at Sundance in past years with "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" and "Party Monster." Queer Lounge sits down with Bailey and Barbato, looking back on their filmmaking careers - and looking ahead at what's in store.  Join us for a fun-filled retrospective on the highs and lows of one of the most cutting edge duos in Hollywood.
• SAVING FACE Monday, January 24, 2005, 11am Host: Dennis Hensley Guests:  Alice Wu, Joan Chen, Michelle Krusiec, Lynn Chen Love complicates all…but some more than others.  Wil, a 28-year-old  medical resident living in Manhattan, is not out to her widowed,  traditional Chinese-American mother, Ma.  When Wil falls in love  with Vivian, her efforts to hide her secret from gossipy neighbors  and relatives gets even more complicated when Ma moves in with an  astonishing secret of her own—she's pregnant and won't reveal the  father.  Journalist Dennis Hensley talks with Alice Wu and actors Joan Chen,  Michelle Krusiec and Lynn Chen about the making of this latest gem  of a dramedy from Sony Pictures Classics playing in Sundance's  American Spectrum about a mother and daughter who discover they have  a lot in common in the secrets they keep and their ultimate desire  to "save face."
• A CONVERSATION WITH DON ROOS Monday, January 24, 2005, 1pm  Host: Dennis Hensley Guest:  Don Roos Join prolific director/screenwriter, Don Roos, for a look at his career in film.  Starting as a screenwriter, Roos, (Single White Female, Boys on the Side) made the leap to director with his critically acclaimed feature debut, "The Opposite of Sex," starring Christina Ricci followed by "Bounce" with Ben Affleck and Gwyneth  Paltrow.  His latest offering, "Happy Endings," is another well-cast ensemble piece that takes a wry and painfully funny look at contemporary life and family.  Happy Endings is the Opening Film at Sundance and stars Lisa Kudrow, Laura Dern, Jesse Bradford, Maggie  Gyllenhaal, Tom Arnold and Bobby Cannavale.
• QUEER MOVIE MARKETING MANIA Guest:  Jenni Olson Tuesday, January 25, 2005, 12noon Film historian and filmmaker Jenni Olson ("The Joy of Life" in Sundance Frontier), presents a colorful crash-course in queer film history via a selection of posters from her new book, The Queer Movie Poster Book (Chronicle Books) as well as clips from her new vintage LGBT movie trailer DVD, Homo Promo (Strand Releasing). Join us for this entertaining look back at the olden days of LGBT cinema!
• GAY REPUBLICANS:  THE MOVIE Tuesday, January 25, 2005, 1:30PM Last year, the Log Cabin (gay) Republicans emerged from relative obscurity, only to find themselves centered in the national spotlight. The President's opposition to gay marriage put them at the forefront of one of the most hotly contested elections in years. But it also opened schisms that challenged the very identity of the Log Cabin itself.  Gay Republicans were forced to examine themselves to decide what was more important -- being gay or being Republican? Director Wash Westmoreland chronicled the journey of the gay Republicans, following four members of the organization as they grappled with their own decision as to who they would support. His film "Gay Republicans" won the audience award for best documentary at last year's AFI Film Festival and aired on Trio during election season. Join Westmoreland as he shows clips and reflects on this stereotype-shattering, gut wrenching portrait of an organization in turmoil.
• I WANT MY GAY TV Tuesday, January 25, 2005, 3pm  Host: Mike Goodridge Guests:  Mark Reinhart (here!), Frank Olson (Q Television Network), Tim Ramirez (LOGO), Anna La Choca (free-lancer for Pink TV) Television has come out of the closet!  Nowadays, you can nearly always count on a new gay-themed television program with the changing of the seasons. Will & Grace, Queer Eye, The L Word...the list goes on. Now we're raising the bar even higher. A new wave of gay television networks is converging on the entertainment industry.  Find out what's in store from here!, Q Television Network, LOGO, and France's Pink TV. What are they programming?  Where can you find them on your television dial? And most of all, what do they want from you? Journalist Mike Goodridge sits down with representatives from the four networks
• THE EDUCATION OF SHELBY KNOX Wednesday, January 26, 2005, 12noon Host:  David Daniels Guests:  Shelby Knox, Marion Lipshutz, Rose Rosenblatt Shelby Knox has a story to tell.   Just a few years ago, at the age of 15, she began to question everything she'd been taught as a conservative Southern Baptist. As her identity grew more tied to liberal ideologies and feminism, she took on the uncanny role of a leader for sex education and gay rights in Lubbock, Texas. Shelby joins producers Marion Lipschutz, Rose Rosenblatt, and others featured in the powerful film "The Education of Shelby Knox" (Sundance Documentary) for a look back at the making of the film and the transformation of Shelby to the empowered, independent woman she has become. CRAIG LUCAS, GEORGE VANBUSKIRK & THE DYING GAUL Host:  Basil Tsiokos Thursday, Jan. 27, 2005 12:30pm Craig Lucas received critical acclaim for writing stage and screen versions of "Longtime Companion," "Prelude to a Kiss," and "Reckless."  This year, Lucas adds the title "director" to his resume with "The Dying Gaul" (Sundance Dramatic Competition), the story of a screenwriter who accidentally finds himself tangled in a dangerous relationship with a woman and her husband.  The film includes stars Patricia Clarkson, Campbell Scott, and Peter Sarsgaard.Join Lucas and producer George VanBuskirk for a conversation about the making of "The Dying Gaul." How did Lucas make the transition from screenwriter to director? What's next for this creative duo?
• LACKAWANNA BLUES Guests:  Director George C. Wolfe & Editor Brian Kates Time/Date TBA
• Fri, 21 Jan 2005 12:43:03 -0700 Subject: RE: [slmetro_staff] Queer Lounge Panel Discussions Hey yo team-- Um, the whole Metro staff aren't really on the VIP list. But I'm certain there will be room at the panels and hope you will come and I love you.  Laurie Queer Lounge Utah Director famous writer

• Fri, 21 Jan 2005 19:48:32 -0000 Subject: [slmetro_staff] Scissor Sisters / Queer Lounge If you are interested in seeing Scissor Sisters, Tickets are still available at http://suedepc.com for $20. The VIP after party hosted by TLA Releasing and Volkswagon goes from 1-4am. If you want to be part of that, camm Sherri at 435-655-0322 and mention that you are on the staff of Salt Lake Metro. -Michael

2006 Saturday-• 'Brokeback' brouhaha poses a challenge for state promoters By Paul Rolly Salt Lake Tribune Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s optimistic budget proposals based largely on a possible $1 billion surplus will rely also on an aggressive recruiting campaign to lure new businesses into Utah to expand the tax base.And that's where Larry Miller comes in. Much has been said about Miller's last-minute deletion of the gay-cowboy drama "Brokeback Mountain" from one of his movie complexes. Supporters applaud his courage for standing up for the moral values of Utah and detractors call him a bigot. But what might not be widely known here is the exposure Miller's decision has had on the Internet outside Utah and the possible hit it will have on the state's image as Huntsman's economic development soldiers try to sell Utah to corporate relocators. Arianna Huffington's widely read blog, for example, contained a litany of responses from readers blasting not only Miller, but the state of Utah for being backward and rigid. Some contributors to the blog spoke of Utah's hypocrisy for its supposed tolerance of polygamy and its intolerance for gays. Whether that is fair or not, perception often becomes reality, and the international publicity could pose another challenge for state promoters to bring in new businesses and expand Utah's tax base. Compounding the problem is Sen. Chris Buttars' bill making its way through the legislative session, and sure to trigger nationwide publicity, that would require science teachers to downplay the importance of evolution as an accepted scientific theory. Whether fair or not, news stories about that argument can't help but contribute to the perception of some that Utahns are a bunch of narrow-minded yahoos. A recent survey commissioned by Real Estate Professionals for Economic Growth (RE-PEG) found that a number of corporate executives around the country view Utah as a backwater populated by quirky people. Over several months, the group questioned executives from companies who have relocated or expanded to Utah and those who have omitted the Beehive State from its plans entirely. "There were not a lot of companies who wanted to talk about the real reason they didn't come to Utah. But the perceived problems were very predictable," RE-PEG president Bill Martin told Salt Lake Tribune reporter Rebecca Walsh last month. Among the reasons given for not coming to Utah was the perception that Utahns are cliquish and clannish. It's not the first time that publicity over certain issues pushed by legislators or community leaders has triggered concern about attracting new business or tourism. Several years ago, the Legislature couldn't stop wringing its hands over the proposal to join the rest of the country and designate an official state holiday in honor of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. After days of oftentimes silly debate (one legislator wanted to call it Utah People Day) the Legislature finally settled on Human Rights Day. The discussions invited national attention, much of it negative and even brought threats that the National Basketball Association might not want to let Salt Lake City host its all-star game and festivities. Former Gov. Mike Leavitt launched an ambitious campaign to bring high-tech firms from California's Silicon Valley into Utah and was moderately successful despite worries that the Legislature's highly publicized reluctance to pass a meaningful hate crimes bill protecting gay people would taint the state's image in northern California. Leavitt's effort persuaded Wilson Sonsini, one of the biggest technology firms in Silicon Valley, to open a Utah office. It also landed Cadence Design Systems and Seibel Systems, both highly respected software design firms. But subsequent surveys of the employees who relocated to Utah found the ones with families adjusted well, while the single employees did not. The issues for singles included a lack of night life, lack of diversity and difficulties in adjusting to the culture. To be fair, RE-PEG's survey found that once business leaders visit the state, they like it. It's the getting them to Utah in the first place that often is the tough part. Chris Roybal, Huntsman's senior adviser for economic development, was upbeat about the state's prospects of attracting new business. He said in a Tribune story last month that in his travels to recruit new businesses to Utah, he has found that Utah is on the economic development map and that the state is on most companies' short list for locations in the western United States. But that was before the flap over "Brokeback Mountain" and the legislative session over the next six weeks that some already have dubbed the 21st century version of the "Monkey Trial."

2006 Gay or straight, it's love and commitment that count By Kim Clark Salt Lake Tribune My wife and I took our lesbian daughter to see "Brokeback Mountain" Friday night. Sorry to disappoint the moral purists, but we had a wonderful evening. A poignantly moving but genuinely sad story of two men who, by following society's advice, did what was, for them, unnatural. Their wives were "sexy" enough, that was not the problem. The problem was that they pursued a path that was at variance with their natural order. With predictable certainty, these men soon discovered that society's idea of "normal" was, for them, abnormal. (You can walk an errant path for only so long - nature has a way of re-establishing homeostasis.) While I do not comprehend same-sex attraction, I do know something of unconditional love. So do my children, two of whom are gay. Embracing each other's differences is a principal reason love and acceptance permeate our home. Harmony amid diversity - imagine that! For anyone to see only "sex" in homosexuality is to evidence a shamefully ametropic understanding of an important subject. Yes, these cowboys were sexually active, but the orgasmic realm is not where one finds the soul. With that in mind, their love and commitment is no different than the heterosexual love and commitment I have for my wife. The only difference, perhaps, is that society voiced no objections when 30 years ago we agreed to marry. On March 24, 2004, molecular biologist William Bradshaw of Brigham Young University announced that "Biology absolutely has a role in causing homosexuality." Bradshaw's research showed what many of his gay students had been telling him all along: "Homosexuality is not a lifestyle [we] chose." Furthermore, "therapy, psychoanalysis, hypnosis . . . and religious group therapy" had very little lasting impact in "correcting" their behavior. The good professor concluded that "it is virtually impossible for these people to change their orientation." In other words, to expect them to change is as unnatural and unrealistic as it is insensitive and unkind. But the implications of his research are staggering. To accept Bradshaw's findings would require that we see diverse sexual orientation as something natural after all! And if natural, then nature's architect is "Himself" accepting of such diversity. Finally, to Larry Miller: Larry, if and when the day arrives (if it has not already) that someone close to you announces their homosexuality, instead of expressing contempt, I invite you to watch with them "Brokeback Mountain." I am certain that those same tears your big heart is known to shed for the likes of Stockton, Malone, and the Sloans will again find their way to the surface. But even more rewarding, Larry, will be the transcendent moment when cold judgment gives way to unconditional love.-Kim Clark is an optometric physician with private practices in Holladay and Sandy. He and wife, Cindy, are the parents of "four wonderful people."

2007 Dear Community Member: Legislation to limit student clubs is back.  HB236 Student Clubs Amendments sponsored by Rep. Tilton is on the House Education Committee agenda tomorrow morning at 8:00am in Room W135. Equality Utah opposes HB236.  This bill places extensive application requirements on student clubs adding a significant burden to students and teachers.  It also allows school administrators to subjectively approve or deny student clubs based on an administrator’ s interpretation of what is socially inappropriate.  Subjective laws serve no real purpose.  In addition, HB236 is unnecessary since current Federal and State law regulates student clubs.

2007 Thank you for all of you who attended the sWerve film festival.  We had a great turn out and a really good time. Tonight is LGSU movie night.  We'll be watching a really interesting film about Queers in Sports.  It starts at 7:30 in room 323.  Hope I see you all there. LGSU

2007 Do you have a razor sharp tongue, and even sharper wit? Now's your chance to prove that you're the number one trash talker in Salt Lake! Play the dozens, exchange snaps, and show your foes just how fat their momma really is! Fabulous prizes, bragging rights, and yo momma's dignity are all at stake! Qualify to compete in The Slapstick Association's first annual "Trash Talkin' Tourney," at the Utah Pride Center (361 North 300 West, SLC) on Monday, January 22 at 8:00pm. Brush up your insults and "Yo Momma" jokes, because all are invited, but only one will be chosen to compete in the Final Round on January 24th at the University of Utah. This event is hosted by 3.2 Improv, "The strongest improv allowed by law"!

Christ Buttars

2009 For Buttars, some pumpkin bread and gay rights diplomacy It was no Versailles. It was no Yalta. But peace -- and perhaps some understanding -- broke out in a West Jordan neighborhood, thanks to two eager gay-rights activists willing to try a new approach, a sometimes-gruff legislator ready to open his door and a generous gift of pumpkin bread. Eric Ethington and Elaine Ball, founders of the grass-roots, service-oriented Pride in Your Community, stopped Republican Sen. Chris Buttars in his driveway on Saturday morning to share some home-baked pumpkin bread...  Rosemary Winters The Salt Lake Tribune

2009 Q Salt Lake Lambda Lore by Ben Williams Thirty-three years ago the Salt Lake Tribune editorial board did something they do not espoused today and that is endorse marriage between same sex couples. To be fair the board probably was not endorsing same sex marriage as much as saying that there was no impediment to same sex matrimony in Utah. On Tuesday January 6th, two women applied for a marriage license in Salt Lake County. The pair was turned away and referred to the Salt Lake County Attorney’s office for a ruling; however the pair did not follow up by seeking out a decision on whether they could get a license. The pair however must have contacted instead the Tribune who then contacted the Attorney’s office on the 7th of January.  According to the newspaper a spokesman in the Salt Lake County Attorney office said that “Utah statue does not specifically prohibit marriage between members of the same sex”. On the basis of this comment, the Salt Lake Tribune executive editor wrote as an editorial on January 8th, saying “Two women who had applied for a marriage license in Salt Lake County probably should have been issued one, according to Utah law.”  The Tribune did not mention the name of the women but they may have been Camille Tartagila and “Shirley”, two Lesbians who had their marriage publically acknowledge earlier in the November- December 1975 issue of the Gayzette by editor Babs DeLay. This wedding announcement is the first that I can find of a same sex couple in Utah.  The pair was just referred to as Camille and Shirley for while same sex marriage might not have been illegal in Utah in 1975…sodomy certainly was. The wedding was held at a Gay bar at 996 South and Redwood Road called the Rusty Bell. The owners, Paul Douglas, Mack Hunt, and Jim Beveridge had just opened the tavern the previous July.  This location would become more noted for being the home of the premier Lesbian bar in the 1980’s, Puss N Boots. The Reverend Bob Darst, who had just resigned from the Grace Christian Church on Halloween, agreed to perform the ceremony.  Grace Christian Church had splintered off from the Metropolitan Church of Salt Lake City two years earlier and had a membership of nearly 50 at the time of the wedding.   The owners of the Rusty Bell and Camille and Shirley may have been members or had association with the church since the Rusty Bell held fund raisers for them. Camille and Shirley were engaged for over a year when they were married 20 November 1975 in a double ring ceremony. “Marty”, who was a member of the first Imperial Court of Utah (Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire) as “Queen of the Relm” was “best man” and “Hilda” was matron of honor.  The Gayzette reported that “Shirley wore a white satin gown of her own design and Camille wore a baby blue pants suit.” After the vows were exchanged a reception was held “immediately afterwards with an abundance of champagne and wedding cake”.  The article went on to assure readers that the ceremony was not illegal since “No marriage license was required as the state of Utah does not recognize Gay marriages as yet”.  Shirley then stated “To us the vows are as legal to us as any other marriage ceremony.  The license makes no difference to us because we take our marriage vows very seriously.”  While article went on to say that the wedding between Shirley and Camille “was the first wedding to be held at The Rusty Bell since the bar opened,” it may have been the only one since no other weddings have been found to occur. Camille Tartagilia went on to become Prince Royale III Camille  of Imperil Court of Utah with “Marita Gayle” her Princess Royale. I suspect that Marita Gayle was her “best man” at the wedding. Also involved in Gay activism, she, as a member of Women Aware, helped organize the boycott of homophobe Anita Bryant at the State Fair. As time went on the Rusty Bell, which should be noted was the home of the first coronation of the Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire, closed and reopened at Puss N Boots in 1981.  Today the location is home to K & K African Market “specializing in African and Middle Eastern groceries” and The Outer Rim “an all ages music venue.”  Mack Hunt would go on to open a series of bars in the 1980’s most noticeable Back Street which now lies in a burnt out hulk at 108 South 500 West where it’s last incarnation was Club Ice across from the Gateway. Paul Douglas died in 2005 as I believe Jim Beveridge did. And still some 33 years later Utah still does not recognize legally same sex marriage “as of yet.”

2014 Windsor, Amendment 3, and the Future of the LGBT Fight for Justice and Equality Kate Kendell (’88), Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), will be speaking about the Supreme Court rulings on Prop 8 and DOMA, the recent federal court ruling that Utah’s Amendment 3 is unconstitutional, and the path ahead for marriage and other issues important to the LGBT community and our allies. Where S.J. Quinney College of Law Moot Courtroom 332 South 1400 East Salt Lake City, UT 84112