National softball tournament to be held in SLC in May

Salt Lake City was selected by the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance to host its annual LGBTQ+ softball tournament. The games will take place from May 26-28, at the Valley Regional Complex in Taylorsville and the Larry H Miller Softball Complex in Millcreek. Teams from NAGAAA organizations across the United States and Canada will compete in the elite A and B divisions to determine the NAGAAA Cup Champions.

In addition to the tournament, teams will also have the opportunity to qualify for the Gay Softball World Series. The public is invited to attend and show support for the participating teams. A big party will be held to bring the community together in support and unity.

Salt Lake City was chosen as the host city due to its natural beauty and the warm welcome extended by the entire culture. NAGAAA Commissioner John Deffee expressed his surprise at the friendliness and acceptance shown by Salt Lake City’s residents.

With more than 80 percent of NAGAAA’s teams located on the West Coast, attendance is expected to be robust, with an estimated 1,100 attendees. The tournament is anticipated to have an estimated economic impact of more than $1 million on the community.

Clay Partain, managing director of Sports Salt Lake, highlighted the city’s inclusive culture, which embraces differences and encourages new perspectives. Tanya Hawkins, Co-CEO at the Utah Pride Center, emphasized the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in athletics to create a safe and welcoming place at sporting events. Q

Rally and march at the Utah State Capitol for Trans Day of Visibility

A rally and march are scheduled for March 31 to celebrate the 14th annual International Transgender Day of Visibility. The day is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of transgender and gender-nonconforming people while raising awareness of the work that still needs to be done to achieve trans justice.

To commemorate the occasion, Project Rainbow Utah is organizing an all-ages trans rally and march, starting at the Utah State Capitol Building at 5 p.m. The rally will take place from 5 to 5:30 p.m. The march will go from 5:30 to 5:45 p.m. to City Creek Park, where there will be speakers and a youth open mic through 7 p.m. Additionally, an incredible 21+ event will take place at a certain club after the march, which is sure to be unforgettable.

More information and updates will be on Project Rainbow’s social media platforms, including an after-party at a 21+ venue.

Trans flags can be ordered for your yard from projectrainbowutah.org to provide support for trans and non-binary youth.

The Human Rights Campaign estimates there are more than 2 million transgender people across the United States.

“We are parents, siblings and kids. We are your coworkers, your neighbors and your friends. We are 7-yearold children and 70-year-old grandparents,” HRC wrote in a statement. “We are a diverse community, representing all racial and ethnic backgrounds as well as all faith traditions.”

Elevation Utah 2023, aka Utah Gay Ski Week, was a success

For the past 20 years, Tom Whitman has been hosting the annual Elevation event, also known as Gay Ski Week, as a way of providing an alternative activity to the bar and nightclub scene. Starting at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in California, Whitman added Park City in 2011. The four-day event took place this year from February 22–26

Whitman said that when he added Park City, he had to do his due diligence to figure out whether the town and venues would welcome an LGBTQ+ event. “The response was amazingly supportive,” he said. Elevation offers a safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals to honor their identities and share experiences through skiing and snowboarding. Whitman creates an outstanding lineup of entertainment, including world-class DJs, drag queens, performers, and dancers, on top of several themed events that are included throughout the week, like the onesie party and neon party. Event venues in each town that have been long-time supporters of Elevation are sought out from year to year.

QSaltLake Lagoon Day set for Aug. 13

One day each summer, Utah’s queer community floods Lagoon theme park with red. Members of the LGBTQ+ community and their supporters will take over the park for the QSaltLake Day at Lagoon this year on Sunday, Aug. 13.

The event attracts hundreds of people each year, possibly as many as 2,000. Supporters are encouraged to wear red shirts and stop by the QSaltLake pavilion — the Honey Locust Pavilion— for a group photo at 4 p.m. and to mingle with other queers and allies. The pavilion is open the entire day and is a popular place to have lunch, take a break, and mingle with the Matrons of Mayhem. The event is also sponsored by Club Try-Angles, which will open at 6 p.m. that day so employees can join in the festivities.

QSaltLake Lagoon Day is open to all participants, and there will also be many people who are not aware of the day, but the overall atmosphere is very open and accepting.

This year, Lagoon is scheduled to open its next in-house coaster creation after seven years of construction. It has already been named one of the 10 most anticipated new theme park rides for 2023 by coaster enthusiasts. Q

A discount code for online tickets will be available at the end of July

“Each of our LGBTQ+ ski weeks has become a favorite week of the year for the local communities and ski area employees,” Whitman said. “It is so gratifying to hear, year after year, that they look forward to this event like none other on the schedule. Staff at our venues dress up for the theme parties, locals look forward to the events, the entertainment, and the vibe in town, whether they are LGBTQ+ or allies of the community.”

Gay Ski Week seeks to create a warm, friendly atmosphere for the LGBTQ+ community, inherently encouraging attendees and locals to topple barriers and be open-minded in their interactions. Over two decades of hosting the experience have proven that it creates a vibe superior to any ordinary gay nightclub, he said. Everyone from novice skiers just getting started to advanced ski enthusiasts can feel included with plenty of other activities available if skiing isn’t their thing.

Whitman shared that Elevation has a special place in his heart, not only because it is the longest-running event he has produced, but because each year he meets amazing people from around the world who share at least one of his passions – skiing/ snowboarding and gathering with his LGBTQ+ community. “Elevation is populated by friendly, fun, sexy guys and girls. Every year since the first event, I have made new friends that I treasure to this day,” he said. Q

Marlin Criddle

Oct. 19, 1946–March 12, 2023

Marlin Glenn Criddle, born Oct 19, 1946, in Honolulu, Hawaii, died March 12, 2023, in Seattle, Washington. He was the son of Charles Glenn Criddle and Zella Luella Frandsen and the eldest of five siblings.

The gay community of Salt Lake owes a debt of gratitude to this pioneering son of pioneers.

He won the testimony of the year award from friends for coming out during a testimony meeting in his UCLA student ward. He completed a master’s degree in Linguistics and later a J.D. in Law at Loyola of Los Angeles.

After the death of his partner, Dennis Akazawa, Marlin came to Salt Lake to pursue a passion for genealogy. He met David Turner, his husband, at a protest at Salt Lake City Hall. It seems the Utah Eagle Forum objected to the mention of gay victims in the Anne Frank Holocaust exhibit.

Discovering the drive of the gay community, he decided he could stay in Salt Lake. He opened a law practice serving mostly clients with HIV. Many were never able to pay. He received the Kristen Ries Community Service Award and was one of the first openly gay attorneys to speak out.

He became board president of the Utah Stonewall Center, which is now the Utah Pride Center. He often spent nights on the phone pleading for the building rent.

A highlight of his time in Salt Lake includes singing with Salt Lake Men’s Choir, the Tuesday Night Movie Group, the Wednesday Men’s Sack Lunch, and dinner with Craig and Ernie while telling David to stop cheating at cards.

David knew he could love Marlin when, early in their relationship, Marlin clipped a car while parking at the bar. He insisted on putting his name and number on the car because he always tried to do the right thing.

Claiming he wanted a Viking funeral, Marlin’s cremains will be taken by ferry to the waters of Puget Sound. David regrets he will be unable to set the ferry on fire. Q