Spring 2nd Quarter Journal 1999 April-June

 

APRIL

2 April 1999 Friday

The Wasatch Chapter of Affirmation held 7th Gay and Lesbian Missionary Reunion held at the Metropolitan Community Church, 823 South 600 East in Salt Lake City.7:00 potluck - drinks, utensils, plates

Bio: Jim Dabakis came to Utah from Massachusetts to go to college in 1971.  Coming here was a necessity as there are no good institutions of higher learning in Massachusetts, at least that's the reason Jim gives. He is a return missionary and was active in Affirmation in its beginnings years. Dabakis was involved in radio and television from 1976 to 1989, and he has worked for all three major network television stations in Salt Lake as well as numerous talk radio stations.  Dabakis was awarded a Columbia-Dupont award (the highest award given in broadcast journalism) as well as an Emmy for his efforts.  He has been a guest on several national television shows including NBC's Today Show, CNN's Crossfire and The Phil Donahue Show. In 1989 he quit and moved to Eastern Europe.   In the 1990s Dabakis has become an international art dealer.  In the past two years he has been a driving force in fund raising and getting the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Utah built and running. Entertainment will include a short play written for the reunion and is entitled "Cruising Lingo," performed by The Provo Company.   The play makes references to the BYU film Johnny Lingo, and promises to be a lot of fun - not profound. Conference Sunday Fireside

 

4 April 1999 Sunday,

WASATCH AFFIRMATION 5:00 p.m. - Conference Sunday Fireside at Metropolitan Community Church(MCC)    823 South 600 East in SLC. Music, guest speaker Trevor Southey and light refreshments. Guest Speaker

Bio: Trevor Southey, an internationally recognized artist, was born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).   High school was a boarding school in South Africa where he met the Mormon missionaries.  Lorenzo Snow's famous couplet, "As man is God once was, as God is man may become," resounded in perfect harmony with his personal philosophy.  He quickly converted.    That life changing event was followed by art school in England, serving an LDS mission, and then immigration to the United States to attend Brigham Young University.   There he immersed himself in a philosophical revolution that shaped the course of his art, and the art of Utah, for the rest of the century. Southey quickly found himself among a group of students, including sculptor Dennis Smith and poet Carol Lynn Pearson, who formed the nucleus of the Mormon Art and Belief Movement.  During this period he also married and became a father.  He also became a faculty member of the BYU Art Department.  His art, both painted and sculptured, graces several church temples and visitor centers. In 1979 Southey left his post at BYU, and started his coming out process. This period brought him in contact with Affirmation:  Gay & Lesbian Mormons. To many Gay Mormons, Southey's most well known piece of art may well be the jacket cover of the book Peculiar People:  Mormons and Same-Sex Orientation. However, those who have followed art in Utah know well his acclaim, the power of his art and the controversy that some of his work has caused.   Two of his better known paintings are "Flight Aspiration," and "Prodigal Son."   "Flight Aspirations" was commissioned by the Salt Lake Airport Authority and was displayed there in the early 1980s for a few months - until a few voices created such a controversy, that the airport took it down.    One indignant viewer huffed, would "inspire children to rape and murder."  That accusation, was far more reflective of a troubled libido than of Southey's painting.  "The fact is," Southey later noted, "that people looking for the painting were disappointed.  It was not at all prurient." Southey's "Prodigal Son," not only created controversy when it was first shown several years ago, but again in 1997 while on display at the University of Utah during the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Affirmation and the 19th annual Affirmation International Conference.   The controversy created news for local T.V and newspapers, as well as campus newspapers across the United States.   "Prodigal Son" was part of an art show of several famous Gay Mormon Artists connected with the conference. Trevor Southey is a spiritual man who has much to share through his art and in person.   One profound quote if his is, "Life is a cyclical process . . . Innocence is an important part of that changing.  Innocence, not ignorance, is an ongoing optimism within one's own heart." Southey currently resides in the San Francisco Bay area. Affirmation members, family and friends, and all interested are welcome to attend.

 

7 April 1999 Wednesday

Alternative Garden Club 730pm at the Garden Center in Sugar House Park  East end by the Rose Garden. The Women's Health’s Hands on Lecture-Breast Cancer held at the Center. The Saly Lake Acting Company presented "Gross Indecency - The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde"

 

9 April 1999 Friday

I read that Joe Redburn, one of the nation's original talk show hosts from the 1960s, has his own talk show now on KOVO, from 6-8 p.m. weekdays.

BRADLEY CAMPAIGN NAMES GAY & LESBIAN FOCUS GROUP SALT LAKE CITY - Salt Lake City mayoral candidate Jim Bradley appointed on April 9 a gay and lesbian focus group to help his campaign staffers raise funds and develop opinions about matters which are important to gay and lesbian city voters. The group will meet with the staffers throughout the campaign. Gay Utah Democratic leaders David Nelson and David Thometz among others serve as campaign focus-group members and are quick to emphasize that the group is unique in state politics. "The only other Democratic campaigns to have created groups like ours were those for President Clinton, former U.S. Rep. Wayne Owens and former congressional nominee Lily Eskelsen," Nelson said. "Jim's creation of our group is evidence of his continuing commitment to us. As with his deciding and historic Salt Lake County commission vote in 1992 to adopt the county non-discrimination laws, Jim not only looks for our help, but makes our equal rights and inclusion a reality." "Jim earned the endorsement of the state-party Gay and Lesbian Caucus recently as he did in three previous campaigns by proving that his campaign has the right stuff to win -- a history of accomplishment, a policy of inclusion and a real chance of victory over his opponents," Thometz said. "I'm honored to serve as one of his gay and lesbian advisors." Paid for by David Nelson and authorized by Bradley for Mayor Committee Pillar (Salt Lake City) May 1999 Page 11

 

10 April 1999 Saturday

My birthday is on a Saturday this year so I didn’t have to take the day off from Orchard Like I usually do on my birthday. The faculty Sunshine Committee gave me a plant yesterday which was kind of nice. I didn’t do anything special just worked in the yard pulling weeds and cleaning out flower beds. It’s still too early to plant a garden but I am itching to start grubbing.

The Salt Lake Men's Choir held a spring Concert "Turn the World Around" at the All Saints Episcopal Church 1710 S Foothill Blvd The Utah Pride Committee presented "Pride Comedy Jam" at the U of U Fine Arts  Auditorium for a fundraiser. Kim Russo is the Pride Day director now that Jeff Freedman moved away

 

11 April 1999 Sunday

The Wasatch Mountain Bears had a Sunday Brunch at the Santa Fe Café up Emigration Canyon Road. GLSEN (Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network) met at the center  at 2pm upstairs at the Center then hosted a fundraiser Movie at Brewvies called the "Hollow Reed" 

 

12 April 1999 Monday

The Women's Book Club discussed "The Memory Board" by Jane Rule upstairs at the Center. The book was available at Inklings 

 

13 April 1999 Tuesday

East High Parents Call on Principal to Resign After Presentation on Homosexuality East High Parents Want Principal Out  Byline: BY HILARY GROUTAGE THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Nearly 300 people packed a meeting of the East High School Community Council on Monday to protest a six-minute presentation last Friday by the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA). The presentation was part of the school's annual multicultural assembly and was approved by Principal Kay Petersen. At Monday's meeting, Petersen took responsibility for the presentation that outlined historical events significant to homosexuals and told the crowd he would retire at the end of the school year  --  a decision that has been made for months and had nothing to do with the latest firestorm surrounding the school's gay club.  "If there was a lapse of sensitivity, it's mine," he said. "I see people stand up and dodge bullets all the time, but you're not going to see a man do that here. I'm telling you, if anyone erred, I erred. I did it based on what I thought was legal and right." The presentation included information about symbols such as the pink triangle and the rainbow flag; definition of the words gay, lesbian, bisexual, dyke and faggot. There was mention of the Stonewall Riots of 1969, and communities in the United States that are more accepting of gay and lesbian residents than other places. The presentation also included a list of famous people who are gay, lesbian or bisexual. Other presentations in the multicultural assembly included dances from Africa, Fiji, Tahiti and Samoa. All non-curricular clubs in the Salt Lake City School District were banned in 1996 rather than allow a gay club to meet, but students formed a Gay Straight Alliance and have continued to have weekly meetings at the school under provisions of the Utah Civic Center Act, which allows groups with outside sponsors to rent space from the school for meetings. The GSA's sponsor is the Gay, Lesbian Straight Education Network of Utah, or GLSEN.    At issue for many parents was a rule new at East this year that made the attendance at the assembly mandatory. Students who were offended at the content of the presentation and tried to leave were told they had to return to their seats. Assembly coordinator Ann Storey said the mandatory attendance requirement was put in place to curb neighborhood crime and truancy that had become a problem during other assemblies.  Parent after parent stood at the Monday meeting and said GSA's presentation did not belong in the assembly at all and that a sensitive administration would have provided an alternative activity for students who were offended. Many of the parents called on Petersen to resign.    But as in past years, the gay community heralded Petersen's actions. After the 1996 club ban, GLSEN held its first national convention in Salt Lake City and gave Petersen an award for his support of students who wanted to form a gay    club. Petersen continues to downplay the award, saying that he is not an advocate for homosexuality, just for children. And he believes that every student has the right to feel safe at school. Gay students frequently do not, he said.     Indeed, GSA historian Ben Vigil said he was taunted in the locker room after Friday's assembly.  "They kept repeating things from the presentation and calling me a faggot. I reported it to the teacher right away," he said. "But my PE teacher is a woman, and she couldn't really go down into the locker room.  "We should be able to express our culture in the multicultural assembly," he said.     GLSEN/Utah issued a statement thanking Petersen for including the GSA in the assembly. "The struggle for gay rights is a continuation of the civil rights movement," said GLSEN/Utah Co-Chairwoman Tracy Vandeventer. "GLSEN/Utah recognizes Kay Petersen and the students as heroes. " Parent and former school teacher Pam Nielsen was one of many in attendance who did not see it that way.   "As a graduate of East High, the daughter of graduates of East High and a retired teacher, I think your judgment stinks," she told Petersen. "I've had it, by godfrey, and if this happens again, I will take him [her son] out of the school," she said as she pointed a finger toward Petersen. The School Community Council heard more than one hour of comments on both sides of the issue before chairwoman Alta Davis issued a plea for tolerance and understanding.   "Please go home and talk with students about tolerance with one another," she said. "No one wants to see another division of students over this."

 

14 April 1999 Wednesday

The  Gay Straight Alliances of East High, West High and Cottonwood High met with Utah State House Representative Jackie Biskupski upstairs at the Center  Later that evening the Lesbian Fertility Lecture Series: You Don't Need a Man! Was held 7pm at The Center.

            I read a warning about 1999 Salt Lake City’s Jordan River Park. "There is a guy frequenting the park who is moderately young and good looking but is a cop. Beware he is sleek and will get you to touch or watch him first to take your cock out and then arrest you."

 

15 April 1999 Thursday

A meeting of Utah Lawyers for Human Rights was held at 7pm upstairs at the Center

 

16 April 1999 Friday

The lesbian bar Paper Moon hosted the Sick and Wrong Comedy Tour '99 featuring Houston's own Vicky Shaw, San Franciscan Becky Pedigo and Utah's own Janine Gardner

 

17 April 1999 Saturday

I went to the Diversity is Great (DIG)  Awards recognition banquet today held at the  Salt Lake Hilton because Chuck Whyte was given a Life Time Achievement Award

 

Courts Summary Judgment Sought by Both Sides in Suit Over Banning Clubs in Schools Byline: BY HILARY GROUTAGE THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE    Attorneys on both sides of a federal civil rights lawsuit challenging a decision that bans most clubs in Salt Lake City schools asked a federal judge on Friday to grant a motion for summary judgment.    The lawsuit was filed last year by East High School students who claimed the Salt Lake City School District banned their club, the Gay Straight Alliance, while allowing other clubs to meet.  The dispute began in 1995 when a group of students sought permission to form the East High Gay-Straight Alliance, a support group for gay, lesbian and bisexual students and their friends.    The district reacted in February 1996 by banning all clubs that were not tied to school curriculum. Dozens were eliminated, including Young Republicans and Democrats, Students Against Drunk Driving, the Beef Club and the Polynesian Club. Students Ivy Fox and Keysha Barnes, along with their parents, are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York-based gay rights group Lambda Legal Defense Fund. They sued the district, claiming the policy was unconstitutional.  A group called The Gay-Straight Alliance, different from the one involved in the federal court case, continues to meet at East High under the Utah Civic Act. The group rents space from the high school and has an outside sponsor, the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, which provides an adult adviser and liability insurance for the group.   U.S. District Judge Bruce Jenkins took the matter under advisement, meaning he could rule in lieu of a trial in favor of one side or the other.   In arguments Friday, Assistant Utah Atty. Gen. Dan R. Larsen said the plaintiffs had failed to show a single instance where they had been banned from talking about homosexuality.  "Without showing there's an event where they've been restricted in their speech, they have no First Amendment case," he said. But Jon Davidson of Lambda said the policy banning discussion of gay issues in curriculum-related clubs and eliminating all other clubs amounts to a violation of the First Amendment. "They did it intentionally because they didn't want gay-supportive viewpoints expressed," Davidson said.     Specifically, the lawsuit targets the Future Business Leaders of America, Future Homemakers of America, West High's National Honor Society, The Improvement Council at East, and Odyssey of the Mind, a group that teaches students problem solving at West High School. Larsen argued there is no need for the clubs' primary purpose to be curricular. Instead, he said there only needs to be a significant connection between the club and schoolwork. Among the clubs reviewed in the Salt Lake City School District this year was the Rainbow Club, which was to be a club where students could freely discuss homosexuality and its history. Associate Superintendent Cindy Siedel, who processes all club applications, said after the hearing the Rainbow Club is the only one whose review still is pending. "They're treating it differently than all the other clubs," Davidson said after the hearing.  Jenkins said the issue of the Rainbow Club was not to be included in the lawsuit because it was added after the suit was filed.    Before taking the arguments under advisement, Jenkins made a statement in support of diversity and tolerance.   "I sometimes wonder if school boards at more levels ought to add to their curriculum a class in tolerance, a class in compassion, a class in human dignity, a class on recognizing that not everybody's the same," he said. The hearing marked the end of an unsettling week for students involved in the GSA. On Monday, some 300 parents packed a meeting of the School Community Council to protest a six-minute presentation on homosexuality that was shown as part of the school's annual Multi-Cultural Assembly on April 9.    Several parents asked East High Principal Kay Petersen to resign because he allowed the presentation.    For his part, Larsen used the presentation to try to prove that homosexual viewpoints are expressed at East High School.

 

The Western Trans-sexuals Support Network met upstairs at the Center. Engendered Species met at 7pm at the Stonewall Coffee Shop at the Center. The 4 Women Poetry Reading was  upstairs at the Center

The Wasatch Mountain Bears had a Video Party 730pm at Pete and Blair's 1764 South 600 East

 

The Utah Democratic Gay and Lesbian Caucus hosted the 10th annual Salt Lake County democratic convention caucus meeting at Bryant Intermediate School 40 S  800 E. 17 April 1999 GAY AND LESBIAN CAUCUS TO MEET AT COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CONVENTIONSALT LAKE CITY - Utah Democratic Gay and Lesbian Caucus leaders are planning to host the 10th annual Salt Lake County Democratic convention caucus meeting at 8:00 a.m. on April 17 at Bryant Intermediate School at 40 South 800 East. Caucus leaders are also planning to encourage group members to endorse candidates for elected party offices and for elected public offices including city mayor. Convention officials are planning to host a straw poll among delegates for Democratic mayoral candidates Ross Anderson, Jim Bradley, Dave Jones and Stuart Reid. Caucus leaders are also planning to accept nominations for elected caucus offices. Nominations will be accepted until the caucus elections at the state-party convention caucus meeting in May.

 

18 April 1999 Sunday

Salt Lake City Viewing documentary "Gay Youth: An Educational Video for the Nineties" with a discussion on related issues.   Meeting at Metropolitan Community church in Salt Lake, 823 South 600 East. Video Review: Gay and lesbian youth are a great risk in our culture: The Report on Youth Suicide, published in 1989, found that of all suicides committed in the United States each year by people between the ages of 15 and 24, fully 30% are gay and lesbian youth.  This group of young people suffers extreme isolation and is especially vulnerable to drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, and physical and verbal violence.   "Gay Youth" has been called a "milestone" - it breaks the silence surrounding adolescent homosexuality in a way that is both powerful and accessible.  It contrasts the suicide of 20-year old Bobby Griffith with the remarkable life of 17-year old Gina Guiterrez. This video shows that information, acceptance, and support can make enormous difference in the lives of these young people. "'Gay Youth' let’s lesbian and gay young people and their families tell their seldom heard stories.  It depicts both the pain of growing up on the margins of an intolerant society - and the joy of achieving self-acceptance and confidence."- Frances Kunreuther, Director, Hetrick-Martin Institute, NYC.

 

Ousted GOP Conventioneers Claim Rights Violations Federal lawsuit demands damages from S.L. County, GOP, various officials for arrests in April of 1998 Byline: BY DAN HARRIE THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE    A pair of ultra-conservative Republicans arrested a year ago for "trespassing" at a Salt Lake County GOP convention filed a federal suit Friday, claiming violation of their civil rights and false arrest.    Tom Draschil and Ruth Hernandez Robinson are seeking unspecified monetary damages from Salt Lake County, the county Republican Party and various party and government officials involved in the April 18, 1998, arrest.    Also joining the suit is former U.S. Senate candidate Hartley Anderson, who had political pamphlets confiscated from his table at the convention.   Anderson altered his planned convention speech to devote his remarks entirely to the arrests and seizure of printed materials. That change, claims Anderson, may have cost him the election. "Had Anderson not been required to change his presentation, he believes he would have been successful in persuading sufficient additional delegates to have placed in a run-off primary with incumbent Sen. Robert Bennett," according to the suit. The complaint was filed by Matthew Hilton, a Springville attorney who has championed a number of political and moral causes. He is perhaps best known for representing Utah County parents attempting to remove lesbian school-teacher Wendy Weaver from her post. Draschil, a former congressional candidate in Utah's 3rd District, is a co-founder of the conservative Utah Republican Assembly. Trespassing charges brought by Salt Lake City against him and Robinson for distributing unauthorized literature at the convention were thrown out of court last year. Judge Sheila McCleve found that the two were exercising free-speech rights when arrested at the Republican Convention, held in the Salt Lake County-owned Salt Palace.    The suit's claims include alleged violation of free speech, denial of due process, interference with a campaign, illegal search and seizure, false arrest, infliction of emotional distress and conspiracy.

MAY

1 May 1999 Saturday

Well it’s the Merry month of May and my yard is in full bloom with irises and honey suckles. This month is crazy because of all the cramming and  reviewing we do for the end of level testing. My 5^th graders are already like 6^th graders and want to move on and be done with school. The school year is weird because Memorial Day is on the last day of May so we will have field day the first week in June.

 

2 May 1999 Sunday

I went to the center to hear Doug Wortham speak for a Wasatch Affirmation fireside. I don’t seem to know any of the people there any more as we have all moved on. I know Duane Jennings but the Reconciliation people like Duff Dazely really don’t like me. Doug was the founding member and past director of Salt Lake Chapter of GLSEN - Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network and teaches French at Judge Memorial. He asked me back then to join but I didn’t dare be any more public than I am already as a teacher in elementary school He’s currently the acting director of the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Utah until they hire someone to replace Monica Predovich.  Doug spoke on what's happening in the public schools of Utah, services being provided and how Affirmation and interested individuals can serve in the community to assist in meeting these needs. 

 

4 May 1999 Tuesday

Gayle Ruzicka of the Harpy Forum is challenging the state’s health curriculum. “Outspoken conservatives from Utah's Eagle Forum are waging opposition to proposed changes in the health curriculum for the state's junior, middle and high schools. Gayle Ruzicka, president of the politically powerful organization, led the group's position against adding any talk in classrooms about contraceptives, communicable diseases, self-exams for genital cancer and gender roles at a public hearing Monday on the revised lesson plans.  "I suggest the committee throw out (this) curriculum and start over," Ruzicka said from a classroom at Orem High School. Her prepared comments were broadcast to schools statewide over the Utah Education Network's video-conferencing system. Ruzicka's group and other concerned parents prepared similar statements to read during the public-comment period of the meeting. In contrast, many parents and educators supported the plan, saying that teens need solid health and medical facts to help them make decisions. Members of a committee that updated the 12-year-old curriculum only took comment and did not respond to questions or comments. Within the revamped curriculum, teachers would be asked to explain to students the reproductive anatomy of males and females, help identify means to prevent early pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases and list options, including adoption, for young women who are pregnant. Teachers also would be asked to explain the importance of some nutrition, medical and health issues, including nutrition supplements, breast and testicular self-exams and Pap smears. Ruzicka said a "mixed message" is sent when information is given about both abstinence and contraceptives. Condoms, she said, are obviously not as effective as abstinence in the fight against HIV, AIDS and pregnancy. "I would strongly suggest that programs such as these . . . run counter to beliefs of people in this state," added Scott Bradley from a site in Logan. He said the lesson plans would further strengthen secular bureaucracies and usurp the authority of parents to deal with sex education. State law requires teachers to receive parental approval before starting discussions about contraceptives. In addition, the Utah State Board of Education's policies restrain teachers from advocating contraceptive use for unmarried minors. Utah teachers also must advocate abstinence and cannot discuss erotic behavior, sexual stimulation or homosexuality as a preferred, alternative lifestyle, said Margaret Rose, health education specialist of Utah's State Office of Education. "Some of the health issues our young people face have changed," said Rose, explaining why the curriculum was rewritten by a committee of educators, health professionals, parents and administrators. "Back then, there wasn't such a thing as Creatine and breakfast-in-a-can." Rose said that in two public hearings, parents on both sides of the debate about teaching safe-sex methods have spoken out. "Parents are addressing both sides of that issue," she said. "Really, it is a parental rights issue." Added teacher Sandra Vauser, a proponent of the curriculum: "More students are going to make poor decisions if they haven't been given the facts." Also included in the curriculum are ways to help teens develop healthy relationships with their peers and parents. Teachers also would broach issues swirling around suicide, anger management, mental illness and nonviolent ways to settle conflicts. Given the tragedy at Colorado's Columbine High School and the rash of deadly threats in schools across the Wasatch Front  “we need at our schools to address being kind to one another," Rose said. "These character values are values we would want for members of our community," she said. "We are all aware that this is an area we need help in. Spend time in any junior high or high school and you'll see we need to take an active role in that." A draft of the changes can be found on the Internet at www.usoe.k12.ut.us/curr/health/core.htm. Rose said members of the state education board will receive the final recommended copy at the end of this week and plans to address the proposals May 14. Parents can submit written comments about the health curriculum until that time.

 

5 May 1999 Wednesday

The Utah Gay Latino Association held a  Cinco de Mayo Pot luck at the Center tonight.

 

6 May 1999  Thursday

JOHN JOHNSON of    West Jordan Letter to the Editor   It is frightening to witness the ever increasing hatred of people who are different within our own communities. Kosovo highlights where this road leads as we continue to focus more on our differences rather than our similarities. Shamefully and consistently religion/Christianity is used as the rationale for our "moral" abhorrence of each other, "for surely God agrees with me in my condemnation of you."    America has witnessed 13 murders of gay individuals since the slaying of Matthew Shepherd in Wyoming. The frequency and ferocity of these attacks are rapidly escalating in our oh-so-civilized society. The frenzied cries of parents to the East High School principal to resign for simply including everyone's children in a multi-cultural assembly show us where our children are learning to fear and hate each other, for children must be taught to fear or hate so passionately. My education at Ricks College, BYU and experience as an LDS missionary unfortunately did not prepare me for entering the work force and living in the real world. Enriching opportunities like East High's cultural awareness assembly can only better prepare students to harmoniously coexist with their co-workers, employers, neighbors and even family members. The verbal attacks of the gay children by students after the assembly and previous physical assaults of their parents and vandalism of their property exemplifies the need for such experiences now.    I look forward to the day when the use of the "F" word is as socially unacceptable as the "N" word is today. Until such time, God help us to learn to truly love each other unconditionally and appreciate our differences and gifts which can make our world a more enriching place to livenow, rather than later. For God obviously celebrates diversity, otherwise why would we all be made with so many varying sizes, pigments, traits and characteristics?    JOHN JOHNSON    West Jordan

 

7 May 1999 Friday,

Ha! Ha! The Republican candidate who ran against Jackie Biskupski and supported by Gayle Ruzicka last years was arrested. “Ex-Legislative Hopeful Faces Multiple Charges Contractor and former legislative candidate Bryan J. Irving has been arrested on state charges of money laundering, theft and forgery in an alleged scheme that also implicates two vice presidents at First Security Bank. Irving, who lost a November District 30 House race against Salt Lake City insurance agent Jackie Biskupski, was booked into Salt Lake City's Metro jail Wednesday and released on a $5,000 bond. He was arrested by special agents with the FBI and detectives from the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. Charged in March were Clement Jackson, a former vice president of First Security Bank, and Durrell Dibb, a First Security senior vice president now on paid administrative leave. Both were released on their own recognizance after brief court appearances. Dibb, 39, is charged with second- and third-degree felony theft of services, theft by deception, forgery, tampering with evidence and tampering with a witness. Jackson, 44, is charged with second-degree felony theft of services and six counts of third-degree forgery.     Irving, 33, is charged with five separate second- and third-degree felonies.  According to investigators, Irving was one of several vendors the bank executives used for personal projects that were later billed to the bank. "I trusted somebody and it didn't work out the way it was indicated to me," Irving said Thursday. "I really can't comment about anything." Irving has worked for several years as a contractor and is currently the general contractor for a remodeling project at The Salt Lake Tribune. The FBI was investigating his involvement with the First Security executives during last November's election campaign.

 

Renee H. Van Wagoner Ogden Letter to the editor- We must be more tolerant According to an Associated Press excerpt from Deseret News, April 25, quoting a member of "the outsiders, called the Trench coat Mafia," in Littleton, Colo., a "youth told . . . that life for members of his group was hell . . . pure hell." He said that athletes at the school called him "faggot," bashed him into lockers and threw rocks at him as he rode his bike home. Another recorded incident, in a school parking lot, had a young man bound, with a noose around his neck, the other end tied to the bumper of a car. One student revved the motor while others chanted, "Die, fag, die." Isolated incidents? Not on your life. "Fag," "faggot" and "queer" are now the insults of choice among our high school youth. Unfortunately, the Salt Lake School Board, the Eagle Forum's witch hunt of outstanding teachers (who happen to be gay or lesbian), the 1996 Legislature, to name a few, give a dangerous message to our youth. So do adults, who would never let an ethnic slur pass, but who ignore the epithets mentioned above. They validate, yes, encourage those very kinds of activities engendered against students by their peers. During the 11 years I worked at a local high school, I heard homosexual hate words spoken every day. Because I know many outstanding gay individuals, I was especially sensitive to, and pained by, those hate words. I wonder how lacerating they were to a young person struggling with self-esteem and sexual identity. Most gay students would never dream of turning a gun on others. All too often, though, they do turn a gun on themselves. There is never an excuse for any kind of violence such as the massacres or the mistreatment of one student by others, but there may be reasons. Are we looking deeply enough? Could it be that our attitudes and words to our youth are conveying the message that it is OK to hurt another if that other is different from ourselves? Are we unthinkingly, or, heaven forbid, intentionally part of the problem?

 

8 May 1999 Saturday

Utah Gay Latino Association held a fundraiser party at the Radio City Lounge with Latino Entertainers cover $5

 

RICHARD B. TEERLINK of  Salt Lake City Letter to the editor- Irrational Hatred   I am writing in support of the actions of Kay Peterson, the principal of East High School. I am a retired AP Biology teacher. I taught at Kearns High School for 30 years. My children attend schools in Salt Lake City School District and both graduated from Highland High School. My children and I experienced in the schools, on an almost daily basis, the intense,  irrational hatred of homosexuals. The worst epithet that a student can hurl is "faggot" and "dyke." I heard it all the time and rarely do teachers or students try to stop this behavior.     My claim that it is irrational is based on the evidence from modern biology and psychology that homosexuality is not chosen. It is simply one of the endless ways that all of humanity is diverse. The hatred has its roots in Christianity and Mormonism in our particular community. I see a parallel here with Nazi Germany. If it were not for the anti-Semitism of the Catholic and Lutheran Churches in Germany, Hitler's virulent anti-Semitism would never have taken root. Just as Germany, and much of the world, was blind to their own irrational hatred of Jews, so is this community blind to the hatred of homosexuals. The hatred is wrong and unjust.     I am very proud of the way that Kay Peterson, his choices and policy, took a stand against irrational hatred. I see Salt Lake City School District as being frightened to stand against this irrational hatred. That Kay Peterson received no support for his decision to allow a six-minute presentation about the discrimination against homosexuals at an assembly at East High School is appalling.     It sends a chilling message to teachers and administrators that if you take a stand against the irrational hatred of homosexuals you will be abandoned to face on your own the hateful judgments that Kay Peterson received. Kay Peterson's courage to stand against irrational hatred is rare in this community. 

 

Jennifer Beckstrand of Centerville Letter to the Editor in THE DESERET NEWS- Gay group disrespectful Concerning the controversy surrounding the Gay/Straight Alliance presentation at East High recently, some people have cried that those who opposed the presentation are being intolerant. Tolerance is a word that is often used to elicit an emotional response. But those supporting the presentation don't really believe in tolerance. They believe in forwarding an agenda. If these people really believed in tolerance and respect, they would have tolerance for others' religious beliefs. The Gay/Straight Alliance knows very well that many parents of Utah high school students believe homosexuality to be morally wrong, yet in their intolerant and disrespectful way chose to parade their agenda across the stage at East High to a captive audience. If that is not a blatant disregard for the feelings of others, I don't know what is.  For many in this community, this is not a cultural issue, it is a religious one. Don't wave the word "tolerance" in front of the parents who are only trying to protect their children according to their religious beliefs.

 

9 May 1999 Sunday

SUZANNE TRONIER, of Salt Lake City Letter to Editor:  Political Correctness The reason that "political correctness" has become a pervasive part of the dialogue of public life is because it is really a common sense, if overly simplified, attempt at "ethical correctness."  Ella Fawcett (Forum, April 24,) was horrified when her son was subjected to the "politically correct" notion that gays and lesbians deserve respect. Political correctness has also advanced the ideas that women and ethnic minorities should not be maligned based on gender or ethnicity.  Political correctness makes it not OK to target mentally- or physically-handicapped people for sport.  Political correctness even demands that the religious be treated with respect even if many of their beliefs seem absurd or even offensive to others.  Introducing high school students to the idea that all of the above are deserving of respect is but a small inoculation against the kind of hatred Ms. Fawcett displays.  Assemblies such as the one at East High can send the message that the school does not support the targeting of ethnic or sexually-oriented minorities for derision, harassment or beatings; something that still goes on all the time. Apparently the Salt Lake City school board disagrees.  How many gay students need to be chained and beaten to death before the mainstream shows a bit of compassion?  How many school shootings will have to occur before there is any public will to address the hateful mine field our children pick their way through every day? Tolerance will not make your children gay, but intolerance will surely make them ugly and even terribly dangerous. –

 

GENE SARTAIN, Salt Lake City Letter to editor:  Intolerant Community  I write this letter from the perspective of a public school teacher of 22 years, a parent of present and graduated East High students, and a member of the heterosexual persuasion.  Recently I asked my son, who had attended the multicultural assembly, what was the big commotion about.  He replied that he didn't know.  He recounted to me that the Gay Straight Alliance presentation merely provided historical information and defined words relevant to gay culture.     How enlightened and tolerant is our Christian community here in Salt Lake city?  Are we all not human beings desiring peace, love, joy and acceptance in our lives?  Where does this fear of diversity come from?  Would the tragedy in Littleton, have been avoided had parents taught their children to respect all people?  Would Christ shun or embrace gays?–  

 

GARY and MILLIE WATTS, Provo Letter to the editor:  Ignorance Is Bliss? The negative reaction of so many parents of East High School students to the presentation by the Gay/Straight Alliance at the recent multicultural assembly saddens us.  It is difficult for us to understand why other parents would want their own children to be so uninformed of the reality of the lives of our gay children.  It can only come from a basic misunderstanding about the causes of homosexuality.     Some parents seem to feel that exposure to information about homosexuality will somehow influence their own children to become homosexual. That is a myth.  Homosexuality is not chosen.  It is not contagious.  It is experienced honestly and involuntarily by a small percentage of our brothersand sisters and will continue to be. Learning about the feelings and perceptions of those that are some what different from the majority can only enhance tolerance and understanding and lessen the feelings of isolation and disenfranchisement experienced by thosein the minority.–

 

JASON YOCOM, Salt Lake City Letter to the Editor:  Violence Learned     The violence in Littleton, Colo., is one manifestation of an American culture hinged on anger and divisiveness.  I work with seventh and eighth-grade students who, when confronted with a conflict, usually react with a violent expression, or a desire to do violence to solve their problems.  This is not innate, this is learned.  It is not learned solely through television, movies, or playing endless hours of violent video games, it is learned through a combination of these forces and examples which teach that violence is how one solves a problem. It is learned through examples which teach not to celebrate difference and our common bond of humanity, but to destroy each other based on difference and ignorance. It is amazing that anyone survives adolescence, and for those of us that do, we need to take an introspective look at the anger and hatred we are capable of, and that we exhibit and teach by example to the youth who look to us for guidance.  Rushing to draft gun legislation, or to speak out about violent video games and television programs may make us feel better, but it does little to stop the problem.     We don't need to feel better, we need to help children feel better.  We need to help them feel better about themselves, and to give each and every one of them a stake in creating the future of this nation.  (For parents at East High, this includes gay and lesbian students.)  The sooner we stop insulating ourselves from each other, the sooner we make progress toward peace.

 

11 May 1999 Tuesday

TEXT OF THE LETTER:     Area Authority Seventies, Stake Presidents, Mission Presidents, Bishops, Branch Presidents, and all Church members in California (to be read in the priesthood and Relief Society meetings of each ward and branch by a member of the stake presidency or high council on May 23 or May 30, 1999)

Dear Brethren and Sisters: Preserving Traditional Marriage On March 7, 2000, Californians will vote to affirm that the union of one man and one woman is the only form of marriage that will be legally recognized in California. This traditional marriage initiative provides a clear and significant moral choice. The Church's position on this issue is unequivocal. On February 1,1994, the First Presidency wrote to all priesthood leaders: "The principles of the gospel and the sacred responsibilities given us require that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints oppose any efforts to give legal authorization to marriages between persons of the same gender." Therefore, we ask you to do all you can by donating your means and time to assure a successful vote. Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God, and is essential to His eternal plan. It is imperative for us to give our best effort to preserve what our Father in Heaven has put in place. A broad-based coalition is being formed to work for passage of the traditional marriage initiative. As details about the coalition become available, we will provide you with information on how you might become involved. We thank you for your attention to this vital matter and pray the Lord's richest blessings to be with you. Sincerely yours, NORTH AMERICA WEST AREA PRESIDENCY John B. Dickson John M. Madsen Cecil 0 Samuelson

Tahk'-sin: A bell for sounding an alarm; the sound made by it; any alarm signal (PRESS RELEASE BY JERRY SLOAN OF SACRAMENTO - SENT OUT JUNE 8 PROJECT TOCSIN  6515 Capital Circle  Sacramento CA 95828-1208  916-381-3115 Email: SloanRes@aol.com)

 

14 May 1999 Friday

East Gay Club Rejected by S.L. District Application rejected because it does not relate to curriculum Romney Positive About Interest In Sponsorships Byline: BY HILARY GROUTAGE THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE The Salt Lake City School District has rejected an application for an East High School club intended to promote understanding of gay, lesbian and bisexual people.  "It surprises me that in the wake of the Colorado thing, they're doing more to exclude kids instead of making them feel included," said Camille Lee, an East High science teacher listed as the adviser on the application for the Rainbow Club.  "The district had a chance to make students feel included and they didn't," she said. But Assistant Superintendent Cindi Seidel, who reviews club applications, said the subject matter is not now and is unlikely to be taught at East, and that such course material would be inappropriate for high school students.  The Salt Lake City Board of Education banned all noncurricular clubs in 1997 rather than grant club status to the Gay Straight Alliance at East High. During that year's legislative session, clubs promoting human sexuality were banned by law. Since 1997, dozens of clubs have been banned in the district, including the Beef Club, the Young Republicans and the Young Democrats. This year, Seidel has reviewed dozens of club applications. "In no way do we say there should not be clubs, we just want them to be related to the curriculum," Seidel said. As a result of the applications, a new photography club was approved at West High School, while a sports dance club and the Rainbow Club were denied at East, Seidel said. The Rainbow Club's application, filed with the district on Feb. 1, outlined the connections between courses in the curriculum and the club. Lee, the would-be adviser, said contributions by gay, lesbian and bisexual people throughout history would be studied.  Since the school district requires clubs to be related to the curriculum, Lee cited three courses the club would relate to: sociology, government and politics and student resiliency training.   "The club would provide any interested student a forum to understand the contributions of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. Textbooks and everyday discussions in the classroom do not include this. Role models have been overlooked," the club's application said. On Thursday, Lee received a letter from Seidel saying the request for the club had been denied. "I finally had the opportunity to thoroughly review your application . . . It is clear that the subject matter of the Rainbow Club is the impact of contributions of gay, lesbian and bisexual people. In short, it is based on sexual orientation," the letter stated.    "For your information, even if the Rainbow Club were somehow curriculum-related, I would still deny the application. In my opinion as a professional educator, sexual orientation is not the proper organizing subject matter of a curriculum-related club," Seidel wrote. She also said student government is set up as a place for students to comment on the school's curriculum as a whole.    "The students wanted to comment on the curriculum from a certain perspective. If that were appropriate, then any group of students with a religious or political perspective could use a club as a vehicle for comment from that perspective," Seidel said Thursday. "We very much support curriculum-related clubs. The issue is, the subject matter of the clubs has to be related to a course that is actually taught," Seidel said.

  

15 May 1999 Saturday

Three men were charged with felony hate crimes Friday for allegedly beating two customers outside a Salt Lake City bar in February. The trio apparently believed the two men were gay, police said.    Brian E. Hitt, 25, Scott Presley, 22, and Jason Millard, 25, also are accused of confronting and taunting men in two other attacks the same night.    In addition to the hate-crime counts, the suspects are each charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault and a single count of criminal mischief. If the Salt Lake County men are convicted as charged, they could spend up to 5 years behind bars.    The string of attacks allegedly occurred the night of Feb. 7.    The executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah credited the victims for coming forward.    "The attack doesn't surprise me; it's certainly something that has gone on forever," said Doug Wortham. "But gays and lesbians are usually afraid to come forward because they fear losing their jobs and families. It is great that these [victims] have told the truth about what happened to them  --  that's the only way to stop these attacks."    The three men allegedly confronted and taunted the two beating victims after the two men left the Sun Club at 200 South and 700 West. Presley punched one of the men several times in the chest and face, and Millard hit the other victim multiple times in the face, according to charges filed in 3rd District Court.    Earlier that night, the three suspects allegedly had driven up to a car containing two men and yelled threats at them at 400 S. State . One of the suspects then threw a beer can, which struck the vehicle, charges said.  The three suspects are also accused of approaching another man as he left the Sun Club alone that night. They allegedly asked him, using a derogatory term, if he was homosexual. The victim jumped into his car and locked his doors, but the suspects began to pound on the vehicle. The frightened man then jumped out of his car, ran into the bar and called police. Hitt, Presley and Millard were arrested at the scene. In each of the three encounters, the suspects "verbally taunted the victims for allegedly being   homosexual," charges say. When questioned about the attacks, Millard told a Salt Lake City police officer that "there was no excuse for what they had done, and they were just out for a good time," charges say. The issue of hate crimes committed against gays and lesbians gained national prominence last October when 21-year-old Matthew Shepherd was lured from a University of Wyoming campus hangout, beaten and tied to a split-rail fence in freezing temperatures because, prosecutors argue, he was gay. His murder led to a nationwide call for tougher hate-crimes legislation.

 

16 May 1999 Sunday

Robyn Henry did not want to believe that the burning cross on her front lawn was  hate crime. Maybe she and her husband Ronald had made someone angry. Or it could have been a kid's prank.    But after the FBI began investigating, it became clear to Henry, who is white, and to her African-American husband,  that the cross they found outside their door at 3 a.m. was placed and set afire by someone motivated by racial hatred  -- and possibly disgust for interracial marriages.  "It was well-planned," Henry said. "The cross was well-made  --  six screws in the center to hold it together. Some thought and time went into this." Organizers of a hate crimes conference, Tuesday and Wednesday at Weber State University and the Egyptian Theatre in Ogden, say the cross-burning case is one of several warning signs for the state. The event, sponsored by the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, WSU and other Utah organizations, will focus on how to prevent hate crimes and how those crimes affect victims.    The cross burning certainly has opened Henry's eyes.    She began noticing the effect of the burning on her family. "None of us could forget it," Henry said. "The blinds were closed, but you could still see the bright red light. It was just blazing. You could hear it burning. It gave me the chills."  Her 11-year-old son began checking in with his mother by phone  --  not like an obedient child, but obsessively. Before Michael Brad Magleby was indicted in federal court last year, Henry became suspicious of everyone  --  her neighbors, people driving by her house and passersby on the street.  The family no longer spent time working in the yard or hanging out on the porch. And her already troubled 14-year marriage began falling apart. "After this happened," she said, "my husband did not want to leave the house."  Eventually, the couple divorced.    Ronald Henry's response was typical of hate crime victims, said Edward Dunbar, a Los Angeles psychologist who has researched hate crimes. The Salt Lake City cross burning demonstrates some of the differences, Dunbar said, between those who have been violated by bias and victims of other kinds of crimes.    "There is a sense of isolation," said Dunbar, who will be a speaker at this week's symposium. "You see a whole pattern of disconnect." Part of the reason for that reaction, Dunbar said, is the sense of loss of control. Unlike victims of some other types of violence, those who fall prey to hate crimes cannot say: "Next time I will be more careful."    "For many of these folks, it's not a matter of, `I shouldn't have been out late,' or `I shouldn't have been in that neighborhood,' " Dunbar said. "Many feel instead, `I'm vulnerable to anyone who doesn't like people who are like me.' "   Many victims experience the same symptoms as combat troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder:  flashbacks of the event in otherwise peaceful circumstances, a need to avoid talking about the issue and "panic responses," where victims have adrenalin rushes or demonstrate violent behavior.    A recent study in Sacramento, Calif., compared gay and lesbian victims of hate crimes with homosexuals who had filed police reports of other crimes. The research showed the targets of hate crimes suffered greater psychological damage  --  signs of depression and anger, for example  --  than the gays and lesbians who had experienced non-bias crimes.  What Dunbar finds most disturbing is that many of those in Los Angeles who suffered the most serious and violent attacks motivated by bias, did not report the crimes to police. Many feared the criminal justice system would make their lives public  --  where they lived, who they socialized with and where they worked. And that exposure, Dunbar said, led many to believe that they would expose themselves as future targets for other hatemongers.   Although statistics show that Utah's hate crimes have decreased in the past year, law-enforcement officials and prosecutors are concerned that many  --  maybe most  --  hate crimes go unreported. The U.S. Attorney's Office in   Utah plans to teach law-enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges to do a better job of recognizing, reporting, investigating, prosecuting and punishing hate crimes. Robyn Henry has high praise for the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office. And she believes in Utahns' goodwill. After news media accounts of the cross-burning, the Henrys received dozens of letters of support.  "One day a pizza guy showed up at our door with two pizzas," Henry said. "He handed us a card that said, `We believe that for every act of senseless violence there should be a random act of kindness.'  But officials with experience combating hate crimes say Utahns must do more than write letters. They have to be public in their opposition to racism.    Wayne Inman, a former assistant police chief in Portland, Ore., said that Salt Lake City and other Utah cities can learn from the mistakes and successes of Portland and Billings, Mont. Inman saw what happened when racism and anti-Semitism are allowed to fester. In Oregon, he witnessed skinhead hatred that lead to the murder of an Ethiopian student. When Inman left Portland to take a job as the chief of the Billings Police Department, he thought he was leaving behind big-city problems.    He was wrong. Soon after he arrived in Montana, Inman began noticing swastikas spray-painted on buildings. He was determined to halt the hatred early. The chief organized public awareness campaigns, but said he was discouraged by the city's Chamber of Commerce, elected officials and business leaders.   "They said, `This is not Portland,' that I was giving a bad name to Billings, that it was bad for business and that if we would leave [the skinheads] alone they would go away," said Inman, who also will speak in Ogden. "I knew it was going to be a long road, because Billings was in the same state of denial that Portland had been in."  The hatemongers' activity escalated. Skinheads began showing up in twos and threes at an African-American church, black swastikas were nailed to the door of a synagogue and swastikas were spray-painted on the home of a mixed-race couple. When a beer bottle was thrown through a glass door of the home of a Jewish resident  --  spraying glass over the bed of a 5-year-old  --  the people of Billings began posting photocopies of menorahs in their windows to show their support. The hate groups reacted by committing more violent acts. The residents responded by posting more menorahs. After a mass rally in opposition to the hate groups, the violence  --  and the skinheads  --  disappeared.  "In the hate groups' philosophy there is an assumption that the white majority supports racism," Inman said. "If the community does not say, `No, not in our town,' then they assume that silence is acceptance. You have to be a bigger bully than they are. When that happens, they simply do not know how to react."    The hard part is mobilizing people to act.    "Every community is in deep denial, saying that this kind of cancer does not exist here," Inman said. "Everybody wants it to be somebody's else's job  --  let the police do it, or let the civil-rights activists do it. But it has to be a collective response."

 

19 May 1999 Wednesday

Salt Lake City Schools Superintendent Darline Robles has rebuffed a petition calling for disciplinary action against East High School Principal Kay Petersen, saying it is time to put an end to the latest controversy involving the school's Gay Straight Alliance. The petition stemmed from Petersen's decision to allow members of the GSA to participate in the school's annual multicultural assembly April 20. The student presentation lasted about six minutes and highlighted historical events involving gay, lesbian and bisexual people and offered definitions of commonly used words such as gay, faggot and dyke. Enraged parents stormed a meeting of the School Community Council the following week and asked Petersen to step down.

Petersen, who has planned for months to retire at the end of the school year, accepted complete responsibility for the presentation and apologized for offending students and parents. Still not satisfied, parents circulated a petition and presented it to Robles, who had remained silent until Tuesday.

"I do support the administration's intention to assist the GSA students by allowing students to present their concerns about harassment," Robles said in a prepared statement she read to the board. "The way it was handled and the content they allowed did come close to raising issues about human sexuality guidelines and did give me cause for concern."  However, she said attorneys for the district and the state Office of Education viewed the presentation and determined it did not violate state law or the district policy.   

"The administration could have, and should have, exercised more control over the content of the presentation," she said. Parents and students were especially critical of the administration's decision to make attendance at the assembly mandatory without offering another activity for students who might have been offended at its content.

Also during Tuesday's board meeting, a group calling itself The Coalition for Safe Schools offered its services to educate parents and students. "One of the biggest problems is ignorance. We don't feel our community is educated enough to speak. It's embarrassing to hear them. They aren't educated on this issue," said member Robb Steffensen, a retired educator.   

Emmaleigh Wheeler, an East High School student and member of the GSA, echoed the coalition's concern about safety at East High. Her friends are routinely pushed and taunted in the halls. One was even pushed down the stairs recently, she said. "The hall monitor saw it and didn't even do anything," Wheeler said.

 

21 May 1999 Friday

  "Una Voce" (one Voice) the Gay and Lesbian Utah Opera Club hosted a free reception and social hour  including  a lecture on the opera by Paul Dorgan at 6pm-curtain at 730pm for "The Mariage of Figaro" by Mozart

 

22 May 1999 Saturday

Ian Wald Cummings, beloved son, brother, uncle and friend, died May 18, 1999 as a result of injuries sustained in a fire. Ian was born December 27, 1960 to Clyde Kay and Oletta Wald Cummings, 11 minutes after his brother and best friend, Aaron. Ian attended Emerson Elementary, Roosevelt Jr. High and East High School, Class of 1979. He was the third of six brothers to earn his Eagle Scout Award. Ian attended Ricks College for a short time and earned his Associate of Business Degree at LDS Business College. He continued his studies at the University of Utah, although his heart and hair remained "True Blue."  Ian had many exceptional talents and focused his career in sales, selling for C. Kay Cummings Candies, as well as ZCMI Electronics and the Marriott Corporation. He also worked in the Emergency Rooms of both Primary Children's and LDS Hospitals. His determination and commitment were acknowledged many times with numerous commendations and awards. Ian was an accomplished photographer and had a great affinity for music and art. We remember Ian for his dedication to his Scottish heritage and Cummings Family Reunions, his sense of humor, his inborn love of M*A*S*H and practical jokes, his wit and cynicism, his devotion to BYU football and his kind and generous heart. Although for the last two years, Ian suffered from the effects of AIDS and Bi-Polar Manic Depression and became a shadow of himself, we will remember him as we loved him best. Ian is survived by his parents and siblings: Gordon (Maryanne), Clinton; Lori (Robert), Las Vegas; Aaron (Wendy), Salt Lake City; Douglas (Kathy), Farmington; Nathan (Donna), Vienna, Virginia; and Christopher (Kristie), Salt Lake City. He will also be remembered by seven nieces, five nephews, numerous aunts, uncles and cousins, as well as his loyal and devoted canine companion, Pretzel. Funeral services will be held Monday, May 24, 1999, 12:00 noon, at the LDS Garden Park Ward Chapel, 1150 E. Yale Avenue, Salt Lake City. Calling hours will be 6-8 p.m. Sunday, May 23, 1999 at Larkin Mortuary, 260 E. South Temple and one hour prior to the funeral services at the ward. The family suggests in lieu of flowers a donation be made to Primary Children's Medical Center or the LDS Church Missionary Fund. Interment Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 South Highland Drive, Salt Lake City.   T 5/22N 5/23

 

26 May 1999 Wednesday

I presented my monthly Stonewall Historical Society of Utah Lecture  upstairs at The Center. I had a few more people attending but then it’s not well publicized just flyers I made to post on the community bulletin board. I spoke on the topic of Gay murders I call  Death In the West:  The Killing of Gays in Utah

 

31 May 1999 Monday Memorial Day

Yesterday was Coronation and Chuck Whyte had to tell me all about it. It’s his thing and his only recognition anymore. Mike went to Wyoming last Friday to go see his friend Troy in Cheyenne. He took Smokey with him so I only had the three to take care of.  Randy Gile was barbequing next door so I went over there for a bit and got tipsy on drinking margaritas.  

JUNE

1 June 1999 Tuesday

            This week will be crazy as the kids no school is over and nothing counts towards grades. The Junior High and High School kids are basically cut loose this week but in elementary school we are expected to baby sit. The sixth grade rocket launch is tomorrow and All the school goes out to watch on the playground. Today we went out side to see Mr. Unger’s class do their egg drop from the school’s roof.

 

2 June 1999 Wednesday

            I had the kids turn in their books and clean their desks out. Some of the kids who didn’t want to go outside stayed and helped me take down bulletin boards since I will be changing rooms next year. Most of my class were outside for field day.

 

3 June 1999 Thursday

I had the kids put their desks out in the hall and we sat on the floor to watch Tiny Toons Summer Vacation. In the afternoon I held my end of the year auction were kids can spend their classroom money on things auctioned off, candy, water guns, and other crap the kids like.

            My mom turned 70 today born in Shamrock, Texas. School isn’t over until tomorrow so I just called her because last Saturday I sent her a birthday card. She said she received it and the money yesterday.

 

4 June 1999 Friday

School was out at 1:30 and Pam Park said we could leave right after the kids so I did. I will come back on Monday to finish packing up my room for the move into Hal Olsen’s room. I told him that I would clean his room for him so I could go through all the 4^th grade material he had because I have nothing after teaching 5^th grade for 10 years. So he got off pretty lucky because he left a mess behind and at his retirement he just walked away.

 

9 June 1999 Wednesday

Today is my sister Charline Wachs 52 birthday. We are getting so old because Donna will turn 50 on her birthday. I didn’t go back to Orchard until today as I needed a hiatus from being exhausted from last week.  I don’t know what to do with all the files and worksheets I have from Fifth Grade. Pam Park hasn’t hired anyone yet to replace me so I am not sure they will want any of it. The art files I can use in 4^th Grade.

 

Immediate Release Mormon Church to Be Major Player in Pete Knight Defense of Marriage Initiative on 2000 Ballot Letter from LDS Hierarchy Urges Members' Involvement The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (Mormon) has decided to become a major player in the Pete Knight Defense of Marriage Act Initiative to appear on the California ballot in March 2000 which would ban the recognition of same sex marriages performed in other states. Church members were given their marching orders in a letter signed by Presidency of the the church's North American West Area which was read in all California LDS churches the last two Sundays of May. 

 

The letter directed all members to "do all you can by donating your means and time to assure a successful vote. It is imperative for us to give our best efforts to preserve what our Father in Heaven has put in place" The North American West Area Presidency is that part of the LDS hierarchy which over sees the work of the church in California and a small portion of Arizona.

 

The Mormon Church is a staunch opponent of same sex marriage and donated 1.1 million dollars to bankroll initiatives opposing same-sex marriages in Hawaii and Alaska.

 

In February 1994 the church's First Presidency issued a statement encouraging their members, "to reject all efforts to give legal authorization or other official approval or support to marriages between persons of the same gender."

 

Kathy Worthington of Salt Lake City, a lesbian activist and former Mormon, says the gay community in California can expect Mormon Church members with their "each member a missionary" mentality to take the letter seriously as a direct order from on high and "the majority of members will feel an obligation to donate time and money to see that the ballot measure passes."Church spokesperson Dan Rascon said according to the 1999/2000 church almanac there were about 733,000 members in California. This figure is about 2 per cent of the population of the state. Rascon said the church does not get involved in political issues but felt his was a "moral issue" on which the church must speak.

 

11 June 1999 Friday

The Salt Lake Tribune Homosexuals' Friends, Kin Open S.L. Meeting Today They are promoting gay-friendly schools in Utah Parents and friends of gays and lesbians say they want safer schools for their loved ones. They want to know that when their children and friends go to class, they are learning in a friendly environment where they are respected and welcomed. At a conference starting today in Salt Lake City, national and local experts on homosexuality will tell Utahns how to make their schools more welcoming.  "The one thing I hear from gay people is their total lack of safety. They're vulnerable to attack," said Tom Ammiano, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and a keynote speaker at the Intermountain Conference on Homosexuality. "There's always this tacit, unspoken agreement [in public schools] that, `Yes, this [homosexuality] is something that's terribly wrong.' " The three-day conference at the Little America Hotel is sponsored by Family Fellowship, a support group for mostly Mormon parents of gays and lesbians; the Mountain West Region of Parents, Family and Friends of Gays and Lesbians (PFLAG); and the University of Utah Graduate School of Social Work. It will end with a Gay Pride Parade on Sunday at 9 a.m. at the Capitol. Ammiano was an openly gay elementary teacher in San Francisco in the 1970s when his friend, Harvey Milk, was shot because he was gay. In 1978, Dan White shot Milk, who was on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and the mayor, George Moscone, in City Hall because of their gay-friendly politics. Moscone's son, Jonathon, also is speaking at the conference this weekend. In a phone interview, Ammiano said that when he was a teacher he saw in his students the kind of intolerance that led to the murders of Milk and Moscone. The students belittled and beat up people they thought were gay. Ammiano said public educators need to "demystify and humanize" gay issues by allowing the curriculum to acknowledge homosexuality, inviting gay and lesbian speakers to school and training teachers in sensitivity. In San Francisco, Ammiano pushed for every school to have a gay-sensitive adult on staff in case gay and lesbian students can't talk to their parents or peers.    "We're not asking for advocacy or endorsement [of homosexuality]," he said, "just acknowledgment."    That might be tough in Utah, where the Salt Lake City School District banned all non-curricular clubs to get rid of East High School's Gay-Straight Alliance. Though the group still meets under Utah's Civic Center Act, it has not found acceptance.    A group of adults recently stood outside the school with signs that read "Antispecies," apparently referring to the inability of gays and lesbians to procreate when they are in homosexual relationships, according to Joan Smith, executive director of the Utah chapter of the National Conference for Community and Justice.  Smith is speaking at the conference workshop on how to create safe schools through caring. Her organization trains student leaders in how to respect other students' differences, including sexual orientation.     "It sounds kind of Pollyanna, but we've got to learn to respect each other," she said. "We need to stop thinking they're  broken and need fixing. We need to love them for who they are."

 

15 June 1999 Tuesday

Chad Keller posted Clinton's Pride Proclamation: President Bill Clinton, who had previously issued pride informal greetings, on June 11 issued the United States' first official Proclamation of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. He wrote, "Thirty years ago this month, at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, a courageous group of citizens      resisted harassment and mistreatment, setting in motion a chain of events that would become known as the Stonewall Uprising and the birth of the modern gay and lesbian civil rights movement. Gays and lesbians, their families and friends, celebrate the anniversary of Stonewall every June in America as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month; and, earlier this month, the National Park Service added the Stonewall Inn, as well as the nearby park and neighborhood streets surrounding it, to the National Register of Historic Places.

 

     "I am proud of the measures my Administration has taken to end discrimination against gays and lesbians and ensure that they have the same rights guaranteed to their fellow Americans. Last year, I signed an Executive order that amends Federal equal employment opportunity Policy to prohibit discrimination in the Federal civilian work force based on sexual orientation. We have also banned discrimination based on sexual orientation in the granting of security clearances. As a result of these and other policies, gay and lesbian Americans serve openly and proudly throughout the Federal Government. My Administration is also working with congressional leaders to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would prohibit most private employers from firing Workers solely because of their sexual orientation.

 

     "America's diversity is our greatest strength. But, while we have come a long way on our journey toward tolerance, understanding, and mutual  respect, we still have a long way to go in our efforts to end discrimination. During the past year, people across our country have been shaken by violent acts that struck at the heart of what it means to be an American and at the values that have always defined us as a Nation. In 1997, the most recent year for which we have statistics, there were More than 8,000 reported hate crimes in our country - almost one an hour. Now is the time for us to take strong and decisive action to end all hate crimes, and I reaffirm my pledge to work with the Congress to pass the Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

 

     "But we cannot achieve true tolerance merely through legislation; we must change hearts and minds as well. Our greatest hope for a just society is to teach our children to respect one another, to appreciate our differences, and to recognize the fundamental values that we hold in common. As part of our efforts to achieve this goal, earlier this spring, I announced that the Departments of Justice and Education will work in partnership with educational and other private sector organizations to reach out to students and teach them that our diversity is a gift. In addition, the Department of Education has issued landmark guidance that explains Federal Standards against sexual harassment and prohibits sexual harassment of all students regardless of their sexual orientation; and I have ordered the Education Department's civil rights office to step up its enforcement of anti-discrimination and harassment rules. That effort has resulted in a groundbreaking guide that provides practical guidance to school administrators and teachers for developing a comprehensive approach to protecting all students, including gays and lesbians, from harassment and violence.

 

     "Since our earliest days as a Nation, Americans have strived to make real the ideals of equality and freedom so eloquently expressed in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. We now have a rare opportunity to enter a new century and a new millennium as one country, living those principles, recognizing our common values, and building on  our shared strengths.

 

     "NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 1999 as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. I encourage all Americans to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that celebrate our diversity, and to remember throughout the year the gay and lesbian Americans whose many and varied contributions have enriched our national life.

 

     "IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day

of June, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-third. [Signed] WILLIAM J. CLINTO

  

12 June 1999 Saturday

The Salt Lake Men's Choir held a Variety Show called "Celebrate Diversity" at the All Saints Episcopal Church 1710 S Foothill Blvd

 

13 June 1999 Sunday

 Today is Pride Day and Mike and I went and took our camping chairs to sit and watch the Pride Parade this morning we were able to park in a lot right next to the street. Mike had Smokey in his lap with a Rainbow scarf around his collar. We left the others at home with treats because it was too warm to be left in the Bronco and be sides they would have just barked at everyone.

I saw Ralph Goff which I hadn’t seen in years not since we worked on the Triangle Magazine ten years ago. He was walking with a cane and came and stood by us to watch the parade. I guess his health isn’t all that great but I didn’t inquire as I thought he’s tell me if he wanted me to know. The parade was pretty impressive as it wound down State Street from the Capitol to Washington Square.  I waved to Dr. Kristin Ries and was happy to see Wendy Weaver riding in the parade.  I have no idea why Bulldog from the the Frazier show was chosen to be the Grand Marshal this year. He shared it with Gary and Millie Watts allies from Provo. I think they would be shocked if they knew I once slept with their son back when I lived at the La France. He and this other guy knew Fran from meetings in Provo and they came to Salt Lake to see me and one thing led to another. That now seems life a life time ago before I met Mike.

            We made our way down to the city county building and looked around for a bit. I saw Jeff Freedman who I guess is leaving Utah and visited a bit with Walt Larabee. We didn’t stay long and didn’t see any of the performances except for the Saliva Sisters. I wouldn’t miss them as it’s not Pride Day without them.

 

14 June 1999 Monday

The Salt Lake Tribune Gay Pride Day Livens Up a Quiet Sunday Straight friends join in the fun as streets echo with music and laughter Gay Pride Brings Life to A Quiet Sunday BY JUDY MAGID  Sunday-quiet streets came alive with the sound of music and laughter as hundreds of members and friends of Utah's gay and lesbian community joined a Gay Pride Parade, marching from the state Capitol to the City-County Building. By 8:30 a.m., Mary Lassalle, Mel Puglies, Gino Chewning and a colorfully spotted Dalmatian named Toby raised flags to rally marchers and motorcyclists along with spangled and feathered floats, a car dressed as a big red shoe, an occasional horse or two and lots of dogs. Crowds grew from a neighborly curb-sitting scattering at the top of State Street to hundreds, maybe a thousand or more, who clapped, whistled and shouted encouraging "yee-ows" as 76 registered contingents rolled and strolled by.

    While Carol Gnade, Utah ACLU executive director, estimated "a million" participants milling around  Washington Square, co-chair people Kim Russo and Jeff Freedman expected closer to 20,000.  

"There is wonderful support this year from the straight community," Freedman said, adding this is the 17th observation of Gay Pride Day in Utah. Physician Kristen Ries rode in an open car, as did teacher Wendy Weaver and Salt Lake City mayoral candidate Ross "Rocky" Anderson, following a 300-foot Rainbow flag carried by Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. 

The Metropolitan Community Church in Cache Valley van was not far from the Sun Club entrant. Also represented were the Delta Lambda Sappho group from Weber State University. The Coors Beer float folks opted not to flow too close to the under-drinking-age Gay and Lesbian Youth Association of Utah.

Almost everyone wore a red ribbon in memory of AIDS victims. While there were bewigged inline skaters and amazing costumes  --  a gorgeous sequined butterfly caught everyone's eye, as did Luis Barrios in his Carmen Miranda hat and Javier de Cordoba in elegant white feathers  --  there were more khaki shorts and baseball caps.

  "We represent the normal-average," Kris Robison said with a laugh, attending the event with Ty McTurk and Laura Hanson.

The parade's Grand Marshal was actor Dan Butler, "Bulldog" from the television series "Frasier," who came to Salt Lake because "we asked," Freedman said. "We contacted the Human Rights Campaign, and two days later Dan called and apologized for not getting back to us sooner." Butler, who told applauding audience members they should give themselves a hand, shared marshal honors with Provo residents Gary and Millie Watts, who head Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

 "I thought I knew everybody who was gay, but I have a lot of people to meet," Millie Watts said.  She added that the event was "a lot more fun than Sunday School would have been." Of the six Watts children, one is gay and one is lesbian. Gary Watts said that homosexuality is not a choice, but rather a discovery.    "People do not choose to be homosexual, they discover that they are," he said, adding that they support monogamous gay relations. "We want exactly the same things for all our children, gay or straight, including the right to be with someone they love."   If there were those who disagreed, they were not visible to most in the crowd.  Still, there were many who did not want their names printed. "My family would be upset," one person said.  Another added, "I am not comfortable walking down the street holding hands with my partner."  Behind the pride, respect, acceptance and humor, there is caution and fear.    For Christie Rainey, the answer is to "tear down the wall of malicious ignorance that makes people afraid. "No fear. No scare. No quit. If big kids are scared, what are the little ones thinking?"

 

DESERET NEWS ARTICLE ABOUT PRIDE Utahns observe Gay Pride Day with S.L. workshops, parade (photo in attached file) Kristan Jacobsen, Deseret News Marchers carry a 300-foot rainbow banner from the Utah Capitol to the Salt Lake City-County Building during a parade observing Gay Pride Day on Sunday. The annual demonstration was the culmination of a three-day event, the Intermountain Conference on Homosexuality. On Saturday, workshops at the Little America Hotel covered health issues, rights and responsibilities of same-sex relationships. Gay Pride celebrations are not held on the same day across the country. Sunday's big parade on New York City's Fifth Avenue was to mark Puerto Rican Day, while the Gay Pride Parade in that city is scheduled for Sunday, June 27.

 

UTAH   LETTER WRITER SAYS KUDOS TO KUED FOR SHOWING FILM, WHICH IS ON TONIGHT Thanks, KUED, for telecast      I'm writing to applaud KUED Channel 7 and its upcoming broadcast of "It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School."      I was able to see this film at a national psychology conference last year, and I feel that the film will help school boards, administrators, teachers, parents and others understand what really happens when educators address gay issues with their students in age-appropriate ways.      "It's Elementary" will be broadcast on KUED Channel 7 at 11:30 p.m. on Monday, June 14. Shawn Johnson Salt Lake City

 

19 June 1999 Saturday

Annual  "Walk for Life" Utah AIDS Foundation fundraiser.  Call the UAF for more information. Saturday June 19   WALK FOR LIFE "Walk for Life" UAF fundraiser 487-2323 City and County Bldg. 730a - Registration 8a     - Welcoming Ceremony, NAMES Project Utah AIDS Memorial   Quilt and Warm Up    9a     - Walk Begins! 11a   - Post-Walk Music, Recognition Awards and Closing Ceremony    Men's Book Club Social 7pm upstairs at the Center   "Sleeping at the Starlight Motel" by Bailey White facilitated by Shayne Bell

 

20 June 1999 Sunday

Wasatch Affirmation Kathy Worthington Speaker on The Millenium  March Year 2000    at 5 p.m. upstairs at the Center at 361 N 300West. * Sunday, June 20, 5:00pm--Meeting at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center,361 N 300 W, Salt Lake City. Kathy Worthington (of "Kathy's List" fame) will be presenting information about next April's Millennium March on Washington. Come find out all about it, even if you don't plan to be there--it will be a major cultural event for our national community.

 

21 June 1999 Monday

Michael took his birthday off and left this weekend to go camping at Smith and Moorehouse Reservoir. He went with this guy he met through work. Today is the first day of summer and all my irises are about gone but the roses and devil beards are starting to bloom. I have been going up to Orchard to work going through Hal Olsen’s closets. What a mess and nothing was organization and he had so many duplicates of worksheets stashed away that it is ridiculous. I bit off more than I could choose. If I had known what a disaster he left behind I would never have told him I would clean his room. I think

June 21 GAY COMMUNITY CENTER Community Forum  7pm upstairs at the Center  The Mesa Company Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered? Want tobuy a house? Be honest about who you are? This seminar is for  you!  7pm  at the Center (361 N 300 W)

 

23 June 1999 Wednesday

I watched "After Stonewall" narrated by Melissa Etheridge  on PBS. GALPAC hosted Mayoral Debates at Zipperz

 

24 June 1999 Thursday

Jim Bradley attended a meet-the-candidate coffee at the Center where he discussed his ideas for Salt Lake City.

 

Hot pots -- no longer hot spots for trouble? By Marci Williams Deseret News staff writer  SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Warm, soothing waters seem like the perfect spot for a family outing. But take the kids to Saratoga-area hot pots and you'll need to sidestep the underwear, used condoms or toilet paper bunches strewn along the path. And be careful of the broken beer bottles in the water -- and, to avoid possible embarrassment, be prepared to possibly find some nude swimmers, too. Utah County officials say they want the Saratoga Springs and the Diamond Fork hot pots to be family hot spots, which is why they're trying to clean up the area.  The county began with an ordinance past Tuesday that allows sheriff's deputies to cite skinny-dippers for lewdness. Prior to the new ordinance, the county was relying on a state law to prosecute perpetrators.  HB310, passed by the state Legislature this year, rewrote the old lewdness statute but erroneously left out the magic words "public place." Without those two words, the law essentially made it illegal to be naked in your own home, says Utah County Attorney Kay Bryson. Bryson added "public place" to the county ordinance, which is otherwise the same as the state law.  The ordinance passed in Tuesday's County Commission meeting and will go into effect the beginning of July. Bryson said there had been problems with the judicial interpretation of the state law, making it difficult to prosecute offenders.     Because the law is so broad, Deputy Eldon Packer said the sheriff's department couldn't cite anyone for lewdness unless others complained. "One of the problems (the department) had in the past was someone had to be offended," county commissioner Gary Herbert said. "Sheriff's deputies, however, don't count." "A police officer can't offended by your activity," Herbert said. Russ Marsh was taken aback a few weeks ago when he and his family hiked to the Diamond Fork hot pots.  "It's really hikable by families and small children. It's just beautiful," Marsh said. "But after about 20 minutes (at the hot pots) two middle-aged men took their clothes off and jumped right in with our daughters. "Here I was with my 10- and 12-year-old daughters, who were mortified."     At Diamond Fork if someone takes affront to a nudist, in order to report the incident, the person would have to hike 2 1/2 miles out and then drive back into the valley to call the sheriff's office, Sgt. Mike Forshee said. By the time a deputy could reach the area, three to four hours would have passed. Forest Service encourages those offended to ask the offenders to cover themselves, said Forest Service spokeswoman Loyal Clark.     "We recognize that it's a place a lot of families like to go to. They're entitled to let those folks know that their behavior is offensive," Clark said.  Marsh told the two men who undressed in front of his family to remain covered in the water while his family packed up their belongings to leave.  The Saratoga springs are not as remote as Diamond Fork but have faced similar problems as Diamond Fork.  In about three weeks the land around the Saratoga pots will be turned over from the state to the county. Already the county erected a fence around the Saratoga hot pots, but Packer said it hasn't helped.     "We patrol it so heavy, but we continually have problems," Packer said. There have been several assaults in the area and many drinking parties, he said.   Lt. Ron Fernstedt said a gate will be going up soon as well. The county will close the park probably between 10 and 11 p.m. After the curfew time, which has not yet been set by the county, the gate will be locked and anyone behind it will be charged with trespassing.  "The majority of the problems are at night," Fernstedt said. "We want to get rid of the bad element. We have lots of problems with drugs, alcohol and sex."  On July 17, a day the LDS Church has set aside for civic service, LDS Church members and other residents of the Saratoga Springs community will be working on various projects to alleviate some commonly occurring problems at Saratoga's springs.  For an Eagle Scout project, one boy will be painting the curb red along Saratoga Road to keep people from parking there. The county plans to build a parking lot near the pots that will connect directly to the gated trailhead. The county will be installing restroom facilities as well. Additionally, volunteers will be picking up trash, building a raised walkway on the marshy half of the trail and working on a bridge over a creek that intersects the path. "We want to encourage people to come and use it," Packer said. The historical aspects of the hot pots in Saratoga also make for a worthy visit, he said.  The Saratoga area was the home of a narrow gauge railroad, a Pony Express stop and a capsized steamboat. 1999 Deseret News Publishing Co.

 

25 June 1999 Friday

Today is my sister Donna’s 50^th birthday

 

Affirmation hosted FNL (Friday Night Lesbian) is always the last Friday of the month, from 8:00pm until whenever. All womyn are welcome, whether they are with Affirmation or not. Call Cela (pronounced "CHEL-uh") for more information. And tell a friend!

 

26 June 1999 Saturday

The Salt Lake City-County Health Department and the Gay and Lesbian Center of Utah will offer free, confidential HIV tests Saturday through Monday as part of National HIV Testing Day. Today, free tests will be offered at the Southeast Public Health Center, 9340 S. 700 East, Sandy, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Sunday, tests will be available from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Gay and Lesbian Center, 361 N. 300 West, Salt Lake City. The Utah AIDS Foundation is a partner in offering these tests. On Monday, tests will be offered from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Salt Lake City Public Health Center, 610 S. 200 East. HIV is the leading cause of death among men ages 25-44 in Salt Lake County, according to the health department. Test results are available in 10 working days.

         

The Utah Art Festival was held. Callin’ all Sista's, come enjoy a bit of lesbian sub-culture this year at the Utah Arts Fest... This year we have  the Australian-Lesbian  Band Calling all Sisters! Come enjoy a bit of lesbian sub-culture this year at the Utah Arts Fest... This year we have the Australian-Lesbian Band FRUIT "...like a sharp wedge of lemon in a stiff tequila."    --List magazine, Edinburgh UKFRUIT Plays Saturday June 26th at 10 Pm on the PARK STAGE at the Utah ARTS Festival in Salt Lake City.

 

27 June 1999 Sunday

One of the goals of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah is to assist community organizations.  In an effort to do that, The Center has setup a fund raiser for ALL community organizations.  The fund raiser will be held at BREWVIES on June 27.  Brewvies is a full service movie theatre for those over 21, serving delicious food and beer.  They have given us one of their two screens for the entire evening for the cost of the films we bring in only!  The first film with be THELMA AND LOUISE and the second PRIEST. The cost is $10 per film.   ALL PROFITS will go to the community organization from which you purchase your ticket!  For more information, call the Community Center at 539-8800.

 

Alternative Gardening Club Garden Tour  

National HIV Testing Day Confidential HIV Testing at the Center  noon-5p

Wasatch Mountain Bears Brunch at Rodizio Grill in Trolley Square at 1pm

QueSpirit 5pm  Mother Earth Spirituality

Brewvies The Center's Community Fundraiser 6p and 8p $10

 

At Cup of Joe 353 West 200 South Meet Jim Bradley Candidate for Mayor noon-130 pm Gay and Lesbian Focus Group Mark Chambers -- Babette “Babs” DeLay -- Thom Lundstrom -- Todd Mangum M.D.-- David Nelson -- Kelli Peterson -- Monique Predovich -- Deeda Seed – David Thometz488 East South Temple -- Salt Lake City, Paid for by David Nelson and authorized by the Bradley for Mayor Committee –

 

Affirmation Pot luck social at the home of Gary and Millie Watts (local Grand Marshalls of the Utah Pride Parade this year!), in Provo (up behind the Temple). Feel free to call for directions,if you're not sure how to get there. Drinks and utensils will be provided. Please bring a dish to share with the rest of us, but most importantly, bring yourself.

28 June 1999 Monday

UNITARIAN MEET IN SLC AND MORMONS GET AN EYEFUL (More than a street divides these two denominations)By Karen Brandon Tribune Staff Writer -- For the moment, all that divides members of the two of the nation’s most opposite religions is West Temple Street.

Over the past five days Unitarian Universalist teenagers sporting tattoos, pierced body parts and purple, pink and orange hair have flooded streets where clean-cut Mormon youth are the norm. The espresso machine's siren has whined at the close of morning worship services in a state where nearly three-quarters of the populace follows a religion that considers coffee, tea, tobacco and alcohol sinful. And Saturday night, gay and lesbian couples could be seen dancing to big band music at a church-sponsored dance, where homosexual behavior may lead to expulsion from the church that founded this city and still defines it.

On Monday, the Unitarian Universalists conclude their national General Assembly, an event that has turned the intersection of West and South Temple streets into a literal crossroads of the national family values debate—this time cast in a spiritual rather than political dimension.

On the northeast corner stands Temple Square, with its architectural wonders and religious monuments, the Temple and Tabernacle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To the southwest stands the Salt Palace, the city's convention center, which some 3,000 Unitarian Universalists have fashioned into their temporary headquarters.

At a time when the religious perspective on family views has come to be associated predominantly with the Religious Right, the Unitarians served as a reminder of a comparatively obscure context, that of the Religious Left. The contrast between these two fast-growing faiths is the difference between the conservative and the liberal, between the strict and permissive, between Mormon leader Brigham Young and famed Unitarian Henry David Thoreau, and between the sensibilities of Salt Lake City and Boston, the Unitarians' headquarters.

Mormons oppose abortion. Unitarians believe it is a woman's choice. Mormons allow only men to enter the ministry and extended the right to black men two decades ago. Unitarians ordain people of either sex, any race and all sexual orientations. This year the religion became the first in the nation with women outnumbering men in the clergy; 51 percent of its active ministers are female.

Mormons condemn homosexuality. Unitarians support the recognition of gay marriages. The Mormons sponsor more Boy Scout troops than any other organization. The Unitarians have a long-running dispute with the Boy Scouts over their failure to welcome homosexuals, atheists and agnostics.

A Mormon teenager working in a downtown Salt Lake City hotel over the course of the gathering asked Unitarian Rev. Laine Hawxhurst of Bethlehem, Pa., just what the Unitarian Universalist religion was all about, a fundamental question that members of the wildly diverse and creedless religion at times struggle to answer. Searching for a succinct response, the reverend replied, "It means I believe in you, and you believe in me, and together we're going to save the world." To this, the teen asked, rather incredulously, "Even the boy with the orange hair? “

Despite the sharp differences between the two religions, the past five days bore a low-key tenor, distinct from the controversial tone of another religious gathering last summer.

The Southern Baptists share Mormons' basic conservatism, but when they convened here last June, they "vilified the LDS Church," The Salt Lake Union Tribune reported, and some proselytizers had to be asked to stop distributing Southern Baptist leaflets at Temple Square.

In contrast, Unitarians, who pride themselves on tolerance, have sought to underscore their drastic distinctions, while stopping short of confrontation. As a result only murmurs arose at one workshop, "An Interfaith Conversation About Sexual Orientation," when Mormon leader Alexander Morrison, in response to a question about legalizing gay marriages, asked: "Where would we stop? What about incestuous marriages? What about interspecies marriages? "

The Unitarians' arrival comes against a backdrop of escalating tension. This spring, the Salt Lake City Council sold a section of Main Street to the Church of Latter-day Saints for a public mall, a decision that raised protests because the church is curtailing activities there, including speech making, picketing and pamphleteering.

Three years ago, the Salt Lake City Board of Education decided to ban all clubs from city high schools in order to keep out a gay club, an incident that ignited a national debate over how to deal with homosexuality in public schools."

If I take a stance of tolerance, some Mormons may ask, `How can you tolerate that?' " said Dave Jones, a Unitarian, Democratic legislator, and a candidate or the city's mayor.

The goals of families from the two faiths reveal stark differences. Gordon and Sandy Wilson, the parents of five children, ages 8 to 23, live in Salt Lake City. Adjacent to their back yard stands their Latter-day Saints church. Just beyond their front yard stands Ensign's Peak, the geographical feature Brigham Young interpreted as a sign that the 1847 journey of pioneers Westward had reached its destination in the Great Salt Lake Basin.

"To have your children marry in the temple is the crowning moment for typical LDS parents," Gordon Wilson said. Emily Green, a 43-year-old single mother of a 9-year-old boy, Matthew, is a director of religious education at a Unitarian church in Nashville. "My vision for my son is that he finds a home for his spirit in this culture that is very materialistic," she said. "If he discovers Buddhism or Judaism, fine. It wouldn't matter for me if he became a gay person. So long as he connected with the spiritual level of life."

At the same time, this crossroads, where two religious paths diverge is an intersection. Families of both faiths spoke of the importance of family, education, service to religion, and addressing the world's ills.

"We're a home of very few rules. We're high on principles," said Wilson. "We teach the kids what's right, and we let them govern themselves." The concept sounded quite like the philosophy of Margy and Jordan Young, Unitarian parents of two children, ages 4 and 8, from Middlebury, Vt.

"Our emphasis is to help them learn who they are and make their own judgments about what's right," Jordan Young said. Of course, these visions will be carried out in wildly diverging ways. The Wilsons do not want sex education taught in schools, while the Youngs do. And yet, their differences did not always fall along predictable lines.

Gordon Wilson, for instance, opposes prayer in public schools, for fear it will make some children uncomfortable. Jordan Young thinks the separation between school and church has been overly strict. We sing the same hymns," noted Unitarian Dave Jones, searching to cite examples of the common ground between the two religions, "but we use different lyrics."

 

29 June 1999

Planning for Retirement with Jimmie Miller of American Express - Lesbian and Gay Specific info 7pm upstairs at the Center

 

30 June 1999 Wednesday

I gave a Utah Stonewall Historical Society of Utah Lecture upstairs at The Center regarding the “Legacy of Stonewall:  We're Revolting!”

 

DO GAY CLUBS HAVE A FUTURE IN THE GATEWAY DISTRICT? By Randolph Prawitt Pillar Features Editor In many large, metropolitan cities such as San Francisco, Seattle and New York, there are distinct gay districts, comprised of bars, clubs, gyms, restaurants, cafes, shops and residential properties. In Salt Lake City, despite its relatively large gay population, there is no such district – gay interests are scattered throughout the city. Gay private clubs, for example, are primarily concentrated in an area just west of downtown Salt Lake City. This area lies in an district of the city identified as "Gateway," 650 acres of land between 300 West and I-15, and North Temple and 1000 South. In all, there are at least six gay or gay-friendly clubs in this district.

The Gateway District has been slated by the city for major redevelopment. The city would like to see the district transformed from a vast wasteland of urban blight into a grand "urban neighborhood ... with an international distinction."

The Gateway plan calls for (among its liturgy of visions) new housing, businesses, recreational and cultural facilities, pedestrian boulevards and a sprawling "Gateway Commons Park."

Gay Clubs in Gateway? At first glance, the Gateway plan is intriguing, if not exciting. Upon closer examination, some issues come to mind that are not addressed within the plan. For the Salt Lake gay community the question must be, what will happen to the clubs that are in Gateway right now? The answer to that question largely depends on who you ask.

Among the myriad businesses that will be encouraged in Gateway, the plan makes no mention of any business licensed to sell alcohol. That doesn't mean they aren't welcome, says Joel Paterson of the Salt Lake City Planning Commission. He cites sections of the Salt Lake City Zoning Ordinance which indicate that in Gateway "private clubs and taverns are allowed as permitted or conditional uses. ... Private clubs and taverns are allowed in the Gateway District subject to the requirements of the zoning ordinance."

Salt Lake City Councilwoman Deeda Seed thinks the chances of survival for clubs in Gateway are "excellent." She says, "All the buildings and services are an established use -- they shouldn't have any difficulty staying there if they choose to." She concedes, however, "What might happen is that the owners of those properties at some point find that the value of their property has increased so dramatically that they want to sell. ... and then there's a question about what type of use takes over."

According to Salt Lake City mayoral candidate Jim Bradley, the threat is negligible, since "much of [the Gateway plan] is far from being cast in stone. ... There are issues the city and the developer have to deal with, including the acquisition of private property [in Gateway]."

Ross Anderson, who is also running for mayor of Salt Lake, suggests a more sinister scenario. He points to mayoral candidate Stuart Reid's voluntary financial disclosure report, which reveals that Reid has accepted significant contributions from a menagerie of developers and construction companies, including the Boyer Co., which is already doing work in Gateway. Anderson believes developers are "trying to buy their way into city hall," and says, "If the developers have their way, those clubs will be run out of the area." The survival of private clubs in Gateway, says Anderson, could depend "tremendously" on who wins the election.

When Push Comes to Shove The most ominous signal that gay clubs in the area may not have a future in Gateway can be found in the Gateway land use and development plan concept maps. Although Paterson says that "one of the ten guiding principles identified in the Gateway Development Master Plan encourages the retention of existing businesses currently located in the Gateway District," maps of the Gateway plan suggest zoning and development that may be inconsistent with the sale of alcohol.

For example, the property now occupied by The Sun  is on the edge of a massive public park, while Axis is in a residential zone facing a boulevard park. All but one of the buildings currently occupied by gay-friendly clubs are unidentifiable on Gateway plan maps.

Furthermore, having recently witnessed (with the sale of a block of Main Street to the LDS Church) the suspicious manner in which the city sometimes conducts land deals, it's a matter of speculation as to whether those properties have already been marked for condemnation.

While the city can legally condemn a property and compel its owner to sell, says Bradley, "there has to be a greater public good that can be shown." He says it's not always an easy or short process and can be over turned in court. But Anderson says, "I think it's done way too much in this area. ... With redevelopment agencies there's been a real disregard for not only personal property rights, but also for the interests of small, locally owned businesses."

Seed says it will take at least 20 years to complete redevelopment of Gateway and that "most of the redevelopment will work through the market, not the government." She also says the project could change with a new administration at city hall and will probably be less of a priority than it is now.

The greatest threat to gay clubs in Gateway may not be overt property condemnation. Salt Lake City has already shown it has the power – whether intentional or not -- to destroy businesses, as evidenced by the boarded-up shops on Main Street along the light rail tracks.

If development agencies make access to clubs difficult or impossible, the economic consequences for those businesses could be devastating. In effect, gay clubs could be driven from Gateway without a single condemnation order being issued.

Already, as I-15 construction winds across 200 South, long semis sit idle during business hours in the parking area used by patrons of The Sun. Says Anderson, "If the city is going to engage in projects like light rail down Main Street ... [it shouldn't] put a disproportionate burden on local businesses. ... If you're going to injure a business over the long-haul, then [you] ought to compensate those businesses -- that should be part of the cost of the construction project." 

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back The Utah gay community has made substantial progress in terms of visibility, inclusion and respect over the past several years, but there's still a long  way to go on the road to equal rights and full acceptance.

San Francisco this is not, and far too recent incidents of blatant discrimination are painfully etched in the gay community's collective memory. The irony of the Gateway dilemma lies in the reason so many of Salt Lake's gay clubs are in the district.

The Sun was originally located on the block now occupied by the Delta Center, where it was frequently the subject of vice raids and citations. Then, in 1983, Salt Lake City threatened to condemn the club and it was shut down. Joe Redburn, former owner of The Sun, remembers, “In those days we had no rights at all, as far as business, as far as property ownership. They basically came in and took the property and tore It own." The Sun moved to its current location at 702 W. 200 S., far from the scrutiny of downtown.

The proliferation of gay clubs in the district was simply a matter of survival -- gay private clubs had to settle in an area where their visibility was less of a concern to the image-conscious city than downtown. The district was run-down -- scarred by a maze of railroad tracks and urban blight.

Now that Salt Lake City has its eye on the district and envisions it as an opportunity for grand urban renewal, will gay clubs in the district again be pushed out of public view?

Bradley believes that whatever happens, there will be a place for the gay community in the future of Salt Lake city, referring to what he calls a "maturity" that has developed over the years from the days when gay clubs and bars (not to mention gays and lesbians themselves) were virtually invisible. He says, "The gay community has taken some shots, but over time [things] seem to get better and better."

Seizing that note of optimism, is it possible that someday the Salt Lake gay community might have a district to call its own? Looking to the Future Saying he believes the area the gay clubs are in is the closest thing Salt Lake has to a gay district and that it's in "jeopardy of being wiped out by the Gateway project." Anderson adds, "I think it's a healthy thing in a community, not to have a district like that so that it will be 'out-of-mind, out-of-sight' so much, but so that there's more of a feeling of community. I'm very much in favor of there being areas where there are a number of clubs and gathering places for the gay community."

Asked if the Planning Commission has given thought to a gay district in Salt Lake, Paterson says, "No. The Salt Lake City Zoning Ordinance regulates types of property or business owner." He adds, "[T]he ... Ordinance regulates types of land uses without respect to the interest or objectives of the property or owner."

Bradley believes that in Salt Lake city it would be difficult to establish an official gay district and have it survive public scrutiny. He also says that isolating gay business in one area of the city would not be in the best interest of the city or the gay community. He does say, however, that he feels a gay presence in Gateway "adds diversity and life to the district."

However you look at it, the Gateway project will have an enormous impact on the future of gay clubs in the district. Whether nestled in the planned picturesque landscape of Gateway, scattered indiscriminately throughout the city, or grouped together in some other district, the clubs and/or their successors will surely survive. As the Salt Lake gay community continues to make progress, gay clubs will naturally thrive in the end -- it's only the hows and whys that are uncertain.