QSaltLake Magazine | Issue 360 | June 2024

DAVID ARCHULETA • HARRISVILLE, UTAH SUED • TARA LIPSYNCKI FORCED TO MOVE

Unity

BY MICHAEL AARON

Unity in our Community.

That happens to be the theme to next month’s Utah Pride, but I’m sure they were looking over my shoulder as I was writing this column.

Those who are against us are using ways to divide our community, therefore making it easier to conquer. And it is working. There are those in our community calling for the LGBTQ+ to be split into LGB and TQ+. There are those like the failed Log Cabin Republicans of Utah actively working against the Transgender community on Utah’s Capitol Hill and in the state and local school boards.

Our strength is that we welcome those who are quote “others” because of their gender or sexual expression. Our strength is our unity in the beautiful, vibrant col-

ors of our community. Our symphony of different voices. Our ability to love and embrace those who are different than us.

We must let our voices ring loud, for we are here to celebrate OUR community. All of it. All of us. As my scoutmaster said — we should be honored to know and welcome each of us into our community.

Let’s commit to creating a more inclusive and equitable society for all. Let’s honor the heroes who worked to secure our rights through history at great personal risk and send those who would divide us back to rethink their lives.

Together, let us continue to march forward with courage and conviction, guided by the values of love, acceptance, and equality.

Thank you, and Happy Pride! Q

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The top national and world news since last issue

you should know

Medal of Freedom for stargazing

Astrophysicist Jane Rigby, chief scientist at the world’s most powerful telescope was one of 19 people to receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom recently. She has worked at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She was the senior project scientist at the very powerful James Webb Space Telescope and on the Keck and Magellan Observatories and the Hubble Space Telescope. The White House website says the medal is “presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.” She has degrees from Penn State and the U of Arizona. She was a founding member of the “American Astronomical Society’s LGBTQ+ Equality Working Group, the Committee for Sexual-Orientation & Gender Minorities in Astronomy.” She lives with her wife in Maryland.

Methodist Church

The 40-year ban on gay clergy by the United Methodist Church has been overturned by the church’s top legislative body. A split by UMC congregations disagreeing with the decision has been threatened for some years, but has been avoided so far. The vote was 692–51 as

the legislative body passed several rules without debate, including overturning both its ban on gay clergy and the penalties for holding same-sex marriages. UMC is the second-largest Christian-based denomination in the U.S.

Lawyers win again

The East Frank Superette and Kitchen in Monroe, North Carolina, has been hosting all-ages drag brunch shows for several years. It has attracted protests from some who think the shows are not appropriate for children. The owners are now suing the anti-LGBTQ+ protesters for defamation because of the protester’s accusations of “grooming” and “pedophilia.” The onsite protest has caused chaos outside the downtown restaurant with a loss of business. The business owner says, “They can claim to be peaceful and not getting in the way, but they’re blocking sidewalks, and they’re interacting with our customers who are trying to use outside seating.” In 2023, several of the protesters sued after the restaurant pulled photos from the protesters’ social media site and used them in advertising. So, lawyers on both sides are filing motion after motion on the unauthorized use of personal information and the defamation suit. Both sides are making First Amendment arguments

Religious freedom versus non-discrimination

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed the decision of a federal district judge which will allow a Catholic school in North Carolina to fire a gay teacher who announced his marriage on social media a decade ago. The teacher had been full-time until 2012 and then

was a substitute at the school. The school stopped using the teacher as a substitute after he announced his marriage after the Supreme Court ruled for marriage equality in 2012. The teacher claimed the 2020 clarification of the Federal Civil Rights protected gay and lesbian employees. The appeals panel ruled that the school’s action was covered under the “ministerial exception” to Title VII that courts say protects religious institutions in how they treat employees.

Targets tries not to be a target

Just in time for June Pride celebrations, Target has announced that products with a “Pride theme” will be eliminated from over half of the store’s 2000 nationwide locations. A news release said, “Target is committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round.” The company told the media last year after a hullabaloo, mostly about items with some relationship to the transgender community, that employees experienced “very aggressive behavior,” including threats, destruction of merchandise, and disruptions in the cashier area. Target began removing some Pride items in certain locations in May of 2023 after media exposure and protests. Target sales dropped 5 percent from April to June compared to the same time. No decisions on which stores will carry Pride merchandise have been announced. All products will still be available online.

Straight women outlive lesbians, bisexual women

The “Journal of American Medicine” published a Harvard study of 90,833 women who worked as nurses and

were born between 1945 and 1964. The women volunteered their sexuality. Self-declared bisexual women had the highest early mortality with 37 percent of them dying earlier than heterosexual women. Lesbians died 20 percent earlier than hetero-declaring women. The report identified the gap is due to existing “extensive health disparities,” including “worse physical, mental, and behavioral health” among lesbian and bisexual women in comparison to straight women. Drugs, alcohol, and mental-health reasons were identified as the symptoms leading to death. The report suggested disparity is heavily influenced by the social stigma that LGBTQ+ people had in the last half of the 20th century. The report said that “screening and treatment referral for tobacco, alcohol, and other substance use need to be available without judgment” to combat the disparity.

The Jockstrap is 150 years old

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the “gay apparel” item called “the jockstrap.” To celebrate the occasion, dancers from “Broadway Bares” spent a day in Times Square in New York City for a day shaking, dancing, and disrobing down to their jockstraps. Sponsored by BIKE Athletic, the company released a, what else, limited-edition jockstrap for this anniversary. A portion of the funds from sales will go to the “Broadway Bares” organization and “Equity Fights AIDS.”

Pittsburgh’s ‘top’ cop

“The drinking city with a football problem,” Pittsburgh, Pa. has hired Larry Scirotto as chief of police. Scirotto was last heard of as chief in Fort Lauderdale, where he left after being accused of promoting a gay police officer over a straight one. The lawsuit was dismissed, and he says the hire was “on merit.” But the controversy took him back home to Pittsburgh. He has a classic coming-out story of finding the friendly gay bar, Pegasus, and making friends as a young man. He became a Pittsburgh city police officer before his foray to Florida. He says Pittsburgh was not really the “Queer as Folk” place of the television series, but still was welcoming to him in his “coming out.” No problems with the police de-

partment or community, gay or straight. His early tenure is marked with a decrease in violent crime, and he has been praised for the department’s handling of a “Gaza-Palestinian” demonstration at a local university. Scirotto said he and his partner of 13 years and their two dogs feel at home in Pittsburgh.

Herstory

A celebration is planned for the 50th anniversary of the Lesbian Herstory Archives. One of the founders, Deborah Edel, is still active in LHA. She and activist Joan Nestle were the originators of the idea of an archive. Edel founded LHA because she and members of the Gay Academic Union, a group working (unbelievable now) to make “academia a safe place for gays and lesbians,” and they saw a

need to make it easier to find and store reliable information about lesbian history. The archives were initially housed in an apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. In 1993, the archive was moved to Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood, then called “Dyke Slope” because of all the lesbians that had moved there. The LHA has moved from a “friends-funded library” to a nonprofit run entirely by donations and a group of about 20 volunteers.

Tough political putts

“A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” is an allegorical tale of a tree growing out of a crack in the sidewalk on an inhospitable urban city street. The same allegory goes for gay and lesbian politicians in inhospitable political environments like Texas and Tennessee. But

Molly Cook, in Texas, and Zach Young, in Tennessee, are sprouting if not yet thriving. Cook, a bisexual woman, won a special election to fill the remainder of the term of a senator who got elected mayor of Houston. She will get to vote on drag in public places bans, restroom and changing room regulations, library regulations, and other hot-button issues. She runs again this fall. Zach Young is the first out-gay school board member in Tennessee. In Tennessee, he will have to contend with the state attorney general’s suit against the U.S. Civil Rights Act Title VII over transgender treatment in public schools. Tennessee has laws regulating school bathrooms, changing rooms, and athletic participation. He has held municipal public office in other Tennessee locales. Q

Tara Lipsyncki targeted by hate groups over all-ages drag shows, forced to sell home

Tara Lipsyncki, owner of Mosaics: Community Bookstore & Venue in Provo, Utah, has been compelled to sell their childhood home and move into hiding due to escalating threats. This drastic step follows a series of hate-fueled incidents, culminating in a bomb threat on April 14 aimed at her and a scheduled Drag Story Hour event.

The decision to sell her home, where they had lived for over 30 years of their life, came after being doxxed in December by far-right hate group Gays Against Groomers, resulting in threats and suspicious circumstances. Lipsyncki reported the incident to both the Riverton and Provo Police Departments,

as well as the office of Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. Despite the clear danger posed by the exposure of their personal information, law enforcement has yet to take significant action. Authorities dismissed the need for criminal charges, claiming there were no direct threats.

“Does a bomb threat that states ‘we will stop you and we will kill you’ constitute a credible threat?”

Lipsyncki questioned.

In a letter to Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, Lipsyncki’s lawyer, James Ord, wrote, “GAG Utah Chapter president Jesse Whitear and the GAG national President Jaimee Michell both took to social

media and began doxing Ms. Lenea claiming that she was grooming children for sexual interference. Her personal details, email address, social media, and private home address and phone number were not only released to the public but were broadcast for people to retaliate against her. The result of this was death threats, increased security costs, canceled events, and interference with religious services.”

“Doxing is a crime in Utah under Utah Code §76-9-201(2) & (3). But given the current anti-trans anti-DEI political environment, Ms. Lenea feels that the policing agencies seem to feel at liberty to write her off and neither protect, nor serve, her on the basis of her sex, an immutable characteristic,” the letter states.

This lack of police response left Lipsyncki with no choice but to part with their beloved home to ensure their family’s safety. The house, filled with memories and connections to their late mother, was one of the few tangible links they had to her past.

The recent bomb threat on April 14 is part of a disturbing pattern of hostility Lipsyncki has faced since early 2023. The threats include incidents at various locations and events in 2023, such as threats against Bes-TEAS — an all-ages drag service — on March 10; police intervention required in

Vernal, Utah, on June 7; police protection for an all-ages drag show in St. George, UT on June 30, threats at The King’s English on September 24, and lynching threats in Rock Springs, WY on October 19.

Despite these relentless attacks, Lipsyncki remains unwavering in her commitment to her community. She has called on the public to take tangible actions rather than offering mere thoughts and prayers. She urges support for The United Drag Alliance, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing essential programs and resources for the queer community in rural areas.

“We need help funding security, supplies, and services,” Lipsyncki stated. “If you cannot donate, please share this message so law enforcement can no longer ignore us and bring these criminals to justice.”

Lipsyncki’s resolve to continue amplifying marginalized voices and supporting her community remains strong, even in the face of personal sacrifices. She believes that collective action and holding those in power accountable are crucial steps toward overcoming these challenges.

“If we stand together, we will win,” Lipsyncki declared. “If we hold people in power accountable and demand accountability, we will win.” Q

UTAH’S BEST BURGER

Trans activists flood Utah’s bathroom tip line with hoax reports

In a concerted effort to protect transgender residents and their allies from potential investigations, transgender activists have inundated a newly established Utah tip line with thousands of hoax reports. The tip line was created to alert state officials to possible violations of a controversial new bathroom law.

Earlier this year, Utah lawmakers and Gov. Spencer Cox swiftly passed a bill regulating bathroom access, but the law’s implementation May 1 has been far from smooth. Schools have adopted varied approaches, and an enforcement tip line has been overwhelmed with hoax reports, frustrating the state auditor.

At his May news conference, Cox acknowledged the law’s uncertain effectiveness, stating, “the effectiveness of the bill remains to be seen.” Despite highlighting potential fixes, he emphasized that “the intent of the bill,” which is “protecting women in women’s spaces,” would stay intact. “Like with any bill, I think there will be a time where we learn from it, see what’s working, what’s not working, and we’ll come back and figure out ways to make it work better,” Cox said.

The law tasked the Office of the State Auditor with managing a tip line for reporting government entities not complying with the law. Auditor John Dougall, responsible for vetting these reports, has since dealt with thousands of “frivolous complaints.”

Dougall, who is also running for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District, criticized the legislature for the bill’s rushed passage.

“I recognize that many Utahns feel trampled by an invasive and overly aggressive legislature that too often fails to seek input from those most affected,” Dougall stated. “The legislature crafted these public policies, and only the legislature can revise them.”

In a video posted to X, Dougall expressed his frustration with his new role as “bathroom monitor,” arguing that the law wasn’t genuinely intended to protect women and girls in private spaces.

“If this bill were actually about making girls safer, you would think the legislature would actually spend some money

retrofitting bathrooms and providing greater privacy and greater safety,” he said.

Since its launch, the online tip line has received over 10,000 submissions, none of which appear legitimate. The form invites people to report public school employees who knowingly allow individuals to use facilities designated for the opposite sex.

Under the new law, Utah residents and visitors must use bathrooms and changing rooms in government-owned buildings that correspond with their birth sex.

Schools and agencies not enforcing these restrictions face fines of up to $10,000 per day for each violation.

Despite failing to stop the passage of restrictive laws in many states, the transgender community has found success in disrupting the enforcement of these laws. Within hours of the tip line’s launch, activists spread the information widely on social media, sharing the spam they submitted and encouraging others to participate.

to sift through every one of them and find the one legitimate trans person who was caught using a bathroom.”

Dougall’s office has faced numerous nonsensical reports and more credible-seeming but still fake complaints. His team has spent the past weeks sifting through these submissions, which often include fake names or locations.

Despite the activists’ efforts, the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Kera Birkeland and Sen. Dan McCay remain confident in the tip line’s effectiveness.

“It’s not surprising that activists are taking the time to send false reports,” Birkeland said, emphasizing the legislation’s intended protection for women across Utah. McCay, unaware of the activ-

This strategy is not new. Similar tip lines in at least five other states have been overwhelmed with hoax reports, leading some to shut down. In Virginia, Indiana, Arizona, Louisiana, and Missouri, activists have targeted tip lines designed to report teachers, librarians, and administrators for discussing race, LGBTQ+ identities, or other topics deemed inappropriate by lawmakers. Both the Virginia and Missouri tip lines were taken down within a year.

Prominent trans activist and legislative researcher Erin Reed explained that the community views submitting hoax reports as a protective measure. “There will be people who are trans that go into bathrooms that are potentially reported by these sorts of forms, and so the community is taking on a protective role,” Reed said. “If there are 4,000, 5,000, 6,000 form responses, it’s going to be much harder for the auditor’s office

ist-driven flood of reports, stated he does not plan to alter the law’s enforcement.

LGBTQ+ rights advocates warn that the law and the tip line allow for indiscriminate questioning of individuals’ gender in public spaces, potentially affecting those who are not transgender. These concerns were highlighted when a Utah school board member, who publicly questioned the gender of a high school basketball player wrongly assumed to be transgender, lost her reelection bid earlier this year.

Utah recently joined a lawsuit with three other GOP-led states challenging the U.S. Department of Education’s new Title IX rule. Cox expressed his support for the lawsuit, which opposes the Biden administration’s changes aimed at adding protections for transgender students, including allowing transgender students to participate in sports and use bathrooms that align with their gender identity. Q

Suit against Harrisville, Utah, alleges discrimination due to sexual orientation

BY JUSTIN UTLEY

Former Harrisville city administrator

Bill Morris has filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming the city of Harrisville, Utah, discriminated against him and created a hostile work environment because of his sexual orientation.

By the mid-2000s, Morris had spent a considerable part of his legal career in city administration and planning. In addition to his own law practice, Morris had served as the ethics commission chair for the City of West Jordan, and as an administrative law judge for Saratoga Springs.

In 2005, the city of Harrisville originally hired him as their land use planner. Since Morris was already providing the same services for the newly incorporated city of Marriott-Slaterville, the move proved effective and efficient since the two cities share boundaries, congruent land interests, and similar development trajectories.

In 2008, Morris’ employment contract was amended to include serving as Harrisville’s city administrator, whose responsibilities included managing city code compliance and violations cases; making recommendations to the city planning commission, city council, and mayor; overseeing personnel in the administrative department; assisting in planning and managing the city budget; and coordinating with the administration to prepare and submit a balanced budget to the city council for approval each year.

A few short years later, Morris was also hired on as the city attorney and prosecutor. Similar to a district attorney, this role represents the city, not the mayor or other city executives. This ensures the ability to operate independently, free from political interference or pressure from city administration. If there are ever allegations involving a city employee, the attorney makes an initial inquest into the foundations of the complaint, its scope, and implications and reports the matter to the city council, which is then responsible for the investigation via a hired third party.

By the mid-2010s, the challenges of population and cultural shifts in Utah were in full swing. Morris met with offi-

cials in various cities to assist in drafting and updating their anti-discrimination policies to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Morris worked tirelessly alongside Brandie Balken, then the executive director of Equality Utah, to develop strategies to educate lawmakers and protect LGBT communities from discrimination and hate crimes.

Then, in 2014, Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage was challenged in court and found to be in violation of the United States Constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and due process. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court against the move, and Utah’s governor, attorney general and the majority of its legislators pulled out as many stops available to them to prevent same-sex marriages from taking place. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down all bans on same-sex marriage, which effectively legalized marriage equality in all 50 states. While same-sex couples celebrated their nuptials in Utah, the state’s predominant religion took an increasingly hostile position on the matter, labeling samesex marriage as a form of apostasy and denying baptism for children in same-sex families. Utah’s legislators followed in similar sentiments, passing “Religious Freedom” laws that allow public servants to opt out of performing any civil duties related to same-sex marriages. These types of religious freedom exemptions made their way into every piece of subsequent pro-LGBT legislation in Utah: the anti-discrimination bill in 2015 includes broad legal exemptions for all religious institutions, their business entities, business subsidiaries, and business affiliates, including schools and hospitals, real estate holdings (residential and commercial) and any business affiliates that have contracts with a church. This quiet hostility escalated further in 2016, when an update to include sexual orientation and gender identity in Utah’s hate crime bill failed after the LDS Church made a statement to Utah lawmakers that making the proposed changes would upset the “balance of religious liberty rights and the LGBT community’s rights.”

Hostile Working Environment

During this tenuous period, Morris was entering his 13th year of public service in Harrisville. In 2017, Michelle Tait, a member of the city council, was elected mayor. Her campaign championed her being a long-time resident of the city, an active member of her church, and committed to protecting Harrisville’s “long-held traditions and values.”

Shortly into her term, Tait learned of Morris’ sexual orientation. According to Morris’ complaint, whenever he would mention his husband in a passing conversation, Tait would roll her eyes and change the subject. Soon after, both the mayor and the city recorder, Jennie Knight, reportedly avoided referring to Bill’s husband as his spouse and, instead, used dog-whistle terms like “his gay lifestyle.” This passive harassment and disparate treatment intensified, the complaint states, when Knight’s daughter left to proselytize for her church in 2020. Later that year, the city terminated the employment of its only other gay employee under the pretense of city budget constraints, according to Morris, only to hire a replacement with higher pay who, incidentally, was not gay.

Suit plaintiff Bill Morris is suing the City of Harrisville for job discriminatino due to his sexual orientation

That same year, Tait was made aware of an incident involving a city employee and wanted Morris to prosecute the employee. Morris explained in the complaint that since he represented the city, he was forced to recuse himself from the investigation, and the matter was sent to the Davis County Attorney’s Office. They declined to prosecute, citing not sufficient evidence to obtain a conviction.

After receiving the results of the investigation, Morris wrote that Tait told him and the city council at their end-of-year review meeting that she was not satisfied with the outcome of the case or with Morris’ performance. She refused to accept that he was not legally able to represent the city to prosecute a city employee and stated he failed to do the job she asked of him. During that meeting, Morris, fellow attorney Scott Young, and the city council attempted multiple times to explain to Tait that Morris had no choice but to recuse himself due to the conflict of interest.

Also, in 2020, an employee of the neighboring city of Marriott-Slaterville was accused of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and creating a hostile work environment for other employees. Since Morris was one of the whistleblowers in this accusation and also an employee of the city, he recused himself from the investigation, and Young handled the case. Young gathered the evidence, conducted interviews, and submitted his recommendation to the city of actions to take to reprimand the employee.

This matter should have been closed, but unbeknownst to Morris, Young sent a copy of his recommendation email to Tait, who was in the beginning stages of her re-election plans. The email Young forwarded, according to Morris’ EEOC complaint, contained private, detailed, and protected whistleblower information about Morris as well as details of his personal life. Tait, the complaint continues, ignored the legal ramifications of opening and saving the information about the accused employee and the victims in the case, which included Morris.

Despite the multiple violations of attorney-client privilege and whistleblower laws, Tait allegedly used the contacts in the email to obtain more information about Morris and his private life. She then called Young, according to the complaint, and began working with him behind the scenes to force Morris to resign, using the information she obtained about his personal life as blackmail.

Anti-Hispanic Hostility

Meanwhile, Harrisville’s growing Hispanic and Latino communities also began feeling a change in the intensity and frequency of harassment by both residents and city police after the mayor’s election.

In 2000, the city of Harrisville, Utah, had a population of 3,645. It’s a small city, less than three square miles, located in Weber County, just north of Ogden. Harrisville’s demographics reflected much of the rest of the state at that time, with close to 95 percent of its residents reporting as White, while the Hispanic and Latino residents made up just 4.7 percent, compared to the 9 percent in the rest of the state that year.

In the two following decades, Harrisville maintained its geographical area, but its population nearly doubled to over 7,000 residents. The small, quiet, rural

city quickly became surrounded by the sprawl from other neighboring cities and towns within the county. An even more dramatic shift occurred within the city’s population demographics: the Hispanic and Latino population tripled to 17.4 percent of the population, and those who identified as two or more races climbed to nearly 11 percent. The population of White residents fell to 73 percent.

Complaints by Hispanic residents of police harassment escalated in 2020 and 2021, ranging from repeated, targeted property code violations to citations for violations that had not actually occurred. These incidents were reported to Morris, and, as the city attorney, he was obligated to investigate the claims for validity and enforcement of the applicable city code if there was indeed a violation. During his investigations, Morris obtained police camera footage and clearly saw that no crimes had been committed by those receiving the violation notices. Morris advised the court to drop the cases, as there was no evidence of an infraction. Due to the volume and frequency of these occurrences, Morris went to Harrisville’s chief of police, Mark Wilson. Morris showed Wilson the complete lack of evidence and advised him to cease allowing his team to issue citations without the proof required by law, according to the complaint. Morris said that Wilson seemed uninterested in discussing the issue further and did not report back to him about any corrective action taken or reprimand to his staff.

Morris said he also found a trend in the multiple property code enforcement complaints residents had been filing. The complaints were only targeting specific residents who didn’t fit into the city’s majority demographic, instead of the bulk of residents who were violating the particular code. This repeated, deliberate, and targeted acts of discrimination and lack of accountability, Morris said, eventually led him to open an investigation on Harrisville city officials, specifically Tait and Knight, in 2021.

Harrisville Mayor Michelle Tait

PHOTO: HARRISVILLE CITY WEBSITE

Forced resignation

Morris continued that he was summoned to Tait’s office in February 2022, where he was met by the mayor and Knight. He said the mayor instructed him to resign and endorse Knight as his replacement. Morris said he refused and requested to know the reasoning behind this, to which Tait said she had a list of reasons but wouldn’t show Morris that list. Morris said he told the mayor that there were several cases he was investigating that were still ongoing and he intended on seeing them through.

The complaint states that Tait then told Morris that she had incriminating information that she had obtained after receiving the email from Young and that she would expose him to public embarrassment, which would ruin his career if he did not resign. After the threat to expose his private life to the city, Morris said he would sign the resignation, even though he had no idea

of the veracity of the information.

The following day, in a closed-door meeting about his resignation in front of the city council, Morris inquired about his severance. He was informed that, due to his part-time employment as city administrator, he did not qualify for benefits or severance. Morris says this was knowingly false since he personally knows other city employees who retained their benefits and severance after resigning. As he pushed back, Tait began bringing up his unwillingness to prosecute the way she wanted and threatened to expose incriminating details about his personal life to the city council, the complaint says.

According to Morris, Tait subsequently hired Knight as the city administrator without posting the position and allowing all qualified candidates to apply and gave Knight double the salary she had been paying him.

Complaint, Lawsuit filed

Morris obtained counsel and filed a complaint with the EEOC shortly after the resignation. After reviewing the details of his experience with Tait, the EEOC gave him the green light to file suit in federal court for discrimination. However, upon requesting Morris’ case files and emails, Morris and his attorney were informed that shortly after Morris left, the city migrated all their files to a new server and “accidentally forgot” to migrate anything tied to the previous city administrator. This, according to Morris, means court cases, voting records, ongoing investigations, and evidence — over 15 years of the city’s legal matters — were unretrievable.

The case, Morris v. City of Harrisville et al, is now pending in the US District Court for the District of Utah. Named plaintiffs are City of Harrisville, Michelle Tait, Jennie Knight, Cynthia Benson and Jessica Hardy Q

7.5x4.5

Coronation 49 is Memorial Day Weekend

The Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire is set to host its 49th Coronation, themed “Organized Chaos — Minions Takeover,” May 23 to 27.

The festivities kick off May 23 with the free event, In Town Awards at SLC Eagles (1104 W 2100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84119). Doors open at 5:30 PM, show at 6:30 p.m.

On May 24, the PR Ball — Triwizard Tournament celebrates Prince and Princess Royale 48, Vector and Taylor, at the Downtown Radisson Ballroom (215 W S Temple St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101). Doors at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25.

The Out of Town Show on May 25 will be held at Club Verse, 609 S State St. Doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

Coronation 49 celebrates Regent Empress Nubbs from Hell and Regent Emperor Bobby Childers on May 26 at the Downtown Radisson Ballroom. Doors open at 5 p.m., with the show at 6 p.m. Tickets are $75.

The celebrations conclude with the Victory Brunch on May 27 at Club Verse. Doors open at 11 a.m, with the show at 12 p.m. Tickets are $30. Q For more details, visit rcgse.org.

UMOCA presents ‘Growing Pains’ — work of 21 LGBTQ+ teen artists

The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art is presenting its eighth annual Out Loud series for the next 12 weeks. This year’s theme is “Growing Pains” and presents the work of 21 LGBTQ+ teen artists.

“The 2024 Out Loud series explored new media and contemporary art practices with workshops in areas including comics, photography, printmaking, and sustainable fashion,” organizers said in a statement. “Alongside local queer artists, the Out Loud participants, who represent 14 different Utah high schools,

created work focusing on themes of nostalgia for their childhood experiences coupled with anticipation for the challenges that come with growing up queer in Utah.”

Citing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and rhetoric’s continued rise, organizers say Growing Pains “bears witness to the resilience and creativity of Utah’s LGBTQ+ community.”

An opening reception will take place Wednesday, May 8 at 6 p.m. at the UMOCA Projects Gallery, Upper Level, 20 S. West Temple. Q

Information can be found at umoca.org

Trans Continental Pipeline seeks to help in hate states to LGBTQ+ friendly Colorado

In a landscape marked by uncertainty and increasing threats to LGBTQ+ rights across the United States, there is a grassroots effort to assist people to move away from hostile areas to LGBTQ+-friendly Colorado.

Keira Richards, a trans woman and executive director of the Trans Continental Pipeline, says their mission is to give queer people options regarding relocation, should that be something they are interested in.

“We have a four-step program and can provide logistical, financial, and social support for a move,” Richards explained. “I wanted to make our resources known to those who may need them in Utah, especially

given the precarious legal status of trans individuals.”

Originating from humble beginnings on Tinder, TCP has evolved into a support system for queer individuals navigating the challenging terrain of relocation.

The genesis of TCP stemmed from a recognition of the urgent need to assist LGBTQ+ individuals, especially trans and gender-nonconforming people, to escape hostile environments. With the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and a deteriorating cultural climate in states like Texas, Florida, and Utah, many find themselves in dire situations, resorting to hasty moves and uncertain futures.

The founder of TCP, whose identity remains anonymous,

recounts the harrowing experiences shared by new arrivals, from purchasing one-way tickets to sleeping in cars upon arrival in Colorado. These stories underscored the imperative for a more organized and expansive support network. Thus, TCP seeks to transition from a grassroots initiative to a formal nonprofit entity.

The urgency of TCP’s mission is underscored by sobering statistics and ongoing threats to LGBTQ+ rights nationwide. With only 13 states considered “safe” for trans individuals and over 400 anti-trans bills presented in state legislatures within the first six weeks of 2024, the need for sanctuary, organizers say, is undeniable. Moreover, the specter of potential federal anti-LGBTQ+ measures looms large, amplifying the sense of insecurity and prompting preemptive migration.

“The interpretation of the 14th amendment that led to Roe v Wade being overturned could be applied to Obergefell v. Hodges, causing the immediate ban of gay marriage in 35 states due to trigger laws in place,” organizers wrote. Utah is among those states that have not removed marriage as solely between “one man and one woman.”

Recognizing the financial barriers inherent in relocation, TCP aims to alleviate the burden through a multifaceted approach. From microgrant programs to logistical assistance with housing and employment, the organization strives to make the journey to Colorado more feasible for those in need. Yet, TCP’s commitment extends beyond physical

relocation, encompassing the crucial task of fostering community connections and providing ongoing support.

The TCP project unfolds in four distinct steps, each tailored to address different facets of the relocation process. Beginning with decision-making resources and culminating in community integration initiatives, TCP endeavors to accompany individuals every step of the way. Through partnerships with local organizations and the cultivation of a supportive network, TCP seeks to ensure that no LGBTQ+ individual feels isolated or unsupported in their new environment.

Looking ahead, TCP envisions further expansion and collaboration within Colorado’s LGBTQ+ community, drawing upon the expertise and resources of established organizations and affinity groups. By bridging the gap between newcomers and existing networks, TCP endeavors to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for all. Q

Under the Umbrella Bookstore embraces Pride Month with diverse lineup of events

Under the Umbrella Bookstore is gearing up for a vibrant celebration of Pride month, kicking off with an engaging Drag Storytime event on Sunday, May 26th, at Urban Arts Gallery at 2 p.m.

UtU announced a slew of Pride events for 2024, showcasing a diverse range of voices and talents from the LGBTQ+ community. Highlights include an author event with TJ Alexander, the author of “Triple Sec,” scheduled for Wednesday, June 6, from 6–8 p.m. Additionally, a Queer Art Gallery opening will take place on Saturday, June 8th, from 4–6 p.m., followed by a Queer Youth Art Night on Thursday, June 13th, from 5–7 p.m.

Other events include the Always Queer Pride Market on Saturday, June 15th, from 12–5 p.m., and the Queer Stitch

Club on June 18th, from 6–8 p.m. Notable author events include JR Yussuf, author of “Dear Bi Men,” on Friday, June 21st, and Collective Humanity, from Collective Tales Publishing, on Thursday, June 27th.

In addition to hosting events at their store, Under the Umbrella will be present at various Pride pop-ups and other community events throughout June. Look out for their booth and exclusive Pride month merchandise at Urban Arts Gallery, Church and State’s Pride Show Side Show, Forty Three Bakery’s Pride Fest, and SLC Pride at the Gateway.

Umbrella Cafe is open for group gatherings, serving as a welcoming space for grassroots LGBTQ+ organizations. Q

Stay updated on UtU’s Pride events by following @undertheumbrellabookstore on Instagram or checking their event calendar.

Friday, June 14

views quotes

Complaints received by Utah State Auditor John “Frugal” Dougall

“Mike hawk was out, flaunting their transness all over the bathroom... I yelled at the top of my lungs ‘whats going on?’ But all they said was ‘heeeyeyeeeyeye heeeeyeeeeyeeee. I said hey. Whats going on?’”-

“I went there and saw a strange person who I am not familiar with was minding their own business. It scared and rattled me, i clutched my pearls as I had a yuge panic attack. It took 4 Xanax and 30 minutes with my habanero dog to calm down.”

“i saw Trump and Biden hosting and participating together in drag queen story hour inside the women’s bathroom at a government-owned highway rest stop outside Provo!”

“I stole Trump’s wig and he called me a “bitch” and a “nasty woman” while threatening to grab me by the pussy.”

“A wiener girl went into to bathroom. Arrest them. I tried sucking it. Didn’t work.”

“You do realize you are encouraging people to take photos of others (including minors) in order to harass and endanger them? This is stupid.”

I have a friend who has transitioned from female to male and now has a very bushy beard as well as a fairly muscular build and deep voice. My understanding is that he should use the female restroom while in Utah State facilities. Is this correct?

SLC among top 10 cities for cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people

BY ALAN BARLOW AND KRISTINA GROVES

Native people cannot solve this issue alone. Our call to readers is to think about what you can do to work toward the elimination of Native people who go missing or are murdered.

For many years, it felt like missing or murdered indigenous people was an issue only Indigenous people knew about. However, in the past decade, more people have become aware that American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/ AN) individuals experience violence at extremely high rates.

Seattle, WA (45)

Albuquerque, NM (37)

Anchorage, AK (31)

Tucson, AZ (31)

Billings, MT (29)

Gallup, NM (25)

Tacoma, WA (25)

Omaha, NE (24)

Salt Lake City, UT (24)

San Francisco, CA (17)

panic males experienced violence in their lifetime.

These statistics show why everyone in our society should care about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives.

Where does Utah fit into this issue? In 2018, the Urban Indian Health Institute released a report that looked at 506 cases of missing and murdered women in 71 urban cities in the U.S. Salt Lake City was listed in the top 10 cities in this report.

SOURCE: URBAN INDIAN HEALTH INSTITUTE

In 2016, the National Institute of Justice published a report that noted that “more than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women and men have experienced violence in their lifetime.” This study found that 84.3% of Indigenous women and 81.6% of Indigenous men experienced violence in their lifetime. Comparatively, 71% of non-Hispanic women and 61% of non-His-

The report also found that there is a “lack of available data on urban Indians,” and little coordination between law enforcement agencies and tribal nations when sharing data on missing and murdered Indigenous people. This lack of coordination leads to less accurate data about missing and murdered Indigenous people. The study also pointed out inadequate funding and research about missing and murdered urban Indigenous people that could help urban Indian organizations to better address the impacts on individuals, families and urban communities.

This report publicized this issue to many non-Native people, and it highlighted systemic issues that needed improvement in order to reduce the likelihood that Native people would be impacted by a loved one going missing or being murdered. Q

TOP 10 CITIES WITH HIGHEST NUMBER OF MMIWG CASES

APride and a slice of melon

BY CHRISTOPHER KATIS

couple of days ago, I was scrolling through a social media app when I saw a posting from one of my friends promoting a queer food festival. Now I admit, at first, I wasn’t sure what queer food was exactly. I assumed it must be brunch. And as The Simpsons declared years ago, brunch isn’t quite breakfast; it isn’t quite lunch; but it comes with a slice of melon. It turns out he was letting his thousands of followers know about an event featuring queer-owned eateries.

Predictably, there was a comment from someone trying to troll him. The guy wanted to know if he could hold a straight food fest. That made me wonder what straight food is. I assume it’s some sort of casserole that involves a can of Campbell’s soup, Velveeta cheese, and potato chips crumbled on top.

Of course, the guy was simply trying to couch his homophobia behind an argument that LGBTQ+ visibility is somehow a special right. You know, just like a month of Pride.

This Pride issue of QSaltlake marks my 15th anniversary of penning Who’s Your Daddy. That’s 180 columns of me sharing my thoughts, complaining, scolding, and hopefully giving readers a positive glimpse into what it’s like to be gay and a father.

A lot has changed in the decade and half since the column debuted back in 2009. Some of that has been really good: marriage equality; gay couples being able to adopt and foster in Utah; overwhelming support for basic civil rights for LGBTQ+ people.

That’s why Pride is more important than ever. Sure, we only need look at stupid bathroom laws popping up around the country or, you know, to be asked when straight people can have a food festival to understand that a lot also hasn’t changed over the years. But every year, the visibility of Pride helps

someone feel less alone, less afraid.

Tonight, while I was walking the dog, we passed a house two blocks away that we’ve gone by a thousand times before. Every day, they fly a Pride flag. What’s unusual about that is the fact that they’re an older couple, a husband and wife in their 70s – not your typical rainbow flag family.

When we strolled by this evening, I saw the woman was taking their garbage can to the curb. She was using a cane, so I asked if I could help her. She thanked me but said she could handle it. I then thanked her for flying the flag.

She told me that they had had a son who was gay; he is gone now, but she told me that he was such a good man. They fly that flag every day in honor of him. In my suburban neighborhood, on a street filled with well-kept homes nestled behind manicured lawns, a couple is proud to have a gay son – a gay son who was such a good man.

On my favorite hoodie, I sport a pin on which is written “together we are strong” circling two rainbow-colored hands clasped together. I’ve kept in on my lapel for a good five years because it was an impromptu gift from my then 16-yearold son. For him it was a subtle, shy way of telling me he’s proud of his gay dad.

That’s the kind of pride, the kind of support, the kind of familial love that makes people testily ask about straight food festivals. It’s this inclusion, not their fantasized exclusion, that truly offends them.

Maybe they should try a slice of melon.

Thank you all for putting up with me these past 15 years.

Happy Pride, everyone! Q

Thecreep of the month

Idaho Legislators

BY D’ANNE WITKOWSKI

national political and legal landscape for transgender youth in Idaho is … not great!

While it should be absolutely appalling that elected leaders in Idaho (where they have a Republican majority) are focused on hurting a very small and very vulnerable population of kids, it, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to bother enough people to stop it.

After an emergency appeal by the state’s attorney general, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that it was A-OK for Idaho to ban transgender care for minors and make it a felony to provide such care.

According to The New York Times, “Although orders on the emergency docket often include no reasoning, the decision included concurrences by Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, who was joined by Justices Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Clarence Thomas, and Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, who was joined by Justice Amy Coney Barrett.”

today’s result only leaves us all the more determined to defeat this law in the courts entirely, making Idaho a safer state to raise every family.”

Sadly, that’s not the end of the bad news in Idaho.

According to The Advocate, “The Idaho State Legislature adjourned its 2024 session … having passed three new laws that target gender-affirming care, permit the practice of misgendering and deadnaming in public schools, and define gender as a binary sexual concept. Republican Gov. Brad Little signed all three bills.”

As The Advocate reports, one of the bills “defines gender as a synonym for biological sex and ‘shall not be considered a synonym for gender identity, an internal sense of gender, experienced gender, gender expression, or gender role.’”

In other words, the court’s most conservative members were all, “You go, Idaho! Ban them trans kids! Jail those doctors!”

In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union called the ruling “an awful result for transgender youth and their families.”

“Today’s ruling allows the state to shut down the care that thousands of families rely on while sowing further confusion and disruption,” the statement continues. “Nonetheless,

Another bill “bans public funds, including Medicaid, from covering gender-affirming care.”

The third bill “allows educators and students to misgender or deadname others without any resulting disciplinary action.”

On March 4, LGBTQ+ supporters held a rally led by the progressive activist group March Fourth in protest of the proposed bills.

D’Anne Witkowski is a poet, writer and comedian living with her

Utah Pride 2024

COMMUNITY — BUILDING UNITY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY

Utah

Pride Festival organiz -

ers announced this year’s theme: CommUNITY — Building UNITY within the COMMUNITY.

The theme represents something “that’s never been done before — bringing all Pride organizations in the state to the festival grounds under one rainbow.”

“As an organization with a mission to unite, empower, and celebrate our LGBGTQ+ community, one of the best ways we can do that is by uniting our local pride celebrations,” said Chad Call, the executive director of the Utah Pride Center. “We have to rebuild trust, and we can do that by listening to our community and including them in shaping the future of Pride.”

Inside the Utah Pride Festival, local Pride organizations from around the state are invited to have a table in what the organizers are calling “Rainbow Alley.”

“Our goal is to bring everyone to the table to share their ideas, to better understand their needs, and most importantly, to learn how the Utah Pride Center can support their local efforts to spread Pride through all of Utah,” said Call. Rainbow Alley will be “a centralized location to make introductions, collaborate, network, recruit, and share their stories with the tens of thousands of festival attendees.”

Festival

The festival will take place once again the first weekend in June: SATURDAY, JUNE 1 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and SUNDAY, JUNE 2 from noon to 7 p.m. It will again be located in WASHINGTON SQUARE in the shadows of the Salt Lake City and County Building at 451 S State Street. Entertainment will focus on local talent, in contrast to complaints that locals were shoved aside last year as expensive national acts were brought in.

“Two stages on either side of the festival will showcase singers, dancers, and queer artists from all over the state, and a third stage will house the return of Utah Pride Karaoke,” organizers said in a statement. A schedule of performers is forthcoming.

Pride Interfaith Worship Service

Pride Interfaith Worship Service ill be THURSDAY, MAY 30 at 7 p.m. at Congregation Kol Ami, 2425 Heritage Way, Salt Lake City

The Service has kicked off the Pride Festival for more than two decades. It is a time of celebration, reflection, prayer, memorial, music and love as the many faith traditions that are expressly welcoming to and fully inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community come together to “queer faith” in the hope that our arms might open wider still.

This year’s theme is “QUEERING FAITH .”

Utah Pride Rally

Utah Pride will kick off at 10 a.m. on SATURDAY, JUNE 1, with a rally at the UTAH STATE CAPITOL BUILDING co-hosted with Equality Utah. The free, inspiring, empowering, and inclusive event will feature music, entertainment, speeches, and more, as the community comes together to celebrate love, equality, and diversity in the LGBTQ+ community.

Following the rally, participants will participate in a march down State Streer to Washington Square Park, where the Utah Pride Festival 2024 kicks off for the day.

Utah Pride Parade

The annual Utah Pride Parade will step off at 10 a.m. SUNDAY, JUNE 2, at FIRST SOUTH AND WEST TEMPLE , ending at 7th South and 2nd East using the same route as 2023. The festival gates will open directly afterward at noon. See page 37 for the parade route.

Tickets

Tickets are now available at UTAHPRIDE.ORG/TIX with one-day pricing at $5 for children 3–11 years old, $18 for seniors over 65 and military, and $20 for adults. After May 15, adult, senior, and military tickets will be an additional $5. Also on the page is a place to donate a ticket to someone who can’t afford to go. Q

Information is available at utahpride.org

On-stage at Utah Pride

Saturday, June 1

West Stage

11am White Chocolate

12pm Antonio Dudley

1pm Queens of Verse

2pm TBD

3pm Perfect Storm

4pm Johnny Hebda

5pm Care

6pm Mended Hearts Club

7pm S.M.R.T

8pm Backspun

9pm HVXLII

9:30pm Luminous

East Stage

11:30am Stardance Riot

12:30pm Bomba Marilé

1pm Josh Twelves

1:30pm Cirque Du Salt Lake

2:30pm Awakening Autumn

3:30pm Nicole Mcmahan

4:30pm Leetham

5:30pm KingCyborg

6:30pm Liv Rylan

7:30pm Marrlo Suzzanne and The Galaxxy Band

8:30pm Foreign Figures

9:30pm Liam Lars

Sunday, June 2

West Stage

12pm Misha Rays

1pm Off Beats Jazz

2pm Mandy Lynn Danzig

3pm Lindsay Heath Orchestra

4pm Ginger and the Gents

5pm Mykah

6pm PFS Music

Sunday East Stage

12:30pm Salt Lake Men’s Choir

1:30pm Paul Mcgrew

2:30pm Emjay Hink

3:30pm TBD and Kristen Ries award winners

4:30pm EJ Michels

5:30pm Moonchiild

6:30pm Aiya

SATURDAY ON-STAGE AT UTAH PRIDE

WHITE CHOCOLATE

White Chocolate has always been obsessed with three things makeup and its transformative abilities, music and performance art, and the inspirational women in her life. Performing since 17, she won Miss Gay Utah Youth in 2023. A classically trained singer from Provo, she also enjoys singing live on stage.

ANTONIO DUDLEY

Salt Lake City gay artist Antonio Dudley overcame numerous challenges to pursue music. Collaborating with diverse local artists, he blends hip-hop and pop to address political barriers. His debut EP, “Fragmented Soul,” features the single “Lanterns in the Sky,” inspired by real-life experiences.

QUEENS OF VERSE

Featuring Summer Gaye, Scarlett Kiss, Divina 2.0, Ariana Van Tea, and Dove Daniels

PERFECT STORM

Perfect Storm is a solo act of newly-transitioned singer/songwriter Sammy. With her acoustic guitar, they present angsty, unplugged songs that will give you the feels.

Johnny Hebda, Mr. Gay Utah 2024, brings a high energy concert of jazz and musical theater with a live band and some of the best musical theater performers, dancers. and drag performers. But just a little more gay and fabulous than the originals.

CARE

Care is an indi artist who performs at Velour and at many queer events. They just enjoy making music to make people smile.

MENDED HEARTS CLUB

Indie folk duo Mended Hearts Club blends folk rock and beat poetry, channeling midlife crises into passionate music. Aiden Barrick and Judith Rognli’s live

performances exude intimacy and nostalgia, captivating audiences.

BACKSPUN

Backspun is a Provo-based indi/ alt rock band. Their EP ‘Spinning’ is out now on all streaming platforms!

HVXLII

HVXLII (pronounced “Huxley”) is a producer, songwriter, vocalist, and engineer who uses various styles and influences and mixing techniques in electronic, pop, and genre blended styles.

LUMINOUS

Lunimous is an acrobatic fire/ LED dancing duo made up of wives Aria and Sally WildFire Neilson-Berg who have been performing for over 11 years.

STARDANCE RIOT

“Stardance Riot has a chemistry that mingles and intertwines between each other to elevate their finely tuned sonic palate”

JOHNNY HEBDA

BOMBA MARILÉ

Bomba Marilé brings Afro Puerto Rican traditions of music and dance to the Utah community with workshops, social events and performing at cultural events.

JOSH TWELVES

Comedian Josh Twelves is a local actor who has been in commercials and films and has done panels for FanX.

CIRQUE DU SALT LAKE

Cirque du Salt Lake is a community of talented aerialists who love to perform or need a stepping stone to jump further into their unique circus experience.

AWAKENING AUTUMN

Awakening Autumn says they are your mom’s future favorite band. From Salt Lake, they are “trying to make a big splash in the music industry with their genre bending music.”

NICOLE MCMAHAN

Utah-based Pop/RnB artist Nicole McMahan is renowned for her powerhouse vocals. She crafts songs about feminism, individuality, and life. Her priority is helping her audience feel like they can take up space and be loud.

LEETHAM

Leetham is an LGBTQ+ progressive pop artist based in Salt Lake

City whose music celebrates the queer community and looks to make sure everyone is included in the community.

KINGCYBORG

King Cyborg is an Angolan, Brazilian, and Portuguese artist blending genres to create visionary music. Based in Utah, her work explores trauma, identity, and existentialism, drawing from diverse influences. She gained recognition in the documentary “Unsettled.”

LIV RYLAN

Liv Rylan is a pop singer-songwriter based in Salt Lake City. Her music displays influence from the pop, rock, jazz, and folk songs she’s been inspired by throughout her life, making Liv’s sound a unique blend of genres and styles.

MARRLO SUZZANNE & THE GALAXXY BAND

While stunning to look at, Marrlo Suzzanne & The Galaxxy Band queens’ powerful voices will send shivers down your spine and fill Pride with pure magic as they take on iconic rock anthems and pop hits.

FOREIGN FIGURES

Utah natives, Foreign Figures’ interesting take on alternative pop stems from their unique creative dynamic: each of them were lead singers and front men in all their previous musical projects. In 2018, they released a six track EP “Overzealous”, which quickly achieve millions of streams.

When buying or selling real estate, you don’t want a part-�me agent working a side hustle, but a professional who’s versed in winning a mul�ple offer ba�le, marke�ng strategies to get the best price, knowing LGBTQ vendors and allies for mortgages, inspec�ons, a�orneys, etc. With four decades as a full-�me agent/broker and the first ‘out’ REALTOR® in Utah, I’d love to help you with this huge financial decision. I sell downtown condos in Salt Lake, homes with casitas in St. George, homes of those who have passed, and 1031 exchanges on income or commercial proper�es. Text or call any�me. mul�ple offer ba�le, marke�ng strategies to get the best price, financial decision. I sell downtown condos in Salt Lake, homes with

Babs De Lay, Urban

SUNDAY ON-STAGE AT UTAH PRIDE

LIAM LARS

Liam Lars is an indie musician from Spring City, Utah. He likes to lean in and out of different styles in both his writing and vocal style. “His voice draws you in and relaxes you like a sedative without malicious intent,” wrote Music Outlet Mall

MISHA RAYS

Misha Rays blends R&B, soul and electronic for a chill vibe. Their tracks “See the Shore” and “Like a Wave” are on Soundcloud.

THE OFF BEATS

The Offbeats Traditional Jazz Band is a 9-piece band that performs toe-tapping tunes from the 1920s and 1930s. “We’re keeping this unique American music genre alive in the Salt Lake Valley!”

MANDY LYNN DANZIG

International award-winning folk performer and songwriter in Salt Lake City. Performs a daily livestream concert with guitar, mandolin, & fiddle.

LINDSAY

HEATH ORCHESTRA LHO (Lindsay Heath Orchestra) is a heavy cinematic doom metal band. Multi-instrumentalist Heath envisions rolling landscapes while composing songs.

GINGER AND THE GENTS

Dirty rock and soul resting on a bed of heavy blues with a psychedelic twist Defined by powerhouse vocals and transcendent instrumentation, G&TG brings a new spin to a classic story we know as rock ‘n’ roll.

MYKAH

An alternative pop independent artist hailing Utah, MYKAH’s unique style and captivating stage presence has been making waves. Her music is a perfect blend of catchy melodies, thought-provoking lyrics, and infectious beats.

PFS MUSIC

PFS Music is an electronic music artist who likes making phat beatsies.

COMPASSIONATE HEALTH CARE FOR EVERY GENDER JOURNEY.

The Transgender Health Program at University of Utah Health is where compassion meets expertise to offer inclusive and personalized gender-affirming health care, ensuring every individual’s unique needs are met with respect and dignity. As our patients share, “No one made me feel judged. It was a very friendly space with a very friendly team.” And, “I had an amazing experience with my surgical team and they have truly changed my life for the better.”

LEARN MORE AT:

SUNDAY ON-STAGE AT UTAH PRIDE, CONTINUED

SALT LAKE MEN’S CHOIR

Utah’s “Other” Choir will feature songs from their 40th Anniversary Summer Concert from screen and stage. Murray High School June 15 and 16.

PAUL MCGREW

Paul McGrew is an actor, singer, and songwriter who lives sharing his passion for the arts through performing and coaching. During the day he teaches teachers how to teach reading.

EMJAY HINK

Salt Lake City’s Emjay Hink can tell you stories by the fire with her ukulele. Cottagecore singer/ songwriter.

EJ MICHELS

Salt Lake-based contestant on NBC’s The Voice, front man with the band Foreign Figures, and solo recording artist. A true powerhouse on stage, EJ commands attention with his electrifying vocals and presence. With a raw and authentic approach to

songwriting, he captivates people with his undeniable talent and unbridled passion.

MOONCHIILD

The place Moonchiild feels happiest, their one true love, is at a turntable playing beats for a crowd.

AIYA

Ashan Mendis is Aiya, who is excited that he will be playing a DJ set, closing out the East stage at Utah Pride.

Utah Pride Parade

The UTAH PRIDE PARADE is Utah’s largest LGBTQIA+ event. It annually hosts nearly 150,000 spectators and participants, and creates a spectacular chance for UNITY in Community. This is Utah’s 34th annual pride parade.

This year, as it has for years, the parade will start at 10 a.m. Like last year year, it will start at West Temple and FIRST South.

The parade is expected to last around two hours. Most of the route is within two blocks of the festival on Washington Square

PRIDE FESTIVAL & PARADE ROUTE

National and International Prides

May 22 WEHO PRIDE 2024, West Hollywood, Calif.

May 24 BIRMINGHAM PRIDE, Birmingham, UK

May 24 DC BLACK PRIDE, Washington, D.C.

May 26 TORREMOLINOS GAY PRIDE, Torremolinos, Spain

May 30 PRIDE PARADE SÃO PAULO, São Paulo, Brazil

May 31 Capital Pride, Washington, DC

May 31 PITTSBURGH PRIDE, Pittsburgh, Penn.

May 31 PROVINCETOWN PRIDE, Provincetown, Mass.

May 31 TRANS PRIDE MARCH OF THE CITY OF SÃO PAULO, São Paulo, Brazil

June 1 COLUMBUS PRIDE, Columbus, Ohio

June 1 DALLAS PRIDE, Dallas, Texas

June 1 DYKE MARCH, West Hollywood, Calif.

June 1 FERNDALE PRIDE, Ferndale, Mich.

June 1 SONOMA PRIDE, Santa Rosa, Calif.

June 1 SPRINGFIELD, MASS. PRIDE, Springfield, Mass.

June 1 WEHO PRIDE STREET FAIR , West Hollywood Calif.

June 2 ALBUQUERQUE PRIDEFEST, Albuquerque, N.M.

June 2, PRIDE PUERTO RICO, Puerto Rico

June 2, SÃO PAULO LGBT+ PRIDE PARADE, São Paulo, Brazil

June 2, WEHO PRIDE PARADE, West Hollywood, Calif

June 5, KEY WEST PRIDE, Key West, Fla.

June 6, BALTIC PRIDE, Tallinn, Estonia

June 6, MILWAUKEE PRIDE, Milwaukee, Wisc.

June 6, NEW ORLEANS BLACK PRIDE WEEKEND, New Orleans, La.

June 7, NEW ORLEANS PRIDE, New Orleans, La.

June 7, TEL AVIV PRIDE, Tel Aviv, Israel

June 7, IBIZA GAY PRIDE, Ibiza, Spain

June 8, MUNICH GAY PRIDE, Munich, Germany

June 9, CENTRAL ALABAMA PRIDE, Birmingham, Ala.

June 9, LONG ISLAND PRIDE, New York, N.Y.

June 14, TRI-STATE BLACK PRIDE, Memphis, Tenn.

June 14, ZURICH PRIDE FESTIVAL , Zurich, Switzerland

June 15, PRIDE PORTLAND, Portland, Ore.

June 29, PRIDE SAN ANTONIO, San Antonio, Texas

June 29, SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE, San Francisco, Calif.

June 29, TWIN CITIES PRIDE, Minneapolis, Minn.

June 30, GAY AND SOBER PRIDE CELEBRATION, New York, N.Y.

June 30, SEATTLE PRIDE, Recurring daily until July 1, 2024, Seattle, Wash.

July 6, COLOGNE GAY PRIDE, Cologne, Germany

July 10, SAN DIEGO LGBT PRIDE, San Diego, Calif.

July 13, MANUEL ANTONIO PRIDE, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

July 19, ISLE OF WIGHT PRIDE, Isle Of Wight, Ryde

July 20, PORTLAND PRIDE, Portland, Ore.

June 15, RHODE ISLAND PRIDE, Providence, R.I.

June 15, ROME PRIDE, Rome, Italy

June 15, SOFIA PRIDE, Sofia, Bulgaria

June 18, DISNEYLAND AFTER DARK: PRIDE NITE, Anaheim

June 21, EUROPRIDE THESSALONIKI 2024, Greece

June 21, OSLO PRIDE, Oslo, Norway

June 22, CHICAGO PRIDE, Chicago, Ill.

June 22, CINCINNATI PRIDE, Cincinnati, Ohio

June 22, DENVER PRIDE FEST, Denver, Colo.

June 22, NASHVILLE PRIDE, Nashville, Tenn.

June 26, MEXICO CITY GAY PRIDE, Mexico City, Mexico

June 29, BOGOTA PRIDE, Bogota, Colombia

June 29, BRISTOL PRIDE, Bristol, U.K.

June 29, DUBLIN LGBTQ PRIDE, Dublin, Ireland

June 29, LEXINGTON PRIDE FESTIVAL , Lexington, Ky.

June 29, MARCHE DES FIERTÉS, Paris, France

June 29, NEWPORT PRIDE FESTIVAL , Newport, RI

June 29, PARIS PRIDE, Paris

June 29, PRIDE LONDON, London, U.K.

July 21, LEEDS PRIDE, Leeds, U.K.

July 27, BERLIN CHRISTOPHER STREET DAY, Berlin, Germany

Aug. 1, MONTREAL LGBTQ PRIDE, Montreal, Canada

Aug. 2, AMSTERDAM PRIDE, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Aug. 2, BRIGHTON & HOVE PRIDE, Brighton, U.K.

Aug. 7, ANTWERP PRIDE, Antwerp, Belgium

Aug. 8, FRANKFURT PRIDE, Frankfurt, Germany

Aug. 10, CARIBBEAN PRIDE, Punta Cana, Dominican Rep.

Aug. 10, COPENHAGEN PRIDE, Copenhagen, Demark

Aug. 15, ST. LOUIS BLACK PRIDE WEEKEND, St. Louis, Mo.

Aug. 17, CHESTER PRIDE, Chester, U.K.

Aug. 19, SILICON VALLEY PRIDE, San Jose, Calif.

Aug. 25, MANCHESTER PRIDE, Manchester, U.K.

Sep. 2, BENIDORM PRIDE, Benidorm, Spain

Sep. 2, PRIDE BELGRADE, Belgrade, Serbia

Sep. 7, PARADE OF THE LGBTQ+ PRIDE OF CABO FRIO, Cabo Frio, Brazil

Oct. 24, TAIWAN PRIDE, Taipei, Taiwan

May, 23, WORLDPRIDE 2025, Washington, DC

Project Rainbow set to stake LGBTQ+ flags mid-June

Since its founding, Project Rainbow has contributed over $250,000 to support LGBTQ+ initiatives throughout Utah. In 2023 alone, the organization awarded over $70,000 to 24 different organizations, each supporting a diverse range of projects and events aimed at promoting LGBTQ+ acceptance and support.

Project Rainbow’s flagship initiative involves placing rainbow flags at “host” homes and businesses on significant dates throughout the year, including Utah Pride Week, Transgender Day of Visibility, Transgender Day of Remembrance, and Southern Utah Pride Week. By doing so, the organization aims to create powerful visual displays of LGBTQ+ love and acceptance. Additionally, large flag displays in public areas are organized to educate communities about the LGBTQ+ experience.

This Pride Month, flags will be staked the weekend of June 8th and will be picked up through the week of June 16th. Flags for this campaign will be staked for residents in Salt Lake, Weber, Davis, Cache, Summit, and Utah counties. Addresses outside of these counties will be mailed a pride flag to keep and show proudly year-round.

Since its inception in 2018, Project Rainbow Utah, a

501(c)(3) organization, has been dedicated to fostering visible, community-wide demonstrations of love and support for LGBTQ+ individuals across the state. The organization’s vision is to create neighborhoods adorned with rainbow flags, fostering an environment of acceptance, care, and safety for LGBTQ+ friends and family.

SPREAD SOME COLOR STAKE PRIDE FLAGS WITH US

The funds raised through donations from flag hosts are channeled into Project Rainbow’s Community Fund which supports a variety of organizations, projects, and events that further the mission of increasing LGBTQ+ visibility and support throughout Utah. Individuals, groups, and organizations are invited to apply for grants ranging from $100 to $7,000. Applications are accepted annually in December, with grantees selected, and awards distributed the following February.

New this year, supporters can make monthly or annual subscription payments, and the group will automatically stake flags in March for Transgender Day of Visibility, June for Pride Month, and November for Transgender Awareness Week and Day of Remembrance. Subscriptions can be secured for $5 monthly or $50 annually. Q

More information on Project Rainbow can be found at projectrainbowutah.org. Reserve a flag for June at bit.ly/flags24

Join Mark Miller Subaru and Project Rainbow for a colorful celebration of community and pride in Salt Lake City! Enjoy a brunch with inspirational speakers, and take a stylish ride in one of our seven Subaru vehicles available for ag staking fun.

Let’s unite to celebrate diversity and make a positive impact in our community!

June 7th | 10 AM – 3 PM

Upcoming Regional Prides

Red Butte Garden’s Transcending Barriers,

Blooming with Pride

Immerse yourself in the vibrant colors of nature at Blooming with Pride, a family-friendly event that invites the LGBTQIA+ community and allies to unite and celebrate the rich beauty and diversity of the natural world. Witness a living art display as the Garden comes alive with vibrant blooms and plant arrangement installations created by local florists, horticulturists, and artists. Each creation represents the diverse experiences and journeys within the LGBTQIA+ community—showcasing that, like plants, love and diversity thrive in all shades and forms.

Blooming with Pride is FREE from noon to 8 p.m. Timed tickets will be required and will be available soon. WHERE: RED BUTTE GARDEN

WHEN: FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 12-8 PM

INFO: REDBUTTEGARDEN.ORG

Millcreek Pride

Millcreek’s second annual Pride celebration will take place June 15 this year at the Millcreek Common. The event will benefit UAF Legacy Health.

A Pride Market will run from noon to 10 p.m. The Big Gay Car Wash will go from noon to 3 p.m. Matrons of Mayhem will host Drag Bingo from 1 to 3 p.m. and performances by “Millcreek Legends” will be at 1, 3, 5, and 7 p.m. Free skating at Pride Skate Night runs from 6 to 10 p.m.

WHERE: MILLCREEK COMMON, 1354 E CHAMBERS AVE

WHEN: SAT, JUNE 15, 12-10 PM INFO: MILLCREEKCOMMON.ORG

Helper, Utah Saturday Vibes Pride

Come out and celebrate with the folks of Helper, Utah in the name of diversity & inclusivity. This all-inclusive event is in conjunction with the internationally acknowledged Pride Month, which takes place across the globe in June. Helper organizers are creating a space for all diverse members of their community to feel welcome on Historic Main Street. One-of-a-kind ‘Helper & Utah Proud’ yard signs will be available for purchase at our merch booth until they sell out. WHERE: MAIN STREET, HELPER WHEN: JUNE 22, 5–10:30 PM

INFO: HELPERVIBES.COM

Ogden Pride

As organizers passionately craft the details for Ogden’s upcoming 10th annual Festival, the excitement is palpable. Picture three days of pure celebration, each moment carefully designed to reflect a decade of pride, unity, and acceptance. This is an open invitation to everyone, welcoming all to share in the joy of this monumental celebration. Join them as they weave together the threads of a decade, creating a vibrant tapestry of love and diversity. Organizers hope to make the 10th annual Festival an unforgettable celebration of who Ogden is.

Aug. 2 will be the Queer Prom, an all-ages dance.

Aug. 3 is “An Epic Night: Festival Rally & Royale Affair”

Aug. 4 is the main Ogden Pride Festival, free to the public.

Sponsorships run from $200 to $8,000. Booths run from $200 to $425.

Over 300 volunteers are needed. WHERE: DOWNTOWN OGDEN

WHEN: AUGUST 2–4

INFO: OGDENPRIDE.ORG

Trans Pride-N-Joy Fest

Genderbands will be holding their fifth annual Trans Pride Festival with a new monicker — Trans Pride-N-Joy Fest. Organizers say the festival “celebrates, centers, and brings visibility to our amazingly diverse transgender community.”

WHEN: AUGUST 10

WHERE: UTAH COUNTY

INFO: GENDERBANDS.ORG/ UTAHTRANSPRIDE

Logan Pride Festival

Since 2017, the Logan Pride Foundation has served the Cache Valley community as a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating diversity while promoting LGBTQIA+ visibility, acceptance, and support in our region. While we host many projects and activities throughout the year, our hallmark event is our annual Pride Festival, which occurs each September. This single-day event has notably generated the largest reach and impact in and for our community, with over 3,000 attendees.

Sponsorships are available from $500 to $5,000.

Vendor booths are allotted a 10×10 plot, which they can set up as they wish. Last year, the event had 84 booths.

Musicians and drag artists are welcome to show interest in performing in one of the event’s multiple performance spaces.

The event is free for attendees. Donations to the festival help fund the Logan Pride House, the nonprofit’s home that provides a place for activities and support groups for Cache County’s LGBTQ+ community.

WHEN: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

WHERE: WILLOW PARK, LOGAN INFO: LOGANPRIDE.ORG

Pride of Southern Utah Lake Day 2024

A day of sun, water, food, and celebration at Southern Utah’s annual Quail Creek Lake Day. As in years past, they’ll be located near the waters edge, close to Dig Paddlesports.

WHEN: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1–5 P.M.

WHERE: QUAIL CREEK STATE PARK, HURRICANE, UTAH INFO: PRIDEOFSOUTHERNUTAH.ORG

Pride of Southern Utah Pride in the Park

Pride in the Park returns to St. George this September for a day of entertainment, food, vendors and activities. This is a free all-ages event to celebrate our local LGBTQ+ community alongside friends, families and allies.

WHEN: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 10 A.M. TO 5 P.M.

WHERE: CROSBY CONFLUENCE PARK, 2099 S. CONVENTION CENTER DR. , ST. GEORGE

SLC Leather Pride

The Salt Lake City Leather Pride Festival is a day of celebration for the Men’s Leather and Kink community. The indoor-outdoor event is set to take place on Sunday, October 6th, from 1 to 8 p.m. at MILK+. Free tickets will be available in advance, granting access to a series of events designed to connect, educate, and celebrate this vibrant subculture. The highlight of the festival is the MR LEATHER SLUT Title contest, which, alongside various activities, aims to bring together leather enthusiasts from around the globe.

WHEN: SUNDAY, OCT. 6, 1–8 P.M. WHERE: MILK+ INFO: SLCLEATHERPRIDE.COM

SLC Pride: InclusivityCelebrating June 27-30

The first SLC Pride celebration will be at The Gateay from June 27th to June 30th, featuring a variety of events designed to foster a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere.

The festivities kick off on THURSDAY, JUNE 27TH , with the GenderFuq Pride Kickoff Party at 110 S Rio Grande Street. Attendees can enjoy performances by Body Horror, Grace & Silence, FloatingRound, and Sleepy Moon Ray. The event will also showcase drag performances by Lux St. Diamond, Justin Secrecy, and Black Luscious, hosted by Sammee St. James and Mona Diet. This all-ages event will include a Queer Market, ensuring there is something for everyone.

FRIDAY, JUNE 28TH , marks the 55th anniversary of Stonewall. The community is invited to remember and celebrate this pivotal moment in LGBTQ+ history at The Locker Room and Club Verse.

The main festival begins on SATURDAY, JUNE 29TH , running from 3 to 10 p.m. at The Gateway. The celebration continues into the night with an after-party at The Locker Room and Club Verse.

SUNDAY, JUNE 30TH , features the second day of the festival from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at The Gateway. A special Trans-Pancake Breakfast on the Green will take place from 10 a.m. to noon. The location for the after-party will be announced closer to the date.

On Monday, July 1st, volunteers are encouraged to help with the post-event clean-up, although some may choose to rest or return to work.

SLC Pride’s mission is to celebrate the Queer community and its diversity, emphasizing visibility, belonging, support, and equity. The event aims to highlight the rich and complex tapestry of Queer identity, amplifying community voices through an atmosphere of acceptance, understanding, and celebration.

The vision for SLC Pride is a community where all Queer people and their families thrive, where leading an authentic life is respected and valued, and where joy and empathy are commonplace. The organization aims to create a financially and environmentally sustainable event that is accessible to all, focusing on local artists,

performers, organizations, activists, and politicians. Safety and minimizing trauma are top priorities, and the event is free for those under 18, with minimal costs for others.

Pride festivals serve as safe spaces for authenticity, community, and suicide prevention. Despite anti-LGBTQAI+ legislation, the community remains resilient. Donations and sponsorships are crucial to keep Pride financially accessible, covering essential costs such as stages and sanitation. Contributions can be made through the event’s 501(c)(3) financial sponsor, ICCJ, with donations earmarked for SLCPRIDE.

Organizers say by supporting SLC Pride, individuals can help ensure a weekend filled with love, community, and celebration for all. Q More information at slc-pride.org

The history of Utah Pride from the 1970s to 2010

BY BEN WILLIAMS

Celebrating

Pride Day in Utah is part of a directive that originated in 1969 when the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organizations adopted the motion to hold “parallel demonstrations on the last Saturday in June to commemorate the rebellion on Christopher Street.” The reference to the rebellion, of course, refers to the Stonewall Inn riots in New York City. Utah has celebrated being “gay and proud” for the last 36 years and perhaps for some people even longer.

PRIDE IN THE 1970S

A “Beer Bust Kegger,” sponsored in 1974 by Sun Tavern owner Joe Redburn, was the first attempt to bring people together to celebrate the emergence of an openly gay community in Utah. More than 200 gay men and women celebrated “Gay Pride” along the shores of the Great Salt Lake at what was once known as “Bare Bum Beach.”

The first official community-sponsored pride celebration was called “Gay Freedom Day” and was held June 1, 1975. Sponsored by the Gay Community Service Center, it was held in City Creek Canyon where festivities included free beer, food, soft drinks, volleyball, an all-day “do your own thing” talent revue and sing-a-long, games for prizes, and a white elephant auction. A shuttle service from local gay bars provided additional transportation.

Over the next three years, Gay Freedom Days was promoted mainly by the Gay Service Committee and the Salt Lake Coalition of Human Rights. The most ambitious promotion was a festival and conference held in 1977 which featured Sgt. Leonard Matlovich as keynote speaker. Matlovich was an ex-Air Force sergeant and recipient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, and also a gay Mormon.

As the heady “Gay Power Days” of the 1970s began to wane, a fragmented community ravaged by the onslaught of a conservative backlash tried to hold scaleddown celebrations. Without widespread

support, the spirit of Gay Pride was kept going by individual groups such as the Tavern Guild, Affirmation, and the University of Utah Gay Student Union.

PRIDE IN THE 1980S

In 1983, members of the Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire met to revitalize the true concept of a pride day. Tim Leming, Marshall Brunner, Larry Pacheco, and Mel Rohland, among others, formed a committee and put together an event billed as a “Basket Social” held in Fairmont Park.

This Pride Day Committee sponsored the event over the next three years and was the first to adopt a national Pride theme. The chairs were Marshall Brunner, Nikki Boyer, and Beau Chaine. Chaine was the last chairman during these years and held Gay and Lesbian Pride Day in Pioneer Park in 1986.

In 1987, the newly formed Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah took over the responsibilities of Utah’s annual event. Donnie Eastepp, Emperor XII of the RCGSE, was elected chair of the Pride Day Committee. He created a community service award, which was presented to Dr. Kristen Ries for her efforts treating AIDS patients when no other doctors in Utah were willing to do so. The award was established to recognize outstanding service to the gay and lesbian community. Eastepp also moved the location of Pride Day to Sunnyside Park where it remained until 1989.

Floyd Gamble, Steven Lloyd, Julie Pollock, Curtis Jensen, Kevin Hillman, Deborah Rosenberg, Antonia Dela Guerra, Kyle Kennedy, Kathy Matthews, and Julie Hale were the chairs and co-chairs of GLCCU’s Pride Day Committee over these seven years. They provided Utah’s gay community a consistently successful event celebrating Utah’s sexual minorities.

The Kristen Ries Community Service recipients were Rev. Bruce Barton, KUTV Channel 2, Chuck Whyte, Nikki Boyer, Becky Moss, Ben Williams, the College of Monarchs of the RCGSE,

Craig Miller, Ben Barr, Val Mansfield, Kathy Worthington, and Kim Russo.

PRIDE IN THE 1990S

In 1990, on the 21st anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, the Salt Lake City queer community held its first Gay and Lesbian Pride March. Nearly 200 people gathered on the steps of the Utah State Capitol and heard speeches from Connell “Rocky” O’Donovan, Becky Moorman, Angela Nutt, and Robert Austin. The Pride festival was held at the Northwest Community Center.

Under the direction of Kevin Hillman and his co-chairs, Pride Day expanded, and in 1991 moved to the Salt Lake County Fairgrounds in Murray. The 1991 Pride Committee added to the festival a pride guide, an art show and contest sponsored by Angela Nutt and David Thometz, and a Utah Gay and Lesbian Film Festival created by Marlin Criddle. They also brought in a nationally syndicated columnist, Dell Richards, as keynote speaker. For entertainment, Lynn Lavner, a nationally known lesbian singer performed, with interruption by a contingency of neo-Nazi skinheads who marched into the celebration and were met by Anti-Violence Project founder Michael Aaron. While no violence occurred, it was a tense situation. Dozens of festivalgoers surrounded the skinheads and turned their backs on them, making them invisible to the crowd and, thus, negating the reason they were there. They left after less than 10 minutes.

O’Donovan’s second pride march was also disrupted by neo-Nazis who stood on the east steps of the Salt Lake City and County Building, taunting the marchers rallying at Washington Square.

The tradition of an annual pride march and rally ended when O’Donovan left Salt Lake City in 1992. No one came forward to organize a third, and it would be two years before Bruce Harmon and Rev. Bruce Barton, along with then-Pride chair Jeff Freedman, stepped forward to reinvent the march and rally, transforming it into something even greater: the Pride Parade.

Pride Days under the directions of the GLCCU transformed the celebration from simply a day in the park to a major annual event that Salt Lake City’s politicians began to attend, and the

quality Pride Days under the directions of the GLCCU transformed the celebration from simply a day in the park to a major annual event that Salt Lake City’s politicians began to attend, and the quality of entertainers and speakers increased.

With the election of Freedman as chair of the GLCCU’s Gay Pride Day Committee, the organization began its transition from being simply a committee to being GLCCU’s sole entity when the organization collapsed in 1995. Freedman and co-chair Julie Hale were the last formally elected chairs of the Gay Pride Day committee under the direction of GLCCU.

Freedman, a former emperor of the Royal Court, served longer than any other Gay Pride Day volunteer in Utah at that point. His vision of Pride Day encompassed the entire spectrum of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and straight allies communities. The Pride Day events of the latter half of the 1990s were thus stamped indelibly with Freedman’s concept that Pride Day was a community party. He brought professionalism to the job as he endeavored to ensure gender parity. Freedman’s co-chairs were Hale, Carrie Gaylor, and Kim Russo.

The Kristen Ries Award recipients during Freedman’s era were Bruce Harmon, Clariss (Doug Tollstrup) Cartier, Charlene Orchard, Barb Barnhart, Rev. Kelly Byrnes, Jeff Freedman, Maggie Snyder, LaDonna Moore, and Dr. Patty Reagan. In 1994, the first parade was organized as the kick-off event to Pride Day. Emperor XV, Bruce Harmon, assisted by his partner Rev. Bruce Barton, established the annual parade that continues to this day. Bruce Barton nearly single-handedly, on his own sewing

machine, created a 100-foot rainbow flag that was carried annually in the parade.

In 1996, Freedman, Gaylor, and Harmon invited Chaz Bono, who had not yet transitioned to male and was a spokesperson of the Human Rights Campaign’s National Coming Out Project, to be the first grand marshal of Utah’s Gay Pride Parade.

Over the next few years, Freedman and his committees also invited Candace Gingrich, Deb Burington, Charlene Orchard, and actor Dan Butler to serve as grand marshals.

Freedman was instrumental in getting corporate sponsorships for Pride Day and moving it to downtown Salt Lake City — first to the Gallivan Center and later to Washington Square. Freedman’s last act of the period was organizing Pride Day, Inc. as a separate entity from the defunct GLCCU.

PRIDE IN THE 2000S

With the new millennium came controversy as Pride Day began to expand exponentially. Kim Russo became director of the new corporation for two years, assisted by co-chairs Adam Frost and Billy Lewis.

During the Russo years, Utah State Rep. Jackie Biskupski and Mayor Rocky Anderson served as parade grand marshals, and Marlin Criddle, Brenda Voisard, Laura Milliken Gray, and Brook Heart-Song were honored with the Kristen Ries Award.

Unfortunately, without the community’s oversight, fiduciary problems surfaced in 2001.

Pride Day 2002 was run by a committee headed by Sherry Booth, with Chad Keller as chair of the parade. Steve Kmetko, host of E! News Live, was grand marshal, and the tradition of a grand marshal reception

was started. Also in 2002, the Community Volunteer, Organization of the Year, and the Pete Suazo Political Action Awards were created to recognize contributions to the community. The first Utah Pride Interfaith Service was also that year.

The 2002 committee tried to rebuild the image of Pride Day, but because Pride Day, Inc. had found itself in serious debt, the committee elected to be absorbed by the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah, a move that generated much controversy in the community because of the secrecy surrounding the move.

The Utah Pride Center has provided direction for the event for the past decade and even changed its name to reflect this. Under the auspices of the former Gay and Lesbian Community Center, the volunteer position of director of Pride Day, Inc., became salaried for the first time in 2003. The same year a Dyke March was added to the annual Pride Day Parade. Donald Steward was the parade coordinator for three of those years.

In 2004, the Salt Lake City Film Center was asked to curate a series of films during Pride week that reflected the best in gay cinema. The Damn These Heels film festival was held annually thereafter.

2005 saw Pride Day organizers charging a first-time $5 admission fee for the events on Library Square and Washington Square. This move generated considerable discontent, but eventually provided for higher quality performers at the celebration.

In 2009, Cleve Jones, during a rally at the Utah Pride Festival, called for a March on Washington to coincide with National Coming Out Day and kick off a grassroots campaign for equality in each of the nation’s 435 congressional districts to launch a new chapter in the gay-rights movement.

The grand marshals chosen under the direction of the Center were Kate Kendall, Bruce Bastian, Utah State Senator Scott McCoy, J. Boyer Jarvis, John Amaechi, Mayor Ralph Becker, Cleve Jones, Sister Dottie S. Dixon, Roseanne Barr and Dustin Lance Black.

The Kristen Ries Award recipients were Doug Wortham, Lucia Malin, Jane and Tami Marquardt, Utah State Rep. Jackie Biskupski, Doug Fadel, Stan Penfold, Walter Larabee, Mark Swonson, Michael Aaron and Valerie Larabee.

By 2010 Utah’s Pride Day Parade was listed as Utah’s second-largest parade and, in 2011, more than 100 float entries were listed. Q

The ‘Idol’ we need now

How David Archuleta

left behind the Mormon church to flourish as an openly queer person

BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI

WhenDavid Archuleta

returned to the “American Idol” stage in April, he knew that singing his latest single, “Hell Together,” which he wrote about his mother’s show of unconditional allyship after he came out in 2021 and left the Mormon church (so did she, in solidarity), wouldn’t be embraced by everyone. But he sang it anyway, his pro-queer message heard loud and clear by those who are closeted and afraid, like he once was, and who still need it most — LGBTQ+ youth. Archuleta wasn’t even close to being out in 2008, during the seventh season of “American Idol,” when his kind smile and puppy-dog eyes told a very different story than the open and honest one he’s been sharing through his candid thoughts and personal music. He told People magazine in 2022 that he would pray to God to “please take this away from me because I don’t know what else to do.” He only got frustrated when he spoke to church leaders about Mormonism’s views on the LGBTQ+ community. And then, at 30, after spending most of his life as a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he came out publicly.

With years of severe anxiety attacks and suicidal thoughts behind him, Archuleta is doing what so many of us feel compelled to do when we’ve been condemned and felt betrayed by our faith communities: sharing his story with authenticity and vulnerability and standing as a beacon of hope and empowerment for those who are still finding their way to their truest selves. He’s giving his voice in more ways than one, too. As a singer, he’s hopeful that “Hell Together” — inspired by an exchange he had with his mother who texted him and said, “If you’re going to hell, we are all going to hell with you,” he explained in an Instagram post — will inspire other parents to be wholehearted allies to their queer children.

Recently, I spoke with Archuleta, 33, about performing the emotional song on the “Idol” stage, his advice for queer youth torn between authenticity and religion, and why he identifies with his younger self now more than ever.

How did it feel to be on the “Idol” stage again all these years later, but this time as almost a completely different person in some ways? You got to step back on that stage as an openly queer person and express being openly queer. It was invigorating. It’s just nice to be able to feel like you can just lay all yourself out there when so many people feel, and still feel, like you should hide. So just to be back on the “Idol” stage and be able to be there now that I’ve come out, like you said, even wearing mesh, it’s nice to be able to feel like you can lay all yourself out there in the open, in front of people without having to feel the need to hide. And people still feel like you should hide. They’ll say, “Well, don’t talk about it. Don’t show yourself. Can’t you just keep it to yourself?” So you have to be open about it. You have to talk about it because you have to show people “I’m here. What are you going to do about it? You can’t hide me.” And they try to, because it makes them uncomfortable. When I hear you sing “Hell Together,” those feelings are still so raw for you it

seems, and it’s such an important song that you’re releasing. As a kid who struggled with my sexuality while growing up Catholic, it would’ve changed my life had I heard that song in my teen years. And as an adult, I realize there are so many young people who need to still hear the message of this song. Was that on your mind while working on it? Yeah, because when I came out, I had thousands of people, even to this day, still in the closet — all ages, people who are still married, people who are young, teenagers, people about to go on missions for their church — all saying, “I’m like you and I don’t know what to do.” That was the biggest motivating factor for me to write a book, because I’m writing a book now. I am trying to live my life authentically, but also I want to do it in a way that keeps the conversation going. I don’t want it to just be a middle finger to conservative people. There’s too many people like me still in that community who don’t know how to find their way. They don’t know how to get out of that. And they don’t have a safe way to get out of that. I think a lot of people who are out and now part of the queer community, they know how that struggle is. And a lot of people who find their way into the queer community, they have to be tough. They have to be thick-skinned, they have to be fighters, but not everyone knows how to do that. Songs like “Hell Together” and other artists who’ve written songs that are similar to that, I think it’s like, I want to start that conversation. “American Idol” was not the place I saw myself singing a song about going to hell together and about coming out, because that’s not the audience that is OK with that. It shows in a lot of the comments. “‘American Idol’ is still a very family, middle America Christian-conservative audience for the most part, and they’re not OK with that kind of stuff. So you have to start in a very uncomfortable conversation with people who don’t want that conversation. But you know what? If there’s a little queer person who is on the couch with their family watching this, and if they hear their parents saying, “Ugh, that’s so gross that he would sing that song,” I hope that they see that there is a mother out

there like my mom, who wasn’t OK with me coming out at first. I had to have hard conversations with her. Sometimes you have to find a way; you have to help them understand and say, “This is what I’ve had to go through.” I know it’s hard, but try to have a hard conversation and say, “Mom, Dad, I want you to listen to what I’ve had to deal with and why, and the pain I’ve had to go through and the torture of not being able to change who I am because this is what I am, and who I am. And I need you to understand why I’m coming out.” That’s a hard conversation to have and not everyone’s ready.

But do what is going to help you feel like you can thrive and prosper and be happy. You knew that performing this song would be somewhat controversial given the show you were performing it on. What went through your mind as you were singing? I was scared. It’s uncomfortable. And I was nervous, not just because of the song, but also the fact that it’s a hard song to sing vocally, and I’m on a singing competition show that I once was a singing person on, singing a song that I knew was going to have very mixed reviews by the people who are watching it. But at the

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same time, it was so refreshing. Because again, I don’t have to hide this about me. I don’t have to just present myself in a way that is acceptable to people who would judge me normally. If you just judge me, then go ahead and do it in my face. Because I’m not going to do this anymore behind closed doors. This is just who I am, and that’s fine. So it was nice. Singing a song like “Hell Together” on a family show, “American Idol,” it’s like, in the end, it is a song about family. And sometimes I think people overlook that. But it literally is a song about a mom showing her support and learning how to support her son. I love my mom. I’m grateful because not everyone’s parents are like that. Hopefully by sharing her story and what she said can be something that other parents in the future or now can have in mind when they have a kid going through a similar thing.

Controversy aside, there’s been an outpouring of support for this performance as well, and some commenters are even admiring your chest in the mesh. Oh my gosh. That’s so funny. Here I’m going all deep and stuff, and gay Twitter’s not even thinking about that, oh my gosh. That’s hilarious. I mean, I didn’t look at that as the focus. It was just like, I feel good in this, so I’m going to wear it. And that’s what I think. My mind was totally taken by the controversy. I’m still getting comments. I’m still getting people trying to rebuke me and save me, and shake their finger and say, “How dare you,” defending their beliefs. So that stuff takes more of my attention. I guess the gay guys have been commenting on my body, so maybe that’s also why I haven’t noticed. It’s nothing new, whereas singing a song about going to hell together in front of a conservative audience of millions of people was more… Pressure? It was just more like that’s what took my attention, I guess, and pressure. But hey, I’m glad. If it’s positive that they’re commenting about that, then great. You don’t go to the gym for nothing. I’ve been working out, and I don’t go to

the gym for nothing, no. I like to show off what I’ve worked hard for.

What did it mean to you to be named Outstanding Breakthrough Artist by GLAAD this year? Oh, that took me so off guard. I wasn’t expecting it at all. Because Ice Spice was literally in the category, so I was like, if Ice Spice doesn’t get it, it’s going to be someone else other than me. But I was like, there’s no way in hell I’m going to get this. So I was just minding my own business. I’m like, it’s cool that I was nominated and my jaw dropped when [they called my name]. I’m like, “What? What?” I was so confused, but I was so happy as well. And by winning the award, I was able to go backstage and I got to say hi to Reneé Rapp, and I was like, “I love you. You’re an amazing singer.” She’s like, “Wait, I’m obsessed with you.” With Pride on the horizon, how do you reflect on your journey and what this time of year means to you and the rest of the queer community?

It’s so exhilarating and invigorating. Pride is a thing that I’ve now embraced; I was afraid of it before. Because I’m like, oh, Pride is so loud and colorful, and in your face. Now I’m just like, “Oh, I get it now. I see why.” I look forward to it. I’m performing at a lot more Pride things this year, whereas I only performed at one last year and it was my first one, so I can’t wait to keep going. It’s so fun.

You’ll have to expand the mesh collection. Yeah, I guess I’ll have to maintain at the gym.

Your self-expression is not just through music, but it’s radiating through your

style too. I’ve watched your journey from somebody who was more of a button-up GAP kid to really pushing fashion boundaries more. How is what you wear an extension of who you are? Well, I used to be styled, first by “American Idol,” which was on Fox. It was a conservative family show. And then after that, I was styled by my friend who was a Mormon mom. And I was a Mormon. Now that I’ve come out of that and I don’t have to worry about, “Was this modest enough?” I don’t worry about that anymore. I’m just like, “Do I feel good in this?” And it’s so freeing. It’s so nice to just be able to wear what feels good and what I feel confident in, and what I feel makes a statement. And I’ve invested more money into a stylist. Shout out to Andrew Philip Nguyen. He’s been so fun to work with, and I’ve worked with the other stylists too, and I look forward to collaborating with more photographers and stylists and brands hopefully. Hey, I’ve never had brand deals. I would love to because it’s just another form of expression and creativity, and I love it. It’s a new world to me, and I think it’s really fun. When you look back at the last few years after coming out, is there a specific moment or experience that made you feel like you made the right decision? I feel like every day makes me feel that way because a lot of religious people will be like, “Well, we don’t tell gay people to die and stuff,” but the structure and the conversations and the culture builds to a lot of queer people having to choose one or the other. A lot of people feel like to choose religion, they will even have to lay down their own life, [or] even take their own life. And there was a point where I was willing to do that. So for me, being out and living life as a queer person and just living after having done that, when I thought that was going to be the end of the world, and the end of my life. When it was like, that’s when my life began. And for me, every music festival I go to, every rave — I went to Coachella for my first time and just connecting and being there and not having any reservations, just dancing and loving the music — I’ve

just loved it. I’ve loved going to festivals because it’s a freeing energy. I just think that if there is a God like the way I’ve been taught, then I thank God I’m alive in this moment because this is just something that makes me thankful to be here, and thankful to be alive and breathing.

Seems like you’re breathing much easier these days. Thank you. I wasn’t breathing too easily on the “American Idol” stage last night, but otherwise, yes, I would agree.

What has it been like to find queer and ally ex-Mormons in the music community, with Tyler Glenn and Dan Reynolds among them? It’s been great to do LoveLoud with them. I’ve found a lot more people grew up as Latter-day Saints than I realized. I was talking to my friend, Mikey Angelo, he’s on TikTok, and he does these really funny recap videos. He’s like, “I was a Mormon too.” I was like, “What? You were a Mormon too?” And now we’re both out and we were both jamming at Coachella. I’m like, look at us two ex-Mormons, now out and queer and proud and having a fun time at Coachella.

Would you say you left one community for another community? Yeah. I feel like, as human beings, we need community. And that’s what was so beautiful about religion: it’s community and you’re there for each other. And so when you leave religion, people think, “Oh, you’ve lost the meaning of life.” It’s like, “No, I just have to find community elsewhere,” and I have meaning for life again. So I think that’s something else, to

be encouraging to people who haven’t left religion and haven’t come out, because they’re afraid of losing their community, and feeling like they’ll lose their purpose to live. It’s like, you know what? There is a community elsewhere and it’s beautiful, and it’ll give you a whole new sense of meaning to live, and it’s wonderful.

It seems like you’ve also found a close ally in Paula Abdul, who is a longtime LGBTQ+ ally and who was also a judge during your season of “American Idol.” You two recently reconnected. How has she been an ally to you on this journey? I love Paula. She’s shown all of her support, and because of that, I wanted to return the favor. And when I got asked to do a tribute for her at the Queerties, and they’re like, “Hey, we’d love for you to do a song,” I was like, “I don’t want to do just one song. I want to do a whole medley because that’s what she deserves.” And it was so fun to do, and yeah. Thank you, Paula. I love you, Paula.

How did the concept for the “Hell Together” video come about, and also, what was it like seeing young David in those family videos? How do you identify with him now? I totally identify with him because for me, when I was little, there was no judgment toward myself. And so it’s nice to be able to see myself no longer with that judgment because when I started hitting age 11, 12, 13, 14, I hated myself and hated how I looked. Now, being able to see myself and be like, “Oh, I have compassion for myself,” is very healing. And so when I see videos of when I was 6

and 7 years old and then not having any fear of who I am and who I would become is really an empowering moment for me. There are a couple of moments when I was 9 years old that I saw and I knew about being different and I was scared of it, but now being able to just hold myself and be able to show love is really beautiful. And also to just pay tribute to my

mom and reminisce. We’re human beings trying to figure out life and be there for each other, just like everyone else in this world is trying to. Q

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

Rainbow Classics of Utah: On the Road for Twenty Years

BY JOHN NORTHUP RAINBOWCLASSICSUTAH@GMAIL.COM

Ever feel like hitting the road or just talking cars with other car geeks in the LGBTQ community? Rainbow Classics of Utah is your tribe! Each year, the group makes local driving tours, participates in car shows, visits museums and private collections, and enjoys dinners, cookouts, and social gatherings. All vintages and varieties of cars are welcome and appreciated—

from Packards to Pintos to Priuses—but you don’t even have to own a car to join.

As the group celebrates its 20th anniversary this summer, Brett Clifford, past president of the group, recalls, “The club was originally organized at a classic car gathering in Sugarhouse Park in late summer of 2004, led by Lou Dellera, a flight attendant who now lives in Phoenix and remains active in the LGBTQ car community there. He began a long tradition of some of the club’s cars always being an entry in the yearly Utah Pride Parade, sitting above the red leather back seat of his dark blue 1964 Cadillac DeVille convertible, wearing his President sash.”

Most recently, the group became affiliated with Lambda Car Club International (LCCI), joining a nationwide fraternity of LGBTQ auto enthusiasts. This summer, the group will caravan to Rangely, Colorado to meet up with members of the Denver-based LCCI region and tour an automotive muse-

um. Closer to home, the group will be back in the Utah Pride Parade again this year, and also plans to participate in car shows in Moab, Logan, and elsewhere.

For more information, see facebook.com/ groups/RainbowClassics or contact rainbowclassicsutah@gmail.com

Linc and Russ Christiansen’s Lincoln Continental

Jerry Renshaw rides in Don Austin and Brett Clifford’s 1966 Imperial

Dean Van Amberg and Carl Boyer with their 1967 Citroën

Damn These Heels Film Festival changes name, moves to October

Utah Film Center announced a new name — Utah Queer Film Festival — Thursday, saying the change marks the festival’s “growth and commitment to representing Utah’s vibrant and diverse LGBTQIA+ communities and their allies on the national stage for queer film festivals.”

“This name change highlights the festival’s evolution and alignment with its vision of greater inclusion, intention, and impact,” the group said in a statement.

“The festival’s name change reflects our enduring commitment to Utah and our profound appreciation for the steadfast support and engagement of our attendees, donors, and community partners,” said Mariah Mellus, executive director of Utah Film Center. “Utah Queer Film Festival invites all intersectional identities to participate in the celebration of queer stories. We are honored to showcase films that reflect a multitude of perspectives and experiences, grounded in unity and collectivity.”

The queer film festival has

grown exponentially since its 2003 inception, the group said, evolving from a handful of screenings during Utah Pride into a premiere cultural event curating local and international LGBTQIA+ cinema.

“As the longest-running queer film festival in the Mountain West, Damn These Heels has served as an import-

ant platform for fostering meaningful film discussions, initiating dialogue with community leaders, and amplifying the voices of storytellers within the queer community,” the statement read.

The festival has drawn over 33,000 attendees since 2003.

Usually held in Summer, the festival moved last year to mid-October. This year, it will be held Oct. 24 through 27.

More information can be found at utahfilmcenter.org.

Rewriting Country, the Orville Peck Way

The masked singer-songwriter on bringing the genre back to its multicultural roots

BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI

Orville Peck’s sexy video for “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other” is unabashedly queer in ways the country music genre hasn’t historically seen. In it, Peck sings his cover of Latin country musician Ned Sublette’s 1981 song as a collaboration with Willie Nelson — who, inspired by “Brokeback Mountain,” performed a solo version of the song in 2006 — but now, especially, Peck’s modern take feels like a very welcome subversion of what we’ve come to know as country music. Man hands graze man butts. Women slow dance intimately with other women. Twinks in tight blue jeans bale hay. In other words, this saloon is serving more than beer. Ever the ally, it was actually Nelson’s idea to revisit the song with Peck, who recently released the tune as part of “Stampede Vol. 1,” his first duets album. The seven-song collection also features a collaboration with Elton John

on “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)” and “Chemical Sunset” with fellow queer Americana singer-songwriter Allison Russell. “I wouldn’t say it’s as traditionally in line with the rest of my albums,” he tells me. “I would say it’s more conceptual just based on the collaborative nature of it.”

Openly and unapologetically gay, Peck released his first album in 2019, the self-produced “Pony.” Since then, he has steadily risen to prominence as one of the few modern trailblazing artists redefining country music — challenging the old notion that only straight, white people can strum a guitar and sing with a backwoods twang.

Before setting off on his “Stampede” headlining summer tour, I spoke with Peck about why he’s letting more of his face peak out of his signature face mask, what other allies can learn from Willie Nelson and the “beautiful gift” of inspiring kids in rural communities to be themselves.

As a longtime country fan, I feel like I’ve been manifesting you in various ways since I was a kid who grew up on this music. During interviews with country superstars like Dolly and Reba who I’ve interviewed over the years, I’ve even asked them, as if they had the answer: “Why can’t we have an out gay male country artist?” And here you are. What does it feel like to know that you are what so many LGBTQ+ country fans have been manifesting and hoping for for decades? Wow, that’s so lovely. Thank you. That means a lot to me. It doesn’t escape me because I was also one of those fans. I, like a ton of queer people, grew up loving country music and relating to all sorts of country, both male and female, usually especially females, to be honest. So it feels amazing because I am also one of those fans that grew up loving country and longed to see someone like me or someone sort of like me, even close to like me, making the music that I love. So getting to do this song with Willie: I can’t understate how important and full circle it is for just me as a person to know that Willie Nelson is on this track doing this song with me. It’s really affirming and really validating for me and I imagine a lot of people, which is cool. But it’s funny because I always say country music appeals to gay and queer people because it’s about storytelling, yearning, loss and unrequited love. All the classic country songs I can think of, I always say they feel like the queer experience to me. It doesn’t surprise me whatsoever that queer people are drawn to country music. And then, of course, you mix in the campy flamboyance of someone like Dolly. Exactly. Put rhinestones on it and it’s like, fuck, it’s over.

And speaking of your collaboration with Willie — it’s also such a powerful nod to straight male allyship. Totally. This term “ally” gets used a lot these days. In the climate of the world right now, where queer people, trans people and drag queens are so villainized and under actual serious threats of violence to their lives, it’s not good enough just to be accepting or friends with a gay person. I don’t think that’s enough. Real allyship in times like these [is] standing next to us with

absolutely no ambiguity and essentially saying, “We are here right next to you and we support you.” And that’s exactly what Willie did by doing this video and song. What is the impact that you hope this collaboration has? I’ve always grown up with a lot of straight guys as my friends, because I used to skateboard and play in punk bands and all that stuff. All I had around me were straight boys. They were always just my buddies. And so I’ve seen that kind of allyship in my personal life since I was quite young, which is fantastic. But I’ve also seen this sort of performative allyship where it’s like, “Well, yes, of course, being accepting of queer people, that’s the bare minimum. That should just be. People should be accepting of everyone.” That isn’t allyship. Allyship is being vocally in support and standing next to us, especially in a time like now, when we need it so much. Given that we’ve only recently seen more openly LGBTQ+ artists in country music, who gave you the courage to step up and decide to make a place for yourself within the genre? I really attribute that to my parents and my family. I never really had to come out because I think my parents always sort of knew. I have two older brothers who are both straight, and I think my parents always knew that I had a little sugar in my tank. They always made a really adamant effort to let me know that I was no different than anybody and that I could do whatever I wanted to do and I can be whoever I wanted to be. Because I think that they knew and could see that that was something that was not encouraged in a lot of queer kids. I was really incredibly fortunate to just have parents that wanted to encourage that side of me. I also grew up with this ambition to just not let anybody tell me I can’t do something for any reason. And so when someone excludes me, it makes me want to include myself even more and kick the door down and then sit at the table and put my feet up on the table. That was instilled in me so strongly as a kid by my parents. We grew up in South Africa during apartheid. I’m from a mixed-race family. I saw firsthand the treatment of people for being

different. And I think my parents just really wanted to instill in us that nothing makes anybody less than someone else.

It seems every decade or so, we go through a redefining of country music. Where do you think we’re at now with the genre? I think we are at a place in the genre that’s so exciting because there’s sort of a reclaiming happening. Because the truth is anybody should feel welcome to be a part of country as a culture and as a genre because the fact is it’s literally just built off of so many different inspirations and cultures to begin with. Country music, just in the instrumentation alone, is African, Hawaiian and European. It was built when America was in its early days of being this huge melting pot.

So I think what we’re learning and realizing as a society now is, oh, wait, I don’t have to be a white straight person that lives in the South in order to be a part of this culture. This can also be my culture, and I can make it my culture, and I can be a part of it. I think it’s really cool that so many artists are claiming their place in it because it is truly the most diverse American genre, and it is for everybody. It should represent how diverse its roots are. It should be representative in how the genre looks today. And I think it’s finally catching up.

You’ve said the masks you wear as shields allow you to feel more comfortable to be vulnerable as an artist. Since we’re seeing more of your face now, does that mean you’re feeling a little safer to be more musically vulnerable these days? I do. I made the mask at a time for several reasons. I think it was partly something kind of artistic and bold that I wanted to do and wanted to see within country that I hadn’t seen before. I wanted there to be like a David Bowie of country kind of vibe and make something artistic. And then I think it also inadvertently protected me and my anonymity and started to ease my transition into success because I’m not someone naturally built for that transition. I think I would’ve gone crazy if I didn’t have that buffer. It was really helpful for me on a personal level. Also, yeah, I started to realize that it allowed me to be more vulnerable as

an artist and share my stories. It just gave me a little bit of confidence.

But it’s funny, with each album I’ve been building so much more confidence of my own, and the mask has felt less and less important to me, even though I will always be grateful to it and love it and love all the iterations of it. But I think in my personal and artistic journey to authenticity and the most vulnerability and the most openness, the mask has to represent that. As I evolve, I think that has to evolve as well.

When you first decided that you were going to wear the mask, did you foresee a day in which the mask might become a topic of conversation on social media among very thirsty queer and gay men? [Laughs.] No. All I ever wanted to do was just make one album, which I did practically completely alone and with $300 in my pocket. So every single thing that’s ever happened since I put out “Pony” has been sort of a surprise and a lovely cherry on top for me. So no, I’ve never envisioned most of the things that have happened in my career.

For the tour, have you already started the process of deciding which masks you’ll pack? Is that a torturous process? Yep. It’s always a very specific discussion with my stylist. There’s a new design, obviously, so it’s an exciting time because we get to see what we come up with color-wise and to match all my different outfits. Just on styling in general, unfortunately, I’ve kind of screwed myself because we killed all my styling so early on because my stylist is so amazing, and so every single time I have to do something, we’re like, “Fuck, how are we going to top what we’ve already done?” So there’s a whole archival museum of all the outfits I’ve ever worn and we have to look at those and make sure we’re not repeating anything. It’s a whole process.

Given that some of your shows are happening during Pride season, are you planning on doing anything special for Pride at these shows or is an Orville Peck show just basically a Pride festival? [Laughs.] Yes, exactly. It kind of goes both ways in the sense that I think my show is already filled with

pride and a lot of queer joy. Whether it’s a Pride show or not, I go up there and my main focus is just to be myself, to connect with the audience and to tell my stories. How did you arrive at the name “Stampede” for the tour and the album? Well, I always want to keep it horse-y with my album titles. There’s a little bit of a theme in my album titles, obviously. Even since the last album, I was thinking, “Well, what could I call it that’s still in keeping with my tradition with what I name my albums?” And then as I started to look at just all the different artists that are on this album, I was like, “I know exactly what this is. It’s a stampede.”

My vote for “Stampede Vol. 2” is for a Dolly duet, and also one with k.d. lang. Oh, I love k.d. Some of the original queer country that a lot of people don’t even really realize. She was a real trailblazer. “Trail of Broken Hearts” is an amazing song.

Seeing you as part of the country music genre sends a positive message to queer kids who are living through a precarious time for LGBTQ+ people. What do you hope the message is for a young boy in rural America who dreams of being like you one day? That you already are loved and there are people out there that are not members of our community that will love you for exactly who you are. The coolest thing about it being Willie Nelson, not only is he one of my idols, but there isn’t a single country music fan that doesn’t like Willie Nelson. He’s such an icon and such a legend, and so for him, more than all of these other people, to stand up and do this, I think it can give people a lot of comfort and reassurance that there are people out there that stand with us and are with us.

Something I never anticipated is, I guess, being an inspiration to, well, anyone, really. And so now that that has become the case, I take it really seriously, actually. It’s been a really beautiful gift to me to be able to hear the stories from people of just their experiences and how my music maybe has affected them or encouraged them. It’s kind of become the most beautiful and import-

ant part of my career — just feeling the impact that it has on people. So if that gets to be broadened and helps someone maybe in a situation where they feel they’re excluded, that’s everything to me. I think that’s really important. Q

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

‘Gwyneth

Goes Skiing,’

then

gets sued in U.S. premiere of hit twoman comic musical about the brouhaha

BY BLAIR HOWELL

U.S. PREMIERE THEATER A hysterical musical about that infamous lawsuit, Gwyneth Goes Skiing, makes its stateside premiere — at Park City, where the story began.

There was that Gwyneth Paltrow trial that followed a skiing accident at Deer Valley Resort in 2016. The lowly retired optometrist fallaciously claimed “permanent traumatic brain injury, four broken ribs, loss of enjoyment of life,” while Gwyneth “lost half a day of skiing.”

“We haven’t heard from Gwyneth, but we have heard she has a great sense of humor,” explains co-creator Linus Karp, who plays the Oscar winner. “The show is full of love and celebration for her, and we’re big Gwyneth fans. We’d be gagged and gooped to welcome her along.”

We owe our thanks for the premiere to Matthew Prince, owner of The Park Record, who sought out the show after its hit London run and sponsors the show at the Egyptian Theatre, where sell-out shows are anticipated.

Originally staged by the unashamedly queer Pleasance Theatre Trust of London, Gwyneth Goes Skiing is sure to be an outrageous time at the theater. Audience members are the jury, deciding who’s guilty and who’s gooped. A lawyer is played by a hand puppet. Gwyneth’s daughter Apple is played by… an apple. May 16-24, parkcityshows.com

LITTLE SCREEN

Ah, dating! That glorious and unpredictable period of a single person’s life that is an absolute necessity if being coupled up is an end goal. But, let’s be honest: Dating has only gotten more complicated and is more incongruous as ever.

A new comedy series, Danny Will Die Alone, dives deep into the hellscape of being a single gay man trying to find love in 2024, including all the twists and turns that we gay men face in our quest for love.

Loosely based on creator Jack Tracy’s own dating life in New York City, the nine-episode series stars Tracy as recently single Danny as he navigates his way through all of the unhinged flakes, fakes, and bots that are infiltrating today’s gay hookup apps.

Tracy explains how his private life may reflect the Danny character. “I go on dates now and this show comes up as something in my life and they ask, ‘Are you going to make an episode about our date?’ And my answer is, ‘It depends. Are you going to do something crazy or treat me horribly?’ If so, you’re game,” he says.

“If it’s just a normal date; I have no

reason. You have to give me a reason to make an episode. You have to do something wild — then you get an episode.”

Season 2 debuts in the fall.

 now streaming, dekkoo.com

THEATER ON LITTLE SCREEN

The collaboration began with Oklahoma! Following were 34 Tony Awards and 15 Academy Awards. Chronicled in Great Performances: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 80th Anniversary, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II revolutionized Broadway by integrating music and dance with well-crafted storylines to create a cohesive new form of musical theater.

 May 31 on PBS, pbs.org/gperf and the PBS app

The infamous trial between a celeb and an optometrist in ‘Gwyneth Goes Skiing.’ PHOTO: JONNY RUFF

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEKKOO

REVIEW BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

‘Mean Boys: A Personal History’ by

Geoffrey Mak

C.2024, BLOOMSBURY, $28.99, 267 PAGES

This and that.

It’s how a pleasant conversation is fed, with give and take, back and forth, wandering casually and naturally, a bit of one subject easing into the next with no preamble. It’s communication you can enjoy, like what you’ll find inside “Mean Boys” by Geoffrey Mak. Sometimes, a conversation ends up exactly where it started. Take, for instance, Shakespeare’s King Lear, which leads Mak to think about his life and his inability to “cull the appropriate narratives out of nonsense…” Part of that problem, he says, was that his living arrangements weren’t consistent. He sometimes “never really knew where I was living,” whether it was Berlin

q scopes

JUNE

BY SAM KELLEY-MILLS

ARIES March 20–April 19

As the temps rise, so will your energy levels. There is so much to do and people to see, and your schedule is bound to fill to the brim. Take it one step at a time, be as flexible if you can.

TAURUS Apr 20–May 20

What the trust conceals, the mirror reveals. Look at yourself from the outside to figure out what you need to discover inside. It might not seem prudent, but who you are is a delight to behold.

GEMINI May 21–June 20

The parties are plentiful and a great place to shine. While getting out, be the best of who you are. Others look to you when they need their True North checked, so be the star for them.

the bookworm sez

or California, in a studio or high-end accommodations. The parties, the jokes, and the internet consumption were as varied as the homes, and sometimes, “it didn’t really matter.” Sometimes, you have to accept things and just “move on.”

When he was twelve years old, Mak’s father left his corporate job, saying that he was “called by God” to become a minister. It created a lot of resentment for Mak, for the lack of respect his father got, and because his parents were “passionately anti-gay…” He moved as far away from home as he could, and he blocked all communication with his parents for years until he realized that “By hating my father, I ended up hating myself, too…”

And then there was club life which, in Mak’s descriptions, doesn’t sound much different in Berghain (Germany) as it is in New York. He says he “threw myself into night life,” in New York Houses, in places that gave “a skinny Chinese kid from the suburbs… rules I still live by,” on random dance floors, and in Pornceptual. Eventually, this, drugs, work, politics, pandemic, basically everything, and life in general led to a mental crisis, and Mak sought help.

“I don’t know why I’m telling you

CANCER June 21–July 22

Pride and integrity are on your mind this month. The pool of joy is filled with clear thoughts and intentions, but don’t be afraid to dip your toe into uncharted waters and wild rapids as well.

LEO July 23–August 22

Be the king of the crop when the time to hop into action presents itself. The D.J. is playing YOUR song. Take to the floor and show them what you’ve got. Take charge and be the Supreme.

VIRGO August 23–Sep 2

Present your advice to the ones you desire. Much wisdom is to be found in your experiences. The solid ground you provide cannot be understated, and the best tips are the ones you follow.

all this,” Mak says at one point. “Sometimes life was bad, and sometimes it wasn’t, and sometimes it just was.”

Though there are times when this book feels like having a heart-to-heart with an interesting new acquaintance, “Mean Boys” can make you squirm. For sure, it’s not a beachy read or something you’ll breeze through on a weekend.

No, author Geoffrey Mak jumps from one random topic to another with enough frequency to make you pay super close attention to his words, lest you miss something. That won’t leave you whiplashed; instead, you’re pulled into the often-dissipated melee just enough to feel almost involved with it – but with a distinct sense that you’re being held at arms’ length, too. That some stories have no definitive timeline or geographical stamp – making it hard to find solid ground –also adds to the slight loss of equilibrium here, like walking on slippery river rock.

Surprisingly, that’s not entirely unpleasant, but readers will want to know that the ending in “Mean Boys” could leave their heads swirling with a dozen thoughts on life, belonging, and death. If you like depth in your memoirs, you’ll like that… and this. Q

LIBRA Sept 23–October 22

When you seek perfection, you find it close to home. The ones who love you exist in a world you created. Even when chaos ensues, rest assured all will go back to its proper place. It is the way.

SCORPIO Oct 23–Nov 21

Temptations are welcome, and opportunities are not out of reach. In fact, you’ll be surprised how quickly pleasure can simply fall into your lap. Spice things up and prepare for temperatures to rise.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov 22–December 20

The ingredients for inspiration can be found in odd places. Whether you’re an old dog learning new tricks or a young pup seeing the world for the first time, your eyes will be held wide open.

CAPRICORN

Dec 21–Jan 19

It’s as if the world is taking a break from its own drama this month, and the positive vibes are refreshing. Don’t question whether this is okay or normal, and go with the flow. Enjoy yourself!

AQUARIUS Jan 20–Feb 18

You could be welcomed to an inner circle unexpectedly. Merge with caution, and don’t fear this ride. A nice change of scenery is what you need, so explore the spin and hop off at your whim.

PISCES Feb 19–Mar 19

You may not wear your heart on your sleeve, but it feels good to share what is in your heart with all. Expressions of desire will flow as trust and collective understanding is present. Love wins.

40 Hamburger Mary’s, e.g.

42 Queen in “Romeo and Juliet”

43 Neighbor of Mont.

44 Language like “limp wrist” and “fairy”

45 More of the quote

47 “Wonder Woman” star Carter

49 Bloomers worn around the neck

50 Last name of the “Galileo moment” namesake

53 Ancient Persian governors

57 End of the quote

Moved aimlessly

One-million link

Going out with a beard, maybe

More of the quote

Almost homophobic

59 Where a cobbler puts the tongue

60 Mariah Carey, for one

Thief’s customer 62 Dramatist Williams, for short?

63 Without a date

Refrigerator gas

1 Dog of Dennis the Menace

2 Ending with switch

3 Opera solos

4 Blowing hard, in and out

5 TV’s Queen of the Jungle

6 Poses for Mapplethorpe

7 What hangs from a Cuban

8 Tattooist’s tool

9 Nero’s land

10 Luggage for Spencer-Devlin

11 End note

12 Either figure on a lesbian wedding cake

13 Intense desire

18 How hotheads react

22 Acquire, as debt

24 Solidly behind

25 Sondheim’s staff members

26 Tatum of “The Bad News Bears”

27 Part of a fashion name

28 Dave Pallone, once

30 ___-wip topping

31 Seminal computer

32 Vampire vanquisher

35 Distant clouds

37 Hosiery pattern from Barrie’s land

38 Type of chord for L. Bernstein

41 Jazz up

42 Writer’s deg.

43 Rod used by a bartender

45 Cry of success

46 Begin a journey

48 Out group

50 Michelangelo Signorile column, with “The”

51 Arthur of the AIDS Quilt

52 Politico Panetta

53 Problem for a drag queen’s stockings

54 Vampire novelist Rice

55 Somewhat, in music

56 A Brit soldier may shoot it off

58 Breeder need

groups

BUSINESS

LGBTQ+ Affirmative

Therapists Guild

 lgbtqtherapists. com

* jim@lgbtqtherapists.com

Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce

 utahlgbtqchamber. com

* info@utahgaychamber.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

Planned Parenthood

 bit.ly/ppauslchiv

654 S 900 E 801-322-5571

Salt Lake County Health

Dept HIV/STD Clinic

610 S 200 E, 2nd Floor

Walk-ins M—F 8a—5p Appts 385-468-4242

UAF Legacy Health

 utahaids.org

150 S 1000 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

LEGAL

Rainbow Law Free Clinic 2nd Weds 6—7:30pm

Utah Pride Ctr probono@law.utah.edu

POLITICAL

Equality Utah

 equalityutah.org

* info@equalityutah.org

376 E 400 S 801-355-3479

Utah Libertarian Party

129 E 13800 S #B2-364 libertarianutah.org

866-511-UTLP

Utah Stonewall Democrats

 utahstonewalldemocrats.org

 fb.me/ utahstonewalldems

RELIGIOUS

First Baptist Church

 firstbaptist-slc.org

11a Sundays

777 S 1300 E

801-582-4921

Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church

10:30a Sunday worship

175 S 700 E 801-328-0521

 mttaborslc.org

Sacred Light of Christ

 slcchurch.org

823 S 600 E 801-595-0052

11a Sundays

The Divine Assembly

 thedivineassembly.org

10am Sunday worship

389 W 1830 S, 11am meditation, 12pm 532 E 800 N, Orem

SOCIAL

Alternative Garden Club

 utahagc.org/clubs/ altgardenclub/

1 to 5 Club (bisexual)

 facebook.com/ groups/1to5clubutah 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

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

6pm Weds Beans & Brews

906 S 500 E

Utah Male Naturists

 umen.org

 fb.me/utahmalenaturists

* 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

 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. 7p Live & Let

Live, Mt Tabor

Lutheran, 175 S 700 E

Wed. 7p Sober Today, 1159 30th St , Ogden

Wed. 7p Bountiful

Men’s Group, Am. Baptist Btfl Church, 1915 Orchard Dr, Btfl Fri. 7p Stonewall Group, Mt Tabor

Lutheran, 175 S 700 E

Crystal Meth Anon

 crystalmeth.org

USARA, 180 E 2100 S Clean, Sober & Proud Sun. 1:30pm

Leather Fetish & Kink Fri. 8:30pm

Genderbands

 genderbands.org fb.me/genderbands

LifeRing Secular Recovery

801-608-8146

 liferingutah.org

Weds. 7pm, How was your week? First

Baptist Church, 777 S 1300 E Sat. 11am, How was your week? First Baptist Church, 777 S 1300 E

LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapists Guild

 lgbtqtherapists. com

* robin@lgbtqtherapists.com

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

OUT Foundation BYU

 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. Inclusion Ctr

 usu.edu/inclusion/ Utah Valley Univ Spectrum

 linktr.ee/ spectrumqsa

 uvu.edu/lgbtq/ * lgbt@uvu.edu

801-863-8885

Liberal Arts, Rm 126 Weber State University LGBT Resource Center

 weber.edu/ lgbtresourcecenter

Shepherd Union Suite 323 Dept. 2117 801-626-7271

JOIN OUR GROUP OF ACTIVE OUT SENIORS

Our Vision is to reduce social isolation and loneliness, improve the health and well-being of older adults and to empower them to lead meaningful and connected lives in which they are engaged and participating in the community.

Our Mission is to reimagine aging by empowering older adults to live life to the fullest potential guided by these five pillars:

Journey

Salt Lake Men’s Choir celebrates 40 Years of stage and screen with summer concert

The Salt Lake Men’s Choir is set to commemorate its 40th anniversary with a spectacular summer concert, “40 Years of Stage and Screen.” The event will be held at the Murray High School Auditorium, located at 5400 S State Street, Murray, Utah. The concert will take place on June 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m., promising an evening of musical delight and nostalgia.

Under the seasoned direction of Dennis McCracken, who has been the choir’s Music Director for the past 18 years, the performance will feature a diverse array of songs from iconic musicals and films. The repertoire is designed to evoke a wide range of emotions, from joy and laughter to deep reflection and poignancy. Among the highlights of the evening is “Leading Men,” a medley of famous songs performed by male characters across various shows. Other selections include “Being Alive” from Company, “Sing!” from A Chorus Line, and “For Good” from Wicked. The concert will also feature powerful numbers like “God Help the Outcasts” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, “Make Them Hear You” from Ragtime, and “The Rhythm of Life” from Sweet Charity.

In celebration of Pride Month, the choir will perform “The Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie. Audiences can also look forward to whimsical and touching pieces such as “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, “The Moon and Me” from The Addams Family, and “Lydia, the Tattooed Lady” from the film At the Circus.

The program includes “In Whatever Time We Have” from Children of Eden, “Not My Father’s Son” from Kinky Boots, “Sunday” from Sunday in the Park with George, and “Who Will Buy” from Oliver! The choir will also perform a stirring rendition of “Circle of Life” from The Lion King

The Salt Lake Men’s Choir, often referred to as “Utah’s Other Choir,” proudly celebrates its rich history of inclusivity and musical excellence. While many of the choir members are gay or bisexual, the ensemble welcomes singers from all backgrounds, fostering a diverse and supportive community.

The summer concert will be a vibrant showcase of the choir’s talent and the enduring power of musical theatre. Attendees are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance at saltlakemenschoir.org to ensure their spot at this special anniversary celebration.

Don’t miss the chance to be part of this remarkable event, honoring unforgettable music and community spirit. Join the Salt Lake Men’s Choir for an evening that promises to be both entertaining and heartwarming as they bring to life some of the most beloved songs from stage and screen. Q More information and tickets are available at saltlakemenschoir.org

JOIN US

BY ROMEO SAN VICENTE

‘Emilia Perez’ is a trans musical crime comedy

Acclaimed French filmmaker Jacques Audiard – the man behind arthouse hits “The Beat That My Heart Skipped,” “A Prophet” and the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or-winning “Dheepan” — is headed back to that same prestige fest this May with a new film, the musical crime-comedy “Emilia Perez.” It’s got some big names attached, stars like Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña and Edgar Ramírez. But its lead, Spanish trans actress Karla Sofia Gascón, will be new to audiences who haven’t watched recent Spanish-language telenovelas, some of which she appeared in prior to her public transition. Gascón stars in the title role as the leader of a drug cartel who begins gender transition, singing all the way, supported by pop star Gomez, with an original score of songs from French musician Camille Dalmais. Sound intriguing? Well, if you can’t make it over to France, it should wind up in North American arthouses in the not-too-distant future.

‘Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution’ hits Netflix for Pride

Not so long ago if you were a queer standup comic, you were more likely to be closeted than out and proud. But that was then, and today queer comedians are everywhere, no longer forced to keep quiet. Enter “Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution,” from writer-director Page Hurwitz, a documenta-

ry for Netflix that features a roster of comedy stars too long to list here, but includes Tig Notaro, Wanda Sykes, Suzy Izzard, Lily Tomlin, Todd Glass, Sandra Bernhard, Fortune Feimster, Hannah Gadsby, Rosie O’Donnell, Margaret Cho, Bob the Drag Queen, Trixie Mattel and Guy Branum to name a few handfuls. The film charts the rise of LGBTQ+ visibility that went handin-hand with a gradually more open playing field in the world of comedy, where queer people have always existed but whose best punchlines were too often straightwashed. The doc drops on June 18, so you can celebrate Pride on your couch and laugh off that sunburn you got at the parade.

‘Queer’ gets the Luca Guadagnino treatment with Daniel Craig

Iconic Beat Generation author William S. Burroughs, whose novel “Naked Lunch” turned millions of young people into fans of experimental fiction, wrote a book called “Queer” in the early 1950s. Then it sat, waiting to be published, for 30-plus more years. And though “Lunch” got a film adaptation from David Cronenberg in the ’90s, “Queer” had to wait its turn once again. Now Luca Guadagnino, whose horny tennis love triangle “Challengers” is going to make everyone who watches it bisexual, has taken the Burroughs short novel and cast Daniel Craig in the lead of an intergenerational romance. The former James Bond stars as a man in Mexico City in the 1940s who becomes infatuated with a younger man played by “Love, Simon”

Drew Starkey. Co-starring British Academy Award nominee Lesley Manville (“Phantom Thread”), Wes Anderson regular Jason Schwartzman, and Henry Zaga (“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare”), “Queer” is expected to hit international film festivals later this year for a probable 2025 theatrical release. Bring your Daddy.

The Liza Minnelli documentary is coming to Tribeca

Liza Minnelli is a 78-year-old living legend and heir to the queer icon status earned by her mother, Judy Garland, as well as that of her father, “Meet Me in St. Louis” director Vincente Minnelli. Therefore, it’s well past time for the Academy Award-winning actress/singer/dancer/force of nature to get the documentary treatment she deserves and it arrives in a package called “LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story,” from filmmaker Bruce David Klein. Spanning Minnelli’s long career and her connections to her family (sister Lorna Luft appears in the film) and show business mentors, the documentary features friends and admirers — some in archival footage — like Mia Farrow, Ben Vereen, Chita Rivera and Joel Grey. It’s certain to turn up in theaters and streaming after its bow at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. And if you’re young and not quite sure why you know who she is, here’s your chance to see her light up the screen. After you’ve finished watching “Cabaret,” of course. Q Romeo San Vicente wouldn’t be caught dead sitting alone in his room.

actor

Thethe perils of petunia pap smear

A tale of hip-hip-hooray

BY PETUNIA PAP SMEAR

road to walking is fraught with danger and excitement.

Those of you who follow me on Facebook might have noticed that I’ve been complaining and angling for sympathy because the long-suffering Mr. Pap Smear had to have hip replacement surgery. In the planning stages of this adventure, we talked to a few friends who have had hip replacements, and they positively gushed about how it was outpatient surgery. They were out of the hospital within a few hours and were able to walk their dog the very next week. Accordingly, we made plans for a quickie zippy hippy. Yippy! We did not adjust our schedules to accommodate more than a one-day inconvenience, as I had plans to travel to Idaho for lottery tickets because the Powerball was up to a billion dollars. (Mama needs a new sequin caftan!)

The night before the procedure, the hospital called and informed us that we needed to check in at LDS Hospital at 5:30 AM. Oh, GAWD! The only other time I have ever arisen so early was to get in line for a clearance sale at Wigs-R-Us. We arrived at the hospital all bleary-eyed and yawning with my make-up haphazardly applied. We happened to pass by one of those mirror walls, and I was aghast that nothing about me was in the right place. I looked like a painting by Pablo Picasso. If I’m honest, my wig was sitting off-kilter at a 45-degree angle, and my left breasticle was sagging severely.

After all the surgery prep with nurses and doctors (sadly, none of them were cute) was over, they whisked Mr. Pap Smear off to the operating room for what I was told was a three-hour (cue the Gilligan’s Island theme song about the threehour tour) surgery. As I watched the orderly push him away, rather than being concerned for his welfare, all I could do was watch the orderly’s firm, tight, muscular ass straining to escape from his tight-fitting scrubs as he pushed the bed

down the hall. I was unceremoniously ushered to the waiting room. Because it was so early in the morning, I was the only one in the room. The surgery was assigned a number so that I could track his progress on a monitor on the wall. His number was the only one on the screen.

So, I settled in and began reading my dog-eared copy of Miss Manners’ “Book of Etiquette for Queens,” especially the chapter on how to attract, approach, and capture the North American homosexual male in his natural habitat for the umpteenth time. At about the three-hour mark, many other people had come and gone from the room, and many, many other numbers appeared on the monitor. I looked up from my book and there, sitting opposite me, was the most handsome specimen of humankind I had ever seen in my entire life. We shall call him Mr. Dreamboat. Oh, be still my throbbing heart. I almost went into cardiac arrest. I immediately began to plan our life together, traveling the world, meeting the rich and famous, and living the fairytale of happily ever after. Just then, a nurse came up to me, startling me out of my daydream, and told me that Mr. Pap Smear’s surgery was taking longer than planned. Oh yeah, I’m married, and can’t live the life fantastic with Mr. Dreamboat.

Eventually, Mr. Dreamboat left the waiting room. Sadly, the surgery he was waiting for was finished and successful. I watched with agonizing sorrow as he passed from my field of view. Time pressed on and on and on. I was getting hungry. And I was left to ponder the eternal question: should I go to the cafeteria now or wait until the surgery is finished? With my luck, I knew that the minute I left the waiting room to go to the cafeteria, the surgeon would come to inform me about Mr. Pap Smear’s condition. Since the original plan was for a three-hour surgery, I

chose not to go to the cafeteria but to wait like any dutiful spouse should. Eventually, three hours turned into six hours. I was still waiting, impatiently! In fact, the room had filled and emptied three times while I waited. I had finished reading my book and was filling the time playing solitaire on my phone. But then, the unthinkable happened. My phone battery died, and I did not have a charger with me. My kingdom for a USB-C cord. My stomach growled unceremoniously loud. I was now beginning to feel hangry. At long last, at the six-and-a-halfhour mark, the surgeon finally came in and told me that Mr. Pap Smear had survived and would most likely be able to walk in a few weeks. The doctor also said that he would be in recovery for an hour. I saw this as an opportunity and bolted to the cafeteria as fast as possible. After all, I couldn’t possibly nurse him back to health on an empty stomach…

This story leaves us with several important questions:

1. To pass the time more pleasantly, should I have begun gambling with the others in the waiting room about the duration of their surgeries?

2. If I had died from a heart attack from looking at Mr. Dreamboat, at the Pearly Gates could I tell St. Peter a little fib, that I died worrying about Mr. Pap Smear?

3. Would it have been an unforgivable sin if I had quietly wished that Mr. Pap Smear didn’t survive the surgery so that Mr. Dreamboat could console me in my grief? And then whisk me away to Tahiti…

4. Should I begin carrying a larger purse filled with snacks for such occasions?

5. Where can I obtain a delicately stylish purse that can contain and maintain a prime rib dinner at temperature?

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