Miss Davis County is here, she’s queer, and we could get used to it

BY MICHAEL AARON, 6-MINUTE READ Hannah Romney

lives in one of the most conservative counties in the country. And she was crowned Miss Davis County even while openly choosing to support the LGBTQ+ community as her public service.

Romney started an organization to, among other things, help trans people get clothing that represents their gender expression. She is now working to get a nonprofit status with the IRS to expand her services.

Some of her hopes for Green Carnation is to help provide queer safe spaces, online and in person, for queer youth and sober adults.

After winning the Miss Davis County title, one of her first public appearances was at Davis County Pride.

She then moved on to the Miss Utah pageant, where she was asked, “As Miss Utah, how will you encourage other LGBTQ contestants to participate in the program?” Her answer: “I would say that Miss America is an amazing program. I would first teach them about the five pillars of Miss America and all of the scholarship opportunities in which we are able to receive. But queer people have been involved in the Miss America organization for so long because we’re here, we’re queer, so get used to it.”

While she was not crowned Miss Utah this year, the title remains one of her goals.

Tell me a little about your background. My pronouns are she/they, and I identify as a lesbian. I am a musical theatre major formerly at Idaho State University. I grew up here in Utah, and I come from a very LDS family. I have always been what you call “the golden child,” constantly doted on by my loving parents and always doing what I should be doing in the name of God.

When I came out to my family at the age of 20, it sent a ripple throughout our family unit. At first, I was cast aside and told that I could change and that God could save me from this “affliction” that was being gay. But as we so often learn, hoping and praying the gay away doesn’t work.

As I grew older, I decided it was my duty to educate the members of my family. Whether they agree with me or not, they were going to be educated. This started me on the path of being an advocate for the other members of our community. After almost five years of constant discussions and conversations about the importance and validity of the LGBTQ community, my family is now a better group of allies than I could ever imagine. They love and support me and my partner and actually educate others around them while continuing to educate themselves. What got you interested in being part of the pageant system? What got me into the pageant system was actually the scholarship opportunities that people can receive through participating. I am a struggling theatre student, and putting on a show in front of other people for scholarship money seemed like an excellent idea at the time. Until I learned what pageantry actually is.

Pageantry is filled with kind, talented, and incredibly intelligent young women who are looking to make a difference in their communities. That’s when I decided to make a difference in my community by bringing the idea of being a gay woman into the heterosexual pageant space. I knew that I had the opportunity to educate those around me about the LGBTQ community in a way that would make people listen to me. With the crown on my head, I have been able to build a platform of uplifting queer voices and reach people who never otherwise would hear me.

What has been the reaction of other contestants and the pageant organizers about your focus on LGBTQ issues? The reaction from the other contestants has been pretty mixed. Whether or not the pageant organizers and fellow contestants agree with my platform, they know that they can’t deny the importance of supporting and loving the LGBTQ+ community. There has been some pushback and some very strong reactions to my platform being about LGBTQ youth and other queer issues. I have been called a groomer, a mutilator, and just about any foul name you can think of, just for presenting this platform at Miss Utah.

But the positive reactions and interactions I’ve had severely outweigh the negative. In this socio-political climate, I will die on the hill that LGBTQ people deserve a voice. We deserve to be seen, heard, validated, and loved. Has there been a reaction from other Davis County people? The reaction from the people of Davis County has been incredible. For such a conservative county, they have welcomed me with open arms and truly want to utilize what I have to offer. Davis County actually has a huge pocket of LGBTQ+ people and allies. We even have our very own pride festival every year in May. Overall I’d say the reaction of Davis County towards me, a very gay pageant queen, has been amazing.

Tell me about Green Carnation, and what drew you to it. Growing up in Utah, it was very difficult to find LGBTQ-affirming spaces outside of Salt Lake City. Green Carnation is a grassroots organization dedicated to building safe public and online spaces for LGBTQ youth located in Davis County. Green Carnation was borne out of the need for affordable accommodations for those who are transitioning.

I have many friends and family members who are trans, and seeing how difficult it is to find clothing options for them broke my heart. I figured when someone is transitioning, the last thing they should have to worry about is where to find their clothing. That is precisely why I chose to create the Green Carnation Closet, a prepared for the job. I am proud of my answer. In fact, I am proud that I was able to leave a lasting impression on the audience and panelists that queer people have always been here, and always will be. What do you see in your near future, and what do you see looking way forward? I see the Miss Utah crown on my head. I won’t give up now that I have started. I believe it is important, now more than ever, to have LGBTQ representation in heterosexual spaces. Miss Utah is meant to be a voice for the voiceless, and what better way to amplify our queer voices than a platform as large as Miss Utah. low-cost to free thrift store, where all of the monetary donations go straight to purchasing tucking and period panties as well as binders for those who need them.

I also see Green Carnation becoming my full-time job soon. The need for organizations like this is so prevalent in today’s political climate. I would hope that in the near future, Green Carnation is an established non-profit and that we are consistently changing the lives of those in our queer community.

My ultimate goal is to make the Green Carnation closet a mobile closet so that I can travel to varying states across the country to give access to affordable clothing to trans people everywhere.

If I were to look way forward in my future, I would hope to see an affirming and safe world for our LGBTQ members to exist, and that, hopefully, I have done everything in my power to help secure that future. I want to continue to be a voice for our LGBTQ community in every small way possible.

How did the LGBTQ question at the Miss Utah pageant come about? This question came about in my private interview with the panelists. The panelists asked me many questions about how I could possibly be Miss Utah and be LGBTQ in such a conservative state. They also asked me questions about why I should care about such a small population of our community. The panelists’ job is to make sure whoever is crowned as Miss Utah is

Is there anything else you’d like QSaltLake’s readers to know? I would like the readers to know that absolutely no work can get done if we don’t effectively and actively listen to each other. Even to those with differing opinions. As hard as it may be — and the urge to attack is strong — I encourage the readers to take the time to listen and hear the concerns of those outside of our community. In conversations where two people of differing opinions listen to and love each other, amazing things can happen. The opportunity to educate is everywhere. You just have to listen. Q

Hannah Romney can be found on Instagram at @hannahelizabethromney. More information on Green Carnation can also be found on Instagram at @greencarnationlgbtq

Adecade ago, Helper, Utah, was basically considered a ghost town. The town’s Main Street was filled with beautiful, but run-down, empty buildings. Its mining town days were long gone, and its last remaining mine was dormant since 2012 due to safety violations and debt.

Also, its days of being known for its locomotives that “helped” trains over the nearby summit — where Helper got its name — were gone as trains carried enough power to do it on their own.

Today, however, when you walk down Main Street Helper, you see stunning revived buildings full of artist shops, restaurants, bars, and consignment stores. At night, buildings along the entire street glow with facade lights, and people walk the streets.

Kylee Howell, who started Friar Tuck’s Barber Shop in Salt Lake and moved back to their home county two years ago with her wife, says the town has a new, living vibe.

“Living in Helper and being part of the growth feels like there is this... hum of new opportunity,” Howell said. “At the same time, being there feels exactly like being welcomed home; there’s something so comforting in honoring the place that raised me.”

I spoke with Mayor Lenise Peterman about the town, its vibe, and its welcoming people. What first brought you to Utah, and then what brought you to Helper? I relocated to Salt Lake City with a small litigation support company in 2004. Litigation support is a high-stress, time-consuming industry, and I was interested in a change of pace. Kate Kilpatrick (my wife), who has always had her heart set on a career as an artist, stumbled on Helper at a workshop and basically came back to Salt Lake indicating this was the place. She relocated to Helper in 2012 and I followed in 2015 in a semi-retired capacity. What was Helper like when you first moved there? In 2015, Helper was still struggling. Many of the buildings were vacant and run down on Main Street. But the bones were good, and it was easy to see the potential in the historic Main Street.

The changes have been rapid. When I look back at where we started and how far we have come. The community really rallied around the concept of sustainability and the understanding we needed to diversify our economy, take care of our assets and replenish our human capital.

Revitalization, I would point out, started with the water and sewer project in 2013 and was completed in 2016. That infrastructure project gave life to new public spaces and beautification efforts you see today. Main Street was designed by and for the citizens who built it over the course of nine weekends, and they have real pride and ownership in it. It comes down to great people motivated to keep Helper viable. They are tough, dedicated and have a huge amount of pride in their community. What drove you to run for mayor? Initially, I worked as a volunteer co-chairing the Helper Arts Festival and a Helper Revitalization committee. Serving in these roles introduced me to the community and delivering results earned their trust. In 2017, I secured a grant on behalf of the city — the Sustainable Design Assessment Team grant supported by the American Institute of Architecture based out of Washington DC. This grant was a hard look at our challenges and how we could rally together to address them. Community participation was off the charts — people cared and shared their ideas and visions of what Helper could be. We then received a blueprint of actions we could take to improve. I did not want to see a plan shelved and not exercised so this prompted me to run for office. I spoke with family and friends, and one in particular (shout out to Mrs. Mike O’Shea!) who all agreed being mayor was the right role to pursue to make these ideas a reality. I was elected by a landslide and am currently serving a second term, in which I ran unopposed.

Tell me about the people of Helper. The people of Helper continue to be our best asset. They are genuine, kind, and welcoming. But don’t think they don’t have grit. They have seen industries boom and bust and still get up everyday for that next battle. They are strong-willed, tolerant and want Helper to be everything it can be. Most importantly, and the biggest gift of all, is they have hope for our future and with hope, nothing is off the table. I remember being asked when designing Main Street people were terribly concerned about “how much money” did we have to make it happen. My response was, why not dream it and then let money determine if any compromise was necessary. And that’s the Main Street you see today. How did the first Pride event in the town come about, and what was the reaction?

Helper Vibes hosted the first Pride event a few years ago. As a small, rural community without much of a budget, we are not really capable of hosting events. In fact, the various events Helper proudly reflects include numerous ones such as First Friday, the Helper Arts, Music & Film Festival and Christmas Town, which are owned by community organizations and citizens. The same holds true for Helper Vibes. Helper is the lucky recipient of dedicated people who love our town and understand events are a fun way to come together and celebrate. As is true of any town, there are people who are not supportive of the Pride theme, but in the true nature of tolerance which runs deep in Helper, they do not have to participate as they see fit. The majority of the town, however, supports and celebrates all of the different community members, and have no issue with Pride, or any of the other themes event sponsors select. While we were there for Helper Vibes’ Pride event, we couldn’t miss people’s positivity and pride in their downtown. It is all about our community. We have wonderful people who are committed to building a space for everyone. The Main Street you see is all about adhering to our cultural identity and past while directing our future. I think it is important to be an authentic place that is grounded in who the community is and to be proud of our industrial past as a mining and railroad hub.

Over the years we have achieved what is known as “positive proximity.” That means together we can be and do more than any of us can achieve individually. We respect our differences and capitalize on them to get the best results in our efforts.

Helper’s future is bright, but there is still work to be done. Infrastructure needs such as updating the electric grid, road maintenance, park upgrades, river restoration work and more are on the horizon as we continue to focus on sustainability.

From the outside, it appears the fact you have a wife has little impact on what the town thinks of you. How is it living in a town of just over 2,000 people? I find it refreshing in that I can be who I am and serve all of our citizens to the best of my ability. I would point out I am also the first woman mayor of Helper and have secured broad community support by those who understand my approach is inclusionary, regardless of race, gender, orientation, age or any other attributes people come to the table with.

Kate has done a ton for the community and has earned their respect on her own as a local area artist and active volunteer across a variety of community activities. I think when people see and know you, labels fall away and they see you — your attributes and qualities. And the trust we have earned by our actions has made Helper our home — a safe space to create, to grow and to give back to so others may enjoy it as well.

I am honored to lead such a community and bound to my ethics and integrity to ensure we honor its past, work hard to improve its present and focus on its future. Q

Find out more about Helper Saturday Vibes at helpervibes.com

Pride Quotes

“Drag queen story time opens kids’ eyes to a world that is diverse and reflective of reality. It offers queer kids an opportunity to see themselves. If queer kids don’t see themselves represented in this world, how can they envision a future with them in it?”

—@ReubenKaye

“[Four anti-drag bills] are attempts to criminalize free expression and ostracize the LGBTQIA+ community both implicitly and explicitly...”

— Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs as she vetoed 4 anti-drag bills “It’s neither gay marriage nor drag queens destroying the sanctity of marriage. It’s ‘Christian Conservative’ Republicans like Tim Moore, NC Speaker of the House who forced a married woman to continue an illicit affair with him so she could keep her job.”

—@TheSGTJoker