10 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | NEWS
Qsaltlake.com |
Issue 301 | JUNE 20, 2019
LDS Republican Utah County Commissioner comes out in video “There’s no easy way to say this, I might as well just jump up and say it — I’m gay. That’s my reality and that’s what I need to talk to you about today.” That’s the start of a 5-minute coming out video by Utah County Commissioner Nathan Ivie on his Facebook page. “I’m as committed today as I have ever been to my faith, family and freedom,” Ivie said in the video. “But I realized I could not continue to live a lie. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t right for anyone.” He also said at 9 years old, he “just felt different” because his orientation and attractions were not what was expected of him. “I believed that there was something wrong with me and I fought from the beginning to find some way to change
myself. That battle resulted in a failed suicide attempt when I was 22 years old,” Ivie said. “I’ve come to accept while I may be different, I’m still a loving person, worthy of love, who values others and hopes to be valued. I’m as committed today as I’ve ever been to my faith, family and freedom.” After viewing the video, Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski, the first openly gay member of the Utah Legislature, offered support in a tweet that referred to Ivie’s description of how moved he was seeing a gay couple hold hands. “All the best to you @IvieNathan! I (heart) how a simple act of love among strangers helped you find your truth & that you are being embraced by family and friends!” Biskupski said in her tweet. Q
HS football players’ burning of a gay flag ‘sickens’ coach In June, a couple of players of the Kearns High School football team set fire to a Pride flag, filmed it, and posted it to social media. And someone in the video is heard saying “all gays die.” The head coach of the football team, Matt Rickards told FOX 13 News, “There’s no place for that in our program at all, and it won’t be tolerated. It’s potentially a hate crime, so it sickens me.” “Our number one goal is to build men of character, integrity, be responsible, have empathy for others and serve the community for good. That’s our number one objective,” Rickards said. The Granite School District is investigating the incident and evaluating what discipline the students will face if deemed necessary, and Rikards is also
considering ramifications from his position as head coach. “We take any comment, content or social media post that is intended to make any student feel unsafe, very seriously,” said Ben Horsley, a Granite School District Spokesman. “This student’s actions are in no way reflective of the Kearns community and high school. This is an unfortunate reminder that we need parents’ help to monitor children’s use of social media to ensure they use it in a responsible fashion.” Rickards is also looking into the ramifications from his position as head coach. “We have one rule in our program, and that is not to embarrass yourself, your family or your team,” he said. “That rule was broken. There’s got to be consequences for that.” Q
Austin DeSpain took his two-year-old daughter Madilyn to the Utah Pride Parade last weekend, and her face lit up when she saw drag queens for the first time. DeSpain uploaded the live photo and video to Twitter where it quickly went viral.
UAF leadership change as Penfold departs Stan Penfold, long-time executive director, was fêted at a downtown hot spot by long-time donors, friends, and employees of the Utah AIDS Foundation. Penfold steps down after 20 years to pursue his candidacy for Salt Lake City mayor. He served two terms on the Salt Lake City Council, including stints as council chair. Penfold started as a volunteer at UAF in the 1990s and served as associate director before being appointed to the top spot. He recounted that over the 20 years of his tenure they have moved the
UAFs mission from an “end of life service” to “helping those with HIV to lead very healthy lives.” He hailed the continued research and development of therapies which have lead to HIV becoming a more manageable health issue. His quip of the night was making an acknowledged pun, “We have given away millions of condoms over the years. Really, a butt-load of condoms.” Q
