City Weekly May 30, 2024

CITY WEEKLY STORE

DINE

SLC FORECAST

S AP

BOX

City Weekly ’s 40th Anniversary

Congratulations. Viva City Weekly.

KRCLRADIO Via Instagram

Congrats! Essential part of Utah culture.

SALTYBILL999 Via Instagram

Amazing! Thanks so much for everything y’all do for SLC.

VERTICAL_DINER_SLC Via Instagram

Private Eye forever!

DAVE ILTIS Via Facebook

Congratulations on 40 years! Great accomplishment!

TRESHOMBRESUTAH Via Instagram

Congrats! Here’s to another 140! Best memories each week when they were delivered at Kostas—we all stopped working to read, and I still do!

ARGE FEOTIS Via Facebook

Congratulations! Here’s to many more successful years. City Weekly is a godsend in Salt Lake City!

AMY O’CONNOR Via Facebook

The only real newspaper in all of Utah! Congratulations!

BOB TUTTLE Via Facebook

Congratulations! Forty years in print and going strong—that’s an incredible achievement.

GLOVER NURSERY Via Facebook

Yippee skippee—40 years! We are big fans of this newspaper’s coverage and the hard lines it draws—even when it’s not the Utah “popular” way. I have appreciated the times that John Saltas has stood up for so many, and I know him to be a very honorable man. Great article, Pete! Love you, John and Paula—Happy anniversary! See you soon!

KAREN JOHNSON Via Facebook

Great weekly information. Thanks. Keep it going. BD HOWES Via Facebook

I think I only first began to see you about 25 years ago. Congratulations. As The Salt Lake Tribune turned more like the Deseret News, at least we still have one local newspaper that can tell the truth.

CATHIE GALLEGOS

CHANSAMONE COSTANZO Via Facebook

“Muy Bien!”

May 23 Private Eye

Another well-written Private Eye editorial in your May 23, 2024, edition. I especially liked City Weekly’s mission statement: “We just call BS. Nothing more, no agenda … we just don’t like creeps.” Beautiful.

ANDREW BYRNE Park City

It’s a shame that City Weekly stopped calling BS. I provided irrefutable proof of a major coverup and was ignored, as if media outlets were part of an organized crime ring. Tons of visibly clear proof, of tons of brazen rights violations, all ignored. Make it make sense without organized corruption. Could I be crazy? Even if I were, it would be irrelevant when such proof is provided, and it is clearly not a collection of potato recipes but again very clear rights violations. Could I be deceiving? Even if I were, I have repeat-

edly pointed out where the pertinent facts can be verified. I could understand the motivations of shared party goals and covering up parties’ crimes, but visibly covering up political opponents’ crimes screams of a bipartisan, organized corruption ring.

J DERRICK UNGER Via Facebook

“Lake Lore,” May 9 Cover Story

I really enjoyed the article by Tamara Fawcett. There have been so many Great Salt Lake articles recently, but this one had a unique spin. It was nice getting a refresher course in Utah history.

JILL HASLAM Holladay

Care to sound off on a feature in our pages or about a local concern? Write to comments@ cityweekly.net or post your thoughts on our social media. We want to hear from you!

THE WATER COOLER

Who would you draft to be the grand marshal of this year’s Pride parade?

Scott Renshaw

Mike Lee is sort of the obvious choice, but maybe the better option is for all of the Republicans running to fill Romney’s Senate seat to share the duty, all in the same car. It would be interesting just to see how “no homo” their campaign ads would have to get.

Benjamin Wood

I would draft City Weekly’s 2024 Pride Issue guest editor, Sarah Reale! Or maybe we could force Layton Republican Rep. Trevor Lee to ride at the front of the parade—he might learn something.

Eric Granato.

I’d draft Michael Arron of Q magazine in celebration of 20 years of self-publishing a much needed resource for the LGBTQIA+ community in our city. He’s earned his stripes.

Carolyn Campbell

How about drafting David Archuleta?

Katharine Biele

Gayle Ruzicka. It would be fun to hear how she responds, at least.

Jerre Wroble

Babs De Lay, City Weekly’s own columnist and a contributor to this week’s cover story, would make a groovy grand marshal.

OPINION

BY CHRISTOPHER SMART

Second Coming Come Early

OK, when Salt Lake City taxpayers pony up $1 billion, what will they get for their money? It’s a mystery— sort of.

The Salt Lake City Council, considering raising all that dough in taxes, held a public hearing so Salt Lakers could weigh in on the new hit to their wallets. A lot of people trudged down to City Hall to put in their 2 cents even though they didn’t know what they were commenting on. It’s all about this thing called the “entertainment district” that doesn’t exist yet—plans remain floating somewhere in the ether.

Here’s the deal, for this nebulous proposal the city would chip in about $1 billion and Jazz NBA owner Ryan Smith would put up $3 billion. The money would transform 100 acres around the Delta Center, Abravanel Hall and the Salt Palace Convention Center into something like the Eighth Wonder of the World. Call it “Smithland.”

There would be basketball, NHL hockey, music, culture, art, taco stands and a bunch of cool stuff you can’t even imagine. It’s kinda like Christmas come early, or more accurately, the Second Coming come early. Imagine Salt Lake City transformed into the next Orlando, Florida— sans Mickey, Goofy and the gang. City leaders are absolutely giddy—how often do you get to re-create the world in your own image?

Slurping up Truth, Justice and Democracy

We know you’re not ready for this, Wilson—Rudy Giuliani now has his own brand of coffee. Yep, “Rudy Coffee” is

here. “When I put my name on something, you can trust it,” he says in a new TV commercial.

The ad dropped right after Giuliani pleaded not guilty in Arizona to charges of conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election. When you buy Rudy Coffee, you’re not just getting great coffee, he says, “You’re supporting our cause: Truth, justice and American democracy.” Yes Wilson, he really did say that.

Rudy was one of the so-called “architects” of the plan to keep Trump in power after he lost the election. Architecture, needless to say, is not what it used to be. In December, the one-time New York City mayor was ordered by a jury to pay $148 million in damages to former Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, whom he defamed by saying they fraudulently counted votes for Biden. The pair received numerous death threats, among other things. Looks like Rudy is gonna have to sell a lot of that coffee.

Giuliani also faces a dozen charges in the racketeering case brought by the Fulton County district attorney in Atlanta, Georgia. So, get your Rudy Coffee today. Buy lots and lots of it to save our American democracy and Rudy Giuliani’s ass.

Failed Plan to Assassinate Trump

If you think Donald Trump’s “hush money” trial was nasty with cringeworthy sex scenes involving the former president and a porn star, listen to this: President Joe Biden planned to knock off the Donald at Mar-a-Lago in August 2022, when the FBI searched the Florida property for classified documents.

How do we know this to be true? Because the rightwing echo chamber says so.

“This was an attempted assassination,” declared former Trump adviser and pundit Steve Bannon. “The Biden DOJ and FBI were planning to assassinate President Trump and gave the green light.” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. “The Biden administration authorized the use of deadly force at Mar-a-Lago,” said Fox talking head Sean Hannity.

Well, not exactly. The FBI waited until Trump was in New York City before executing the search warrant. Beyond that, the FBI’s modus operandi forbids the use of force unless an agent’s life is in imminent danger. On the other hand, Trump’s lawyers argued before the Supreme Court that he had complete immunity as president and should be allowed to assassinate his political rivals without repercussions.

In Trump World, up is down and down is up. Hey, did you hear the FBI tried to assassinate Trump? It’s true, we heard it on Fox.

Postscript—That’ll do it for another gorgeous week here at Smart Bomb, where we keep track of who’s getting raises so you don’t have to.

Hey, Wilson, did you hear that Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall is asking for a $44,000 annual raise? Whoa, baby, that’s raising some eyebrows around town. Forty four grand? Holy simoleons.

Presently, her salary is $168,000 a year, or $14,000 a month. The raise would make it $212,000 a year, or $17,666 per month. We know Wilson, that’s more than the entire income of the Smart Bomb Band. But you gotta admit, she works harder than you guys—plus, she has to dress up and sit through a lot of boring meetings. You guys could never do that. It’s a special skill set. (Clever segue.)

Recently, the Presidential Greatness Project surveyed 154 historians and social science experts to rank all U.S. presidents. OK, Wilson, guess who came in dead last? You got it, Donald Trump.

Get this, he came in behind James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Franklin Pierce and Warren Harding.

As you may recall, Trump rated himself the greatest president ever, ahead of Abe Lincoln. Imagine that. E ditor’s note: Not included in the survey were Stormy Daniels, E. Jean Carrol or Karen McDougal—but they probably wouldn’t have helped him much.

Private Eye is off this week. Christopher Smart’s weekly “Smart Bomb” column can be found at cityweekly.net. Send feedback to comments@cityweekly.net

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE | @kathybiele BY

MISS: Unhealthy Levels

It’s not like we don’t know what our population looks like. But the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute is giving us another shot at caring about it. A new demographic report shows a number of troubling trends. “Utah’s minority populations suffer higher rates of chronic conditions including diabetes, asthma, depression and obesity. Women self-report higher rates of diagnosed depression, at 32.1%, compared to men, at 16.3%.” Things like that—and Black homeowners and renters are spending more than half of their incomes on housing costs. It’s no secret that depression is a major problem in Utah—especially among youths. The state ranks no. 48 in adult depression. While there are programs to help, finding the causes and addressing them requires a commitment to policy changes that should involve the populations that are affected. Otherwise, Utah is only offering lip service from a place of condensation.

MISS: Cracked and Packed

Blockheads

In a case of truly tone-deaf timing, the University of Utah announced its decision to no longer wrap the Block U on campus in rainbow colors during its Pride Week, which takes place in April. Administrators claimed the wraps cause damage to the iconic U, incurring more costs than just that of the wrap, which has resulted in additional bills of up to $600 to fix the damages. Since the announcement was made, many local businesses have offered to help cover the costs.

The Gardner Institute had some other old news for us, too. For instance, most of us live in urban areas along the Wasatch Front. Given that the state has a large percentage of federal lands, that’s probably not surprising. But when you look at how the Legislature gerrymandered the state, it should give you pause. Congressional districts were drawn from north to way down south, scooping up large expanses of rural Utah because rural Utah needed a voice—or so they thought. Former U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop quit the independent redistricting commission because it had created two urban districts (and two rural ones). Now all four congressional districts have major rural components. But the Gardner Institute notes that 90% of Utahns live in urban districts. Political candidates like Celeste Maloy and Phil Lyman tout their rural roots. Still, rural Utahns aren’t facing the housing crisis in the same way that urbanites are. And rural Utahns often lack good health care and schools. Ask yourself who’s not being represented and why.

HIT: Rage Gauge

For the past few years, KUTV2 has been highlighting incidents of road rage, and recent federal data shows why we need to pay attention. It’s something that lawmakers have acted to make road rage a criminal offense, especially when “Drivers in Utah—and elsewhere—have become increasingly prone to road rage, with 47 encounters involving guns in the past decade,” Axios reported. On the brighter side, Utah also saw one of the nation’s biggest year-to-year drops in traffic fatalities in 2023, and pedestrian deaths dropped more than 25%—even though they generally appear to be increasing in the state. It’s hard to process traffic deaths going down while road rage is hitting a high and pedestrians and bicyclists are in the crosshairs. Axios calls this “the intrigue.” “The decline came while the state was reeling from a huge spike in 2022 in pedestrian deaths in particular.”

Despite the puzzling timing, I have learned that many in university administration were made aware of the new policy in November 2023. It is likely no coincidence that was the same time frame during which the U made the choice to allow anti-trans speakers hosted by the affinity group Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) onto campus. Author and commentator Michael Knowles espoused his antiLGBT views in April at the Social Work building but not without protests.

When I asked Andrea Thomas, chief experience officer at the University of Utah, about this decision via email, I received a generic response. “I want to acknowledge and apologize for the stress and pain the recent Block U wrapping announcement has caused. I’m so sorry,” the email said.

Thomas was a bit more forthcoming with The Daily Utah Chronicle: “It just doesn’t feel like a good stewardship of funds,” she told them. Thomas also expressed concern that if the U was wrapped “so often,” it would stop representing the university as a whole. Thomas claims that something is in the works for next year’s celebrations, but the U’s LGBTQ Resource Center said they have no knowledge of new plans. I followed up with Thomas by sending two separate emails. But I received no response.

It seems that the U is hoping we will forget the U was ever wrapped, and this drama will just all go away. I doubt it. Utah needs a public university that understands the difference between freedom of speech and hate speech. We need a university that has the back of marginalized groups and stops platforming those voices targeting people who are just trying to exist.

Higher education is a space where all thoughts and views should exist. But to placate hate groups while removing visual support of marginalized groups— that’s sending a loud and clear message regarding the priorities of the University of Utah and the politicians who, for all intents and purposes, run it. Ironically, shortly after making the announcement about the U, President Randall designated April 24 as University of Utah’s “Day of Kindness.” This seems performative at best. But just like their overlords at the Legislature, empty gestures now seem to be Randall and Thomas’ standard operating procedure. CW

CAT PALMER

A&E ART

Artistic Pride

A roundup of LGBTQ-themed art, literature, comedy and other events at local venues

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Arts and culture spaces have always been a safe(r) haven for queer folk, so it’s no surprise to find local organizations and venues celebrating Pride Month with a bevy of LGBTQ-themed events. Here’s just a smattering of what you can experience throughout the month of June.

Crowdsourced Queer Comedy Showcase. It’s not a first-time event, or even one unique to Pride Month, for Crowdsourced Comedy to provide a special space for queer-identifying comedians, but it’s a great time for you to consider checking out their monthly 90-minute showcase at Why Kiki bar on Friday, May 31 at 7 p.m.. The lineup varies monthly, but regularly features Crowdsourced’s talented slate of stand-ups and improv comedians. Tickets are available only as tables of two or more, $15 advance and $20 at the door (if available). Buy online at crowdsourcedlive. com/shows. 69 W. 100 South, crowdsourcedlive.com

Under the Umbrella Pride Month events. The queer-themed neighborhood bookstore offers a wide range of readings, exhibitions and other events throughout the month. Author showcases include TJ Alexander (Triple Sec) on June 6 at 6 p.m.; J.R. Yusuf (Dear Bi Men: A Black Man’s Perspective on Power, Consent, Breaking Down Binaries and Combating Erasure) on June 21

at 6 p.m.; authors from Collective Tales Publishing’s Collective Humanity anthology on June 27, time TBA. A Queer Art Gallery opening will also be featured opening June 8, 4 – 6 p.m., and an Always Queer Pride Market pops in on Saturday, June 15, noon – 5 p.m. 511 W. 200 South, Suite 120, undertheumbrellabookstore.com

Urban Arts Gallery: SLC Queer. Utah Arts Alliance’s wonderful venue has made it an annual tradition to showcase celebrating queer artists and their stories. The group exhibition will be on display June 4 – 30, with an artist reception for the June Gallery Stroll on Friday, June 17, 6 – 9 p.m. The show is free and open to the public during regular gallery hours. 116 S. Rio Grande St., Tue – Thu & Sat – Sun, noon – 9 p.m.; Fri, noon – 10 p.m., urbanartsgallery.org

SAW: The Musical – The Unauthorized Parody of “Saw.” Okay, I can hear you thinking: “Saw? The horror movie with all the complicated torture apparatus? How is that a Pride Month event?” Yes, it is indeed based on the original 2004 hit Saw—and yes, it is as unapologetically queer as it is unapologetically gory. Producer Cooper Jordan looked at the premise—involving a killer psychotically determined to make people appreciate their lives—and turned it into a campy off-Broadway allegory about the relationship between these two men trapped together in a bathroom. The touring production runs June 14 – 23 at the Midvalle Performing Arts Center Studio 5400, with tickets beginning at $30. 2525 Taylorsville Blvd., Taylorsville, arttix.org

Utah’s Hogle Zoo Pride Month events. Zoo Brew—after-hours 21+ events for enjoying adult libations in the company of animals—are not unique to this time of year. But the June event takes on a special theme of “PRIDE With Our Pride,”

Floral artist Corey Kizmey presents work at Red Butte Garden’s “Blooming With Pride”

celebrating diversity and sponsored by the BW Bastian Foundation. The event takes place Wednesday, June 12, 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., with tickets $21.95/$18.95 for zoo members. Then on Saturday, June 15, 6:30 – 8:30, the regular Paint Night after-hours event presents “PRIDE-ful Giraffes,” with artists of all skill levels welcome to apply all the colors of the rainbow to creating images of this month’s animal ambassador; all materials are provided and included with the $45 fee, 18+ attendees only.

Red Butte Garden: Blooming With Pride. New for 2024 at the beloved arboretum and gardens is this special one-day-only event inviting the LGBTQIA+ community and allies to celebrate the beauty of the natural world. The centerpiece is a curated exhibition of artistic floral and plant displays by seven artists—Corey Kimzey (pictured), Alyssa Cumpton, Bekah Ogan, Kat Nix, Lya Yang, Mal Strunk and Megan Foote—chosen among 45 applicants in a nationwide pool. Visitors will also be able to partici-

pate in family-friendly, hands-on activities, science walks and drop-in health & wellness classes. The courtyard will also feature a tabling space for local organizations. The event takes place Friday, May 14, noon – 8 p.m.; admission is free, but timed registration is required. Visit the website for registration and other details. 300 Wakara Way, redbuttegarden.org Crossroads of the West Gay Rodeo. Did you know that there was a Utah Gay Rodeo Association? Pick up your jaw and dust off your cowboy hat, because the world is a wide and varied place. The Crossroads of the West Gay Rodeo takes place June 22 –23 at Ogden’s Golden Spike Event Center, and features such events as bull riding, bronco riding, calf-roping, horse speed and agility events and more, plus food, vendors and other entertainment. Doors open at 10 a.m. daily, and events kick off at 11 a.m.; general admission tickets are $15 per day. 1000 N. 1200 West, Ogden, utahgayrodeo.com CW

theESSENTIALS

ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, MAY 30-JUNE 5, 2024 | Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Hasan Minhaj

Comedy and controversy often go hand in glove; Lenny Bruce, Redd Foxx, George Carlin or Richard Pryor offer ample evidence of that precept. Yet rarely has a standup comedian faced the sort of scrutiny leveled at Hasan Minhaj. A 2023 profile of Minhaj in The New Yorker accused him of distorting certain biographical facts within his monologues, specifically regarding alleged racism he faced as an American Muslim. The piece was so damning that it allegedly cost him his candidacy to replace Trevor Noah as host of The Daily Show. Nevertheless, in an era where politicians consistently lie to serve their own purpose, it seems odd that a standup comedian would be targeted. After all, by its very nature, most storytelling is at least partly fictitious to begin with. Likewise, Minhaj has clearly proven his proficiency as a credible creative artist. A Peabody Award-winner courtesy of his Netflix special Homecoming King, creator of the political satire series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj (which won him another Peabody Award and an Emmy), senior correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and headliner at the 2017 White House Correspondents Dinner, he’s long since proven his prowess. So give the guy a break, and the rest of us as well. Don’t let the pundits prevail.

Hasan Minhaj addresses his controversies head-on during his “Off With His Head” tour live at the Eccles Theater (131 S. Main St.) on Thursday, May 30 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $49.50 - $149.50 at my.arttix.org. Note: Use of phones, smart watches and accessories will not be permitted. (Lee Zimmerman)

Home Is Never Dead, It Isn’t Even Home @ Mestizo Arts

Homelessness among LGBTQ youth and lack of familial support is a continuing problem; thus, the idea of home and queerness has often been at odds, where “home” was often a place that reinforces heteronormativity. Pride Month events often center on pop culture and public political resistance, but this exhibit, titled Home Is Never Dead, It Isn’t Even Home, focuses on how the home—a space of intimacy, tradition and family—can also be a space for subtle acts of resistance. As an exhibit that highlights the intimacy of domestic spaces, it also showcases a more humanized view of queerness and queer experiences.

Opening on the first day of Utah Pride, the Mestizo Arts Institute is bringing queer artists Julian Croft and HALO. The two are a lesbian couple, and their exhibit opens up a conversation about what homemaking looks like for queer folks, both unique from the “traditional” American conception and in the ways that it’s similar. Croft and HALO invite viewers into “a multidimensional exploration of the sapphic home” and bring their separate angles and backgrounds to the space. “My work explores home and family as fragments of memory imprinting us with the unknown and impacting our actions and experiences,” says Croft. Home Is Never Dead, It Isn’t Even Home begins with an opening reception including Croft and HALO on Saturday, June 1 at Mestizo Arts (95 S. Rio Grande Street) from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m., and runs through July 6. This is a free event, open to the public. Visit Mestizo Arts Instagram page (@mestizoarts_slc) for additional event information. (Arica Roberts)

Mother Nature: Katherine Heigl & Josh Kelley @ Gallery

MAR

Park City is no stranger to hosting famous faces, as celebrities descend on the mountain hamlet every January for the Sundance Film Festival. It’s a bit less common, though, to catch an actor in town during the warm-weather months— and certainly less common still to realize that their presence relates to promoting creative work that has nothing to do with movies or television. But that’s just what’s on tap when actor Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy, Knocked Up) demonstrates the range of her artistic abilities with a showcase of her visual art, in the joint exhibition Mother Nature with her husband, songwriter/musician Josh Kelley—their first-ever gallery show.

“I’ve always loved to draw and have gone through stints where I was sketching in charcoal daily and then put my pencils down and didn’t pick them up again for years,” Heigl said in an interview with My Modern Met earlier this year. “I started with charcoal drawings, and I’d say over the last five years, have dived into everything from watercolor to acrylic to oil to alcohol ink…Honestly, you name it, I’ve tried it.” Heigl will bring a variety of works, including collage and painting, many of them featuring animals; Kelley presents leather work as his contribution to the exhibition. All proceeds from sales will support the Heigl family’s Jason Debus Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to ending animal cruelty and abuse.

Mother Nature opens Friday, May 31 at Gallery MAR (436 Main St., Park City), with an opening exhibition featuring the artists from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Visit gallerymar.com for additional information. (Scott Renshaw)

2 WEEKS AWAY!!!

HALO

See and Be Seen

Representation and visibility during Pride Month can inspire, inform and even save a life.

BY SARAH REALE

2024 Pride Issue guest editor comments@cityweekly.net

It was a lovely Friday night at our growing tailgate at the Utah Royals game. I was setting up a television to stream the first preseason WNBA game— a game featuring Caitlin Clark, of course. As I was scrambling to make sure my subscription to the WNBA app was set, I started getting calls from friends—“How do we even watch the WNBA game?”—and I realized, yet again, how frustrating things can be for a women’s sports fan.

Our tailgate is a hodgepodge of women who love women, folx who love women’s sports and soccer-loving friends. If this group was a Venn diagram, we’d have a circle of lesbians on the left, educators on the right—and the crossover space in the middle? People who love women’s sports.

It’s no wonder Utah educators are fans of women’s sports—they get it. They get what it’s like to perform at your best, to be the most qualified at your job, take unsolicited heat and still be under-resourced.

Educators and female athletes see injustices, lack of funding, lack of respect and idiotic social media commentary around their work. They find solidarity in community as they fight to be respected, to do good work and to be themselves. I was 13 when the Utah Starzz played their inaugural game at the Delta Center in 1997. Before the creation of the WNBA (in 1996!), I thought my only option to play professionally was to pull a Disney Channel Original- or She’s the Manstyle move and get drafted to the

NBA. But that night at the Utah Starzz game, I got to see women playing professional sports—and it changed my life.

Another life-changing event happened a few years later when I, as a recent (and closeted) college grad, met then-Reps. Christine Johnson and Jackie Biskupski while employed by the Republican Utah Speaker of the House (and yes, they both saw right through me).

I’m not sure they know how important they were in helping me get where I am today as the first openly gay member of the Utah State Board of Education, but to see an elected lesbian in office was more impactful than they’ll ever know.

These women were elected before marriage equality, before Glee, before Megan Rapinoe became a gay icon … and they did it in Utah. Just like that very first Utah Starzz game, I was totally

overwhelmed by feelings of inspiration, hope, drive and pride to see these badass, powerful and queer women using their voices and uplifting the voices of others in their community.

And while—in some ways—everything has changed since that Starzz game 27 years ago, I’m reminded all too often of how far we still have to go in terms of representation.

The 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship smashed viewing records, but at my Utah State Board of Education meetings, I sit two seats away from a woman who spends seemingly every waking hour of her life spewing hateful rhetoric about LGBTQIA+ students, educators and allies.

It’s difficult to see our educators, families and students struggle with the weight of consistent, targeted and hateful “messaging” bills. Our teachers want

editor

was elected to the Utah Board of Education in 2022.

to make our youth feel seen, heard and supported, but our classrooms are regulated to the point where they’re afraid to do or say anything that might be considered “liberal,” let alone the dreaded “equitable.”

For many queer kids, life at home isn’t safe, and sitting in that metaphorical closet can be a very isolating and lonely place. We live in a state where suicide is the No. 1 cause of death among young people. Sometimes a teacher with a flag on their desk, a neighbor with a flag in their yard, a movie with queer characters or an openly queer leader can inspire that same hope and possibility I saw in the Utah Starzz. And sometimes using someone’s preferred pronouns can save a life.

This is why Pride is so important. And this is why, even with the progress we’ve made, we can’t pull our foot off the gas this Pride month.

There is a through line here—between women’s sports, education, being queer and Pride—and it’s about representation. It’s about seeing someone who looks like you, seeing someone who loves like you, and the hope it gives you of a brighter future. So many people learned that they are women’s basketball fans this year. Imagine how many more fans the WNBA would have if their games were given the same exposure, support and respect as the NBA. You see my point?

Pride Month is where queer people from across the state come together to remind everyone and each other of how outstanding and powerful our LGBTQIA+ community can be. It’s a vibrant visual representation of support, of who is fighting with you and for you, and who is reminding you that you aren’t alone.

When we allow queer kids to see someone who is like them doing something they’ve always thought impossible, we give them hope. And while that hope is a small victory, these small victories have a ripple-effect in Utah’s queer history, and their impact will be felt for generations.

This Pride, I celebrate those who came before me and the allies who support and uplift our community. I celebrate the folx who work tirelessly fighting injustices, and those who are brave enough to be open, to speak out and to be that light for others. I celebrate those who will continue the fight for representation.

Happy Pride, Utah—I celebrate you. CW

Sarah Reale is a resident of Salt Lake City and the first openly queer member of the Utah State Board of Education. She works at Salt Lake Community College would be happy to take a meeting with Ryan Smith to talk about bringing a WNBA team back to Utah.

Sarah Reale

COURTESY PHOTO

Continued from page 13

GREEN PIG PRIDE BLOCK PARTY!

FRIDAY, MAY 31 9pm Red Shot Pony SATURDAY , JUNE 1 9pm DJ Geovante

BLOCK PARTY! SUNDAY, JUNE 2

INSIDE

NOON 3PM 6PM

OUTSIDE

NOON 3PM 6PM

Too Proud to Fail

The Utah Pride Center rebounds while the new SLC Pride bookends a monthlong party.

BY BENJAMIN WOOD bwood@cityweekly.net

When Chad Call started his new job as executive director of the Utah Pride Center in April, he said he worried that he’d be greeted with “pitchforks and torches.”

The center was teetering, having narrowly dodged financial collapse by selling off its headquarters in the Ballpark neighborhood and after multiple rounds of leadership turnover, staff upheaval and budget cuts left it with little more than a skeleton crew.

“I kind of felt that was going to be the case—that a lot of people were maybe anxious to see the organization fail,” Call said. “And within three days, I was completely wrong on that reception. Even our most outspoken critics out there, they’re outspoken because they want to see the center succeed. They want to see us move forward, and they want to see a path forward.”

Speaking from UPC’s new offices on the top floor of the historic McIntyre Building at 68 S. Main, SLC, Call said the organization had been through difficult times and has a long road ahead. But he noted that members of the local LGBTQ community had “stepped up big time,” offering their time, support and encouragement as UPC regained its footing and prepared for its marquee event—the Utah Pride Festival, which runs Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2, at Washington Square.

“I guess there’s just this real humbling moment when you think about everything that the Pride Center has gone through and how our community is still unwilling to let this fail,” Call said. “It’s a big deal—they haven’t walked away from it, they haven’t moved on. Our community still wants Pride, they still need Pride, and we’re still gonna have Pride.”

In fact, far from losing the local Pride festival, Salt Lakers will have two festivals this year with the addition of SLC Pride at the end of the month, June 27-30 at The Gateway.

Bonnie O’Brien, SLC Pride’s festival director, described the event as a hyperlocal counterpart to the larger state festival—one where youth can attend for free, where community performers and organizations will be highlighted and where the ability of attendees to relax, spend time and make connections will be prioritized as much as, if not more than, the booths and commercial spaces offered by vendors and festival sponsors.

“With 3 million people, basically, along the Wasatch Front, we have the ability to really create a sense of a month-long celebration,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien and several others involved with SLC Pride had previously worked for the Utah Pride Center and Utah Pride Festival, and she said they were interested in experimenting with new formats and styles for a city-focused Pride

event. O’Brien was adamant that the two Pride festivals are intended to complement each other on opposite ends of the June calendar, and that SLC Pride was not born out of any bad feeling or hostility toward current or previous Utah Pride Center management.

“It’s hard to be mad at a building when it’s completely new people,” O’Brien said.

Call echoed the sentiment of partnership, saying he has long hoped to see the entirety of Pride Month celebrated in Utah and that SLC Pride will add to, rather than detract from, UPC’s programming.

“We support Pride everywhere, and we support as many Prides as possible,” Call said. “Obviously, as an organization, we don’t have the resources to put on a celebration all four weekends in June. But that’s the great thing—our community partners do, and we support them anyway we can.”

Unity in Community

UPC will kick off the Utah Pride Festival with an interfaith service at Congregation Kol Ami on May 30 at 7 p.m. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on June 1 and from noon to 7 p.m. on June 2. Saturday will also see a rally and march from the state Capitol to festival grounds, while the annual Utah Pride Parade will take place Sunday morning at 10 a.m. Call said the cost of booth registrations has been cut back to 2022 levels—the first in-person Pride following the COVID-19 pandemic hiatus—which has helped to maintain

Bonnie O’Brien is the festival director for SLC Pride, an endof-the-month counterpart to Utah Pride.

participation levels by sponsors, vendors and community organizations as well as the festival’s overall footprint.

“We’re putting all of our resources where they have the most impact,” Call said. “We’ll still be taking up all of Washington Square and a little part of Library Square as well, as well as the street between.”

UPC organizers chose a theme of “Building Unity Within the Community” for this year’s festival, and Call said he appreciated how that messaging reflects the history of Pride as a major event in Utah as well as the many different ways that people approach Pride month.

“Pride is a space where people come out. Pride is a space where people propose. Pride is a place where allies can go show their support,” Call said. “It’s becoming more of a family event in Utah, where families are going to support their brothers or their sisters or their children or their parents.”

O’Brien also noted how families are increasingly attending Pride together, including straight couples who want their children to know there is a community of support available to them, no matter their orientation. “That didn’t used to happen, and now it really is,” she said.

SLC Pride will feature a youth zone at its festival at the end of month, and the weekend will kick off on June 27 with GenderFuq, an all-ages event with performances, concessions and a queer market. The festival itself will run from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 29, and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 30.

COURTESY PHOTO

O’Brien said most of the vendors and sponsors will be oriented toward Rio Grande Street, with the open area around The Gateway’s Olympic Legacy Plaza hosting a performance stage as well as unstructured space donated to community organizations to program as they choose.

She said community partners have been asking for that kind of latitude, and participating organizations are being encouraged to think outside the box of a typical booth setup. That could be as simple as building a lounge area for attendees to hang out in or offering direct connections with resources and service providers.

“This really is a space, that circle area, where we’re trying to create a sense of community beyond buying something. This is where we could go gangsters, or it could bust us,” O’Brien said. “You curate your space and make it happen in a way that serves your people in a way that you know it needs to be served.”

SLC Pride organizers set a goal for themselves of 14,000 tickets sold and 20,000 guests overall, O’Brien said. She emphasized that the festival is free to those age 17 and younger, which not only makes the event more accessible but also allows for youth to participate with or without the support of their family.

“One of the most heartbreaking things is sitting on the outside of the Pride festival and watching people not be able to get in—and they’re always, always kids,” O’Brien said. “How easy is it for a kid who knows about the festival and knows it’s free to say, ‘Hey parent, I’m just going to go to the movies.’” O’Brien said.

In addition to its programming at The Gateway, SLC Pride is partnering with Sugar House Pride to host additional events at queer-owned businesses in the city.

“Knowing that the bar is the original sort of community center for queer folks, it’s nice to be able to tie those in as well,” O’Brien said. “Club Verse is shutting down part of the street. Sugar House Coffee and the Locker Room are trying to build off of their back patio.”

Among those extra events is a tongue-in-cheek 0.5K race on June 8, in which participants will gather at Sugar House Coffee and then travel across the street to The Locker Room. O’Brien said the 0.5K will feature many of the traditional elements of a 5K fun run, like a selfie station— with spray bottles to simulate the sweat of exercise—and T-shirts that play off of the winner finishing first while the runners-up are “sloppy seconds.”

“Do you really want to run? Or do you really just want brunch?” O’Brien said. “If you really truly just want to pay to watch, you can get a shirt that says, ‘I pay to watch.’ We about peed ourselves coming up with how funny that is.”

Bouncing Back

In the past, the Utah Pride Center relied heavily on the revenue generated by the Utah Pride Festival to sustain its year-round operations. Call said that left the organization financially vulnerable when anything from bad weather to a global pandemic could see attendance drop or evaporate entirely during any given year.

As the new executive director, he said UPC will be looking to build out a more sustainable structure as it rebuilds itself over the next several years.

“I think sustainability is on the forefront of our board’s mind right now,” Call noted. “It’s challenging when your

Call, Utah Pride Center’s recently appointed executive director

largest influx of cash in an organization like this comes from an event that’s contingent upon weather, contingent upon participation, contingent on pandemics. There’s a lot of factors that are completely out of our control and it’s difficult to build a program that is so dependent on high performance in an environment that you can’t control all of the factors.”

But there’s no denying the recent setbacks experienced by the Utah Pride Center, most notably the loss of its headquarters at 1380 S. Main St., just south of Smith’s Ballpark. The building was donated to the Utah Pride Center, and Call said the cash infusion from its sale is what kept the center afloat, with roughly one-third of the building’s equity used to retire debts.

“If the Pride Center hadn’t had an incredibly large owned asset, they would have had to foreclose,” Call said. “It’s the reason why the center is still functioning right now, because we’ve had that capital to leverage.”

Call described the loss of the building—and what it represented for UPC—as “devastating.” But he added that members of the LGBTQ community have lifetimes of experience regrouping and rising to a challenge.

“It’s an incredibly resilient group of individuals,” he said. “Coming back from a setback, that’s not something our community is unfamiliar with. We know how to navigate

it—we navigate it every day, and I think it’s inspiring to see so many people who want to see the center move forward.”

On the topic of resilience, SLC Pride’s O’Brien noted how far Utah’s queer community has come in terms of its visibility, safety and inclusion. She said more and more people are able to create space for themselves, without fear and with a larger umbrella of support. But she added that those gains have not been universally felt, pointing to recent laws and rhetoric targeting transgender Utahns.

And while big fights over legislation and debates of the political moment might draw the most attention, O’Brien said that much of the life-saving work within the LGBTQ community is done by small, unsung organizations that don’t get the recognition they deserve. It’s those local heroes, O’Brien said, who SLC Pride is designed to champion and celebrate.

“They are raging, and they’re celebrating, and they’re healing their own communities, because there wasn’t a space for them within these larger organizations,” O’Brien said. “The goal, the hope, is that SLC Pride brings these people together, is able to highlight—on stage—the work that they’re doing, the community leaders who are sacrificing paid time at their real jobs to make sure community members are getting moved out of a bedroom and into a safer space.” CW

Chad

COURTESY

Celebrate SLC Pride @ The Gateway!

June 27th

Pride Kickoff Party with GenderFuq! All Ages Sober Concert 6-10 PM (tickets sold separately)

June 28th

Stonewall Riot 55th Anniversary - Remember & Celebrate with us @ The Locker Room and Club Verse (tickets sold separately)

June 29th

Loving Local

Salt Lake artists, entrepreneurs and events to check out during Pride month.

BY CAT PALMER comments@cityweekly.net

If you know anything about me, you know that I love to celebrate all things local. I also love my queer community. We have a thriving local scene!

June is here and I wanted to highlight a few locally queerowned companies, queer artists and queer-organized events here in the City of Salt. Take a moment to give them a follow on social media and, better yet, check out what they have to offer!

Aqua Underwear is an undie brand that celebrates gender and body diversity. All garments are made in Salt Lake City by Mel Martinez (they/them), a nonbinary sewist of color. They make things like—but not limited to—gender-inclusive boxer briefs, packing undies, compression undies and crop tops, and they have garments ready to buy right off the rack in adult sizes XS-4XL but also offer custom sizing at no extra cost. They use cozy fabrics like cotton and bamboo as well as fun and sexy fabrics like mesh and lace.

Aqua Underwear’s first collection was launched in July 2020. We love that they started during the pandemic and survived!

While primarily an online store, AU has a rack at Under the Umbrella Bookstore in downtown Salt Lake City and at Genderbands in Orem.

The main thing that makes AU unique is their ability to customize garments. Say you see something at an artisan market or on the website you like but you wish the legs were longer, waist higher, hips more snug, or there simply just isn’t one in your size—they’re happy to make it to your specifications via a custom order at no additional cost. This was such a cool feature that I had to try it personally and had Mel measure me and ordered a pair of mushroom underwear.

When I asked Mel what sets them apart from other underwear, this is what they had to say: “As a queer person of color myself, AU is also proud to celebrate and prioritize BIPOC, especially QTIBIPOC [Queer, Trans, Intersex, Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color] whenever possible. You’ll probably notice nearly all of our models are BIPOC, for example. We also offer a standing 20% off discount to all BIPOC, all the time, and have a BIPOC Community Program where folks can apply for free gender-affirming underwear. Of course, we accept donations for that program via the website.”

As a teenager, Mel learned to sew from their dad, a sewist in the Air Force. Together they’d hem the family’s pant legs and shirt sleeves because they’re all shorties. Mel’s passion for sewing grew from there.

AQUA UNDERWEAR

AquaUnderwearSLC.com

AquaUnderwearSLC@gmail.com

IG: @AquaUnderwear

The Locker Room is partnering with SLC Pride for June events in Sugar House.

The Locker Room is a queer-owned sports bar, and they’re teaming up with SLC Pride and Sugar House Pride to host 21-and-older events this year. The Locker Room’s weekly events vary, but Monday is generally Monday Night Football, Tuesday is Drag Karaoke, Wednesday is College Night with beer pong and $3 pizza, Thursday is often Vinyl Night with a DJ who selects from his collection of records and Friday is often live music. The schedule is anchored by the Drag Tailgate Brunch on Saturdays.

I talked with Roberto Lopez (one of the organizers of SLC Pride) and Emily Potts (owner of Sugar House Coffee and one of the organizers of Sugar House Pride) to find out what is happening this year. This is what they had to say: “Our goal is to bring Pride to all the people in our community. Keeping it local and smaller, it’s important, more now than ever, to make sure that Pride events are accessible for everyone.

“Between both events, there is something for everyone. SLC Pride, also known as the Salt Lake City Pride Festival, will be an annual event celebrating QTBIPOC/LGBTQ+ pride and diversity in Salt Lake City. We’re about keeping it local only—with local voices, local organizations, local businesses, local artists and entertainment. We want to make it financially accessible, grassroots focused and with a high dedication to ADA accessibility.

“It’s taking place this year June 29-30, and its inaugural celebration will mark the 55th year of remembrance of Stonewall, serving as a platform for the QTBIPOC/LGBTQ+ community and its allies to come together, celebrate and advocate for equality and acceptance.”

THE LOCKER ROOM

1063 E. 2100 South, SLC

801-463-9393

IG: @thelockerroomslc

Mel Martinez of Aqua Underwear

Anna Bugbee grew up in Logan and is now based in Salt Lake City. Bugbee received a BFA in printmaking from New York University in 2015. After graduating, she worked at a fine-art screen printing studio in Brooklyn, New York, for three years before taking time off to travel and work as the studio assistant for art workshops at craft schools across the U.S.

Since moving back to Utah, she has embraced her love of plants by working in the greenhouse at Red Butte Garden and as a gardener and landscape designer. She now works full-time as an artist, selling her work at local markets, teaching classes and doing custom commissions. She created Anna Bugbee Studio to share her botanical illustrations and pieces inspired by her love of the mountains. We have one of her beautiful pieces on our dining room table, and it brings us joy.

Her work often features local flowers, pollinators and mountain landscapes, inspired by her adventures in the Wasatch and beyond. She is inspired by geology, ecology, meteorology and the intricate systems at play in our world.

Bugbee hand-dyes and prints all of the textiles she makes in Salt Lake City. Her blue color comes from indigo, and the other colors are made with fiber-reactive dye.

The bandanas and tea towels are screen printed, and the totes are printed with a handcarved stamp. Something fun and random about Bugbee is that she plays classical guitar, bass and piano. She really loves taking in classical music and playing music with friends whenever possible.

Places that carry Bugbee’s work: Salt and Honey Market (926 E. 900 South, SLC), The Hive Market (602 E. 500 South, SLC), Atelier (337 Pierpont Ave., SLC), Ogden Nature Center gift shop (966 W. 12th St., Ogden). She will also be participating in the Downtown Farmers Market in SLC most Saturdays.

I asked Bugbee what she loves about Pride and she said, “I love being surrounded by other queer people and not feeling like the minority for once. I usually feel like I am the only gay person when I am in a group of people, so it feels good to be in a group where I am part of the majority.”

ANNA BUGBEE

annabugbee.com

annabugbeestudio.etsy.com

IG: @annabugbeestudio

Screen printing by SLC-based artist Anna Bugbee

Continued from page 21

Catch a flick under the stars with Utah Film Center ’s free Summer Outdoor Film Series , returning July 12 through Aug. 9 at Salt Lake City’s Liberty Park. This curated film program is unlike any other in the valley.

The Summer Outdoor Film Series is a cultural beacon where nostalgia meets inspiration, making it the perfect activity for a warm summer night. Its exciting summer lineup of independent films is sure to entertain.

The film lineup also highlights Utah Film Center’s yearly programs and festivals such as Tumbleweeds Kids Film Festival, Black, Bold & Brilliant and the Utah Queer Film Festival (formerly Damn These Heels), as well as the Artist Foundry Utah Filmmaker Showcase. Screenings also include post-film discussions for those wanting a peek behind the curtain.

But it’s more than movies—it’s a vibe. The Summer Outdoor Film Series welcomes Sweet Hazel treats for audiences to munch on while watching! Join your vibrant community and connect with local businesses before the film begins. Pull out a favorite blanket, gather your friends and family and discover why outdoor movies are the ultimate summer delight.

The Utah Queer Film Festival [editor’s note: Cat Palmer serves as UQFF’s programming director] will be screening Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, on Aug. 9—a delightful musical about a teen drag queen from the U.K. This is a family-friendly film with catchy songs throughout and based on a true story.

The UQFF itself will be held later in the year, between Oct. 25 and Oct. 27 at the Rose Wagner in Salt Lake City. Make sure to mark your calendar—the “HalloQween” theme will be fun for all. The films we’ve been screening are top tier—the festival is not to be missed.

Summer Outdoor Film Series screenings begin at dusk and are free to the public.

The Utah Film Center hosts its Summer Outdoor Film Series at Liberty Park.

Continued from page 22

Parents of LGBTQ children can find help through the Mama Dragons and Dragon Dads.

Breathing FIRE

Mama Dragons and Dragon Dads offer support to their own LGBTQ children and to other parents.

BY CAROLYN CAMPBELL comments@cityweekly.net

Staci Vernon hopes that no one else will act like she did. When she first heard her teenage son, Skyler, talking with another boy in romantic tones, she took his phone away.

“In this house,” Vernon remembers telling him, “we pray away the gay.”

Years later, when Skyler was 18, Vernon heard him talking to a boy again, and the two “got into a huge fight,” she recalled. Vernon grabbed her son’s phone and threw it out the front door, where it landed in the dirt. Skyler took off after it, pushing his mom down a flight of cement stairs. She then turned toward her son and “kicked him in the privates.”

“His boyfriend was still on the phone,” Vernon said. “He thought I was holding my son hostage. He called the police.”

Both mother and son were charged with domestic violence. The police told Vernon she should leave the house and so she

slept in the family RV that night. Vernon remembers calling everyone she knew—her parents, acquaintances and Skyler’s siblings. She told each person, “If you support Skyler in being gay, you aren’t part of my life.”

Looking back today, she says, “Luckily for me, my family rallied around him.”

After their fight, Vernon and her son steered clear of each other. As weeks passed, Vernon says she grew to understand the complexity of sexual orientation.

“It’s not a choice—that’s how they are born,” she said. “Still, it was six months to a year before I could tell someone I had a gay son.”

Vernon would go on to join the group Mama Dragons—a support and advocacy group for the parents of LGBTQ children— after learning about them through a post on social media. Today, she considers herself an ally, helping other moms to understand that “you don’t have to pray away the gay,” Vernon said.

She said she and her son reached a point where Skyler would call and ask for dating advice. When Skyler married a man, Vernon celebrated the wedding and embraced the term “son-in-law” for Skyler’s partner. Mother and son now share a close relationship, she said, and another of her children has since come out.

“I announced his boyfriend’s tattoo shop on my Facebook page,” she said.

Although she feels embarrassment for the story of her earlier fight with her son, Vernon hopes that telling it can help other moms, which is what Mama Dragons is all

about. And while Vernon has been a member of the organization for about seven years, organizers say its numbers have grown exponentially in recent years.

Former executive director Celeste Carolin said that Mama Dragons’ growth speaks to the needs of the parents it serves. “It’s growing because more people are struggling,” she said.

‘A New Level of Protection’

The Mama Dragons name originated when blogger Meg Hendrix wrote that she had “always been a mother bear.” But after her son’s coming out, she wrote, “that didn’t seem a fierce enough title. There is a whole new level of protection that has come over me. I now call myself a Mama Dragon.”

While the primary focus is North America, there are now Mama Dragon members in 12 countries who find support groups, parenting classes and a community of more than 10,000 mothers learning to better support, affirm and celebrate their LGBTQ children.

It all began in Utah, when a mom named Gina Crivello blogged about creating a Gay Straight Alliance club for a high school in American Fork. Co-founder Jill Hazard Rowe recalled how Crivello was seeking help for a student who was struggling.

“She brought in a few of us to answer questions,” Rowe said.

Mama Dragons originated with eight Latter-day Saint women privately messag-

ing each other on Facebook. They supported that first student and after, they continued to look for ways to help others.

“It became a nightly thing with us, sharing our sorrows and pain, not only about kids but also about our church,” Rowe said.

It was a place to vent where the women felt truly safe, where their sisters had their backs. The group spread by word of mouth and on social media.

“Mothers in the thread would know someone else who could relate, and they would add their friends,” Carolin said.

The thread of private messages became so long that they created the Mama Dragons Facebook page. Moms continued to encounter other moms with similar issues.

Continued on page 31

Former Mama Dragons executive director Celeste Carolin

Continued from page 26

“In a couple of weeks, it grew to 50 people,” Carolin said.

Today, roughly 25% of Mama Dragons live in Utah and 25% still identify as LDS in some way, Carolin said, whether practicing or not. Another 25% are from other Christian-based faiths. “Their stories are similar to the LDS story,” Carolin said. “They are told that their LGBTQ child is broken or is not coming to heaven with them.”

Mama Dragons assist other moms who feel that “this beautiful child they know is not evil,” Carolin said. Carolin explains that Mama Dragons is one of few organizations that is not founder-led, and during her time as executive director, she was rarely seen out front. Rather, it is many groups of women who are all helping each other.

Their podcast, In the Den With Mama Dragons, was listed as one of the top 25 podcasts last year. Today, they partner with their 1,800-member men’s organization, Dragon Dads. They are planning their first in what will be an annual conference on Oct. 18 and 19.

“The biggest benefit of Mama Dragons is that we find out we’re not alone,” said longtime member Lisa Warburton Glad.

‘Who He Was Supposed to Be’

Kathryn Potter’s 8-year-old son came out as transgender to his parents. “He felt like he was in the wrong body, but he didn’t know there was a name for how he felt,” she recalled.

Years earlier, he had insisted on wearing boys’ underwear while being potty trained. While Potter had supported the LGBTQ community in regards to friends who were gay and lesbian, she had never been around a transgender person before.

“It was a new experience for us, and it was hard for him, but once he changed his name and wore boy clothes, it was like he was who he was supposed to be,” she said. “Things moved quickly to where he could wear whatever he wanted, and we took him to get his hair cut.”

When Potter took her son to a therapist, she stumbled upon Mama Dragons.

“It is a good support forum for people to educate themselves and learn how to support their children,” she said. “You learn about topics that aren’t talked about a lot and navigate areas where there isn’t a lot of research.”

Today, Potter has learned that being supportive “doesn’t make your child more trans or more gay.” She says her son experiences rib pain at school from wearing an uncomfortable binder. He was scheduled to undergo top surgery until Utah’s SB16 passed last year, prohibiting minors from getting gender-affirming surgery. This summer, the family plans to move to a place where their son can have the operation.

“He still experiences some body dysmorphia but knows that he has an end in sight,” Potter said. In the future, “he wants to become a plastic surgeon to help other people who feel like they don’t belong in their bodies.”

Continued on page 32

Drew Armstrong, right, and another Dragon Dag prepare for a Pride event.

COURTESY PHOTO

“There is a whole new level of protection that has come over me. I now call myself a Mama Dragon.”—blogger Meg Hendrix

As the dad of a transgender son, Drew Armstrong can relate. Armstrong clearly recalls the day he found his then 3-year-old child in the master bedroom closet with a pair of scissors. “Why did you cut off your pretty hair?” Armstrong asked. “I want to be a prince, Daddy,” was the reply.

He recalls learning that transgender behavior includes “consistent, insistent and persistent acknowledgment and affirmation that the person is of the other sex.” He feels this statement applies to his own transgender son.

When he was in fourth or fifth grade, a teacher dragged him out of the girls’ restroom and into the boys’ because she was sent to “get the boy out of the girls’ bathroom.” Armstrong recalled. “After that, he didn’t pee at school for the next four years. He didn’t drink water from the time he went to bed until after school.”

The boy suffered bladder and kidney infections. When their family visited Zion’s National Park, Armstrong didn’t understand why his 10-year-old wouldn’t take a drink of water. He responded that he had already checked the trailhead information and seen that no family bathrooms were available.

Armstrong admits now that he “was a clueless parent” before he realized the full ramifications of his son’s situation.

Armstrong’s son had top surgery at 17 and has since changed his name. “He is so stealth that many of his friends don’t know he is transgender,” Armstrong said.

Liz Welch was a campaign and faith-based engagement strategist for ACLU National when her organization was loosely affiliated with Mama Dragons.

“I have a huge amount of respect for moms who advocate for kids,” Welch said. “It’s an interesting space to reach out from mother to mother, to ask questions you might not be able to ask in other places, then to take that forward to advocate for your child.”

Welch became the new Mama Dragons executive director in April, following Carolin.

Mama Dragons speaks to her heart personally as the mother of a bisexual child. She hopes to support current Mama Dragons programs and expand them so that other mothers and parents will have opportunities to offer support.

“It’s essential that people can speak from their values, heart and experience,” she said.

“Mama Dragons is uniquely positioned to do that.”

She adds, “When a bad policy impacts a person, nothing changes the heart of others more than the mother who has their child’s point of view. There is immense room for a mother to share the experience of a child coming out—not only the angst and fear but being who they really are and embracing it.” CW

Parents and their children at a rally in downtown Salt Lake City

Continued from page 31

Roughly 100 years ago, this home near Liberty Park operated as a women-only boarding house.

Gay History

Boarding houses, brothels and stage performers show how Utah’s LGBTQ community has been here all along.

BY BABS DE LAY comments@cityweekly.net

On the north side of Liberty Park stands a fairly nondescript Victorian Eclectic-style home that was known as the Chapman Boarding House in the 1920s. Edith Chapman inherited her father’s home at 615 E. 900 South, in what is known now as the East Side Historic District, after her parents passed.

Boarding houses were a common and affordable option for adult students and working class folks here up until the mid-1900s. Generally, men and women did not live in the same property, so they were men-only or women-only facilities, where bathrooms were often shared by the occupants.

According to the Lost Womyn’s Space blog: “We know about Edith Mary Chapman’s boarding house because it’s mentioned in an article on Mildred J. ‘Barry’ Berryman (1901-1972), a Salt Lake City lesbian who came out publicly while still a student at Westminster College in Salt Lake, sometime before 1919.” The blog goes on to explain how, according to gay historian Connell O’Donovan, Berryman’s coming out was a scandal and the trauma of the experience led her into two failed marriages with men, though she did pursue a relationship with violinist and music teacher

Mae Anderson for roughly a year and a half. “Mildred’s attempts at finding another ‘ideal companion’ proved unsuccessful,” the blog states, “and yet another marriage was attempted. However, Mildred left her husband right after the wedding.”

Berryman reportedly decided to devote her life to writing and science. In the 1920s, however, she met Edith Mary Chapman, a U of U graduate and elementary education instructor. Like Berrymen, Chapman had sworn off love after her own unsuccessful relationship ended. “Though Berryman and Chapman had a 16-year age difference between them (Chapman was the older one), they ‘fell desperately in love,’ Lost Womyn’s Space describes.

After the death of her mother, Chapman opted to turn her property into a boarding home for other LGBTQ women. Among her tenants were Grace Nickerson, a teacher at the LDS School of Music, and Dorothy Graham, manager of the Coon Chicken Inn.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—like so many Christian faiths—has a long history of discrimination against LGBTQ members of the community. In May 1842, church leader John C. Bennett was accused of “buggery.” A few months later, a

Continued on page 36

“We specialize in your transformation.”

- The Hive SLC is a creative powerhouse, investing in self- driven, honest, supportive artists and their community.

Walk-ins welcome!

Monday–Saturday 11am–7pm

Swing by anytime to learn more from our creative team.

Here they foster a culture of supporting innovative ideas to transform your personal vision into a distinct, unique tattoo—and piece of art.

local paper reported that the apostle Orson Pratt had accused church founder Joseph Smith of engaging in same-sex activities. In 1851, the Utah Territory Legislature passed a law that banned any man or boy from “sexual intercourse with and of the male creation.”

In 1858, the first reported instance of gender non-conforming dress in the Latter-day Saints community was reported of one Almerin Grow. Then-church President Wilford Woodruff dressed in a bonnet and women’s dress to hide out from the authorities who were enforcing anti-polygamy laws.

And in September 1892, LDS First Presidency member and future church President Joseph F. Smith spoke out after hearing about same-sex sexual activity by saying “get the names of all of them and cut them off the Church.”

Local distiller Odgen’s Own created Madam Pattirini Gin to commemorate B. Morris Young—the founder of the church’s Young Men’s program and son of Brigham Young— who performed in drag as “Madam Pattirini” in the late 1800s and early 1900s here. He/ she sang opera at church social events on the public stage and was extremely popular.

Realtor and Salt Laker

Babs De Lay

parents—was known to be in same-sex relationships. Brothels were a common business in the 1800s and early 1900s, and there were several downtown in our redlight districts of Chinatown, Regent Street and Plum Alley, as well as periodic raids that would glean male prostitutes serving male customers. In 1897, four of them were arrested in the mining town of Eureka at their brothel.

Members of Utah’s LGBTQ community can easily say, “We’re here, we’ve been here all along!” CW

The world-famous actress Maude Adams—who was born here to Mormon

Babs De Lay is the principal broker at Urban Utah Homes and Estates and has been a Realtor for 40 years in Utah. Continued from page 34

Screens of Summer

New theatrical releases plus June special screenings

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Robot Dreams BBBB

Pop culture has unfortunately narrowed the definition for what is considered a “love story,” but writer/director Pablo Berger’s dialogue-free adaptation of Sara Varon’s 2016 graphic novel applies a wonderfully unexpected sophistication to that concept, in addition to its more superficial pleasures. In a vaguely Zootopia-like version of mid-1980s New York City populated by anthropomorphic animals, a lonely Dog sends away for a mail-order Robot as a companion. Then the friendship that the two form is threatened by a forced separation, beginning a year-long odyssey. Berger gets wonderfully playful with the details of his setting—for example, choosing a Bonzo-esque chimpanzee to represent this timeline’s version of Ronald Reagan—in addition to the multiple fantasy sequences hinted at by the title, most notably a Busby Berkeley-esque dance sequence in the Land of Oz. But beyond the picture-book aesthetics and fun little in-jokes about the story’s time and place, there’s a depth of emotion here, both in the idea of how we come to be connected with someone, and how we can choose to move on when those connections are broken. It’s one of those rare stories with the maturity to understand that love stories aren’t only about who we end up kissing in the final reel, but who leaves a mark on the person we become. Available May 31 in theaters. (PG)

The Dead Don’t Hurt BBB

Viggo Mortensen seems fully aware of the dangers of “fridging”—that cinematic trope whereby violence befalling a woman becomes a man’s motivation to action— so he wisely subverts it in his sophomore feature as writer/director. Mortensen plays Olsen, a Danish immigrant in mid19th-century America who meets Vivienne (Vicky Krieps) while traveling in San Francisco. They return together to Nevada, but are separated by Olsen’s service in the Union Army during the Civil War, leaving Vivienne to deal with the dangers of the frontier—including the hot-headed son (Solly McLeod) of the local tycoon (Garret Dillahunt). The narrative weaves through three different time frames—flashing back both to Olsen and Vivienne’s initial meeting, and to Vivienne’s own childhood—and Mortensen and editor Peder Pedersen do a fine job of making it clear where we are without resorting to captions or other obvious signposts. Mostly, Mortensen is interested in the story of a strong-willed woman in a world of male violence, conveying it through Krieps’ terrific performance and

a backstory that centers her refusal to be seen as powerless. The character drama leaves little room for overt action, and the patience with which Mortensen allows the story to unfold can leave it feeling a bit pokey in the pacing, but it offers a Western that brings a unique perspective without underlining it. Available May 31 at Broadway Centre Cinemas. (R)

JUNE SPECIAL SCREENINGS

Megaplex Theatres Kids’ Summer Movies: Throughout the summer, Megaplex Theatres locations offer a lineup of family-friendly films at a great bargain price. A $25 per person season pass allows access to each of the 10 scheduled features, at any location. Scheduled features include Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Despicable Me, Trolls and Sonic the Hedgehog. Additionally, any family receiving SNAP or WIC food benefits can get complimentary admission for one adult and up to five children from the same household at any screening. Dates and times vary by theater location; visit megaplextheatres. com/en/kidsmovies for full schedule.

Salt Lake Film Society Summer Showdown: For the third year, the Salt Lake Film Society invites guests to participate in weekend face-offs between two classic films. Each Friday and Saturday will offer one head-to-head battle, with the winner determined by a combination of tickets sold and donations to SLFS on screening dates. The lineup begins with Ex Machina (May 31) vs. The Matrix (June 1), continuing through Labor Day weekend with Superbad (Sept. 6) vs. SLC Punk! (Sept. 7). For full schedule, visit slfs.org/summershowdown.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival @ Tracy Aviary: Outdoor Auntie and the Utah Film Center’s “Black, Bold & Brilliant” program team up with Tracy Aviary to present an evening of short films by and about activists and indigenous issues. The fund-raiser event will support “Black, Bold & Brilliant” and Outdoor Afro National, and ticket purchase of $15 includes Aviary admission. The event takes place Sunday, June 9, with screenings beginning at dusk (approximately 9:15 p.m.); visit wildandscenicfilmfestival.org for full lineup, and tracyaviary. org to purchase tickets. CW

DINE

Les is More

The oxtails at Les Barbecue Sandwiches are off the hook.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

Though the two worlds don’t often intersect, chefs and rock musicians share an awful lot in common. Both vocations attract people with larger-than-life personalities, a drive for perfection and a passion for their craft. Les Rhodes, Jr., a Texas native who now calls Utah home, is a good example of what can happen when those two worlds do collide—and all that smoked-meat swagger is happily on display at the recently opened Les Barbecue Sandwiches in Draper.

In true rock star fashion, Rhodes just kicked off a national tour where he’ll be hosting barbecue pop-ups throughout the Southern U.S., including plenty of stops in his home state of Texas. While he’s away doing the Lord’s work on the barbecue front, interested parties are blessed to have a brick-and-mortar sandwich shop that does things Rhodes’ way—the Texas way—right here on the Wasatch Front. Texas barbecue favors a low-and-slow smoke preparation that is often applied to proteins like brisket, chicken and ribs, but one of Rhodes’ storefronts wouldn’t be complete without the self-proclaimed Oxtail King’s protein of choice. Barbecued oxtails are a rarity in Utah; though several of our African and Vietnamese restaurants have had some great oxtail dishes on their menus, we haven’t seen them done Texas-style since Rhodes came to town. Those who have only had the opportunity to enjoy Rhodes’ barbecue talents and his signature oxtails at

his pop-up events now have a place to go whenever they want to indulge that craving—and it even has a drive-thru.

First-time visitors who have yet to indulge in the primal delights of getting wrist-deep in a pile of piping hot smoked oxtails will want to start with a bowl of the Famous Oxtails ($40). Each bowl has about three softball-sized oxtails, and they provide plenty of meat for two reasonably hungry diners. The oxtail meat surrounds a beef tailbone, but keep in mind that these babies have been smoked for hours before they get to your plate. All that luscious beef requires little effort to pull off the tailbones, and it’s completely saturated with flavor. Rhodes and his team don’t fuss about dry rubs, marinades or sauces; they know how to dress and serve their proteins without moving those tricks to the forefront. Instead, what you get is a concentrated dose of pure beef flavor that offers plenty of time to meditate on the nuances you never knew were there last time you had some smoked beef.

As the storefront is billed as a sandwich shop, its sandwiches ($18) should definitely be on your list. You can choose smoked brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken or rib meat to go on your sandwich, and they’ll even whip up an oxtail sandwich if they happen to have enough in stock; they do tend to run out of oxtail fairly quickly each day. Such occasions provide a good opportunity to try out some of the other barbecue talents on display, however, and I’ve tried the brisket sandwich so far.

I was pleased to see that they really stuff the sandwich full, so if you do plan on frequenting the drive-thru, don’t try and eat this one while behind the wheel. Their sandwiches also have some sliced onion and pickle, along with a dollop of housemade barbecue sauce, and the acid is a perfect foil to all that rich protein.

The brisket has all the telltale signs of a classic Texas barbecue: pink smoke ring around the edges, impossibly tender texture and a deep flavor with each bite.

Dig deeper into the menu and you’ll see plenty of great barbecue vehicles. The current winner for me is the Frito Pie ($16) with either chicken or pork. It’s similar to their nachos ($20), but they swap out the tortilla chips for some crumbly Fritos corn chips. Call me basic if you must, but getting a scoop of those crunchy Fritos with some cheese, guacamole, sour cream, barbecue sauce and spicy jalapeños gets me all nostalgic for the travelin’ tacos that I had for school lunch. Of course, the Frito Pie at Les Barbecue is quite superior to the school cafeteria crap, but nostalgia is nostalgia.

The loaded baked potato ($20) takes the same barbecue goodness on display with the nachos and Frito Pie and piles them on a warm baked tater. It’s a nice, starchy complement to whichever protein you prefer, and you can tell everyone that you’re eating a vegetable alongside all that barbecue, which is always a bonus.

It’s true that we have some great regional barbecue places in Utah, but I still feel like we’ve got plenty of room to grow and evolve. With Chef Les Rhodes, Jr. bringing all that Texas swagger, technique and penchant for spectacle—you see it every time you open a bowl of those signature smoked oxtails—our overall barbecue status level is becoming more legitimate. When you consider how revered pitmasters and sauce bosses are in their own communities, you’ve got to be grateful to personalities like Rhodes who bring the brisket right into our collective back yard. CW LES

1048 E 2100 S Sugar House

2 Row Brewing

6856 S. 300 West, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

Avenues Proper

376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Midnight Especial- Dark Mexican Lager

Bewilder Brewing

445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap:  Cerveza De Mayo for Bewilder.

Bohemian Brewery

94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

On Tap: California Steam Lager

Bonneville Brewery

1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Chappell Brewing

2285 S Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115 chappell.beer

On Tap: Crispy Boi - cerveza-ish Cream Ale

Craft by Proper

1053 E. 2100 So., SLC properbrewingco.com

On Tap: Gungan Sith Lord - Dark Lager

Desert Edge Brewery

273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com

On Tap:  La Playa-Mexican Style lager

Epic Brewing Co.

825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Blood Orange Wheat

Fisher Brewing Co.

320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com

On Tap: Rotating up to 17 Fresh Beers!

Grid City Beer Works

333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com

On Tap: Cask Nitro CO2

Helper Beer

159 N Main Street, Helper, UT  helperbeer.com

Hopkins Brewing Co.

1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Bishop to Hopkins - American Lager

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

On Tap: Tropical Haze IPA - HBC 1019

Hops with Heavy Notes of Peach

Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Sun Slope Sour (on Nitro too!)

Level Crossing Brewing Co., POST

550 South 300 West, Suite 100, SLC LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Bat Country Blonde Ale

Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap:  Bulliet Bourbon barrel-aged Brown

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com

On Tap: Mango Pride Cider and Ruby’s Gay

Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/ On Tap: DOPO IPA

Ogden Beer Company 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenBeerCompany.com

On Tap: 1851 Premium Lager

Park City Brewery 1764 Uinta Way C1 ParkCityBrewing.com

On Tap: Cinco por Ciento Mexican Lager. Also now available in 16oz cans!

Policy Kings Brewery 223 N. 100 West, Cedar City PolicyKingsBrewery.com

Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan Prodigy-brewing.com On Tap: Golden Hour Belgian Sour

Proper Brewing/Proper Burger 857 So. Main & 865 So. Main properbrewingco.com

Proper Brewing: SLC Pils - Pilsner

Proper Burger: Salted Caramel PorterPorter Brewed with Caramel and Salt

Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191, Moab properbrewingco.com

On Tap: YRJB - Juicy IPA

A list of what local craft breweries and cider houses have on tap this week

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com

On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Munich Dunkel

Red Rock Kimball Junction 1640 Redstone Center Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: TwelveTwenty One Coffee Stout (Last Call)

Roosters Brewing

Multiple Locations

RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Pineapple Sour Seltzer

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, S. Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com

On Tap: Ginger Lemon Saison

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap: Luau Rider - Coconut Chocolate Milk Stout

Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC Scionciderbar.com

On Tap: Scion Cider Rizzo - 7.4% ABV

Second Summit Cider 4010 So. Main, Millcreek secondsummitcider.com On Tap: Pineapple Jalapeno

Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, South Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer

On Tap: Spring Fever Grapefruit Radler

Shades On State

366 S. State Street SLC Shadesonstate.com

On Tap: Hellion Blonde Ale, Salud Mexican Lager

Silver Reef

4391 S. Enterprise Drive, St. George StGeorgeBev.com

Squatters Pub Brewery / Salt Lake Brewing Co.

147 W. Broadway, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/squatters

On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co. Farmer’s Daughter Cherry Rhubarb Ale

Squatters and Wasatch Brewery 1763 So 300 West, SLC UT 84115 Utahbeers.com

On Tap: Holy Haze IPA 5% Love Local new release April 26 Strap Tank Brewery, Lehi 3661 Outlet Pkwy, Lehi, UT StrapTankBrewery.com

On Tap:  Stay Gold (English Summer Ale), The Conjurer (Belgian Wit). Strap Tank Brewery, Springville

BEER NERD

German Immersion

A little fatherland fun in the Wasatch

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Bohemian - Hans Gruber: Every year, Bohemian Brewery and Salt City Brew Supply hold one of the nation’s few lagers-only homebrew competitions. The “Best in Show” beer’s creator is given the honor of returning the following year to recreate the winning lager at Bohemian Brewery in Midvale, Utah. Last year’s winning lager was called “Hans Gruber Export Lager,” a brilliant beer brewed by the talented and accomplished homebrewer Ron Barnes of Kansas City.

This style is often referred to as a “Dortmunder export,” and the European-style lager features the malt-forward flavor and sweetness of a German-style Helles, but the bitter base of a Germanstyle pilsner. The lager is named for the villain in the classic action thriller Die Hard—and it definitely earns a “Yippeeki-ay”!

This lager was poured via draft, and has a very clear copper-gold color, with two fingers of soapy white head that slowly fades to a thin cap. The nose is gentle, but very well-balanced; I’m picking up on aromas of biscuit, earthy hops, black tea, black pepper, light toffee, light honey and other grains.

And it’s very similar in taste, but that’s fine by me. On the front end, I’m getting bready malt, black tea and herbal hops. Behind that herbal flavor, there is little in the way of bittering at the front—a bit sweet initially—and it remains smooth through the middle, with a tanginess from the hops showing itself. The hoppy tang dries things out a bit by the finish. The aftertaste is bready, with a nice mouth-coating feel. The finish is sufficiently dryish so as to demand the next

swig. I really like the bready aftertaste.

A medium 5.0 percent body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a smooth and crisp beer that finishes mostly dry with a firm bitterness.

Verdict: This is damn solid. I haven’t had a Dortmunder in a while, so I’m glad to have had this one to get me out of my rut.

Templin Family - Ethereal Leichte Weisse: Owner/Head Brewer Kevin Templin loves doing things the Old-World way, looking to improve his beers by chasing the tried-and-true historic methods. This is Templin’s second batch of Leichte Weisse that utilizes his koelschip. Originally used to cool down wort before fermenting, koelschips are now mostly used for the large surface area they offer for spontaneous beers and open fermentation. This helps to bring out esters in the aromas from the yeast, and allows the beer to take on a unique character. This beer is not a spontaneous fermented beer, just open-air fermented.

This is incredibly fresh both in aroma and in taste. This weissbier has more life than many you’ll come across domestically, and rather than only contributing ester notes and a light body, this openfermented beer is truly yeast-driven, adding notes of raw dough, white grape, lemon and hints of cloves. The wheat is rich in this 5.0 percent beer, but stays brilliantly dry and silky in the mouth. To have a refined, historical-tasting beer like this, you’d think that they could only come from Germany. The problem with that is, they’re rarely fresh by the time they make it to Utah. However, here at TF Brewing, they’ve provided both the technique and the freshness in the same beer.

Verdict: Every component of this beer, from the wheat to yeast, is active at all times—not in just one dimension, but all aspects, with each one always present. It makes for a fantastische Leichte Weisse.

I’d recommend snagging Ethereal Leichte Weisse on draft, though you can find it in cans widely around the Wasatch Front. The Hans Gruber Export Lager is also widely available in cans and on draft for a limited time. As always, cheers! CW

BEER + PIZZA = <3

SUN-THU: 11am - 10pm • FRI-SAT: 11am - 11pm

the BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Brazilian Festa Junina

Braza Grill and the Viva Brazil Cultural Center will be hosting a local Festa Junina event to celebrate one of Brazil’s most popular national holidays. Starting on June 1, the Brazilian Harvest Celebration is all about celebrating food and farming, and it’s a great chance for locals to get a taste of some Brazilian party power. This event will be a great chance to get familiar with our local Brazilian community, learn a bit more about Brazilian culture and sample all kinds of great Brazilian food. There will also be live music and plenty of dancing. The event takes place at Braza Grill (5927 S. State Street), June 1 from noon to 10 p.m. (AS)

Seasons Plant Based Bistro Closes

Only a few months after relocating to the Central Ninth neighborhood, Seasons Plant Based Bistro has announced a temporary closure while it sorts a few things out. According to a social media post, the Seasons team is going to transition to packaged food and online sales instead of operating a brickand-mortar restaurant. The social media post also mentioned that re-opening Seasons is not out of the question, but there is no scheduled date for that to happen at the moment. Those who have enjoyed having Seasons in town will want to keep tabs on their new business model, and support them as they start this new transition. (AS)

Spencer’s downtown unveils new specials

Spencer’s for Steaks and Chops at the downtown SLC Hilton is taking luxury to new heights with the introduction of their speakeasy, Rare Room. Step into this opulent, red-adorned room, where the ambiance is rich with vintage charm and sophistication. The 21+ Rare Room offers a curated selection of five finely crafted cocktails, each evoking the glamorous allure of the roaring 1920s. Indulge in the Campus Craze Mai Tai, a tropical delight complete with umbrella ($16). Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the Sunday Prime Rib special, featuring House Traeger Smoked Prime Rib, garlic-whipped mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, horseradish cream and au jus, and Parker House rolls. Choose from the Prime Rib for Two ($120) or individual cuts ranging from $60 to $70. (ALC)

Quote of the Week: “In order to make delicious food, you must eat delicious food.” –Jiro Ono

Persistence of Vision

Salt

Lake City-based Cinders maintain the focus that has sustained them for a decade

BY BILL KOPP comments@cityweekly.net

Cinders may be a young band, but they started early. Together nearly a decade, the group has already toured overseas and become something of a hit on Spotify. The Salt Lake City-based trio chalks its success up to clearly defined goals—and being the best friends in the world.

The group first came together as “one of those progressions from a silly high school band,” says guitarist/vocalist Montana Smith. Initially, he and Adrian De La Cruz both played guitar. “But we knew that a great guitar player can be a great bass player, so we made him play bass,” Smith says. The group quickly became serious about the music, adding drummer Brad Bennett. “We found him on Instagram,” Smith says. “No,” De La Cruz jokes; “It was on Tinder.”

The lineup has gone through changes since that time; “We like to say that we have different iterations,” says De La Cruz. In the beginning, Cinders was a six-piece band, and before long, they were playing dates across the country, and even some overseas shows. “By 2018, two of our members were married and had kids, and they decided that the touring life didn’t work for them,” De La Cruz explains. In early March 2020—days before the pandemic hit—one more original member left. “So we whittled down to this trio,” he says. “The three original guys.”

Speaking of original, from the very beginning—even when Cinders was still a “silly” band—the group never played cover tunes. “We’ve always done our original songs,” says Smith. It’s one thing to listen to other artists; it’s something else to avoid ending up sounding like one’s influences. When asked about the sort of music they

MUSIC

listen to, the three musicians tick off a wide array of genres: pop, punk, acoustic, jazz and more. But Bennett emphasizes Cinders’ unique approach to creating its own material. “When we’re writing,” he explains, “we stop listening to other music. We want to get inspiration from the universe, from on high, from whatever it is for you.”

Focusing on the band’s individuality is a core concept for Cinders. De La Cruz laughs when he recalls a couple of audience members approaching him after a set. “Man, you guys are great,” one of them said. “You sound just like Green Day!” Another chimed in: “Yeah, you sound just like Mumford and Sons!” Smith estimates that the band has been told they sound like “at least 50 to 100 different bands,” none of which actually sound like one another.

De La Cruz recalls writing a chord progression that reminded Smith of a Paul Simon song, “but it ended up sounding more like The Cure,” he laughs. In the end, Cinders chart their own musical path, and if listeners (or individual band members) want to relate their style to another act they like, no harm done.

And for this group, the songwriting process is wholly separate from the experience of playing live in front of an audience. If an arrangement developed in the rehearsal room might create a challenge for the live set—maybe it has multiple guitar parts, or a keyboard section—they don’t let that slow them down. “We always joke to each other, ‘That’s a problem for future Cinders,’” Smith says as his bandmates nod in agreement.

The three founding members agree that their collective vision for the group has remained constant. “Our goals remain the same as when we started,” Bennett says. “But they feel a lot more tangible and realistic now.” Displaying an affinity for longrange thinking, in Cinders’ early days the group put together a “vision board” outlining its goals. “I think it’s safe to say that every one of those goals from back when we were a six-piece is the same to what our goals are today,” he says.

The group recently completed a clutch of new recordings; they’re scheduling singles for release in the coming weeks and months. But one thing that isn’t a serious goal is getting a recording contract; Cin-

ders is a decidedly indie band, and they like it that way. “If someone reaches out with a record deal, and if it makes sense,” De La Cruz says, “we’ll consider it.” But he emphasizes that the group is more focused on touring, playing in front of more and bigger audiences. “We always hear that it’s better for [a label] to reach out to us than us to them,” Bennett adds. “That’s when you know you’re ready for it.”

While details remain under wraps, the band hints that a late summer festival gig is in the offing. And as much as they enjoy playing live, Cinders doesn’t neglect the studio side of things. Four of their songs have each received more than one million streams each on Spotify. It seems to have happened organically: a few select YouTube personalities have featured Cinders’ music in some of their videos, but that alone can’t account for the kind of success the band is enjoying. Asked how they achieved those numbers without an aggressive online presence, they nod at each other before answering. “By having the best fans and friends in the world,” De La Cruz replies. “That’s the reality: We couldn’t do it without them.” CW

THURSDAYS

FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS HIP HOP WEEKENDS

SHARK SUNDAYS

POOL TOURNEY HOSTED BY TANNER

MONDAYS

REGGAE MONDAY WITH DJ NAPO

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS KARAOKE

MUSIC PICK S

James Taylor @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre 5/29

It would be difficult to overestimate the effect James Taylor has had on modern music and today’s singer/songwriter genre in particular. As one of the first artists signed to the Beatles’ fledgling Apple Records label, he made an emphatic impact early on with two songs that are considered Taylor treasures: “Carolina In My Mind” and “Something In the Way She Moves,” the latter said to be a direct inspiration for George Harrison’s song “Something.” Once Taylor returned to the States and signed with Warner Bros Records, the classics kept coming: “Sweet Baby James,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” “Shower the People,” “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” “Your Smiling Face,” “Handy Man” and literally dozens more. An assured staple of soft-rock radio, Taylor remains amazingly popular; everyone has their own favorite Taylor tune. Meanwhile, he shared his reverence for the classics that came before courtesy of his latest album, American Standard—and he proves his populist appeal in concert, showcasing an all-star backing band and his own sly, self-effacing sense of humor. Contrary to popular belief, the song “Sweet Baby James” wasn’t written about the singer himself, but rather a nephew who was his namesake. Nevertheless, the song’s sweet sentiments define Taylor himself, making any evening in his company a real rockabye. James Taylor and his All-Star Band perform at Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre (formerly USANA Amphitheatre) at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29. Tickets cost $5 - $288 at ticketmaster.com (Lee Zimmerman)

Life

Better on the patio! Live Music

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29

ACOUSTIC COUNTRY RAMBLE WITH MORGAN SNOW

SATURDAY, JUNE 1 THE PRANKSTERS

THURSDAY, MAY 30 THE HARDY BROTHERS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5 J.EZRA

FRIDAY, MAY 31 ERIC HEIDEMAN

THURSDAY, JUNE 6

REGGAE THURSDAY SUN DIVIDE

James Taylor

MUSIC PICK S

Echo & the Bunnymen @ The Union Event Center 6/1

When one thinks of music from Liverpool, England, the first group to come to mind is The Beatles. But the port city on the Mersey River has a long and proud musical tradition, and not all Liverpudlian artists draw upon the Fab Four for inspiration. Launched in 1978, Echo & the Bunnymen cut a decidedly different figure. The group’s namesake wasn’t a person; according to popular lore (though disputed by the group itself) “Echo” was the moniker given to the group’s drum machine. Echo & the Bunnymen crafted dramatic, haunting post-punk that drew from goth and electronica, but with a sound firmly rooted in the rock tradition. While the band’s commercial success in the U.S. was measured, Echo & the Bunnymen scored more than a dozen top 40 singles in their native England. Stateside they remained a popular fixture of college radio, with memorable tracks like “Rescue,” “The Cutter,” “Bring on the Dancing Horses” and “The Killing Moon.” In 1986, founding member Pete deFreitas left the band; he died in 1989. The group continued without him, eventually disbanding in 1993. By 1997 lead vocalist and keyboardist Ian McCulloch and lead guitarist Will Sergeant re-launched the band, with a return to live performance and recording. Primarily a touring entity today, the band released its most recent album—The Stars, the Oceans & the Moon, a collection of new versions of Echo & the Bunnymen songs dating back to their 1980 debut—in 2018. Via Mardot opens; tickets for this concert are $49.50 at ticketmaster.com (Bill Kopp)

Moore Kismet @ Soundwell 6/2

At only 19 years old, Moore Kismet (meaning “more than fate”)—the creative alias of Omar Davis—is booming in the bass-heavy side of the electronic music scene. While subgenres like House musi, are historically rooted as the creation of BIPOC queer individuals, dubstep and trap have not been as inclusive of queer artists. Davis says on their Instagram, “As a queer person in the electronic music scene and the industry as a whole, it’s always been my goal to uplift and create things that allow this space to grow and be open and inclusive for everyone. It’s been a passion of mine for a while to do branded showcase nights that serve this exact purpose. a space where EVERYONE feels welcome and that shines a lot on underrepresented artists in the community.” And that’s exactly what Davis is doing. SEE EVERY COLOR, a new event series special just for Pride month, is coming to SLC. In reference to the rainbow flag that has come to represent LGBTQ+ identity and rights, Davis is ushering a new generation of EDM that is open and proud from a young age. Not only were they included in Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list every year since 2020, they were also named the youngest artist to ever perform at both Lollapalooza and EDC Las Vegas in 2021. Davis is only getting started. Kick off Pride month and experience their creative journey at Soundwell by V2 Presents on Saturday, June 2. Doors open at 9 p.m. GA cost $20. Go to tixr.com (Arica Roberts)

Joyner Lucas @ the Complex 6/5

Music has no objective grading; it’s in the ear of the beholder. You like your arrangement of sounds, and I like mine. However, Gary Maurice Lucas Jr.—AKA Joyner Lucas—is an ill artist. If you’re talking purely about rap technique that takes your breath away when you hear it … well, he’s got that feel. That urgency of a starving artist. “A survival hunger is you going outside and you sitting there rubbing sticks together figuring out to make a fire because you’re in the woods and fucked,” Joyner told Billboard. “Some people figure it out, some people don’t.” Lucas gets it. He’s recently taken on acting by appearing in 2023’s The Family Plan with Mark Wahlberg, as well as the next Bad Boys installment with Will Smith. All of that comes on top of the release of his second LP, Not Now I’m Busy. He understands how to occupy the cultural space. Meanwhile, if wordsmithing is your thing, be sure to get there early to check out opener Millyz. The Cambridge, Mass.-based emcee is the type of performer who excels at getting busy off the top of the head. He’s a monster with realness, and paints pictures with his lyrics that you have to listen to twice. Also opening is Ottawa-raised rapper/singer/songwriter Dax. Catch these acts on the Not Now: I’m Busy Tour at the Complex on Wednesday, June 5. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $36.50 at thecomplexslc. com (Mark Dago)

Red Hot Chili Peppers @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater 6/5

There’s no shame in embracing the rockadelic funktastic extravaganza that is a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert—don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Even if you don’t dream of Californication (although you should, given Utah’s antsy weather), the sheer musicianship of Flea, Frusciante and Smith, paired with Anthony Kiedis’ pure energy and unadulterated stamina, should change your mind. As someone who has seen them live, I can guarantee that you may enter the amphitheater a casual listener, but whether you like it or not, will likely leave a RHCP superfan, with merch in tow. Their concerts boast lights, camera, action; the event is more of an experience than just a gig. They are known for playing non-stop—they can’t stop, if you will, har har—hits, rather than obscure selections from their new or less popular releases. But, they aren’t afraid to play a deep cut sprinkled tastefully throughout. By the way (wink wink): Smith still wears bedazzled vests, Flea and Kiedis opt to be sans-shirt, and Frusciante shows up in a tee and jeans, their hodge-podge aesthetic only strengthening the undeniable chemistry between the most famed iteration of the band. I could talk all day about RHCP, but I think you should just see them yourself. Tickets for the all ages-show at First Credit Union Amphitheater can be purchased at concerts.livenation. com, with a wide range of prices starting around $150 for lawn. Doors open at 7 p.m. (Sophie Caligiuri)

Moore Kismet

Joyner Lucus

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Welcome to the future of your education, Aries! Here are actions you can take to ensure you are exposed to all the lush lessons you need and deserve in the coming months: 1. Identify three subjects you would be excited to learn more about; 2. Shed dogmas and fixed theories that interfere with your receptivity to new information; 3. Vow to be alert for new guides or mentors; 4. Formulate a three-year plan to get the training and teachings you need most; 5. Be avidly curious.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Poet Emily Dickinson was skillful at invoking and managing deep feelings. One scholar described her as being profoundly erotic, outlandish, sensuous, flagrant and nuanced. Another scholar said she sought regular doses of ecstasy. Yet even she, maestro of passions, got overwhelmed. In one poem, she wondered “Why Floods be served to us in Bowls?” I suspect you may be having a similar experience, Taurus. It’s fun, though sometimes a bit too much. The good news is that metaphorically speaking, you will soon be in possession of a voluminous new bowl that can accommodate the floods.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

All of us periodically enjoy phases I call “Freedom from Cosmic Compulsion.” During these times, the Fates have a reduced power to shape our destinies. Our willpower has more spaciousness to work with. Our intentions get less resistance from karmic pressures that at other times might narrow our options. As I meditated on you, dear Gemini, I realized you are now in a phase of Freedom from Cosmic Compulsion. I also saw that you will have more of these phases than anyone else during the next 11 months. It might be time for you to get a “LIBERATION” tattoo or an equivalent new accessory.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Predictions: 1. Whatever treasure you lost or are losing will ultimately be reborn in a beautiful form; 2. Any purposeful surrender you make will hone your understanding of what your soul needs next to thrive; 3. A helpful influence may fade away, but its disappearance will clear the path for new influences that serve your future in ways you can’t imagine yet; 4. Wandering without a precise sense of where you’re going will arouse a robust new understanding of what home means to you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Denmark’s King Canute IV (1042–1086) wasn’t bashful about his power. He claimed ownership of all the land. He insisted on inheriting the possessions of all foreigners and people without families. Goods from shipwrecks were automatically his property. But once, his efforts to extend his authority failed. He had his throne moved to a beach as the tide came in. Seated and facing the North Sea, he commanded, “Halt your advance!” The surf did not obey. “You must surrender to my superior will!” he exclaimed, but the waters did not recede. Soon, his throne was engulfed by water. Humbled, Canute departed. I bring this up not to discourage you, Leo. I believe you can and should expand your influence and clout in the coming weeks. Just be sure you know when to stop.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Virgo-born Irène Joliot-Curie craved more attention than she got from her mother, Marie Curie. Mom was zealously devoted to her career as a chemist and physicist, which is why she won Nobel Prizes in both fields. But she didn’t spend sufficient time with her daughter. Fortunately, Irène’s grandfather Eugène became his granddaughter’s friend and teacher. With his encouragement, she became a formidable scientist and eventually won a Nobel in chemistry herself. Even if you’re not a kid, Virgo, I suspect there may be a mentor akin to Eugène in your future. Go looking! To expedite the process, define what skill you want help in developing.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

I have a fantasy that in the coming months, you will slip away to a sanctuary in a pastoral paradise. There you will enjoy long hikes, immerse yourself in healing music and savor books you’ve been wanting to read. Maybe you will write memoirs or compose deep messages to old friends. Here’s what I hope will be a future chapter of your life story: “A Thrillingly Relaxing Getaway.” Have you been envisioning an adventure like this, Libra? Or is your imagination more inclined to yearn for a trip to an exciting city where you will exult in high culture? I like that alternative, too. Maybe you will consider doing both.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

An Instagrammer named sketchesbyboze advises: “Re-enchant your life by making the mundane exciting. You are not ‘going to the drugstore.’ You are visiting the apothecary to buy potions. You are not ‘running an errand.’ You are undertaking an unpredictable adventure. You are not ‘feeding the birds.’ You are making an alliance with the crow queen.” I endorse this for your use. You have the right and duty to infuse your daily rhythm with magic and fantasy. To attract life’s blessings, be epic and majestic. Treat life as a mythic quest.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

I invite you to invite new muses into your life in the coming months. Give them auditions. Interview them. Figure out which are most likely to boost your creativity, stimulate your imagination and rouse your inspiration in every area of life, not just your art form. Tell them you’re ready to deal with unpredictable departures from the routine as long as the alternate paths lead to rich teachings. And what form might these muses take? Could be humans. Could be animals or spirits. Might be ancestral voices, exciting teachings or pilgrimages to sacred sanctuaries. Expand your concept of what a muse might be so you can get as much muse-like input as possible.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

The Japanese have a word for a problem that plagues other countries as well as theirs: karoshi, or death from working too hard and too much. No matter how high-minded our motivations might be, no matter how interesting our jobs are, most of us cannot safely devote long hours to intense labor week after week, month after month. It’s too stressful on the mind and body. I will ask you to monitor yourself for such proclivities in the coming months. You can accomplish wonders as long as you work diligently but don’t overwork. (PS: You won’t literally expire if you relentlessly push yourself with nonstop hard exertion, but you will risk compromising your mental health. So don’t do it!)

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Typically, human fertility is strongest when the temperature is 64 degrees Fahrenheit. But I suspect you will be an exception in the coming months. Whether it’s 10 below or 90 in the shade, your fertility will be robust— literally as well as psychologically and spiritually. If you are a heterosexual who would rather make great art or business than new babies, be very attentive to your birth control measures. No matter what your gender or sexual preference is, I advise you to formulate very clear intentions about how you want to direct all that lush fecundity. Identify which creative outlets are most likely to serve your long-term health and happiness.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Here’s a key assignment in the coming months: Enjoy fantasizing about your dream home. Imagine the comfortable sanctuary that would inspire you to feel utterly at home in your body, your life, and the world. Even if you can’t afford to buy this ultimate haven, you will benefit from visualizing it. As you do, your subconscious mind will suggest ways you can enhance your security and stability. You may also attract influences and resources that will eventually help you live in your dream home.

J-U-B Engineers, Inc. seeks an Asst. Engineer, Water / Wastewater Treatment Sector Focus (AEWAD) in Salt Lake City, UT. Work on process design elements in planning, design, & construction of municipal wastewater treatment projects. Telecommuting permitted w/in area of intended employment. Reqs 10% domestic trvl. Reqs Bachelor’s deg. Email resume to jobs@jub.com. Ref job title & code AEW-AD in subj line.

urban LIVING

WITH BABS DELAY

Broker, Urban Utah Homes & Estates, urbanutah.com

J-Town

Unless you’re a Native American, we’re all immigrants to this state. The area was discovered by trappers and explorers, some of whom stuck around, followed by the great Mormon trek of folks who sought a place to live and practice their religion.

Once the white colonizers from Britain and Scandinavia took over the land, industry began popping up, including gold, silver and copper mines followed by the railroads in the late 1800s. The blue-collar jobs of digging ore, working in mills or laying tracks fell to immigrants from China, Japan, Greece, Korea, Crete, Croatia and Serbia.

Labor agents in foreign countries worked with local business leaders to bring thousands of workers to Utah.By 1910, there were 2,000 Japanese residents living around 100 South, between 200 West and 300 West. The Issei (first generation) who moved here were both skilled and non-skilled laborers, mostly men who later brought wives to the capital city once they decided to make Utah their permanent homes.

Soon after their arrival they built a Japanese school, the Japanese Church of Christ and the Salt Lake City Buddhist Temple, a studio for Obon dance and kendo lessons, markets and noodle shops in what became known as Japantown or Japantown Street.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, 11,000 Japanese-American citizens were relocated from San Francisco and the West to the infamous internment camp at Topaz, outside of Delta, Utah. This ended up tripling the number of Japanese citizens in our state, of which many stayed here, since their homes and businesses had been confiscated and sold off by the U.S. government during the war.

Japantown was a wonderful gathering place for social and religious events, as well as a source for Asiancentric foods. Over the years, people moved away from downtown and spread out into the community, and when plans were announced to build the Salt Palace in 1969, Japantown was mostly gone except for the two churches on the block.

In 2007, the Salt Lake City Council approved an honorary name change for the street, declaring it officially “Japantown Street.” I was a volunteer member of the Planning and Zoning Commission and fought to keep at least some of the area preserved despite the Salt Palace expansion. We got a small victory with a lovely Japanese garden on the north side of 100 South, and the two churches are still intact.

Now, big money is hovering over Japantown, Abravanel Hall, the Delta Center and the Salt Palace Convention Center looking to reimagine and create a sports and entertainment district in the area. The last remnants of this vibrant community and history could be in jeopardy of disappearing, to go by the wayside like “Greektown,” which only has a Trax station named after it left for the world to know another ethnic group lived side by side with the Japantown downtown. n

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. Gave a hoot

6. Some TV screens

10. Herring cousin

14. Former “SNL” cast member Cheri

15. “It’s all ___!”

16. “Aladdin” parrot

17. Opera that’s sorta supernatural, but by chance?

19. Actress Cannon of “Heaven Can Wait”

20. 2024 title role for Michael Douglas on Apple TV+

21. Those who ___ most

23. Partner of yang

24. Opera about actor Ribisi turning into a canine?

26. ___ California, Mexico

27. Expected

28. Opera about an Irish wiggly dessert?

31. Collective auction offering

32. Software creators, for short

36. “Holy cow!”

37. Office seeker, for short

38. Shakespeare collection

39. Ooze through a crack

40. Stan Getz’s instrument

41. Opera about a superhero mechanic?

42. League where Utah is deciding on a team name

43. “The Big Easy”

44. Opera where a future king turns bluegreen?

49. “Ask later” on schedules

52. Playwright Eugene

53. Send mass phone messages during an election, maybe

55. Shoelace issue

56. Italian opera about pub quizzes?

58. German article

59. Snack with a roughly 1.75-inch diameter

60. Oopsie

61. In proximity

62. Notify

63. Break a truce, maybe

DOWN

1. Like a nice recliner

2. Pong producer

3. “King Lear” daughter

4. ___ go bragh

5. “King of the Surf Guitar”

6. Division for FC Barcelona

7. Held on (to)

8. “Hi and Lois” creator Browne

9. Escorted to the door

10. 45’s main feature?

11. Composer with all the symphonies

12. “What is it now?”

13. “___ Make It Look Easy” (Meghan Trainor song)

18. 1988 Olympics track star nickname

22. Night before

25. K-pop star, e.g.

26. Radar flash

28. Fractions of a lb. or qt.

29. Coffee

30. Shorn animal

31. Bagel go-with

32. Kids’ show explorer

33. Shade tree

34. Through

35. Family tree branch, perhaps

37. Hand part

38. Topple

40. Superficial

41. Raccoon’s South American cousin

42. 0, on a soccer scorecard

43. Cell that fires on impulse

50. Ulan ___, Mongolia

Clock-radio feature

Very urgent

Longtime Notre Dame coach Parseghian

Last week’s answers

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

44. Gotten out of bed

45. Concave belly button

46. Singer Lewis

47. Quart’s metric counterpart

48. ___ Tots

49. Papal headpiece

NEWS of the WEIRD

New World Order

“Father Justin,” an AI priest created by Catholic Answers—a Christian group in San Diego—was defrocked on April 24 after claiming to users that he was a real member of the clergy and performing sacraments, the New York Post reported. Holy Justin told users he was a priest in Assisi, Italy. He shared his views on sexual issues and took confession, concluding with, “Go in peace, my child, and sin no more.” He also advised one user that they could use Gatorade to baptize their child. Christopher Check, president of Catholic Answers, explained: “We chose the character to convey a quality of knowledge and authority ... Many people, however, have voiced concerns about this choice.” The avatar was rebranded as Virtual Apologist Justin, minus the cassock and collar, after an uproar about his behavior. “We won’t say he’s been laicized,” Check said, “because he was never a real priest!”

Internationals Behaving Badly

Artist Benediktas Gylys went live with his installation “Portal” on May 14, United Press International reported. “Portal” is a live video stream connecting New York City with Dublin, Ireland. But it was switched off the same day because of “instances of inappropriate behavior” that have been “amplified on social media.” The naughty actions included swearing, nudity and displays of images from the 9/11 terror attacks in New York. “I thought the people of Dublin deserved to see my two New York homegrown potatoes,” said Ava Louise, who bared her breasts to “Portal.” Governments on both sides of the pond are considering actions to take to curb the bad behavior.

It’s a Mystery

On April 25, an employee at the Avalon Theater in Marysville, Ohio—who had noticed a person acting suspiciously the night before—discovered a treasure in the restroom: $25,000 in cash, WBNS-TV reported. Two days later, $12,000 turned up in a KFC restroom. “I would absolutely say they are connected in some way,” said police Capt. Nate Sachs. Authorities determined that the money is legitimate. “One is just weird in and of itself,” Sachs said, “but two times in one week is definitely another level.” Sachs encouraged citizens to call police if they find any more cash to “help us with our investigation.”

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Middleburg Heights, Ohio, residents who were hoping to do business at the federal Social Security office located there were turned away in early May, News 5 reported on May 2. It wasn’t computer issues or flooding that shut the office down, though. Michael Murphy, president of the Local 3448 of the American Federation of Government Employees, said the problem was raccoons. “There’s urine stains on the tiles. The smoke detectors came falling down. ... (A)pparently the animals may be eating through the wiring.” When 25% of the lighting went out, employees got in touch with Murphy. “These employees were reporting concerns of noises above the ceiling as early as January,” he said. The SSA released a statement saying the office would reopen “as soon as possible.”

Least Competent Criminal

An unnamed woman who had been accused of stealing a car was released from jail on May 3 in Boulder, Colorado. Upon her release, she walked down the road until she found a truck with the keys inside, the Associated Press reported. She got as far as starting the truck, but when she was confronted with the truck’s manual transmission, she got out and walked off, leaving the truck to roll forward and hit a fire hydrant. She was arrested again and has a May 30 court date for multiple offenses.

Questionable Judgment

n On May 2 in Johnson County, Kansas, the district attorney charged 21-year-old Jace Christian Hanson, of Kansas City, Missouri, with unlawfully adulterating or contaminating food, a felony, at the Hereford House restaurant in Leawood, Kansas. The Kansas City Star reported that Hanson was connected with videos posted online showing him urinating into restaurantstyle food containers and rubbing food on his body parts, including his feet. The FBI, which received a tip, contacted the restaurant after pinging Hanson’s phone and finding his car in the parking lot; the head chef confirmed that the au jus container shown in one video belonged to the Hereford House. When asked about it, Hanson said, “I’ll just be straight up, yeah.” He said men online, whom he had met through dating apps, had asked him to make the videos and revealed that he had committed more than 20 incidents of contaminating food. The restaurant destroyed all its food and sanitized the kitchen and adjacent areas. Gives a whole new meaning to “au jus.”

n Firelands Elementary School in Henrietta Township, Ohio, was locked down on May 1 after a sasquatch was spotted running past classroom windows, WKYC-TV reported. Superintendent Michael Von Gunten said a person in a Bigfoot costume parked in one of the district’s lots, “crossed our campus and caused the district to enter into a lockdown.” Kids outside on recess were quickly moved indoors. Bigfoot never made it inside any of the buildings; the Lorain County sheriff’s office revealed the person in the costume was a parent pulling a prank. The parent was pulled over in a traffic stop, but no charges have been filed yet.

No Longer Weird

The last four years have brought about 700 reports of orcas attacking boats. On May 12, in the Strait of Gibraltar, a 49-foot-long vessel called Alboran Cognac sank after repeated blows from a group of orcas, Reuters reported. The yacht carried two people, who felt the shocks before water started seeping in. They alerted rescue services, and a nearby oil tanker took them in. Researchers don’t know why the animals attack ships.

Awesome!

World War II veteran Roger Wonson of Beverly, Massachusetts, turned 100 years old on April 20, CBS News reported. Wonson celebrated with his family and friends and a custom cake—and by playing drums with his band, The Current Voltage, at his senior living facility on April 24. Wonson also played saxophone during the performance. He said his brother got him into drumming: “When he was 18 and I was 12 ... I said, ‘Gee, can I practice on the drums?’ and he said, ‘Sure.’ So that’s the way it started.” The Current Voltage includes some of his fellow residents and staffers from the facility.

Stickin’

It to the Man

Etienne Constable received a letter in July 2023 from Seaside, California, asking him to conceal the boat he’d had parked in his driveway for about four years, The Washington Post reported. The city said boats and trailers must be “screened on the side and front by a 6-foot fence.” Constable installed a fence—and hired his neighbor, mural artist Hanif Panni, to paint a photorealistic image of the boat and the rest of the driveway on the side of the fence that faces the road. The mural was completed in early May. “We kind of hit the sweet spot between following the rules and making an elegant statement to the contrary,” Constable said. Nick Borges, Seaside’s city manager, admired the work and said, “The only action I’m going to take is a high five, and that’s it.”

Quantitative Modeling Manager (QMMPS) in Salt Lake City, UT. Manage, lead & support team of direct reports on various model dvlpmt proj. Gather data from various sources, clean the data by removing outliers & create data sets & analyze the data. Create model documentation for review by internal & external regulators by perf validity tests. Dvlp & test statistical models. Telecommuting within area of intended employment. MS+5yrs exp. Send resumes to Zions Bancorporation at ZionsCareers@zionsbancorp.com. Must reference job title & code in subject line.