A&E

MISS: From Far-Right Field

It’s not newsprint anymore, but The Salt Lake Tribune gave front-page space to a far-right candidate with virtually no chance of winning the election. And yet, once again the media (we know who we are) promotes the most outrageous stories on their platforms. It’s not exactly clickbait, but it’s close. The story is about Jake Oaks, an Independent American Party candidate running for Utah County Clerk. To say Oaks is “confused” about the Constitution—whether it be the U.S. or Utah’s—would be kind. If he wins, Oaks has committed to denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples, which Troy Williams of Equality Utah notes that he cannot do. “Over my dead body,” tweeted Derek Kitchen, whose 2014 lawsuit helped establish nationwide marriage equality. Yes, this was a fun—if frightening—story to read, but the Supreme Court hasn’t come for marriage equality … yet. Meanwhile, the IAP has ballot access in only one other state than ours. If you think the Democrats have no chance of winning, the IAP has even less.

HIT: Low Liquidity

Well, since the government is unlikely to do anything reasonable about Utah’s water problem, it’s time to take it to the cheap seats. A “Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics Poll shows Utah residents are willing to step up in this urgent crisis,” the paper says. Half of the respondents say bring on incentives for water-wise use. Stunningly, 5% say there’s no need to worry. We know there is, of course. Not very many want restrictions with penalties for cosmetic water use and even fewer think water companies should charge higher rates. Good for the paper asking questions, but the 195 comments took the questions further. What about population, development, weird stormwater rules—oh, and agriculture use, which takes up the large liquid majority? As usual, the powers that be don’t want to mess with businesses, but residents are fair game—even if they won’t make much of a difference.

MISS: Hunger Games

The Utah Attorney General’s Office: a place where the fight against the federal government—and specifically Joe Biden—finds a home. The latest is an attempt to back out of an executive order to “prevent and combat discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation” for its various food assistance programs. Sean Reyes and 22 other AGs are suing the administration because of the regulatory chaos that will ensue. Or as Vanity Fair puts it: “22 Republican States Sue Biden Admin for Right to Discriminate Against LGBTQ+ School Kids.” You heard it right. Republicans appear poised to do their own damned discriminating. They don’t like the idea of updating policies and signage because, well, it’s just too hard. The ACLU says it’s really about having the right to deny lunch money to LGBTQ+ kids. Instead of “pray away the gay,” Utah wants to starve it away.

Be a Climate Ranger

Hey, did you hear that Sen. Joe Manchin finally stepped up to the plate to vote for climate action? The West Virginia Democrat agreed to vote for a $369 billion package of climate and energy programs. And you thought he didn’t care about the existential threat facing the planet! Now, through the UYES Climate Justice Training Program, you too can be part of the solution. Utah Youth Environmental Solutions is “perfect for young environmental justice leaders who are passionate about environmental issues and eager to support the climate justice movement.” This is a climate justice program for youth 14 to 18 years old. Be your own Greta Thunberg and make a difference. “Over the course of this program we will investigate the systems of oppression that cause and perpetuate the climate crisis, imagine possible solutions and alternative futures and practice tangible skills to support the movement in achieving climate justice.” It’s a lot, and it’s good work. Salt Lake City and the Great Salt

Lake; Aug. 9 through Sept. 4; meeting on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, free. https://bit.ly/3ONf9AZ

Volunteer for Equality

You were probably stunned when all four Utah congressmen voted to protect samesex marriage. Yes, you heard that right. But the LGBTQ community isn’t done. “We are working on securing LGBTQ rights across the state, and your help is critical to our effort.” When you volunteer at Ogden Pride 2022, you will be getting the community closer to that goal. You can help get attendees registered to vote before the important November general election, where voting does matter. There are more than 100,000 people who identify as LGBTQ in Utah— and many of them are of voting age. Equality Utah needs three or four volunteers for each of three four-hour shifts. Ogden

Amphitheater, 343 E. 25th St., Ogden, Sunday, Aug. 7, 10 a.m. Free/sign up at https://bit.ly/3Q6q4Ho

Tell Them What You Think

You live in Utah, so you have a lot on your mind. Why not tell your representatives what you think? There’s a lot to get exercised about—Utah’s abortion trigger law, the inland port, pollution, bullying, gun laws, immigration, inflation and so much more. All you have to do is show up at this Write Your Reps Workshop. Offkey Art will have “all the information and supplies (minus multiple computers) necessary to write letters, email or draft phone call scripts to use when contacting your local, state and federal representatives. That’s right, Mike Lee and Brett Kavanaugh, you’ll be hearing from us.” If you’re still unsure, they will have outlines ready to use and help you craft a good, persuasive letter.

824 S. 400 West, B128, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 6 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/3Se3YEK

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net Information is correct at press time; visit event websites for updates on possible COVID-related cancellations or re-scheduling

Chris Redd @ Wiseguys

Through the nearly-50-year history of Saturday Night Live, there have been two general paths toward becoming a cast member: success on stand-up comedy stages, and involvement with one of the great sketchcomedy workshops like Second City or The Groundlings. It’s evidence of Chris Redd’s unique skill set that the current SNL cast member started out with the latter, but has made a transition to successful work as the former.

Even more interesting is the possibility that Redd might never have found his way into comedy at all, since his initial artistic ambitions were as a rapper, a talent he developed as a way to overcome a childhood stutter. His switch to comedy didn’t mean that his musical gifts weren’t a career benefit, however. His film debut involved him playing the role of a rapper in fellow SNL alum Andy Samberg’s 2016 music-industry mockumentary Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping; he even won an Emmy Award in 2018 for co-writing the song

“Come Back Barack” for an SNL sketch. As much of an impression as Redd has made with his SNL characters—including a terrific riff recently on New York City mayor Eric Adams—it’s clear that his talents can’t be contained in one creative box.

If you’re interested in getting a gander at what Redd brings to work on a stand-up stage, you’ll get a chance this week when he visits Wiseguys Gateway (194 S. 400 West) for four shows Aug. 5-6, with performances at 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $30; visit wiseguyscomedy.com for tickets and additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

Park City Kimball Arts Festival

Through the relentless heat of this Salt Lake Valley summer, you really shouldn’t need an excuse to consider an escape to the nearby mountains; throughout the season, there are wonderful recreational and entertainment opportunities in the canyons and the Wasatch Back. But there’s a particular pleasure involved in spending a weekend with one of the great regional showcases for the arts at the Park City Kimball Arts Festival, which for more than 50 years has welcomed approximately 50,000 annual visitors.

Once again, Park City’s Historic Main Street is turned over to around 200 artists from 28 states and multiple countries, representing works including ceramics, painting, jewelry, digital art, fiber, glass, photography, printmaking and more. Two festival stages will showcase live performances by local musicians on all three festival days. In addition to the regular lineup of amazing Park City restaurants, the festival will be presenting culinary artisans and food trucks in the festival grounds area. Proceeds from the festival support the Kimball Art Center’s year-round programming; visitors can get just a taste of that programming with the festival’s hands-on experiences at the Studio on Main and the all-ages Creation Station.

The 2022 Park City Kimball Arts Festival runs Aug. 5-7 on Historic Main Street, with hours 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday. Single-day tickets are $5-$10, with $225 VIP tickets including access to the festival lounge, and Friday night admission free with registration for Summit County residents. Visit kimballartsfestival.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

Grow your own.

12 | AUGUST 4, 2022 Your favorite garden center since 1955 3500 South 900 East | 801.487.4131 www.millcreekgardens.com

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net Information is correct at press time; visit event websites for updates on possible COVID-related cancellations or re-scheduling

Colson Whitehead: Harlem Shuffle

There aren’t many precedents for the kind of career Colson Whitehead has already enjoyed as a novelist. For more than 20 years, Whitehead has been turning heads with extraordinary work—from a MacArthur Fellowship and Pulitzer Prize finalist recognition thanks to his 2002 novel John Henry Days, to the extraordinary back-toback Pulitzer Prizes in fiction for his novels The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys. Whitehead has already proven that the hits just keep coming from his remarkable mind, and that’s true again with his 2021 novel Harlem Shuffle.

This time around, Whitehead turns his dense explorations of the Black experience in America to late 1950s/ early 1960s Harlem, and the character of Ray Carney. Ray’s family has a history with criminal enterprises, but he himself is trying to make an honest living running a furniture store—or at least a mostly honest living, as he occasionally fences stolen goods out of the store for his cousin, Freddie. But once that door is open a little, it’s easy for it to get open a lot, as

Ray discovers when he gets caught up in the aftermath of a heist that puts him squarely in the sights of both law enforcement and some of his neighborhood’s even more dangerous criminal characters.

Salt Lake City’s King’s English Bookshop partners with several other national independent booksellers to present Colson Whitehead in conversation with journalist Adam Serwer in a Crowdcast virtual event on Tuesday, Aug. 9 at 6 p.m. This ticketed event is $27, which includes a paperback copy of Harlem Shuffle; visit kingsenglish.com for registration and other event information. (SR)

Ogden Pride

Officially, Pride Month is already more than a month in the rearview mirror. That doesn’t mean—especially with rhetorical attacks on LGBTQ people escalating throughout the country—that only one month of the year is needed for acknowledging and celebrating the queer community. And once again, Ogden Pride offers a different summer showcase for events with particularly rainbow hue.

The celebrations kick off on Friday, Aug. 5 with a Drag Queen Bingo Night & Dinner at No Frills Diner on 25th (195 25th St., Suite 100, Ogden), an all-ages event with a $15 charge for the first bingo card and $5 for subsequent cards. On Saturday, Aug. 6 at 7 p.m., enjoy a “funny-raising” event at Ogden’s Own Distillery (615 W. Stockman Way) headlined by veteran comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer (pictured), the first openly lesbian comedian to appear on national television, and the first openly lesbian comedian to headline her own HBO comedy special; tickets are $50 advance and $65 at the door. Westenhoefer also serves as Mistress of Ceremonies for the freeadmission Pride Festival on Sunday, Aug. 7 at the Ogden Amphitheater & Municipal Gardens (343 E. 25th St.). The event kicks off with an opening rally at 11 a.m., and the festival’s booths, entertainment and food offerings running until 8 p.m.; scheduled performers include Ginger & the Gents, the alltrans lineup of Shecock with a Vengeance and Zaza Historia Vandyke.

Additional information is available on the festival’s website at ogdenpride.org. Visit there to buy tickets for ticketed events, and take advantage of another opportunity to let that flag fly. (SR)

A roundup of where and how to enjoy Utah’s county fair season.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Strange though it may seem as the summer days continue to broil us, it’s actually already a more autumn-seeming time of the year: county fair season. Throughout the state, venues are offering competitions, entertainment, games, food and fun for all ages. Here’s an overview of some of the events launching this weekend, and extending into the rest of August. For additional information on other events in other counties, check out the website for your county.

Cache County Fair: This year’s Cache County Fair celebrates 143 years of the event, with the event center showcasing 4-H clubs, photography, fine arts, home arts and more. Single-day wristbands for the carnival—courtesy of Arizona-based Brown’s Amusements—are $25 per person. Individual and family-pack tickets are available for the rodeo, beginning at 8 p.m. nightly Thursday, Aug. 11 – Saturday, Aug. 13. As headline entertainment for separate ticketing, you can catch the Wayne Hoskins Band on Thursday, Aug. 11, Jagertown on Friday, Aug. 12 and the legendary Gatlin Brothers on Saturday, Aug. 13. Cache County Fair-

grounds, 450 S. 500 West, Logan, Aug. 10-13, cachecounty.org/fair

Summit County Fair: The carnival (single tickets and all-day wristbands available) and food booths run with varying hours Aug. 10-13, as well as for the live entertainment and exhibits of agriculture, floriculture, home arts and more. Saturday morning Aug. 13 brings the fair parade on Coalville’s Main Street. Tickets are required for the PRCA Rodeo on Aug. 12-13, with admission $7-$15. Postfair, you can catch Easton Corbin, the veteran country artist with hits tracing back to his no. 1 single “A Little More Country Than That” in 2010; doors open at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3 for the lineup that includes three opening acts, with tickets $25-$35. 202 E. Park Rd., Coalville, Aug. 6-13,

summitcountyfair.org

Tooele County Fair: It’s a mostly-free fairground experience full of exhibits and more, including the City of Fun Carnival with ticketed demolition derby on Saturday, Aug. 6 at 7 p.m. Guests can also enjoy a free headliner concert performance by Utah country artist Skylar Geer on Thursday, Aug. 4 at 7 p.m.; additional main-stage entertainment includes singer Whitney Lusk on Friday, Aug. 5 and magician Elias “Lefty” Caress and Tooele’s own Carver Louis on Saturday, Aug. 6. Deseret Peak Complex, 2930 W. High-

way 112, Tooele, Aug. 4-6, tooelefair.com

Utah County Fair: Spanish Fork plays host to an event full of fun for the whole family, and much of it is free. Among the free options available during the three-day fair are the Kids’ Corner (in an air-conditioned tent), large inflatables, LEGO display, car show, antique tractor pull and the Western Night rodeo on Thursday, Aug. 4. Even the Main Stage music entertainment is free throughout, with multiple bands playing under a thematic umbrella, with country bands Thursday, up-and-coming local rock acts on Friday, and classic rock on Saturday. Ticketed events include Monster Trucks (Friday, Aug. 5, 7 p.m.) and Demolition Derby (Saturday, Aug. 6, 7 p.m.). All that, plus plenty of vendors offering food, arts and crafts. Spanish Fork

Fairgrounds, 475 S. Main, Aug. 4-6, utahcountyfair. org

Wasatch County Fair: The fun kicks off on Wednesday, Aug. 3 with the carnival and country market from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m., and $5 BBQ dinner featuring entertainment by singer Christian Jones and hypnotist Marshal Manlove. The carnival and market hours for subsequent days are noon – 10 p.m. Aug. 4 & Aug. 5, and 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. Aug. 6; agricultural and other exhibits are also open to the public with varying hours. Headliner entertainment includes Mountain Valley Stampede Rodeo Aug. 4-6, with tickets ranging from $12-$20 with three-day passes available; Utah native country artist Charley Jenkins performs after the rodeo on Aug. 4 at 9:30 p.m., and fireworks follow the rodeo on Friday night. Wasatch County Events Complex,

345 W. 600 South, Heber City, Aug. 3-6, wasatchparksandrec.com

Weber County Fair: The 34th Weber County Fair occupies its usual mid-August slot, with entertainment including hypnotist and magician shows, petting farm, musical performances, bird shows and more. Single-day tickets range from $6-$10, with family passes and season passes also available, and special deals available Wednesday and Thursday with requested donations. Headline entertainment includes the Festival de la Familia concert (with performances by Banda Renovacion & Jesus Ojeda) on Thursday, Aug. 11, bullfights on Friday, Aug. 12 and demolition derby on Saturday, Aug. 12; package admission deals on those days are required for tickets to the outdoor stadium events. Weber County Fairgrounds, 1000 N. 1200 West,

Ogden, Aug. 10-13, webercountyfair.org CW

Mutton bustin at the County Fair

Anti-abortion victory at the Supreme Court breathes new life into long-simmering fights.

By Carolyn Campbell & Benjamin Wood comments@cityweekly.net

In the almost-50 years since the U.S. Supreme Court recognized a woman’s right to an abortion in Roe v. Wade, the issue of how, when and whether society permits a woman to terminate a pregnancy has become one of the defining fault lines in American politics.

Between the two major parties, Democratic politicians and their supporters have traditionally viewed reproductive autonomy as fundamental to women’s liberty, while Republicans have cited various justifications—state sovereignty, fetal personhood, “declining” moral standards, etc.—as reasons for opposing the federal recognition of those rights.

But after the shocking reversal of the Roe precedent on June 24, 2022, by Republicaninstalled justices—the first time a recognized constitutional right had been withdrawn by the Supreme Court—political battle lines have both deepened and scattered.

American women—many of whom have only known a post-Roe landscape in their lifetimes—are newly facing regulations where decisions are made for them. And voters who, for decades, hid behind the oversimplified “pro-life” and “pro-choice” labels must now reconsider their political coalitions as actors on all sides scramble to react, including those hoping to capture the momentum and attack other civil rights, such as mixed-race and same-sex marriages.

In the following pages, Utahns share their viewpoints on abortion and other deeply felt topics, as well as their experiences dealing with the disagreement of family, friends and those closest to them. Sticking Out Susie Augenstein is a selfdescribed “outlier” in her highly conservative family. The group mostly gets along well, she said, but “I just know when to excuse myself, which I have to do sometimes when I am the lone wolf.” There was a time when the tension got so high that Augenstein installed a signboard in her kitchen for family events. “No politics or COVID talk today,” it read. Augenstein said the past few years have seen many families become divided over the presidency of Donald Trump and issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. “In politics, it feels like you have to agree with every claim—the entire platform—to be with a party,” she said. “This causes divisiveness—one party feels more compassionate, and one feels more fiscally responsible.”

She wishes there was more crossover. “Shouldn’t both of those things be important to all of us?”

As the adoptive mother of two Black children, Augenstein tries to be sensitive to the marginalization they face. “I taught my Black son that if he gets pulled over, to keep his hands on the wheel and not reach for his paperwork immediately,” she said.

Her experience with Black children also led her to view abortion differently. “Republican women have strong feelings against abortion. But so many factors play into that decision—I would never take it away from anybody else,” she said. “[And] if there are a million more babies, will everyone be there to foster and adopt them?”

Beyond race and abortion, Augenstein said her experience raising Black children has also led her toward more compassion and support for members of the LGBTQ community. “I started to review my thoughts about them and, because I didn’t have an LGBTQ child, I started to wonder what it would be like if I did.”

She and her husband started to volunteer at Encircle, a nonprofit support and suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ youth. And after six months, Augenstein said she and her husband—at the time bishop of a Latter-day Saint

congregation in Riverton—started hosting church meetings Susie Augenstein: Seeking with LGBTQ speakers and guests, some of whom were pracmore crossover in politics. ticing Mormons, others not. “We already knew their stories and felt like they could give our members different perspectives,” Augenstein said. “All these situations needed to be heard so our members could understand them and show an added measure of love and support.” Today, Augenstein hosts a monthly, all-inclusive Sunday school class with Peculiar, an organization that works with LGBTQ, Latter-day Saint youth. “So many people have faith crises,” Augenstein said of the differing political views among the LDS faithful. “Sometimes it’s better to leave things unsaid or talk about something else. You can make those differences your division point and lose the relationship. Or you can choose the relationship. I always choose the relationship.” COURTESY PHOTO

Social and Sidewalks

Kadee Powell comes from a family with varying opinions on abortion, including those who support elective procedures in the latest stages of pregnancy. For her, she believes abortion is the most significant human rights issue of the day. Powell advocates online for the pre-born. But growing up, Powell said

Kadee she was generally on the

Powell: pro-choice side of the

Abortion is a human rights issue. COURTESY PHOTO debate. “I didn’t know if I would get an abortion but, back then, I wouldn’t want to tell anyone else what to do,” she said. She began researching the topic at the suggestion of a friend, and her thinking began to change. “I was looking to see what an abortion was. I had no idea that babies were ripped apart in the womb, that skulls were crushed. Babies were suctioned right out of their mother’s womb.”

Powell continued, “When you review fetal development, you realize [a fetus] is a living, growing thing. What I learned about abortion made me physically sick.”

“Human life at any stage has value.” Mary Taylor, president of Pro-Life Utah

Drew Armstrong relies on science, not religion, to define what life is.

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

[Editor’s note: The vast majority of abortions occur early in pregnancy and are achieved through minimally invasive procedures or, increasingly, the prescription of medication. The type of abortions described above are the exception, often necessitated by the type of lifethreatening complications that more-moderate abortion bans allow exceptions for.]

Powell started sharing her thoughts on social media. Then she became involved with the advocacy group Pro-Life Utah. During the 2020 legislative session, Powell testified for SB174, Utah’s “trigger law” that prohibits a pregnant woman from obtaining an abortion, with limited exceptions such as rape, incest, life of the mother and severe fetal brain abnormality. “The bill passed easily with a lot of support from legislators,” Powell said. “I was super excited.”

Today, Powell is the social media director for Pro-Life Utah and participates in its Sidewalk Advocates for Life network, which stages demonstrations outside of clinics. “We do it peacefully and always abide by the law,” she said. “We ask [patients], do you want to come and see your baby’s heartbeat? Just seeing their baby’s heartbeat changes their heart with an understanding that this is a little human being they are carrying.”

Powell said that Pro-Life Utah seeks to determine the crisis point for which a woman is seeking an abortion and to offer help, like helping a parent find work. She adds that the group is still in contact with the first woman who approached them. “We will help in their lives as long as they want us to,” she said. “We want them to see that they can achieve their dreams and have their baby, too.”

Similarly Different

Hoping to adopt a child, Sherilyn Gustafson and her husband interviewed 15 birth mothers within five years. “It hurt me so much to see the pain they each were in from the idea of giving up their children,” Gustafson said. “I realized that not everyone has a choice in life. And the more choices we take away from each other, the worse life gets.”

The birth mothers’ pain led Gustafson to a new view of abortion that differed from the one she acquired while growing up in her highly conservative family.

Today, Gustafson said she feels that abortion is necessary, an opinion she says gets her “a lot of hate” from family members and conservative friends. “I just try not to listen to them,” she said.

As the mother of a cisgender daughter, a lesbian daughter and a trans son, Gustafson fears for all of her children’s futures. And she worries that some of the people who pursued the repeal of Roe v. Wade will now seek to attack marriage equality.

“The possibility scares the crap out of me,” Gustafson said. “My brother-in-law celebrated the reversal because now they can go after gay marriage. He told my husband directly.”

Gustafson’s extended family rejected a cousin when he came out as gay. “I couldn’t take it. His pain was so evident,” Gustafson said. “So, I completely leaned into love for him, and now he is like a brother to me.”

Gustafson lives in Cedar Hills, where virtually all of her neighbors are Latter-day Saints and political conservatives. She said she, too, was once “all in” on her LDS faith—even serving a mission and marrying in the temple.

But she hasn’t attended church since COVID and isn’t sure when she will go back. Today, she says she tries to be an ally to kids whose parents reject them. “Kids come out to me because I am a safe space,” she said.

In May 2022, six full-size Pride flags were stolen from her front yard. Next year, she plans to place 50 smaller Pride flags in a basket on her porch.

“If you want a Pride flag, come and get it,” she said. “I am going to organize a Pride Week next year in Cedar Hills. There will be people who give me s--t about it. But if I help only one kid feel safer, it’s worth it.”

Switching Tracks

Adamantly pro-choice as a teenager, Mary Taylor became pregnant at age 19. And after learning of the pregnancy, she said her thenboyfriend of five years “was immediately out the door.”

Taylor recalled having taken the prochoice side in debates. Now that it was personal, her perception muddied, but she didn’t want to consult her pro-life friends. “I thought they would base their decision on a religion that wasn’t mine,” she said. “I didn’t see where they had the proof.”

At 11 weeks pregnant, Taylor decided to visit Utah Women’s Clinic, among the only abortion providers in the state at the time. She said the counselor there acted like Taylor was completely silly for wrestling with her decision.

“She said there was no need to worry about a clump of cells the size of a pencil point,” Taylor recalled of her visit. “No way was this a human being.”

But during her abortion procedure, Taylor felt like something was wrong. Post-abortion, she went into a self-destructive mode. “The heartache was unbearable,” she said. “I didn’t know why it had strongly impacted me.”

Five years later, Taylor was pregnant with her daughter when she studied an illustrated baby book. She saw that an 11-week-old fetus—like the one she had terminated—was much more than a clump of cells. “She had little fingers and toes and was doing somersaults,” Taylor said.

This new understanding brought guilt, grief and anger. “Why was I told something different?” Taylor asked. “It was a pretty traumatic experience to realize I had a baby on the way.”

Taylor continued to be haunted by the realization. And when she saw disturbing undercover videos going viral that depicted Planned Parenthood officials discussing fees for human fetal tissue and organs, Taylor said her grief, anger and confusion only grew.

“I watched every minute of that. It almost sent me into a nervous breakdown,” Taylor said of the 2015 controversy. “I saw a protest at Planned Parenthood and knew I had to go to it. I needed to make my voice heard. I felt a lot of fear and anxiety, but the motivation to change things was greater.” [Editor’s note: The videos mentioned above were recorded under false pretenses and found to have been deceptively edited. Multiple investigations followed, finding no evidence of impropriety by Planned Parenthood.]

Taylor started attending pro-life protests regularly and became acquainted with her fellow demonstrators. That led to the creation of Pro-Life Utah, of which Taylor is currently president.

She said she met woman after woman who told stories similar to hers of pain and emotional trauma.

As time passed, her feelings and beliefs became much stronger.

“I reached the conviction that human life at any stage has value,” Taylor said. “Even three days into my pregnancy, she had her own DNA.” Drew Armstrong’s transgender son made his first effort to transition at age 3. Armstrong clearly remembers the day he found his child standing in a closet holding a pair of scissors. He asked why his child had cut off their hair and the answer was, “I want to be a boy. I want to be a prince.”

Those words didn’t surprise Armstrong. “He was fascinated with male gender-driven activities from the word ‘go.’”

Because his child came out at such a young age, Armstrong never questioned whether his son had “chosen” to transition. And on his son’s 16th birthday, Armstrong and his ex-wife hired legal counsel to have their child’s name and gender marker officially changed.

At age 17, Armstrong’s son underwent top surgery. But only days later, in the middle of the night, Armstrong was awakened by his son saying he needed to go to the hospital, where he received treatment for gender dysphoria.

“There was still some suicidal ideation,” Armstrong said. “While transitioning helps, it doesn’t make the gender dysphoria completely disappear.”

Armstrong is proud to have a close enough relationship with his son that he was comfortable sharing his struggles and seeing his father as a way to get support.

Some Republican friends may say that transitioning doesn’t work, or is harmful, Armstrong said. He responds that they’re discussing something they’ve only read about, but his family lives with.

Armstrong’s experiences with his son are one of several catalysts he cites for causing him to veer to the political left of the person he had been all his life before. And after meeting and becoming friends with fellow ex-conservative fathers at Pride celebrations, he was part of forming Dragon Dads, a “smaller, less organized group”—in Armstrong’s words— than their counterpart Mama Dragons.

“I walk through with parents why it’s important to get trans kids treatment when they are young, even if it’s a little bit scary,” he said. “Hormone blockers, for example—to go to a surgeon at age 17 and request a double mastectomy, you have to see an endocrinologist, be living in transition for a couple of years and have a letter from a counselor.”

Armstrong knew of an 11-year-old, specialneeds girl whose preteen cousin got her pregnant. The girl’s family flew to California to obtain an abortion for her.

“They were fortunate, because they were wealthy enough to get on an airplane and access that. But what if they couldn’t?” he said. “It makes me sad that you can’t get access to an abortion in a country where we say we are not going to legislate religious morality.”

Religious freedom, Armstrong said, includes freedom from religion. And he was critical of Latter-day Saints who profess a belief that the U.S. Constitution is a divinely inspired document while also attempting to impose their religious views on others.

“Muslims, religiously, believe that the soul enters the body 120 days after conception. Jews believe that you do not have a soul until the point when you are born,” Armstrong said. “If we legislate a lack of choice and say [abortion] is murder—that’s purely religious.”

He said it makes sense to him to draw a line at the point of fetal viability—roughly 23 or 24 weeks—when a developing child can be born and survive outside the womb. And he’s OK with viability being a moving target as medical technology improves.

“I’m relying on science, not on religion, to define what life is,” he said. CW

How to get an abortion in Utah, without Roe v. Wade

You’re in Utah, you’re pregnant and for whatever reason, you’d like not to be. What do you do?

Even though Utah is a deepred, pro-life state, women have access to elective abortions during the early stages of their pregnancies. But since the U.S. Supreme Court jettisoned Roe v. Wade in June, that could change. And it’s damnednear impossible to predict what comes next.

For help, City Weekly reached out to Planned Parenthood Association of Utah President and CEO Karrie Galloway (who recently announced her retirement at year’s end) to help us sort out this new country and state we’re all living in. Our best interpretation of the law as it stands, paired with Galloway’s expert insights, follow.

Is abortion legal in Utah?

Short answer: For now, yes, up to 18 weeks of fetal development.

Long answer: Utah is one of 13 states that passed a so-called “trigger law,” banning virtually all abortions, in anticipation of a Republican-manipulated Supreme Court overturning decades of legal precedent. The court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health did exactly that, stripping away federal protections and giving states full authority to legislate abortion as they please.

Utah’s trigger law would have taken effect immediately after the decision was announced, but Planned Parenthood and others sued the state and obtained an injunction, pausing the all-out ban while the courts consider whether or not Utah’s State Constitution guarantees a right to reproductive autonomy.

But those clever lawmakers actually passed not one, but two trigger laws. The Utah court’s decision to pause the zeroweek ban left untouched another pre-Dobbs law moving up the state’s cutoff for elective abortions to 18 weeks.

Galloway says: “It allowed the state to come in and enforce the 18-week ban, which had never been enforced before. And we are still following all of the other TRAP legislation that has been passed over the years.”

What’s a TRAP?

Short answer: Hurdles the state imposes to stop you from getting a legal abortion.

Long answer: TRAP stands for Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers, and refers to burdensome—and often medically unsound—laws that many states have adopted to squeeze abortion services out of existence prior to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

In Utah, this means that before obtaining a legal, pre-18 week, elective abortion, a patient must pass a series of steps, all overtly intended to make them abandon their efforts. Those steps include: —Watch a mandatory, state-produced, “informational” video. —Complete a face-to-face interview with a qualifying medical professional. —Sign a permission slip acknowledging that they understand their choice. —Wait 72 hours to reconsider their choice.

—Then, obtain abortion from provider, pay any related fees.

Additional steps are regularly sponsored at the Legislature. Not long ago, now-Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson led an unprecedented walkout of the state Senate’s female members over a bill mandating that patients undergo and be shown an ultrasound before receiving an abortion. The bill failed.

The 72-hour waiting period, by design, imposes significant time and travel costs on patients. But technology has facilitated some steps, like viewing the mandatory video online or conducting face-to-face consultations virtually.

Galloway says: “Most people choose to do it in person, but we have made accommodations using a platform where the optics are so good that we can verify that the person is who they say they are by holding their identification up to their face and it can be determined that, yes, they are that person.”

“There’s going to have to be a reckoning about power—power over other people’s bodies. And unfortunately, what it’s breaking down is men [having power] over women.” —Karrie Galloway

Can Planned Parenthood win its lawsuit against Utah’s abortion ban?

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: Because federal law has propped up abortion rights for so long, virtually every state is now being confronted— many for the first time—with what their respective constitutions say on the subject. This can and will lead to a kaleidoscope of state-level court rulings, with some governments succeeding at criminalizing abortion while others are compelled by the judicial branch to preserve a right to choose.

But proponents of reproductive rights may have even more reason for optimism in Utah, as it was one of the last states added to the union and, thus, its constitution was written with comparatively modern sensibilities. That’s why lawmakers are reportedly floating an amendment to explicitly deny abortion rights, which requires a public vote.

Galloway says: “Women actually were part of the conversation. And our prevailing religion here, at many points in its history, respected women a lot more than [lawmakers] do right now. It’s coming back to bite those who want to control those bodies, because [the law] talks about freedom of agency and about equality of sexes.”

What if Planned Parenthood loses?

Short answer: Very few Utahns will qualify for a legal abortion in Utah.

Long answer: If enacted, Utah’s trigger law would allow exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. However, claiming those exceptions would require a poorly defined stack of police reports and other formal documentation, realistically putting the procedure out of reach for all but the most extreme cases. The few who do qualify would still be subject to the TRAP requirements listed above.

Elective abortion services would continue in other states for those who are able to travel. Colorado, notably, has taken steps to codify reproductive freedom in its laws, and Planned Parenthood operates a clinic in Glenwood Springs, a stop on Amtrak’s California Zephyr rail line—which runs through Utah—or a roughly 350-mile drive east of Salt Lake City. A quick Google search suggests that a standard hotel room in Glenwood Springs costs between $100 and $200.

A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains said its clinic doors are open to any patient and that roughly half of its services are currently going to out-ofstate visitors. “People need to control their own body, life and future, no matter where they live,” the spokesperson said.

Still unclear is the degree to which it would be legal/illegal in Utah to obtain abortion medication through the mail using telehealth services or to fund a person’s travel to and lodgings in a reproductive freedom state. But organizations are rapidly gearing up to offer workarounds to the various state and federal rules taking shape.

It should also be noted that before Roe, women’s groups performed many safe, clandestine abortions, and while far from the medical ideal, versions of those groups are all but certain to operate underground in anti-abortion states.

Galloway says: “No one’s really been able to figure it out because this trigger law was passed fairly capriciously, without any hearings or specifics. We, as Planned Parenthood, have engaged criminal lawyers to help us ferret out that language and unfortunately, at this point, it can only be tested in court, and I won’t ask my staff to volunteer for that.”

Are things going to be OK?

Galloway says: “There’s going to have to be a reckoning about power—power over other people’s bodies. And unfortunately, what it’s breaking down is men [having power] over women. Even though not all pregnant people identify as women, in its most crass form— totally nonpolitical, non-aware, just basic form—it’s men controlling women. And until we have that toe-to-toe, we’re not going to go anywhere.

“Until we have equality between the sexes, with acceptance and awareness of wanting to get along together and supporting each other in our needs to live our best lives, we’re just not going to be able to do it.” CW

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