QSaltLake Magazine - Issue 330 - December 2021

DECEMBER, 2021 VOL. 18 • ISSUE 330 QSALTLAKE.COM

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news The top national and world news since last issue you should know X marks the spot The U.S. special diplomatic envoy for LGBT rights, Jessica Stern, announced the State Department had issued its first passport with an “X” gender designation for people who don’t identify as male or female. It is unknown to whom the passport was issued, but Dana Zzyym of Colorado is a good guess. Zzyym is an intersex person and has been in a legal tussle with the U.S government since 2015 over this issue. The department now allows applicants to self-select their gender as male or female, no longer requiring them to provide medical certification if their gender did not match that listed on their other identification documents.

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in Australia’s top-flight men’s soccer competition. The international soccer world has been attempting to get mostly Latin fans to stop yelling the “gay’ slur, “Puto,” at opposing players. When Cavallo takes the field, there will be no end of confusion as to how to taunt him.

Aussie gay baller

DECEMBER, 2021

chair of the commission and has been on the panel since 2012. Sohn was counsel to former FCC chair Tom Wheeler.

If confirmed by the Senate, Sohn would become the first openly LGBT commissioner. Rosenworcel is the first woman to chair the panel.

Hate crime data Hate crime reports in the U.S rose to the highest level ever in 2020. Hate crime statistics have been gathered since 2001. The FBI report showed a 76% increase in reported anti-Asian hate crimes. After racial bias hate crimes, which made up most of the reported cases, 20 percent involved sexual orientation bias, 13.3 percent involved religious bias, 2.7 percent involved gender identity bias, and 1.4 percent involved disability bias. Roughly half of all hate crime incidents reported were classified as intimidation, 27 percent were simple assault, and nearly 18 percent were aggravated assault. The other five percent amounted to dirty looks, frowning, headshaking, and sighs.

Life Is tough for Gen Z

Josh Cavallo, a player in the Australian pro soccer league, recently announced his gayness. He is reputedly the first player to be open about his status while still playing

percent of Gen X respondents, and 19 percent of Baby Boomers, proving that people over 60 are mostly invisible or doing the discriminating.

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The cohort of young people between the ages of 18 and 24, what demographers call “Generation Z,” were surveyed by the Center for American Progress at the University of Chicago in 2020. Those poor souls surveyed reported that “that LGBTQI+ youth face high levels of discrimination in school, work, and housing, which leads to large-scale financial struggles and poor mental health.” Overall, 57 percent of Generation Z respondents reported experiencing some form of discrimination in the year prior to the survey, compared with 42 percent of Millennials, 30

Dave’s Netflix blowback Comedian Dave Chappelle stood by his Netflix special, “The Closer,” which was criticized for his comments about transgender people. At a Hollywood Bowl performance and in a social media video, he says, “I said what I said.” In the video Chappelle, performs new standup material, saying he would meet with transgender Netflix employees following their pushback on the controversial special. “If they had invited me, I would have accepted,” Chappelle says of the trans employees at Netflix. “Although I am confused about what we would be speaking about. You said you want a safe working environment at Netflix. Well, it seems like I’m the only one who can’t go to the office anymore.”

FCC Commission get first President Biden is moving to fill two openings at the Federal Communications Commission by nominating Jessica Rosenworcel as the commission’s chair and former FCC staffer Gigi Sohn to a second vacant seat. Rosenworcel has been serving as the acting

Petition Wicked to James Corden One of the lines that got Ricky Gervais fired from hosting the Golden Globes in 2019 was, “We got to see James Corden as a big, fat pussy, and he was in “Cats.” The movie musical, “The Prom,” was panned, as was Corden’s performance in the cringe-inducing Netflix production.

So, fans of the cinematic production of “Wicked” have generated a petition, which has 35,000 names, asking Universal Pictures not to cast Corden as the Wizard.

“Wicked” is a reimagining of “The Wizard of Oz” as told from the perspective of Oz’s witches Elphaba and Glinda.

The musical premiered on Broadway in 2003 and starred Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, the latter winning a Tony Award for her portrayal of Elphaba. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will appear as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. As far as we can tell, not one gay or lesbian person is named in this, sure to interest the LGBT community, news item. Progress.

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Bi-Senator may doom Equality Act U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema, the chamber’s first avowedly bisexual member, has come under fire for being a political moderate. First, they criticized her clothes and glasses.

Now, new pressure is being brought on by those who think her defense of the parliamentary maneuver called “the filibuster” may doom the Equality Act. The sweeping legislation was by the U. S. House of Representatives but may not survive a filibuster in the U. S. Senate. She is being encouraged to vote to end the filibuster to pass the Equality Act. She says she’ll vote for the EA but, joining the adamantly cisgender Senator from West Virginia in opposition, not the end of the filibuster. Her stand has enraged her allies and delighted her opponents.

The HRC blasted the Arizona Senator, and Brian Brown of the anti-homo Family Rights Council has praised her. She really is swinging both ways.

Historic choice for judge The U.S. Senate voted 51 to 45 to confirm Beth Robinson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit.

Robinson, who has been an associate judge on the Vermont Supreme Court since 2011, is now the first

openly LGBTQ woman to serve on any U.S. appeals court. It’s a lifetime appointment. She is 56. There has been no indication in media reports, her resume, or White House crowing as to which letter of the acronym she is.

Italian politician proclaims gayness Vincenzo Spadafora, a prominent member of the Movimento 5 Stelle, the populist, anti-establishment political party, told a radio interview that he is gay. “I think that people’s private lives should remain that way, but I also think those with a public role, a political role like mine, have some more responsibility.” Italy, though a culturally liberal country, is still illiberal about openly gay men. The Italian Senate recently rejected a bill that would have criminalized violence against LGBT people due to opposition from the Vatican and the country’s far-right party. “In politics, homosexuality is used to hurt, to attack an opponent, something I now want to avoid,” he said. He defended his Roman Catholic faith, saying his sexuality is “not in contradiction.”

Two twists of the dragon’s tail Two Asian political hot spots, Taiwan and Hong Kong, were

chosen to host high-profile LGBT events. The Gay Games will be staged in Hong Kong in 2023. The organization announced it changed the name of the event to “Gay Games 11 Hong Kong 2023”. Rolls off the tongue. Kaohsiung City, Taiwan was chosen by Interpride to host “WorldPride 2025.” WorldPride events have previously taken place in Rome, Jerusalem, London, Toronto, Madrid, New York City, and Copenhagen. Sydney will host “WorldPride 2023.”

This is the first time either event has been staged in Asia. The LGBT ambivalent Peoples Republic of China has just accomplished a political and cultural clampdown in Hong Kong. The ChiComs have long threatened to take over the independent island nation of Taiwan, which is politically, culturally, and socially much more liberal than the mainland.

Smithers gets a boyfriend After 33 years, Mr. Burns’ assistant and secret admirer, Waylon Smithers, from the long-running animated show “The Simpsons,” is going to find himself a boyfriend. The show hinted at Smithers’ sexuality for many years, but he finally came out in 2016. On the Nov. 21 episode, Smithers (voiced

by Harry Shearer) enters into a relationship with billionaire fashion designer Michael De Graaf, voiced by gay actor Victor Garber. —MA Q

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LGBTQ candidates fare well in Utah municipal elections At least nine openly LGBTQ candidates sought municipal offices this year, including in city council and mayor races. Six of the candidates won election, all for city council races. Most are in Salt Lake City, but others ran in less progressive areas, like Ogden, South Salt Lake, and Springdale. Here is a rundown of how they fared, according to preliminary results available from county clerks.

Come January when the newly elected assume office, most of the members of the Salt Lake City Council — four of seven — will be LGBTQ. Also, the same majority will be racial and ethnic minorities.

Salt Lake City Longtime gay advocate ALEJANDRO “ALE” PUY appears to have won his Salt Lake City Council District 2 seat with 58 percent of the vote. District 2 is in Salt Lake City’s West Side, and Puy 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 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 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.”

AMY FOWLER received 65 percent of the vote, securing her re-election. 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.”

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

Salt Lake City Councilmember CHRIS WHARTON won re-election for his District 3 seat against 2 opponents.

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. DARIN MANO bested 4 challengers with 51 percent of the vote. Mano was selected to replace Erni Mendenhall when she left the city council to take on her duties as mayor. District 5 includes the Ballpark, Central Ninth, and Liberty Wells neighborhoods.

In June, Mano returned from door-to-door canvassing to find a hate-filled email from Utah Assistant Attorney General Steven Wuthrich.

“On a nice Saturday afternoon myself and my wife and my downstairs tenant were all taking a lovely siesta when some mother fucking ignorant son-of-bitch rang our doorbell and put your piece shit unwanted solicitation in our door waking the dogs and waking us and the neighbors with an uproar,” Wuthrich wrote. “I will do everything in my power to see you never get elected to any office higher than dog catcher. I hate you. I hate your family. I hate our solicitors. I hate your contributors. I hate your sponsors.

Kindly die and go to hell motherfucker!!!”

Wuthrich later apologized, saying he “regretted the ferocity and language of that email. My words were uncivil and

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unprofessional. From me personally, I apologize to Salt Lake City Councilman Darin Mano and his family.”

Mano posted the email on his Facebook page.

“As an Asian American and member of the LGBTQ+ community, I must stand up against hate speech and call it out when I see it. As a City Councilmember and a candidate running for election, it’s my duty to reach my constituents, listen to what is important to them and make informed decisions. There’s no room for hate in our city,” he wrote.

“I think the line that hit me the most,” Mano told The Salt Lake Tribune, “was the ‘I hate your family,’ because there’s a photo in the materials I dropped off that shows my partner and our kids. … We’re a family that’s a little outside the typical for Utah.”

SARAH REALE lost to Mano, receiving 24 percent of the vote. She ran on a platform of representing the district, rather than any of her own beliefs.

“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.”

Reale said she was inspired to run by “local gay women in office or leadership positions.”

“When you can see people like you it gives you aspiration and hope that you can do the same. I hope to always be an advocate, a mentor, and supportive of the LGBTQ community by showing empathy, understanding, support, listening, and being transparent,” she said. “I’m a gay, Italian, educator with three younger sisters and I was in a sorority. I don’t run away when faced with challenges. And the adversity I’ve faced in my life makes me resilient and able to have hard conversations.”

South Salt Lake South Salt Lake mayoral candidate JAKE CHRISTENSEN lost his bid to oust incumbent Cherie Wood. Wood received

Equality Utah’s endorsement. Both received an “A” grade in the group’s survey.

Christensen hoped to bring compassion to the table, as a gay man.

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

Midvale DUSTIN GETTEL earned over 70 percent of the vote for his 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, Gettel 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.

Springdale In Springdale, Utah, former city councilmember Mark Chambers was in a tight race for mayor and fell 21 votes short of winning. The election drew 257 voters in the town of 514 residents, according to the 2020 Census. 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.”

Chambers moved from Salt Lake City to Springdale in 2012 with his husband, Joe Pitti, and opened Under the Eaves Bed and Breakfast.

Ogden Ogden City Councilmember ­MARCIA WHITE handily beat her opponent in her bid for re-election.

She was first elected to the council in 2013 and is currently serving as vice-chair of the council.

Since her 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. Q

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Qsaltlake.com |

A panel from “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe, published by Oni Press.

Utah Parents United targets LGBTQ, racial books in schools

A group calling itself Utah Parents United calls for parents to call local police if they find any of the nine books they are targeting on social media.

In a video, Brooke Stephens, the curriculum director for UPI, tells parents that if they find a book that they believe is offensive, they should call the police.

“We’re going after the ones where we can get the police on it. Thats’ a big part, we’re going to call the police, we’re going to make police reports,” says Stephens.

Of the nine books, two are being targeted because of LGBTQ content.

“Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out” was written in 2014 by Susan Kuklin, who interviewed six transgender or gender-neutral young adults and described their sense of identity before, during, and after transitioning. The book has received many awards yet was on the American Library Association’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books lists for 2015 and 2019. In 2019 it became the second-most banned book because of its LGBTQIA+ content, “its effect on any young people who would read it,” and concerns that it was sexually explicit and biased.

“Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe is a 2019 graphic novel which discusses sexual orientation and gender identity. The book has been banned by

several schools, with critics claiming it had sexually explicit content. Kobabe responded to the controversy by suggesting that the accusers were upset less by the purported sexually explicit content than by the LGBTQ themes of the book.

The ALA listed it as one of the most banned or challenged books in 2021.

UPU has also been behind multiple protests against mask mandates in schools and critical race theory in Utah classrooms.

Copies of the nine books were removed from libraries at four high schools in the Canyons School Dis-

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

trict in response to an email from one parent — Megan McBride Dean of Sandy, Utah — who expressed concerns about the titles she said she learned about through social media videos.

Dean’s Facebook wall is rife with proTrump imagery, and her profile image is a graphic saying, “Let God Prevail.” She also supported “Moms Against Masks” and anti-CRT Madeline Kazantzis as a write-in candidate for Utah governor.

The books’ removal appears to violate district policies written in May 2020 on handling complaints against specific titles.

“The material in question will remain in use during the challenge process,” The policy states.

It also says that challenges can only be made by current students, parents who have children at the school in question, or administrators. It also delineates the process for reviewing questionable materials.

Nine-year Brighton High librarian Catherine Bates told the Deseret News that she was “directed” to remove five titles from the shelves of the school’s library “because of content.” She refused.

Less than a week later, she was told the books would come off the shelves whether she was willing to do so or not.

She pulled the books and notified the National Coalition Against Censorship, which wrote in response,” We ask that the District return all of these books to school libraries until the challenges have been adjudicated and to instruct all District personnel to comply with District policies in the future.” Q

HRC gives SLC top ranking In its annual Municipal Equality Index, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation gave Salt Lake City a top ranking of 100. The MEI is an assessment of LGBTQ+ equality within municipal policies, laws, and services. This year, a record-breaking 110 cities earned the highest score of 100, which is up from 11 in 2012, the MEI’s inaugural year.

Last year, SALT LAKE CITY scored only a 75 ranking in the Index. This year, HRC introduced “Flex Points” to a city’s scores for such things as elected

LGBTQ+ leaders in city government.

Without the extra points, Salt Lake would have received a score of 86, since there is no public accommodations ordinance, lack of an enforcement mechanism in the city’s Human Rights Commission, among other failings.

PARK CITY received the state’s next-highest score at 75. HRC cited the lack of a public accommodations ordinance protecting LGBTQ+ people, the lack of transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits for city employees, and the lack

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of a city Human Rights Commission, among other items.

The city did, however, double its previous year’s score of 37.

“Park City has long been an inclusive and welcoming town for the LGBTQ+ community, but we took our MEI score last year as a challenge to make sure we not only better highlighted what practices were already in place, but we also explored new efforts through the work of the LGBTQ+ Task Force,” said Mayor Andy Beerman.

Park City ranked highest when compared to mountain towns across the west.

“As co-chair of the Park City LGBTQ+ Task Force and a proud transwoman, we are thrilled that Park City’s MEI score doubled from last year,” said Cami Richardson. “This is indicative of the progress we are making as leaders in the state as a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community.”

OGDEN received a score of 58, the same as last year’s score. WEST VALLEY CITY and LOGAN repeated their 2020 scores at 48. PROVO dropped to a score of 40 from last year’s 52 primarily because it did not report its hate crime statistics to the FBI. The two lowest scores in the state went to WEST JORDAN at 36 and OREM at 22 — both the same as last year’s scores. Orem only received points because it is within the state of Utah, which has non-discrimination laws protecting LGBTQ people in employment and housing and a ban on socalled conversion therapy.

The average score for cities ranked in Utah is 53 out of 100 points, which falls 14 below the national average of 67.

In a statement, HRC says that growth illustrates “the striking advancements

municipalities have made over the past ten years.”

“In reflecting on the Municipal Equality Index’s 10-year history, it feels as though these past few years have been the most challenging, and yet the most critical, to advancing LGBTQ+ equality,” wrote Fran Hutchins, Executive Director of Equality Federation Institute, that co-authored the report. “Despite the increasing attacks we are seeing on transgender youth in state legislatures, the important work to advance protections for LGBTQ+ people continues at the local level. As we face the upcoming attacks by opponents of equality, we know the state-based movement is stronger than ever and ready to fight for the millions of LGBTQ+ Americans who need us in the towns and cities across this country.”

“LGBTQ+ people are everywhere — in every city, county and ZIP code,” said Human Rights Campaign Senior Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs, JoDee Winterhof.

“Throughout its 10 year history, the Municipal Equality Index has been centered on supporting and celebrating the work municipalities do to serve LGBTQ+ people in the places they call home. This year, state-wide lawmakers have zeroed in on attacking transgender and non-binary children— for no reason other than in an effort to harm and erase them. Local leaders, however, have continued to move the needle of progress forward, and by doing so, they have spurred economic growth by signaling to residents, visitors and employers that their city is open to everyone.” Q The report can be found at hrc.org/mei or by clicking the city names in this article.

NEWS | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 11

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Utahn shot in drug gang cross-fire at all-gay resort week in Cancun What was supposed to be a fancy gay getaway weekend at a five-star Mexican resort for Day of the Dead turned into a nightmare for four Utahns.

“Just wanted to say I’m very lucky to be alive and able to even write this post,” Tanner VanValkenburg of Salt Lake City wrote on his return from Mexico. “Two weeks ago I flew to Cancun, Mexico, for a vacation. On Thursday the 4th, we were sitting by the pool, and some drug dealers came in and started shooting, killing two other gang members on the beach.”

VanValkenburg wrote that the gunmen went onto the resort grounds and continued shooting.

“All of us were running for our lives.

There was a pool bar we were all trying to get to for safety. As I dove into the pool, I got shot in the back mid-dive.”

He said he knew he’d been shot and went to the side of the pool, holding the wound.

“I’ll never forget those next few moments,” he continued. “As blood was coming out, I thought to myself, ‘This is it. This is how I’m going to go.’ As the gunman walked past the pool, all I could do I close my eyes and pray he did not shoot the others still in the pool hiding and in shock.”

VanValkenburg had traveled to the all-inclusive Hyatt Ziva 20 miles south of Cancun as part of an all-gay vacation run by LGBTQ vacation company, Vacaya. He was joined by his boyfriend Rod Cox and friends George Limberakis and his husband, Randy Bradshaw.

Limberakis posted that the four of them were sitting in the second row of chairs from the pool when the shooting started.

“We were directly across from the swim-up bar, which was on the opposite side of the pool. Behind us was a huge open area with another pool. Behind that was the beach, which wrapped around toward where we were sitting. Randy had just returned from getting tacos and was standing next to me. Tanner and Rod were sitting behind me. Randy and I both noticed a security guard who was walking very quickly toward the beach. We didn’t know it at the time, but, apparently, a boatload of drug gangers landed on the beach to reclaim their territory, which two rival drug dealers had invaded,” Limberakis wrote. “One rival banger was killed on the beach, as witnessed by the guys playing volleyball. A gunman walked toward the volleyballers, reportedly firing his rifle. A second rival banger was shot and ran onto the resort property. He hid in one of the buildings and, we’re told, he died there.”

“Thirty seconds after the security guard walked past us, we heard automatic weapon fire,” Limberakis continued. “At the same time, bottles placed on a shelf at the back of the swim-up bar were shattering. The four of us were directly between the shooters and the bar. Someone yelled, ‘GUN!!!’ and we all jumped into the pool. I was unclear about where to go from there, thinking it might be safest to swim back to the same side of the pool and be against the wall. I

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

saw people climbing over the swim-up bar and disappear. Someone popped his head up from the bar and told us to follow him.

Rod, Randy, and I headed for the bar.”

“As I was swimming for the bar, I turned and saw Tanner pressed against the side of the pool, below the lifeguard tower. There were two people with him. Rod and I called Tanner to follow us to the bar, but he shook his head,” Limberakis wrote. “There was no time to debate. We were in an open area and very vulnerable. I thought Tanner was doing what his gut told him to do to preserve himself, and I had to do the same.”

“I got to the bar and climbed onto it.

Everything, including me, was wet and slippery. As I put my foot down on the other side of the bar, I slipped and hit the tile floor hard. Someone helped me up and led me down a narrow tunnel usually only used by the bartenders to get to the bar. It led to a cellar under the restaurant. It was tall enough for us to stand. The space was never meant to be inhabited. It was dirty and dusty.

The floor was covered with debris, and we were all barefoot, wet, and in swimsuits.”

Hotel staff, who also ran to hide there, said there were three entrances to their make-shift bunker.

“We organized. There wasn’t much down there. We found a stack of aluminum poles and distributed them to be used as weapons should the shooters come looking for us,” Limberakis recalled. “One guy was wielding a pedestal sink that he found. One guy had a fire extinguisher that he pulled from the bar. One group took position near the stairs, another by the bar entrance, and a couple positioned themselves to be able to see if anyone entered from the third entrance.

I examined my aluminum pole and saw that the two ends were sharp. I thought about how I’d use it and pushed away the reality that the pole would be of little use against someone with an automatic rifle.”

“We didn’t know if the shooters wanted to kill us or kidnap and hold us as hostages or if we were unimportant to what was happening,” Limberakis continued. “We waited. We listened. Some cried. One guy paced angrily, waving his aluminum pole. When we heard a sound, we all went silent and waited to see if anything would develop. After about an hour of this, someone from the hotel came down and told us that the resort was being secured by heavily armed police and that we were to go, single file, to the main lobby of the hotel. We couldn’t go to our rooms until the resort had been swept.”

“We learned later that Tanner had been

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shot as he was diving into the pool. As his body was horizontal in the air, the bullet hit him below his right shoulder blade and traveled up to the top of his shoulder, and remains there,” he wrote. “One of the people in the pool with him was a traveling ICU nurse.

As they huddled below the lifeguard tower, the three of them saw one of the shooters, dressed all in black with a ski mask, who had walked to the edge of the pool. Either the shooter didn’t see them, or he did, and they were not what he was looking for.

The shooter left, and VanValkenburg, ICU nurse Steven Garza of Crystal City, Texas, and the others with him left the pool and went to hide in a guest building.

Luckily, VanValkenburg was with a medical professional in a clean, dry place.

“Had he followed us to the bar, he would have been bleeding in the filthy cellar,” Limberakis wrote.

VanValkenburg was taken to a hospital a half-hour away and treated. When released, his doctor said he could go back to the resort to recover but not fly.

When VanValkenburg returned to the resort the following day, he was greeted by guests and staff in the lobby who applauded as he was wheeled through toward his room.

“Vacaya, our guests, and the staff of Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun welcome back the most grievously harmed guest from yesterday’s shooting near the resort. After getting a bit of rest tonight, he’ll be heading back home along with all other Vacaya guests tomorrow. We are so thankful to have him back,” Vacaya representatives wrote in a statement. “Vacaya can confirm there was a gang-related shooting incident near the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun on November 4, and it was in no way a targeted

attack on the LGBT+ community. Thankfully, there were only a few minor scrapes and bruises along the way, with the exception of one guest, who was injured. That individual is currently doing well at a local hospital, is surrounded by friends and family … We are now working hand-in-hand with our hotel partner to calm and nurture our guests.”

Drug trafficking and related violence were long uncommon on the Cancun tourist strip, part of Mexico’s Riviera Maya, and a popular destination for LGBTQ+ travelers, but gangs appear to be moving into the area.

“The closing of land borders because of COVID-19 — and the pressure from the U.S. to crack down on migrant caravans — have caused Mexico to divert thousands of troops to its southern border,” Mike Vigil, a former U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency official, said in a statement after a fatal shooting at another resort.

“The increased presence of security forces on the border with Central America has created a significant shift to Quintana Roo [the state where the Riviera Maya is located] using jet aircraft.”

The United States Dept. of State issued a travel advisory to “exercise extreme caution due to crime” as other shootings have occurred in the area and Tulum. They have not, however, issued any restrictions in travel to the area. The German government also issued an advisory for travel in the region.

As VanValkenburg recovers back home, he said this incident has left him reconsidering how he travels.

“I never in a million years thought that I would have to worry about my life sitting in a resort,” he told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “So it’s going to be very different now if I travel again.” Q

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14 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | NEWS

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Utah Rep. Chris Stewart awarded at conservative LGBT gala The Log Cabin Republicans, a national conservative LGBT group, gave Utah Rep. Chris Stewart their Congressional Champion Award for his work “his introduction of and continued persistence for the Fairness For All Act in the 117th Congress.”

The award was made during the group’s annual black-tie Spirit of Lincoln Gala, held at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. “It’s an honor to be recognized by such an important community,” said Stewart. “Everyone deserves their chance at the American Dream, regardless of their race, religion, or sexuality. That ideal can only be realized by loving our neighbors and striving for greater unity.

The Fairness For All Act is a balanced, commonsense means of achieving that end. This country can accommodate civil liberties for both LGBT individuals and religious freedom. And I will not stop working until we do just that.”

Party-goers interrupted Stewart’s speech, screaming “Let’s Go, Brandon” for several minutes. As the cheer died out, Stewart said, “If my name were Brandon, I’d be really happy right now.”

After the event, Stewart described the event-goers as a “very enthusiastic” group of people. He said that the GOP has been better on LGBTQ rights in recent years.

“I think the Republican Party has been viewed as being somewhat hostile to some LGBTQ groups, and I think that’s unnecessary. There’s just been a general softening on some of these things over the last 10 years, certainly since Prop 8 in California,” he told the Deseret News.

Donald Trump attended the gala, as his wife, Melania received the Spirit of

Lincoln award for her “commitment to enhancing personal freedom, encouraging individual responsibility, and ensuring equality under the law for all Americans.”

Stewart sat with the Trumps at the gala, saying he and the former president talked about golf, baseball, and “other things,” declining to offer specifics other than they had some “substantial conversations.”

MELANIA TRUMP Melania was the gals’s keynote speaker.

“I have always strived to ensure my work highlights and promotes our nation’s cherished principles of individual liberty and equality,” Melania said. “I am proud to support the people and organizations who implement these values of kindness in their community and around the world.”

GOP PRIDE COALITION At the event, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel announced the ‘Pride Coalition,’ a partnership with Log Cabin ahead of midterms McDaniel was given the “Majority Maker” award at the event, calling the organization “a partner to fight for our country’s future.”

“Conservatives in Log Cabin don’t just share our vision for a free, secure, and prosperous America — they enrich it by adding unique perspectives to our party and recruiting even more diverse candidates and supporters to join our cause,” McDaniel said.

FAIRNESS FOR ALL ACT The Fairness for All Act sponsored by Stewart is meant to replace the Equality Act, giving religious exemptions to many of its tenets. The Equality Act has passed the U.S. House and sits in

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

the U.S. Senate waiting for a vote.

Progressive organizations have called the Fairness For All Act an “affront to existing civil rights protections.”

“This legislation is deeply dangerous for many reasons, mainly because it would erode protections that already exist for people based on race, sex, and religion, rolling back protections that have been on the books for decades. It would expand the number of places and situations in which lawful discrimination could occur,” a joint group of 18 civil rights organizations including the Human Rights Coalition, the ACLU, and GLAAD, released in a statement.

“The Equality Act was passed through the House of Representatives with bipartisan support, and nearly 70 percent of Americans support comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people. The ‘Fairness for All’ Act, on the other hand, was introduced by a small group of lawmakers. This legislation licenses discrimination while eroding the rights of people of faith,” the statement continued.

Log Cabin has announced its support of the Fairness For All Act. “As Republicans, we understand that all people are created equal. While our values matter and should be protected, we understand that our values and rights should never supersede the rights of others. That is why we at Log Cabin Republicans support the Fairness for All Act. This act, co-sponsored by many of our Republican allies in Congress, enacts: “Legislative protection for LGBTQ people in the workplace, ensuring that no one can be fired on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Protections for religious liberties, helping to find a balance between fairness, equality, and individual liberty.

“Additions to existing civil rights, anti-bullying, and housing bills to include both sexual orientation and gender identity as legally protected groups.

“This bill suggests a new direction in the Republican party that artfully balances liberty with inclusion. We fully support the Fairness for All Act.” In February, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced support of the Fairness For All Act, saying it “harmonizes religious freedom and LGBT rights by amending the Civil Rights Act, protecting religious freedom in the workplace, protecting the rights of LGBT individuals, and preserving 1st amendment rights.” Q

DECEMBER, 2021 |

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Issue 330 | Qsaltlake.com

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Q mmunity Salt Lake Men’s Choir’s 39th Christmas Concert As with every December over the past 39 years — well, except for that year that won’t be named — the Salt Lake Men’s Choir will present their Christmas concert of holiday favorites. The concert will include a wide variety of songs, from “African Star Carol” to the Irish “Wassail.”

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” with words from one of the most famous Robert Frost poems written in 1922 is a haunting and beautiful audience favorite.

Tickets can be purchased on their website or from any choir member for $20. The show is general admission, and tickets can be used at any of the three performances. The Sunday show is generally the largest attended, so showing up

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Temple Squares dances to contemporary music in casual attire. No previous dance experience is required and singles and couples are welcome.

The group travels the world in dance meets and competitions.

Square dancing is a fun, low impact, aerobic activity, the group says.

The group is on Facebook and at TempleSquares.org

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16 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | NEWS

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Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber chair named national Affiliate Leader of the Year Tracey Dean, the chair of the Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, was named the Affiliate Leader of the Year by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce at their annual gala, this year held in Kissamee, Fla. The Utah Chamber joined the NGLCC in 2018 under Dean’s leadership.

“Our inclusion in this organization is a major step in the right direction for Utah’s LGBT community as we now gain recognition and support on a national level,” Dean wrote at the time. “The NGLCC is the business voice of the U.S. LGBT community and is the largest global notfor-profit advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people.”

Also under Dean’s leadership, the group changed their name from Utah Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, a nod to inclusion of the greater LGBTQ+ community.

Dean was successful in growing the membership of the Chamber by over 150 percent.

“As a business owner myself, I was looking for places to network and found I didn’t really ‘fit in’ with the traditional Chambers or other organizations. Knowing that networking is critical to business growth-I sought out alternatives and found the LGBTQ+

Chamber,” Dean said. “I was asked to join the board to expand gender diversity and I found that I had a lot of ideas — most were good (laughs).

“Being able to drive the conversation and strategize on helping small businesses grow is my passion,” Dean said.

Dean’s greatest accomplishment with the Chamber might be its collaboration with other local minority Chambers.

“Early on, we recognized that a lot of chambers, busi-

ness alliance, and networking groups were doing similar events appealing to overlapping audiences. So we formed strategic alliances to share resources to achieve greater impact,” she said.

Dean said she gaines more with the Utah Chamber than she ever imagined.

“I believe I have had impact in my community, helping to develop underserved businesses, forming long lasting friendships, learning effective speaking skills, leading a group of committed volunteers, advancing the work of

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

those who came before me, and promoting the ideals of diversity, equity and inclusion.

That has been more meaningful and satisfying than I can express in words,” she said.

Dean invites business owners to join the Chamber.

“We host events throughout the year. In person, online, morning, midday and evening,” she said. “Next up is a celebration of the season with Living Color Utah on Saturday, December 4th from 6 to 9 p.m. at Duvin Pintor in Trolley Square. Q Info at utahlgbtqchamber.org.

Dallin Oaks lies about BYU involvement in electroshock therapy while BYU president It is well documented that the Brigham Young University “University Standards Office” (today known as the Honor Code Office) forced many male students who were caught “exhibiting homosexual tendencies” to be sent for electroshock and vomit aversion therapies.

The practice began in 1959 and ended in the mid-90s.

In recent comments, however, Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said that while he was the president of BYU from 1971 through 1980, no such therapy was happening on the campus.

At the University of Virginia, Oaks participated in an event titled, “The Future of Religious Freedom: A Conversation With Dallin H. Oaks and Douglas Laycock,” presented by the Karsh Center for Law and Democracy and Rex E. Lee Law Society In the pre-speech Q&A session, Oaks was asked several questions about LGBTQ people and the church. One question was about address-

ing the past behavior of the church toward LGBTQ community members.

“What have you done to address some of the things you have done in the past, including the things that you have said and overseeing the enforcement of electroshock and vomiting aversion therapy for LGB students at BYU?” an unnamed audience member asked.

Oaks replied, “Let me say about electroshock treatments at BYU when I became president at BYU that had been discontinued earlier and it never went on under my administration.”

In a 1998 article published by an independent BYU newspaper, two gay men who were forced to endure electroshock therapy spoke about their experiences in the early 70s.

In 1976, student Max Ford McBride, under the tutelage of Dr. Eugene Thorne, head of BYU’s psychology department, ran a two-year study titled “Effect of Visual Stimuli in Electric Aversion Therapy” as a dissertation for his doctorate degree at BYU. McBride

and Thorne showed both heterosexual and homosexual porn to the men, having them press a button that would shock them through electrodes attached to their penis when they were becoming aroused.

Dr. Robert D. Card, who worked in private practice and on the BYU campus, went so far as to get a patent for a device that would measure when a penis began to be aroused, which he called the penismograph.

Card published a paper on his electroshock therapy techniques in 1975. It is still available on BYU’s archive site.

In a follow-up question, Oaks said, “I think the solution to that is for people on one side to become better acquainted and have more respect and knowledge for the people on the other side.

That’s a principle that applies to people on both sides.” Q

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Family Behaviors that Increase Your LGBTQ/Two Spirit (LGBTQ-2S) Child’s Health & Well-Being Research from the Family Acceptance Project® found more than 50 family accepting behaviors that help protect your lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-identified (LGBTQ)/Two Spirit child against health risks like depression, suicide and illegal drug use and help to increase your LGBTQ-2S child’s self-worth, health and well-being. A little change makes a difference in decreasing your child’s isolation and risk and giving them hope that their family will be there for them.

Family support saves lives!

BEHAVIORS THAT HELP...

Tell your LGBTQ-2S/ Require other family Show affection when your child Support your child’s Talk with your child or gender diverse child that members to treat your tells you or when you learn that foster child about their gender diversity your child is LGBTQ-2S you love them child with respect LGBTQ-2S identity and listen respectfully – even when you feel uncomfortable or think that being gay or transgender is wrong

Ask your child if – and how you can help them tell other people about their LGBTQ-2S identity

Welcome your child’s LGBTQ-2S friends to your home

Find spiritual groups that welcome your LGBTQ-2S child and family

Use your child’s chosen name Participate in activities for and the pronoun that matches their gender identity families with LGBTQ-2S and

gender diverse children to get support for yourself and Tell your LGBTQ-2S/ gender your family and guidance to Talk with your spiritual leader diverse child that you will be to help your community become support your LGBTQ-2S child there for them – even if you supportive of LGBTQ-2S people don’t fully understand

Connect your child with Welcome your child’s LGBTQ-2S partner to family LGBTQ-2S adult role events and activities models

Express enthusiasm for your child having an LGBTQ-2S/gender diverse partner when they’re ready to date

Bring your child to LGBTQ-2S events Teach other families to support LGBTQ-2S children

Get accurate information to educate yourself about your child’s sexual orientation, gender identity and expression

Believe that your child can be a Stand up for your child happy LGBTQ-2S adult – and tell when others mistreat them they will have a good life them because of their LGBTQ-2S identity - at home, at school, in the Speak openly about your community child’s LGBTQ-2S identity

The more of these behaviors that parents and families do, the better your LGBTQ-2S child’s health & well-being

• Better health

• Less likely to be depressed

• Higher self-esteem

• 3 times less likely to attempt suicide

• Stronger social support

• 3 times less likely to think about suicide

• Better family relationships

• Less likely to have substance abuse problems

For more information about acceptance and rejection and your LGBTQ-2S child’s risk & well-being - Family Acceptance Project®: http://familyproject.sfsu.edu In collaboration with Council Oak Training & Evaluation, Inc. Developed with funding from The Upswing Fund for Adolescent Mental Health, a collaborative fund powered by Panorama © 2021 Caitlin Ryan, PhD

18 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | NEWS

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Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

Family Acceptance Project launches campaign for American Indian communities to urge support for their LGBTQ / Two Spirit children The Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University launched new research-based Healthy Futures posters for American Indian families & communities to help parents, families and caregivers to support LGBTQ / Two Spirit children and youth to reduce health risks and increase well-being.

Two of the posters are printed in this issue, on pages 17 and 19.

“FAP’s posters help parents, families and caregivers understand the critical need for family support and the impact that specific family rejecting and accepting behaviors have on risk and well-being for LGBTQ- 2S children and youth,” Dr. Caitlin Ryan, Director of the Family Acceptance Project, said. “Family behaviors that try to change, deny and minimize a child’s LGBTQ-2S identity and gender expression start at home and contribute to serious health risks like suicide, substance abuse, self-harm and sexual health risks. Simply by changing the way they respond to LGBTQ-2S children, parents and caregivers can help prevent health risks and build healthy futures for children and youth.”

The term “Two Spirit” is used to describe diverse gender, spiritual and social identities among Native and Indigenous people that transcend binary concepts of male and female. Historically, Two Spirit people held respected roles in many tribal communities.

“Our coming of age ceremonies should include diverse, gender affirming tools to help our youth navigate adulthood,” said Sharon Day, an Ojibwe M’dewin, water walker and Executive Director of Indigenous Peoples Task Force. “These posters offer guidance to parents and caregivers on ways to support our LGBTQ and Two Spirit identified children and to prevent health risks. As a lesbian/Two Spirit identified person, my own personal acceptance was deeply connected to my mother’s unconditional love and acceptance. Our children face many challenges and family support is essential.”

RISKS OF REJECTION High levels of risk for LGBTQ-2S adolescents for suicide, substance abuse,

depression and victimization call for evidence-based approaches that increase support and connectedness, and these connections start with families. Family support plays a major role in helping to buffer racism and rejection and to promote positive development. FAP’s research has identified more than 100 specific family rejecting behaviors that increase risk for suicide, depression, drug use, HIV and other health risks and are experienced as traumatic for these youth, as well as specific family accepting behaviors that promote well-being. These new posters show parents and caregivers specific ways to help reduce their LGBTQ-2S children’s risk and increase family support.

PART OF A LARGER PROJECT FAP’s new posters for American Indian communities expand a growing series of cultural and multilingual versions of these materials that are currently available in English, Spanish and 8 Asian languages and are grounded in FAP’s peer-reviewed research and family support work over the past two decades. The posters show how specific family rejecting reactions to a child’s sexual orientation, gender identity and expression such as ridiculing their identity or not letting them wear clothes – including regalia – that express their gender identity contribute to health risks. They also show how supportive behaviors such as standing up for their children when others mistreat them because of their identity help protect against risk and promote well-being.

To develop the posters, FAP partnered with American Indian cultural consultants, Dr. Pamela Jumper Thurman and Dr. Barbara Plested, founders of Council Oak Training and Evaluation, Inc., a central resource for developing and implementing culturally grounded mental health, substance abuse, HIV and violence prevention and intervention programs for diverse tribes over the past three decades. Drs. Jumper Thurman and Plested are co-developers of the Community Readiness Model which has been implemented across the U.S. and in many other countries to help tribal and other

communities to address challenges to health and well-being. They are working with FAP to develop other culturally grounded family education resources for American Indian families with LGBTQ / Two Spirit children and youth. Family based education and support are critical for helping to prevent health risks, including suicide, and for increasing connectedness especially in American Indian families that have been devastated by the legacy of mandated boarding schools and policies that undermined essential family and cultural bonds.

NATIONAL EMERGENCY FO CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH FAP’s new poster series to support LGBTQ-2S children’s mental health comes as leading national child and adolescent medical groups have designated a national emergency for children’s and adolescent’s mental health that calls for promoting trauma-informed services to reduce risk and support family resilience.

In describing the posters and FAP’s culture-based family support work, Drs. Jumper Thurman and Plested noted: “It is an honor to work with the Family Acceptance Project to develop these posters for the Indigenous community. In fact, it’s groundbreaking! To our knowledge there has not been a national campaign such as this one aimed at increasing family connectedness and support for LGBTQ-2S youth. This has high potential to be lifesaving for many youth.”

FAP’s Healthy Futures poster series and poster guidance that explains what the posters are and describes ways to use them are available to download for free in four sizes in camera-ready multicultural versions from FAP’s website. The posters are being disseminated as part of a communications campaign to decrease family rejection and health risks and to increase acceptance and well-being for LGBTQ children and youth. The campaign includes other evidence-based educational resources for families, youth, providers and religious leaders to promote family acceptance and increase access to mental health and support services. Q For more information and to download copies of the posters, visit familyproject.sfsu.edu

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Family Behaviors that Increase Your LGBTQ/Two Spirit (LGBTQ-2S) Child’s Risk for Serious Health & Mental Health Problems Research from the Family Acceptance Project® shows that more than 50 family rejecting behaviors contribute to serious health risks for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer-identified/Two Spirit (LGBTQ-2S) youth. These include depression, suicidal behavior, HIV and sexually transmitted diseases. Family rejection increases risk for homelessness and family breakup.

Most caregivers and families that engage in these behaviors do so out of care and concern – to help their LGBTQ-2S child to fit in, have a good life and to protect them from harm.

Help families understand that these and other rejecting behaviors are harmful!

BEHAVIORS THAT HURT...

Prevent your child from having an LGBTQ-2S friend

Don’t talk about your child’s LGBTQ-2S identity

Tell your LGBTQ-2S child that you’re ashamed of them

Pressure your child to be more (or less) masculine or feminine

Tell your child that being LGBTQ-2S is “just a phase” Use religion to reject your child’s sexual orientation, gender identity and expression

Tell your child to “tone down” how they look, dress or behave

Take your child to a therapist or clergy to try to change their LGBTQ-2S identity Make your child pray or attend religious services to change or prevent their LGBTQ-2S identity

Blame your child when others mistreat them because of their LGBTQ-2S identity/ gender expression

Try to change your child’s LGBTQ-2S identity or gender expression

Don’t use the name or pronoun that matches your child’s gender identity

Don’t let your child talk about their LGBTQ-2S identity

Let others hit or physically hurt your child because they are LGBTQ-2S/gender diverse Call your child negative names because they are LGBTQ-2S/gender diverse

Don’t let your child participate in LGBTQ-2S support groups or activities

Tell your child that Creator will punish them because of their sexual orientation or gender identity

Exclude your LGBTQ-2S child from family activities, ceremonies & cultural events

Let others speak badly about LGBTQ-2S/ gender diverse people in front of your child Don’t let your child wear clothes, hairstyles or regalia that express their gender identity

Make your child leave home because they are LBGTQ-2S

The more of these behaviors that parents and families do, the higher the risk for your LGBTQ-2S child

For more information about acceptance and rejection and your LGBTQ-2S child’s risk & well-being - Family Acceptance Project®: https://familyproject.sfsu.edu In collaboration with Council Oak Training & Evaluation, Inc.

Developed with funding from The Upswing Fund for Adolescent Mental Health, a collaborative fund powered by Panorama © 2021 Caitlin Ryan, PhD

20 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | VIEWS

views

Qsaltlake.com |

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

quotes “Conservatives in Log Cabin don’t just share our vision for a free, secure and prosperous America — they enrich it by adding unique perspectives to our party and recruiting even more diverse candidates and supporters to join our cause.”

—RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel

“[The GOP supporting LGBTQ equality] is actually quite refreshing.

In the ‘80s–’90s, the only time elected GOP officials supported gay relationships is when they were at a park or an airport mens room.”

—44NutMan

“We do not believe building GOP versions of left-wing movements further our cause and do not support this move by the Republican National Committee.”

— Texas Republican Party Chair Matt Rinaldi

“We oppose the granting of special legal entitlements or creation of special status for LGBTQ+ behavior, regardless of state of origin ... No one should be granted special legal status based on their LGBTQ+ identification.”

— Texas GOP platform

“I am proud to support the people and organizations who implement these values of kindness in their community and around the world.”

— Former first lady Melania Trump

DECEMBER, 2021 |

Issue 330 | Qsaltlake.com

VIEWS | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 21

guest editorial

Decriminalization of sex work is good public health policy

BY SCOTT SCHOETTES

Sex work

needs to be decriminalized in the United States. My desire to see this come to pass is not (completely) self-interested. It is a matter of human rights and personal autonomy, and a natural extension of Lawrence v. Texas, the landmark 2003 Supreme Court case that established the constitutional right to engage in same-sex sexual activity. Just as importantly, however, decriminalization of sex work is an HIV prevention and public health strategy.

First, criminalization drives sex work underground and impedes public health efforts to reach sex workers and their clients with HIV prevention, treatment, care and support programs. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/ AIDS (UNAIDS) has documented that, in large part due to the criminalization of sex work, sex workers frequently have insufficient access to adequate health services, male and female condoms, water-based lubricants, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) following condomless sex or rape, management of STIs, drug treatment and other harm reduction services, protection from violence and abusive work conditions, and social and legal support.

Due in part to the illegal nature of the work, sex workers often face discrimination and rejection in accessing healthcare, with damaging health results.

Occupational stigma of criminalized work increases vulnerability to stress and diseases, compounding health care needs while simultaneously acting as a barrier to healthcare services essential to prevention. When sex workers do seek out healthcare services, they often are regarded in ways that reinforce criminal stigma, which can deter sex workers from seeking care at all and from disclosing their occupation for fear of discrimination by their healthcare provider and disclosure of their identity and activities to law enforcement. For sex workers living with

HIV, these concerns are compounded.

Second, the use of condoms as evidence undermines prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, as well as other public health goals. Though a few jurisdictions have reformed their practices in recent years, many jurisdictions still view the mere possession of condoms as evidence of the intent to engage in prostitution or other prostitution-related crimes. Arresting and prosecuting people who carry condoms

Violence against sex workers is often not registered as an offense by the police and in some cases is perpetrated by police. reduces use of an extremely effective and affordable prevention tool, particularly for people engaged in (or profiled as likely to engage in) “street level” sex work.

And using condoms as evidence makes managing sexual health more difficult because it forces individuals to weigh the risk of prosecution for a prostitution-related crime against the risk of transmitting or acquiring HIV and other STIs. Third, criminalization increases violence against sex workers. Where sex work is criminalized, there are alarmingly high rates of physical and sexual violence against sex workers by clients, individuals posing as clients, police, exploitative “pimps,” and others. Abuse is fueled when perpetrators recognize the barriers criminalized sex workers face in seeking justice, perpetuating physical and sexual violence with impunity. Furthermore, abusive intimate partners can exploit the illegality of sex

work and may threaten to expose their partners to police as tactics of control.

To avoid police detection, criminalized sex workers often displace themselves to isolated (and more dangerous) settings, effectively forcing them to trade away their safety and well-being. When criminalization prompts sex workers and their customers to move their encounters off main streets and into less trafficked areas, they are exposed to greater risk of violence, more pressure to engage in unprotected sex, and other hazards.

Violence against sex workers is often not registered as an offense by the police and in some cases is perpetrated by police. Sex workers report severe sexual violence, including forced unprotected sex by police officers, both at the time of arrest for prostitution-related crimes and while in custody on those criminal charges. And the criminalization of sex work means the violence that occurs in the context of sex work has been largely unmonitored, resulting in few to no legal protections afforded to sex workers by police and judicial systems.

In countries where sex work has been decriminalized, access to care improves, STI rates decrease, and safer sex practices increase. Though the UN has identified sex workers as a “key population” in the global fight against HIV for many years, the current National HIV/AIDS Strategy fails to include them among the “priority populations” in the United States. Here’s hoping sex workers are identified as a priority population in the next iteration of the NHAS and that the barriers to prevention, care and treatment identified above are addressed while progress is made toward full decriminalization. Q Scott Schoettes is an attorney and advocate who lives openly with HIV. He engages in impact litigation, public policy work, and education to protect, enhance, and advance the rights of everyone living with HIV. This column is a project of TheBody, Plus, Positively Aware, POZ, Q Syndicate, and QSaltLake Magazine. Visit their websites (linked) for the latest updates on HIV/AIDS.

22 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | VIEWS

guest editorial

Qsaltlake.com |

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

The ironies of the LDS Church weaponizing religious freedom

BY PAUL MERO

As someone

who has had a long and successful career in politics and public policy largely built upon weaponizing every idea from values to ethics to morals to faith and beyond, I know the weaponization of an idea when I hear it.

My most recent example is the speech

by Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Dallin H. Oaks, delivered recently at the University of Virginia on the occasion of the 2021 Joseph Smith Lecture. If you ever want to listen to a classic presentation on how to weaponize religious freedom, you should take a moment to review Oaks’ speech.

As I have written previously in these pages, traditional-minded conservatives lost the “culture war” by the late 1990s with the beginning of the end occurring in the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision authored by Justice Anthony Kennedy with his undoing of liberty as “the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.” If that statement is true, anything is true.

For 14 years at the helm of Sutherland Institute, I answered the call of my church to defend the faith, its Brethren and its more high-profile moral causes.

I did that until it seems my church had

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me fired from that position – just my theory – exactly over the issues addressed by Oaks: religious freedom and nondiscrimination. I might be the only person who can authoritatively argue that his comments at the University of Virginia take irony to new levels.

The biggest irony he mentioned in his speech is the idea that the church campaign to pass a federal “Fairness for All” bill will lead to peace and harmony between the competing rights of homosexual behavior and religious expression (i.e., nondiscrimination laws and religious freedom, respectively). Has Congress ever been the arbiter of peace and harmony? As LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson urges his saints to avoid contention, his First Presidency colleague seeks to settle the scrum between gay rights and religious freedom through the unceasing chaos of congressional politics. The irony is staggering.

Right up there with the many ironies among ironies is Oaks claim that the Salt Lake City nondiscrimination ordinances (2010) and the “Great Compromise” statewide nondiscrimination law (2015) are stellar examples of how a federal “Fairness for All” law could be achieved.

In reality, the claim is a smokescreen for what actually took place – those laws were birthed by the LDS Church, nobody else. There were no compromises. In fact, the opposite was the case. In both instances, much to Oaks’ denial in his speech, those laws simply created “legal discrimination” against the LGBTQ community. Only Utah gays, obviously struggling with church-policy driven PTSD, believed a hug was an equal trade for legal discrimination.

I believe Oaks believes sincerely that religious freedom has nothing to do with discrimination. Why wouldn’t he?

He is not the one being discriminated against. Ask the LGBTQ community if a carve out in the law allowing 1)

religions a position of “separate but equal,” 2) labeling homosexual behavior as immoral, sinful, and less than normal, and perhaps worse of all, 3) insisting that gay Latter-day Saints are “born that way” (i.e., the unscientific church invention of “same-sex attraction”) and yet, cruelly denying them the ability to “fulfill the measure of their creation” aren’t acts of blatant discrimination.

Imagine asking Martin Luther King, Jr. for a “Great Compromise” in which the Southern States, among all states, are allowed a carve out to discriminate against blacks. You can’t. And this is why the idea of “Fairness for All” is an intellectual, legal and moral sham.

Honesty is the best policy. Religious freedom is prima facia discrimination in a world where it can be defined as anything from a simple prayerful expression to the Taliban and where its own strictures and rules naturally – and entirely reasonably – separate us from them.

Honesty insists that Congress not settle such controversy. Honesty insists that constitutional matters are settled best by our judicial system. And honesty demands recognition that the LDS Church document, “The Family – A Proclamation to the World,” does not include or even entertain in the slightest the ideas of sexual orientation and gender identity.

And finally, beyond the disturbing problem of weaponizing religious freedom, if my church can truly “see around corners,” it would see that religious freedom already is a lost cause (no temporary conservative court will save it) primarily because of the demands of the LGBTQ community – which makes “accommodation” of that community not only ironic but naïve. Q Paul T. Mero is the former president of the Sutherland Institute, a conservative Utah public policy think tank. He is now a government relations director for Western Governors University and chair of the National Generation Freedom Fund. This letter first appeared in The Salt Lake Tribune.

DECEMBER, 2021 |

Issue 330 | Qsaltlake.com

creep of the month

VIEWS | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 23

Dennis Prager

BY D’ANNE WITKOWSKI

Those who

forget history, or who willfully ignore it, are doomed to repeat it, which is why it should worry you that the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capital has been dismissed by Republicans as a routine visit by some rowdy but well meaning tourists. Reshaping this history to fit a political narrative serves Republican interests since they are really into authoritarianism — a destabilized country is really a win for them.

It’s in that spirit that Dennis Prager, conservative talk radio host and co-founder of the propaganda machine PragerU, has conveniently forgotten the history of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.

Appearing on Newsmax, a propaganda program claiming to be news, Prager says that “non-vaccinated are the pariahs of America, as I have not seen in my lifetime. Any pariah group like this.”

According to Wikipedia, Prager was born in 1948. And he’s never seen a group of people treated worse than today’s unvaccinated? Really? What about Black Americans? This man was very much alive during the height of the civil rights movement. He surely saw Black people treated like pariahs. Even if he didn’t see it with his own eyes, it was all over the news!

Did this man never see or read a paper?

Of course he did. When he says that he hasn’t seen any other group as mistreated and marginalized as unvaccinated people, what he really means is he hasn’t seen any other group that he didn’t believe deserved it.

Then he says this gaslighting bullshit: “During the AIDS crisis, can you imagine if gay men and intravenous drug users, who were the vast majority of people with AIDS, had they been pariahs the way the non-vaccinated are?”

Excuse me, what?

First of all, intravenous drug users were and still are treated like pariahs in a country that considers addiction a personal moral failing rather than as a disease.

Secondly, gay men were treated like absolute garbage during the AIDS crisis.

Gay men were dying and nobody cared!

President Reagan wouldn’t even utter the word “AIDS” and his administration’s inaction made the epidemic even worse. Read “And the Band Played On”

by Randy Shilts. This was NOT A GOOD TIME FOR GAYS. Not only were many people getting sick and dying, but there were little to no legal protections at all, which means that men who lost a partner could, and did, lose the home they shared and be barred from attending the funeral by their partner’s family.

But Prager says that this “would’ve been inconceivable. And it SHOULD have been inconceivable. They should not have been made pariahs.”

But, as Kevin Kruse pointed out on Twitter, Prager himself wanted AIDS to be stigmatized as a “gay man’s disease.”

In a 2008 Town Hall piece about AIDS in the ‘80s, Prager writes, “Even the natural sciences are increasingly subject to being rendered a means to a ‘progressive’ end. There was the pseudo-threat of heterosexual AIDS in America — science manipulated in order to de-stigmatize AIDS as primarily a gay man’s disease and to increase funding for AIDS research.”

In other words, if it had been up to Prager, AIDS would have stayed a pariah-making disease of gay men, and there certainly wouldn’t have been funding to support them.

And he was still preaching this garbage in 2016, as the New Civil Rights Movement points out, when Prager was speaking about leftist “hysteria” on James Dobson’s show.

“I will just give you a few examples of the hysterias of your lifetime,” Prager says. “One was heterosexual AIDS in America. Do you remember that? When we were told by Time and Newsweek and The New York Times, remember when they said AIDS doesn’t discriminate? Well, that was a lie. AIDS does discriminate.

It happens to attack in America — and I emphasize in America — overwhelmingly, gay men and intravenous drug users and his partners. You know the group least likely to get AIDS? Gay women. So it can’t be homophobic to say the truth.”

And who could possibly consider that stunning example of homophobia homophobic? Beats me.

In case you were wondering, “But is Prager terrible in other ways?” The answer is yes. For example, he calls global warming an “idiotic, irrational, sick fear.”

“It’s a different America,” he tells the Newsmax host. Indeed, it is. It’s an America that is emerging from a pandemic that has already killed over 750,000 people in this country and kept millions of people from seeing the people they love or doing the things they love for more than a year. So, when someone refuses to get vaccinated based on lies and conspiracy theories? Go ahead, make them pariahs. They’ve earned it. Q D’Anne Witkowski is a writer living in Michigan with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBTQ+ politics for nearly two decades.

Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.

24 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | VIEWS

who’s your daddy

Qsaltlake.com |

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

Happy holidays to all my subjects

BY CHRISTOPHER KATIS

One of

my biggest pet peeves is seeing houses decked out for Christmas before Thanksgiving.

It’s starting to happen earlier every year. The season really doesn’t start on November 1st, people. That’s AllSaints Day. Rather than decorate your tree now, why not get your shopping done so you can actually enjoy the holiday? Who’s Your Daddy has some great ideas to help get you started.

Stocking Stuffers How about spending a quiet night curled up by the fire and doing some crossstitch? David Hasting has fun patterns in “Cross-Stitch Like a Queen: 25 Fun and Fabulous Patterns Celebrating Drag and the LGBTQIA+ Community.”

Or maybe there’s a refrigerator that needs a magnet with an astronaut declaring “I Love My Mommies” or a “Dad²” from Café Press.

They also have coffee cups like the “I HEART My Grandmas” or “I Love My Dapper Dads,” and a wide selection of wall hangings, bumper stickers, hats, tote bags, and even clocks – all specifically for LGBTQ+ families!

Clothing Speaking of Café Press, they offer a nice selection of clothing items for parents and kids alike. Every baby would dig a bib announcing “You Think You’re Spoiled?

I Have Two Dads.” or “My Mommies

Rock.” There are fun shirts declaring “My Moms Are Da Bomb” and “I Love My Daddies Beary Much.” Any father would be styling in an American Family tee-shirt featuring two dads. Just like any mother would make a statement in the “I’m Mom, She’s Mama” tee.

Redbubble also has some cute items for adults and kids alike. Little Gus and Penny Buttigieg would look adorable in onesies emblazoned with “Let’s Get One Thing Straight, My Dads Aren’t.” And Secretary Pete and Chasten would rock tees announcing, “Who’s the Daddy? We Both Are!”

Books I’ve always loved giving and receiving books. For the adults, a great new choice is “Queer As All Get Out: 10 People Who’ve Inspired Me” by Shelby Criswell.

It touches on the author’s struggles for acceptance and the historical LGBTQ+ people who served as inspirations.

“Schoolbooks & Sorcery,” edited by Michael Jones, is an enchanting collection of young adult tales of LGBTQ+ protagonists juggling school and magic.

And Carly Heath’s debut YA novel, “The

Reckless Kind,” tells a historical tale of three queer friends in 1904 Norway determined to live their lives on their terms.

For little kids, “They’re So Flamboyant” by Michael Genhart tells the story of some very pink, very proud flamingoes who move into a drab neighborhood and make it fabulous!

While “Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman” by Sharice Davids and Nancy Mays tells the story of the first Native American elected to Congress who’s also the first LGBTQ Congressperson from Kansas.

For those folks celebrating Hanukkah, PJ Library has several nice selections including “Havdalah Sky” by Chris Barash about a little girl marking the end of Shabbat with her two moms and grandparents. In “The Purim Superhero” by Elizabeth Kushner, all of Nate’s friends are going as superheroes for Purim, but he wants to go as an alien. His dads help him find the perfect solution.

You should be able to get most of these titles at The King’s English Bookshop — if it’s not on the shelves, they’re happy to order it for you if they can.

My dislike of Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving is no secret.

Whenever I express my opinion about the topic on social media, my cousin Craig calls me the King of Everything. I like that title. Now if my loyal subjects would just obey my edicts and wait until after Thanksgiving to deck the halls!

Happy Holidays to all my subjects! Q

DECEMBER, 2021 |

Issue 330 | Qsaltlake.com

VIEWS | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 25

26 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE

Qsaltlake.com |

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

SHOP SMALL, SHOP LOCAL

Before we dive right in to our annual Holiday Shopping Guide, I’d like to try to encourage you to ­#shiftyourspending, as Local First Utah puts it.

I know there is nothing more convenient than whipping out your phone, typing in a URL (or opening an app), perusing offerings, and hitting a few buttons to buy something ... anything … everything. We even get our groceries that way these days. But as convenient as online shopping seems, there are several reasons to shop local.

Our favorite reasons to shop local during small business season YOU’RE SUPPORTING YOUR NEIGHBORS. When you support Small Business Season and shop local, you are supporting your neighbors and they are more likely, in turn, to keep the money you spent with them local as well. In fact, for every $100 spent locally, $68 of it stays local.

YOU ARE ABLE TO GET IN-PERSON ADVICE. Not sure of the right size, color, or other option? Maybe you want to buy something but don’t know what else you need to make that purchase complete (like buying a fishing rod without any hooks or lures). An in-person shopping experience can help you straighten out the choices. Small business owners offer complete information and suggestions, and you can ask questions about those suggestions. Doing that via chat online can be cumbersome and delayed as they are answering questions from several other shoppers at the same time.

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTING. Have you ever ordered something online only to be disappointed when it arrives?

Maybe it’s smaller than you thought, or the color is just too much. Online images can be very hard to discern. (Remember that dress a few years back? What color was that any way?) If you don’t read the description carefully, your item may be smaller (or larger) than expected and may not include things you had assumed came with it. Even when you do read the description, some items are sized differently or have unexpected variations. Don’t even get us started

DECEMBER, 2021 |

Issue 330 | Qsaltlake.com

HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 27

on what happens then. For every $100 spent locally, $68 of it stays local.

YOUR STORIES LIVE HERE. Fuel your hometown passion and plug into the stories that define it.

LOCAL YIELDS EASIER RETURNS. Even though you have a clear understanding of what you’re buying when you buy in person, sometimes you need to return your purchase. When you do, it’s easier to do it locally than to send something back to an online store. Between paying for shipping to going to the post office and insuring it, bringing it back to a local business is generally easier than online returns.

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED. If you’re not satisfied with what you purchased, but it’s not something you can bring back (like a service or a food item), you know how to get in touch with the local provider. Some online sellers make it impossible to speak to a human. Try arguing your point with AI that uses keywords and automated language responses. Talking to the local business owner is much easier and they may be able to suggest something that is more along the lines of what you’re looking for.

LOCAL SHOPPING BECOMES AN EXPERIENCE. Yes, online shopping is quick, but you also have no memory of doing it.

This can lead to overbuying. How many times during the holiday do you come home to find a package on your doorstep, and you can’t remember what you purchased? You’ll remember when you go out. Plus, when you shop in-person or local, you can invite friends, family, or just make a pleasurable outing for yourself. This creates appealing memories of a wonderful seasonal experience.

IT BRINGS ON THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT. When you are out among the sounds and smells of the holiday, it brightens your mood. Who doesn’t love sparkling lights, glitter, snow (real or fake), and all of the happy tunes of the season? It’s hard to get those same smiles shopping online.

YOU MAY MISS THE BEST THINGS WHEN YOU ONLY GO ONLINE. When you shop online, you do a few searches for things you are looking for.

You are less apt to stumble across the perfect gift or item because you are on a targeted mission and only see what the online store presents. When you’re

shopping in person, there are a lot of serendipitous moments where something catches your eye, and you walk out knowing you found a treasure.

YOU MEET AND INTERACT WITH PEOPLE. When you shop in-person, you meet and interact with people. We have been sequestered long enough. There’s something to be said from those chance meetings that occur when walking around town. Who knows–you could meet your next business partner or a former friend?

From the warm smile of the business owner to a suggestion, compliment, or affirmation you receive from a fellow shopper, there are many times when these sorts of introductions can be very helpful.

YOU’LL RECEIVE BETTER REVIEWS. Sure, online reviews are helpful but so are reviews from people around you.

Plus, people you meet in person who are commenting on what you’re buying have a personal connection. They are vouching for the item or dish face-to-face. If you have questions about what they’re saying, you can ask. Online reviews are one-sided with very little chance for follow-up from the original poster.

NO WORRIES ABOUT DELIVERY THIS SMALL BUSINESS SEASON WHEN SHOPPING LOCAL. With ports backed up and short-staffing throughout the supply chain, there’s a lot of talk about potential delivery delays this holiday. If you shop in-person, you won’t need to worry about this.

IN-PERSON SHOPPING IS PERFECT FOR PROCRASTINATORS. Sure, there are some online mega retailers who can get an item to you same day depending on where you live, but most times–especially as we get closer to the actual holiday–your best bet for last-minute gifts is a local shop. If you’re a procrastinator, feel free to take this reason to shop local as permission. You’ll feel less stressed

about waiting, plus you won’t be depending on someone else’s delivery schedule.

Displays help you visualize.

Store displays are better than “you might also like” options in online stores.

After all, the online suggestions are based on the buying patterns of others or using products the online retailer links together. Store displays are created (and stores are arranged) to help you find what you need and want. Collections are curated with the shopper in mind. You may find a lot of treasurers browsing that way.

WINDOW SHOPPING CAN LEAD TO IDEAS. When you shop in-person around the holidays you’ll be treated to beautiful window and decoration displays. These could inspire your holiday home décor or help you figure out something for your hard-to-buy-for aunt. A display may also draw you into trying a new business that you hadn’t noticed before. There are so many serendipitous possibilities when shopping in-person this Small Business Season.

YOU COULD FIND YOUR NEXT JOB. If you shop in-person, you’ll quickly realize how many businesses are hiring.

Who knows? You might decide to work at your favorite shop over the holidays.

ONE’S COUCH HAS NEVER BEEN THE SETTING FOR A HALLMARK HOLIDAY MOVIE, BUT MAIN STREET CERTAINLY HAS. And we all love those movies, don’t we?

We aren’t telling you to never shop online again. Online shopping is simply too convenient and there are many times when you can get things delivered online faster than you are able to clear your schedule and shop in-person. There are also many local sellers that have an online presence so you can buy online and still “shop local.”

Still, there are several reasons to shop local, including the ability to spread some holiday cheer to your local businesses this Small Business Season.

Those business owners would just love to see your smiling face and the serious ones of Mr. Jackson, Hamilton, and Washington.

This Small Business Season let’s give local and small businesses something to be thankful for.

Let’s give them the gift of our support. Q

28 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE

Qsaltlake.com |

For those who have at least one pig friend, (and who doesn’t?), Spark has a very affordable leather PIG MASK, $19, and a great

TROLLEY SQUARE We stopped by a few of our favorite stores at Trolley Square and were treated with some great finds.

PIG SHIRT from Knob by Ryan Hill, complete with the signature blue, black and white stripes, for just $24. Throw in a bottle of ... head cleaner and wrap it all up, bondage style.

Spark Yes, Spark is full of fantastic fashion, and underwear, and shoes, but they also had a lot of items perfect for gifting to friends.

Rainbow PRIDE SOCKS,

by Sock Smith donates a dollar for each pair sold to the Trevor Project, $12 (and sold out online, so get down there and pick them up.) Also, GAY socks by Good Luck Sock for $11.

Spark has a full line of Ballsy products for all those ... intimate cleansing needs. BALL WIPES, BALL WASH, BALLGUARD, SACK SPRAY and, of course, NUT RUB. Prices vary.

Sam Wellers For your friends who love THE NEW YORKER — the magazine, not the defunct restaurant, these holiday cards featuring their infamous cartoons may be the perfect gift.

Recycled card and envelope for $4.50.

Put a THE NEW YORKER CALENDAR with it and it is the absolutely perfect gift.

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

Longtime friends Barack Obama (remember him?

Those were the days) and Bruce Springsteen share an intimate and urgent conversation about life, music, and their enduring love of America in RENEGADES: BORN IN THE USA. Featuring more than 350 photographs, exclusive bonus content, and never-before-seen archival material. $50

The Hive Market A store passionate about providing local businesses, collectors, and artisans a space to promote, share and sell.

PANTRY’S PRETTY IN PINK SEA SALT SOAK is a heavenly combination of Himalayan sea salt, rose and hibiscus petals, and rose geranium essential oil.

The Hive Market has many offerings from the shop dedicated to crafting 100% natural daily essentials.

Prices vary.

Sadie Nelson is a high school student who created Cosmic Pet Boutique.

These OVER-­ COLLAR BANDANNAS come in three sizes as low as $12

DECEMBER, 2021 |

Issue 330 | Qsaltlake.com

9TH&9TH Have you been to 9th&9th lately?

So much more than there was just a few years go. Take an afternoon and walk through the local shops.

Cahoots Of course we start with Cahoots. We distribute more magazines there than almost any other location in the valley.

And what better gift to start with than one with the name ­FANFUCKINTASTIC? The 1000-piece puzzle measures 32 x 16.5 inches by Wayne White Each sale from the Fred Artists Series supports independent artists.

CALM YOUR TITS CARD GAME is a titillating pairs game for very silly adults is to win all the cards or be the last tit standing! Players win cards for correctly shouting “Nice tits!” or “Tough tits!”

Celebrate man’s other best friend — the cat — in this delightful gift book for pet lovers, feline fans, and anyone who appreciates cats and the dudes who love them. Alright, who are we kidding? MEN WITH CATS is all about the men, not the cats. $12.95

HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 29

WELLTOLD’S 6 OZ. MAP ­POCKET FLASK is custom-etched with a beautifully detailed map of Salt Lake City. $29.95 Everyone knows that Santa Claus is jolly, but in S ­ ANTA’S HUSBAND, this cherished symbol of the holiday season is also black and gay, and married to an equally cheery man. $16.99

Coffee Garden Caffe Ibis is a family-owned and operated, award-winning “green business” and artisan custom coffee roasting house founded in 1976 in Logan by Randy Wirth and Sally Sears. Want to get your Coffee Garden-quality coffee at home?

Get a pound of beans. Prices vary.

Salt & Honey

Cahoots also has dozens of FLASKS and MUGS that will make your mouth jolly as well. Prices vary.

A makers market offering a unique space for designers, artists, crafters, food experts, and vintage collectors a space to sell their independently produced goods all year.

This COTTON TEA TOWEL will be great for your kitchen-oriented friends. Lintfree for those wine glasses. $16 A&A Leather Shop has a multitude of HAND-MADE LEATHER GIFTS from journal covers to key chains.

Prices vary.

30 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE

Qsaltlake.com |

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

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Lindsay McBride Design offers handmade POTTERY AND CERAMIC EARRINGS to fit everyone’s budget.

BOOBS. Seriously, handmade resin boobs. Brittany Rose wrote, “The image of the Goddess inspires women to see ourselves as divine, our bodies as sacred, the changing phases of our lives as holy, our aggression as healthy, our anger as purifying, and our power to nurture and create.” $25

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Just Joy Shop is a mother/ daughters team designing and hand crafting unique STEEL HOME AND HOLIDAY DECOR. Prices vary.

Worth the drive, especially if you are making an IKEA run. “ May incense; sweet smelling oil be a healing salve for those ailing.

May sacred texts liberate the heart of wisdom & compassion.

May holy objects be a lamp for those longing for light.

And may trees of heaven bless every home”

BUDDHA GEAR BUCKET HATS? Sign us up. Buddha gear is all about spreading seeds of kindness and mindfulness with a cool kick and awesome brand. For every beanie sold, they donate one to the homeless. Each beanie contains a tag that reminds them they are loved and they matter.

Lotus has nearly every CRYSTAL you could want, especially those found locally.

DECEMBER, 2021 |

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Issue 330 | Qsaltlake.com

ARTS Perhaps the very best way to buy small, buy local and support something important is a season pass or gift certificate to a local arts organization.

Salt Lake Men’s Choir Tickets are available for the 39th annual holiday concert for $20 at SALTLAKEMENSCHOIR. ORG or a member of the choir.

Dec. 10–12 at First Baptist Church, 777 S. 1300 East.

Plan-B Theatre Co The balance of the season looks poignant and fun. THE CLEANUP PROJECT by Carleton Bluford is Black History Month like you’ve

never seen it. AFTERSHOCK

by Iris Salazar is a response to the earthquake that shook Salt Lake City within a week of the pandemic shutdown.

MESTIZA OR MIXED by Melissa Leilani Larson is about Lark who, plagued by debt and professional disappointment, chances upon an opportunity only to be confronted by questions about her art, her family, and her identity as a queer mestiza.

In-person and online options at PLANBTHEATRE.ORG

Utah Symphony Experience 3 Masterworks Concerts for only $99.

BELOVED PIANO CONCERTOS, with Chopin’s expressive Piano Concerto No. 1, cheerful Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 12, and Liszt’s unique Piano Concerto No. 1.

NATURAL WONDERS,

includes Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony, Smetana’s The Moldeau, Elgar’s In the South, and Messian’s From the Canyons to the Stars.

RUSSIAN ROMANCE, with Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and Symphony No. 6, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Prokofiev’s Cinderella.

VERSATILE VIOLIN with superstar violinist Hilary Hahn, Veronika Eberle, in Beethoven’s only Violin Concerto, and Madeline Adkins in a work written for her and inspired by Utah’s pristine desert wilderness.

Ballet West Presenting THE NUTCRACKER through Dec 26, ROMEO AND JULIET in February, and CARMINA BURANA WITH GLASS PIECES in April, and the CHOREOGRAPHIC FEST V in May, they offer the rest

of the season for as little as $97 at BALLETWEST.ORG.

New World Shakespeare Co. Offering five shows for $80, upcoming shows include the romantic comedy TWELFTH NIGHT, pastoral comedy AS YOU LIKE IT, the oft-copied ROMEO AND JULIET, and a fifth yet-unnamed play.

Tickets at NEWWORLDSHAKESPEARE.COM. All NWSC casting is non-gender, non-race and non-age specific.

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ARTISTS OF BALLET WEST IN THE NUTCRACKER | PHOTO BY BEAU PEARSON

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32 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE

Qsaltlake.com |

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

LOCAL HOLIDAY MARKETS

• Swedish Massage • Sports Massage • Deep Tissue • Cranialsacral • Thai Yoga • Crystal Balancing • Reeexology • Spa Treatments

URBAN FLEA MARKET Local vendors inside at The Gateway, 18 N. Rio Grande on Sunday, Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free parking in the North Garage. Admission $2 for those over 13 years of age. FABBY winner, 2021. Info at fleamarketslc.com

SALT & HONEY MARKET HOLIDAY MAKERS Handcrafted, one-of-a-kind, unique gifts from local artisans. At three locations: Salt & Honey Market, 926 E. 900 South, in the Visit Salt Lake store at the Salt Palace Convention Center, 90 S. West Temple, and Fashion Place mall, 6191 S. State St., Murray. Open daily through Jan. 2.

Info at saltandhoneymarket.com.

Everything from Angels to Zen

THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY DICKENS FESTIVAL Olde English shops, period costumes, fortune tellers, carriage rides and Father Christmas. Utah State Fairpark, 155 N. 1000 West, Nov. 18– Nov. 20, 10 a.m –9 p.m. Tickets $8-10 at dickenschristmasfestival.com.

NEIGHBORHOOD HIVE POP-UP MARKET Based on Seattle’s Pike Place Market, with open shopping at owner-operated store fronts. Open Saturdays through Christmas, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. in the parking lot of The Neighborhood Hive, 2065 E. 2100 South. More info at theneighborhoodhive.org WINTERFEST ART JUBILEE Affordable, unique, handmade items from artists and artisans from all over Utah. Bountiful Davis Art Center, 90 N. Main St., Bountiful, through Dec. 23, Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m, Saturday noon–5 p.m..

Free admission. More info at bdac.org.

HERRIMAN HOLIDAY MARKETPLACE Local vendors, live entertainment, visits with Santa, a Giving Tree, food trucks and swag bags to the first 50 customers.

6212 Butterfield Park Way, Herriman.

Nov. 19, 2–8 p.m.; Nov. 20, 10 a.m–5 p.m.

Info at fb.me/Good4LifeMarkets/.

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THE HIVE MARKET SLC • In Trolley Square with local artisans, 602 S. 700 East, Salt Lake City, and the Outlets Park City mall, 6699 N. Landmark Dr., Park City. Indoors, free admission. Info at thehivemarketslc.com.

WINTER FARMERS MARKET Over 60 fresh food and craft vendors selling locally grown produce, meat, eggs, cheese, baked goods, sauces, condiments, chocolate and holiday items. The Gateway, 400 W. 200 South, Saturdays, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. through April. Free admission. More info at slcfarmersmarket.org.

FRENCH ANNUAL HOLIDAY MARKET French-made products supporting French-owned small local vendors in Utah. Nov. 20, 1–5 p.m. in the lobby of the Jewett Center for the Performing Arts, at Westminster College, 1840 S. 1300 E. Info at instagram.com/utah_accueil/.

WHEELER HOLIDAY MARKET Over 30 local vendors selling handmade gifts from home decor and toys to cookies and coffee. Live music. Wheeler Historic Farm Activity Barn, 6351 S. 900 East, Murray. Nov. 26–28, Friday, 5–8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Free admission. More info at slco.org/wheeler-farm.

DECEMBER, 2021 |

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Avoid massive debt during holiday shopping Black Friday is upon us, and many retailers started big holiday sales weeks ago. So how do you keep your spending in check? How do you avoid going into massive debt?

Steve Siebold is a certified financial educator and author of one of the top-selling, most read self-improvement books of the past year, “How Money Works.”

His seven tips: LEAVE YOUR EMOTIONS ON THE SHELF: It’s easy to get wrapped up in the spirit of the season, but when it comes to buying gifts this year, leave your emotions on the shelf and let reason be your guide.

This is when you must start using logical thinking in the decision-making process.

While your spouse might really like that $1,000 necklace, is that really the smartest move if you don’t have the money?

PLAN AHEAD: Make a list and check it twice. Before you head to the store, make a list of each person you need to buy for, and allocate a certain amount of money for each of them. Don’t overspend by even a dollar. This is important because if you start overspending by five dollars here and 10 dollars there, it adds up quickly and you can easily go into debt.

BE HONEST: The last thing your friends and family want is to see you go into debt, or further into debt.

Remember, there’s no shame in telling people that this year will be a lean holiday season when it comes to exchanging gifts. People will appreciate your honesty and attention to your finances.

DON’T GET CAUGHT UP IN THE MOMENT: If your shopping cart is overflowing,

step back, regroup and make sure you can really afford everything you plan to purchase.

While there are some good deals to be had, don’t fall for marketing campaigns that make you feel as if you’re getting a great deal when you’re really not (i.e. buy it today – pay for it tomorrow). The key is to be mentally tough to know when enough is enough.

DON’T PULL OUT THE PLASTIC: Don’t even think of using a credit card unless you are 100% sure you can comfortably pay it off at the end of the month. The last thing anyone needs is to get hit with high interest rates and a blemish on their credit score. Ask yourself this critical thinking question: Would I rather have the short-term satisfaction of expensive material possessions, or the long-term results of financial freedom and abundance?

LEARN FROM THE PAST: Did you overspend last holiday season or some other year in the past? Remember how it set you back financially? Remember how bad it felt when you opened up your credit card statement and realized you couldn’t pay it all? Revisit that pain and how miserable you felt before you start shopping this holiday season.

LIMIT CHARITABLE GIVING: Yes, you read that right.

Giving a little pocket change to support the homeless this holiday season is one thing.

But until you’re financially comfortable yourself, you can’t give what you don’t have. While it’s certainly commendable that you want to help others, those who try and support every cause known to man but can’t afford to are doing more harm than good. Q

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34 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE

Terri’s book holiday gift guide

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

Editor’s note: This is an abbreviated version of the guide. The full version is online at qsaltlake.com.

You

knew this was coming.

You knew that you were going to have to finish your holiday shopping soon, but it snuck up on you, didn’t it? And even if you’re close to being done, there are always those three or five people who are impossible to buy for, right?

Remember this, though: books are easy to wrap and easy to give, and they last a while, too. So why not head to the bookstore with your Christmas List and look for these gifts…

LGBTQ Nonfiction If there’s about to be a new addition to your family, wrapping up “Queer Stepfamilies: The path to Social and Legal Recognition” by Katie L. Acosta would be a good thing.

In this book, the author followed forty LGBTQ families to understand the

joys, pitfalls, and legalities of forming a new union together. It can’t replace a lawyer, but it’s a good overview.

For the parent who wants to ensure that their child grows up with a lack of bias, “Raising LGBTQ Allies” by Chris Tompkins is a great book to give. It’s filled with methods to stop bullying in its tracks, to be proactive in having That Conversation, and how to be sure that the next generation you’re responsible for becomes responsible in turn.

Wrap it up with “The Healing Otherness Handbook” by Stacee L. Reicherzer, Ph.D., a book that helps readers to deal with bullying by finding confidence and empowerment.

If there’s someone on your gift list who’s determined to get “fit” in the coming year, then give “The Secret to Superhuman Strength” by Alison Bechdel this holiday. Told in graphic-novel format (comics, basically), it’s the story of searching for self-improvement and finding it in a surprising place.

So why not give a little nostalgia this year by wrapping up “A Night at the Sweet Gum Head”

by Martin Padgett? It’s the tale of disco, drag, and drugs in the 1970s (of course!) in Atlanta, with appearances by activists, politics, and people who were there at that fabulous time. Wrap it up with “After Francesco” by Brian Malloy, a novel set a little later — in the mid-1980s in New York City and Minneapolis at the beginning of the AIDS crisis.

The LGBTQ activist on your gift list will want to read “The Case for Gay Reparations” by Omar G. Encarnacion. It’s a book about acknowledgment, obligation on the part of cis cit-

Qsaltlake.com |

izens, and fixing the pain that homophobia and violence have caused.

Wrap it up with “Trans Medicine: The Emergence and Practice of Treating Gender”

by Stef M. Shuster, a look at trans history that may also make your giftee growl.

LGBTQ Fiction Young readers who have recently transitioned will enjoy reading “Both Sides Now” by Peyton Thomas. It’s a novel about a high school boy with gigantic dreams and the means to accomplish them all. Can he overcome the barriers that life gives him? It’s debatable… Pair it with “Can’t Take That Away” by Steven Salvatore, a book about two nonbinary students and the troubles they face as they fall in love.

The thriller fan on your list will be overjoyed to unwrap “Yes, Daddy” by Jonathan Parks-Ramage. It’s the story of a young man with dying dreams of fame and fortune who schemes to meet an older, more accomplished man with the hopes of sparking his failing career. But the older man isn’t who the younger thinks he is, and that’s not good. Wrap it up with “Lies with Man” by Michael Nava, a book about a lawyer who agrees to be counsel for a group of activists. Good so far, right? Until one of them is accused of being involved in a deadly bombing.

For the fan of Southern fiction, you can’t go wrong when you wrap up “The Tender Grave”

by Sheri Reynolds.

It’s the tale

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

of two sisters, one homophobic, the other lesbian, and how they learn to forgive and re-connect.

General Fiction Is there a better book to give your BFF than “How to Kill Your Best Friend” by Lexie Elliott? I think not. This is a book about three friends who’ve been inseparable since college. Sadly, one of them, a strong swimmer, drowns under mysterious circumstances.

Is there a murderer in their rapidly-shrinking friends circle?

Fans of thrillers will absolutely want to unwrap “Bullet Train” by Kotaro Isaka, the story of five assassins who find out that their respective assignments have a little too much in common for comfort. So give this book as a gift, along with two movie tickets, since it’s about to become a motion picture.

The person on your gift list who loves mythology will be very excited to see “Daughters of Sparta” by Claire Heywood beneath the tree. This is a story of two princesses of Sparta, of which little is expected but birthing an heir and looking beautiful. But when patriarchal society becomes too overbearing, the princesses must decide what to do. Far from your normal “princess” tale, this one has shades of feminism in ancient times.

Mysteries For the reader who genuinely loves time-period mysteries, look for “Dead Dead Girls: A Harlem Renaissance Mystery”

by Nekesa Afia. It’s Harlem, 1926, and young Black women are showing up dead all over the area. This is too close for comfort for Louise Lloyd, and so when she’s given an ultimatum – go to jail for a past transgression

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BEN WINSLOW or help solve these murders – well, the choice is clear, isn’t it? This is the first book in a planned series, and your giftee will be looking for the rest after New Years’ Eve. If you’ve got someone on your list who likes westerns and mysteries, why not marry the two by wrapping up “Dark Sky”

by C.J. Box. It’s another in the Joe Pickett series (but it can be read alone), and it’s the story of a wealthy man, poaching, and murder, and it could send your giftee scrambling for the rest of the Pickett books.

General Nonfiction No doubt, there’s someone on your gift list who’s concerned about climate change. And so the book to wrap up is “Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid”

by Thor Hanson, a natural historian.

Here, Hanson reveals how climate change is driving evolution.

And what will happen to us? Pair it with “A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth” by Henry Gee, a small book that looks at the Big Picture, where we came from, and where we might go.

If there’s a new cook on your list (or someone’s about to strike out on their own), “Burnt Toast and Other Disasters” by Cal Peternell will be the perfect thing to wrap up this holiday. It’s filled with relatively easy recipes with lots of chances to impress and hacks to take care of those inevitable kitchen uh-ohs.

Got an adventurer on your gift list? Your giftee will be overjoyed to see “Latitude” by Nicholas Crane. It’s the true story of a ten-year expedition that started in 1735, in which a dozen men journey to determine the shape of the planet.

If you’ve got someone on your

FOX 13 NEWS

gift list who’s very interested in current and world events, then “The Raging 2020s” by Alec Ross might be the perfect gift. It’s a book that peers into our (possible) future in business, geographical issues, politics, and more. Pair it up with “Broke in America: Seeing, Understanding, and Ending U.S. Poverty” by Joanne Samuel Goldblum and Colleen Shaddox.

It’s a book that looks into the future and offers ideas for hope.

The person who’s concerned with racial justice will be glad you gave “State of Emergency: How We Win in the Country We Built” by Tamika D. Mallory. It’s an overall look at continuing racism in America, including what’s happened in the past year or so; it’s a demand to think and a call to action for everyone.

For the giftee who worries about gun violence in America today, “The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America” by Carol Anderson might be a good gift. It’s about what she says is the real reason gun violence exists, and beware: it’s very controversial.

For the reader who dreams of life in the past or wishes to know the future, “Time Travel: The Science and Science Fiction”

by Nick Redfern is a book to give this year. Filled with short entries and packed with information, ideas, and possibilities from literature, philosophical thought, eyewitness accounts, and science, this book may make your giftee wish they had a ticket now.

If you’ve got someone on your list who wants to make the world a better place, then look for “An Abolitionist’s Handbook: 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World” by Patrisse Cullors. Part memoir, part instruction, this book will help show how good can be done, not just in big ways but in everyday life. Wrap it up with “Say Their Names: How Black Live Came to Matter in America” by Curtis Bunn, Michael H. Cottman, Patrice Gaines, Nick Charles, and Keith Harriston.

True Crime and Police Stories For the social activist on your list, or for anyone who wants to know more about the death penalty, look at “Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty” by Maurice Chammah.

Specifically looking at Death Row in Texas prisons, this book takes a look at penal punishment and how it affects the condemned and those who know them.

Your giftee will also be very happy with “American Serial Killers: The Epidemic Years 19502000” by Peter Vronsky. It’s an anthology of crime that’ll chill your favorite true crime aficionado and leave them begging for more – and so wrap up “Serial Killers: The Minds, Methods, and Mayhem of History’s Most Notorious Murders” by Richard Estep, for the best gift for a true crime fan ever.

For the Sports Lover No doubt, there’s someone on your list who plays favorites when it comes to sports. That’s why you’ll want to wrap up “Talking to GOATs” by Jim Gray. It’s a book full of interviews with

sports’ Greatest Of All Time competitors (GOATs, get it?). Surely, there’s more argument in this book, just as there’s more to know about superstar professionals.

History For the person who races through books faster than fast, wrap up “The Matter of Black Lives: Writing from The New Yorker,” edited by Jelani Cobb and David Remnick. It’s a thick anthology filled with essays from decades ago but are still relevant, thoughts that need reconsideration, and historical tales that modern eyes need to see.

Memoir and Biography Readers who love historical biographies will devour “Cleopatra: The Queen Who Challenged Rome and Conquered Eternity”

by Alberto Angela. It’s a sweeping story, and your giftee will love getting it, no de Nile.

Business For the businessperson who wants to spend this winter making that business grow, wrap up “The Power of Trust: How Companies Build It, Lose It, Regain It” by Sandra J. Sucher & Shalene Gupta. Highly researched, this book explains why trust may be the most important advantage you have in your business, what you need to do to maintain your clients’ trust, and what to do if you lose it.

Pets and Animals The dog lover on your list will really like “The Forever Dog”

by Rodney Habib & Dr. Karen Shaw Becker with Kristin Loberg. It’s a book filled with ideas and science that’ll help that puppy parent keep their fur-kid around a whole lot longer.

If you have any questions, if you’re desperate for ideas, or if you need a good substitute, ask your favorite bookseller.

Season’s Readings! Q The full version is online at qsaltlake.com.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF FOX 13

36 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | Q&A

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Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

Two Sister Queens for Christmas Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme on taking their holiday show back on the road

BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI

No, Jinkx

Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme aren’t roommates. But the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alums get that you might think so. After all, during our recent Zoom call, they were sharing a physical space.

“We’re just together right now,” DeLa says, before kidding that “every time we’re getting ready for the holiday show, I kidnap Jinkx and hold her captive in my basement until the show is done. That’s our writing process.”

What does Jinkx have to say about all this? “I develop Stockholm Syndrome,” she says, “and have to be deprogrammed.” She adds that this is “how we create the illusion of sisterhood and togetherness on stage.”

Just the opposite is true, of course. There’s no illusion. Or basement. (We think.)

Instead, these two are drag sisters through and through, even if they love to feign the dramatic frenemy tension that makes, for example, their holiday shows an irresistibly catty treat. Though last year the pandemic got in the way of their live show — instead, they made the movie “The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special” — they’re back on the road again this year for “The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show.”

I hope that you’re getting fed in that basement, Jinkx.

JINKX MONSOON: Yeah. I gotta say one thing: As a producer, DeLa makes sure I am fed and fed well.

BENDELACREME: Foie gras goose. Just a straw down the gullet, and just pile it in. Gotta keep my little cash cow goin’.

How do you plan on topping “The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special”?

DELA: Topping! Get it?

JINKX: Yeah, we’re gonna top it consensually and with plenty of lube. Every year we have to ask ourselves: How are we gonna top last year’s show? And it just so happens that last year’s show was a film, so it’s a whole new list of obstacles and questions we must answer. But I think we’ll attack it the same way we do every year, which is to focus on: What is the message we want to send this year, specifically? What are the shared experiences our audiences can relate to this year?

And how are we going to examine those themes and tropes and queries in a new and exciting way that no one’s ever done before. So just that.

DELA: And fortunately, it seems to be a bottomless well of, um, topping jokes.

I would expect nothing less. Is there anything related to the pandemic?

DELA: Of course. We’re in this rare moment where we’ve been through this collective trauma and now we’re going through this collective sort of joy that is also a trauma of beginning to reenter, so I think that it would be impossible for us not to address that. Our thesis is always about really trying to hold all the complexities of how joyous and how difficult the holiday season can be, and this year there’s just a lot of layers on top of that.

JINKX: I’m very much someone who takes what happens in my life, I form a story around it, and just tell you stories from my life. Whereas DeLa takes experiences from her life and then pushes it through a whole Play-Doh factory of synthesis and artifice and stylization.

Our writing style together has become a marriage of those two ways of going about it. This year, because of the extenuating circumstances of the last two years, I think we’re leaning more into reality than in the past, but still maintaining that stylized [sense of] “How do we comment on reality [as] fictional drag queens?”

DELA: The characters have been through everything that we collectively have been through, but we’re always gonna abstract it by having it be like a talking peppermint that’s gonna help us resolve our feelings, you know?

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Q&A | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 37

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JINKX: It’s not gonna be like group therapy; it’s gonna be like watching two crazy ladies.

DELA: Because people wanna feel seen in their experience, but they also want a break, right? We need to experience some joy right now. So our hope is to bring all of those things.

JINKX: Yeah. Live vicariously through us as we process trauma in an entertaining way. (Laughs.) You get drunk and sit back, and we’ll do the work.

You had a naked man in the TV special.

Will you bring a naked man with you on stage for the live show?

DELA: If only the Delta baggage limit would allow for a carry-on that heavy.

I’m sure you can find a man in every town willing to get naked.

JINKX: We’ll put it in our rider. (Laughs.)

I mean, if I had it my way, there’d be full-frontal nudity in everything that I do, but that’s just a perfect example of certain things you can pull off in a movie that you can’t necessarily do on stage.

DELA: All right, I’m getting the hint. I will be fully nude for this entire tour.

What are you most looking forward to when it comes to getting back on the road and being in front of a live audience?

JINKX: Uh, how do I say all of it without it sounding like a cop-out answer?

DELA: But it’s the actual answer. I mean, the actual relationship with the audience, the live energetic exchange, the exchange that we get to have with each other as like a threeway with the audience (laughs), for lack of a better way to speak about it.

But I mean, I’m even looking forward to the stuff that usually is the hardest stuff.

I’m looking forward to, you know, trying to sleep on an airplane unsuccessfully and then going straight to tech and having to do a show again. I just… I can’t wait to live life as a performer again.

Jinkx: Yeah, honestly, if I could take my cat on tour with us then I’d have it all. Oh, and my husband. (Laughs.)

Is there something about Christmas that gives you a different kind of permission to be completely outrageous?

DELA: I mean, we’ve never needed much permission. But what I do think is that generally it gives a lot of other people permission, which is why I think it’s such a successful marriage between drag and

the holidays: because it’s a time of year where I think so many people indulge in that kind of excess.

JINKX: Yes! Straight people have three points in the year to dress up like us. They have Halloween, Christmas and the Kentucky Derby, for some reason. (Laughs.)

What part of getting into drag really makes you feel the Christmas fantasy?

DELA: You know, I love being in drag much more than I enjoy getting into drag at this stage of my career. (Laughs.)

JINKX: Yeah, if I had a button that I could just push that would put me into drag immediately, I’d give almost anything for that.

DELA: That Judy Jetson helmet from the opening credits of “The Jetsons” that she just puts on, and then she’s gorgeous.

JINKX: But I think it’s all gonna feel new again, now that I’m reentering the world like a hairless, pink little baby. (Laughs.)

The last live show in 2019 was called “All I Want for Christmas Is Attention.” What’s all you both want this year?

DELA: Attention. (Laughs.)] Turns out that I spoke too soon. I need it more now.

JINKX: Yeah, with a heavy side of validation. And if there’s time, the dismantling of the patriarchy.

DELA: Yes, the fall of capitalism and also for people to collectively take Covid safety and vaccines seriously enough for us to be able to go on tour without the constant fear that the rug could be pulled out at any moment. (Laughs.)

JINKX: Yeah. It feels like Michael Myers is stalking slowly behind us.

DELA: But at least six feet away at all times.

Besides each other, of course, who is your favorite queen that does something totally different from what you do?

DELA: Totally different? But I like the queens who are like me!

JINKX: Two of my other best drag sisters are Alaska and then Bob the Drag Queen.

I feel like Bob the Drag Queen and I have very different styles but a shared central passion for what we do and a shared respect for the art form.

DELA: I guess I was picturing that I had to think of something that was a far cry from what I do. I mean, they’re definitely different from you, but there’s definitely a world of theatricality within that. I would say there’s a lot of drag queens who have really inspired me

over the years. This performer doesn’t even really identify as a drag queen, but Dina Martina, who is also a storyteller and theatrical chanteuse, is one of the most brilliant performers out there.

If both of you returned to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and did Snatch Game as a duo, which legendary iconic duo would you be?

JINKX: The answer that’s right in front of us would be Ren and Stimpy.

DELA: I don’t know that it’s the most interesting choice but Lucy and Ethel feel like maybe the most obvious choice.

I would be really into doing Laurel and Hardy just because I’d like to see us in those looks.

JINKX: Oh, I know my answer! ­Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.

Getting back to the holidays, what’s a holiday tradition that you wish would just die?

DELA: I think we’ve killed most of the ones we don’t like already, but let’s see. I have to think back. I will say I do not enjoy gift giving. I like gift giving as a general practice, but at the holidays it seems transactional. Like, I wanna give a gift because I found a thing, and it made me think of somebody. In my family growing up, it was all very much like, “Here is this gift, but what do I get in return?” So that’s not something I enjoy. I prefer the experiences and the togetherness.

JINKX: I’m trying really hard to think, and I just can’t. Like there’s plenty of traditions that I’m like, “What’s that all about?” But then there’s always a way to make ’em fun.

DELA: What about going to church in the middle of the night? I wanna let go of that one.

JINKX: Yeah, anything that’s too religious-y. (Laughs.)

DELA: So ... Christmas?

JINKX: (Laughs.)

DELA: What Jinkx would do away with is Christmas.

JINKX: (Laughs.) Yeah, I’d take us back to solstice, you know. Take us all the way back. You know, people are talking about how we go back to those old-timey Christmases of yore.

I’m like, go all the way back. Q Chris Azzopardi is the editorial director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate. He has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

38 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | FABBY AWARDS

Qsaltlake.com |

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

positive thoughts

Representation Matters The film ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ recreates a historic interview with a man living with AIDS

BY MARK S. KING

At the height

of their 1980s popularity, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker were television evangelist royalty, hosting multiple shows and raking in cash from their on-air collection plates.

Tammy Faye, however, also had an expansive view of love and acceptance, despite her conservative Christian roots.

She proved it in 1985 when she had a gay man living with AIDS, Steve Pieters, as a guest on her show, “Tammy’s House Party.” The interview is recreated in the new film “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” about the rise and fall of the Bakkers. Available now on Blu-ray and digital, it stars Jessica Chastain as Tammy Faye and Andrew Garfield as Jim. Pieters spoke about the original interview, which is available on YouTube, and the new film.

It’s amazing that of all the events in Tammy Faye’s life, the filmmakers chose to include her interview with you. I’m thrilled that they did. I’m touched and honored.

It’s ironic that the gay man they found was also a theologian and pastor. Yes. I was a pastor at the time with [the LGBTQ-affirming] Metropolitan Community Church, and I had been speaking about living with AIDS for two years or more.

I made sure the interview went out live so they couldn’t edit it. It was a kick.

But it was a conservative environment.

When did you realize it was friendly ground? Tammy’s producer had been very friendly. She reassured me that Tammy was proud and excited to be the first to give an affirming interview to a gay man with AIDS. You also kept bringing the topic back to your faith. When she asked you if you had given women “a chance,” you said God loves you the way you are. I did that quite deliberately. She had said [before we went on air] that “we don’t talk about Jesus” on this show. And then, of course, we ended up talking about Jesus a lot.

It’s also surprising, frankly, that the person living with AIDS who did that interview in 1985 is still alive to talk about it.

I know! I got sick in 1982 and was diagnosed with GRID [gay-related immunodeficiency, a diagnosis used prior to the discovery of HIV]. They told me I had eight months left to live.

There’s no rhyme or reason to it, is there?

Who was empowered, who fought hard, who lived, who died, in those early years.

Yes, absolutely. When I think about all those amazing people who were killed…

Steve Pieters

What was the initial response from folks to your interview? Not much. It wasn’t until 1987, when the Reverend Troy Perry played the interview at a general

conference for MCC and 1,000 people stood up and cheered, that I got much of a response. I was so shocked. After that, I traveled for 12 years all over the world, and they always wanted me to show that interview at church events. Everyone wanted to see it.

The trailer for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” gives viewers the impression that she was really going rogue with her interview with you.

It didn’t please the conservatives in power.

She wasn’t sticking to the political script of homosexuals being a threat to Christianity and democracy. Absolutely. I don’t know if it was because she had a good heart or because she wanted to be known as someone who did something radical. I don’t know. But I’m told this was not the first time she had talked to a gay man.

The new film explores the mystery of Tammy Faye, meaning whether she was just playing a role or whether she was, in fact, an innocent who loved the Lord. If her constant cheerfulness and loving attitude was a persona, she never, ever dropped it.

I know she treated me like a real human being. She was very compassionate. It seemed very sincere. Her son, Jay Bakker, and I have talked the last couple of years, and he tells me that my interview changed her, and it changed the whole family. After that interview, she decided that she had a calling to minister to the LGBT community. She started taking her kids to MCC services and to Pride parades and to hospices to meet people with AIDS who were sick and dying.

Jay said it completely changed their attitudes and her direction in ministry.

Was Jim Bakker involved in any of this?

Jay Bakker tells me that his father was all for having the interview done. They did decide, though, that it should be broadcast on Tammy’s House Party, rather than on their flagship show,

DECEMBER, 2021 |

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FABBY AWARDS | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 39

801-308-2050

www.jonjepsen.com

The PTL Club [PTL stood for “Praise the Lord”]. They thought it would go better if it were on her show.

Now, all of these decades later, the notoriety of doing this interview is all going to come up again. There’s an actor, Randy Havens, playing you in a major Hollywood film. How does that make you feel? I’m thrilled about it. I got a note from the producer saying that her interview with me figures very prominently in the plot.

Did the producers of the film approach you beforehand to ask your thoughts, then and now, about the interview? Did you even know that the film was happening? No. I was on Jay Bakker’s podcast, “Loosen The Bible Belt,” and he told me about the movie. He said that the actress Jessica Chastain, who plays Tammy Faye, told him that the interview was central to the plot. Jessica decided to do the film because of that interview in the plot. The producers apparently thought that I was no longer living. Because the interview is on YouTube, I’m considered to be a historic figure, so they don’t have to ask my permission to do it. I wasn’t even aware of it until after the film was in the can.

What are your apprehensions? There is a little bit of fear in me that this is what’s going to be the lead in my obituary. This interview and now this film is what I’m goPHOTO: SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES.

ing to be remembered for, not that I survived AIDS or was a director of AIDS ministries but that I was that gay pastor with AIDS who did that interview. Which is OK. I could be remembered for a lot worse.

To have represented a community so well on a national television show that became kind of infamous? That’s a great lead for anyone’s obituary. And the interview eventually became your calling card. Look at all the great work you were able to do as a result of that moment.

It accelerated your career in advocacy as well as your ministry.

It definitely raised my profile.

And I’ve had people over the years come up to me and say that that interview saved their life or that they never realized they could be gay and Christian. I had one person tell me that he was seriously contemplating suicide, and the interview changed his mind.

It’s a fascinating slice of HIV/ AIDS history. It deserves to be remembered. And for what it meant for representation of people living with HIV and the marvelous work it helped you do and for the lives it changed, it deserves to be the lead in your obituary — if that turns out to be the case. That’s true.

It was a big deal. And I didn’t even know it at the time.

Mark S. King is an HIV/AIDS advocate and writer for POZ magazine, where this interview originally appeared. This column is a project of TheBody, Plus, Positively Aware, POZ, Q Syndicate, and QSaltLake Magazine. Visit their websites (linked) for the latest updates on HIV/AIDS.

Know who WANTS your business and will treat you with the DIGNITY and RESPECT you deserve

40 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | Q&A

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Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

tion and entertainment. And when Karen Azenberg (Artistic Director for PTC) approached me and sent me the script for Elf, I immediately saw that the show is filled with the same humor and heart that I love. Buddy the Elf’s life perspective is so pure, and his joy brightens every room he enters that I found immediate parallels to it and “Sesame Street.” If Buddy the Elf was a Muppet, I think he would be closest to either Ernie or Grover.

Alan Muraoka with Elmo, Abby, and Cookie Monster on Sesame Street. PHOTO: PAUL MCGINNIS

Interview with Alan Muraoka, director of PTC’s ‘Elf The Musical’

BY JENNIFER FITZGIBBON

Alan

Muraoka, director of Pioneer Theatre Company’s upcoming show “Elf The Musical,” is a well-established actor and director and may look familiar to many. That’s because he is also the proprietor of Hooper’s Store on the much-loved “Sesame Street,” where he has been a cast member for 23 years. Muraoka married his husband, Herb Perry, in 2009.

I sat down with Alan to ask him about “Elf The Musical,” being an actor and a director, and of course, “Sesame Street.”

How did you transition from acting to directing? Is it difficult juggling a TV role and directing? When I was a theatre arts major at UCLA, I was interested in both acting and directing but focused on acting. That got me to New York City in 1987 and my first Broadway show. My first professional directing debut was in 1998 with an Asian American Theatre Company called NAATCO (National Asian American Theatre Company), where I directed the William Finn musical Falsettoland with an all-Asian American cast. We got amazing reviews and a love letter

from The New York Times, so the show ran for that entire summer. It gave me a wonderful start to my directing career.

I have been a cast member of “Sesame Street” for the past 23 years (I play Alan, the proprietor of Hooper’s Store) and have had the pleasure of directing projects for them for the past 10 years.

We shoot an entire season of “Sesame Street” in four months, so that leaves the rest of the year for me to do other directing and acting projects, like Elf. It actually works out pretty well since our shooting season for “Sesame Street” is so short. The only time it becomes a small challenge is when I am both directing and acting in the same episode. It’s a lot of hats to wear at the same time, but I have figured out how to make that work, and I am luckily surrounded by great people who help support me.

Being a full-time cast member on a kid’s show is a different path for a Broadway actor and director. Have your skills working on “Sesame Street” helped with working on a family-friendly show like Elf? Absolutely. At “Sesame Street,” we strive for finding both humor and heart in our material as we try to find that balance of educa-

What was the first professional show you saw as a child? How did that affect your decision to become an actor? My parents weren’t really theatergoers, but when they saw that I had an interest, they did start buying tickets to the touring shows that came to Los Angeles. The show that I remember being the most impactful to me was “A Chorus Line.” I think I was 14 at the time, and I was blown away by the dancing and the story. I think it was my “aha” moment. I had already been doing theatre at my elementary and junior high school, but this set me on a course to where I am today.

My parents were of course concerned but supportive of my passions, and when it came time to talk about college, I told them I wanted to be a Theater Arts major.

We decided as a family that UCLA would be the best fit because they had a wonderful theatre program, but if I somehow changed my mind, it was a great school with lots of alternative choices. Luckily, we never had to have that discussion.

Carol Burnett offered an annual Musical Theatre Scholarship at UCLA that was open for any student to audition, and eight finalists were chosen to perform for an audience of industry folks. There was a panel of four celebrity judges who decided the outcome. I was a finalist three times and finally won my junior year. And throughout those three years, I was judged by Broadway veterans Paula Kelly, Ken Berry, Rock Hudson, and Carol Burnett herself. I think the moment that my parents and grandparents met Carol Burnett backstage, they knew there was no turning back.

Is “Elf The Musical” a good “first show” to introduce children to theatre? I think Elf is the perfect show for children

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to be introduced to theatre. It’s a holiday show with so much physical humor, great songs, a huge heart, and the central character of Buddy, who has the innocence of an eight-yearold child. It’s a win-win scenario.

What draws you to this show, and what do you plan to bring to the production that others have not done before? As I have said, the humor and the heart of any show are what excite me and drive me. An emotional connection is vital and important in any good storytelling, and I do think that “Elf” has that.

The challenges that arise are, of course, the realities of the budget. We cannot realize everything that was in the original Broadway production, so we have to work smarter, which is always a fun and challenging journey. We are using lighting for many of our magical effects, and fingers crossed, it all works out. That’s all I’m going to give. You’ll have to come and see it for yourself!

Anything you would like to add about the cast you’re working with? Have you worked with any of them before? I feel so lucky to have this wonderful mix of local and New York talent. Whenever I cast, I try to find both the most talented actors and people I want to be in a room with. I try to create a relaxed atmosphere in the rehearsal room, where actors feel brave enough to experiment and sometimes fail. I cannot tell you how many great ideas come out of failed attempts. I know as an actor when I feel safe, and I try to recreate that in my rehearsal space.

Max Chernin as Buddy is a revelation.

I have been a fan of his for a few years, and so am very excited that he is setting the tone for both comedy and heart. Our musical director, Tom Griffin, hired me as an actor back in 1983 or 1984 for “Holiday Cabaret” he was doing in Los Angeles, and this is our first time back together since that time. Our choreographer Rommy Sandhu and I have been friends for many years, and yet this is our first time collaborating on a project together.

Our Greenway is played by Howard Kaye, who is a longtime favorite at PTC, and he and I did the original Broadway production of “Miss Saigon” back in 1995. And this is the theatrical return of my friend Danielle Decrette, who stopped performing to raise three beautiful girls and will be a valued member of our Ensemble.

What is your next project? On Thanksgiving Day, “Sesame Street” will debut a special called “See Us Coming Together,” which will celebrate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and introduce a new Muppet cast member named Ji-Young, a spunky Korean American girl. I had the great honor of co-directing this special as well as being an actor in it, along with guest stars like Simu Liu, Naomi Osaka, Padma Lakshmi, Melissa King, and Jim Lee. I also will be directing segments for the upcoming Season 53 of “Sesame Street” as well as developing a new musical based on the life of Franz Kafka and The Metamorphosis. Q Elf the Musical runs from December 3–18. This interview was first published on Pioneer Theatre Company’s website

42 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | COMICS

Advice from a Friend

47 Drenching rain 48 “Three’s Company” actress 49 Butch neckwear, ACROSS perhaps 1 Cassini of A-line 51 Broadway ticket dresses souvenir 5 Dooryard bloomer, 52 Figurative friend of for Whitman gay men, and source 10 Bushy do of the advice 14 Fielder’s call, to Bean 57 Broadway slave 15 Contest venue 58 “Damn Yankees” 16 Witty Coward song 17 Start of advice from 59 “Why should ___ a friend you?”

20 Cause anguish to 61 Rod attachment 21 Boneless cuts 62 Ewing matriarch, on 22 Hamlet, to fans?

“Dallas” 26 Word after “Dear” 63 Boy of Kahlo’s 29 “Do” in “The Sound country of Music” 64 Make messy 30 Broadway opening 65 Queer coins for a lot?

66 “Quills” subject 34 Long sandwich, for DOWN short 1 Cut 35 Aroused in bed 2 Cukor’s “A ___ of 37 Physicians’ org.

Her Own” 38 Bear 3 “Lord of the Rings” 40 Solidly behind singer 41 She’s George 4 Lynn Redgrave’s “___ 43 More of the advice Girl” 45 End of the advice PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 37

Qsaltlake.com |

5 Of milk 6 Gershwin of “Of Thee I Sing” 7 Sportscaster Berman 8 Offspring of a queen 9 Bedside table money 10 Bend over and grab them 11 Baudelaire’s liver 12 Musical based on “La BohËme” 13 Ford contemporary 18 Egypt and Syr., once 19 One to Rohm 23 Roll with the punches 24 O-o-o-o-okla., once 25 Discharge, among soldiers 26 Former leader of Syria 27 Elevation with a flat top 28 Sport of the Chicago Sky, for short 31 Peter of “Say Uncle” 32 Colette’s love 33 Husband and husband, for example 35 Butler’s “___ for Strings”

36 Eat with enthusiasm 46 Will subjects 50 South Beach 39 Swiss soldiers, in souvenir WWII 51 Bit of mistletoe 42 Sweetie-pie 52 Deity of Debussy 53 Lines from Lesbos 44 Gets hot

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

54 Yellow Sea feeder 55 “East of Eden” director Kazan 56 Split 57 Place for tats 60 Ballerina’s perch

DECEMBER, 2021 |

PUZZLES | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 43

Issue 330 | Qsaltlake.com

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44 | 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

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Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

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

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/

DECEMBER, 2021 |

BOOK REVIEW | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 45

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the bookworm sez REVIEW BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

Allies: Real Talk about Showing Up, Screwing Up, and Trying Again EDITED BY SHAKIRAH BOURNE & DANA ALISON LEVY C.2021, DORLING KINDERSLEY LTD. $16.99 240 PAGES

You’d do anything for your friends.

You help them in school when they need it, or with a loan in a pinch. Your home is their home, and vice versa. You might share clothes with your friends, seats, secrets and for sure, support but what about people you don’t know that well? In the new book “Allies” by various authors, you start upright and on your feet.

q scopes DECEMBER

BY SAM KELLEY-MILLS

ARIES March 20–April 19 Whatever you are going through, it only feels like the world is ending. So embrace feelings of change and see through the chaos. Start by finding pleasure with others, and inner tranquility will follow shortly.

TAURUS Apr 20–May 20 There is a decision to be made regarding the career path. Your comfort zone is a safe one, but you don’t have to brave the storm without an umbrella. Utilize protective assets and delve into the unknown.

GEMINI May 21–June 20 A partner or close friend may be disagreeable, at least from

School has started and some kids – kids of color, queer kids, different kids – are struggling. You want to help but you don’t know how to even begin. So now what?

The first thing to know about being an ally is in the first chapter of this book: you will screw up sometimes. It’s not fun, it’s comfortable, and you can’t just dump your guilt back on whoever you’re trying to support. Instead, learn from it, and get used to it.

But wait. Can’t you help?

“It’s complicated,” says Dana Alison Levy, the first author.

You can loudly be an ally, but when it’s not your time to speak, then hush. Allies remember that pronouns are important things (see above: you’ll screw up) and when someone reveals their preferred name, an ally makes sure it’s used. Allies know that the letters “LGBTQIA” don’t stop at “G.” When they see someone with a disability,

they don’t rush in and act like superheroes. They ask first if they can help, and they never see a disabled person as a “tool” to get extra privileges.

Likewise, they don’t finish sentences for a stutterer and it should go without saying that allies are never bullies. Nope, they reach for understanding, and if they don’t understand, they can be schooled.

Being an ally doesn’t stop at sexuality or disability, though. You can be an ally for women by standing up to misogyny. You can stand up by seeing color and acknowledging it. You can stand up and admit that there are things you’ll never experience.

And sometimes, being an ally is knowing when it’s time to walk away...

When it comes to being a better friend to those who need one, you always want to do what’s right – but sometimes, right is wrong and arrrrgh! It seems like maybe you need something

your point of view. What you project can be reflected back. Announce that you will be to be more pleasing, and you will be pleased in return.

goals have been overlooked. There is so little time, so utilize resources.

CANCER June 21–July 22 Do what feels right, and don’t bow to pressure from others. Even if the world is a crazy place, your mind should be a safe space. Take time for yourself and clear your schedule for those who matter most.

LEO July 23–August 22 A seemingly difficult person may simply be struggling and needs your assistance. Provide a helping hand, and a connection will be made. Even if you don’t become best friends, there could be benefits.

VIRGO August 23–Sep. 2 There is a first time for everything that happens, but some things are bound not to happen. Set your priorities and determine what

LIBRA Sept 23–October 22 There is a sense of boredom and it is a good time to remedy it. Attend a party or set a date with loved ones. Try spicing things up and keep your eye on prizes the season offers. Enjoy the holidays.

SCORPIO Oct. 23–Nov. 21 It’s a time for new beginnings and acceptance. There is a lot of cheer to go around, and the best way to spread it is to be social.

Don’t worry about past issues or try placing blame. Just have fun. Enjoy.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22–December 20.

Big plans are ahead, and it is best to get an early start. Friends and family are counting on you, but don’t let them intimidate you. Set an example of being calm, cool, and collected, and the rest will follow.

of an ally to be an ally, and this book can help.

With straight talk but a light touch, “Allies” helps young readers dispense with the awkwardness of not knowing how to act, through reassuring stories meant to show that merely just showing up is a great start. The chapters aren’t long – some are told with artwork – and they’re as diverse as the writers themselves. They’re not preachy, either: each is told by an appreciative person who’s received much-needed support and others whose eyes were opened, giving readers the upbeat, forward-looking, I-cando-this feeling they might get in the eager moments before a march or a rally.

That makes “Allies” a great first step for any progressive-thinking 12-to18-year-old who needs a good launch-point. Find this book, read it, and share it with your friends. Q

CAPRICORN Dec 21–Jan 19

Be clever but not too clever for your own good. There is something to be said about embracing a basic method. Be direct and grab life by the horns. Even if you can’t hold tight, you’ll have fun doing it.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20–Feb. 18 No one is having a more interesting time than you right now. It may not be entirely true, but for the moment, it seems that way. Help others get to where you are, throw a party or social, and celebrate.

PISCES Feb 19–Mar 19 End the year by embracing resolutions. There is nothing wrong with getting ahead on your list. You might actually get what you want, even if that isn’t what you are expecting. Prepare to be surprised. Q

46 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | FABBY AWARDS

BY ROMEO SAN VICENTE

Dan Levy cooks up a ‘Big Brunch’ We don’t know if Dan Levy is a Brunch Gay, but it’s clear that his character from “Schitt’s Creek” is. So call it typecasting if you like, but Levy is about to host an HBO Max reality cooking competition series called “The Big Brunch.” Levy is also the creator (OK, real-life Brunch Gay status confirmed, which means it’s not mere typecasting but rather a brand building monetization of a hobby) and “Chef’s Table” production company Boardwalk Pictures is along for the ride, as well. The chefs in competition will be food-fighting for an undisclosed “life-altering” prize, while sharing their stories and career aspirations along the way to frittata

deep inside hollywood

triumph or crushing defeat. At this point, everything from knitting to glass-blowing is its own competition series now, so why not brunch? This feels like the kind of show we’re going to watch with a tall stack of blueberry pancakes and some champagne.

‘The Mattachine Family’ gets a queer cast and creators Nico Tortorella (“Younger”) will star alongside Heather Matarazzo, Juan Pablo Di Pace (“Fuller House”), Carl Clemons-Hopkins (“Hacks”) and Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek”) in the film “The Mattachine Family.” Andy Vallentine, a video and commercial director, will make his feature directorial debut from a screenplay by his husband Danny Vallentine. And if the word “Mattachine” leads you to believe this

Qsaltlake.com |

is a period film about the queer civil rights movement, you’d be mistaken. Instead, it’s a drama about a queer foster family.

Tortorella and Di Pace play a couple who foster a child, and when that child returns to his birth mother, questions about and perspectives on what makes a family suddenly come into play. We’re fully into the queer family angle here, but what we’re really pleased with is the fact that the screenwriter, director and all the main cast are queer people. So now, with the Billy Eichner romcom turning into a roll call of LGBTQ+ performers, we think we as audience members should just start demanding it every time a new queer film goes into production. If DC Comics fanboys can yell about the Synder Cut long enough and get their way, we can too.

(P.S. We won’t be doing this because it’s obnoxious. Or maybe just once to flex our entitlement muscles. Why not?)

‘Spinning Gold’ updates its disco-making cast We reported on the Neil Bogart/Casablanca Records movie “Spinning Gold” a while back. But since then a lot has changed. For those not around in the 1970s, Casablanca Records dominated the charts with artists like Donna Summer, The Village People, Parliament and KISS, which means those boogie nights were destined for the cinematic treatment. The film, written and directed by Timothy Scott Bogart, son of the disco mogul, originally planned to cast Samuel Jackson and Kenan Thompson in key roles, but now the roster has shifted to include Wiz Khalifa as George Clinton, singer-songwriter Tayla Parx as Donna Summer, “SNL” actor Chris Redd as Frankie Crocker, Pink Sweat$ as R&B star Bill

Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

Withers, and Ledisi as Gladys Knight, with Sam Harris as Paul Stanley. Add them to an impressive band of actors including Jason Derulo, Jay Pharoah, Michelle Monaghan, Jason Isaacs, Dan Fogler, James Wolk and Michael Ian Black, and that makes for a densely populated dance floor. We’ve been waiting an extended remix amount of time for this one, so at this point we’re just going to watch it to play Spot the Musical Legend and see if the ’70s wigs are good enough.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo plan to get ‘Wicked’ Can it be true? Does the film adaptation of “Wicked” with Jon M. Chu in the director’s chair really have a cast? Does this mean the movie will be actually made soon? The latest development in the seemingly endless development stage is the announcement that powerhouse singers Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will take the main roles of Glinda and Elphaba, respectively. The stars announced it all on their Instagram accounts, sending fans into an elated frenzy.

And we’re happy, too. In fact, we’re thrilled. But at this point we just want to know that the movie is actually being made, that people are singing and dancing and acting and cameras are rolling. Anything “Oz” related is automatically queer, which is perhaps why we’ve become so invested, more than we ever were for “Cats” (no shade, because we’ll drink-watch that one anytime). But we’ve been waiting so long we’re about to be as old as Auntie Em and Uncle Henry. Oh, you say production is set for summer of 2022?

OK, we’ll keep waiting.

Romeo San Vicente prefers the company of evil queens and wicked witches.

DECEMBER, 2021 |

Issue 330 | Qsaltlake.com

FABBY AWARDS | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 47

48 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | SEX

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Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

sex and salt lake city

Happy Horny Days!

BY DR. LAURIE BENNETT-COOK

I can’t

possibly be the only one who feels a bit more randy over the holidays. I’m not sure why or what it is, but something about the prospect of sharing and showing some “goodwill toward men.” So now, with the holidays and end of the year upon us, it’s time for a good reminder of a few of the benefits of sex — whether with ourselves or with a partner – sexual energy, expression and play can be very healthy and beneficial.

Sex as a Stress Reducer Let’s be honest, the holiday season has the ability to create stress for a lot of us.

In spite of the ‘jolliness’ of the season, there seems to be a bit of a maddening rush everywhere we go. Taking some time to physically connect with partner(s), or even with just ourselves, can force us to be in a present state, breathe deeply, and focus on pleasure for ourselves. With all we’re doing rushing around to ensure the days ahead are pleasurable for others, it’s good self-care to make a bit of our own time pleasurable and thus a little less stressful.

Lower Blood Pressure A Scottish study published in the Journal of Biological Psychology states: “Sexual activity prevents increases in blood pressure during stressful events.” Considering

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the stresses that many experience with the holiday season, this link to blood pressure health could certainly be an incentive to secure some pleasure time for yourself. That alone may be a good gift to enjoy!

Sexual Health = Cardiac Health A little-known fact is how using our sexiness as a workout is actually good for our hearts. When having sex, our heart rate increases. Thus, sex just may be the most fun type of exercise to be had. Of course, if you feel you might not be healthy enough for a romp under the mistletoe, you can check with your doctor to make sure.

Wrapping Up One of the best gifts to give a sexual partner is to not give them anything at all. Sexually transmitted infections, while treatable, are generally not something that most people desire. The best way to avoid giving such a gift to another person is to wrap up anything that will be inserted with a condom. Unfortunately, many believe simply wrapping up just prior to penetration is enough. The truth is, many times body fluids are exchanged before hard things find themselves inserted into soft places. Depending on the partner you’re interacting with, barriers may be needed more or less. Only you know your risk factors and should advocate for yourself accordingly.

Condoms can only do so much and only protect what they’re actually in contact with. To further protect from possible STI transmission, don’t shave or

brush teeth right before sexual activity.

This may sound counterintuitive, but much like preventing the spread of other infections such as the cold or flu, our clean closed skin is our best defense.

Shaving and brushing teeth can cause micro-abrasions that create an access point for infection. So waiting a few hours before putting another person’s sexy parts inside any of your sexy parts is a good defense for everyone involved.

One reason I hear from many about why they choose to not wear condoms is because of how restrictive they feel. Truly, one of the most enjoyable facets of penetration into any orifice is feeling the moistness of your partner. To substitute that, place a drop of lube on the inside of your condom prior to placing it on your penis. It will spread around with thrusting and for many, it heightens their sensation.

SEX — is how we all got here. And while society at large may have issues with the concept of sex for the purpose of pleasure, I am here to advocate for just that. Let’s consider just how much of a gift sex can be.

Happy Holidays and Celebrate Safely and Sexily! Q Dr. Laurie Bennett-Cook is a Clinical Sexologist who divides her time between Salt Lake City, Utah, and Palm Springs, California. She can be reached at Dr.LaurieBennettCook@gmail.com

DECEMBER, 2021 |

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50 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | FINAL WORD

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Issue 330 | DECEMBER, 2021

the perils of petunia pap smear

A tale of Naked Boys

BY PETUNIA PAP SMEAR

The road

to the theater is fraught with danger and excitement.

A few weeks ago, I was surfing the internet, carefully sorting, categorizing, and collating porn. It’s my stated goal in life to sort all the porn on the internet. When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but an advertisement for the musical revue “Naked Boys Singing.”

Naturally, this caught my attention.

After many frenzied minutes of additional searching and the computer frustratingly freezing up twice, I was sad to discover that the show was going to be produced in Las Vegas. Damn! Las Vegas is so far away. I just happened to own the CD soundtrack of the show, so I dug it out and put it on play while I dejectedly went back to sorting photos of hot guys wearing Speedos on Tumblr, all the while grumbling to myself about missing out on all the excitement. Oh, what the Hell! In a moment of carefree disregard, I decided that it was high time for me to strap on my Clark Griswald pants, load up Queertanic, my beloved land yacht, and head to Las Vegas for my own Vegas Vacation. So, I bought tickets to the show.

As many of you who have ever traveled with me can attest, taking Petunia on the road is no easy endeavor. First of all, Queertanic is not large enough to haul all of my 23 wigs and 72 caftans. Some tough decisions and sacrifices had to be made. Finally, after much-anguished deliberation, I was able to narrow down the wardrobe to the barest of necessities — eight wigs and 27 caftans.

When loading it all into Queertanic it became necessary for me to use great force just to close the car doors.

Feeling triumphant, I was glistening (sweating) profusely from all the effort of stuffing 57 cubic feet of wardrobe into 33 cubic feet of space. I carefully squeezed into the car and put the car in gear. I was off to see naked boys.

As I was backing out of the driveway, I glanced back to make sure the garage

door was closed, and there, standing forlornly in front of the garage door as if he were an abandoned orphan, was Mr. Pap Smear, clutching a small overnight bag. Feeling sheepishly guilty for forgetting that I had a husband, my conscience began to get the better of me, and I thought, “Oh, My, Gawd, perhaps I should take him with me?” But I had not left a space in the car for him. So I began to unpack the car and jettison five more wigs and 12 more caftans in order to squeeze him in.

At long last, after a 7-hour drive, we arrived at the Jewel Box Theater, which was located inside the Erotic Heritage Museum, where “Puppetry of the Penis” and “Naked Boys Singing” were playing. We had one hour to kill before our showtime, so while waiting, we perused the lobby of the sex museum with all its titillating erotic sensual displays. I was sitting in a nice comfy chair, diligently studying a graph that analyzed a breakdown of the sex scenes in “Game of Thrones,” ignoring the mannequins modeling “Muggles” in various sexual positions from the Kama Sutra, when I felt a slight breeze blow past me. I looked up just in time to see a very handsome man’s tanned and firm bare bottom strolling past my chair, his left bun just a tongue’s lick away from my face, heading to the theater entrance. Naturally, I gasped in awe and delight. Apparently, he was an actor in “Puppetry of the Penis,” awaiting his entrance cue. I suddenly began experiencing the vapors and heart palpitations.

Penises and puppets and bums, OH MY! The beautiful naked man stood outside the theater entrance waiting for his cue for about five minutes. Though I was tired from the long drive, I still had enough energy left to stare, laser-focused on his ass, and dream of him sweeping me off my feet and carrying me away, just like Richard Gere in the movie “Officer and A Gentleman.” My giddy mood

quickly turned to disappointment as the naked man heard his cue and entered the theater, leaving me alone with my daydreams of bouncing M&Ms off of his firm, tight buttocks into my mouth.

Just then, a festive group of hot guys wearing seductively short shorts and form-fitting tank tops entered the lobby and began flirting with the ushers. My spirits began to rise again in hopes that they might sit near me in the theater and I might be able to flirt with them.

It was then that I saw him. The longsuffering Mr. Pap Smear, who was waiting patiently in the line, holding my purse and saving my place. Oh yeah, I guiltily remembered. I have a husband. I probably should sit with him.

I lost track of the beautiful boys in the scramble for good seats close to the naked stage. The lights dimmed, the audience quieted, and the curtain rose. To my astonishment, who should be naked, in all their birthday suit glory, on stage but the flirty boys from the lobby. Damn, no touching or photography allowed.

1. This story leaves us with several important questions: 2. Is buying a ticket to see naked boys performing on a stage the same a leaving money on the nightstand for your trick?

3. Should I always wear dark glasses to help facilitate discrete staring?

4. Should I fasten a bell around Mr. Pap Smear’s neck so I will stop forgetting he’s there?

5. Should I devise a hidden camera inside my breasticle for such occasions?

6. Would a lasso attached to a winch, capable of capturing hot boys fit into the other breasticle?

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

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