QSaltLake Magazine - Issue 329 - November, 2021

NOVEMBER, 2021 VOL. 18 • ISSUE 329 QSALTLAKE.COM

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4 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | NEWS

news The top national and world news since last issue you should know

BY CRAIG OGAN

Gay icon may get his due Bayard Rustin, a gay man instrumental in the civil rights movement, was erased by officials of the movement. He may soon get his cinematic due. Actor Colman Domingo was cast as the gay civil rights leader in the Netflix production, “Rustin.” The film is being developed by Higher Ground, Michelle and Barack Obama’s production company. No release date yet for the film. Rustin was a close advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was one of the principal organizers of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the architect of the 1963 March on Washington. Rustin was forced to take a less public role in the movement because of a 1953 arrest for having sex with a man. This was revealed in the 1960s by unfriendly law enforcement types and used by his detractors in the movement who didn’t approve of his open homosexuality.

He was pardoned in 2020.

“Rustin” also features Chris Rock as NAACP leader Roy Wilkins, Glynn Turman as A. Philip Randolph, and Audra

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McDonald as Ella Baker. It is directed by George C Wolfe, who directed “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Wolfe also cowrote the “Rustin” screenplay with Dustin Lance Black.

Bond, gay James Bond If a gay actor plays James Bond (and do we suspect this may have already happened?), will that change Bond’s persona and on-screen behavior?

Ben Whishaw, who has been playing gadget maker “Q” in the current movies, doesn’t think so. Whishaw has been both sides of the street as a hetero, if quirky, romantic part in the BBC’s “The Hour” and the adamantly gay side of a relationship biopic “A Very English Scandal” opposite Hugh Grant. Two avowedly gay actors, Jonathan Bailey and Luke Evans, have been mentioned to play Bond, now that Daniel Craig is giving up the part. Both have played it straight with Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton in the Netflix production of “Bridgerton,” and Evans is best known as Gaston in the live-action version of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” Whishaw says, “I really believe that we should work towards a world where anyone can play anything, and it would be really thrilling if it didn’t matter about someone’s sexuality to take on a role like this.”

Super Gay Speaking of persona and behavior, DC comics announced that the son of Superman and Lois Lane would be involved in a same-sex relationship in an upcoming comic. Superman’s son, Jonathan Kent,

is portrayed as bisexual in “Superman: Son of Kal-El #5” which will be available in November 2021. This apparently adds “super-invisibility” as another “super-power.”

Jonathan and his male friend Jay (or Pat or something) will share a tongue-and-all smooch, and there’s no evidence that they “had too much beer.”

Jonathan has been protecting the American Way as “Superboy,” but his father has gone into deep-space, and Jonathan has picked up the “Superman” mantle.

Birth certificate change, OK Two Omaha, Neb. women are suing the state of Nebraska over its refusal to list both names on their children’s birth certificates. The U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled both parents’ names are OK when applied to married same-sex couples.

Nebraska already does it for unmarried opposite-sex couples but denied it because the two women, who were not married but were once a couple who separated in 2013, had babies. In 2018, one applied for an amended birth certificate for a son, listing both as legal parents, and was denied. The ACLU of Nebraska filed suit after it was ruled the documentation insufficient, even though such documents for opposite-sex parents are accepted. The couple used the same donor for all of their children, but that party has not petitioned for any recognition.

President for ‘Pro’ and against ‘Anti’ LGBT laws The White House released the president’s statement on National Coming Out Day criticizing states that have passed anti-LGBT legislation and praised the Equality Act,

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currently stalled in U.S Congress. He praised himself for advocating marriage equality before it was endorsed by previous presidents and his appointment of gays, lesbians, and transgender people to high posts in his administration. He decried state legislatures that passed 20 LGBT-oriented bills in 2021, many allowing exclusion of transgender youth from school sports teams comporting with their gender identity.

Other states have passed laws regulating mental and medical help for transitioning minors.

Calif. CHP fined Former California Highway Patrol officer Jay Brome received a settlement of $2.2 million from the state in a successful lawsuit against the California Highway Patrol, saying he was harassed because he’s gay. He was a CHP officer from 1996 until 2015, when he took medical leave due to stress. He encountered harassment beginning in the police academy, which continued throughout his CHP career. There were name-calling and insensitive instructors in the academy, one of whom told him to “take my skirt off and start acting like a man.”

His suit says that he had trouble getting back-up even in difficult and dangerous situations on the job. When he was named officer of the year in 2013, his photo was not displayed among others who’d received the honor. Now retired, he runs a used clothing store in Benicia, Calif.

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California bans heavy duty stuff In his first bill signing after thumping the opposition in the recall election, California Gov. Gavin Newsom made the state the first to outlaw “stealthing,” the non-consensual removal of a condom during sex. The state legislature unanimously passed the bill making it a civil offense to “stealth.” California is also the first state requiring department stores to display items like toys and childcare items in gender-neutral ways.

LGBT advocates hailed the gender-neutral toy and diaper aisle regulations as a big win.

It apparently rules out the use of blue and pink as marketing tools and requires Madam Alexander dolls to be displayed next to GI Joe dolls. The advocates claimed this will

help do away with stigmatizing children’s toys and diapers with unwanted gender markers. Well, it’s not the fight for marriage equality, but it is what we have to fight for now.

Watch your mouth, coach Super Bowl-winning coach, Jon Gruden, resigned as head coach of Las Vegas Raiders for impolite comments in emails 10 years ago. He characterized a football player’s union official using offensive racial terms. What lands him in this column is his unflattering characterizations of league officials and others using derogative language involving gays, transgender women, and felines. Gruden called the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, a “faggot” and a “clueless anti-football pussy”. Had he been RuPaul, it would be OK, but he also

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said that Goodell should not have pressured the LA Rams to draft “queers.” In 2014, the Rams drafted Michael Sam, the first out gay NFL player. In emails, he mocked Caitlyn Jenner’s transition.

Gruden also strayed into politics, criticizing President Obama and calling Joe Biden a “nervous, clueless pussy.”

High school puts on drag show for homecoming The crowd went wild at a Vermont high school homecoming football game as the halftime show transformed the field into a fabulous drag ball. Both faculty and students from Burlington High School strutted across the field as drag queens and kings. They wore colorful wigs, sparkly ensembles, feather boas, knee-high boots,

and more. Those in the stands for the highly anticipated event were dressed head to toe in rainbow and waved Pride flags as they excitedly chanted, “Drag Ball.”

The drag ball was the idea of Gender-Sexuality Allianceadviser Andrew LeValley.

“I was just really hoping to give our students — who are both out and the students that were in the stands who are not out — a moment to shine and feel loved, and know that there is a place for them in public schools.” —MA

6 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | NEWS

Qsaltlake.com |

Large number of LGBTQ candidates running for Utah municipal offices At least nine openly LGBTQ candidates are seeking municipal offices this year, including in city council and mayor races. Most are in Salt Lake City, but others are running in less progressive areas, like Ogden and South Salt Lake.

Longtime gay advocate ALEJANDRO PUY is running in Salt Lake City’s West Side. His race is mostly focused on bringing solutions to problems affecting one of the most marginalized parts of the city.

An immigrant from Argentina, he says he is a “New American” who understands the challenges that many face and can relate to the issues affecting his district.

“The Westside of Salt Lake has historically been where those who didn’t fit in boxes live. People of color, immigrants, different religions and the LGBTQ+ people live in the west because they don’t feel judged and they feel accepted,” he said in an interview.

“As a person of color, immigrant, and queer myself, I feel at home here in this area. I am lucky I can connect with my

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neighbors due to the intersectionality of my identities and because we share similar hope and frustrations. This area of Salt Lake City has historically felt forgotten, many felt left behind, or unimportant. This area is a very Latino, and diverse but always has been represented by white cis men who only reached out to other white voters for support<” he continued. “Because of my identities I feel a duty to make the community better, and help those that have lost hope. My connection to this district drives me to do more and I believe it is an advantage to my campaign.”

Ogden City Councilmember ­MARCIA WHITE is running for re-election. She was first elected to the council in 2013 and is currently serving as vice chair of the council.

Since election, she has been investing in a vibrant and growing city, supporting public safety, and promoting excellence in government including transparency, communications, and sound financial sustainability.

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DUSTIN GETTEL is running for re-election as Midvale City Councilmember.

He moved from Pennsylvania to Utah with his partner in 2015 and quickly fell in love with his rapidly changing Midvale community. Dustin decided to challenge the incumbent city councilmember because of issues he saw in Midvale and won by more than 20 percentage points.

Since then, Dustin has championed progressive causes like paid parental leave for city employees, banning puppy mills throughout the city, increased walkability and bikeability, and formal recognition of LGBTQ Pride month and Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Gettel says he is proud to be one of the few, if not only, openly gay men elected outside of Salt Lake City.

South Salt Lake mayoral candidate JAKE CHRISTENSEN has a solid plan for when he is elected. He has outlined eight specific values that he will take to city hall if elected mayor —safety, planning, efficiency, more reasons to visit, infrastructure, communication, climate change, and affordability.

He says that he brings compassion to the table as well, as a gay man.

“I believe it’s safe to say, by virtue of the

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world we live in, that many members of the LGBTQIA+ community possess a heightened sense of empathy. We understand how important it is to listen, and we’ve experienced when others don’t understand our personal reality,” he said in an interview. “In my opinion, it’s these traits that we need more of in civic leadership — particularly here in Utah.”

He calls on the city’s LGBTQ community to step up and help him get elected.

“With Salt Lake City being perhaps the only exception, LGBTQIA+ people are extremely underrepresented in Utah and the nation,” he said. “The trouble is, I feel like our community could do much better to show up to the polls. We’re not voting enough. Too many of my queer friends have never voted before. We all have a responsibility to show up if we want to see our basic liberties provided and maintained. And if you think the work already being done is sufficient— you’re wrong. We need your voice.”

In Springdale, Utah, former city councilmember MARK CHAMBERS is in a tight race for mayor. In the August primary, Chambers won just under 40 percent of the vote. His next competitor in the 4-way race won 36.84 percent.

Chambers ran for mayor in 2013 and lost by just eight votes.

“I was eight votes shy of winning to be mayor of Springdale,” Chambers posted back then on his Facebook page. “Thank you to all those that have supported me and Joe during this election. Though I lost, I relish the experience. Remember it is important to be involved in your community and elections, you can make a difference.”

In 2013 there were 306 registered voters in the town of 547 people.

Chambers moved to Springdale with

his husband, Joe Pitti, and opened Under the Eaves Bed and Breakfast.

AMY FOWLER was elected to the city council in 2017 representing the Sugar House area. In 2013 she co-founded the LGBT and Allied Lawyers of Utah. She is currently the chair of the city council and chair of the National League of Cities — Large Cities Council.

Fowler says that being a member of the LGBTQ+ community hasn’t hindered her at all.

“While there may be people out there who don’t want to vote for me because of who I am, that is their decision and I wouldn’t change their mind anyway,” she said. “I have been taught to stand up for myself and for people around me, and I do that.

When she left Utah in 1996 to go to college, she hadn’t yet come out and thought she wouldn’t be accepted in the state.

“When I returned to Salt Lake 12 years later, it was the leaders of the LGBTQ+ community who made me realize what an amazing city we live in,” she said. “They have been fighting and working for the rights of our community since before I knew it!.I am so grateful to be living in such an amazing place and am even more honored to represent District 7 and the LGBTQ+ community for the last four years. I look forward to the next four years.”

Salt Lake City Councilmember CHRIS WHARTON was first elected in 2017 after serving two terms on the Salt Lake City Human Rights Commission. He is an attorney who has won many cases affecting Utah’s LGBTQ community — most recently winning a monumental case in the Utah Supreme Court regarding gender

markers for transgender Utahns.

Wharton has served on the board of the Utah Pride Center and has donated hundreds of hours of service to the ACLU of Utah, the Rainbow Law Clinic, Equality Utah, and the Utah State Bar. SARAH REALE is running for Salt Lake City Council District 5, which includes the Ballpark and Liberty Wells neighborhoods.

“In a representative democracy, it is the role of elected officials to represent their district. The best leader is someone who can put their own self-interest aside and lead in an equitable way. I have no interest in party politics,” Reale said. “As an empathetic leader and a good listener, I will work to represent all constituent interests. With a promise to be authentic and transparent, I will listen and learn from the people I represent – and always speak the truth.” Q

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8 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | NEWS

Equality Utah releases 2021 Voter Guide Equality Utah released their 2021 Voter Guide, which is designed to help voters better understand where candidates running for office stand on LGBTQ issues.

The scores in this guide were generated from data collected through a 20-question digital survey sent to all registered candidates that included an email address in their information with their county clerks. Only those who completed the full survey were included in this guide.

Seven questions related to Equality Utah’s policy priorities were used in the grading. Candidates answered with a one to five scale.

Of those who chose to respond, 56 received A or A+ ranking, 12 received a B, 11 received a C, and seven scored an F.

SURVEY QUESTIONS: I support extending public accommodation laws (for facilities that provide goods and services to the general public) to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.

I support health care and coverage for gender affirming procedures for trans* individuals in Utah, in accordance with medical best practices, and standards of care as established by the nation’s leading medical and mental health organizations.

I support discrimination-free and accessible fertility treatments for all people.

I support equal access to adoption services for LGBTQ+ individuals and families.

I am committed to including LGBTQ+ community members when considering policy that affects the LGBTQ+ community.

I support the integration of LGBTQ+ history, people, and topics into school curriculum.

I support the integration of racial and ethnic history, people, and topics into school curriculum.

The following are candidates who fully completed the survey.

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JOHN BYRNE, Alta City Council | B CARISSA GEORGE, American Fork City Council |A CECILEE PRICE-HUISH, Bountiful City Council |A MIKE HANSON, Cottonwood Heights City Council Dist. 3 | A RUNAR BOMAN, Cottonwood Heights City Council Dist. 3 | C+ ELLEN BIRRELL, Cottonwood Heights City Council Dist. 4 | A MIKE WEICHERS, Cottonwood Heights Mayor | AERIC KRAAN, Cottonwood Heights Mayor | A+ PATTI HANSEN, Cottonwood Heights Service Area Trustee | A SHAWN BEUS, Farmington City Council | A JONATHAN BLOTTER, Heber City Council Dist. 1 |F DAVID DORNAN, Helper City Council | A RALPH SEVERINI, Hideout City Council | B PHILIP RUBIN, Hideout Mayor | A TERRILL MUSSER, Hildale City Council | C PAUL FOTHERINGHAM, Holladay City Council Dist. 3 | A+ STEVEN HOLMAN, Leamington City Council | A PAUL HANCOCK, Lehi City Council | B+ DEE JONES, Logan Mayor | B+ BRIAR PROCTOR, Lynndyl Mayor | F DUSTIN GETTEL, Midvale City Council Dist. 5 | A+ MARCUS STEVENSON, Midvale Mayor | A+ ANGEL VICE, Millcreek City Council Dist. 2 | A+ LYNDA BAGLEY-GIBSON, Millcreek City Council Dist. 2 | A THOM DESIRANT, Millcreek City Council Dist. 2 | A+ BRUCE PARKER, Millcreek City Council Dist. 4 | A+ BEVERLY BOYCE, Millcreek City Council Dist. 4 |A JOE SILVERZWEIG, Murray City Council Dist. 2 | A+ DIANE TURNER, Murray City Council Dist. 4 | B+ ANDREW BENTLEY, Naples City Council | C EMILY SCHMIDT, North Logan City Council | A+ ALISA VAN LANGEVELD, North Salt Lake City Council | A+ DANIEL GLADWELL, Ogden City Council | F MARCIA WHITE, Ogden City Council At-Large A|A PRISCILLA MARTINEZ, Ogden City Council Dist. 3 | A+ KEN RICHEY, Ogden City Council Dist. 3 | C SHAUNTE ZUNDEL, Orem City Council | A QUINN MECHAM, Orem City Council | BTIM HENNEY, Park City Council | A+ TANA TOLY, Park City Council | A NANN WOREL, Park City Mayor | A+ ANDY BEERMAN, Park City Mayor | A+

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JOE CHRISTMAN, Price City Council | A TANNER RICHARDSON, Price City Council | F AARON SKABELUND, Provo City Council | B+ RACHEL WHIPPLE, Provo City Council Dist. 5 | A+ JEREMIAH HARDING, Rush Valley City Council | F NICKIE GILLINS-ANDERTON, Rush Valley Town Council | A BLAKE PEREZ, Salt Lake City Council Dist. 1 | A+ VICTORIA PETRO-ESCHLER, Salt Lake City Council Dist. 1 | A+ BILLY PALMER, Salt Lake City Council Dist. 2 | A+ NIGEL SWABY, Salt Lake City Council Dist. 2 | A DENNIS FARIS, Salt Lake City Council Dist. 2 | A+ ALEJANDRO PUY, Salt Lake City Council Dist. 2 | A+ DANIEL TUUTAU, Salt Lake City Council Dist. 2 |A CHRIS WHARTON, Salt Lake City Council Dist. 3 | A+ CASEY O’BRIEN MCDONOUGH, Salt Lake City Council Dist. 3 | BDAVID BERG, Salt Lake City Council Dist. 3 | A+ SARAH REALE, Salt Lake City Council Dist. 5 | A+ DARIN MANO, Salt Lake City Council Dist. 5 | A+ AMY HAWKINS, Salt Lake City Council Dist. 5 | A+ AMY FOWLER, Salt Lake City Council Dist. 7 | A+ BEN RASKIN, Salt Lake City Council Dist. 7 | A EVAN TOBIN, Sandy City Council At-Large | A ZACH ROBINSON, Sandy City Council Dist. 3 | A+ MARCI HOUSEMAN, Sandy Mayor | C+ JIM BENNETT, Sandy Mayor | B+ MONICA ZOLTANSKI, Sandy Mayor | B+ RICK ROSENBERG, Santa Clara City Mayor | C+ WADE CAMPBELL, Smithfield City Council | C+ COREY THOMAS, South Salt Lake City Council Dist. 2 | A JAKE CHRISTENSEN, South Salt Lake Mayor | A CHERIE WOOD, South Salt Lake Mayor | A MARK CHAMBERS, Springdale Mayor | A+ VARDELL CURTIS, St. George City Council | CCASSANDRA ARNELL, Stansbury Service Agency | C+ AMBER RASMUSSEN, Vineyard City Council | A MARC BRIMHALL, Vineyard Mayor | B MARIA CANE, Vineyard Mayor | F JEFF WEST, Washington Terrace City Council | C+ DENNIS SWEAT, Wendover Mayor | F MIKEY SMITH, West Jordan City Council At-Large | A+ PAMELA BLOOM, West Jordan City Council At-Large | A+ LARS NORDFELT, West Valley City Council AtLarge | B+ JIM VESOCK, West Valley City Council At-Large | CCHRIS BELL, West Valley City Council Dist. 2 | A+ For more information, to go equalityutah.org

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November is Transgender Awareness Month

Several events are planned as part of Transgender Awareness Month in Utah.

Transgender advocate Dallas Rivas says that over 400 lives were lost worldwide to violence so far in 2021.

Project Rainbow will again hold a memorial starting November 13th at the Salt Lake City County Building. Flags with the names of victims of violence will be displayed on the State Street side of the building. Candles will be lit at 6pm November 20th in memory of the lives lost.

Transgender Education Advocates of Utah is hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance at the Utah State Capitol on Saturday, Nov. 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. They will participate in the annual reading of the names of transgender people who were lost to violence and memorialize the lives they’ve lived.

The event will be live-streamed. Details to be announced.

Masks are required for those not vaccinated and recommended for those that

are. Inside space will require masks for all unless the person is eating or drinking.

A reception will follow.

Transgender Day of Remembrance was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence since Rita Hester’s death, and began an important tradition that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.

“Transgender Day of Remembrance seeks to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence. I am no stranger to the need to fight for our rights, and the right to simply exist is first and foremost. With so many seeking to erase transgender people — sometimes in the most brutal ways possible — it is vitally important that those we lose are remembered, and that we continue to fight for justice,” said Smith. Q

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Encircle raises $8 million, announces new $13 million fundraiser Saying it successfully exceeded its $8 million/eight new houses goal announced earlier in the year, Encircle founder and CEO Stephenie Larsen announced a new campaign to raise an additional $13 million to help sustain the 13 Encircle houses which will be running within the next few years. “[Apple CEO] Tim Cook, [Imagine Dragons] Dan Reynolds, and [Qualtrics founder and Utah Jazz owner] Ryan Smith went live on Good Morning America last February, and we kicked off a campaign where we were trying to raise $8 million to build eight Encircle homes,” Encircle founder and CEO Stephenie Larsen said at a press conference. Reynolds and his wife, Aja Volkman, donated Reynolds’ Las Vegas childhood home, valued at $1 million. Smith and his wife Ashley donated $2 million. Apple donated $1 million to kick off the fundraiser.

“Within a few months, we have not only raised enough to buy eight new homes, but nine,” Larsen continued. “It took people like [DOMO founder and CEO] Josh and Marina James, [Kahlert Foundation. executive vice president] Heather Kahlert, who donated a million dollars each to make this happen today.”

“It’s incredible what we can do when we bring tech, government, sports, business, and music together. We can create powerful change,” she said. “Thank you to these leaders who stand behind these kids, telling them you matter, your life matters, and you have a bright future.

“Today, we are here to announce an additional campaign to raise $13 million to sustain the 13 Encircle homes that will be running in the next few years,” she announced. “We know this is a huge ask. We also know that the mental health services that we are providing are keeping children alive and thriving.”

She said that they will not stop until they see Encircle thriving across the nation.

Cook spoke at the press conference, held onsite at the Silicon Slopes Summit at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

“Today is another milestone for an organization that has already walked

a remarkable road,” Cook said. “For Provo, Salt Lake, St. George and small towns across Utah, to new homes in Nevada, Idaho, and Arizona.”

“Encircles mission is very personal to me because I see myself in the faces of these young people. I understand what it can feel like to be isolated, or like you can’t share your truth with anyone else,” he said. “It’s not easy when you’re made to feel different or less than because of who you are or who you love. It’s a feeling that so many LGBTQ people know far too well. But slowly, too slowly, we’ve seen that begin to change.”

Ryan and Ashley Smith said they were excited to help pioneer the Encircle model in Utah.

“Every state and every city in the nation needs an Encircle home, and we’re here to help,” Ryan Smith said.

Smith introduced Utah Jazz co-owner, 3-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade, to speak at the press conference.

“You have to take an opportunity and

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go into an Encircle and feel the energy that’s going on in there, and you have to see the vision,” Wade said. “I got an opportunity to do that today. I’m standing here as a representative of the Utah Jazz and as a father and a parent.”

“My daughter, at eight years old, came home and had a conversation with me,” Wade began. “Zaya was assigned to be a male at birth. She came home and told us that she wasn’t anymore.

She wanted to be as she was born to be. At that moment, I had to do a lot of learning, a lot of listening, and that’s what this is about. We need to listen.

We don’t have all the answers. We don’t know everything about everybody.”

“We need to understand that we live in a world where everyone is different, but we’re all trying to reach the same goal. That is to be our best selves in life,” Wade continued. “So I stand here as a proud parent of a beautiful daughter who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. I stand here as an ally.”

Utah First Lady Abby Cox also spoke alongside Utah Gov. Spencer Cox about the work of Encircle.

“Our kids get this,” Abby Cox started.

“We have had teenage kids grow up in the

Encircle SLC opens cafe As part of its Sustainability Fund, Encircle is also opening the first Encircle Cafe in its Salt Lake City home at 331 S. 600 East.

The cafe will not only provide employment and skills training to Encircle youth, but offer an additional source of income for the home.

The Salt Lake City cafe, which will be open during the day, is a pilot program with the hope of implementing similar cafes at other Encircle locations.

Encircle homes will continue to provide services and support during afternoon and evening hours.

The cafes will be staffed in part

by Encircle youth who will receive on-the-job training and learn essential life skills.

For more information see their website at encircletogether.org

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Issue 329 | Qsaltlake.com

H

Hawkes Family Law Divorce | Custody | Alimony A down-to-Earth law firm that aims for solutions, not fights.

We help you develop the most cost-effective strategy to meet your goals for the case. Our mission is to give a voice to underrepresented people and to empower our clients through a wide variety of legal services.

Dwayne Wade makes comments at the Encircle press conference.

state in a very rural community. That’s the pinnacle of conservative communities — our rural communities. We’ve had the privilege of learning from LGBTQ youth because they were our kids’ friends, and they brought them into our homes.

They were in plays together; they were in tennis together; they did all kinds of events together because they were friends. They were part of their circle of friendship. Because of that, we were able to get to know them and be inspired by them. So we’re grateful for our LGBTQ youth and what they teach us. In this world is going to be such a better place when they’re in charge.”

Spencer Cox noted that there were many powerful and important people in the room at the press conference, “but there’s nobody more important than these kids,” pointing to the Encircle youth sitting behind him.

“We know, and the date is very clear, that when an LGBTQ youth experiences complete rejection, that suicide ideation, and suicide attempts and suicide completions go up significantly,” the governor said. “If they receive just a tiny bit of acceptance — one person — the rates plunge. That one piece of acceptance changes everything. It keeps going down the more acceptance there is, but it’s that first one that is the biggest jump of all, and that’s why Encircle matters. What Encircle has done is provided that piece of acceptance, espe-

cially if there is no acceptance anywhere else. There’s a place where they can go, and they can feel loved, and where they can get therapy. Trained professionals can help them.”

“The other part of Encircle that I love is that it’s about the families. They give a place where parents, like Dwayne, who have no idea what they are doing and they’re scared and confused, and they can come in there and they are surrounded with a community,” Gov. Cox continued. “And then the community grows, and those kids feel that acceptance, and they stay. And we need them to stay. Because when they stay, they do beautiful things. They share themselves with the world, and they make places like Utah a better place.”

Encircle started with one house near the Provo Temple that opened up in February 2017. They had a youth summit in December 2017. In 2018, two more homes were built — one in Salt Lake City and one in St. George, Utah. In 2019, Encircle started its own therapy arm. In November 2020, Encircle announced a home in Heber City, Utah.

In February, Encircle announced eight more homes in Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and Idaho. They broke ground on the downtown Ogden home in March.

They have also announced Las Vegas, Nev. and a possible home in Logan, Utah. Q More information can be found about Encircle at encircletogether.org.

Danielle Hawkes, esq 801-953-0945

261 E 300 S #200 Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 danielle@hawkesfamilylaw.com ESPAÑOL | PORTUGUÉS

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views

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quotes “There’s no reason anybody, anywhere in America should be telling children about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth ... Yes, I called it filth.”

—N.C. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson

“There’s no debate here.

This is open discrimination.

It is completely unacceptable ... Mark Robinson should resign.”

— N.C. State Sen. Jeff Jackson

“I think I was even more surprised. What the hell was I doing? I’d never been interested in women as anything other than friends.

I felt so confused. This just wasn’t me! I was stunned that I’d been friends with her for so many years and never noticed our chemistry ... I soon discovered that we connected sexually in a way I’d never experienced.”

— Cassandra Peterson, better known as Elvira in her upcoming book

“Pete Buttigieg has been on leave from his job since August after adopting a child. Paternity leave, they call it, trying to figure out how to breastfeed. No word on how that went.”

— Tucker Carlson

“I guess he just doesn’t understand the concept of bottle feeding, let alone the concept of paternity leave.”

— Pete Buttigieg

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Issue 329 | Qsaltlake.com

who’s your daddy

The kindness of Greek ghosts

BY CHRISTOPHER KATIS

Sometimes

I don’t know what to write about in Who’s Your Daddy.

Tonight, my niece Ashley suggested either ghosts or kindness. Two seemingly somewhat divergent topics. But for us, they were tied together.

You see, we started out texting about the University of Utah’s impressive win over USC in college football, then the conversation turned to family. She told me that my dad had shown up in her house. My dad passed away over six years ago. A photo of him with one of her daughters mysteriously appeared in her pantry. She took that as a sign that he was with her and her family and hung it on their fridge.

She reminded me how kind my dad had always been. We need a little kindness in this world. No, we need a lot more kindness.

Recently, Lt. Governor Mark Robinson of North Carolina said, “there’s no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth.” He called millions of LGBTQ+ people filth. Frankly, I don’t care what he calls me personally. But I do care what he calls other people – especially young people. Words have power.

A 2020 survey by The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention group focusing on helping LGBTQ+ youth, found 40 percent of queer young people between 13 and 24 seriously contemplated suicide within the past year. Equally as horrifying, according to a Journal of Adolescence Health study in 2019, one in four preteen suicides is likely to be of a queer kid.

Further, researchers at Yale studied the death records of 10,000 kids ages 10–19, all of whom died from suicide. They found that the records were “substantially more likely to mention bullying

than [those of] their non-LGBT peers.”

Honestly, I can’t help wondering how many of the LGBTQ+ kids who died by their own hands would still be with us if, rather than being bullied, they’d simply been shown kindness and acceptance.

But I’m sure if he were asked, Lt. Governor Robinson would scoff at any questions suggesting he is a bully. As I’m writing this, he has steadfastly refused to resign his position.

But how else would you describe someone who calls kids “filth”?

What really surprises me about the Lt. Governor’s bullying is that he’s both the child of an abusive dad and a father himself. You’d think he’d work hard to avoid being abusive – even if it’s just verbal abuse spat at strangers. I’d like to think that, even though I’m “filth,” I’m a better dad than that.

Look, I’m the first to admit that I’m far from a perfect dad. In fact, there are days when I think that becoming a dad probably wasn’t the best idea. My kids aren’t perfect either. I’m sure there are days that they wish someone else was their dad. But I’m immensely proud that they’re both kind young men.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my niece found a long-forgotten photo in her pantry of all places. Just like I don’t think it was a coincidence she told me about it on the day I made my grandmother’s Greek egg-lemon soup, her cute, accented voice whispering in my ear, reminding me to go slow so as not to curdle the soup. You see, I’m a firm believer in Greek ghosts. Not the spooky ones that haunt creepy old houses, but those who once loved us and still do. My dad was just sending my niece love and kindness. I wish he’d send some to Mark Robinson. Q If a young person you know is struggling, ­please contact the Trevor Project at TheTrevorProject.org

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Liz Cheney

U.S. Rep.

BY DANNE WITKOWSKI

Liz Cheney (R-WY) is not going to save us.

I know it’s all the rage to point to her as the one reasonably sane Republican in a sea of seditious liars, but it’s just not that simple.

First of all, hooray for Cheney for being one of two whole Republicans to be like, “Uh, what happened on Jan. 6 was really bad, and we should probably look into it and also, Trump is terrible and embarrassing.” Truly NOT a position of courage. And yet, no other Republican besides Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) could bring themselves to touch the third rail of Republican politics: reality.

Cheney is not a moderate. She just looks moderate compared to the rest of the party since they are off in the deepend, advocating for fascism. Again, it’s not a courageous stance to argue that we should continue to be a functioning country with democratic elections.

And it’s also not a brave and bold stance to say that you now support marriage equality after years of saying you didn’t even though you literally have a lesbian sister who is married to a woman.

Don’t get me wrong. People evolve.

We’ve watched many elected leaders change their minds on this issue, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

It’s a normal part of being human. We can change what we believe based on new information. Or, at least, we should.

Hand washing is a good example. Back in the day, doctors didn’t wash their hands. They would literally go from handling a dead body to delivering a baby and scratch their heads about why that lady didn’t survive childbirth. But then we discovered germs and stuff, and doctors were told by science nerds to wash their hands, which pissed some doctors off a great deal! How dare anyone tell

them what to do! But, as we now know, washing hands saves lives. It can keep you from getting sick. And it can keep death cooties away from the birthing suite.

Anyway, during a Sept. 26 interview on “60 Minutes,” Cheney utters three words that Republicans only ever say now in order to explain away any past criticisms of Trump: “I was wrong.”

“I love my sister very much,” she says. “I love her family very much. And I was wrong.”

Admitting you’re wrong is a sign of strength. So, good work!

“It’s a very personal issue,” she continues, “and very personal for my family. I believe that my dad was right. And my sister and I have had that conversation.”

And it went well, based on what Mary Cheney posted on Facebook: “I love my sister very much and am so proud of her.

It took a ton of courage to admit she was wrong in 2013 when she opposed marriage equality. That is something few politicians would ever do.” And then Mary added, “I told you so.” Oh, sisters.

OK, so Mary and Liz have apparently hugged it out. But let’s be honest: it’s terrifying to think of former Vice President and Iraq War enthusiast Dick Cheney being right about anything. But he did give public, albeit tepid, support of his lesbian daughter on a 2011 episode of “The View,” saying, “You ought to have the right to make whatever choice you want to make with respect to your own personal situation.” Poetic stuff.

Speaking of LGBTQ+ rights more broadly, Liz Cheney says during her “60 Minutes” interview, “[As] human beings…we need to work against discrimination of all kinds in our country, in our state. We were at an event a few nights ago, and there was a young woman who said she doesn’t feel safe

sometimes because she’s transgender, and nobody should feel unsafe.”

True and right! And yet. There are legitimate concerns. “[Cheney] saying she was wrong on same-sex marriage and saying that ‘no one [gay or trans] should feel unsafe’ doesn’t explain why she voted against the Equality Act TWICE. She’s smart.

She knows better,” journalist Victoria Brownworth posted to Twitter.

Veteran and trans rights advocate Charlotte Clymer tweeted, “I will trust Liz Cheney’s statement on trans rights on ’60 Minutes’ when she supports the Equality Act in its current form. Because just a few months ago, she voted against it. Why? Because it fully supports trans rights.”

Apparently, Cheney’s new and improved LGBTQ+ equality stance is very new. And maybe not very strong.

At least when it comes to people who are not her well-connected sister who is already insulated from the kind of discrimination and danger that so many LGBTQ+ people face.

Just saying, Liz Cheney has a long way to go before she gets to be a grand marshal at a Pride parade. Q D’Anne Witkowski is a writer living with her wife and son.

She has been writing about LGBTQ+ politics for nearly two decades. Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.

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sex and salt lake city

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Giving thanks

BY DR. LAURIE BENNETT-COOK

Thanksgiving

was my favorite of all holidays when I was a kid. Being Mormon like most everyone I knew, my family would meet at the church closest to where my grandma lived, and we’d all show up with food and basketballs.

All the women would be in the kitchen cooking, and all the men would be milling around talking about the year past and hopes for the new year ahead.

All my zillion cousins and I would run around the gym with basketballs (although I don’t know why because we never really actually played basketball), and we’d be loud and hyper. It was the most fun I had with my extended family. It was a family reunion of sorts.

The one thing we didn’t do, which I’ve heard from most people I know their families did do, was to go around the table and each share one thing we’re grateful for. Probably because we actually had more like 10 or 11 tables set up, and there were just too many of us to do such a thing. I remember the prayer (always said by my uncle) was too long for my kid self, and the food was always AMAZING! Afterward, we kids would move to play outside where it was crisp and cool, and leaves were everywhere for the playing in.

Tag, Red Rover, Red-Light-Green-Light, and all the best big group of kid games.

A lot has changed since then. I haven’t experienced such a gathering with my extended family since my grandma passed. Now, It’s just my partner and myself. My own kids are grown. You never really realize just how much a person is the glue or has influence until they’re no longer with you.

As I reflect this year, I see that I am grateful for those memories and the opportunity to run and play so freely and share such an experience with cousins and grandparents. But, on the flip side of that coin, I’m also grateful that my life is now so far removed from that world.

The things I loved most about it all are also the things I’m happy to no longer have in my life.

Like many, my family of origin was full of love — but also full of judgment. As a younger child, I felt we all gathered together only because we really wanted to be together.

As I got older, I began to see and feel the pressure with which the adults would involve themselves. For us kids, it was all play with cousins we rarely saw, and that kept it light and fun. For the adults, however, it was a lot of thankless work spent with relatives they rarely saw – and for reasons, I was unaware of.

Once old enough to be on the adult end of things and after leaving the church, my participation didn’t last long.

There’s a saying that blood is thicker than water and a strong belief by society that family should always come first. But, the thing is, our families of origin are not always the safest or healthiest places for us to be. And, seeing how most of us grow up and choose partners outside of our family of origin so that we can produce new families of origin, well … that whole blood is thicker than the water thing kinda goes out the window.

Since my adulthood, I’ve spent Thanksgiving with family, with friends, with coworkers, on vacation, and just sitting at home doing nothing but watch football and treat it like any other Thursday. The best ones of the list above have been, in a way, some of each. The determining factor that makes the day feel so good?

I got to have a say and kept away from events entirely done out of obligation.

As an adult now, one of the biggest things I’m grateful for is my abili-

ty to choose where and with who I spend my time without guilt or shame.

Oh, they still creep up, mind you, but they make their appearances so much less often than they used to.

So for this Thanksgiving holiday — I raise my glass to each of you and hope you feel support and love wherever you choose to spend your day. That you recognize you have value and your desires to be with or without certain people on this particular day or any other is honored and valid. And that what you find to be most thankful for — is YOU. Q Dr. Laurie Bennett-Cook is a Clinical Sexologist and divides her time between Salt Lake City, Utah, and Palm Springs, California. She can be reached at DrLaurieBennettCook@gmail.com

Aloha BODYWORKS Troy Hunter, LMT

801.455.2497

2021 FABBY AWARDS QSaltLake Magazine’s 18th annual FABBY AWARDS. Thank you to the many people who voted this year.

These awards are the LGBTQ community’s “Best of” restaurants, bars, businesses, organizations, and people in the valley. You won’t find national chains here, because we firmly believe in supporting local businesses.

MOST FABULOUS

RESTAURANTS MOST FABULOUS Inexpensive Restaurant

THE OTHER PLACE A unique comfort-food restaurant that is family-oriented from bone-to-bone. Greek and American favorites in a warm, friendly space. Don’t forget to grab your QSaltLake Magazine on the way out the door!

MOST FABULOUS After-Hours Restaurant

DEE’S

Dee’s has been a favorite after-bar hangout since Michael Aaron wasn’t even old enough to get into bars. So ... that’s like 100 years! Always open, locally owned. Friendly (mostly) and very inclusive staff. Let’s go to Dee’s! That’s what daddy says.

MOST FABULOUS Contemporary Restaurant

CAFÉ NICHE

Now serving brunch and lunch as they try to staff for dinner again. Niche is a true neighborhood eatery that emphasizes supporting local farms and food purveyors for the best ingredients around. Our fave is the savory niche croque madame.

MOST FABULOUS Vegetarian/ Vegan Restaurant

VERTICAL DINER This “extreme cuisine” restaurant knows what they are doing. I was sitting at the bar there one morning and overheard a chef question a server on an order, because they’d overheard the customer say they were allergic to an ingredient that was in what they ordered.

That’s service.

MOST FABULOUS Ogden Restaurant

NO FRILLS DINER No Frills had to close their 12th Street location and are currently knee-deep in construction of a 25th Street downtown diner.

We are there opening day.

MOST FABULOUS Asian Restaurant

TAKASHI

This amazing LGBTQ-friendly establishment has been taking home Fabby awards for years, and thankfully so. Every review site says they are the best sushi in town, but their staff (and their Asian pork carnitas) and their cocktail bar, Post Office Place, next door are just a few reasons to head on over.

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MOST FABULOUS Greek/Mediterranean Restaurant

MOST FABULOUS Steakhouse

While they often win the “Inexpensive Restaurant” Fabby, it’s their food (and plenty of it) that brings people back again and again. Watch for the Salt Lake Men’s Choir after-rehearsal dinner on Thursday nights.

Peanut shells and movie stars at this local “rustic” favorite. Ye haw! Everything from Steak & Avocado Egg Rolls to Gorgonzola New York Steak, how can you go wrong?

THE OTHER PLACE

MOST FABULOUS Italian Restaurant

CAFFÉ MOLISE Michael Aaron went to opening night of Caffe Molise in 1993 back when it was next to Dinwoody Park. It’s been his favorite restaurant since then. Now at the old “The Bay” location on 4th South and West Temple, it’s just more grand and delicious than it ever was. Pollo alla Gratella is his fave.

MOST FABULOUS Wine Selection

BTG

When BTG opened, Michael Aaron thought he had died and gone to Heaven. Our favorite thing to do is to go for the flights with tastes of three or four wines. How else can you enjoy a $50 bottle of wine if not an ounce or so at a time? Also serving food, this is a great date night, or a “where should we go now?” night. Downstairs of Caffe Molise.

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RUBY RIVER

MOST FABULOUS Beer Selection

THE BAYOU Buzzy eatery and bar offering Cajun-inspired fare & pub grub plus so many beers you could spend a week deciding. Just pick one and get out of our way.

MOST FABULOUS Barbecue

R&R BARBECUE “Utah’s Best Competition BBQ Team” has won nine grand championships, so you know they are serving up the best barbecue to ever hit you in the lips. Don’t forget the peach cobbler or you’ll forever regret it.

MOST FABULOUS Soups

CAFÉ ZUPAS Founded in Provo and now spreading across the country, this restaurant is about freshmade, healthy food made from good quality ingredients. And, by gosh, it tastes good, too.

Caffé Molise

OPEN 7 DAYS 11:30A–3P, 5–9P (10P FRI/SAT) 404 S WEST TEMPLE 801-364-8833 caffemolise.com

BTG Wine Bar

OPEN 7 DAYS, 5P–CLOSE 404 S WEST TEMPLE 801-359-2814 btgwinebar.com

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MOST FABULOUS Restaurant for Breakfast

MOST FABULOUS Seafood

We were worried when Eggs in the City moved out of their home on 13th South, but when we went to the new Millcreek location, we found that it took us less time to get there. And the inside space is upgraded and the patio more spacious. All with the same food and people we always loved.

Shrimp on a skewer. Whiskers on a catfish. Mussels on the hot date across from you. They even have shrimp in their awesome bloody mary. Go when the salmon are running, or go next door for oysters of a million varieties.

EGGS IN THE CITY

MOST FABULOUS Bakery/Pastries

GOURMANDISE It all started in downtown Salt Lake 15 years ago on 300 East.

A bakery with a new name we couldn’t pronounce, but pastries and cakes we couldn’t resist.

Now also in Draper and at the SLC Airport, a new location in Utah County is promised soon.

MOST FABULOUS– Mexican Restaurant

CHILE TEPIN

In the historic Crane Building, Chile-Tepin (named after the “mother of all peppers”) is a local, family owned Mexican Restaurant in heart of downtown. Carlos and his family have a passion for recreating memories of hometowns in Sonora and Colima through recipes which have been handed down through generations.

MARKET STREET GRILL

MOST FABULOUS Sandwiches

MOOCHIES From the back of a pottery studio to four locations from downtown to Lehi, Moochies is about meatballs and a damned fine Philly Cheesesteak. Guy Fieri says the meatball sub will ‘’knock your head off.’’ But don’t worry. No heads are truly harmed at Moochies.

MOST FABULOUS Brew Pub

SQUATTERS Whether your squatting at the airport, or downtown SLC, or in the Park City area, the Squatters Mug Club is a must. The best beers in town served with the best food in the surroundings of a beautiful historic building.

We go for brunch and the $3 mimosas and bloody marys. But that’s just how we are.

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a full healthy menu and, voila!

Best salad Fabby.

MOST FABULOUS Pizza

PIE PIZZERIA From a dungeon a stone’s throw from the UofU to six locations from Ogden to South Jordan, the home of the Zappi is just pure, gooey yum. Hand-tossed pizza dough, sauces and dressings made in-house, the same way they’ve done it for 40 years.

MOST FABULOUS Burger Joint MOST FABULOUS Salads

Don’t forget to bring your laptop and backpack to this onestop bean counter that’s been dazzling for decades. Sit inside or out, and don’t forget the scones, croisssants, and quiche.

A smoothie and juice bar won for best salads. Okay. I’m in. Pulp began as a juice bar in the Gym at City Creek known for good, healthy ingredients with no added sugar. They expanded into

COFFEE GARDEN

PULP LIFESTYLE KITCHEN

If there is an award out there for best burger in Utah, Lucky 13 has won it multiple times. This is their 9th Fabby. Of course our favorite is the nut butter burger.

Although one day we hope to wrap our lips around the Big Benny.

MOST FABULOUS PARK CITY Restaurant

NO NAME SALOON

Fabby Award Winner

NOVEMBER, 2021

MOST FABULOUS New Restaurant

THE IVY

In the space that Caffe Molise once occupied, The Ivy opened up earlier this year, even leasing the Dinwoody Park that we loved to sit in back in the day.

The Ivy is a modern American bar and restaurant that offers guests an eclectic American cuisine.

MOST FABULOUS REASON TO EAT IN DAVIS COUNTY

FUJI SUSHI

LUCKY 13 MOST FABULOUS Local Coffeehouse

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The best place to try to get a seat during Sundance is the No Name Saloon and its Annex Burger next door. Bourbon, beer, and bison are all on the menu.

Also turkey burgers and veggie burgers for those so inclined.

Me? Fish tacos. I know, I know!

Yes, this is a reader’s choice category, and we are going to give it a try. Why not? Fuji Sushi in Centerville had Bento box and teriyaki bowl lunches, and enough dinner options and appetizers to keep anyone happy. Then there is the list of 195 sushi offerings. Alright, I lost count, but lots!

Most fabulous Japanese Restaurant

KYOTO

Over 30 years in business and an Salt Lake City institution. Tremendous tempura shrimp and classics like katsu, sukiyaki and teriyaki.

The odd location on 11th E and 13th south doesn’t distract those in the know of a great gem in the city.

2020 BEST PIZZA

Fabby Awards

801-582-5700 275 S 1300 E SLC

801-582-5700 1320 E 200 S SLC

801-466-5100

3321 So. 200 E SLC 801-233-1999

7186 S Union Park Ave Midvale

thepie.com

801-495-4095

10627 S Redwood Rd. South Jordan

801-627-1920

4300 Harrison Blvd Ogden

open daily 7am to 8pm order online at coffeegardenslc.com 801-355-3425 • 878 e harvey milk blvd

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UTAH’S BEST BURGER QSaltLake FABBY Award Winner 9 Years in a Row

FABBY Winner

2013 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2014 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2015 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2016 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2017 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2018 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2019 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2020 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2021 “Best Burger Joint”

LUCKY13SLC.COM 135 W 1300 S 801.487.4418 | 21+

LUCKYSIRONDOOR.COM 3754 W CENTER VIEW WAY 801.878.9439 | ALL AGES

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prices. If you go broke here, you have a problem.

MOST FABULOUS Beer Bar

BEER BAR

Isn’t it kind of cheating to name yourself after a Fabby category?

Well, it’s about love, they say.

“Beer Bar is a love letter to the beer of the world. Our goal is to bring some of that world, and that love, to you all.” Well, that says it all.

MOST FABULOUS Wine Bar

BTG

MOST FABULOUS

BARS & CLUBS

ment. Sun Trap opens at 1pm most days, and at 11am Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Get your drink on in the afternoon with your friends.

MOST FABULOUS All-Gay-Every-Day Bar

MOST FABULOUS Sports Bar

It seems this category is nicely tossed between our two allgay-every-day bars. It’s so polite.

Club Try-Angles is run by a cantankerous man and his husband.

I’ll let you decide who is whom.

With themed Friday nights and Underwear Night on the 3rd Saturday, plus Beer Church Bingo on the first Sundays. There’s always something going on at Try-Angles.

This establishment makes your tail curl (just go with it!). Great food, great mingling, and great community watching: LGBTQ and all other walks of life. From Sunday and Monday football to karaoke to trivia. Or just sit back with a cocktail on the rooftop bar.

MOST FABULOUS Irish Pub

Bangers and mash, a bloody mary bar, Saturday and Sunday brunch with buck-fitty mimosas, taco Tuesdays, how can you go wrong? There’s an event damn near every single day. And as LGBTQ friendly as they come.

May the road rise up to meet you.

So, our readers are driving to Murray for a fabulous lounge.

With an incredible menu featuring Moonshine Cherry Wagyu Steak, Bacon & Breadcrumb Encrusted Salmon, and daily soup creations, I guess I can see why.

They also have fresh squeezed craft cocktails and 16 local draft beers (and 60 bottled beers).

They say they ”dare raise the bar in your night life experience.”

MOST FABULOUS Afternoon Bar

MOST FABULOUS Bar for the Buck

Ever had a day that just starts out bad and goes down from there?

Or, you just want to hang with the LGBTQs and day drink. No judg-

The coldest and cheapest beer in all of Salt Lake City, not to mention all of their cocktail

CLUB TRY-ANGLES

PIPER DOWN

THE SUNTRAPP

GREEN PIG

MOST FABULOUS Lounge

PROHIBITION

CLUB TRY-ANGLES

When BTG opened, Michael Aaron thought he had died and gone to Heaven. Our favorite thing to do is to go for the flights with tastes of three or four wines. How else can you enjoy a $50 bottle of wine if not an ounce or so at a time? Also serving food, this is a great date night, or a “where should we go now?” night. Downstairs of Caffe Molise.

MOST FABULOUS Cocktails

UNDER CURRENT Under Current is an upscale casual downtown neighborhood bar headlining an original and classic cocktail program. They feature seasonal craft cocktails with a tropical and Amari-driven touch, a unique spirit collection, oysters and small bites. They also offer a selection of seasonal beer and wine. Fabulous.

MOST FABULOUS Bar that Gives Back to the Community

CLUB TRY-ANGLES

Love is always in the air at Try-Angles, and Gene, the owner, is not only driven to support the community in very special ways, but he will also take the Cookie Monster T-shirt off his back for you. But please have him leave it on.

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MOST FABULOUS Monthly bar event

BEAR NIGHT AT TRY-ANGLES The nicest people you might meet in the LGBTQ community would be the Bears. Likely larger.

Likely hairy. And Likely with a smile on their face, waiting to give a great big ... wait for it ... bear hug. Bear night is like that.

First Fridays at Club Try-Angles.

MOST FABULOUS Park City Bar

NO NAME SALOON A popular biker bar on historic Main Street in Park City is also a welcoming establishment to the LGBTQ community: staff and patrons, alike. Good times!

MOST FABULOUS Ogden Bar

SAND TRAP One patron of the FABBY award-winning bar in Ogden said: “As someone who likes to occasionally drink a few brews and embarrass himself in public by singing karaoke terribly, the Sand Trap is my place.” Don’t we all?

MOST FABULOUS Dive Bar

COTTON BOTTOM INN For more than 50 years the property at 6252 S. Holladay Boulevard has been the site of the iconic Cotton Bottom Inn, a small, cozy bar known for its no-frills environment and garlic cheeseburgers. The Bar X Group is taking it over and giving it some zhuzhing. They say they want to preserve its iconic name and feel while bringing new life, amenities and patrons to the area, including a larger outdoor area and 3,000 new square feet of dining. We hope they don’t polish it up too much.

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MOST FABULOUS Antiques

HOME AGAIN Home Again has been offering affordable home furnishings and decor since 1997 in Sugar House and 2007 in Midvale.

Their consignment items are hand-picked by their staff with quality, character, and style in mind. They’re picky so you don’t have to be.

MOST FABULOUS Gift Store

CAHOOTS

MOST FABULOUS

MOST FABULOUS Furniture

MOST FABULOUS Local Shop for Clothing MOST FABULOUS SHOES MOST FABULOUS UNDERWEAR

This vintage furniture store specializing in rare and collectible mid-century modern and pop-art pieces is not for the birds. Buyand sell, babies!

Shopping SPARK

A triple award for Spark! Shop sustainably and locally at this gay-owned, FABBY-winning clothing boutique. From undies to ties, shoes, cuff links, and more, Spark has everything you need to dress for success, and/or a hot date. Club-wear to boardroom chic, there is nothing more sparkling than Spark. They’ve expanded into a second space for women’s clothing as well.

And while you are there, don’t you have a VCR that needs some cleaning?

MOST FABULOUS Book Store

THE KING’S ENGLISH During this pandemic, we at QSaltLake sat back and watched the adorable Rob Eckman read stories on Facebook live. That’s just who they are — ready to be part of our lives no matter what.

They have so many readings from authors Utah would like never see otherwise that they make our hamlet a nicer place to live.

GREEN ANT

MOST FABULOUS Consignment/Gently Used Clothing

ICONOCLAD

Do you love cast-off fashion?

Well, then check out Iconoclad, where you will find old-school fashion-wear plus locally made art and accessories. A must for anyone who loves Burning Man.

MOST FABULOUS Place to Buy Drag/Halloween Attire

PIB’S EXCHANGE

Swimming in all types of wigs, knee-high boots, naughty nurse costumes, and, occasionally, used clothing with a 20-dollar bill in a pocket, Pib’s is posh!!

MOST FABULOUS Nursery/Garden Center

MILLCREEK GARDENS For 65 years, Millcreek has been your favorite garden center. The sprawling nursery has everything that a Utah garden can grow, and then some. They also have extremely knowledgeable people wandering about to help.

You know something’s a little off when you walk into Cahoots and blush. And that’s before you get to the adult section. From risque calendars to cards and games you’d probably not show your mother... unless you have THAT mother.

MOST FABULOUS Jeweler

9TH & 9TH JEWELERS 9th & 9th Jewelers offers free overnight digital CAD renderings, price quotes, and any changes you want to your design within 24 hours.

Now that deserves a Fabby!

MOST FABULOUS Adult Toy Store

CAHOOTS

While cozy, the adult section at Cahoots is a place you wouldn’t be embarrassed to walk into, especially because the staff is so helpful and, well, adult about it all.

MOST FABULOUS Florist

THE ART FLORAL The people are what make The Art Floral so Fabby. Did you see them handing out flowers at the Utah Pride 2.0 Road Rallies?

They gave out 2,000 carnations with QSaltLake in 2019. Fabby.

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MOST FABULOUS

ARTS

MOST FABULOUS Theater Company

PLAN-B THEATRE COMPANY Thirty years of bringing minority voice to the valley through theater. Read 30 words from 30 Plan-B members for their 30th anniversary on their website, planbtheatre.org/30years.

MOST FABULOUS ART MUSEUM

UTAH MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART UMOCA was started by Alta Rawlins Jensen as the Art Barn Association. It was housed at the adorable building near the UofU until 1979 when it moved to the center of downtown in the Salt Palace building. They believe in the power of the art of our time.

MOST FABULOUS Music event of 2021

TWILIGHT CONCERT SERIES Twilight Concert Series brought an incredible lineup of musicians as it moved to the Gallivan Center for an abbreviated season in 2021. With the cancellation of its 2020 lineup pivoted to create Light Up Locals, an emergency relief fund for musicians in Salt Lake City who had been impacted due to COVID-19.

MOST FABULOUS Dance Company

BALLET WEST This world-renowned dance company is as old as Michael Aaron. Started in 1963, it was the first ballet department in an American university at The University of Utah. Artistic Director Adam Sklute energized and expanded Ballet West’s remarkable repertoire since 2007.

Now you can see Dracula with the live music of the Ballet West Orchestra through Oct. 30.

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MOST FABULOUS Real Estate Agent

As “Utah’s queerest barbershop,” Kylee gives back to the community in a huge way; both volunteering in local LGBTQ organizations and providing free services to homeless youth.

That deserves a FABBY. Kylee is expanding to downtown Helper, Utah, and is joined in Salt Lake

by Kass Thomas. Give Kass a try.

Babs was selling homes in Salt Lake before the Mormon pioneers climbed through Emigration Canyon. She’s on every city commission there is. She basically runs this town. And she knows her shit when it comes to buying and selling in Salt Lake.

MOST FABULOUS Insurance Agent

ANIMAL CARE CENTER

JON JEPSEN, SENTRY WEST

SERVICES

CORY HARRIS, LOYALTY TATTOO The reviews are rave for the talented Cory Harris. Most talk about how it’s great to be zapped by such a nice guy. And, he wants to do more dog tats.

events | catering | weddings | floral | design www.luxvents.com

MOST FABULOUS

NOVEMBER, 2021

MOST FABULOUS Barber

KYLEE HOWELL , FRIAR TUCK

MOST FABULOUS Tattoos

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Jon Jepsen is a doer in this community. He volunteers on boards, was on the first Salt Lake City Human Rights Commission, and is just a nice guy. He has partnerships with so many insurance companies that he will surely find one that fits your needs.

BABS DE LAY, URBAN UTAH

MOST FABULOUS Veterinarian

The first time Michael walked into Animal Care Center it happened to be the week after Pride. There was a huge standard poodle with rainbow fur greeting everyone at the door. It’s true what they say, in his experience — They care about your pets as much as you do.

thank you for 12 fabby awards!

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MOST FABULOUS Kennel/Pet Boarding

MOST FABULOUS Attorney

The Utah Dog Park — Airport is the largest dog boarding and daycare facility in the state with over 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor play areas.

They offer 6 different zones based on size, temperament, age, and activity. All areas have easy access to the K9 grass playyards which are gentle on dogs’ feet, safe, and clean.

The Wharton in Wharton and O’Brien donates much of his time to helping the community and those in it. He’s also my city councilperson and had the pothole on my street fixed. Okay, that last part wasn’t true. But I’m sure he’d try!

UTAH DOG PARK

MOST FABULOUS Church

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH The host of the Salt Lake Men’s Choir and the Matrons of Mayhem, as well as many other LGBT events, is also a great place to visit on Sundays. Pastor Curtis, when the Rona wasn’t around, loved to head down to the Utah Pride Center just to chat with the people there. Same-sex marriage became legal? Pastor Curtis was their marrying people. Beware of his dad jokes though.

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CHRIS WHARTON

MOST FABULOUS Car Dealership

MARK MILLER SUBARU Mark Miller has been a proud Pride sponsor for many years.

They know love is love and love makes a Subaru. They have the national awards to prove it. They also save homeless dogs in a big way, which is huge in my book.

MOST FABULOUS Caterer

LUX CATERING & EVENTS Lux has donated thousands of dollars worth of food and services to Utah’s LGBTQ community over its many years. They are the most environmentally-aware caterer in the state. They are also a certified LGBT Business Enterprise.

When you need to sell or buy property, keep your money local ... and support independent, LGBTQ+ owned business BABS DE LAY, Principal Broker/Owner “Utah’s FIRST OUT REALTOR!” URBAN UTAH HOMES & ESTATES 801.201.8824

801-308-2050

www.jonjepsen.com

28 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | FABBY AWARDS

MOST FABULOUS Wedding Officiant

CHRISTOPHER SCUDERI

MOST FABULOUS Financial Planner

MOST FABULOUS Wedding DJ

Hans’s background, experience, and commitment to providing clients with the resources needed to make financial decisions, can help make your financial future as successful as you need it to be.

While most DJs just focus on music, DJ Pauly focuses on your experience. From the first planning meeting, to the last dance of the night, he works with you to deliver an amazing, stress-free party that you and your guests will never forget.

MOST FABULOUS Place to Get Pierced

MOST FABULOUS Financial Institution

Koi has been punching holes in human bodies since 1997 and would have been winning FABBY Awards back then if our prestigious publication had existed then.

MOST FABULOUS Travel Agent

BOB GUYMON, THOMAS TRAVEL Bob Guymon has been in the travel industry for over 40 years.

Originally from Colorado, he also lived in Hawaii and France, and has traveled the world extensively and has always had an intense passion for travel. Plus, he’s just an all-around nice guy.

MOST FABULOUS Flea Market

URBAN FLEA MARKET This monthly market is as much event as it is fleas. Wait. That’s wrong. The year-round market lets you shop, browse and enjoy the experience of a Sunday in downtown Salt Lake City. Second Sundays 10am–4pm.

NOVEMBER, 2021

MICHAEL SANDERS

CHAD ANDERSON Chad makes sure you leave every session with something concrete to work on so you can notice changes in your life now, and recognize progress over time.

Each client is given an individual treatment plan. Grief, trauma, abuse, addiction, LGBTQ issues.

KOI PIERCING

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MOST FABULOUS Counselor

Christopher may be the hardest working minister in the valley.

He even gets up for an Easter service in Park City at the crack of dawn. He’s been doing samesex weddings since before it was legal. He also takes care of funerals and healing blessings.

HANS HEATH, LGBT FINANCIAL

Qsaltlake.com |

BLACKBOOTS

DJ PAULY

MOUNTAIN AMERICA CREDIT UNION Nearly a million members and $13 billion in assets, Mountain America Credit Union assists members on the right path to help them identify and achieve their financial dreams.

MOST FABULOUS TV News

FOX 13 NEWS Don’t let the word “Fox” in “Fox 13 News” scare you. This group of professionals is the hardest-working news team in the state and regularly reports on Utah’s LGBTQ community … in a good way.

MOST FABULOUS Organizations MOST FABULOUS Political Group

EQUALITY UTAH The sharp minds at Equality Utah keep our issues upfront and center in the eyes of Utah citizens and legislators. The nation looks to how EU does things to model their own campaigns.

MOST FABULOUS Group for Youth

ENCIRCLE

Encircle is a non-profit organization with the mission to bring the family and community together to enable LGBTQ+ youth to thrive. They provide drop-in hours for 12–25-year-olds, daily programs, friendship circles, and therapy services.

MostFabulousRadioStation

KRCL FM 90.9

KRCL is northern Utah’s only non-profit, member-supported community radio station dedicated to broadcasting a well-curated contemporary eclectic mix of music and community information 24 hours a day. Listen to Sue Robbins for an LGBTQ take on the world.

umen.org

MOST FABULOUS SOCIAL GROUP

BLACK BOOTS A sex-positive social and educational group for men with leather, kink, BDSM and fetish interests since 2013. blackBOOTS hosts social events, munches, workshops/classes and an award winning bar leather gear night *CODE and Leather Church on the third Sunday of each month at The Sun Trapp.

Most Fabulous Sports Group

STONEWALL SPORTS Founded in 2018 to create an inclusive community that has fun through playing sports and giving back with a philanthropic heart, Stonewall Sports is an LGBTQ+ organization that celebrates allies and people from all walks of life. Find a sport that you love and join.

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BEN WINSLOW

MOST FABULOUS PEOPLE

FOX 13 NEWS

MOST FABULOUS Leader of an LGBT Group

MICHAEL SANDERS, BLACKBOOTS Michael Sanders whisked into Salt Lake in 2008 and grabbed the bull by its... well, it wasn’t its horns. Sanders is an integral influencer in Utah’s sexual health, and leader of blackBOOTS, Utah’s fetish, kink and BDSM group. He does more than offer a place to play, he brings training and advocacy to the community. He also spearheaded the annual Utah Leather Pride and a motorcycle riding group.

MOST FABULOUS Politician for the LGBT Community

DEREK KITCHEN

Elected Salt Lake City Councilmember in 2015, and Utah State Senator in 2018, Kitchen has led the conversations of affordable housing and LGBTQ rights since he stepped into office.

MOST FABULOUS TV News Reporter

BEN WINSLOW We’ve decided to name this category after Ben and retire it until he decides to retire in Palm Springs with the rest of them. His ever-present feeds of information both on the tube and the intertubes are engaging with just enough snark to still be uber-professional. A promoter of UTA Route 500 — the Capitol Connector. We think it’s more about protecting his socks on the walk up the hill than protecting the environment.

MOST FABULOUS Bartender

RILEY AT THE SUNTRAPP You can always find Riley with a smile on his face and a shot gun in his hand. The kind that makes drinks.

MOST FABULOUS DJ AT A GAY BAR

DJ NAOMI AT THE SUNTRAPP DJ Naomi has set down beats in the LGBTQ scene in Salt Lake for many years, including Club Sound, Gossip!, Dimitri’s, Club Axis, and Vortex. Did you know she once called herself DJ Pink High Heel?

MOST FABULOUS QSaltLake Columnist

PETUNIA PAP SMEAR The inventor of the Breasticle® and the proud wearer of a faux mustache, Petunia Pap Smear, aka Courtney Moser, has written 165 Tales or Peril in these pages. She is a favorite of the straight men at locations we drop off to. They clamor!

PHOTO: COURTESY OF FOX 13

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Del Rio, I was like, “Oh my gosh, totally. Homecoming.” Because there’s just something about being a Texan and the experience in Texas. And then layer that in with the Black experience in Texas, the queer experience in Texas — it’s something that really unites a lot of us.

SHANGELA IS SPREADING PRIDE WITH A PURPOSE, HONEY

‘RuPaul’s Drag Queen’ alum talks Season 2 of HBO’s ‘We’re Here’

BY EVE KUCHARSKI

You can’t

keep Shangela Laquifa Wadley down. Seriously, she came back to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” three times. And now, along with co-stars Bob the Drag Queen and Eureka O’Hara, she’s back for Season 2 of HBO’s “We’re Here.”

Even when COVID-19 brought the production of the real-life series to a halt during its final episode of its first season, it was months before the drag trio could find themselves back in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to finish prepping their drag kids for their on-stage debut. But in true form, by the time Shangela and the crew returned, it wasn’t to hastily cobble together a disrupted season finale — it was with an Emmy Award nod and a second season secured. As Shangela herself would say: “Halleloo!”

On Oct. 11, Season 2 of “We’re Here” returned to HBO featuring dozens more stories of self-expression, actualization and discovery through drag.

The unscripted series has earned its reputation as a tear-jerker, but never at the expense of the small-town America residents it highlights.

During a call she took from her aunt’s house in Paris, Texas, Shangela reflected on the unique insight her own small-town background has given her on “We’re Here,” why it seems like drag can get anyone to open up, and how the show has given her “an even greater sense of purpose.”

“We’re Here” is a show that visits conservative small towns across the U.S., which many LGBTQ+ people might find to be intimidating places to visit. But this season you traveled to your home state of Texas.

Did that feel like a homecoming? Well, I feel like it’s such a gift for me to be a part of show like “We’re Here,” because the show goes across the U.S. to conservative towns that don’t really have a huge visible queer presence. And I’m like, “Oh, small conservative town in the U.S.? Didn’t have a queer presence? I grew up in one.”

I always think it would have been so awesome when I was a kid coming up to see this kind of visibility for artists, drag artists, queer artists just going to small towns and showcasing those particular kinds of stories. So, I think this show is really a huge gift. And when we were able to visit a town in Texas,

You did one show this season in Evansville, Illinois, and a man came up to you with a gun on his hip. But even though he looked intimidating, he loved everything that “We’re Here” is doing. Despite your comfort with conservative small towns, do you ever feel nerves when talking about drag in these communities? I think it’s really interesting you bring up Evansville, because that moment outside of the fireworks store just reminded us that even those of us in the queer community, we get stereotyped so much. We meet people and go, “Have you ever come to a drag show?” And they’re like, “No,” and we’re like, “Oh, do you know what drag queens are?” And they have the worst stereotypes sometimes of what their perception of who a drag queen is. And when that guy walked up it reminded me that even us as queer people, we have stereotypes about other people that we feel might be outside of our community.

A lot of times people say to us, “Oh my god, you’re going to a small town?

You poor things. Are you going to be safe? Do you have security? Those small-minded people who don’t support [us].” And then watching the show you learn that you can’t stereotype a town because it’s a small town or because it’s labeled even a small conservative town.

And this show definitely shines a light on what the queer experience is like in a lot of these small towns but also the hope that we have that people can change, that the ways of thinking are evolving and the amount of inclusion can be increased if we really go out there and unearth the pockets of support in some of the most unlikely places.

What do you think about drag is so disarming that it makes people open up? The art of drag is not just about the showmanship of it. Because a lot of people think, “OK, I’m getting in drag: wig, makeup, dress, outfit, heels. OK, I’m a drag queen.”

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Drag is actually a very cathartic process because you’re breaking down the stereotype or the box that the world may have put you in [or] that you may have put yourself in. And you’re allowing yourself to expand, and you’re allowing yourself to do something that’s uncomfortable, a lot of times, to you. That’s something that our drag kids are going through.

A lot of times they’re like, “I’ve never done this before; I didn’t know it was this much work.” And even in preparing a show for the stage in front of a community of people that they don’t know if they’re going to support them or not, you know, it’s very unsettling to them. But doing something that makes you afraid can a lot of times be very empowering to you, because when you’re able to go through the fire as opposed to walking around it, you come out a stronger person. And that’s what this show does.

It inspires strength and courage and love for oneself through their ability to make the leap and become a drag entertainer.

Does “We’re Here” ever cause you to reflect on your own start in drag? Whenever I’m working with my drag kids, it’s always a nostalgic moment to me. Because for most of them, it’s their very first time ever being in drag and ever putting on heels, ever putting on a wig, ever putting on a show number. And they’re learning as they go along that drag is not as simple [laughs] as they think it is. But it does offer this great moment of power and strength and excitement.

It reminds me and makes me very nostalgic of when I was baby Shangie and doing it for the first time and just getting that love of not only being on stage but understanding as I continued to grow in drag what it meant. See, my job, in a very short amount of time, is not only to connect with my drag kids and allow them to share their story to work with them emotionally — whether it’s a breakthrough or revisiting some very hard experiences they wouldn’t want to revisit — but it’s about telling the story and sharing so it unifies us and connects us.

But in addition to that it’s about preparing them for the stage and teaching them that drag is not just

about the exterior. Every time you step on the stage is a moment for you to inspire others and connect with others. It’s a moment for you to teach them and educate them about what the drag community is all about.

What do you hope your drag kids will take away from this experience? My [drag] kids, I want them to feel so prepared and so ready for the moment that they can go out there and they can shine and feel like, “You know what? My momma Shangie prepared me for this. She taught me that it’s not just about, ‘OK, I listened to the song.’” No, baby. You learned the song. You learned the song so well that the people feel it’s coming from your soul, because when we create a number, we are not creating just a little ditty. It’s about telling a message and representing all the pain and all the struggles and all the things you had to overcome in your life.

You made it to this point. There is someone out in that audience who is afraid to look at themselves in the mirror, to experience the hardships of life, and then have the hope that it can get better and work toward it. There are people who can’t do that, so you have to represent that on this stage tonight, and do it as a drag queen, so that they know that also who you are does not define who you can be in this world. And in this moment in drag, baby, you are becoming. As Michelle Obama says with the book, honey: “Becoming.”

You are _becoming_ the drag entertainer that you have created for yourself.

Was there a moment during filming where you thought, “We’re really making a difference in this person’s life”?

Oh my god, every episode. _Every_ episode. That’s why I’m so excited for people to see “We’re Here” and experience the second season because, you know, Season 1 we had six episodes. Season 2 we have eight, so we’re telling even more stories.

And when I tell you every one — and not just mine [but] Bob’s, Eureka’s — every story is like, bam, bam, bam! That’s why so many people are moved to tears in watching the show, because you find this moment of connection. Because no matter what community we’re from, we all know what it feels like to be isolated

or to feel discriminated against just for being who you are. There’s so much fear in our world because, especially in America, we live in a place where [the LGBTQ+ ] people have not always been supported and accepted. And a lot of times those of us who live in larger cities or places where there is a huge gay community of support, you forget that there are still these places where people are afraid to even say “gay” out loud for fear that they may be discriminated against, beaten, bullied, looked down upon.

Your positivity is infectious, but how do you find the energy to keep it up in communities where queer identities are not encouraged? I’m gonna tell you: One part of it is I love drag. I love being a drag entertainer and I love being able to share that with people — especially those who have never had the touchpoint before, right? I’m like, “All right, just wait, baby, you gonna see Shangela; we gonna turn it out.” In addition to that, though, this show has given me an even greater sense of purpose.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race,” I loved being a part of that show, but it was a competition show. You go in, you compete, you’re hoping for a cash prize. And it’s allowed me to be able to travel the world and connect with so many people around the world in performing. This show is different because it gives me this greater sense of real purpose in life. There is no prize that we’re competing for; we’re just working to help amplify voices of people who don’t get to tell their story very often but deserve to have their stories told. And it allows us, I think, as a community of queer people, to hopefully feel more strongly united in a world where we’ve had to be socially distant over the last year and been able to get together, whether it’s for Prides or just, heck, birthdays, to get to celebrate each other and be like, “Yes, bitch!”

You know, it’s cool to get to be a part of a show that reminds us of the importance of having a community and remember that everyone doesn’t get that opportunity. So, when you see somebody, lift them up. Don’t try to push them down. There’s enough in the world trying to do that already. Q

32 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | COMICS

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

43 In addition 46 Way out 48 Commercial producer 50 Prez who shared a ACROSS bed with Joshua 1 Tops 51 Bob Paris’ pride 5 Mardi ___ 54 Small-minded 9 With a wide-open 55 She played the title mouth role in “The Eyes of 14 Went lickety-split Tammy Faye” 15 Light tune 60 Ram as far up as you 16 Reef buildup can get?

17 Stephen McCauley’s 61 Many a Disney char“ ___ Enough” acter 18 Not fooled by 62 Steinbeck title 19 Cafeteria stack vermin 20 Portrayer of 63 Olympic award for 38-Across in “The Megan Rapinoe Eyes of Tammy Faye” 64 TV newsman Brit 23 Oral report source 65 Hawkish deity 24 Gas station abbr.

66 First partner of 4325 Nurse in a bar Down 27 Wieners 67 One way to cook 30 They get roped at fruit gay rodeos 68 Untouchable head 33 Frat hazing prop 34 New York Liberty Down and more 1 Charge d’affaires 37 Meet prelims 2 Flat braid for Whoo38 Former husband of pi Tammy Faye 3 Like the brainy 40 Some writers work bunch on it 4 Blow a fuse 42 “Cats” was based on 5 Look tickled pink his poems 6 Collar stain PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 37

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7 Where two men get on their knees 8 Barneys, e.g.

9 Beginning of “Rent” 10 “Myra Breckinridge” author Vidal 11 Salty tasting Asian body 12 Rita Mae Brown mystery 13 Above-ground trains 21 Madonna album 22 Three-pointers to Kopay 26 Ends of letters 28 One of the precious stones 29 Kemo ___ (Tonto’s male partner) 31 First-rate, to bottoms?

32 Always, to Emily Dickinson 35 Grand ___ seizure 36 Part of a biathlete’s gear 38 It makes a pilot come quickly 39 Keystone lawman 40 Stopped screwing around 41 Harris does it over the Senate 43 He danced in “Silk Stockings”

44 Picks up on 45 Reason for a lube 46 “The ___ Game” 47 Erie, to fifty million Frenchmen

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49 Renee Richards, once 52 Sites for three men in a tub 53 “To Kill a Mockingbird” tomboy

NOVEMBER, 2021

56 Elite Navy diver 57 Mykonos, for one 58 Plate of Bean’s 59 De novo

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First-time Exam, Bite-wing X-rays, Cleaning

Dr Josef Benzon, DDS www.alpenglowdentists.com

Salt Lake 2150 S. Main St 104 801-883-9177

Bountiful 425 S. Medical Dr 211 801-397-5220

New patients only. Limitations and exclusions may apply.

Not valid with any other offers.

To schedule an appointment, please call 801.878.1700 DC Comics said the new Superman, Jon Kent — the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane — will come out as bisexual in an upcoming issue of the superhero’s 21st century story. Just like his father and mother, Jon Kent has fallen for a reporter.

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

Level: Medium

1 8

2 4

5 3

6 9 7 2

3

8

9 6

9 6 1 4 7

5

5 8 3 2 2 3 8 3 6 1 6

1 5

4

7 7 3 7 5 4 3 4

3

2 8 6 9

1 3 8

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34 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | QMMUNITY

Qmmunity Groups BUSINESS

LGBTQ-Affirmative Psycho-therapists Guild of Utah  lgbtqtherapists.com * jim@lgbtqtherapists.com Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce  utahlgbtqchamber.com * info@utahgaychamber.com LGBT & Allied Lawyers of Utah  lgbtutahlawyers.com * lgbtutahlawyers@gmail.com Utah Independent Business Coalition  utahindependentbusiness.org 801-879-4928 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 YWCA of Salt Lake  ywca.org/saltlakecity 322 E 300 S 801-537-8600 HEALTH & HIV

Utah AIDS Foundation  utahaids.org * mail@utahaids.org

1408 S 1100 E 801-487-2323 Weber-Morgan Health Mon., Weds 1-4:30p 477 23rd St, Ogden Appt 801-399-7250 HOMELESS SVCS

VOA Homeless Youth Resource Ctr, ages 15–21 880 S 400 W 801-364-0744 Transition Homes: Young Men’s 801-433-1713 Young Women’s 801-359-5545

RELIGIOUS

First Baptist Church  firstbaptist-slc.org * office@firstbaptistslc.org 11a Sundays 777 S 1300 E 801-582-4921 Sacred Light of Christ  slcchurch.org 823 S 600 E 801-595-0052 11a Sundays Wasatch Metropolitan Community Church  wasatchmcc.org 801-889-8764 Sundays except the 2nd Sunday, 11:15a at Crone’s Hollow, 3834 S. Main

LEGAL

SOCIAL

Rainbow Law Free Clinic

1 to 5 Club (bisexual)  fb.me/1to5ClubUtah

2nd Thurs 6:30–7:30pm UofU Law School, 383 S University St POLITICAL

Equality Utah  equalityutah.org * info@equalityutah.org

175 W 200 S, Ste 1004 801-355-3479

Peer Support for Mental Illness — PSMI Thurs 7pm, Utah Pride Ctr

Utah Libertarian Party

Planned Parenthood 654 S 900 E 800-230-PLAN

Utah Log Cabin Republicans

Salt Lake County Health Dept HIV/STD Clinic 660 S 200 E, 4th Floor Walk-ins M–F 10a–4p Appts 385-468-4242

Qsaltlake.com |

6885 S State St #200 888-957-8824

 bit.ly/logcabinutah

801-657-9611 Utah Stonewall Democrats  utahstonewalldemocrats.org  fb.me/ utahstonewalldems

 1to5club@

utahpridecenter.org Alternative Garden Club  bit.ly/altgarden * altgardenclub@gmail.com blackBOARD Men’s Kink/Sex/BDSM education, 1st, 3rd Mons.  blackbootsslc.org blackBOOTS Kink/BDSM Men’s leather/kink/ fetish/BDSM 4th Sats.  blackbootsslc.org Gay Writes writing group, DiverseCity 6:30 pm 2nd, 4th Mondays, Community Writing Ctr, 210 E 400 S Men Who Move  menwhomove.org

OWLS of Utah (Older, Wiser, Lesbian. Sisters)  bit.ly/owlsutah qVinum Wine Tasting  qvinum.com Sage Utah, Seniors  fb.me/sageutah  sageutah@ utahpridecenter.org 801-557-9203 Temple Squares Square Dance Club  templesquares.org 801-449-1293 Utah Bears  utahbears.com  fb.me/utahbears  info@utahbears.com Weds 6pm Raw Bean Coffee, 611 W Temple Utah Male Naturists  umen.org  info@umen.org Utah Pride Center  utahpridecenter.org  info@utahpridecenter.org 1380 S Main St 801-539-8800 Venture OUT Utah  bit.ly/GetOutsideUtah SPORTS

QUAC — Queer Utah Aquatic Club  quacquac.org  questions@ quacquac.org Salt Lake Goodtime Bowling League  bit.ly/slgoodtime Stonewall Sports SLC  fb.me/SLCStonewall  stonewallsaltlakecity. leagueapps.com 385-243-1828 Utah Gay Football League  UtahGayFootballLeague.com  fb.me/UtahGayFootballLeague Venture Out Utah  facebook.com/groups/ Venture.OUT.Utah SUPPORT

Alcoholics Anonymous 801-484-7871  utahaa.org LGBT meetings: Sun. 3p Acceptance Group, UPC,1380 S Main

umen.org

Issue 329 |

Tues. 8:15p Live & Let Live, Mt Tabor Lutheran, 175 S 700 E Wed. 7p Sober Today, 375 Harrison Blvd, Ogden Fri. 8p Stonewall Group, Mt Tabor Lutheran, 175 S 700 E Crystal Meth Anon  crystalmeth.org Sun. 1:30pm Clean, Sober & Proud LGBTQIA+Straight USARA, 180 E 2100 S LifeRing Secular Recovery 801-608-8146  liferingutah.org Sun. 10am Univ. Neuropsychiatric Institute, 501 Chipeta Way #1566 Thurs. 7pm, USARA, 180 E 2100 S, #100 Sat. 11am, First Baptist Church, 777 S 1300 E Men’s Support Group  utahpridecenter. org/programs/lgbtqadults/  joshuabravo@ utahpridecenter.org Survivors of Suicide Attempt  bit.ly/upc_sosa  sosa@ utahpridecenter.org Trans Adult Support  utahpridecenter.org/ programs/lgbtq-adults/  lanegardinier@ utahpridecenter.org

NOVEMBER, 2021

Youth Survivors of Suicide Attempt  utahpridecenter.org/ programs/youth-familyprograms/  youthsosa@ utahpridecenter.org YOUTH/COLLEGE

Encircle LGBTQ Family and Youth Resource Ctr  encircletogether.org fb.me/encircletogether 91 W 200 S, Provo, 331 S 600 E, SLC Families Like Ours (ages 2-10)  utahpridecenter.org/ programs/youth-familyprograms/ Gay-Straight Alliance Network  gsanetwork.org The OUT Foundation  theout.foundation  fb.me/theOUTfoundation Salt Lake Community College LGBTQ+ 8 slcc.edu/lgbtq/ University of Utah LGBT Resource Center 8 lgbt.utah.edu 200 S Central Campus Dr Rm 409 801-587-7973 USGA at BYU  usgabyu.com  fb.me/UsgaAtByu Utah State Univ. Access & Diversity Ctr  inclusion.usu.edu/ lgbtqa

TransAction  utahpridecenter.org/ programs/transaction/ Sundays 2–3:30pm

Utah Valley Univ Spectrum  facebook.com/ groups/uvuspectrum

Women’s Support Group  utahpridecenter.org/ programs/lgbtq-adults/  mariananibley@ utahpridecenter.org

Weber State University LGBT Resource Center  weber.edu/ lgbtresourcecenter 801-626-7271

Youth Support Group ages 10-14, 14-20

Youth Activity Night ages 10-14, 14-20  utahpridecenter.org/ programs/youth-familyprograms/

 utahpridecenter. org/programs/youthfamily-programs/

NOVEMBER, 2021 |

BOOK REVIEW | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 35

Issue 329 | Qsaltlake.com

the bookworm sez REVIEW BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

A Tale of Two Omars

BY OMAR SHARIF JR. C.2021, COUNTERPOINT PRESS $26, 224 PAGES

You always wanted to make your mark.

There’d be no footstep-following in your life.

You’d carve your own path, select your own adventures, seize the opportunities that appealed to you, and blaze trails for the sake of others’ journeys. You’d take the best of those you knew and loved, and you’d go your own way. As in the new memoir, “A Tale of Two Omars”

by Omar Sharif, Jr., you’ll also make your own mistakes.

q scopes NOVEMBER

BY SAM KELLEY-MILLS

ARIES March 20–April 19 Whatever you’ve been up to, keep it up. This is a fun time for groups and being thankful. Even if you don’t have plans, make some goals that will bring you joy. You deserve to be happy right now so indulge.

TAURUS Apr 20–May 20 The best way to get respect is to give it.

There is someone in your life that is giving you a rough time but they may simply be reacting to your behavior. Be your best, but if you don’t get it back, move on.

GEMINI May 21–June 20 Get away for a bit if you can and see someplace nice. If traveling is not an option, then take the virtual path to exploration instead. Expand

Born into a family that had ties on several continents, Omar Sharif, Jr. never had to worry about money or a place to live. On one side of the family — his maternal side — the Holocaust left a mark on his mother’s parents, who’d barely escaped the concentration camps. On the other side, Sharif’s paternal grandparents were both famous and beloved actors with roots in Egypt. Sharif was close with his entire family, but particularly with his grandfather, Omar Sharif.

Sharif recalls many a dinner party, listening, while his grandfather held court at dinner, laughing and telling stories. Everyone, everything seemed so elegant and refined and those meals showed Sharif a life that he could have if he wanted it. As time passed, the lessons he received were paid back: he was one of the few allowed to help his grandfather as your horizons and get ready for good changes. They’re coming.

CANCER June 21–July 22 ​ ver get the feeling that E life is kind of dull? Spice it up with some good company and activities. There is much to do and people to see. Get involved with a hobby and seek out other like-minded people.

LEO July 23–August 22 Don’t fail to see a great opportunity in front of you. There is a lot of fun to be had and perhaps even more. Be in the moment when the chance presents itself because good things don’t always stick around.

VIRGO August 23–Sep. 2 You might want to get back into a game you thought was long over. Win or lose, there is always something to be gained. A work-related matter will have you bothered but don’t let that hurt your feelings.

Alzheimer’s took hold at the end of the great actor’s life.

But this is not a story of a famous actor or a grandfather. It’s the story of a man who’s not just half-Jewish and Egyptian. He’s also gay, a part of himself that Sharif kept hidden until well into adulthood, although he says that other children must’ve sensed it when he was young.

It was a part of himself that he feared revealing to his father. It helped him land a dream job that ultimately became a nightmare.

The title of this book is a bit of a misnomer. Judging by what the author writes here, there are several Omars: the activist; a globe-hopper; a son and grandson; a writer; and a grandfather whose life was impactful but who has a surprisingly small footprint in this book.

Which is not to say that readers will like them all.

Indeed, parts of this book

LIBRA Sept 23–October 22 Work on yourself and finding a sense of fun.

Get involved with a partner or family member in making this season a good one. While you might have big ideas, it’s the small things that really matter to you.

SCORPIO Oct. 23–Nov. 21 A past relationship may be on your mind lately, and there is a keen sense that maybe things weren’t handled too well.

Take a fresh look and decide whether the past should die or if there is something there.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22–December 20.

Nothing has been smooth regarding a loved one, but you always know they have you covered. Pass on tasks in order to reduce stress but keep a close eye on what is happening.

It’s a good time for a change!

may seem as though you’ve read them before: bullied as a child, fear of coming out, the college revelation, the mismatched first love. Those ubiquitous bits are here, but they pale in comparison to Sharif’s ultra-urbane life and the hair-raising, terrifying account of getting and getting out of what seemed like the ultimate job with a wealthy sheikh, a job that slowly grew dangerous. That story-within-a-story is so edgy, so mouth-drying, that you’ll throw away the thriller you bought last week.

Then there’s the part about his life-threatening activism, a tale that starts and ends this book...

And so beware at the unevenness of this memoir, but understand that the tedium doesn’t linger. Skip past the ho-humness of “A Tale of Two Omars” and the rest is remarkable. Q

CAPRICORN Dec 21–Jan 19

There are people who care about you more than you realize. Take a moment to show gratitude but don’t lose yourself in the process. There is much you can give without sacrificing yourself. Share your time.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20–Feb. 18 The long road is sometimes the best one, providing some great views and time for reflection. A personal matter that needs to be resolved has an answer you haven’t considered.

But you can figure it out soon.

PISCES Feb 19–Mar 19 Nothing is going to change unless you change it.

Don’t fret about stepping on toes because there is likely nobody there. Look for a party and let your hair down. The holiday season is a time of opportunity. Q

36 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | FOOD & DRINK

Qsaltlake.com |

Issue 329 |

NOVEMBER, 2021

on the street Sneak peek to new and upcoming restaurants downtown

There is

BY JOSHUA JONES

no snooze button for downtown Salt Lake.

A steady and exciting stream of restaurants is on the cusp of opening their doors, keeping food folks busy through the fall.

Their main impediment is a lack of human resources and liquor licenses.

The universally beloved MARTINE’S is ramping up and excited to reopen, however a lack of applicants is currently keeping their doors shut.

As far as liquor licenses, as of this writing, dozens of bars and restaurants are vying for just three licenses.

A lot is happening on Main Street, including TAMARIND, next to BEERHIVE, serving Vietnamese; and POKE & SUSHI HUT next door to PLIEKU. Peering into the windows, both look to be close to opening.

We’re especially excited for Scott Evans’ expanding culinary empire. The savvy restaurateur put the SLC resto scene

on the map in 2010 when The New York Times profiled PAGO in the 9th and 9th district. The accolades and awards never stopped, and now he will open PAGO ON MAIN, his sixth restaurant, in the location formerly housing J. Dawgs.

(Don’t worry, the 9th and 9th location is staying put).

We’ll miss Ollie and Mollie’s on Main — gone too soon — replaced by THE RUIN, which will also keep their original swanky cocktail lounge on Wilmington in Sugarhouse.

Teaser: Just a few doors north, Hope Gallery has sold (goodbye Danish seascapes) and a very exciting concept is being planned for that regal space.

Lots of memories today as we recall Fireside behind Eccles Theater. Do you remember that roast quail, no? How about the sunchoke pizza, still no? You missed out. Don’t miss Lisa and Jeff Ward’s Mediterranean restaurant, FENICE BISTRO.

They’ve warmed up the space and are serving sophisticated Med and Italian cuisine.

The couple own Park City’s SILVER STAR CAFE which has been highly praised by WaPo, HuffPo, and New York Post.

The opening is imminent for FLANKER at Gateway; brainchild of Las Vegas impresario Sean Christie who managed F&B at Wynn Las Vegas and MGM Resorts. This is the first concept from his new start-up Carver Road Hospitality (second opening is inside the shiny new Resorts World Las Vegas). In short, this is quite the ‘get’ for Salt Lake City, and very exciting. Flanker enters the space formerly occupied by Punch Bowl Social, and we expect a similar sports-driv-

en, entertainment vibe.

Our office is obsessed with SANTO TACO in Rose Park and are ecstatic for the owners to grow into the old Alamexo space with MONARCA. It’s a stone’s throw from our office — with a new bar on the west side of the room, expect to find us there soon.

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, —TAVERNACLE. Wait. I’m Still Standing, you say? That’s right, contrary to what you heard, the beloved dueling pianos lounge reopens in the Broadway Media building, and that tickles our keys. Get ready, you’ll be able to sing “Your Song” on October 29th. Q Joshua Jones is the director of communications and marketing at the Downtown Alliance at downtownslc.org.

NOVEMBER, 2021 |

marketplace

Issue 329 | Qsaltlake.com

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38 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | FINAL WORD

Qsaltlake.com |

Issue 329 |

NOVEMBER, 2021

the perils of petunia pap smear

The tale of a baker’s dozen

BY PETUNIA PAP SMEAR

The road

to the state capitol is fraught with danger and excitement.

A couple of years ago, I needed some new photos to be able to use in my Pearls of Not-So-Great Price postings on Facebook. I asked my friend David to organize a photo shoot. We thought that it would be fun to recruit a couple of boy-toys to pose with me because I realize that people may not want to look at photos of a has-been exceedingly gravity-enhanced queen, but if there is a touch of eye-candy involved, they just might sneak a peek.

The morning of the shoot I got all dressed up and drove Queertanic to Club Try-Angles, our designated meeting place, to enable us to carpool to the photo shoot location. It turned out to be a bright, shining, cloudless day. I was the first to arrive and I began to wonder if this was going to be a solo mission. After a few minutes, I was relieved when a couple of lovely boys also showed up. Then, to my astonishment, car after car after car began to pull into the lot. David had recruited not two but thirteen incredibly handsome specimens of beefcake to pose with me.

The boys must have been excited to participate because rather than wait until we got on location to strip down, they began peeling off their clothing right there. We decided that the Utah State Capitol Building would serve as our background, so I loaded up all of the speedo-clad boys into my 7-passenger Queertanic. Oh darn, someone had to sit on someone else’s lap. Now, my breasticles make it very difficult to drive under the best of conditions, but with an excess of naked boys fogging up my glasses and rubbing against my stick shift, we were lucky to arrive at Capitol Hill alive.

Breasticles, beefcake, and Speedos, Oh my!

Queertanic must have resembled a circus clown car when we pulled up to the capitol and a rainbow queen with 13 naked boys piled out onto the lawn. We all had much fun as the boys frolicked about posing on the capitol steps. A group of Japanese tourists appeared to be somewhat scandalized at the sight of me posing

with this baker’s dozen of spandexual specimens. Their tour guide sheepishly approached and asked what we were doing. I replied that we were working on an advertising campaign to promote Utah as a tourist destination where husbands are cheaper by the dozen. After all, if Brigham Young could have 55 wives, this old queen could certainly have thirteen husbands.

Just then, a stretch limousine drove slowly past. I stood in lustful silent reverence placing right my hand over my left breasticle as I watched the magnificent vehicle pass by. I fervently believe in my heart that my next Queertanic needs to

be a stretch limo. My limo fantasy was disturbed when suddenly some drunken ruffians stood up out of the limo’s open sunroof and yelled, “God damned faggots!” and they flipped us the middle finger salute. Due to years and years of princess finishing school training, I reflexively clutched my pearls and gave them one of my best “queenly parade waves” as they proceeded down the hill, out of sight. The boys were so busy playing leapfrog that they barely noticed.

We continued for the next 45 minutes having fun and taking many photos, posing in several different poses. We were just getting ready to wrap up the photo shoot when I noticed the limousine slowly and ominously returning back up the hill towards us. It pulled to a stop, right beside Queertanic. Oh no! We were cut off from our escape vehicle. We couldn’t make a high-speed get-a-way. I thought we might need some defensive weapons, but the boys’ Speedos didn’t have any pockets and couldn’t carry even a small rape whistle.

Discretely, I slowly reached into my purse to retrieve my can of Aqua Net hairspray and a lighter. I thought that if worse came

to worst, I could create a make-shift flame thrower if we were physically attacked while my naked boy harem escaped.

A wave of relief passed over me when two handsome men dressed in chauffeur uniforms (I have such a weakness for a man in a uniform) got out of the limo and excitedly waved to us, loudly exclaiming that they were sorry for the earlier homophobic incident. They proceeded to explain that they had dropped off the drunken assholes and had returned to extend an apology to us.

My naked boys excitedly began swarming over the limo, exploring its vastness and sparkly gismos like ants discovering a honey-covered chicken nugget. David asked me to sit on the hood of the limo and pose for a photo. I could hear the metal struts inside the hood strain against the force of my Buttockus Maximus. The limo’s suspension system groaned under the strain as the front bumper began touching the pavement. I posed with my

face raised to the shining sun and David snapped the photo which can best be described as a demented hood ornament.

While driving us all back to Try-Angles, I was totally amazed that lightning didn’t strike us as a couple of my naked boys proceeded to “moon” the temple as we drove past.

This story leaves us with several important questions: 1. Just how many naked boys can fit into Queertanic?

2. Will the governor (my distant cousin) want to enlist us as official ambassadors for the Utah Tourism Council?

3. Should Utah prepare to receive a horde of Japanese drag queens searching for their own beefcake harems?

4. Would General Motors be willing to have me pose for a line of hood ornaments for their limos?

5. Had I resorted to using the hairspray flame thrower, would I have become a literal “flaming queen?”

These and other eternal questions will be answered in future chapters of The Perils of Petunia Pap Smear. Q

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