QSaltLake Magazine | Issue 340 | October, 2022

staffbox

puBlIsheR/edItoR Michael Aaron desIgneR Christian Allred sales Michael Aaron, 801-997-9763 x1 sales@qsaltlake.com

Rivendell Media, 908-232-2021 ext 200 sales@rivendellmedia.com

natIonal neWs edItoR Craig Ogan

contRIButoRs Joshua Adamson Pickett, Diane Anderson-Minshall, Chris Azzopardi, Paul Berge, Jeff Berry, Paul Campbell, Laurie Bennett-Cook, Roger Cox, Stephen Dark, Jennifer Dobner, Mikki Enoch, Jack Fertig, Greg Fox, Oriol Gutierrez Jr., Tony Hobday, Ashley Hoyle, Joshua Jones, Christopher Katis, Sam Kelly-Mills, Craig Ogan, Peter Reynolds, Mikey Rox, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Gregg Shapiro, Petunia Pap Smear, Steven Petrow, Ed Sikov, JoSelle Vanderhooft, Ben Williams, D’Anne Witkowski

dIstRIButIon Roger Cox

puBlIsheR

Q Media Group 222 S Main St, Ste 500 (by appt. only), Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 tel: 801-997-9763

CONTACT EMAILS: geneRal: info@qsaltlake.com edItoRIal: editor@qsaltlake.com aRts: arts@qsaltlake.com sales: sales@qsaltlake.com

Check us out online at: QSALTLAKE.COM FACEBOOK.COM/QSALTLAKE TWITTER @QSALTLAKE

QSaltLake Magazine is a trademark of Salt Lick Publishing, LLC., Q Media Group

Copyright © 2022, Salt Lick Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. No material may be reprinted or reproduced without written permission from the publisher. 8–18,000 copies are distributed free of charge at over 300 locations across the state. Free copies are limited to one per person. For additional copies, call 801-997-9763. It is a crime to dispose of current issues or otherwise interfere with the distribution of this magazine. Printed locally in the USA on recycled paper. Please recycle this copy when done.

news

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

BY CRAIG OGAN

Respect for Marriage Act may get vote this year

U. S. Senate Majority Lead er Chuck Schumer, D-New York, disappointed Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, by declaring he wouldn’t hold a vote on the Respect for Marriage Act until after the 2022 midterm elections. Collins, a cosponsor of the bill, opined, “My im pression is that the majority leader is eager to put this bill on the floor in September.”

The Democratic Senate cau cus is unanimous for passage and Collins is hopeful to find seven more Republican Senators to join the three who have declared their support to avoid a filibuster. Utah Sens. Mike Lee and Mitt Romney have stated they will be proposing amendments to the bill to “protect religious free doms,” though Lee also stated he wouldn’t vote for the bill even if the amendments pass. Some talk was to add the RMA to a bill subsidizing insulin or the bill to raise the national debt limit. RMA will require all states to recognize any marriage legal in another state. Alas, political calcula tions interfered. If Dems keep the Senate, the vote will go on. If Repubs get the Senate, the vote may not. Either way, the Dems keep this issue alive for fundraising and as a club to pummel the Repubs.

Suspect Texas prisoner death

The sister of an inmate in the Woodville, Texas prison said her brother described pretty horrible treatment before his death in prison. She said he endured beatings from other inmates leaving him with bruises and black eyes which were ignored by guards. He was denied food by inmates in the mess hall, again ignored by guards. He was taunted by guards and fellow inmates with anti-gay slurs. He was discovered in his cell hanging from a noose with a puncture wound in his neck. Prison officials ruled it a suicide. The sister took her case to the media, describing the abuse and fear he expressed for his life. Media coverage got a local judge to order an autopsy. The coroner ruled the cause of death to be a homicide. The Texas Bureau of Prisons inspector general has started an inquiry into the death and prison practices.

not a BPOC (the ‘B’ standing for black, brown, or bear)?” Asians, again, are left out of the advocacy, since no one mentioned Pandas. Probably more to come from the British cartoon, translated into 40 languages and broadcast in over 180 countries, after the burial rites for the Queen.

Billy Eichner apologizes for thought crime

Billy Eichner, the co-writer and star of “Bros,” a major studio romantic comedy with mainly an LGBTQ cast and creative crew. A Twitter griev ance mob forced him to apol ogize for saying, “This is not some streaming thing which feels disposable, or which is like one of a million Netflix shows.” The ambiguity of the statement allowed Twitterers to interpret Eichner as dissing the quality or authenticity of other gay cinema offerings. Eichner’s apologia was, “I was not at ALL referring to the quality or monumental impact of streaming films.”

He said he was, “so sorry if (he) inadvertently offend ed or insulted anyone.”

Southern discomfort

respondents reported having the conversation. Youngish LGBTQ Southerners, those ages 18–24, scored 64 percent, and 25 and older came in at 51 percent. Of respondents who identified as spiritual or religious, 69 percent reported that they were alienated or discouraged from participat ing in their faith community due to their LGBTQ identity.

Lance Bass dated girls

What may be a common oc currence to readers of QSalt Lake is set to be the topic of a forthcoming movie by Lance Bass. Before revealing his gay ness, the *NYSNC performer appeared on “TGIF,” hosted by Danielle Fishel. They dated for a year after the 1999 joint appearance. Bass went to her senior prom. He “outed” himself in 2006 in People Magazine. He discussed his gayness with Britney Spears two years earlier. He married Michael Turchin in 2014. He has been successful in recording, stage, screen, and video entertainment, but somehow believes a portrayal of this trivial episode will be a good career move.

Peppa Pig flirts with controversy

The cartoon show, “Peppa Pig” has introduced a same-sex couple — two lesbian polar bears. For years, activists have called for “Peppa” to feature LGBTQ characters. Now the controversy begins with vari ous factions asking, “why Les bians?” “Why an obvious nod to white gay men with ‘Bears?” “Why Polar bears which are presented with white fur and

Public support for marriage equality, employment, and housing protections is growing. However, a sur vey by The Campaign for Southern Equality partnering with Campus Pride revealed high anxiety in some of the southern states. Almost 60 percent of LGBT people in 13 southern states reported that family members or caregiv ers discussed changing the respondents’ LGBTQ identity.

A breakdown by group shows: 68.7 percent of transgender participants and 67.5 percent of LGBT people of color re ported the highest incidence, and 52 percent of cisgender and 57 percent of white

“Transmedicalist” charge denied by actor

It’s easy to ignore Twitter Twaddle, but sometimes you learn something. “Euphoira” actor Hunter Schafer recently liked a social media post that was perceived as “transmedi calist” by a Twitter grievance mob. They attacked and she retreated, posting “I am not a transmedicalist, and my ideology around transness does not align with transmed icalism, nor a disdain towards nb (nonbinary) identifying people.” The learning? Trans medicalism is the belief that a person must experience gender dysphoria and undergo medical treatment during

their transition in order to be considered transgender. Otherwise, that person must use the more entertain ment-career-friendly term, “non-binary”. The actress tried to clarify her opinion with, “I agreed with another t-girl’s post in which she pointed out an [imbalance] in the visibility and space taken up between non-bi nary folks and binary trans women (particularly those of color and/or those who have resorted to sex work as a means of survival) that I think deserves attention/re-eval uation (as far as resources and platforms go) within the LGBTQ+ community.” Clear?

Boston Marathon creates NB category

Organizers of next year’s Boston Marathon announced that nonbinary athletes will be allowed to run the pres tigious race without having to register as members of the men’s or women’s divisions. Race sponsors are expecting 30,000 runners for the race. Race entry is selective based on the athlete’s submitted time. Once qualified, a runner has been put into divisions by sex and age. The 2023 registration application will include a nonbinary gender option. There are no stan dards for non-binary runners. Organizers are working with international running organizations and non-binary athletes to develop “fair” stan dards. The London Marathon has announced a similar decision for the 2023 race. Still waiting to hear from Salt Lake Marathon organizers.

All ages drag show canceled

Cool Beans Bar and Grill in Denton, Texas, canceled an all-ages drag show after a host on Glen Beck’s Blaze TV

took to Twitter to target the show. A Texas state sena tor, who is a candidate for governor,76765764 also joined in the protest. Bar owners reported receiving “aggres sive phone calls and hateful comments” and attacking them for “grooming children.” The bar is a welcoming space for the queer community that caters mostly to students at University of North Texas. The Disney-themed show advertised as “family friend ly” was canceled because the owners thought the employees may be in danger.

Monkey-pox MD too hot for some Image by Magnus Hast ings via Twitter

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the senior White House official appointed to respond to the monkeypox outbreak, is get ting criticized on Twitter and elsewhere because he wears harnesses and has posted shirtless pictures of himself on Instagram. Some Twitter twats claim he is a Satanist for wearing a harness with a pentagram star. Critics decry that in previous public health positions he used ”unorth odox tactics” to get LGBT people to test for HIV and other STIs. He has operated HIV and hepatitis screening clinics in an S&M club. He also dressed in drag to deliver meningitis vaccines. Daska lakis said he thinks people call him a Satanist “because I wear a high-fashion har nesses by Zana Bayne.”

Zions Bank withdraws support of Boise Pride over ‘Drag Kids’ performance

BY MICHAEL AARON

Zions Bank withdrew its sponsorship of Boise Pride after being targeted by ultra-conservative Idahoans. At the event, which starts on Friday, “Drag Kids” will showcase drag performanc es by children from 11 to 18 years of age and something called “Drag Story Time.” Boise Pride organizers “post poned” the Drag Kids performance.

Zions Bank signed up as an “Orange” level sponsor which, according to Boise Pride’s brochure, meant it contribut ed at least $18,000 to the festival.

ZIONS BANK IN-HOUSE RESPONSE

In an internal memo obtained by QSaltLake Magazine, Zions Bank CEO Scott Anderson explained why the bank made the decision to pull its support and assured the bank’s support of the LGBTQ community is strong.

Zions Bank CEO Scott Anderson

“Beginning earlier this week, we began seeing a number of messages in social media expressing concern about a couple of activities connected with this year’s festival and calling on sponsors to not support these activities,” Anderson wrote. “Specifi cally, the concern was about two shows — ‘Kids Drag’ and ‘Drag Story Time.’ These comments quickly escalated into messages directed at Zions Bank. We received numerous formal complaints through the Office of the President and hundreds of negative tweets. Employees across Utah and Idaho were also receiving calls and emails from clients and others related to our sponsorship of Boise Pride.”

“While these complaints created potential reputational risk for the bank, even more concerning was a situation that evolved into a physical risk issue. We received a call from the local police that a protest was planned at our Weiser branch, which prompted concerns for the safety of our employees and cli

ents. Other comments in social media likewise escalated to a level of threats against the bank,” Anderson continued. “Additionally, two counter protests of Boise Pride have been scheduled and promoted in social media and have been generating angry and even violent rhet oric. You may recall news about armed extremists who attempted to riot at a Pride event in Coeur d’Alene in June.”

Executives at the bank, he said, be lieved there was a threat to the safety of employees working a booth at the festival if the bank didn’t pull out.

“As a result of these threats and our concern regarding the specific events involving children/minors, we made the decision to withdraw our partici pation in the event,” Anderson wrote.

ZIONS BANK PUBLIC RESPONSE

The bank released a state ment through Twitter:

“Over the years, Zions Bank has supported a variety of Pride events because they are an important part of our support for our LGBTQ employees and allies and are representative of our efforts to foster an inclusive, diverse and equitable workplace and community. This support for all of our employees and communities remains unchanged.”

“However,” the statement continued, “when we committed to our sponsorship of this year’s Boise Pride event, we were unaware of the event’s activities involving children/minors. Since learning of these specific activities, we have made the deci sion to withdraw our participation in this year’s Boise Pride event and have com municated this to the event organizers.”

In the internal memo, Anderson amplified the bank’s statement of support for the LGBTQ community.

“First, our support for our LGBTQ employees and their allies remains unchanged. We appreciate and support all employees. Specific to this message I want all of our employees who identify as LGBTQIA+ and employee allies to know they are important to the bank, are supported by the bank and its execu tive management, and are recognized as their authentic individual selves,” he wrote. “Second, our support for our

LGBTQ clients and friends remains unchanged. As stated publicly yesterday, we have been, and will continue to be, supportive of Pride events because they are an important part of our support for our LGBTQ employees and allies and are representative of our efforts to foster an inclusive, diverse and equi table workplace and community.”

Anderson noted past support for Boise Pride, the Utah Pride Center, Equal ity Utah and Encircle. The bank also sponsors the Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, including a representative sitting on the Chamber’s board. It also hosts a “Zions Bank Community Speaker Series” that has focused on Pride Month.

“Those in the LGBTQ community are our neighbors, our business associates, our family members, and our friends. They deserve a safe space to be their au thentic selves, and we remain committed to supporting and championing efforts in our communities to make this possible.”

Anderson ended the letter thanking LGBTQ employees for “contributing to the tapestry of our diversity and Zions Bank and in the community.

IDAHO REPUBLICAN PARTY

Social media was first stirred up by Dorothy Moon, chairwoman of the Idaho Republican Party, who slammed Boise Mayor Lauren McLean for a welcome letter she penned for the Boise Pride Guide. Moon said the mayor helped cause a “national firestorm over the sexualization of children,”

“Idaho’s Democrat party believes it is not only okay but laudable to en courage children to engage in public displays of sexuality,” Moon wrote.

Moon went on to name all of the event’s sponsors.

“What is surprising is to see who is financing this attack on Idaho’s children. Out-of-state companies promise to bring investment and jobs to Idaho. Instead, they are financing the sexualization of our children and the perverse idea that children should engage in sexual performances with adult entertainers,” Moon wrote.

Ultra-conservative group, Idaho Freedom Foundation, jumped on and got people to write and call corporate sponsors to withdraw. They also are encouraged protestors at the event, which they called a “filth fest.”

BOISE PRIDE’S RESPONSE

Boise Pride responded that it is the conservative adults who are sexualizing the performances.

“The drag kids performance is a celebra tion of self-expression and confidence,” Boise Pride wrote in a statement. “The only perversion and sexualization of this performance are coming from extrem ists and people like Dorothy Moon, who are twisting it into something it is not. The kids performing have the enthusiastic support of their parents.

“Often when younger people come out, they struggle with their identity, self-ac ceptance, and self-expression. Dressing in costume and performing builds that confidence, encourages individuali ty, and ultimately is empowering.

“Drag is a powerful form of creative expression and offers a community to youth who are looking to feel accept ed and loved, things they often don’t experience at home or at school.

”Seeing others like you on stage offers a beacon of visibility and hope for LGBTQ+ youth, and that is one of the reasons Boise Pride exists and why we celebrate Pride,” the statement concluded.

OTHER SPONSORS LEAVE

Other sponsors have also bailed on Boise Pride because of the controversy.

Idaho Power dropped its sponsor ship. Its logo was removed from the festival’s online list of supporters and it issued a statement Thursday after noon, stating: “Due to programming changes that occurred after our spon sorship and concerns for the safety of our employees and volunteers, we have withdrawn our participation in the Boise Pride event. We will continue to support our diverse communities.”

Idaho Health and Welfare pulled their sponsorship of the event over the Drag Kids event.

“DHW’s sponsorship of Boise Pride 2022 has led to some confusion about whether DHW endorses specific event activities involving minors during this event. To avoid any confusion regarding DHW’s support of such activities, DHW is withdrawing both of its Orange Level sponsorships and Project Filter will no longer be supporting a booth at the event this weekend. We value our partnership and collaborations with the LGBTQ+ community and look forward to oppor

tunities in the future to continue to help all Idahoans live safe, independent, and healthy lives,” the department wrote.

Idaho House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, wrote “I hope that the Department of Health & Welfare is remembering to put their mission first, in terms of getting critical and accurate health information regarding HIV to the public. And it’s unfortunate if they would desert that mission in the face of partisan pressure from the Republican Party.”

Other sponsors that were removed from the sponsor pages of Boise Pride’s website include T-Mobile, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and University of Idaho.

UTAH LGBTQ+ CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PULLS CONFERENCE FROM ZIONS FOUNDERS ROOM

Leaders of the Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce were dismayed by Zion Bank’s decision and moved a conference away from the Zions Bank Found ers Room in downtown Salt Lake.

“We value Zions Bank’s strong com mitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and its support, financial and otherwise, for many community organizations,” the organization said in a statement. “Historically, one of the most pernicious weapons enemies of the LGBTQ+ community have used against us is to equate homosexuality (and later any non-heterosexual or -cisgender iden tities) to pedophilia. This rhetoric fell out of favor for a time but has come back in full force in recent years. Nationwide, LGBTQ+ and gender-diverse youth are under attack, and anyone who supports them is labeled a ‘groomer’ or a pedophile. We see these attacks take the form of banning books, ‘Don’t Say Gay’ laws, bans on gender-affirming medical care, trans sports bans, declaring parents’ support of

trans kids to be child abuse, support for conversion therapy, etc., etc. Everywhere we look, anti-LGBTQ+ politicians, orga nizations, and individuals are working to stoke the flames of hate against us, and our youth are paying the price.”

“Whether intentionally or carelessly, Zions Bank’s public statements support the idea that being LGBTQ+ is wrong and that affirming our youth in their identities harms and corrupts them. These statements reinforced the disgust ing and harmful dogma surrounding the controversy and taught our adversaries that violent tactics work,” the statement continued. “We respect Zions’ concern for its employees’ safety. Every major public LGBTQ+ event faces these same safety concerns, addresses them the best they can with their limited resources, and cautiously proceeds. We take these calculated risks because we know from experience that letting our enemies push us back into obscurity threatens a much more severe loss of life. Our adversaries prefer that we die quietly in the closet. We refuse. Pride is a celebration of com ing out of that darkness and choosing to live. That is why we must allow our children to participate. Pride saves lives.”

We call upon Zions Bank, the Idaho Republican Party, and Rep. Moon to publicly condemn the violent threats against Boise Pride and the LGBTQ+ community. Legitimate political and social discourse can only take place in the absence of threats.’

The Chamber event will take place on Sept. 22 at the Community Opportunity Center at the Colum bus Center in South Salt Lake.

The group also posted a link to support Boise Pride.

LDS leaders join open letter to Floridians calling for peace with LGBTQ community

“Those of us from faith traditions believe that we are all created byalovingGodwhohascommandedustoloveeachother.”

Two members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Area Seventy joined over 45 religious, LGBTQ, and ed ucational leaders in an open letter to Flo ridians calling for legislation in the state to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgen der, and queer people from discrimination.

The letter, published in the Miami Herald and the Tampa Bay Times, asks Floridians to support non-discrimination legislation to protect “all people from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations, while also protecting important religious rights.”

“As citizens and leaders in the state of Florida, we are extremely concerned that the ongoing conflicts between religious rights and LGBTQ rights are poisoning our civil discourse, erod ing the free exercise of religion, and preventing diverse people of goodwill from living together in peace and mutual respect,” the letter begins.

It was signed by LDS leaders Elders Victor P. Patrick of Tampa, Florida, and Daniel P. Amato of Windermere, Flori da, both members of the Area Seventy

The letter comes five months after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed “Parental Rights in Education” into law. Widely known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, it restricts classroom in

struction about gender identity and sexual orientation in Florida schools.

Two similar open letters were signed by local LDS leaders in Arizona and Georgia in support of legislation in each state protecting LGBTQ rights. Those states failed to pass the legislation, which included religious carveouts, instead passing bills to bar transgender athletes from competing in school sports.

While the letter shows support for protections in public accommo dations, attempts in Utah to pass such a law have not progressed far.

THE FULL LETTER:

“As citizens and leaders in the state of Florida, we are extremely concerned that the ongoing conflicts between religious rights and LGBTQ rights are poisoning our civil discourse, eroding the free exercise of religion, and preventing diverse people of goodwill from living together in peace and mutual respect.

“It is time to assert clearly that we believe in the values of freedom, equality, and fairness for all. We join a growing number of faith and community leaders from around the country in support of non-discrimination legislation that protects all people from discrimina tion in employment, housing, and public accommodations, while also

protecting important religious rights.

“No one should be denied these protections based on their sexual ori entation or gender identity, and like wise, religious persons and institutions should be protected in practicing their faith. Those of us from faith traditions believe that we are all created by a loving God who has commanded us to love each other. We are all also Americans with a long tradition of figuring out how to get along despite deep differences.

“LGBTQ rights and religious rights do not have to be in conflict. In fact, many LGBTQ people are themselves people of deep faith. Now is the time to set aside political motives, malice, and misrep resentations, and commit to respectful dialogue and good-faith engagement.

“We believe that the state of Florida is uniquely positioned to come together to protect all people, unify our communi ties and help bring healing to our nation on what for too long has been a divisive issue. That may not be easy in this time of polarization, and it will certainly require goodwill and mutual accommo dation. But it can, and must, be done.

“We respectfully urge all Floridi ans and leaders at every level of gov ernment to join in support of these common values and core principles in a balanced approach to provide pro tections for LGBTQ persons as well as people and institutions of faith.”

When selling real estate, you don’t want any part-�me agent working homes as a side hustle. You want a professional who’s versed in 1031 Exchanges, when to sell to avoid capital gains, taxes, and who works well with your lawyer, CPA and re�rement plan. With 38 years experience and broker/owner of my own firm, I’ve been in the top 10% of sales agents for decades. And I was the first ‘out’ LGBTQ agent on the Salt Lake Board of Realtors. Your money is important and I don’t charge high fees to provide you outstanding service. Babs De Lay, Urban Utah Homes and Estates 801.201.8824

A down-to-Earth law rm that aims for solutions, not ghts. We help you develop the most cost-effective strategy to meet your goals for the case. Our mission is to give a voice to underrepresented people and to empower our clients through a wide variety of legal services.

Anti-LGBT grandma enters race for Utah State Senate with viral rap video

Linda Paulson is a Salt Lake City grandmother who rapped her way to fame in a viral vid eo announcing she is running for the Utah State Senate.

The video was actually posted to Paulson’s YouTube channel earlier this month but didn’t get much attention until local media noticed it. Even the United Kingdom’s Daily Telegraph briefly paused coverage of the impending Royal funeral and upcoming coronation of King Charles III to show the video.

In it, Paulson rhymes her way through her ul tra-conservative political values, which include things like loving God, opposing abortion, being “pro-religious freedom” and “pro-police,” nd “the right to bear arms.”

“Support traditional family as the fundamental unit of society,” she raps. “But is schools they are pushing for new beliefs.”

“And just to clarify, as a female adult, I know what a woman is,” she raps with a smile.

According to her campaign website, Paulson, who gradu ated with a degree in Family Life from Brigham Young University in 2007, opposes student athletes competing on

teams that match their gender identity (or, as she puts it, “bi ological boys allowed in girls sports/locker rooms”) and wants to ban teachers from talking about LGBTQ issues in the classroom because she considers it “pornography.”

She says the reason she is running is, “I care about our children and will challenge philosophies such as bio logical boys competing in Girls’ sports and CRT.”

Paulson is running is Utah Senate District 12, which includes parts of West Valley City, Taylorsville, and Kearns.

So far, she doesn’t appear to have racked up many meaningful endorsements and, according to her campaign’s most recent Received Contri butions Report filed with the state, she has accepted a total of $4,190.33 in donations. This is in addition to $5,000 she do nated herself earlier this year.

Utah’s general election will take place on November 8. Paulson is running against in cumbent State Senator Karen Mayne, whose campaign has received nearly $50,000 in do nations. Mayne was first elect ed in 2009 and has been Sen ate minority leader since 2019.

Equality Utah made no endorsement in the race. Q

PHOTO:

‘Angels’ block anti-LGBTQ hate at BYU ‘Back to School Pride” event

In response to threats of an anti-LGBT protest of the RaYnbow Collective’s “Back to School Pride” event, welcom ing LGBT BYU Students at the begin ning of the school year, several people donned themselves in angel wings to separate the negativity from the event.

In the end, says Ryann Combe who was photographing the event, love won out.

“Protestors showed up with hate but as I was capturing it all. I can fully tell you that love wins in the end,” she wrote on Instagram alongside photos she took. “People from our event imme diately took action. They all stood up, held hands, and built a human chain full of love to block out such negativ ity. The angels emerged right before our beautiful drag artists performed — blocking the hate from emerging into the safe open space that was built.”

Utah County conservatives were riled into action when ultra-conser vative online magazine The Federalist publicized the group’s event, focus ing on children and the risque names of some of the drag performers.

“A Utah nonprofit is sponsoring a ‘Back to School Pride Drag Extrav aganza’ on Saturday with performers whose names sound like ‘anal leakage’ and ‘genitalia’ when pronounced,” the story started. “The Provo-based LGBT group, ‘RaYnbow Collective,’ is pro moting the performance as an ‘ALL AGES, Family-Friendly Drag Show’ on its flyers. The RaYnbow Collective did

not respond to The Federalist’s inquiry about how the organization can guaran tee the show will be ‘family-friendly.’”

The group’s social media posts about the event were inundated by hateful com ments and borderline threats of violence.

RaYnbow Collective organizers changed the social media graphics to remove the “offensive” names, but the swell against the event was too far along. The group decided to go ahead with the event, notify ing Provo police of the threats against them.

About 100 protestors showed up at the event, shouting homophobic epithets, “pedophile,” “groomer,” holding up anti-LGBTQ+ signs, and yelling quotes from the Book of Mormon at the attendees.

In the week prior to the event, BYU officials tossed the group’s pam phlets for incoming freshmen that contained LGBTQ+ resources after originally agreeing to include them in a welcome pack. The group prom ised new pamphlets would be handed out at the Back to School event.

Organizers told the press that the event was meant to connect stu dents with LGBTS-friendly business es, organizations, and resources.

“[The event is] really inclusive, so we

encourage Provo community members to come join. Anyone who is queer is wel come, anyone who has family members who are queer, or if anyone’s just curious to come check it out,” said Maddison Tenney, founder and executive director of the RaYnbow Collective. “We worked re ally hard to make sure it’s safe with Provo police, and that it’s really family friendly.”

In the past year, countless protests against similar “family-friendly drag shows” have touched off elements of far-right groups opposed to LGBTQ+ equality and people, most of which have been spurred on by the infa mous Libs of TikTok account tar geting the LGBTQ+ community.

The angel costumes are a strategy famously used by the friends of gay University of Wyoming student Mat thew Shepard in 1999 when the two men accused of killing him went on trial. Shepard, 21, was beaten, tortured, and left hanging from a wooden prairie fence in October 1998 after being attacked for his being gay. Shepard died six days later.

The Angel Action Wings Project

blocked signs held by members of the Westboro Baptist Church led by Fred Phelps who protested outside the Albany County courtroom in Laramie, Wyoming with signs that said “God hates fags.”

Several groups have since replicated the display, including at the funerals for the victims of the Orlando, Florida mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in 2016.

“Religion has been weaponized against the queer community for a long time,” Tenney told The Salt Lake Tribune . “But that needs to end. I believe there’s nothing more divine than who I am as a queer child of God.”

Equality Utah releases 2022 voter guide

Equality Utah released their 2022 voter guide as well as endorsements from their political action committee arm. In the guide, the group grades each candi date based on their responses to a list of questions relating to LGBTQ issues. The grades are listed below. Endorsed candidates are BOLDED

Utah State Senate

District 9, JEN PLUMB, GRADE: A

District 11, DANIEL W. THATCHER , GRADE: A

District 13, NATE BLOUIN, GRADE: A

District 14, STEPHANIE PITCHER , GRADE: A

District 19, Parker Bond, GRADE: A District 20, JILL FELLOW, GRADE: A

House of Representatives

District 2, Holly Gunther, GRADE: A

District 3, PATRICK BELMONT, GRADE: A

District 4, KRIS CAMPBELL , GRADE: A

District 10, ROSEMARY LESSER , GRADE: A

District 21, SANDRA HOLLINS, GRADE: A District 22, JEN DAILEY-PROVOST, GRADE: A

District 23, BRIAN S. KING, GRADE: A

District 23, Ruth Ann Abbott, GRADE: F

District 24, JOEL K BRISCOE, GRADE: A

District 25, ANGELA ROMERO, GRADE: A District 26, ELIZABETH WEIGHT, GRADE: A

District 27, CLARE COLLARD, GRADE: A

District 30, FATIMA DIRE, GRADE: A

District 31, KAREN KWAN, GRADE: A District 32, Brittany Karzen, GRADE: A District 32, SAHARA HAYES, GRADE: A District 33, DOUG OWENS, GRADE: A District 34, CAROL SPACKMAN MOSS, GRADE: A

District 35, MARK A WHEATLEY, GRADE: A District 36, LYNETTE WENDEL , GRADE: A

District 37, ASHLEE MATTHEWS, GRADE: A

District 39, HOPE GOECKERITZ, GRADE: A

District 40, ANDREW STODDARD, GRADE: A District 40, Thomas Young, GRADE: D

District 40, Tim Loftis, GRADE: B+

District 41, GAY LYNN BENNION, GRADE: A District 42, Carson James Barlow, GRADE: C District 42, David B Jack, GRADE: ADistrict 42, ROBERT SPENDLOVE, GRADE: ADistrict 44, DEE GREY, GRADE: A

District 49, Miles Pomeroy, GRADE: ADistrict 51, Jeremy Baker, GRADE: C District 53, Ann Schreck, GRADE: A District 62, Daniel Craig Friend, GRADE: A District 71, Dallas Joseph Guymon, GRADE: B+

County Races

GRAND COUNTY

Commissioner, Emily Campbell, GRADE: AAttorney, Christina Sloan, GRADE: A Attorney, Stephen J. Stocks, GRADE: B+

SALT LAKE COUNTY

Council District 1, ARLYN BRADSHAW, GRADE: A

Council District 3, AIMEE WINDER NEW TON, GRADE: A

Council District 3, Ashley Liewer, GRADE: A

Council At-Large, SUZANNE HARRISON, GRADE: A

Council At-Large, Richard Snelgrove, GRADE: A District Attorney, SIM GILL , GRADE: A Clerk, LANNIE CHAPMAN, GRADE: A Sheriff, ROSIE RIVERA, GRADE: A

SUMMIT COUNTY

Summit County Clerk, EVE FURSE, GRADE: A WASHINGTON COUNTY

Washington County Attorney, ROB LATHAM, GRADE: AWEBER COUNTY

Commissioner, Brian Keith Rowley, GRADE: B+

School Board

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

District 5, SARAH REALE, GRADE: A District 6, CAROL LEAR , GRADE: A District 8, AUDRYN DAMRON, GRADE: A

CACHE SCHOOL BOARD

Precinct 4, Melissa Wallis, GRADE: A

CANYON SCHOOL BOARD

Precinct 4, Andrew James Edtl, GRADE: A

GRANITE SCHOOL BOARD

Precinct 6, YVETTE ROMERO, GRADE: A

JORDAN SCHOOL BOARD

Precinct 3, Robyn Barnhill, GRADE: A

MURRAY SCHOOL BOARD

Precinct 2, Jessica Lucero Miller, GRADE: ANEBO SCHOOL BOARD

Precinct 2, Joann Brown, GRADE: A

OGDEN SCHOOL BOARD Precinct 2, STACY BERNAL , GRADE: A Precinct 4, Jeremy Shinoda, GRADE: A PARK CITY SCHOOL BOARD District 4, MEREDITH M. REED, GRADE: A

SALT LAKE SCHOOL BOARD

Precinct 1, BRYCE WILLIAMS, GRADE: A Precinct 3, Ashley Anderson, GRADE: A WASHINGTON COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD Precinct 5, Edyth C Lang, GRADE: A-

• Talking about wanting to die

• Looking for a way to kill oneself

• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose

• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain

• Talking about being a burden to others

• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs

• Acting anxious, agitated or recklessly

• Sleeping too little or too much

• Withdrawing or feeling isolated

• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge

• Displaying extreme mood swings

The more of these signs a person shows, the greater the risk. Warning signs are associated with suicide but may not be what causes a suicide

WHAT TO DO

If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide:

• Do not leave the person alone

• Remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt

• Call the U.S National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 9-8-8 or 800-273 8255

• Take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional

THE NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE 9-8-8

A free, 24/7 service that can provide suicidal persons or those around them with support, information and local resources.

mmunity

Matrons of Mayhem Drag Queen Bingo to support kids with cancer

The Matrons’ charity for October is supporting Camp Hobé for Utah children with Cancer. Camp Hobé offers psycho social support programs for children being treated for cancer and similar ly-treated disorders and their families. Through summer camp programs and family outings, they provide a place for everyone to be “kids” and have fun. Friday, Oct. 21. Doors at 6pm, bingo at 7pm. $5 per bingo card good for seven games. Party Foul Insurance or Flamingo Hat of Shame $5. Drag-in-a-Bag $50 to give the person of your choosing a drag makeover. Details at fb.me/matronsofmayhem

Tuesday Troopers walking group

Join the Tuesday Troopers every week at Liberty Park, hosted by Seniors Out And Proud–Utah. Meet at 5:45 p.m. on the west side near 500 East by the entrance of Tracy Aviary just east of the Ferris Wheel. Walk at your own pace and go as many times around the park as you want. All ability levels are invited as the park is on level ground, no hills. This is an all ages group. Dogs are welcome on a leash as Liberty Park is dog friend ly. This is an ongoing event through October. Info at fb.me/SOAPUtah.

Wednesday Walk-About in Ogden

Every Wednesday at 6 pm at the Ogden Botanical Garden, 1750 Monroe Blvd, Seniors Out and Proud–Utah walks along the beautiful trail. Everyone is welcome. Sometimes they go to dinner afterward as a group. All ability levels welcome. Info at fb.me/SOAPUtah

Strut Your Mutt

Get ready, Salt Lake City, Strut Your Mutt is back October 15 at Liberty Park. Best Friends Animal Society’s Strut Your Mutt is a walk and fundraiser held across the country, bringing entire communities to gether to save the lives of homeless pets.

Here in Salt Lake City, the Strut Your Mutt walk and festival will be held on October 15 from 9 a.m. to noon. Sign up to join a team, or host a team of your own, and then use our online fund raising portal to start raising money.

All the funds raised during Strut Your Mutt goes directly to the animals of Best Friends or the participating Utah animal welfare organization of your choice.

Learn more and register at bit.ly/ SLCStrutYourMuttregistration

Indigenous Art Market

Shop the annual Indigenous Art Market at the Natural History Museum of Utah October 8 and 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Pottery, sculpture, painting, photog raphy, jewelry, kachinas, and more by over 35 artists. Cultural presenta

tions by indigenous community part ners and an enthography collections showcase will also be featured. Museum admission required. All pro ceeds from sales go directly to artists. Reserve tickets and see a list of artists at bit.ly/3d3H7Mk

Transgender Health Seminar: PrEP as HIV Prevention

The University of Utah Health Transgen der Health Program will bring a seminar with topics including living with HIV, U=U, stigma surrounding HIV, PrEP as HIV prevention, and HIV testing. Speak ers from the Utah AIDS Fouindation in clude Ellie Echeverio, (she/her), client ser vices coordinator and Brandy Farnsworth, (she/they), HIV prevention coordinator.

It will take place Oct. 5 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Utah AIDS Foundation, 150 S. 1000 East, Suite 200. A virtual event will take place live as well.

Register at uofuhealth.org/se sminartransgenderhealth

2022 Affirmation

International Conference

Affirmation: LGBTQ Mormons, Fami lies & Friends are hosting their annual international conference at the Salt Palace Convention Center, Oct. 7–9.

After two years of being virtual, the conference is returning in person. More information at conference. affirmation.org

The Laramie Cycle

Wasatch Theatre Company kicks off its 25th season with “The Laramie Cycle, a combination of two plays titled “The Laramie Project” and “The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later.” Both plays chronicle the assault and murder of Matthew Shepherd in 1998. The Tecton ic Theatre Project visited the town of Laramie where the murder took place to interview townsfolk immediately after the incident and again in 2008. The reactions are documented in both plays.

The cycle opens with “The Laramie Project” running Oct. 6–9. The follow ing weekend, “The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later” runs Oct. 13–15. Tickets are available at $25 for one performance $30 for both at saltlakecountyarts.org/ events/the-laramie-project/.

Utah Pride Live to bring Hollywood, Monét X Change to Salt Lake City

The Utah Pride Center is bringing Hollywood to Utah with a star-studded event happening November 5th at the Hilton in Salt Lake City.

This evening of entertain ment and comedy will celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, bringing celebrities who have never performed in Utah before.

“Our community deserves a Hollywood-style black-tie event where they can have fun, walk the red carpet, and be entertained by talent ed artists and comedians who perform around the world,” said Jonathan Foulk (he/him), Vice President of Festival and Events.

Hosted by Ru Paul’s Drag Race double crown winner

MONÉT X CHANGE , this will be the first time ULTRA NATÉ , BRIAN JUSTIN CRUM , and DANA GOLDBERG will perform in Salt Lake City.

Early bird tickets are $200 until October 1st. Proceeds will benefit the programs and services at the Utah Pride Center.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: November 5th

Location: Hilton Salt Lake Ballroom at 255 S. West Temple St, Salt Lake City

VIP Reception: 6:00–6:45 p.m. Doors Open: 6:45 p.m. Program begins: 7:00 p.m. Afterparty: 8:45 p.m. This is a 21+ event.

For more details visit utahpridecenter.org

Gay-La to celebrate UofU LGBT Resource Center’s 20th anniversary

The University of Utah LGBT Resource Center is celebrat ing their 20th anniversary. This year’s annual Gay-La, to be held at the Natural History Museum on Oct. 29, will celebrate the past while raising money for the center’s efforts in the future.

“Over the 20 years, it has grown from this little closet of finding connections to really being a fully realized center that supports students in a vastitude of ways,” said Daniel Cairo, associate vice president of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. “The LGBT Resource Center has really grown into really a corner stone place here at the Univer sity of Utah that tells us, and works with us, and educates us on how we become affirm ing and inclusive of people’s identities wherever they may land in the spectrum.”

The high point of the GayLa is awarding of scholarships

to students who are making a difference on campus. This year 13 students will be honored with U Alumni TransFutures scholarships, U Alumni Community Care scholarships and LGBT Re source Center scholarships.

“One of the most powerful aspects of Gay-La is seeing our student leaders shine,” said Bryan Hubain, associate vice president of Student Development and Inclusion. “This is about community, and it’s about recognizing our leaders because the LGBT Resource Center provides so much leadership devel opment for our students.”

The Gay-La is the first in a series of events that will take place throughout the school year to celebrate the anniversary of the center.

Tickets and info are available for the masquer ade-themed bash at diversity. utah.edu/celebrating-20-years/.

views

quotes

Words from Dr. Ron Holt, the LGBTQ Shrink

“When a child comes out to a parent, the unconditional love and acceptance shown in that moment will make a huge difference for the rest of their life. Thank them for telling you, remind them your love is unconditional and you are always there to support them..”

“In a world where you can be anything, be kind. You never know what others are going through. Your kindness can make a huge difference to someone.”

“Your child did not choose to be trans/gay/lesbian/ bisexual, but did choose to be honest with you about it. Always show unconditional love and acceptance.”

“We interrupt your twitter feed to provide this friendly public service reminder: Your life is not a phase. Your love is not a choice. Your civil rights are not optional.”

“Please know you are not alone. And you are loved.”

A bi dad in the House

BY CHRISTOPHER KATIS

Soon, Americans will go to the polls to vote in the Congressional elections. Here in Utah, one of the candidates vying to be your voice in the House is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and a dad to 6-year-old son, Mason!

Nicholas “Nick” Mitchell is a 31-year-old scientist running in Utah’s Second Congressio nal District, currently held by Rep. Chris Stewart. Nick says that if elected, he’ll follow the data, listen to hardwork ing Utahns, and vote to help the everyday American.

I had a chance to speak with Nick about the race.

What made you decide to run for Congress? I decided to run for Congress because I see the way our country is headed and how divided we are. I can’t stand by and let the country I love be torn apart by lies and misinfor mation. Most politicians don’t actually want to help the people, just themselves.

How do you think being openly bisexual will influence the campaign? Being open about who I am will most likely have a positive impact on the campaign. I’m in this to help the everyday Utahn because I am one. I want people to live the best life they can, and when one is authentically themselves, life is so much better and happier.

There are many facets of who I am — Black, bisexual, a father, scientist, millennial,

renter. All of these make me a different type of candidate than the voters of Utah are used to. Representation matters and I believe vot ers will find it refreshing to have a candidate who is open, authentic, and honest.

What insights into policy do you think being a bi dad gives you? One major advantage be ing a bisexual dad gives me is a different perspective. While there are many of us, few of us are at the table when deci sions are made. Politicians of ten share similar backgrounds that don’t represent the people, and being a bi dad of a young son gives me a different understanding than those usually found in Washington

What areas will you focus on should you get elected? My top priorities are defend ing workers’ rights, making healthcare more affordable, and tackling the environmen tal crisis. Yes, it will take a ton of effort to address these issues, but I will work across the aisle to create bipartisan, common-sense legislation that actually helps people.

A few issues I would immediately address with standalone bills include setting term limits for all elected and appointed offi cials, overhauling campaign finance laws to remove the influence of corporate PAC and lobbyist money in elec tions, and preventing insider trading among Congress and immediate family members.

What do you think are the biggest issues facing LGBTQ+ families? Unfortunately, there are several issues facing our community, especially in schools. The relentless attack on trans youth, especial ly athletes, has been both heartbreaking and infuriating. Additionally, there is an attack on teaching about LGBTQ+ issues in schools. Being Black, it reminds me of the attempt to hide the Tulsa race massacre, Japanese internment camps, the geno cide of Native Americans. If we want our kids to succeed in life, we need to teach them the complete history of our country, not pick and choose what we teach them.

What would Rep. Mitchell do to address them? I will address these issues with strong advo cacy for our community, vot ing to protect our rights. I will listen to the transgender stu

dent and the teacher being ha rassed for creating a welcom ing environment. I will fight bans on books covering topics of LGBTQ+ identity, race and racism, and the complete history of our country.

To learn more about Nick and his run for Congress, visit nickmitchellforcongress.com

suicide hotline

substance use hotline mental health hotline just dial three numbers:

confidential, no-cost, available 24/7/365, on any phone in any language

creep of the month

Libs of Tiktok

BY D’ANNE WITKOWSKI

Idon’t know about you, but when I want to blow off some steam and air some grievances, there’s just no more perfect target than a children’s hospital. Whether it’s the staff, the administration, the families, or even the children themselves, there’s nothing quite so satisfying as making a children’s hospital hell for everyone involved.

And before anyone tells me that sounds, well, really messed up, do you know what they DO at a so-called children’s hospital? Provide chemotherapy to kids with cancer? Monitor kids with heart defects? Evaluate young people who are suicidal? Set broken bones and heal burns and stitch cuts and save lives?

Well, yes. I mean, sure. But do you

know the main thing they do? Manda tory hysterectomies for everyone who walks through the door. Can you believe it? No? Well, good, you shouldn’t.

But if you take Libs of TikTok’s word for it, Boston Children’s Hospi tal and Children’s National Hospital in DC are genital mutilation factories that must be shut down immediately.

Any hospital that provides gender-af firming care for young people is in the crosshairs right now as we are in the midst of an ever-escalating moral panic about transgender people driven by a lot of false information and hateful rhetoric.

On Twitter, in response to Libs of TikTok’s post about gender-affirming care at Boston Children’s Hospital, the responses ranged from the typi cal “liberals are monsters” fare to death threats, including that the hospital should be blown up and the doctors fed into a wood chipper. Very pro-life!

Now, if you’re old like me, you might be wondering why an account called Libs of TikTok is on Twitter and not, say, only TikTok, all I can tell you is that the world is a multifaceted digital hellscape. Wikipedia explains it better: “Libs of TikTok is a farright Twitter account owned by former real estate worker Chaya Raichik. The account reposts content created by liberals, leftists, and LGBT people on TikTok and on other social media platforms, often with hostile, derogatory, or mocking commentary.”

In other words, it exists solely for making liberals and LGBTQ+ people look bad. Libs of TikTok boasts “news and views you won’t see anywhere else,” and they’re not wrong. Their so called “news” is lies and their views are abhorrent and not deserving of a wider platform. Basically every single claim they make should begin, “Wild if true.”

Alejandra Caraballo, host of the pod cast Queering the Law, frequently calls out Libs of Tiktok on Twitter and calls for Twitter to suspend the account.

“Deplatforming hate works,” she tweeted Aug. 30. “It disrupts network

effects and eliminates the ability for bad actors to propagate hate while exposing it to mainstream audiences. That’s why large platforms like Twitter have a moral obligation to moderate against hate.”

And, as we all know, Twitter is really good at this (#sarcasm). I mean, it only took disgraced former president Donald Trump calling for the overturning of the 2020 election and further inciting his mob of in surrection MAGAs for Twitter to ban him.

This has, of course, led to a flurry of right-wing hysteria about “cancel cul ture” and the “loss of free speech.” Keep in mind, the same people who think that Twitter has an absolute obligation to allow any and all kinds of speech on their website are the people who don’t think that Christian bakers should have to make a wedding cake for gays.

Libs of TikTok is odious, but there’s no denying the fact that it’s very popular. Hate ful and ignorant views of LGBTQ+ people, especially transgender youth, is all the rage right now. Literally. It’s all the conservative/ religious/far right has. These extremists are the ones propping up the Republican Party, a party that has no ideas, no solutions and doesn’t GAF about democracy (or you).

I’m sorry to all of the trans kids who are growing up during this time when it is more acceptable to express and be your au thentic self than ever, but also a time when outright hatred is directed at you from people with power, from people who ad vocate violence and from people who are willfully ignorant. My transgender readers, it’s not you who has to change. It’s them.

If you or a loved one need support, contact The Trevor Project or the Trans Lifeline. You are not alone. Q

D’Anne Witkowski is a writer living with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBTQ+ politics for nearly two decades. Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.

Damn These Heels Queer Film Festival 2022 is in-person, virtual

Utah Film Center is rolling out the rain bow carpet once again for the 2022 Damn These Heels Queer Film Festival. Damn These Heels is one of the Center’s most popular events and explores LGBTQ+ issues, ideas, and art through dramatic and documentary films from around the world. This year, the Festival will screen 15 full-length films and five shorts.

This year marks the Festival’s 19th anniversary, making it the longest-running LGBTQ+ film fes tival in the Mountain West.

“While the name ‘Damn These Heels’ may sound a little silly, the origins are inspired by the notion that when you walk in someone else’s shoes you come to understand their unique perspective which can ultimately foster empathy and kindness toward our fellow hu mans,” organizers said in a statement.

This year, the Festival will have live screenings at the Regent Street Black Box Theater at The Eccles and select films will be available virtually.

The Festival kicks off with an open ing night screening of “Unidentified Objects,” followed by the opening night party on Friday night, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m.

Films screen from 10 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, Oct. 15, and from10 a.m.

through 8 p.m. on Sunday Oct. 16th.

On Sunday at 10 a.m., a workshop by filmmaker Raja Feather Kelly will be held, with the title, “Honest Reactions to Imaginary Solutions: On Film.”

The workshop teaches the method ology Honest Reactions To Imaginary Situations. It is an approach to creating and performing that above all “relies upon, centers, and fights for truth.”

“This work regards the performer as the creator and the creator as the performer — on and off the stage. Built from his ap proach to Devised Theatre, Raja Feather Kelly works candidly with repetition and failure as key ingredients toward, reactive, responsive, and unrestricted theatrical ity. Particularly focusing on the editing process as a way of choreographing,” organizers wrote. “This workshop offers every practitioner unfiltered insight into Raja’s creative process. This approach is both a compendium for creative work and a field guide. The workshop will have two parts — Part 1: Improvisation, Move ment, and theatre exercises; and Part 2: Translating our work on video via iPhone.

GET INVOLVED

Volunteers are needed to help the Festival at events and spread the word

beforehand. You can sign up to help the events team or street promotions team by emailing info@UtahFilmCenter.org. Include your area of interest so they can get you to the right department.

Group Tickets: If your family, friend group, book club, or organization of 35 or more is interested in experienc ing the Festival together, reach out to development@utahfilmcenter.org.

Sponsorship: If you are interested in sponsoring a Damn These Heels film screening, please contact de velopment@utahfilmcenter.org.

Short Film Submissions: While this year’s short films have already been chosen, consider submitting for next year if you have a Utah-made short film you hope to screen during the festival.

TICKETS

Individual film tickets are available through the film schedule at damnthe seheels.org. They are on a sliding scale with a suggested cost of $10, $15, and $25.

Full festival passes are now available at $80

A full guide to the Festival be gins on the next page. You can also see damntheseheels.org

damn theSe heelS

2022 FILM & EVENT SCHEDULE

IN-PERSON SCREENINGS

Friday, Oct. 14

OPENING NIGHT FILM + OPENING NIGHT PARTY

7PM | REGENT STREET BLACK BOX

Saturday, Oct. 15

12PM | REGENT STREET BLACK BOX

UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS

DIRECTED BY: JUAN FELIPE ZULETA

RUNTIME: 100 MINUTES

YEAR: 2022

COUNTRY: UNITED STATES

RATING: NOT RATED

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

Peter is a flamboyant, misanthropic dwarf hiding from the world in his shabby New York City apartment. But an unexpected visit from his upbeat—and possibly unhinged— neighbor Winona forces him out of his shell and onto an impromptu road trip. Their destination? What she believes to be the site of an upcoming alien visitation in the wilderness of rural Canada. On their increas ingly surreal odyssey, Peter and Winona will encounter bickering lesbian cosplayers, shroom-addled survivalists, and even extra terrestrial highway cops. But the further they go and the more their trauma comes to light, it becomes clear that the only thing more nerve-wracking than being abducted is being alone in the universe.

PAT ROCCO DARED

DIRECTED BY: MORRIS CHAPDELAINE & BOB CHRISTIE

RUNTIME: 90 MINUTES

YEAR: 2021

COUNTRY: CANADA

RATING: NOT RATED

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

Canadian filmmakers draw attention to the pioneering work of Pat Rocco, the first filmmaker to ever show gay films to a paying public in the late 1960s. Filmmaker, activist and pure romantic, Rocco was interviewed soon before his death, interspersed with generous clips from his taboo-breaking mov iesActivist, artist, filmmaker and entertainer Pat Rocco’s legendary career spanned de cades, encompassing nude male erotic films and documentaries that bore witness to crucial moments in queer history, including speeches by Harvey Milk. In this exploration of Rocco’s work and life — which features lovingly restored versions of some of Rocco’s rarest films — filmmaker Charlie David sits down with Rocco for exclusive interviews prior to his death in 2018. Ever the good-na tured showman, Rocco’s candid talks reveal the daring personality required to create work that valued, desired, and celebrated queer bodies when popular culture labeled them as shameful — revealing this to be a vital record of an unforgettable trailblazer.

THE BEACH OF ENCHAQUIRADOS

DIRECTED BY: IVÁN MORA MANZANO

RUNTIME: 86 MINUTES

YEAR: 2021 COUNTRY: ECUADOR

RATING: NOT RATED

LANGUAGE: SPANISH

In the daytime, Vicky goes fishing out on the sea, in the evening she runs a little bar on the blustery beach of her small village in Ecuador. The silences, emptiness, and meager catches all feed into the sense of unfulfilled longing that pervades her life, but The Beach of Enchaquirados also glows with an irresistible and liberating warmth.

Vicky belongs to the local trans commu nity, one where gender and sexuality are not strictly delineated, and she balances her physically tough work at sea with feminine elegance in her private life. The two worlds may seem diametrically opposed, but film maker Iván Mora Manzano captures them both with the same affection—from giggly flirting to candid conversations about an in complete life, and from the deserted beaches to the lively carnival season.

2PM | REGENT STREET BLACK BOX

BREAKING THE ICE

DIRECTED BY: CLARA STERN

RUNTIME: 102 MINUTES

YEAR: 2022 COUNTRY: AUSTRIA

RATING: PG-13

LANGUAGE: GERMAN

Mira lives for the sport of ice hockey and leads her team as captain with a strong de

10AM | REGENT STREET BLACK BOX

termination. It’s a challenge to reconcile this with her role in the family vineyard: with her mother and her adventurous but increasingly demented grandfather, she runs the farm — with all its responsibilities.

The new player Theresa completely unset tles her with her nonchalance and openness. And when Mira’s missing brother Paul also turns up and all three get lost in late-night Vienna, Mira discovers the freedom it means to break rules, to reinvent herself — and that you can only love if you let go.

4:30PM | REGENT STREET BLACK BOX

BLACK, BOLD & BRILLIANT: QUEERING THE LENS EDITION

Featuring a roundtable discussion with local members of the Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color community. Everything Everywhere All At Once, Moonlight, Fire Island, The Watermelon Woman, Rafiki, A Fantastic Woman, Paris Is Burning, Tanger ine, and Drunktown’s Finest. What do all of these films represent? They’re fundamental elements in the rise of queer and transgen der cinema across the Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color spectrum. What began as primal shouts to define ex istence have become beloved favorites, box office blockbusters, and critically acclaimed arthouse darlings for people often omitted from the silver screen.

6PM | REGENT STREET BLACK BOX

Picking up where his 2018 performance, UGLY Part 1 or Black Queer Zoo, left off, Kelly situates himself as a glamorous, extraterrestrial entity — both alien to the world and wholly consuming its pop cultural byproducts. HYSTERIA marks the collapse of fiction into fact, tracking the subsequent inner turmoil, confusion, and mania that Kelly sets out to exorcise.

New York Times calls HYSTERIA a “prime time sample of New York Culture” and says that Kelly’s work “has a flirty wink and a queer sensibility that dispenses with spiritual heaviness and treats popular culture as a kind of religion itself. Mr. Kelly’s fusion of dance and theatre shifts seamlessly from the absurd to cheeky to the unexpectedly and piercingly sincere”.

At the DAMN THESE HEELS festival this year, Raja will show Hysteria and a preview of a new work currently commissioned by Salt Lake’s Ririe Woodbury Dance Company. Performances will include a panel discussion with Raja and Q&A.

Through a collaborative practice of reimagination, an impressive lineup of trans stars take on vividly rendered, impecca bly vintage reenactments, bringing to life groundbreaking artifacts of trans healthcare.

Joynt’s signature form-rupturing style radi cally reenvisions the imposition of the frame on the cultural memory of transness through his brilliantly crafted, communally-driven excavation. This reclamation tears away with remarkable precision the myth of isolation as the mode of existence of transgender histo ry-makers, breathing new life into a lineage of collaborators and conspirators who have been forgotten for far too long.

10PM | REGENT STREET BLACK BOX

HYSTERIA

DIRECTED BY: RAJA FEATHER KELLY

RUNTIME: 90 MINUTES

YEAR: 2022

COUNTRY: UNITED STATES

RATING: NOT RATED

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH HYSTERIA or Ugly Part 2 is a performance, film, and installation that continues Raja Feather Kelly’s study of pop culture and its displacement of Queer Black subjectivity.

FRAMING AGNES

DIRECTED BY: CHASE JOYNT

RUNTIME: 75 MINUTES

YEAR: 2022

COUNTRY: UNITED STATES

RATING: NOT RATED

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH Agnes, the pioneering, pseudonymized, trans gender woman who participated in Harold Garfinkel’s gender health research at UCLA in the 1960s, has long stood as a figurehead of trans history.

In this rigorous cinematic exercise that blends fiction and nonfiction, director Chase Joynt explores where and how her platform has become a pigeonhole. Framing Agnes endeavors to widen the frame through which trans history is viewed — one that has remained too narrow to capture the multi plicity of experiences eclipsed by Agnes’.

PLEASE BABY PLEASE

DIRECTED BY: AMANDA KRAMER

RUNTIME: 95 MINUTES

YEAR: 2022

COUNTRY: UNITED STATES RATING: NOT RATED LANGUAGE: ENGLISH Suze and Arthur are the ideal Lower East Side bohemian couple. He earns a modest liv ing as a clarinetist, she is a stylish housewife, dutifully doing the washing up. One evening, they witness a murder, committed by a rough gang of greasers in leather jackets, on the sidewalk in front of their house. This in troduction to the intimidating Young Gents arouses previously unsuspected emotions and feelings of sexuality in both.

With influences ranging from John Waters to Kenneth Anger, director Amanda Kramer (Ladyworld) brings a bold vision to this almost-musical. Its hypnotic score, impres sionistic, neon-lit sets, and carefully choreo graphed sequences evoke West Side Story. A pastiche of queer sensibilities, Hollywood genres, and feminist theory, Please Baby Please is the sort of rich, cinematic experi ence that you have to see to fully appreciate.

8PM | REGENT STREET BLACK BOX

Sunday, Oct. 16

10AM

WORKSHOP: HONEST REACTIONS TO IMAGINARY SOLUTIONS: ON FILM

DIRECTED BY: RAJA FEATHER KELLY

This workshop teaches the methodology Honest Reactions To Imaginary Situations. It is an approach to creating and performing that above all relies upon; centers and fights for truth. Honest Reactions To Imaginary Situations is a provocative examination of the thrill of creating a performance on Film. This work regards the performer as the cre ator and the creator as the performer – on and off the stage. Built from his approach to Devised Theatre, Raja Feather Kelly works candidly with repetition and failure as key ingredients toward, reactive, responsive, and unrestricted theatricality. Particularly focusing on the editing process as a way of choreographing.

This workshop offers every practitioner unfiltered insight into Raja’s creative process. This approach is both a compendium for cre ative work and a field guide. The workshop will have two parts.

Part 1: Improvisation, Movement, and theatre exercises.

Part 2: Translating our work on video via iPhone.

This workshop prides itself on an unabridged offering of understanding, expe rience, and motivation.

7 MINUTES | 2022 | UNITED STATES

When societal “norms” tell you you’re not enough, when your existence is the resis tance, it’s time to band together to “Fuck Shit Up”. “WE’RE HERE and WE’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!”

EMERALD

DIRECTED BY ALEJANDRO SUÁREZ

15 MINUTES | 2021 | SPAIN

Ezequiel, a young hiker, has been kidnapped. His captor is wearing a pig mask and sleeps in a cabin in the depths of the forest, where he tortures Ezequiel until daylight.

HALF

DIRECTED BY JACOB ROBERTS

11 MINUTES | 2021 | UNITED STATES

Half-Jewish, bisexual Jonah Dorman comes out to his girlfriend, shaking the founda tion of their relationship and launching a tragicomic exploration of love and religion in New York City.

LET’S GO TOGETHER

DIRECTED BY KATE DIRIENZI

10 MINUTES | 2022 | UNITED STATES

A socially successful sorority sister “pregames” with her painfully anxious classmate, Sophia. Within the constraints of a heter onormative college environment, they form an unlikely connection.

POOFTA

DIRECTED BY ANDREW BLOGG

20 MINUTES | 2022 | AUSTRALIA

POOFTA: An offensive term used to vilify gay men. When a harmless encounter leads to a tense confrontation, a trailblazer for the LGBTIAQ+ community tries to intervene. Homophobia, internalized homophobia, anxiety & fear play out in post gay marriage Australia.

2PM | REGENT STREET BLACK BOX

48-year-old mother is pregnant. Unwilling to reveal who the father is, Hwei-lan is kicked out of her parents’ home and must move in with Wil, which puts a strain on Wil’s budding relationship with openly gay Vivian (Lynn Chen).

4PM | REGENT STREET BLACK BOX

SHORTS PROGRAM

WE’RE HERE

SAVING FACE

DIRECTED BY: ALICE WU

RUNTIME: 91 MINUTES

YEAR: 2004 COUNTRY: UNITED STATES

RATING: R LANGUAGE: ENGLISH, MANDARIN Wil (Michelle Krusiec) is a lesbian, but she not dare tell her widowed mother, Hwei-lan (Joan Chen), or her very traditional grand parents. She’s shocked, however, to find out she’s not the only one in her family with romantic secrets when she learns that her

LONG LIVE MY HAPPY HEAD

DIRECTED BY: WILL HEWITT & AUSTEN MCCOWAN

RUNTIME: 90 MINUTES

YEAR: 2022 COUNTRY: UK

RATING: NOT RATED

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

Gordon is a Scottish comic book artist with a big bushy beard, very expressive eyebrows — oh, and an inoperable, incurable brain tumor. By making autobiographical comics about his experience, he is able to communi cate his thoughts and reactions to cancer in a medium and a language that is disarming, accessible and inviting.

6PM | REGENT STREET BLACK BOX

WILDHOOD

DIRECTED BY: BRETTEN HANNAM

RUNTIME: 108 MINUTES

YEAR: 2021 COUNTRY: CANADA

RATING: PG-13

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH, MICMAC

In a rural east-coast trailer park, Link lives with his toxic father and younger half-broth er Travis. When Link discovers his Mi’kmaw mother could still be alive, it lights a flame and they make a run for a better life. On the road they meet Pasmay, a pow wow dancer drawn to Link. As the boys journey across Mi’kma’ki, Link finds community, identity, and love in the land where he belongs.

REGENT STREET BLACK BOX | OCT. 16 AT 6 PM

12PM | REGENT STREET BLACK BOX

DIRECTED BY MELAHN ATKINSON

STREAMING FILMS Oct 14-23

We see her in her everyday life, as she talks candidly with colleagues, queer friends, and the men she meets through apps. Despite all the advice she receives, it turns out that it is mostly time and experience that will help her embrace her place in this world.

COUNTRY: UNITED STATES

RATING: NOT RATED

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

Park View explores a case that has been shrouded in mystery, revealing the life of one woman, and the religious, legal, and media responses to the aftermath of her death. Park View will lead the viewer on a journey of understanding, from a horrific murder in a coastal Southern town, to the validation of our common humanity.

BOYLESQUE

DIRECTED BY: BOGNA KOWALCYZK

RUNTIME: 21 MINUTES

YEAR: 2021

COUNTRY: POLAND

RATING: NOT RATED

LANGUAGE: POLISH

Boylesque is a portrait of a young soul hidden in a mature body. Andrzej aka Lulla La Polaca is the oldest Polish drag queen. We meet him when he is preparing his extrav agant burial — his ashes are to be buried in an elegant urn in the shape of a stiletto shoe. Although the passing of time makes him nostalgic and miss his dead friend, he does not intend to give up his life show yet. Somewhat forgotten until now, he starts to shine his light on equality parades, private parties and nightclub scenes. Believing that he can still experience romantic love at the end of his life, Andrzej opens himself up to search for someone through a dating site.

NEPTUNE FROST

DIRECTED BY: ANISIA UZEYMAN, AND SAUL WILLIAMS

RUNTIME: 109 MINUTES

YEAR: 2021

COUNTRY: RWANDA

RATING: NOT RATED

MY EMPTINESS AND I

DIRECTED BY: ADRIÁN SILVESTRE

RUNTIME: 98 MINUTES

YEAR: 2022

COUNTRY: SPAIN

RATING: NOT RATED

LANGUAGE: SPANISH, FRENCH

After moving from France to Spain, Raphi fantasizes about romances with princes and about starting a traditional family. However, her situation looks nothing like that in real ity. She works in a call center in Barcelona, struggles with dates that often turn embar rassing, and is diagnosed by her therapist as having gender dysphoria. We follow this trans woman as she makes her transition during this essential, if confusing, period.

LANGUAGE: SWAHILI, FRENCH, ENGLISH Multi-hyphenate, multidisciplinary artist Saul Williams brings his unique dynamism to this Afrofuturist vision, a sci-fi punk musical that’s a visually wondrous amalgamation of themes, ideas, and songs. Co-directed with the Rwandan-born artist and cinema tographer Anisia Uzeyman, the film takes place in the hilltops of Burundi, where a group of escaped coltan miners form an anti-colonialist computer hacker collective. From their camp in an otherworldly e-waste dump, they attempt a takeover of the authoritarian regime exploiting the region’s natural resources — and its people. When an intersex runaway and an escaped coltan miner find each other through cosmic forces, their connection sparks glitches within the greater divine circuitry. Set between states of being — past and present, dream and waking life, colonized and free, male and female, memory and prescience — Neptune Frost is an invigorating and empowering direct download to the cerebral cortex and a call to reclaim technology for progressive political ends.

Years of research suggest that the burying of Talana Kreeger’s memory has created a disconnect within the community that continues to be felt. The Park View Project opens a window into the grief and healing of minority cultures that have been typically overlooked or misunderstood by the media, so that the people of Wilmington, NC can tell their own story with authenticity.

PARK VIEW

DIRECTED BY: TAB BALLIS

RUNTIME: 97 MINUTES

YEAR: 2020

TRAVESTI ODYSSEY

DIRECTED BY: NICOLÁS VIDELA

RUNTIME: 93 MINUTES

YEAR: 2021 COUNTRY: CHILE LANGUAGE: SPANISH

In Oct. 2019, the Chilean government decided to raise the price of transport tickets, sparking days of intense protests. It was during this turbulent period that Cabaret Travesía Travesti was performed for the last time. As well as being entertaining and hilariously funny, this radical show was razor-sharp and extremely political. Scantily clad, wearing sky-high heels and dazzling make-up, Maraca Barata, Anastasia María Be navente, and Amnesia Letal gave short shrift to power structures and a historical legacy that marginalized the trans community, mak ing it a target for often-deadly violence.

As well as being a celebration of the com pany, Travesti Odyssey by filmmaker Nicolás Videla—who by night is better known by his stage name Amnesia Letal—also examines how it succumbed to personal differences. This vivid, intertwining collage of scenes from performances, interviews, and archive footage paints a vibrant picture of complex, activist characters, one that underscores just how important it is that the trans communi ty stands up to tell its own stories.

More at damntheseheels.org

Celebrating our PETS

Kelly and Poodle

During the throws of the first months of Covid, I found myself in a dark place mentally and environmentally. The fact was I needed a purpose so I visited the SL Animal Rescue and saw this dog named Stephen, after trying to get Stephen’s attention by calling him by his name he wouldn’t acknowledge me he just sat there and looked forward. On the way home through some mystical, magical telepathy he conveyed he would like to be called Poodle. This Poodle is my soul pet and he literally changed and saved my life.

Kevin and Cooper

Cooper aka Coopus, Bubba, Sweet Pea, or Little Brown Burrito, came into my life two years ago when he was almost one year old—rehomed because his dog siblings rejected him. He is a Plott hound mixed with who knows what but his two dads love him the way he is. Coopus really loves meeting new people, swimming in the river, chasing kitties, keeping his home squirrel free and singing the blues. Given the chance, he will roll in the stinkiest thing he can find when he’s exploring. He gets the zoomies like crazy when he’s out running around but very chill at home until there’s a knock at the door. He is the perfect dog.

Kayli & Raven

Almost 2 years ago I was about to come home from deployment when I saw Raven’s adoption post. Two days into being stateside I was driving down to meet her. I instantly knew we were meant for each other and I took her home that same day. I can’t even remember what life was like without Raven. She’s the smartest, sweetest, silliest, best little pitty mix a girl could ask for. I love how her ears don’t know if they want to be pointy or floppy. I love her excessive kisses when I giggle. How she greets me with wiggle butts every time I come home. She has the best expressions, she’s mastered the side eye and pouting to get more attention. She loves life and she loves her moms and I’m grateful to be the one who could rescue her and give her this life she loves. Because she rescued me too.

STUART AND LUKLA

This is me and Lukla. He “found” me eight years ago as a kitten.

I had my other two cats out for their walk (both now passed), and a kitten walked up the sidewalk from Main Street and stopped and meowed.

I decided to name him after the village that most folks start the Everest Base Camp trek in. He’s the friendliest cat you’ll ever meet.

Ron Goodsell and Picco

My partner (Robert, now deceased) heard of a lady with a Chihuahua puppy she was selling and called to inquire about it.

I said no puppy, as we already had three dogs, the max our lease allowed. The lady and the puppy came over and stayed, and stayed, and stayed, I finally went to bed. In the morning the lady was gone and the puppy was still there! Robert passed away a year later and left me with this wonderful, loving little guy.

Ann and Jack

My grand dog Jack has been the best thing in the world for me. He comforts me, makes me smile, laugh and I just love him so much.

Step up. Step out. Save lives.

Join us for Strut Your Mutt, the fun walk and fundraising event that saves the lives of dogs and cats in communities across the country. Fundraising is now through October 31.

October 15, Liberty Park, Salt Lake City

Together, let’s step up and step out to save lives! strutyourmutt.org

Thanks to our national sponsors:

Tony, ScoTT, and Kubo

Kubo came in to our lives almost six years ago. He loves to travel and barks at the Amazon delivery man. He’s a very loving dog and part of our family.

Enke & Issy

My sister in law, Taina, loved her Yorkie babies. Izzy was rescued from a puppy mill and rehabilitated by Taina. One year later, at age 50, Taina died unexpectedly. Izzy was heartbroken, we had just lost our elderly “Pierre” and were distraught ourselves, so I asked my brother if we could have Izzy visit for the weekend. This was January 24, 2019; Izzy stayed permanently. She stays by my side everywhere as a service animal. It was suggested I get an animal to walk and to take care of by my orthopedic surgeon post recovery of 2015 nearly fatal bike accident. Forces me outside every day to continue my recovery. Izzy is a popular figure with the Seniors Out and Proud Utah (SOAP) Tuesday Troopers walking group. Deb Hall suggested Izzy get her own Social media account, so she did! You can watch Izzy’s daily Greenbike adventures on TikTok: @izzy.the.pilot

Some of the videos are posted here as well: facebook.com/gregory.enke

Funny, not so funny story: Izzy’s adorable tongue hanging out the side, took her in to get her teeth cleaned and she shockingly came home with 26 less teeth! (And much fresher breath)

Eric, Holly, Mani, and Rocks

So my white cat had to be put down the day after Christmas. Her name was Holly Golightly. Mani is the black one who still starts yelling at 5am. Rocks is the weird one.

Max, Hecktor & Regina

Hello, my name is Max and I’m submitting my favorite picture of me and my two cats, Hecktor and Regina. They’re litter mates and best friends (Regina on the left, Hecktor on the right). I was originally going to adopt their sister from a dear friend who fosters cats, but sadly she (the cat) passed away before I could. So when I decided I still wanted to adopt from her, I couldn’t bring myself to get only one. Best decision of my life. Hecktor loves to stand guard in the bathroom every time I take a shower and Regina is always right next to me in the morning waiting for breakfast. They love to explore the roof outside my second story window while chasing bugs and chirping at birds. I love them very very much.

RUBY ROSE

The “Batwoman” and “Orange Is the New Black” actor has three dogs – Ru, Chance and Charlie.

LGBTQ CELEBS & THEIR PETS

Bianca Del Rio

The “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 6 winner, comedian, actor and costume designer has two small dogs: Sammy and Dede.

JONATHAN VAN NESS

The “Queer Eye” and “Getting Curious” star and their husband, Mark Peacock, are famous cat lovers with five rescue cats – Larry, Liza Mionelli, Matilda, Lady G and Baggy – and now a dog they named Pablo.

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS

The “Uncoupled” and “How I Met Your Mother” actor, his husband, David Burtka, and children, Harper and Gideon, often post pics on social media with their three pups – Gidget, Spike and Ella. “Hard to get a tan with this one needing attention. #spike #summer #shade”

TROYE SIVAN

The Australian singer and actor has a dog named Nash, who he called his “emotional support animal.”

COLTON UNDERWOOD

The “Bachelor” alum and “Coming Out Colton” star shares two dogs with his fiance, Jordan C. Brown –Zooka, a German shepherd/ husky/Labrador mix – and the recently adopted Scout.

Rainbow Rising

BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI

There are far worse things happening in the world, clearly, but political-parody sensation Randy Rainbow does have a bone to pick with some folks. And this time, it’s not with Marjorie Taylor Greene. Not even with Donald Trump.

“I’m throwing my team the hell under the bus,” he joked on camera, after jumping on Zoom last minute when he was reminded of our interview, which was “on everyone’s calendar but mine.”

“I was getting ready to take a bubble bath,” he said, “but I’m happy to be with you.”

At the time of our interview in April, Rainbow was making his press rounds to chat about his debut memoir, “Playing with Myself.” The humanizing book recounts his life growing up as an imag inative and misunderstood boy, before he became known for his playful digs at right-wing figures, reworking famous Broadway songs to poke at the sheer insanity of those making really terrible

political decisions. We meet Nanny, his adoring late grandmother; we go back to the video that launched his viral career, when he pretend-called Mel Gibson; we learn about his comedy-meets-Broadway origins and how it became a full-blown career, earning him three Emmy nom inations and famous fans such as Patti LuPone and even, yes, Carol Burnett.

I was talking to a friend about interviewing you and he said, “Will he sing?” Why would I just sing? See, this is the fake news on me. Everyone thinks I’m a lunatic who bursts into song. Why would you just sing? Perhaps be cause you’ve built a career on it, I don’t know. True. If we were out having a couple of drinks, I probably would be singing constantly and you would tell me to shut up. But not always. In addition to LGBTQ+ fans, you’ve got a lot of mom fans. They hit on me. It’s inappropriate.

They haven’t learned consent, apparent ly. Mothers don’t know consent. I take it as a compliment. I see it as a Barry Manilow/Liberace kind of thing.

So the book: You are extremely vulnerable in it, and I just want to tell you that I appreciate you sharing intimate parts of your life with us. I have a real appreciation for the fact that you went to some complex and complicated places. With your family, especially. I’m glad I got on the Zoom today, because that’s really nice to hear and I appreciate that. I did go to some vulnerable places. I was certainly more raw than I’ve ever been before publicly.

Was there a moment where you decided that, “If I’m going to write a book, I need to tell that part of the story to tell my full story”? And if so, when was that moment in the process for you? From the begin ning, I had every intention of being as vulnerable and as real as I could muster. People have been so generous with their praises — mothers across the country. And everyone who has written to me over the years, especially the last five years, and has come to my show and my meet-and-greets, they’re so generous with their praise and… gratitude is the word.

They thank me for getting them through. Getting them through Trump, getting them through the pandemic, getting them through their own per sonal struggles, and they offer their emotional selves up to me, and in a way that’s so real. And I realized that’s so nice, but it’s not really a two-way street at this moment, because these people only know the two-dimen sional persona that they’ve come to know, which is certainly a part of me.

But they don’t really know that I am a complicated person who has my own insecurities, and flaws, and heartbreaks, and has faced my own adversities in life. So I wanted to really seize the moment and, as a gift to those followers who have been with me for years and to myself, to really come out and put it out there on the table.

What do mothers of LGBTQ+ kids tell you? I meet so many mothers. So many

POLITICAL SATIRIST TALKS ABOUT LIFE BEYOND HIS SPOOFS AND WHAT IT’S LIKE TO OFFER LEVITY DURING INTENSE TIMES

of them come to my live shows, and a lot of them bring their little kids who sometimes dress up like me and they look like Liza Minnelli, and they’ve got the bows and the pink glasses. And they say a variety of things, one of which is lovely: “Thank you for being a role model to my child as someone who is unabashedly being himself.”

And then sometimes at the meet-andgreets they ask: “My son is behaving this way and I want to support him or her or them. What is your advice?” I’m not an expert on the subject, but I do know that I had a mother who, in my opinion, did the perfect thing, which was create a safe environment for me to be whatever it is I was wanting to be. She didn’t push [me] one way or the other, she didn’t make it her own thing. She just simply provided a safe space, and to me, that’s the best advice I can offer any mother

with a little boy or girl like I was. I hope that some of those mothers will read this and get something valuable from it.

This is your first book. So what was it like? Did you get up in the middle of the night with a thought and write a whole chapter at 3 a.m.? And how did it compare to writing your musical parodies? Yes to all that. I don’t have to tell you: As a writer, you walk around with these things just popping into your head. So yes, there was a lot of jumping up at 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning and taking lots of notes. I found the experience to be a lot of things. It was much more emo tional than I thought it would be; I was crying a lot through the good and bad.

These are the memories that have been lighting the corners of my minds, to quote Barbra, for many years, but I never had an opportunity to really flush them out and put them down on paper. So it was

very cathartic, very emotional, fun, I loved it, and different in that it was the first time I had done any sort of real autobi ographical writing. So that was a pleasure.

Again, one of the most satisfying things about this is that I can say if you love me... because some people love me, some people hate me, and my first thought when someone says anything positive or negative on social media or anywhere else is it’s interesting because you don’t know me yet. You actually don’t know me. So here’s a little bit of the real me, and then decide. Now you can really hate me. Or love me. Choose. But if you’re judging, again, that two-di mensional, scripted, campy persona, then you don’t know the full story yet.

And there’s an entire chapter for those who are still hating you because of tweets you sent in 2010 and 2011 that were deemed racist and homophobic, which you apolo

Invited by QSaltLake Magazine

gized for. There’s plenty of sunshine and Santa Claus in this book, meaning I talk a lot about the happy things and the joy and excitement and fun and positive, but that was something that was not so fun or positive that I went through. And I want ed to talk about it because it’s a topic that I’m interested in. I’m interested in that conversation, and I now have a personal perspective that I didn’t have before. So I wanted to add that to the public conversa

tion. It’s not a 15-page mea culpa, it’s not a whole apology, because I’ve apologized for what I’ve wanted to apologize for.

It was humbling, I learned a lot, but as I say in the end, I can’t wrap it up neatly. It’s a very nuanced discussion, especially coming from someone who is a comedian and doesn’t like putting restrictions on art.

Given what happened the night that Will Smith attacked Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars after Chris’s joke, does it make you concerned at all for the state of comedy? It was Kathy Griffin who recently expressed concerns about others following in Will’s footsteps when a joke is made that someone doesn’t like. That is a concern of mine, but I don’t know if it started that night. I think that we’re in a very weird place, and people are angry and taking their aggressions out in places that it really doesn’t belong.

We’re in such a horrible place in the world and there’s war going on and pan demics, and it’s just a really heavy time. And I felt bad for a country who tuned in to get a little levity and escape for a couple of hours, and had to see this hero, this person that they idolize… I certainly am a Will Smith fan. They had to see him attack another idol and another hero of ours. That was just so sad to me. It was just sad that we couldn’t get that little escape that we just wanted so badly.

this even happened about performing your own political comedy. People ask me all the time, “Are you concerned about that?” I am satirical and I spoof. My satire certainly leans in one direction. But it’s something I try not to really overthink because what can you do?

I wonder if it’s easier for people to digest your comedy since it’s filtered through an almost cartoonish lens. I think I hope so. It’s my opinion that I’m tackling these topics in the most innocuous way possible with show tunes. So it interests me when people get really ticked off by any of my work. I have to question their intentions because it’s like, “Are you really that incensed about a song from ‘The Music Man’?” People are really interested in being angry these days.

Going back to the book, what was the most emotional topic for you to write about? Certainly anything to do with my grandmother, my Nanny, was very emotional.

She’s in the book a lot. It’s not only a beautiful tribute to her, but to uncondi tional love and what that can mean to somebody. You have to write the fore word for the paperback edition. You’re saying such nice things and things that I hoped came through, and that’s so nice. And she does pop up in the book, these cosmic entrances that she makes. Things that I hadn’t even thought about until I was writing about emotional things.

When I talk about my cat dying at the beginning of the pandemic, Nanny made her presence known, I believe, in moments like those too. That cat chapter — I feel there should be a disclaimer to the pet people in my audience.

I have been hearing from a lot of the readers who are cat or pet people who say that it’s brutal and hard to get through, which I like. That means to me that I did it right. Because it was a brutal experi ence because we locked down, and then my cat, the only other soul that I was sharing this experience with, got sick two days later. So that was hard. But the hap py ending is I got a new cat and she’s sit ting right here judging me like a bitch. 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 ap peared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

You said that you were concerned before

Superheroes and Villains

ACROSS

Alternative to a small penis

Single drag queen’s title

One of the Village People

Word on a map of Israel

Sailing the Pacific

Kind of queer

Moves the head

Persian Gulf land

Clay of “American Idol” fame

Gay superhero of Earth 2

Heart contraction.

Part of cross-dresser Joan’s name

“Good Will Hunting” setting

Outed, for example

Broadway star Stritch

Issue of the 13th amendment

Swiftly, to Shake speare

Gender-fluid shape-shifter

Bisexual feline femme fatale

Something to think about

Big name in foamy heads

Pink lady liquors

Belgrade resident

Place for a stud

Boyd’s “Gay Priest: an ___ Journey”

Witherspoon and others

She had a relation ship with Poison Ivy

Ocean State sch.

Morales of “Resur rection Blvd.”

Czech Rep. neighbor

Bisexual daughter of hip-hop artists

fetish accesso ry?

prize winner

a Feniger cook book, e.g.

“My Fair ___”

flavor

imitators twitch

Where to see “The L Word”

One-piece swimsuit

Begin, for example

Jack portrayer Hayes

partner

and salads

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

Peer Support for Mental Illness — PSMI

Thurs 7pm, Utah Pride Ctr

Planned Parenthood

 bit.ly/ppauslchiv

654 S 900 E 801-322-5571

Salt Lake County Health Dept HIV/STD Clinic

660 S 200 E, 4th Floor

Walk-ins M–F 10a–4p Appts 385-468-4242

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

LEGAL

Rainbow Law Free Clinic

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

Utah Libertarian Party

6885 S State St #200 888-957-8824

Utah Stonewall Democrats

 utahstonewalldemocrats.org

 fb.me/ utahstonewalldems

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

SOCIAL

1 to 5 Club (bisexual)

 fb.me/1to5ClubUtah

* 1to5club@ utahpridecenter.org

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

Flaming Man

 menwhomove.org

OWLS of Utah (Older, Wiser, Lesbian. Sisters)

 bit.ly/owlsutah

qVinum Wine Tasting

 qvinum.com

Seniors Out and Proud

 fb.me/soaputah

* info@soaputah.org 801-856-4255

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, All Saints Episcopal Church, 1710 Foothill Dr Tues. 8p Live & Let Live, Mt Tabor Lutheran, 175 S 700 E Wed. 7p Sober Today, 1159 30th St , Ogden Wed. 7:30p, Sober AF, Zoom mtg ID 748 896 1508, Password SLQ2020

Fri. 7p Stonewall Group, Mt Tabor Lutheran, 175 S 700 E

Crystal Meth Anon

 crystalmeth.org

Sun. 2:30pm Clean, Sober & Proud LGBTQIA+Straight Alano Club, 5056 Commerce Dr, Murray

Genderbands

 genderbands.org fb.me/genderbands

LifeRing Secular Recovery

801-608-8146

 liferingutah.org Sun. 10am Univ. Neuro psychiatric Institute, 501 Chipeta Way #1566 Sat. 11am, How was your week? First Baptist Church, 777 S 1300 E

LGBTQ-Affirmative Psycho-therapists Guild of Utah

 lgbtqtherapists.com

* robin@lgbtqtherapists.com

Men’s Support Group

Tues, 6pm

 utahpridecenter.org/ mental-health/mens-sg/

* Therapy@ utahpridecenter.org

Parent & Caregiver Support Group

Mon 6:45pm

 utahpridecenter.org/ youth--programs/

Survivors of Suicide Attempt

 utahpridecenter.org/ mental-health/sosa/

Trans & Nonbinary Adult Support

Thurs, 6pm

 utahpridecenter.org/ programs/lgbtq-adults/

* tnbsupport@ utahpridecenter.org

TransAction Sun, 1:30pm

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

Women’s Support Group Wed 6pm

 utahpridecenter. org/mental-health/ womens-sg/

* womensupport@ utahpridecenter.org

Youth Support Group ages 10-14, 14-20

 utahpridecenter. org/youth-programs/

YOUTH/COLLEGE

Encircle LGBTQ Family and Youth Resource Ctr

 encircletogether.org fb.me/encircletogether

91 W 200 S, Provo, 190 S 100 E, St. George 331 S 600 E, SLC

Gay-Straight Alliance Network

 gsanetwork.org

The OUT Foundation

 theout.foundation

 fb.me/theOUTfoundation

Salt Lake Community College LGBTQ+

 slcc.edu/lgbtq/ University of Utah LGBT Resource Center

 lgbt.utah.edu

200 S Central Campus

Dr Rm 409, M-F, 8a-5p 801-587-7973

USGA at BYU

 usgabyu.com

 fb.me/UsgaAtByu

Utah State Univ. Access & Diversity Ctr

 inclusion.usu.edu/ lgbtqa

Utah Valley Univ Spectrum

 facebook.com/ groups/uvuspectrum

Weber State University

LGBT Resource Center

 weber.edu/ lgbtresourcecenter 801-626-7271

Westminster Diversity Center

Bassis 105, M-F 8a-5p

 estminstercollege. edu/diversity

Youth Activity Night ages 10-14, 14-20

 utahpridecenter.org/ youth-programs/

REVIEW BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

‘Boy with the Bullhorn: A Memoir and History of ACT UP New York’

BY RON GOLDBERG, C. 2022, EM PIRE STATE EDITIONS / FORDHAM UNIVERSITY PRESS, $36.95, 512 PAGES

The sign above your head shows what’s going on inside it.

Last night, you made the sign with a slogan, firm words, a poke to author ity — and now you carry it high, yelling, marching, demanding that someone pay attention. Now. Urgently. As in the new book, “Boy with the Bullhorn” by Ron Gold berg, change is a-coming.

He’d never done any thing like it before.

q scopes

SEPTEMBER BY

SAM KELLEY-MILLS

ARIES March 20–April 19

There is much riding on your ability to get past hard feelings. The best you can do is let go of the past and enjoy what is coming. The holidays may not thrill, but the season will.

TAURUS Apr 20–May 20

The pressure is building, and it’s time for release. Get into the spirit of letting go by finding a positive way to chan nel your energy. Do something that makes you feel good!

GEMINI May 21–June 20

Even if it takes a while, there is light at the end of a very long tunnel. The ride may be

But how could he not get involved? Ron Goldberg had read something about ACT UP, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, and he heard they were holding a rally near his workplace. It was 1987, he’d never participated in anything like that before, but whispers were everywhere. He and his friends were “living under a pervasive cloud of dread.”

He “was twenty-eight years old… scared, angry, and more than a little freaked out” about AIDS, he says.

Couldn’t he at least go down and hold a sign?

That first rally led Goldberg to attend a meeting which, like most, as he came to realize, was raucous and loud and “elec tric.” Because he was “living fully ‘out and proud,’” and be cause he realized that this was an issue “worth fighting for,” he became even more involved with ACT UP by attending larger rallies and helping with organizing and getting his fellow activists fired

up. He observed as women became involved in ACT UP, too. Monday night meetings became, for Goldberg, “the most exciting place in town.”

There, he learned how politics mixed with activism, and why ACT UP tangled with the Reagan administration’s leaders. He puffed with more than just a little ownership, as other branches of ACT UP began spreading around the country. He learned from ACT UP’s founding members and he “discovered hidden talents” of his own by helping.

During his years in ACT UP, Goldberg says, “There was hard work, grief, and anger, surely, but there was also great joy.” He was “a witness.

And so, I began to write.”

Let’s be honest: “Boy with the Bullhorn” is basically a his tory book, with a little memoir inside. Accent on the former, not so much on the latter.

Author Ron Goldberg says in his preface that Larry Kramer, who was one of ACT

UP’s earliest leaders encour aged him to pull together a timeline for the organization and this book is the end result of the task. It’s very detailed, in sequential order and, as one reads on, it’s quite repetitive, differing basically in location. It’s not exactly a curl-up-by-the-fire read.

Readers, however — and especially older ones who remember the AIDS crisis — won’t be able to stop scanning for Goldberg’s memories and tales of being a young man at a time when life was cautiously carefree. The memories — which also act as somewhat of a gut-wrenching collec tion of death notices — are sweet, but also bittersweet.

This book is nowhere near a vacation kinda book but if you’ve got patience, it’s worth looking at twice. Take your time and you’ll get a lot from “Boy with the Bullhorn.” Rush, and it might just go over your head. Q

a dark one, but there is still much to enjoy. Hold tight and spend time with your best friends.

CANCER June 21–July 22

It’s not about the food but the people when it comes to social gatherings. Things are not always going to be per fect, but you can have perfect moments. Focus on what works.

LEO July 23–August 22

Don’t let anything stop you from achieving your goal. A special gift is waiting for you, so claim it and be proud. Even if the road seems a tad rocky, it’s worth the bumping.

VIRGO August 23–Sep 2

Rejoice and have a good time. Friends and family are bound to excite you, even if this isn’t your favor

ite time of year. Get creative when it matters, and don’t hold anything back.

LIBRA Sept 23–October 22

Things are feeling nor mal again, but in a way, that’s not what you want. Figure out what changing you want to carry with you going forward. It’s time to reinvent your life.

SCORPIO Oct 23–Nov 21

What once mattered a lot is finally starting to wear off. There is a new perception to explore, and that could mean mending the past. Find ways to reconcile with old friends.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22–December 20

The tricks that are being played on you may be getting old. Stand up for what you want and the things you believe in.

You know your limits but don’t worry about holding back.

CAPRICORN

Dec 21–Jan 19

Whoever said that life isn’t fair was right, but that doesn’t mean you have to listen to it. Find a balance and let go of those who throw you off. Hold on tight and get a good grip.

AQUARIUS Jan 20–Feb 18

Money matters don’t actually matter during this time period, though tread carefully. Being generous with those who are important will lead to love coming back to you.

PISCES Feb 19–Mar 19

Nothing is worth getting upset about, so keep your calm and figure out a way to find peace. Spend time doing what you love with who you love and get ready to be pleased.

Eight new restaurants and bars coming to Second South

BY JOSHUA JONES

Let’s crack some eggs and break some news: Curry Up Now and Mortar and Pestle are no more. The national chain that took over the old Cedars of Lebanon and served Indian fast ca sual populated the space for just two years. We’ll miss their tikka masala but are VERY excited to have local ly-owned LAZIZ spread its wings into downtown. Kafta Burgers all around! The plan is to open in mid-September… and look for that adorable tiny bar in the back to be updated and renamed BACK DOOR . Hey, don’t overthink it!

Across the street, a new owner is remodeling what was Cancun Cafe and is planning a Mexican restaurant featur ing pescados y mariscos. Mexican del mar is a category missing in downtown, so bring on the ceviche, we’re ready!

Further down 200 comes a very intrigu ing new restaurant from the Bon Patt Group (owners of Christopher’s Prime, Fat Jack’s, and Toro Rasa). HOMECOM ING SOUTHERN KITCHEN & BAR will occupy the old Olive Garden — a very desirable space kitty-corner to Hyatt Regency, which will open next month. A neon sign is up and a menu is online, but judging by the steel framing, they have several months to go before we get to taste a pulled pork melt, slicing into prime rib, or sample the fried fish

plate with hushpuppies. Oh, Momma!

We love this next story a latte. Grinding it out on the grounds of the Axis Building, CUPLA COFFEE is moving east of the aforementioned Homecoming! We’ve bean going for a Cupla years, espresso-ly for the lox, egg and cheese croissant, and of course those signature drinks.

Speaking of Hyatt Regency, the new convention hotel is a gorgeous addition to the skyline. We love the renderings for the soaring, modern Lobby Bar, but even

more alluring is the Catalan-influenced restaurant, MAR | MUNTANYA (sea and mountain). Located on the 6th floor with an outdoor terrace, it is helmed by Chef Tyson Peterson, formerly at the acclaimed Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant inside St. Regis, Deer Valley. He recently told us to expect the menu to feature elk tenderloin, suckling pig, and the highest quality oysters. To wash it down and truly imbibe the Spanish flavors, Chef is working on a stupen dous selection of sangrias as well as a gin-heavy craft cocktail menu (appar ently Spaniards love gin, who knew?)

Finally, this writer recently moved into the Westgate Lofts on 200 South and what would you know? MAXWELL’S LITTLE BAR (21+) has opened directly below us, next to VOSEN’S GERMAN BAKERY. (We’re doomed). The ador able postage stamp space fits 30 people and offers all those beloved recipes you loved at the Main Street location. They even have a walk-up for Fat Kid Pizza slices! See you there soon. Q

Joshua Jones is the director of communications and marketing at the Downtown Alliance at downtownslc.org.

Plan-B to premiere horror comedy ‘My Brother was a Vampire’

In Morag Shepherd’s latest play, sib lings Skye and Callum love each other, hate each other, and need each other.

Oh, and they can fly.

“My Brother was a Vampire” is a horror comedy that follows a bizarre, broken, and blistering ly brazen journey in reverse.

Jerry Rapier, Plan-B’s artistic director, chatted with Morag about the play.

Morag Shepherd, how would you describe “My Brother was a Vampire“? I describe “My Brother was a Vampire” as a horror comedy because I really wanted to try my hand at writing something scary and suspenseful. I wanted to write something that evoked the presence of someone, or something, lurking just out of sight, to represent a paranoia, or an unknown. The comedy part of the equation shows up by a fairly heavy dose of dead-pan sarcasm in the relationship between siblings Callum and Skye. I liked the idea of having the audience balance right on the edge of laughter and discomfort and I constantly tried to play with the line between comedy and horror.

What inspired you to write it? I really love the Swedish film “Let the Right One In,” and was actually able to stage it in Provo at An Other Theater Company a few years ago. I love how that piece is both so violent and completely innocent all at the same time, and I wanted to capture a similar kind of contradiction. I was also greatly influenced by the band The Smiths and how we just love to be depressed by their songs sometimes!

What is unique about the play? We first meet Skye and Callum in their forties, and then in each subsequent scene they are five years younger, so by the time we get to the last scene they are five and eight. By following a different dramatic structure, the story is less a trauma tale and more about the char acters and their relationship, which is both sweet and fierce. In addition, it was fun and challenging to write about the different aspects of vampire folklore.

What do you like most about it? The thing I like the most about this piece

is the interplay between the siblings. They aren’t particularly likable or moral or happy, and are their best and worst when they are around each other. Sometimes they are horribly cruel and funny, which makes it so that when they are soft and sweet, it really pops. How do you describe Skye (played by Sydney Shoell) and Callum (played by Benjamin Young)? From a young age Skye always tries to take on Callum’s pains and discomforts. She does this in a paranormal way, and because of this gift or power, she sometimes crosses lines and hurts him. When we first meet Skye, she flies onto the stage because she has more fully transitioned into a vampiric state. In this condition, Skye is at her most cold and sarcastic, which is hilarious. As our experience of her rolls on, the hard, outer layer of her personality burns off, and she is warmer.

Callum has learned throughout his life to self-medicate as a coping mecha nism. When he does this, we realize that Skye knows about it and feels it in her arms and hands. Although we already know that his fate is sealed at the top of the show, it is still hopeful to see how he is almost naive to the people around him. Callum looks for the best in his mother, even though she has been thoroughly thoughtless to he and Skye. He doesn’t want to blame others for how his father was, and tries to show up for and care for Skye, even when it is less of a help and more of a burden.

Morag Shepherd has previously premiered her plays “Not One Drop” and “Flora Meets a Bee” at Plan-B Theatre. Her latest, “My Brother was a Vampire,” premieres November 3–13 for Plan-B Theatre’s 32nd Subscrip tion Series, featuring Sydney Shoell (they/them) and Benjamin Young (he/him). Details, including COVID-19 safety, and tickets at planbtheatre.org/vampire.

Playwright Morag Shepherd, and actors Benjamin Young and Sydney Shoell

PHOTO COURTESY

Causing Mayhem: An Interview with Colton Bell, Mr. Mayhem Leather 2022

BY ALPHA MERCURY

Editor’s note: Welcome Alpha Mercury and his column, Kink Alley: Where leather and fetish live in Salt Lake

I recentlycaught up with 26-year-old Utah native Colton Bell, Mr. Mayhem Leather titleholder, to talk about his winning the competition, his kink awaken ing, and pushing boundaries within the traditionally masculine gay male Kink/Leather/Fetish community.

Congratulations on being named Bears, Bikers & Mayhem’s Mr. Mayhem Leath er 2022! Thank you so much! It’s an honor to have this title. Thank you for having me for this interview!

What is Bears, Bikers & Mayhem? Bears, Bikers & Mayhem is a yearly event that takes place in Gettysburg, Penn. This year was actually my very first one!

Did you expect to win? I don’t know if expect would be the right word, but I definitely planned to win. I think if you ever walk into a contest not planning to win, you’re setting yourself up for a less enjoyable experience; however, if you walk into a contest expecting to win, you’re only setting yourself up for dis appointment, or even if you win, having no opportunity to exceed your goals.

Tell us about your kink awakening — how and when you realized you had a taste for more than vanilla. For me, learning about kink was similar to coming out.

I really didn’t ever consider myself as vanilla, just like I never really thought of myself as straight. Instead, it was that I didn’t know the words to explain what I was, or that straight/vanilla was all I had ever heard or known. The more words, phrases, and knowledge you have as a person, the easier it is to understand yourself and your identity.

How do you kink identify — Dominant, submissive, Daddy, boy, Handler, pup, Master, slave, Switch, etc.? I identify as “let’s talk about it,” haha. I’m really open to a lot of identities, and there are a few that I’d really love to explore with

someone very comfortable teaching me more about them. I’m only 26, and have only been fully involved in the community since COVID. I’m excited to still have so much to learn. I do know for certain I would consider myself a switch and a service top.

What does being Mr. May hem Leather 2022 mean to you? Causing Mayhem! Duh! Having this title means way more than I could ever explain in words, but there are two things that stand out most to me. The first is to uphold the title history, event history, and general attitude of Bears, Bikers & Mayhem and their beneficiaries and communi ty. Mayhem to me is about pushing buttons that are not often pushed. I want to be someone who is known for saying what needs to be said in our communities. I want to be someone who learns and grows while helping others learn and grow. Most importantly I want to be someone who others can look up to and see themselves in, especially if they haven’t got to see those kinds of people represented before. Visibility is important, and I’m going to use every ounce of Mayhem I can cause to make sure everyone gets to see it.

What are your plans as you represent Bears, Bikers & Mayhem for the next year? I want to make an impact and I want to be visible. I want to touch corners of the world that have never seen this kind of person and I want to help educate them, bring visibility to them, and just show them how much of a great time this community is to be a part of. I’m excited to leak two exciting fundraisers coming up that I and my sash brother Mr. Mayhem Leather Bear 2022, will be co-hosting. Our first will be a beer bust at Wilton Manors Fort Lauderdale on October 29 to raise money for Equality

Florida. The second will be a drag show spectacular with BOTH of us in drag, raising money for the Trevor Project. That will happen on November 11 at the Clifton Pleasure Club in Baltimore.

I also want to bring my title impact here to my home state of Utah, so I’ve de cided to choose Genderbands as my own personal organization I plan to donate my fundraising proceeds. Genderbands is based in Orem, Utah that has an amazing mission and some amazing opportunities to make large impacts in transgender and gender non-conforming people’s lives.

Mr. Mayhem Leather titleholders are historically traditionally masculine. As someone who identifies as being on the non-binary spectrum, what does it mean (both to you, and to the Kink/Leather/ Fetish community) that you now hold this title? Have you experienced and do you anticipate any pushback on this issue, and what has been or will be your response? Being on the non-binary spec trum to me ultimately means a big FUCK YOU to all those typical expectations that can sometimes be set in our community. When I talk about visibility, these are the

exact barriers I’m trying to break down. Gender roles are fucked, and to be honest, gender is fucked. What does it even mean to be a “man” or “woman”? Every single person is going to answer that question differently, and frankly, it isn’t important to me anyway. I’m nowhere close to fully understanding my journey in gender presentation, and I’m okay with that. For now, I’m very happy to exist somewhere in between. My pronouns are he/they. I am on the non-binary spectrum. I am still a “Mr.” title holder. I push boundaries on femininity. I do drag. And all those things just add to my non-stop drive to showcase my authentic self at every moment of every day. Those labels are not for every one else, they are for me to understand myself better. The more comfortable I can feel in my own skin, the more privilege I have to help others who don’t have that comfortability see pieces of themselves reflected in a positive light. With all that said, I haven’t received as much push back on this concept as I first thought.

That doesn’t mean it’s not being said, however. I know there are people out there who are VERY unhappy with my interpretation of leather. My response to anyone talking about it will be this:

“Leather has always existed to push the boundaries of the expected, and to stand up to showcase your true self. If I’m doing that exact thing, then what about my pre sentation is so upsetting to you? In what ways would you want me to change? And do you think I’d still be representing my fight, my spirit, and my authentic self by changing that? I don’t believe I would. I want to learn. I want to celebrate history. But I also want to make some as well. I’m going to continue doing so whether you like it or not. So go ahead and be mad, because it’s only going to make my story that much more interesting.”

Colton, thanks so much for tak ing the time to talk to us.

Of course! Thank you so very much for having me. It’s been a pleasure! Q

To learn more about Colton, visit his official Facebook page at Mr. Mayhem Leather and on most social media media platforms at linktr.ee/Draaegon. To learn more about Bears, Bikers & Mayhem, visit bearsbikersandmayhem.com

the perils of petunia pap smear

The tale of a queen on a mission

BY PETUNIA PAP SMEAR

Editor’s note: Petunia is a very busy queen of late, so we are giving her a respite and rerunning this tale from June of 2011.

The road from a mis sion reunion is fraught with danger and excitement.

I just finished watching that most holy of all “family” events, The Tony Awards, and I must say Doogie Howser posi tively gave me the vapors. Now there’s a princess who has ripened rather nicely. It was especially moving that The Book of Mormon musical won so many awards.

When the very, very cute Elder Price so earnestly sang, “I Believe,” I was very nearly raptured right up into heaven, even though the official rapture date has been postponed until October.

(Side note to God: Please, please, please don’t let me get raptured while I’m wearing my Pride Day pink-sequined dress with the twirling beefcake breasti cles. It may look fabulous with a capital F and would send all the other angels into fashion hell, but it chafes and I don’t want to spend eternity chafing. Besides, it is next to impossible to sit demurely on a cloud while wearing a crinoline skirt without giving a very indiscreet presentation of the family jewels. Anthony Weiner would be so jealous.)

All those singing and dancing mis sionaries caused me to reminisce about one of my mission reunions a long, long time ago, very shortly after Utah attained statehood when I had not yet traded in my necktie for a string of pearls, my briefcase for a purse, and my Mr. Mac polyester iron weave two pants suit for a polyester evening gown.

During LDS General Conference weekend, I was driving home from my mission reunion still dressed in my white shirt and tie and noticed a movie theater marquee with the title XXX Samurai Dick starring Ron Jeremy. I thought to myself, that’s a movie that I’ve never seen, but since I went to Japan on my mission

I might really like it, so in an effort to broaden my horizons, I stopped to check it out. I could barely get my wallet out of my pocket because my nervous hands were trembling so much. It was so dark when I entered the theater that I couldn’t see anything at all, so I sat in the very closest chair. There on the big screen, to my amazement, was “Man’s Search For Happiness.” I mean, oh my heck, it was sex! Of course, it was straight sex, but there was a penis involved.

Oh, the thrill. Oh, the danger. Oh, the boner!

In this heightened state of excitement, my “spidey senses” became electric.

I quickly became engrossed in the “intricate character-based plot lines” of the movie. After a while, I realized that someone was sitting in the very next chair. Soon, I began to sense that his knee was pressing against my leg. I thought that perhaps I was encroaching on his personal space so I withdrew my leg further into my space. Soon his leg was pressing up against mine again and I finally caught on that it was intentional. I almost stopped breathing but I didn’t pull my leg away this time. All the while my eyes remained locked on the movie screen. Soon his leg was rubbing up and down against mine. Again I didn’t move, still staring at the movie, but I suddenly had an overwhelming urge for some “candy” to go along with this movie.

After what seemed like hours, but was probably only five minutes, his arm pressed against mine on the armrest. I was beginning to sweat. His little finger gen tly interlocked with mine and he slowly drew my hand toward his “candy count er.” My heart was pounding so hard that I could almost have passed out. There, in his lap, I felt the whole forbidden “candy store” — firm, warm, and inviting, straining mightily against the restrain ing fabric. He rubbed my hand over his packaged sweets and placed my fingers gingerly on the zipper. I slowly, carefully

tugged down on the zipper to free a large “Twizzler” from its package. “Oh sweet mystery of life, I’ve finally found you.”

Just then, a police officer entered the auditorium with a flashlight and began shinning it up and down the rows of the audience. I quickly withdrew my hand, and my neighbor placed his coat over his lap, thereby hiding his “candy” from prying eyes. All the while, our eyes were locked firmly on the movie directly ahead. After the “storm trooper” had finished his inspection and retreated to the foyer, my neighbor again drew my hand back to the Twizzler. Little by little, my fingers continued to explore and found two “Milk Balls.” Good things really do come in threes! Just as the treats were beginning to melt in my hands, not in my mouth, the “storm trooper” was back again, inspecting the audience. I lost my nerve and left the theater, vowing that I would return again to find more candy because my sweet tooth had now been awakened.

My only regret was that in the darkness, I never got a good look at “The Candy Man.”

Like always these events leave us with several important questions:

1. Must I dress appropriately for the rap ture for the entire month of October?

2. Should I trade in my missionary name tag for a diamond broach?

3. Is licorice the iron rod onto which we are supposed to hold?

4. Is polyester the one and only true celestial fabric?

5. Was the police officer look ing for lost children?

6. How is it that after starring in 1,246 movies, Ron Jeremy has not been given a lifetime achievement award? These and other important questions are to be answered in future chapters of: The Perils of Petunia Pap-Smear