26 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | UTAH PRIDE GUIDE
Qsaltlake.com |
Issue 336 |
Community service award winner: Suzanne Stott
Community service award winner: Arlyn Bradshaw
A long-time adoption advocate who was the first — and for many years the only — provider who would work with LGBTQ couples or individuals is a recipient of the 2022 Kristen Ries Community Service Award. Suzanne Stott will be awarded at the Utah Pride Festival on Sunday morning, June 5. Stott started the adoption agency Families for Children in Salt Lake City in 1985 and was a pioneer in guiding gay and lesbian individuals and couples through the process of adopting a child. “Gay and lesbian couples in the 1990s and into the 2000s, prior to marriage equality in 2014, had to utilize second-parent adoptions to achieve equal legal status as parents,” wrote nominators Jackie Biskupski and Laura Milliken Gray. “This was necessary for inheritance, insurance, and to secure rights as an unmarried, non-biological parent. Suzanne was the first, and for a long time
Salt Lake County Councilmember Arlyn Bradshaw will receive the Kristen Ries Community Service Award at the Utah Pride Festival this year in honor of over 20 years of service to Utah’s LGBTQ community. Bradshaw began his service to the LGBTQ community in 2001 while a student at the University of Utah and co-chair of the Lesbian and Gay Student Union. While at LGBU, Bradshaw began working with the ASUU Diversity Board to create the UofU LGBT Resource Center, hosting a dinner to raise the initial funds. Bradshaw served as president of the UofU College Democrats and was the first openly gay executive director of the Utah Democratic Party. He served as staff member and aide to several Democratic leaders. As an advisor, Bradshaw was integral in Salt Lake County Councilmember Joe Hatch’s efforts to pass an LGBTQ-inclusive non-discrimination ordinance in 2010 and expand county benefits to cover partners of LGBTQ employees. In 2010, Bradshaw was the first openly gay person to be elected to a seat on the Salt Lake County Council, which
the only, agency willing to do these evaluations for gay and lesbian couples.” As an attorney, Gray worked with Stott on numerous same-sex adoption cases and credits Suzanne for protecting dozens of her clients’ children. Biskupski received a home study from Stott while in the process of adopting her son, Archie, in 2009. She called her caring, courteous, and very helpful. Stott stood solid with her efforts even when those around her disagreed. “Why would I turn someone down because of a label regarding their sexual orientation?” Stott asked. “My first successful couple I helped were two men. They had a very positive parenting experience, and their children are now adults and have their own successful lives.” Stott was a Stake Relief Society President for six years while assisting these couples. She used this position to try to open hearts and minds. It came to her naturally to be an ambassador and ally for the gay community, Biskupski and Gray said. It is estimated Stott facilitated close to 100 adoptions on behalf of the LGBTQ community in Utah. Q
he has held for 12 years. As council member, he sponsored an ordinance creating the mutual commitment registry in the county before samesex marriage was legalized. He was successful in his work to expand benefits for county employees and their families to include transgender-inclusive and gender-affirming insurance coverage. He lobbied the Utah State Legislature for statewide non-discrimination protections, the prohibition of “conversion therapy,” and the repeal of Utah’s “Don’t Say Gay” policies. He also championed the creation of the PrEP clinic at the Salt Lake County Dept. of Health and fought for funding through the council. He serves on the Visit Salt Lake board and its LGBTQ outreach committee and their efforts to bid for the Gay Games and other national LGBTQ events coming to the county. Q
Kristen Ries Community Service Award winners over the years 1987 Dr. Kristen Ries M.D. 1988 Rev. Bruce Barton 1989 KUTV Channel 2 for sponsoring bringing the AIDS Quilt to Utah 1990 Chuck Whyte 1991 Nikki Boyer, Becky Moss, Ben Williams 1992 The College of Monarchs of the Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire, Craig Miller 1993 Ben Barr, Val Mansfield,
Kathy Worthington 1994 Kim Russo 1995 Bruce Harmon 1996 Clariss Cartier (Doug Tollstrup), Charlene Orchard, Barb Barnhart 1997 Rev. Kelly Byrnes, Jeff Freedman, Maggie Snyder PA-C 1998 LaDonna Moore 1999 Dr. Patty Reagan Ph.D. 2000 Marlin Criddle 2000 Brenda Voisard
2001 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Laura Milliken Gray Brook Heart-Song Kevin Hillman Doug Wortham Luci Malin Jane and Tami Marquardt Jackie Biskupski Doug Fadel Stan Penfold Walter Larabee Mark Swonson Michael Aaron Valerie Larabee
JUNE. 2022
2013 Brandie Balken and Charles Lynn Frost 2014 Fran Pruyn and Mark Lawrence 2015 Courtney Moser, aka Petunia Pap Smear 2016 Peggy Tomsic 2017 Todd Bennett 2018 Alan Anderson 2019 Sue Robbins and Pepper Prespentt 2020 Karrie Galloway 2021 Chris Wharton
