APRIL
1 April 2018 Easter Sunday
It’s April Fools, Spring LDS Conference, and Easter
all rolled into one this year. I have lots of fond memories as a child of new
Easter clothes, family picnics in sunny California, Easter egg hunts, chocolate
bunnies, and coconut frosted cakes. Easter is a wonderful time to appreciate
the renewal of life and hopes and dreams. Michael Romero came over to take us
out to Daybreak where TJ Otaka and Jim McMullin invited us and Alan Anderson and Kyle Daniels for Easter
Dinner. ... Not
having to cook an Easter dinner this year I bought a carrot cake with cream cheese.
We had all stuff that goes with a traditional Easter ham dinner... and we had a
Gay old time. Just didn’t feel much like Easter this year for some reason.
Maybe because I am not on Spring break.
Worked most of the day organizing my data from
1985 for my presentation on Wednesday... I have brain fatigue... Harleigh is
driving me nuts ... been out at least 6 times today barking to be helped back
in... everyone else are mellow... did go to Lowes to buy pansies but the
weather is to chilly and misty to plant them... In the afternoon I had a
doctor’s appointment with Dr. Stoneburner. He said all the lab results from all
the blood they drew last time were good. My blood pressure was 138/72 when it
about okay for my age. He said it all looks good and he gave me an A+... he
knows I used to be a school teacher. It was raining pretty good on the way
home... Should water the pansies I bought pretty well. I made a crockpot of
bean soup with ham this morning...Just right for a rainy April day. Bean Soup
for supper... yum
3 April 2018 Tuesday
I've shopped at the Rose Park Smith's market
for over 21 years but I think I am done. They have taken out all but 4 cashiers
all the others have been replaced with self-checkout. Only one of the cashier
check outs was opened and she must have been a trainee as she was as slow as
molasses... Also their aisles are always blocked with stocking items now so it’s
like an obstacle course... I went just to get some frozen hash browns and I
couldn't believe that there were none in their frozen potatoes section. Even
their gas has shot up to $2.75 a gallon... They might have thought they were
saving money but I know they are losing their older customers. I waited for
Kyle Daniels to call me about going to see Death of Stalin but he never did so
when I saw that Men Who Move were going to see Death of Stalin at the Broadway
theater I went with them. I saw Matt Wilson and Jesse Dolce and Darby Hinton
there. I loved it but it was not what I was expecting from the previews. It was
more of a Black Comedy like MASH was back in 1970. I am glad I went and I was
told by the guys there that they use this new movie pass app that costs $10 to
see unlimited movies. I guess I will get one too. There was a shooting at the
Headquarters of YouTube in California. I wonder if
this has to do with the decision not to post gun videos on YouTube
4 April 2018 Wednesday
I got some baking done this
morning. I made a raisin walnut loaf of bread.. I also baked some snickerdoodle
peanut butter cookies for my Gay History lecture meeting tonight. I thought it
was going to be a small turn out so moved us back to the smaller conference
room but then turned out that we were crowded in there. Today is the 50th
anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. I held some pretty
racist views when I was 16 years old when I heard that Martin Luther King was
murdered. I think most people if they are honest did too. I wrote some pretty
awful things in my 1968 journal when I heard the news. I tried to atone by
taking off work some 20 years later to hear his widow Coretta speak at the
First Baptist Church to promote making her husband's birthday a holiday. Utah
was one of the last hold outs and even then only passed "Human Rights
Day" instead of honoring Dr. King. The President of the LDS Church at the
time was Ezra Taft Benson who claimed that King was a communist. Eventually the
day was changed to honor MLK but not by the state legislature which held its
opening day for years on the holiday. I bought a paperback version of Gone With
The Wind about a month ago. I read it in high school and loved it... now I put
it down after reading two chapters because of the racist views it perpetuated .
So I have evolved. In 1988 20 years after Martin
Luther King Jr. was assassinated Governor Evan Meacham, the Mormon conservative
governor of Arizona who called black children “pickaninnies” was impeached.
Meacham had ordered the rescinding of Martin Luther King’s birthday as a
holiday in Arizona.
·
Things
are slow to change in the Mormon Church ...on this date in 1992 LDS Apostle
Richard G. Scott at general conference talking about sexual abuse told LDS
women that they should avoid "morbid probing into details of past acts,
long buried and mercifully forgotten," and that "the Lord may prompt
a victim to recognize a degree of responsibility for abuse." Among his
concluding remarks was the statement: "Remember, false accusation is also
a sin," and 'bury the past." Unspoken background to his remarks is that
in recent years current stake presidents and temple workers have been accused
of child abuse by their now adult children. Salt Lake Tribune reports that
suicide prevention lines are swamped with telephone calls by women in days
after Scott's remarks.
·
Bill
Poore I was in my room watching my TV when they announced that Dr. King had
been killed, I was heartbroken. I loved him then. I was a big supporter of him
and the civil rights movement. Utah showed its racist views with Dr. King’s
Birthday issue....now you would think they led the movement themselves....I can’t
believe the denial I hear about how racist Utah was.
·
Robert
Whyte All the major newspapers were calling MLK a communist when, "The
only good communist is a dead communist." was the standard.
·
Bill Poore Robert Whyte J Edgar Hoover called
King a communist....I to this day think Hoover had something to do with his
death.
·
Robert Whyte Bill Poore The FBI did pull
surveillance thirty minutes before he was killed.
·
Richard
Harmston Ben, you have only improved with age! Maybe your best self is yet to
come.
5 April 2018 Thursday
Had a nice visit with Bill Poore who came over
for lunch. He wanted to pay me $100 of the money I lent him last year. I fixed for
lunch a glazed ham, funeral potatoes, and spinach with diced bacon. I also made
a carrot cake yesterday that I iced today with cream cheese frosting. He was
too full from dinner to have any cake so I sent him home with some plus a
banana nut bread and a Tupperware full of left overs. He wanted to know if I'd
like to see a play at the Babcock Theater tomorrow but upon learning it was a
drama I said no. Bill knows I only like musicals with dancing chorus boys. I
guess its confirmed that I am going to Albuquerque on the 20th. I will fly out
in the morning and be back in the evening. .
·
Hi
Ben, Our production coordinator has looked into a flight option for you for
Friday April 20, so I wanted to check in to see if this works for you. It will
allow plenty of time to get from the airport to the interview location and
back. 20 April 18 Departing Salt Lake City: 9:40am Arriving Albuquerque:
11:25am Departing Albuquerque: 5:37pm Arriving Salt Lake City: 7:22pm If you
are comfortable catching taxis, we are able to reimburse you on the day in cash
for your taxi fares (4 x fares - home to airport, airport to interview
location, interview location to airport and airport to home). Do you know
roughly what it costs to get from home to the airport in SLC? Let me know what
you think. Thanks, Rebekka Schafferius Researcher Beyond Productions 109 Reserve Rd Artarmon, NSW 2064 Phone: +61 2 9437 2027 Fax:
+61 2 9437 2001 Email: rebekka_schafferius@beyondusa.com Web:
www.beyond.com.au
·
Hi
Ben, My name is Jo Telfer and I will be booking your flights. The travel agent
just needs your full name as it appears in your ID (that you will use to check
in) and they also require your date of
birth. Also, do you have a frequent flyer number for Delta Airlines and the
travel agent can add it to your booking? Once the travel agent has booked your
flights, we will send you an itinerary and a call sheet with all the details.
When you arrive at the airport, you just need to give the check in counter your
name and they can pull up the booking. Thanks Ben Kind regards Jo Telfer Beyond
Productions 109 Reserve Road Artarmon
NSW 2064 Australia p: +61 2 9437 2046 e: jo_telfer@beyond.com.au
·
Bill
Poore Super good , can’t wait to eat the carrot cake.
·
Amy
Barry Been makes the best carrot cake.
·
Michael
Aaron Last night, the Utah Stonewall
Historical Society Lecture Series, Benedgar Williams talked about 1985. One
of the items: "14 Feb 1985- Lesbian and Gay Student Union fought and won a
case against the Daily Utah Chronicle when they refused to print two Valentine
ads that included the word 'Lesbian'" This was one of my most favorite
times in all my gay story. Poet Brook Hallock had written two poems for her
then-girlfriend, Nancy Perez. I remember one ending in "Lesbianly
Yours." The
Chronicle had written stories almost every other day for the year, calling us
the Lesbian and Gay Student Union. I appealed on Brook's behalf
to the Publications Council, which oversaw the paper. Only the council, the
newspaper's editor and I were allowed in the room. The first words out of my
mouth referred to a news story that broke in the Tribune about a college
professor making a controversial remark in class, somehow declaring black
people "spades." I said, "Let's call a spade a .... small shovel
— it is ridiculous we are having to sit in this room." The entire council
laughed and vocally agreed that it was a waste of their time. I mentioned the
number of times the paper had printed the word "lesbian" and said
that the author was a well-respected poet. The editor blathered on about who
was in charge of the paper, without really addressing the issue at-hand. The
council took offense to the editor thinking he had full control and decided
right then and there that the paper would be forced to print the valentines and
we were out the door. The front-page headline the next morning (Feb, 14) was in
monstrously large type, screaming "CHRONICLE FORCED TO PRINT OFFENSIVE
VALENTINES. WHO'S IN CHARGE IS IN QUESTION." Feather in my cap.
6 April 2018 Friday
Rainy morning... the dogs are all sleeping so
why aren't I? It's a ham and split pea soup kind of day so I made some soup
that I also brought over to Michael’s when taking Coco home... The interesting things
you find out snooping around doing genealogy. My grandma's great uncle Charles
B Danforth lived for years with a mixed-race woman named Alice Keaton whom he
left all his personal items to her in his will. I always suspected more was
going on than her being simply listed as his servant and I found a marriage
record in Everett Washington State from 1914 for them. Washington had no
miscegenation laws. They had lived together since at least 1883 in Mississippi.
Of course their marriage was never legal in California or Tennessee where they
lived and they were always listed in census records as being single. They were
buried apart in segregated cemeteries in Mississippi.
7 April 2018 Saturday
I wanted to mow my yard today but it rained or
misted all day. I also wanted to go visit Kyle Foote but it never stopped
raining. So instead I curled up with the pups in bed and watch more episodes of
Midsomer Murders... what else to do on a rainy day.
8 April 2018 Sunday
Another cool day with spotty showers. I drove
down to Draper to visit Kyle during his visiting time from 9:30 to 11:00. We
had a nice visit just chit chatting. Craig Crawford’s parents were visiting
him. They drove out from Virginia. Caught up on my journaling this morning.
Down at the prison I saw my reflection in a window pane and I looked thin.
First time I actually felt that way. Rich Butler came over about 4 pm to tell
me about his vacation to New Mexico and to pick up Miley and Sophie so I am
down two dogs lol. He bought me a chili ristra for taking care of his pups.
9 April 2018 Monday
I woke up with a kink in my neck... at my age
that is the only way I can get kinky. It was painful all day. I went to sit in
the hot tub by the circuit that must have broken so I had to reset it. Glad
that was all it was. Baked some rye bread this morning that I let rise
overnight now the age-old question honey or apricot jam? Jay Vallar came over at
1 pm because he wanted to mow my front yard while I pulled weeds...that was
thoughtful of him...I served him some homemade split pea soup and hearty rye
bread... we ate as Good as peasants. Rich brought me a chili ristra from New
Mexico yesterday when he came over to pick up Sophie and Miley so hung it from
a beam over my hot tub. Then I made some potato soup for supper. It was delicious.
I just got off the phone with a lady from Australia. She was booking my flight
to Albuquerque and needed my birthdate... when I told her it was April 10th she
said my goodness it's April 10th there in Australia already so she wished me a
happy birthday in a very strong accent... lol never had someone from Australia
wish me happy birthday before... According to the American Psychological
Association I was mentally ill until they voted on this day in 1974 to remove
homosexuality as a mental disorder. So the day before for my 23 birthday I
wasn't considered bonkers for being Gay. "Homosexuality per se implies no
impairment in judgment, stability, reliability, or general social and
vocational capabilities; Further, the American Psychological Association urges
all mental health professionals to take the lead in removing the stigma of
mental illness that has long been associated with homosexual
orientations."
10 April 2018 Tuesday
Tuesday's child is full of grace. I was born on
a Tuesday on the High Plains of West Texas outside of Earth. It’s been a long
and strange journey from being a beach boy in Orange County California to
ending my days in the City of the Saints with six pups as my companions. TJ and
Jim wanted to treat me to lunch for my birthday so we agreed to meet at
Chubby’s. It’s one of the few places I can eat and not feel too stuffed. They
like Mexican food too. We had Michael Romero join us so it was a nice
afternoon. I had a smothered chili relleno with enchilada sauce. It was really
tasty. TJ and Jim came back to the house afterwards because TJ made some treats for the pups.
They bought me a shirt for my birthday. That was thoughtful. I had a lot of
birthday wishes from FB friends and I was shocked to get a birthday card from
Donna. She said they’ve all had the flu and Ken had to be hospitalized for it. In
the evening Kyle Daniels and Alan Anderson called me to wish me a happy
birthday and its Alan’s birthday too. So now I am officially 67 years old.
11 April 2018 Wednesday
My neck and shoulder is getting a little bit better,
not so sore and painful. Slept with a heating pad all night so that probably
helped. I mowed the back yard again. It was already getting kind of high. Then
I made two loaves of banana nut bread. I gave one to Michael Romero when I took
Coco home. Bill Poore took me to lunch at Charlie Chows and bought me flowers
for my birthday...yesterday T.J. Otaka and Jim McMullin took Mike Romero and me
to lunch at Chubby’s and bought me a beautiful shirt I wore today...it was a
large and not extra-large and fitted perfectly...tomorrow going out to lunch
with Chuck Whyte ... I am grateful for the sentiments but feel like I am going
to explode lol I told him I really don't
eat much at all these days... a piece of bread fills me up... A steak house
would probably be just too much for me but I knew he had gift cards and he
himself wanted a steak meal...Best news
this morning Paul Ryan is not running for election... may be the national
nightmare is ending. The
tide is turning and even if a repuke gets in his place he will have no
seniority to set the Tea Party agenda
·
Bill
Poore It was fun seeing you today....I enjoy our lunches out. We are a funny
pair. We see humor in things others would not....the guy with no butt, we are
sort of bitches in a nice way.
·
Benedgar
We need to find a new hang out Charlie chow wait staff is rude and not cute
enough lol
12 April 2013 Thursday
A wicked weather front is blowing in from the
north causing all types of mischief this morning. Very wild winds here in the
North River District of SLC And here comes the snow mixed with rain ...good day
for cinnamon rolls and hot cocoa also a Good day to stay inside and update my
blog This Day in Utah Gay History... added some obits from community members
who have passed away, Queer Prom 2018 and several articles from the SL city
Weekly... Afterwards stayed in bed and
watch Goonies. I let Chuck Whyte know that we aren’t going to the Outback
Steakhouse today because of the rain and snow.
13 April 2013 Friday
Trump ordered missile strikes
against Syria for allegedly using poison gas on its own people. He did it
without consulting Congress. He doesn’t give a crap about Syrian Children any
more than he does the children of Flint Michigan , Puerto Rico or school
children in the USA who have intruder drills. Elliott Broidy, the venture
capitalist who admitted Friday to paying a Playboy “playmate” who said she was
pregnant with his child, has stepped down from his post on the Republican
National Committee’s finance team
14 April 2018 Saturday
My Movie Pass card came today. Now to see how
it works. Just
being lazy today... didn't do much but mow front lawn, strip my bead and do laundry...
15 April 2018 Sunday
I went down to the Prison in Draper to visit
with Kyle. Not a whole lot of news. We were kept waiting a half hour into our
time which was irritating since we only get an hour and a half anyway… Kyle
said he sent me a birthday card but I never received it. After our visit I
drove over to Daybreak to visit with TJ and Jim since it was out that way. I
wanted to hear how did they like Hamilton that they went to see last Thursday.
They said they really enjoyed it and was glad they went. I also wore he shirt
they bought me for my birthday so they could see me wearing it. I was home by
4:30 and had some corn chowder I made earlier in the morning. I also baked some
skillet bread too in the evening. This one cast iron skillet I bought a while
back at Deseret Industries is just perfect for baking round loaves of
bread. I watched several episodes of
Midsommer Murders before going to bed. Michael Ferguson is in the UK attending
some conference at the Alan Turing Institute. Good for him. I didn’t watch
Comey’s interview on 20/20. I still hold a grudge against him for what he did
to Hillary Clinton right before the November election.
16 April 2018 Monday
I finally went out to lunch with
Chuck Whyte although the winds were really gusty today. Another cold front is supposed
to be coming in. I got gas before heading over to Chuck’s and it was $2.99 at
Smith’s. It sure has shot up again. Oh well pay it or stay home...We went to
Outback Steak house in Sandy and had the
devil of a time finding it. Chuck had two 25.00 gift cards from his last Birthday
and from Christmas. Stupid to give him gift cards to a chain that is only in
Sandy or Layton. What were they thinking giving him cards so far from downtown
when he can’t drive? I know the only reason he treated me to lunch was so I
would take him. Going out to eat is wasted on me but I managed to eat some
Aussie fries which didn't seem much different from McDonald's. I ordered a
chopped steak and broccoli and cheese which I ended up taking home to give to
Michael. Trump doesn’t give a crap about Syrian Children any more than he does
the children of Flint Michigan , Puerto Rico or school children in the USA who
have to have intruder drills. It’s only a diversion from his domestic troubles...
·
Chuck Whyte- I really enjoyed the company and since I have not
had a steak forever it was very good along with fries and broccoli, it was a
great free steak dinner all for 6.00 tip
17 April 2018 Tuesday
This morning it was snowing pretty good here in
West Pointe in northwestern Salt Lake City. It still didn’t, however and by
noon the sun had come out and my squirrels are clamoring for their non salted
roasted peanuts. The Aussie film company paid $743 for my round trip ticket to Albuquerque... Not sure if
I have $743 worth to say. In the news Barbara Bush, the former first lady passed away.
Lots of people commenting what a great lady she was. I don’t know she raised
some idiot kids.
·
Matthew
Wilson I can fly to Alaska to see my grandkids for less than that.
·
Richard
P. Butler Suckers, lol. The cost is because of the last-minute purchase of the
ticket.
·
Amy Barry Spice it up!
·
Dana
Hays Johnson Road trip
·
Benedgar
Williams They paid for it so I guess they think I'm worth it lol
·
Deb
Rosenberg At least!
·
Alan Anderson Same day travel is higher
·
Denise
Wachs You are worth way more to me. Happy late birthday!
·
Luci
Malin It’s a beautiful drive if you go through Pagosa Springs and Santa Fe.7
·
James Dabakis London-SLC RT now $599.
·
Benedgar Williams Going down in the morning
and home in the evening... I want to be with my pups
18 April 2018 Wednesday
I am going to be interviewed in the Hotel Parq
in downtown Albuquerque. The building began as the Santa Fe Hospital for the Atchison
Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company in 1924. It operated as a regular hospital
until the 1970's or 1980's, when it was sold and opened as Memorial Hospital, a
psychiatric hospital for children and teens who suffered from mental illness.
It was during this time that many of the patients and staff began to notice
paranormal activity-- objects were moved, sheets were pulled off those
sleeping, patients would find themselves covered in scratches, strange whispers
could be heard, and some even reported the apparition of a female watching
people from the hallway. Memorial Hospital closed in the 1980's or 1990's, and
the building fell into disrepair. It was remodeled in 2010 as a swanky hotel. I
spent much of the day reviewing and preparing for the interview.
19 April 2018 Thursday
The article I wrote on Jean Sinclair is the
reason this Australian Film Company wants to fly me to Albuquerque tomorrow. I
cleaned the house really good so I won’t have to come home to a dirty house.
Made enough chicken for tonight and for Michael to heed the pups tomorrow. I am
really anxious about going down to Albuquerque. It’s out of my comfort zone and
I have never taken a taxi before. At my age new adventures are not all that
exciting. I just as soon stay home and be with my pups.
20 April 2018 Friday
I guess I am as ready as I ever will be... Mike
is taking me to the airport after dropping Coco off... I hope Harleigh doesn't
go outside and bark all day to be helped back in.. I didn’t need to pack a bag
so just took $100 and my ID. .At the airport Delta gate 2 the line to go through security was as long as
any line at Disneyland but moved pretty fast. We weren’t required to take our
shoes off which surprised me although I had to get behind some yokel with a
belt and metal studded jacket... I went through without an issue... I was there
way too early and had to wait for 2 hours before my flight. There was a lot of
turbulence until we got to cruising speed and I felt like I was on a roller
coaster. In fact we didn’t get any service because the pilot wanted the
stewards to stay seated the entire time. I was in Albuquerque by 11:40 and it
wasn’t too difficult catching a cab to the Parq Hotel which was only about 4
miles from the airport. The fare was about $15 and I just gave the lady
cabdriver $20. The film crew was waiting for me when I arrived. One of the film
crew named Bronson was disappointed I wasn’t wear a cowboy hat. I laughed and
said no one in Salt Lake City wears cowboy hats. This woman named Catherine was
the person who directed me to tell the story in my own words. I was to only use
the character’s first names I suppose to make it feel more intimate. I was
asked personal questions about everyone’s relationships, which I could not have
known from the trial transcript but I did the best I could. The interview was
over by 1 and instead of walking around downtown Albuquerque I had the front
desk call me a taxi to take me back to the airport. That fare was cheaper only
$13.00 but I gave him a $20. .Albuquerque’s security was way more stringent . You
have to take shoes off and do a body scan much different from SLC. Later I
realized I had forgotten to retrieve my bola tie that I had taken off and left
in the bin in my haste to get through the line. That was sad but I never really
wore it much even though it was one made by Dad. I gave all the others I had of
his to my niece. It was tedious waiting the four hours for my 5:30 flight and I
did have some taquitos at the airport but did not want to weigh my stomach
down. The plane was on time and the ride home not as bumpy so we did get a
drink and a snack. I sat next to a fellow that hated Trump as much as I did… He
was from New Mexico. I am so glad to be home from the land of enchantment back
to the crossroads of the west with the pups... my wandering days are over
...The folks that interviewed me are an Australian outfit called Beyond
Television Group... they do a lot of programs like MythBusters... this was for
a project about women who murder... it will be shown in the US as well as
Australia probably on cable... they wanted details of the love triangle that
ended in murder in 1963...I've been up since 4 am so time to crawl in the sack
with TJ, Lulu Belle, Buddy, and Buster... night y'all
21 April 2018 Saturday
The pups must have missed me... Everyone slept
with me last night... TJ won't leave my side ... simple pleasures, a home, a
garden, and a pack of pups... what more could I ask for in the twilight of my
years? I wanted to buy a tree to plant to day and I thought about a fruit tree
but when I went down to Lowe’s they had an Eastern Redbud for $35 like the one
I have in the front yard so I bought it. I know Arbor Day isn't until next week
but I bought the tree to plant against my back fence by the Hot tub so when I
look out the kitchen window in the spring I will eventually see all its
blossoms... What is the use of land if you don't plant tree? My grandpa Johnson
about the age I am now planted a whole bunch of fruit trees on his farm... I
thought it was silly but he out lived those trees. I know I might not outlive
this tree but I hope to enjoy it for many years. Besides, it gives the pups
another tree to wet on. Afterwards I went down to Sutherlands I guess was
having a grand reopening after remodeling their store. They had 4” tomato
potted plants for $1.99 so I bought 3 of them. I love being out in my front
yard sprucing up, pulling weeds, mowing, and transplanting... I moved the
cactus I brought back 20 years ago from my Grandpas farm in West Texas and
planted a tomato plant and some cabbage in the front yard. I didn't know that
Rosemary bloomed but it has pretty blue blossoms... I planted another lilac
Bush in the back yard that I need to clean up but .that's another project for
another day... A gardener has to be an optimist
·
Bill
Poore Well I believe roasting chicken for them every day might have something
to do with it, and when you enter your home you soon realize all the sofas are
not really for the guest, they are for the pups. Any child would be so lucky to
have you as their parent. You have seen Trump does not like dogs, the Queen
does, so my choice is pretty much easy. You and the Queen wins.
22 April 2018 Sunday
Ordered me a garden tiller for Earth Day... It’s
going to be a pretty day to do some yard work in the back yard... I am going to
plant a veggie garden along the south fence line... I won’t be eating it but
will be able to give away food to my friends... One of these days I won't be able to
lift and move cinderblocks and rail posts to enlarge a vegetable garden 35 feet
by 10 feet but not today... But must admit mowing and weeding too has tired
this old boy out. But I will be a happy camper in August when Lammas gives me
its first harvest. Little boys and old boys like me we need our naps or we get
cranky but I didn’t get much of one before time to feed the pups... Feeding peanuts
to Mr. Bushy Tail... Lulu Belle gets so mad but he pays her no mind... maybe in
100 million years his descendants will be squirrel people ... doing my bit for
evolution... At 6 I drove down to Draper
to see Kyle as his visiting time was from 6:30 to 8 pm. I knew he wanted to
hear all about my trip to Albuquerque. Other than that we talked about
gardening and cooking. I was so tired from working so hard in the yard but it
was such a beautiful day and 75 degrees. I wonder
if Fox News will mention that it was an unarmed black man that stopped the
white supremist shooter in Nashville who killed four African Americans in a
restaurant near Nashville with an assault weapon... Will Trump call him and
call him a hero?
23 April 2018 Monday
The wind is whipping about this morning
fiercely. It work me up and after bringing Harleigh in at 4:30 couldn’t really
get back to sleep so I got up about 5:30 to get on with my day. Then came April
Showers this morning after the wicked winds... Clearing up now... Busy day... took Lulu
Belle into the Beauty Parlor this morning then went and bought two quaking
aspen trees and a cinder block at Lowes to finish off my rail fence around my
garden... when I planted my aspens put down some stinky fish fertilizer around
them and the eastern Redbud I planted Sunday... At 12:30 I had a dentist
appointment up in Centerville... The X rays said I had a cavity and the dentist
said I should get a crown $1000. I said no thanks when it starts to hurt I will
have it pulled.... when I got home Maxx stunk...he must have been rolling in
the fish fertilizer... yuck My Grandma Williams when she was a little girl
lived in this community in New Mexico with a racist name. The school she
attended was called the "Nigger" Hill School. I have photos of her in
front of the school with classmates. Her grandfather's farm was located at the
base of the hill that was named for the Buffalo Soldiers who died of thirst
while chasing Quanah Parker. He would find bridle reins and bones on his farm.
Glad the name was officially changed in 2005 to just “Buffalo Soldiers Hill”
officially.
24 April 2018 Tuesday
Sprucing up the front steps...I bought a goose
figure because I am as Gay as a goose and a welcoming squirrel because I am
kind of squirrely ... Bill Poore brought me some flowers when he came over for
lunch... I fixed a pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, candied carrots, green
beans with onions. Also made a rye bread loaf we had with butter...Bill said to
quote him that "the meal was so good". My garden tiller came today
right after Bill left... now need to figure out How to put it together... this
from someone that struggled with setting up an electric toothbrush. When Bill
Poore came over I put some peanuts out for the squirrels but forgot to bring
the container in... later found the plastic lid covering it was all gnawed up
... some squirrel was very determined to get at my nuts. Barbara Toomer died
Tuesday, at the age of 88, but not before her tireless work and dogged protests
and decades of victories improved the lives of Utahns with disabilities.
No wonder
Evangelicals are quick to dismiss Trump's payoffs to Stormy Daniels after all
Jim Bakker of the PTL Club paid Jessica Hahn $350,000 to keep quiet about their
affair back in the 80's
25 April 2018 Wednesday
I found my rainbow ring today at the bottom of
my garbage can in a bunch of leaves that I raked up last January... I have two
city garbage containers and I didn't use the one where I thought the ring might
be until the weather was warm enough for me to search through it...it's loose
on my finger now that I have lost so much weight... I guess all my rings come
off when I am doing yard work... I've had this ring for about 25 years so nice
to have it back... poor Buddy is wearing out... lost a lot of weight and sleeps
mostly... he didn't eat this morning... Rich Butler came by to put my tiller
together. I think I could have done it but he likes to do things for me for
watching his dogs when he goes on vacation. I got a jury duty notice ... if I
get summoned I will ask if the defendant is a republican and if he is I will
vote guilty...
26 April 2018 Thursday
I am pooped out... I rotor tilled my back yard
to expand my garden this morning... it was full of weeds and clay dirt but my
new tiller did the job...then raked and hoed and got the vegetables in the
ground... tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, carrots, cantaloupe, and sunflowers... I
will plant some zucchini I guess too although I don't care for it... well I
guess I will see what grows this summer....
When I was at the dentist Monday I bought a
Phillip Sonic Toothbrush...just started using it yesterday and surprisingly I
love it...it wasn't cheap $140 but going
to the dentist isn't either... I think I was out in the Sun a bit too
much...even wearing a hat I feel worn out...Buddy was laying out in the Sun too
and ate a can of dog food I gave him this morning... maybe his taste buds are
changing in his old age... I know some of the food drops out of his mouth when
I give ham and cheese as a breakfast treat... if I get another tooth pulled I
might be on biscuits and gravy
Either I have hay fever or I am coming down
with a cold... yuck
27 April 2018 Friday
I didn't sleep well at all because of an ear
ache... I went down to instant care on Redwood this morning at 7 am to get some antibiotics... I am achy and my
head hurts so I guess I caught a cold. The doctor said my ear and throat are
slightly red.. At 9 I went to Smith’s to fill my prescription. I am taking
Cefdinir which I never had that antibiotic before and it was $50. So It's a
stay in bed, rest, and watch movies day, and wait for the antibiotics to in kick
in. Fell asleep at 9:30 and woke up at 2 pm ...TJ, Maxx, and Lulubelle right by
my side...I have a slight sore throat now after waking up...I made some Homemade
French onion soup with the homemade rye bread I made earlier in the week...
sounded good while I am under the weather on this gorgeous Arbor Day
28 April 2018 Saturday
My head cold is breaking up so I decided to get
some sun and mow the front and back yards... I am glad I did because the screws
from the gate latch came loose and wouldn't hold the gate secure... so what
would have taken anyone else 10 minutes, took me a half an hour finding screws
that would work and securing the latch... last year about this time Buddy made
his great escape when the wind blew the gate open... when Michael came over to pick up Coco I had him look at it to
make sure I secured it properly. He went to order new glasses at American Best
so I babysat Coco most of the morning. When he was through I took him to lunch
at Chubby’s. I wanted some Mexican food to help clear my head...Winds were wild
here in Westpointe ahead of a cold front...it was 83 today but supposed to be
64 tomorrow... Decided
to mix it up a little because Lulubelle is tired of roasted chicken so I mixed
in a meat loaf with their dinner that I bought from Lucky’s. I made myself a
sandwich out of some of it. In the evening I baked some oatmeal cookies from a
recipe using a Spice Cake Mix. I had to add the oats, coconut flakes, raisins,
and walnuts. Then I went to bed and watched two episodes of The Handmaiden Tale.
I can totally see the religious fascists doing this to America. The state
Democrats picked their candidates for the fall... Lee Castillo is one of them good
luck going against Rob Bishop. Some people are upset about the lynching
monument in Alabama saying people should get over it. The South can't get over
they lost a war to keep African Americans in bondage but we are supposed to
forget the culture of lynching? If you want a teacher to take a bullet for your
kid so the arms industry can sell more AR 15 s don't you think you should pay
them more? I haven’t heard shit about arming teachers since teachers started
demanding better pay
29 April 2018 Sunday
Stayed in bed with a head cold most of the day
except for making some oatmeal cookies from a Spice Cake Mix. I found a recipe
for it on line. They turned out pretty good I must say. I added raisins,
coconut flakes,, and walnuts to them. The recipe made so many that I have a lot
I can bring to Wednesday’s meeting. I am blowing my nose a lot so the mucus
must be breaking up. Glad it didn’t go down in to my chest and I didn’t have a
cough nor a bad sore throat with it. The first cold Ive had I think in a long time.
May be since last fall. Corporate/State Religion has always been and always
will be a way to get good people to commit heinous acts to protect the
powerful... there's no exception. When the Highway to Heaven becomes a Toll Road
someone is skimming off the top... When your "spiritual" leader is 10
times better off than you by preaching the Gospel of Prosperity you have been
taken in by your own greed...
30 April 2018 Monday
So if it's raining have no regrets Because it
isn't raining rain you know, it's raining violets It's been raining all day but
tempts dropped about noon and it now snowed but it didn’t stick... The pups slept
most of the day because of the rain and if it doesn't stop soon I think I will need to
get the mop out because no one is going out in this weather... I've got a pot
of chili going...it's the right day for it. Rainy days also make me want to
bake so I made some bread, and banana nut bread... house smells good at
least... I worked on my presentation for Wednesday's lecture on 1986... I needed
to get 29 pages down to 10... it's a good day to do it... at least the yard
isn't calling to me to come out and grub in the dirt... Later I realized I
could not get it down to 10 pages and do it justice so I changed the lecture to
1986 Part 1 just about AIDS and the politics of the time.
MAY
1 May 2018 Tuesday
Merry Beltane this is the Cross Quarter Day
midway between Spring and Summer. It was too damp out to do much yard work so I
spent most of the day working on my presentation on 1986 for tomorrow’s lecture
series. I had to split the year into two parts. I plant some seeds in the
backyard garden. I need to find the phone number for the tree cutters I had
last year as that another of my poplars had died as well as some branches of my
globe willow. . I binged watched the entire 10 episodes of Netflix’ Lost In
Space. It was better than I thought it would be.
·
Hi
Ben: Firstly, my apologies for the Facebook msg but I couldn't find an email
address. My name is Mark Kenneth Woods, a filmmaker and TV producer based in
Vancouver, Canada. I'm currently working on a new television series I developed
simply called Pride that will air in 2019 to correspond with Stonewall's 50th
anniversary. In each episode, the show will visit a new city during their pride
celebrations to learn about LGBTQ history in that part of the world. The series
hopes to show the many ways our diverse communities celebrate what we've accomplished
while learning about where we've come from and where we still have work to do.
I'm clearly writing to all of you because we've chosen Salt Lake City as one of
our destinations and you've written extensively on SLC queer history. I would
love the opportunity to chat more about it and see if you would be interested
in discussing aspects of SLC's queer history on camera while we are there June
1-5. I, of course, respect that you might not be particularly interested in
speaking on camera and, if that's the case, I would certainly appreciate any
other recommendations or contacts you can think of that would be appropriate.
Feel free to add me here on Facebook or reach out via email. Thanks Kindly!
Yours, Mark Kenneth Woods markkennethwoods@gmail.com
2 May 2018 Wednesday
This morning I dropped off my form for
clearance for my driver’s license at the Redwood Clinic. I have to do it every
year since I checked off that I had diabetes on a renewal form years ago.
Stopped and got some hard candy, horehound, licorice, and cinnamon while I was
out that way. I asked Bill Poore if he felt like a Sunday Pot Roast again. He’s
coming over this coming Sunday and the
following Mother’s day on the 13th I said I would drive him out to put flowers
on his mom's grave...My report was
finished and Jay Vallar said that he would make copies of the chronology to
hand out. The rain came about 3:00. Hard and heavy.. I had chili and corn bread
for supper before heading out to do my monthly presentation on Utah's Gay
history... it was raining so did not expect the usual turn out even although I
had chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies that I baked for the
group... I went to the library early and was surprised to see some people
already there. David Estes had some of his paintings in the upstairs gallery
and it was fun to see them. We had a good turn out tonight and I think people
enjoyed the talk tonight. It had stopped raining after it was over. TJ and Jim
said they were living town for about week but when they get back we well go out
to the town of Eureka to look around down there.
3 May 2018 Thursday
I love being out in the garden in May seeing
what is blooming, what is coming up, and pulling weeds when the ground is soft
from the rain. I worked for about an hour and a half cleaning up the little
spot between the neighbors and me. It was overgrown. I really need to clean my
house as that the pups got into my Kleenex and there’s tissues all over the
house. I also need to do some mopping. I bought a Movie Pass membership about a
month ago and have yet to use it...there hasn't been anything in the theaters I
am interested in seeing... I subscribed to “Film Struck” and have watched all
the old Thin Man series, a bunch of Busby Berkley musicals and yesterday
watched 7 Days In May when Burt Lancaster tried to overthrow the President ...
he called him a "weak sister" lol There's value in keeping a journal
besides keeping dementia at bay... I needed a phone number for the folks who
cut my trees down last year and couldn't find it until I looked in 2017...
Trees Etc. Phone:
(801) 671-7340 Derick. I ordered some red shorts for the summer through Amazon
Smile where they will give some of the money to Pets 4 Paws. I also ordered a high-pressure
water sprayer that Michael said he had bought and was worth it. Should come
sometime this week.
4 May 2018 Friday
My friend Dan Fahndrich found a picture of me
and his partner Scott from 30 years ago... He posted it on Facebook. Worked all morning
filling up a trash can with leaves and twigs spruced up the side yard where the
fire pit is... cleaned out the garage too... my power washer came today to keep
the deck cleaner... I bought an apricot tree and a peach tree at Sutherlands
for $47 each. I will plant tomorrow maybe...who ever has this house after I am
gone will have apricots and peaches... I was Outside enjoying the weather and
admiring all the hard work I did this morning this evening . Tomorrow going to
the Rose Park plant sale to what veggies they have to plant. TJ has been
soaking up the sunshine all day... beautiful spring day herein the River
District. Before Star Wars’ May the Fourth Be With You there was Kent State... I was a freshman in
college at the time and it seemed the world went topsy turvy when they started
firing on student protesters... Four dead in Ohio
5 May 2018 Saturday
It was a
Busy Saturday... I went to the Fair Park plant sale down at the Northwest
Community Center this morning and I picked up some free seeds. I picked up black
zucchini, spinach, okra, bush beans and something else... I guess i will know
when it comes up lol. Otherwise they had mostly heirloom tomato plants and I
really didn’t need more of them. I did go to Sutherlands to buy some top soil
and manure and some corn seeds. Not that I think they will grow but what is a
garden without corn? I got all the seeds in the ground before Michael Romero came
over at 11 to go with him to Clearfield.
He was getting his side windows tinted because it’s going to be hot this
summer. His appointment was at 12 but because they were backed up and he couldn’t
get it done until 1 we went into Ogden to get some Mexican Food since it's
Cinco de Mayo. We ate at this authentic Mexican food place on Wall Street
called Los Agave...and it was so good... I had carne asada enchiladas and
Michael had four street Tacos. I could not finish mine of course so I took it
to go and gave it to Michael. I paid for lunch. We then went back to the tint
shop and we walked over to a park to sit and wait. Never thought I’d be
spending an afternoon in a park in Clearfield but it was a lovely day about 85
degrees. After coming home I mowed the front yard and pulled weeds. The grass
must have taken off with all the rain we had this week. The tulips are about
gone with the warmer weather but the Irises are starting to bud out. I made the
pups meatloaf for supper since I didn't have any chicken thawed out. They
needed a change. I wonder Can Trump supporters celebrate Cinco de Mayo without
being total assholes?
·
Bill
Poore Do they get baked potatoes and sour cream along with the meatloaf?
·
Benedgar
Williams No because I don't like to spoil them
6 May 2018 Sunday
I woke up early to get lunch going and do some
mopping before heading down to Draper. Kyle’s visiting hours are from 9:30 to
11:00. We had a nice visit and let him know why I didn’t come last week. He
said he’s been really busy with the ground crew which is good for him. Other
than that we just chit chatted about TV shows and politics. I was back home by
11:30 to finish preparing the Sunday Pot Roast dinner. I had Bill Poore and Mike Romero
over for mashed potatoes, gravy, candied carrots, and spinach with bacon... I also
fixed fresh baked bread with honey and butter besides the Roast Beef of course.
I had to send some banana nut bread home because we were all so full. Bill
brought the pups treats and me some pretty yellow and white daisy flowers...He
also regaled us with more of his Broadway stories. When he left I sent him home
with enough left over for a meal or two. Mike stayed to show me how to use the
water air compressor that I bought through Amazon. We washed his camping
trailer while at it and he filled my bike tires with air. I guess I better
start riding it ha! Lots of warm winds
today and about 90 degrees may be even more. In the evening I relaxed and
watched the 1933 Dinner At Eight with its all-star cast. Still holds up even if
a time piece from 85 years ago now. Started to watch Forbidden Planet from 1956.
I cooked some more meat loaf up for the pup’s supper this week as I had
hamburger that was starting to turn because they are tired of chicken.
·
Bill
Poore Ben is so sweet, he knows pot roast and mashed potatoes is my favorite
meal....so good. .....and to top it off came home with pot roast dinner and
banana bread...yum yum.
7 May 2018 Monday
Spent the morning putting in my
fruit trees, filling in another planter box, and watering the garden... all the
pups were out with me exploring the sights and smells of newly turned earth...
how fortunate am I to sit beneath a tree and watch my garden grow with TJ
sleeping on my lap...speaking of trees having my tree man come Wednesday to
give me an estimate to take down some dead poplars...Someone is trying to get
in touch with me through Michael Aaron regarding participating on a TV show
filming in 3 weeks. His name is Mark Kenneth Woods and he is working on a new television
series. He is developed simply called Pride that will air in 2019 to correspond
with Stonewall's 50th anniversary. In each episode, the show will visit a new
city during their pride celebrations to learn about LGBTQ history in that part
of the world. The series hopes to show the many ways our diverse communities
celebrate what we've accomplished while learning about where we've come from
and we've chosen Salt Lake City as one of our destinations and "as Ben has
written extensively on SLC queer history. I would love the opportunity to chat
more with him about SLC's queer history on camera while we are there June
1-5". Well at least I won't have to go to Albuquerque...I also got my
Lambda Lore column in to Michael on the AIDS organizations of 1986. While the Mafia
Don president tries to undo everything President Obama accomplished it seems
Melania just copies everything the Obama did and puts her tramp stamp on it.
·
Hi
Ben, Again, thanks for getting back to me. I'm thrilled to be able to speak
with you. My name is Mark Kenneth Woods, a filmmaker and TV producer based in
Vancouver, Canada. I'm currently working on a new television series for Out
Network simply called Pride. In each episode, the show will visit a new city
during their pride celebrations to learn about LGBTQ history in that part of
the world. I'm clearly writing to you because we've chosen Salt Lake City as
one of our destinations and, after scouring the internet, I see you are an
encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to SLC LGBTQ history! The episode will
focus on a mix of older and newer history and we are looking for someone who
can speak on camera about Mormon LGBTQ history specifically. In a nutshell,
while most of North America (including youth growing up Mormon now) knows the
church of LDS to be fairly anti-LGBTIQQ, we want to briefly discuss some of the
LGBTQ people who actually were a part of the church throughout its history.
Little anecdotes to show that "we were always there" sort of thing.
This is a big theme throughout the series. i.e.. how LGBTQ history has been
"hidden" or suppressed. Some examples might include Brigham Young's
son performing as Madam Pattrini, famous actresses Maude Adams or Ada Dwyer,
Mildred Berryman's work or, more recently, D. Michael Quinn's work and the
September 6. We are obviously open to any suggestion you may have as you would
clearly know more. We are particularly interested in stories where some photos
or visuals are available. If this is something you would be interested in
discussing on camera, I'd be thrilled to discuss it further with you! We will
be in SLC June 1-6 and would ideally like to schedule an interview time/place
ahead of time if you are interested. Please do let me know what you think and/
or if you have any suggestions. Kindly yours,
·
I
would be happy to meet with you... Gay
Liberation came to SLC as early as October 1969, Metropolitan community Church
in 1972, the Radio City Lounge was once
the oldest continual Gay bar West of the Mississippi to California... Utah helped spear head marriage equality in
the United States.... salt Lake City has a vibrant LGBT community in spite of
LDS opposition.... let me know what you are looking for... I've gathered many
photo graphs
8 May 2018 Tuesday
Enjoying my backyard now that I am getting it
in shape ... I think the squirrels have discovered the seeds I planted as they
hang out in the garden... I guess I will have buy starts instead of growing
from seeds. I went down to the new Pride Center on Main Street to meet with
Carol Gnade, Dillon Harker, and Connell O'Donovan to meet about a pictorial
history project Connell had in mind. The only contribution to the meeting was
suggesting placing May Swenson in the exhibit instead of Joseph Fielding Smith.
Connell wants a gallery of pre-Stonewall personalities. Carol took us on a
guided tour of the place. It's huge and should serve the community's needs very
well. All involved in the move from the old location on 4th South should pat
themselves on the back. The LDS Church has abandoned their association with the
Boy Scouts. Trump pulled out of the Iran Nuclear deal that President Obama
signed.
·
Chuck
Whyte Why praise the new when the old is forgotten like a pile of imperfect,
poor , uneducated, rubble that is left out in the weather to turn into dust and
be blown away by the wind and TOTALLY FORGOTTEN.....Chuck Whyte
·
Carol
Gnade No one is forgotten. It is clear when talking with You, Ben Connell that
each person on this path has contributed important pieces of this place we are
in today. Today wouldn’t be so glorious if it wasn’t for the work of this
entire community helping us get to this amazing place. Thank you everyone.
·
Chuck Whyte Carol Gnade , I so adore you , I
am so sorry if I came across ..as a crazy person , with all the old and new
medical stuff , I have periods that I can't handle it , I am so sorry that I
hurt someone I have always respected and love , I hope to see you soon
·
Carol
Gnade Chuck Whyte you could not hurt me. You are a wonderful loving person. So
there!
·
Chuck Whyte I heard a second-hand rumor that
Our Center is charging 10.00 to attend the Open House......so I thought I would
mention that , so we could go kick some misinformed hunny, I am going to be out
and about at a MD appt , could myself and Pepper stop by for a quick look see
about 145 /200p , I need to check out the hot tub to see how many BEARS will
fit into it , LMAO, so will that be okay
·
Benedgar
Williams It's the responsibility of the elders to teach and preserve the work
of the past not the young... if the old is forgotten we are not doing our job
... preserving the past doesn't mean we should live in the past...
9 May 2018 Wednesday
Drove down to Sandy to buy some starts at this
garden store that was having a sale and then to 13th South to the
plant store there and finally Sutherlands. I planted cucumbers, peppers,
strawberries, zucchini, honeydew, and sweet corn. I had to put a twig fence
around the corn stalks after seeing TJ in there munching away... In the evening
Derick my tree guy from Trees Etc. came over to give me an estimate and I
showed him what I needed done on the dead popular behind the hot tub, the globe
Willow, and some branches off the poplar by the shed. It’s going to cost about
a $1000 but needs to be done .. it will be mid-June before he can get to it. I
like being Farmer Ben... Jim Dabakis asked me to go with him to the Eccles
Theater for Utah’s High Schools Award night for Musical theater. Sounds like
fun this Saturday. I probably won’t be
involved in the history project that Mark Woods wants to do on SLC since
he’s more interested in hidden Mormon history and not the growth of the Gay
Civil Rights. I handed him off to Rocky O’Donovan who is much more of an expert
on early Gay Mormon figures. I am not interested in that.
·
Hi
Ben. I'm a freelance journalist and I'm working on a couple of stories I'd like
to talk to you about. One is a piece on John Williams and his partner Craig
Crawford. I'm trying to understand the impact meth has had on the LGBTQ community in SLC and
wondered if you'd have a perspective. Did you know John Williams? The second
piece I'm doing for Eric Peterson to go through his piece he's been working on
about the Anthony Adams murder. I'm writing a story about Doug Coleman and Mona
Ulibarri and wondered if you'd share your recollections of that time (late
1970s) here in SLC and any recollections you have of Doug and Mona. I believe
you've talked to Eric about this, so I may be asking you to go over familiar
territory to some degree, if that's ok. My cell is 801-414-5433. Many thanks.
Stephen Dark
10 May 2018 Thursday
Working for 3 hours in the backyard, raking up
leaves from last fall, pulling weeds, filled up a plant waste bin and a trash
bin... watered my veggie garden and starting to see seeds I planted poking
their little green heads through the soil... out front I planted some wild
flowers last year and they seeded themselves and came back... I love the orange
and blue contrast... my lilac in the back yard smells like what I imagine heaven
smells like... I sit enjoying my labors with little TJ in my lap. The pups all
enjoy being in the yard when I am out there. Maxx sure gets his exercise
running up and down the path along the south fence barking at school kids.
Buster is such a cute little thug. He struts around with his tail a-wagging and
thinks he still got it although he’s old and nearly toothless. Even Harleigh
enjoys lying in the grass. I made strawberry shortcake to bring over to
Michael’s. I liked the idea of it but realized I really couldn’t eat much of
it. I watched a fun 1933 movie with John Barrymore and Carol Lombard called 20th
Century and Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940’s Foreign Correspondent with Joel McCrae. I
am enjoying Film Struck and haven’t used my Movie Pass once so far. They are
having financial problems and who knows how much longer they will be around.
11 May 2018 Friday
It was a very cool and overcast day. It rained
a little around noon. Not great weather to do any yard work. Stayed inside most
of the day working on the computer or watching Television. I really like this
movie site called Film Struck that show a lot of older classic films. I watched
the 1935 A Night at the Opera, and 1931
Marius by Alexander Korda. I also watched another episode of the Hand Maid
Tale. I called the Spay and Neuter clinic and made an appointment for Harleigh
to have his teeth cleaned. I noticed the other day they were getting pretty
bad. His appointment however isn’t until July 5th. There is high
drama going on within the Royal Court just weeks before Coronation with the
Empress 42 being impeached … oh the horrors lol. What could be more fun than being a drag
queen in May? Oh the high drama unfolding in the Royal Court. Thrills and
Chills, Tears and Fears, sock'em and rock'em. Lady McBeth versus Lucretia
Borgia. The knives come out when there's a crown at stake. This is why this
Charitable Organization has lasted 42 year. Wigs will fly. You got to love the
Court System ... how drab the Gay community of Salt Lake would be without them.
God Bless the Queens.
12 May 2018 Saturday
Had a dream last night I was back in college
and was undecided what to major in until I saw in the catalog Gay and Lesbian
Studies. I announced to all my friends that I was majoring in being Gay and
they were all worried I wouldn't find a job but I assured them I could become a
Volleyball coach for some big IT corporation. Then I flitted down the hall
looking for something to "trigger" me so I could be offended and
boycott something. I knew it was a dream because the catalog said Gay and Lesbian
and not LGBTQQI Studies. Ha! Raining pretty good here by the airport this
morning... no yard work today. One of the best subscription services I joined
is Film struck... it shows all the old MGM, Warner Brothers, Janus, and much
more... I watched all of the Thin Man series, The Big Sleep, Dinner at Eight,
Gold Diggers of 1933, John Barrymores Twentieth Century, Irma La Dulce, The
Great Race, lots of Busby Berkeley, and now I am working through a 1931 French
trilogy Marius, Fanny, and Cesar... feel like I am back in Film Appreciation
class. An obituary reminder popped up on legacy to remind me that John
Cunningham died 11 years ago on this day...As if I could forget... I was the
only one to write a condolence on his memory page. Mike came by around 1 pm and
we went to Chubby’s for lunch. I had a craving for cheese enchiladas. Came home
and took a nap. Buster cuddled up with old Buddy. Jim Dabakis had asked me to
go with him to the Eccles Theater for the Utah high school Musical theater
Awards. So picked him up at 6:15 and went downtown. We went and had drinks beforehand
and I told him all about meeting Craig Crawford at the prison and how weird it
was for me. At the theater Jim Dabakis went back stage to encourage the kids
while I however had to have an usher tell a high school kid he was in my seat..
I felt guilty evicting the kid. Everyone was dressed like prom night. The
ceremony and show was 4 hours and about as long as the Oscars...Utah is the
only state that recognizes the talent that is in this state in the arts...
nearly 2800 high school students participate in high school musicals and the
very best was recognized tonight...Hillcrest won for best performance for Le
Miz... The school for the Performing Arts did Chorus, Line...my favorite was Northridge’s
performance of Anything Goes...they must have had 40 kids tap dancing their
little hearts out... Musical Theater a safe place for Gay teenage boys. The
NOMINATED SCHOOLS
were *DaVinci Academy* - *25th Annual…Spelling Bee*, *Highland High* - *9 to 5*,
*Hillcrest High* - *Les Misérables*, *Northridge High* - *Anything Goes*, *Park
City High* - *The Addams Family*, *Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts* -
*A Chorus Line*, *Sky View High* - *Cinderella*, *Skyline High* - *Pippin*, *Uintah
High* - *The Hunchback of Notre Dame*
*Woods Cross High* - *Joseph…Dreamcoat*. The
best actor was *Bennett Chew* - Hillcrest High - Jean Valjean, *Les Misérables*
13 May 2018 Sunday
I Worked in the yard this morning, chopping
some weeds before meeting Bill Poore at 10:30 to take flowers to his mother’s
grave for mother’s day...he bought her some yellow mums for "mum's"
day. I pulled the grass away from the grave marker because it was untidy and I
know Bill appreciated if. Then we went over to Janice Marcus, his sister's, so
he could bring her flowers for her upcoming birthday...she gave me some vinca
starts to plant around my shade trees. I was done by noon in time to head out
to the prison for a visit with Kyle. My stomach was hurting a bit so stopped
and got a children’s meal at McDonald’s which seemed to help. There weren’t
very many visitors today just about 4 of us. We had a nice visit and told him
that he had a letter from a friend of his from Gunnison that I would mail off
to him. Not a lot of news. It was a pretty day so after leaving stopped at
Sutherland's and bought some soil and manure and some more plants. I bought two
water melon plants, a red bell pepper plant, and a pumpkin plant. I also bought
some more marigolds to plant in the veggie garden. I’ve heard that the smell
will keep some insects away. I rotor tilled some more areas to plant the water
melons. Never grew them before so I guess I will find out what grows and what
doesn’t. Buster and Buddy like to sleep together in the bed that T.J. Otaka
gave after his cat passed away last year...Buster is so funny...when I got him
last year he was so scared and would bite me anytime I tried to pet him. He had
been so abused... now we are pals and he
lets me hug him and pet him... he likes his belly rubbed and he gives me kisses
instead of bites... he like a cocky street urchin strutting his stuff and he's
bossy. He's made himself at home and with him love and patience conquered all.
I watched The Third Man before going to bed rather early. While it’s not my
most favorite film, it’s a classic and considered the best film to come out of Britain.
·
Bill
Poore Just got back from putting flowers on mom's grave with my friend Ben
Edgar Williams I told Ben I forgot the grass clippers that I was going to use
to clip around her headstone, Ben got down on his hands and knees and pulled
all the grass from around her stone.....I can just hear her" how sweet of
Bills friend to clean the grass from around my grave because he was too lazy to
do it.....oh yes she did.
·
Alan
Anderson Ben is a dear friend. I'm happy he helped Bill with your mother's
grave. That's the way he rolls.
14 May 2018 Monday
It was a Busy morning. I went out and hoed my
veggie garden and then mowed the front yard. While the ground was still moist I
decided to pull the wild grass that had taken over my front side yard and
filled a trash bin. It took two hours to pull it all by hand...but feeling Like
I accomplished something. Then I mailed off a letter that a person from
Gunnison had sent Kyle and went to Dollar Tree to buy a bunch of cheap reading
glasses. I needed to go to Lucky’s also for some groceries. In the afternoon
about 4:30 a dark cloud came up and it was lightening and thundering. When I
went to take Coco home I noticed two bags thrown on top of the trash bin filled
with the grass. To my surprise it was can goods from Deseret Industries and
loaves of bread, perfectly good and unused. I thought that was really weird. I
brought the two bags in from the rain and on the way over we were bombarded
with huge raindrops as if someone was tossing water balloons. At Michael’s it
was hardly sprinkling. He put on a new back window wiper for me which I needed.
Back at the house it had really rained and everything was soaked so I was glad
I did some yard work in the morning. I spent the rest of the evening catching
up on programs I like, Bob Burgers, Simpsons, and 911 and then watched Gay
Divorcee on Film Struck. Two of the character actors Edward Everett Horton and
Erik Rhodes were Gay men. Horton had a longtime companion actor Gavin Gordon
and Rhodes while later married was the companion of socialite Nicholas De
Gunzburg. Margot Kidder who played Lois Lane in the Superman movies died
yesterday at the age of 69. The American Embassy was moved to Jerusalem today
and over 50 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces when they protested.
15 May 2018 Tuesday
I worked almost four hours in the front and
back yards. I pulled more wild grass along the parking strip where I am growing
Russian Sage and Mexican Primroses. I had to do it by hand and very meticulous.
Then mowed the back yard and worked in my vegetable patch a bit. All the pups
were outside playing, or sniffing, or lying in the grass. What is more pleasant
than sitting beneath a shade tree you planted with a dog on your lap after a
morning of weeding and mowing? Old man’s pleasure. Watching my garden grow is
immensely satisfying as I grow old... May is a favorite time to be in the
garden with all my irises in full bloom and it’s not too hot. All the rain we
had last night made it easier to pull the grass. I made homemade French onion
soup for lunch...it hits the spot when my stomach is achy. It’s the only reason
I buy white wine anymore, to make soup. My dad could build and fix anything but
my grandpa was a cook who liked to grow things... I guess I skipped a generation
and took after Grandpa Williams but not in temperament. He was emotionally
stunted. I saw an old picture of Lucky, from May 15, 2015 on my FB page. He was
a rescue dog I adopted in November 2013. He passed away in February 2016. He
was a good companion to Buddy and Daisy... Back in the day I only had 3 dogs,
all schnauzers. I think he had a good life with me. Lucky had to lay on the
couch top cushion to be as close to me as he could as I typed at my desk. I am
having trouble contacting Rocky O’Donovan about him speaking to Mark Kenneth
Woods.
16 May 2018 Wednesday
I love my Irises that are blooming all over...
most of them I brought back from California from my folks home when they lived
in Palmdale. God planted a garden first .... I have planted corn, zucchini,
yellow squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, sunflowers, beans,
strawberries, cantaloupe, and watermelons... I planted marigolds also to help
keep the bugs at bay... every morning I go out and hoe a little and think of my
youth on grandpa's farm in West Texas. I went shopping in Bountiful. I am downsizing
my skillets. I bought an 8-inch cast iron skillet... the 12 inch is just too
big for my everyday needs these days... all my skillets are cast iron now. I
have a 12 inch with a lid, a flat round skillet, a 10-inch skillet I use
specifically for baking bread and now this 8 inch one... Teflon scratches too
easily... these I will have to leave in my will. I am getting $21.34 a month
for the rest of my life for a pension I had at TICOR Title Insurance. I worked
for back them back in 1983 to 1985. Since I am donating $13.80 a month to the
Pride Center as part of a financial campaign I guess I'll have $7 left over to
keep the pup in treats. Their new address is 1380 Main Street so they are
asking people to donate $13.80. The Pups must have been hungry tonight as everyone
ate without an issue...being outside with me for much of the day must improve
their appetites... chicken thighs for the bunch except for Lulu Belle ... she
gets Caesar dog food because she doesn't care much for chicken...
17 May 2018 Thursday
Chuck Whyte asked to borrow some money so after
going over to his place I went and picked up my tickets for Spamalot at the
Grand Theater for Saturday's matinee... It should be a busy day with the Pride Centers
Grand opening and Royal Court voting... I had a McDonald’s kid meal for lunch
and could hardly finish that. My thornless blackberry starts came in the mail
today and I repotted them so I can grow them a bit more before putting them in
the ground... This guy named Derrick wrote inside the box a message saying
“love” lol... they came from Florida. I served Chicken liver, gizzards, and
carrots and peas for supper tonight...not my supper...for the heavenly hounds. It
turned dark and wind was blowing. I suspected we were in for another rain storm
here in Marmalade West but it never did. I invited Bill Poore over for Sunday dinner since he
said I owed him a dinner for not inviting him to go see Spamalot. “You owe me a
dinner now that you left me out of all that gay fun with the boys.....next time
get me a ticket and I will pay for it....feeling lost sad left out and lonely.” I wrote him back saying, “Boo hoo... you
won't even stay to watch a movie with the boys and have "Gay fun"...
you'd be as fidgety as a cat under a rocking Chair ... but come over Sunday for
dinner... Are you tired of pot roast? I can fix something else if you are.” He
replied, “Going to a musical is different than watching old bad movies......one
thing is true, I don't like bad musicals. I mean I like musicals but can’t
stand bad productions; it is difficult for me to sit through something that is
not good....now PTC productions are great I know that...Momma Mia is there now.
·
In
1959, a right-wing organization called We, the People, picked Anti-communist
Billy James Hargis, of the Christian Crusade Ministries as its president. We,
the People produced pamphlets promoting criticizing integration. In 1962, the
organization held its first “T-Party” rally which aimed to end the “taxes,
treason, and tyranny” of the political left. At that time, Hargis stepped down
as president, ceding the position to Mormon leader Ezra Taft Benson, who
referred to America’s South as a “Negro Soviet Republic.” Today, We, the People
stands as one of the earliest collusions in conservative politics between
Evangelical Christians and Mormons. It uses evangelicals and Mormons to spread
messages of misogyny, homophobia, and racist bigotry... Many of which are in
high government positions today and staunches supporters of Trump's dystopia
18 May 2018 Friday
My poppies and clematis are blooming as well as
my irises... but by middle of June they will be gone so I am enjoying them
now... springtime in the Rockies in my little corner of the world... There was
another mass shooting at a high school this time in Texas. Ten students are
dead. The killing of American Children happens on a weekly basis now because of
the Gun culture fostered by the NRA. Kyle Daniels let me know he wouldn’t be
going to the play tomorrow because he is swamped with grading papers as the
school year is ending. That was disappointing but understandable. So need to
scramble and find someone who can use the ticket. I immediately contacted Bill
Poore and said “You are in luck...Kyle has too many papers to grade so he's not
going... you can have “gay fun with the boys”... the play is at 2 pm at the
Grand Theater so will meet you there between 130 and 145. He then wrote back, “I
was totally joking, seriously. Please don't make me go to see it. Does this
mean I am not having dinner Sunday? It is Kyles fault, he could stay up late
and grade the papers.....that is not a good excuse, bullshit you know that.” I
told him that “Yes dinner is still on for Sunday... meatloaf.” He later wrote me, “I ran into my former
friend Morgan Lund (Google him) he has worked as a professional actor since we
left college together.....films, TV, stage....we were talking about changes
going on in the Theatre Department and they have chosen a new Chairman of the Department.
He is a professional black actor from Lincoln....the new Dean (not from
Utah)....actors should never be Chairman. He and I talked about the department,
PTC , etc. and it ended up with him saying and I laughed ‘I Hate Musicals’.....and
I said I feel the same way. He is the best actor I know...we just don't like
the fluff, and little chorus boys.” In May 1971 at Cypress College... I had just
turned 20 and was working with a group of student friends in the Bernstein
House... I did not adopt the name Ben until July when I worked with Kent Larsen
at summer camp. ... I've been known as Ben over 47 years... I was an art minor my
last year at Cypress and was working with a Gay Mormon kid named Kent Larsen...
he was the first Mormon I ever knew ... because of him most Mormons I met were
Gay... I had no idea the Mormons were so homophobic. I would join the Mormons
20 May 1972... it was either them or the Jesus Freaks... it was the times LOL
so began my journey from being a Garden Grove Orange County boy to having 6
pups on Fernleaf street in Salt Lake City, the crossroads of the West. My
hippie sister Donna made me the shirt I was wearing from an Indian print cotton
Muslim bed spread. I was wearing sandals I made in my craft class. A Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) official disclosed that the agency will roll back
support for the collection of data on the health and well-being of LGBT people
through the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)....
19 May 2018 Saturday
I was up way to early this morning. I woke up
at 5:00 for some reason. So I got up had coffee and fixed oatmeal for breakfast
before working on this day in Gay Utah History. When the sun was up I hoed my
garden, cleaned, and washed the inside of the refrigerator, and mowed the front
and back yards again all before noon. Spent some of the time trying to find
someone to take Kyle’s ticket. Alan tried to get Amy Barry and David Naylor to
go but couldn’t and I asked Jay Vallar, Michael Aaron and Courtney Moser before
Jim Dabakis said he would love to go. Michael picked me up about 1:15 to be at
the Grand by 1:30. We were in the front row and while the leg room was great
the stage was a little high to have an unobstructed view. The show was good, a
lot of rehashed Monty Python jokes, and a pretty good Gay element but all in
all it was just okay. Jim Dabakis had to leave after the show to meet Steve. He
was going to see Mama Mia tonight with him. The rest of us went to the New
Golden Dragon on State Street for dinner. I had hot and sour soup which was delicious
and enough to share. TJ paid for our dinner.. After eating we all went to the
Grand Opening of the Pride Center and there was huge turn out and very impressive waiting to
go in after the speeches were made. We were somewhat in the back so didn’t hear
much. We saw Walt Larabee out and about and that was fun. He looked well. There
were lots of others I knew and a lot more I didn’t. Once inside it was so
crowded that didn’t get to see Connell’s gallery of Gay and Lesbian Pioneers
but a glimpse. The food was set up in that room and so was the most crowded.
They were serving wine so that was packing in the people as well. Since I had
been in a few weeks before I kind of took people around. Kent Scadlock was
there volunteering for Pride Day. I saw Liz Pitts who’s in charge of Pride Day
and we hugged. Ive known her since her LGSU days. She said she was 50 now…Wow
that made me feel old. I introduce the new director Robert Moolman to Charlene
Orchard the person who helped established the old Utah Stonewall Center for a
bit of continuity. Mike Romero said that the center was filled withs Trans
people so I guess they found their space. Jim and TJ didn’t want to vote so it
was just Mike, Alan and I who went to the Radisson Hotel downtown to vote for
Emperor and Empress. I voted for Vega Starr and Kaden. Michael forgot to bring
his ID so he couldn’t vote. I saw a lot of old friends so it was a fun day but
I was ready for bed for sure.
·
Kent
Scadlock The Grand Opening of the new Utah Pride Center last night was
fantastic. The new space is incredible and it was an honor to volunteer for
this event. Hundreds of people showed up to celebrate the opening of this
facility that will change lives of members of my community. Thank you Liz,
Carol, Robert, Sue for letting me volunteer and thank you Dennis for being a
great volunteer partner!
·
Terry
McKeown ? Wish they had not left 3rd West, what a mistake.......
·
Kevin
Scott I understand that (especially living on the west side), moving downtown
was a blunder, but this new center is in a great location and just as close to
mass transit for those in need. The youth centeredness of it needed, although
it would be nice if the SAGE population was served as well. After all, it is
the fastest growing LGBT demographic.
·
James
Dabakis Thanks for being my date Ben! Loved SPAMALOT!
·
Cole
Gilmore You have so many adventures. I’m jealous of you.
·
Benedgar
Williams I grow old ... I grow old ... I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers
rolled. Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach? I shall wear
white flannel trousers and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids
singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me.”
·
Robert
Moolman I hear that the new director loved meeting you and that he looks
forward to a far longer chat sometime soon. He is a little in awe of you and
your work. Thank you so much for being there.
·
Ron
Johnson Great to see you at the Pride Center Grand Opening. What a crowd! It
didn't take long for my claustrophobia to kick in. I reluctantly made my exit
and walked back home. On the way there, it was wonderful to see a bunch of
other people heading the other direction. They'd parked on the streets and were
making their way to the celebration. I saw several single people, a straight
couple, a group of very masculine lesbians, gay guys holding hands as they
walked and lastly, a trans person, as well. It was a wonderful sight to see
such diversity on the streets near my home. I hope within my lifetime, we'll
see that same thing everywhere. One of the items in your May 21st Gay History
account struck a nerve. It was the accounting of Babs DeLay when she provided
the membership list from the Puss & Boots bar to the Times attorneys. As
your account mentioned, her actions divided the local lesbian community. At the
time, I was much more active socially in the gay community than I've been in
the past years. Back then, I felt more comfortable around lesbians than I did
gay men. I eventually wanted to find a life-companion but didn't appreciate the
promiscuous one-night-stand aggressive social situations of the men's bars.
That changed in the late 80s when I became active in the UGRA. But before then,
I frequented Chars, Perky's and Puss & Boots in those early years. I made
many lasting friendships. And I'm still in contact with those fine women even
now. I vividly recall the animosity and hatred that Babs DeLay generated by her
actions. The fact that she would "out" all the members of Puss &
Boots by providing their names to a public organization was met with intense
anger. I'm sure you're aware that during the 1980s, most gay people were very
much in the closet, especially in ultra-conservative Utah. To have one of their
own decide to "out" them for their own financial profit made it even
worse. One of my closest lesbian friends worked for the State of Utah (Tax
Commission) and worried right up until her retirement that she might be
terminated by Babs' actions. Even though Babs DeLay has done some good things
within the gay community since that unfortunate incident at Puss & Boots to
long ago, many of the now-aging lesbians remember her actions and are hesitant
to forgive. Just thought I'd add my 2-cents to the report of that incident.
Thanks again for all you do for our community. You truly are a treasure. p.s. I
meant to sincerely thank you for the fine listing you added to your February
19th Gay Utah History account. I saved its web address, but when I tried to
access it a month later, it wouldn't open for me. Is there a way to access the
various pages in your archive?
20 May 2018 Sunday
I
had Bill over for Sunday dinner and he brought the pups treats and me yellow
tulips...I added them the irises I cut from the front yard.... can you guess
yellow is my favorite color? Anyway Mike
Romero was over washing his camper so he
ate with us. For Sunday dinner we had meatloaf, mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, Mexican fiesta corn
and an English Pea Salad... I baked a baked bread loaf too. Bill and I sat
looking at my garden until the dark clouds came up... just a relaxing Sunday.
21 May 2018 Monday
I feel so guilty killing mice... but they have
taken over the kitchen again...if they would just go outside to the
bathroom...ugh...had to pull my oven out from the wall sweep and scrub the
sides... that's a chore... but I pride myself on keeping a clean kitchen and
mice just aren’t part of that equation. Not feeling so guilty after having
pulled out all my kitchen drawers , rewashed everything, such a chore...putting
pellets where the dogs can't reach or get to... I think growing up watching
Mighty Mouse cartoons warped by perspective of mice... I have a family of red
tail squirrels I feed but they stay mostly up in my trees... I am about a 1/2
mile from the Jordan River which is a nature walk and a mile from open fields
near the airport. I went out this evening to the downtown library to listen to
Chad Anderson's Voices Heard story telling group... six writer/readers tonight
all unique and entertaining... and it's free!...
22 May 2018 Tuesday
Took Coco to get groomed at the Dog Park at 9
am. Mike had to get her this time because I had a 1 o’clock appointment at the
U of U med center. I Went down to the Pride Center to meet with Kelan Lyons a
reporter from the City Weekly who needed information on early days of pride and
the parade. He is doing a story for Pride Day coming up. Connell O'Donovan was
at the meeting too. The reporter had only been in SLC a month so I am sure We
over whelmed him with places and dates. Afterwards went in to look at the Queer
Ancestry wall of portraits that Connell put together and visited some with
Robert Moolman the new director of the center after Carol Gnade steps down.
What a good guy... down to earth... then had to run up to the U Medical
Hospital for my last Bariatric appointment only to find out it was canceled and
I have to reschedule for June 1st. They said my labs hadn’t been done so guess all that blood they drew before didn’t
count.. that was a big waste of time... oh well. Coming home from the hospital
on 4th South some Jerk in a Dodge Truck yelled at me "Chill out Old
Man" after I had honked when he swerved into my lane. 1st time ever called
"old man" ... Well I guess I am LOL. What's next? Elderly Gentleman?
I like to think of myself as a vintage Gay Classic.
2018 Wednesday
My favorite thing ugh having a full panel of
blood drawn for labs this morning at the Redwood Clinic because they screwed up
last Time... I went down at 7 am as soon as they opened and had 18 vials of
blood taken out but the Phlebotomist was excellent and didn’t hurt at all. I
worked on cleaning the kitchen some more of mice droppings and putting out
poison. Behind the refrigerator it was a mess again. They must be nesting back
there it was so bad. Pulled the frig out swept and mopped. I know I need to
pull the dishwasher out too because pretty sure they are under there too. At 3
pm had a delightful meeting at the Utah Pride Center with Robert Moolman and
Carol Gnade about creating a history project for center...Craig Miller and his
husband Ernie was also there...Craig was the first interim director of the Utah
Stonewall Center back in 1991 for about 6 months. He has a selective memory of
that time. I know he probably doesn’t remember the dust up we had when he fired
me from the position of gathering volunteers to keep the center open. That was
an ugly time for me. The UPC new has a good vibe in no small part because of
Carol and Robert's energy and they seem committed to our history unlike past
officers. It rained off and on for a good part of the afternoon. I planted my
thornless blackberries in the ground before my meeting.
·
Hi
Ben, this is Kelan Lyons, from City Weekly. The focus of my story has shifted a
bit since we met yesterday. I'm working on a timeline that lists key years and
events in the history of Utah's Gay Freedom Day and how those led to this
year's Utah Pride Festival. By doing this I'm hoping to contextualize the 2018
festival by showing how protests, marches, and gatherings in the 70s, 80s and
90s got us to 2018's festival. I texted your phone and left a message - could
you give me a call or send me an email when you see this? My email is
klyons@cityweekly.net and my number is 215-692-4570. Thanks!
24 May 2018 Thursday
Richard Butler came over this morning and we
sat outside by my garden and he told me all about his trip to California to see
his dying aunt and to let me know when Sophie and Miley will be coming over for
me to pup sit. Sometime around June 7tth I think. I figured out why I can’t
pull out the dishwasher to clean behind it. The flooring that Kyle put down has
a lip high enough that it won’t slide out. So I can’t get behind it to clean
any mouse droppings. I had a meeting at 5:30 at the Pride Center about forming
a collective of influential leaders to preserve our history and share it with
younger folks. At this initial group were Robert Moolman, Carol Gnade, Craig
Miller and his husband Ernie, Becky Moss, Luci Malin, Charline Orchard, John
Bennett, Michael Aaron, Connell O'Donovan, and Robert Austin. Brandon Devlin
recorded the meeting...I don't think I have been in the same room with these
people in twenty years. Some of them I still hold grudges against for how they
treated me 20 years ago. It’s interesting to hear some of these people’s
selective memories of events. Craig Miller’s is all squashed together. Becky
pissed me off when Carol said Ben will correct our facts and she said she’d
correct mine. I thought it was a dismissal of my work when her selective memory
is full of unsustainable facts. But I think some fun things will come out of
it. I suggested a display case for artifacts, a contact person with the
Marriott library and a community call for pictures and video. I donated a
coffee cup mug with the old Utah Stonewall center logo on it and a metal sign
saying Utah Stonewall Center as part of a collection of artifacts the Pride
Center would like to display. John Bennett suggested a working title of Tribal
Elders for the group because Rocky insisted we have a name for the group. I
think Carol Gnade is the driving force behind this history project with full
support of Robert Moolman. They offered us dinner provided by Laziz which were
hummus and wraps. I had a half of a fafala one. Carol gave me two passes to
Pride Day and a ticket to the Spectacular Award banquet where Alan Anderson
will be recognized as a Kristen Ries Award recipient. She wanted me to sit at
her table. Tickets are $110 this year… Wow… I wouldn’t have gone if not for
Carol’s generosity. It’s going to be held at the same location that Michael
Aaron held his celebration of Same Sex Marriage.
25 May 2018 Friday
It was rather warm today almost 90 degrees. I
made some oatmeal cookies this morning but that about the extent of any
activity. My veggie garden is starting to take off but have to water everyday
now. Flowers in the front yard are popping, irises, poppies, clematis, yarrow,
Mexican primroses, bachelor buttons, peonies and much more. I finally brought a
bunch of clothes, sheets, and kitchen ware down to DI including a rice cooker,
and Belgium waffle maker this afternoon. I want to start downsizing things I
never use or will never use again. I went to Arctic Circle for lunch and got a
Halibut Sandwich combo that cost $9.50 and it was not that great. In fact I eat
so slowly that the fries get cold before I can even finish them. I watched
Passage to India some tonight but since its 3 hours long I only watched half of
it. I never saw it when it came out. I finished watching The Year of Living
Dangerously… I still enjoy that movie and the core concept of “what must we do.”
I also watched an episode of The Hand Maid Tale… so good. I told Bill Poore
that I’d take him out to put flowers on his dad’s grave tomorrow for Memorial
Day Weekend.
26 May 2018 Saturday
I was up by 6 this morning and Harleigh
was being so frisky like a pup jumping all around. Must be going through his
second childhood. I got ready to go see Kyle Foote this morning and stopped to
get some gas before heading down. It was $3.06 a gallon at Smith’s. Well when I
got down to Draper the correctional officer there said Kyle was on a work
detail and not available. That was disappointing and a waste of time and
effort. I stopped at the Deli Donut shop on State and 27th where they
sure were busy with a line out the door. I bought two apple fritters but when I
got back home about 10 I saw that Mike was over hitching up his trailer so I
gave him one of the fritters. It’s like I still have an appetite but my stomach
won’t let me eat. It’s like still wanting sex but can’t get it up lol. So I
watered my garden. It was a beautiful morning for a wasted drive. I guess I
will write Kyle and send David Busby’s letter to him in it. At noon took Bill
Poore out to his folks graves to put flowers on them for Memorial Day Weekend.
It was so crowded that they had one-way lanes to divert traffic...it looked
like a field of mums. Since I have no one in Utah to put flowers on their
graves I was happy to help out... from there we went over to the New Golden
Dragon Café where I ate with the gang last Saturday. I had another bowl of hot
and sour soup. Last Saturday the place was empty today it was filled. You know it’s
a good Chinese place when almost all the families eating there are Asians... is
that racist? Back home I went on Find A Grave web site and it does not look like the VA had not fixed
my dad's headstone even though I requested it 7 years ago. They misspelled his
first name as Edgar and said he was a veteran of Korea when he was a WWII vet
who never went to Korea... Maybe I will have to pay to have a new one put on
that is correct... It appears that the trump administration is forcing families
apart by taking away the children of illegal immigrants and separating them
from their parents. Some of these children are babies under two years old and
placing them in internment camps. There is no accounting for nearly 1500
children who had been removed from their parents. This
is the Conservative family values of the Republican version of America under
the Trumpian dystopia. What happened to Bush’s Compassionate Conservatism? And
Utah's family values Republicans are silent on this fascist tactic? Why isn't
the LDS church making a statement about this horror? Isn't it a greater moral
issue than marijuana?
·
Chris
Johnson I believe you are correct, I created that memorial in 2012 and I got a
volunteer to take a picture of his headstone in 2015.
27 Sunday 2018 Sunday
Beautiful day yesterday but rainy, cloudy, and
gloomy today... It was a good day to watch old movies so I spent Sunday
watching a marathon of David Lean movies that I have never watched in their
entirety. They mostly came out when I was too young and not interested in
watching 4-hour movies on adult themes. I watched Bridge on the River Kwai,
Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, and Passage to India. Almost all of them
were over 3 hours long or more. I really enjoyed them all now. They were like a
travel log in a time that has long passed.
28 May 2018 Monday Memorial Day
The Flowers from my rose garden are blooming
and so are the pink peonies although irises are almost through. I did some
cuttings this morning to bring inside. I promised Pricilla and Oscar I would
create a park for them and I think I have for all my furry companions to enjoy.
I planted roses in the front yard for Daisy, Lucky, and Farley after they
passed. Bill Poore wanted to come over to see the pups and then I surprised him
for going for a drive. I went with Bill Poore for a drive out to Iosepa in
Skull Valley because we both always wanted to see the community of Mormon
Polynesians that the LDS church stuck out in Skull Valley 60 miles west of SLC
back in the 19th Century... can you imagine coming from Hawaii to
this desert spot...its abandoned now all but the cemetery. There were puka
shell necklaces on almost every grave as
well as American flags. On the way back I drove through Grantsville and showed
him the little house Fran and I lived in some 40 years ago. I was surprised I
could locate it and even more that it was still there. It was so sunny on the
other side of the Stansbury Mountains but there are storm clouds were over the
city as we drove back. Some lightening too. Bill and I stopped to eat at the Perkins
Restaurant west of the Airport...it was
good but too pricy for what you got. I had a half sandwich and a bowl of soup
while Bill had an open face roast beef sandwich that just came with mash
potatoes and gravy. No vegetable or salad and it was nearly 10 bucks. They
included a gratuity onto the bill which I did not like. A tip is for good
service not to supplement management paying low wages. Bill was hankering for a
slice of banana cream pie too but they didn’t have any and they were supposed
to be pie place. Well won’t be back.
Bill paid me $100 for June on the money he owes me. He only owed $1100 now out
of the $3000 I lent him to pay off his high interest credit cards a year or so
ago. I was home in time to feed the pups. Bill really liked Grantsville but
that place holds too many bad memories for me.
·
Bill
Poore-I really enjoyed being with you today....I like our little rides...we
always find cool things. We need to go back to Grantsville and explore some
more. I think there is a lot to see.
29 May 2018 Tuesday
Having tummy issues this morning ... can't tell
if I am full or hungry... what is left of my stomach can't make up its mind so
I guess I will just belly ache . I was up at 4 am with a gnawing feeling in my
stomach so got up and had some yogurt which really didn’t seem to help so I had
some apple sauce still no good so tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t but
having Lulu Belle and Buster at my feet and TJ by my side is comforting. When I
did finally get up I worked on my blog This Day In Gay Utah History and
responded to a letter that Kyle’s prison friend David Busby wrote me. He also
sent me a letter to send on to Kyle but also wrote me. Busby was sent to prison
for being a pedophile. So I am not too interested in having a lot of
correspondence with him. But he was sentenced 45 years to life. I had to buy
stamps to mail off the letters to Kyle and Busby. It was a nicer day than
yesterday but still cooler than it had been. I went to the store and bought
some gas relief pills that I thought might help with my constant belching from
my poor stomach. I also bought a medium size cheese pizza from Papa Murphy’s
just because I had a craving for pizza. Fortunately, Michael came home with
Coco and his trailer about the same time and after fixing up the pizza with
mushrooms, black olives, and green and red peppers he had lunch with me. I was
going to mow again but visiting with Michael took my afternoon. The gas relief
pill must have helped because I felt better. In the afternoon FB was lit up
with the news that Roseanne Barr’s television reboot was canceled after she
made some racist tweets against a former Obama staff member. Since I didn’t get
to see Kyle last Saturday I decided to go this evening since it was visiting
hours for those with surnames between A and J. The evening traffic was so bad
it took me nearly 45 minutes to get there compared to normally 20 minutes. I
barely made it by 6:30... I'd kill myself before having to do that every day...
He was so surprised to see me. I found out where he was last Saturday...he was
sent on a work detail to put cubicles together at the state health department here
on North Temple and Redwood . So he was only about 2 miles from my house the entire weekend with
a work crew... he said he was so excited to be so near to home and see all
familiar sites... it was a onetime thing. The state wanted the project down
over the holiday while the workers were out of the building and he replaced a
guy who had lost his gate pass at the last minute. He said he got a Dr Pepper
fountain drink for the first time in 7 years and that was the highlight of his
adventure except for being near home. So that was my day. I was in bed by 10 pm
very tired. I have a bite or something over my right-hand knuckle that is
swollen and kind of painful. Maybe it’s an old age thing. The Barr Family of
SLC are good people but Roseanne is just nuts... her brother Ben Barr was
director of the Utah AIDS Foundation 30 years ago and even got his sister to do
some AIDS benefits when she was a stand-up comedienne... Sad that she destroyed
her career and the income of the cast of the show...
·
David,
I received your letter from May 20th last Friday and will send it on
to Kyle today. Yesterday was Memorial Day. I really don’t read as much as I
used to do. I know I should but I write so much and do a lot of research that
much of my time is taken up with those projects. I write a monthly column for
the Q Salt Lake, update my This Day In Gay Utah History daily and then teach a
monthly class for the Utah Stonewall Historical Society. If I do read anymore
its usually escapism in the form of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series
about the foibles of a New Jersey Bond Enforcer. If I read other books it’s in
the form of research more than for political thought or ideology. Now that Kyle
is here in Draper I try to go see him on a weekly basis as it’s only a 25-mile
trip instead of 120 miles. Visiting hours are restricted to a certain time on
Saturday and Sunday according to an inmate’s last name. He is in with the A-F’s
group. The visiting room is a small classroom unlike Gunnison. Because the same
visitors come for the A-F group I am becoming very familiar with the folks who
visit at the same time I do. I can only hope that Kyle’s experience
incarcerated has impressed on him enough that the lack of his personal freedom
will have him never fall back into his former ways. Most of my friends are
skeptical that he will change and worry about my involvement with him. However,
I think over the course of the years he realizes that his selfish actions had
hurt a lot of people who genuinely cared for him. He has expressed to me that
he has changed and that he’s sorry for the harm he did me and others who
trusted him. I do believe in redemption and that people can change and that
Kyle in his heart of heart wants to be a better man coming out of prison than
the man who went in. For better or worse Kyle is like family to me. As for your
quote about punishment it all depends on what the punishment is. If it’s simply
incarceration, while I agree that it can and often does inhibit behavior I do
believe that it can also change the heart if the heart is willing to change.
Some people incarcerated do not have the life skills or intellect to control
themselves and punishment is necessary to keep them away from hurting others.
For the majority of people I would like to think that it is a wakeup call to
change behavior. Punishment is also a form of recompense to those who have been
injured by someone’s actions. I think that is a form of justice and the only
form of justice that an injured party can have if we want to eliminated revenge
motives and feuds. The seriousness of the crime which transgresses societal
modes is also factored into the equation as the old adage states “Does the
punishment fit the crime?” As to your final inquiry no I did not watch
the Royal Wedding. I do not envy aristocracy. Best Wishes Sincerely Ben
30 May 2018 Wednesday
This morning I mowed the front and back yard
and watered some. The pups must be tired because they didn’t come out to be
with me like usually. I asked if Michael Romero wanted to go to lunch since he
took the day off and he came over about 1. He wanted Chinese so we went back to
the New Golden Dragon for lunch which was really good. He had sesame chicken
and I had sweet and sour pork… I ate about three of the pork and I was
done…Took the rest with us and I gave it to Michael. We went to Best Buy where
I bought a new Roku box. I guess they upgraded so I had to add back in all my
favorite stations. It kind of rained a little in the afternoon. I watched a
good British movie called Hobson’s Choice that had Charles Laughton in it. It
won the British best picture in 1954. I asked if TJ and Jim wanted my Pride Day
Passes and they did so we will meet tomorrow for lunch so I can give them to
them. The Pride Day Issue of the City Weekly came out on the history of the
Pride Parade that Rocky and I were interviewed for by that young reporter. It
was a good piece and we were extensively mentioned. A group calling themselves
Queers Divest is stirring things up by wanting the Pride Center to eliminate
Wells Fargo and Chase Bank as sponsors. Poor Robert Moolman now is realizing
what a mess he’s gotten himself into with Trannies and the unhappy minority
within the minority. I posted on face book the article along with an excerpt
from my journal about the march in 1991 and Moolman commented “Thank you so
much for posting this and for keeping this story alive. It means so much to me
right now. Thanks Ben.”
31 May 2018 Thursday
TJ and Jim came over at 1 pm to go to lunch and
for me to give my passes to Pride Day to them. I decided I really didn’t want
to go and enjoy all the hoopla. So I cleaned this morning, sweeping, vacuuming,
and mopping. We went to Chubby’s and they bought me lunch. I had a cheese
enchilada. Back at the house I showed them around my gardens and then we
visited. It was a dry windy day this end of May. They stayed until about 4:30
when I needed to leave to take Coco home. A letter from Kyle came today detailing
his adventures over Memorial Day Weekend that he told me about on Tuesday.
JUNE
June 1, 2018 Friday
I wrote Kyle a letter today to share the write
up that is in the City Weekly. I had my last Bariatric checkup at 1and won't
see doctor Volckemann again for another year...I was surprised that my A1c was
at 6... he said that I am basically cured of my diabetes which is why I had
this surgery done... so that is good news. Between him and the nutritionist
that took most of my afternoon and I didn’t get home until about 4. I barely
had time to feed the hounds and take Coco home before getting ready for the
Pride Spectacular Award Banquet that started at 5. It was over where Michael
Aaron held the wedding reception after marriage equality came about. Before the
crowds were let into the banquet area Luci Malin and I ducked under the tape that
was there to keep people out to find our table and sit down...They had us
mingling for about an hour upstairs and we were tired LOL. My ticket said table
16 so I went and sat and when people started arriving all these Lesbians began
sitting down and then Carol came over and said they had me sitting at the wrong
table. I then sat next to Dr. Kristen Ries and Maggie Snyder. Their energy puts
me to shame... they just got back from a 3-week adventure in China and then
they went to New Orleans. Dr Ries and I visited like Magpies... she is such a
dear, dear woman. She said she follows me on my FB account. I gave her a kiss
on the cheek. I did not eat a thing but a dinner roll and butter but heard the
food was good. I had them take mine away and I guess someone else got it LOL. When
I was waiting to come inside at the start I gave a souvenir button to Carol
Gnade from the 20th Anniversary of Stonewall and she was upset that it had
fallen off somewhere. We laughed when she said it turned up in a salad of
someone at her table. She received a richly deserved Lifetime Achievement
Award. Mayor Biskupski presented the award to her. I also gave a commemorative
button to Robert Moolman from the 25th anniversary of Stonewall. My
battery in my phone went dead so I didn't get to record the acceptance speech
Alan Anderson the big boobie made. He got a standing ovation when Todd Bennett
presented him the Dr. Kristen Ries Community Service Award. Well-deserved I
might add and he was doing all he could to keep from tearing up as he spoke. So
thankful that Carol Gnade gave me a ticket so I could witness his special
night. At my table was Dr. Ries, Maggie Snyder, Connell O'Donovan, and the man
who directed Silent Heroes, Craig Miller, and his husband. There were Linda
Hunt and two others whom I didn't know. It was fun to watch Gil Sims rocking
out to one of the entertainers. After Carol’s acceptance speech, it was getting
tiresome for Chuck Whyte’s old body so he asked for a ride and I took him
home... truth be told I was tired too. Kudos to those who put it all together. Much
of the cost of putting it one was
donated like all the cost of the printing by Alphagraphics and Mark Miller Subaru...they
raised nearly $20,000 tonight night... the place was packed, up and downstairs
so I am sure there was a good profit margin just from ticket sales...all money
raised went to support the center. I think there was more people in that space
then was at the 1st pride I attended in 1986 at Pioneer Park
·
Dear
Kyle, I got your letter yesterday, Thursday, so that was quick if it went out
on Tuesday. I enjoyed reading about your little excursion over Memorial Day
Weekend. I am glad I came down on Tuesday evening to catch up though. How is
the new job working out for you? I guess if air is the only thing you have to
breathe no since complaining about the quality of it I suppose. I am sending
you what was printed in the City Weekly if you don’t get a copy to read
yourself. It’s the Pride Weekend Issue. I was given two VIP tickets but I gave
them away because I don’t have any intention of facing the onslaught of the
rainbow clad hoards which only a few identify as Gay anymore.
“Intersectionality” is the new buzz word
and to me it is just another form of assimilationism. It’s mainly supported by the LBT and not the G crowd...
its uses the word “Queer” with a connecting "and" then another
identity such as “Queer and a person of Color” or “Queer and trans”... Sorry I
am not a “Queer and a man” or “Queer and a retired school teacher.” I am a Gay
Man or a Gay former school teacher. Gay is my first identity because it’s my
tribe, not something I do or apart from who I am. It’s the same garbage when
people use to say “I am more than being Gay” because in reality they wanted to
disassociate from Gay Issues and the struggle. I have been a Gay Liberationist
not a “Queer and a liberationist.” In what part of Queer gender Studies hell do
people come up with this nonsense? I guess that statement makes me “Queer and
Old Fashion.” You know, I know of no Trans or Lesbian organization that have
ever been started that has ever been inclusive of Gay men while almost all
groups that Gay men have started are inclusive. But you don’t say that and want
to live. LOL I have my last bariatric appointment today… I am going to ask why
my stomach has been so gassy lately… I know it’s not from anything I eat, well
I think it’s not. Tonight I have to go to the Pride Center’s Spectacular Award
Banquet because Carol Gnade, the former Pride Center director, wants me to sit
at her table. She gave me a $110 ticket which I glad was free because all I’ll
be doing is taking up space because I won’t be eating or drinking anything
that’s for sure. Well I may see you before you get this letter so I will wrap
it up Salt Lake City Weekly Pride in the
Past Tracing the Utah Pride Festival back to its origins. By Kelan Lyons It
wasn't symbolism, imagery or beauty that made Connell O'Donovan decide to
finish the second annual Gay and Lesbian Pride March at Washington Square, the
esteemed park and home of the jaw-droppingly gorgeous City and County Building.
It was the horses. The previous year, in 1990, O'Donovan had organized Salt
Lake City's first Gay and Lesbian Pride March, commemorating the 21st
anniversary of the Stonewall riots. The day after Gay Pride Day in Sunnyside
Park, about 200 people congregated on the State Capitol's steps to hear
speeches from prominent gay and lesbian leaders, then marched down Main Street,
turned right onto South Temple, and passed the Salt Lake Temple. "It was
important to me to kind of flip the finger at that church. I grew up Mormon,
and they tortured me, and wounded me really deeply," O'Donovan says in a
conference room in the Utah Pride Center's new Main Street digs, almost 30
years after organizing that march. "I wanted to make a statement."
But when, on that June day, the crowd turned onto South Temple and passed
Temple Square's south gate, things went buck-wild. "There used to be a
stop at the horses and carriages. We terrified the horses: they were bucking
and stuff, and the police were freaking out about it. So we had to divert the
parade," O'Donovan recalls. The march ended at the amphitheater just south
of Abravanel Hall, and the police later contacted O'Donovan and told him they
couldn't pass the horses the next year. So, the route—from the Capitol to
Washington Square—changed in 1991, foreshadowing the City and County Building's
status as a sort of focal point for LGBTQ pride, and continues to serve as
ground zero for this year's festival. The roots of the Utah Pride
Festival—which includes the Pride Parade, the state's second largest behind the
Days of '47 procession—stretch back to 1974, when Joe Redburn, owner of the
former Sun Tavern, sponsored an event in which some 200 people went to the
Great Salt Lake's "Bare Ass Beach" to celebrate Gay Pride in Utah.
"One of the reasons they went out there, was they didn't think they could
have a public gathering of that many gay people who wanted to be seen,"
Ben Williams, retired schoolteacher, and writer for QSaltLake Magazine, says.
The following year, the Gay Community Service Center organized the first
community-wide sponsored pride celebration, shuttling people from local gay
bars to and from City Creek Canyon, where the "Gay Freedom Day" was
held. "[In] the early Pride days, it was a statement for people to even
attend," Williams says of the few people who were "brave enough"
to go. Prior to Jeff Freedman, Bruce Harmon and Rev. Bruce Barton reinventing
the Pride March and Rally and morphing it into a Gay Pride Parade in 1994,
Williams says Gay Pride Days in Utah were more political. But once Freedman was
elected to the chair of the Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah's Gay
Pride Day committee in the mid-'90s, he made the events more celebratory,
increasing turnout. O'Donovan says the '90 and '91 marches he organized were
"more of a protest kind of experience rather than a celebration," but
also a "presence, to show that we're here, we're queer," Williams
says, finishing O'Donovan's sentence from his seat across the table in the Utah
Pride Center. Their presence also attracted more sinister protesters: In 1991,
the first year the marchers ended in Washington Square, Neo-Nazis were standing
on the steps of the City and County Building, waiting for them. "People
were really freaked out," O'Donovan says, but he and Williams say things
stayed largely peaceful. Freedman also made the decision to bring the
celebrations back into Salt Lake City's downtown, Williams says, moving Pride
Day to the Gallivan Center and then, about 1997, to Washington Square, where it
has been ever since. Williams says "there's no symbolism to [the festival]
being at Washington Square. It's just the practicality. And it's visible
now." But Liz Pitts, Utah Pride Center events director, sees symbolism in
the square playing such a big role in the celebrations. For a person who has
recently realized they're genderqueer or identify as trans to stand outside a
government building, Pitts says, in a "beautiful square" during the
Utah Pride Festival, surrounded by allies and members of LGBTQ communities, is
"truly celebratory." Despite the celebrations, Pitts still sees the
march and rally as the "activist arm of the week," noting that the
festival is "a party, but there's always room for getting out in the
streets and being visible." O'Donovan says the march he organized in 1990
was all-inclusive by design, but Joni Weiss, former board member of the Utah
Pride Center as well as former vice president of TransAction, says it took
until 2009 before a separate Trans March was held in Salt Lake City, after
Valerie Larabee, then-executive director of the Utah Pride Center, OK'd it.
"I pushed strongly for it at the time," Weiss, one of the organizers,
says. "Up until that point, and still to some extent today, the trans
community had been kind of invisible, as far as we're not the people they put
out front to talk about or portray the LGBT community. That's changing quite a
bit, actually, but back then it was worse than it was today." "The
most important thing to emphasize in this area is the intersection of
identities," Pride March and Rally Director Jocelyn Johnson, says.
"Someone is not simply queer; they may be queer and a person of color.
They may be queer and a woman. A parent, an older person, or a younger person.
We're seeing more awareness of the intersection of identity now." Weiss
says her and the other organizers' goal was to increase visibility of the local
trans community, to give them a microphone and help Utahns "to know who we
are. That we're just regular people." Jocelyn Johnson, director of this
year's march and rally, says that over time, the demonstrations have become
more inclusive and less focused on single-identity politics; the Dyke, Trans
and Interfaith rallies and marches, previously separate demonstrations, were
merged in 2015, and a space was created so people who identify as bisexual and
pansexual, and who are in polyamorous relationships, had a voice at the rally.
"We combined all of the rallies into a single rally that represents
multiple identity groups," Johnson says. "The most important thing to
emphasize in this area is the intersection of identities," she adds.
"Someone is not simply queer; they may be queer and a person of color.
They may be queer and a woman. A parent, an older person, or a younger person.
We're seeing more awareness of the intersection of identity now."
"It's not very often that a person in the queer community is just
queer," Johnson explains. "Often they may be attracted to people of
the same sex or maybe attracted to people regardless of their biological sex,
but also they may be women, or they may be people of color, or they may
identify strongly as a member of a social class .." This year's march ends
at the festival, disbanding on the north side of 400 South, at 200 East, mere
steps from Washington Square, where O'Donovan and the roughly 500 proud Utahns
ended their march 27 years ago. Symbolic or not, the City and County Building
continues to play a key role in the celebration of Utah's LGBTQ communities,
serving as a recurring presence as leaders, organizers and visionaries pass the
torch to future generations. The significance of the space is not lost on
Pitts, who says, "It really is the city center ... to me, this building
represents, if it were a small town, a town square. It's the middle of the
community."
·
Milestone
Pride Events • 1969: Eastern Regional
Conference of Homophile Organizations adopts a motion to commemorate the New
York City Stonewall Inn riots. • 1970:
First LGBTQ pride marches held to honor the first anniversary of the Stonewall
riots. • 1974: First celebration of
Stonewall rebellion in Salt Lake City, when Joe Redburn, owner of the former
Sun Tavern, brought more than 200 people to a beach at the Great Salt Lake. • 1975: Gay Community Service Center organizes
the first community-wide sponsored Gay Freedom Day in Utah, held in City Creek
Canyon. • 1977: The Salt Lake
Coalition for Human Rights celebrates Gay Freedom Day with a three-day
symposium. Organizers bring in Air Force Sgt. Leonard Matlovich as the keynote
speaker, the first openly gay person on the cover of Time, or any other U.S., magazine,
and an ex-Mormon. • 1983:
Individuals from the Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire revolutionize Gay
Pride Day's concept; a Tavern Guild committee organizes a "Basket
Social" in Fairmont Park. • 1986: Gay
and Lesbian Pride Day held in Pioneer Park. • 1987:
The Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah takes over Pride days. Donnie
Eastepp, chair of Pride Day Committee, presents a Community Service Award to
Dr. Kristin Ries for her dedication to treating AIDS patients when no other
Utah doctors would. Eastepp also moves the event location to Sunnyside Park,
where it remains until 1991. • 1988:
Ben Williams makes motion that there should be a sign noting that it's,
"Gay and Lesbian Pride Day," because "How can we be leaders of
this community if we're timid? We need to be celebrating what we're doing. So,
I made a big ole banner and put that up." • 1990: First Gay and Lesbian Pride March held in Salt Lake
City, organized by Connell O'Donovan. Before this, Williams says, "nobody
was marching or parading." • 1991:
Connell O'Donovan organizes a second march that ends at the City and County
Building, the first time the landmark government building served as a gathering
space during a Pride march. Neo-Nazis show up and stand on the government
steps. • 1994: Bruce Harmon, Rev.
Bruce Barton and Jeff Freedman organize the first Pride Day Parade. Barton sews
the 100-yard Gay Pride flag that was carried during the parade. • 1995: Pride events switch from political
demonstrations to more of a party. Jeff Freedman takes over and moves
everything back to the city, first to the Gallivan Center; Dr. Kristen Ries
named 1st Grand Marshall. • 1997:
Pride activities move to Washington Square, where it's been held ever since. • 2002: First Pride Interfaith Service
held at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral. Participating religious groups included
the Episcopal Church, Affirmation (LGBTQ Mormons and their families), Buddhist,
Congregation KOL AMI, LDS Family Fellowship, Holladay United Church of Christ,
Native Americans, Pagan Community, and the Sacred Light of Christ (then the
Metropolitan Community Church). • 2003:
Utah Pride Center takes over Pride Festival. Dyke March added to the annual
Pride Day Parade. •2009: First Trans March held in Salt Lake City. • 2015: Dyke, Trans and Interfaith marches and
rallies are merged. • April 2018: The
Utah Pride Center moves to its new sprawling location on 1380 S. Main.
I knew Liz Pitts when she was still a student
at the U of U and was a member of the Lesbian and Gay Student Union. She said
she was 50 now. That made me feel really old. I gave the kid Kelan the time
line he used. He was cute so I agreed to be interviewed LOL These are from my
journals I kept back then:
·
27
June 1990 Wednesday- Today is the 21st anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion
and today in Salt Lake we held our first Gay and Lesbian Pride March in the
history of Utah although only one news station felt it news worthy to be
covered. About 200 people gathered on the steps of the state capitol to listen
to Rocky O'Donovan who organized the march, Becky Moorman, Angela Nutt, and
Robert Austin give speeches about the significance of what we were doing today.
Becky Moorman's was the strongest speech and best talk because she talked about
Gay Liberation as an ongoing process. Rocky was terrific. He had done all the
foot work, getting the permits, and he said that the police department ate the
cost of the officers, 1 Janhich was about $1000. Even N.O.W. wasn't able to get
the police to do that for them so it wasn't something the police did routinely.
The only people who I thought were conspicuously because of their absence were
Bruce Barton, Bruce Harmon, Chuck Whyte, Julie Pollack, Duane Dawson, and
Empress Bianca. In fact there were no representation from MCC at all! Chuck
Whyte later told me that he over slept and that Bruce Barton was performing a
Holy Union. But where was Kelly Byrnes then? Hypocritical I think. The only
person from the Royal Court was Prince Royale Guy Larson and I think he was
there more because of his friendship with John Bush and Mike Connors. Other
people who were there who I can remember off the top of head were Dave
Malmstrom, Chuck Thomas, Neil Hoyt, Don Glenn, Ben Barr, Brenda Voisard,
Maureen Davies, Becky Moorman, Alice Drake, Robert Smith, Robert Austin, Dale
Sorenson, David Nelson, Debbie Rosenberg, Carla Gourdain, John Merrill, Curtis
Robinson, Grant Cheever, Alex Gallegos, John Martin, Curtis Jensen, Val
Mansfield, Mark Hanson, Greg Garcia, Mike Morris, The U.S. Wests Eagles
Organization, George Marshall, David Waters, Angela Nutt, Kevin Warren, John Bennett, Chris Brown,
Angela Dahl. These are just to name a
few. I was so proud of everyone who attended with rainbow flags, posters, and
Gay and Lesbian pride. We marched down Main street in front of the Mormon
Temple to South Temple Street then over to West Temple Street where we ended at
the Art Gallery south of Symphony hall. We accidentally scared some Mormon
women who after seeing us darted into the Mormon Handicraft Store. We also
scared some carriage horses by our boisterous shouting of "Not the Church Not the State! We alone
Decide Our Fate!" (However I
believed that the horse recovered faster than the Mormon women did),
"We're here because were Queer!" and many more. I walked behind Carla
Gourdain to help Debbie control Carla's wheelchair on the steep incline coming
down from the capitol. The march was especially good for me because I was able
to deal with some of my own unconquered internalized fears. Marching in New
York City is one thing but marching in Salt Lake City is another. But it was a
great occasion and Rocky should be commended while Julie, Bruce and Bruce and
Chuck should be ashamed. Perhaps someday MCC will need the community support
and I bet it won't be there if the leaders of MCC can't put aside their own
agendas and support the community. Maybe next year 500 people will be out!
·
27
June 1991 I wasn’t sure I was going to join the Gay Pride March today organized
by Rocky O’Donovan but I did at the last moment. I joined Gary Boren and we ran
up Second North behind the Deseret Gym to join the marchers on Main Street. I’d
say about 500 to 600 people were at this march. We went down Main Street to
Fourth South and finished in front of the City-County Building at Washington
Square. MCC people were again noticeably absent from the march as were the
Royal Court people. Anyway about ten skinheads with Nazi Battle Flags were on
the steps of the county building ready to confront and hassle us. Organizers
suggested that we turn our backs on them and while I had been in the front
holding a GLCCU banner with Brenda Voisard and Maureen Davies we now were the
closest to the skinheads. I was so proud to be with these brave women. The
police stood between us and the pseudo-Nazis, with their batons out to prevent
any violence. I am sure several of the police wanted to do a number on the
skinheads but there were no violence just verbal confrontations. I couldn’t
hear any of the speeches being way in the back but I know Rocky O’Donovan,
Melissa Sillitoe, Dale Sorensen, and Debbie Rosenberg all gave rousing
speeches. Perhaps others did too. Debbie Rosenberg led us in singing Holly
Near’s “We Are a Gentle Angry People.” The Nazis were saying things like “Out
of the Closet Into the Grave” and carried signs which read, “Thank God For AIDS.”
I could tell that David Sharpton (Note-Former founder of PWACU) was livid. He
also told me that he got a hold of reporter Mary Sawyer about the Marinol
issue. (Note-Marinol was a derivative of Marijuana which spurred appetite in
AIDS patients) Sawyer is a news reporter for. And that was the way it was so
many years ago. Take care As I ever was or shall ever be Your friend Ben
2 June 2018 Saturday
I went down to Draper
for a visit with Kyle from 1:00 to 2:30. It was a beautiful day for it and when
I got there I saw Kyle outside the building where he is housed watering. It’s
the first time I ever saw Kyle outside of a visiting area. There were a couple
of new people visiting their inmates and I visited with them to tell them how
different here is from Gunnison like no drink machines or snacks. It’s my
observation that almost all the visitors are nice people, many parents, or
wives. I went into the visitor room and when Kyle came in he was not surprised
because he said he had seen me through the chain link fence too. Craig Crawford
had his two friends visiting him. I think one of their names is Kevin. When
Craig came in he passed me and said him and then wanted me to kind of high-5
him. That was kind of weird. I know he probably wants a little bit of human
recognition. How all around tragic for him and the of course John Williams.
Strange how I never met John Williams or knew little of who he was but I am
hearing so much about him from Kyle and about Craig. Kyle and I had a nice
visit and told him his letter came and that I had sent one out on Friday so he
should be getting it next week. He started his new job but because of a
communication error I guess he won’t truly start officially until next week. The
time always goes pretty fast but I think the frequent visits helps with his
morale and I did tell him that if he did move to Draper from Gunnison I would
visit a lot more frequently. On the way out Craigs friend asked about Kyles
Transition glasses I bought for him. I guess Craig would like some too and he
wanted to know how to get them to him. I told that the eye place would send
them to the prison directly. Coming home I stopped at Lucky’s to get some
groceries and I saw a young man at the store with Rainbow striped hair... I
said you must be going to Pride...at first I think he was surprised that this
old man knew what Pride Day was... then he quickly added “to the afterwards
party”... youngsters lol. I stayed in this evening and watched What’s Up Doc?
And Bonnie and Clyde. They were blasts from the past.
3 June 2018 Sunday
I missed the Pride
Parade to go to Kathryn Warner’s graduation party for getting her M.A. I have
known her for 28 years. It’s at Red Butte Garden and she has been a staunch
Utah Lesbian activist for decades before moving to Colorado. So this year let
the parade past me by to congratulate her. She was a member of my Sacred
Faeries Group, sang at Beyond Stonewall, was on the 2003 Pride Committee and so
much more. Time to pay some respect. Coming home from Red Butte Gardens saw Ben
McAdams riding in back of his campaign bus as I drove by the festivities at
Washington Square...so many people downtown still heading to the Pride Day Festival.
Later KSL said that 100,000 people watched the Pride Parade and 50,000 attended
Pride Day. Alan Anderson was the Dr. Kristen Ries winner and rode in a
convertible at the front of the parade. I am really happy for how things have
grown but at my age it’s too big for me just to be one of the crowd. My first
Pride Day was in 1986 at Pioneer Park with about 200 people! Besides, I saw
this saying that I agree with “I am not a party Gay I am a Sofa Gay, a
homosectional you might say.” Today was my mom’s 89th birthday. Happy
Birthday mom... thanks for raising me right.
·
Charline
Wachs Happy birthday Mom you were always there for us. Miss you every day.
·
Denise
Wachs Miss you grandma!
·
Stephanie
Williams Love my Aunt June. Sure do miss those chats we would have. When I was
a kid, I loved coming over. Aunt June was really loving, fun and a great cook.
I felt safe at your house.
·
James
Clark Love u very much and missing u more
·
Dan
Fahndrich Yes, Happy Birthday to your Mom but aren't you more left instead of
being raised right ? Lol
·
Benedgar
Williams I was born in a farmer's co-op hospital... May be that is why I am
such a socialist😁
4 June 2018 Monday
It pleases my sense of
color and feyness to walk up the step to my house... Trump can keep his golden towers...
my little cottage suits me fine... I have a plot of land to grub in and six
pups to keep me company...I am a most fortunate Gay man... Providence has been
good to me. My exotic corpse plant is blooming this morning ...it won't last
long...it was given to me by a sweet 90-year-old Mormon lady from Magna named
Betsy Larson... we used to sneak her wine because she liked a nip and bought
her a one cup coffee maker she could hide from her family... we were bad
influences ha! It blooms once a year to remind me of this sweet little old lady
and to remind me how not all Mormons are so uptight... I like the bright pink
rose juxtaposed to the corpse plant that has such dark purple coloring...
Okay ..time to
chain myself to the word processor and crank out my talk for my Utah Stonewall
Historical Society's Lecture Series... write and edit, write, and edit... I
really just want to lie in bed with my hound dogs but duty calls. I didn’t do
much else but that.
5 June 2018 Tuesday
Derick and his crew
from Trees Etc. came over this morning to take out some dead trees I planted 20
years ago, a diseased Globe Willow and a Poplar that had died. They came over
about 9 and were done by 11:30. I paid a $1000 to have them removed and some
other tree trimming plus I gave his crew of 3 a tip of $120 to split among
themselves. It was well worth it to keep the trees from damaging property or me
falling out of a tree myself. So good bye old friends... you gave me a lot of
shade in a good way... I now will have only 11 trees in my backyard and 9 in
the front yard... trying my best to balance out my carbon footprint. I worked
the rest of the day
condensing 34 pages
down to 10 for my talk tomorrow on 1986's Wasatch Affirmation, Resurrection
Metropolitan Community Church, and the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ here
in little ol' Gay SLC. In the news I guess there was an attempted Gay Bashing
Saturday night after Pride Day when about 10 young white guys tried to beat up
to Gay guys leaving the festival. This black kid named Terrance Mannery was
working at an ice cream store that the Gay guys ran into and he fought back the
mob. What a hero. It was not as warm today as yesterday. Only about 87 degrees.
I made appointments for Lulubelle, Buddy and Harleigh to get groomed with the
weather warming up. Lulu Belle will go in on the 13th at noon and
both Buddy and Harleigh will go in at 10 on the following Friday.
6 June 2018 Wednesday
Spent much of the day
making sure my talk is condensed to 10 pages and Jay Vallar bless his heart
delivered copies to me this afternoon of the 1986 chronology for tonight...A
little tired tonight but enjoyed seeing friends at the lecture series. There
was a very good turn out tonight to hear about The Restoration Church and
Wasatch Affirmation in 1986. We decided that since the first Wednesday in July
is the 4th we will not be having a meeting that month. Dave Webster brought
pumpkin cookies and I brought oatmeal coconut ones I made this afternoon. Peter
Moosman wanted to talk to me afterwards about a history project he is
interested in doing like a guided tour of Gay Salt Lake. As we were leaving
Peter said his mom is now a Bountiful Relief Society mom and she flew the
Rainbow Flag over Pride Day Weekend to support her Gay son...Times they are a
changing.
7 June 2018 Thursday
I had a Puppy pile on
my bed this morning... Buster has come a
long way since I first fostered him when he was so scared that he would snap
and bite at me...now he crawls on my belly for morning hugs ... poor old guy
needed someone just to love him and look after him. So I went down to the
Marmalade Library to reserve a meeting room by dropping off an application and
then I decided to go to the Pride Center to talk to Robert Moolman about if
they could accommodate a space for the Historical Society. While I was waiting
for him to finish take some people on a tour of the building Richard Starley
who is now the director of SAGE confronted me about the article I had submitted
to the Q last month. At first I couldn’t figure out what he was upset about as
that I hardly know him or ever have interacted with him. The gist of it was because
he wasn't mentioned it in. He said it was like "reading my story without
out me in it". He said he was deeply offended. I explained that my article
was more on the beginning of the two AIDS organizations and he tried to claim
he was significantly involved with them. Well that was the first I heard of
that. The exchange was getting heated because he was being such a dick that I
finally said I was not his biographer . He said I was the historian and I said
to him I am not omniscient and if he wants his story told then he can write it himself.
He reiterated that he was offended. I said I didn't know him well enough to go
out of my way to offend him. Sheesh some people have an inflated self of
importance. Thank goodness Robert had me go sit in his office area and he
showed me the poster of Harvey Milk that The Imperial Court had given the
center for SL having the only other street besides San Diego named for Milk.
Anyway Moolman was excited to have us at the center. He graciously accommodated
the Lecture Series there without us having to pay rent. Starting in August the
Utah Stonewall Historical Society will be meeting (still on the 1st Wednesday
of each month) in the Queer Ancestors Room down stairs from 7:00 pm to 8:30. I then
contacted Michael Aaron to change our ad in the Q Salt Lake. The Pride Center
is accessible by Traxx or the 13th South Exit on I-15. I also went to DI which
I hadn’t in weeks and I bought some summer shirts and a glass Wexford flower
vase. I bought two thorn less Raspberry plants that were on sale at Sutherlands
for $4.00 each. I bought an heirloom tomato plant for 99 cents.
8 June 2018 Friday
I guess I
won't be going out at night without all my guard dogs in the car LOL... a guy
was pulled out of his car which got stolen last night on 13th West
and 10th North not too far from Chubby’s that my friends and I go to
but in the day time. Time for a little yard work before it gets too warm...
last evening began trimming back shrubs and deadheading… yard can get pretty
shaggy this time of the year if you don't stay on top of things but summer heat
will slow it all down. Already been out hoeing the vegetable patch... I see
squash and tomatoes sprouting already... and although my corn isn't as high as
an elephant's eye... It’s starting to shoot up. I've got two lazy old boys,
Buddy and Buster who won’t get up for
morning snacks so I have to have deliver them too them... what a life. Spent
two hours weeding and cutting irises and poppies back...had to come in it was
getting too hot even in the shade. It was about 95 degrees. If you are
wondering what happened to Club Jam its now “the Handle Bar” a straight bar for
bicyclists. America is now separating children from their parents and putting
them in concentration camps.
9 June 2018 Saturday
Two and a half hours in
the front yard, mowing, watering, digging up sod and chives and moving my rock
border so I can mow around it easier... I hope my neighbors appreciate my hard
work lol 95 degrees in Salt Lake City...cooler tomorrow I hear. About 1 Mike
Romero came over and we went down to the New Golden Dragon for some Chinese. I
ordered a large bowl of hot and sour with a couple of egg rolls. We ended up
taking most of it home. Then we went to WinCo market because Mike needed to do
some shopping. I bought a few things but really didn’t need much. The yard work
this morning just about wiped me out so just went to bed fairly early. Today is
my oldest sister’s 71st birthday.
10 June 2018 Sunday
The dogs were driving
me nuts last night up and down and I didn’t get much sleep and my tooth started
to ache so I couldn’t get back to sleep. Going to be a misery for a bit until I
can get in to see a dentist next week...a cavity I knew I had has finally hit a
nerve... needless to say slept very little... such is life. Its 30 degrees
cooler today than yesterday...about 65 degrees... I went down to the prison to
see Kyle from 1:00 to 2:30. He just chit-chatted and he told me about his new
position. He now gets paid $1.75 an hour
instead of a buck. I told him that at times it seems surreal that I would at
this time in my life be visiting a person in prison and be on a first name
basis with a killer. Craig’s friend Kevin talked to me a lot before and after
the visitation. I suppose he has few people he can talk to about Craig. At home
I finished draining the hot tub but didn’t feel up to cleaning it and refilling
it. Surprised to see that my summer squash is already producing... weird...
Rich brought Sophie and Miley over for me to watch probably for 3 weeks. Sophie
is still a hyper young dog but not nearly like she was last year as just a few
months old puppy. I have eight dogs at my house and tomorrow with Coco I will
have nine... I went to bed early worn out. Crooked Donald alienated all our
allies at the G-7 meeting and now we are quarreling with Canada. Everyone is
mad at us but Russia.
·
Bill
Poore-I can really tell Theatre is out of me, The Tonys are on tonight and I am
not watching them.
·
Me-Kyle
is watching
·
Bill
wow, hope he does not get beat up.
·
Me-He's
watching it with others and he's having a party... made a jail house cake..
·
Bill-that
is so gay....I don't know one show that is currently playing on
Broadway.....the last Tonys I actually was at live was when Torch Song won the
Tony.....I have so buried those years, sad I miss them a lot .
·
Me-I
only watch for the musicals the rest is boring
·
Bill
The thing that made them fun was I knew most of the people involved in the
Tonys plus a lot of the casts...Broadway is a small family.
11 June 2018 Monday
I called the
Centerville Dental Group and made an appointment at noon to have my tooth
looked at... I know I have a cavity and I just had them pull it rather than put
in a crown... Ouch... The crown would have been $600 and the extraction was
only $250 but what an excruciating experience... The tooth I had extracted
didn't want to come out... it broke into pieces and they had drill the broken
roots out... It hurt like hell even with the numbing. I went to Smith’s
afterwards to pick up antibiotics and pain medicine. .My teeth never want to
come out without a fight. I feel like I had been hit by a truck... and yes I
once was ran over by a car when I was 4 years old. I was kind of out of it the
rest of the day and I had Mike come pick up Coco because I knew I shouldn’t be
driving. I went to bed by 9 pm/
12 June 2018 Tuesday
Was up at 5 because of
the pups. Miss Sophie had a dirty bum so I had to give her a bath and then
strip the sheets off the bed. Since I was up I made some coffee and had a bowl
of Oatmeal. I decided I’d work some more on a story I have been writing called
Handmaiden of the Lord. I work on it then get writer block or fatigue and I
then but it away. My hand has been real sore lately and so I went down to the First Med Clinic this
morning about 8:30 to have the sore on my right hand just above my index knuckle
looked at. The doctor said it looked like an infected cyst. She had me take an x-ray
of my hand and then she tried lancing it which hurt like hell. What was in
there would not come out so she had to do minor surgery to cut it out. The
cute nurse looked like a young Ben
Afleck. My gum where I had the tooth pulled seems to be healing. Not so much
blood and ooze. I used an plant identifier app and I finally know the name of
this early pink flowering plant that blew in to my garden years ago its Centranthus
ruber or Red Valerian. It's a doggy Assembly line feeding eight dogs this late
afternoon and making sure they all get chicken and not let the hogs eat it all.
Both Harleigh and Miley wouldn’t get any if TJ and Sophie had their way.
·
Terry
McKeown And, with a hurt hand. You should get an award!!!!
13 June 2018 Wednesday
I went to Gay Men's
Sack Lunch at noon that is now held at the new Pride Center... a great bunch of
guys and was happy to see T.J. Otaka and Jim there as well as Charles Bigo and
Richard Harmston. Charles and Richard are heading to Canada tomorrow. Even though
the center is technical closed this week Robert Moolman was kind enough to let
us use the space for lunch. I just brought a McDonald’s happy meal and couldn’t
finish that. Lulubelle went to the Beauty Parlor for her summer do.... I think
she loves her new haircut or she is just happy to be back home...Maxx got a
pedicure... Harleigh and Buddy's turn is Friday...I would like to grub in the
dirt and tidy up my front yard but the doc said I can't get my hand dirty with
the stitches and I hate wearing gardening gloves... I like to feel the soil between
my fingers... I moved a row of rocks last weekend and dug a trench between the
grass edge and the border ... need to trim back the poppies now they are gone,
and the irises... my summer flowers are now getting ready to show their
colors... my Texas cactus has buds and I expect to see a cactus flower on it
soon... who'd think we live in a dry desert! The late afternoon sun was very
bright. Turned out to be hotter than I thought it would be 97 degrees. Yikes
This is the earliest I've ever had squash produce... I picked two summer
squashes that were small but I like them tender not fleshy with seeds... so I
am a proud gardener lol. I didn’t eat them but brought them over to Michael’s
along with some Oatmeal cookies I made in the afternoon.
14 June 2018 Thursday
It's going to be warm
today if at 6 a.m. it is already 81 degrees ... Met Bill Poore and Michael
Romero at the New Golden Dragon on State Street for lunch today. I had a huge
bowl of Hot and Sour Soup which I ended taking half home for later. Old Bill
was animated telling us a story using F-bombs when this guy from another table turned
around and said he should stop swearing as there were children nearby. I was
embarrassed because he was right but it didn’t faze Bill because he can’t hear
anyway. He doesn’t have his hearing aids in so he doesn’t know how loud he can
be. I guess it’s the school teacher still in me. Swearing in front of children
I suppose is nothing compared to the ripping of children out of the arms of
their mothers by the Pretender in Chief’s
New Gestapo. For Supper time ... I found two corned beef roasts while
cleaning out the downstairs freezer that I had bought 2 years ago ha! So guess
what the lucky pups had for supper tonight? Miley is so shy and Sophie will
steal his food so I have had to feed him his portion by hand or he wouldn't get
any. Lulubelle and Harleigh eat what falls out of Buddy's mouth and she cleans
the old boy up. He won’t stand to eat anymore so I set his dish between his
paws... doesn't move the whole time. Andy Dalrymple is working on updating
Wikipedia on the 300-foot Rainbow Flag that Bruce Barton made years ago. He is
also trying to link my writings to the Utah Pride Center’s web page.
·
Bill
Poore Thanks for going to lunch with me.....
·
Me-Thanks
for buying me lunch however next time I don't care how good your eyes are. I
want to pick you up if case we want to go somewhere afterwards.
·
Bill-I
know I missed the ride today....If Mike had not been there I was going to ask
you to go for a ride.....listen I want to go to the Museum of Natural History,
do you want to go with me as my guest? I want to check out the Indian things.
·
Me-Sure
find out when there's a Senior Discount
15 June 2018 Friday
When I got up this
morning went and worked in the vegetable garden some and gave the hounds some
beef ribs to gnaw on. Harleigh went to the doggie salon at the Dog Park at 10
this morning and I picked him up at noon. He got his summer cut and I also had
TJ’s nails done. $75 spent this morning... I was going to take Buddy down but
he was resting... maybe next week... he mostly just wants to sleep in his bed.
I don’t know that I will bother him with
being groomed until he gets too wooly. He’s so very thin now. Jim Dabakis
called me this evening to see if I wanted to go to a drag show with him
tomorrow and I said sure. Crooked Donald the Adulterer praised the glorious
leader of North Korea and Trump then said he wanted “my people” to sit up at
attention to him. Well I got news for the pretender We are not YOUR fucking
people... you work for us and you suck at it... Conservaturds just want a
dictator to impose their bigotry and fake religious convictions... If you are
not voting Blue you are complicit in the fall of the American Republican and spitting
of the graves of veterans. The Pretender of the United States of America told his
friends at Fox News that parents of soldiers killed in the Korean War asked him
on the campaign trail to bring their sons home. The age of such a parent would
be in the range of 110 to 120 years old.... Orrin Hatch on Wednesday said in
the Senate "The LGBT community deserves our unwavering love and support,
and the assurance that not only is there a place for them in this society, but
that it is far better off because of them. ” It's freezing in hell right now...
isn't he the guy who said the Democrats was the party of homosexuals? And that
he wouldn't want homosexuals to be school teachers? He must be getting ready to
die and has a lot of repenting to do. Hatch emphasized that LGBT youth need
help, and “we desperately need them” “We need their light to illuminate the
richness and diversity of God’s creations; we need the grace, beauty and
brilliance they bring to the world.” Too bad the directors of Provo's Freedom
Parade can't share the same sentiment. Nice that Hatch has finally caught up to
what I have been saying for 35 years. The Grand Dragon Jeff Sessions cited the
Bible to justify kidnapping children from their parents. That is as blasphemous
as burning a cross
16 June 2018 Saturday
Today is Grandma Johnson’s 119th birthday. I
went to bed so early yesterday around 7. I had intended to just lay down and
close my eyes but next thing I knew it was midnight and Harleigh barking to
come in. I guess I needed the sleep. Because I have no life spent all morning and
afternoon researching and transcribing Salt Lake newspaper articles from 1911
on a transgender woman William/Eva McCleery here in Utah from that time... I
posted it to my history page... That took most of my day when I had intended to
clean house. Oh well. I Had a fabulous fun evening. Jim Dabakis took me to the Once
Upon a Diva cabaret show. I really enjoyed the show by the Viva La Diva troop.
The costuming was unbelievable...and the dancing... they did songs from various
Walt Disney Musicals... I hadn't enjoyed a show this much in a very long time.
The 15 costumes were made by a cast member. The outfit from the Coco number was
brilliant as a skeleton dancer and the one from Let It Go from frozen got
people up on their feet applauding. It was so campy like in the good old days
before camp became politically incorrect. I'd say more than half of the
audience was straight women from the burbs with a mixture of Gay Men, Lesbians,
Bi-Sexuals, and straights. I miss the art form of camp that Jason Cozmo has
brought back. It was a long show. We got there at 7 pm and it started at 8 and
lasted until almost midnight. Poor Jim got a parking ticket when we left
because of a sign we didn’t see said no parking from 10 pm until 6 a.m. Jim
told me how the Provo Freedom Parade made the decision to include the five LGBT
groups that they at first excluded.. He contacted the Air Force Colonel who
allows fly overs during the parade and told him how the Parade Directors
thought they pulled a fast one by signing a nondiscrimination clause in their
contract with Provo but did not include it in the regulations of the parade.
Dabakis said he knew this officer had a Gay brother and he said absolutely he
would not agree to a fly over if the LGBT groups were not Included. Then Jim
called all the sponsors and politely thanked them but then informed them of the
exclusion of Gay Groups. He said that the mayor of Provo is also a member of
the Mama Dragons a support group for mothers who have LGBT children. After all
this the “all white male” directors of the parade caved and even waved the
groups fees and donated a float for them. Noticed when we drove by The Arctic
Circle on North Temple that it was closed and all the signage is gone. I just
went there a couple of weeks ago. The Arctic Circle on 9th South and State
Street is gone too. I wonder what is going on. I guess no more chocolate dipped
soft ice cream cones this summer. ICE the American Gestapo is forcing
immigrants into slave labor in private prisons, and imprisoning children ripped
away from their parents in abandoned Walmart’s. What else needs to happen to
understand that this process is identical to Nazi Germany? The GOP is
infiltrated with root rot... time for it to go and be called the American Fascist
Party it truly is
17 June 2018 Sunday
Happy Father's Day to my father, my Grandpa Williams,
and my Grandpa Johnson... Dad was once a police man in Lubbock Texas shortly
after I was born. Grandpa Williams was kind of stand offish but Grandpa Johnson
was a joy... loved to tease his grandkids. It was hot today around 90 degrees
and the house was not cooling off and nearly 88 degrees in the house. At first
I thought something was wrong with my A/C but later realize that the filter
needed changing. I usually change it 4 times a year on the 4 seasons but now I
bet I will need to on cross quarter days. Anyway spent most of the day really
deep cleaning the front room, pulling furniture from the walls and sweeping and
mopping, polishing, and vacuuming and it was a chore but the house was getting
to look like Miss Havisham's and I haven't been jilted. All English Lit majors
will get the reference. See my college education minor in English Literature
was not for naught. I have been so busy with the garden and typing up histories
that it kind of got away from me. It wasn’t filthy just needed cobweb, dust
bunnies, and debris beneath the furniture removed. When you have as many dogs
as I do there’s bound to be some pee spots too that needed taken care.. I washed
the pooches beds too. I also cleaned and rearrange the dining room also but I
will do the kitchen and bathroom tomorrow. I thought Michael would come over
today to take his camper as he is going to Colorado to see his brother John
over next week that he’s taking off for his birthday. I went down to Draper to
see Kyle. His visiting time was from 6:30 to 8 pm. I was kind of tired but
thought it was my duty to go. It was windy going down and it sprinkled some.
Dark clouds against the mountains so I bet we might get some thunder showers
which we did later in the night. It was kind of crowded because of it being
Father’s Day and sitting next to Kyle and I were Craig Crawford and his friend
Kevin. It’s so surreal. Kyle didn’t have much news except that the man he now
works for thinks he will be released to a half-way house as a cook in about 8
months or less. I told him all about my misadventures this week like having a
tooth pulled, a cyst on my knuckle removed, going to the Men’s sack lunch,
going to lunch with Bill Poore, and going with Jim to see Viva La Diva. I came
home to a still warm house so I slept with
my bedroom door wide open for the cooling breeze and the fresh smell of rain
drops. When are the General Authorities of the LDS church going to speak up
against the Trump/Sessions inhumane pogrom against children of asylum seekers?
I guess medical marijuana is a greater moral issue than ripping children out of
the arms of their mothers. Their silence speaks volumes.
·
Kevin
Scott Be assured it's not about their success/failure. North Temple closed
because of the criminal homeless doing drug deals right next to the drive-up
window. 800 South closed because a land developer is going to put a high-rise
apartment complex there. I am glad that 17th South is there because we like to
buy Lime Rickey for a shut-in friend. It is our tradition!
18 June 2018 Monday
The weather is much cooler today so worked
about 2 1/2 hours in the front and side yard pulling weeds and cutting down
over grown Virginia Creepers... Saw that I have a broken sprinkler pipe right
by the tree the city planted last fall. It’s on the Southside parking strip so
I didn't notice it until the other day... Another project for another day. The
hole is pooled up so I need to let it drain to see what I can do before calling
in for help. Michael left today for a week to Colorado so I won’t have to babysit
Coco nor take her home this week. That will help a little bit while I babysit
Sophie and Miley. I picked a big zucchini squash from the garden today.
19 June 2018 Tuesday
I didn’t have a restful sleep. My teeth started
aching again and kept me up for most of the night. I went back to the dentist
for round 2 because another tooth started throbbing last night so had little
sleep. I called Centerville Dental Group and they got me in at noon... My
dentist didn’t see anything serious wrong and thought the gums were
inflamed from food being lodged. The
dentist did say that one of my molars had a hole in it and to avoid a root
canal I had a crown put on it. Even with a $300 discount that cost me $750. ugh...
this is why I don't take expensive trips... it all goes to paying for dentist
work since Medicare does really pay for dental. However I deposited Kyle’s
refund from the state pension fund for $450 so it really only cost me $300. I
was there for two and half hours but it was less painful than having the tooth
extracted. In the evening I watched Key Largo and To Have and Have Not on
Filmstruck. Both starred Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart. ICE is proposing
building a prison in Salt Lake City...is this why NO Republican is speaking
out? Is this why the LDS church gave a like warm response that they are only
"troubled" by the Trump attack on families that are supposed to be
forever? Want to bet it will be built in the NW sector that the state stole
jurisdiction over? Welcome to Amerika once home of the brave and free. Hillary
Clinton said: "Those who selectively use the Bible to justify this cruelty
are ignoring a central tenet of Christianity …” Even Jeff Sessions own church
wants him sanction for his cruel order of separating children from their
parents
20 June 2018 Wednesday
Last day of Spring. I slept so much better last
night. Big Brother’s 20th episode will begin in another week so
watched who the guys will be on this season this morning before working on this
day in Gay History. I also made two batches of banana nut bread that I wanted
to bring to the Gay Men’s Sack Lunch group. I thought TJ and Jim would have
been there but they weren’t. I had brought squash to give them but I guess I
will save it for later. I like the men at the group and its almost what I had
envisioned Gay Men Aloud to have been… just people visiting and sharing.
Afterwards I went to the Marmalade Library and cancelled the reservations for
the history group there. I doubt whether I will ever go back there now… If I
want to go to the library I will go to the Riverside Day by my house. Back at
the house I mowed the front yard and tried fixing the broken PCV pipe there the
tree on the southside. It didn’t work but I think I know what I did wrong and
will try again tomorrow. Suppose to get really hot the rest of the week.
21 June 2018 Thursday
First day of summer and Michael Romero’s 62nd birthday. I
watered this morning before it got to hot, paid some bills, and went back to Sutherlands to get the right parts to fix
the broken PVC pipe out by the curb. Hopefully, It’s fixed now. Did a little
grocery shopping mainly more chicken for the pups supper. I checked my
sprinkler repair and all is looking good...sometimes I amaze myself... My Texas
cactus is blooming and has a pretty bright waxy yellow flower... I dug it up
over 20 years ago off my grandpa's place on the West Texas high plains and
carried it home to Utah in one of his snuff coffee cans he used to spit into...
the farm is gone now... sold off to a Mexican rancher who has turned the land
back into the way it was before the farmers came in the 1920s.... one of the
few things I have to connect me to my roots besides memories. I planted a magenta-colored
Hollyhock from seed last year but it never bloomed.. I transplanted it more in
the sun and now it's gorgeous...I think I got the seeds from Amy Barry a while ago.
Miley used to just sleep in the front room but now wants to be with the gang
but this is as close as he's going to get....Buddy sound asleep on the floor,
Buster in his nest, and the rest being bed hogs... where am I supposed to
sleep?
22 June 2018 Friday
I had the stitches in my hand taken out 45
minutes of waiting and 2 minutes taking them out. My squash is coming in...the
big zucchini surprised me... probably will make zucchini bread out of it... I
like summer squash but you can only eat so much of it... You have to stay on
top of them now or they will get away from you. I transplanted the peach tree
that was on the Northside of the deck down towards the veggie garden so it will
be easier to water. I don’t think my apricot tree made it at all. I am cooking
up some summer squash. Eating what I am growing. Eating squash from my garden sauteed in
butter . My first for the season .... there's something soul satisfying about
eating food you grow yourself... I dug up my peach tree I planted earlier in
the spring and transplanted it down by my garden where it will get more sun and
water... had the stitches taken out above my knuckle this morning so been
keeping busy...Made two loaves of zucchini bread with chocolate chips... it's
the only way I will eat zucchini... I need to buy some walnuts because I think
it's going to be a long hot zucchini summer... btw I save my egg shells and
crush them fine... sprinkle them around plants to deter snails and give the
plants some calcium
23 June 2018 Saturday
I went down to Draper to see Kyle this morning.
It was such a pretty day. We had a nice visit. There weren’t as many people
there as last Saturday so we had a table to ourselves. Kyle said he had been on
several “field trips” with his new position. He got 2 new pair of work jeans
and even went to Lowe’s and to Costco where his boss bought his crew lunch
there. Kyle said that it was strange for him to see so many people out and
about especially children after being locked up all these years. I can only
imagine. We talked about his wanting to go back to school in Construction
management also. He said he loved the PBS The Man in the Orange Shirt and I am
glad he got to watch that. After our visit I had a nice visit with TJ and Jim in
Daybreak...Jim can't go out into the sun for about a week due to a treatment by
his dermatologist... something called a blue light special ha! If you are old
like me you get the reference... TJ fixed some delicious beef and barley soup
and I brought them some zucchini bread, some squash, and some herbs, basil,
thyme, rosemary, and sage... we had a nice visit and the weather was gorgeous.
Michael brought the camping trailer and left it in the driveway. He said he was
too tired to move it into the side driveway.
24 June 2018 Sunday
I invited Bill Poore and Michael Romero over
for a Sunday dinner. Bill had wanted to come see the dogs and he brought me a hanging
basket of petunias. I cleaned the
house some with 8 dogs and it can get rather messy. Michael Romero said he ran
into bad wind, a hail storm, and got food poisoning in Rawlins at a Burger King
there so he wasn’t feeling all that well but I guess he had a nice time with
his brother. He said the IRS are after some back taxes on their father’s
estate. I wouldn’t be surprised if their inheritance is eaten up by it. I fixed
a pot roast with mashed potatoes and brown gravy, candied carrots, buttered
squash from the garden, green beans with bacon and homemade rye rolls. I ate
very little and sent most of it home with Bill and Michael along with zucchini
bread... It was a pretty day... not too hot... In the evening TJ posted that his sister had
called and said his father in Japan had passed away.
25 June 2018 Monday
Today is my sister Donna’s 69th
birthday. We use to be so close as kids but rarely speak anymore. We went in
different directions. Out in the morning hoeing my garden and picking squash
... the petunias are what Bill brought over yesterday ... the dogs love being
outside with me. I made some pancakes for breakfast and ate about half on just
one and I am full. Gone are the days of a big breakfast. I made some lemon blueberry bread this
morning but when I took them out of the oven they had collapsed in the middle ... I didn't
peek or jiggle anything... I am sure they will be fine but disappointed in the
presentation... oh well sometimes the magic works sometimes it don't. I Went
out this afternoon and bought me a Chinese Apricot Tree at Western Gardens
across from Trolley Square... much bigger tree than the one that died I had
bought at Sutherlands for the same price... I am thinking about Chad Keller who
died this day 11 years ago and how he planted all these flowers before he
died... in his own queer way he just wanted to make things more fabulous...I
saw a FB posting about Cielito Lindo on FB today. When I lived in California I
would eat at Cielito Lindo every time I was downtown in L.A. on Olvera Street. The taquitos and avocado salsa
is like nothing else in the world... one thing I really miss about Southern
California... Philippe the home of the original French Dip is about a block
away... so good... nothing in Utah comes even close
26 March 2018 Tuesday
I was Home by 7:30 from a meeting at the Utah Pride Center about
the formation of a history and legacy project ... lots of great ideas
proposed... it was good to see Dan Fahndrich and Doug Wortham at the meeting...Smaller
group than last time which is to be expected. Today should be a national
holiday for Gay folks. In 2003 the Supreme Court ruled in Lawrence v. Texas
consensual homosexuality was legal in the US. In 2013 the Supreme Court in the
United States v. Windsor the Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality
and in 2015 in Obergefell v. Kasich the Supreme Court ruled that all states
must recognize same sex marriages performed in other states. On the night of
June 27 and early morning June 28th the Stonewall Rebellion began in NYC. I am
done being civil to people who think it’s okay to put children in internment
camps... you bastards are in for a fight... we are voting. Nearly 140 years ago
Congress passed the racist Chinese Exclusion Act which barred Chinese from
immigrating to America. Not until 1943 was the act repealed. Sickening that
Crooked Donald and his bigoted administration is pulling the same shit today
against Muslims with the approval of the Republican appointed Justices. The
Supreme Court is using their judgement to limit freedom rather than expand it
as was the intent of the founders. "Cursed is one who subverts justice for
the immigrant, the orphan, and the widow, and let the entire nation say,
'amen.'" -Deuteronomy 27:19
27 March 2018 Wednesday
Got my watering done, mowed the front and back
yard, and cleaned out my wildflower beds and it's not even noon. At noon I Went
to the Wednesday Men’s sack lunch group to get out of the house...was able to
give away a bunch of summer squash as well as my blueberry lemon bread... what
was left over gave to the receptionist and some kid that looked hungry. Went to
the library to get a Stephanie Plum novel and an Agatha Christie mystery...
wanted to read some and take a break from writing... looking forward to Big
Brother 20 tonight but heart sick over Justice Kennedy retiring... the great
roll back of progress is coming... Sophie has had diarrhea and I have been
cleaning up after her. Don’t know what caused it but sure isn’t pleasant.
28 June 2018 Thursday
You know it's going to be hot when it's 82
degrees at 6 in the morning. Got my baking done early before it gets too hot...
had bananas that were begging to be made into bread...this time they didn't
collapse like my blueberry lemon bread did... baking the pups their chicken for
their supper too this morning... I watched Big Brother 20 this evening. It’s my
summer diversion. I got another letter from Kyle about checking into programs
for Construction Management. I think the best course if for me to make an
appointment to see a counselor at Weber State. I've been reading Agatha
Christie... what a great story teller...no wonder she sold millions of books...
29 June 2018 Friday
I had to give both Sophie and Buddy a bath this
morning because of dirty bums. I had to wash Sophie’s behind and I also washed
Buddy. Later outside I noticed that his rectum really looked infected. It made
me worry that perhaps he has cancer again and that is the cause of his weight
loss. I decided to go down to the Dog Park and cancel his grooming appointment
and make an appointment to see the vet. I am so worried about Buddy...he's lost
so much weight but he still eating until last night...he hardly touched his
food...His appointment is for tomorrow morning... I am afraid what his blood
work might suggest but will cross that bridge when I find out more. I was
bawling in the parking lot just over the thought I might have to put him down
if they give me a bad report. Michael Romero called to meet for lunch at the
New Golden Dragon. I ordered a lunch special but only ate the shrimp and hot
and sour soup. The rest I took home and gave to Michael for his supper. I made
a batch of oatmeal cookies today. I get these cravings for a oatmeal cookie but
how do you just make one? I was kind of out of it the rest of the day so
worried about losing Buddy. I gave him wet food instead of chicken hoping that
would help him eat and it did. I know he’s not suffering like poor Daisy, Lucky
and Farley. He’s just fading away. Alan Anderson called this evening to see if
I needed him to go with me tomorrow with Buddy and I said it was okay. I
thanked him and asked him if he wanted to go see a Viva Le Diva show this
summer and he said sure so I will get tickets for him and Michael. I doubt whether
I will get one for Kyle because he’s always gone. He’s in Mexico even now.
30 June 2018 Saturday
Last day of the month and the year is half over
now. I took Buddy down to the vet this morning and tried not to be bawling at
the prospect of losing him but I was weepy all the way down. I couldn’t control
my eyes. I dropped him off at 9 and hated to
leave him because I thought I wouldn’t be bringing him home. The vet called me
at noon and wanted me to come down and talk to her so I was expecting the
worse.... as I thought they said he has a tumor in his stomach that is causing
his weight loss... they said it's still early to think about putting him down
as long as he's still eating and drinking and active so I brought him home to
spend his final weeks here where he's the most comfortable... They gave me some
pain meds but they said he doesn't appear to be in pain and all his blood and
urine samples were good...His little butthole however was infected and they
gave me some medicated powder to help that heal. They said just feed him whatever
he wants and love on him until I know it's time to say goodbye... they all said
what a sweet gentle boy he is... I said he always has been... The vet bill was
$550 but at least I now know what to expect with Buddy. After taking him home
and was grateful he was able to come back home I went to the store and bought
all kinds of small wet food to get him to eat and surprisingly he had his
appetite and ate it all, which is a good sign but I was told he probably might only live a month more. I was so
emotionally drained that I took a nap in the afternoon and slept for several
hours as well as going to bed early. I picked Buddy up so he could sleep on the
bed with me. I got a message from Rich Butler that he will pick Sophie and
Miley up on the 4th. That’s a lot longer than I expected. They have
been good but it’s time for them to go back home. The national marches against
Crooked Donald’s Zero Policy that separates children from parents went on today
with several thousand marching here in Utah. I could only focus on one thing
today and that was Buddy’s welfare.
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