FALL ARTS GUIDE • CURTAIN CALL FOR BALLET WEST’S ADAM SKLUTE • LGBTQ+ ANXIETY
2 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE
by
CAROL LYNN PEARSON
“returning to the stage where it first premiered in 2006...the production revisits the story of a Mormon couple grappling with the suicide of their gay son and their unexpected meeting with his partner. The play, long considered a cornerstone of queer Utah theater, explores faith, grief, and acceptance — topics that remain as poignant today as they were two decades ago.” - QSaltLake
An unforgettable journey of faith and family. 20th Anniversary Revival October 22 – November 8 in the Studio Theatre @ The Rose Presented via special arrangement with Premiére Theatricals, on behalf of Leicester Bay Theatricals.
4 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | FIRST WORD
from the publisher
Terrorism will not silence us BY MICHAEL AARON
Last month,
a man drove a van into the crowd at Berlin’s Christopher Street Day Pride celebration, then got out and attacked bystanders with a machete. One woman — a Polish visitor — was killed. Twenty-nine others were injured, several critically. German officials called it an act of Islamic terrorism, carried out by a young man who had pledged allegiance to ISIL and had, disturbingly, been free to walk among the crowd despite a prior conviction for planning violence. Berlin’s Pride parade was canceled that day. Solidarity vigils spread across Germany instead. I read that news from my desk in Salt Lake City and felt something I imagine many gay organizers around the globe felt: grief, yes, but also a grim, familiar recognition. Because this is not new. This is our history too. I remember the 1990s, when a small band of neo-Nazis showed up two years in a row in attempts to disrupt our own Pride and Pride parade here in Salt Lake City. It wasn’t a footnote. It served as a warning shot, a signal that celebrating our own existence in public was, to some, an act worth attacking. We didn’t cancel. We marched and celebrated anyway, because retreating was never an option we could afford. And it wasn’t just street-level hate. Our own state legislature has, at various points, entertained and passed bills aimed at restricting the very emblems of our unity — trying to legislate the rainbow flag off school flagpoles and government buildings, trying to dictate where and how we’re allowed to signal that we exist. A governing body spending its limited session time debating whether a piece of fabric representing love and survival was too dangerous to display. They didn’t succeed in erasing us. They never will. But the fact that they tried tells you how threatened some people feel by our simple insistence on being seen. There was also Pulse ten years ago. Forty-nine people, mostly Latino and queer, murdered in an Orlando nightclub that was supposed to be a place of safety. That night permanently changed how we gather.
Now we have metal detectors at Pride. Bag checks, security perimeters, uniformed officers scanning the crowd instead of just watching it dance. That is the price of visibility in this country today — a price no straight, cisgender community is asked to pay to hold a parade or a rally. Berlin is the newest name on a list that already includes Orlando, that already includes our own parade route in the 1990s. The methods change — a rifle, a machete and a rented van, a legislative bill, a mob with flags of hate instead of ours — but the intent behind them is identical: make us afraid enough to disappear. We won’t. I won’t pretend the Berlin attack doesn’t weigh on the volunteers organizing our own events, or on the parents bringing their kids to their first Pride wondering if it’s truly safe. But here’s what more than 40 years as an activist and 22 years running this magazine has taught me, and what Utah’s queer community has proven again and again since long before I got here: fear is exactly what our opponents want us to feel, and showing up anyway is exactly how we’ve always answered it. The threats have not gone away — they’ve evolved. Neo-Nazis in the streets became bills in the legislature became a massacre in an Orlando nightclub became a van and a machete in Berlin. Each generation of hate finds a new shape. And each generation of our community has responded the same way: bigger marches, louder celebrations, more visible flags, more people willing to stand in the sun and say we are still here. This is not about parties or parades, not really. It’s about our lives — about whether we get to exist openly in the state and the world we call home, whether our kids grow up seeing themselves reflected instead of erased, whether the people we’ve lost to violence are honored by a community that refuses to shrink in response. So we will continue to gather. We will check our bags at the gate, walk through the metal detectors, and then dance in the street anyway, because that is what survival looks like. Q
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news The top national and world news since last issue you should know BY CRAIG OGAN
WNBA steps in it, steps up The WNBA is tripping over their dicks trying to clarify its gender‑eligibility language after two former NBA players — Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White — announced they would “identify as women” solely to declare for the 2027 WNBA draft. Neither has previously identified as transgender. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert convened a task force of team presidents and general managers to get a policy, and they took the oldest bureaucratic dodge in the book. They decided to have a listening tour and then commission a study on the issue to define what the long-time WNBA collective bargaining agreement means when it states, “players who are women are eligible.” The WNBA condemned the former NBA “B” listers, calling their announcement a political provocation. The controversy arose from a statement by one of the WNBA “A” listers advocating keeping “men out of women’s sports” and a response by other WNBA “A” listers publicly supporting transgender women’s inclusion. The WNBA should take its time squaring the definitional circle, as the whole dust-up has been good for TV ratings, online clicks, and merchandise and ticket sales.
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The ‘T’ shoe drops for Log Cabin Republicans Not surprisingly, the Log Cabin Republicans Board of Directors recently voted to remove the “T” from the acronym defining its core constituency. LCR’s statement says, “At the time [founded 50 years ago], we did not believe that we would find ourselves where we are today.” LCR announced support in 2015 for efforts of transgender people to gain political and legal recognition. The group said the transgender movement has ceased focusing on rights pertaining to adults and is focusing on an agenda of surgical and pharmaceutical conversion of gay and lesbian teens with or without parental permission and forcing secondary and college-level institutions to accept males in female spaces and sports. The statement patted their own backs, claiming, “We have fought for the right to legally marry who we love, serve our country and our communities openly and proudly, and to enjoy the same inalienable rights afforded to all law-abiding Americans.” A group that holds its annual meeting at Mar-a-Lago in Florida and gives awards to the current first lady claims to be reclaiming its “moral center.” The board said it believes, “Gay men and women are losing public support across the country, and support for gay marriage and other once-widely accepted rights is eroding … Because many voters today weren’t alive or cognizant of the politics of gay marriage winding its way through the courts and gaining ground in public opinion. Their view of the gay community is based on today’s radical transgender
activists with their unnecessary and discomfiting focus on America’s youth.”
Victory Fund announces 18 more endorsements LGBTQ+ Victory Fund announced 18 new endorsements of LGBT candidates running for office, including 18 new and incumbent candidates from 12 states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, and Oregon. To date, 285 candidates have received LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s endorsement for the 2026 campaign cycle. The Victory Fund’s endorsement is reserved for candidates who are out members of the LGBT community, support LGBT issues, and show a path to victory in state, federal, or local elections. The Fund has endorsed five candidates in Utah elections: David Chappell, Utah House of Representatives; Evan Done. Utah State Senate; Luke Maynes, Salt Lake County Council; Sarah Reale, Utah State Board of Education; and Dakota Wurth, Utah State Senate. See this link for a state-bystate rundown: VICTORYFUND. ORG/OUR-CANDIDATES/
Florida’s primary elections mark a shift in gay representation That state accused of being the “Don’t Say Gay” state is saying gay loud and often in this year’s election. Florida’s August primaries delivered one of the most notable political developments for gay and lesbian voters this year. Five openly gay Democratic candidates advanced in competitive Florida House races, signaling a potential shift in a state where LGBT political
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momentum has been difficult to sustain. Equality Florida reported wins in several school board contests, where candidates supportive of inclusive curricula defeated far‑right challengers. While the general election landscape remains uncertain, the primaries suggest that LGBT political engagement in Florida is strengthening at the local level, even amid a polarized climate. Advocates say the results reflect growing voter fatigue with culture‑war politics and renewed interest in candidates focused on governance rather than grievance. The outcome positions Florida as an unexpected bellwether for how gay and lesbian political leadership may evolve in 2026
SCOTUS takes up new case on religious liberty and LGBT civil rights The Supreme Court will hear St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, a major First Amendment case testing the boundary between religious liberty and LGBT nondiscrimination protections. The dispute stems from Colorado’s Universal Preschool Program, which offers publicly funded preschool seats through public, private, and faith‑based providers. To participate, schools must agree not to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Even though no teachings explicitly instruct Catholic schools to exclude children based on their parents’ relationship, two Catholic parishes and the Archdiocese of Denver argue that this requirement violates their free‑exercise rights. Colorado prevailed in the lower courts, which held that the policy complies with other case law. SCOTUS
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will decide whether states may condition participation in public‑benefit programs on compliance with LGBT nondiscrimination rules.
Grindr swipes become unexpected force in U. S. politics On a late-night Grindr prowl, perhaps the last thing on a scroller’s mind is “civic engagement, of the political kind.” But Grindr’s growing popularity, along with opening a Washington, D.C., advocacy office, is transforming the gay dating app into an unconventional but increasingly relevant “civic‑engagement” tool. With more than 12 million users worldwide, Grindr has begun experimenting with voter‑education prompts, fundraising partnerships, and issue‑based
messaging targeted at gay and bisexual men. Political strategists say the platform’s reach—particularly among younger voters—offers campaigns a unique channel for mobilization. The app’s leadership has emphasized that its political initiatives are nonpartisan, focusing on turnout and awareness rather than candidate promotion. Still, the move reflects a broader trend of LGBT digital spaces becoming hubs for civic participation. Analysts note that Grindr’s political rise underscores how social platforms can shape public discourse beyond dating and nightlife, especially in an election year marked by intense polarization. Just imagine the candidates’ consultant-driven profiles. Politics is ruining everything, including hookups.
Lavender ‘scare’ reemergence The “lavender scare” was a period in the 1950s and 1960s when gay and lesbians were excluded from employment in the U. S. government. Gays and lesbians were felt to be “security risks” and were actively run out of the CIA and the crossdressing, man-loving bachelor-led FBI. Three former CIA officers have written a historical account published by the mostly online multimedia organization, Lawfare. Trace Ballard, Julia Curlee, and Todd Johannessen describe the CIA’s evolution from systematically removing gay employees to later recruiting LGBT officers, and the subsequent rollback of that progress. The scare started in 1953 with a presidential executive order
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decrying perversion and in the 1990s with a presidential EO touting acceptance. Their narrative begins with the 1950 dismissal of Carmel Offie, a CIA officer who brought German scientists out of occupied East Germany to the U.S. to work at NASA and other agencies. The scare resulted in the first public protest sponsored by the Mattachine Society, a men’s gay organization, picketing the White House in 1965. Thousands lost their jobs or resigned, according to the National Archives. The three say the current federal administration’s ending of some anti-discrimination protections and some healthcare changes may be as serious as the government’s purge of gays and lesbians in the mid-20th century. Q
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New national survey finds LGBTQ+ community weathering a storm of anxiety, with community as their anchor A newly released national report on LGBTQ+ mental health paints a portrait of a community that is both exhausted and enduring, carrying heavy emotional weight while leaning hard on each other to get through it. The “Thriving & Surviving: 2026 State of LGBTQ+ Mental Health” report,
to a more welcoming state this year, with most eyeing big cities like New York, Chicago, and Portland, Oregon. For Utah’s LGBTQ+ community, often negotiating a state political climate that can feel like a mixed bag of local acceptance and statehouse hostility, those numbers will likely feel familiar.
Mental health toll is steep, but so is resilience
published by the counseling network Best Therapies, surveyed more than 1,000 self-identified LGBTQ+ people across the country about how they’re coping amid what researchers describe as a stretch of compounding pressures: shifting federal policy, an affordability crunch, and renewed political targeting of transgender rights. The findings are sobering. Roughly one in every two respondents said they don’t feel safe being openly LGBTQ+ right now. Among transgender respondents, that number climbs to nearly two out of three. About half say they feel less safe today than they did just two years ago, a feeling that’s even more pronounced, roughly six in ten, among trans respondents. To cope, about one in three respondents said they’ve changed their appearance to mask their identity, a practice researchers call “going stealth.” Among transgender respondents, that jumps to roughly one in two. Where someone lives matters a great deal to how safe they feel. Close to four in ten respondents said they live in a state they consider LGBTQ+-friendly, while three in ten said they live somewhere they consider hostile to their community. Notably, about one in four respondents said they’re planning to relocate
The report’s mental health findings stress just how much queer and trans Americans are carrying. More than four out of five respondents reported experiencing depression in the past year, and a nearly identical share reported anxiety or panic attacks. About seven in ten described feeling burned out or emotionally exhausted, and roughly six in ten reported bouts of social isolation. Most troubling, more than one in four respondents said they’d experienced suicidal thoughts in the last year. Money, more than politics, tops the list of everyday stressors. Nearly seven in ten cited personal finances, and close to six in ten pointed to the cost of living, ahead of even national legislation and news coverage. Still, the report found real reasons for hope. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they feel a strong sense of belonging in the LGBTQ+ community. Those involved in a community group, whether a volunteer organization, activist group, or mutual aid network, the overwhelming majority, more than eight in ten, said it truly helped their mental health. When asked to look ahead, closer to half of respondents said they feel some degree of faith in the future for LGBTQ+ people in America, compared to roughly three in ten who feel pessimistic. As Avery Brayfield, a licensed professional counselor quoted in the report, put it: “Having even one supportive person to turn to leads to more positive outcomes and decreased risk of suicide for those who choose to share their identity with others. Whether it’s online or in person, once a month, or
once a day, connect with your people.”
Therapy helps — for those who can get it About one in three respondents said they’re currently in therapy, and the results speak for themselves: nearly all of them — 95 out of every 100 — said it has been helpful. Yet only about one in four of those in therapy currently sees a therapist who is also LGBTQ+, even though nearly three-quarters said they’d feel most comfortable working with one. Among those not currently in therapy, cost was the single biggest barrier holding people back, cited by more than two in five. That gap between wanting an LGBTQ+-affirming therapist and actually finding one is exactly the kind of hurdle local resources are built to close. Utahns looking for a mental health provider who understands their identity and lived experience don’t have to search nationally — the LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapists Guild of Utah, found online at LGBTQTHERAPISTS.COM, maintains a directory of local therapists who specialize in affirming, culturally competent care for queer and transgender clients. UAF Legacy Health at UAFHEALTH.ORG and Flourish Therapy at FLOURISHTHERAPY.ORG also provide therapists who provide compassionate mental health care The report’s authors offered five practical tips for weathering the moment: set smaller, achievable goals; acknowledge how hard things genuinely are; limit doomscrolling and media overconsumption; invest in the relationships close to home; and make space to celebrate small wins. As counselor James Gomez noted in the report, “Our hope does not exist inside of headlines, but it can exist within people who inspire us.” For a Utah LGBTQ+ community that has spent decades building its own networks of support, that message comes as both a hurdle and a reminder: the work of showing up for one another isn’t just tradition; it’s a survival strategy. Q
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Utah slips in 2026 LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index finds ‘significant legislative backslide’ Utah’s standing in the nation’s most closely watched measure of LGBTQ+ business and legal climate took its steepest fall in years, according to the ninth annual State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index released by Out Leadership, the global LGBTQ+ business network. The Beehive State scored 44.7 out of 100 points in the 2026 Index, placing it 30th out of 50 states — a “Low-Middle” tier ranking that report authors say reflects “increased legislative hostility towards the LGBTQ+ community” over the past year. The drop is notable: under the Index’s newly expanded scoring
LGBTQ+ business network connecting CEOs and senior executives across major companies. The Index is designed as a tool for executives, investors, talent leaders, journalists, policymakers, and civil-society groups to assess the legal and political environment shaping LGBTQ+ life and, by extension, the workplace climate for LGBTQ+ employees in each U.S. state. This year’s edition marks the most substantial methodological overhaul in the report’s history. Out Leadership expanded its scoring framework from 20 indicators to 32, spread across five categories: Legal/Non-Discrimination, Youth/Family
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book restrictions, transgender athletic participation bans, DEI program restrictions, state attorneys general’s litigation posture on LGBTQ+ issues, adult gender-affirming care restrictions, “shield law” policies, state collection of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data, whether the state itself functions as an LGBTQ+-inclusive employer, and how aligned state policy is with the practices of companies headquartered there. Because the new framework changes the math, Out Leadership is publishing both a “legacy” /100 score, comparable to prior years, and the new “expanded” /100 score side by side on every state page, facilitating apples-to-apples yearover-year comparison. Utah’s legacy score for 2026 came in at 51.5 — still down from 52.5 in 2025 and 53.5 in 2024 — while the expanded score of 44.7 illustrates just how much additional ground the state loses once the dozen new indicators are factored in. The report received pro bono legal review this year from the law firm Ropes & Gray, with statutory citations and legal precedents — including the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings in Chiles v. Salazar (March 2026) and United States v. Skrmetti (June 2025) — footnoted throughout the state-by-state briefs.
How Utah scored
framework, Utah fell four ranking positions, which the report described as “the largest fall among states scoring above 40.” For a state that has spent the last decade building a reputation, helped along by the Salt Lake City tourism office’s own LGBTQ+ marketing efforts and the presence of the Utah Pride Festival, as a relatively moderate outlier in a conservative region, the 2026 findings show a more complicated picture, one of a business-friendly economy increasingly shadowed by an aggressive legislative session.
What the Index measures Out Leadership has published the State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index annually since 2019; it bills itself as the global
Support, Political/Religious, Health/Safety, and Work/Economic. Each indicator is scored on a 1-to-5 scale, with sourcing drawn from organizations including the Movement Advancement Project, the Human Rights Campaign, the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, the American Library Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Census Bureau, the FBI, the CDC, and the ACLU. The 12 new indicators added this year were built specifically to capture a wave of state-level legislation that the old framework wasn’t designed to track: bathroom and facility access restrictions, drag-performance bans, pronoun and name-use rules in schools, library and
Utah’s category breakdown shows uneven results across the five pillars measured by the Index: • Legal/Non-Discrimination: 16.0 of 30 (53%) • Youth/Family Support: 18.2 of 35 (52%) • Political/Religious: 11.3 of 30 (38%) • Health/Safety: 12.0 of 30 (40%) • Work/Economic: 14.0 of 35 (40%) Utah’s strongest individual indicators include its 2015 nondiscrimination law covering sexual orientation and gender identity in employment and housing, passed five years before the U.S. Supreme Court’s own employment discrimination ruling, along with its hate crimes statute, its ban on “no promo homo” laws in schools, and its 2020 ban on conversion therapy for minors, each of which scored a perfect 5 out of 5 on the Index’s rubric. But those bright spots are offset by a long list of indicators scoring at or near the bottom of the scale: birth certificate
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policy, family support and adoption/ foster parentage protections, health-access provisions under Medicaid and state insurance rules, HIV criminalization reform, and the governor’s overall LGBTQ+ record all scored a 1.0 out of 5. Several of the Index’s new 2026 indicators — bathroom and facility access, pronoun and name-use restrictions in schools, transgender athletic participation, DEI program restrictions, adult gender-affirming care access, shield laws, SOGI data collection, and the state’s posture as an LGBTQ+ employer — also landed at the bottom of the scale. The report singles out Utah Attorney General Derek Brown, a Republican sworn in last year, as a “Coalition joiner” on the Index’s new AG-scoring metric, earning a 2 out of 5. That places Brown among attorneys general who have signed onto multistate amicus briefs or coalition letters opposing LGBTQ+ protections without personally leading the most aggressive litigation nationally. The report notes his record is “still developing” and recommends Utah employers track his enforcement priorities going forward. Gov. Spencer Cox and both of Utah’s U.S. senators, John Curtis and Mike Lee, were also assessed individually. The Index characterizes Cox and Curtis as “generally hostile to LGBTQ+ protections,” while Lee is described as “strongly hostile.” Two other states in the Intermountain West rank in the top or bottom 10: Colorado ranks the 9th highest in the Index, while Idaho is 48th of the 50 states.
The economic stakes Beyond the political scorecard, the Index frames its findings squarely as a business argument, tallying what it calls the economic cost of an unwelcoming legal climate. According to Williams Institute data cited in the report, an estimated 6.1% of Utah’s adult population identifies as LGBTQ+, representing $6.3 billion in annual personal income. The report calculates that comprehensive nondiscrimination protections could unlock a potential $9.5 billion annual GDP gain for the state. The Index also puts a dollar figure on turnover costs tied to workplace climate, estimating it costs Utah employers an average of $9,292 to replace a general employee and roughly $351,000 to replace a senior executive — costs the report argues rise when LGBTQ+ workers don’t feel safe or welcome on the job. Citing consumer research, the report notes that 54% of Millennial and Gen Z consumers say they’re more likely to choose a brand with LGBTQ+-inclusive advertising and policies over a competitor. The ACLU is currently tracking eight anti-LGBTQ+ bills moving through the Utah Legislature as part of its 2025-26 legislative tracker, according to the report. A busy legislative session Much of Utah’s 2026 score decline traces to action during this year’s legislative session, which ran from January through March. Lawmakers passed HB 174, creating a permanent statewide ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors, with a narrow exception for those
already receiving treatment. Legislators also approved HB 404, which allows private landlords to deny certain housing arrangements based on sex assigned at birth, and HB258, which requires insurance providers covering gender-affirming care also to cover de-transitioning care. Several more restrictive bills were introduced but ultimately failed, including HB 183, a sweeping measure that would have stripped gender identity from the state’s hate crimes law and eliminated several nondiscrimination protections for transgender Utahns before being significantly watered down and dying in committee; HB 193, which would have banned public funds for gender-affirming care and died in the Senate; and HB95, which would have shielded public employees who refuse to use a person’s correct pronouns and never received a committee hearing. The report also points to earlier state actions still shaping the landscape, including HB77, signed in 2025, which bans displaying the LGBTQ+ pride flag in state and local government buildings and schools, and HB257, the 2024 law restricting transgender individuals’ use of restrooms and locker rooms in government buildings and public schools. Despite the legislative headwinds, the report notes that Utah’s LGBTQ+ community is still organizationally active, pointing to the annual Utah Pride Festival, parade, and film festival as examples of sustained community visibility despite a hostile political environment. Q
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Encircle closes its Heber City location After three years serving as the only dedicated safe space for LGBTQ+ youth in Wasatch County, Encircle’s Heber City home closed permanently on July 31, ending with a “goodbye gathering” that drew families, volunteers and guests who say the closure leaves a dangerous void for queer kids in the valley. Encircle, the Provo-based nonprofit that has operated LGBTQ+ youth and family resource centers across Utah since 2016, announced the closure July 2 in a joint statement from CEO Alexandre Cutini and board chair Michael Levinthal. The organization said the decision followed “years of outreach, community engagement, evaluation and thoughtful consideration” and cited attendance and engagement at the Heber home that remained “consistently lower” than at its other locations in Provo, Salt Lake City, St. George, and the newly opened Ogden home. To support the decision, Encircle commissioned a “community readiness assessment” examining factors including community engagement, leadership support, volunteer capacity, local resources and long-term sustainability. The organization said the assessment and its methodology were independently reviewed and validated by Dr. Lisa Diamond, a University of Utah professor of psychology and gen-
der studies, who found the conclusions “well-supported and evidence-based.” “While need exists among LGBTQ+ youth and families in the region, the broader conditions necessary to sustain a dedicated physical location have not developed to the same degree seen in Encircle’s other communities,” the organization said in its statement. Encircle stressed the closure “is not a reflection of Encircle’s broader organizational health,” pointing to more than 1,600 unique guests served across its Provo, Salt Lake City, St. George and Ogden homes so far in 2026, and more than 1,500 therapy sessions provided organization-wide. Encircle declined to release its full readiness assessment, but the numbers it has shared paint a mixed picture. The Heber home logged more than 6,100 total visits since opening in June 2023, and nearly 2,200 visits in 2025 alone — an average of nine guests a day, supported by roughly 15 volunteers a week. By comparison, the Provo and Salt Lake City homes each topped 8,000 visits in 2025, and the St. George home saw nearly 7,000. Encircle’s 2025 annual report attributed Heber’s lower daily numbers largely to “limited public transportation and the town’s commuter-based population.” Volunteers dispute that the com-
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parison is fair. Jess Judd, a 24-yearold Heber City native and longtime Encircle volunteer, noted that Wasatch County’s population of about 39,000 is dramatically smaller than the counties home to Encircle’s other locations, which range from roughly 209,000 in Washington County to more than 1.2 million in Salt Lake County. “Even if there was one person there, that is one person who is getting help and feeling safe in our community, and to me, that’s what the purpose is,” Judd told the Park Record. “We seriously aren’t just numbers. We are human beings.” It remains unclear whether finances played a role in the decision. Encircle’s IRS filings show the nonprofit spent more than $4.7 million in 2025 against roughly $2.7 million in revenue — its largest-ever gap between spending and income — covered in part by drawing down net assets that stood near $7.2 million at year’s end. The organization has spent more than it has raised every year since 2022, following a 2021 windfall of $14.5 million in revenue tied to high-profile fundraising involving Apple CEO Tim Cook, Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds and Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith. Encircle did not respond to requests for comment on whether cost-cutting factored into the Heber closure. At the time of the announcement, the Heber home had only two part-time employees and offered virtual therapy only, after its full-time program director left last July to lead the new Ogden center. For families who relied on the home, the loss feels deeply personal. Jim Judd, whose youngest child came out in middle school, said his family used to drive to Encircle’s Provo location weekly before the Heber home opened in 2023, after which his kids visited almost daily. “The whole idea behind the Encircle program was just such a lifesaving, game-changing event for our kids,” he told KPCW. His daughter, Janessa Judd, said local queer youth still face harassment, including slurs and cars swerving toward them in
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parking lots, making the loss of a safe gathering place especially painful. Longtime volunteer Cherry Jones told KPCW that outside of Wasatch High School’s Gay-Straight Alliance, which meets only during the school year, Heber Valley now has no devoted space for LGBTQ+ youth. “These kiddos literally don’t even have a safe space,” Jones said, adding that he felt “betrayed” by Encircle’s decision. Kelleen Potter, who was Heber City’s mayor when Encircle first announced plans for the home in 2020, said she had personally known LGBTQ+ youth in the community who took their own lives before the center opened. Research from The Trevor Project shows more than 40 percent of young queer Utahns seriously considered suicide in 2024, underscoring the stakes local advocates cite. In response, Jim Judd and fellow volunteer Jess Judd are working to fill
the gap. Jess Judd has launched a GoFundMe campaign that has raised about $3,000 as of publication, which aims to either purchase Encircle’s former building at 81 E. Center St. or secure a new space in Heber City for a community-run LGBTQ+ center. Encircle has not responded to inquiries about whether it would sell the property. Judd said they hope to partner with other regional LGBTQ+ organizations, potentially including Summit Pride, and may form a new nonprofit if they can’t secure a physical space immediately; in the meantime, funds would go towards community programming and events. Not everyone touched by the closure is staying involved. Volunteer Jaxson Persch plans to continue hosting his weekly tabletop game nights independently, though sessions for guests under 18 will end. Others, including 20-year-old former volun-
teer Crow Daugaard, say the closure has damaged their trust in Encircle. “From the beginning, I was told that Encircle is home,” Daugaard told Park Record. “And now, that home is being shut down. Essentially, they are being evicted, thrown to the wolves.” Encircle has said it remains “deeply committed to its mission of bringing family and community together to enable LGBTQ+ young people to thrive” through its remaining Utah locations. For now, Wasatch County residents seeking LGBTQ+ support can turn to Wasatch High School’s GSA, Summit Pride in neighboring Summit County, Flourish Therapy Inc., Mama Dragons, the University of Utah’s Transgender Health Program, or The Trevor Project’s 24/7 crisis line at 1-866-488-7386 or by texting START to 678-678. The National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. Q
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Ogden Pride moves Festival to October For the first time in its 12-year history, Ogden Pride is taking its signature festival out of the summer heat and into the fall, announcing that its 2026 celebration will be held October 3–4 instead of the traditional early-August weekend. The 12th Annual Ogden Pride Festival, themed “Resist, Persist, Exist,” will take over 25th Street and the Ogden Amphitheater, with an expanded footprint that organizers say will add more room for entertainment and improve ADA accessibility throughout the grounds. The move has been in the works for months and follows years of the nonprofit
watching attendance dip during the hottest days of summer. In fact, the weekend that the event normally would have takes place saw a 103-degree heat wave.
Why the Date Change Ogden Pride organizers have been fielding the same question from the community since the shift was announced: Why so far from June? “We understand that people often question the why so far from June,” organizers said. “When we first started, the only date on the city calendar happened to be the first Saturday in August 2015. We stuck to a tradition, the first Saturday until 2021, when after coming back after the 2020 stuff, we moved to having the main festival on Sunday, with events on Friday and Saturday night, making a whole weekend of it.” But the August heat kept becoming a bigger obstacle. “It’s so hot in August, and with recommendations on event movement with the city, and something that made sense to us, we asked the community for their help,” organizers said. That community input, combined with the city’s guidance, led to October — a month organizers say carries its own significance for the LGBTQ community.
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“Fun history, October is LGBTQ History Month,” organizers said. “There’s also many awareness days in month supporting our community, included: International Lesbian Day, National Coming Out Day, National Latinx HIV/ AIDS Awareness Day, International Pronouns Day, Spirit Day, LGBT Center Awareness Day, Intersex Awareness Day, and Asexual Awareness Week.” Organizers were careful to note the change isn’t a break from the community’s roots in June, when Pride is celebrated nationally to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots and the birth of the modern gay civil rights movement. “Pride is 365/24/7 for all of us,” organizers said. “With so many wonderful days throughout the entire year to bring awareness to identities and sexualities, with June commemorating the Stonewall Riots and Gay Civil Rights Movement. We hope you join us, and celebrate our community throughout the entire year.”
Emcees, Banned Books Take Center Stage Saturday Ogden Pride also announced its lineup of hosts for the weekend. LIL MISS HOT MESS — the drag queen storyteller whose photo Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene infamously displayed during a congressional hearing — will emcee Saturday’s events. Local drag king LIAM MANCHESTHAIR will take over emcee duties on Sunday. Saturday’s programming will spotlight the growing number of book bans in Utah and nationwide, featuring queer and local authors alongside independent bookshops that support 2SLGBTQIA+ voices. The Weber County Library and the Utah LGBTQ Chamber will also participate, the latter bringing its Read Between the Bans program with free book giveaways. A drag queen story hour and a set from DJ YEZZZ will round out Saturday’s opening kickoff party. The festival will also debut an expanded Family Zone, built with help from community partners to offer more activities and resources for families attending together. Q More details on the festival, including vendor and volunteer sign-ups, are available at OGDENPRIDE.ORG.
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LGBTQ+ Equality Utah’s ‘Allies: Take Flight’ marks Suicide Hotlines 25 years of advocacy at Oct. 3 Gala The Trevor Project 866-488-7386 AGES 13–24 – 24-HOURS
Trans Lifeline 877-565-8860 LGBT National Hotline 888-843-4564 M-F NOON-9PM MDT, SAT. 10AM–3PM
LGBT National Youth Talkline 800-246-7743 M-F NOON-9PM MDT, SAT. 10AM–3PM
National Runaway Safeline 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) AGES 12–21
National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233 National AIDS Hotline 800-342-AIDS (800-344-7432)
SPANISH:
800-243-7889
LGBT National Senior Hotline 888-234-7243 50+ M–F NOON – 9PM MDT, SAT 10AM – 3PM MDT
Equality Utah will celebrate a quarter-century of LGBTQ advocacy at “Allies: Take Flight,” the organization’s signature fundraising gala, set for Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City. The event, Equality Utah’s largest fundraiser of the year, arrives at a pointed moment. The organization has spent 2026 fighting an unusually aggressive legislative climate, tracking bills on gender-affirming care, housing protections and gender identity throughout this year’s session, part of a wave the ACLU says has produced more than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills nationally. For Equality Utah, “Allies” is a celebration and a war chest. “Allies is an epic party and our major fundraiser,” Equality Utah’s Essie Gonzsen said in a promotional video for the event. “Every ticket fuels advocacy and actionable work for equal rights in Utah.” This year’s gala carries extra weight as Equality Utah marks 25 years since its founding in 2001 — a run that includes the passage of Salt Lake City’s non-discrimination ordinances, the naming of Harvey Milk Boulevard, and a statewide ban on conversion therapy for minors. The evening’s programming is built around that history, according to the event listing, with “reflections on our history, stories of impact, and a vision for the future.” Comedian and Salt Lake Tribune columnist Eli McCann will host the celebration — introduced by Equality Utah as the night’s “co-pilot” in a nod to the Take Flight theme. The evening unfolds in two parts: From 5–7 p.m. — TAKE FLIGHT DONOR DINNER: An intimate, ticketed reception and dinner in the Hyatt Regency Ballroom for major donors, featuring remarks from Equality Utah leadership and a fundraising appeal. Dinner guests receive complimentary admission to the celebration that follows. From 7:15–11 p.m. — TAKE FLIGHT CELEBRATION: The main gala, open to general ticket holders, with performances, art, music and what or-
ganizers describe as “stories of resilience” woven throughout the night. General admission tickets start at $65 for early bird pricing, with tiers running up to $125 for “first class” access. Equality
Utah has also been running a ticket giveaway on social media through mid-August. Tickets and sponsorship information are available at equalityutah.org/allies; organizations interested in sponsoring the event can contact Equality Utah’s Carley Martin at carley@equalityutah.org. Hosted tables are also available for groups and businesses looking to sponsor a table of guests. Every dollar raised at “Allies” underwrites Equality Utah’s year-round policy and advocacy work — the same operation tracking bills at the Capitol, defending the state’s conversion therapy ban, and coordinating with LGBTQ Utahns on the ground in rural counties where Pride celebrations have only recently taken root. With Utah’s 2027 legislative session on the horizon and national anti-trans legislation showing no signs of slowing, organizers are framing this year’s gala not just as a party, but as a fundraising floor for the fights ahead. Q For tickets and sponsorship, visit equalityutah.org/allies.
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Utah Royals hosted Pride Night, Salt Lake Men’s Choir sang National Anthem The Utah Royals hosted a Pride Night on Wednesday, July 29, welcoming the Washington Spirit to America First Field for a 7 p.m. kickoff that doubled as one of the biggest LGBTQ-inclusive celebrations in Utah sports this year. The Salt Lake Men’s Choir opened the night, singing the national anthem after being invited by the club. “What an honor it is to be invited to open their game against the Washington Spirit,” the choir said in a video posted to social media showing members rehearsing ahead of the performance. “We can’t wait to perform.” The Royals built out the night with a full slate of programming, including a video segment titled “How to Be an Ally,” produced with Real Salt Lake, that walked fans through understanding privilege, listening to LGBTQ community members, and committing to sustained advocacy. The club also posted a recap video, “Utah Royals FC Celebrate Pride with an Unforgettable Fan Experience,” highlighting performances, fan activities, and community engagement throughout the evening. The Utah Pride Center partnered with the team on the celebration, distributing free tickets to community members
and publicly thanking the Royals for their support. “Thank you, Utah Royals, for supporting the Utah Pride Center and Utah’s LGBTQIA+ community,” the organization wrote in a social media post promoting the match. The Royals’ roster includes some of the NWSL’s most visible LGBTQ players. Goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn, who plays for both the U.S. women’s national team and the Royals, has spoken openly about coming out and her relationship with teammate Ana Tejada, a Royals defender. Fans and league observers on sites like Reddit’s r/NWSL community have also pointed to other Royals players, including Tatumn Milazzo and Janni Thomsen, as part of a roster with considerable queer representation. The Royals’ announcement drew a mix of reactions online, with the team’s Facebook post promoting the “Pride Party” pulling more than 180 reactions and dozens of comments — many celebratory, some critical — reflecting the same debates that often accompany Pride nights across professional sports. Utah Royals FC is owned by Miller Sports + Entertainment. The Utah Mammoths and Utah Jazz, owned by the Smith Entertainment Group, did not hold a Pride nights this season. SEG chairman Ryan Smith has a documented history of LGBTQ philanthropy: in 2021, he and his wife, Ashley, committed $2 million to Encircle, the Utah-based nonprofit serving LGBTQ+ youth and families, as part of an “$8 Million, 8 Houses” campaign to expand the organization’s centers into Arizona, Idaho and Nevada. “Ashley and I have seen the amazing work Encircle does to benefit LGBTQ+ youth,” Smith said at the time. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to contribute to their mission of creating more inclusive communities and providing much-needed hope and support to youth.” Calls to the Mammoths seeking comment on why the organization chose not to hold a Pride night this year went unanswered. The Jazz have held Pride Night promotions in past seasons but did not do so in 2026; it remains unclear why. Q
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Upcoming Regional Prides Utah’s 2026 Pride season is brimming with vibrant celebrations across the state. Here’s a chronological guide to the regional Pride events, each offering unique experiences and opportunities to support the LGBTQ+ community.
Sept. 19, Logan Pride Festival Logan Pride is scheduled for September 19, on Federal Avenue in Logan, Utah. Since 2016, Logan Pride has served the Cache Valley community as a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating diversity while promoting LGBTQIA+ visibility, acceptance, and support in the region. “While we host many projects and activities throughout the year, our hallmark event is our annual Pride Festival that occurs each September,” organizers said. “This single-day event has notably generated the largest reach and impact in and for our community, and it is only made possible by supporters like you.” LOGANPRIDE.ORG
Sept. 9–12, Durango Pride
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The Four Corners area Prides up in the Fall. Last year’s festivities included a downtown Pride Parade, Drag Trivia at the Starlight Lounge, a Pride Dance, and a full-day Buckley Park Festival. THEALLIANCE.GAY/PRIDE
September 18–20, Boise Pride The 37th year of Idaho’s largest LGBTQ+ festival, in the capital city. BOISEPRIDEFEST.ORG
Sept. 26, Pride of Southern Utah, St. George Pride in the Park is Southern Utah’s biggest LGBTQ+ pride festival and is held at
JC Snow Park in St. George from 11am to 5pm. It is a free all-ages community event with live performances, food trucks, and local vendors. No ticket is required to attend. Bag check and metal detectors will be used to help keep this event safe for everyone. PRIDEOFSOUTHERNUTAH.ORG
Oct. 2-4, Ogden Pride Festival Celebrating its 12th year, the Ogden Pride Festival has moved! The new schedule is the first weekend of October. “Our community resoundingly said the first weekend in October was the move, so starting in 2026, Ogden, dust off your glitter and pull out those cozy pride sweaters, because the festival is making the jump to October!” Organizers call it the fiercest way to kick off LGBTQ+ History Month and keep the pride alive. OGDENPRIDE.ORG
Oct. 18, SLC Leather Pride SLC Leather Pride is a twoday celebration of Salt Lake City’s Leather, Kink & BDSM community! Kick off Friday, Oct. 17 with the Contest Meet & Greet at Tryangles (7–9 p.m.), then join the indoor/outdoor festival Saturday, Oct. 18 at Milk+ (noon–8 p.m.) — featuring vendors, entertainment, bootblacks, auctions, food, a full bar, and title contests of MR. LEATHER SL♥UT 2026 and, new this year, MS. Leather SL♥UT 2026. Free entry, 21+. SLCLEATHERPRIDE.COM. Q
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HalloQueen Ball returns to Salt Lake Masonic Temple this Halloween It’s back! The Utah Pride Center will host its annual HalloQueen Ball on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Salt Lake Masonic Temple, 650 E. South Temple. The 21-and-over Halloween fundraiser will feature multiple floors of entertainment, live DJs, drag-hosted bingo, food and beverages, and a costume contest offering a $1,500 grand prize across eight categories. Tickets are $31 for general admission and $100 for VIP, which includes four drink tickets, access to a VIP lounge with a dedicated bar and hors d’oeuvres, priority entry through security and checkin, and expedited access to bars throughout the venue. Proceeds benefit the
Utah Pride Center’s yearround programs, services, and community events. “HalloQueen Ball gives our community a chance to come together, celebrate Halloween in true queer fashion, and support the Utah Pride Center at the same time,” said Chad Call, the center’s executive director. Attendees can extend the celebration into a weekend getaway, with discounted room rates available at Hilton Salt Lake City for Oct. 30-31 and Kimpton Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City for Oct. 31-Nov. 1. Last year’s revival of the Ball was a huge success, drawing a great crowd and fantastic costumes. Q Tickets are available at UTAHPRIDE. ORG/HALLOQUEEN-BALL-TICKETS.
open daily 7am to 8pm order online at coffeegardenslc.com 801-355-3425 • 878 e harvey milk blvd
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LGBTQ+ Guide to FanX Salt Lake 2026 includes drag pageant’s return As FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention rolls out its 2026 guest list ahead of the September 24–26 show at the Salt Palace Convention Center, LGBTQ+ representation is emerging as a considerable thread — both among the authors and creators being announced and through the confirmed return of the convention’s cosplay drag pageant. Organizers caution that this year’s guest roster is still very much in progress. FanX notes on its website that “guest appearances are subject to change or cancellation,” and with additional names and full panel scheduling still to come, the current lineup should be read as a “so far” list rather than a finished one. Among the confirmed guests is bestselling author SEANAN MCGUIRE, known for the “October Daye” and “InCryptid” series as well as her work writing Marvel comics. McGuire, who is openly bisexual and demisexual, has spoken publicly about ensuring LGBTQ+ characters are woven throughout her prolific body of speculative fiction. Also on the list is CASS BIEHN, a Utah-based author who identifies as queer. Biehn’s debut YA historical fantasy, “Vesuvius,” follows a same-sex romance between two young men in the final days of Pompeii, and the author has said the book was written in part to speak to queer readers processing trauma. Several other confirmed YA authors are known for building LGBTQ+ representation into their fantasy worlds, even where their own personal identities aren’t publicly confirmed. TRACY DEONN, author of the bestselling “Leg-
endborn” series, populates her Arthurian-inspired books with a gay male lead, a lesbian couple, and a nonbinary character. M.K. LOBB, author of “Seven Faceless Saints” and “Disciples of Chaos,” has built part of her fan base on the queer relationships running through her dark fantasy novels. Comic writer CULLEN BUNN, best known for “Harrow County” and “The Sixth Gun,” has created a number of enduring queer characters across his creator-owned and mainstream comics work, including contributions to Marvel’s bisexual Valkyrie. The clearest LGBTQ+-specific programming on the books so far, though, is the return of FanX’s COSPLAY DRAG PAGEANT, which organizer PHARAOH VERDIGRIS confirmed this week will run for a second year. The pageant debuted at FanX last year, billed as the convention’s first-ever drag competition, and quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the weekend — as well as one of its biggest planning problems. In an Instagram announcement, Verdigris said FanX’s team reached out directly to discuss bringing the pageant back, and that the most common complaint after last year’s show wasn’t about the drag itself, but the room it was held in. “There wasn’t enough seats,” Verdigris wrote, recalling how attendees “piled into such a small room” and organizers “still couldn’t fit all of you.” This year, Verdigris said, adjustments have been made to accommodate a larger crowd. “FanX’s Cosplay Drag Pageant is returning once again,” the post continued. “We are all thrilled to be bringing back this pageant, and we thank FanX for the massive opportunity to keep teaching drag to different communities.” That enthusiasm extended to competitors as well. In a separate post, Verdigris noted the pageant drew more than 40 applications last year for a competition that will accept only 20 contestants in
2026, meaning this year’s field will be more selective than the inaugural run. “Get your applications in when the link goes live,” Verdigris told followers. Applications and additional details are now available through FanX’s official application form. Performers from last year’s competition offered a preview of what this year’s contestants can expect. One competitor, posting under the handle @ galaxy_cosplays, described their experience as scary though thrilling, detailing a format that included multiple costume walks, a formal-wear round plus a closing performance segment with rapid backstage costume changes. “I feel lucky to have been able to see all my fellow contestants perform, because holy shit, y’all, these are some talented drag artists,” they wrote, adding that they hoped to compete again this year. The pageant drew a mix of cosplay-and-drag hybrid performances last year, with contestants channeling video game and pop-culture characters through their looks and routines. Together, the returning pageant and the growing list of queer creators maintain FanX’s LGBTQ+ footprint, though with panel scheduling still unpublished and the guest list continuing to grow, it remains to be seen how much more queer programming the convention will add before doors open in September. Q Watch qsaltlake.com as the event comes closer.
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quotes “That flag represents love and acceptance.”
— Amanda Darrow — Director of Youth, Family & Education, Utah Pride Center on a pride flag torn down at a California high school
“We as a legislature need to be reminded that we need to continue to show up for them, especially those who have no one else.”
— Mass. State Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis:
“That’s another reason why I don’t live [there].”
— Dwyane Wade, NBA Hall of Famer on why he moved his family out of Florida, citing the state’s anti-LGBTQ laws affecting his transgender daughter Zaya:
“Someone asked a publicist about my sexuality, and the publicist said I was ‘not of that persuasion.’”
— Neil Patrick Harris , actor recalling being pressured into publicly coming out in 2006:
“It was lonely being a young queer artist.”
— Sam Smith, musiciant
“Across the nation, the rights of transgender Americans are under threat. It’s unacceptable.”
— Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
“People are trying to use the league to sow divisiveness.”
— Cathy Engelbert, WNBA Commissioner pushing back on politicized attacks amid the league’s transgender-athlete debate
“I do not support boys playing in girls’ sports. This is already settled law in Ohio, and as governor I will enforce and uphold the law.”
— Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton: Equality Ohio changed her rating to “pending” over the remarks.
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who’s your daddy
Ask yourself first
A good
BY CHRISTOPHER KATIS
friend of mine and his wife are expecting their first baby soon. It’s all very exciting. This little bundle of joy isn’t coming into the world accidentally; its parents decided it was time to start their family. And for straight people, once the decision is made, it’s usually a pretty easy process. That’s not really true with LGBTQ+ people. To get some perspective on what LGBTQ+ people considering parenthood should think about, I reached out to my (fabulous!) friend SAM LEESON. She owns babyReady, where hopeful and expectant queer parents can get information and guidance to make the right decisions. She also hosts an awesome podcast, becoming babyREADY. For Kelly and me, the first question we asked ourselves was how we were going to become dads, because, unlike my buddy, the traditional route was a no-go for us. Leeson says, “Truthfully, one of the first questions I would ask myself is: Do I understand that this may not be a fast process—and do I have the stamina to navigate the ups, downs, and unexpected hurdles that can come with creating a family?” It’s true. From the moment we finished the required parental training until we actually became legally dads took about two years. And we went down the public adoption route only after researching the other myriad choices from “public and private adoption, donor conception, IVF, and surrogacy.” Leeson encourages her clients to first speak with professionals like lawyers, fertility clinics, adoption agencies, and surrogacy groups. But she also says it’s helpful to hear what other LGBTQ+ people who have been through it before have to say. There are also some hard questions you need to ask yourself. As Leeson says, “Is a biological connection important
to you? Is knowing your child’s genetic history important to you? What about your partner? Do you both feel the same way?” It’s imperative that couples have these discussions well before they’re in the middle of it all. It’s also important to remember that for a couple, becoming parents is a team sport. Both partners need to be all in, 100 percent. A family isn’t going to work if only one partner is invested in making that big of a commitment. Look, for LGBTQ+ couples, the process of becoming parents can be really arduous. Leeson suggests that to avoid feeling overwhelmed, break it down into more manageable steps. Begin by making those initial calls or attending an adoption orientation. Start the paperwork; get the ball rolling. The whole journey must start with a first step. One barrier many would-be parents impose on themselves is waiting for everything to be perfect. Indeed, probably one of the biggest mistakes Leeson has seen is couples continually postponing parenthood as they wait for the “right time”. That’s because there’s likely not going to be a time when absolutely everything is perfect. That’s not to say you shouldn’t have your proverbial shit together before starting this journey. Your future child needs you to have stable housing, a steady income, and decent medical coverage, for example. “If you’re emotionally ready and the path is available to you, start where you are. Don’t wait for perfect—because perfect may never arrive,” she advises. I’m super happy for my buddy and his wife; they’re a really great couple. Honestly, I can hardly wait to meet the kid. And I’ll be excited to meet your child too, if you decide to have one. Just make sure to ask the right questions first! Q To learn how Sam Leeson can help you on your journey to parenthood visit babyREADY.info.
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guest editorial
In Memoriam: Carol Lynn Pearson
(1939-2026)
BY CONNELL O’DONOVAN
I had long
been a fan of Carol Lynn’s poetry; I saw her musical “My Turn on Earth” as a teen, and I have always considered her the unofficial Poet Laureate of the Latter-day Saint Church. I came out on July 4th, 1985, divorcing my wife soon after, but I struggled immensely, wallowing in my own toxicity and self-loathing — constantly suicidal. A year later, Carol Lynn published Goodbye, I Love You: The True Story of a Wife, Her Homosexual Husband and Love Honored for Time and All Eternity. I didn’t read it until around February 1987, and then read it three or four times in a row, weeping each time uncontrollably. One evening in Salt Lake, I looked up her phone number and cold-called her at her home in Walnut Creek, California. I told her my story, and we wept together. Her love came so easily to a complete stranger. The one message that came through strongly was that if she could feel compassion and love for me, why couldn’t I feel it for myself? Having felt worthless and unworthy my whole life, I realized it was time to change that. A few months later, she came to Salt Lake, and I got to meet her and her daughter Emily, who was just starting at BYU. I had journaled as a teen but had stopped in the early 1980s. The very first thing Carol Lynn encouraged me to do was to start journaling again — to keep a record of my story. So, in May of 1987, I started writing again, just as I was beginning to become an activist. I’m so glad now that I have a record of those amazing years. In January 1990, Carol Lynn came to Salt Lake to put on her one-woman show, Mother Wove the Morning, at the Salt Lake Art Center. I loved watching her on stage as she transformed into 16 different women from the Paleolithic era to modern times. A
love letter to “the goddess,” her play was instrumental in me embracing the Divine Feminine within myself. The LDS-oriented Sunstone West Symposium was held in the Bay Area in 2005, and I was living just south in Santa Cruz. Carol Lynn and I were both on a panel together called “In Quiet Desperation,” which dealt with the horrible plight that LGBT LDS folks found themselves in. The panel name refers to a mildly homophobic book published in 2004 called In Quiet Desperation: Understanding the Challenge of Same-Gender Attraction, written in the aftermath of the suicide in 2000 of a Bay Area Gay Mormon named Stuart Matis. Stuart’s parents were two of the authors. For my part of the panel, I listed the names and some personal info about the Gay Mormons that I had documented (including Stuart Matis) who had committed suicide, and I then challenged the LDS people in the audience to treat us with at least justice and perhaps a “modicum of mercy.” Carol Lynn responded to this book by criticizing its premise that Matis’s parents would rather have their son be dead than “living in sin” with a partner. If you’re interested in hearing the panel, it’s at SUNSTONE.ORG/ PANEL-IN-QUIET-DESPERATION-2/ I think that this panel likely was the impetus behind her writing her play, Facing East, a year later. It deals with the suicide of a young Gay Mormon, and how his parents dealt (or didn’t) with the aftermath. It was first put on here in Salt Lake at Plan-B Theatre, under the direction of Jerry Rapier, and funded by Bruce Bastian. For the 20th anniversary of the play, Plan-B will be putting it on again this fall. The Saturday, October 24th performance at 4 p.m. will include a post-show discussion about the history and impact of the play, etc.
Also in 2006, Carol Lynn wrote a “sequel” of sorts to Goodbye, I Love You, called No More Goodbyes: Circling the Wagons around Our Gay Loved Ones. I was honored to help her edit it, and she also included my own story in brief and anonymously. While living in Santa Cruz, I had the delightful opportunity to visit her in Walnut Creek a few times, break bread with her and her family, and receive her lovely foot massages. Then, in the aftermath of Prop 8 in California (the anti-marriage equality state constitutional amendment heavily supported by the LDS Church), the church in the state faced immense public criticism and falling membership numbers. So, in September 2010, a general authority named Marlin Jensen (an acquaintance of mine from when he had been the Church Historian) came to speak at the chapel next to the Oakland Temple to perhaps do some damage control. Carol Lynn asked me to attend with her. Doing something I’d never heard of before, Jensen wanted to have an open mic. The first couple of people were rather homophobic and left her and me rather uncomfortable. She kept poking me to get up, but feeling too much like a fish out of water, I wasn’t ready. She finally got up and made some rather pointed remarks. She talked about her vision of an LDS church where Gay couples are completely welcome in the church and where our marital relationships are supported and sustained. She got a nice ovation from the crowd and thankfully turned the spirit of it around.
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I then mustered up the courage to speak. I dramatically told everyone how, for the 12 years I participated in that church as a young adult, Mormonism had violated my soul. I then turned to Marlin Jensen directly and told him that the only way his church was going to get out of this mess they created was for his church to repent. Marlin then got up and said to me, “With all my heart I am so sorry at the pain my church has caused you. I deeply apologize, for whatever that is worth to you.” That sincere apology meant a lot to me! My last interaction with Carol Lynn was about 10 days before her passing. She called me but was not sounding well and was very befuddled; she asked me a couple of times why I had called her. I corrected her the first time, but that seemed to confuse her even more; so the second time, I just told her that I had been reading volume 3 of her journals, which are now being published by our friends at Signature Books. I said that volume 3 covers the time when we spoke to Marlin Jensen at the Oakland chapel. I too had written about that experience, and I was so relieved to find that her account in her diary meshed so well with what I had written. She laughed in delight. We chatted a bit more, and then I told her how much I loved her before we said goodbye. And the second I hung up, I knew deep in my heart that this would be our last conversation. Goodbye. I love you. Q Connell O’Donovan is board chair, founding member, and Divine Empress of the Mildred Berryman Institute for LGBTIQ2S+ Utah History. He is an independent historian, biographer, and professional genealogist, currently working on a book documenting the history of Drag in Utah from 1871-2021, as well as a film documentary on the double suicide of two young LDS Lesbians in Salt Lake City in 1926. Connell is best known for organizing the first Pride marches in Utah in 1990 and 1991. This story was first published at mildredberrymaninstitute.org
Think that’s scary? Sharks can be terrifying. But what’s really scary, and even deadly, is distracted driving.
Eyes forward. Don’t drive distracted.
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creep of the month
The False Accuser of Pete Buttigieg BY D’ANNE WITKOWSKI
When
you’re a parent, there are a lot of potential nightmares. When they’re babies, you worry that they will suddenly stop breathing. When they’re school-age, you worry about school shootings. When they’re teenagers, you worry about car crashes. Honestly, it never stops. There is so much that’s outside of your control. It’s scary. But one nightmare that a lot of parents don’t consider is being falsely accused of abusing your child. The fact is, anyone can make such an accusation. They don’t even have to know you. They don’t even have to have any evidence. They can just pick up the phone and try to ruin your life. That’s what happened recently to Pete Buttigieg when a police officer and someone from Child Protective Services knocked on the door of the Michigan home he shares with his husband and their children. “They explained that there had been an allegation against me, that it concerned our four-year-old twins, and that a forensic interview had been arranged for the children the following day,” Buttigieg wrote on Substack. “I could not be present at the children’s interview, nor could any family member sit in. Afterwards, they would come back and interview me. And only then would they tell me anything about the nature of the allegation.” Buttigieg was told that he could not be alone with his children until after their interviews. Now, if you’ve spent any time with 4-year-olds you know they are not the most reliable narrators. You’ll also know that when young children are interviewed, whether by law enforce-
ment or social workers, a lot of what they say is heavily influenced not just by the questions they are asked, but how those questions are phrased. So even if a parent is confident in their knowledge that they have done nothing to harm their children, the prospect of those children being interviewed by strangers is terrifying. It turned out that officials were acting on an anonymous call to CPS. “The caller said that he had spoken to a woman who claimed to have met me at a conference several years ago in Alabama,” Buttigieg wrote, “where she said I told her that I had committed unspeakable violent crimes, and the caller believed my children were still at risk.” In other words, someone said that someone else told them that Buttigieg told her that he was a threat to his children. And that was enough for authorities to separate Buttigieg from his kids. After interviewing the children, authorities determined that whatever Buttigieg was accused of had never happened. That the person making the accusation was not at all credible. The kids returned home. Most likely, Buttigieg was targeted not just because he is a political figure, but because he is gay. Even though it has been thoroughly debunked, some still claim that LGBTQ+ people are a danger to children. At the present moment, we see this lie being used most prominently to justify anti-trans policies. We see legislatures passing bills to keep trans people out of public bathrooms and to categorize drag performances as adult entertainment in order to shut down drag story hours. All in the name of protecting children. The thing is, LGBTQ+ people do not
pose an outsized threat to children. And acting as we do doesn’t protect children. In fact, it puts children in greater danger. After all, there are only so many resources dedicated to protecting children from abuse and neglect. When things like homophobia and transphobia dictate where child welfare agencies direct those resources, children who are actually in danger fall through the cracks. In an ideal country, keeping children safe and healthy would be a top priority. Instead, what the United States has is a patchwork system rife with holes. There are not enough foster parents or social workers. There are too many children who are homeless, hungry, and without healthcare. And yet, the very people who believe that we need to protect kids from LGBTQ+ people are either silent about these problems, or they are actively against policies that would address them. For example, the Venn diagram of people who think a gay couple isn’t fit to be parents and people who are against universal free school lunches has an awful lot of overlap. Allegations of child abuse are extremely serious and should never be ignored. But while Buttigieg’s kids were sitting in their interviews, some other kids, kids who desperately need help, weren’t getting it. And yet I have no doubt we’ll get another anti-trans bill before any legislation that would reform our child welfare system and address the systemic problems that increase the chances a child will be abused or neglected. Won’t someone think of the children? Q D’Anne Witkowski is a writer living with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBTQ+ politics for nearly two decades. Follow her on X @MamaDWitkowski.
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trouble with familiar tasks A loved one struggling with their daily routine may be experiencing a symptom of Alzheimer’s or other dementia.
Learn the signs at 10signs.org
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2026-27 UTAH ARTS GUIDE
Utah’s performing and visual arts institutions have rolled out their 2026-27 seasons, and audiences across the Wasatch Front have a packed calendar of world premieres, beloved classics, bold new exhibitions and holiday traditions to look forward to. Here’s a rundown of what’s coming from some of the state’s most prominent arts organizations.
Utah Symphony | Utah Opera: A blockbuster year for Abravanel Hall
30) and travel personality Rick Steves bringing his multimedia “Symphonic Journey” to Abravanel Hall on Oct. 17. Holiday programming kicks into gear with the annual Messiah Sing-In (Nov. 28-29), “The Holiday in Concert” (Dec. 12) and the Holiday Pops Extravaganza (Dec. 17-19) — perennial favorites that reliably sell out and mark the unofficial start of the season for many Utah families. Looking ahead to spring, violinist Joshua Bell returns to play Beethoven on March 17, 2027, and the season builds toward a pair of major film-in-concert events: “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in Concert” (May 20-22, 2027) and “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert,” which closes out the season July 1-3, 2027.
The Utah Symphony’s 2026-27 season, under the baton of music director Jun Märkl and principal guest conductor Delyana Lazarova, opens strong with “Cirque de la Symphonie” (Sept. 10-12), pairing acrobatics with orchestral favorites, followed quickly by Elgar’s Cello Concerto paired with Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 (Sept. 17-19). The orchestra’s “Celebración Sinfónica” on Sept. 21 celebrates Latin American music and culture with soprano Mónica Ábrego and Ballet Las Americas de Utah, a nod to the growing diversity of the symphony’s programming and audience outreach. Classical highlights continue with “A Night in Ancient Greece: Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé” (Sept. 25-26), Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 alongside works by Gubaidulina and Bernstein (Oct. 22-24), and pianist-conductor Conrad Tao leading an evening of Mozart (Nov. 6-7). Pop-culture crossover programming remains a strong draw, with “Disney’s Hocus Pocus in Concert” timed for Halloween weekend (Oct. 28-
On the opera side, Utah Opera’s 2026-27 season at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre leads with the West Coast-facing premiere of “Héctor Armienta’s Zorro” (Oct. 10-18, 2026), a Puccini-inspired retelling of the vigilante-justice legend set in historical Los Angeles. The season continues with Rossini’s whimsical “Cinderella,” Mozart’s morally complex “Don Giovanni,” and “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs,” a contemporary opera examining the Apple co-founder’s life through a modern, minimalist score. The lineup mixes recognizable classics with adventurous contemporary work, a balance Utah Opera has embraced in recent seasons to draw both classicists and newer opera audiences. .
to introduce young audiences to live theater, along with the Script-In-Hand Series, which gives Utah playwrights a developmental platform to workshop new material in front of an audience. Season subscriptions are $63, with single tickets at $25 — prices that have long made Plan-B one of the more accessible tickets in Salt Lake City’s theater scene.
Plan-B Theatre Company: Season 36 Plan-B Theatre, Utah’s home for new work by Utah playwrights, announced its 36th season, and it’s a milestone year built around anniversaries and premieres. The centerpiece is a 20th-anniversary revival of Carol Lynn Pearson’s “Facing East,” running Oct. 22 through Nov. 8, 2026, in the Studio Theatre at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. The play, which follows a Mormon couple contending with grief and acceptance after their gay son’s suicide, remains one of the company’s most enduring and profoundly touching works, and its return two decades after its debut is expected to draw both long-time fans and a new generation of theatergoers dealing with similar questions in their own families and faith communities. The season also brings two world premieres. “Radio Hour Episode 18: The Land of Oz” opens Dec. 16, 2026, continuing Plan-B’s long-running Radio Hour series, which reimagines classic stories as live old-fashioned radio dramas performed in front of an audience — this time putting a fresh spin on the Oz mythology. Then, from March 4-21, 2027, Plan-B presents “What the Pho?,” a romantic comedy following two young Vietnamese restaurant workers navigating family expectations, identity and love. Rounding out the season is PlanB’s Free Elementary School Tour, which will bring the new play “Snail Mail” to classrooms across the state
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Salt Lake Acting Company: Celebrating 55 Years Salt Lake Acting Company enters its 2026-27 season celebrating 55 years of producing bold new work, and the milestone lineup expresses the company’s continued commitment to world and Utah premieres. The season opens with “Very Like a Whale” (Sept. 30-Oct. 25, 2026), a world-premiere comedy by Troy Deutsch. Then comes SLAC’s popular holiday tradition for families, “The Pigeon Gets a Big Time Holiday Extravaganza!” (Dec. 5-29, 2026), a musical adaptation drawing on Mo Willems’ popular children’s books — a lighter, family-friendly counterpoint to the company’s typically edgier programming. The new year brings Lucas Hnath’s “The Thin Place” (Feb. 3-28, 2027), a disturbing exploration of grief, spirituality and the boundary between the living and the dead, followed by “Lizzie” (April 7-May 2, 2027), the cult musical reimagining of the Lizzie Borden murders through a hard-rock score. The season closes, as always, with SLAC’s community-built Summer Show (June 23-Aug. 15, 2027), an original production created collaboratively with local artists and volunteers each year. Season subscriptions start at $121 and tickets for individual shows are on sale.
Pioneer Theatre Company: 65 Seasons Strong Pioneer Theatre Company marks its 65th anniversary with a season built around contemporary premieres
and Broadway crowd-pleasers. The lineup opens with the Utah professional premiere of “John Proctor Is the Villain” (Sept. 11-26, 2026), the acclaimed high school drama that reframes “The Crucible” through a modern lens on teenage empowerment and #MeToo-era reckoning. It’s followed by the ever-popular “Little Shop of Horrors” (Oct. 23-Nov. 7, 2026) and the holiday-season comedy “The Man Who Came to Dinner” (Dec. 4-19, 2026), about an insufferable houseguest who upends a small-town Christmas. The new year brings the Utah debut of “Mean Girls” (Jan. 29-Feb. 13, 2027), the musical adaptation of the beloved film, followed by the satirical “Eureka Day” (March 12-27, 2027), which skewers a progressive private school’s chaotic response to a mumps outbreak. PTC will announce the season’s final musical — the last slot, running April 30-May 15, 2027 — on Sept. 1, 2026.
one more reason to watch for their season announcement in the months ahead.
Utah Museum of Fine Arts: A quarter-century retrospective The Utah Museum of Fine Arts marks 25 years in its Marcia and John Price Museum Building with “For the Future: Collecting at the UMFA, 2001-2026,” opening Aug. 29, 2026. The exhibition draws from the museum’s permanent collection to showcase what curators have acquired, preserved and prioritized over the past quarter century, giving a window into how the museum’s identity has evolved. UMFA continues its mix of public programming, including its “UMFA in the Wild” outdoor series and its annual gala, positioning the museum as both a serious collecting institution and an accessible community gathering space on the University of Utah campus.
Pygmalion Theatre Company: Centering Women’s Stories, Under Pressure As of this writing, Pygmalion has not yet made a full public announcement of its 2026-27 lineup, though auditions and planning for the new season are already underway. Worth noting for readers who follow Utah’s arts funding landscape: Pygmalion recently had a state grant application denied under provisions tied to Utah’s DEI law, with state reviewers characterizing the company’s women-centered mission as discriminatory. The company has pushed back publicly and is leaning more heavily on individual donations to sustain its programming — a reminder of how quickly the funding environment for mission-driven arts organizations is shifting in Utah, and
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art: Confronting the West UMOCA’s 2026-27 slate leans hard into questions of land, identity and the American West. “Altered States in the Acid West,” running through Aug. 29, 2026, examines the “acid western” genre that emerged in the 1970s, using myth and unstable terrain as a lens on colonization, racial violence and cultural erasure. Concurrently, Alfredo Jaar’s “The End” (through Sept. 5, 2026) confronts the disappearance of the
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Great Salt Lake amid water over-extraction — an urgent, locally resonant piece of art-as-advocacy. Additional exhibitions include Eleanor Mahin Thorp’s “Snowtrickle, feldspar, dirt,” Rick Silva’s “Dirt Nap” (running into January 2027) and Alexis Rausch’s “Rapture | Rupture.” UMOCA’s fall season opening reception is set for
Sept. 11, 2026, with programming continuing through June 2027. The museum also recently announced $60,000 in inaugural Assemblage Art Fund grants to local artists, with applications for the 2026-27 fund cycle already underway — a meaningful infusion of support for Utah’s working artists.
A Holiday Tradition: Salt Lake Men’s Choir
choir’s roster of singers for an evening of holiday cheer. Ticket sales have not yet opened as of this writing, but the choir, known for drawing enthusiastic, sold-out crowds each December, is expected to announce dates and venue details soon. Readers interested in joining the choir itself should know that rehearsals for the holiday concert are Thursday nights with no audition required, making it one of the more welcoming entry points into Salt Lake’s vibrant choral community.
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No December in Salt Lake City feels complete without the Salt Lake Men’s Choir’s annual holiday concert, and this year’s offering, “Somewhere in My Memory,” promises to be one of the group’s most nostalgic. The concert leans into the warmth of childhood Christmas memories — twinkling lights, fireplaces, family dinners and, of course, music — and will feature guest artist Sofie Zane joining the
Taken together, this season reflects a Utah arts community that remains ambitious even amid funding headwinds — leaning into anniversaries, world premieres and urgent contemporary themes while still making room for the holiday traditions that bring families and communities together each winter. Stay tuned to QSaltLake for reviews, previews and more coverage as these seasons unfold. Q
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Age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease
LGBT OLDER ADULTS AND DEMENTIA
2.7million
An estimated LGBT people are over age 50
LGBT people have greater health disparities, many of which are risk factors for dementia, including: l l l l
l l
Depression Obesity Alcohol and tobacco Lower rates of preventive screenings Cardiovascular disease HIV/AIDS
7.4%
of the lesbian, gay and bisexual older adult population is living with dementia
LGBT adults living with dementia face unique challenges in accessing support:
40%
report that their support networks have become smaller over time
Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in the nation
51%
34% live alone
$$$
of LGBT older people report being very concerned about having enough money to live on
30%
Up to experience lower rates of access to care
Fear of discrimination can delay access to care
40%
say their health care providers don’t know their sexual orientation Sources l l
l
l
Visit alz.org for additional information, support and resources.
Alzheimer’s Association and SAGE, Issues Brief: LGBT and Dementia Jason Flatt, Ph.D., MPH, et al. Dementia Prevalence Among Sexual Minority Older Adults. Funder: U.S. National Institute on Aging. Hanneke Rhodius-Meester, M.D., et al. Median Survival in Memory Clinic Cohort Is Short, Even in Young Onset Dementia. Funders: Alzheimer Nederland; Stichting Dioraphte. Yvonne Leung, Ph.D., et al. 100 Years and Beyond: Investigating the Prevalence of Dementia in Centenarians and Near Centenarians from 17 Population-Based Studies. Funder: The Dementia Momentum Initiative.
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BY JERRY RAPIER
In August
FACING EAST returns to Plan-B Theatre, honoring the memory of playwright and LGBTQ+ advocate Carol Lynn Pearson
of 2005, playwright CAROL LYNN P EARSON invited 10 people, including me and her dear friend, philanthropist BRUCE BASTIAN, to a private reading of the very first, very raw draft of her new play, FACING EAST. She sat in the middle of a borrowed living room in downtown Salt Lake City and read all three roles: Ruth and Alex McCormick, the quintessential Mormon power couple whose gay son has committed suicide, and Marcus, their son’s partner whom they meet for the first time, graveside. When it was over, we collectively couldn’t breathe. No one wanted to disturb the silence. It was sacred. Once I caught my breath, I knew that Plan-B Theatre had to produce the play. So Carol Lynn and I worked on the script over the next few months. The next step was a reading as part of Utah Pride Center’s Winter Pride in January of 2006, this time with a full cast. The moment that reading began, I knew that the breathless, sacred silence we had experienced the previous August wasn’t a fluke: we were creating the rare piece of truly transformational theatre. By 2006, Bruce’s foundation had been supporting Plan-B Bruce Bastian for five years. This project was different. He personally, fully funded the world premiere of FACING EAST that November. And that was just the beginning. Carol Lynn and I were sitting next to each other during the final preview. Bruce was sitting directly behind us. When the performance ended, he leaned forward between us and said, ‘What’s next?’ For a moment, we weren’t sure what he meant: next was opening the show! But he was a step ahead of us. He invited us to lunch at his home the next day to discuss the play’s
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me. He was one of the large number of desperate gay men who agonized over their dilemma as a Mormon man with a wife and children in a church they knew that condemned them. Many saw something unheard Bruce Bastian, Jerry Rapier, Carol Lynn Pearson, 2006 PHOTO: JENNIFER ‘Z’ ZORNOW: of in me and my story. Embrace a gay future. On the drive there, Carol Lynn person? Tell them they’re not evil? and I decided to ask for the moon. So, Radical thought! This particular man over lunch, I said, “We should take it happened to be highly influential to New York.” And he said, “Okay.” And and wealthy. He was an inventor and Carol Lynn said, “And San Francisco co-founder of WordPerfect. He flew too.” And Bruce said, “Okay.” Before in. He brought me a computer! We FACING EAST officially opened that talked and talked, and he has told me night, we were blessed to know that many times since those conversations it was the first leg of a coast-to-coast changed his life. Bruce used his money adventure. What we didn’t know was to bless causes and individuals that how life-changing that adventure would aligned with his vision. As Bruce and I be. We became the first, and remain the sat together on the front row of Plan-B only, Utah theatre company to transfer Theatre at opening night of FACING an intact production off-Broadway. EAST, he whispered to me, ‘This is That year we spent with the best money I have ever spent.’” FACING EAST was, and reAttending FACING EAST was like mains, the stuff of dreams. attending church. Not counting-minutes-until-I-can-get-out-of-these-clothes church, but I-don’t-want-to-disturb-this-unexpected-catharsis church. Families would gather in the lobby after the show and hold each other, even pray together. Over the last 20 years, audiences at 18 other theatres across the country and in Mexico — from church basements to small theatres like us at Plan-B to LORT [professional] theatres like Pioneer Theatre Company — have shared in Original cast, 2006: Jayne Luke as Ruth McCormick (the mother), Charles Lynn Frost as Alex McCormick (the the ferocity, compassion, love, honesfather), Jay Perry as Marcus (their late son’s partner) ty, and grace that is FACING EAST. And now, in 2026, we’re Carol Lynn recalled to The Salt Lake bringing it home. Tribune, “I met Bruce in 1986 when my Carol Lynn and I had planned to book Goodbye, I Love You (the story of honor the memories of Bruce Basmy life with my gay husband and his tian, who passed away in 2024, and death from AIDS) was published [by CHARLES LYNN FROST, the original Random House]. This tall, sad-looking Alex, who passed away in 2021, with this man hesitantly approached me after a 20th anniversary revival. Little did we book signing at Deseret Book in Orem, know that it would also proffer us the and asked if he could fly to California (where I had relocated) to visit with great privilege of also honoring hers.
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Jay Perry as Marcus in the original 2006 production
PHOTO: JENNIFER ‘Z’ ZORNOW
2026 Sunstone Symposium BARBARA JONES BROWN, director of Signature Books, invited me to participate in a panel on July 31, 2026, celebrating two milestones of Carol Lynn Pearson’s work at the Sunstone Symposium. CONNELL O’DONOVAN was there to discuss the 40th anniversary of Goodbye, I Love You, and I was there to discuss the 20th anniversary of FACING EAST. Barbara led the panel as the publisher of Carol Lynn’s diaries. Carol Lynn had told me she couldn’t travel anymore, so she wouldn’t be able to attend our revival, and wasn’t sure she could do much press. That’s when I knew her time was truly short. Because if there’s anything Carol Lynn was always up for as Mormondom’s preeminent LGBTQ+ advocate, it was talking to the press. She’d told Barbara the same regarding participating in our panel
Charles Lynn Frost
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theatre bug, but I also thought about maybe psychology or possibly even the priesthood. Senior year, closing night of my big high school musical, I looked up into the lights and thought, ‘This is how I’m going to do that thing I want to do: to be useful.’ When I read FACING EAST, I was immediately struck by the intensity of it. In that first reading in front of an audience [at Winter Pride], I had a really strong feeling that this was a play that wasn’t just a play. I had the rare opportunity that many actors never get, to be able to do something far beyond their own ambitions as an actor. Something that was useful. Truly. That really, really helped people. At the end of that experience, I remember having a conversation with my mother: ‘If I never get to do anything else on a stage again, I got to do that.’”
Carol Lynn wrote in her journal (Volume 3) that “Jay Perry was stunning as Marcus.” Jay Perry today
discussion and promoting her diaries. So, Barbara traveled to Carol Lynn’s home in the Bay Area and recorded her reading passages from her diaries. And then, on July 29, we got the news that Carol Lynn had lost her battle with uterine cancer and had passed away. It was surreal to be speaking about her work less than 48 hours after she’d passed. She was suddenly so far away. But she was also there with us, thanks to Barbara’s recordings. I invited actor JAY PERRY to attend. He created the role of Marcus in the world premiere of FACING EAST 20 years ago and was now preparing to play Alex in the revival. Barbara met him right before the session began and asked if he would share a few thoughts about his experience with the play. When the time came, Barbara signaled, and Jay testified. FACING EAST was the seminal experience of my professional, personal, and spiritual life. And continues to be that today. I met with my counselor my junior year of high school, and she asked, ‘What’s important to you? What’s meaningful? And how do you want to spend your life?’ And I didn’t know. But I knew that I wanted to try to do something that would be helpful. I wanted to be useful. I had been bitten by the
Preparing for the 20th anniversary revival I’ve been reading and re-reading my text messages and emails with Carol Lynn since her passing. There were lots of loving notes about how cute my son Oscar was at various ages. And then this one, from last December: “Finding a few things in my diary about the development of Facing East.
JUNE 1, 1978 On Thursday my brother Warren and I drove to Provo and visited the cemetery. I had not realized that all of the graves there are laid out so the dead are facing east, in order that on resurrection morning, when the trumpets sound in the east, they can all arise and be facing the correct way. Wow. Isn’t it great to have the Only True Information so we don’t just lie there backwards and confused on resurrection morning?
AUGUST 14, 2004 First, the playwrighting [sic] workshop I took this weekend in San Francisco. Sponsored by Golden Thread Productions. Octavio Solis, about whom I read good things on the web, taught/facilitated. Small group. Twelve around a table. Minds stretching and exploding. I might not have gone had I known how on the spot/intense the experience would be. I’m a traditional writer, plan things, think things, slowly, slowly develop things. Slam, smash, we had to go with the assignment instantly, see a character, interview her/him, place them in a scene, add another character,
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hear dialogue. An instruction: Write a few lines about a story you are thinking of writing.” I am so involved with my current story that this was hard. But I brought up one I’d thought of off and on-something about a man who rejects his gay son and influences him toward suicide, which has happened before the play opens. The character who showed up, to my surprise, was an old woman. The grandmother, before the funeral. I’m assigned to ask her questions. Who hurt you the most?” My husband.” Why?” He only loved me on Sunday morning, at church. When he took off his church clothes, he never smiled at me.” Octavio loved that line, ‘Only loved me on Sunday morning! — you can’t make that up — you have to receive it from some special place!’ He said the first scene I wrote would be a terrific first scene to a play — directly after the funeral.
The grandmother would become Andrew’s mother Ruth. And the man and husband would be combined into one character: Andrew’s father Alex. Carol Lynn nudged me with an email in early 2016: ‘How about a 10th anniversary production?’ But it felt too soon. In 2021, we texted about a 15th anniversary production, but everything was uncertain because of the pandemic. And then in June 2024, a week after we received news of Bruce’s passing, she emailed me that she was doing better after a prolonged illness and included a review of a production that was running in Mexico and said: “Hey — do a revival sometime, Jerry. Our issues are not yet at the finish line in Utah.” I responded with, “Maybe for the 20th anniversary...” And then I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Over the next year, I had a lightbulb moment: Jay Perry could now play Alex! And it would be the perfect opportunity for us to honor the memories of Bruce and Charles Lynn Frost. When I called Carol Lynn in January of this year to tell her we were moving ahead with a 20th anniversary revival, she was thrilled. Although she was recovering from another prolonged illness, she rewrote two lines to ensure that the play could be set in 2026.
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Importance Today In “The Life of Reason,” Spanish philosopher George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” And we are in the midst of that repetition. In the first seven months of 2026, more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in 46 state legislatures nationwide, an attempt to strip away the civil protections that accompany marriage equality, and even marriage equality itself. Most have been defeated, but the act of bringing them forward does its own damage. Truth be told, 2026 feels an awful lot like 2006, when FACING EAST received its world premiere at Plan-B Theatre. FACING EAST is as prescient now as it was 20 years ago, maybe even more so. It remains a template for listening and leading with love at a
time when both are at risk. It challenges presuppositions of what mothers and fathers are capable of. And it personifies Carol Lynn’s impact on LDS culture as a touchstone (and sometimes lifeline) for those who are gay and LDS, and their families. Developing and directing FACING EAST has been the single greatest honor of my 30-year career in the theatre. It changed me, challenged me, inspired me, and healed me, as it did for countless others. Revisiting it is an honor and a blessing. Thank you, Carol Lynn. Q Jerry Rapier has been artistic director of Plan-B Theatre since 2000. He directs Plan-B Theatre’s 20th anniversary revival of FACING EAST, running Oct. 22–Nov. 8 in the Studio Theatre at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. Tickets and details at planbtheatre.org/facingeast – several performances are already sold out. The Diaries of Carol Lynn Pearson, Volumes 1–4 and a new edition of Facing East will be available for purchase at all performances.
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FALL ARTS GUIDE
20 Years, One Final Bow:
Adam Sklute’s Legacy at Ballet West
Adam
Sklute, Ballet West’s artistic director since 2007, has announced he will retire at the close of the 2026-27 season — his 20th anniversary with the company and the longest artistic directorship in Ballet West’s 63-year history, surpassing even that of founder Willam F. Christensen. Sklute broke the news in a personal letter posted to Ballet West’s website, framing the decision as one made from strength, not crisis. “I come to this decision at a time when Ballet West is both artistically and financially strong and solid,” he wrote, calling the company “renowned around the world as one of America’s top ten ballet companies.” That wasn’t always the case. When Sklute arrived in March 2007, Ballet West was canceling programming, its Academy had fewer than 150 students, and no new works had been created in nine years. Sklute — a 23-year veteran of The Joffrey Ballet who danced for Robert Joffrey himself before rising to associate director — was hired with a three-part
mandate: strengthen the dancers and productions, raise Ballet West’s national profile, and grow the Academy. Two decades later, the numbers tell the story. The operating budget nearly tripled. The Academy swelled to more than 900 students across four campuses, making it the fourth-largest ballet school in the country. Subscriptions climbed against national industry trends. Sklute launched the Innovations series (later split into the Choreographic Festival and Works From Within), expanded story-ballet offerings with titles like Onegin, Dracula, and Madame Butterfly, and steered Ballet West through its Breaking Pointe reality-TV run and the 2015 move into the Jessie Eccles Quinney Ballet Centre — the first time the company operated under one roof. In 2024, the Utah Legislature designated Ballet West’s Nutcracker a Living Historic Landmark. Board Chair Jennifer Huntsman credited Sklute with elevating “every aspect of the organization,” while executive director Michael Scolamiero
called their near-decade partnership among the most gratifying of his 29year career leading ballet companies. An international search for Sklute’s successor, led by DeVos Institute chairman Michael M. Kaiser, will launch during the 2026-27 season, which will double as a celebration of Sklute’s tenure. He plans to stay in Salt Lake City after stepping down. Beyond the studio, Sklute has been a visible presence in Utah’s civic and LGBTQ circles — an adjunct professor at the University of Utah, a recipient of the Utah National Guard’s Bronze Minuteman Award and Westminster College’s MLK Unsung Hero Award, and a 2007 honoree among the “25 Movers and Shakers of the Utah Arts Scene.” He’s also established a life at home to match his professional milestone: Sklute and his husband, Christopher Renstrom, have been together for 33 years — a partnership that has quietly paralleled nearly the entirety of his career remaking one of the nation’s top ballet companies. Q
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FALL ARTS GUIDE
Ballet West announces season of Gothic thrills, Rolling Stones, and a return to classic storytelling Ballet West has unveiled its 2026-27 season — the company’s 62nd — with a lineup that mixes treasured holiday tradition, full-length narrative classics, and boundary-pushing contemporary work. Season subscriptions are now on sale, with six-ballet packages starting at $218, and existing subscribers can renew directly through the Box Office at 801-869-6900. Notably, this season also marks Artistic Director Adam Sklute’s 20th anniversary with the company — and his final season at the helm. “To celebrate my twentieth anniversary, I’ve curated audience favorites, renowned classics, and contemporary gems that reflect the strength and diversity that defines Ballet West,” Sklute said. The season kicks off with the return of “Dracula,” running October 23-31, 2026, at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre. Choreographed by Ben Stevenson to a score by Franz Liszt (arranged by John Lanchbery), the production is billed as
“back by popular demand”. It blends old-Hollywood Gothic horror with lighthearted comedy and classical technique. Expect flying effects and theatrical pyrotechnics alongside the dancing — Front Row Reviewers called it a “Gothic Showstopper.” The nearly two-and-a-halfhour production, with two intermissions, is recommended for ages 8 and up. November brings “Rolling With the Stones,” a program of five contemporary works running November 6-14. Highlights include the Utah premiere of Ulysses Dove’s elegiac “Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven,” set to Arvo Pärt, and the Utah premiere of Christopher Bruce’s “Rooster” — a stylish, athletic piece danced to a suite of Rolling Stones classics. The bill rounds out with Christopher Wheeldon’s “Je ne t’Aime pas” and “This Bitter Earth,” plus Ben Stevenson’s “Three Preludes,” set respectively to Kurt Weill, Dinah Washington (as arranged by Max Richter), PHOTOS: BEAU PEARSON
What We Do
We hold many UTAH monthly and BEARS annual events BEAR COFFEE AND DINNER:
Bear Coffee is held every Wednesday at Granato’s Market & Deli, then we head to dinner at different local restaurants each week. Follow our calendar or Facebook for more details.
BEAR NIGHT AT CLUB TRY-ANGLES
The first Friday of each month at 8pm. Every other month is UnderBear night. Come out and meet the bears and their admirers, purchase merchandise, and socialize on the biggest and hairiest Friday of the month!
BEAR BRUNCH
We meet at a local restaurant on the 4th Sunday for Bear Brunch. Follow us on Facebook or on our Google Calendar for details.
HIKING WITH THE BEARS
A few times a year, we take to the hills for Hiking with the Bears. These hikes allow for participants to enjoy the outdoors at their own pace, from beginner to advanced hikers.
UTAH BEAR JAMBEAREE
Join us in July for our annual CATERED campout.
UtahBears.com F UtahBears d utahbears2011
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and Rachmaninoff. Critical Dance praised “Rooster” as “diverse and eclectic.” No Ballet West season would be complete without “The Nutcracker,” America’s first full production of the ballet, running December 4-26, 2026. Willam Christensen’s original 1944 choreography — now recognized as a Living Historic Land-
mark by the State of Utah — has been performed continuously by the company since 1955, set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score. The New York Times has called it “one of the best Nutcrackers.” With dozens of performances across the holiday season (including matinees and evening shows nearly daily from December 4 through
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26), it remains the company’s signature family event, recommended for ages 4 and up. Single tickets go on sale in September, with additional showtimes to be announced. The new year opens with “Don Quixote,” February 12-20, 2027, Anna-Marie Holmes’ staging after Marius Petipa, scored by Ludwig Minkus. Set in the twisting streets of Seville, the comic ballet follows spirited Kitri and her suitor Basilio, punctuated by an all-male ensemble flamenco sequence performed to nothing but stomping feet and clapping hands. The Guardian dubbed it “heaps of fun.” April is a particularly full month. “The Glass Slipper,” April 2-3, 2027, is the season’s Family Classics Series add-on production, performed by Ballet West II and students of the Frederick Quinney Lawson Ballet West Academy. This hour-long, narrated telling of the Cinderella story, choreographed by Pamela Robinson-Harris to Prokofiev, is aimed at young audiences (ages 4 and up) as an introduction to live theater — and the Saturday, April 3 evening performance will be narrated entirely in Spanish. That’s followed by “Carmina Burana,” April 9-17, 2027, pairing Nicolo Fonte’s staging of Carl Orff’s dramatic cantata with George Balanchine’s neoclassical “Symphony in C,” set to Bizet. The Balanchine work, described as “seeing the music, hearing the dance,” builds to a finale featuring all 52 company dancers in white tutus — a spectacle the Utah
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Arts Review called “stunning.” The season closes in May with “Works From Within,” May 12-15, 2027, at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center rather than the Capitol Theatre. This is Ballet West’s dancer-choreographer showcase, in which company members selected through a competitive proposal and workshop process create and stage original works — a chance, as the marketing puts it, for “dancers to become creators.” Subscription details: Six-ballet packages are priced by seating section, from $218 (Orchestra 5/Mezzanine 5) up through $781 (Grand Tier, Boxes, Premium Orchestra), with the top two tiers ($709 and $781) bundling in an annual $200 Storyteller Membership per seat. Taken as a whole, the 62nd season focuses on what Ballet West does best: reliable holiday spectacle, full-length story ballets with international pedigree, and a true platform for both developing Utah talent (the Academy-driven “Glass Slipper”) and the company’s own dancers taking on choreographic roles. For subscribers and single-ticket buyers alike, it’s a season that spans horror-tinged theatricality, rock-and-roll contemporary dance, and pure classical showcase — proof that Utah’s flagship ballet company continues to diversify its repertoire while protecting its signature traditions, even as it prepares to bid farewell to the artistic director who shaped it for two decades. Q More info and tickets at BALLETWEST.ORG PHOTO: BEAU PEARSON
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deep inside hollywood BY ROMEO SAN VICENTE
‘Heated Rivalry’ gets new teammates The second season casting process has begun for “Heated Rivalry,” creator Jacob Tierney’s spectacularly popular TV adaptation of Rachel Reid’s gay hockey romantasy “Game Changers” series of books. Of course, sudden heartthrobs Ilya (Connor Storrie) and Shane (Hudson Williams) are returning. As for new faces, queer actor Justice Smith (“I Saw the TV Glow”) and “One Night Only” co-star Charlie Gillespie are signed up to play Harris, a hockey team’s social media manager, and a bully of a player named Troy, respectively. Tierney has disclosed that Season 2 will continue Shane and Ilya’s story from the book, “The Long Game,” and will also introduce the new couple, as seen in the book “Role Model.” Devoted readers will, as before, be expected to deal with the free translation of the book series to the TV series. It’s expected to drop in spring 2027, and we’re still holding out hope for a cameo from loose cannon hockey weirdo Shoresy from Tierney’s earlier projects, “Shoresy” and “Letterkenny.” We can dream.
“Heartstopper” star Kit Connor puts on the Cyclops visor Now that Netflix’s queer teen romance “Heartstopper” has ended, breakout star Kit Connor is leaping into new projects. First there was the Alex Garland film “Warfare,” and soon the “Elden Ring” film adaptation, but the big news of the moment is the new Marvel Studios “X-Men” film in the works from director Jake Schreier and writers Lee Sung Jin (“Beef”) and Joanna Calo (“The Bear”). In the long-awaited project, currently casting, Connor will step into the role of X-Men leader Scott Summers/Cyclops, joining Samara Weaving, who’s taking the role of Emma Frost. Connor will be the third actor to step into the role, taking over from Tye Sheridan and, earlier, James Marsden. (In the meantime, Marsden will reprise the character one more time in this December’s “Avengers: Doomsday.”) It’s all in the early stages, so stand by for more updates. And for “Heartstopper” stans who don’t know
what any of this means, here’s a quick lesson: Cyclops is known as the leader of the Mutants, and he shoots energy beams from his eyes; only now those energy beams, like Connor, will be officially bisexual. We made up that last part.
‘Clueless’ refuses to engage in a midlife crisis If you’ve been following the on-again, off-again status of the TV series version of the 1995 teen classic film “Clueless,” rejoice, because it’s back on. It’s headed to Paramount+, which makes it a sort of homecoming, as Paramount Pictures produced the original film back in the ’90s. In it, Alicia Silverstone created the indelible, unflappable Cher Horowitz, the Beverly Hills high school student who brought joy to everyone she met. Silverstone will reprise her role in this limited series, and Cher will now be the parent to a high-school-aged daughter of her own. Beyond that, little is known besides a tentative shooting date of early 2027. The original film was a touchstone for queer millennial teens now in their 40s, and it’s a near certainty that this iteration will include that level of culturally progressive joie de vivre. More details to come as this project moves forward.
Rebel Wilson’s ‘Girl Group’ takes bow at TIFF Rebel Wilson’s second feature film as director is about to have its premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. “Girl Group,” written, directed, and starring Wilson, sees her circling her old “Pitch Perfect” milieu: the world of pop music. She plays a difficult diva kicked out of her own group and then handed a community service court order, during which she coaches a teen girl group in the hopes of landing a recording contract. And the cast is catnip: Jennifer Coolidge, former Pussycat Dolls Nicole Scherzinger and Ashley Roberts, All Saints alum Shaznay Lewis and Spice Girls star Melanie Chisholm, the legendary Sporty Spice herself. No word on when the music-based comedy hits theaters after TIFF, but all you Millennial pop gays know where you’re going to be opening weekend.
Colman Domingo meets Princess Tiana? This is the earliest of early announcements, but two-time Emmy nominee Colman Domingo is planning to relaunch Disney’s Princess Tiana, of “The Princess and the Frog,” Disney’s last hand-drawn animated feature from 2009. A live-action film is the goal, and Domingo is teaming up with playwright Robert O’Hara, the Tony-nominated director of “Slave Play,” to work on the script. Now, live-action remakes of classic Disney animated features are a dime a dozen these days, and there are as many misses as hits when it’s all said and done. Fatigue has set in. But this project appears to be charting a new course for its characters: a new story rather than a simple, somewhat-less-animated remake about the young woman who must return a frog prince to human form. We like the sound of that, and we know Domingo and O’Hara have the goods to make it something special.
George Michael documentary concert film in theaters this fall Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Beyonce, Led Zeppelin, Talking Heads: They’ve all been on big screens in the past few years, to enthusiastic audience response. And here comes George Michael, with “Faith,” in IMAX. The legendary, late, gay pop icon is the subject of “George Michael: The Faith Tour,” shot in 1988 at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. The “Faith” album was unusual for a pop star at the time because Michael wrote, arranged, and produced it, and this concert doc, filmed over two nights, is a time capsule and a timeless record of an artist at the height of his fame and power. Co-directors Andy Morahan (the music videos for “Faith,” “Last Christmas” and “Careless Whisper”) and David Austin (“George Michael: Freedom Uncut”) have assembled the footage into what they promise will be a cinematic event. It’ll definitely satisfy old fans, and no doubt create new ones. Coming to theaters late this fall, jump on those tickets — “Odyssey” style — when they go on sale. Q Romeo San Vicente prefers the Tunnel of Love.
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Joseph Osmundson’s ‘Spawning Season’ Asks: How Do You Grieve What Never Was?
In his science-meets-memoir book, the author asks what we lose — and gain — when the future we planned never arrives BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI
How do
you define “child” when you’re a queer boy who can’t carry one but wants to anyways? Growing up, Joseph Osmundson loved the women in his life (“mothers are a poppy seed cake, a lemon drizzle; fathers catch and release”) so much he could imagine fully stepping into their nurturing roles. Like them, he imagined not just raising a “queaby,” or a queer baby, but carrying one himself, in his belly, with Kay, a queer friend he met in college who stayed close into adulthood. He imagined their little one licking batter off the beater, just as he had. He named the kid Fry before there was a kid. Then everyone grew up: Kay partnered with Jaime, and the two asked Joseph to be their sperm donor. All three imagined a future with Fry. Then Kay and her wife ultimately decided they wanted to pursue parenthood in a way that reflected their own racial background, and the future they had imagined with Fry disappeared. A professor of microbiology at New York University and the author of “Virology,” the critically acclaimed essay collection exploring our relationship with infectious viruses, Osmundson sorts through a deeper, more unspoken grief in the science-meets-memoir book “Spawning Season: An Experiment in Queer Parenthood.” This new work asks a fundamental question: How do you grieve what never was? What makes Fry’s absence complicated is that Osmundson is grieving not only a child, but a version of queer family-making that he once believed was possible. To explore that loss, and how he arrived at the name Fry, he reaches for science — specifically, the life cycle of the salmon. “For every two hundred fry, ten will survive and become smolts,” he writes in the book, reflecting shortly thereafter that the name started as
a joke and then became “a way for two queer kids to say we loved each other without having to say it.” “A part of writing the book was filling the void,” he tells me recently, explaining why he frequently returns to writing about Fry as a baby fish, using the salmon life cycle to give symbolic shape to his thoughts: spawning, eggs, survival, return, loss. “The grief, in this case, was the absence of a child. And so it felt really important to make an object of that loss — something that could be material in the world.” “To be able to hold it in my hands,” he says about the book’s existence, “in the way that I both can, but also can’t, hold Fry in my hands.” Osmundson wrote 400,000 words of fish research for the book — facts, maps of the Columbia River Basin, details about dams, hours spent immersed in the biology of particular Pacific salmon species. It was, he admits, a way to delay confronting what the water represented: a future he wanted but couldn’t have. “I would wake up on Saturday and Sunday morning, and the quietness, the silence of my home was oppressive, because I had been planning on spending weekend days in a home with a child,” he says. “I was looking for answers in the rational world to what was functionally an irrational experience, which is grief.” It is the death of possibility that is being grieved. But for years, even naming that loss felt impossible. Before writing the book, Osmundson struggled to talk about Fry with close friends, worried that putting the experience into words would somehow take away from it. “If I shared my relationship with my almost-child, she would disappear or wouldn’t be real to me anymore.” That fear became one of the emotional stakes of writing “Spawning Season.” To put Fry onto the page was to risk
exposing something deeply personal — not just the imagined child, but the depth of the grief attached to her. The chapters with Fry, he says, felt “very, very vulnerable” to write. Lonely, too. “One of the reasons I wrote the book is that I was so isolated through the experience,” he says. But publishing the book revealed something he didn’t fully understand while living through the loss: that his grief was not as singular as it felt. Readers and strangers began recognizing pieces of themselves in his story — in the children they couldn’t have, the futures that changed, the lives they had imagined differently. “It turns out that a lot of people see fractures of that experience in their own lives. And it’s actually not lonely at all — it’s just something that we are often taught not to talk about publicly.” In hindsight, would it have helped him to be more open about Fry with, at the very least, more of his friends? Osmundson responds without regret, with the kind of self-compassion that comes from having moved through the experience rather than simply beyond it. “Life throws you a lot of really difficult experiences,” he says. “And frankly, I wasn’t sharing with people because I was in denial, and I was bargaining. And so I couldn’t accept the loss in myself, and therefore I couldn’t go to anyone to help process that loss. It was a loss that I wasn’t ready to believe was actually happening. I’m really tender to the person that went through this experience in the past.” Q Chris Azzopardi is the executive editor and brand 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.
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the bookworm sez REVIEW BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
‘Transcendent: A Memoir’ by Laverne Cox C.2026, GALLERY BOOKS, $30, 238 PAGES
Okay, let’s just say it: you’re tired of lies. They come from above, behind, from either shoulder. They’re repeated, laid out in a line, told as if they’re true, but they’re not. You wish people would stop lying to you. As in the new memoir “Transcendent” by Laverne Cox, you wish you could tell the truth about yourself. Sissy. If the bullies in the neighborhood weren’t constantly calling Laverne Cox that name, then Cox’s mother was. “Sissy” was just one word, though; the others were worse. The boys would say those things while they beat Cox, when they could catch her. Her mother screamed them at her gentle child
q scopes SEPTEMBER BY SAM KELLEY-MILLS
ARIES March 20–April 19
The changing season hasn’t slowed your energy, and apparently it hasn’t cooled your libido either. Attraction could arrive fast, hot, and with very little warning. Enjoy the chemistry, flirt shamelessly, and see where the evening takes you. Just don’t mistake every spark for destiny. Sometimes a little fun is allowed to be exactly that.
TAURUS Apr 20–May 20
Cooler evenings are coming, which is basically the universe giving you permission to get cozy. Your attention turns toward home, comfort, and the people who make you feel safe enough to be completely yourself. Make room for them. Your chosen family deserves a seat at the table.
GEMINI May 21–June 20
You are caught between one more night out and the temptation to disappear under a blanket until spring. Somehow, you’ll manage both. An unexpected connection could leave you intrigued, but pay attention
who didn’t like “boy” activities. Even at eight years old, says Cox, “I was a prim and proper lady.” Despite the verbal abuse about her perceived feminine behavior and a furtive, failed attempt at conversion therapy, Cox’s mother sent her and her brother to the Alabama School of Fine Arts, where Cox learned to dance. It was a lifeline for her, and the talent gained there helped Cox get into college in Indiana. From there, Cox expected to find fame and fortune in New York City. And yet, the abuse she suffered as a child held Cox back, and the words “There is something wrong with me” became a daily mantra. “I didn’t know how to say it,” Cox says. “I’m a girl.” There were therapy sessions to get to that point, as Cox learned the language and skills needed to speak the truth. Landing a sense of style helped, as did her brother’s support, a handful of friends, and happy, scent-infused memories of her mother’s make-up table. At each step, Cox says, “I was expressing myself, I was also allowing myself to edge closer to my girlhood.” Let’s start here: “Transcen-
to what it brings out in you. The best kind of love doesn’t ask you to become someone else. It inspires you to become more of who you want to be.
CANCER June 21–July 22
A little nostalgia may find you as the days begin to change. Don’t spend too much time looking backward. This is a chance to create new traditions with the people who matter most. Home isn’t always a place. Sometimes it’s simply where you can exhale, let your guard down, and be completely yourself.
LEO July 23–August 22
Your season may be over, but the spotlight hasn’t received the memo. You’re still visible, magnetic, and just dramatic enough to keep things interesting. Someone close may challenge you in ways you didn’t expect. Don’t immediately roar. Love sometimes holds up a mirror, and what you learn from it could help you shine even brighter.
VIRGO August 23–Sep 2
It’s your season, Virgo, so naturally you’ve already made a list. This is a perfect time to reorganize more than your closet. Consider which routines, relationships, and expectations still fit the person you’re becoming. Keep what works, release what
dent” is a difficult read – not for style, but for substance. From her earliest memory of being sexually abused as a toddler; to verbal and physical abuse from many sources; to what, judging by photo captions, seems perhaps like forgiveness, author Laverne Cox glosses over nothing. Be ready, in other words, for pages and pages of memories that, like a roller-coaster, will make you cringe and want to hide your eyes, although doing so would be a mistake. The best part of this memoir is its overall arc. As this book progresses, Cox’s story does, too. We see a child who knows a truth but has no words for it. The child becomes a teen with a bursting sense of self, then a young adult who craves love as she’s stretching her wings. By the time Cox advances to writing about her career and the abuse is (mostly) over, readers will breathe a well-deserved sigh of relief. Whew, you’ve winced through a harrowing tale to reach a satisfying but not complete update. Fans of Cox’s work will want “Transcendent,” as will anyone who’s transitioned, is thinking about it, or loves someone who has. It’s a rough read, but a necessary one, then, and that’s no lie. Q
doesn’t, and remember that you don’t need a spreadsheet for everything.
LIBRA Sept 23–October 22
The leaves aren’t the only things preparing for a change. As you reconsider what balance really means, look closely at the relationships around you. The right kind of love doesn’t require you to bend to keep the peace constantly. It gives you room to grow, speak honestly, and become stronger together. Your needs belong in the equation too.
SCORPIO Oct 23–Nov 21
The cooler nights suit you, Scorpio, but things could get considerably warmer behind closed doors. Your natural magnetism is running high, and someone may be giving you signals that are increasingly difficult to misunderstand. Put the detective work aside. If the attraction is mutual, stop analyzing the chemistry and start enjoying it.
SAGITTARIUS Nov 22–December 20
Your curiosity is pulling you toward something new. Take a class, explore somewhere unfamiliar, or finally make those plans you’ve been talking about. A change of scenery may be exactly what you need to shake loose a new idea. Fall doesn’t mean hibernation. For you, it’s another open road.
CAPRICORN Dec 21–Jan 19
Back-to-business energy is returning, and you’re strangely delighted about it. Goals that seemed distant earlier this year suddenly feel achievable. Just remember that productivity isn’t a personality trait. Make time for friends, romance, and an evening when absolutely nothing gets accomplished. Consider relaxation an important item on your agenda.
AQUARIUS Jan 20–Feb 18
A little reinvention looks good on you, and apparently other people have noticed. Your confidence is turning heads, so don’t be surprised if flirting becomes considerably less subtle. Change your look, make the first move, or let someone discover that your unconventional streak extends beyond your wardrobe. Being yourself has rarely looked this sexy.
PISCES Feb 19–Mar 19
Your Imagination is especially vibrant in this month, making for an ideal time for creativity, romance, and meaningful conversations. Trust your instincts when meeting new people. Kindness has a way of finding its way back to you, often wearing a smile you didn’t expect. Q
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SEPTEMBER 2026
Kyle’s Bed & Breakfast by Greg Fox
makes it funny 7 They’re trained to use The Irony of Being 36 ...which that she once agreed paddles to do this (With 478 Emissions-watching org. Supportive
and 57-Across) 9 Well-mannered 40 Trip to the top 10 Ford lemon that was not fruitful 1 Uncastrated male hog 41 Drink with a fruitcake 42 Took to the air 11 Bringing back, as 5 Win every game 43 “Great balls of fire!” computer memory 10 Language of Wilde’s 45 Doubtfire, in Dijon 12 Kind of service dog land 47 See 36-Across 13 Thompson of “Angels 14 Hathaway of “The 51 Eva Gabor had some in America” Devil Wears Prada” green ones on TV 18 Farm animal that’s no 15 Beat, to Barber 55 Directly across from breeder 16 Regard as (abbr.) 22 In a substandard way 17 The former Ms. Bakker 56 Lang. of the von 24 Sports replay technique said she tried never to Trapps 25 “It’s ___ vu all over 57 See 36-Across be this... again!” 59 “___ Family” 19 Pansy supporter 26 Former radio host Don 61 Cinder suffix in a fairy 20 Presidential sexual 27 Gov. prog. to help tale activity minors 63 “Sock ___ me!” 29 Baltic port 21 Peninsula where the 64 Screwup for Billy Bean 31 Fruits did this in the rain falls mainly on 65 Suffix with “dream,” orchard the plain on Broadway 33 Femme chaser 23 Landlord’s self-de66 Stick it in milk 35 “I am the beautiful scription? 67 Goes out with reflection of my love’s 24 Dictator of Nureyev’s 68 Peewee people ___” land 69 Coward of “Blithe 37 Computer nerd Spirit” 25 Frasier’s lover in 38 Employee hirers, e.g. Boston 39 “The Wizard of Oz” DOWN 28 Duly noted a hottie studio 1 Lorca’s lower 30 One that gets laid 44 Emulate Gus van Sant 49 Works with visual 2 Obligation, in court 53 Makeup maker Lauder 60 Lesbian opponent of 32 “Unbelievable” band 46 Chess queen, ironically 3 Extra stipulations effects 54 Seat at the Stonewall Wade 33 One who may want 47 Made a “moo” 4 Get back Inn 62 George Michael’s a bone 48 Barber’s _Antony and 50 Fame 5 Phallic monument 6 Got cracking 34 Netman Rod Cleopatra_, e.g. 52 Nostalgic fashion trend 58 Mouthful for a stallion bathroom
ACROSS
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 55
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Each Sudoku puzzle has a unique solution which can be reached logically without guessing. Enter digits 1 through 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit, as must each column and each 3x3 square. Qdoku
Q doku Medium
8 2 3 4 5 1 3 2 6 5
7 8
9 4 8
6
1 5 4 8
9
1 2 3 9 5 8 4 3 6
3 4 5 1 3 8 6 5 9 8 8 1 6 9 5 4 5 7 9 7 8 3 5 4 9 6 7 1 3 4 2 3 2 6 3 5 2 3 4 8 6 1 7 5 6 9 4 8 2 3 5 2 5 8 3 6 7 9 4 9 2 8 7 3 6 5 7 4 5 4 3 9 2 4 6 7 5 1 7 5 4 4 5 9 6 7 6 4 2 1 1 9 2 2 3 4 5 7 5 3 9 2 5 6 8 3
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SEPTEMBER 2026
catching my breath
The Lost Generation of Old New York BY SEBASTIAN FORTINO
Picture it,
Manhattan, Lincoln Center, September, 2001. A young man with alabaster skin, perky lips, dark brown eyes the color of damp chestnuts, and blond hair courtesy of a muscle queen stylist in Chelsea is awakened. He is asleep on a dorm room sofa. His friend wakes him up. Screaming and laughing out of panic, “AWOL,” the young man’s college nickname, “AWOL, there’s a plane in the World Trade Center!” “What, that’s a movie! Are those my glasses?” Putting them on, “Oh…that’s not a movie! “No, look, it’s the news.” “Oh, shit!” Then what seemed like a brief eternity later, the young man shouted back at his friend, “But look! There’s another plane to help … them.” That boy was me, and that roommate was Pablo Picasso.* (*extensive Golden Girls reference) Me, and my college bestie Matt. I wasn’t technically still a student, since I graduated in May. But I had to retake Italian “due,” and the class was so early it was better for me to crash at the Fordham Lincoln Center dorms on West 60th Street than to get there on time from my apartment at 160th Street. The night before, we were all just sitting around, being college-age kids. Photos are preserved somewhere. The next morning, well, the world was literally destined to never be the same. Cell phones were useless to make calls on because, well, everyone was trying to do the same thing. We saw fighter planes flying around the city, unsure at first if they were ours or this new enemy. A note: New York should have always had a military defense around it. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. We all banded together. We watched the smoke float up from downtown.
We went to each other’s dorm rooms, ordering wine from the local shop, being sold for half price with delivery. Hey, if you were watching the world fall to shit as a small business owner on the Upper West Side, I’m sure you’d do the same. “The World Trade Center is down, I gotta move inventory! Everybody is gonna be drinking today.” A dear friend visiting her father and, of course, me, from her native Switzerland, was with us the night before. We managed to get in touch that day. She was supposed to fly back to Zürich. But, as all commercial flights were canceled, she would have to wait until – no kidding – until her Mercedes-Benz executive father was able to get her on a private plane owned by Daimler-Chrysler escorting executives to Berlin. (Maybe someday I’ll tell you how she, the Swiss Miss Princess, held up the plane for two hours after she accused the TSA agent of suggesting she had a bomb on her Swiss person. Maybe not…) And, in the following years, to hear people say, “Everyone was New York that day!” The hell you were not! I have written about the things surrounding those before days in what I recall as Old New York, like novelist Edith Wharton did about New York in The Gilded Age when writing about the era in the 1920s. But, for a different reason. Twenty-five years ago, the greatest city in our country, one of the greatest in the world, was changed in an unfathomable moment. My college was immediately in mourning. Several people had studied post-graduate finance or law at Fordham, and subsequently worked in one of the towers. People wore black in New York all the time, of course–très chic. But I saw people not dressed in black because of its sartorial status in the city at the time. Now, on subways and on sidewalks, people were dressed in black for funer-
als and memorials. Firehouses, police stations, hospitals, offices, and houses of worship were draped in black bunting. The buses and subway cars had National Guard officers stationed on them. Something my late mother remembered from her girlhood in WWII Philadelphia. The most glorious city, one without limit one day, was patrolled the next. Now, that 25 years separate us from that day, I also remember feeling sad for what the freshman in that and other dorms all over New York were seeing … and feeling. In town for maybe two weeks, and you get invaded. Talk about bad timing. I thought starting my freshman year the day after Princess Diana died was bad. With those incoming students, my sad memory pales in comparison and consequence. This, as much as I adore the late princess. I feel we are, we were, like those 1920s Americans who went to France in the aftermath of WWI. Names you have heard: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Earnest Hemingway, Josephine Baker, Gertrude Stein, Gerald and Sarah Murphy, Cole and Linda Porter, all members of the Lost Generation of artists. They were untethered by what once mattered. As were those of us there that fateful Tuesday. The June before, toasting to our successes as graduates on a beach on Nag’s Head on the Outer Banks, North Carolina, three months later drinking half-cost wine and wondering if we were going to be nuked. Osama bin…who? I feel a lot of the people I graduated with were ultimately denied the future they wanted to carve out for themselves. Fearful parents called young adult children home. Apartment prices fell near the former World Trade Center, Ground Zero. But, nobody from Old New York wanted them. Onslaughts of young married Christian couples
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from Nebraska moved into them “wanting to help.” Help? The only thing they did was clutter SoHo on Sundays with strollers, trying to find a brunch spot that would accommodate Little Tyler’s need for a nut-free menu and his incessant screaming. And, the East Village and Alphabet City? They soldiered on for a little while longer as one of the last truly cool spots for LGBTQ+ people in Manhattan. Until more
strollers forced the residents and everything cool out. As I write this, it has occurred to me I am perhaps no longer bitter about that morning. Sad, of course. Angry, still. But perhaps I should be grateful. After all, I was there when Old New York was buried under the sacred ashes of what I knew. In retrospect, I am glad to have been there to say goodbye, and amen. Q
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bricks & rainbows of marmalade
Ep. 8: Heat Warnings BY CHRISTOPHER SNOW
By August, Salt Lake City felt brittle. The heat pressed down on Marmalade like a hand on the back of the neck. The Pride flags were faded now, colors sun-bleached but still defiant. The house smelled faintly of iced coffee, stress, and whatever Alex was burning that week to “clear hostile energy.” Grant had gone quiet again. No texts. No notices. No smiles from next door. That silence was worse. Alex met the mystery contact at a nearly empty coffee shop downtown, the kind with mismatched chairs and a bulletin board full of activist flyers. The woman introduced herself as Lila. Early thirties. Sharp eyes. Nervous hands. “I used to work for him,” Lila said, sliding a flash drive across the table. “Property management. Compliance. Cleanup.” “Cleanup?” Alex asked. “Tenants,” Lila replied. “Mostly queer. Artists. Group houses. He targets places with
‘nontraditional occupancy.’ Pushes until people leave.” Alex swallowed. “And this?” “Emails. Templates. Notes. He calls it ‘pressure sequencing.’” Alex felt a chill despite the heat. That night, the house gathered around Jonah’s laptop like it was a campfire. The files were damning. Spreadsheets ranking tenants by “visibility.” Notes about “leveraging moral complaints.” A draft memo that literally used the phrase “Pride month leverage window.” Mateo laughed, hollow. “He made a spreadsheet about my existence.” Paige was already taking screenshots. “This establishes pattern. Intent. Retaliation.” Nora leaned back. “This could end him.” Eli felt something new bloom under the fear. Hope. Dangerous, bright hope. They forwarded everything to Denise. Two days later, the heat
wave broke. With sirens. City vehicles lined the street outside Grant’s house. Code enforcement. Housing authority. A Fair Housing Act investigator. Grant stood on the sidewalk, jacket draped over his arm like it was still spring. He saw them watching from the porch. He raised two fingers in a casual salute. That night, Grant finally texted again. “We should talk. Things are escalating unnecessarily.” Paige typed the reply. “All communication in writing. Through counsel.” Grant didn’t respond. Until the power went out. Again. This time, the whole block. But when the lights came back on, Grant’s house stayed dark. Smoke drifted from the back. Fire engines screamed
down the street. They watched as firefighters rushed in, neighbors clustering, phones out. Grant emerged minutes later, furious, shouting at someone off-camera. An investigator pulled him aside. Denise arrived last, calm as ever. She looked at the house, then at them. “This just became criminal,” she said quietly. Eli’s phone buzzed. A photo message from an unknown number. Grant’s office. Burned. And a final text: “He’s going to blame you.” Across the street, Grant turned and locked eyes with their porch. And for the first time, he looked scared. Q MORE “THE BRICKS AND RAINBOWS OF MARMALADE”
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Babs De Lay, Urban Utah Homes and Estates 801.201.8824
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the perils of petunia pap smear
The tale of the Total Eclipse of the Skirt BY PETUNIA PAP SMEAR
The path
to a full moon is filled with danger and excitement. Michael Aaron’s recent Facebook posts about his solar-eclipse cruise reminded me of my own eclipse adventure. Ever since I was a little princess in Idaho’s potato fields, I had dreamed of witnessing a total solar eclipse. Around 2015, I learned that one would cross the western United States in August 2017. The next eclipse over Utah would not arrive until August 2045. As an aged queen already well past her sell-by date, I doubted I would still be around in ’45, so 2017 was my chance. To experience total immersion in darkness, I would need to travel to Idaho Falls. I began making plans. Idaho news reports predicted apocalyptic crowds and local resources stretched thinner than a bargain-bin wig. I pictured Queertanic, my beloved land yacht capable of seating six with “room for a pony,” stranded on the roadside, out of gas, while I, wearing a torn, filthy sundress and the dignity of a dethroned pageant queen, hitchhiked through a scene from “The Walking Dead.” So, I packed extra gasoline, a mountain of ham sandwiches, and enough Diet Mountain Dew to keep a drag troupe alive for two weeks of a zombie apocalypse. Not to mention many folding chairs, beach blankets, and other comforts, just in case we ended up in someone’s potato field. On the appointed morning, long, long before dawn, Mr. Pap Smear and I got the grandkids out of bed and almost had to carry them to the car because it was so early. Expecting gridlock, I allowed two extra hours of driving time for the journey to Idaho Falls. I slipped into my flashiest yellow caftan, crowned myself with a beehive wig, pulled on opera-length driving gloves, and added sunglasses flashy and gaudy enough to eclipse the eclipse. Then we hit the road to a celestial playlist: Andy Williams’s Moon River, Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon, and Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart. Subtle? True to form, the grandkids
complained about the music choices. To my shock, Interstate 15 was busy but flowing at full freeway speed, and we reached the edge of Idaho Falls three hours early. In full apocalypse-hoarder couture, I topped off Queertanic’s tank before the gas station could run dry. (It never did.) Then I searched for a place to moor our beloved land yacht, which requires roughly ten acres and a generous turning radius for her maneuvers. I chose the nearest park, expecting a parking-lot death match, but found only one other car. We docked with ease and claimed the picnic pavilion beside the restroom, the park’s undisputed VIP lounge. We chatted and read books as the park slowly filled. Determined to add a touch of glamour, I spread a tablecloth and set out the finest paper plates, plastic utensils, and styrofoam cups Walmart had to offer. Then I piled a whole mountain of ham sandwiches on a silver serving tray and placed it in the center of the table with a two-liter bottle of Diet Mountain Dew chilling in an ice-filled champagne bucket off to the side. For entertainment, our seven-year-old grandchild staged a scientific drag spectacular with chocolate and vanilla Oreos, showing how the moon would cross in front of the sun. It was educational, delicious, and suspiciously under-rehearsed. Then I got hungry and swallowed both the sun and moon cookies in one bite. After all that eating and drinking, I needed the little queen’s room for a brief audience on the porcelain throne. Fortunately, it was close to our pavilion. After bestowing a rather voluminous “royal contribution,” I emerged from the restroom and processed back to camp with all the dignity a drag queen in daylight can summon. Halfway there, children began pointing and giggling. One especially hunky daddy scooped up his child and hurried away. Naturally, I assumed they were overwhelmed by my sparkling jewels. Then Mr. Pap Smear rushed over with the horrifying truth: the back of my skirt was tucked into my underwear, and
I was giving the entire park an unscheduled viewing of my own full moon. Clinging to one last sequin of dignity, I lowered my skirt, smoothed the wrinkles, and glided back to the pavilion as if the wardrobe malfunction had been deliberate. Then I hid behind a wall for half an hour, waiting for the eclipse to provide face-saving darkness, all the while hoping against hope that neighboring parents did not call the police to report me flashing innocent children. At last, the sun vanished, the streetlights flickered on, and the park fell into magical darkness — nature’s most dramatic lighting cue. As the sun returned, I pointed a golden wand skyward and cried, “Lumos!” The timing dazzled the grandkids and restored my reputation as a sorceress of stage and sky. Then, we quickly packed Queertanic and headed home, only to find I-15 transformed into the gridlocked parking lot everyone had predicted. The one-hour drive to Pocatello took three, but the spectacle — and the scandal — made the once-in-a-lifetime trip entirely worthwhile. As always, these events leave us with several eternal questions: 1. When the grandkids complained about old people’s music, should I have made them ride in the trunk? 2. How many ham sandwiches must a queen pack before emergency preparedness becomes catering? 3. Was the picnic pavilion truly the VIP lounge, or merely the only venue close enough for a queen in crisis? 4. Should “Lumos!” count as sorcery if the sun was already doing all the work? 5. If one accidentally shows the park a full moon during a solar eclipse, does that make it a double feature? 6. Could I have distracted the neighboring families from my shame by announcing that there was an extremely rare Pokémon Go character reportedly on the far side of this park? These and other important questions will be answered in future chapters of: The Perils of Petunia Pap-Smear Q
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Q mmunity groups BUSINESS
LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapists Guild LGBTQTHERAPISTS.COM * robin@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 YWCAUTAH.ORG
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 STD Clinic SALTLAKECOUNTY.GOV/
HEALTH/ID-CLINIC
610 S 200 E, 2nd Flr Walk-ins M-F 8a-5p Appts 385-468-4242 UAF Legacy Health UAFHEALTH.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 Olpin Student Union, Panorama East probono@law.utah.edu POLITICAL
Equality Utah EQUALITYUTAH.ORG * info@equalityutah.org
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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 SPIRITUAL
Center for Spiritual Living
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
10:30 meditation, 11am celebration svc Sun LGBTQIA+ support group 4th Sat, 11am 4516 S 700 E Ste 102 The Divine Assembly THEDIVINEASSEMBLY.ORG
10am Sunday worship 389 W 1830 S, SLC 11:15am meditation, 12:30pm mtg 532 E 800 N, Orem
Utah Bears UTAHBEARS.COM E utahbears info@utahbears.com
6pm Weds Salt Lake Roasting Co 860 E 400 S Utah Male Naturists UMEN.ORG FB.ME/
UTAHMALENATURISTS
info@umen.org
Utah Pride Center UTAHPRIDECENTER.ORG info@utahpridecenter.org
Alternative Garden Club
1380 S Main St 801-539-8800 Venture OUT Utah bit.ly/GetOutsideUtah
UTAHAGC.ORG/CLUBS/
SPORTS
SOCIAL
SPIRITUALLYFREE.ORG
ALTGARDENCLUB/
altgardenclub@gmail.com
1 to 5 Club (bisexual) E @1TO5CLUBUTAH blackBOOTS Kink/BDSM Men’s leather/kink/ fetish/BDSM 4th Sats; blackBOARD class, 2nd Tues; Leather Church 3rd Sundays at Try-Angles BLACKBOOTSSLC.ORG CUB Adventures
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Cheer Salt Lake CHEERSALTLAKE.ORG EQ @CHEERSALTLAKE
QUAC — Queer Utah Aquatic Club QUACQUAC.ORG questions@
COM
quacquac.org 7pm Tues, Thurs; 10:15am Sun, Fairmont Aquatic Ctr, 1044 Sugarmont Dr. Salt Lake Goodtime Bowling League
fb.com/groups/312955669422305/ Gay Men’s Sack Lunch Noon Weds.
Stonewall Sports SLC E SLCStonewall
THECUBADVENTURES.
UTAHPRIDECENTER.ORG
68 S Main St 801-539-8800 Gay Men’s Peer Support Group 6:30-8pm Tuesdays UTAHPRIDECENTER.ORG
68 S Main St 801-539-8800 Mindfully Gay MINDFULLYGAY.COM OWLS of Utah (Older, Wiser, Lesbian Sisters) BIT.LY/OWLSUTAH
qVinum Wine Tasting QVINUM.COM
Seniors Out and Proud SOAPUTAH.ORG E soaputah info@soaputah.org
801-856-4255 Temple Squares Square Dance Club TEMPLESQUARES.ORG
801-449-1293
BIT.LY/SLGOODTIME
STONEWALLSALTLAKECITY.
LEAGUEAPPS.COM
385-243-1828 Utah Gay Football League E UtahGayFootballLeague Venture Out Utah E Venture.OUT.Utah
SEPTEMBER 2026
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. 8pm Genderbands GENDERBANDS.ORG EQ @genderbands
LifeRing Secular Recovery 801-608-8146 LIFERINGUTAH.ORG
Weds. 7pm, Sat. 11am How was your week? First Baptist, 777 S 1300 E LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapists Guild LGBTQTHERAPISTS.COM * robin@lgbtqtherapists.com
YOUTH/COLLEGE
Encircle LGBTQ Family and Youth Resource Ctr ENCIRCLETOGETHER.ORG EQ @encircletogether
91 W 200 S, Provo, 190 S 100 E, St. George 331 S 600 E, SLC 81 E Center, Heber City Gay-Straight Alliance Network GSANETWORK.ORG
OUT Foundation BYU THEOUT.FOUNDATION fb.me/theOUTfoundation Salt Lake Community College LGBTQ+ 8 SLCC.EDU/LGBTQ/
SUPPCLASSIFIEDSORT
UofU Student Pride Ctr
Alcoholics Anonymous 801-484-7871
USGA at BYU
UTAHAA.ORG
LGBTQ+ meetings: Sun. 3p Acceptance Group, All Saints, 1710 Foothill Dr Tues. 7p Live & Let Live, Mt Tabor Tues. 7p Pride in Recovery, Narcotics Anon. UPC, 68 S Main Wed. 7p Sober Today, 1159 30th St , Ogden Wed. 7p Bountiful Men’s Group, Am. Baptist, 1915 Orchard Dr, Btfl
Q UOFUPRIDE USGABYU.COM FB.ME/USGAATBYU
Utah Valley Univ Spectrum LINKTR.EE/SPECTRUMQSA uvu.edu/lgbtq/ * lgbt@uvu.edu
801-863-8885 Liberal Arts, Rm 126 Youth Discord Virtual Hangout 6p Wednesdays Open to all youth 14-20. Email jay@ utahpridecenter.org to get access
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September at the Utah Pride Center WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 12–1 pm Gay Men’s Sack Lunch 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study 5–6 pm Transgender & NonBinary Support Group 6–8 pm Trans Social Club THURSDAY, JULY 2 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study FRIDAY, JULY 3 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study MONDAY, JULY 6 2–4 pm Utah Seniors Elevated (offsite) 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study 6–8 pm Sit & Stitch TUESDAY, JULY 7 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study 6:30–8:30 pm Gay Men’s Peer Support Group 7–8 pm Pride In Recovery (LGBTQ+ N.A. Meeting) WEDNESDAY, JULY 8 12–1 pm Gay Men’s Sack Lunch 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study 6–8 pm Game Night THURSDAY, JULY 9 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study FRIDAY, JULY 10 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study MONDAY, JULY 13 2–4 pm Utah Seniors Elevated (offsite) 3–5 pm After-School Study 6–8 pm Sit & Stitch TUESDAY, JULY 14 3–5 pm After-School Study 6:30–8:30 pm Gay Men’s Peer Support Group 7–8 pm Pride In Recovery (LGBTQ+ N.A. Meeting)
JOIN OUR GROUP OF ACTIVE OUT SENIORS
6–7 pm Courageous Conversations for Queer Utahns 7:30–9:30 pm Voice: Your Questions Answered
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.
FRIDAY, JULY 17 3–5 pm After-School Study 5–11 pm Horror Movie Social Club MONDAY, JULY 20 2–4 pm Utah Seniors Elevated (offsite) 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study 6–8 pm Sit & Stitch TUESDAY, JULY 21 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study 6:30–8:30 pm Gay Men’s Peer Support Group 7–8 pm Pride In Recovery (LGBTQ+ N.A. Meeting)
Recent events: Snowshoeing, Bingo, Valentines Pot Luck & Dance, Movie Night, Walking Groups, Theater groups
Our Mission is to reimagine aging by empowering older adults to live life to the fullest potential guided by these five pillars: • Cherish the Journey • Encourage the Body • Inspire the Mind • Nurture the Spirit • Empower the Future Find us at
SeniorsOutAndProudUtah.org and Facebook.com/SOAPUtah
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 12–1 pm Gay Men’s Sack Lunch 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study THURSDAY, JULY 23 3–5pm After-School Study 6:30 pm - 08 pm Religious Trauma Support Group FRIDAY, JULY 24 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study MONDAY, JULY 27 2–4 pm Utah Seniors Elevated (offsite) 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study 6–8 pm Sit & Stitch TUESDAY, JULY 28 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study 6:30–8:30 pm Gay Men’s Peer Support Group 7–8 pm Pride In Recovery (LGBTQ+ N.A. Meeting) WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 12–1 pm Gay Men’s Sack Lunch 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study 6–8 pm Game Night
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 12–1 pm Gay Men’s Sack Lunch 3–5 pm After-School Study 6–8 pm Trans Social Club
THURSDAY, JULY 30 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study
THURSDAY, JULY 16 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study
For more iinformation on these events, go to UTAHPRIDECENTER.ORG/CALENDAR
FRIDAY, JULY 31 3–5 pm After-School Quiet Study
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Robert Moody
dF
at Image Studios Draper 177 W 12300 S
@tannermgmassage Or text 801-602-7006
801-688-3118
INSURANCE
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YAEGER Licensed Massage Therapist
Like a big bear hug Chronic pain mgmt, functionality and mobility, deep relaxation Outcalls, parties, and corporate events
801-875-9952 9221 S Redwood Rd Ste B Bld 3 West Jordan Utah 84088 Q
3 4 8 9 7 6 5 1 2 8 7 2 1 5 9 4 3 6 3 4 5 6 7 2 8 9 1 1 5 6 4 3 2 7 9 8 2 7 9 1 5 8 4 3 6 9 6 1 3 4 8 2 5 7 4 9 3 7 8 5 1 6 2 6 3 7 2 8 5 1 4 9 7 2 6 9 3 1 5 4 8 5 2 1 3 9 4 6 8 7 5 1 8 2 6 4 3 7 9 9 8 4 6 1 7 3 2 5 6 8 7 4 1 3 9 2 5 6 4 7 8 1 3 7 6 9 2 5 4 1 3 9 5 2 7 6 8 4 3 5 1 7 9 2 5 4 3 8 6 1 2 5 4 8 9 6 7 1 3 8 2 9 4 6 5 8 2 1 9 7 3 8 4 7 2 6 3 1 5 9 5 3 1 4 9 8 6 2 7 2 6 9 1 7 5 3 8 4 2 4 9 8 5 1 3 7 6 5 1 2 9 4 8 2 3 6 7 5 1 3 1 7 6 9 2 4 5 8 9 3 6 2 7 1 4 5 9 8 3 6 6 5 8 7 3 4 1 9 2 7 8 4 5 3 6 1 8 7 4 9 2 1 9 3 6 7 5 2 8 4 5 8 6 1 2 7 9 4 3 4 6 7 8 9 2 5 1 3 1 7 3 4 6 9 2 8 5 8 2 5 3 4 1 9 6 7 4 9 2 5 8 3 7 6 1 7 5 4 9 6 3 1 2 8 7 6 4 2 1 8 5 3 9 6 1 9 7 2 8 3 4 5 9 2 5 3 7 6 8 1 4 3 8 2 5 1 4 6 7 9 8 3 1 9 4 5 6 2 7
Puzzle Solutions ROGER COX 801.609.4332 UtahVocalStudio.com SINGING LESSONS BEGINNERS TO ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHY
VO I C E L E S S O N S
explicitcleanwindowsandscreens.com
385-221-9026
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UMEN.ORG
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Private classes, your place or mine. Learn at your own pace.
ONE-ON-ONE or TWO www.jonjepsen.com
801-308-2050
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MEDICAL, SURGICAL, & COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY • Skin cancer • Mohs surgery • Acne • Moles
• Eczema • Laser hair removal • Vbeam & IPL
Douglas M. Woseth
Breton Yates
M.D., FAAD
Michael R. Swinyer P.A.-C
• Tattoo Removal • CO2 resurfacing • Botox • Juvederm
Elena Hadjicharalambous
M.D., FAAD
Shane Farr
P.A.-C, SDPA Dip. Fellow
• Dysport • Belotero • Radiesse • Sculptra
M.D., FAAD
Jennifer Walker
P.A.-C, SDPA Dip. Fellow
• Microneedling • Microneedling w/ PRP • Chemical peels • Facials
Grace Brummer
Lyndsie Thompson
P.A.-C, SDPA Dip. Fellow
M.D., FAAD
Joshua Winters
P.A.-C, SDPA Dip. Fellow
Katheryne Bell M.D., FAAD
Rachel Webb
Master Esthetician
Call to schedule an appointment
801-266-8841
1548 E. 4500 S. #202 • Salt Lake City 4040 W. Daybreak Pkwy, #200 • South Jordan