Metro - 20 - Jan. 20, 2005

January 20–February 2 Volume 2

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Issue 2

Episcopal Bishops Meet in Salt Lake

Apologize for ‘causing pain’ with gay bishop

HIV Infections on the Rise in Utah New infections rising in drug users

Affirmation Leader Excommunicated Contreras: ‘My integrity, my morality and my spirituality remain intact’

Queer Sundance and Slamdance Schedules Ruby: ‘Utah is the Mississippi of the West’ Men in tutus invade Kingsbury Hall The Gay Agenda

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ARTS & CULTURE

PLACES

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Sunday Brunch _______________________________________ A Quick Bite

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Annual Festival

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_______________________________________ Take Fido and Phydeaux for Their “do”

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SHOPPING (Choose the best…)

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Dance _______________________________________ Meet Gay Men _______________________________________ Meet Lesbians _______________________________________ Meet Transgender Folks SALT LAKE METRO ■ JANUARY 20, 2005

_______________________________________ Take a Second Date

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_______________________________________ Volunteer for a Queer Organization

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EVENTS

Leader of a Queer Organization

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Work Out

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Clothing

_______________________________________ Enjoy the View _______________________________________ Enjoy the View of the Guys/Girls _______________________________________ Escape Utah for the Weekend _______________________________________ Put the Mother-in-Law Up While She’s in Town _______________________________________ Get Your Hair Done

_______________________________________ Get a Massage _______________________________________

ORGANIZATIONS (Please choose the best…)

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_______________________________________ Worst Night of the Week to Go Out _______________________________________ Person Who Mosts Needs to Get Out of Utah _______________________________________ Biggest Scandal of the Year _______________________________________

IT’S ALL ABOUT US (Please choose the best…)

Metro News Writer

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_______________________________________ Music

WIN A 2-NIGHT STAY AND $500 CASINO FUN BOOK IN FABULOUS LAS VEGAS!

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_______________________________________ See a Show or Live Music

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_______________________________________ Sing Karaoke

_______________________________________ Plants

_______________________________________ Avoid Karaoke

_______________________________________ Flowers

_______________________________________ Best Gay/Lesbian Bar

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JANUARY 20, 2005 ■ SALT LAKE METRO ■ 3

News BRIEFS

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SALT LAKE METRO ■ JANUARY 20, 2005

LDS Church Excommunicates Prominent Gay Leader Quilpue, Chile—Brus Leguas Contreras, president of the Chilean chapter of Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons, was excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints on December 26 on charges of “apostasy” and “conduct unbecoming a member of the Church.” During the three-hour proceedings held in the city of Quilpue, 75 miles Affirmation Chile President northwest of SanBrus Leguas Contreras tiago, Contreras was asked repeatedly to resign as president of Affirmation Chile, which he refused to do.

“No earthly court can rob me of my potential as a child of God,” Contreras told the all-male court that was about to excommunicate him. “The Spirit of God does not withdraw from those who do what is right; that is something that we all in Affirmation have experienced. My integrity, my morality, and my spirituality remain intact.”

Even though LDS leaders insist that disciplinary actions are a local matter, the proceedings against Contreras were started by the Area Presidency in Santiago, Chile, which had prepared a dossier on Contreras.

In the past, LDS leaders have required homosexuals to undergo horrific forms of so-called “therapy,” including electroshock aversion therapy, and have encouraged them to get married, leading eventually to divorce and broken families. Now LDS leaders require homosexual Mormons to live lives of celibacy and loneliness—a second-class citizen status, at best, in a theological system that sees heterosexual marriage as essential for living with God. Gays and lesbians who have partners are subject to excommunication, a disciplinary practice that most mainline churches long ago abandoned.

Founded in 1977, Affirmation is a support organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender members and former members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For more information about Affirmation, go to www.affirmation.org.

Military Fired More Gay Linguists than Admitted San Francisco, Calif.—The number of Arabic linguists discharged from the U.S. military under its “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is higher than previously known, according to a recent report.

The figures were obtained from the De-

partment of Defense by Congressman Marty Meehan and the University of California based Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military. CSSMM says the records, obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request, show that between 1998 and last year, the military discharged 20 Arabic speakers and six Farsi speakers for being gay, with thirteen Arabic speakers being discharged in 2004. In total, as many as 86 specialists in a number of languages may have been discharged in a five year period.

The findings update reports from 2002, when the New Republic first reported that Arabic speakers were being discharged under the military’s policy against openly gay members. The military had previously confirmed that only seven translators specializing in Arabic had been discharged between 1998 and 2003.

CSSMM director Aaron Belkin said that he wanted the American public to understand the cost of the military’s policy.

“We had a language problem after 9/11 and we still have a language problem,” Belkin told the Associated Press.

Since the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, many have said that a shortage of Arabic linguists contributed to the government’s failure to prevent the attacks.

The House Intelligence Committee also highlighted this problem as early as one month after the attacks.

“It’s rather appalling that in the weeks leading up to 9/11 messages were coming in, waiting to be translated ... and at the same time they were firing people who could’ve done that job,” said Steve Ralls, spokesman for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a non profit advocacy group for gay military members.—JV

Arizona Faces Gay Marriage Constitutional Amendment Phoenix, Ariz.—On January 5, Arizona lawmakers decided to put a measure on the 2006 ballot asking voters to consider an amendment banning gay marriage and civil unions and forbidding cities and counties from providing benefits to their workers’ domestic partners.

If approved, the measure would strike down the practice in Tempe, Tucson and Pima County of extending benefits to the partners of municipal workers. Tucson’s domestic partner registry would also be nullified. Further, the amendment would prohibit state courts from ruling the denial of benefits to domestic partners unconstitutional or from permitting civil unions.

But the bill’s broad language may spell its doom at the polls, as Arizonans continue to be sharply divided on the issue

of same-gender marriage. A 2004 statewide survey found that, while voters opposed gay marriage by an almost 3-2 margin, that same margin supported civil unions.

“A majority of Arizonans support a ban on gay marriage and would vote for it at the polls,” he said. But he added that he did not think Arizonans would vote to take things like health insurance away from domestic partners. His opinion seems to be reflected in a recent Arizona Republic Poll in which 54% of surveyed voters opposing the measure and 7% were undecided.

May added that his organization may also be able to challenge the measure on grounds that it violates a state law mandating that constitutional measures deal with only one subject. He said one could argue that this proposal deals with both marriage and domestic partnership.

Arizona law already defines marriage as the union between a man and a woman.—JV

Supreme Court Won’t Hear Florida Adoption Case Washington, D.C.—The U.S. Supreme Court declined January 10 to hear a case challenging a Florida adoption law which prohibits gay men and women from adopting children, thereby letting an 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling against the suit to stand.

The suit, brought in 1999 by four gay foster parents, sought to overturn the state’s twenty-five year old ban on gay adoption, which prohibits gays and lesbians from adopting children whether or not they are currently in a sexual relationship. However, the law allows gays and lesbians to be foster parents.

“It is disappointing that the court will not review the earlier ruling upholding the ban,” said Matt Coles, director of the Lesbian and Gay Rights Project of the ACLU. “There are more than 5,000 children in Florida foster care, some of whom surely would have found permanent homes if the law had been struck down.”

Coles’ organization was responsible for the parents’ legal representation.

Recently, several have wondered whether the Court’s decision not to hear the case has any relationship to the landmark Lawrence vs. Texas ruling, in which the court struck down U.S. sodomy laws criminalizing consensual gay sexual relations. Leslie Cooper, one of the project’s attorneys, said that it was entirely possible that the nation’s highest court wanted to wait on ruling about gay adoption until more lower courts have weighed in on the issue.

“It is totally plausible,” said Cooper.

“Sometimes the court likes to let their decisions marinate a bit on the circuit level.”—JV

Springfield, Ill.—After a decade of discussion and dismissal, the Illinois state legislature passed a bill adding sexual orientation to the state’s Human Rights Act, thus forbidding state businesses and landlords from discriminating against gays, lesbians and bisexuals.

The bill passed December 12 on a 61-55 vote. Only 60 votes were needed to send the legislation to Gov. Blagojevich for approval. The law—which is similar to those already on the books in Cook County, Decatur, Peoria, Naperville and Chicago— prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace and real estate

Lutheran Group Votes to Maintain Status Quo on Gays Chicago, Ill.—In a long-anticipated vote on January 13, the largest Lutheran church in the United States did not recommend that the denomination begin blessing same-gender unions or ordaining ministers with same-gender partners.

However, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s fourteen-member task force of clergy, laity and scholars also said it would be permissible to “refrain from disciplining” partnered gay clergy or those who ordain them (the denomination accepts celibate gays and lesbians as clergy members). The panel also suggested that the ELCA continue to “respect” a 1993 ELCA bishops’ statement that does not approve of same-gender unions as official church policy although the denomination still has no official policy against such unions.

It also urged its 4.9 million members to “learn to live together faithfully” while disagreeing over the issue of homosexuality.

“Rather than attempting to resolve our differences through legislative action, we have sought to place matters in the realm of pastoral care and to encourage continued engagement as we minister to one another,” a January 13 Reuters article quoted the task force as saying. “Though our recommendations do not establish new policy or change existing policy, they do appeal for respect for one another’s bound consciences as a matter of pastoral concern.”

Although the committee did not call their decisions a policy change, leaders of pro and anti-gay groups within the church are concerned their decision could drive away members, particularly disheartened lesbians and gays.

“It sends a pretty loud message to gays and lesbians that this church, at this time, is going to legitimize selective discrimination while claiming to welcome them,” Emily Eastwood, spokesperson for the Lutheran Alliance for Full Participation, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.—JV

The Salt Lake Metro Website Gets Used Alexa Internet Inc. ranks internet traffic using technology similar to television’s Nielsen Ratings. The most popular site Yahoo ranks #1.

Salt Lake Metro’s website is ranked number 103,418 of internet sites worldwide showing it to be have more traffic than Salt Lake City Weekly and Washington Blade.

Here is a comparison of related sites the week of January 15, 2005: Utah Newspapers Site Rankings 6,192 1 Salt Lake Tribune Salt Lake City 6,342 2 Deseret News Salt Lake City 34,423 3 Provo Daily Herald Provo 43,180 4 St. George Spectrum St. George 5 Ogden Standard-Examiner Ogden 92,829 103,418 6 Salt Lake Metro Salt Lake City 157,110 7 City Weekly Salt Lake City 8 Daily Utah Chronicle Salt Lake City 267,620 307,285 9 Park Record Park City 338,299 10 Logan Herald-Journal Logan 11 Davis County Clipper Woods Cross 346,282 410,032 12 Vernal Express Vernal 434,125 13 Utah Statesman Logan 14 Tooele Transcript Bulletin Tooele 663,035 665,511 15 SLUG Magazine Salt Lake City 749,444 16 Sun Advocate Price 899,439 17 Hilltop Times HAFB 18 Box Elder News Journal Brigham City 955,532 19 Moab Times-Independent Moab 1,094,267 20 Emery County Progress Castle Dale 1,384,574 Gay and Lesbian Local Publications Site Rankings 101,814 1 Gay City News New York City 103,418 2 Salt Lake Metro Salt Lake City 191,060 3 HX New York City 209,412 4 Washington Blade Washington 5 New York Blade New York City 224,837 334,079 6 HotSpots Atlanta 335,439 7 Houston Voice Houston 342,636 8 Bay Windows Boston 404,254 9 Metro G Long Beach 524,393 10 Dallas Voice Dallas 599,121 11 Frontiers Los Angeles/San Francisco 618,702 12 Out Smart Houston 13 Southern Voice Atlanta 642,257 14 Gay and Lesbian Times San Diego 658,819 15 Out Las Vegas Las Vegas 668,533 684,680 16 Chicago Free Press Chicago 700,068 17 Women’s Monthly Washington 711,714 18 Windy City Times Chicago 747,160 19 She Magazine Ft. Lauderdale 872,106 20 Out in the Mountains Richmond

ADVERTISE IN SLMETRO.COM AND REACH YOUR TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC. CALL 323-9500 Source: Alexa Internet Inc. January 15, 2005

JANUARY 20, 2005 ■ SALT LAKE METRO ■ 5

Illinois Passes Gay Rights Bill

market and in the public arena, in such places as hotels and restaurants.

“It’s mostly for the benefit of people in the unprotected parts of Illinois,” Patricia Logue, senior counsel to the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, told The Chicago Sun Times. However, critics of the bill have argued that it is not strong enough, as it exempts landlords whose buildings have five or fewer units and small businesses employing less than fifteen workers.

Surprisingly, the bill also does not contain language exempting religious institutions, many of whom are opposed to hiring gay and lesbian employees for doctrinal reasons.

“We were told as this went along we didn’t have to worry, that we were protected under the Human Rights Act,” said Zachary Wichmann, associate director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois. “But we thought we needed a specific protection in this bill. We’re real worried about how this can be interpreted by the Human Rights Department and the courts.” He added that his organization was concerned the bill might be used to force religious organizations to do such things as hire gay and lesbian teachers.

Illinois is the fourteenth state to pass non-discrimination legislation based on sexual orientation.—JV

News LOCAL

Health Department Releases Report on HIV/AIDS in Utah A December report from the Utah Department of Health reveals the latest numbers in HIV and AIDS data for the state. Among the statistics published in “HIV Surveillance Report and Community Epidemiological Profile” are numbers as recent as 2003 which reflect the changing face of high-risk groups and behaviors.

The majority of HIV/AIDS cases in Utah remains men who have sex with men (53 percent), and the most significant spike in new infections is coming from white men, aged 20-29, who have sex with men and also inject drugs.

The report also finds rising infection rates among Latinos, whites, those aged 20-29, and women.

Methamphetamine use is the fastest rising drug connected to new infections—up from 2 percent in 1994 to 24 percent in 2003.

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Crystal meth is now involved in more HIV infections than cocaine, marijuana or heroin.

In fact, 81.9% of injection drug users surveyed admitted that they had sex under the influence of drugs—the majority of cases involving methamphetamine, followed by cocaine. The survey also found that the majority of drug users were unlikely to use protection while having sex.

While overall rates of HIV infection have been dropping in the state and nationally since 1993, there was a slight increase from 2002 to 2003. Meanwhile, HIV/AIDS deaths have dropped from 137 in 1995 to just 22 in 2003. The drop in deaths is credited to improved treatment options and antiretroviral medications.

There were an estimated 2000 people living with HIV/AIDS statewide at the end of 2003.—JK

Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire receives his miter from his partner, Mark Andrew.

Salt Lake Meeting of Episcopal Bishops Ends in Apology

by Jere Keys jere@slmetro.com

After a two-day, closed-door meeting in Salt Lake City, Episcopal bishops apologized to the Anglican Communion for “the pain, the hurt and the damage” caused by the decision to consecrate Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire. Robinson is the first openly gay man with a partner to hold such a high office in the 2.3 million member Episcopal Church, part of the 77 million member worldwide Anglican Communion.

Bishops were careful, though, not to apologize for the consecration itself.

“We as the House of Bishops express our sincere regret for the pain, the hurt and the damage caused to our Anglican bonds of affection by certain actions of our church,” the American bishops said in a statement as they emerged from the Salt Lake meeting.

“We express this regret as a sign of our deep desire for and commitment to continuation of our partnership in the Anglican Communion.”

The statement was not an apology Episcopal Diocese for consecrating of Utah Bishop The Right Bishop Robinson, Rev. Carolyn Tanner Irish clarified Utah Bishop Carolyn Tanner Irish. She insisted the statement was only to communicate that the bishops felt badly about the tensions Robinson’s election created within the communion.

“Anglican history is filled with 450 years of tensions, differing perspectives and sometimes even violent confron-

tations,” Tanner said in a statement released at the time of Robinson’s consecration. “I am supportive of Bishop Coadjutor-elect Gene Robinson, because he was openly and knowingly elected by the people of New Hampshire, and consent to his election was clearly given by a majority vote of the whole Episcopal Church at its General Convention in Minneapolis last summer. I see no reason whatever to think he will not serve his people well and make a fine contribution to our community as the Episcopal Church USA.” Aside from the expression of regret, church leaders took no action on requests from Anglican leaders from around the world who had asked for a moratorium on consecrating gay bishops in same-gender relationships.

They also asked for Episcopalians to stop authorizing prayer services for samegender couples.

Some conservatives, such as Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburg feel that the gathering did not go far enough. The U.S.-based branch of the religion has been under heavy pressure from the international leadership and many more conservative countries have threatened to break off from the Anglican Communion if the Episcopalians don’t back down on gay rights issues.

The head of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, warned in a November letter that apologizing alone for consecrating an openly gay bishop “doesn’t go deep enough.”

The Anglican leadership will next deliberate over the role of non-celibate gays in the church in February, when they meet in Northern Ireland.

Center Falls Far Short of Fundraising Goal The Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Community Center of Utah has announced the results of their vital endof-year fundraising campaign. Including match grants from Jane & Tami Marquardt and The B. W. Bastian Foundation, the nonprofit agency was able to raise $46,142.25— but they still fell far short of the $160,000 goal.

“We’re very pleased with the response from our community,” said Valerie Larabee, GLBTCCU Executive Director Valerie Larabee Executive Director.

“It’s a true community response with over 160 individual donors stepping forward to support our year-end campaign and donations are still coming in. Our goal from the start was to broaden our base of support and educate more people about our important work!”

Larabee also commented that more donors than ever elected to make their donations online by accessing The Center’s website.

“The Center’s mission will be fulfilled this year because of the strength and generosity of our community,” added incom-

ing board president Evelyn Garlington.

“We are extremely excited about the new year and all of its challenges and opportunities. While we look for the best ways to meet community needs, we will continue providing sanctuary and services to affirm and empower the GLBT community. We’re committed to rebuilding our base of support to ensure our important work in the GLBT Community.”

Since there is still much work to do to ensure financial solvency for the nonprofit organization, The Center will be planning additional fundraising efforts throughout February and March to garner additional support.

The Center will also be announcing new board members soon as well as plans for the Pride celebration in 2005. Larabee also commented that since the appeal for help from the community went out last month, many people have approached her about creating new and exciting programs in the facility. Where the coffee shop once operated, Larabee says a volunteer staff is seeing increased traffic from people wanting to know more about the community and to get more involved.

For information on how you can help, please visit The Center’s website at www.glccu.org.

Blood Donor Questions Raise Mother’s Ire The American Red Cross and other agencies which collect donated blood for emergencies have long relied on high schools as a place to not only get donations, but to teach young people to give blood whenever they can.

But if one Orem mother has her way, the state Board of Education would ban blood collection agencies from public schools.

“They just ask very sexually explicit questions without parental consent,” said Diane Ogborn, a 37-year-old mother of four, according to the Provo Daily Herald.

Ogborn objects to screening questions designed to keep blood at high risk for HIV out of the donation banks. Questions include topics such as sex between men and prostitution. Ogburn believes that these questions are illegal in Utah schools

and asked the board to halt all blood drives until procedures exist to protect students and parents.

“As a parent, how I read it, it looks to me like it violates the law,” she said to the Salt Lake Tribune.

The board declined, but agreed to put together a parental permission slip that would warn parents about the type and nature of questions donors will be asked.

But some worry that the concern over parents rights could hurt the state’s blood supply.

The law in question comes from former State Senator Bill Wright’s 2001 revisions of Utah State Code which required parental consent for sexually-related topics and prohibited the “advocacy of homosexuality” in Utah schools.

Shurtleff Agrees to Accept Outside Council in Gay Marriage Cases relationships which gives the “substantial equivalent” of marriage rights. Shurtleff’s objection was to the second part of the amendment, arguing that the law would endanger common law marriages and violate the rights of unmarried couples and would lead to costly court challenges.

However, he remains opposed to gay marriage.

Shurtleff’s decision not to oppose help from independent council may motivated by fear that his request for a pay raise for the over 200 attorneys on his staff will be denied in retaliation from conservative legislators.

Currently, there are no obvious challenges to the amendment, which took effect on January 1, 2005.—JK

by JoSelle Vanderhooft joselle@slmetro.com

(Part three in a six-part series on gay and lesbian spirituality)

Tracy Vandeventer can’t remember a time when she didn’t believe in God, but she can remember a time when she didn’t believe in church. As a young guidance counselor at a Lutheran summer camp, she was accused of being a lesbian and of “fondling” the children in her care. Although the charges were discovered to be false and dropped, the experience left her feeling hurt and confused about her sexual orientation.

“Why was I being told I was a lesbian in all those situations when in my perspective I wasn’t?” she asks. “That summer started a lot of thinking and in the process of trying to question what was really behind all the accusations.”

Realizing she was a lesbian, Vandeventer says she spent the next six months in and out of several mainline protestant denominations, trying to find a spiritual home and facing rejection time after time.

“It seemed every time I would venture back in to trying to fulfill some spiritual connection I would stumble across the wrong place at the wrong time and be faced with…

I really feel it was venomous language and actions and energy against lesbian and gay people,” she remembers. “So my response was to be very angry at God because I couldn’t believe that it was God’s idea that people would be so hateful. I just eventually gave up and said forget it, I’m going to have my own spiritual connection.”

Then, one day, out “church hopping” with her friend, Vandeventer says she stumbled across Holladay’s United Church of Christ.

“The Holladay United Church had a huge, deep spiritual impact for me as a place I could immediately call home and be a member of a family and a community,” she recalls.

The UCC recently made national headlines after producing television advertisements indicating that their churches welcomed all type of people—an ad ABC, NBC and CBS rejected as being too “controversial” for the airwaves. Certainly, a majority of the church’s almost 5,900 autonomous congregations might agree, as only about 500 of them have actually voted to adopt a gay-affirming position, according to Reverend Erin Gilmore, Holladay UCC pastor. Since 1999, her congregation has been one of them.

As Gilmore tells it, the idea began with the church’s youth group. After attending a conference in California the youngsters began “raising issues around [being] gay or lesbian.”

Shortly thereafter, the church held a “worship service exploring gay and lesbian spirituality” and an eight week class on the topic.

Ultimately, says Gilmore, the church decided to become open and affirming out of a deep commitment to the four Gospels.

“We see in Jesus Christ an unconditional love,” she explains. “Over and over again, people are received into the love and our reading of that says we cannot be the judge of God’s inclusiveness. [We] have to continually ask ourselves who is being excluded, who are the untouchables, who are those who are being shut out, because that’s who Jesus went to.”

“Part of the reason a church decides to declare itself open and affirming is that all churches say they welcome everyone, and that

means different things in different congregations,” adds Rev. Jill Warner, another pastor at the Holladay congregation. “Gay and lesbian Christians don’t always experience that welcome … by making this declaration we have said this is a space where you can come and be who you are and worship with us.”

Further, Gilmore says she thinks there are legitimate theological reasons for her congregation’s adoption of an open and affirming stance.

“It all depends on how you read the Bible,” she explains.

“The Book of Leviticus, for example, is a code of law for the people of Israel to separate themselves from other cultures. In addition to the Rev. Erin Gilmore, Holladay most often quoted United Church of Christ pastor scripture that a man shall not lie to a woman, it says that women shall menstruate outside the city and you shall not wear clothes that are woven with mixed materials,” points out Gilmore. “It’s a whole list of laws that were about purity, and even if [infractions] were committed, people weren’t cast out. They had to pay a penance so to speak. It wasn’t seen as something like an eternal punishment.”

“If I take the Bible as a whole, it’s [about] love, justice and compassion, so it’s really hard for me to single out single scriptures,” she continues. “You could do that about women speaking in church or money. The Bible talks a whole lot more about idolizing money over homosexuality, but I don’t see too many people banging down the doors of those who are really wealthy. I guess for me it comes down to the fact that I’m not the judge at the end of it.”

Although the church once employed a commissioned minister who worked with gay members, that particular ministry is currently “in flux” now as the church tries to determine what direction it will take in the future, according to Warner. However, Gilmore says the church will “probably start another open and affirming class” due to interest of several members. The chapter has also performed commitment ceremonies for same-gender couples since 1999.

Although admitting that several UCC churches likely “don’t agree with what we’re doing,” Gilmore says that she hopes respectful dialogue on the issue will continue.

“I think that it’s really important to hear the voices of gay and lesbian people who aren’t demonized,” she says. “For me it all began when [I learned] my uncle was gay, and when you suddenly realize that people you work around and really love are homosexual, you realize they’re not this horrible other that you can categorize as evil.”

Vandeventer says she tries to do something similar in Utah’s gay community by being open about her sexuality and her faith.

“I have a responsibility to be out and an openly religious person and sometimes even in the lesbian and gay community you can be shunned on some level,” she says. “I just wonder what will it take and where will we be when we find that place where we can be in a common space and support each other and celebrate together.”

JANUARY 20, 2005 ■ SALT LAKE METRO ■ 7

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff won’t stand in the way of allowing another lawyer to assist in defending the constitutional ban on gay marriage according to the Associated Press. Although Shurtleff still believes he can lead any legal battle, he has agreed to accept the help of outside council.

Shurtleff’s commitUtah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff ment to defend the amendment was called into question after he publicly opposed the wording of the bill prior to the election. The amendment also outlawed civil unions and other legal

Holladay United Church of Christ Welcomes Gays and Lesbians

Opinion

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What Happened to the Anger?

In the weeks following the election, many people were upset with the way queer political groups and this paper were looking for a silver lining in the election results.

While we were encouraged by the large number of volunteers trained in politics, donors, and allies—many members of the community felt that their disappointment and grief over being told by 66% of the state that we don’t deserve equal citizenship wasn’t being recognized.

Well, here we are at the point where we need people to take that anger and channel it into other places. Will we have more queer people than ever before calling their elected officials and participating in the legislative process this year? Will every single state senator or representative become keenly aware of how many queer constituents they have?

Last week, a woman tried to stop blood drives from happening in high schools because she felt the screening questions violated state law. The laws she was referring to were written in 2001 and require parental permission for a variety of subjects in addition to banning public schools from any activity that may be construed as advocating homosexuality. Among the questions this mother objected to having her 17-year-old daughter exposed to were queries about gay sex and prostitution.

Where is the outrage from our community? Where are the people pointing out that this kind of conservative extremism in our laws is now interfering with humanitarian practices such as blood donation?

On February 5, the state is sponsoring a celebration of marriage. According to the declaration signed by former governor Olene Walker, “Marriage is an essential aspect

of human society because it: binds [people] together in a network of affection, mutual aid, and mutual obligation; provides irreplaceable personal happiness; [causes people] in mutually supportive relationships [to] generally live longer, experience better health and enjoy more satisfying lives.” Well, these are the things that we’re being denied. Where will the anger appear during the February 5 celebration of this essential aspect of human society?

We believe that it’s high time this community let itself be angry about the unfair treatment we’ve received at the hands of the conservative majority. And the best way to express that anger is by staying involved, active and informed about what’s going on among our lawmakers.

In 1969, a handful of queer bar patrons in New York got angry about the routine harassment and abuse at the hands of the police force. Every year, we commemorate the Stonewall Riots by holding Gay Pride celebrations on and around the anniversary of that famous weekend. Many historians believe that moment in history to mark the beginning of the modern queer rights movement.

Well, if you’re tired of routine attempts by the conservative majority to send “message bills” in judgment of the queer community and all untraditional families… If you’re fed up with not having your concerns, rights and voices heard by the people elected to represent you… In short, if you’re done being bullied, we could use a little of that anger now. Let Amendment 3 and the beginning of the 2005 Legislative Session in Utah mark the beginning of a wonderful new age in our state.

From the Editor Legislative Shock

by Jere Keys jere@slmetro.com

I have to admit that the culture shock of moving from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City hasn’t worn off completely yet. While I’m determined to remain positive about the potential for progress in the Beehive State, when I first started working my way through the proposed bills before the legislature this year I had many moments where I just shook my head in disbelief. What really gets me is the almost mean-spiritedness of the conservative majority.

For example, HJR 2—the legislation which would ask the legislative attorneys to evaluate how all proposed bills would affect families. “Family” in this sense means people related by blood, marriage or adoption. The bill is heartily supported by the Sutherland Institute which is quickly gaining the reputation as the state’s second most obnoxious conservative lobby (after the Eagle Forum). Look, we already know that the dominant culture here has little use for single people, unmarried couples and nontraditional families … why do we need to drive the point home again and again?

There’s also the discussion about doing away with “no fault divorce” in Zion. Once married, you would stay married unless there’s a very good reason (such as abuse or infidelity). But they won’t let us get married so why should we care, right? Well, I know at least a few members of our community who were once married men. Some of them, upon realizing their sexual orientation, politely got a divorce without first cheating on their spouses and bringing that kind of pain into their families. Some of them even managed to stay friends with their spouse. Imagine, if you will, a gay man who has no desire to jump right into the sexual pool, even though he’s just recently come out—if he doesn’t cheat on his wife, nor abuse her, state law would now insist that the two remain married to one another. No, when marriages end in the state of Utah, we want to blame someone—and my guess is that in these cases, the queer person is the one who’s going to be blamed.

Then there’s the proposal to ban smoking in private clubs and taverns. You know, I understand the health reasons behind this type of legislation… but I’m not buying it.

Of course the legislation is popular among our dominant culture. If this were California or New York, I’d agree that it’s a health issue. Not here. In the Land of the LDS, it’s another chance for the morally superior to wag their fingers at the horrible heretics and declare them to be “sinners.”

So what’s a gay guy to do in the face of so many people prepared to cast judgment through the law of the land? I’m glad to see the groundswell of support for a few pieces of gay-positive legislation. While I’m concerned that the hate crime bill (as written) may not provide as much protection for transgender community (visit gender.org if you have any doubt that transgender people are horrible and brutally attacked with alarming frequency), I think the legislative intent will be clear to any future judges. I’m not looking forward to introducing my future “mutual dependent” to Mom and Dad, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Maybe I haven’t had all of Las Vegas frozen out of me yet, but I’m disappointed that we haven’t seen an introduction of any legislation that would protect our community from discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodation, education or credit. I’m disappointed that we aren’t actively trying to repeal bad laws passed in previous sessions, such as restrictive adoption rules, stranglehold limits on educational forums trying to provide for queer students, or even last session’s Amendment 3. Instead, it seems most of our community is using the approach I use to dating—let’s not ask for what we want, we’ll just wait and see if something good comes along. I wish I were a bolder kind of guy in dating, but I’m not afraid to tell my elected official what I want, nor should any of us be. Will we be rejected and defeated? Probably, for a while. But sooner or later, we’ll have reframed the debate and we will win. If you think the passive approach works… well, I’m still single.

Letters Metro Inspires Editor, Just a quick note to tell you what a fantastic job I think you are all doing! I’m grateful for k the way you keep us informed about the news that matters to us and I enjoy reading each and every issue of the Metro.

All of your writers seem to find the perfect mix between being entertaining and thoughtprovoking and I especially love Laurie Mecham, Ruby Ridge and William Todd Park.

But what really impressed me was the Queer Guide to Sundance in the current issue. I’ve been living here for several years and never felt like there was much reason for me to go to Park City and fight with the crowds when Sundance rolled around. Thanks to you, now I can see what I’ve been missing and I’ll definitely be making the trip this year.

Corey Arel Murray, UT

What Would Jesus Do About Gays Saying “I Do?” Dear Editor: As a straight man, I’ve had a lot to think about lately in regards to homosexual marriage rights.

The popular opinion is that anyone of a religious persuasion should oppose granting gay and lesbian people access to the same institu-

tion the rest of us are in.

Here’s what I’ve concluded. Were Jesus alive today, he’d be supporting equal rights for homosexuals. A close reading of the Bible indicates to me that Jesus was the type of person who criticized the wealthy and the religious leaders who oppressed societal outcasts. Jesus’ principal teachings were the Golden Rule and to embrace those whom society rejects.

There is no evidence that he would have actively persecuted homosexuals. Instead, he promoted justice, equality, mercy and kindness toward outcasts, traits his evangelical followers fail to imitate.

To anyone who thinks Jesus would have opposed homosexual equality, I ask: Exactly where does Jesus encourage or advocate discrimination for any reason?

Kevin Pettit Ogden, UT

MLK’s Daughter Missing the Point?

Editor: What the heck is up with Bernice King? As the nation ramps up weeks of activities honoring her father, the late civil rights leader, this daughter is helping to fan the flames of intolerance by leading marches and other activities with anti-gay agendas.

On March 23, her mother, Coretta Scott King,

Guest Editorial Your Voice Matters on Capitol Hill

by Michael Mitchell Equality Utah Executive Director

Lee A. Schoenbart La Jolla, CA

Salt Lake Metro welcomes letters from its readers. Please email letters@slmetro.com or mail your letter to: Editor, Salt Lake Metro, 352 S. Denver St. Ste 350, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. We reserve to right to edit for length or libel. people who are otherwise not allowed to marry each other. Is it full, equal marriage? No, it isn’t.

It is, however, a step in the right direction and offers couples some support in difficult times.

Because SB89 has Gov. Huntsman’s support, this is a good opportunity to work with moderate Republicans and build bridges, laying the groundwork for future legislation.

Finally, Rep. Roz McGee, D-Salt Lake City, with the help of homeless gay youth advocate Missy Larsen, is planning on proposing changes to Utah’s emancipation laws which would allow agencies needed flexibility in helping homeless youth, a disproportionate amount of whom are LGBT. When talking to lawmakers, treat them like you’d want to be treated. Let them know you are a neighbor and constituent and how long you have lived in their district. Tell them about your family and your experiences, especially if those experiences would inform them about the bills on which they’re voting. Tell them how you’d like for them to vote on a particular measure. Respect their time.

We know that being up on the Hill can be intimating, so Equality Utah is having a “Meet Your Legislators Day” on Wednesday, February 16th, complete with trainings and information on how best to communicate with our lawmakers.

We’ll even help you set up appointments with them. Citizen activists are a necessary part of the equation of each legislative session.

Numbers matter. We can’t give our lawmakers the excuse that they don’t know any LGBT constituents or that they haven’t heard about our issues. It’s up to us to hold up our end of the democratic bargain and get involved in the legislative process. Short, to-the-point and respectful emails, faxes and phone calls go a long way, as does showing up on the Hill to meet with lawmakers. Equality Utah is happy to help you with any of those actions.

Finally, your voice matters. Make sure it’s heard.

Contact Equality Utah at 801-355-3479 or info@equalityutah.org for more information.

Publisher Michael Aaron Editor Jere Keys Arts Editor Eric J. Tierney Sports Editor David Nelson Proofreader Nicholas Rupp Contributing Brandie Balken Writers Jordan Beckstead Paul Berge Vanessa Chang Janice Eberhardt Ryan Oliver Hansen Beau Jarvis Jane A. Marquardt Laurie Mecham Michael Mitchell Rob Orton William T. Park Jim Provenzano Nicholas Rupp Mandy Q. Racer Ruby Ridge Joel Shoemaker Eric J. Tierney Darren Tucker JoSelle Vanderhooft Ben Williams Contributing Lucy Juarez Photographers William H. Munk Shauna Sanchez Joel Shoemaker Art Director Michael Aaron Designer Kris Kramer Sales Sebastian Cruz Executives Janis Gardner Distribution Steven Peterson Courtney Moser Copyright © 2005 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner, including electronic retrieval systems, without the prior written permission of the publisher. One copy of this publication is free of charge to any individual. Additional copies may be purchased for $1. Anyone taking or destroying multiple copies may be prosecuted for theft at the sole discretion of the publisher. Reward offered for information that leads to the arrest of any individual willfully stealing, destroying or trashing multiple copies. Salt Lake Metro and Utah’s Best for 2005 are trademarks of Metro Publishing, Inc. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publishers or staff.

Salt Lake Metro is published bi-weekly on alternating Thursdays by Metro Publishing, Inc.

352 S. Denver Street, Suite 350 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 (801) 323-9500 Fax: (801) 323-9986 President: Vice President: Secretary: Treasurer:

Michael Aaron Steven Peterson Steve Whittaker Larry Tanner

JANUARY 20, 2005 ■ SALT LAKE METRO ■ 9

As the new Utah legislative session begins, it’s important to remember that our elected representatives are human beings like the rest of us. Yeah, they’re up there making Big Decisions (with oft-attached Big Egos), but as constituents, neighbors and citizens, we have a job to do. We need to communicate consistently and effectively with our elected friends so their decisions can be more informed and based in reality, not prejudice, misinformation and bombast.

Equality Utah is following several pieces of legislation that affect the LGBT community: Rep. David Litvack, D-SLC, is back again with his Hate Crimes Amendments (HB50) that would enhance by one grade convictions that are proven to be aimed at someone due to their actual or perceived membership in a list of groups including ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and disability. A recent Deseret Morning News poll confirmed what we know to be true: 64 percent of Utahns, a strong majority, would like to see a hate crimes statute that specifically enumerates affected classes.

Recent attempts to pass hate crimes legislation have hinged on the inclusion of the list of specific groups, especially sexual orientation.

Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, an architect of Amendment 3 and Eagle Forum devotee, has said that Litvack’s bill is an attempt to “circle the wagons around gays.” Rhetoric like his fails

on several points. First, according to FBI statistics, hate crimes based on sexual orientation are nationally the third most common form of hate crime. Similarly, on the state level here in Utah, the number of hate crimes based on sexual orientation is third behind hate crimes based on ethnicity and religion. Heinous crimes based on hate and intended to send a message to an entire community occur on a regular basis here in our pretty, great state— most often against people who aren’t gay. Saying that, however, does not lessen the filthiness of the crimes committed against someone perceived to be gay or lesbian. These crimes are committed because we fall outside of gender norms; our transgender brothers and sisters are easy targets, but so are butch girls and effeminate straight men who are not gay. Secondly, hate crimes laws passed by other legislatures around the country without specifically named groups have been struck down by the courts, most notably in a recent decision in Georgia, because they are unconstitutionally vague and therefore, entirely ineffectual. Finally, the argument that identifying specific protected groups excludes people is absurd; a white, LDS, straight man who is targeted because of those characteristics is just as protected as a black, pagan lesbian in a similar situation.

Another important piece of legislation is SB89, proposed by Sen. Greg Bell, R-Fruit Heights, which would create a “mutual dependence” contract administered through the State Department of Health. The proposed contract would ensure hospital visitation rights; decisions around medical issues, organ donation and disposition of remains; and a presumption that real (as opposed to personal) property bought by the parties would be held jointly.

In the wake of Amendment 3, such a measure feels like scraps, but it would put us in a small group of states who offer such benefits to

was quoted as saying, “Gay and lesbian people have families and their families should have legal protection, whether by marriage or civil union.” Dr. King’s widow went even further adding, “A constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages is a form of gay bashing and it would do nothing at all to protect traditional marriages.”

The only thing that will protect “traditional” marriages is for straight couples to stop having extramarital affairs and stop getting divorced.

Why does the gay community want to be handicapped by a word that has a 50 percent failure rate in the straight community?

As I’ve asked before, why don’t the leaders of gay communities come together in a national (and/or international) marketing effort to create a fresh concept to obtain all the civil and federal rights and privileges bestowed upon non-gays and use that word or phrase instead of “marriage”?

Personal to Bernice King: Many queers, Jews and other minorities fought by your father’s side for justice and equal rights. And anti- any culture is still a form of segregation and racism no matter how you attempt to disguise it.

Ruby Ridge Living Mississippi Flaming

by Ruby Ridge ruby@slmetro.com

So kittens, by the time this edition of Salt Lake Metro goes to print, the Utah State Legislature will be in session and you know what that means.

Gayle Ruzicka will be riding her broomstick and you and I have work to do! If we had ten percent of all the screen time and energy you libidinous tramps are putting into Gay.com chat rooms, we could have hates crimes and anti-discrimination legislation, reciprocal benefits and Charo’s birthday observed as a gay holiday. So for the next few weeks puhlease … pay attention to the legislature and be prepared to comment, organize, and participate in bills that will directly impact our community. That straight-but-curious, young VGL hottie with the swimmers bod will still be there when you get back (although chances are he is a married and retired 65 year old insurance salesman from Manti anyway).

“But Ruby,” you may be asking, “didn’t we just get our butts handed to us on a platter in the last election? Aren’t we just a statistical minority in Utah without the votes to stop hurtful anti-gay legislation, let alone pass constructive laws like hate crimes protections and anti-discrimination

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SALT LAKE METRO ■ JANUARY 20, 2005

King of Hearts XXVII Juan Carlos and Queen of Hearts XXVII Kennedy Cartier of the Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire present

King & Queen of Hearts February 12 at the Trapp Door, a private club for members.

Doors open at 8pm

laws?” Well yes and no darlings, because sometimes a book’s cover is half empty or half full depending on how you look at it. Wait I think I’m getting my metaphors mixed, but I think you know what I mean cherubs. It’s not all that bad.

Yes the ultra right rode the populist wave and Amendment 3 passed. Discrimination against gay and lesbian relationships is now firmly entrenched in the state constitution, but was anyone either locally or nationally really surprised? No one I know, that’s for sure. On the brighter side, there are new moderate voices creeping into Utah’s political conversation that I am cautiously optimistic about. Governor Huntsman seems to have a pragmatic, business minded approach to state government which might really benefit the gay and lesbian community. He is faced with the unenviable task of funding government services to support Utah’s third world birth rate while portraying Utah to the world as a progressive, tolerant environment where businesses can innovate and create high paying jobs. The hard line right and their fixation with “message” bills and their anti-gay and lesbian obsessions are standing smack dab in the middle of his objectives and blocking real state needs such as budgeting, taxation, education, the environment and state-wide economic development. I think we can work with this guy.

As a self confessed policy wonk, I follow the national political media (a lot!) and can I tell you darlings, how many times Utah is lumped together with Mississippi when it comes to hate crimes, intolerance, and gay rights legislation? Outside of Utah, we are seen as the Mississippi of the West, and people, that’s not a good thing! We are so desperate for any type of jobs we will accept radioactive waste, and corporate hog farms (kicked out of Louisiana for environmental violations for hell’s sake … LOUISIANA!!!!), and wonder why we have a public relations problem. I believe an inclusive hate crimes law and reciprocal benefits will go a long way towards dispelling our hateful and outdated image.

Ruby Ridge is one of the more opinionated members of the Utah Cyber Sluts, a camp drag group of performers who raise funds and support local charities. Her opinions are her own and fluctuate wildly due to mood swings and the inconsistency of imported Canadian pharmaceuticals.

AberRant Lobbying 101

by Laurie Mecham laurie@slmetro.com

Laurie Mecham does, in fact, appreciate you.

Vote before Jan. 31 in the “Utah’s Best for 2005” contest and be entered to win a vacation!

No purchase necessary to win.

Must be 21 to win vacation.

One entry per person.

Rules at slmetro.com.

LAST CHANCE TO WIN A 2-NIGHT STAY AND $500 IN CASH, CHIPS, MEALS & DRINKS IN FABULOUS LAS VEGAS! Vote on Page 2!

JANUARY 20, 2005 ■ SALT LAKE METRO ■ 11

Are you having a little post-holiday letdown?

Do you have any of the following symptoms: self-doubt, weight fluctuation, moodiness or problem hair? If you are experiencing all of these, you are gay. Now check the following list: malaise, ennui, cunnilingus, oily discharge, depression, facial tics, acne, heartache, acid reflux, nausea, anxiety.

If you are experiencing two or more of these, you are probably suffering from P.U.S—Pre Utahlegislature Syndrome.

The inimitable, only-in-Utah legislative hijinks are already under way. Right now, some white male wearing a blue suit and red tie who is as oblivious of his halitosis as he is of his nephew’s gayness and his teenage daughter’s pregnancy is “holding farth” up on the Hill, with a lobbyist at each elbow and a call girl’s phone number in his wallet.

No wonder we are suffering. We go from our seasonal holiday depression right into the hopelessness of the legislative session with scarcely enough time for the Prozac to take effect. We have already had signals of the important issues that our Presiding Brethren will set forth in this session. But instead of being overcome by despair, let us try to see this as an opportunity. Think about forming new coalitions. For example, there is a whole new group under attack this year—the Unworthy Married.

Some legislators have the bright idea of doing away with no-fault divorce. This creates an opportunity to make alliances between those people who want to get out of bad marriages and those of us who can’t even get into them in the first place.

And now that they have eliminated the threat of “special rights” creating a foot in the door for fudge-packers and carpetmunchers to just go ahead and vow fidelity, commitment and mutual care-taking and set up a wedding registry and have a reception in the backyard, we may get a few divorced folks to hook up with us in finally getting a hate crimes bill passed.

Really passed and signed into law, not just passed and then retracted the next day in a special vote.

There, now isn’t this helping you to feel bitter? I mean better? I know that after the warm “fuck you” that was extended to all of us queers by our fellow Utahns last November, you will want to be an active participant in the 2005 legislative session.

I’ve listed a few tips to help you get ready.

Prepare: First, lay in a stock of supplies such as pens, writing paper, postage stamps, Imodium, Pepto Bismol, Lortab, etc.

Determine your Lobbyist name: If you are (or are passing as) male, add “La” to your first name. If female, add “Lu” at the beginning of the first syllable of your first name and “a” at the end of the syllable.

For your middle name, use the middle name of your same-sex parent. Your last name will be the town where your oldest living relative grew up. For example, I would be LuLaura Claire Logan. Our editor would be LaJere Spencer Murray.

Practice: Before heading up to the Capitol, you should practice some behaviors that will help you to fit in and be recognized as Worthy of Hearing. Most important of these is your manner of speech, as you will use this tool both in person and on the phone. Study the following intonation. Review any General Conference talks you may have on video, for they capture this magical vocal style in its purest form.

The key is to speak in short phrases, drawing out the length of the first and the last word of each phrase. The most essential element of The Voice is to drop the last word of the phrase about half an octave as I have illustrated below: Example: “MYYY brothers and Sisterrrrs…

WE’RRE grateful todaaay…”

Or in our case: “DEARRR Senator Blackhammm…”

PLEEEASE cast yer vooote…”

For maximum effect, add a little vocal tremble, as though you are suppressing a sexual climax from the wondrous power of it all.

Once you have The Voice down, you can practice the following: shaking hands with right hand while stabbing person in back with left hand. Phrases such as, “I appreciate ‘cher thoughts,” and “This is rill speshul ta’ are famlee.”

Present: This last bit is all about presentation, or how you look when you appear on the Hill. Make sure that the following things are apparent visually or readily available: • NRA membership card • Sister LaFern’s Press-On Garment Lines • Left hand: wedding ring • Right hand: CTR ring • Maybelline foundation makeup in “White and Delightsome” • Bullet-proof vest • Bullet-proof hair Once you have checked off all of the above, you will be ready to exercise your right as a citizen to lobby your legislators to your heart’s content. Log on to www.le.state.ut.us to find out who your representatives are, along with their email addresses and phone numbers.

You can keep track of what bills have been proposed and where they are in the legislative process. You can find out who is on key committees so you’ll know who to write, call and visit on the Hill. And since you have invested all of this effort, why not check out some of the bills and see if there might be a big corporation or developer whose interests will be affected by this session? As long as you’re putting in this much time and effort, you might as well be dipping into somebody’s pocket! ’Preciate ’cha!

Queeriscaping Fresh New Look

by Brandie Balken brandie@slmetro.com

The post-New Year season: a time of resolutions. We all think about making our health, bodies and hairstyles better.

Honestly, I have difficulty with the entire resolution scene. I hate making promises to myself that I can’t keep. This year I’ve come up with some ideas for resolutions that pretty much anyone can honor: even me.

Number One: clean my plants. I know, it sounds glamorous, doesn’t it? Why on earth would you spend the time to do this? Well, as I see it, the poor things haven’t had much excitement since last fall when the windows were open. The dust from the constantly churning furnace has piled up on them, and they can hardly breathe. And, seeing as I rely on them to effectively freshen and oxygenate my recycled heated air, it’s the least I can do to get them through the rest of the cold, dark winter. This is a task that is significantly more satisfying than it sounds, and you’ll truly notice how much happier your plants look when they’re clean. It is also relatively easy to accomplish. Mix up a quart spray bottle with a few drops of biodegradable soap and water.

Place your plants in the shower, and spray them with the soap and water mix to the point of run off. Rinse the plants by running

the shower, using tepid water. Gently shake the plants to remove excess water. After the plants have stopped dripping, remove them from the shower and buff the leaves with a wool duster or a soft rag. Avoid using shine products, as they’re mostly oil and/or petroleum based, which hinder the plants’ ability to breathe, and attract dust. This resolution makes you seem like you’re concerned about the health and appearance of your home—always a good thing.

Number Two: spend more time outside.

This accomplishes several things at once.

It sounds like I’m committing to more exercise, thus quieting those “lose-weight” resolution makers. It also allows me the opportunity to stay abreast of the subtle seasonal changes that; if kept track of, aid you in keeping your seasonal decor appropriate. This effectively quiets those decor whores who have resolved to completely redesign the entire kitchen because stainless steel is so passé. No one can argue with using nature as your decorator.

Number Three: treat myself to something I love once a month. Finally, here’s one that requires no explanation. This one silences those that are committing to bettering their selves and or lives by “taking time for themselves,” or “reading more.” You don’t have to tell them that the thing that you are going to treat yourself to is a new pair of shoes!

Happy New Year.

Brandie Balken is a horticulturist in Salt Lake City and can be seen at Cactus & Tropicals, 2735 S. 2000 East. cactusandtropicals.com

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Screaming For Attention

by William Todd Park liam@slmetro.com

Every day, the media floods us with in-yourface images that barely scratch the surface of the human drama.

Massive natural disasters, extreme violence, and indescribable tragedy have become such a common part of our daily intake of news that the scale of these traumatic events has to ratchet up a notch just to get our attention. If it doesn’t outdo last month’s horror, hardly anyone pays attention. After all, it’s yesterday’s news.

Worse, the newscasts compete for our attention with implied threats. Last week, ABC News ran a story warning that because a train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed and exposed a community to chlorine gas, we should be afraid, very afraid.

A big number ‘6’ flashed on the screen to drive the point home that as many people had been killed between 1994 and 2003 as a direct result of hazardous chemical spills from train derailments. It’s utterly terrifying to know that the number could grow, isn’t it?

The logic behind those staggering figures says we should leave the car because it’s so utterly dangerous to drive. Even the local newscasters try their best to make you afraid, exposing the dangers in our very own homes. Is it any wonder therapists thrive in our culture?

William Randolph Hearst would be proud to see that his legacy of yellow journalism has been proudly and deliberately upheld by contemporary American television news in the race for ratings and pharmaceutical advertising dollars.

Perhaps that’s what it takes, though, to get us to put our remote controls down long enough to do something other than run to the kitchen for our artificially-flavored, preservative-laden snack of choice.

We all saw clips of the ominous wall of water that rolled mercilessly ashore a few weeks ago sweeping away the very existences of more than 150,000 people and erasing villages from the map. Journalists on location and tourists armed with video cameras captured just a glimpse of the magnitude of the tsunamis’ force as they swept across the Indian Ocean.

Mudslides in Venezuela and California, volcano eruptions in the Philippines and in the Pacific Northwest, earthquakes in Iran and Japan, three hurricanes and extreme weather on the Eastern Seaboard, and so

many other disasters demonstrate in vivid color the fury of nature and the fragile make-up of human life. Thankfully, these awful events bring out unparalleled human kindness in others who find ways to reach out and find themselves accidental heroes.

But humankind has its limits and with unprecedented savagery amid our socalled civilization, found ways to inflict unspeakable cruelty on itself. That too, has been captured for posterity. Faces running in terror from the collapsing World Trade Center towers will be forever etched into our collective consciousness. The mutilated body of an American soldier being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu is a picture I can’t shake and the images of 800,000 Rwandans brutally and systematically murdered are simply incomprehensible to this Western mind.

“Are you not entertained?” shouted Russel Crowe’s Gladiator character to the W Coliseum crowd. Will the appetite for bigger and better shock value be satisfied or w will we become the Coliseum rabble and be further anesthetized to the reality and magnitude of these catastrophes. Perhaps they’ll be merely headlines to us.

That is the real tragedy in these disasters—these incredible losses will fade from our memories as the next big story comes along to entertain us and the people involved in picking up the shards of their shattered lives go back to the deafening silence of being ignored. While the hyperbole of the journalists reports are being broadcast and cameras are rolling, there will be billions of dollars in desperately needed relief supplies given enthusiastically and when the bright lights go away, so does the aid.

These disasters don’t lend themselves to speedy reparations. Getting back to some semblance of what is ‘normal’ takes months and often years in material terms.

In human terms, however, there may never be that happy, normal day again.

None of us can fully throw ourselves into relieving the suffering in every disaster, solving every social ill, or improving the human condition. Each cause has its merits and they all scream for our attention. We can look at what is in front of us though, and be a steady supporter of the cause that truly speaks to the intangible within us—our soul, passion, and drive.

It’s not about placating a guilty conscience or feeling justified because we send off a check, but rather doing what’s right.

Because it doesn’t take a lot of money to be a philanthropist, anyone can be one. It only takes a willingness to give what one has and the commitment to keep contributing when the cameras are off to the next story.

Lambda Lore Literary, Musical Society of 1856

by Ben Williams ben@slmetro.com

Thomas Stenhouse, editor of the Deseret News and a member of the inner circle of church authorities during the 1860s, wrote a history of the Latter-day Saints called The Rocky Mountain Saints. In this book, Stenhouse mentions a “Literary and Musical Society” formed by a few young Mormon men around 1855.

While there is no suggestion by Stenhouse that these men formed among themselves what is known as “romantic friendships” of the 19th century, or that they had any other interest other than improving their intellectual lives in frontier Utah, many gay men were traditionally attracted to the literary arts as a form of expression of their forbidden passions back then. The Transcendentalist Movement in literature from New England was almost entirely made up of homosexuals in the 1840s.

Stenhouse stated that the Literary and Musical Society was created by young “men of superior talent,” as would the Homosexual Bohemian Club, when formed in Salt Lake City in the late 19th century. No doubt any young man of a “sensitive nature” would have been attracted to such a society.

In 1856, Utah was at its theocratic height and the first Presidency of the Latter-day Saints set in motion a “Reformation” of Mormon society from perceived evils.

Brigham Young felt that this “literary society” was one of the threats to his theocratic control over the lives of Latter-days Saints. Stenhouse attributed this attitude as simply Brigham Young’s need to subjugate every aspect of early Mormon society to his will. No doubt this is probably the main reason for the church to squelch the literary organization, but perhaps “the prophet” saw something else going on there, reported by his spies, and may have been alarmed by the caliber of the Mormon young men who attended these literary meetings. So much for speculation.

Here is what Stenhouse actually wrote in Chapter 36 of The Rocky Mountain Saints and you can draw your own conclusions: “Everything that was not ordered and presided over by the priesthood was denounced as leading to apostasy, and all who did not take an active part in self-accusation of the meanest kind were suspected of deep sin and treated accordingly.

For an example, a number of young elders of literary tastes and acquirements, some whom were acknowledged to be men of superior talent organized a ‘Literary and Musical Society,’ a few months before the ‘Reformation’ began. They gave public entertainments to their friends, which consisted of original essays and poems, recitations, declarations, orations and music. They had ample talent among their own committee to occupy the evenings fully and to make them highly interesting; but as they designed to diffuse a love of literature and music throughout Zion, they called in all the talent that surrounded them. Any new arrival from the States or Europe possessed of talent was at once waited upon and requested to add to the interest of the entertainment. The Society became very popular, was conducted in an interesting manner, and was governed as a thoroughly democratic institution, each member of the committee occupying the chair and keeping door in turn. This Society would have done credit to any city in the world and would have reflected honor on its originators.”

The meetings, which were held weekly, were opened and closed by singing and prayer. But they became too popular and flourished without the president’s direction, and consequently drew forth the denunciations of Brigham, Heber, and “Jeddy.” In the public meetings at the Tabernacle the committee and society became the objects of ridicule, contempt and abuse, charging them with pride, ambition, big-headedness, conceit and sins. A meeting was afterwards called by the Society, its object being, after the exercises were concluded, to dissolve itself.

Brigham, Heber, and “Jeddy” were present and, on being invited to speak, belittled and berated the institution, and on being informed that the Society would dissolve that evening, the leaders recommend-

ed—which was equal to a command—that the members become associated with the “Theological Institution,” a pet association that had died about three years before but had that evening very conveniently revived. Its first death was caused by the short-sighted course characterizing many of Brigham’s policies, by appointing favorites to occupy positions and hold offices who had neither ability, taste, nor education to fill them. This institution swallowed the Literary and Musical Society in one night; but it was too great a gulp, and it died again in two weeks, never to be revived.

In order to add insult to injury and to crush the committee completely, the next Sunday, in the Tabernacle, eight of the most prominent and efficient members of the Literary and Musical Society were called to be door-keepers at the Tabernacle! On the motion being announced to that effect a titter passed through the vast congregation, most of whom understood the matter to be a punishment. The gentlemen, “obedient to the heavenly call,” entered at once upon their newly appointed duties and honored the office, even if the office did not honor them. They did their duty, and were afterwards complimented for their efficiency and punctuality by those who sought to crush them.

“The ‘Reformation’ wrought more evil than good and it is now regarded by the best men in the church as the height of folly and fanaticism.”

Ben Williams is the founder and president of the Utah Stonewall Historical Society.

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by Joel Shoemaker joel@slmetro.com

ttacks on gay and lesbian rights in Utah have been mile-markers in Rep. Jackie Biskupski’s political career. In fact, her first motivation to go into politics was the 1995 uproar over the Gay/Straight Alliance, and the state legislature’s attempt to ban all clubs in public schools to prevent gay and lesbian clubs from forming.

“There I was, sitting on my couch right in my living room watching the news and I just thought, ‘Why haven’t I done anything? Why do these children have to deal with these awful, hate-filled, right-wing people?’”

From that moment, Biskupski (pronounced ‘behSCOOP-ski’) would go on to become Utah’s first openly gay elected official. She’s fought battles over gay youth in schools, adoption rights for gay and lesbian parents, gay marriage and more. Now, starting her fourth term as the District 30 representative—a term she won in another landslide victory—she says she knows there are more battles to come.

“There’s always something crazy.”

Biskupski didn’t always have political ambitions.

The third oldest of two brothers and one sister, she was born and raised in the small town of Hastings, Minnesota, with a population of 12,000. Her only memory of gays and lesbians from that town was of a classmate.

“There was one girl everyone knew was gay. I played softball, and she did too. One time after a game, she kissed a girl. It was a huge deal.”

Biskupski started undergraduate studies at Winona College, then transferred to Arizona State University, where she graduated with B.S. in Criminal Justice. Her plan was to go into the F.B.I., but the winter of 1989 changed that plan.

“I met someone who was very confusing for me at the time.” Biskupski says she hadn’t realized she was gay up till that point, but it came to light when she met a woman she liked. “She invited me to ski in Utah. I came up and had a huge realization in those 30 days.

I stayed ever since.” After a four-year stint owning her own corporate and investment fraud company, JMB Investigations, Biskupski switched to the auto insurance business.

Her first taste of politics came when a candidate for the legislature asked for help on her campaign in 1994, but she says it was running Sen. Patrice Arent’s 1996 campaign that taught her the most. “It was the most valuable experience, but it was incredible work.”

Then, in 1997, Bev Cooper of Utahns for Choice asked Jackie to run for Salt Lake City Council, which came as a major shock to her. “Running for office was not in my plans, I just wanted to help kids!”

The thought of a race where her sexuality would be drawn into the spotlight was a serious consideration for both Biskupski and her then partner. After talking with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, they decided to go ahead, but with some reservations. “We made a conscious decision—we weren’t going to campaign on being gay. If it came up, we would address it, but that wasn’t our focus.”

Biskupski’s sexuality did become an issue early in the primary race, but the majority of the heat came from activist, out lesbian candidate Claudia O’Grady and her supporters. “We found ourselves dealing with the fact that I wasn’t gay enough. Whatever!” Biskupski prevailed, taking the primary by 11 percent, but eventually lost to a moderate by just 43 votes. Biskupski says her race showed her strength as a candidate. “The closeness of my race gave me credibility.”

Her next opportunity for elected office came in 1998, when Rep. Gene Davis, who the Associated Press called one of the most liberal Democrats in Utah, asked her to run for his seat. This time her sexuality became center

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A

2005 UTAH LEGISLATION GUIDE Although policy-makers have until January 27 to request additional bills, Salt Lake Metro has already identified a number of pieces of proposed legislation about which we believe the queer community should be concerned this year. We strongly encourage the community to take an active role in shaping the results of this year’s round of law-making.

“We need to stay involved and keep calling our representatives,” says Michael Picardi, chair of Utah Stonewall Democrats,“whether or not you voted for your representative in the last election.

That’s a mistake many people make, they thing it’s not worth calling if their elected official is Republican or whatever.”

Picardi advises that members of the queer community should keep track of the bills they are concerned about and call their representatives with a message as simple as “Hey, I’m a voter in your district and I think it’s important to pass/defeat this bill. I’ll be watching to see how you vote.”

Picardi emphasizes that contact with your elected representatives is the most effective method of influencing politics.

“My impression of the crowd on the hill is that they don’t care about rallies or protests,” he added. “The best thing to do is stay in contact with them.”

To find out who your elected officials are, the status of any given bill, and any proposed changes, you can log onto le.utah.gov. The site also includes bill tracking services so you can be updated when a bill moves into committee or comes up for a vote.

HOUSE BILL 50— CRIMINAL PENALTY AMENDMENT Sponsored by Rep. David Litvack (D-SLC), HB 50 is 2005’s attempt to pass effective hate crime legislation. The bill would increase penalties for criminals who commit crimes based on bias or prejudice.

In current form, the bill reads “‘Bias or prejudice’ means intentionally selecting the victim based on perceived or actual attributes that include, but are not limited to, race, color, disability, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, or gender.”

While critics from the transgender community feel that the phrase “gender identity” would be more protective, nearly everyone we spoke to considered this bill to be our community’s top priority this year.

Picardi has high hopes that this year it will finally pass. “We, the Stonewall Democrats, and many people from the gay community worked hard at removing two opponents of hate crime legislation from office this year—James Evans and Chad Bennion,” said Picardi, “Because we helped unseat them we have a better chance of passing it this year.”

According to a poll conducted by Valley Research, Inc. for the Salt Lake Tribune, 64.1% of Utahns support this bill.

HOUSE BILL 72— SCHOOL CURRICULUM AMENDMENTS At the request of Twinkle Chisholm, who does pro bono public relations work for the Utah AIDS Foundation, Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, is introducing a bill which would amend state laws about education to specifically require that the school teach about AIDS and HIV. “It’s very important that HIV have more

emphasis in the school system,” Stan Penfold told the Deseret News. “It’s getting missed.”

HIV/AIDS education advocates are concerned about rising rates of infection among young people and growing ignorance about testing, transmission and effective prevention—as reported recently by the Utah Department of Health.

Currently, HIV/AIDS education is happening in almost all schools, but the lessons vary from community to community throughout the state based on attitudes about sex education. While Moss’ bill may not standardize the instruction method, it will draw attention to the topic and require that all schools find an effective way to teach on the topic.

SENATE BILL 89— MUTUAL DEPENDENCE BENEFITS CONTRACT Sponsored by Sen. Gregory Bell (R-Fruit Heights), SB89 would provide some rights (traditionally reserved for marriage) to individuals who cannot legally marry.

Realizing that there are many people who cannot marry, yet are tied together economically, the bill would extend certain health and property rights to such individuals through a contract filed at the Department of Health.

Among the effects of the bill—people would have more control over deciding who makes their medical decisions, who has hospital visitation rights, who makes post-death decisions, and who inherits jointly-occupied real estate.

“According to the way Amendment 3 reads, this is unconstitutional,” said Picardi. Although he is supportive of the bill, he feels that it only highlights the problems with Amendment 3 and will likely lead to court challenges.

Supporters of the bill, including the office of Governor Huntsman, are unconcerned and remain convinced that the bill will pass constitutional muster. Moderate advocates for the bill point out that the relationship established as Mutual Dependents is based on economic factors, not personal or sexual relationships.

The idea isn’t altogether popular with Utahns. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, 53% of people polled oppose this kind of legislation, while 40.9% support it.

Don’t Amend Alliance’s Scott McCoy said that the poll was misleading, however, and that when people get a specific idea of what the legislation does, they are more likely to support it.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 2— FAMILY IMPACT STATEMENT ON LEGISLATION Proposed by Rep. Craig Frank (R-Pleasant Grove), this bill would allow legislative leadership to request a report from the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel describing how the proposed legislation in question would impact the concept of family. The bill also codifies a legal definition of the word “family.”

The first question that would be answered in Family Impact Statement reports would be “How does this legislation strengthen the stability of the family and especially the marital commitment?”

Other questions deal with whether the bills in question would have government do what families should do in raising children. Critics of the bill call this another attempt to write into law a rather narrow and exclusive idea of what the family is.

“Talk about overkill!” Exclaims Picardi, “How many bills do they need to prevent us from being recognized as families? The thing is, whether they acknowledge it or not, these [untraditional] families do exist.”

Others worry that this bill, while admirable in intention, will simply give conservative lawmakers more reason to oppose any legislation designed to revise education policy, extend gay rights, or address social concerns not being met by busy, overworked modern parents.

(NOT YET NUMBERED)— PROVISIONS FOR EMANCIPATION OF A MINOR Rep. Rosalind McGee’s (D-SLC) proposed legislation would allow teenagers to seek emancipation from their parents. This bill, which is strongly supported by homeless youth advocates, would allow minors to seek professional services without parental permission once they have completed the emancipation process.

While not strictly a gay issue, many in the community realize that queer youth represent a high number of those minors who are living on the streets. Picardi hopes this bill will help to curb an ongoing problem of “being prey to pedophiles, turning to drugs and prostitution” that many homeless youth face.

Still, the bill will likely face some opposition from lawmakers who misunderstand the problems and worry that allowing emancipation for minors will take away “parents’ rights.” Supporters argue that the requirements for emancipation under McGee’s proposal are strict and our politicians cannot continue to pretend that Utah doesn’t include families where parents kick children out or where children run away from terrible and abusive conditions.

WHAT ISN’T THERE… Some members of the community are concerned that the offering of legislation this year is lacking in boldness. “So many people are fired up after Amendment 3, why aren’t we using this to our advantage?” asks 24-year-old Jason Daniels.

Among the bills Daniels would like to see proposed before the cut-off on January 27 are a bill to repeal last year’s Amendment 3, and a bill to protect queer people from discrimination in housing and employment.

“We need to be practical about the makeup of people on the hill,” rebuts Picardi, “That’s really pushing the envelope.”

Picardi insists that our community resources would be better spent on issues like the hate crime legislation. Not that he’s against antidiscrimination legislation.

“It’s just way too much at this time, I think stuff like that needs to start on a local level, not at the state,” he said. “If we get a couple of counties on board, it’ll be easier to convince the legislature.”

Opponents to this type of thinking point to the 30-year struggle in New York to pass a nondiscrimination bill (finally passing just last year), and wonder how long it will take in Utah when we aren’t even proposing antidiscrimination legislation yet.

“They proved last year that they aren’t afraid to push their agenda, so why are we afraid to ask for equal rights?” commented Daniels.—JK

JANUARY 20, 2005 ■ SALT LAKE METRO ■ 15

stage when a letter was mailed to people who had contributed to her previous campaign.

“It was almost like a KKK tactic. It was a letter saying people would know—your boss, whoever—people would know you’re supporting a gay candidate.” Biskupski says she learned of the letter when she was visiting her father in Minnesota, and her father received the letter himself.

But the letter ended up helping her campaign. “People were so upset... it actually created more donations for our campaign.” More attacks followed, and Biskupski benefited even more. “Gayle Ruzicka [conservative Utah Eagle Forum President] got involved, hounding the press about the ‘gay candidate.’ A couple of bishops got involved urging members to vote for a ‘moral’ candidate. But every attack played to my benefit in many ways.”

Biskupski beat opponent Bryan Irving by a 2-1 margin. In a Salt Lake Tribune article (Nov. 4, 1998), Irving vented that the far right aided in his defeat. “With people like Gayle Ruzicka involved, it almost makes me want to be a Democrat,” Irving is quoted as saying.

Biskupski says taking the high road and not directly combating the attacks was a major lesson for her political career.

As a legislator, Biskupski has been at the center of many controversies regarding the rights of gays and lesbians. In 1998 she took on the conservative majority in the fight over a bill that prevented gay and lesbian couples from adopting. And in 2004 she led the fight against the banning of gay marriage.

But other issues are as close to Biskupski’s heart as those of the gay community. She takes pride in her efforts on the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee. (“You think the gay thing is hard—trying to preserve this state is even harder!”)

This year she begins work on the Rules Committee, continues work on an Earned Income Tax Credit bill and will work to get a bill passed that will legalize mid-wives.

She credits her ability to work with people liberal and conservative as her best asset as a legislator. “I speak from the heart. I don’t attack.

And I really believe you need to bring everyone into the circle. I’m a turn-the-other-cheek person.” She says she worked with Gayle Ruzicka on one of the first bills she put through in her first term, and this year she’s asked Sen. Butters (a supporter of Amendment 3) to help her with the mid-wife bill.

But after three full terms, she says it’s getting lonely on Capitol Hill and wonders when she won’t be the only openly-gay legislator.

She says she could see Jane Marquart (Equality Utah board chair), Scott McCoy (of the Don’t Amend Alliance) or Frank Matheson (former Equality Utah board chair) running for office.

As for the broader gay community, she says the biggest thing people can do to make a difference is come out of the closet and build open bonds between family members and neighbors. “Coming out is the biggest thing.

I’d rather someone come out than come up to Capitol Hill. I believe that hiding—the silence of your voice—validates the hatred and bigotry we are dealt.”

Please Help Save Our Center

2005 UTAH LEGISLATION GUIDE HRC Steering Committee Fights For Equality

by Ryan Oliver Hansen ryan@almetro.com

Your donations are desperately needed to help the Center and Pride survive the year.

Please make your taxdeductible donation today.

There are several ways to donate:

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1) Send a check to GLBTCCU @ 355 N. 300 W., Salt Lake City, UT 84103 2) Go to www.glbtccu.org/donate.html to donate online.

3) Sponsor a fundraising event at your home!

4) Volunteer 5) Monthly donations can also be withdrawn from your checking account.

Please call 539-8800 for more details.

For Utah gays and lesbians who find themselves worried over upcoming legislative sessions—in Washington D.C. and in Utah—that may end up passing antigay laws, there’s hope in a 25-year-old organization that’s now well-established in Salt Lake City: The Human Rights Campaign.

The Human Rights Campaign, or HRC, with close to 600,000 members nationwide, came to Utah a year and a half ago and established a “steering committee”—a group of Utah volunteers Michael Marriott who, together, by working with local gay-friendly organizations, seek to create a more gay-inclusive social and political environment in the state.

Last year’s Utah legislative session was ugly for gay people; anti-gay legislation passed through the house and senate, most notably the state constitutional amendment that bans any sort of legal recognition for gay couples.

But during last year’s struggle, thanks to the HRC Steering Committee, thousands of Utahns were made aware of important issues facing the gay community in Utah, and a fresh wave of pro-equality activism was set in motion.

Michael Marriott, a member of the HRC National Board of Governors and active member of the Salt Lake Steering Committee, says that HRC’s success in Utah is found in working with other local organizations.

“We partner locally with groups such as Equality Utah, the Stonewall Democrats, and the Log Cabin Republicans.

We help bring in a national perspective, such as arranging a visit from Judy Shepard for a hate crimes discussion,” said Marriott.

Marriott says that much of HRC’s work is often done behind the scenes.

“People often think of the work HRC does on a national level, such as lobbying capital hill on a daily basis. But our work in the steering committee helps keep HRC money local, and has an impact in our communities here at home,” said Marriott.

For the Steering Committee, there’s no place like home.

“We make a difference through house parties in people’s homes,” said Marriott, “Parties in local resident’s homes are a great way to raise money and educate

our community about what HRC does and what people can do to help.”

Last fall, in the home of Craig Tassainer and Lance Peaock, over 100 new HRC members were signed up at a dinner party, with each new member paying $35.00 to become a member of HRC. But Marriott says that even a small fund-raising party, with as little as five attendees, merits the attention of the Steering Committee, which seeks every opportunity to educate.

“Our mission is education. HRC opened my eyes. Before being involved in HRC, I never really felt like I had a voice. I didn’t realize that I could go and sit with my senator and talk about my rights, say, for example, if my partner were to die. HRC gave me the education I needed to go in and capably speak about issues that are important to me,” said Marriott.

Marriott is excited about the Steering Committee’s upcoming first annual Utah HRC Dinner on June 25. “This is going to be an exciting opportunity to show at large what HRC has done in Utah over the past year and a half,” said Marriott.

But the dinner won’t take place without donations of time and money from the Salt Lake gay community and their allies.

The Steering Committee is made up entirely of volunteers who divide themselves up into sub-committees—political, membership, community events, dinner parties, and a federal club committee. Currently, each committee is made up of just a few individuals, and HRC wants to see the sub-committees grow.

“We are always in need of new volunteers to help,” said Marriott. “HRC, except for the full-time employees in Washington D.C., doesn’t pay anybody.

We rely entirely on volunteers.”

One Salt Lake volunteer, Megan Pederson, serves as Administrative Secretary and Web Content Manager for the Steering Committee, and has donated countless hours to HRC. “I’m working full time, and going to school full time, so time is scarce. But I truly believe in the vision of HRC because it’s a classy organization that fights for equality in a professional way. It’s not in-your-face. They recognize that the gay community is about more than sex. They encourage spirituality. They are about commitment and families. That’s why I’m willing to sacrifice so much of my time,” said Pederson.

Those who wish to become involved in the Salt Lake Steering Committee should call Marriott at 486-7373 or email him at marriottms@comcast.net.

2005 UTAH LEGISLATION GUIDE Will Private Clubs Be Smoke-Free?

by Rob Orton rob@slmetro.com

JANUARY 20, 2005 ■ SALT LAKE METRO ■ 17

Changes proposed to the Utah Indoor Clean Air Act (Senate Bill 77) will eliminate the exemption for private clubs and taverns. The remaining exemptions in the proposed law are social, fraternal and religious organizations, and indoor smoking areas at the international airport.

“The issue to me is the employee who has to work in an unsafe working condition,” explains bill sponsor Senator Michael Waddoups. “I can foresee an expensive workman’s comp claim coming down the road. With all we know about second hand smoke I don’t think any employee should have to work in that atmosphere.”

Although nobody is officially stating so, members of public organizations and other private club owners know one of the driving forces from the private sector is from a particular restaurant and club owner. One private club spokesman, who wished to remain anonymous, mentioned: “The club proprietor behind the bill wants the private club he owns to be smoke-free but he doesn’t want to look like the bad guy that did it.”

Bob Brown, owner of Cheers To Us and chairman of the Utah Hospitality Association, feels it will have a negative affect on tourism. “Bars are the only place you can smoke in Utah. The people that spend thousands of dollars to come here on vacation that enjoy smoking will decide to just go to Denver instead.”

“I am the one who refinanced my house and put up the money to buy this club. I am the one that makes the business decisions that make this club work.

I should be the one that makes the rules for the club,” Brown continues. “As for my employees, they have the freedom to work anywhere in Utah. They know a bar is a smoking environment and they have chosen to work here.”

Health data and statistics from the California Department of Health Services show that bartenders have the fifth highest rate of lung cancer, higher than firefighters, miners, cooks, duct workers, and dry cleaners.

A survey of bartenders taken by Bartender Magazine showed a split down the middle. Just under half thought smoking should be restricted or banned in bars, over half thought it should be allowed.

Bar owners have expressed concern that they may lose business if the bill passes, but studies by California Board of Equalization and the City of El Paso, Texas showed no significant decrease in sales or tourism revenue after banning smoking in bars and restaurants.

The Lighthouse Diner in Midvale is among a small group of private restaurants in the valley who allow smoking on the basis that they are a private social organization. Anna Hamblin, owner of the

Diner, states “We took over the diner in May 2004, and it was smoking previous to that. Most of our regulars smoke. Without them there would have been no point in taking this over. If the bill does affect us, I think it will force us to close.”

Katie, a patron of Lighthouse and TryAngles, states: “Some of my friends have already expressed they may not go to the Diner anymore. They can go anywhere that’s non-smoking—closer to where they live. I’m against the bill and say it’s an anti-civil rights movement. But I’ll still go out to the club.”

The World Health Organization is a subcommittee of the United Nations, and creator of an international binding agreement: Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The guidelines set by the FCTC aim toward providing smokefree environments for all public places.

Any nation who is member of the U.N. is required to comply with the FCTC guidelines. The United States supported and agreed to the FCTC guidelines in 2003.

Over three fourths of Europe has banned or restricted smoking in pubs and bars. Australia, Japan, and China are among the few remaining nations that still have not implemented a national ban on smoking in all public areas, along with the United States.

Most of the club owners surveyed by the Metro expressed opposition to the bill. A casual survey of patrons in some private clubs found that a few favored it, but most private club patrons opposed the bill.

Gene Geiber, owner of Try-Angles stated, “I will be first in line to turn in all of my ashtrays to the DABC [Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control] in exchange for removing membership requirements.

If I am a ‘private club’ I should be able to allow smoking for my members.”

Dave Hurst, a smoker and owner of Heads Up, favors the bill. His employees do not smoke behind the bar. Two out of three employees were also in favor of the bill, one who smoked, one who did not.

The third, who smoked, stated “It’s what people come out to the clubs to do. You come out to drink, you expect to be able to smoke or at least you know you will be in a smoking environment.”

Wee at Paper Moon was against the bill. She thought it was an infringement on her civil rights. She believes most of her patrons would rather be able or allow others to smoke in the club.

“My employees cannot smoke behind the bar anyway. I think it looks terrible to have a bartender come up and take your order with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.” Said Joe Redburn, owner of The Trapp, “However, I have about 3 employees that do not smoke and they are against this bill. I personally am against the bill. I think it should be up to the bar owners to decide.”

Cake.

Cake. See See January January 24.

24.

THE GAY AGENDA 20THURSDAY Utah welcomes the world once again—today is opening day of the Sundance Film Festival!! While you’re star-oggling and taking in next year’s Oscar nominees, why not give a little love to the little guys? The 2nd Annual PARK CITY FILM MUSIC FESTIVAL will be held January 20th through the 30th. This is the world’s first film festival devoted to film music. The festival is competitive, and this year attendees can enjoy screenings of the fifty finalists in both Park City and Salt Lake City. In addition, aspiring composers, musicians, songwriters and any interested artists can register to attend the “Breaking Into the Business, How to Get Your Music into Film and Television”... an all-day seminar on Jan 22nd.

Screening times vary. Park City Screenings are at the Park City Mall, 333 Main Street.

Salt Lake Screenings are at the Dumke Recital Hall at the University of Utah. Ticket prices and information are available at 435649-5309 or parkcityfilmmusicfestival.org

21FRIDAY Chandler Bing once described his great fear, Michael Flatley, Lord of the Dance, this way: “His legs and arms flail about as if independent of his body!” This is indeed either an intriguing prospect or a horrific one. Decide for yourself when LORD OF THE DANCE pulls into Salt Lake City once again.

What’s better than a good step-dancing routine? A hot boy performing a good step dancing routine.

8pm, though Saturday. 2pm Saturday matinee, Kingsbury Hall, University of Utah’s President’s Circle. Tickets $35.75-$55.75, at 355-2787, arttix.com.

22SATURDAY

25TUESDAY

Not every midsize city in the country has a resident opera company that produces four mainstage productions a year. If you have yet to experience Utah Opera, you should definitely check out their new production of JENUFA, featuring the glorious music of one of modern music’s most beloved composers.

7:30pm weekends through Jan. 30, 2pm matinee Sunday Jan. 30, Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South.

Tickets $10-$65 at 355-2787, arttix.com

Wanna take your mama out tonight and show her what it’s all about? I suggest the SCISSORS SISTERS show tonight at Club Suede in Park City. The show is co-sponsored by the Queer Lounge, so chances are you might spy your favorite gay—or gay?—celebrity.

9pm, Club Suede, 1612 Ute Blvd., 2nd floor, Park City. Tickets $20, 435-658COOL, tickets@suedepc. com

23SUNDAY Keeping the lyrical theme for a moment, the accomplished NOVA CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES presents pianists Jason Hardink and Kimi Kawashima in the music of Debussey, Ravel and a world premier by Erin Watson.

Are we lucky to live in such a musical city or what?

3pm, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, University of Utah campus. Tickets $5–15, 359-0397.

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24MONDAY The always exciting Finch Lane Gallery presents its continuing exhibit by CHRISTINE DICK-BAILEY of photography investigating “societal and familial expectations in the timeline of womanhood.” I know what my expectations are. I suspect they are not the same as Ms. Dick-Bailey’s. Just kidding.

Art Barn, 1325 E. 100 South, Salt Lake City.

Admission free. 596-5000 John McCrea of CAKE vowed never to return to Salt Lake City after being struck in the head by a shoe tossed by an overzealous fan. They changed their mind in 2002 and performed at the Olympics and they’ve changed their mind again and will perform as a fundraiser for the Queer Lounge.

8pm, Club Suede, 1612 Ute Boulevard, Suite 200, Park City. Tickets $30, 435-658-COOL, tickets@suedepc.com

26WEDNESDAY Which Shakespeare comedy is it where the plot involves mistaken identity and longlost twins? Oh yeah, all of them. See seniors from the University of Utah’s Actor Training Program present one of the most complex, THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, this week.

7:30pm through Feb. 6, Babcock Theatre in the lower level of Pioneer Memorial Theatre.

Tickets $6–12, 581-7100, arttix.com.

28FRIDAY It’s been said that the tango enables you to have a whole conversation with someone without opening your mouth. WASATCH TANGO will teach you how to speak this international language of passion at a tango workshop taught by two internationally recognized masters of the form. Bring your boyfriend/girlfriend and show ’em we roll.

7:30pm Sat., 2 and 4pm Sun., DanceSport in Motion Studio, 145 E. 1300 South. 363-9385.

29SATURDAY Human Rights Campaign and Sundance Film Festival present a special showing of LOGGERHEADS, a film about a soft-hearted drifter who wants to save endangered Loggerhead turtles but meets George, a local motel owner, and must decide to move on or risk settling down.

6pm, Tower Theatre, 878 E. 900 South. Free, first come-first seated.

See also: Sundance Queer Film Guide on page 22.

More films and additional film festivals happening in Park City are on our website at slmetro.com.

For all the hipster/scenesters in their artfully faded jeans and tight t-shirts you can handle, make your way to the DIESELBOY, PHOTEK, DSTAR AND MORE SHOW. Not only will there be lots of pretty boys to ogle, but the music will be pretty good, too.

9:00pm, Club Suede, 1612 Ute Boulevard, Park City. Tickets $20, 435-658-COOL, tickets@suedepc.com

31MONDAY Don’t get too depressed, but the Legislature is in session again. This year we have a hate-crimes bill that might actually like, you know, get out of committee, not to mention a very promising bill from Senator Bell that might, you know, get us some civil rights.

But you have to use your voice to make sure this stuff happens. Utah Issues is here to help— the organization will host its 31ST CITIZEN’S DAY AT THE LEGISLATURE today!

Learn all about the lawmaking process and how it disenfranchises—er, I mean affects you. You’ll also have the chance to meet your legislator, but you’ll be prevented from striking them with anything heavy.

8:30am–1:30pm, Prime Hotel, 215 W. South Temple. The event is free. For more information, and to register, visit utahissues.org or call 521-2035.

1TUESDAY In addition to the trashiest royals on the planet and hundreds of years of heinous gambling addictions, Monte Carlo has given the world LES BALLETS TROCKADERO, the world’s only professional all-male, all-drag ballet corps. Well, the only one of note, anyway. More than just a silly joke about men in tights, the dancers are accomplished and the show dazzling. Better than a man in a tutu? A hot man in a tutu. I think.

8pm, Kingsbury Hall, University of Utah’s President’s Circle. Tickets $32.50–$34.75, 581-7100, arttix.com

Queer Guide to Slamdance Slamdance Film Festival, often called the ‘independent alternative’ fest will be held in Park City January 21-28.

The week-long festival has physically expanded this year to include a second screening venue and new box office at 608 Main Street in Park City in addition to their Festival Headquarters at the Treasure Mountain Inn. Additionally, the festival will expand their Salt Lake City screenings to both the newly refurbished vintage movie house, The Murray Theatre, as well as the brew pub theater, Brewvies. All ticket prices will be $10, except for Utah State residents who pay $8.50 upon proof of residency. Advance ticket sales are available only through Friday, January 14.

The festival has continued to grow since it first emerged in 1995. Submissions for 2005 reached nearly 2,800 and came from over three-dozen countries.

As always, the festival is ‘by filmmakers for filmmakers’ and as such all programming of competition films is done by a committee of filmmakers, including Festival alumni.

According to Vanessa Sibbald, Slamdance Festival Publicist, queer offerings this year are slim. “We don’t have many this year, but they are good ones,” she said.

Here are the films she picked out for gay and lesbian audiences: MULBERRY COMMONS GALLERY SHORT

An array of brainy, distracted and cultish

students at a New England boarding school attempt to parse the intellectual banter of a real live “out” gay man. Mulberry Commons is an ongoing serial on the gender-bending sketch comedy “Pretty Things.”

DIRECTOR: MICHAEL LUCID WRITER: MICHAEL LUCID, ADAM GREENBERG MUSIC: MICHAEL LUCID, AMANDA BARRETT CAST: MICHAEL LUCID SHOWTIMES: SAT, JAN 22 @10:00AM SUN, JAN 23 @3:30PM THU, JAN 27 @12:30PM PLAYING WITH: AFTERNOON, OIL AND WATER

ON THE OUTS NARRATIVE COMPETITION FEATURE

On the Outs is a dramatic narrative feature based upon the real stories of girls from the streets and juvenile jail, who lent their voices and unique stories to the filmmakers. These are girls who struggle with all the highs and lows of teenage life in an innercity world that makes its own rules.

The film follows the lives of three central characters from the same Jersey City neighborhood: Oz, 17, is a tough lesbian drug dealer with her own corner and the street’s respect, who struggles to keep her family intact. Suzette, the sheltered 15 year old daughter of a single mother, whose first teenage crush has life changing repercussions, and Marisol, 17, a single mother who fights both her own demons and the uncompromising world of foster care to keep her child.

DIRECTOR: LORI SILVERBUSH, MICHAEL SKOLNIK PRODUCER: MICHAEL SKOLNIK, LORI SILVERBUSH WRITER: LORI SILVERBUSH DP: MARIANA SANCHEZ DE ANTUNANO EDITOR: MARTHA SKOLNIK MUSIC: RICARDO LEIGH, BRIAN SATZ CAST: ANNY MARIANO, JUDY MARTE, PAOLA MENDOZA, DOMINC COLÓN, CLARENCE “DON PARMA” HUTCHINSON

Pygmalian Presents ‘Cakewalk’ A Semi-Fictional Account of a Historical Romance

UPCOMING

by Eric J. Tierney

FEBRUARY 4-5 – Wizardry, Rire Woodbury Dance Company.

FEBRUARY 6 – Superbowl Sunday FEBRUARY 16 – Meet the Legislators Day, Equality Utah.

FEBRUARY 20 – Season 2 of “L-Word”

There are some who would argue that Lillian Hellman was a provocateur. Her work as a playwright and her character as a woman were always fodder for controversy: after all, she railed against big business at the end of the Great De-

eric@slmetro.com

SLEDGE: THE UNTOLD STORY MIDNIGHT SERIES

A ‘mocumentary’ on the rise and fall of Chip and Dales dancer turned martial arts action star, Francis Allen Sledgewick, AKA Frank Sledge. When fame and fortune caused Frank to lose his sense of what’s truely important, he realized he’s going to have to get in touch with his roots if there’s ever going to be a comeback. The action star’s best friend is gay.

DIRECTOR: BRAD MARTIN PRODUCER: NINA YANG, TODD GROSSMAN, ZACHARY KAHN WRITER: DAVID LEITCH DP: BRIDGER NIELSON EDITOR: ART CHUDABALA MUSIC: CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ CAST: DAVID LEITCH, CARRIE-ANNE MOSS, HOLMES OSBORNE, CHRIS PALERMO, MITCHELL GAYLORD, HUGO WEAVING SCREEN TIMES: SUN, JAN 23 @ 10:00AM TUE, JAN 25 @ 11:30PM

WHAT GROWN UPS KNOW GALLERY SHORT

Astonishing acting performances highlight this story of a bizarre love triangle between a teenage boy, his childlike, ailing mother, and the lonely manager of a desolate caravan park.

DIRECTOR: JONATHAN WALD PRODUCER: JOLYON HOFF, CAROLINE SAGE, JONATHAN WALD WRITER: JONATHAN WALD DP: ANNA HOWARD EDITOR: MILENA ROMANIN MUSIC: BEN FINK CAST: STEPHEN JAMES KING SHOWTIMES: SAT, JAN 15 @7:30PM SUN, JAN 23 @10:00AM TUE, JAN 25 @2:00PM FRI, JAN 28 @12:30PM PLAYING WITH: THE KEEP, NEIGHBORS, LAWN, NEVER EVEN

More film info at www.slamdance.com

with Richins throughout the rehearsal process, sharing intimate details of his life with Hellman and shading in parts of his personality to enrich and deepen Richin’s performance. The young actor has been making a name for himself lately, having appeared in Pygmalion’s much talked about production of Popcorn earlier this season, as well as with companies such as the Salt Lake Acting Company.

The production is directed by Salt Lake Theatre veteran Fran Pruyn and stars acclaimed Utah actress Reb Fleming as Hellman. Physically, the show is highly stylized and theatrical—one of its features is heavy use of projection and mixed media: one sequence, for example, will be filmed in advance and then screened in the midst of the evening. Also featured throughout is music created by Carly Simon for the original production at American Repertory Theatre in 1993.

Pygmalion Productions has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, and is coming into its own as one of Salt Lake’s most challenging and innovative companies. Popcorn is rivaled only by Tooth and Nail’s production of Pains of Youth for controversy and buzz this season, and the continually diverse programming choices of the company indicate that it’s being led with vision. Sounds like just the group to take on Hellman and all her varied passions.

JANUARY 20, 2005 ■ SALT LAKE METRO ■ 19

pression (The Little Foxes), indicted the American government and people for not intervening sooner in the desperate situation in Europe during World War II (Watch On the Rhine, The Searching Wind), and was among the first playwrights to directly confront the devastating effects of homophobic innuendo and rumor (The Children’s Hour). But Hellman was also a lover. Her long relationship with Dashiell Hammett is the stuff of legend and has been chronicled many times before. But a play opening in a new production by Pygmalion Productions on February 4 details another relationship.

Peter Feibleman met Hellman when he was 28 and she was 53, shortly after Hammert’s death. His play Cakewalk is the story of their tumultuous relationship, which lasted until Hellman’s death in 1984. The first act deals with Hellman and Feibleman’s first summer together on Martha’s Vineyard, while the second chronicles the rest of their affair.

According to Lane Richins, who is cast as Feibleman, his character in the play is an amalgam of real and fictional elements, a blend which Feibleman describes as “artistic truthfulness.”

The author has been in constant touch

SHOWTIMES: SAT, JAN 22 @9:00PM SUN, JAN 23 @NOON MON, JAN 24 @6:00PM THU, JAN 27 @NOON PLAYING WITH: LOWER EAST SIDE STORIES: SOFIA

EarPiece Pitts and Sags

by Eric J. Tierney eric@slmetro.com

!

E L A S

Crystal meth is killing many in this community.

What is being done about it?

Let’s start the dialogue now.

If you are interested in participating in the creation of Gay Men’s Meth Crisis Utah, please email methcrisis@slmetro.com.

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SALT LAKE METRO ■ JANUARY 20, 2005

BUY CRYSTAL METH GET HIV FREE!

AD CONCEPT: PETER STALEY. DESIGN: MICHAEL AARON.

In the wake of the tsunami catastrophe, Southern California was devastated recently with a disaster of its own—and no, I don’t mean the mudslides and torrential rains. Something much, much heavier happened in America’s favorite Blue state—the demise of the most important union since John Hancock took his pen to that fateful parchment, or John met Paul in Liverpool … the end, ladies and gentlemen, of the Aniston-Pitts.

In the interest of accuracy, it should be noted that the Uber-Couple has not announced plans to divorce. They are merely going through the preliminary act known as the “trial separation,” a phrase which sounds relatively inoffensive, but nonetheless causes a sinking feeling in the guts of untold hundreds of thousands of latchkey kids around the country.

Oh, Jen, we hardly knew ye. Brad, where did it all go wrong? The recent interview in which an on-the-verge-of tears Pitt said, in a performance more sincere than any he’s created for the screen, that he wanted to start a family could be among the causes.

Employing my favorite type of reasoning— blatant, unfounded, wild and fantastical speculation—it could be deduced that Jen just doesn’t want to destroy that sixteen inch waist, since it’s that waist, coupled with her vivacity, charm and razor sharp wit (is it me or is this limb shaky?) that has made her the respected and acclaimed actress that we’ve all come to think of as a friend. Plus it must be difficult to feel confident in yourself when you’re one of the most beautiful women alive and your husband is still prettier than you.

Whatever the reason, we must all face facts—the carefully choreographed, media engineered public spectacle wrought from a private interpersonal relationship has ended. The sun will no doubt shine a little less brightly in California because the supernova that was created when one mega-star hitched up with another has flamed out. And while we’re all pretty broken up about it, I can think of one person who probably isn’t. Somewhere in Beverly Hills or the like, Courtney, long-suffering second-most-loved friend and the one who got stuck with David Arquette, is going happily through an idle day, humming a little tune to herself with a million-dollar-a-week smile on her face.

In lighter news, let’s turn to our continuing coverage of Awards Show Season. The Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations were announced Jan. 10, and there were a few surprises.

I love the SAG awards because they are

given by performers to performers, which many people might think sounds like a bunch of people who get paid too much to do an essentially unimportant job indulging one another in a maudlin display of probably insincere emotion. I disagree, as a long-standing proponent of acting as a serious art form, one that sadly has been disfigured and shamed through the corruption and philistinism of Hollywood.

That said, I was pleased to see that little Freddie Highmore was nominated as Supporting Actor for his startling performance as the precocious Peter in Finding Neverland. His instincts as an actor are spot-on, and his performance in the film demonstrates a remarkable level of natural skill and raw, ferocious talent. He is deserving of the recognition, and I applaud the Guild for their vision in giving it to him.

His Neverland costar, Kate Winslet, also garnered a richly deserved nomination for her portrayal of the daffy and sincere Clementine in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Winslet is one of a rarified group of actresses, amongst them fellow nominees Cate Blanchett (The Aviator), Annette Bening (Being Julia) not to mention Julianne Moore and the always astonishing La Streep, who create whole cloth characters from threads of carefully considered and sharply delineated detail—actresses who, like Gary Oldman and Phillip Seymour Hoffman on the male side of the aisle—disappear entirely into their work, letting go of themselves that the character might, as we said in acting school, “live.” Winslet and Blanchett and in pretty steep competition this year, from the likes of Imelda Staunton and new It-Woman Virginia Madsen, who is finally in a position to pretend that Candyman was all just a terrible, terrible dream.

You’ll have to indulge me for a moment as I celebrate that fact that The Most Important Piece of Serialized Filmed Entertainment in History was nominated once again for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series. To my mind, The West Wing is the single most important creation of sentient beings in any place and time ever. Yes, last season was a little rocky... okay, even I’ll admit it, last season flat out sucked… but the gang is back on their game this year: the stories are good, the writing is sharp again, the acting is, as always, simply the best you’ll find anywhere on television. I’m just saying that, rather than facing facts about what’s going on in the world today, I choose to live in Bartlett’s America. You should, too. He’s really, really smart!

Anyway, the SAG Awards air Feb. 5 on, unfortunately, TNT. I urge you to tune in, if not to see accomplished professionals recognizing their peers, then for the sheer domestic drama of Brad and Jen’s separate red-carpet arrivals.

“The crowd cheered, giggled and roared approval for the all-male ballet parodists...

Long live the Trocks.”

—Seattle Times

Trockadarious!

by Jere Keys jere@slmetro.com

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo February 1 Kingsbury Hall

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo will be appearing at Kingsbury Hall on February 1. Tickets are available by calling 581-7100 or 355-ARTS, or by visiting www.kingsburyhall.org. Read more about the Trocks at www.trockadero.org

Tickets by calling

581-7100 or 355-ARTS. Online at www.Kingsburyhall.org Groups of 20+ call 355-2200

JANUARY 20, 2005 ■ SALT LAKE METRO ■ 21

In 1974, a group of ballet enthusiasts thought it would be fun to parody some classical ballet and the result, Les Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo, has become a world-wide favorite among dance fans.

“We are an all-male, comedy ballet company, and each of those words is very deliberately chosen” comments the troupe’s ballet mistress Pamela Pribsico. “We do classical, neo-classical and modern pieces, all with a bend towards satire.”

The original performances by “the Trocks,” as they are known, took place in off-off Broadway lofts during late-late night shows. But as the New York intelligencia caught wind of the quirky group, the dancers found themselves meeting with acclaim and requests for world-wide appearances.

Revolutionizing the world of ballet, the Trocks were innovative in proving that men can dance en point without falling on their faces. Since the all-male group performs classical pieces with men playing female characters, members of the company are required to learn the traditionally female technique in ballet.

“Men don’t train on point, so they have to start from the beginning,” said Pribsico, who trains the dancers. “But our dancers all have strong technique, and they pick it up quickly. The difference is really just a piece of equipment—the point shoe.”

Dancer Paul Ghiselin disagreed.

“It didn’t come easily to me! When I joined the company [in 1995], I had been dancing for 13 years and I’d never danced like that before. The adjustment was huge,” said Ghiselin. “I stand at six foot tall, and dancing on point added six to seven inches to my height.”

When new members join the troupe, they are quickly assigned two personas— one male and one female—for their various roles. Ghiselin, for example, appears as Velour Pilleaux (who he describes as “dry and takes himself too seriously”) and as Ida Nevasayneva (“quite the grande dame and very neurotic”).

“My female name is old, it’s one of the original Trockadero characters,” comments Ghiselin. “I was quite honored to get it.”

Ghiselin says that it’s a great deal of fun playing and developing the separate personas. He points out that there’s more to dancing as a female character than learning to wear point shoes—commenting that there’s an entire vocabulary of feet, arms and gesticulations involved.

When looking for new members, Pribsico says that the company looks for dancers who “have strong technique and a sense of humor—the kind of guy who was probably the class clown.”

Pribsico says that during their Salt Lake appearance, the Trocks will be performing several numbers from their repertoire, including “Swan Lake (Act 2)” and “Ecole de Ballet.” These works are presented in faithful and accurate rendition, but don’t shy away from satirizing the foibles, flaws, and situations which they represent.

“The fact that men dance all the parts—heavy bodies delicately balancing on toes as swans, sylphs, water sprites, romantic princesses, angst-ridden Victorian ladies—enhances rather than mocks the spirit of dance as an art form,” promises the company’s publicity team, “delighting and amusing the most knowledgeable, as well as novices, in the audiences.”

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Thursday, january 20 Eccles 6:30pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Eccles 9:45pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Friday, January 21 Prospector 8:30am Pura Lengua SHORTS Eccles 9:15am Happy Ending PREMIERS 11:30am Billy’s Dad is a Fudgepacker SHORTS Library Ctr Holiday Vlg 11:30am Joy of Life, The FRONTIER Holiday Vlg 11:30am Small Town Secrets SHORTS Racquet 11:30am Loggerheads DRAMA Sundance Vlg 1:00pm Ring of Fire DOCUMENTARY Egyptian 3:00pm Con Diva SHORTS Sundance Vlg 4:00pm Saving Face AM SPECT Library 5:30pm Rize AM SPECT Egyptian 6:00pm Con Que La Lavare SHORTS 6:15pm Education of Shelby Knox, The DOCU Holiday Vlg Broadway SL 6:45pm Joy of Life, The FRONTIER Broadway SL 6:45pm Small Town Secrets SHORTS Sundance Vlg 7:00pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Holiday 7:00pm Pura Lengua SHORTS Racquet 8:30pm Forty Shades of Blue DRAMA Broadway SL 9:00pm Ballets Russes FEATURES Eccles 9:30pm Inside Deep Throat PREMIERS Sundance Vlg 10:00pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Saturday, January 22 Egyptian 9:00am Con Diva SHORTS Library 11:30am Inside Deep Throat PREMIERS Eccles 12:00pm Loggerheads DRAMA Holiday Vlg 2:30pm Joy of Life, The FRONTIER Prospector 2:30pm Ring of Fire DOCUMENTARY Holiday Vlg 2:30pm Small Town Secrets SHORTS 3:00pm Billy’s Dad is a Fudgepacker SHORTS Broadway SL Trolley SL 3:00pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Holiday Vlg 3:15pm Pura Lengua SHORTS Racquet 5:30pm Dying Gaul, The DRAMA Library 5:30pm Saving Face AM SPECT Trolley SL 6:00pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Trolley SL 7:30pm Loggerheads DRAMA Trolley SL 9:00pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Tower SL 9:30pm Inside Deep Throat PREMIERS Holiday Vlg 10:00pm Con Que La Lavare SHORTS Trolley SL 10:30pm Loggerheads DRAMA 11:00pm Education of Shelby Knox, The DOCU Holiday II Egyptian 11:59pm Rize AM SPECT Sunday, January 23 Prospector 8:30am Saving Face AM SPECT Egyptian 9:00am Con Que La Lavare SHORTS Trolley SL 12:00pm Con Diva SHORTS Broadway SL 12:00pm Forty Shades of Blue DRAMA 12:15pm Billy’s Dad is a Fudgepacker SHORTS Holiday Vlg Braodway SL 3:45pm Joy of Life, The FRONTIER Holiday Vlg 5:30pm Ring of Fire DOCUMENTARY Prospector 5:30pm Rize AM SPECT Peery’s Ogden 6:30pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Holiday VLG 9:15pm Con Diva SHORTS Eccles 9:30pm Jacket, The PREMIERS Peery’s Ogden 9:30pm Loggerheads DRAMA Tower SL 4:00pm Saving Face AM SPECT Broadway SL 9:45pm Pura Lengua SHORTS Monday, January 24 Eccles 9:15am Dying Gaul, The DRAMA Library 2:30pm Jacket, The PREMIERS Sundance Vlg 4:00pm Forty Shades of Blue DRAMA Prospector 5:30pm Saving Face AM SPECT 6:00pm Education of Shelby Knox, The DOCU Broadway SL Broadway SL 9:00pm Rize AM SPECT Tower SL 9:30pm Con Que La Lavare SHORTS Library 11:30pm Strangers With Candy MIDNIGHT Tuesday, January 25 Racquet 11:30am Dying Gaul, The DRAMA Eccles 3:00pm Heights FEATURES Library Ctr 5:30pm Being Bad SHORTS

Peery Ogden 9:30pm Forty Shades of Blue DRAMA Tower SL 9:30pm Loggerheads DRAMA Holiday Vlg 11:30pm Pura Lengua SHORTS Wednesday, January 26 2:30pm Education of Shelby Knox, The DOCU Prospector Library 2:30pm Heights FEATURES Eccles 6:00pm Lackawanna Blues CENTERPIECE Racquet 8:30pm Loggerheads DRAMA Peery Ogden 9:30pm Con Que La Lavare SHORTS Prospector 11:30pm Being Bad SHORTS Thursday, January 27 Library 8:30am Forty Shades of Blue DRAMA Holiday Vlg 10:00am Ring of Fire DOCUMENTARY Library 11:30am Lackawanna Blues CENTERPIECE Egyptian 12:00pm Pura Lengua SHORTS Racquet 2:30pm Dying Gaul, The DRAMA Holiday Vlg 2:30pm Strangers With Candy MIDNIGHT Holiday Vlg 5:30pm Ballets Russes FEATURES Prospector 5:30pm Being Bad SHORTS Eccles 6:00pm Reefer Madness PREMIERS Trolley SL 6:00pm Heights FEATURES Holiday Vlg 6:15pm Joy of Life, The FRONTIER Holiday Vlg 6:15pm Small Town Secrets SHORTS Sundance Vlg 7:00pm Lackawanna Blues CENTERPIECE Trolley SL 9:00pm Heights FEATURES 9:15pm Billy’s Dad is a Fudgepacker SHORTS Holiday Vlg Sundance Vlg 10:00pm Lackawanna Blues CENTERPIECE Friday, January 28 Racquet 11:30am Forty Shades of Blue DRAMA Holiday Vlg 1:00pm Ring of Fire DOCUMENTARY Library 5:30pm Reefer Madness PREMIERS Broadway SL 6:00pm Being Bad SHORTS Trolley SL 6:00pm Dying Gaul, The DRAMA Trolley SL 7:30pm Lackawanna Blues CENTERPIECE 8:30pm Billy’s Dad is a Fudgepacker SHORTS Prospector Eccles 9:30pm Mysterious Skin PREMIERS Trolley SL 10:30pm Lackawanna Blues CENTERPIECE 11:30pm Education of Shelby Knox, The DOCU Holiday II Library 11:30pm Loggerheads DRAMA Saturday, January 29 Yarrow 9:00am Ballets Russes FEATURES Eccles 9:15am Pura Lengua SHORTS Trolley SL 12:00pm Strangers With Candy MIDNIGHT 12:15pm Billy’s Dad is a Fudgepacker SHORTS Holiday Vlg III 11:00pm Billy’s Dad is a Fudgepacker SHORTS Holiday Vlg II Library 11:30am Mysterious Skin PREMIERS Eccles 6:00pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Broadway SL 6:45pm Joy of Life, The FRONTIER Broadway SL 6:45pm Small Town Secrets SHORTS Trolley SL 7:30pm Jacket, The PREMIERS Peery’s Ogden 9:30pm Lackawanna Blues CENTERPIECE Tower SL 9:30pm Mysterious Skin PREMIERS Trolley SL 10:30pm Jacket, The PREMIERS Broadway SL 10:30pm Pura Lengua SHORTS Library 11:30pm Strangers With Candy MIDNIGHT Broadway SL 11:59pm Reefer Madness PREMIERS Sunday, January 30 Holiday Vlg 10:30am Ballets Russes FEATURES Holiday Vlg 1:30pm Strangers With Candy MIDNIGHT THEATRES, PARK CITY Eccles—Eccles Ctr for the Perf Arts, 1750 Kearns Blvd.

Egyptian—Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main St. Holiday—Cinemark Holiday Village Cinemas, 1776 Park Ave. Library—Library Center Theatre, 1225 Park Ave. Prospector—Prospector Square Theatre, 2200 Sidewinder Dr. Racquet—Park City Racquet Club, 1200 Little Kate Road

THEATRES, SALT LAKE CITY Broadway—Broadway Centre Cinemas, 111 E. Broadway Tower—Tower Theatre, 876 E. 900 S. Trolley—Trolley Square, 602 E. 500 S. THEATRES, SUNDANCE Sundance Vlg—Sundance Institute Screening Room, North Fork, Provo Canyon THEATRES, OGDEN Peery’s—Peery’s Egyptian Theater, 2415 Washington Blvd.

VANESSA CHANG

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL QUEER PICKS

Shabu

by Vanessa Chang vanessa@slmetro.com

Address: 333 Main St. (Main Street Mall), Park City Phone: (435) 645-SAKE Hours: Mon-Thurs 5:00pm-10:00pm Fri-Sat 5:00pm-11:00pm Reservations recommended All major credit cards accepted Handicap accessible

When waiting for a table at Shabu’s cramped bar with a fruity saketini, one thing is evident—Shabu is quickly earning a reputation as the place to eat in Park City.

The food, touted as “Asian freestyle” spans a good portion of the continent and the menu is impressive in its range of technique, showing off Executive Chef Robert Valaika’s formidable background cooking in the kitchens of Charlie Trotter and Nobu Matsuhisa.

Famished from two saketinis and good half an hour wait, I quickly ordered the Samurai Shiso ($12) and the duck confit salad. Fresh shiso leaves encased a mixture of raw sea bass and mango, then was tempura dipped and fried to a heavenly crunch that gave way under the tooth, while the micro daikon greens and julienne vegetables lent a fresh spicy bite.

Unfortunately, as beautiful as the concept was, the sea bass proved too delicate for the mango and the accompanying sauce.

On other nights, different fish make up the filling and the thought of unctuous tuna underneath the sheath of shiso and armor of delicate tempura is tempting. The salad with velvety strands of confit was nicely balanced and the texture ideal. Perfectly dressed greens and the right amount of meat. We licked the plate clean.

The pace of the courses allowed for sufficient people watching. Red walls accented with copper, natural wood, fixtures, and the dimmest of mood lighting lend a swank vibe to the dining room.

It’s a beautiful space for beautiful people.

Beautiful people in turtlenecks to be more precise. Despite the blizzard like conditions outside, the restaurant was teeming with diners whose conversation at times drowned out the live musician. I cannot recall how many cell phones rang that night. It could be interpreted as pretentious. On some nights it was. But the consistent presence of the locals makes me think that its endearing qualities go beyond its hip veneer.

As for the cuisine, I admit I am always suspect of places that tout “fusion” as part of their concept. But Chef Valaika executes it well with great technique, and presentation. The architectural Beef Tenderloin with Asian hash ($27) is a testament to that. The menu also showcases stir-fries, noodles, tempura, sashimi and sushi, and the Japanese hot pot, shabu shabu ($20).

The former boasts a tableside gas fire that heats a deep flavorful veggie or coconut broth into which you swish your choices of meat with a selection of fresh vegetables that arrive in an elegant lacquered box.

Everything on the plate is a work of art, you almost feel bad deconstructing it with your fork to let your tongue savor it.

One complaint that I do have was that everything that I managed to order seemed overly sweetened in a teriyaki sauce, ponzu sauce, hoisin, pad thai sauce, what have you. From the shiso on visit, to the panko fig stuffed pork chop ($26) on the next—the textures worked, but the flavors didn’t reach their full potential. But I’ll take solace in the fact that Shabu is still quite young and filling out its breeches.

The service is professional and friendly, headed by the chef’s brother Kevin, and the menu’s concepts are creative and hip.

And after all, any place that offers an assortment of cold and warm sake and specialty saketinis like the “Come On I Want To Lay You” is worth serious consideration on your next sojourn to Park City.

Red,White Bubbly Of Morons and Snobs

by Beau Jarvis beau@slmetro.com

Today I read a “Point/ Counterpoint” article in a wine publication.

It can be summarized thusly: “You’re a moron!” “Oh yeah; well, you’re a snob!” Thus began the great wine argument of 2005. This really isn’t a new argument. In fact, this particular argument has been raging for years. On one side there are the pro-mass market wine folks. They believe wine drinkers want low priced, easy drinking wine that offers an easy-to-comprehend label. On the other side there are the so called “wine terroir-ists,” (terroir is a French concept, which can be loosely translated as, “character of place”) also known as wine snobs. They believe wine is a high brow luxury and shouldn’t be dumbed down for the mainstream moron market. Wine terroir-ists maintain that a wine’s origins are most important. Thus terroir and the wine making process are the alpha and omega of all wine, everywhere. End of discussion.

Like many arguments that involve opinion and religious-like zealotry, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Are you a wine moron? Am I a wine moron? Yes, as a matter of fact, I’m often a wine moron. And I don’t mind calling you a moron either. Let me explain. Sometimes, I want to open a bottle of wine and simply drink it without any analysis, contemplation, or epiphanies. In such instances, a six-dollar or eight-dollar bottle does the trick. I don’t particularly care exactly where the grapes were grown, or how they were pressed, or what kind of barrel the juice was fermented in. If the wine tastes good, then I’m happy. End of story.

What about wine snobbery? Am I a wine snob? Yes, I suppose on occasion, I am a really obnoxious wine snob. Once in a while, I’ve got a few extra bucks in my pocket. I crave a wine that will tickle my nose, make my taste buds do a jig, and cause my brain to conjure up images of beautiful vineyards perched atop a pastoral hillside. Will a six-dollar bottle of simple red wine do this for me? Not usually. In times like this, I seek out wine that sprouted from a specific

patch of earth and was carefully crafted by an artisan vintner. When I find such a wine, I often perform the following ritual: Open bottle, decant wine, wait while wine breathes, pour wine into glass, gaze upon wine, swirl wine, sniff wine, sniff again & again, sip wine, slurp wine, contemplate wine, etc., etc. Now if someone were to watch me perform this little wine-snobritual, they would probably think me the Grand Wizard of Wine Snobbery.

In my opinion, there is a little wine moron muddled with a dash of snobbery inside all wine lovers. I firmly believe that even the snobbiest of wine snobs, occasionally pops open a bottle and takes a big swig, perhaps even followed by a toothrattling belch. Conversely, I’m certain that even the greatest of wine morons stares at his glass of White Zin and thinks, “Hmmmm. I think I taste orange peel.”

Don’t worry; you are not condemned to a life of dueling, split wine-personalities. Nor are you required to choose between being a wine-moron or a wine-snob. Simply, embrace the complexities of your love for wine. Gulp down a glass of wine on Monday. On Tuesday, nurse a single glass all evening long. This, young wine-grasshopper, is the pathway to ‘winelightenment.’

If today, you drank directly out of the milk carton, you are wearing mismatched socks, or you are eating anything preceded by the words “value size,” then I would guess you are feeling more moron than snob. I recommend quaffing a glass or two of one of these wines: Smoking Loon Viognier ($8), Fat Bastard Merlot ($8), Paul Cheneau Cava ($8).

If you happen to be wearing penny loafers, French cuffs, or a starched white Oxford, you are most definitely trending towards snobbery. In this case, I suggest you slowly savor one of these fine bottles of liquid luxury: Jarvis Finch Hollow Chardonnay, 2000 ($54), Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape, 2000 ($67), Pol Roger Cuvée Winston Churchill, 1990 ($165).

If you chose one of the moron selections, I say to you, “Bottoms up!” If you are now sniffing a snob selection, I say to you, “Salut Madame/Salut Monsieur.”

Beau Jarvis is a sommelier and wine educator.

He operates basicjuice.com, an independent wine review and information website. He also manages basicjuice.blogs.com, a weblog of entertainment and culture.

JANUARY 20, 2005 ■ SALT LAKE METRO ■ 23

Di ing Guide Dining de SALT LAKE CITY, UT

Nick-N-Willy’s Pizza

Café Med

nicknwillyspizza.com

420 E. 3300 S. / 493-0100 HOURS: SU-TH 11AM-9PM F-SA 11AM-10PM CUISINE: MEDITERRANEAN PRICE: $ CARDS: TC AE D MC V

4538 S, HIGHLAND DR./ 273-8282 SU-TH 11AM-10PM F-SA 11AM-12PM CUISINE: PIZZA PRICE: $ CARDS: AE D MC V HOURS:

Panini 299 S. MAIN ST. / 535-4300

panini.us HOURS:

CUISINE: RESERV.: PRICE: CARDS:

M-F 11:30AM-3PM M-TH 5-9PM F-SA 5-10PM ITALIAN, SEAFOOD SUGGESTED $$$ TC AE D MC V

Dine in or take-out. Call Persian, Greek, Italian, Turkish ahead and we’ll have it ready. and Vegetarian in a warm, Robust Italian fare in an Albertsons Shopping Ctr. relaxing atmosphere. elegant atmosphere with a Orbit Cafe tasteful, contemporary vibe.

Fiddler’s Elbow 540 W. 200 S. / 322-3808

1063 E. 2100 S. / 463-9393

fiddlerselbowslc.com

M-TH 11AM-11PM F-SA 11AM-12AM SU 9AM-10PM CUISINE: AMERICAN PRICE: $ CARDS: TC AE D MC V HOURS:

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32 beers to choose from, including Utah’s best selection of microbrews.

orbitslc.com

SU-TH 11AM-10PM F-SA 11AM-3AM CUISINE: AMERICAN ECLECTIC PRICE: $ CARDS: TC AE D MC V HOURS:

Salt Lake Pizza & Pasta 1063 E. 2100 S. / 484-1804

saltlakepizzaandpasta.com M-SA 11AM-11PM SU 11AM-10PM CUISINE: ITALIAN PRICE: $ CARDS: TC AE D MC V HOURS:

Open late nights on Fridays and Saturdays with DJs and a Voted as Utah’s Best Pizza special menu. two years in a row! Great beer selection. Sugarhouse.

Xiao Li 307 W. 200 SOUTH / 328-8688 HOURS: LUNCH: 1130AM-2:30PM DINNER: 4:30-10PM F-SA 4:30-11PM CUISINE: CHINESE PRICE: $ CARDS: TC AE D MC V

The restaurant that serves the most authentic Szechwan and Mandarin cuisine.

WEST VALLEY CITY Gringo’s West Valley 2785 W 3500 S / 969-8811 HOURS: M-SA 10:30AM-9PM SU 10:30AM-8PM CUISINE: MEXICAN PRICE: ¢ CARDS: MC V

Good Mexican food...fast.

Fresh salsa bar, food made to order. See our coupon!

LEGEND: TC–TRAVELERS CHECKS, AE–AMERICAN EXPRESS, D–DISCOVER, DC–DINER’S CLUB, MC–MASTERCARD, V–VISA ¢=0-$10, $=$11-$20, $$=$21-30, $$$=31-40.

Bar Guide Club 161* 161 S. Pueblo St (1440 W.) d 363-8161 / club161.com HOURS: M&W 7pm-2am TH–SU 2pm-2am CLOSED TUES GAY: Every Day AGE: 21+ / COVER: No Levi, Leather, Fetish.

Monday Fetish Night, Thurs Underwear Night, Friday Leather and Bear Night

Club Panini* 299 S. Main Street o 535-4300 / panini.us HOURS: M–TH 11am-10pm F–SA 11am-12am GAY: Mondays AGE: 21+ / COVER: No Metro Mondays. Speed dating first Mondays of the month. $2 drafts.

Club Try-Angles* 251 W. 900 South 364-3203 clubtry-angles.com HOURS: 2pm-2am daily GAY: Every day AGE: 21+ / COVER: No FR-SA DJ Boy Toy. MO “MorMondays.” TU, FR, SA–$1 drafts. SU afternoons–Buffet.

Heads Up* 163 W. Pierpont Ave. (250 S) 359-2161 / headsupslc.com HOURS: 4pm-2am daily GAY: Every day AGE: 21+ COVER: $2 / Members free Salt Lake’s newest club. MO & TH Karaoke. TU 50¢ drafts.

FR, SA High NRG.

MoDiggity’s* 3424 S. State St. 832-9000 / modiggitys.com HOURS: M–TH 4pm-12am F–SA 4pm-2am SU 11am-2am GAY: Every day / AGE: 21+ COVER: $4/members free

A sports and music club for women. Football and mimosa brunch Sundays. Live shows.

Paper Moon* 3737 S. State / 713-0678 HOURS: M–F 3pm-1am SA 7pm-1am SU Noon-1am GAY: Every day / AGE: 21+ COVER: varies SL’s premier women’s club. TU Karaoke, WE 80¢ drafts, shots.

FR & SA hip hop/dance

Trapp* 102 S. 600 West 531-8727 / thetrapp.com HOURS: 10am-2am daily GAY: Every day / AGE: 21+ COVER: $3/Members free Really gay every day. SU Buffet and NFL, MO & WE Karaoke.

Trapp Door* 102 S. 600 West 533-0173 / thetrapp.com HOURS: TH-SU 9pm-2am GAY: Every day AGE: 21+ COVER: $3/Members free Dance and show club. Hot men and hot music. SU Latin night. Plenty of free parking. * A PRIVATE CLUB FOR MEMBERS.

Bar Owners: To get your bar listed in the Salt Lake Metro Bar Guide, please call 323-9500.

JANUARY 20, 2005 ■ SALT LAKE METRO ■ 25

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Service Guide

Comics

ATTORNEYS

ADAM AND ANDY by James Asal

ESTATE PLANNING

MASSAGE

BEST THERAPISTS, best MARLIN G. CRIDDLE, P.C. price, best place, best hours, Serving Utah’s gay, lesbian, JANE MARQUARDT & DOUG call for appointment 486-5500 bisexual and transgendered FADEL Attorneys at Law, pro- Pride Massage 1800 South communities. Estate Planning, viding comprehensive estate West Temple Suite A224 Probate, Criminal Law, BankWWW.DENNISMASSAGE.COM planning services, custom A Man’s Man. 598-8344. ruptcy, Corporations/Business. designed to your unique family “For Men” Model/Massage.

474-2299. marlincriddle.com situation, including trusts, wills, LMT#98212332470 STIMULATE YOUR SENSES, partnership agreements, esor feel deep peace with a retate administration. 294-7777 laxing full body massage. Call Therron for an appointment APPLE ONE Employment 801-879-3583 for $5 off menServices is seeking qualified CUSTOM DESIGN JEWELRY. tion this ad. LMT #5608006 people in many skills. Apply Relaxed atmosphere. All types and begin your qualificaof stone settings. Commitment JOIN THE ALL NEW tion today. Employers, let GayUtahSingles.com— Exrings, wedding rings, earrings, clusively for Utah’s Gay and us fill your staffing needs.

Lesbian community. Online pendants. Repairs welcome.

Call Steven Whittaker at chat, email, messenger and Charley Hafen Jewelers. Trol801-463-4828 for an apphotos! Join for FREE! http://

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pointment.

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www.GayUtahSingles.com

Classifieds HELP WANTED COME ALIVE in 2005 Create an Exciting Stream of Income Register online for Free Info and Reports http://ambition. successfulpeople.com Call Brian 801-718-3237 MAKE 2005 the year you made a Successful Financial Resolution.

Register online for free info at: http://ambition. successfulpeople.com APPLE ONE Employment Services is seeking qualified call center experienced in sales. Can earn $10+/hr. hourly and commission.

Apply today. Employers, let us fill your staffing needs.

Call Steven Whittaker at 4634828 for an appointment.

FOR RENT

ROOMMATES WANTED CLEAN, PARTICULAR rommmate wanted to share house downtown with two other gay men.

Nice small bedroom, large closet. $270.00/month utilities included. Call Tom at 641-3362.

TROLLEY SQUARE. Male roommate to share 2 bed, 1 bath condo. Furnished. $300 monthly + 250 deposit. Call 519-0147 with questions.

MIDVALE PRIVATE bedroom w/ private bath, $350/month includes utils. $150 deposit. No drugs!

Moderate drinker OK. Prefer gay male. Call Darrin 801-352-2800.

MURRAY CONDO. Washer/ dryer. Pet neg. $325/mo plus 1/3 util. 455-2497.

994 S. DENVER St 3 bdrm, 2 full bath, large closets, fireplace. Garage, fenced yard. Wa/Dryer included.no smoke/pets $900/mo minus $25 ontime discount $500 deposit call Duff 674-8091

MISC. STUFF PRIDE COUNSELING is restarting a Therapy/Support Group for men who are HIV infected and seeking support from others in similar situations. Men who have participated in this group report a sense of connection and the permission to safely explore their uniqueness in a safe and affirming environment. We are able to bill most insurance companies, Ryan White and sliding fee scale available. For information please call Jerry Buie LCSW at 801-595-0666

A COUPLE OF GUYS by Dave Brousseau

PRIDE COUNSELING is offering a Gay Men’s Therapy/Support Group. Gay men often find that their options to socialize limited to clubs and bars. This group seeks to bridge the gap of isolation and help gay men safely explore personal issues unique to their circumstances. Gay men regardless of “coming out” status, or life circumstance are welcome to this group. Most insurance companies billed, sliding fee scale. For information please call Jerry Buie LCSW at 801595-0666.

BITTER GIRL by Joan Hilty

JANUARY 20, 2005 ■ SALT LAKE METRO ■ 27

HARVARD-YALE area.

3 BR’s. Lots of storage.

Hardwood floors. $997.00 997 S. McClelland St. (1040 E.) Valene/CDA Properties 801-262-0113 NICE, 3 BDRM, 1 bath, 1100 sq. ft. duplex, great loc., quiet, secure, yard, W/D, full kitchen, $650/mo. +util. 801-809-7382 or 641-0644 SWEET DOWNTOWN 2 BR with style & substance. All new inside, laundry, covered prkg, garden patio w/pond. $600+elect. See it at: xmission.com/~bradley/kensington.htm or 550-0330

GAY FRIENDLY roommate wanted to share beautiful 3-bedroom arts & crafts style home near SugarHouse Commons/24 Hour Fitness. $350 + 1/3 util. More info at http:// home.comcast.net/~e846/

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