salt lake magazine
UTAH’S GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER AND ALLY
January 2015 Issue 239 GaySaltLake.com FREE
PEOPLE OF THE YEAR
ThoseWho Brought Us Marriage Equality QUEER GUIDE TO SUNDANCE • 2014 IN REVIEW • ‘BARE’ COMES TO SALT LAKE
The Utah Premiere of the Explosive Rock Musical
BA RE Bare Your Soul—Or Hide It From Those Who Matter Most?
January 16-31, 2015 Sugar Space Warehouse Theater for the Performing Arts, River District UtahRep.org/tickets
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gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
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gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
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nominations for the annual QSaltLake Person of the Year, I inevitably get a complaint or two that it reeks of a popularity contest, and that lesser-known people should partake of the glory of being named with such an honor. I have to remind people, however, that such a title is not always considered an honor at all. The Person of the Year is the person, group of people or organization which most affected Utah’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and ally community, for better or worse, in the past year. Gracing QSaltLake’s covers over the years have been community leaders, non-paid volunteers, politicians and others who have made great contributions to the lives of those in Utah’s LGBT community. But also on our covers have been Larry H. Miller for the firestorm he caused over pulling Brokeback Mountain from his theater chain’s screens, and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Thomas S. Monson for galvanizing our community by calling on church faithful to fight for California’s Proposition 8. This year was pretty easy, however, to determine that what changed the lives of LGBT people in Utah the most was that same-sex marriage is now legal in the state. Even those who are not looking to head down the aisle are affected by the monumental
shift in culture that is happening around this issue. Polls of Utahns are showing a greater amount of acceptance in all things related to our community. Talk around the water coolers focuses more on the “we’re over it” than “but what bathroom will they go to?” Those chosen this year include Restore Our Humanity founder and director Mark Lawrence, who got the ball rolling, James Magelby, Peggy Tomsic and Jennifer Fraser Parrish of the legal team which spent hundreds of hours developing thousands of pages of data that convinced judges that denial of same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, the plaintiffs Laurie Wood and Kody Partridge, Moudi Sbeity and Derek Kitchen, Kate Call and Karen Archer, who put their names and livelihoods on the line to pursue a dream of making change, and Judge Robert Shelby, who was the first federal judge to make a solid decision which he was sure to know would not be popular among many in the state. While he didn’t ask for the “honor,” he lived up to his role and didn’t shirk from it. Many worked on this and other related issues over the years. Each of those noted in these pages today recognize they stand on the shoulders of those who came before them, paving the way. QSaltLake recognizes the sacrifices that each of these people made and declares them our “People of the Year.” Q
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staffbox publisher/editor Michael Aaron
copy editor Tony Hobday designer Christian Allred sales Bob Henline, Craig Ogan, Shelley Stewart
contributors Chris Azzopardi, Lynn Beltran, Paul Berge, We Know a Quicker Way Home • We Know a Quicker Way Home • We Know a Quicker Way Home • We Know a Quicker Way Home • We Know a Quicker W Dave Brousseau, Abby Dees, Jack Fertig, Greg Fox, Charles Lynn Frost, Bob Henline, Tony Hobday, Christopher Katis, Rock Magen, Sam Mills, Mikey Rox, Gregg Shapiro, Petunia Pap Smear, Anthony Paull, Steven Petrow, Ed Sikov, Ben Williams, D’Anne Witkowski distribution Steven Ball, Michael Hamblin,
Lin Marie, Blaine Osborne, Jason Van Campen publisher
Salt Lick Publishing LLC. 222 S Main St, Ste 500 Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 tel: 801-649-6663 Contact emails: general: info@qsaltlake.com editorial: editor@qsaltlake.com sales: sales@qsaltlake.com
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QSaltLake Magazine is a trademark of Salt Lick Publishing, LLC. Copyright © 2015, Salt Lick Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. No material may be reprinted or reproduced without written permission from the publisher. 15,000 copies of QSaltLake Magazine are distributed free of charge at over 300 locations across the Wasatch Front. Free copies are limited to one per person. For additional copies, contact us at 801-649-6663. It is a crime to destroy or dispose of current issues or otherwise interfere with the distribution of this newsmagazine. Publication of the name or photograph of any individual or organization in articles or advertising in QSaltLake Magazine is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such persons. Printed in the USA on recycled paper. Please recycle this copy when you are through with it.
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january 2015 | issue 239 | gaysaltlake.com
Federal government will bar contractors from LGBT discrimination Beginning in March, the United States federal government will bar contractors from discriminating against LGBT workers under a rule posted Wednesday. During his presidential campaign, President Barack Obama promised that he would support a nondiscrimination policy in federal contracts and in governmental hiring and firing. He directed the U.S. Labor Department to draft a rule under an executive order last summer. “Laws prohibiting workplace discrimination on the bases of sexual orientation and gender identity are long overdue, and we’re taking a big step forward today to fix that,” Labor Secretary Tom Perez said in a statement.
U.S. Marine charged with murder of Philippine trans woman Philippine authorities charged a U.S. Marine with murder in connection with the death of a transgender woman. Emilie de los Santos of the Olongapo City Prosecutor’s Office told reporters there was “probable cause” to charge Marine Pfc. Joseph Pemberton with murdering Jennifer Laude in October. Pemberton and Laude, 26, reportedly met at a local nightclub on Oct. 11 while the USS Peleliu was docked at the Subic Bay Freeport, which is adjacent to Olongapo City on the Philippines’ main island of Luzon. Laude’s naked body was later found in a motel bathroom. “It’s murder,” de los Santos told reporters after he filed charges against Pemberton as the AP reported. “It was aggravated by treachery, abuse of superior strength and cruelty.” Laude’s death sparked outrage among Philippine LGBT rights advocates. It also highlighted opposition to the U.S. military presence in the island archipelago.
LGBT groups endorse march against police brutality in D.C. Dozens of LGBT advocacy organizations endorsed a march against police brutality that took place in D.C. The Human Rights Campaign, the National LGBTQ Task Force, the National Black Justice Coalition, Freedom to Marry, GLAAD, GetEQUAL and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission were
news The top things you should know happened last month (Full stories at gaysaltlake.com.) among the groups that issued a lengthy statement backing the National Action Network-organized march. The organizations in their statement specifically cite the grand jury decisions in Staten Island, N.Y., last week and in St. Louis County, Mo., on Nov. 25 not to indict two white police officers who killed two unarmed black men — Eric Garner and Michael Brown — over the summer.
Judge strikes down Miss. same-sex marriage ban A federal judge on Tuesday struck down Mississippi’s same-sex marriage ban. U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves issued his 72-page ruling less than two weeks after he heard oral arguments in the case the Campaign for Southern Equality last month filed on behalf of two lesbian couples seeking marriage rights in the Magnolia State. “The court concludes that Mississippi’s same-sex marriage ban deprives same-sex couples and their children of equal dignity under the law,” writes Reeves. “Gay and lesbian citizens cannot be subjected to such second-class citizenship.” State officials have appealed the ruling.
Calif. Chick-fil-A hosts LGBT fundraiser A Hollywood Chick-fil-A hosted a fundraiser for an LGBT advocacy group. Frontiers reported the Hollywood franchise donated a portion of the proceeds to Campus Pride. The organization highlighted the fundraiser — which it coordinated with the Stand Up Foundation — on its website. “The Hollywood Chick-fil-A store came to us and wanted to do something positive that supports anti-bullying,” Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride, said.
Rikers Island to open trans housing unit
Baseball umpire comes out as gay Dale Scott became the first Major League Baseball umpire to come out as gay by having a photo of him and his partner appear in a profile in the October issue of Referee magazine, a subscription-only publication with a circulation of about 45,000. “There’s a story about my career and how I got started in umpiring and they’re talking to people I have known since junior high,” said Scott. “It didn’t seem right to have a whole story and pictures without a picture of Mike and I, someone who’s been with me through this entire process.”
New York City’s largest jail this week will open a housing unit for transgender inmates. Gay City News reported trans women who have not undergone sex-reassignment surgery would be able to choose to live in the housing unit that is scheduled to open this week on Rikers Island. The newspaper said the facility will have 30 beds in a dormitory-style room. The housing unit also contains a smaller room in which inmates can watch television or eat their meals. “We are finding ways to keep people safe, giving them a place where they don’t have to worry about being themselves,” Erik Berlinder of the New York City Department of Correction told Gay City News. This is a place that can be sensitive to them. It is the right time for it. We are reassessing everything about safety and security.”
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Ha resigns as Utah Pride Center ED; board elects new officers The Utah Pride Center announced today that its executive director, Steven Ha, has resigned, effective immediately. Also, John Netto is also no longer the president of the board of directors as the board elected new leaders at their December board meeting. Elected as president of the board was Kent Frogley, who had been the vice president. Christopher Wharton was elected as vice president, Kathleen Boyd as treasurer and Jason Suker as secretary. “The Utah Pride Center today accepted the resignation of executive director Steven Ha and would like to thank him for his service,” Frogley said in a statement. “Mr. Ha was recently diagnosed with a recurrence of lymphoma and is stepping down.” “The mental health programs that Steven helped put in place are serving many members of our community and we look forward to building on the foundation Steven created during his tenure at the Utah Pride Center,” Frogley continued. “Dayto-day operations will continue under the direction of Sheila Raboy in the position of interim operations director. She has resigned from the UPC Board of Directors in order to fill this important role and ensure continuity of programs. The highly capable Utah Pride Center staff, along with Sheila, will corroboratively work to maintain and improve the programs, services and events offered through UPC.” The Center will announce plans for a search for a new executive director after the first of the year. In the interim, the UPC Board will oversee the ongoing growth and expansion of programs, events, and partnerships. Ha became the executive director in February with an expectation to serve for one year after the Center was on a search to replace Valerie Larabee, who resigned in October, 2013. Ha joined the board of directors of the Center after the family of David Phan, the 14-year-old who committed suicide at Bennion Jr. high in Taylorsville in December of 2012, asked him to introduce them to gay community leaders in the hope of assembling a group to address issues faced by gay-ethnic youth. He was elected treasurer of the organization in December, 2013. Ha focused on positioning the Center
as a mental health provider in part as a way to increase revenue. He has also been focusing on grant writing and other efforts to progress the Center to the next level. At the December board meeting, John Netto announced that his year term as president of the board was an appropriate time to “walk away” as he moved his focus to financing the building, managing a CDFA grant and writing other grants to move the construction of the building forward. At that meeting, the board also voted to set up a new non-profit organization to own and manage the building, with a small lease agreement to the Center. Separating the building from the organization itself will allow that group to seek funds otherwise not available to the Center. Frogley joined the Center’s board of directors in 2012. He is currently the assistant vice president of institutional marketing and communications for Salt Lake Community College. He has also lead global marketing at FranklinCovey, was partner at Taylor Fife Kent and has been at O.C. Tanner, Saatchi & Saatchi DFS and Bates Worldwide.
GENDEREVOLUTION Also at the board meeting, Dominique Storni reported on what she called “the most successful GenderEvolution Conference ever.” “I truly feel that, starting the last couple of years, [the Utah Pride Center] has been more trans* welcoming,” she said. “At one point the trans* community wondered if they should keep the conference under the Center or move out. With the support of Steven [Ha], Tina [Heidorn], Davey [Stevenson] and Jimmie [Lee], we have seen positive motion.” The group had a goal of reaching 350 participants, though between 270 and 280 attended. They saw an increase, however, of workshops, growing from 28 last year to 37 this year.
SAGE UTAH Newly elected board members of Sage Utah also reported on their organization. At the last meeting, Jerry Buie was elected chair, Kip Swan was elected vice chair, Mary Olsen as treasurer and Tammy Dosenbach as secretary. “We don’t want to just be a pot luck bunch of folks any more,” Swan told the
board. “We are interested in programs.” “We have three to four pot lucks a year, with a goal of being self-sustaining,” he said. “We met with Steven [Ha] and gave him our proposed budget and calendar for 2015. We’ve developed bylaws and a mission statement and have worked to re-create ourself. But I have to ask if the Utah Pride Center is serious about its support of Sage.” The Center committed $15,000 and a part time staffer for 2014 and the group is asking for a full time staffer and $20,000 for 2015. Talks, however, have moved more slowly than the group had hoped, as a budget for the Center had not been developed by the board’s final meeting of 2014. Q
Restore Our Humanity kicks off the holidays with ‘Shelby Friday’
Each year the Friday before Christmas will be designated “Shelby Friday” by Restore Our Humanity to honor United States Federal Judge Robert Shelby who’s historic ruling in Kitchen v. Herbert brought marriage equality to Utah. Join us in Friday Dec 19th at historic Lambs Grill in downtown Salt Lake, and help us nominate members and allies in our community to receive a “Shelby” award to recognize those who work tirelessly to make Utah a better place to live for all. The Shelby’s will be awarded at their Mass Anniversary party which will be held on Saturday January 17th at the Leonardo in the Human Rights room. Music, Food, Cocktails and the Shelby’s. Tickets available at facebook.com/RestoreOurHumanity.
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State of Utah to pay attorney fees in one same-sex marriage lawsuit The Utah chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and the state of Utah came to an agreement on the amount the state will pay for attorney fees for the plaintiffs in the Evans v. Utah case, which sought spousal benefits for same-sex couples married during the 17-day window when their unions were temporarily legal. The state will pay $95,000 to attorneys for the eight plaintiffs, according to an order signed by U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball. The order also makes permanent, a temporary injunction Kimball issued last May, directing the state to recognize the marriages and officially closes the case.
More than 1,300 couples wed after the Dec. 20, 2013, ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby, which struck down Utah’s Amendment 3 and other laws prohibiting same-sex marriage. The decision was stayed Jan. 6 by the Supreme Court as the state appealed. The ACLU brought suit on behalf of four Utah couples as Utah refused to recognize or extend spousal benefits to couples until after the state’s appeal of Shelby’s ruling reached a legal conclusion. State officials instead said that the couples were in “legal limbo” and said it was possible that the marriages would be
Meeting called on ultra-conservative anti-gay rhetoric in Utah County In response to the rising anti-gay rhetoric by ultra-conservative activists in Utah County, Restore Our Humanity called for a town meeting to discuss what the group called untruths and fear-mongering. Restore, the organization that initiated the lawsuit known as Kitchen v. Herbert, wishes to address what they call the “deceptive vilification and defamation that has been launched against the LGBT community since marriage equality debates have come to Utah.” “The international ‘anti-gay’ industry has multi-million dollar budgets and they hide behind the guise of religion, mainly Christianity,” leaders wrote in a statement. “There is no shortage of these organizations in Utah. Scathing anti-gay rhetoric is routinely published in local papers. Whether the sources are institutional, per-
sonal or leaders of organized groups, these attacks are destructive and unwelcome in a civilized state.” The group says that such rhetoric hurts families and causes a rift in the general community. “When you injure one part of the community, you harm all of the community,” Mark Lawrence said. In one example, the group points to an op-ed written by Pamela Romney Openshaw to the Provo Herald, stating, “The same-sex marriage movement is not what it appears to be. Behind the scenes, it is a crusade to destroy religious beliefs and their centerpiece, the institution of marriage. ... The goal of homosexual activists is to eliminate marriage altogether.” In another example, Cherilyn Eagar wrote last week for The Salt Lake Tribune:
nullified if they prevailed. Evans v. Utah became moot in October days after the U.S. Supreme Court effectively legalized gay and lesbian unions in Utah and 10 other states by letting stand several circuit court rulings that declared bans on same-sex marriages unconstitutional. According to separate filings in the appeals court and the U.S. District Court, plaintiffs attorneys in the case were seeking nearly $200,000 from the state to pay for their services. Two of those attorneys are employed with the American Civil Liberties Union. The attorneys had asked for over $164,000 in fees in the district court motion, and asked for another $33,000 in a motion filed with the appeals court. Q “The truth is that [nondiscrimination laws] are weapons to bully people of faith to comply with unjust laws that threaten both marriage and religious liberties.” In September, Eager told Fox 13 News, “Would we expose a child to a pornography situation where they’re seeing bondage, S&M, and all these things that are at these events that they take their children to, that’s part of the culture.” Restore sought frank discussion of these issues and to “confront the antagonism of hate and hostility imposed by these people” at the open forum meeting. The event, held at the Provo library, had several speakers and a respectful question and answer session. Restore founder Mark Lawrence had direct words for those participating inanti-gay rhetoric. “Your days of social terrorism are numbered. Hate speech of any kind is not opinion or freedom of speech, it is simply hate and it is not welcome in this community,” he said. Q
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Religious freedom? Utah ‘Pastafarian’ allowed to get driver license photo with collandar As the battle cry moves to “religious freedom,” former porn star Asia Lemmon says she faced only brief resistance when she went to the Utah Department of Motor Vehicles to have her license renewed wearing a colander on her head. Lemmon, whose real name Jessica Steinhauser appears on her driver’s license, is a member of the satirical Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Members of the church are known as Pastafarians. The church began in 2005 as a protest against the teaching of intelligent design in Kansas schools. According to USA Today, Lemmon is the fourth person in the U.S. and the first in Utah to be allowed to wear a pasta strainer in an official photo. In an interview with ABC News, Nannette Rolfe, the director of Utah’s Driver License Division, said about a dozen Pastafarian’s have had their driver’s license photos taken with a similar colander or pasta strainer on their head in the past few years. “As long as we can get a visual of the face, we’re fine if they choose to wear the headgear,” she said. Hats and headgear are not allowed for official photos unless they are worn for religious reasons, Rolfe said. After the first few Pastafarians came into the state driver’s license offices two years ago, state officials determined the church is a recognized religion and doesn’t require any special paperwork. Lemmon said her experience getting her photo taken was “surprisingly very, very easy.” She said she went into the Utah Department of Motor Vehicles office in Hurricane, Utah, and when it was time to have her photo taken, she placed the colander on her head. She was met with opposition but produced documentation on her religious freedoms, as a Pastafarian, and the employees took the photo without further incident. USA Today reports her motivation was to make a statement. “I’ve always been a proud atheist, and I feel comfortable doing that even here,”
she said. “Even though it’s really conservative here, everyone has always been really sweet about (my religious views).” About two-thirds of Utah’s residents are Mormons and it is home to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Bobby Henderson, founder of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, said he believed Asia’s motives were goodnatured and was pleased with Utah’s
sense of humor in allowing Pastafarian’s to exercise their freedom of religion. “We are not anti-religion,” Henderson states on his website. “We are anti-crazy nonsense done in the name of religion. There is a big difference. Our ideal is to scrutinize ideas and actions but ignore general labels.”
CDC: Only 30% of Americans with HIV have virus under control The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new Vital Signs report showing that only 30 percent of Americans with HIV have their virus under control. Among those who did not have the virus under control, approximately two-thirds had been diagnosed but were no longer in care. When used consistently, antiretroviral medication can keep HIV controlled at very low levels in the body (known as viral suppression), allowing people with HIV to live longer, healthier lives and reducing the likelihood they will transmit HIV to others. The report, published in advance of World AIDS Day (Dec. 1), underscores the importance of making sure people with HIV receive ongoing care, treatment, and other information and tools that help prevent transmission to others, as well as the need to reach more people with HIV testing.
KEY FINDINGS: Of the 1.2 million Americans living with HIV in 2011, 70 percent did not have their virus under control. Among these nearly 840,000 Americans who had not achieved viral suppression: • 66 percent had been diagnosed but were not engaged in regular HIV care • 20 percent did not yet know they were infected • 4 percent were engaged in care but not prescribed antiretroviral treatment, and • 10 percent were prescribed antiretroviral treatment but did not achieve viral suppression Young people were least likely to have the virus under control – just 13 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds did, primarily because half don’t know they are infected. The study did not find statistically significant differences in viral suppression by race or ethnicity, sex, or risk group.
january 2015 | issue 239 | gaysaltlake.com
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Mass Anniversary Party! Saturday, January 17th @ 7:00pm The Leonardo – 209 East 500 South -A celebration of love and equalityMusic, food, cocktails and Announcement of the Shelby Awards $25 regular / $50 VIP admission
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gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
Q mmunity Food Drives for the UAF Food Bank
Help get QSaltLake in public libraries in Utah Since we began publishing, we’ve always wanted to be able to send several copies to every library in the state, in order to reach those in smaller, more rural, communities. We feel that LGBT people, especially youth, need some kind of connection to our community. parents, family and friends of LGBT people also need to understand our local community. The total cost to do this has always been just out of our reach. With the additional copies we’d need to print, envelopes, labels, and of course postage, it will cost us just over $7,500 to do this for one year. We have volunteers who will help prepare the mailing, saving that additional cost. We believe in this enough that we will pay for the first third of the project. We need help for the rest. Utah community members have said they also find this important, and have offered to help if we put up a crowdfunding campaign. Please consider donating to this cause to allow us to reach every Utah public library, from Garland to Hurricane, Nephi to Parowan, Enterprise to Castle Dale. As thank yous, we are offering the following rewards to donors at certain levels:
$5 - A BIG THANK YOU! Every bit helps, and you will receive: • our blessing and excuse to do a huge happy dance like
no one’s looking, • a virtual hug • your name (unless you choose to remain anonymous) on our thank you page in QSaltLake when the campaign is over.
$25 - A HUGE THANK YOU!: For $25 you will receive: • all of the above, and • a hand-written thank you card from us inside: • the QSaltLake Love and Marriage issue delivered to your door
$50 - A THANK YOU AND A SUBSCRIPTION FOR YOU For $50 you will receive: • all of the above, and • a full year of QSaltLake delivered to your door
$100 - A THANK YOU AND THREE SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR YOU For $100 you will receive: • all of the above, and • a full year of QSaltLake delivered to your door • a full year of The Advocate delivered to your door • a full year of OUT Magazine delivered to your door
$500 - BENEFACTOR VIP LEVEL: For $500 you will receive: • all of the above, and • VIP tickets to our annual FABBY Awards • 2 VIP seats on the remaining three Big Gay Fun Buses of the season • a mention and thank you at the FABBY Awards of your support
Club Try-Angles and the Salt Lake Men’s Choir are each doing food drives to stock the shelves at the Utah AIDS Foundation Food Bank. Bar patrons are asked to bring non-perishable goods and toiletries to the door on the way in. Those going to the Salt Lake Men’s Choir Christmas concerts are also asked to donate food and toiletry items.
Restore Our Humanity to give ‘Shelby’ Awards An event on the eve of the anniversary of Judge Robert Shelby’s ruling will begin the nominating process for 2014’s Shelbys — awards given by Restore Our Humanity to community members who have made a difference in our community. The Shelbys will be awarded at the Mass Anniversary Party to be held in January to honor and celebrate the anniversary of marriage equality in Utah. WHEN: Friday, Dec. 19, 7pm WHERE: Bohemian Brewery and Grill, 94 E 7200 S
Big Gay Fun Bus The ball has dropped, Baby New Year is out of diapers, and you are fully recovered from a month of holiday parties. Time for a Big Gay Fun Bus with a trip to Montego Bay in West Wendover, Nevada. Petunia Pap Smear, herself, will be hosting the bus and Cherri Bombb will be driving! Pansy Pap Smear may make an appearance as well! As you know, the bus is $25 a ticket, which gets you a ride TO Wendover and, if you are good, a ride FROM Wendover from the parking lot of Club Try-Angles. It also gets you a FREE Saturday Spectacular seafood buffet
at the Oceano Buffet at the Montego or Cafe Milano at Peppermill or Bimini Buffet at the Rainbow. Bingo on the bus will have hundreds of dollars in prize value. Wheel roulette wins $25 in free play. You will also get a free cocktail at the Montego Bay bars, lucky bucks and water and soft drinks on the bus. WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 10 TICKETS: biggayfunbus. com or Club Try-Angles
CODE Night The last Friday of the month is when blackBOOTS presents CODE Night at JAM for leather and other fetish lovers when. Celebrate your kink with other like-minded individuals. A special naughty little surprise at 11PM. Strict dress code for entry: Leather, Fetish Gear, Harness, Latex, Rubber, Uniforms, Gender F*ck, Underwear or Western. Don’t have gear? No problem, because your underwear will be just fine. A little shy? The minimum requirement is jeans and a black t-shirt or shirtless. WHEN: Friday, Dec. 26, 10pm WHERE: Jam, 751 N 300 W INFO: facebook.com/jamslc
QUAC’s annual Century Swim Start the new year right with QUAC. Set a goal and jump in the pool. QUAC wants to see everyone do 100 of something. One hundred lengths of the pool; one hundred laps; or one hundred 100’s. It’s up to you. A fundraiser and clothing drive will be attached to the event. WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 1, 11am–1pm WHERE: Fairmont Aquatic Center, 1044 E Sugarmont Dr INFO: facebook.com/quacquac
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Q ua l i ty and Af fo rd a b l e F u n e ra l s Serving the entire State of Utah
Utah lesbian couple married in Seattle as part of tourism campaign Two Utah women were the fourth LGBTQ couple to be married through Visit Seattle’s Marry Me in Seattle campaign last night. Some 20 friends and family were on hand to witness Jamie Anneal Palmer and Jennifer Lee Robinson tie the knot at 1927 Events. The couple was chosen randomly from hundreds of entrants in the sweepstakes and received a Seattle wedding trip hosted and coordinated by Visit Seattle, the city’s nonprofit tourism marketing organization. They received air transportation from Alaska Airlines, a four-night stay at The Paramount Hotel, a wedding ceremony at 1927 Events, flowers, wedding photography, DJ, ground transportation from Uber Seattle, champagne courtesy of Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, beer from Hilliard’s Brewery & Taproom and dessert from Top Pot Doughnuts. “Seattle has been so welcoming to us! We feel comfortable and accepted!” said Palmer. “Thank you Seattle for the incredible wedding and for an amazing once in a lifetime experience.” This was the fourth of four couples to win a Seattle wedding trip through the Marry Me in Seattle campaign. On September 3, Zachary Baker and Samuel Busch of St. Paul, MN were married in a ceremony that was officiated by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray. On October 1, Blake Easter and Patrick Atkinson of South PHOTO: KRISTEN MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY
Carolina were married by Seattle Judge Anne Levinson (Ret.), who was a leading proponent of legalizing same sex marriages in Washington. On November 5, Andrea Ross DeLuna and Claudia Araceli Pizano tied the knot at the Seattle Aquarium. Palmer and Robinson have been a couple for one year. They met at a friend’s charity event, which was followed by a first date drive to the mountains, where they talked and walked along the beach of a lake. The mountains took on an even more special meaning when Palmer proposed in the mountains of Idaho. The Marry Me in Seattle campaign was created to invite LGBTQ visitors to Seattle by showcasing the city’s progressive and welcoming culture. The campaign web site, 2DaysInSeattle.com/marryme, features an essential Seattle LGBTQ marriage checklist that includes a link to Washington state’s marriage equality law (Referendum 74 which was passed by Washington voters in November 2012), information and links for marriage applications and licenses and a list of LGBTQ officiants. The web site also features a wedding resource guide that includes more than 30 Seattle romance packages, transportation, wedding music and DJs, florists, photographers, venues and catering companies. The site and resource list are permanent and continuouslyupdated. Q
At Serenity Funeral Home, we understand that the loss of a family member or other loved one can be difficult.
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16 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | YEAR IN REVIEW
2014 in review Our annual
year in review starts December 20 of last year as U.S. District Court Judge Robert Shelby declared that Utah’s Amendment 3 and other laws that restricted marriage from same-sex couples was unconstitutional. Utah was the first ruled on since the U.S. Supreme Court struck California’s Proposition 8 and parts of the federal Defense of Marriage Act in June, 2013. “The court agrees with Utah that regulation of marriage has traditionally been the province of the states, and remains so
today. But any regulation adopted by a state, whether related to marriage or any other interest, must comply with the Constitution of the United States,” Shelby began. “Applying the law as it is required to do, the court holds that Utah’s prohibition on same-sex marriage conflicts with the United States Constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and due process under the law. The State’s current laws deny its gay and lesbian citizens their fundamental right to marry and, in so doing, demean the dignity of these same-sex couples for no rational reason. Accordingly, the court finds that these laws are unconstitutional.” The case was brought forth by Utah nonprofit organization Restore Our Humanity and law firm Magleby & Greenwood, representing three same-sex couples in Utah: Derek Kitchen and Moudi Sbeity, Karen Archer and Kate Call, and Laurie Wood and Kody Partridge, naming Gov. Gary Herbert, then-Attorney General John Swallow, and Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen. Marriages immediately began in Salt
Lake County as The Queens’ Tea entrepreneur couple Michael Ferguson and J. Seth Anderson. Two marriages also happened in St. George. The next day, being a Saturday, started off with rumors that Salt Lake, Davis and Weber County Clerks’ offices would open to issue licenses. Davis and Salt Lake were merely rumors, but Weber County Clerk Ricky Hatch had wanted to open, but was shut down for what he called “security reasons.” The following Monday, most clerks opened their offices to same-sex couples, but Cache County Attorney James Swink closed his office for all business, Box Elder County posted sheriffs at the clerk’s office doors to stop any attempts by same-sex couples to get a marriage license. Sanpete County commissioners held an emergency meeting and shut down their county clerk’s office through Tuesday. Utah County Clerk Bryan Thompson refused to issue licenses to same-sex couples until Dec. 27.
JANUARY SUPREME COURT ISSUES STAY ON UTAH SAME-SEX MARRIAGES On January 6, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay on Shelby’s decision, closing the 17-day window of same-sex marriages in the state. Newly-sworn Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes declared the legal status of the more than 1,300 same-sex marriages performed in the state as being in “legal limbo.” The Utah Tax Commission ruled that Utah’s legally-married same-sex couples must file separately and use figures from a faux federal form completed as if the couple were legal strangers. United States Attorney General Eric Holder announced the Obama Administration’s intent to ensure that all marriages performed in Utah are recognized equally by the federal government. The Social Security Office, however, refused to accept Utah marriage certificates as identification to allow a name change for most of the year.
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OTIS CHARLES DIES Former Utah Episcopal Bishop E. Otis Charles, 87, died at Coming Home Hospice in San Francisco. He had moved to the hospice in early December, after his husband, Felipe Sanchez-Paris, died last August. Charles’ ashes were interred in the Diocese of Utah’s Cathedral Church of St. Mark in Salt Lake City after a ceremony in San Francisco.
LDS CHURCH SAYS NO TO SAMESEX TEMPLE WEDDINGS The LDS Church found it necessary to issue a statement that they would not allow the performance of same-sex marriages in their churches or by their clergy. “Consistent with our fundamental beliefs, Church officers will not employ their ecclesiastical authority to perform marriages between two people of the same sex, and the Church does not permit its meetinghouses or other properties to be used for ceremonies, receptions, or other activities associated with same-sex marriages. Nevertheless, all visitors are welcome to our chapels and premises so long as they respect our standards of conduct while there.”
MASS WEDDING RECEPTION RAISES FUNDS FOR RESTORE OUR HUMANITY QSaltLake, Le Croissant Catering and The Rail Event Center held a “Love Elevated: Mass Wedding Reception” for the hundreds of same-sex couples who dropped everything to run to their county clerks’ offices to get married, fearing the window of opportunity would be short. Over 1,500 people attended, raising $25,000 for Restore Our Humanity.
UTAHNS SUPPORT NONDISCRIMINATION LAWS In a poll released by The Salt Lake Tribune, 60 percent of Utahns surveyed supported a statewide law that would prohibit discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens in the workplace and 59 percent support protections in the housing market. Only 35 and 36 percent, respectively, opposed the measures.
ACLU SUES UTAH The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Utah, and Strindberg & Scholnick filed a lawsuit in Utah state court on behalf of four same-sex couples who were legally married in Utah after a federal court struck down a state ban, but before the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily halted marriages from taking place while the state challenged the decision. Although the marriages were valid, the state has announced that it had placed recognition of their marriages on hold indefinitely.
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“These couples were legally married under Utah law and their unions must be treated the same as any other Utah marriage,” said John Mejia, legal director of the ACLU of Utah. “Even our attorney general said that the marriages were entitled to full recognition by the state at the time they were performed. Regardless of what ultimately happens in the federal challenge to Utah’s marriage ban, the marriages that already occurred are valid and must be recognized now.”
FEBRUARY OPERATION BLUE NOTE DEMANDS LEGISLATORS HEAR SB100 Utah State Sen. Steve Urquhart (R-St. George) taped the first blue note to the doors of the Utah Senate chamber. The message was simple: “Hear SB100.” The bill, its sixth year on the hill, sought to provide housing and employment protections for LGBT Utahns through current anti-discrimination measures. It would have added the terms “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to current law that protects people on the basis of race, creed, religion, sex, family status, etc. Last year the bill made its most significant progress, favorably passing a senate committee, before failing to pass at the end of the session.
LEGISLATORS SHOW ANIMUS TO TRANS* COMMUNITY As the Utah legislative leaders considered a moratorium on LGBT-related legislation, worried that potential ‘animus’ in discussions of the bills would hurt the state’s efforts to overturn Judge Shelby’s ruling that prohibiting same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, Utah Senate President Wayne Neiderhauser (R-Salt Lake) and Rep. Jacob Anderegg (R-Lehi) demonstrated exactly why Sen. Urquhart’s non-discrimination bill, SB100, is needed. Earlier, Anderegg was erroneously listed as the sponsor of SB100. Anderegg then tweeted that he is “strongly considering a gender identitfying [sic] change to use the open womens [sic]” restroom as the private “Men’s” bathroom in the House office building is occupied. To which Neiderhauser replied, “First supporting SB100, now switching your gender identity? Just can’t keep up with you. You’re a new man! erm...woman...” Neiderhauser later claimed an intern sent the tweet and offered to meet with any trans* people and friends who were offended by the remark. The exchange prompted a meeting between legislative leaders and the trans* community where people could tell their stories and explain why suck mocking hurts them.
LEGISLATURE DECIDES TO TABLE ALL LGBT-RELATED BILLS IN 2014 Utah House and Senate leaders decided not to hear any lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender-related bills for fear that rhetoric on both sides of the issue may affect the pending appeal of the Dec. 20 ruling by Judge Robert Shelby striking down the state’s prohibition of same-sex marriage. Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes told Republicans in a closed-door session that if any LGBT-related bills receive a public testimony, it was “inevitable that some lawmaker or member of the public would say something offensive: and could damage the state’s case.” Senate President Wayne Niederhauser (R-Sandy) said the high emotion behind the bills made leadership decide not to hear them, including SB100, during the appeal.
PARK CITY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS RAISE MONEY FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY Braving freezing temperatures, members of the Park City High School Gay-Straight Alliance sold water and coffee for ten days to Sundance Film Festival attendees. Their goal: raise money to support the activities of their alliance and make a donation to Restore Our Humanity, the organization behind the same-sex marriage case in Utah. Standing in the cold, the students used clever rhymes and sales pitches to ply their goods to festival goers. After 10 days of work, the alliance was able to make a donation of $1,000 to Restore. On the check’s memo line they noted that the donation was for “our future.”
NAT’L FAIR HOUSING ALLIANCE URGES UTAH SENATE TO HEAR SB100 With news of the Utah Senate planning to table SB 100, an anti-discrimination bill that would protect gays and lesbians under the state’s existing housing civil rights laws, Shanna L. Smith, president of the National Fair Housing Alliance, issued a statement calling for the state legislative body to keep the bill alive and hold a vote on it. “The National Fair Housing Alliance urges Utah Senate leaders to bring up Senate Bill 100 for consideration during this legislative session. S.B. 100 would extend existing housing and employment protections in Utah to LGBT people, opening up job and housing opportunities for more individuals and families across the state. “SB 100 is the right bill at the right time. Today, Utah’s housing and employment law does not protect all people, and leaves the door open for landlords and other housing providers to deny housing choice to people based on their sexual orientation or gender
identity rather than on objective qualifying standards. This is not the American way of equality and fairness. All people deserve the right to equal access to housing.”
PROTESTERS DEMANDING PASSAGE OF SB100 ARRESTED FOR BLOCKING ACCESS TO COMMITTEE HEARING Thirteen protesters who were at the Utah State Capitol Building demanding passage of Senate Bill 100 were arrested as they blocked access to a legislative committee hearing. The bill would enact a statewide nondiscrimination law protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Utahns from discrimination in the workplace and in housing. The group first lined up outside the governor’s office and were met by bill sponsor Sen. Steve Urquhart and Sen. Jim Dabakis, Utah’s only openly gay state legislator. They later moved to block access to a committee hearing that Utah Senate President Wayne Niederhauser was to attend. Legislative legal counsel told the protesters that blocking access to an legislative meeting could be charged as a felony. The protesters refused to move as others trying to access the committee hearing began yelling at them. Utah Highway Patrol officers then brought out zip ties and arrested the protesters one-by-one. Arrested were Troy Williams, Michelle and Gail Turpin, Donna Weinholtz, Gail Murdock, Jake Hanson, Orlando Luna, Dustin Trent, Matt Conway, Kevin Garner, Steven Germann, Angela Isaacs and Matthew Landis. They would later be dubbed the “Capitol 13.” Each is now facing charges of class B misdemeanor disrupting a meeting, which carries a maximum six months in jail and $1000 fine.
HOLLADAY PASSES NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE Holladay City become the 20th municipality in the state to ensure that gay and transgender residents can live and work without fear of unfair discrimination. “Discrimination against hardworking lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Utahns in our state is real. Forty-nine percent of gay Utahns, and a staggering 67 percent of transgender Utahns have been fired, denied a job, or not promoted solely because of who they are,” said Equality Utah Executive Director Brandie Balken. The ordinance’s passage took some coaching from Equality Utah’s staff. “Through this process I grew, and became a better listener as I considered both sides of the argument,” said Council Member Patricia Pignanelli. “Ultimately I came out of this experience full of respect for the people on both sides of the issue.
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STEVEN HA CHOSEN AS UTAH PRIDE CENTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Utah Pride Center leaders chose to extend a one-year contract to Steven Ha, who was named the interim director earlier this year. “This feels like a homecoming to me,” said Steven Ha, “and I am dedicated to collaborating with stakeholders, professionals, and the LGBTQ community to shape a stronger and healthier Utah.”
UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL STEPS INTO PRIVATE ADOPTION CASES The Utah Attorney General’s office was stepping into the “private, personal” matters of adoptions by legally married same sex couples, according to several families who held a press conference at the Utah State Capitol. Attorneys Laura Milliken Gray, Shane Marx, Christopher Wharton and Janelle Bauer held the conference, asking the state to “protect all of the families and children in Utah.” “The Utah Attorney General’s office has taken the extreme position of injecting itself into what have always been private, sealed second-parent adoption cases,” said Gray.
MARCH DABAKIS RESIGNED AS UTAH STATE DEMOCRATIC CHAIR Openly gay Utah state Sen. Jim Dabakis resigned as chair of the state Democratic Party. In an email sent to Democrats across the state, Dabakis said that his tenure as chair was transformative, yet extremely taxing on his personal life. He said he resigned for family reasons and medical issues. He maintained his senatorial seat and radio shows.
QSALTLAKE PUBLISHER RECEIVED ‘SERVICE TO JOURNALISM’ AWARD The University of Utah Department of Communications presented the “Service to Journalism” award to QSaltLake publisher and editor Michael Aaron at their 59th Annual Communication Awards Banquet, which honors students who have won awards or scholarships, and new members of Kappa Tau Alpha, the national honor society for students in journalism. In addition, distinguished members of the community are honored.
APRIL SLC MAN KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS DEFENDING GAY FRIEND According to Salt Lake City police, a straight man was punched in the face and knocked unconscious while he was defending his gay friend downtown. “Two male victims were involved in a ver-
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bal dispute with a group of Middle Eastern or Indian males who took offense to the perceived sexual preference of the victims,” a report reads. “As the victims were standing outside on the sidewalk, one of the suspects approached one of the victims and punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious.”
THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN DAY OF SILENCE Hundreds of thousands of students at more than 8,000 schools participated in the 19th annual GLSEN Day of Silence to raise awareness about the pervasiveness of antiLGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. LGBT students and their allies remained silent throughout the school day or during non-instructional time to illustrate the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bias and behavior.
KITCHEN MARRIAGE TEAM TRAVELED TO DENVER TO TESTIFY BEFORE THE 10TH CIRCUIT COURT The legal team, couples, and leaders of Restore Our Humanity traveled to Denver to argue their case before the 10th Circuit Court. The newly formed Utah Unites for Marriage held a send-off celebration for them at the Salt Lake City Main Library. “These brave Utahns are putting their families front and center in leading the charge for the freedom to marry. They need to know that, as a state and a movement, we stand with them in this historic quest,” organizers said in a statement.
STUDY: SAME-SEX MARRIAGE WOULD BOOST UTAH ECONOMY The state of Utah would see an economic boost of a million dollars in sales tax revenue and 268 full- and part-time jobs in the state once marriage was extended to same-sex couples, said a report from the University of California School of Law’s Williams Institute. “We predict that 1,955 in-state same-sex couples would choose to marry in the three years following an opening of marriage to same-sex couples in Utah,” the report by E.G. Fitzgerald, Christy Mallory and M.V. Lee Badgett says. “The total spending on wedding arrangements and tourism by resident same-sex couples and their guests would add an estimated $15.5 million to the state and local economy of Utah over the course of three years, with a $9.9 million boost in the first year alone.”
MAY TENN. MAN TRIED TO JOIN UTAH CASE TO MARRY COMPUTER A former attorney from Brentwood, Tenn. asked to be included as an additional
plaintiff in the Kitchen v. Herbert marriage equality case as it was being heard by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mark Christopher Sevier filed the motion with the court, arguing that he had also been damaged by Utah’s marriage ban when he attempted to obtain a marriage license for himself and a machine. In his 50-page brief, Sevier argues that “The Constitutionality of the law in dispute narrowly defines marriage between ‘one man and one women (sic),’ not ‘one man and one man,’ ‘one woman and one woman,’ ‘one man and one machine,’ ‘one man and one animal’ which violates the Due Process Clause and Equal Protection clause of all classes of sexual orientation, not just same-sex orientation.”
POSSIBLE HATE CRIME IN FAIRPARK NEIGHBORHOOD Two men suffered concussions, cuts and bruises after simply saying “hello” to a man at a 7-11 at 10th West and North Temple. Estevan Lucero said the man began calling him “faggot” while in the store and others with the man began getting aggressive. Lucero and his boyfriend Braulio Rodriguez tried to leave in their car, and the man and his friends threw fruit into the car through an open window. Rodriguez said he tried to go into the store to get help and was punched in the face and thrown to the ground by one or more of the men. Lucero got out of the car to help his partner, but was blocked by two of the men, Rodriguez told QSaltLake. The men punched him in the face as well. No arrests were even made in the assault.
MORMONS BUILDING BRIDGES REJECTED BY DAYS OF ‘47 PARADE Though this year’s theme of the Days of ’47 Parade was “Pioneers-Pushing Toward Our Future,” that future apparently does not include gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and ally pioneers. Parade organizers rejected an application for Mormons Building Bridges, which has marched in the Utah Pride Parade since 2012 and has grown to 5,000 Facebook members, to join in the festivities. The group proposed an entry titled “Mormons Building Bridges Celebrates Utah’s LGBT/SSA Pioneers” to include a car with eight leaders from areas of public service, business, the arts, and the faith community, who also happen to be LGBT.
PRIDE FESTIVAL DIRECTOR AND EVENTS COORDINATOR RESIGN 3 WEEKS BEFORE PRIDE With less than three weeks remaining until the annual Utah Pride Festival, two key event staff members left the Utah Pride Center. Megan Risbon, under contract as
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Festival Director since January 2014, terminated her contract and Events Coordinator Shannon Hagen left that same week. Issues apparently came to a head during the May board of directors meeting, when board chair John Netto and ex-officio board member Nikki Boyer repeatedly interrupted Hagen during her presentation of a festival status report when she announced that ticket prices would be $8 for pre-sales and $10 at the gate. Boyer and Netto were under the impression tickets would be $15 and were also concerned that the entertainment budget was surpassed. Tickets, however, had gone on sale April 15.
JUNE UTAH PRIDE NAMES MARRIAGE PLAINTIFFS AS PARADE GRAND MARSHALS This year, Utah Pride selected six grand marshals of the Utah Pride Festival: the three couples of Utah’s Amendment 3 marriage equality case — Moudi Sbeity and Derek Kitchen, Laurie Wood and Kody Partridge, and Kate Call and Karen Archer. “By standing up for what is right, they have become a beacon of hope for the Utah LGBTQ community and for LGBTQ citizens all across the nation. Join in the celebration of the courage, determination and passion of these three couples as they all continue to work for marriage equality in the state of Utah,” leaders said.
SLC POLICE OFFICER PLACED ON LEAVE AFTER REFUSING ASSIGNMENT DURING UTAH PRIDE Salt Lake City police have provided security services for Utah Pride every year it has been held in city limits, said police spokeswoman Lara Jones. This year, an officer was put on paid administrative leave for refusing an assignment at Utah Pride. “If you refuse to do an assignment, that’s going to be a problem inside the police department,” Jones said. “The vast majority of officers, when they come to work, they understand that they leave their personal opinions at home and serve the community.” The unnamed officer cited religious convictions in asking for reassignment rather than participating directly in the parade. He ultimately resigned his position over the incident.
UTAH PRIDE DRAWS BIGGER CROWD, MAKES LESS MONEY The 2014 Utah Pride Festival and Parade was another banner year for attendees, but profits to help run the Utah Pride Center were down. The Festival drew 34,608 people, including volunteers, sponsors, booth
personnel and Center staff. Of that, 26,309 were festival-goers with tickets. Around 7,000 showed up for Saturday’s festivities, and over 19,000 attended on Sunday. Last year’s festival drew around 28,000 total participants, nearly a 24 percent increase in total attendance this year. Salt Lake City police estimated the Utah Pride Parade as a total of 35,000 participants, including all those marching in the parade and those on the sidelines watching. Nearly 900 volunteers staffed 1,400 3-hour shifts plus 14 community partner organizations covered such things as the merchandise booth run by the Utah Bears, the wine bar run by QUAC, etc. There were 248 vendors, up from 175 the previous year, 143 parade entries, up from 125 in 2013 and between 8,000 and 11,000 people participated in parade entries, according to the report. Income for the event was reported at $663,330. About 37 percent of that was from admissions ($246,000), 27 percent in beverage sales, 25 percent in cash sponsors, $2,500 pitched into the large rainbow flag in the parade, and $2,800 in tips at beverage stations. Expenses, however, were much higher this year than last at $528,282. Thirty-five percent of that was used in logistics (tents, signs, venue rental, insurance, etc.), 15 percent for staffing and stipends, seven percent for security and safety, five percent for permits and insurance, and 11 percent for entertainers and their travel. The net proceeds, therefore, ended up at roughly $135,000, almost half of 2013’s $264,000. Total expenses in 2013 were only $372,000.
10TH CIRCUIT COURT UPHOLDS SHELBY’S MARRIAGE RULING The three-judge panel on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby’s Dec. 20 ruling that Utah’s Amendment 3 and other laws that restricted marriage to male-female couples violates the U.S. Constitution. “Having heard and carefully considered the argument of the litigants, we conclude that, consistent with the United States Constitution, the State of Utah may not do so. We hold that the Fourteenth Amendment protects the fundamental right to marry, establish a family, raise children, and enjoy the full protection of a state’s marital laws. A state may not deny the issuance of a marriage license to two persons, or refuse to recognize their marriage, based solely upon the sex of the persons in the marriage union. For the reasons stated in this opinion, we affirm.” The judges stayed their decision while the state of Utah decided whether to appeal.
RESTORE OUR HUMANITY PASSED THE TORCH Restore Our Humanity, the organization that put together the plaintiffs and the attorneys, and assumed the financial responsibility for the Kitchen v. Herbert case announced that they were passing the torch in the battle as it moves to the Supreme Court level. “We are proud and humbled to be a part of Kitchen v. Herbert. Nevertheless, we recognize our limitations and finite resources. Restore Our Humanity is a tiny, almost allvolunteer, grass-roots organization which has never sought the national spotlight. Our focus as an organization has always been to serve the diverse communities of Utah, and affect real, lasting, positive change here.
JULY POCATELLO PASSES LGBT DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE Pocatello became one of seven Idaho cities where city leaders adopted local ordinances barring employers, landlords and most businesses from discriminating on basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. But Pocatello’s ordinance was the first in the state to be upheld through a ballot referendum. Opponents claimed the ordinance forced business owners to choose between their personal beliefs and their profession. Proposition One on the May 20 ballot asked city residents whether to repeal the ordinance or keep it. Officials say that 4,943 people voted to keep the law in place, while 4,863 people voted to rescind it. Opponents asked for the recount in June, and paid $100 for each precinct they wanted recounted.
BRANDIE BALKEN LEAVES EQUALITY UTAH Just shy of her fifth anniversary as executive director of Equality Utah, Brandie Balken announced she will be leaving in August to assume a new position with the Gill Foundation, one of the nation’s largest funders of LGBT equality work. “My service as the executive director of
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Equality Utah has been the most rewarding and challenging of my life. As a lifelong Utahn it has been extraordinary to witness the astounding change in public opinion, and in public policy,” Balken said. “I am so honored to have had the opportunity to do this work at this amazing time, having benefited from the hard work and sacrifice of my predecessors — and countless others in this incredible community.
VETERAN SUES IDAHO FOR BURIAL RIGHTS NEAR HER PARTNER Madelynn Lee Taylor, a 74-year-old military veteran, challenged an Idaho state law prohibiting her from being buried in the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery with her late wife, Jean Mixner. Taylor served in the Navy from 1958 to 1964. In 2013, she tried to make advance arrangements to have her ashes interred with those of her wife in a
granite columbarium at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery, as other veterans and their spouses are permitted. Though Mixner and Taylor were married in California in 2008, cemetery employees refused her request because Idaho law does not recognize their marriage. She was allowed to inter her partner after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Idaho’s laws banning same-sex marriage in October.
UTAH MAN FIRED FOR WRITING ABOUT ‘GAY PHONES’ Saying people will think the school is associated with gay sex, the owner of a Utah school that teaches English as a second language fired a man from his job as a social media specialist for a blog post he made on homophones. No, not a gay phone, but words that sound like another word. Tim PHOTO: DAVID NEWKIRK
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Torkildson said that shortly after his lesson went up, Nomen Global Language Center owner Clarke Woodger fired him, complaining “now our school is going to be associated with homosexuality.”
AUGUST BYU IS 4TH MOST “GAYUNFRIENDLY” UNIVERSITY IN U.S. The Princeton Review released its annual survey results which listed Provo’s Brigham Young University, owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) as the fourth most gay-unfriendly university in America. BYU claimed the number 6 spot last year.
FACEBOOK DONATED $10,000 TO REYES’ CAMPAIGN According to disclosures filed with the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s office, Facebook, Inc. donated $10,000 to the campaign of Attorney General Sean Reyes. Facebook, according to its “diversity” page, “values the impact that every individual can have. We are dedicated to creating an environment where people can be their authentic selves and share their diverse backgrounds, experiences, perspectives and ideas.”
BYU BOOKSTORE REMOVES SAME-SEX WEDDING CARDS Get ready to clutch your pearls and gasp so hard you black out. The Brigham Young University Bookstore removed a series of greeting cards aimed at congratulating same-sex couples on their marriage. What you might be surprised at, is that they got there in the first place. Hallmark cards reading “Mr. and Mr.” and “Mrs. and Mrs.” were quickly removed from the bookstore shelves after the staff were alerted by social media. “The outside vendor stocked the shelves without realizing the school wouldn’t want to sell the cards marketed to buyers celebrating unions between two brides and two grooms,” BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins said. She noted that the cards were likely not on the shelves long, but rest assured staffers have spoken with the company
about leaving similar cards off university store shelves in the future.
SUTHERLAND INSTITUTE FIRES PRESIDENT PAUL MERO “I have been fired twice in my life,” Sutherland Institute President Paul Mero wrote on his personal Facebook wall. “Once after a short lobbying stint in between congressional gigs and a second time Friday, August 15, at 8:15 am.” Mero spent the last 14 years at the helm of the ultraconservative “think tank.” “Utah is an ensign to this nation. Notwithstanding this success, exercising its prerogative, the board fired me — professionally, but unceremoniously,” he wrote. “Rest assured there is no scandal. I am the man everybody knows.”
SEPTEMBER EQUALITY UTAH ANNOUNCED 2014 ALLIES FOR EQUALITY AWARDS Each year at their annual Allies Dinner, Equality Utah selects people or organizations as their “Allies of the Year.” At this year’s dinner at the Salt Palace Grand Ballroom, three awards were given: Salt lake District Attorney Sim Gill, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and Affirmation LGBT Mormons Families and Friends.
GAY FORMER WSU FOOTBALL STAR SPOKE AT OGDEN SYMPOSIUM As part of the second annual Allen Holmes Diversity Symposium, Weber State University hosted Wade Davis II, a former WSU football star who spent four years in the NFL. Davis announced he was gay in 2012, nine years after the conclusion of his professional football career. Since his retirement, Davis has worked to open doors and change perceptions of gay athletes. He is the executive director of You Can Play, an organization dedicated to ensuring equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation. Davis spoke twice during the symposium in an address titled “Out Athletes: Hidden in Plain Sight.”
PROVO PRIDE DRAW HUNDREDS Hundreds of people, including families and children, attended the second annual Provo Pride, to listen to live music, dine from food trucks and visit various festival booths. Provo Pride Festival president Tosh Metzger said the slogan “It gets happier” was designed to show how family-friendly the festival really was. Provo Pride council member Michael Bronson said Provo has “such a diverse culture, even though it’s so conservative here. There are so many gays who need to show
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their colors.”
OCTOBER UTAH SIGN COMPANIES DENY GOD’S LOVE The “One and Only God of the Internet,” a comedian who has launched a project to place “God Loves Gays” billboards in hot spots around the country, announced a decision to place a billboard in Salt Lake City, Utah, but was denied by the two largest outdoor advertising companies in the valley: Reagan Outdoor and Young Electric Sign Company. “God” raised funds through crowd funding site Indiegogo to place billboards in Topeka, Kansas and then in Salt Lake City. “YESCO evaluates all requests for advertising placement to make the best decision for our clients, our company and the communities in which we operate. We balance that with a strong commitment to adhere to community standards and to ensure that the messages placed are not offensive towards any business, group or individual,” a company spokesperson wrote.
UTAH PRIDE CENTER CUT HOURS, REOPENED CYBERCENTER The Utah Pride Center announced that it cut its hours by over 57 percent, now open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. At one point, the Center was open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. Since its move to the Fourth South building, the organization has suffered financial issues. The new CyberCenter was funded by the David Bohnett Foundation and includes free access to four computer workstations and a printer, along with an internet connection.
U.S. SUPREME COURT REJECTS UTAH’S MARRIAGE APPEAL The United States Supreme Court officially rejected appeals from Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin on marriage equality cases, immediately ending the previously imposed stays on appellate court rulings and making same-sex marriage legal in 30 states and the District of Columbia on October 6. “We are thrilled and humbled to have been able to help bring marriage equality to the people of Utah and the other states in the Tenth Circuit. This is a perfect example of how our judicial system should work. Love and justice prevail,” said Mark Lawrence, director of Restore Our Humanity.
EQUALITY UTAH TAPS TROY WILLIAMS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ‘This isn’t quite the life path I envisioned for myself when I was a 19-year-old Mormon missionary knocking doors in England,” Troy Williams told the crowd of over 2,000 gathered at Equality Utah’s annual Allies Dinner. “Or when I came home from my mission and I was so scared of being gay that I became an intern for the one organization where I thought I would be safe – The Utah Eagle Forum. Gayle [Ruzicka] had no idea she was training the future director of Equality Utah. Obviously, I’ve come a long way since then.” Williams took the helm after former executive director Brandie Balken moved to Denver, Colo. to work at the Gill Foundation.
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work toward better and deeper understanding of transgender issues in Utah.” While Utah has lost at least one trans* resident to suicide, the numbers of trans* assaults have risen to over 25.
DECEMBER TOWN HALL MEETING CALLED ON ULTRA-CONSERVATIVE ANTI-GAY RHETORIC IN UTAH COUNTY In response to the rising anti-gay rhetoric by ultra-conservative activists in Utah County, Restore Our Humanity has called for a town meeting to address what they call the “deceptive vilification and defamation that has been launched against the LGBT community since marriage equality debates have come to Utah.” “The international ‘anti-gay’ industry has multi-million dollar budgets and they
UTAH SEN. MIKE LEE INDUCTED INTO HRC ‘HALL OF SHAME’ The Human Rights Campaign inducted the inaugural class of the most anti-equality members of Congress into its Hall of Shame. Utah Sen. Mike Lee is among the 19 members in the list. Lee was the author of the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act, which “Prohibits the federal government from taking an adverse action against a person on the basis that such person acts in accordance with a religious belief that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.” It was introduced in the house on Sept. 19, 2013 and has sat in committee for 13 months. He also voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, as he believes equal protection does not apply to LGBT people.
TRANS* ADVOCATES HELD VIGILS AT CAPITOL, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH Two trans* events took place on the 16th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance in Salt Lake City with a silent vigil in the Utah State Capitol Rotunda and an evening event at First Baptist Church. The vigil and bell ringing, marking each of the names of the transgender individuals who have lost their lives to violence, neglect and suicide, began at noon. “It’s important to bring this event to the very people whose power can evoke change,” said TEA of Utah Executive Director Connie Anast-Inman. “This is a time where, in silence, we come to honor their lives and bring the issue of transgender violence to the people of Utah. As a state, we must publicly condemn the violence and
hide behind the guise of religion, mainly Christianity,” leaders wrote in a statement. “There is no shortage of these organizations in Utah. Scathing anti-gay rhetoric is routinely published in local papers. Whether the sources are institutional, personal or leaders of organized groups, these attacks are destructive and unwelcome in a civilized state.” The group says that such rhetoric hurts families and causes a rift in the general community.
HA RESIGNS AS UTAH PRIDE CENTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Utah Pride Center announced that its executive director, Steven Ha, has resigned. Also, John Netto is also no longer the president of the board of directors as the board elected new leaders at their December board meeting. Elected as president of the board was Kent Frogley, who had been the vice president. Christopher Wharton was elected as vice president, Kathleen Boyd as treasurer and Jason Suker as secretary.
22 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | VIEWS
views
“
My friendships have gotten stronger because of my self acceptance. My smile is a lot more genuine and surfaces much more frequently. I laugh a lot more. My body has time to recover from a workout because I’m actually an easy-going person. I have found qualities — both physical and emotionalthat I like about myself — though that’s still a work in progress. My number of good days far out number my bad days.”
gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
—Olympic swimming hopeful Tom Luchsinger after
“
coming out in OutSports
I see [Grindr] as more of a bar than a sex club. If you go to a bar, you don’t want to see someone with his genitals hanging out. Outside the gay community, people would probably say it’s just a hookup app. And absolutely, sex is going on. But it’s more than that, because there’s always the possibility you will hit the jackpot and find someone who will move you. It has this potential for making a huge impact in your life.” —Grindr CEO Joel Simkhai in the New York Times.
“
Look at Marcus Bachmann, Michele Bachmann’s husband. Anybody who has gaydar — anybody who has eyes — looks at him and sees a tormented closet case who has externalized his internal conflict and is abusing other people, doing his reparativetherapy bullshit. It’s so sad and pathetic. A lot of the self-destructive behaviors gay people are prone to drifting into are directed inward, and then you have these shitbags like Marcus Bachmann for whom it’s all directed outward. Marcus
Bachmann is the photo negative of the guy on the last bar stool in the gay bar, drinking and smoking himself to death, except instead of destroying himself, he’s destroying other vulnerable queer people in an effort to destroy the queer inside himself.”
“
—Dan Savage in an interview with Playboy
I know that most relationships don’t work out, statistically, and I put my son’s health and happiness as my number one priority.” —Perez Hilton on dating and having a child to Gays With Kids
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WHERE CAN SINGLE LGBT PARENTS MEET POTENTIAL DATES? Florida-based life coach and LCSW, Jennifer Kelman, suggests looking for potential dates in places where you’re likely to meet other gay people. Try the Utah Pride Center or the Gay and Lesbian Parents of Utah group (you can find the GLPU on Facebook.) Dating sites geared toward LGBT people are another great idea. Trish McDermott, Dating Coach at OneGoodLove.com (herself a single lesbian mom), explained sites like hers fit better into the LGBT reality because people can search terms that you can’t on more mainstream dating sites, like “femme” or “bottom.” She also suggests: “Go to every party you are invited to, and throw some parties too. Book clubs seem to be fertile dating ground for gay men and lesbians. And why not try speed dating? Bring a single friend along to compare notes and laugh about it all. If there aren’t speed dating events for LGBT people in your area, organize one. It’s fun!”
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Peaches, my brother from another mother, and his partner called it quits. For the first time in about 15 years, Peaches finds himself single. He knew that getting back into the dating scene wouldn’t be easy, but his life changed dramatically since he was last single: he became a dad. Dating for any single parent is difficult, but for gay and lesbian single parents there is a whole different set of rules. So, in order to help my BFF navigate the dating waters, I reached out to several experts for advice.
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WHAT ABOUT APPS LIKE GRINDR OR TINDER? Author April Masini, who pens the free advice column “Ask April,” echoes what other experts say about these apps, “No matter how sexy you are, you’re a parent,
and that has to be a priority. Try to avoid sites that are geared more towards quick sex. Instead, focus on those that will yield a romance with someone, who might make a great parent in your child’s life. I hate to be a prude, but when you decide to have a child, you have a different focus in your life.”
WHEN SHOULD YOU MENTION TO YOUR DATE YOU’RE A PARENT? David Cruz of TV’s Millionaire Matchmaker told me, “This is why I love dating online. You can put your parental status right there on your profile. There is no awkward juggling of when to bring it up.” But what if Peaches meets his potential Mr. Right somewhere that doesn’t list his stats, interests, and turn ons? Cruz was emphatic, “It should be brought up in the initial conversation you have after exchanging phone numbers. Single parents have no time to waste on those who don’t want anything to do with kids. It’s better to be open and upfront from the get go!”
WHEN SHOULD YOU INTRODUCE YOUR KIDS TO THE PERSON YOU’RE DATING? The experts agree: Take it slow. Kelman adds, “If the fit is right and you are moving toward longevity and your values and integrity are in line with one another you can begin to introduce. I would wait until you are truly in an exclusive relationship with the goal of longevity. Kids should not be subject to the revolving door that dating can sometimes bring.”
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN TO A POTENTIAL DATE THAT YOUR CHILD IS YOUR FIRST PRIORITY? McDermott really hit the nail on the head, “Honestly, if you have to explain this to a date, you’re probably dating the wrong person.” The above advise is just the tip of the iceberg. So, I’ll continue this topic in next month’s column. Q
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gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
lambda lore
What is a community center? BY BEN WILLIAMS
What is
a community center? More importantly what should be the vision for a community center for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender community of Utah? Do we even have a vision anymore? Where are the visionaries and leaders in whom we can place our confidence and trust as we prepare to go into the second half of the decade? Shouldn’t we be asking what actually is the purpose of a community center and who gets to decide what that might be? Some advocate that the center should be a mental health and counseling resource. Others a show place for the elite to meet. While still others argue that a center’s main goal should be to promote youth activities and programs. While all these goals are worthy in of themselves, is that what a community center should look like? If so, then truly we should drop the word community from this nonprofit which often is view as only running programs and servicing clients from which grants can be obtained to pay salaries and upgrade the facility that houses its staff. Last year, as a crisis in the confidence in the leadership of the Utah Pride Center came to a head, nearly a hundred members of the GLBT met in an open forum for nearly a month to express their disappointment in the direction the center was going. Board and staff members who attended these meetings were defensive and often patronizing to those in attendance and while great promises were made at reform and transparency, promising :a new day” at the center, in reality business went on as usual. The center has floundered with no real leadership which connected it with the community at large. Staff came and went. Promises were not kept and the entire building has even gone on lock down. As 2015 is upon us, it appears that “the new boss is same as the old boss” with priorities placed on a building rather than the people for whom it was intended to serve. Well-heeled individuals’ voices are listened to far more than simply surveying
the general population to assess our needs. We still have a top-down hierarchy, telling us what our goals should be and where we should put our resources rather than seeking our opinions. A leadership that is perpetuated from among its own board certainly does not reflect the diversity within our community and can hardly represent its concerns. It was not always so. In 1989, at a meeting of the Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah, Garth Chamberlain, a representative of the Utah Gay and Lesbian Youth Group, stood up and proposed the formation of a committee to look into the feasibility of a Gay Community Center for Utah. The motion was sustained and passed and a committee was formed with Jim Hunsaker, a representative of the Lesbian and Gay Student Union of the University of Utah, elected chair. Elected is the operative word here. Our first community center was planned by elected leaders who worked under the direction of a body of representatives of individuals and representatives of community organizations that existed at the time. As a member of the community center committee I have first-hand knowledge of the struggle to create an organization that would represent the vision of GLCCU. I had the distinction of suggesting the name of the proposed organization to be the Utah Stonewall Center. I felt a need to connect us historically with the struggle for civil rights for homosexuals in America. As I understood it, the vision of a center was to be, as mandated by the GLCCU, first and foremost a welcoming home for Gay folks and their friends. It was to be a safe zone. It was to be a place of resources, information, and education. It was to be a space open to just drop in and hang out. It was to be a facility to house and provide meeting space for various community organizations. It was to be under the direction of the GLCCU and subject to its internal audits and purvey. At each monthly general meeting of the
GLCCU, which was open to all; with voting privileges extended to paid members, the USC committee chair would give an accounting of minutes and finances. Transparency was not an issue. We oldtimers who established the GLCCU and the USC cannot see why the issue of transparency is so difficult today, except for the fact that no one making decisions is accountable A center was to anyone in to be, first and the larger GLBT community. It’s foremost, a easy to dismiss welcoming home people’s views if for Gay folks one is an autocrat or is enabled by a and their friends. board to be one. It was to be a The Utah safe zone. It was Stonewall Center had its grand to be a place opening on June of resources, 1, 1991, mostly information, due to the efforts of Charlene and education Orchard who replaced Jim Hunsaker as chair of the USC committee. The first director of the center was Craig Miller, chosen by Orchard and sustained by the GLCCU. Almost immediately there was a clash of interest in what was the purpose of the USC. Orchard and Miller, who had never actually participated in the democratic process of the proceedings of GLCCU, began to ignore the stated purpose of having a center and focused on it becoming more of a social worker clinic ran by professionals rather than by volunteers from the community. I and others were troubled that the USC was moving in a different direction, under the direction of a few people, rather than following the vision set forth and approved by the GLCCU. USC’s first year was a tumultuous one as a struggle ensued to establish the purpose of the center. Hard feelings occurred, harsh accusations
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january 2015 | issue 239 | gaysaltlake.com
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were made, but in the end it was the GLCCU which made the decision in which direction the center should go after hearing all sides. Keeping the mandate for the center to be a safe zone and drop-in space for the community, Marlin Criddle was elected to replace Orchard and Melissa Sillitoe of the Youth Group was selected as director to replace Miller. The Utah Stonewall Center had an all-volunteer staff which kept the center open seven days a week 12 hours a day. At its peak, it housed the largest lending library of GLBT books, videos and music west of the Mississippi. It housed the Utah Stonewall Archives, a collection of resources and history of Utah’s struggle for equality. A monthly newsletter called the Center of Attention was published listing various activities. Women Community organizations led by Kathy Worthington helped paint and make curtains for the large meeting space with architects and builders putting up walls to provide more meeting space. A large binder with all the resources and numbers of bars, organizations, counseling and legal contacts was in the front station where volunteers were trained to look up information for the center’s clients. People scrubbed floors, cleaned bathrooms, swept the place because it was our community center. The youth group even had their own meeting space in the back which they decorated with spray-painted murals. Then of course the center housed a slew of groups
as vastly different as Wasatch Affirmation for Gay Mormons and Power Play, a pansexual bondage group. All the while reporting monthly to the GLCCU the programs being developed, financial reports, and just a general accounting to the public. Along the way there were some who pushed to have the Center separate from the GLCCU and form it’s own nonprofit status. They felt that being monitored by the GLCCU was cumbersome and intrusive. As it eventually worked out, interest in the GLCCU was waning as the old guard became fatigued from fighting two fronts, Utah’s bigotry and the AIDS epidemic which peaked in 1995 and had sapped much of the vitality out of the men’s community. The same year, probably not out of coincidence, GLCCU stopped formally meeting. At the conjunction, the USC took that opportunity to break away and form its own nonprofit status. The old GLCCU’s status, however, was maintained by the Gay Pride Committee even after the parent organization disappeared. Without the GLCCU oversight, in 1997 the Utah Stonewall Center, without warning or community input, closed its doors. None of the well-heeled community members stepped in to save it. Additionally without community oversight, the chair of Gay Pride Day became involved with criminal fiduciary conduct. There’s a lesson in there for those who pay attention. Q
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gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
queer shift
Reflection— SHIFT BY CHARLES LYNN FROST
A light
snowy Sunday morning as I finish up this column for QSaltLake. Of recent, I have spent a generous amount of time thinking, examining my own life, this past year in some serious self-reflection. So much has happened in 2014, historically one of the biggest years I can remember in my entire life. Everyone is going to do a major highlights of 2014-inreview article, however I would like to focus on personal REFLECTION, with the year 2014 as the framework. Lots of people hope for a better upcoming year, in fact we spend time setting goals, resolutions, tactics in an attempt to create the year we want. I am not denying those are effective tools, but before one can look ahead, I firmly believe you have to SEE (in reflection), before you DO (in action) and finally GET (the results you desire.) Years ago I had the pleasure to work on a project with Meg Wheatley, her work and different methods of approaching life and business have always intrigued me. “Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.” —Margaret J. Wheatley She speaks truth. How many times do we in the Queer community, see recurring patters and conclusions with unsatisfying results in our own lives, our organizations, our place as a sub-culture within the greater society? Personal reflection, particularly using the last year as the examination time frame can be done in many different ways; written, visual, journaling, a mind map, hell an Excel spreadsheet if that gives your brain a boner. What’s vital is that without the self-reflection of what’s transpired, your successes as well as those things that did not go so well is lost wisdom. Confucius brings it full circle to life being about obtaining wisdom, self wisdom, and wisdom that can be used to help others. “By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the most bitter.” For me self-reflection is the way to
remove inner road-blocks, to first become aware of the things that are really holding me back and then tackle them by finding a present and future solution. Using a personal journal is the best way to do it. If journaling conjures up past LDS behaviors, then call it something else, but consider doing it. It is a huge part of the SEEING I was referring to previously. If you have a good friend to share this process with, all the better. Someone you trust, a person you find objective with good listening and feedback skills. You may play this role for one another in the reflection process. All the better, it deepens the friendship and gets much better results. This is a process of bringing inner road-blocks or wishes to the light and is one of the most important things to do for personal inner growth. It’s one of the best ways to attain clarity as well as immense personal power. Consider the following humbly suggested process of self-reflection. I hope it can be helpful for others as it has been for me. Get into the right mindset and location. Make sure all of your attention is on the process, so don’t be distracted by music, television, electronics. It is best if you don’t have anything else on your mind. You don’t want to get interrupted either. Ask yourself the best questions. I typically have pre-charted the big events in my life that took place in the previous year, from that charting the biggest and best self-reflection questions will naturally surface. Trust me on this. Ask the questions and come up with some conclusions. Big questions concern inner conflict, selfsatisfaction, I usually start by asking myself the question that is on my mind, the question that expresses an inner conflict. It is something that has a continuing influence on me, where I am not satisfied and want to change.Good questions are always the ones that bring your topic to the point by asking “How can I …”. Usually questions starting with “Why …” are not very effective. A good How-question is more solutionoriented and therefore usually much more empowering.
Some examples of questions could look like this: How can I get more energy? (opposed to Why do I have no energy?) How can I find more self-worth, self-love, self-power? (opposed to Why do I feel worthless, etc?) Be 100% truthful. When thinking about your questions, your thoughts, answer them to the best degree of truth you can. Break out of social conditioning and of beliefs and things that other people put onto you. If you really ask yourself, you usually can find a much deeper answer to questions. Being truthful with yourself is the key. The power lies within telling yourself the complete truth and then acting in the future with that self-knowledge. Find clarity: Analyze the situation by writing and coming to a solution, that’s the whole idea of reflecting: getting to the core of the major (and minor events) in your life and by that—getting an “Aha-Moment”. This is a realization of a new quality, an insight that came out of the reflectionprocess, something that you have not seen before and that gives you better perspective. Often this process involves several steps: maybe you come from your first question to another, deeper question. Don’t lose sight of the original personal question you wanted to answer for yourself. Otherwise you could drift into different topics, getting overwhelmed and finally getting nowhere. Make new/improved decisions and commit to them. If you found a good answer to your various questions you now have the power to work from this new knowledge and really make a very positive and pleasing change. The realization alone will have a very positive impact. Maybe it means you have to stop something, or to intensify something. Whatever it is, to use this selfattained knowledge is the key now. Make the conclusion and make the decisions. Reflection followed by Action, a new formula for the end of a year and the beginning of a new one. Goethe said: “Never by reflection, but only by doing is self-knowledge possible to one.” While this first seems like a contradiction to the process of self-reflection, it is not. The reason to do self-reflection is to be more effective in the doing. SEEING, DOING, GETTING. 2014 was a huge year, who knows the power of what can be accomplished in 2015? SEE you in 2015. Q
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creep of the week
Stacy Swimp
LGBT
BY D’ANNE WITKOWSKI
people aren’t covered under Michigan’s anti-discrimination law. Meaning you could, for example, be fired for being gay and your employer would be perfectly in his or her rights. Your legal recourse would be, to use a technical term, jack shit. For a minute it looked like that might change. The Michigan House was poised to vote on a bill to add sexual orientation (but not gender identity) to the law. The Commerce Committee heard testimony about the bill, including the testimony of Stacy Swimp, president of the National Christian Leadership Council. Before he began speaking, he promised to shorten his remarks so that he would not “regurgitate” what others had already said during the hearing. “Regurgitate” was an excellent word choice since his words were basically ignorant hate vomit. “This proposed legislation is yet another step in the assault on religious freedom,” Swimp began. “I ask the Commerce Committee today, and the Michigan legislature, can you begin to clearly define sexual orientation? Do you truly know what you are potentially aligning yourselves with?” Swimp doesn’t attempt to answer these questions, though I can’t help but guess that he has some sinister picture in his mind of lesbian sister wives triplegay-marrying during a Wiccan handfasting ritual. He says that protecting LGBT people from discrimination has “resulted in Christian churches, pastors and church members being discriminated against, fired, fined, expelled from school and pressured to violate their conscience and moral opposition to homosexual marriage and homosexual behavior itself.” In other words, if we protect
the queers, then there would be consequences for discriminating against them and such discrimination is a sacred right for Christians. As examples he uses Julia Ward, an Eastern Michigan University student who was expelled from the counseling program after she refused to counsel a gay kid on the grounds that her religion forbade her from treating gay people like human beings deserving of compassion. He also refers to Crystal Dixon, fired from the University of Toledo after writing an anti-gay op-ed in the Toledo Free Press. Both of these women, as he makes sure to mention, are black. Which is important because civil rights are only for black people, obviously. “As a minister of the Gospel, and as a black American whose parents participated in the Freedom Rides — my ancestors were slaves in plantations in the state of South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Indiana and Mississippi — I (sit) here today rather offended.” As he should be! I mean, who wouldn’t be offended while recounting his family’s direct connection to our nation’s deep racist history? Not to mention the continued oppression of people of color in America. Ah, but that’s not what he’s talking about. He’s talking about the comparison between “gay rights and black civil rights.” “Lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and transgender Americans have never been denied their voting rights, nor have they been denied the right to assemble,” he continues. “No one from the LGBT community has ever had fire hoses turned on them by the police department, they have never had to drink out of an LGBT water fountain. There
is no public record of LGBT (people) being forced to sit at the back of the bus in an LGBT section. Black Americans were publicly lynched and specifically excluded from moving into neighborhoods, prohibited from sitting on a jury and denied the right to sue others.” I doubt he sees the irony in mentioning being denied the right to sue considering he is, in fact, arguing that LGBT people should continue to be denied the right to sue for discrimination. But he is right - the black civil rights movement and the LGBT civil rights movement have been different in some ways and the
treatment of black people in this country has been deplorable and continues to be. But using that history as evidence to support discrimination against gay people is wrong. Swimp apparently thinks that civil rights are a rare commodity and there just aren’t enough to go around; he’s pitting black people and LGBT people against each other as if there is no overlap between the two groups. There’s a whole lot of hate to go around in this world. More than enough. If no one is free while others are oppressed, those who want a pass to oppress others are in a jail of their own making.
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gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
Restore Our Humanity founder Mark Lawrence BY MICHAEL AARON
The story
PEOPLE OF THE YEAR
of Restore Our Humanity — the group that raised the money, hired the attorneys, found the plaintiffs and pushed a lawsuit through Utah courts — begins with one man who was elated that the country elected President Barack Obama and pissed off by the “professional haters.” Born in Salt Lake City, Mark Lawrence lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 16 years, moving back to be with his family in 2000. He moved to Cache Valley in 2002 to live with a partner. “From San Francisco to a town with a population of 600 … talk about culture shock,” he quipped. Four years later, a fire took all of that away. Six months after that, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, though he had stopped smoking in 1997. He spent the next two years at the Huntsman Cancer Institute for chemo. “During that time, I was on disability and just kept dragging my butt out of bed in the mornings,” he said. “I became really interested in politics. Especially Utah politics because, when I came back to Utah in 2000, it was like stepping into an alternate universe. We had openly gay legislators and Mike Thompson and Equality Utah and really cool things happening.” He began slowly getting involved and following politics, especially gay politics. “I started getting just a little involved. I met Reed Cowan when his film came to Sundance,” he said. “The whole process revved me up and I think I got energy from it. I began to get better. But I also started realizing how fucked up things were and I started really getting pissed.” Then, Obama was elected.
PHOTO: DAV.D PHOTOGRAPHY DAVIDDANIELSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
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january 2015 | issue 239 | gaysaltlake.com
OBAMA ELECTION “I’ll never forget the feelings of elation of his victory, mixed with the heartache of Prop 8. So, I started following the long, drawn-out process of the Prop 8 case very closely,” Lawrence said. “The whole case became fascinating. I started following the professional haters — Maggie Gagme, Brian Brown, Tony Perkins, Porno Pete and the rest. I started getting even more pissed.” When Judge Vaughn Walker ruled against Proposition 8, and for gay marriage, Lawrence’s mind started ticking. “Judge Walker’s decision on Prop 8 was brilliant: Prop 8 was indefensible. I couldn’t understand why somebody wasn’t doing the same thing with Amendment 3,” he said.
UTAH’S TURN He decided the largest obstacle in overturning Amendment 3 wasn’t the religious community or the toxic political climate. “It’s the damned apathy,” he said. “People are so fucking willing to accept the status quo and accept ‘that’s the way things are’ and it isn’t going to change. Bullshit. Apathy is the enemy. The others are just inconveniences.” “Well, I think we kicked apathy’s ass around the block,” he jokes. He realized that the current LGBT advocacy organizations, which he said were so dependent upon public support and, therefore, unwilling to take risks, couldn’t effectively make a full-scale assault on Amendment 3. “I knew the only way this could be accomplished was with an honest to {insert deity here} grass roots effort,” he said. “Someone who could get things started without worrying about public opinion and with the attitude of ‘I don’t gotta take no shit from nobody’,” he said.
GRASS ROOTS Lawrence started a Facebook group named Restore Our Humanity and started talking with people.
“The original group consisted of Bob and Melissa Henline, a straight ally friend of mine named Nate, Griffin Jenkins and Clyde Peck,” he said. “Then things started falling into place.” Lawrence and the group began a search for a legal team to take on the case. Matthew Spencer came on to help with PR. Annette Day, Kate Call, Karen Crist and David Saari joined as board members. They eventually found James Magleby, Peggy Tomsic and Jennifer Fraser Parrish of the small local law firm, Magleby & Greenwood, P.C. The legal team began drawing arguments and a complaint, and the rest of the board began seeking plaintiffs. And money. They knew it was going to take a lot of money. “The vast majority of our support has come from the business community, and especially Dr. Patrick Byrne of Overstock. com,” Lawrence said. “I felt it was a good idea to approach the business community since this action could have a major impact on the business community.” “I have to admit, though, the response has been dismal. There have been boycotts called against Utah since 2008 because of the state’s influence in Prop 8 in California,” Lawrence said. “I approached the entire Utah ski industry and was quite taken back by the lack of interest and, even more, lack of support from the Utah Ski Industry. The hospitality industry has been fair and responsive.” Lawrence and the team struggled to gain financial interest from many community organizations and frequent donors to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and ally causes. And then, the ruling came down.
RULING: ANTI-GAY LAWS ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL “Since the ruling, we have seen interest from a few of the national organizations. We are still negotiating with some of these. Some of them have conditions that
we find unacceptable,” Lawrence said. Lawrence says that he was not expecting support from certain larger Utah organizations while the case was in the trial phase. “Because of the nature of the litigation and the path it had to follow, it may appear that we have not benefited from the support of some of our local organizations, namely Equality Utah and The Pride Center. This is wrong,” Lawrence said. “These organizations have been standing ready and made themselves available to us at exactly the right time and they have been fully supportive and onboard.” “This whole process has gone far beyond what we at Restore Our Humanity are qualified and capable of,” Lawrence continued. “With the support and the expertise of Brandie Balken and Cliff Rosky at E.U. with the support of The Pride Center, we are now positioned and ready to take Kitchen v. Herbert to the national level and I have no doubt that the coalition that we have become will continue to change history and help bring marriage equality to the entire country.”
FUNDING Lawrence is touched by the many stories he hears from people contributing to the legal team to cover the expenses of taking the case through the system. “There are people on disability around the country who have sent us $5 and $10 donations,” he said. “People on unemployment have sent us money just because they wanted to be part of this.” “Most of those involved are people who have not been in front of the cameras or in front of the media, who are in the background, people who have been together for decades and never expected to see this day. All of these people worked and donated and one day, on Saturday, Dec. 21st, children woke up to find their parents were married and their families equal,” he said. “On behalf of myself and my crew at Restore Our Humanity, it has been an honor and a privilege.” Q
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gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
PEOPLE OF THE YEAR
Magleby & Greenwood legal team When Restore
Our Humanity found James Magleby, Peggy Tomsic and Jennifer Fraser Parrish of the small local law firm, Magleby & Greenwood, P.C., they likely had no idea that the level of their commitment would be astronomical. The team began researching and developing strategies, churning pages of documents — so many that it became the butt of jokes in Shelby’s courtroom. But the work obviously paid off.
PEGGY TOMSIC At the lead, Utah native Peggy Tomsic impressed court watchers from the moment she uttered her first word. Her disarming, yet frank, style zeroed in on the point without waiver. Raised in Moab, her father owned a plumbing shop, and her mother was involved in local politics. “I am the second of five children,the only Democrat, and the only lawyer in my family. I have always stood up for people who are being harassed and treated unequally, starting in kindergarten when I was regularly sent home for bloodying some bully’s nose for picking on smaller boys and girls,” she remembers. “I decided to stay in Utah instead of moving because I thought I could show people with whom I dealt on a regular basis that gay and lesbian individuals were the same as everyone else and wanted the same basic things in life. I was brought up to believe and I firmly believe each of us is equal to everyone else, regardless of how rich, powerful or
fortunate you are.” She met her partner, Cindy, 16 years ago at the Sports Mall Gym. The two married shortly after Shelby issued his decision. “Every year just gets better and our commitment to each other deeper. I cannot imagine spending my life with anyone else. She is a great friend, partner and wife,” she said. Tomsic got involved also for her son, Marcelino, whom she was barred from adopting. “I saw a victory as providing the dignity and protection I wanted for Cindy and my son,” she said. “I feel blessed to have been chosen to lead the charge that ended with the Tenth Circuit bringing marriage equality to Utah and the other states in the Tenth Circuit,” she said. “My work was upon the road that had been blazed by other’s hard work, sacrifice and vision for the future. This is a historic accomplishment that has taken a village in which I had the privilege to participate.”
JAMES MAGLEBY “When I left for college, I thought I would never come back, because the politics and culture were too oppressive,” managing partner James Magleby said. “After college, a group of us moved to San Francisco, primarily to follow the Grateful Dead more easily. We made many LGBT friends, of course, and there was no better party than Pride every year.” Upon being approached to be involved, Magleby said his firm was a perfect fit. “Mark Lawrence was crazy enough to believe it could be done. He approached
us, looking for tough trial lawyers (and not knowing our politics). As it turns out, Peggy, Jennifer and I were not only the type of lawyers Mark wanted, but shared his view of the righteous cause of marriage equality.” “This is the most significant case we have had, and likely ever will have,” he said.
JENNIFER FRASER PARRISH Jennifer Fraser Parrish was raised in an LDS household in Wyoming. When told the firm would be taking on a challenge to Utah’s Amendment 3, she requested to be included. By all accounts, she threw herself at the case like a mad woman. “It was months before the U.S. Supreme Court had even heard oral argument in the Windsor and Perry cases. So there were a lot more unknowns at that time,” she remembers. “We were joined by six very courageous plaintiffs who put their unwavering trust in us and our abilities as lawyers. We filed our complaint, and three months later the Windsor decision came out, which was instrumental in our moving for summary judgment.” “There were certainly times during the case when we may have felt doubt, but we were guided by a sense that we were doing the right thing, and that by doing the right thing, we would prevail,” she said. “I think what stuck with me most was a YouTube video made by a teenage boy in reaction to the decision. He was bouncing on his bed with excitement at the prospect that he could get married someday, even in Utah,” she said. “That is when the import of the decision really hit me.” Q
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The Middle
East and the West came together in love and harmony, at least in the relationship between Moudi Sbeity and Derek Kitchen, and Utah’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and ally community will likely never forget that. The case that District Judge Robert Shelby ruled Utah’s ant-gay marriage laws and constitutional amendment will forever forward be called Kitchen v. Herbert. Sbeity moved to Logan, Utah, in July, 2006, an evacuee from the Israeli-Lebanese conflict. He was evacuated because he held a U.S. passport since he was born in Houston, Texas while his mother was visiting family. He was raised in Beirut, Lebanon. “I am very lucky and fortunate to have the American passport,” Sbeity said. “Without it, I would not be where I am today. I would not be with Derek, and I would not be a plaintiff in Kitchen v. Herbert.” Kitchen is a Utah native who grew up near South Jordan. “I always imagined that I’d move far, far away. But then I fell in love with Salt Lake City and the rest is history,” Kitchen said. The couple owns a Middle Eastern food company is Salt Lake City called Laziz, which produces and distributes Middle Eastern spreads at local grocery stores and farmers markets. They have been running Laziz for two years and also teach cooking classes. The couple met and dated long distance for the first year. “I had a blog during my undergraduate years with my personal musings, which Derek found and regularly commented,” Sbeity said. “We then connected again on a now-defunct website, Connexion, and from there decided to go on a date.” Sbeity remembers the date well when Kitchen drove to Logan from Salt Lake City: Saturday, Oct. 10. “We spent the entire day together, and mutually decided to give our best effort to connect and share our life experiences together,” Sbeity said. “And we still are four and a half years later.” The couple met Mark Lawrence, president of Restore Our Humanity, at a Utah Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce social. After several interactions, Mark approached them about the opportunity. “Moudi was hesitant at first, but we felt like this was the right thing to do,” Kitchen said. “We realized that at this point in our life — being co-owners in a business, living together, adopting a dog, being very close with each others’ families — that it was time to get married.” The couple, however, are holding out until the case is finalized and forever “written in the books without compromise.” “We are confident this will happen soon, and are hopefully planning a wedding for this coming fall,” Sbeity said. “Time and money permitting.” About being party of this historic event, the couple were extremely humble. “It feels humbling,” Sbeity said. “Humbling because this is bigger than us. This is about generations past and future, about children who will grow up without the piercing stigma of being a second-class citizen, and who will grow up with no second thought about the person they love.” “On the other hand, it feels elevating, because we collectively put in our efforts to better our community and the lives of our brothers and sisters,” he continued. “It feels so good to know that, because of the commitment that we put in, alongside Kody, Laurie, Kate, Karen, Mark, Peggy, James and Jennifer, we were able to do something good for millions of people. It makes us want to give more of ourselves to do good. We’re very proud.” Q
PEOPLE OF THE YEAR | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 33
Moudi Sbeity & Derek Kitchen
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Kody Partridge & Laurie Wood Kody Partridge and Laurie Wood are two of the plaintiffs pushing Utah to drop its anti-gay marriage laws. Both call Utah home, though Wood was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho and Partridge is from Montana, moving to Utah in 1984. Both earned Masters degrees in English from Brigham Young University. They met in 2010, after many mutual friends had insisted they meet for years, at the Equality Utah Allies Dinner. “Laurie will tell you that I shamelessly chased her,” Partridge said. “Perhaps I did, but oh well, here we are. I made her dinner. We talked for hours, and both of us decided that we should reconvene for another conversation. She shared her apricot jam, so I just had to make her breakfast a couple of days later.” “If you only knew how delicious her jam is,” Partridge laughed. The pair joined the suit in March, 2013, after a friend asked them. Their friend and
PEOPLE OF THE YEAR
her partner had wanted to join the suit, but were already married in New York. “Laurie said yes immediately, so we discussed the ramifications and decided that it was too important not to add our names as plaintiffs,” Partridge said. “We had to make our decision within four days, but we have never looked back. From the beginning, the couple had the support of friends and community. “Laurie’s brother immediately lent his support, as did his wife and family. I was timid,” Partridge said. “However my father, who is almost 82, hugged Laurie and me when he learned that we had married, and one of my sisters conveyed her respect and love for the two of us.” They married after District Judge Robert Shelby’s decision. “Laurie and I decided to seize the moment,” Partridge said. “We had already sold our respective houses so that we could build a life together. We had shared stories
with each other. We had exchanged rings and planted a garden together. So, when the news arrived, Laurie immediately set her grading aside and I left the grocery bags on the kitchen table, and we went to the clerk’s office to apply for a marriage license a second time —but this time with the blessing of a federal judge. It was magical.” As being a part of a historical moment in Utah, Wood said, “We’re not sure whether the historical impact has really registered. Kody announces the good news everywhere we go, and her news is received with love and thanks. I feel humbled when someone gives thanks or shares a personal story. We both laugh when we see ourselves Laurie will in the New York tell you that Times or on MSI shamelessly NBC — it’s pretty surreal.” chased her. “But I think we Perhaps I did, can honestly say but oh well, here we’re so proud to represent (if we are. that’s what we’re doing) the LGBT community of Salt Lake and of Utah,” Wood continued. “So many others have worked to make this city a great place for us to live, and we’re happy if our actions help make others’ lives happy as well.” “I hope that those who have married and those who know someone who married will keep the joy in their hearts. If we approach this change in our state with love and goodwill we certainly will prove the governor and the state attorneys wrong; we will make Utah the great state we love,” Wood said. “We all should be more like Kody and celebrate the love with everyone we know.” Q
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Kate Call & Karen Archer
Born in Wisconsin, then moving to Monterrey, Mexico, where her parents were called to be Mormon mission presidents, plaintiff Kate Call moved to Provo, Utah at the age of eight. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Fine Art and Design before attending nursing school at BYU Salt Lake. It was at BYU that she had her first lesbian relationship and she left BYU Salt Lake because she feared she was about to have another. “I was trying to ‘repent’ from my prior same-sex relationship, which I had convinced myself had happened only because I had anomalously happened to fall in love with a woman, and not because I was a lesbian,” she said. She packed her bags and moved out of Salt Lake, and in 1976 went on an LDS mission to Argentina. “I again had a same-sex experience with one of my companions,” she said. “At about that same time my companion and I were rounded up by the military and put in jail, where we For the record, narrowly escaped with our lives.” buying a ranch “My mission is a horrible way president, withto retire. out my knowledge or consent, sent a copy of my written confession [of the relationship]to the General Authorities, to my home bishop, and to my parents,” she said. “This is how I came out to my parents.” Over the next 23 years she began and operated three businesses and then retired, buying a sheep ranch in southeastern Utah. “For the record, buying a ranch is a horrible way to retire,” she said. “I ran through all my savings and pension funds trying to stay afloat, and finally found a seasonal maintenance job with the National Park Service.” “My partner at the time began work for the State of Utah. After a few years a rumor circulated around the town closest to our employment and ranch. People were saying we were lesbians. My partner was told she had to move away from me if she
wanted to keep her job,” she said. “We knew it was a ridiculous request, but jobs were incredibly difficult to find, and we knew we had no employment discrimination protections, so she moved to a small place in town.” But, as it turns out, someone saw her vehicle there one evening and she was fired. Two weeks later she got an email saying that her services were no longer required. The stress of the ranch and the town ended the 13-year relationship. “I waited a year or so, then began looking for someone on an online dating site. Karen and I met face-to-face three years ago. She had been living in Boulder, Colo. at the time, where she had retired from her private practice as an Ob/Gyn. She was found by Restore Our Humanity’s director, Mark Lawrence through the Salt Lake Tribune comment boards. “When Mark announced that he intended to form a group to fight for marriage equality, I immediately decided to join him,” she said. “Our first meeting consisted
of Mark and several of his friends and me. The next meeting I brought some of my friends as well, and that’s how it began.” “We had a somewhat herky-jerky beginning, as we hadn’t yet incorporated, didn’t have funds, and didn’t have a law team. But over the months, one thing after another came together, mostly due to Mark,” she said. “Once we had Jim Magleby, Peggy Tomsic, and Jennifer Parrish on the team, who agreed to do their good work without requiring immediate payment, we began gaining momentum. The only problem was that we didn’t have any plaintiffs. I finally volunteered myself and Karen. We were not candidates for a Utah marriage as we had married in Iowa in 2011. However, we had found it remarkable that our marriage was not recognized in Utah.” Q
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Judge Robert J. Shelby For a judge
PEOPLE OF THE YEAR
who would go on to make same-sex marriage legal in Utah, a deepred state where streets in the capital city are numbered by their distance from the Mormon temple, Robert J. Shelby took to the bench with enthusiastic praise from Republican leaders. Shelby was born in Fort Atkinson, Wis., in 1970. He moved to Logan, Utah to attend Utah State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts, and going on to earn a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virgina School of Law in 1998. Shelby was a specialist in the Utah National Guard from 1988 to 1996 and was a combat engineer in Operation Desert Storm. He spent the summer of 1997 as a clerk with the United States Attorney’s Office in Billings, Mont. The next two years he was a student prosecutor in Palmyra, Va., before becoming a law clerk to the Honorable J. Thomas Greene of the United States District Court, District of Utah. In 2000, he joined the Salt Lake-based law firm of Snow Christensen & Martineau as an associate attorney, and taught at the University of Utah Division of Continuing Education. He then joined Burbidge Mitchell & Gross as a partner in 2005, and back to Snow Christensen & Martineau as partner in 2011. Republican Orrin G. Hatch, a seventerm Utah senator, recommended him for a federal judgeship, calling him an experienced lawyer “with an unwavering commitment to the law.” Senator Mike Lee, a Tea Party Republican, said Shelby was “pre-eminently qualified” and predicted he would be an outstanding judge. Now, less than two years since taking the bench, the same-sex marriage case has transformed Judge Shelby into a hero to hundreds of newlywed gay couples, and an object of derision for many social conservatives who supported Utah’s 2004 ban on such unions. Gov. Gary R. Herbert (R), called him an “activist federal judge,” and state lawyers are already trying to have higher courts rollback the ruling, potentially undoing as many as 900 new same-sex marriages. State officials are expected to ask the United States Supreme Court as early
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as Monday to halt same-sex unions that began minutes after Judge Shelby handed down his decision on Dec. 20, stating that Utah’s measure barring same-sex marriage violated the United States Constitution. Utah leaders say the rush of marriages has sown “chaos,” and say they should be halted until the legal case is resolved. Judge Shelby has already refused to stay his own decision, and the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit also denied Utah’s request to stop the marriages. Utah’s request will initially land with Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who oversees the 10th Circuit. She is expected to refer it to the entire court, and the justices could rule within days. It was unlikely that the cacophony created by a man who quietly ascended through Utah’s legal ranks, mostly avoiding media attention, would revive a law that could taint his legal profession. Judge Shelby, 43, lives in Salt Lake City with his wife and their two children. As a young man, he worked for Snappy Car Rental and was a night manager at a Maceys grocery store in Logan, Utah.
PEOPLE OF THE YEAR | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 37
He spent his legal career in private practice, working on white-collar criminal defense, commercial law and serious personal injury lawsuits. He was a member of the defense team representing Olympic officials in Salt Lake City accused of bribery in the city’s efforts to win the 2002 Winter Games. In his Senate confirmation questions, he said he did free legal work for poor criminal defendants — usually about two cases a year. “So many people thought he was so good, just brilliant,” said Andrew Morse, president of Snow Christensen & Martineau, the firm where Judge Shelby had been a shareholder when he was nominated to the bench. “He’s just easy to get along with, always says the right thing.” He was active in the state and local bar associations, and was a leader in a group that mentors young trial lawyers. But he largely stayed out of the spotlight and away from politics. In 2010, he and his wife gave a $50 contribution to a Republican candidate for the State Legislature — the only political donation found in state and national campaign-finance databases.
Former colleagues said they did not know his religious background. The judge did not respond to emails and a phone call requesting an interview. His answers to questions about empathy in judges, and whether judges should protect the “little guy,” are as mild as a glass of milk. “I believe it is the judge’s responsibility to reach decisions based exclusively on the application of established precedent to the specific facts presented,” he wrote. But this month, when it was time to decide a case brought by three gay couples challenging Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage, Judge Shelby appeared to be moved by their stories. In his 50-page ruling, he repeated the stories of how each couple met and fell in love, referring to them not only as plaintiffs or by last name, but as Derek and Moudi, Karen and Kate, Laurie and Kody. He wrote that Utah’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage violated the Constitution’s guarantees of equal protection under the law, and said that the ban denied gay and lesbian couples “their fundamental right to marry.” Q
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Utah Rep brings ‘Bare’ to the Salt Lake stage Amid
numerous popular theater productions in the state, Utah Repertory Theater Company has found success with regional premiere productions of out-of-the-norm Broadway shows and neglected classics with challenging themes. With its staging of “Bare,” the emerging company has found the message vitally important in Utah. “The message of ‘Bare’ is one of empathy,” said Johnny Hebda, Utah Rep’s founder/artistic director and the director of “Bare.” “Love and acceptance of others despite differences are so important. Religion can be a powerful force, one that we live with daily in Utah. It can be a force for great good — though religion can also lead to judging others, bullying, and pain when others, those who do not conform to all of a faith’s tenants or doctrine, are rejected or condemned. “Homosexuality is a prominent topic of discussion in the Mormon faith, especially in Utah. ‘Bare’ is set in a Catholic high school, and the spiritual undertones are a prominent part of the storyline and music, and ones that I connect with very personally.” “Bare” is a coming-of-age story of a group of high school seniors at a co-ed Catholic boarding school, and the characters struggling to define themselves in the face of
their relationships, sexuality, and religion. As they search to come to terms with who they are — and who the world thinks they should be — they seek answers from their church, their friends, and, ultimately, from within themselves. “I connect to ‘Bare’ very strongly because it is also my personal story,” said Brock Dalgleish, who plays the lead role of Jason. “Growing up Mormon in a family very devoted to the church, I didn’t think it possible to even come out as gay — and I could not have if I had not fallen in love. But I did fall in love, and suddenly a new world was open to me — a new world where I didn’t have to be someone who I wasn’t anymore.” “I grew up with every single character in the ‘Bare’ script, minus the Catholic school,” said Emilie Eileen Starr, who performs as a character named Ivy. “I was always the person who others told their troubles to. I had friends who talked about committing suicide, who were dealing with pregnancies, and were deciding to come out.
BY BRETT COOPER
“Teenagers need others who can relate to them, and that’s what we’re hoping that this show does. There is life after this terrible thing called high school.” “LGBT youth can easily relate to ‘Bare,’ but the show will also be important to any youth struggling with acceptance,” added Dalgleish. “‘Bare’ shows the devastating affects on not being yourself — and not loving yourself. Self-acceptance is very important as a teenager. And in Utah, it’s hard to find that acceptance in this heavily religious environment. ‘Bare’ is a story that needs to be told. People need to hear this story.” With its production of “Bare,” Utah Rep has taken the unprecedented step to donate 15 percent of its ticket sales to a nonprofit youth services organization — the Ogden-based OUTreach Resource Centers — with the goal to bring much needed services to Salt Lake City-area communities. “To gain the most widespread audience for ‘Bare,’ we wanted to team with an organization that was carrying out the message of the show,” said Johnny Hebda, the director of “Bare” and Utah Rep’s artistic director. “When we learned about
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OUTreach’s direct efforts to support struggling teens, particularly young people dealing with LGBTQ-related issues, and that this same organization also offers suicide-prevention services, we knew immediately that OUTreach was the bestsuited organization.” “OUTreach Resource Centers provide life-saving services to youth and those affected by homelessness,” said Turner C. Bitton, board treasurer for OUTreach, who is heading the joint fund-raising efforts. “A successful partnership between Utah Rep and OUTreach will allow OUTreach to build a future presence in Salt Lake County and to reach more youth and further our partnerships with organization such as the Utah Pride Center.” Turner said “Bare” offers a singularly important opportunity to discuss issues that youths in Utah confront. “A stage musical dramatizes many of the experiences that our youth experience,” he said. “The experiences of the various characters mirror what many youth experience on a daily basis.” According to Hebda, the popularity of “Bare” makes the production additionally important to Utah, where the musical has never been staged previously. “’Bare’ has a strong, passionate following among high school-age students, much in the way ‘Rent’ did in the late 90s early 00s,” Hebda said. “High school students frequently perform numbers from the show in cabaret nights and revues. The contemporary lyrics and rock score make this musical current and relevant.” Utah State Senator Jim Dabakis, a co-founder of Equality Utah and the Utah Pride Center, will be the special guest at an invitation-only champagne brunch “Bare” preview for donors on Sunday, Jan. 11.
Through its pulsating rock score and emotionally charged story, “Bare” has thrilled and moved audiences around the world since its first staging in Los Angeles over a decade ago. Provocative, raw, and unyielding in its exploration of how today’s generation navigates the tightrope between adolescence and adulthood, “Bare” examines the consequences of baring a soul — or hiding it from those who matter most. Utah Rep, a wholly 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, will produce “Bare” Jan. 16–31, 2015, at the company’s resident theater, the newly established Sugar Space Warehouse Theater, 130 S. 800 West in the River District area of Salt Lake City. For more information on Utah Rep, visit the company website at UtahRep. org. Advance tickets sales are available at UtahRep.org/tickets. To make quality theater productions affordable to all Utah residents, Utah Rep sponsors a special Pay As You May performance for each of the five shows in its annual season. The “Bare” Pay As You May performance is Monday, Jan. 19, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. Additionally, with this production Utah Rep is offering a special performance with $10 tickets available to students with a valid student ID, on Monday, Jan. 26, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. Q For additional donation information on the Utah Rep/ OUTreach partnership and to make a direct donation, visit outreachutah. nationbuilder. com/utahrep.
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EXPERIMENTER
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: MICHAEL ALMEREYDA)
Experimenter is based on the true story of famed social psychologist Stanley Milgram, who in 1961 conducted a series of radical behavior experiments that tested ordinary humans’ willingness to obey authority by using electric shock. We follow Milgram from meeting his wife through his controversial experiments that sparked public outcry. CAST: PETER SARSGAARD, WINONA RYDER, JIM GAFFIGAN, KELLAN LUTZ, TARYN MANNING, JOHN LEGUIZAMO.
GRANDMA
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: PAUL WEITZ)
QUEER GUIDE TO SUNDANCE This is our eleventh Queer Guide to Sundance and this year there are many films to choose from! The PINK titles have direct LGBT content, and the BLUE titles have something of interest for you otherwise.
PREMIERES
A showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly anticipated narrative films of the coming year.
BROOKLYN
UNITED KINGDOM (DIR: JOHN CROWLEY, SCRNWRTR: NICK HORNBY, BASED ON THE BOOK BY COLM TÓIBÍN)
1950s Ireland: Eilis must confront a terrible dilemma — a heartbreaking choice between two men and two countries, between duty and true love. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent.
DIGGING FOR FIRE
USA (Dir: JOE SWANBERG, SCREENWRITERS: JAKE JOHNSON, JOE SWANBERG)
The discovery of a bone and a gun sends a husband and wife on separate adventures over the course of a weekend. CAST: JAKE JOHNSON, ROSEMARIE DEWITT, ORLANDO BLOOM, BRIE LARSON, SAM ROCKWELL, ANNA KENDRICK.
Self-described misanthrope Elle Reid has her protective bubble burst when her 18-year-old granddaughter, Sage, shows up needing help. The two of them go on a day-long journey that causes Elle to come to terms with her past and Sage to confront her future. CAST: LILY TOMLIN, JULIA GARNER, MARCIA GAY HARDEN, JUDY GREER, LAVERNE COX, SAM ELLIOTT. CLOSING NIGHT FILM
USA (DIR: JARED HESS, SCRNWRTR: JARED HESS, JERUSHA HESS)
ROCKWELL, JEMAINE CLEMENT, AMY RYAN, DANNY MCBRIDE, LESLIE BIBB, WILL FORTE.
THE END OF THE TOUR USA (Dir: JAMES PONSOLDT, SCRNWRTR: DONALD MARGULIES)
This story of the five-day 1996 interview between Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace explores the tenuous yet intense relationship that develops between journalist and subject. The two men bob and weave, sharing laughs and also concealing and revealing their hidden vulnerabilities. CAST: JESSE
EISENBERG, JASON SEGEL, ANNA CHLUMSKY, JOAN CUSACK, MAMIE GUMMER, MICKEY SUMNER.
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: RODRIGO GARCIA)
Ewan McGregor is Jesus — and the Devil — in an imagined chapter from his 40 days of fasting and praying in the desert. On his way out of the wilderness, Jesus struggles with the Devil over the fate of a family in crisis, setting himself up for a dramatic test. CAST: EWAN
MCGREGOR, CIARÁN HINDS, AYELET ZURER, TYE SHERIDAN.
LILA & EVE
USA (DIR: CHARLES STONE III, SCRNWRTR: PATRICK GILFILLAN)
Lila, a grief-stricken mother reeling from her son’s murder, attends a support group where she meets Eve, who urges her to take matters into her own hands to track down her son’s killers. They soon embark on a journey of revenge, but also recovery. CAST: VIOLA DAVIS, JENNIFER
LOPEZ, SHEA WHIGHAM, JULIUS TENNON, RON CALDWELL, AML AMEEN.
DON VERDEAN
Biblical archaeologist Don Verdean is hired by a local church pastor to find faithpromoting relics in the Holy Land. But after a fruitless expedition he is forced to get creative in this comedy of faith and fraud. CAST: SAM
LAST DAYS IN THE DESERT
USA (DIR: JUSTIN KELLY, SCRNWRTRS: JUSTIN KELLY, STACEY MILLER)
CAST: JAMES FRANCO, ZACHARY QUINTO, EMMA ROBERTS.
I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS
USA (DIR: BRETT HALEY, SCRNWRTRS: BRETT HALEY, MARC BASCH)
A sudden loss disrupts Carol’s orderly life, propelling her into the dating world for the first time in 20 years. Finally living in the present tense, she finds herself swept up in not one, but two unexpected relationships that challenge her assumptions about what it means to grow old.CAST: BLYTHE DANNER, MARTIN STARR, SAM ELLIOTT, MALIN AKERMAN, JUNE SQUIBB, RHEA PERLMAN.
LOLA KIRKE.
SEOUL SEARCHING
USA, KOREA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: BENSON LEE)
Seoul Searching is a comedy set in the ‘80s about a group of foreign-born Korean teenagers who meet at a Seoul summer camp to learn what it means to be Korean. The three boys, from the U.S., Mexico, and Germany, then meet three girls who rock their world. CAST: JUSTIN
CHON, JESSIKA VAN, IN-PYO CHA, TEO YOO, ESTEBAN AHN, BYUL KANG.
SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: LESLYE HEADLAND)
Jake and Lainey impulsively lose their virginity to each other in college. When their paths cross twelve years later in NYC, they realize they both have become serial cheaters. Bonding over their chronic infidelity, they form a platonic friendship to support each other in their quests for healthy romantic relationships. CAST: JASON SUDEIKIS, ALISON BRIE, ADAM SCOTT, AMANDA PEET, JASON MANTZOUKAS, NATASHA LYONNE.
I AM MICHAEL
The controversial true story of a gay activist who rejects his homosexuality and becomes a Christian pastor.
by her soon-to-be stepsister Brooke, an adventurous gal about town who entangles her in alluringly mad schemes. Mistress America is a comedy about dreamchasing, score-settling, makeshift families, and catstealing. CAST: GRETA GERWIG,
MISSISSIPPI GRIND
USA (DIRS AND SCRNWRTR: RYAN FLECK, ANNA BODEN)
Gerry is a talented poker player whose habit is getting the best of him. He convinces younger player Curtis to join him on a road trip, and they begin gambling their way towards a high-stakes game in New Orleans. During their journey, true motivations are revealed, and the two bond. CAST: RYAN REYNOLDS,
BEN MENDELSOHN, SIENNA MILLER, ANALEIGH TIPTON, ALFRE WOODARD, ROBIN WEIGERT.
MISTRESS AMERICA
USA (DIR: NOAH BAUMBACH, SCREENWRITERS: NOAH BAUMBACH, GRETA GERWIG)
Tracy, a lonely college freshman in New York, is rescued from her solitude
TEN THOUSAND SAINTS
USA (DIRS: ROBERT PULCINI, SHARI SPRINGER BERMAN, SCRNWRTRS: SHARI SPRINGER BERMAN, ROBERT PULCINI)
Based on the acclaimed novel, Ten Thousand Saints follows three lost kids and their equally lost parents as they come of age in New York’s East Village in the era of CBGB, yuppies, and the tinderbox of gentrification that exploded into the Tompkins Square Park Riot of 1988. CAST: ETHAN HAWKE,
ASA BUTTERFIELD, EMILY MORTIMER, JULIANNE NICHOLSON, HAILEE STEINFELD, EMILE HIRSCH.
ZIPPER
USA (DIR: MORA STEPHENS, SCREENWRITERS: MORA STEPHENS, JOEL VIERTEL)
Sam Ellis is a man on the rise — a hot-shot federal
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prosecutor on the cusp of a bright political future. But what was meant to be a one-time experience with an escort turns into a growing addiction — a new demon threatening to destroy his life, family, and career. CAST: PATRICK WILSON,
LENA HEADEY, RICHARD DREYFUSS, RAY WINSTONE, JOHN CHO, DIANNA AGRON.
DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES
Renowned filmmakers and films about far-reaching subjects comprise this section highlighting our ongoing commitment to documentaries. Each is a world premiere.
BEAVER TRILOGY PART IV USA (DIR: BRAD BESSER)
A chance meeting in a parking lot in 1979 between filmmaker Trent Harris and a young man from Beaver, Utah, inspired the creation of an underground film that is now known as Beaver Trilogy. But the film itself is only part of the story.
THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION USA (DIR: STANLEY NELSON)
This feature-length documentary tells of the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party, one of the 20th century’s most alluring and controversial organizations that captivated the world’s attention for nearly 50 years.
DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD: THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL LAMPOON USA (DIR: DOUGLAS TIROLA)
Three Harvard graduates start the first national humor magazine for adults, launching the careers of some of Hollywood’s most legendary talent. But success and excess among its brilliant and subversive contributors begins to challenge its existence.
FRESH DRESSED
USA (DIR: SACHA JENKINS)
The history of hip-hop fashion from its birth in
the South Bronx to its rise as a billion-dollar global industry, Fresh Dressed is supported by rich archival materials, in-depth interviews with individuals crucial to the evolution, and the outsiders who study and admire them.
GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF USA (DIR: ALEX GIBNEY)
Going Clear intimately profiles eight former members of the Church of Scientology, shining a light on how they attract true believers and the things they do in the name of religion.
IN FOOTBALL WE TRUST
USA (DIRS: TONY VAINUKU, ERIKA COHN)
Four young Polynesian football players struggle to overcome gang violence and poverty as they enter the high-stakes world of recruiting, competitive athletics and family pressures.
63 years of Decor
THE HUNTING GROUND
USA (DIR: KIRBY DICK)
From the makers of The Invisible War comes a startling exposé of rape crimes on U.S. campuses, their institutional cover-ups, and brutal social toll. Weaving together verite footage and first-person testimonies, the film follows survivors as they pursue their education and justice — despite harsh retaliation, harassment, and pushback.
KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: BRETT MORGEN)
Kurt Cobain, lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of Nirvana, remains an icon 20 years after his death. Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck is a raw and visceral journey through Cobain’s life and his career with Nirvana through the lens of his home movies, recordings, artwork, photography, and journals.
THE MASK YOU LIVE IN
USA (DIR: JENNIFER SIEBEL NEWSOM)
Is there a “boy crisis” in America? Is our male population suffering due to our emphasis on power, dominance, and aggression? The Mask You Live In explores how our narrow definition of masculinity is harming our boys, men, and society at large and unveils what we can do about it.
MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED
USA (DIR: GREG WHITELEY)
—This feature-length documentary examines the collision of innovation with our nation’s obsolete education system. Follow students, teachers and concerned parents at a radically different high school that is
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attempting to rethink what it means to be an educated young adult prepared for the 21st century.
PROPHET’S PREY USA (DIR: AMY BERG)
When Warren Jeffs rose to prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, he bridged the gap between sister wives and ecclesiastically justified rape, befuddling the moral compass of his entire congregation.
TIG
USA (DIRS: KRISTINA GOOLSBY, ASHLEY YORK, SCRNWRTR: JENNIFER ARNOLD)
This documentary explores comedian Tig Notaro’s extraordinary journey as her life unfolds in grand and unexpected ways, all while she is battling a life-threatening illness and falling in love.
WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? USA (DIR: LIZ GARBUS)
Classically trained pianist, dive-bar chanteuse, black power icon, and legendary recording artist Nina Simone lived a life of brutal honesty, musical genius, and tortured melancholy. This astonishing epic interweaves never-before-heard recordings and rare footage, creating an unforgettable portrait of one of our least understood, most beloved artists. DAY ONE FILM
U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION
The competition will present the world premieres of 16 narrative feature films, the Dramatic Competition offers Festivalgoers a first look at
groundbreaking new voices in American independent film.
ADVANTAGEOUS
USA (DIR: JENNIFER PHANG, SCREENWRITERS: JACQUELINE KIM, JENNIFER PHANG )
In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world. Cast: Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim.
THE BRONZE
USA (DIR: BRYAN BUCKLEY, SCREENWRITERS: MELISSA RAUCH, WINSTON RAUCH )
In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero after winning the bronze medal for the women’s gymnastics team. Today, she’s still living in her small hometown, washedup and embittered. Stuck in the past, Hope must reassess her life when a promising young gymnast threatens her local celebrity status. CAST: MELISSA RAUCH,
GARY COLE, THOMAS MIDDLEDITCH, SEBASTIAN STAN, HALEY LU RICHARDSON, CECILY STRONG. ) DAY ONE FILM
THE D TRAIN
USA (DIRS AND SCREENWRITERS: JARRAD PAUL, ANDREW MOGEL )
With his 20th reunion looming, Dan can’t shake his high school insecurities. In a misguided mission to prove he’s changed, Dan rekindles a friendship with the popular guy from his class and is left scrambling to protect more than just his reputation when a wild night takes an unexpected turn. CAST: JACK BLACK, JAMES
MARSDEN, KATHRYN HAHN, JEFFREY TAMBOR, MIKE WHITE, KYLE BORNHEIMER.
THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: MARIELLE HELLER )
Minnie Goetze is a 15-yearold aspiring comic-book artist, coming of age in the haze of the 1970s in San Francisco. Insatiably curious about the world around her, Minnie is a pretty typical teenage girl. Oh, except that she’s sleeping with her
mother’s boyfriend. CAST: BEL POWLEY, ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD, CHRISTOPHER MELONI, KRISTEN WIIG.
DOPE
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: RICK FAMUYIWA )
Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the SAT. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself. CAST: SHAMEIK MOORE, TONY REVOLORI, KIERSEY CLEMONS, BLAKE ANDERSON, ZOË KRAVITZ, A$AP ROCKY.
I SMILE BACK
USA (DIR: ADAM SALKY, SCREENWRITERS: AMY KOPPELMAN, PAIGE DYLAN )
All is not right in suburbia. Laney Brooks, a wife and mother on the edge, has stopped taking her meds, substituting recreational drugs and the wrong men. With the destruction of her family looming, Laney makes a last, desperate attempt at redemption.
CAST: SARAH SILVERMAN, JOSH CHARLES, THOMAS SADOSKI, MIA BARRON, TERRY KINNEY, CHRIS SARANDON.
ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL
USA (DIR: ALFONSO GOMEZREJON, SCRNWRTR: JESSE ANDREWS )
Greg is coasting through senior year of high school as anonymously as possible, avoiding social interactions like the plague while secretly making spirited, bizarre films with Earl, his only friend. But both his anonymity and friendship threaten to unravel when his mother forces him to befriend a classmate with leukemia. CAST: THOMAS
MANN, RJ CYLER, OLIVIA COOKE, NICK OFFERMAN, CONNIE BRITTON, MOLLY SHANNON.
THE OVERNIGHT
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: PATRICK BRICE )
Alex, Emily, and their son, RJ, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family “playdate” becomes increasingly
gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
interesting as the night goes on. CAST: ADAM SCOTT, TAYLOR
SCHILLING, JASON SCHWARTZMAN, JUDITH GODRÈCHE.
PEOPLE, PLACES, THINGS
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: JAMES C. STROUSE )
Will Henry is a newly single graphic novelist balancing being a parent to his young twin daughters and teaching a classroom full of college students, all the while trying to navigate the rich complexities of new love and letting go of the woman who left him. CAST:
JEMAINE CLEMENT, REGINA HALL, STEPHANIE ALLYNNE, JESSICA WILLIAMS, GIA GADSBY, AUNDREA GADSBY.
RESULTS
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: ANDREW BUJALSKI )
Two mismatched personal trainers’ lives are upended by the actions of a new, wealthy client. CAST: GUY
PEARCE, COBIE SMULDERS, KEVIN CORRIGAN, GIOVANNI RIBISI, ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL, BROOKLYN DECKER.
SONGS MY BROTHERS TAUGHT ME USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: CHLOÉ ZHAO )
This complex portrait of modern-day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation explores the bond between a brother and his younger sister, who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home. CAST: JOHN REDDY, JASHAUN ST. JOHN, IRENE BEDARD, TAYSHA FULLER, TRAVIS LONE HILL, ELÉONORE HENDRICKS.
THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT
USA (DIR: KYLE PATRICK ALVAREZ, SCRNWRTR: TIM TALBOTT )
This film is based on the actual events that took place in 1971 when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time. CAST: BILLY CRUD-
UP, EZRA MILLER, MICHAEL ANGARANO, TYE SHERIDAN, JOHNNY SIMMONS, OLIVIA THIRLBY.
STOCKHOLM, PENNSYLVANIA
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: NIKOLE BECKWITH )
A young woman is returned home to her biological parents after living with her abductor for 17 years. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Cynthia
Nixon, Jason Isaacs, David Warshofsky.
UNEXPECTED
USA (DIR: KRIS SWANBERG, SCREENWRITERS: KRIS SWANBERG, MEGAN MERCIER )
When Samantha Abbott begins her final semester teaching science at a Chicago high school, she faces some unexpected news: she’s pregnant. Soon after, Samantha learns that one of her favorite students, Jasmine, has landed in a similar situation. Unexpected follows the two women as they embark on an unlikely friendship. CAST: COBIE SMULDERS, ANDERS HOLM, GAIL BEAN, ELIZABETH MCGOVERN.
THE WITCH USA, Canada (Dir./SCRNWRTR: Robert Eggers ) New England in the 1630s: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness. When their newborn son vanishes and crops fail, the family turns on one another. Beyond their worst fears, a supernatural evil lurks in the nearby wood. CAST: ANYA TAYLOR JOY, RALPH INESON, KATE DICKIE, HARVEY SCRIMSHAW, LUCAS DAWSON, ELLIE GRAINGER.
Z FOR ZACHARIAH
USA (DIR: CRAIG ZOBEL, SCRNWRTR: NISSAR MODI )
In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman who believes she is the last human on Earth meets a dying scientist searching for survivors. Their relationship becomes tenuous when another survivor appears. As the two men compete for the woman’s affection, their primal urges begin to reveal their true nature. CAST: CHIWETEL EJIOFOR, MARGOT ROBBIE, CHRIS PINE.
U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
The competition will present 16 world-premiere American documentaries that illuminate the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day.
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january 2015 | issue 239 | gaysaltlake.com
3½ MINUTES
USA (DIR: MARC SILVER )
On November 23, 2012, unarmed 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis was shot at a Jacksonville gas station by Michael David Dunn. 3½ MINUTES explores the aftermath of Jordan’s tragic death, the latent and often unseen effects of racism, and the contradictions of the American criminal justice system.
BEING EVEL
USA (DIR: DANIEL JUNGE )
An unprecedented, candid portrait of American icon Robert “Evel” Knievel and his legacy.
explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.
CALL ME LUCKY
USA (DIR: BOBCAT GOLDTHWAIT )
Barry Crimmins was a volatile but brilliant bar comic who became an honored peace activist and influential political satirist. Famous comedians and others build a picture of a man who underwent an incredible transformation.
CARTEL LAND
USA, MEXICO (DIR: MATTHEW HEINEMAN )
BEST OF ENEMIES
USA (DIRS: MORGAN NEVILLE, ROBERT GORDON )
Best of Enemies is a behindthe-scenes account of the
In this classic Western set in the 21st century, vigilantes on both sides of the border fight the vicious Mexican drug cartels. With unprecedented access, this character-driven film provokes deep questions about lawlessness, the breakdown of order, and whether citizens should fight violence
with violence.
into it.
CITY OF GOLD
HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO
USA (DIR: LAURA GABBERT )
Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold casts his light upon a vibrant and growing cultural movement in which he plays the dual roles of high-low priest and culinary geographer of his beloved Los Angeles.
FINDERS KEEPERS
USA (DIRS: BRYAN CARBERRY, CLAY TWEEL )
Recovering addict and amputee John Wood finds himself in a stranger-thanfiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction and believes it to therefore be his rightful property.
HOT GIRLS WANTED USA (DIRS: JILL BAUER, RONNA GRADUS )
Hot Girls Wanted is a firstever look at the realities inside the world of the amateur porn industry and the steady stream of 18- and 19-year-old girls entering
USA (DIR: ALEXANDRA SHIVA )
In Columbus, Ohio, a group of teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum prepare for an iconic American rite of passage — a spring formal. They spend 12 weeks practicing their social skills at a local nightclub in preparation for the dance.
men and lesbians to fight for their lives. At 78, this complicated man still commands our attention.
MERU
USA (DIRS: JIMMY CHIN, E. CHAI VASARHELYI )
Three elite mountain climbers sacrifice everything but their friendship as they struggle through heartbreaking loss and nature’s harshest elements to attempt the never-beforecompleted Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru, the most coveted first ascent in the dangerous game of Himalayan big wall climbing.
RACING EXTINCTION USA (DIR: LOUIE PSIHOYOS )
LARRY KRAMER IN LOVE AND ANGER
USA (DIR: JEAN CARLOMUSTO )
Author, activist, and playwright Larry Kramer is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired gay
Academy Award-winner Louie Psihoyos (The Cove) assembles a unique team to show the world neverbefore-seen images that expose issues surrounding endangered species and mass extinction. Whether infiltrating notorious black markets or exploring humans’ effect on the envi-
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ronment, Racing Extinction will change the way you see the world.
(T)ERROR
USA (DIRS: LYRIC R. CABRAL, DAVID FELIX SUTCLIFFE )
(T)ERROR is the first film to document on camera a covert counterterrorism sting as it unfolds. Through the perspective of a 63-year-old Black revolutionary turned FBI informant, viewers are given an unprecedented glimpse of the government’s counterterrorism tactics, and the murky justifications behind them.
WELCOME TO LEITH
USA (DIRS: MICHAEL BEACH NICHOLS, CHRISTOPHER K. WALKER )
A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.
WESTERN
USA, MEXICO (DIRS: BILL ROSS, TURNER ROSS )
Jenny, 17, dreams of becoming a synchronized swimmer. Family events turn her life upside down and she is forced move to a remote area to look after her ill father and younger brother. It won’t be long before Jenny starts pursuing her dreams again. CAST: SARA
SERRAIOCCO, IVAN FRANEK, GIORGIO COLANGELI, ANATOL SASSI, PIERA DEGLI ESPOSTI, ANDREA VERGONI. ) WORLD PREMIERE
CHORUS
CANADA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: FRANÇOIS DELISLE )
A separated couple meet again after 10 years when the body of their missing son is found. Amid the guilt of losing a loved one, they hesitantly move toward affirmation of life, acceptance of death, and even the possibility of reconciliation. CAST: SÉBASTIEN RICARD,
For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life. Western portrays timeless American figures in the grip of unforgiving change.
FANNY MALLETTE, PIERRE CURZI, GENEVIEVE BUJOLD. WORLD PREMIERE
THE WOLFPACK
HOMESICK
USA (DIR: CRYSTAL MOSELLE )
Six bright teenage brothers have spent their entire lives locked away from society in a Manhattan housing project. All they know of the outside is gleaned from the movies they watch obsessively (and recreate meticulously). Yet as adolescence looms, they dream of escape, ever more urgently, into the beckoning world.
WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION
The competition will present 12 films from emerging filmmaking talents around the world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.
CHLORINE
ITALY (DIR: LAMBERTO SANFELICE, SCREENWRITERS: LAMBERTO SANFELICE, ELISA AMORUSO )
GLASSLAND
IRELAND (DIR./SCRNWRTR: GERARD BARRETT )
In a desperate attempt to reunite his broken family, a young taxi driver becomes entangled in the criminal underworld. Cast: Jack Reynor, Toni Collette, Will Poulter, Michael Smiley. International Premiere NORWAY (DIR: ANNE SEWITSKY, SCREENWRITERS: RAGNHILD TRONVOLL, ANNE SEWITSKY )
When Charlotte, 27, meets her brother Henrik, 35, for the first time, two people who don’t know what a normal family is begin an encounter without boundaries. How does sibling love manifest itself if you have never experienced it before? Cast: Ine Marie Wilmann, Simon J. Berger, Anneke von der Lippe, Silje Storstein, Oddgeir Thune, Kari Onstad. World Premiere
IVY
TURKEY (DIR./SCRNWRTR: TOLGA KARAÇELIK )
Sarmasik is sailing to Egypt when the ship’s owner goes bankrupt. The crew learns there is a lien on the ship, and key crew members must stay on board. Ivy is
the story of these six men trapped on the ship for days. CAST: NADIR SARIBACAK,
ÖZGÜR EMRE YILDIRIM, HAKAN KARSAK, KADIR ÇERMIK, OSMAN ALKAs, SEYITHAN ÖZDEMIROGLU. WORLD PREMIERE
PARTISAN
AUSTRALIA (DIR: ARIEL KLEIMAN, SCREENWRITERS: ARIEL KLEIMAN, SARAH CYNGLER )
Alexander is like any other kid: playful, curious and naive. He is also a trained assassin. Raised in a hidden paradise, Alexander has grown up seeing the world filtered through his father, Gregori. As Alexander begins to think for himself, creeping fears take shape, and Gregori’s idyllic world unravels. CAST: VINCENT CAS-
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MICHAEL FASSBENDER, KODI SMIT-MCPHEE, RORY MCCANN, BEN MENDELSOHN, BROOKE WILLIAMS, CAREN PISTORIUS. WORLD PREMIERE
STRANGERLAND
AUSTRALIA, IRELAND (DIR: KIM FARRANT, SCREENWRITERS: FIONA SERES, MICHAEL KINIRONS )
When Catherine and Matthew Parker’s two teenage kids disappear into the remote Australian desert, the couple’s relationship is pushed to the brink as they confront the mystery of their children’s fate. CAST: NICOLE KIDMAN, JOSEPH FIENNES, HUGO WEAVING, LISA FLANAGAN, MEYNE WYATT, MADDISON BROWN. WORLD PREMIERE
BRAZIL (DIR./SCRNWRTR: ANNA MUYLAERT )
Having left her daughter, Jessica, to be raised by relatives in the north of Brazil, Val works as a loving nanny in São Paulo. When Jessica arrives for a visit 13 years later, she confronts her mother’s slave-like attitude and everyone in the house is affected by her unexpected behavior. CAST:
REGINA CASÉ, MICHEL JOELSAS, CAMILA MÁRDILA, KARINE TELES, LOURENÇO MUTARELLI. WORLD PREMIERE
SLOW WEST
NEW ZEALAND (DIR: JOHN MACLEAN, SCREENWRITERS: JOHN MACLEAN, MICHAEL LESSLIE )
Set at the end of the nineteenth century, 16-year-old Jay Cavendish journeys across the American frontier in search of the woman he loves. He is joined by Silas, a mysterious traveler, and hotly pursued by an outlaw along the way. CAST:
During the Arab revolution, a love story between two women — a Canadian and a Syrian American — turns into an international sociopolitical thriller spotlighting media excesses and the thin line between truth and falsehood on the Internet. ISRAEL, GERMANY (DIR: MOR LOUSHY )
ISRAEL (DIR./SCRNWRTR: TALI SHALOM EZER )
THE SECOND MOTHER
CANADA (DIR: SOPHIE DERASPE )
CENSORED VOICES
PRINCESS
MOR, SHIRA HAAS, ORI PFEFFER, ADAR ZOHAR HANETZ. INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
THE AMINA PROFILE
WORLD PREMIERE
SEL, JEREMY CHABRIEL, FLORENCE MEZZARA. WORLD PREMIERE
While her mother is away from home, 12-year-old Adar’s role-playing games with her stepfather move into dangerous territory. Seeking an escape, Adar finds Alan, an ethereal boy that accompanies her on a dark journey between reality and fantasy. CAST: KEREN
international filmmakers working today.
THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE
LITHUANIA, FRANCE, HOLLAND (DIR./SCRNWRTR: ALANTÉ KAVAÏTÉ )
Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, nearby her parents’ lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds in her teenage love, the only person that truly encourages her to fly. CAST:
JULIJA STEPONAITYT, AIST DIRŽIT. WORLD PREMIERE. DAY ONE FILM
UMRIKA
INDIA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: PRASHANT NAIR )
When a young village boy discovers that his brother, long believed to be in America, has actually gone missing, he begins to invent letters on his behalf to save their mother from heartbreak, all the while searching for him. CAST:
SURAJ SHARMA, TONY REVOLORI, SMITA TAMBE, ADIL HUSSAIN, RAJESH TAILANG, PRATEIK BABBAR. WORLD PREMIERE
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
The competition will present 12 documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary
One week after the 1967 Six-Day War, renowned author Amos Oz and editor Avraham Shapira recorded intimate conversations with soldiers returning from the battlefield. The Israeli army censored the recordings, allowing only a fragment of the conversations to be published. Censored Voices reveals these recordings for the first time. WORLD
PREMIERE
THE CHINESE MAYOR CHINA (DIR: HAO ZHOU )
Mayor Geng Yanbo is determined to transform the coal-mining center of Datong, in China’s Shanxi province, into a tourism haven showcasing clean energy. In order to achieve that, however, he has to relocate 500,000 residences to make way for the restoration of the ancient city. World Premiere
CHUCK NORRIS VS COMMUNISM UNITED KINGDOM, ROMANIA, GERMANY (DIR: ILINCA CALUGAREANU )
In 1980s Romania, thousands of Western films smashed through the Iron Curtain, opening a window to the free world for those who dared to look. A black market VHS racketeer and courageous female translator brought the magic of film to the masses and sowed the seeds of a revo-
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lution. WORLD PREMIERE
DARK HORSE
UNITED KINGDOM (DIR: LOUISE OSMOND )
Dark Horse is the inspirational true story of a group of friends from a workingman’s club who decide to take on the elite “sport of kings” and breed themselves a racehorse. World Premiere
DREAMCATCHER
UNITED KINGDOM (DIR: KIM LONGINOTTO )
Dreamcatcher takes us into a hidden world seen through the eyes of one of its survivors, Brenda MyersPowell. A former teenage prostitute, Brenda defied the odds to become a powerful advocate for change in her community. With warmth and humor, Brenda gives hope to those who have none. WORLD PREMIERE
HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD
UNITED KINGDOM, CANADA (DIR: JERRY ROTHWELL )
In 1971, a group of friends sails into a nuclear test zone, and their protest captures the world’s imagination. Using rare, archival footage that brings their extraordinary world to life, How to Change the World is the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement. WORLD PREMIERE. DAY ONE FILM
LISTEN TO ME MARLON
UNITED KINGDOM (DIR./SCRNWRTR: STEVAN RILEY, CO-WRITER: PETER ETTEDGUI )
With exclusive access to previously unheard audio archives, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary. Charting his exceptional career and extraordinary life away from the stage and screen, the film fully explores the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely in Marlon’s own voice. WORLD PREMIERE
PERVERT PARK
SWEDEN, DENMARK (DIRS: FRIDA BARKFORS, LASSE BARKFORS )
Pervert Park follows the everyday lives of sex offenders in a Florida trailer park as they struggle to reintegrate into society, and try to understand who they are and how to break the cycle of sex crimes being committed. INTERNATIONAL
PREMIERE
THE RUSSIAN WOODPECKER
UNITED KINGDOM (DIR: CHAD GRACIA )
A Ukrainian victim of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovers a dark secret and must decide whether to risk his life by revealing it, amid growing clouds of revolution and war. WORLD
PREMIERE
SEMBENE!
USA, SENEGAL (DIRS: SAMBA GADJIGO, JASON SILVERMAN )
In 1952, Ousmane Sembene,
a Senegalese dockworker and fifth-grade dropout, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. This true story celebrates how the “father of African cinema,” against enormous odds, fought a monumental, 50-year-long battle to give Africans a voice. WORLD
PREMIERE
THE VISIT
DENMARK, AUSTRIA, IRELAND, FINLAND, NORWAY (DIR: MICHAEL MADSEN )
“This film documents an event that has never taken place…” With unprecedented access to the United Nations’ Office for Outer Space Affairs, leading space scientists and space agencies, The Visit explores humans’ first encounter with alien intelligent life and thereby humanity itself. “Our scenario begins with the arrival. Your arrival.” WORLD PREMIERE
NEXT <=>
Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Digital technology paired with unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape a “greater” next wave in American cinema. PRESENTED BY ADOBE.
BOB AND THE TREES
USA, FRANCE (DIR: DIEGO ONGARO, SCREENWRITERS: DIEGO
ONGARO, COURTNEY MAUM, SASHA STATMAN-WEIL )
Bob, a 50-year-old logger in rural Massachusetts with a soft spot for golf and gangsta rap, is struggling to make ends meet in a changed economy. When his beloved cow is wounded and a job goes awry, Bob begins to heed the instincts of his ever-darkening self. Cast: Bob Tarasuk, Matt Gallagher, Polly MacIntyre, Winthrop Barrett, Nathaniel Gregory. World Premiere
CHRISTMAS, AGAIN
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: CHARLES POEKEL )
A heartbroken Christmas tree salesman returns to New York, hoping to put the past year behind him. He spends the season living in a trailer and working the night shift, until a mysterious woman and some colorful customers rescue him from self-destruction. CAST: KENTUCKER AUDLEY, HANNAH GROSS, JASON SHELTON, OONA ROCHE. NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
CRONIES
En route to meeting with his estranged daughter, in an attempt to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave Desert. CAST:
GREGG TURKINGTON, JOHN C. REILLY, TYE SHERIDAN, MICHAEL CERA, AMY SEIMETZ, LOTTE VERBEEK. WORLD PREMIERE
H.
USA, ARGENTINA (DIRS AND SCREENWRITERS: RANIA ATTIEH, DANIEL GARCIA )
Two women, each named Helen, find their lives spinning out of control after a meteor allegedly explodes over their city of Troy, New York. CAST: ROBIN BARTLETT, RE-
BECCA DAYAN, WILL JANOWITZ, JULIAN GAMBLE, ROGER ROBINSON. WORLD PREMIERE
JAMES WHITE
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: JOSH MOND )
A young New Yorker struggles to take control of his reckless, self-destructive behavior in the face of momentous family challenges. CAST: CHRIS ABBOTT, CYNTHIA NIXON, SCOTT MESCUDI, MAKENZIE LEIGH, DAVID CALL. WORLD PREMIERE
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: MICHAEL LARNELL )
Twenty-two-year-old Louis doesn’t know whether his childhood friendship with Jack will last beyond today. CAST: GEORGE SAMPLE III, ZURICH BUCKNER, BRIAN KOWALSKI. WORLD PREMIERE
ENTERTAINMENT
USA (DIR: RICK ALVERSON, SCREENWRITERS: RICK ALVERSON, GREGG TURKINGTON, TIM HEIDECKER )
NASTY BABY
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: SEBASTIAN SILVA )
A gay couple try to have a baby with the help of
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46 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | QUEER GUIDE TO SUNDANCE
their best friend, Polly. The trio navigates the idea of creating life while confronted by unexpected harassment from a neighborhood man called The Bishop. As their clashes grow increasingly aggressive, odds are someone is getting hurt. CAST: SEBASTIAN SILVA, TUNDE
ADEBIMPE, KRISTIN WIIG, REG E. CATHEY, MARK MARGOLIS, DENIS O’HARE. WORLD PREMIERE
THE STRONGEST MAN
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: KENNY RICHES )
An anxiety-ridden Cuban man who fancies himself the strongest man in the world attempts to recover his most prized possession, a stolen bicycle. On his quest, he finds and loses much more. CAST: ROBERT
LORIE, PAUL CHAMBERLAIN, ASHLY BURCH, PATRICK FUGIT, LISA BANES. WORLD PREMIERE
TAKE ME TO THE RIVER USA (Dir./SCRNWRTR: Matt Sobel ) A naive California teen plans to remain above the fray at his Nebraskan family reunion, but a strange encounter places him at the center of a long-buried family secret. CAST: LOGAN MILLER, ROBIN
WEIGERT, JOSH HAMILTON, RICHARD SCHIFF, URSULA PARKER, AZURA SKYE. WORLD PREMIERE
TANGERINE
USA (DIR: SEAN BAKER, SCREENWRITERS: SEAN BAKER, CHRIS BERGOCH )
A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. CAST: KITANA KIKI RODRIGUEZ, MYA TAYLOR, KARREN KARAGULIAN, MICKEY O’HAGAN, ALLA TUMANYAN, JAMES RANSONE. WORLD PREMIERE
U.S. NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS ACTRESSES
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: JEREMY HERSH )
The film follows the relationship between a young, aspiring actress and an established off-Broadway star.
A.D. 1363, THE END OF CHIVALRY
USA, NEW ZEALAND (DIR./SCRNWRTR: JAKE MAHAFFY )
A little-known historical catastrophe leads to the definitive end of the era of chivalry and questing.
COLOR NEUTRAL
USA (DIR: JENNIFER REEVES )
A color explosion sparkles, bubbles, and fractures in this handcrafted 16mm film. Jennifer Reeves utilizes an array of mediums and direct-on-film techniques to create this exuberant, psychedelic morsel of cinema as material.
gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
DOG BOWL
SMILF
A heartbroken girl spiraling through life stumbles upon the true nature of her existence after stealing the vest off of a service dog.
A young single mother struggles to balance her old life of freedom with her new one as mom. It all comes to a head during one particular nap-time when Bridgette invites an old friend over for a visit.
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: GORDY HOFFMAN )
HUGH THE HUNTER
USA (DIR: ZACHARY HEINZERLING, SCREENWRITERS: ZACHARY HEINZERLING, JESSE SOURSOURIAN )
This fable, inspired by the artwork of Hugh Hayden, follows a fictitious hunter of the Scottish Highlands on a daylong quest to capture the elusive red grouse.
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: FRANKIE SHAW )
STOP
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: REINALDO MARCUS GREEN )
A young man’s livelihood is put to the test when he is stopped by the police on his way home.
A MILLION MILES AWAY
SUPERIOR
Melancholy as survival strategy: A woman on the edge of failing and a pack of teenage girls simultaneously experience a supernatural coming-of-age. The transformation unravels to the infectious beat of a heavy metal anthem.
A stranger passing through town sparks a teenage girl’s desire to distinguish herself from her identical twin sister. As one sister struggles to break free, the other insists on preserving their distinctive bond.
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: JENNIFER REEDER )
MULIGNANS
USA (DIR: SHAKA KING, SCREENWRITERS: SHAKA KING, KRISTAN SPRAGUE )
mulignan(s) /moo.lin.yan(s)/ n. 1. Italian-American slang for a Black man. Derived from Italian dialect word for “eggplant.” See also: moolie. Source: Urban Dictionary and pretty much every mob movie ever.
MYRNA THE MONSTER
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: IAN SAMUELS )
A heartbroken alien dreamer from the moon transitions into young adult life in Los Angeles just like any other 20-something.
OH LUCY!
JAPAN, SINGAPORE, USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: ATSUKO HIRAYANAGI )
Setsuko, a 55-year-old single socalled office lady in Tokyo, is given a blonde wig and a new identity, “Lucy,” by her young unconventional English-language teacher. “Lucy” awakens desires in Setsuko she never knew existed.
PINK GRAPEFRUIT
USA (DIR: MICHAEL MOHAN, SCRNWRTRS: MICHAEL MOHAN, CHRIS LEVITUS )
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: ERIN VASSILOPOULOS )
INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS BACK ALLEY
FRANCE (DIR./SCRNWRTR: CÉCILE DUCROCQ )
Suzanne, a prostitute for 15 years, has her turf, her regular johns, and her freedom. One day, however, young African prostitutes settle nearby, and she is threatened.
THE CHICKEN
GERMANY, CROATIA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: UNA GUNJAK )
The day-to-day life of a six-yearold girl growing up during unstable times in Sarajevo is shaken up when a chicken joins her family.
DAYTIMER United Kingdom (Dir./SCRNWRTR: Riz Ahmed ) London, 1999: A young boy gives school and home the slip to attend his first daytime rave.
A young married couple bring two of their single friends to Palm Springs for a long weekend. It does not go as planned.
A therapist working in tandem with a correctional facility’s Pet Partnership Program entrusts a small rabbit to a female prisoner. In the confinement of her cell, will the inmate be able to transcend her circumstances and connect with the animal?
SWEDEN (DIR./SCRNWRTR: AMANDA KERNELL )
Elle, 78, doesn’t like Sámi (Laplander) people — even though she is Sámi. Pressured by her son, she returns north for her sister’s funeral. When she realizes he’s planned for them to stay with their relatives, Elle checks into a hotel.
GREENLAND
ISRAEL (DIR./SCRNWRTR: OREN GERNER )
Oren packs his belongings at his parents’ house before moving in with his girlfriend. Through seemingly simple interactions, family dynamics are revealed. The house constitutes the space in which past, present, and future mix into a chronicle of separation.
HOLE
CANADA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: MARTIN EDRALIN )
A daring portrait of a disabled man yearning for intimacy in a world that would rather ignore him.
I AM HONG KONG
CHINA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: FLORA LAU )
Umbrella Movement shows how citizens’ passion for a more just future brings about a peaceful but powerful social movement, in midst of defamation and attacks. This film documents what Hong Kong means to the interviewees, without any political intention.
THE LITTLE DEPUTY
CANADA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: TREVOR ANDERSON )
Trevor tries to have his photo taken with his father.
OUT OF SIGHT
UNITED KINGDOM (DIR: NICK ROWLAND, SCRNWRTR: JOE MURTAGH )
To clear a debt with a loan shark, Martin, a recoverimg drug addict, agrees to lock a stranger in his spare room while they go cold turkey. As the days pass, Martin suspects something far worse is at play.
RUSSIAN ROULETTE
UNITED KINGDOM (DIR: BEN ASTON, SCRNWRTR: OLI FENTON )
London becomes a little less lonely when Lucy meets a libidinous cosmonaut on Chatroulette.
RABBIT
FRANCE, USA (DIR: LAURE DE CLERMONTTONNERRE, SCREENWRITERS: LAURE DE CLERMONT-TONNERRE, BRADY CORBET, MONA FASTVOLD )
GREAT NORTHERN MOUNTAIN
SATURDAY FOLLOWERS
UNITED KINGDOM, AUSTRALIA(DIR./ SCRNWRTR: TIM MARSHALL )
Lynn, an elderly woman stricken with grief after her husband’s death, finds solace in an apparition of Jesus on the swimming trunks of a young gay man at her adult swimming class.
UNITED KINGDOM (DIR: MIKE FORSHAW, SCREENWRITERS: MIKE FORSHAW, GREG FORSHAW )
April 15, 1989: A soccer match changes Liam’s life and the city of Liverpool forever… This fictional account relates how the Hillsborough Stadium disaster — which claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool supporters — unfolded for a family in Merseyside, England.
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SPRING Mexico (Dir./SCRNWRTR: Tania Claudia Castillo ) Elba, an introverted, lonely 14-year-old, wants to bond with her sister Fernanda before she leaves home.
neering studio under artist Edward Adamson. Abandoned Goods is a moving portrait of the littleknown history of UK postwar asylum life.
THE COLLECTORS: BEEKEEPER
USA (DIR: STEVEN CANTOR )
TAKE ME
A nurse working at a center for the disabled is confronted by his principles when he’s asked to accomplish a particular task.
Dennis van Engelsdorp, former state apiarist for Pennsylvania and current entomology professor at the University of Maryland, is worried that bees — a crucial part of humanity’s ecosystem — are dying.
VOLTA
EVERY DAY
CANADA (DIRS AND SCREENWRITERS: ANAÏS BARBEAU-LAVALETTE, ANDRÉ TURPIN )
GREECE (DIR./SCRNWRTR: STELLA KYRIAKOPOULOS )
As a mother and daughter start out from downtown Athens, Greece, and head to the northern suburbs, little Nina thinks they’re simply going for a walk.
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS
THE 414S: THE ORIGINAL TEENAGE HACKERS USA (DIR: MICHAEL T. VOLLMANN )
In 1983, a group of Milwaukee teenagers gained notoriety when they broke into dozens of highprofile computer systems. The ensuing media frenzy terrified a nation previously ignorant of the capabilities of computer interconnectivity.
ABANDONED GOODS
UNITED KINGDOM (DIRS: PIA BORG, EDWARD LAWRENSON )
Patients committed to Netherne psychiatric hospital between 1946 and 1981 created an extraordinary collection of artworks in a pio-
USA (DIR: GABE SPITZER )
At 86, Joy Johnson was the oldest woman to run the 2013 New York City Marathon. The story of an inspiring athlete with an uncommon passion for her sport, and for life.
THE FACE OF UKRAINE: CASTING OKSANA BAIUL AUSTRALIA (DIR: KITTY GREEN )
Adorned in pink sequins, little girls from across a divided, war-torn Ukraine audition to play the role of Olympic champion figure skater Oksana Baiul, whose tears of joy once united their troubled country.
HOTEL 22
USA (DIR: ELIZABETH LO )
the artist behind the iconic Eloise books, sees him reflecting on his life as an illustrator and his relationship to his most successful work.
MAKING IT IN AMERICA USA (DIR: JORIS DEBEIJ )
A Salvadoran immigrant who fled to the United States as a teenager is now a single mother striving to build a future for her family in Los Angeles.
{THE AND} MARCELA & ROCK USA (DIR: TOPAZ ADIZES )
Exploring the intimate spaces of modern-day relationships, THE AND is the best couples therapy session you’ll ever witness.
CANADA (DIR: STEPHEN DUNN )
A breast cancer survivor tries to reclaim her sexuality.
POP-UP PORNO: M4F
CANADA (DIR: STEPHEN DUNN )
A painfully ill Dutch Montrealer has to use the bathroom while his date is in the shower.
USA (DIR: JOE CALLANDER )
A mother awakens at midnight, 3:00 a.m., and 6:00 a.m. every day so her daughter will wake up in the morning.
OBJECT
POLAND (DIR: PAULINA SKIBISKA )
A creative image of an underwater search in the dimensions of two worlds — ice desert and under water — told from the point of view of the rescue team, of the diver, and of the ordinary people waiting on the shore.
ONE YEAR LEASE
IT’S ME, HILARY: THE MAN WHO DREW ELOISE
PAPA MACHETE
This portrait of Hilary Knight,
POP-UP PORNO: F4M
MIDNIGHT THREE & SIX
Each night in Silicon Valley, the Line 22 public bus transforms into an unofficial shelter for the homeless. This film captures one dramatic night on the “Hotel 22” bus.
USA (DIR: MATT WOLF )
with the same tool used to work the land: the machete. Papa Machete explores a martial art evolved from this victory through the practice of one of its few remaining masters.
USA (DIR: BRIAN BOLSTER )
In a story told almost entirely through voicemail messages, Brian, Thomas, and Casper endure a year with Rita, their cat-loving landlady. USA (DIR: JONATHAN DAVID KANE )
Two hundred years ago, Haitian slaves defeated Napoleon’s armies
POP-UP PORNO: M4M CANADA (DIR: STEPHEN DUNN )
A lonely traveler on a business trip to New York finds himself in a heated Grindr chat with his worst nightmare.
SERENITY
USA (DIR: JACK DUNPHY )
An animated memoir recounting first love, addiction, losing one’s virginity, and turning to pizza in times of crisis.
STARTING POINT
POLAND (DIR: MICHAŁ SZCZENIAK )
Aneta rebelled at age 19 and wound up in prison for murder. Nine years later, her daily routine takes her from behind prison walls to a nursing home.
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48 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | QUEER GUIDE TO SUNDANCE
ANIMATED SHORT FILMS BATH HOUSE
SWEDEN (DIR: NIKI LINDROTH VON BAHR, SCRNWRTR: JERKER VIRDBORG )
Six characters meet in a public bathhouse: the pedant bathhouse manager, a couple with a strange way of communicating and a gang with shady intentions. Something goes wrong.
BEACH FLAGS
FRANCE (DIR./SCRNWRTR: SARAH SAIDAN )
Vida, a young Iranian lifeguard, is determined to be the one to participate in an international competition in Australia. However, when Sareh, who is as fast and talented as her, joins the team, Vida faces an unexpected situation.
THE HORSE RAISED BY SPHERES
USA, IRELAND (DIR./SCRNWRTR: DAVID OREILLY )
Horse ponders his loneliness.
MYNARSKI DEATH PLUMMET
CANADA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: MATTHEW RANKIN )
A completely handmade historical micro-epic combining wartime aviation melodrama with classical and avant-garde animation techniques, Mynarski Death Plummet is a psychedelic photo-chemical war picture on the themes of selfsacrifice, immortality, and jellyfish.
STORM HITS JACKET
FRANCE (DIR./SCRNWRTR: PAUL CABON )
A storm reaches the shores of Brittany. Nature goes crazy, two young scientists get caught up in the chaos. Espionage, romantic tension and mysterious events clash with enthusiasm and randomness.
In a vast desert bathed in neon hues, a misfit werewolf tears full speed ahead over forbidding terrain while his hoary counterpart awaits.
PALM ROT
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: RYAN GILLIS )
An old Florida fumigator discovers a mysterious crate in the Everglades that ruins his day.
THE SUN LIKE A BIG DARK ANIMAL
USA (DIRS: CHRISTINA FELISGRAU, RONNIE RIVERA, SCREENWRITERS: RONNIE RIVERA, BERNARDO BRITTO )
A computer and a woman fall in love, only to be torn apart because of their inappropriate feelings for each other.
SYMPHONY NO. 42
HUNGARY (DIR./SCRNWRTR: RÉKA BUCSI )
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unconventional narrative. It presents a subjective world through 47 scenes. Small events, interlaced by associations, express the irrational coherence of our surroundings. The surreal situations are based on the interactions of humans and nature.
TEETH
UNITED KINGDOM, USA, HUNGARY (DIRS AND SCREENWRITERS: DANIEL GRAY, TOM BROWN )
OM RIDER
USA(DIR./SCRNWRTR: TAKESHI MURATA )
gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
Things of worth are often neglected in favor of that which is more immediately gratifying. Unfortunately, things that are neglected are often lost forever. Inteeth, a misguided and intensely focused man’s life is chronicled through his oral obsessions.
revolves around the themes of cultural alienation, abuse and the contrast between mythological Greenlandic nature and Western urban culture.
TWO FILMS ABOUT LONELINESS
UNITED KINGDOM (DIRS AND SCREENWRITERS: WILLIAM BISHOP-STEPHENS, CHRISTOPHER EALES )
A split screen separates the worlds of Jonathan Smallman, who is recording his online dating profile, and Philip Button, Internet chef and hamster, who is noisily recording his new cooking video.
WORLD OF TOMORROW
USA (DIR./SCRNWRTR: DON HERTZFELDT )
TUPILAQ
A little girl is taken on a mind-bending tour of the distant future.
The Tupilaq is both a symbol of the spirit of a forefather and a curse. This personal and moving short film
Films may have been added after press time. See sundance.org for film times, ticketing and locations. Watch gaysaltlake.com for our Sundance blog.
DENMARK (DIR./SCRNWRTR: JAKOB MAQE )
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hear me out IDINA MENZEL, HOLIDAY WISHES Idina Menzel is the luckiest person to have ever been called Adele Dazeem. The awkwardness of having her name butchered by John Travolta during this year’s Oscars telecast gifted the Broadway icon with newfound clout, boosting her out of the gay niche and into mainstream notoriety. Now, Elsa the Snow Queen rides the snowy wave of her wintertime success and releases a Christmas album (because there’s nothing else you should be doing after your inner drag queen surfaces and all your repressed powers turn everything to ice). If you’re expecting some kind of
Christmas version of “Let It Go” from the Frozen superstar, well, let it go. Holiday Wishes is focused on simple, classic Christmas nostalgia: for instance, “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Silent Night” (not exactly the
silentest of nights as Menzel can’t help but belt). Producer Walter Afanasieff, who made magic with Mariah Carey in the early ‘90s, and also co-wrote “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” heads Menzel’s project, which includes a jazzy and not-quite-as-magical version of Carey’s staple (with Kenny G on sax). And because Idina knows you want her to sing something Disney, she doesn’t let you down. Her lovely rendition of “When You Wish Upon a Star” is designed as a big ol’ fashioned mega ballad that makes everything shine a little brighter. Grade: B-
the bookworm sez “THE STORY OF FESTER CAT” BY PAUL MAGRS c.2014, Berkley $16.00 / $18.00 Canada 295 pages Every now and then, you catch your cat staring off into space, and you wonder what he’s thinking about. Food, maybe; he’s always hungry. Outside, perhaps, or where his catnip mouse is hiding? Then again, he could be pondering the meaning of life; you never know, with a cat. Don’t you wish you understood what’s going on inside that furry head? Read “The Story of Fester Cat” by Paul Magrs, and you might get some idea... Fester the Cat wasn’t cut out for the life of a stray. Miss Bessy (who really was a boy-cat) made fun of Fester for wanting a better life, but Fester didn’t listen. The house he found – the warm house where two men lived – was welcoming, and there was food. Bessy said the men were
gay and it wasn’t “’natural,’” but Fester didn’t care. It took him awhile to move in, which was just as well. Paul and Jeremy seemed to be just getting used to one another, too. Paul worked at home and made sure that Fester had lots of places to sleep. Jeremy had a stressful job that he really wasn’t happy doing, so Fester made sure to “sing” to Jeremy quite often. Life in the cottage was good – Fester had his own garden, and he saw his old street friends occasionally. He had all the food he could eat, sunny places to curl up, scratches on his chin’s “Special Spot” and, though he wasn’t altogether keen on it, Paul and Jeremy took Fester to the “hairdresser” now and then. Fester knew the “hairdresser” was really a veterinarian, and he tried not to be too ungrateful. But months living on the streets are hard on a cat and Fester’s “hairdresser” discovered a problem with his thyroid. Medicine helped that, but there wasn’t much to be done about a small stroke he suffered. The stroke led to headaches and wobbly legs, and Fester was embarrassed that he couldn’t do steps any
more. Paul and Jeremy were very nice about it, but they had their own issues to fix... Heaven knows, I tried so hard to like this book. I truly did. Instead, what I really wanted to do with “The Story of Fester Cat” was to throw it in a litter box and send it somewhere far, far away. Yes, I do have to admit, I was charmed by about three sentences in this cat-“written” story (obviously penned by human Paul Magrs). Unfortunately, those sentences were superseded by an insufferably cutesy tale that strained my adult sensibilities; repeated (and sometimes painfully detailed) mentions of doing “poo;” a colorfully-slangy description of a cat’s sexual organs; a whole chapter on intestinal worms; and the non-word “Ungow!” over and over – once, in a passage that reminded me distinctly of Ulysses. No, seriously. I tried. And I think, minus the bodily functions, physical descriptions and worms, “The Story of Fester Cat” might’ve even been a good kid’s book. But for an adult – even for the most determined cat lover – don’t bother to think.
NICK JONAS, NICK JONAS It’s basically impossible to stay hydrated amid all the crotchgrabbing, butt-exposing sexiness Nick Jonas has so generously donated to the thirsty people of the world. Giving you yet another reason to suck down some H2O is the former Jonas Brother’s self-titled solo album, the sonic component to the never-ending parade of partial nudity (but really, how many times do you think he cups his junk to reach falsetto?). Nick toys with his sexed-up image on “Teacher,” an R&B-tinged, love-gone-sour song where he sounds like he’s ready to get the ruler out and give you a nice spankin’. “Take it off for me,” he urges on the funky soul number “Take Over,” referring to your “disguise” (i.e. clothes). With “Numb,” he instigates a bump-and-grind; “Avalanche,” with Demi Lovato, shows he’s got soul and not just vocally. There’s a beating heart beyond that flirty façade. Then it’s back to the bedroom for the Mike Posner-assisted slow jam “Closer.” “Open up and let me in,” he demands, making dreams come true. So yeah, if you think you’re getting Justin Timberlake vibes, you are. If you’re ashamed to get aural pleasure from a Jonas Brother, you shouldn’t be. Like his clothes, Nick’s shed the Disney act for this rite-ofpassage project, indicative of his journey into maturity, into desire, into a girl’s pants. The purity ring is off; he’s literally and figuratively more naked than ever before. Dig in. Grade: B+
50 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | FOOD&DRINK
food & drink Delectable: A Wine App That Could Revolutionize Drinking BY DAVID WHITE
Alexander Niehenke began to appreciate wine ten years ago. But for the first four years, it was simply a beverage he enjoyed with dinner from time to time, especially when cooking at home. And then he put his nose in a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon from Justin, a winery based in Paso Robles, California. He was at a bachelor party, where
few attendees were paying any attention to the wine inside their glasses. But for Niehenke, the aromas were intoxicating. Something clicked. So he promptly dove into the world of wine. For the next five years, Niehenke’s passion for wine grew steadily and predictably. As a resident of San Francisco, weekend trips to Napa Valley and Sonoma were easy — so he started driving north regularly. He began attending tastings, reading wine publications, and even collecting. And then he discovered Delectable, a mobile wine app. Since downloading the program last fall, Niehenke has been moving towards oenophilia at lightning speed. “The app has taught me about new producers, new regions, and even new varieties,” he explained. “I actually
gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
just learned about orange wine — and tried my first one — thanks to it.” An orange wine is made by treating white wine grapes as if they’re red — in other words, soaking the skins and seeds alongside the juice during fermentation. Orange wines have become quite popular among some of the nation’s hippest sommeliers, and thanks to Delectable, Niehenke can see what those sommeliers are opening each night. Delectable traces its roots to 2011, when Alex Fishman was working in Dubai for Palantir, the data analytics firm best known for its work with the U.S. intelligence community. Shortly before returning home, Fishman and his girlfriend came upon a wine they’d enjoyed on many occasions. Wanting to remember the bottle so they could purchase it in
the United States, they looked to the label for information — but were overwhelmed. Fishman recalled this experience a few months later over breakfast with in New York with Aaron Vanderbeek, a video-game designer. The two were old friends, and Fishman was detailing his desire to launch a mission-focused company — ideally, one that would “make the world a more delicious place.” In short order, they realized that there weren’t any good mobile apps for wine enthusiasts. So Fishman and Vanderbeek began building Delectable. Today, the app identifies all a wine’s details from a photo and allows users to review and purchase wines. It also helps users discover industry professionals — winemakers, sommeliers, and
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critics — and see what they’re drinking. It’s no wonder why Delectable has been described as “the Instagram of wine.” Thanks in large part to this feature, Delectable could revolutionize consumption. As Fishman told me, “the wine market is broken because of a lack of information. That’s why consumers buy points. But the point system is flawed because people have radically different tastes.” As consumers discover other enthusiasts on Delectable with similar tastes, they’ll discover new wines worth drinking. After all, it doesn’t make any sense to take the advice of a critic who has slapped “98 points!” on a bottle unless one shares that critic’s preferences. Delectable solves what Fishman calls “the matching problem” consumers face with wine critics. Niehenke is certainly drink-
ing better thanks to the app. “When looking for new wines, I used to call my knowledgeable friends. Now, I can just open up Delectable to see what they’re drinking,” he explained. “When I realized I could follow pros, too, wow — that was cool. I love seeing what my favorite winemakers — people like Ross Cobb and Cathy Corison — are drinking. Now, I follow people with similar palates to mine and un-follow people with different tastes.” Fishman is convinced that his app will fulfill its mission. “If we do this right,” he concluded, “the amount of global happiness that’s derived from wine will go up. People will drink better and better wines, since our suggestions will be tailored to individual users.” Q
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52 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | COMICS
gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
anagram AN ANAGRAM IS A WORD OR PHRASE THAT CAN BE MADE USING THE LETTERS FROM ANOTHER WORD OR PHRASE. REARRANGE THE LETTERS BELOW TO ANSWER:
PERSON OF THE YEAR
LAW NECK ARMER
____ ________
cryptogram A CRYPTOGRAM IS A PUZZLE WHERE ONE LETTER IN THE PUZZLE IS SUBSTITUTED WITH ANOTHER. FOR EXAMPLE: ECOLVGNCYXW YCR EQYIIRZNBZN YZU PSZ! HAS THE SOLUTION: CRYPTOGRAMS ARE CHALLENGING AND FUN! IN THE ABOVE EXAMPLE ES ARE ALL REPLACED BY CS. THE PUZZLE IS SOLVED BY RECOGNIZING LETTER PATTERNS IN WORDS AND SUCCESSIVELY SUBSTITUTING LETTERS UNTIL THE SOLUTION IS REACHED. THIS WEEK’S HINT: D=A
Theme: Words of a 9-year-old:
GCGJ IYHZUY QHZ’FG UDQ, L TLRR DRTDQB IFGDI QHZ IYG BDVG TDQ DB L EH JHT. ____ ______ ___’__ ___. _ ____ ______ _____ ___ ___ ____ ___ __ _ __ ___. PUZZLE ANSWERS ON PAGE 62
january 2015 | issue 239 | gaysaltlake.com
COMICS | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 53
54 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | A&E
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q scopes
BY SAM KELLEY-MILLS ARIES March 20–April 19 You’ve had a good run lately and there is much good to show for it. Satisfaction will be a constant in your work and personal life. Ride the waves into uncharted territory, especially regarding a loved one. Tremendous pressure looms. Let go of your troubles with a nice massage, or something like it. Release is the key. TAURUS Apr 20–May 20 Keep your nose clean and avoid future regrets. Satisfaction will come in the realization that you have the most important things in life. Friend, family, and career will seem nearly perfect, at least for the time being. Don’t mess it up with unnecessary obligations or by indulging in problematic endeavors. Enjoy calmness.
I Hear a Melody
50 Roman Empire invaders ACROSS 53 Pt. of SSN 1 Chart with the bottom 54 Song about 38-Across line, maybe using 20-Across on a 6 Pansy supporter dairy product? 10 Quills subject 59 Swimmer you can eat 14 Spine-chilling 60 “To be” to Henri 61 Tiny amounts 15 Irene of Fame fame 63 Russian singing duo 16 Mireille of World 64 Screw royally War Z 65 Snatch 17 Photographer Grace 66 Get ready for action 18 LSD, e.g. 67 Chose not to swallow 19 Carbon compound 68 Flynn role opposite 20 Kitchen appliance Davis with spinning blades 23 Airline in The Aviator DOWN 24 Sebastian or Joan 1 Dropout’s doc. 25 He rubs you the right 2 Where a sailor may hit way bottom 29 Says “Bottoms up!” 3 Alice’s Restaurant 33 Sixth word of Abe’s patron address 4 Earhart and others 34 Over one’s head 5 Condoms? 37 Actress Perlman 6 The Lion King villain 38 Subject of a recent 7 Meat-filled treats book of photos by 8 Lucci’s Kane in All My James Spada Children 42 Place in a Robert 9 Arrived Redford movie 10 Be an onlooker at the 43 Gussy up Oscars? 44 Island necklace 11 Word used in dating 45 Rough house 12 Closet opening 48 Broadway title 13 Immigrant ed. choice woman that every21 Former American Idol judge Abdul body noes?
22 Cone head? 25 Pirates of Penzance heroine 26 Type size 27 Somewhat, slangily 28 The Horse Fair painter Bonheur 30 “Thou ___ not covet thy neighbor’s ... ass” 31 Religious principle 32 When repeated, a Funny Girl song 35 Flower shop letters 36 Disney sci-fi flick 39 What the top did from underneath? 40 Wipe away 41 Not at all 46 Kind of truck 47 Maupin’s Significant ___ 49 Rubber stamps 51 Highly agitated down south 52 Lebanon neighbor 54 Whar she blows? 55 Crime category 56 ___ to the bottom (sank) 57 “You know how ___” 58 Use wrecking balls on 59 Gas additive 62 Sarah Jessica Parker’s “city” activity ANSWERS ON PAGE 62
LIBRA Sept 23–October 22 There’s something messy that requires your attention. Chaos is the first step in cleaning up the mundane. Dip your toe in the water and acclimate prior to diving into a big project. Family will be a source of much heartache. Lower your expectations to avoid getting angry. There is nothing more exciting than being content. SCORPIO Oct. 23–Nov. 21 A spoonful of sarcasm will help breaking bad news easier. Take a deep breath before letting someone down that you care about. This is for their own good, as well as your own. A good recovery activity will lead into much needed replenishment. There’s nothing wrong with finding a balance to avoid heartache.
GEMINI May 21–June 20 An enjoyable end to a crazy season will have you questioning your path in life. Priorities may have changed without you even noticing. Reexamination of your social life could lead to some big surprises. Don’t fear change but keep in mind the impact it may have on a partner. The best is ahead of you. Share with others.
SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22–December 20. Dwelling on the past will provide a distraction when focus should be on the present. An escapist mentality could backfire if you don’t pay respect toward those you care most about. The prize for staying focused is worth giving up some reminiscing, leading to the potentially for creating better memories. Move forward.
CANCER June 21–July 22 There is something unrecognizable about your life during this time. Your foundation is the same, but a change of scenery is bound to confuse you. Find your aim by implementing a point-and-shoot method in your dealings. A guide will appear in the form of a dashing lover or good friend. Find comfort in discovery.
CAPRICORN Dec 21–Jan 19 Slip into something comfortable during this cold time. Having affairs in order are vital in matters of the heart. Make things easier by eliminating things that don’t add joy to your life. Current business matters will be complex and aggravating. Don’t put off the important matters. Do what is necessary then take it nice and slow.
LEO July 23–August 22 You can’t put off an obligation forever, and this is a good time to take care of business. You enjoy a nice surplus in your budget, but you are bursting at the seams, Leo! Share your wealth with a good buddy who really needs it and enjoy a sense of needed relief. A family member will challenge beliefs that are held dear to you.
AQUARIUS Jan. 20–Feb. 18 Small details are never over looked by you. As you make your mark on the world, don’t skim on the details. Your best friend or partner will have a great time enjoying your company, especially your ingenuity. A deep exploration of your inner-child will occur in romantic matters. Use this to spice things up a bit.
VIRGO August 23–Sep. 22 Change is on the horizon. The pattern of life has changed for the better, and there’s a bigger picture to be painted. Work and business should be handled with a light touch. Don’t get stuck on problematic elements and search for peace in the arms of a lover. Now is the time to see what you’ve been missing all this time.
PISCES Feb 19–Mar 19 There are certain things you can’t think your way through. Instinct will be your guide, leading to great opportunities for fun. An alignment of energies with your soul mate or best pal will be a source of amazing exploration. Don’t discount the gifts in store from your imagination. You’re bound to surprise yourself. Q
CLASSIFIEDS | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 55
january 2015 | issue 239
Qmr. health manners
Game Changers A new
BY ROCK MAGEN
year means a chance to reinvent ourselves. In an effort to he you, let’s have a moment of honest talk. Here is this: there are some games you just can’t win. You can’t win if you try to build a financial business that goes up against the big banks. You can’t win if you run as a third party candidate against the donkeys and the elephants. You can’t win if you try to compete with RuPaul on the runway or Anderson Cooper on the evening news. You can’t win when you play someone else game. But you can still come out a winner — you just have to change the game. Don’t do what someone else does better. Do something new. Find that niche that only you can fill and then leave your mark. It is not easy to be original or to break away form the crowd. You have to know yourself and what you have to offer. To be successful in reinventing yourself you must find that thing you do so well that no on else can take from you, and then you have to stick to it. We are never able to push forward when when spend so much time lingering on past
experience. So, to ring in the new year, you once again need to “come out.” Changing the game means you do not apologize for who you are or what you do, it means complete and total ownership in a world filled with people who love to hide. We cannot create anything wonderful when we keep to ourselves, rather, we must risk and chance loosing it all to create those things which we will love so dearly. Just like your “coming out” sexually you in order to change the game and be successful, you have to “come out” creatively. Going into a new year we always set our resolutions, and work to better ourselves. But this year, I challenge you to not think about what you can do to change the man you are, but rather to find what part of the game you can change to find success. Will you break away from working for “the man” or will you create something new that no one has ever seen before? Regardless, just remember that it has to be something that comes from you, a reinvention rather than manipulation, and then you should be able to find your success. Q
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56 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | PETS Each Sudoku puzzle has a unique solution which can be reached logically without guessing. Enter digits 1 through 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit, as must each column and each 3x3 square. Qdoku is actually five separate, but connected, Sudoku puzzles.
Q doku Hard
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gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
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58 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | SPORTS
gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
GAME CHANGER Out soccer star Robbie Rogers on sports homophobia, closeted players and ESPN’s ‘ridiculous’ locker room coverage BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI
Ever since
Robbie Rogers came out in early 2013, the soccer player has been intent on changing sports culture the best way he knows how by being himself. Rogers shares his story in Coming Out to Play, a book cowritten with Eric Marcus (Breaking the Surface, co-authored with Greg Louganis) on the LA Galaxy player’s journey from closeted Catholic to barrier breaker. The first openly gay male athlete to win a big-time team pro sports title in the U.S., Rogers talks being “sad” about the lack of out athletes, homophobia in sports and how stories on LGBT-focused locker room behavior set the gay community back. What was the most rewarding thing you learned about yourself while writing this book? I learned a lot about myself writing this, but I don’t know what the most rewarding is. When I wrote about my childhood, and just talking about how closeted I was, how things really scarred me and, ob-
viously, being very afraid to be open with people, I think I learned from all that that I needed to be more open with people and learn from all those experiences. Without working through all those stories and writing all that down, I don’t think I would’ve been as aware of it. So, while I was writing the book, I realized, “Gosh, I need to share things more often with people and talk about things and be open,” which doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m a very shy, quiet person, actually. The most rewarding thing for myself, I think, was to just realize that and try to work on it during this past year, and to continue to work on it. In the book’s prologue, you say, “I’ve been uncomfortable with the shorthand versions of my life that I’ve seen and read.” What do you hope to clarify? When I came out, there weren’t details: all the struggle, why it took me so long and what was going on behind the scenes in the soccer locker room. And there are a lot of gay men and women around the world who know how tough it is it’s very difficult to be closeted, and then to open up and be honest with people, and then to come to terms with yourself. So, I just wanted to add all the details of the story and talk about why it was so difficult for me. There were articles written like, “Oh, he’s out, he’s happy, he’s playing, everything’s good,” and it’s like,
“No there’s so much more to the story.” There’s an assumption that men’s sports are not welcoming to LGBT athletes, or even threatened by them. Is this due to the fact that people didn’t know what would happen until someone came out? Yeah, that’s the big thing: People don’t know what’s gonna happen. People are afraid, obviously, that things might change for them. I don’t necessarily think that the majority of athletes are homophobic, but I think there’s that mentality in the locker room. From my experience, all the guys that I heard homophobic things from growing up were the first ones to call me, text me and support me [when I came out]. Athletes themselves are not homophobic; the sports culture is. As an out professional soccer player, people are sensitive. They know there’s a gay guy in their locker room and they’re not saying homophobic things. Instead, we’re discussing marriage equality. But when there isn’t an out soccer player a guy that they know is gay in the locker room, I’m sure things are being said that are homophobic. Again, I know it’s ridiculous for me to say, but it’s not necessarily because (players are) homophobic, but they’re not educated to be sensitive to what they’re saying. Someone might argue that that’s homophobic, but these guys are very loving and supportive of me, and I think if anyone in the locker room did come out, (other players) would be very supportive of them. But it’s that lack of knowledge and education about the LGBT community, and about mental health and
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january 2015 | issue 239 | gaysaltlake.com
just being sensitive to other people, that I think is the issue. ESPN recently reported on out NFL player Michael Sam’s showering habits, which they’ve since apologized for. What is your opinion on the media’s focus of locker room behavior as it pertains to gay athletes? It’s absolutely ridiculous. I know that with [NBA player] Jason [Collins] and I there were no issues, but I think sometimes ESPN or different media people get bored and create stories for controversy or attention. I think that was one of those. I’ve only spoken with Michael a few times, but I’m guessing his experience in the locker room was like Jason’s and mine, and that the guys were very supportive and proud to have an openly gay guy on their team who was changing things for the world. I haven’t really spoken to Michael about that much; I just know from my experience that’s the case, so, I mean, it’s ridiculous when people report that kind of stuff just to create a story to get comments on Yahoo or wherever else. That’s not gonna change things for the better. What if you were the topic of that report? What would you have thought of it then? Honestly? Laughable. I would just be like, “The locker room and my teammates and myself are on the same page and everything is cool. I enjoy being on the team, and I think they enjoy having me on the team.” It’s just laughable. Does this kind of reporting make you cautious about your locker room behavior? No. I’m the same as everyone else in that locker room. I shower with the guys. I walk around naked. My experience in the locker room is the same as everyone else, and I don’t think it’s any different for any of the guys. They don’t act any differently around me. It’s just normal. You said recently that you thought more athletes would come out after you did. No, not just me but there’s Jason Collins, and there are female athletes who are out, and then Michael. There was a number of athletes, and there was stuff going on around the world. I just thought it was about time more athletes feel comfortable to do it. Maybe it just really shows how the sports culture is just not very accepting to gay men and women being out. Are you disappointed that more haven’t come out? No, I remember how difficult it was for me, so I’m not disappointed in
that way. I’m just surprised. I know what it’s like being on the other side and being supported and having people that love me on my team, and I just think that everyone deserves that. If (closeted athletes) could somehow find a way to (be out), they would really have so much support. So, I’m a little sad and a little surprised that people aren’t willing to take that leap, but I’m not mad. It’s really difficult, and everyone has to come out at their own pace and at their own time, and I understand that. Do you know a lot of gay sports players who aren’t out? Uh, I know a few. I don’t think they’re ever gonna come out. Ever? I mean, maybe once they’re done playing, but I just think their lives I’m not sure. That’s a good question. I don’t know. But I do know a few. Sometimes people have been living a certain way for a long time and are afraid to make a change. What coming out advice do you have for a closeted gay athlete? Speak with someone away from your team, your family and your friends a therapist or someone to just get those thoughts out. I know that when I kept it inside, it was not very healthy. That’s really the only advice I could give. It’s tough to give advice on that subject. When it comes to efforts being made for sports inclusivity, how far do we still have to go? I think there still needs to be progress, but I think the leagues are changing and the leagues want to have out athletes on their teams so that they can change that perception. But I think there needs to be a bit more work on changing sports culture, because they’re just waiting for athletes to come out, and I think, first, they need to create an environment that’s more accepting. You’re producing a comedy for ABC called Men in Shorts that’s supposedly based on your life. But after reading your book, your story isn’t particularly humorous. In fact, it’s dark, sometimes tragic, and ultimately inspiring. It sounds more like a premium cable drama to me. With that said, how will your life story translate into an ABC sitcom? The show, first off, is just inspired by my life. I have a huge family, and in the show there’s not a big family. And, yes, there’s a gay soccer player and he’s from LA, so there are a lot of similarities, but there are so many differences too. Really what I’m doing is helping the writers in creating characters that are
realistic, like, (what it’s like the) first time taking showers with the guys or being open to talking about my boyfriend. We’re trying to teach people through laughter and through comedy, and also talk about the sports world, but from a different point of view, obviously. It’s a total fishout-of-water concept. There are aspects taken from my life, but it’s not based on the book or based on the struggle that I went through. But there will be shower scenes? (Laughs) 100 percent shower scenes. I mean, it’s the locker room, so it has to be realistic! On Facebook recently, you posted a shirtless photo of you in bed with the book. How aware are you that some people aren’t just interested in you because of soccer? To be totally honest, yeah, I guess I’m starting to notice it more now. I mean, through social media. But when I’m out with friends at dinner or grabbing drinks and people come up to me, I’m oblivious to whether [people are] hitting on me or trying to be nice to me. Sometimes I can’t tell the difference! You say that you didn’t want to be the poster boy for gay athletes, but then you became that. How have you come to terms with being an accidental activist? I know I talk about it in my book, but I came out for selfish reasons for my happiness. I realized I needed to make a change. My goal wasn’t to be this person that wanted to change sports culture; it was really just to be happy with myself and my family and friends. I didn’t know what the reaction was going to be, and I didn’t realize how big the problem was. When I realized how many people related to my story and struggled growing up, it made me feel ridiculous and selfish. I was seeing what kind of difference I was making in people’s lives. With the book out, I’ve been getting tons of letters from people writing me their story and [telling me] how much they relate to my book. It was those reactions that made me want to embrace that role more. You’ve obviously been instrumental in changing the tide for the LGBT community in many ways. How far do you plan on taking your newfound platform? Good question. At the moment, I’m just living every day as it comes. I don’t think of it that way. I just do what I feel is right. I just think of myself as Robbie. I play soccer, and yes, I’m gay. And I’m happy to be that person. Q
60 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | A&E
gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
the frivolist
The gay year in review: 7 hot topics that had us talking in 2014 BY MIKEY ROX
This
year the LGBT community laughed together, cried together, and celebrated together as news broke on issues important to us all. To refresh your memory, here are my picks for the top headlines that had us talking in 2014.
1
MICHAEL SAM BECOMES FIRST OPENLY GAY NFL PLAYER, THEN QUICKLY GETS THE BOOT
American football defensive end Michael Sam rocked the sports world when he publicly addressed his sexuality while still a player at the University of Missouri, an admission that spread like wildfire through mainstream media. An NFL draft contender nonetheless, Sam eventually became the first openly gay athlete drafted into the NFL as the 249th overall pick selected by the St. Louis Rams. Sam’s good fortune was short-lived, however, as the Rams cut the buzzed-about athlete at the end of training camp, and the Dallas Cowboys who picked up Sam after his release from the Rams sent him packing from the practice team after the first seven weeks of the season. Currently, Sam is a free agent who likely won’t ever play an NFL game but at least he has a cute shoulder to cry on in boyfriend Vito Cammisano.
2
WORLD PROTESTS RUSSIA’S ANTI-GAY POLICIES AHEAD OF THE 2014 WINTER OLYMPICS
As early as 2012, the ire of equal-rights advocates was drawn when the notoriously anti-gay Russian government blocked the establishment of Pride House a designated sanctuary for LGBT athletes, volunteers and other visitors at the 2014 Winter Olympics. The reason for the smackdown? A Russian judge ruled that “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships” would “undermine the security of Russian society.” Mmmkay, Felicia. By June 2013, Russian lawmakers passed a law to “impose fines for providing information about the gay community to minors,” and foreign citizens were being taken into custody for violating the bans. It all pardon the pun sort of snowballed from there. Thankfully, the world wasn’t taking any B.S. from Putin and his henchmen, and a show of solidarity for LGBT athletes (and the community as a whole) was displayed throughout the games across the globe.
3
COUNTRY MUSIC HAD ITS OWN COMING OUT DAY, BUT NOBODY GOT THE MEMO Country crooner Ty Herndon who rose to the top of the charts in the mid-1990s unexpectedly shook things up in Nashville and
beyond when he came out in an interview in People magazine this past November to promote his aptly-titled new album, Lies I Told Myself. In the interview, Herndon, who was married twice before to women, came clean about his troubled past (his rap sheet is cray, y’all) and revealed that he’s been all booed up with a man named Matt for the past few years all the while inspiring another country singer to breakthrough the closet doors the very same day. Fellow artist Billy Gilman, who you might remember as the 11-year-old who wowed the world with his debut single “One Voice” back in 2000, revealed his sexuality in a YouTube video, giving credit for his newfound confidence to Herndon. Country icons Ricky Scaggs and LeAnn Rimes have since publicly supported the duo, who will hopefully inspire other entertainers to step out from the shadows.
4
STRAIGHT DUDES ANONYMOUSLY ADMIT THAT THEY SECRETLY WATCH GAY PORN As if you didn’t already suspect, heterosexual men are watching gay porn in droves even if they won’t publicly admit it. According to Queerty, Reddit user “father_ fig” posted a question to the community asking straight dudes if they “watch gay porn as a fetish rather than an aspect of your sexual orientation.” It didn’t take long for the thread to explode with anonymous admissions from horny bros who sometimes like to get off watching other dudes get it on. The thread received more than 75 comments/confessions, the awesomest of which came from this straight shooter: “I watch gay porn because my dick tells me that’s what I want to be watching. I’m not gay; I just sometimes get this urge that says ‘watch a man rail another dude in the ass.’” Touché; welcome to the club, buddy.
5
NINETEEN MORE STATES LICENSE GAY MARRIAGE, BRINGING TOTAL TO 35 Since 2004 when Massachusetts became the first state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples the fight for marriage equality steadily made progress, giving homosexual couples in certain states access to wedded bliss. Fast forward 10 years later and the campaign moves along at bullet speed, picking up 19 more states with le-
galized gay marriage on the books this year alone. As of press time, the total number of states that allow same-sex marriage stood at 35, and five more with stayed rulings will likely follow suit in the near future. At this rate, it won’t be long before the same-sex couples can say ‘I do’ all over the United States, and then go home and fight about who emptied the dishwasher last.
6
SEEMINGLY STRAIGHT CELEBS GET SUPER GAY-FRIENDLY TO WOO DEMOGRAPHIC If it seems like everywhere you went on the Internet over the past few months, Nick Jonas former boy-bander and purityring wearer was pining for your attention (like grabbing his crotch; don’t act like you didn’t look), you’re not alone. The nowsolo artist launched a very gay-friendly campaign to promote his eponymous new album, but while he was winning over some of the LGBT community with his new singles (but mostly his abs), he offended others for his alleged gay-baiting marketing tactics. And he’s not the only one. TV host Mario Lopez, actor James Franco, One Direction’s Harry Styles, and up-and-coming Australian actor Brenton Thwaites have all been accused of the offense recently which, let’s get real here, if they’re showing a little skin while they’re at it, is it really that offensive?
7
PETITION CREATED TO END THE DUGGARS’ REALITY REIGN AFTER ANTI-GAY ACTIONS
Scientific anomalies and self-contained cult the Duggar Family, whose reality show 19 Kids and Counting is a huge hit for TV’s TLC, came under fire for a number of alleged anti-LGBT moves over the past year. Matriarch Michelle Duggar was accused of recording an automated call urging her hometown voters to repeal a law that would protect LGBT people from being evicted or fired based on their sexual orientation; son Josh has taken a job with the notoriously anti-gay Family Research Center; and the most recent eyebrow-raiser includes accusations that the family deleted Facebook photos of same-sex couples kissing each other, despite the Duggars’ call for Facebook users to post such images to celebrate their daughter Jessa’s marriage. The latter sparked a petition that calls for TLC to cancel the Duggars’ TV show which probably won’t make a lick of difference considering that that backwoods Duck Dynasty quack is still spreading his hateful gospel all over the airwaves.Q
january 2015 | issue 239 | gaysaltlake.com
SEX | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 61
gay writes BY KED KIRKHAM
CROWS
In a sapphire sky and crystal wind five crows scatter, as black as the rising ashes of your letter. You apologized, for what I do not remember, having read it only one thousand times; but forgive and let it go, sheet after sheet into the fire. As many as the walnuts they drop to break on the walk, noisy crows harry a passing cat. She is unmoved. Who harvests from that tree now, I do not know; we are gone. Reflecting a cold sun, crows like obsidian chips on the yellowed grass after the point makers moved on, ahead of winter, chastise me as I sit, chilled, above the river from where I watched you go as well. Crows and memories of us follow me. Flocks, on autumn afternoons; a solitary bird on winter mornings. When I think I am free, there, on a gate post down the road alights a crow, and I look for you.
HIGH DESERT, WINTER Winter dawning; glint and glisten of chaff held close in the furrows, not by the same wind that cards the clouds caught on the mountains or brushes the morning light on the peaks opposite; but a wind coming from the south, following the canyons until it can spread out over the sallow fields. Winter morning; yellow light aloof from the sage and juniper of the east edge of the plateau, though devoted to Borah Peak’s south face, softly gilt in the distance beyond South Butte and the Snake River plain. Winter day; six Osprey aloft, above shallows and rapids beneath the falls; lifted up or pressed down by the turns of wind or basalt cliff. Fishermen dare the cold of the river where lacy edges of ice will shortly be solid so that man and bird must move on. Gay Writes is a DiverseCity Series, a community outreach program of SLCC’s Community Writing Center, writing group. The group meets the 2nd and 4th Mondays of every month, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., 210 E. 400 South, Ste. 8, Salt Lake City.
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62 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | FINAL WORD
gaysaltlake.com | issue 239 | january 2015
the perils of petunia pap smear
A tale of hide and seek teenage boys, who when they saw my breasticles a blaring and seven foot tall beehive hair, looked even more frightened than I felt. They explained that they just sneaked into the building to play basketball in the gym. As I escorted them out of the building, I fired a continuous litany of threats and intimidation so that as they exited the door, they ran away as fast as they could.
Now, with an empty bladder I continued the search down the long and dark hallway toward the vast sanctuary. I was glad to have the lighted breasticles leading the way, because I did not know the location of any of the light switches. I was so grateful that I had worn flat shoes, just in case I needed to flee for my life, or dive tackle the trespasser if he turned out to be cute. (Sensible shoes ladies, a mantra to live by!) My apprehension increased as I shined the breasticle light into room after room. I considered calling the police, but I really didn’t want to be dealing with the police while wearing shining breasticles and beehive hair. I worked my way into the main Sanctuary, with all its shadowy pillars and pews. Scared as hell, and beyond the point of caring if perhaps this is the very first incident of a drag queen entering this sacred room, I began the row by row search. Again, very thankful for the breasticle light. I thought I heard some movement out in the front foyer, at the back of the Sanctuary. There I found a long and dark stairway leading down into the pitch black basement. At the bottom of which, in the children’s cry room, I cornered the trespassers. Two PUZZLE SOLUTIONS
As always, these events leave us with several burning eternal questions: 1. In a situation like this, is it okay to swear in a church? 2. Should I begin to use the women’s restrooms in buildings for the nicer amenities? 3. Should I attach mirrors to my breasticles to help facilitate restroom relief? 4. Should I develop a line of defensive weapon purses? 5. Should I open the Petunia Pap Smear Detective Agency? 6. Could my advertisements state: I can find your kids and scare them straight? 7. Or should I begin writing a book series called: Petunia Pap Smear, Private Dick? These and other important questions to be answered in future chapters of: The Perils of Petunia Pap Smear. Q
Cryptogram: EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE GAY, I WILL ALWAYS TREAT YOU THE SAME WAY AS I DO NOW.
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Anagram: MARK LAWRENCE
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“girlz.” Thus, I end up being the last queen out, and responsible to lock up the building. I had just turned off all of the lights upstairs in Keck Hall and as I was descending the stairs I heard the door open and close, and I heard some footsteps retreating down one of the ground floor hallways. Oh, shit! Someone had sneaked into the building. Luckily, I had my red sequined purse with me, and it was loaded with a can of Diet Mountain Dew, which I could swing as a weapon if needed. Luckily, my grandchildren’s favorite game is to play Hide and Seek, so I am well practiced in the art of discovery. Although, usually with the kids, they tend to hide with body parts visibly sticking out from behind the furniture, so perhaps my detective skills are not quite up to the level I imagine. As I came to the first floor landing, began calling out in my loudest and butchest voice possible, “Hello, who’s there?” as I began the room to room search. First, I went into the girls bathroom and was immediately flabbergasted to discover how much nicer it is than the boys restroom. Then with my nerves growing ever more twitchy, I explored the boys restroom. Again I was relieved that no one was there. And I thought that I might as well take that opportunity to pee in a controlled situation, rather than have an unwanted release during a moment of fright or flight. Just let me explain, that it is incredibly difficult to relieve oneself while wearing crinoline petty coats and huge breasticles. Visibility of the necessary parts and target are totally nonexistent and you have to go by instinct and faith.
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The road
home from Third Friday Bingo is fraught with danger and excitement. Please let me preface this column with a huge thank you to the Congregation of the First Baptist Church, who allow us rent space every month in order to conduct our silly bingo frivolity to earn money for charity. This is one of the churches that genuinely likes the LGBT community, and not only when the TV cameras are around, but each month they let a bunch of clownish drag queens take over the place. And I always get a big welcoming hug from Pastor Curtis, who I might add is rather hunky. Just sayin’. Of course with my breasticles usually in the way, any hug I experience must be a sort of a sideways hip bump and grind sort of thing. The Pap Smear grandchildren like to call First Baptist the “Hogwarts Church,” because the building reminds them of the castle in the Harry Potter books. That being said, the church building is a vast and expansive structure with many stairwells, hallways, and rooms too numerous to count, and frankly after dark, when all the lights are off can be rather frightening. In November, The Matrons of Mayhem had such a rousing good time at our regular bingo night, that when it was over, we decided to stay in makeup and go to Club Try-Angles for an after-bingo cocktail to celebrate. It usually takes us about 45 minutes to clean up our mess and haul all the makeup out to our cars. Of course, me being the size queen that I am, it takes me several more trips out to Queertanic than the other
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