QSaltLake Magazine | Issue 379 | January 2026

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4 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | FIRST WORD

from the publisher

Persons of the Year: Utah Pride Center Team

BY MICHAEL AARON

Walk into

any LGBTQ+ event in Utah, whether it’s a small town meet-up or a Pride Festival, and you’ll see them. Not just occasionally or only on the biggest gatherings, but everywhere, every time. Utah Pride Center staff, leaders and volunteers show up handing out resources, speaking on panels, cheering in parades, and connecting with people.

Their presence is constant, statewide, and it’s making a real difference.

QSaltLake Magazine asks each year, What Utahn(s), for better or worse, most affected Utah’s LGBTQ+ community in the past year? In 2025, we recognize the people of the Utah Pride Center for a year of restoration, resilience, and bold, community-centered action. After years of internal turmoil and financial uncertainty, the Pride Center team rebuilt trust through responsible stewardship, transparent leadership, and a renewed focus on its mission. It is becoming a reliable hub, a visible presence, and a guiding force for Utah’s LGBTQ+ community.

In 2025, the Center’s visibility became especially critical. With political restrictions closing in, including a statewide ban on flying pride flags on government buildings, they staged bold acts of affirmation. In March, for Transgender Day of Visibility, the Center created and unfurled what they called the “world’s largest transgender flag” — a massive 200-footby-30-foot declaration at the State Capitol. That flag wasn’t just a symbol.

It was defiance. It was resilience. It was an insistence on being seen.

The Center’s work this year strengthened the community’s foundation.

Weekly youth drop-in sessions and peer support groups created safe, affirming spaces for teens and adults. Resource tables, wellness programs, and drop-in services provided vital connections and information, sustaining the commu-

nity in quieter but powerful ways.

The Center also made celebrations more inclusive and accessible. At the Utah Pride Festival, they welcomed small businesses and local organizations with more affordable booth options, so participation wasn’t limited by cost.

They launched the first-ever Brigham City Pride Festival, bringing visibility to northern Utah. They revived the beloved HalloQueen Ball at the Masonic Temple, which was a huge success.

They produced the Big Gay Holiday Show as a free community-driven event. In short, they created spaces of joy and connection for everyone.

The impact of this work goes far beyond events. It restores faith in institutions. It strengthens networks of care. It shows LGBTQ+ Utahns that we’re seen, valued, and celebrated.

The Center has shown that leadership isn’t just about grand gestures; it’s about showing up, listening, and putting community needs first.

This year, the Utah Pride Center proved something important: that courage, consistency, and vision can transform both an organization and the community it serves. From massive public displays to accessible local celebrations, from youth programs to a statewide presence, they’ve set a new standard for what it means to truly serve a community.

Let’s face it. Restoring trust in the Utah Pride Center over its many years of turmoil is a massive undertaking. In the past year and a half, this crew has made great progress in doing just that.

For all these reasons, the leaders, staff, and volunteers of the Utah Pride Center are QSaltLake Magazine’s 2025 ­Persons of the Year. They’ve reminded us that visibility, trust, and joy are acts of courage, and that when people show up for each other, communities don’t just survive. They thrive. Q

staffbox

publisher/editor Michael Aaron

designer Christian Allred sales Michael Aaron, 801-997-9763 x1 sales@qsaltlake.com Rivendell Media, 908-232-2021 ext 200 sales@rivendellmedia.com NATIONAL NEWS editor Craig Ogan contributors Joshua Adamson Pickett, Diane Anderson-Minshall, Chris Azzopardi, Paul Berge, Jeff Berry, Paul Campbell, Laurie Bennett-Cook, Roger Cox, Stephen Dark, Jennifer Dobner, Jack Fertig, Greg Fox, Ian Giles, Oriol Gutierrez Jr., Tony Hobday, Blake Howell, Ashley Hoyle, Joshua Jones, Christopher Katis, Alpha Mercury, Sam Kelly-Mills, Craig Ogan, Peter Reynolds, Mikey Rox, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Mark Segal, Gregg Shapiro, Petunia Pap Smear, Steven Petrow, Ed Sikov, Justin Utley, JoSelle Vanderhooft, Ed Walsh, Ben ­Williams, D’Anne ­Witkowski distribution Roger Cox publisher

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QSaltLake Magazine is a trademark of Salt Lick Publishing, LLC., dba Q Media Group Copyright © 2026, Salt Lick Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. No material may be reprinted or reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Free printed copies are limited to one per person. For additional copies, call 801-997-9763. It is a crime to dispose of current issues or otherwise interfere with the distribution of this magazine. Printed locally in the USA on recycled paper.

Please recycle this copy when done.

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6 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | NEWS

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

BY CRAIG OGAN

Dems blow chance at Texas U.S. Senate seat The entry of controversial Jasmine Crocket into the 2026 Texas Senate race is creating a dramatic primary for Texas’ first LGBTQ Congressional representative, Julie Johnson. Colin Allred resigned the seat Johnson now holds to run for the Senate. The Texas Legislature rearranged the district Crockett held to make it harder for her to win reelection, so she announced her candidacy for the Senate.

For reasons unknown, the Texas Democratic Party pressured Allred, who was polling well against the Republican incumbent, to withdraw in favor of the Democratic version of Marjorie Taylor Greene — Crockett. Johnson’s 32nd District was subject to a mid‑decade redistricting, forcing her into the newly created 33rd District, the same seat Allred now seeks. The new district is one of only two seats considered winnable in the Dallas–Fort Worth metro area after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the redistricting plan. Roughly one‑third of its residents hail from Allred’s former district, which he flipped in 2018 and represented for six years, giving him a built‑in base as the battle begins. Johnson, a former state lawmaker, succeeded Allred in Congress after he vacated his seat to run for Senate in 2024.

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No Pride in soccer Depending on your viewpoint, it’s either serendipity or disaster that the first‑ever FIFA World Cup match at Seattle’s Lumen Field is on June 26, the opening day of the city’s annual Pride weekend. The game will feature Iran and Egypt, two countries where same‑sex relations remain criminalized.

Before the countries were announced, Seattle, known as the Emerald City by virtue of its large gay and lesbian population, dubbed the match the “World Cup Pride Match.”

Not happy playing in a Pride match, the Egyptian Football Association announced it had formally urged FIFA to cancel the Pride theme, calling it “directly contrary to cultural, religious and social values in the region.” Egypt’s morality laws punish same‑sex activity between men with up to three years in prison and fines. Iran, which enforces harsh penalties, including the death penalty, under its Islamic Penal Code, is appealing to FIFA, denouncing the Pride Match as “an irrational move that supports a certain group.” Seattle’s mayor said, “The match was a chance to showcase inclusivity. With matches on Juneteenth and Pride, we get to show the world everyone is welcome.”

No Pride in Texas City An LGBTQ+ group in Texas has canceled its 2026 Pride celebration after the city rescinded antidiscrimination protections. Arlington Pride, organized by the HELP Center for LGBTQ+ Health, announced Friday it will suspend next year’s event following the city council’s vote to remove “gender identity and expression” and “sexual orientation” from the local ordinance. Arlington Pride CEO Dee Jay Johannessen said the decision was made to protect

participants. “We cannot in good conscience invite attendees to an event in a city that refuses to provide even the most basic protections,” he stated. “Pride is about safety, celebration, and community.

Without local safeguards, we cannot guarantee those values for our attendees, performers, or patrons.” The cancellation underscores growing tensions over LGBTQ+ rights in Texas, where local protections remain vulnerable to political shifts. For Arlington’s LGBTQ+ community, the loss of Pride is a symbolic setback but devastating for stores that sell body makeup, glitter, and Spanx shapewear.

RIP: Anthony Geary Anthony Geary, the Emmy‑winning actor best known for his iconic role as Luke Spencer on “General Hospital,” has died at 78 following complications from elective surgery. Geary joined “General Hospital” in 1978 and quickly became one half of television’s most famous soap couple, Luke and Laura, alongside Genie Francis. Their 1981 show wedding drew 30 million viewers, making it the most‑watched episode in daytime drama history. Over his career, Geary earned 16 Daytime Emmy nominations and won a record eight times for outstanding lead actor, cementing his place as one of the genre’s most celebrated performers. After retiring from the show in 2015, Geary relocated to Amsterdam with his husband, Claudio Gama, who was quoted in the media as saying, “For more than 30 years, Tony has been my friend, my companion, my husband.” Born in Coalville, Utah, and a theatre kid at the University of Utah, Geary was not publicly out during his acting career. His later openness about his relationship clarified long‑standing

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speculation by anyone who ever saw him flinch when kissing his TV soap opera love.

So far, no comments from anyone in Utah, including Coalville, Summit County, or the state of Utah, save this notice in QSaltLake.

Equality themes in Georgia election Democrat Eric Gisler flipped Georgia’s State House District 121, a district Republicans carried by 12 points, winning by fewer than 200 votes.

LGBTQ advocates hailed the victory as a decisive rebuke of far‑right politics in a rapidly shifting suburban district.

The district, east of metro Atlanta, was held just last year by an anti‑LGBT Republican who won with 61 percent of the vote. For Democrats, the reversal required aggressive turnout and a candidate who framed equality as a core civic value. The Human Rights Campaign treated the race as a proving ground, endorsing Gisler and, uncharacteristically, sending funds to mobilize volunteers, run text banks, and fund digital outreach.

An HRC spokesperson said the effort reached 1,000 members and 7,000 “Equality Voters.” Gisler credited LGBT equality themes, saying, “Full equality for all under the law is a common‑sense value.”

Maddow wins, “That’s the way it is” Rachel Maddow joins some of the other prominent figures in American journalism and entertainment in accepting the 2025 Walter Cronkite Awards for Excellence in Political Journalism. The biennial ceremony, highlighting the theme “How a Free Press Defends Democracy,” held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., recognizes television and digital reporting that exemplifies independence

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and accountability. Honorees joining Maddow in receiving honors are Scott Pelley of “60 Minutes,” Peter Alexander of “NBC News,” and Julio Vaqueiro of “Noticias Telemundo.”

Video tributes will feature Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” and John Dickerson of “CBS Evening News Plus.” Stewart is the first winner in a new category honoring comedic news and political commentary. “The message sent by honoring these winners is that the press isn’t ‘the enemy of the people’ — it’s the firewall between the public and disinformation, abuse of power, and corruption,” said Martin Kaplan, founding director of Annenberg’s Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California. Maddow began her career in radio in Massachusetts. She went to Al Gore’s failed attempt to counter “right-wing AM radio,” Air America, and was a five-night-a-week host on MSNBC. She now hosts a Monday Night Show on the successor network, MS NOW. She has been “with” her partner, artist and photographer Susan Mikula, since 1999. A former president used to say, “this is no joke,” they met when Mikula hired Maddow to do some yard work.

Bowen Yang leaves Saturday Night Live Bowen Yang is reportedly leaving Saturday Night Live after seven seasons, despite renewing his contract amid the show’s pre-season 51 departures, which included Ego Nwodim, Celeste Yim, Heidi Gardner, Emil Wakim, and many other people we’ll never see again. He is best known for mugging gay stereotypical hand gestures and eyebrow raises in a largely dialogue-free role in the two “Wicked” movies. His final

episode as a repertory player aired in December, hosted by “Wicked” star Ariana Grande with Cher as musical guest. Exiting after an episode featuring Grande and Cher feels like a dazzlingly fitting farewell. A teaser even shows Cher slapping him and telling him to “snap out of it.” Yang joins past mid‑season exits such as Eddie Murphy, Cecily Strong, and Dana Carvey, all of whom were seen for a while but disappeared.

DADT survivor runs for U. S. Congress Nebraska Democrat Kishla Askins is running for the Second Congressional District, a competitive Omaha‑based seat. During her U.S. Air Force career, she was not able to be her authentic lesbian self, and then “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” became the law of the land in the 1990s. DADT was supposed to be a fix for the pressure on lesbian and gay service members, but it just added another lock to the closet door. She did partner up with her still-partner, Alison. One in the Navy and the other in the Marines, the two women excelled. Due to DADT and military discrimination, neither woman was allowed to “be on the stand” to celebrate with her partner during medal ceremonies and other honors. As successful as she was, she still had to survive two DADT investigations, one of which was based on “gossip” about her relationship. Upon retirement, Askins joined the Veterans Administration. She ended her career as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the VA. Republican Don Bacon is the incumbent and has run strongly in the district.

He is critical of the current president but is not an official “anti.” No other Democrat has yet announced for the seat. Q

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Eva Lopez Chavez launches campaign for new Congressional seat Openly lesbian Salt Lake City Council member Eva Lopez Chavez announced a run for Congress, launching her campaign with a deeply personal message about family, survival, and fighting for communities long left out of political power.

“My name is Eva Lopez Chavez. We didn’t have a lot growing up,” she says in the announcement video posted to Instagram. “I literally shared a bed with my grandma until I was 16 years old.”

She recalls making two promises to her grandmother: “One, that I would buy her a house for both of us to live in, and two, that I would fight for people that share our story.”

That commitment, she said, is what pushed her into the race.

“Now, as we face crisis after crisis, we must say to each other, enough is enough,” Lopez Chavez said. “That’s why I’m running for Congress to stop

the cycle and defend our communities.”

Lopez Chavez made history in 2023 as the first elected Latina Mexican American to the Salt Lake City Council and the youngest elected official at City Hall.

In her campaign launch, she framed that experience as preparation for the national stage, saying that ”fighting for working-class families is a daily practice.”

Her campaign priorities include housing affordability, reproductive rights, environmental protection, and pushing back against what she describes as policies that favor the wealthy at the expense of everyday Utahns.

“This isn’t just about solving the affordability crisis or lowering the price of eggs,” she said. “This is about us. This is about defending our families, our environment, and our district’s future.”

Lopez Chavez positioned herself as part of a new generation of leadership, sharply critical of corporate influence and government overreach.

“We need a fighter, someone that understands that state overreach and billionaire tax breaks hurt us, not help us,” she said. “It’s time for the next generation of leadership, and I’m ready to step up.”

Environmental stewardship also featured prominently in her announcement.

“The Wasatch Mountains and our Great Salt Lake,” she said, naming what she called Utah’s “greatest resources” and vowing to protect them for future generations.

Throughout the video, Lopez Chavez repeatedly returned to her upbringing and identity as a source of strength.

“I’ve been fighting my whole life to help mi familia, and my community,” she said. “Because standing up to bullies is exactly what my mama taught me.”

Her congressional bid builds on a political career that has consistently focused on LGBTQ visibility and belonging. During her successful run for Salt Lake City Council, Lopez Chavez spoke explicitly about the importance of queer representation in local government.

“Salt Lake City is a place for everybody,” she said at the time. “We need to have and practice values that care about LGBTQ people every day here in Salt

Lake City. It’s important that we have queer representation as an individual that’s part of the LGBTQ community.”

She emphasized Salt Lake City’s role as a hub for queer life in Utah and the broader region.

“In Salt Lake City, we have the largest Pride festival,” she said. “This is the city that brings our queer families and communities together. I’m here to protect the safe spaces where you choose to be you.”

Calling the city “an oasis in the west,” Lopez Chavez added, “It’s a place for all LGBTQ people to come and visit or make it your home.” She punctuated that message with “We say gay here in Utah. Now we do.”

In a 2024 profile by SLUG Magazine, Lopez Chavez described her leadership style as rooted in “belonging” and relationship-building, an approach shaped by her lived experience as a queer Latina navigating systems not designed for her. That same philosophy underpins her congressional campaign, which she says is about collective power rather than individual ambition.

“I thank my neighbors for not thinking once that a queer Latina wasn’t good enough to represent them. They believed I was exactly who should represent them,” she told SLUG. “Queerness is a superpower. It gives you a lens on the world that most people only find through deep meditation or insight.”

“I’m ready to take on the fight,” Lopez Chavez said in her announcement. “Fulfill the promise I made to my abuelita and defend Utah’s future. Our future.” Q For more information, visit evaforutah.com

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Joe Biden is the first president honored with International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference award On Dec. 5, former President Joe Biden became the first U.S. president to receive the Chris Abele Impact Award at the annual International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., in recognition of his administration’s unprecedented commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion and equality.

His appearance felt especially significant. With federal and state-level protections for LGBTQ+ people increasingly under threat, Biden’s remarks to the more than 700 attendees carried extra weight.

LGBTQ+ Victory Institute President and CEO Evan Low presented the award alongside Chris Abele, the award’s inaugural namesake and a Victory Action board member, and Michael Fleming, president of the David Bohnett Foundation and a former Biden appointee.

“Chris, I’m honored to receive this award in your name,” Biden said.

“And I accept it knowing it reflects the work we’ve done together.”

“President Joe Biden is a hero and an icon for our LGBTQ+ community,” Low said. “He’s been a long-time supporter of our work and our mission.

He presided over the most inclusive administration in history—hands down.”

The Chris Abele Impact Award recognizes public officials who’ve made significant contributions to advancing LGBTQ+ political representation, equality, and equity in the United States. Biden was honored in part for building the most LGBTQ+-inclusive federal administration in U.S. history. Through the Victory Institute’s David Mixner Political Appointments Program, the Biden administration brought that number to an estimated 14 to 15% of federal appointees.

Abele, a philanthropist and former Milwaukee County executive, was the award’s inaugural recipient for his work building leadership pipelines and supporting LGBTQ+ candidates nationwide.

Biden is the third person to receive the honor, following Abele and Bohnett.

In his acceptance speech, Biden reflected on key milestones from his presidency, including signing the Respect for Marriage Act on Dec. 13, 2022. The landmark legislation re-

pealed the Defense of Marriage Act and enshrined federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages.

“As the ceremony came to an end, the sun began to set. Rainbow lights lit up the portico of the White House,” Biden recalled. “There was celebration, but also, quite frankly, relief. Through the hard work, faith, counsel, and sheer grit of so many people, a momentous battle was finally won.”

Biden emphasized that his support for LGBTQ+ equality goes back decades. In 2012, while serving as vice president, he publicly endorsed marriage equality on NBC’s Meet the Press—a move he said put him in “good trouble.”

He also recalled a private conversation years earlier with LGBTQ+ leaders in the home of a gay couple raising two children.

“I wish every American could have seen the love in the eyes of those two boys for their dads,” Biden said.

“If they did, they’d never have any doubt about what this is all about.”

While acknowledging ongoing challenges, Biden stressed the enduring promise of American democracy.

“We’ve never fully lived up to the idea that all people are equal,” he said, “but we’ve never walked away from it.”

Biden’s address was broadcast live on C-SPAN and streamed across multiple platforms, marking the first time the conference received such national coverage.

He also addressed the current political climate, criticizing efforts to weaponize diversity, equity, and inclusion and warning against playing “political football with people’s identities.” He highlighted Congresswoman Sarah McBride, who

previously worked for his late son, Beau, when he was Delaware’s attorney general, praising her commitment to what she calls “the hard work of persuasion.”

“In times that can be dispiriting and even hurtful,” Biden said, quoting McBride, “hope is a conscious choice. You have to summon it.”

Biden echoed that message as he spoke about mounting attacks on transgender rights—state-level efforts to restrict gender-affirming care, limit classroom discussions of gender identity and sexual

orientation, and bar transgender people from full participation in public life.

“We are one of the only countries in the world that has come out of every crisis stronger than when we entered it,” Biden said. “I still believe we will do so again.”

He closed with a direct message to LGBTQ+ youth watching from afar.

“To anyone sitting alone, scrolling through social media, wondering if they’ll ever be loved or accepted—just be you,” Biden said. “Be who you are.”

The speech drew sustained applause and a standing ovation from attendees, who responded to both Biden’s record on LGBTQ+ rights and his call to action.

“So long as we keep the faith, summon hope, and remember who we are,” Biden concluded, “we’re the United States of America.” Q

10 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | NEWS

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Orem, Utah Chick-fil-A post congratulating gay couple ires conservative media When an Orem, Utah Chickfil-A posted a simple congratulations on Facebook, saying “CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HAPPY COUPLE! Dougie & Toby recently got married, and we are so beyond happy for them!” — it triggered a firestorm of backlash from ultra-conservative media.

What seemed to many like a gesture of celebration of longtime team trainer Dougie and his husband, Tobyas, instead became a flashpoint with conservative media labeling it a “shockingly woke statement.”

An article, titled “ChickFil-A Waffles on Wokeness with Same-Sex Marriage Post and DEI Focus,” by Suzanne Bowdey, editorial director

of The Washington Stand, argued that the Chick-fil-A post “flies directly in the face of Scripture,” and pointed readers to Old Testament law: “Leviticus 20:13: ‘If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, … they have committed an abomination.’”

The commentary argued the incident was further proof that the chain is pursuing what it called “LGBT extremism,” and the fact that if in “any location,” even one in a traditionally conservative area, felt comfortable sharing such a message showed that the company “hasn’t weeded out” support for same-sex marriage and related “ideology.”

The Washington Stand is

the Family Research Council’s “outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview,” according to its website.

The controversy comes against a backdrop of prior criticism of the chain that the company reportedly stopped donating to longtime Christian charities like the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in 2019, allegedly redirecting funds to groups more aligned with progressive social agendas, such as the Southern Poverty Law Center.

It also notes that, despite its Christian-founded identity, the company continues to employ a vice president for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The ultra-conservative The Washington Journal later wrote an article titled, “Chickfil-A Under Fire After Betraying Loyal Customers with Shockingly Woke Statement.”

“One Chick-fil-A franchisee in Orem, Utah (if that sounds at all familiar to you, it’s where Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated) apparently decided that it is a good idea to alienate your core customer base,” the story started, ending with, “And that’s a darn shame.”

Evangelical author Megan Basham posted on her X profile that the story was “Good reporting from Family Research Council’s Washington Stand.”

A Utahn going by “GrayMountain, Heritage Utahn observing the decline of Mormonism’s cultural hearth,” commented that “in Utah… where the highly educated Anglo-Scandi heritage population has taken compassionate conservatism to the extreme of tolerating literally

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everything,” and “has seen the largest drop in birthrates and the highest increase in youth trans identification of any state other than Indiana.”

“Our governor has made Pride celebrations a mainstay of June for the last 4 years… all with no pushback from top lds [sic] leaders,” he continued. “Even Glenn Beck and Mike Lee have been dead silent on how gay their own church has become.”

Many of the comments to Basham and the original post are supportive of the post, saying it was simply a celebration of a happy couple deserving of congratulations.

“Delightful. Happy for them. And they will have that picture forever. Well done @ChickfilA,” commented X user Libertarian Gandalf.

As for Chick-fil-A corporate, at least one person who complained to them about the post received the following response: Thank you for contacting Chick-fil-A CARES. “Chick-fil-A embraces all people, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Chick-fil-A, Inc. is committed to being Better at Together by embedding Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in everything we do. We strive to provide a welcoming and inclusive place for everyone.

We do this by focusing on Chick-fil-A’s four Corporate Social Responsibility pillars: Caring for People, Caring for our Communities, Caring for Others through our Food, and Caring for our Planet.

“To learn more, visit our Giving Back page and our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page.” Q

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Man pleads guilty to stalking Mayor Mendenhall over LGBTQ, Black rights flags A Farmington man has pleaded guilty to stalking Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall after a series of threats and actions tied to her role in advancing inclusive city flag designs representing LGBTQ+, transgender, and Black communities.

Jason Guy Rogers, 45, pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of stalking, a Class A misdemeanor, in 2nd District Court. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 15. The charge stems from a wave of threatening social media posts and an in-person appearance at City Hall in May, shortly after the Salt Lake City Council unanimously approved new city flag designs.

The flags, approved on May 6, were created to allow the city to continue flying symbols of LGBTQ+ Pride and Juneteenth after a new state law, H.B. 77, took effect. The law restricts the display of non-approved flags on government property, a move critics have said was aimed at removing Pride flags and other symbols of inclusion from public buildings. In response, city leaders adopted three new official city flags, each incorporating the sego lily while recognizing LGBTQ+ residents, transgender Utahns, and Black history and liberation.

According to charging documents, Rogers began posting violent threats

on the social media platform X the day after the council vote. Under news coverage of the flag decision, prosecutors say Rogers wrote statements including “we need to end some politicians” and escalated to direct threats against Mendenhall and her family, telling others to “end them immediately.”

Law enforcement identified Rogers as the author of the posts and contacted him at his Farmington home on May 20. During that interaction, Rogers acknowledged being upset about the flag designs but claimed his social media account had been hacked. Prosecutors allege that shortly after police left, the same account posted another message directed at the mayor: “Time for action.”

Later that day, security staff at the Salt Lake City-County Building reported seeing Rogers arrive at City Hall. Surveillance video showed him driving the same truck and wearing the same clothing as during the earlier police encounter. He was seen walking around the building and attempting to open multiple locked side doors before approaching the main entrance. When he noticed security officers inside, he left without entering.

Rogers was arrested that afternoon by Salt Lake City police and later booked into the Davis County Jail. Prosecutors allege that his actions constitut-

ed a course of conduct that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety or the safety of others.

Mayor Mendenhall’s office has declined to comment ahead of sentencing, saying she will address the matter after the January hearing.

At the time the flags were introduced, Mendenhall framed them as an expression of shared civic values rather than political statements.

“When it comes to representing our city’s values, I know we can do more than fly a single flag,” she said. “Three more, to be precise.” Q

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Salt Lake Harvey Milk mural defaced A mural honoring LGBTQ+ civil rights icon Harvey Milk was defaced overnight on Harvey Milk Boulevard in Salt Lake City, prompting condemnation from community members and renewed concern about the city’s increasingly heated political climate.

The mural, painted by local artist Josh Scheuerman, is located on the exterior of a neighborhood business along the stretch of 900 South that was officially renamed Harvey Milk Boulevard in 2023. The artwork depicts Milk, one of the nation’s first openly gay elected officials, and is intended as both a tribute to his legacy and a message of hope for future generations.

Store staff discovered the vandalism the following morning. The damage appeared to be intentional, with markings and defacement clearly targeting the mural rather than the building itself.

Photos of the vandalized artwork circulated quickly on social media, drawing swift reactions from LGBTQ+ advocates, artists, and residents across Utah.

“Our beautiful Harvey Milk Mural by artist Josh Scheuerman, honoring the future youth of America, was vandalized overnight,” store and building owners J.R.

and Todd Holbrook said in a statement.

“We are deeply saddened by the heated political environment and the desire by many to rename our Harvey Milk Blvd.

We all need to come together to build up our beautiful Utah and not tear it down.”

The mural has been a visible symbol of inclusion along Harvey Milk Boulevard, a corridor that has become a focal point for both celebration and controversy since the street was renamed. Supporters of the name change have described it as a meaningful recognition of LGBTQ+ history and a signal that Salt Lake City values diversity and representation. Opponents, however, have continued to push back, citing political disagreements or calling for the street to revert to its former name.

Harvey Milk, who was assassinated in 1978 while serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, remains a global symbol of LGBTQ+ visibility, civic engagement, and the fight against discrimination. His legacy has been embraced by cities across the country through memorials, street names, and public art — efforts that have also, at times, become flashpoints in broader cultural and political debates.

Local LGBTQ+ leaders said the vandal-

ism reflects a troubling pattern of attacks on queer visibility, particularly in public spaces. While Utah has seen growing acceptance in many areas, advocates note that symbols of progress are often targeted during periods of political tension, especially when LGBTQ+ rights and representation are part of national discourse.

“This wasn’t just paint on a wall,” one community member wrote online. “It was an attempt to erase a message that LGBTQ+ youth deserve to see themselves reflected in their city.”

At the time of publication, no information had been released about potential suspects or whether surveillance footage captured the incident. It was not immediately clear whether a police report had been filed, though community members have urged anyone with information to come forward.

The mural, now restored by Scheuerman, includes a quote from Harvey Milk: “All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.

“Harvey Milk believed that visibility saves lives,” J.R. Hollbrook said. “This mural was created with that belief in mind for the kids who walk past it every day and need to know they belong. We won’t let vandalism change that.” Q

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Darin Mano’s legacy in the Salt Lake City Council Darin Mano, one of Salt Lake City’s most recognizable and outspoken elected officials, has retired from the city council, leaving a legacy of ambitious housing reforms, visible LGBTQ representation, and frequent clashes over how fast the city should grow and change.

Mano represented District 5, which includes the Ballpark and Liberty Wells neighborhoods and the 9th & 9th business district. He was first appointed to the council in 2020 and later elected in 2021. An architect and openly gay public official, he arrived at City Hall during a period of rapid population growth and mounting pressure to make housing more affordable. From the start, Mano was a passionate proponent of zoning reform, density, and transit-oriented development — priorities that would come to define both his legacy and the controversies around it.

Throughout his time on the council, Mano played a central role in reshaping

Salt Lake City’s land-use policies. He pushed changes that allowed more density in single-family neighborhoods, reduced parking requirements, and expanded options for multi-unit housing. Supporters said these efforts modernized a city that had long been held back by exclusionary zoning. Opponents contended the reforms moved too fast, weakened neighborhood input, and put developers ahead of residents worried about displacement.

Mano didn’t apologize for those tensions. In interviews, he repeatedly called housing scarcity an urgent crisis that required structural change, not slow compromise. That approach gave him influence at City Hall, but it also put him at odds with residents who felt left behind by the massive changes happening in neighborhoods like Ballpark, Liberty Wells, and Sugar House.

Beyond housing, Mano served as chair of the Salt Lake City Community Rein-

vestment Agency, where he supported public financing tools aimed at economic development and neighborhood revitalization. While the CRA emphasized equity and long-term community benefit, watchdogs and community groups raised concerns regarding transparency, developer incentives, and whether reinvestment efforts were keeping pace with rising rents and land values.

Mano’s identity as an openly gay council member also made him a major figure in Utah’s LGBTQ+ political scene. He served during a time when Salt Lake City had one of the nation’s few LGBTQ-majority city councils. In 2023, he joined other council members in publicly criticizing state lawmakers for actions they saw as

diminishing LGBTQ visibility, including efforts to block a Pride-themed UTA bus from the Utah Pride Parade.

Those moments highlighted a broader reality of Mano’s time on the council: the council often stood in opposition to the Utah Legislature on issues ranging from civil rights to local control. Mano embraced that stance, arguing that Salt Lake City had an obligation to lead even when state officials disagreed.

In announcing his departure, Mano cited a belief in term limits and the importance of making room for new leadership. He said he plans to return to architecture and housing policy work outside of elected office, continuing to influence development from a different position. Q

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NEWS | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 15

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Jeffrey R. Holland’s death reopens wounds for LGBTQ+ Mormons Jeffrey R. Holland, a senior apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and one of its most influential leaders, died this weekend at age 85. Over four decades, Holland shaped LDS doctrine, education, and culture, first as president of Brigham Young University and later as a member of the church’s highest governing body, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

But for many in Utah’s LGBTQ+ community, Holland’s death brings up complicated feelings. They remember the harm caused by his rhetoric, especially a 2021 address at BYU that became a flashpoint for queer students, alumni, and advocates.

Speaking at a faculty conference, Holland urged BYU educators to vigorously defend church teachings on sexuality and marriage. What followed drew immediate backlash: a militaristic metaphor that stunned listeners.

“In a way, scholars at BYU and elsewhere are a little bit like the builders of the temple in Nauvoo, who worked with a trowel in one hand and a musket in the other,” Holland said. “I am grateful we have scholars today who can handle, as it were, both trowels and muskets.”

He doubled down minutes later: “Musket fire? Yes, we will always need defenders of the faith,” though he cautioned against “friendly fire.”

The language landed hard.

For LGBTQ+ students and alumni, framing doctrinal disagreement in terms of weapons, even metaphorical ones, felt like permission for hostility on a campus where many already felt unsafe.

Holland also criticized a moment that had resonated deeply within queer Mormon spaces: Matt Easton’s 2019 commencement address.

Easton, the valedictorian, had come out as gay during his speech. Holland took issue with his decision.

“If a student commandeers a graduation podium intended to represent everyone getting diplomas in order to announce his personal sexual orientation,” Holland asked, “what might another speaker feel free to announce the next year, until eventually anything goes?”

The remarks drew widespread condemnation.

LGBTQ+ advocates said Holland had framed queer visibility itself as disruptive.

Easton responded publicly, saying current BYU students told him they felt “unsafe and scared” after hearing a senior church leader use violent metaphors while singling out a gay graduate.

Holland occasionally spoke about love and compassion toward LGBTQ+ individuals. But he consistently opposed same-sex marriage and full inclusion, reinforcing teachings that many queer Mormons say contributed to shame, isolation, and fear, especially among youth.

In the years since, portions of Holland’s remarks have quietly been removed from some BYU curriculum materials. But the damage, many say, was already done.

As the LDS Church remembers Holland for his service and devotion, LGBTQ+ Utahns are reckoning with a more complicated legacy — one of institutional

power and personal pain.

His death marks not just the passing of a church leader but a reminder of the ongoing

struggle for dignity, safety, and belonging among queer people in Mormon spaces. Q

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Gay Utah speedskater Conor McDermott-Mostowy makes his push toward the 2026 Winter Olympics Conor McDermott-Mostowy isn’t just skating fast; he’s skating furiously, with the Torino 2026 Winter Olympics squarely in his sights. The openly gay U.S. speedskater has spent the past few seasons clawing his way up the international rankings with breakout races, clutch last-minute substitutions, and the kind of resilience only queer athletes seem to master by necessity.

And Utah has been part of the story from the start.

McDermott-Mostowy logged some of his most explosive times on the Salt Lake City oval, including the blistering 1:06.91 1000-meter run that first caught national attention. He trains here.

He thrives here. Utah ice is woven into the Olympic dream he refuses to let go of.

That dream became even more urgent after he stepped up for Team USA in Japan, filling in for a teammate with almost no notice, grinding out six high-intensity laps in team pursuit, and proving that he’s not just a contender, he’s a reliable, big-moment athlete coaches can trust.

It was the kind of performance that forces Olympic selectors to take notice.

In November, he kicked off the 2025/2026 World

Cup competition season in Salt Lake City with a good world ranking and personal bests. He scored a bronze medal in the 100-meter and a silver in the 1500-meter.

“Now the real work toward the Olympics begins,” he posted on Instagram.

Still, the path to 2026 is brutally competitive.

Speedskating offers nothing guaranteed: no big salaries, no massive endorsements, no safety net. Just training, travel, and a hope that your legs, lungs, and nerves hold together at precisely the right moment. McDermott-Mostowy has pushed through illness, financial strain, and the internal pressure of wanting to represent not only his country, but his community — queer athletes who rarely get to see themselves on winter-sports podiums.

“When it comes to sponsorships, especially over the past year, I’ve noticed a shift,” McDermott-Mostowy told Instinct Magazine of his financial challenges. “As anti-DEI sentiment grows, brands are backing away from anything that could be seen as ‘controversial.’

Being openly gay seems to fall into that category now.

Since most of our income

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comes from sponsorships, that retreat is deeply felt.”

Coming out in 2021 transformed him from a quiet contender into a visible symbol. He stepped into the global spotlight for LGBTQ+ representation in winter sports — a world still catching up to the cultural progress seen in summer competitions. Through Pride House LA, Out Athlete Fund programming, and his own candid storytelling, McDermott-Mostowy uses visibility the way he uses speed: boldly, strategically, and with heart. “[Visibility] is something I’ve thought a lot about recently. I’ve ultimately come to the conclusion that it is more important than ever,” McDermott-Mostowy told The Los Angeles Blade.

“We’re at a moment when LGBTQ+ rights, protections, and services are being rolled back in many places. The only way to push back against that is to be loud, present, and unapologetically ourselves.”

And as he barrels toward the 2026 trials, he is also thinking of when the Olympics will be back on his home ice. Utah will host the 2034 Winter Games, meaning the next generation of queer skaters, skiers, and sliders will grow up knowing that the world’s biggest sporting stage

is coming to their backyard.

“I’m excited for the games to come back to Utah. The ‘02 games were a resounding success and had such an impact on the state and the culture of sport that exists here now.

The organizers of the 2034 games are incredible and are already laying the groundwork for a worthy successor to the ‘02 games,” he told QSaltLake. “I won’t make it to those games, but I’m excited to cheer on my teammates and do everything that I can to ensure the event and my sport are successful in 2034.”

For now, though, everything funnels toward one electrifying goal: punching his ticket to Torino. Every lap. Every sprint. Every brutal training session in Salt Lake City counts.

He’s not just chasing a dream; he’s chasing history.

And if he lands in the 2026 Olympic lineup, he won’t be skating alone. He’ll be carrying every queer Utah kid who ever wondered whether icy arenas, tight skinsuits, and roaring crowds were spaces where they could belong.

Conor McDermott-Mostowy is racing to prove they absolutely are. Q You can financially help Conor get to the Olympics at VENMO.COM/CONORMM_SKATING

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Ogden, Utah-born porn star Scott Finn dies at 27 Better known to fans as adult film star Scott Finn, Rhett Douglas Messerly died on November 23 at just 27 years old.

His family announced his passing in an online obituary, remembering the Weber High School alum for his kindness, big smile, and mischievous, goofy charm.

Born in Ogden on February 2, 1998, Messerly grew up as “the goofball” among his friends and the “handsome boy with nice muscles” admired by many at school, according to the obituary. As a child, he was an adventurous tree-climber who the fire department occasionally retrieved after scaling too high. His family recalled a fiercely competitive streak, in which even card games could end in dramatic skirmishes with his siblings.

But he also had an “immense capacity for accepting people for who they are.”

To those close to him, he was simply Doug: a skilled chef, an outdoors lover, and someone happiest golfing, fishing, hiking, or fixing anything

that needed repair.

“He always had a way of bringing a smile and laughter to those who knew him,” his family wrote. “Most importantly, he will be remembered for his incredible capacity to help others.”

In the public eye, Messerly was known as Scott Finn, an adult content creator whose work appeared on gay websites including Active Duty and Next Door Studios. According to his IMDb profile, he entered the industry in 2018 and steadily built a following for his approachable, boy-next-door persona.

His social media presence, particularly on X, painted a more vulnerable picture in recent years. He shared openly about personal struggles, including a recent divorce, writing in June that the previous year had been a “hard life.” Earlier posts reflected his fluid sexuality and boundary-pushing honesty. In 2020 he replied to a negative comment that accused him of being gay-for-pay with,

Salt Lake City Leather Pride Festival donates over $10K to UAF Legacy Health The Salt Lake City Leather Pride Festival closed out its 2025 season with a major gift to Utah’s most vital LGBTQ+ health institutions. During the Utah AIDS Foundation/UAF Legacy Health’s 40th

Anniversary Celebration on World AIDS Day, festival organizer Michael Sanders presented UAF Legacy Health with a $10,438 donation, raised from this year’s Leather Pride festivities.

“Lol you have no idea who I am. I’m a sexual fucker. I like men and wemon [sic]… I’ve had sex with one female in the last 3 years. And about 100 men.”

By 2024, he began shifting toward new creative outlets, launching fresh social media accounts to highlight his lifelong love of cooking.

No cause of death was released. In their obituary, Messerly’s family shared that they “find some comfort in knowing his pain here is over and he rests with his Heavenly Father again.” Loved ones have filled his memorial page with memories of “amazing smiles,” rib-crushing hugs, and his instinct to look out for everyone around him. Q Sanders said the moment underscored the power of community-driven events to directly support queer health and wellbeing.

“It was an honor to produce the 40th Anniversary Celebration for the Utah AIDS Foundation on World AIDS Day this week in Salt Lake City,” Sanders said. “It also was awesome to be able to present the organization with a 10K check from the proceeds of this year’s Salt Lake City Leather Pride Festival.

What a great night, and thank you to all the many volunteers and community partners that made it all happen — as Velma Kelly said: but I can’t do it alone!”

The contribution comes as UAF Legacy Health continues expanding services, providing HIV/STI testing, prevention programs, affirming primary care, and community support.

Sanders added that the partnership isn’t slowing down anytime soon: “Next up for UAF Legacy Health will be the Oscar Night Gala in March… keep your socks up ’cause you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”

The 2025 Leather Pride Festival drew record attendance. Q

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SunTrapp reopens as Utah’s only unionized bar The SunTrapp reopened its doors on December 2, possibly marking the end of a turbulent chapter that saw workers striking, patrons worried for the future of one of Utah’s few remaining queer safe spaces, and ownership ultimately choosing to recognize the workers’ union. The news comes just weeks after the bar abruptly closed on October 31, a shutdown many feared might be permanent. The SunTrapp will become the only bar in Utah to have union representation with its employees.

The conflict began in late September, when a group of employees organized under SunTrapp Workers United and affiliated with CWA Local 7765 asked the bar to voluntarily recognize their union. Workers said they were seeking safer working conditions, more stable scheduling, better wages, and a stronger voice in how the bar operated at a time when anti-LGBTQ threats in the state were escalating. Instead of swift movement toward a vote, tensions rose. Some workers reported being fired and later reinstated, and by early October they walked off the job in protest. For nearly a month, they picketed outside the building every weekend, calling on the bar to acknowledge their collective power.

The SunTrapp announced its closure on November 1, citing financial strain caused by the protests. With the National Labor Relations Board shuttered amid a federal government shutdown, a secret-ballot election was impossible. The stalemate left workers in limbo and left the queer community reeling;

the loss of The SunTrapp would have meant losing one of only three designated LGBTQ+ bars in the state, a place known as a refuge for everyone from longtime regulars to young queer people stepping into the community for the first time.

On Instagram, owner Mary Peterson explained why the bar is reopening now — and why they have formally recognized the union.

“The SunTrapp has always been more than a bar; it’s a

safe place to gather, to celebrate, to connect, and to be ourselves,” the statement read.

“Today, I’ve made the decision to recognize the union representing a portion of our staff… My intention was to move forward with a formal secret-ballot election so that every eligible employee, including those who continued working through the strike, could have a fair and equal say in this process. However, I learned that pursuing an election would be expensive because of disputes regarding voter eligibility and alleged unfair labor practices, and after consulting with legal

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counsel, I have concluded that the best option is to simply recognize the union as representative of the employees.”

The post continued with an acknowledgment that this was not the path ownership had initially hoped for, but one that ultimately allowed the bar to survive: “This was not the voluntary path I had hoped for, but it was the only option that protected the possibility of keeping our doors open not just for our staff, but for every person in the LGBTQ+ community who counts on the SunTrapp as a safe and welcoming home.” Q

Trans inmates sue Utah over HB252

Five transgender inmates at the Utah State Prison filed a federal lawsuit against the Utah Department of Corrections and the Utah Department of Health & Human Services, alleging a new state law unlawfully denies them medically necessary care while incarcerated.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City, challenges House Bill 252, passed by the Utah Legislature earlier this year. The plaintiffs — Virginia Tucker, Stephanie Dombroski, Sandy Phillips, Dakota Grunwald, and Amberli K. Morrigan — argue the law has resulted in a blanket ban on gender-affirming medical treatment, including hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery, without regard for individual medical needs or professional medical judgment.

According to the complaint, Utah’s prison system has instituted “a blanket ban on the initiation of hormone therapy without any consideration of Plaintiffs’ individualized medical needs and the medical judgment of Defendants’ own medical providers.” The inmates are

represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah and Lambda Legal.

Four of the plaintiffs are transgender women and one is a transgender man. All five have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, which the lawsuit describes as a “serious and well-recognized medical condition.”

“When left untreated or inadequately treated, gender dysphoria can lead to severe distress, depression, impaired functioning, self-harm, suicidality, and death,” the lawsuit states.

HB252, which went into effect in May, restricts transgender inmates from initiating hormone therapy or gender-related surgeries while incarcerated. The law also requires inmates to be housed according to sex assigned at birth rather than gender identity. Plaintiffs argue the law overrides accepted medical standards of care and limits treatment to mental health services alone, which they say is inadequate and contrary to clinical guidelines.

“Defendants have denied or limited Plaintiffs’ equal access

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to healthcare by, among other things, providing a lack of timely and accurate assessments, and failing to provide condition-specific mental health services, hormone therapy, and individualized assessments of the need for surgery,” the lawsuit states. It further alleges that the state singles out gender dysphoria for unequal and discriminatory treatment, violating both the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment and the Americans with Disabilities Act. “They single out only transgender people with gender dysphoria for denial of care,” said Sonja Kerr, an attorney with Lambda Legal.

“Our clients are suffering because the state has chosen to prohibit medically necessary care for a validly recognized medical condition, regardless of individual need,” said Abby Cook of the ACLU of Utah.

The Utah Department of Health & Human Services declined to comment on the pending litigation.. Q

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Navajo Story Telling: Understanding the Naglééh and Gender Creation and Coyote Stories The MILDRED BERRYMAN ­INSTITUTE invites the community to gather for an evening of tradition, reflection, and cultural learning with Navajo Story Telling: Understanding the Naglééh and Gender Creation and Coyote Stories, presented by Navajo storyteller Anthony Shirley. The event takes place Thursday, January 22, at 6 p.m. at Signature Books, 511 W. 400 N. in Salt Lake City, with a Zoom option available for remote attendees.

Tony Shirley As winter settles in and Bear sleeps, Shirley will share traditional Navajo stories that explore the role of the nagléeh—a Navajo term meaning “interchanging,” now commonly understood as Indigiqueer or Two Spirit people. Through gender creation stories and tales of Coyote, participants will gain insight into historical Navajo understandings of gender roles, status, acceptance, and cross-dressing, and how those teachings can illuminate conversations around gender and identity today. All are welcome.

Shirley, originally from Chinle, Arizona, is of the Many Goats Clan and Towering House Clan.

He taught Navajo language and culture at the University of Utah for a decade and now lives in Salt Lake City with his husband, Scott.

The lecture space is up a flight of stairs and currently does not have a working elevator; please plan accordingly.

The Mildred Berryman Institute continues its mission of promoting queer Utah history, culture, and arts through accessible public education. Q

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quotes “Yes, come, but don’t expect to stay overnight. Don’t expect to be a lengthy house guest.

Don’t expect us to take you out and introduce you to our friends, or to deal with you in a public situation that would imply our approval of your ‘partnership.’”

—President Dallin H. Oaksin a 2006 interview when asked “If the son says, ‘Well, if you love me, can I bring my partner to our home to visit? Can we come for holidays?”

‘If a student commandeers a graduation podium intended to represent everyone getting diplomas that day in order to announce his personal sexual orientation, what might another speaker feel free to announce the next year, until eventually anything goes? ... I would like to hear a little more musket fire from this temple of learning.”

— Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles about, in part, Charlie Bird coming out in his BYU valedictorian speech

“We don’t need more ‘militia’ armed with ‘muskets’ ... we need more Saints disarmed with LOVE.” —Charlie Bird’s response

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who’s your daddy

A second son’s perspective

BY CHRISTOPHER KATIS

As you

may remember, for the November issue, I asked our oldest son to share his insights into what it was like growing up with two dads during a time when families headed by same-gender parents weren’t very common. Well, now it’s Niko’s turn. His answers have only been edited for clarity. The context and meaning of his responses are his own.

Growing up, what was the most common question you heard from your schoolmates and friends about having two dads? Usually, they would just ask if I had ever had a mom at some point.

What was it like not having a mom? You know, it sounds kind of weird, but I really didn’t care or think about it. It was just normal.

What about now? What do people say when they hear there is no mom and never was one? People have warmed up to the idea, knowing that it is a possibility. A lot of them say, “Oh, okay, cool.”

Do you volunteer that you have 2 dads, for example, “Oh, what do your mom and dad do?” or do you just let it be? Honestly, I usually just let it be because sometimes I don’t want to have to explain it.

What kind of discussions did you have with your girlfriends? I say I have two dads and move on with the conversation. That’s usually the end of it.

There was one kid who couldn’t come to your brother’s birthday party because of his parents’ “deeply held religious beliefs.”

Were there kids who didn’t want to hang out with you because of your dads? No, they usually don’t mind or don’t care.

You’re quite the jock. We were in the stands almost all the time. Did you ever get grief from fellow players? Actually, no. I guess most of the time, they didn’t even know who my parents were.

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Do you think you missed out on not having a mom? Not at all because my friends all had moms. They treated me like just one of their kids, so I got that mom experience.

What was the worst part — be honest — about having two dads? Being totally honest, there really wasn’t a worst part.

We were always just like other families.

What was the best part? Most of the time, it was super fun. We did a lot of different things that I don’t think other families did.

What do you think we did especially well as parents? Probably how you taught me how to handle myself in real, everyday situations.

Anything we were crap at? Gus says it’s that you let me do whatever I want, but not him. Guess that’s tough luck for him!

[AUTHOR’S NOTE: Both statements are untrue!]

Anything you’d like to add? I think from a social aspect in today’s world, now that gay and lesbian marriage is very common, having two dads gives me a very good understanding and acceptance of others when they say, ‘Oh, I’m actually lesbian, or I’m gay,’ because I have always been around it. It’s not a strange or different thing for me to have to think about.

Asking my boys to answer these questions was frankly a little scary. I wanted them to be completely truthful, but feared I might not like what they had to say. True to form, getting them to answer was like pulling teeth – especially Niko, although I was prepared for that (he can be a mini me sometimes). In the end, I was more than a little grateful to learn that they think our family is pretty awesome. So do their dads. Always will.

Thanks, boys! Q

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creep of the month

Creep: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt DANNE WITKOWSKI

It was

not an easy job. But I was good at it. I even won a You Are Good At This Job award, which I got to go to a little luncheon for and everything. It is probably gathering dust somewhere in my basement.

Anyway, long story short, I don’t teach there anymore. Thank the lord.

Because in today’s political climate I would likely not make it very long.

I got a text from my mom the other day that read, “Have fallen down the rabbit hole on this. Thought as a college instructor, you might find it interesting, too.”

Ahem. Former college instructor.

She linked to an article about Mel Curth, a graduate student instructor at the University of Oklahoma, who was suspended after giving a failing grade to a student for her essay that was supposed to use evidence in an exploration of how social expectations shape gender. But instead of doing that, this student wrote an essay about how God says being trans is demonic.

The student is now crying that she’s a victim of religious discrimination.

As my mom put it, “This girl turned in a crappy essay and is screaming discrimination because it was graded appropriately.”

My mom is right. She is also obsessed with TikTok. “There are multiple TikToks defending the instructor and vilifying the university and the state,” she wrote. “I am interested in how this continues to unfold. I hope the instructor sues and wins a bundle.”

“That is unlikely to happen,” I texted back. “Especially not in Oklahoma.”

“This paper was reviewed by another instructor who agreed with the grade,” she replied. “I hope this turns out to be a blessing in disguise for the instructor and a better offer of employment is in the future. It may just be my algorithm, but I am having multiple TikToks

pop up in support of the instructor.”

Oh, Mom. I explained that there are no civil rights protections for transgender people in Oklahoma. Plus, Curth is a teaching assistant, which is a very low rung on the ivory tower of higher education. It’s unlikely they have any kind of union protection or job security. On top of this, the Governor of Oklahoma has entered the chat.

“The 1st Amendment is foundational to our freedom & inseparable from a well rounded education,” Governor Kevin Stitt posted on X. “The situation at OU is deeply concerning. I’m calling on the OU regents to review the results of the investigation & ensure other students aren’t unfairly penalized for their beliefs.”

You know, just a normal thing a governor does, weighing in on a shitty undergraduate psychology paper.

“It’s quite possible that the instructor’s educational career and future professional prospects are cooked.”

I texted back. “This person is likely totally fucked.”

I really cannot emphasize how dangerous the world is for transgender people right now. The most powerful governments in the world are focused on dismantling anything and everything that allows transgender people any dignity or humanity.

On Dec. 5, students and other instructors gathered outside to protest Curth’s suspension.

“We have policies in place for assessing whether or not a complaint is legitimate, but there’s enormous pressure from the outside to not follow those policies. We should be defending our academic integrity,” Hunter Heyck, an OU history professor, told KOSU. Heyck indicated that he did not fear reprisal for speaking out.

“If I was in a more vulnerable position I would have to be careful,” Heyck acknowledged. “In our department, we have thought carefully about who would teach certain classes that are likely to raise hot button issues so that they would be people who are less vulnerable.”

In other words, in order to protect vulnerable instructors, we limit their professional opportunities.

I am sure that this is done with the best of intentions, but it’s another example of how trans people can be hurt by even the best intentions.

As for the student who wrote the Very Bad Paper (whose name I am intentionally not using), she’s going to be fine. More than fine. She’ll likely ride this wave to a lucrative career opposing transgender existence. She’ll become the next Riley Gaines, who tied for fifth place during a college swimming competition with a trans athlete a few years ago. Now Gaines makes her living screaming that transgender women should not be allowed to play sports.

This student will become a Turning Point USA poster child in no time. All for trying to ruin a transgender person’s life. Q D’Anne Witkowski is a writer living with her wife and son.

She has been writing about LGBTQ+ politics for nearly two decades. Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.

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America is going in the wrong direction for intersex children

BY KIMBERLY M. ZIESELMAN

I live with the consequences of what America is willing to condone in the name of “protecting children.”

When I was young, doctors made irreversible decisions about my body without my informed consent. There was no medical emergency. They were responding to discomfort with physical differences and pressure to make a child conform to a rigid female-male binary. The harm didn’t begin with my identity; it began when adults decided my healthy body needed fixing.

That’s why the hypocrisy unfolding in legislatures today feels so familiar, and so dangerous.

For decades, medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children — the nearly 2 percent born with variations in sex characteristics — have continued largely unchecked in the U.S. This month, however, House Republicans advanced one of the most extreme anti-trans bills in modern history, criminalizing gender-affirming care for transgender youth and threatening doctors with severe penalties. Framed as “protecting children,” the bill weaponizes the criminal legal system against families and providers offering evidence-based care.

At the same time, policies are being proposed to intimidate hospitals and insurers into abandoning affirming care by threatening funding cuts or prosecution. The result is predictable: young people lose access to care that major medical associations agree can be lifesaving.

All of this is justified as preventing “irreversible harm.”

Yet if lawmakers truly cared about irreversible harm to minors, they would first address the nonconsensual, medically

unnecessary surgeries still performed on intersex infants and young children — procedures that permanently alter healthy tissue long before a child can participate in the decision.

Human rights organizations have documented for years that these interventions are driven not by medical necessity, but by social pressure to make bodies appear more “normal.”

Here is the uncomfortable truth: every state law banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth explicitly allows these intersex surgeries to continue.

A recent JAMA Health Forum analysis found that 28 states have enacted bans on gender-affirming care for minors while carving out exceptions permitting irreversible “normalizing” procedures on intersex children. This contradiction reveals the real priority behind these laws: enforcing a rigid sex and gender binary.

Intersex people are erased from policy debates except when our bodies are used to justify harm. The “protect the children” rhetoric masks state control over bodies while preserving practices that stripped intersex children like me of autonomy and health.

In 2024, the Biden administration released the first-ever federal intersex health equity report, acknowledging these harms and recommending delaying irreversible procedures. It should have been a turning point. Instead, America is moving backward.

Protecting children means protecting all children. Intersex children deserve laws that protect their bodies — not politics that hurt and erase them. Q Kimberly Zieselman is a human rights advocate and the author of “XOXY: A Memoir.” She is a co-author of the JAMA Health Forum analysis cited.

A home for bears and their admirers

We are a social/service group for those that identify as men, organized to support and promote diversity, inclusion, foster positive involvement in our community, and provide opportunities which enhance the personal growth of our members, the Bear community, and the LGBT community as a whole.

UtahBears.com utahbearsinc@gmail.com

E @utahbears c @utahbears2011

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What the AIDS crisis stole from Black Gay men

BY EMIL WILBEKIN

Sex scares

me. As a teenager, at a time when most young men were starting to physically connect with their new, exciting, primal sexual desires, the blood in my body was flowing through my veins just as fast. There was nothing unusual about puberty.

Except that my desires were for other men.

I had no references, images, or examples. No place to go, and no one to talk to about these feelings. My resources included a pamphlet from my godmother on men’s bodies. I clung to a passage in it on how common it was for teenage males to have sexual desires for other males, but it was usually a phase, and you grow out of it. Then there was my mother’s copy of “The Joy of Sex,” hidden in the right bottom drawer under negligees and lingerie, and a funny plastic disc which I later discovered was a diaphragm.

Then there were the homoerotic shoots of beautiful, hypersexual models in the pages of GQ. And Greg Louganis at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. His Adonislike body, clad in a tight red bikini brief, stands on the diving board, preparing to dive in. And there was Gene Anthony Ray on “Fame,” his incredible dancing prowess only matched by his swagger bursting out of his muscular body.

And then there were headlines in the newspapers and on broadcast news, about “the plague” or “the gay cancer.” AIDS. My earliest thoughts about sex were nestled between puberty, promiscuity, and “the plague.” All fueled by respectability politics and the silence, stigma, and shame fostered in the Black church.

The U.S. government had also been largely silent about HIV and AIDS. It wasn’t until 1987, near the end of his second term, that Ronald Reagan finally addressed AIDS as “public health enemy number one.”

In 1985, I was a freshman at Hampton University when Rock Hudson died of AIDS complications. He was 59. This

was the first time AIDS was referenced in a big media story. It was sobering, resounding, and terrifying. The disease that was claiming the lives of so many gay men — The Lost Generation — had a profound impact on my life and psyche.

If I were to live my truth as a Black gay man, it could be a possible death sentence.

Would I live in the closet and remain alive, or come out and risk everything to be comfortable in my own skin and live my truth if only for a few years? Heavy stuff for an 18-year-old.

Sex became a game of roulette. And anal penetration was not an option.

Today, I am 58 years old. A year younger than Rock Hudson when he died. I didn’t survive unscathed. I am what is called a long-term survivor. I was diagnosed with HIV in 1997 — 28 years ago. I am living with the virus, but thanks to modern medicine, I am what is called undetectable. According to the CDC, a person living with HIV who is on treatment and maintains an undetectable viral load has zero risk of transmitting HIV to their sexual partners.

Still, many people don’t fully understand this fact or believe that it is untrue.

I’ve been on dates and often bring up my HIV status early in the conversation so that I am being honest, transparent, and vulnerable. On more than one occasion, I have had the date tell me they aren’t interested in someone who is HIV-positive or they have indiscreetly ghosted me. There have also been situations where the person wants to make a go of it but finds it challenging because they can’t unhear my status or they don’t want to risk the “nonexistent” possibility that they may contract HIV. Living in this reality in 2025 is frustrating and demoralizing.

I founded Native Son as a community and platform created to inspire and empower Black gay, queer, and gender-nonconforming men to amplify the voice and visibility of our community. I considered the gap in our history because of the

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massive loss of life due to the AIDS crisis.

We lost a generation of Black artists, actors, dancers, innovators, builders, and many more whose lives are unknown and whose existence was extinguished, eliminated, and evaporated. We lost our griots (African storytellers), mentors and teachers, along with our uncles, brothers, fathers, and history. Native Son created a community where Black queer men could mentor, learn from, support, and nurture one another. We could stand in the gap. We could also be a sacred space where our lives, legacies, and existence are honored, celebrated, and remembered.

At the first Native Son Awards in 2016, I shared my HIV status publicly for the first time. It was imperative that if I were leading and serving a community of Black queer men, I be transparent about my status. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and one of the most rewarding.

The challenge was that I hadn’t told my mother that I was HIV-positive. That weekend, I flew home to tell my mother the secret I had hidden for 19 years. But a mother’s love is like a lifeline, and I was grateful that my mother loved me beyond the limits of her own prejudice.

World AIDS Day, observed annually on Dec. 1, is a time for us to remember the 44.1 million souls who have died from AIDS related causes since the start of the epidemic. It is also a moment to have open, honest, loving, and healing conversations about HIV within and beyond the Black community. Particularly, when: Black people are 12% of the U.S. population, but account for 39% of HIV diagnoses.

1 in 2 Black gay or same-gender-loving men may face an HIV diagnosis.

Black women make up 50% of HIV diagnoses among cisgender women.

Black Transgender women face HIV rates more than 3x higher than other groups.

We don’t have to be pathological; we can actually be a community of care. HIV is preventable and treatable.

We have the power to break the cycle and heal our community daily. Q Emil Wilbekin is the founder of Native Son, an assistant professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, a journalist, and a content creator. This article was first published on Advocate.com, and is a project of THEBODY, PLUS, POSITIVELY AWARE, POZ, Q Syndicate, and QSaltLake Magazine. Visit their websites for the latest updates on HIV/AIDS.

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26 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | FABBY AWARDS

OurAnnual Readers’ Choice Awards This is our 22nd Fabby Awards. Thank you to all of those who took the time to vote for your favorites!

Restaurants MOST FABULOUS INEXPENSIVE

The Other Place ­Restaurant

Comfort food without the sticker shock, The Other Place delivers generous plates, friendly banter, and a come-as-you-are dining room. Packed full of gays on Sunday morning and after Salt Lake Men’s Choir rehearsals.

MOST FABULOUS AFTER-HOURS

Dee’s Family Restaurant

When everything else is closed, Freaky Dee’s keeps the lights on until 2 a.m. weekend nights with burgers, sandwiches, pancakes,

hash browns, and endless coffee.

Let’s go to Dee’s! That’s what daddy says. And the FABBY voters agree.

MOST FABULOUS BREAKFAST

Penny Ann’s

Penny Ann’s turns mornings into a party with fluffy pancakes, cinnamon French toast, and fast, hot coffee. It is bright, busy, and perfect for fueling errands, road trips, or lazy weekends all year.

MOST FABULOUS CONTEMPORARY DODO The Dodo was, without doubt, the largest, strangest dove ever to have lived. Once a local favorite on 9th East, the Dodo now occupies a prime location on 21st South and 14th East, over-

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looking the tall pines and cottonwood trees, flower gardens, and wide green lawns of Sugar House Park, plus a stunning sunset view of Mount Olympus.

Oh! And the food, especially the desserts, is good too!

MOST FABULOUS PARK CITY

Riverhorse On Man

Riverhorse On Main brings Park City elegance without feeling stiff: thoughtful cooking, confident wine service, and a dining room made for celebrations. Book it after the slopes, or anytime you want a special night out.

MOST FABULOUS ASIAN

Takashi

Takashi is downtown energy and precise sushi, with inventive rolls, fresh fish, and shareable plates that keep the table buzzing. Sit at the bar, order boldly, and make a Tuesday feel like a party again.

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MOST FABULOUS MEDITERRANEAN

Laziz

Laziz delivers fast Mediterranean flavor with shawarma, herbs, and sauces that punch up every bite. It is easy for takeout, quick dinners, and pre-show fuel, with bright, modern vibes throughout downtown most nights too.

MOST FABULOUS ITALIAN

Caffe Molise

Caffe Molise does Italian with warmth: house-made pasta, cozy lighting, and a patio that feels like a getaway. Order wine from an impressive list, share a starter, and settle into a conversation that lasts past dessert every time here.

MOST FABULOUS STEAK

Ruby River

Ruby River keeps steakhouse cravings simple: solid cuts, hearty sides, and a relaxed room where you can actually talk. Bring a big appetite, skip

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the fuss, enjoy the bucket of peanuts, and enjoy a dependable night out with friends.

too hard. In my day, this was the place to see and be seen at Sunday Brunch.

MOST FABULOUS BBQ

MOST FABULOUS WINE SELECTION

R&R Barbecue

R&R Barbecue is a locally owned chain of restaurants all about smoke, sauce, and speed: brisket, ribs, and sides built for sharing.

Ideal for feeding a crowd after games, concerts, or long hikes, with plenty of napkins on hand.

MOST FABULOUS BREW PUB

Squatters Brew Pub

Whether your squatting at the airport, or downtown SLC, or in the Park City area, the Squatters Mug Club is a must. The best beers in town served with the best food in the surroundings of a beautiful historic building.

We go for brunch and the $3 mimosas and bloody marys. But that’s just how we are.

MOST FABULOUS COFFEE (TIE)

Sugar House ­Coffee

Sugar House Coffee Garden feels like a neighborhood living room: strong espresso, sweet pastries, and plants everywhere.

Perfect for reading, laptop time, or a quiet catch-up, with a steady stream of friendly regulars daily.

Coffee Garden

Grunge-meets-latte vibe in the heart of 9th & 9th on Harvey Milk Boulevard, always buzzing, rarely predictable. Killer brews, flaky pastries, and couches full of artists, students, and that one weird regular you secretly love.

MOST FABULOUS SEAFOOD

Market Street Grill Market Street Grill brings the coast to Utah with oysters, chowder, and reliably fresh seafood. It works for business lunches or celebrations, with attentive service and classic preparations that never try

BTG

When BTG opened, Michael Aaron thought he had died and gone to Heaven. Our favorite thing to do is the flights with tastes of three to five wines.

How else can you enjoy a $50 bottle of wine if not an ounce or so at a time? Also serving food, this is a great date night, or a “where should we go now?” night. Downstairs from Caffe Molise.

MOST FABULOUS BEER SELECTION

The Bayou

The Bayou is a beer lover’s playground, packed with taps and bottles that reward curiosity.

Grab a table, order something new, and snack while the playlist and conversation carry you late into the night easily.

MOST FABULOUS PIZZA

Pie Pizzeria

From a graffiti-strewn dungeon a stone’s throw from the UofU to seven locations from Ogden to South Jordan, the home of the Zappi is just pure, gooey yum. Hand-tossed dough, inhouse sauces and dressings, the same way they’ve done it for 45 years. Fun fact: the original campus location has been a pizza joint since 1965, when it was Bimbo’s.

MOST FABULOUS BAKERY/PASTRIES

Gourmandise

Gourmandise is pastry temptation perfected: croissants, cakes, and a display case that makes decisions impossible. Settle in with coffee, split a tart, and let dessert lead the conversation.

Alongside the massive pastry display, they offer an impressive dinner menu.

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MOST FABULOUS FOOD TRUCK

MOST FABULOUS SANDWICHES

Tacos Daddy

Moochies

Tacos Daddy brings street food swagger with tortillas loaded high, bright salsas, and flavors that hit fast. Track them down, eat standing up, and call it the best kind of dinner plan for busy nights. See them at Club Try-Angles on Sunday afternoons.

Moochies delivers no-nonsense sandwich joy: warm, overstuffed subs, plenty of peppers, and quick service. Perfect for lunch breaks, road trips, or late cravings when you want something filling and familiar right now, always here.

MOST FABULOUS BURGERS

MOST FABULOUS MEXICAN

Lucky 13

Lucky 13 gets its lucky 13th FABBY for building burgers with attitude: stacked patties, creative toppings, and fries that demand sharing. It is loud, fun, and satisfying, whether you are celebrating a win or just feeding a craving after work.

Red Iguana

Red Iguana is worth the wait, serving rich mole sauces, bright salsas, and plates that hit every comfort note. Bring friends, split everything, and leave with leftovers and a new favorite craving for later, too. Can’t wait?

Head around the corner to Red Iguana II.

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MOST FABULOUS “SALADS”

MOST FABULOUS VEGAN

Aubergine

Vertical Diner

Aubergine makes salads with real personality: crisp greens, bold toppings, and dressings that actually show up. It is quick, clean, and satisfying when you want something lighter that still feels like lunch.

MOST FABULOUS BRUNCH

Eggs in the City

Eggs in the City is weekend comfort with creative omelets, buttery classics, and a steady buzz. Bring friends, bring an appetite, and plan your day over coffee. These longer warm temps make the patio a great option.

Vertical Diner proves vegan can be craveable: comfort classics, rotating specials, and desserts that vanish. The vibe is relaxed, the portions generous, and the menu welcoming to everyone who wants flavor first today and always.

MOST FABULOUS NEW RESTAURANT

Junah

Junah crashes Italian comfort into Japanese precision off Harvey Milk Boulevard with fearless fusion, sexy plating, and date-night swagger. Handmade pastas meet umami punch, wrapped in a moody room built for adventurous appetites and confident hospitality.

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UTAH’S BEST BURGER Our Lucky 13th Year of Wınning a Fabby Award

FABBY Winner

2013 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2014 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2015 “Best Burger Joint”

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2016 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2017 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2018 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2019 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2020 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2021 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2022 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2023 “Best Burger Joint”

FABBY Winner

2024 “Best Burger Joint”

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BARS MOST FABULOUS ALLGAY-EVERY-DAY BAR

Club Try-Angles

Goddammit, Gene! Twenty-four New Year’s Eves deep and still standing. Try-Angles feeds you on holidays, strips you to your underwear once a month, and hosts Beer Church like it’s a sacred rite. No press releases. Just community, chaos, and chosen family, served with confetti.

MOST FABULOUS BAR FOR THE BUCK

Club Try-Angles

The coldest, cheapest beer in Salt Lake City and cocktails priced like it’s still 2009. If you somehow manage to go broke here, that’s not inflation. That’s a you problem.

MOST FABULOUS NIGHT CLUB

Milk+

Big. Loud. Queer as hell. MILK+ brings sprawling dance floors, an outdoor patio, themed nights, and a kitchen that refuses to serve sad bar food. The Mexi Bowl alone deserves a residency.

Wine Wednesdays, Karaoke Sundays—pace yourself.

MOST FABULOUS IRISH PUB

Piper Down

Bangers, mash, brunch, poker, live music—repeat daily. Piper Down somehow hosts an event every damn day and still feels like home. Warm, welcoming, and aggressively LGBTQ-friendly.

Sláinte, aiteacha!

MOST FABULOUS BEER BAR

Beer Bar

Yes, it’s literally called Beer Bar. Yes, that feels like cheating. But when your mission is a “love letter to the beer of the world,” we’ll allow it. Consider this category answered and properly toasted.

MOST FABULOUS WINE BAR

BTG (By The Glass)

When BTG opened, Michael Aaron thought he’d been raptured. Wine flights let you flirt with expensive bottles without committing to the whole relationship. Add solid food and a sexy vibe, and suddenly you’re staying for “just one more.”

MOST FABULOUS BAR THAT GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

Club Try-Angles

Love lives here. Gene gives back endlessly, supports fiercely, and would absolutely give you the Cookie Monster T-shirt off his back. Emotionally? Yes. Physically? Let’s all agree to keep it on.

SHOPPING MOST FABULOUS BOOK STORE

Under the Umbrella Bookstore

If queer joy had a retail footprint, this would be it. Under the Umbrella is cozy, mighty, and stacked with LGBTQ+ stories you actually want to read. Add drag story hours, book clubs, and queer-made goodies, and suddenly you’re “just popping in” for two hours.

Runners up: King’s English, 9th & 9th Book and Music Gallery

MOST FABULOUS LOCAL SHOP FOR CLOTHING MOST FABULOUS SHOES MOST FABULOUS UNDERWEAR

Spark

Gay-owned, sustainably minded, and sparkling harder than your ex’s revenge outfit. Spark dresses you from underwear to interview-ready, club-wear to cufflinks. They even expanded into women’s clothing because excellence refuses to be contained. Also yes, your VCR probably needs cleaning.

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MOST FABULOUS PLACE TO BUY DRAG/ HALLOWEEN ATTIRE

Pib’s Exchange

A fever dream of wigs, boots, costumes, and the occasional mysterious $20 bill in a pocket.

Pib’s is chaotic, iconic, and exactly where you go when your look needs to scream louder. Posh?

Absolutely. Subtle? Never.

MOST FABULOUS CONSIGNMENT/GENTLY USED CLOTHING

Iconoclad

The crown jewel of festival fashion and the unofficial outfitter of Burning Man fantasies.

Iconoclad mixes new, secondhand, and “where has this been all my life?” pieces into a glittery playground for maximalists and style adventurers alike.

MOST FABULOUS JEWELER

9th & 9th Jewelers

Turning gems into main-character energy since forever. From hand-mined stones to lab-grown diamonds, this family-run shop crafts bold, beautiful pieces meant to last—and be bragged about. Future heirloom unlocked.

MOST FABULOUS FLORIST

Little Gay Garden

Yes, the name is perfect. June grows flowers with Pride, literally, cultivating stunning organic blooms alongside her partner and dogs. Whether you need bouquets, garden help, or just proof that gay joy grows well in Utah soil, Little Gay Garden delivers.

MOST FABULOUS GIFT STORE MOST FABULOUS ADULT TOY STORE

Cahoots

If you’ve ever blushed walking into a store, it was probably here. Cahoots starts you off with cheeky gifts and then gently, or not so gently, ushers

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you into the adult section. Equal parts playful, unhinged, and iconic. Don’t bring your mom … unless you have that mom.

SERVICES MOST FABULOUS ATTORNEY

Christopher ­Wharton

Chris Wharton shows up for the community like it’s a full-time side hustle—pro bono work, real representation, and actual impact. He fights for folks who might otherwise get ignored, chairs the Salt Lake City Council, and yes, we wish he fixed our potholes, too. Call him anyway; he’d probably try.

MOST FABULOUS FLEA MARKET

Urban Flea Market

It’s not about fleas. It’s about vibes. This year-round, second-Sunday ritual at The Gateway is part shopping spree, part social scene, part “I didn’t plan to buy this, but here we are.”

Come for the browsing, stay for the people-watching.

MOST FABULOUS PLACE TO GET PIERCED

Koi Piercing

Koi has been professionally poking holes in Utah bodies since 1997, long before FABBYs were a twinkle in our publisher’s eye.

Clean, skilled, and iconic, they’ve earned their legend status one perfectly placed piercing at a time.

MOST FABULOUS Tattoos

Cory Harris, ­Loyalty Tattoo

The reviews don’t lie: Cory Harris is wildly talented and somehow makes being stabbed repeatedly feel like a pleasant experience.

Clients rave about his kindness, his skill, and his openness to doing more dog tattoos, which we fully support.

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MOST FABULOUS RADIO STATION

X96

MOST FABULOUS BARBER

First Baptist Church

George Michael Duven (yes, we get it) came in hot and never slowed down. From charity events to flawless fades, he keeps the community looking sharp—and offers manscaping services for all your… regions.

Bonus points for being easy on the eyes.

Runners-up: Puck the Barber, Josh Lucero

MOST FABULOUS KENNEL/ PET BOARDING Dog Grooming

The Dog Den

This is not doggy jail. The Dog Den delivers structured play, stress-free handling, and serious puppy professionalism. Certified staff, balanced playgroups (size does matter), and happy, tired dogs—sniffing optional but encouraged.

MOST FABULOUS INSURANCE AGENT

Jon Jepsen doesn’t just sell insurance—he shows up. Boards, commissions, volunteering, founding member of the Human Rights Commission… and still finds you the right policy. If being a decent human were insurable, Jon would underwrite it.

Fabby Awards

BEST PIZZA

Babs De Lay

Babs sold the first property to the Mormon pioneers as they handcarted into Salt Lake City.

That’s a long time. They’re on every commission, know every block, and basically are city hall.

When Babs talks real estate, listen.

God Shave the Queen

2023

MOST FABULOUS REAL ESTATE AGENT

Utah’s original alternative station, broadcasting rebellion since before radio was technically invented (don’t fact-check us). With Radio From Hell in the mornings, X96 continues to soundtrack your commute, your angst, and your coming-out montage.

Jon Jepsen, Sentry West

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MOST FABULOUS CHURCH

A church that actually means “all are welcome.” Hosting queer choirs, drag-adjacent mayhem, and endless LGBTQ events, First Baptist walks the walk. Pastor Curtis marries couples, hangs at the Pride Center, and tells dad jokes. Consider yourself warned.

MOST FABULOUS CAR DEALERSHIP

Mark Miller Subaru

Love is love, dogs are family, and Subarus are forever. Mark Miller Subaru has backed Pride for years, has racked up national awards, and rescues homeless dogs like it’s their calling. We trust anyone who sells cars and saves dogs.

MOST FABULOUS WEDDING OFFICIANT

Christopher ­ cuderi S

Possibly the hardest-working minister in the valley, Christopher has been officiating samesex weddings since before they were legal, and still wakes up at the crack of dawn for Easter services. Weddings, funerals, blessings, he does it all with heart at Universal Heart Ministry.

MOST FABULOUS FINANCIAL INSTITUTION

Mountain America Credit Union

Nearly a million members, billions in assets, and zero shady vibes. Mountain America helps people build real financial

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futures without talking down to them—which already puts them ahead of the game.

community advocacy, Cat delivers headshots with personality— and purpose.

MOST FABULOUS TV NEWS

ARTS

Fox 13 News

Ignore the “Fox” panic. Fox 13 consistently shows up with solid reporting, actual integrity, and respectful coverage of Utah’s LGBTQ community. Journalism?

In this economy? We’ll take it.

MOST FABULOUS MASSAGE

Cory Beldon, The Massage Guy

Equal parts healer and muscle whisperer. Cory’s intuitive, deeply trained, and focused entirely on you — easing pain, melting stress, and restoring balance with deep tissue, myofascial, and Swedish magic. He is also genuinely kind, calm, and very good at what he does.

MOST FABULOUS FINANCIAL PLANNER

Tracey Dean

Fiduciary, financial badass, and everyone’s favorite “convention wife.” Tracey Dean puts clients first, always, while navigating investments with energy, clarity, and trustworthiness. Your money has never felt safer or more loved.

MOST FABULOUS CATERER

Lux Catering & Events

Lux has fed the community in every sense—donating thousands in food and services, leading in sustainability, and operating as a certified LGBT Business Enterprise. Ethical, generous, and delicious? That’s a three-course win.

MOST FABULOUS PHOTOGRAPHER

Cat Palmer

From punk icons in L.A. to powerhouse portraits in SLC, Cat Palmer captures soul, story, and edge. Mentored by Ansel Adams’ lineage and driven by

MOST FABULOUS THEATER COMPANY

Plan-B Theatre Company

Small stage, big impact. Plan-B delivers sharp, original plays by Utah playwrights only — no imports, no filler, all substance.

Socially conscious, fiercely local, and unapologetically inclusive, this company proves new work can be intimate, urgent, and damn good.

MOST FABULOUS ART MUSEUM

Utah Museum of Contemporary Art

Born as the scrappy Art Barn and now holding court downtown, UMOCA believes in art right now. Bold, challenging, and occasionally confusing in the best way, it champions contemporary voices and reminds us culture is a living, breathing thing.

MOST FABULOUS MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR

Kilby Court Block Party

Over 25 years of indie cred and still throwing the loudest birthday party in town. The Kilby Court Block Party stacked legends and future icons, including New Order, Beach House, Weezer, and Justice, and proved once again that SLC shows up for music.

FABULOUS MUSICIAN

Spencer Sanders

Heart on sleeve, soul in the sound. Spencer Sanders blends genres and emotions with ease, delivering queer stories of love, loss, and resilience that hit hard and linger long. Almanac is just the beginning, and we’re already listening closely.

MOST FABULOUS MUSICAL GROUP

Salt Lake Men’s Choir

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MOST FABULOUS TV NEWS REPORTER

Ben Winslow

Forty-two holiday concerts and counting, and somehow still getting better. As Utah’s largest member-supported arts org, SLMC keeps tradition alive while filling stages with more voices than ever and pews with more butts than ever, reminding us that community harmony is a powerful thing.

We’re considering retiring this category until Ben retires to Palm Springs. His constant stream of news on TV and online hits that perfect balance of smart, snarky, and rock-solid reporting. Also a proud promoter of UTA’s Capitol Connector, possibly just to save his fab socks on the uphill walk. Journalism and practicality.

MOST FABULOUS DANCE COMPANY

MOST FABULOUS LEADER OF AN LGBT GROUP

Ballet West

Liz Pitts, Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce Powerhouse, policy nerd, and lifelong community builder. Liz Pitts took the Chamber from scrappy to statewide, now leading over 300 member businesses and plotting Utah’s first LGBTQ+ Visitor Center. From Pride Fest to the White House, she shows up, speaks truth, and gets things done—no small feat in this state.

Older than some of us, hotter than most. Ballet West has been raising the bar since 1963, blending classical excellence with modern energy. Under Adam Sklute, this company continues to evolve and still makes it look effortless.

MOST FABULOUS THEATER PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR

Bat Boy: The ­Musical

Camp. Chaos. Surprisingly tender. Salt Lake Acting Company’s long-awaited revival of Bat Boy proved lightning can strike twice. With standout performances, big heart, and feral energy, this cult classic roared back, and audiences happily followed it into the cave.

People MOST FABULOUS BARTENDER

Seth Shoemaker,

Club Try-Angles Everyone loves Seth—and the vote count was unhinged. He pours drinks with a smile that survives even the busiest nights, keeps the vibes immaculate, and is aggressively easy on the eyes.

Frankly, we want to put him on the mantle and protect him at all costs.

MOST FABULOUS ALLY

Bronwyn Newport

Housewife, hell-raiser, and unapologetic ally. Bronwyn Newport uses her Bravo-sized platform to loudly back trans rights, call out hypocrisy, wave Pride flags where they’re “not allowed,” and show up—from the Supreme Court steps to ballroom-rooted chants of “Protect the Dolls.” Reality TV, but make it resistance.

MOST FABULOUS QSALTLAKE COLUMNIST

Christopher Katis

Former kid-avoider turned gay dad extraordinaire. Chris Katis has been charming readers with Who’s Your Daddy since 2009, busting stereotypes and celebrating queer parenthood with humor, heart, and zero apologies.

Well, almost zero.

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ORGANIZATIONS MOST FABULOUS POLITICAL GROUP

Stonewall ­Democrats

Utah Stonewall Democrats amplify LGBTQ voices statewide, mobilizing voters and allies while advocating equality, inclusion, and representation—and hosting the annual “Oh No They Didn’t” event after each Utah Legislative session.

MOST FABULOUS GROUP FOR YOUTH

Utah Pride Center Youth Drop-In

The Youth Drop-In Center at the Utah Pride Center is a lifeline— raw, real, and unapologetically affirming—where LGBTQ+ youth find safety, chosen family, vital resources, and the freedom to survive, heal, and thrive.

MOST FABULOUS SOCIAL GROUP

blackBOOTS Salt Lake City

blackBOOTS Salt Lake City is a sex-positive social and educational group for adult men (21+) into Leather, kink, BDSM, and fetish, building safe, inclusive community with social events, workshops, Leather Church, and education through their blackBOARD program.

MOST FABULOUS SPORTS GROUP

Stonewall Sports SLC

Stonewall Sports of Salt Lake City keeps LGBTQ+ play fierce and fun—an inclusive, low-cost nonprofit league where everyone can join, compete, make friends, give back, and celebrate community through sports and social events.

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MOST FABULOUS HEALTH GROUP

UAF Legacy Health

UAF Legacy Health is where queer Utah gets real care — bold, affirming, and unapologetic — delivering primary, mental, and gender-affirming healthcare plus HIV services that put dignity, access, and community first.

MOST FABULOUS ANNUAL EVENT

Utah Pride Festival and Parade

The Utah Pride Festival is the unstoppable celebration of queer joy—vibrant, loud, and full of love, uniting community, art, and resistance in the heart of Salt Lake City every year.

MOST FABULOUS MONTHLY EVENT

Morning Wood Party

The newly-organized Morning Wood Party brought out all their forces to win this award. They call themselves Utah’s cheekiest monthly LGBTQ+ event bringing inclusive, sexy vibes and playful energy where gay men gather for unforgettable mornings of community, connection, and hard‑to‑forget times.

MOST FABULOUS ORGANIZATION TO SUPPORT FINANCIALLY

The Utah Pride Center

Utah’s heartbeat for LGBTQ+ life empowering community, providing vital resources, and fostering safety and belonging.

Your support keeps programs, advocacy, and Pride alive and thriving statewide.

SALTLAKEMENSCHOIR.ORG

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QUEER GUIDE TO THE Sundance Film Festival

has named some of the films that will be showing at its final Salt Lake City/Park City event. Here are a number of films that have queer content to help you decide what tickets you should buy when they go on sale.

US DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

Barbara Forever

UNITED STATES 2025 98 MIN ENGLISH

An archive-driven exploration of the life, work, and legacy of iconic, pioneering lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer.

Turning the lens on a celebrated filmmaker is no easy task, particularly one whose work is as groundbreaking, sensual, and life-affirming as Barbara Hammer’s. Yet, director Brydie O’Connor does her justice. Weaving a kinetic tapestry of archival footage guided

by Hammer’s own voice, the film offers an intimate front-row seat into the mind of a visual poet.

Barbara Hammer was deeply concerned with who makes history and who is left out, which motivated her to record her life, her body, her lovers, and the joy found in her lesbian identity. O’Connor’s portrait is an inspiring tribute and candid document of

artistic process, capturing the persistence, unabashed ambition, and inevitable tensions such drive creates. Barbara Hammer’s work opened the door for so many artists, and her legacy, so deftly captured here, reminds us why. — SO DIRECTOR: BRYDIE O’CONNOR is a Kansas-born, New York–based filmmaker. Her work activates archives through queering storytelling structures within the nonfiction space. Her past work includes the documentary shorts The Roaming Center for Magnetic Alternatives (2025), The Fault Line (2024), and Love, Barbara (2022), which was nominated for an IDA Award.

Public Access

UNITED STATES 2025 108 MIN ENGLISH

An unprecedented look inside one of the greatest media experiments to hijack American screens. Rare archives from New York’s underground capture a world of creators

who shattered rules, defied censors, and transformed our televisions into a free-speech battleground where anyone could be a star.

The internet and social media platforms may have given birth to influencers and content creators, but decades before their popularization, public access television, such as New York City’s Manhattan Cable Television, opened up the floodgates for technological free expression. With no editorial input allowed, ordinary New Yorkers had carte blanche to create — from the interactive Grube Tube to Glenn O’Brien’s underground scene free-for-all TV Party and the pioneering LGBTQ+ series The Emerald City. But when sexually explicit programming pushed the boundaries and stirred public debate, First Amendment court battles followed. David Shadrack Smith takes viewers through the unfiltered creativity and chaos of this paradigm-shifting new technology, which presaged today’s media-driven world.

As Public Access cheekily warns, “Brace yourself! Nothing you have ever seen before can prepare you for this.” — BT DIRECTOR: DAVID SHADRACK SMITH began his career reporting in China and producing for National Geographic before founding Part2 Pictures.

He’s produced award-winning nonfiction for CNN, Hulu, HBO Max, and more, which has earned

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Emmys and James Beard Awards, among other honors. Public Access is his feature directorial debut.

WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION

Big Girls Don’t Cry

NEW ZEALAND 2026 100 MIN ENGLISH

Over one transformative summer in rural New Zealand in 2006, 14-year-old Sid Bookman discovers desire, identity, and the internet as she imitates the people she longs to be loved by.

Paloma Schneideman, mentored through Jane Campion’s film program, crafts an artful coming-of-age portrait of queer adolescence that beautifully inhabits the liminal space between youth and adulthood, desire and experience — a time when we’re conscious of everything, but lacking language for any of it. With aching recognition, we’re inescapably drawn into Sid (newcomer Ani Palmer in a stellar breakout performance) — her trying on of identities, mimicry, feigning of maturity, shame, and longing for acceptance — as she endears herself to a group of older teens, the first generation for whom sexual curiosity is entwined with the internet. Schneideman’s voice is fresh and vibrant, her intimate, shallow-focus photography drawn to faces and bodies, full of precarity and vulnerability and perfectly attuned to these young people. The film breathes with specificity and authenticity, ironically rendering so sharply an interior life that is, by its nature, so obscure. — JN DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: PALOMA SCHNEIDEMAN is a filmmaker and musician from Aotearoa, New Zealand. Her work examines the human condition, often through a queer and/or female lens, blending sharp cultural observation with emotional nuance.

Schneideman is an alum of Jane Campion’s A Wave In the Ocean program; Big Girls Don’t Cry is the first incubated feature film to emerge from the initiative.

Extra Geography UNITED KINGDOM 2026 93 MIN ENGLISH

LADY UNITED KINGDOM/NIGERIA 2026 96 MIN EN-

In an English girls boarding school, two teenage best friends grapple with the challenges of girlhood — friendship, boys, studies, and growing up — and embark on their school project, falling in love.

In her thoroughly funny, stylish debut feature, Molly Manners (In My Skin, One Day) offers a wry, poignant story about best friendship. Brought to life through standout debut performances from Galaxie Clear and Marni Duggan, Minna and Flic exist entirely in each others’ worlds — their perfectly synchronous thoughts and movements playfully accented by Manners’ visual style. Charming, adorably self-centered, codependent, and snide, they audition together for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (despite Shakespeare being rubbish) and — knowing that love makes one “worldly” — decide their school project will be to fall in love with the first person they see: their geography teacher (Alice Englert). They hatch a plan, enamored of their own cleverness (“We should probably dream about her.”), but their synchronicity soon falters.

Extra Geography offers a bittersweet lesson in unsinkable friendship: in life, love, and Shakespeare, someone always gets upstaged. — JN DIRECTOR: ­MOLLY MANNERS is a BAFTA-winning director.

She is best known for the Netflix series One Day, which received three BAFTA nominations including best director. Before this, she directed the critically acclaimed series In My Skin 2 (BBC 3/ Hulu), for which she won a BAFTA. Extra Geography is her feature film debut.

In the sprawling African metropolis of Lagos, a fiercely independent young cab driver meets a band of radiantly reckless sex workers whose sisterhood pulls her into danger and joy, setting her on a journey toward her own transformation.

Lady is a strong woman in a man’s world. A taxi driver on today’s streets of Lagos, Lady makes enough money to care for herself and her grandmother while most Nigerians must choose between breakfast and lunch. When her oil-producing motherland eliminates fuel subsidies for its citizens, Lady’s childhood friend, Pinky, propositions her to join ranks with her boss who is looking for a night driver for his ladies. Director Olive Nwosu’s exciting debut feature pulses with the potent energies and complex realities in Lagos.

LADY radiates the love and dreams between people, the choices made to forge pathways for living through debilitating circumstances and intergenerational traumas, and the sea change of a new generation, rising to DJ Revolution’s call to decolonize their minds and take back their lives. — SF DIRECTOR: OLIVE NWOSU, born in Lagos, Nigeria, is a London-based filmmaker and an award-winning screenwriter and director. She wrote and directed two acclaimed shorts: 2019’s Troublemaker, the first Igbo-language film on the Criterion Channel; and 2021’s Egúngún (Masquerade), which premiered at TIFF and screened at the Sundance Film Festival, winning multiple international awards. LADY is her feature debut.

GLISH, NIGERIAN PIDGIN

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PREMIERES

Tell Me Everything

Give Me the Ball!

ISRAEL/FRANCE 2026 109 MIN HEBREW

Amid the late ’80s pop craze and rising HIV epidemic, 12-year-old Boaz uncovers a devastating secret about the father he idolizes that threatens to tear his family apart. Over a years-long journey, Boaz seeks to heal the wound and reclaim the father-son bond he has never stopped yearning for.

On the heels of his impressive first feature, Karaoke, Moshe Rosenthal crafts a captivating, deeply moving father-son story that explores the upheaval in a family after a startling revelation. Tell Me Everything is told with warmth and intimacy through the experience of Boaz, a boy nearing his bar mitzvah and manhood, yet still trying to understand masculinity and his father, his perspective blurred by confusion and fear. In exploring the truth, Boaz leaves his childhood behind with every step, carrying his shame, guilt, and anger into adulthood. Propelled by phenomenal performances, richly detailed storytelling, a vibrant visual sensibility, and a vivid evocation of the ’80s, Tell Me Everything is a poignant story of family, reckoning, and the search for a father — or maybe just the attempt to truly see him. — JN DIRECTOR MOSHE ROSENTHAL is a director and screenwriter. His debut film, Karaoke, premiered at Tribeca and won Best Director and Best Screenplay at Raindance. It was acquired for U.S., German, and French remakes and was nominated for 14 Israeli Academy Awards. Tell Me Everything is Rosenthal’s second feature.

UNITED STATES 2025 101 MIN ENGLISH

The Brittney Griner Story UNITED STATES 2025 100 MIN ENGLISH

Explores the circumstances that led to Brittney Griner playing basketball outside the U.S. despite being one of the best players in the sport, including her harrowing detainment, unwavering determination to secure her freedom, and her advocacy for the release of other wrongful detainees.

The media frenzy surrounding the detainment and eventual release of Brittney Griner was highly politicized, fueled by speculation and attempts to leverage her narrative to advance political agendas. Now, director Alexandria Stapleton gives the floor to Griner to tell her story, alongside her wife, Cherelle, and an inner circle of friends and family.

This intimate access grounds the film in Griner’s humanity, reminding us she is a wife, parent, daughter, sister, and friend — far more than just an athlete-turned-political pawn. Griner opens up about her childhood, the disappointment and fear surrounding her detainment, her harrowing experience in a Russian penal colony, and the complicated negotiations to get her home. It’s a riveting story of resilience, anchored by a family who never stopped pushing for her release and that of others. — SO DIRECTOR: ALEXANDRIA STAPLETON is an Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker and the founder of House of NonFiction.

She directed The Brittney Griner Story for ESPN and Sean Combs: The Reckoning for Netflix, as well as films for Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, and HBO. She is currently working on a feature doc about NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens.

World champion tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King has had a game-changing impact on culture and sports. Rare archive and candid interviews with Billie Jean and those closest to her reveal how one woman put changing the world ahead of saving herself.

The story of professional women’s sports could not be told without Billie Jean King.

Her status is so iconic that some may lose sight of the real human being — her struggles, her flaws, and her all-consuming, competitive drive. In fighting for equity for herself and others, King was uncompromising, to the point of subordinating her personal well-being by hiding her sexual orientation and eating disorders. Directors Liz Garbus and Elizabeth Wolff present Billie Jean King in full, in her own words, with archival footage that brings the dark times and indelible victories to life. With refreshing honesty and the hard-won perspective of having lived through it all, Give Me the Ball! is an electric portrait of one of the greatest of all time. — SS DIRECTOR: LIZ GARBUS IS a two-time Emmy Award– winning and two-time Academy Award–nominated filmmaker. She has helmed celebrated genre-defying documentaries and premium drama series as a director and executive producer under her company Story Syndicate.

DIRECTOR: ELIZABETH WOLFF is drawn to the ways stories from the past help us make sense of the world today. Named one of DOC NYC’s 2023 “40 Under 40,” she specializes in adapting biography, memoir, and political histories into documentaries and has collaborated with Liz Garbus on several acclaimed projects.

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NEXT

Jaripeo

I Want Your Sex

UNITED STATES 2025 90 MIN ENGLISH

When fresh-faced Elliot lands a job with artist and provocateur Erika Tracy, his fantasies come true as she taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal, and murder.

In writer-director Gregg Araki’s latest feature, a sex-forward Los Angeles art gallery hosts a delightfully enigmatic sadomasochistic game, as Cooper Hoffman’s eager Elliot is pushed to the edge by the sharply sardonic Erika, masterfully portrayed by Olivia Wilde. More than an art-world satire or a celebration of depravity, Araki and Karley Sciortino’s quick-witted writing and circular narrative structure reveal a spunky yet earnest reflection on the current state of sex — challenging misaligned conceptions of kink/predation, exhibition, and generational predispositions toward sexual freedom and autonomy.

I Want Your Sex is Araki’s 11th Sundance Film Festival premiere (following the episodic Now Apocalypse in 2019), constituting a fresh, prismatic validation of form for the auteur — an outrageously playful sexual crusade that only the one Gregg Araki could make. — CA DIRECTOR GREGG ARAKI, a fixture in indie film for over 30 years, is the writer-director of Mysterious Skin, White Bird in a Blizzard, and The Living End. He recently restored his cult classics The Doom Generation and Nowhere. For television, he worked on Dahmer, American Gigolo, and Now Apocalypse.

The Incomer

UNITED KINGDOM 2026 100 MIN ENGLISH

On a remote Scottish isle, siblings Isla and Sandy hunt birds and talk to mythical beings while fighting off outsiders. Their lives change when Daniel, an awkward official, arrives to relocate them.

Relocating a pair of siblings is easier said than done in Louis Paxton’s delightful, uproariously funny, heartwarming first feature. A comedic inflection of Scottish island folklore, The Incomer draws us into its eclectic vision through sublime deadpan humor, formal inventiveness, a sprinkling of animation and fantastical creatures, and the charm of its oddball characters. Having lived in isolation and mistrustful of mainland folk, Isla and Sandy (brilliantly played by Gayle Rankin and Grant O’Rourke) initially try to toss Daniel (Domhnall Gleeson) off the island — literally. But several days and one initiation ritual later, there’s a thaw. The siblings share their lore and Daniel speaks of mainland virtues, like avocados and the internet. Their interactions are fresh and funny, but there’s also a poignant exchange around belonging. These three people — who have experienced isolation, loss, and loneliness — lower their guard and embrace human connection. — JN LOUIS PAXTON is a writer and director from Edinburgh, Scotland. After studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, he earned a master’s degree in directing at the National Film and Television School in London. His award-winning short films have screened at major festivals. The Incomer is his feature debut.

MEXICO/UNITED STATES/FRANCE 2026 70 MIN SPANISH, ENGLISH

A journey to Michoacán’s hypermasculine rodeos descends into the subconscious of memory, queer desire, and longing, leading to a reckoning with the wounds and beauty of a home left behind.

“I brought you here to Penjamillo so you could see a little bit of what it’s like to be a young queer ranchero,” explains Efraín Mojica, who makes their feature directorial debut with Jaripeo, alongside Rebecca Zweig.

Mojica serves as our guide into the vibrant world of the “jaripeos,” rural rodeos that draw macho cowboys, drunken revelers, and — enabled by the bacchanalian atmosphere — hidden queer encounters. Through vérité and Super 8 footage, the camera captures secret glances and fleeting touches and lingers lovingly on the riders’ bodies — manifestations of machismo as filtered through a queer lens.

Mojica constructs rich portraits of queer rancheros sharing memories and confidences in warm, sometimes flirty, conversations and brings their past experiences to life in indelible, stylized dreamscapes celebrating queer self-expression, desire, and belonging.

Jaripeo invites viewers to enter this space of traditional, performative masculinity and discover what lies beneath its surface. — BT DIRECTOR: EFRAÍN ­MOJICA is a Michoacán-born artist based in Mexico City. Their multidisciplinary work, shown from Berlin to Mexico City, explores light, sound, and matter through a conceptual art lens. Video art is central to their practice. Jaripeo is their first feature film.

DIRECTOR: REBECCA ZWEIG is a Mexico City– based filmmaker and writer.

Published in The New York Times and The Nation, she is a Sundance Institute fellow and (Egg)celerator Lab grantee. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, her filmmaking is shaped by her poetic practice. Jaripeo is her first feature film.

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MIDNIGHT

TheyDream

UNITED STATES 2025 89 MIN ENGLISH

After 20 years of chronicling his Puerto Rican family, a director and his mother face devastating losses. Through tears and laughter, they craft animations that bring their loved ones back to life, discovering that every act of creation is also an act of letting go.

In TheyDream, director William David Caballero brings together decades’ worth of his family’s stories in a profoundly moving and creative work of intergenerational healing through art. At its center is Milly, Caballero’s mother, who dutifully bore the responsibility of caregiving for her father, mother, and husband as they dealt with aging and various health concerns. Working in close collaboration with Milly, Caballero uses miniatures and motion capture technology to transform old home movies and recorded conversations with departed family members into sometimes whimsical, often bittersweet animated sequences. Demonstrating deep vulnerability and candor, TheyDream and its stories of familial love and loss are both uniquely personal and universally resonant. Caballero was once told by a documentary professor that no one would ever want to see a film about his family. How wrong she was. — BT DIRECTOR: WILLIAM DAVID ­CABALLERO is a Los Angeles–based queer Puerto Rican American filmmaker, writer, animator, Guggenheim fellow, and Creative Capital awardee.

His animated documentary shorts about his family have screened at the Sundance Film Festival and the Museum of Modern Art and won a Webby for Best Art Direction.

zi

UNITED STATES 2025 99 MIN ENGLISH, CANTONESE, MANDARIN

In Hong Kong, a young woman haunted by visions of her future self meets a stranger who changes the course of her night — and possibly her life.

Kogonada plays with — and returns to — form in this sensitive cinematic poem. Held within a stylish jaunt through the streets of Hong Kong, zi is a film with soul and a wavelike confidence that commits to recursivity as a mode and central theme. Kogonada regulars Michelle Mao, Haley Lu Richardson, and Jin Ha carefully portray transitory misfits, grappling with a clever fusion of existential anxiety, romantic misgiving, and personal memory.

Somewhere between sci-fi and supernatural, a deep, easy warmth takes root. Following Columbus (2017 Sundance Film Festival), After Yang (2020 Sundance Film Festival), and A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, Kogonada crafts a decidedly contained film, exploring a pervasive sense of unmooring, yet cultivating an unrelenting sense of peace. Through the igniting/smoldering embers of relationships lost/forming, zi is an invitation to surrender to Kogonada’s truly indie world of temporal fragmentation. — CA DIRECTOR: KOGONADA is a writer and director. His first feature, Columbus, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017.

Leviticus

AUSTRALIA 2026 86 MIN ENGLISH

Two star-crossed teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most — each other.

A haunting and sensitive feature directorial debut from writer-director Adrian Chiarella, Leviticus promises a new, poignant entry into the canon of coming-of-age horror. An isolated Australian small town hosts the evils of religious fanaticism and its consequences for queer youth, creating an atmosphere that’s chilling and near-claustrophobic. Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen tenderly embody Naim and Ryan, magnetically attracted teens coming into their sexuality, yet facing physical and spiritual violence at every bend.

At times sensual, and just as often thrilling, Leviticus shines as both a harrowing Midnight experience and a queer social horror. At the core of this merciless curse narrative is an authentic reflection on what it means to love queerly despite the persistent dangers from within and without. — CA DIRECTOR: ADRIAN CHIARELLA is an award-winning Australian writer and director. His television credits include Totally Completely Fine (Sundance Now), Erotic Stories (SBS), and Five Bedrooms (Paramount+). His short films have screened at numerous international festivals and earned him AACTA and Australian Directors’ Guild Award nominations.

Leviticus is his feature film debut.

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PARK CITY LEGACY

SUNDANCE SHORTS

Mysterious Skin

Callback

Saccharine

AUSTRALIA 2025 113 MIN ENGLISH

Hana, a lovelorn medical student, becomes terrorized by a hungry ghost after taking part in an obscure weight loss craze: eating human ashes.

Natalie Erika James follows Relic (2020 Sundance Film Festival) with this revoltingly punchy, modern, and timely take on body horror. Through sickeningly syrupy scenes of literal and spiritual consumption, Midori Francis embodies Hana, a body-dysmorphic young woman bent on chasing her weight goal at all costs. The archetypal myth of the hungry ghost manifests literally, creating a uniquely tense atmosphere fit for a physically and metaphorically dangerous haunt.

The viscosity of James’ exploration of haunting and body horror in the era of accessible weight-loss medications is especially poignant, as Saccharine works to deconstruct weight and fatness as metrics by which we classify antagonism and personal shortcoming. What if the desperation to conform is a destructive consumption itself?

What if we manifest our own bottomless specters? — CA DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: NATALIE ERIKA JAMES is a Japanese Australian writer, director, and producer focused on dark genre stories told with heart. Her debut feature, the psychological horror Relic, premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim. She co-wrote and directed Apartment 7A, a prequel to Rosemary’s Baby.

UNITED STATES 2004 105 MIN ENGLISH

Two preadolescent boys both experienced a strange event and later it affects their lives in different ways. One becomes a reckless, adventurous sex worker, while the other retreats into a reclusive fantasy of alien abduction.

A picture of youth and trauma in late-20th-century Middle America, Mysterious Skin presents a sensitive, disquietingly hypnotic coming-of-age entry into writer-director Gregg Araki’s canon. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Brady Corbet deliver exceptionally embodied performances as boys on near-opposite sides of the vast canyon of their shared psychological wound — both approaching revelation in distinctly vulnerable capacities.

A notable formal departure from Araki’s established auteur style, Mysterious Skin screened at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim. Deftly marrying Araki’s bold filmmaking and youthful flair with the gravity of Scott Heim’s lauded novel, the film realizes an unflinchingly honest attention to the American socioeconomic underbelly; the queer psychosexual; the random, undeserved consequences of living. Two decades later, Mysterious Skin remains an unconventional, provocative classic. — CA DIRECTOR: GREGG ARAKI, a fixture in indie film for over 30 years, is the writer-director of Mysterious Skin, White Bird in a Blizzard, and The Living End. He recently restored his cult classics The Doom Generation and Nowhere. For television, he worked on Dahmer, American Gigolo, and Now Apocalypse.

US 2025 16MIN ENGLISH SHORT FILM PROGRAM 5

Max arrives home to find that his boyfriend has booked a callback. All hell breaks loose.

DIRECTOR: MATTHEW PUCCINI

Gender Studies

US 2026 11 MIN ENGLISH SHORT FILM PROGRAM 2

When a trans college student learns the girl she idolizes is sleeping with their teaching assistant, she takes drastic steps to emulate her.

DIRECTOR: JAMIE KIERNAN O’BRIEN

Seniors

US 2026 12 MIN ENGLISH SHORT FILM PROGRAM 2

A high school senior goes on his first college campus tour the day his parents’ marriage begins to fracture.

DIRECTOR: ADAM CURLEY

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OutLoud Sports launches queer volleyball league in SLC Salt Lake City’s LGBTQ+ sports scene is about to get a major glow-up. OutLoud Sports, one of the nation’s fastest-growing queer athletic organizations, is launching its first-ever season in Utah this winter, bringing an inclusive indoor volleyball league to Club V from January 25 through March 22, 2026. And if early enthusiasm is any indication, Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m. are about to become the city’s newest queer weekend tradition.

Jacob Buck is heading up the new addition to Salt Lake’s LGBTQ+ sports scene.

Registration is open, with early-bird pricing running through December 9. Fees range from $65 to $75,

depending on when players sign up, with options for both team registration and free agents. All participants must be 21 or older, but skill level doesn’t matter — brandnew beginners, seasoned players, and everyone in between are welcome.

“This league is designed for fun first,” organizers say, “and for creating a space where LGBTQIA+ players and allies can meet, play, connect, and just feel at home.”

The group proposed a Women, Trans, and Non-Binary division, which is an increasingly rare offering in traditional recreational leagues. The division will launch as soon as enough teams register, and OutLoud

is encouraging players to help spread the word so this dedicated space can thrive.

Otherwise, all players can join the open division, which mixes athletes of all identities and experience levels on the court. Whether you’re joining with friends or signing up solo, OutLoud will make sure everyone lands on a team.

The league isn’t just about volleyball; it’s about building a new branch of queer community in a city that has long needed more inclusive social spaces. For many LGBTQ+ adults, especially those who don’t feel at home

in nightlife-only environments, sports leagues are a lifeline: a place to make friends, let go of stress, and feel part of something bigger.

OutLoud Sports wants this season to be the start of something lasting. “We’re building a joyful, loud, proud queer sports community from day one,” organizers say. And it begins with a ball, a net, and a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon. Q Registration runs through January 24, with the season officially kicking off January 25 at Club V. Grab your knee pads, message your group chat, and get ready to serve up some queer joy. Register at outloudsaltlake.leagueapps.com

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the bookworm sez REVIEW BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

‘Night People: How to Be a DJ in ’90s New York City’ by Mark Ronson C.2025, GRAND CENTRAL, $29, 256 PAGES

You just can’t hold still.

The music starts, and your hips shake, your shoulders bounce, your fingers tickle the sky to match a beat. Your air guitar is on-point, your head bops, and your toes tap. You can’t help it. As in the new memoir, “Night People” by Mark Ronson, you just gotta dance.

With a mother who swanned around with rock bands, a father who founded a music publishing company, and a stepfather who founded the band Foreigner, it was natural that Mark Ronson would fall into a music career of some sort. He says he was only ten years old when he realized the awesome power of music.

As a pre-teen, he liked to mix music in his stepfather’s studio. As a teenager, he formed a band with Sean Lennon that didn’t quite catch on. In the fall of his senior year of high school, Ronson

q scopes JANUARY

BY SAM KELLEY-MILLS

ARIES March 20–April 19 The year begins with a spark that refuses to remain quiet.

You are bold, a tad reckless, and undeniably alluring. Someone is drawn to your confidence, but what keeps them close is the tenderness you reveal when you slow down just enough to let them see it.

TAURUS Apr 20–May 20 January invites you to redefine comfort on your own terms. You’re craving closeness that feels intentional, not rushed. When you trust someone with your time and your body, the connection deepens into something deliciously lasting.

GEMINI May 21–June 20 Your words are especially intoxicating this month.

began sneaking into Manhattan clubs to listen to music, dance, and find drugs. It was there that he noticed the alchemy that the DJs created, and he searched for someone who’d teach him how to do that, too. He became obsessed.

Finding a gig in a New York club, though, was not easy.

Ronson worked a few semi-regular nights around New York City and at various private parties to hone his skills. His mother purchased for him the electronic equipment he needed, turntables, and amps. He befriended guys who taught him where to get music demos and what to look for at distributor offices, and he glad-handed other DJs, club owners, and music artists.

That, and the rush he got when the dance floor was packed, made the job glamorous. But sometimes, attendance was low, DJ booths were located in undesirable places, and that totally killed the vibe.

Some people, he says, are mostly day people. For others, though, sunlight is something to be endured. Nighttime is when they feel most alive.

Part esoteric hip-hop discography, part biography, part SNL’s Stefan, and part cultural history, “Night People” very likely has a very narrow audience.

Flirtation flows easily, but so do meaningful conversations that linger long after midnight. Let yourself be both light and sincere; the balance is what makes you irresistible.

CANCER June 21–July 22 You enter the new year with a quiet glow.

Emotional safety becomes sensual when shared with the right person.

Open your arms and your heart, as someone is ready to meet you with the same depth you so freely offer.

LEO July 23–August 22 This month puts you center stage without even trying. You shine naturally, but the real magic happens when you let someone see you off script. Intimacy grows when you allow yourself to be adored exactly as you are.

VIRGO August 23–Sep 2 The fresh start of the year loosens your grip on perfection. You’re discovering pleasure in spontaneity, in

If you weren’t deep into clubbing back in the day, you can just stop here. If you were ages 15 to 30, thirty years ago, and you never missed club night then, keep reading. This is your book.

Author Mark Ronson talks the talk, which can be good for anyone who knows the highs of a jam-packed club and the thrill of being recognized for skills with a turntable. That can be fun, but it may also be too detailed: mixology is an extremely heavy subject here.

Many of the tunes he names were hits only in the clubs and only briefly, and many of the people he name-drops are long gone. Readers may find themselves not particularly caring. Heavy sigh.

This isn’t a bad book, but it’s absolutely not for everyone. If you weren’t into clubbing, pass, and you won’t miss a thing. If you were a die-hard club kid back then, though, “Night People” will make your eyes dance.

Want more? Then check out “What Doesn’t Kill Me Makes Me Weirder and Harder to Relate To” by Mary Lucia (University of Minnesota Press). It’s Lucia’s tale of being a rock DJ in Minneapolis-St. Paul, life with legions of listeners, and not being listened to by authorities for over three harrowing, terrifying years while she was stalked by a deranged fan. Q

moments that don’t follow the plan. Trust that desire doesn’t need editing to be real or worthy.

LIBRA Sept 23–October 22 A new chapter stirs your longing for connection that feels mutual and alive. Someone challenges your usual patterns in the best way. Say yes to imbalance if it leads you closer to passion and truth.

CAPRICORN Dec 21–Jan 19 You’re stepping into January with quiet confidence and a willingness to receive. Let someone surprise you with affection that asks nothing in return. Pleasure feels sweeter when you don’t have to earn it.

SCORPIO Oct 23–Nov 21 January deepens your emotional intensity, but with a gentler touch. You’re drawn to vulnerability, both yours and theirs. When trust is exchanged freely, intimacy becomes transformative rather than guarded.

AQUARIUS Jan 20–Feb 18 Your originality sets the tone for unexpected connections. A spark begins in shared ideas and quickly becomes something more charged. Let yourself enjoy the slow burn; anticipation is half the pleasure.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22–December 20 The new year awakens your hunger for experiences that stretch you. Romance feels like an adventure again, especially when you follow what excites you instead of what’s familiar.

Let curiosity guide your heart.

PISCES Feb 19–Mar 19 The year opens with you deeply attuned to your desires. Fantasy and reality blur in beautiful ways when you trust your intuition. Someone is ready to meet you in that tender, sensual space where dreams feel possible. Q

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Donning drag to fight injustice in Beethoven’s ‘Fidelio’ In Ludwig

BY SCOTT C. MORGAN

van Beethoven’s 1805 opera “Fidelio,” a woman named Leonore dons male attire to infiltrate a prison to find and rescue her political prisoner husband, Florestan. In her male guise as “Fidelio,” Leonore is so convincing (and more importantly competent) as a prison worker that the warden grants his grown daughter’s own request for a marriage engagement to him.

Women taking on outwardly male personas is a well-worn dramatic and theatrical device, especially in Shakespearean comedies and in operas by composers such as Mozart, Gounod, and Richard Strauss. But nowadays, with Republicans across the U.S. relentlessly out to legislate drag bans, could Utah Opera be in the cultural cross-hairs by staging a new production of “Fidelio”?

Texas-based director Tara Faircloth doesn’t think so.

Faircloth, a veteran director of several Utah Opera productions like “Pagliacci,” “The Marriage of Figaro,” and “The Little Prince,” has a quick retort Tara Faircloth for anyone who would attack “Fidelio” solely for its cross-dressing.

“It would be very ironic if the drag element kept people from coming because [‘Fidelio’] is the ultimate celebration of heterosexual married love,” Faircloth said. “The entire last five minutes are of the chorus singing what a joy it is to have an incredible wife.”

But what could make Utah Opera’s new “Fidelio” controversial is Faircloth’s new conceptual interpretation of Beethoven’s only opera.

Faircloth’s approach grew from a Houston Symphony concert version of “Fidelio” that she staged in 2017.

“If you’ve seen it multiple times, you’ve noticed that there’s quite a bit of German dialogue,” said Faircloth, adding that

some American opera companies switch between spoken English and sung German when they stage “Fidelio,” or that the spoken German dialogue gets drastically cut.

“I’ve cut all of the German dialogue and replaced it with a character that we’re calling ‘The Oracle,’ who is stringing the scenes along,” Faircloth said.

The Oracle also shares quotes by revolutionaries, poets, and thinkers throughout time. For instance, there are 20th-century quotes by the likes of gay African-American poet Langston Hughes and Indian Independence Movement leader Mahatma Gandhi that are used to tie into and reflect on the action and ideas within “Fidelio.”

Faircloth was able to get Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad to narrate her 2017 “Fidelio” concert. But for The Oracle for Utah Opera, Faircloth wanted to have a strong local connection with broadcaster and former Miss America 1985 Sharlene Wells.

“I wanted someone who carried a certain sense of gravitas, but also elegance,” Faircloth said. “Sharlene Wells will tell you immediately that she’s not an actress, but she is an excellent public speaker and she brings a lot of heart to our work.”

Visually, Faircloth and her production team are aiming for a “Fidelio” to look both timeless and even in the “not-toodistant” future. It’s a change from more recent “Fidelio” productions like late director Jürgen Flimm’s 2000 staging for The Metropolitan Opera that looked like a 20th-century South American military junta, or director Matthew Owaza’s hightech 2021 San Francisco Opera staging that brought to mind corporately owned prisons and migrant detention centers.

“It’s not a ‘Star Wars’ opera by any means,” said Faircloth, though she admits that the George Lucas TV series “Andor” was an inspiration for costume designer Fan Zhang and projec-

tion designer Sarah Tundermann. “‘Andor’ has similar themes, actually, about dealing with a fascist regime and a rebellion underground,” Faircloth said. “And so the costumes have a slightly futuristic feel, although in the way of ‘Andor,’ they also reference the past quite a bit. So, it’s a world where things have been reused and recycled — a semi-post-apocalyptic feeling.”

Faircloth hopes audiences can find relevant parallels between “Fidelio” and recent U.S. history and our current political moment. “‘Fidelio’ is a piece that is unfortunately incredibly relevant today, 200 years ago, and probably in another 100 years,” Faircloth said. “Just because of its ultimate message of mankind’s desire for freedom from tyranny and the lengths that people who are in love will go to protect and save one another.” Q Utah Opera’s new production of Beethoven’s “Fidelio” plays five performances at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 S., Salt Lake City. Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Friday, Jan. 17 and 23, 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, Jan. 19 and 21, and 2 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 25. Sung in German with projected English translations and spoken English. Tickets are $26-$117 with discounts available for students with ID and audiences under the age of 30. Call (801) 533-6683 or visit usuo.org.

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‘A Dozen Roses,’ a timeless queer love story from Wasatch Theatre Co. This February, Salt Lake City audiences will be transported across centuries, identities, and emotional landscapes in A Dozen Roses, an intimate new play by Utah-based playwright Selah DeGering.

Wasatch Theatre Company presents the production at the Regent Street Black Box, running February 12–14 at 7:30 pm, with a special matinee on February 15 at 2 pm.

A Dozen Roses isn’t your typical love story. It follows Eric, an immortal vampire, as he searches for his deceased wife, Rose. Because Rose is reincarnated across different eras, her soul appears in various bodies, allowing the play to explore love that transcends physical form and traditional gender binaries.

From early colonial New England to the AIDS crisis and into today, this two-actor play challenges what it means to love and remember, especially when only one partner bears the weight of history.

DeGering, a Louisiana-born playwright now rooted in Utah, brings a personal voice to the Salt Lake theatre scene. An honors graduate in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in playwriting from Brigham Young University, they are also an active member of the Dramatists Guild and a champion for queer and minority narratives in theater. Q Audiences should note that A Dozen Roses is recommended for mature viewers due to its adult themes. Tickets and more information are available through Wasatch Theatre Company at wasatchtheatrecompany.org

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David Matheson’s candid conversation with Heather Gay in the first episode of ‘Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay’ When Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay debuted on Bravo and Peacock in November 2025, it immediately shifted the public conversation in Utah about faith, identity, and accountability. The limited three-part series, hosted

by Real Housewives of Salt Lake City alum and Bad Mormon author Heather Gay, travels beyond celebrity memoir and reality TV to confront painful, often suppressed experiences from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The first episode, titled “A Bad Mormon,” sets the tone for the entire series. At its center is an encounter that is as raw as it is historically significant: Heather Gay’s interview with David Matheson, a former Mormon therapist once nationally known for his role in so-called conversion therapy programs. Today, Matheson lives openly as a gay man — a reality that offers profound irony and insight given his past work.

For much of his adult life, Matheson was a devout member of the LDS Church and a respected figure among those seeking to reconcile so-called same-sex attraction with orthodox teachings. He helped lead programs, including Evergreen and Journey Into Manhood retreats, intended to help gay men change or control their desires, grounded in the belief that heterosexual marriage and commitment to church norms would somehow resolve those feelings.

These approaches reflect a long-standing tension within Mormon culture: on the one hand, the church’s recent statements acknowledge that “samesex attraction” in itself is not a sin. On the other, acting on such attraction remains forbidden in church teaching, and past decades taught that heterosexual marriage could, or should, be the solution for LGBTQ members.

By the time the cameras rolled for Surviving Mormonism, Matheson had not only left behind much of that earlier work but also divorced his wife, come out as gay, and publicly rejected the teachings he once upheld. His participation in the documentary, especially as the opening voice, was a powerful choice by

Gay and the production team, signaling that the series aimed to probe not just individual stories but systemic harm.

From the outset of their conversation, the emotional texture is unmistakable. Matheson, 61, speaks with vulnerability about both his past and present. He watches archival footage of his younger self promoting conversion therapy, and in that moment, he seems to confront not just external critics but his own memories and choices.

“I’m overwhelmed by the arrogance of the whole thing,” he confesses, a statement that captures both personal remorse and cultural critique.

“The arrogance of the whole thing” resonates on multiple levels. For Matheson, it’s an admission of the hubris inherent in trying to fix someone for being who they truly are. But it also reflects the broader presumption within many religious communities that identity can be suppressed, altered, or corrected through faith and therapy. For many viewers — especially LGBTQ former Mormons — those assumptions are familiar, painful, and often haunt long after leaving the church.

As the interview unfolds, Gay and Matheson discuss the psychological frameworks and church teachings that once guided his work. Matheson recounts being taught that emotional well-being and spiritual salvation were contingent upon suppressing homosexuality, and that heterosexual marriage would “fix” the perceived problem. “I get married,” he recalls, “and the bishop says, ‘It’ll go away when you start having normal sex.’ A year later I’m like, ‘It didn’t go away.’” AOL His narrative lays bare a common experience for many queer Mormons of his generation: a cycle of hope and despair, spiritual longing and emotional pain. It’s a cycle that, for some, led to depression, self-loathing, and a sense of spiritual failure. Some were led to suicide, others to a lifetime of disdain for the church, their families, and even themselves.

One of the most striking segments of the episode is Matheson’s candid discussion of what his programs actually

looked like. He describes exercises meant to address “male touch” and intimacy, in which participants engaged in guided physical closeness under strict rules. This was, he said, an attempt to reconcile basic human needs with religious morality.

“It’s kind of like letting the cat smell the salmon,” he jokes, as a metaphor that underscores just how confused, awkward, and potentially exploitative such practices were.

But there is nothing humorous about the deeper implications. Many gay Mormons, especially those who underwent his programs, will recognize that context: the tension between natural emotional needs and the rigid frameworks that labeled those needs sinful. In the interview, Matheson doesn’t shy away from acknowledging the harm caused, consciously or not, by these programs. His remorse isn’t performative; it’s deeply personal.

He avoids defensive posturing, instead focusing on reflection and accountability.

This nuanced portrayal is crucial.

Matheson is not presented as a villain in a simple morality play. Instead, he embodies the complexity of a system that shaped him as much as any individual choice did.

Viewers see that he was both a perpetrator and a product of cultural forces that insisted LGBTQ identities were anomalies to be corrected. His willingness to face that history, in public and in a Utah context still

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dominated by LDS norms, is significant.

Heather Gay’s presence in the episode is more than that of a host. She entered this project with a personal history tightly bound to Mormon culture, having grown up in the church and written candidly about her own struggles with faith and belonging. In her memoir Bad Mormon, she chronicles how Mormon beliefs and community shaped her life and personal relationships. Surviving Mormonism builds on that foundation by creating space for others to speak truths that have often been marginalized or ignored.

In her conversation with Matheson, Gay listens with empathy but doesn’t shy away from tough questions. She invites accountability without delving into theology or doctrinal disputes. Instead, her focus is on experience. What did these

practices feel like? What was the emotional cost? And perhaps most importantly, what does healing look like now? Her approach aligns with the series’ broader intent: not to litigate doctrine, but to humanize the individuals caught in its wake.

For Utah’s gay male community, Gay’s interview with Matheson is a rare and powerful invitation into a public space for stories often relegated to private pain.

From the violence of conversion practices to the quiet suffering of internalized shame, these narratives have long existed in the margins. Surviving Mormonism brings them to the mainstream — and in doing so, validates experiences that many have carried in silence.

As the credits roll on the first episode, there’s no sense that the conversation ends. Instead, Matheson’s story becomes

a prelude to the broader testimonies featured in subsequent episodes, including accounts of abuse survivors whose experiences reflect even deeper wounds tied to institutional silence and protection. Viewed together, the series makes clear that Mormonism’s impact on LGBTQ+ lives isn’t limited to marital expectations or conversion tactics; it carries emotional, psychological, and community consequences that persist long after individuals leave the church.

For many queer former Mormons in Utah, watching Matheson’s vulnerability unfold on screen is both painful and validating. Painful because it recalls familiar truths; validating because it affirms that these experiences matter and deserve acknowledgment. That healing isn’t just possible, it’s necessary. Q

BY the Community FOR the Community Supporting the LGBTQ+ Community for over 22 years.

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Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski wants you to talk about sex and PrEP like you talk about food

BY CHRS AZZOPARDI

The ‘Queer

Eye’ food expert on destigmatizing sexual health and finding intimacy in the kitchen.

For Antoni Porowski, conversations about self-care aren’t complete without talking about sex. The “Queer Eye” food-and-wellness expert — who’s helped audiences around the world nourish their bodies and minds through vulnerability and a really good vinaigrette — is now helping to destigmatize sexual health through Gilead’s HEALTHYSEXUAL campaign.

Porowski joins a growing roster of LGBTQ+ public figures who’ve lent their voices to the campaign, including actors Lukas Gage, Julian Walker, and Daniel Franzese.

In our conversation, Porowski opens up about how taking PrEP has deepened his sense of empowerment, why normalizing sexual health discussions is essential for community wellness, and how intimacy — whether it’s cook-

ing dinner with his partner or simply talking honestly about sex — can be one of the most nourishing acts of all.

You have always been open about growth and self-discovery through “Queer Eye.” It’s inspiring to see you extending that openness to sexual health. Well, thank you for saying that. And I do think that you can’t really have one without the other. I think wellness, self-care, taking care of ourselves — whatever we want to call it — is a tree, and it has a lot of branches, and along with mental health and watching what we eat and sense of community, sexual health falls into that category. They’re all integrate,d and they all affect each other. So I think it’s one that not enough people talk about.

When I first started thinking about taking PrEP, my friends described it as a kind of anxiety drug. And it has actually functioned in that way for me because it has made me feel more empowered sexually. For you, how has taking PrEP empowered you in your own sexual life and given you a

newfound sense of confidence? I really like what you just said about it being sort of tied to anxiety, not in literal terms, but a lessening of. Because of this partnership, what’s interesting is I’ve had a lot of conversations with friends of mine, and it’s interesting to see the groups that really talk about it versus the ones that don’t.

I think this pertains mostly to my gay friends, but applies to everybody who has open conversations with not only their friends, but their physicians and their families, but they have a lot more information and are a lot less shy or reticent to talk about it. There’s something about normalizing it through that practice and through talking about it that sort of alleviates [the anxiety].

But in terms of your experience of lessening the anxiety, where does that come from? Knowledge is power or…?

Yeah, knowledge is power and trusting science. I grew up during a time when being a gay man meant sex was tied to fear and risk, and that stigma really shaped how I viewed intimacy. Taking PrEP has PHOTO COURTESY OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

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helped me feel more confident and less anxious about sex. That’s great. I mean, I can definitely relate on that front, but it’s also even more than that. I think for me, from my experience, it’s really about information. And coming from a family of physicians, there are a lot of things that, as a family, we struggled with. Just communication, overall. But in terms of sexual health, wellness, trusting science, all those kinds of conversations were really ingrained in me since I was very young, and whatever questions I had, I was always encouraging my friends to reach out to my dad, who’s a physician, who is really good with bedside manner. When you have that information, when you start to learn about the statistics, it gets a little less scary.

And the second part of it is, I think it’s important, if you are sexually active, to speak to a physician about your options because PrEP obviously helps prevent HIV to a really high point, but there are obviously so many other STIs and STDs that need to be considered as well. So I certainly don’t want people thinking that this is a one [and done]. Hopefully this opens the doors to more conversations.

And I think the more you talk about it, it just breeds more curiosity and more opportunity for knowledge. And again, it’s speaking to a physician, but also just reaching out to your friends. You never know who needs to hear about it.

than we actually realize. And what works for somebody may not work for you. Open relationships, zero judgment might work for somebody, but might not work for the person next to them.

What really drew me to this collaboration is the fact that it was an opportunity to advocate for leaning into modern medicine and for reaching out to your physician and speaking to somebody who knows. I have a lot of faults, but I’m good at asking for directions. I’m very quick to be like, “Hey, this is something I don’t know about.” There are so many physicians in my family. I’m definitely not one.

Terrified of needles, always have been, do not like getting my blood drawn. I’m definitely the black sheep in my family on that front. But that’s why I have people who are really, really good at that and more knowledgeable and are able to sort of break it down in a more palatable way. And when I have the information, I feel more equipped and more confident.

And to your point earlier, it lessens the anxiety when you know you have those options and the more that you talk about it, it desensitizes any kind of taboo or preciousness we have around it.

Whether it’s PrEP, open relationships or even just honest conversations about sex, what’s one thing in queer intimacy that you think still carries too much stigma? Good question. Not to answer your question with what you brought up, but I do think that it’s just sex in general. I think there are a lot of assumptions that are made in general about our community, about how we’re having a lot of sex, versus how we’re actually not. The stigma kind of lies in the assumption — and I’ll speak for myself — that I have historically made about what it’s like to be in a gay relationship: about how much and what kind of sex people are having, when the more people you speak to you realize that it exists on a really massive spectrum, and it’s a lot more complex

Over time, I’ve realized that straight people are often having the same kinds of sex that gay people have. If our communities talked more openly about that — like, yes, some straight people have anal sex too — we might start to break down a lot of stigma. Imagine if we just communicated more, you know?

That’s what it boils

down to. And I think there are a lot of misconceptions. I know a lot of couples who are in monogamous gay and straight relationships who take PrEP; they trust their partner. It’s not a matter of that. It’s just a matter of having that extra safety and that security and that confidence.

I want to connect your love of food to all of this by saying you have made food look downright seductive for over 10 years on “Queer Eye.” What’s your ultimate sexy food fantasy? Ooh, a sexy food fantasy. I would say, honestly, at this stage of life that I’m in right now it’s very different than it was a couple of years ago. For the first time, I’m in a relationship where I can’t even believe I’m saying it, we actually cook together. This has never happened, except in one relationship a long, long time ago — but in this one, it’s something that we sort of collaborate on together, and cooking for me at home has become less performative and has become

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that you talk about it, but you love it. I love it. I can be having a meal and talking about what the next one is going to be like, and I’ve been like that through my entire life, and that’s a product of my upbringing. For all of our differences in my family, we were always deeply obsessed with food, whether it’s going to a restaurant and having something and figuring out how to make it better, faster.

Was the fish right? Was it cut too thin or thick? And then my mother would go and recreate it, and that’s just been kind of part of our narrative growing up, and it’s something that I continue to do today and I love to do it with friends because there’s nothing more exciting than leaning into my type-a control freak and having friends over for a communal dinner and being like, no, this is going to be the perfect bite. I love watching it. more of a collaborative conversation where we will literally sit down and discuss what the meal is going to look like — what’s our fantasy? What do we want to play out? And then doing it together.

There’s something really beautiful and there’s an intimacy there that I, working in food for so long, can’t believe I’ve never really experienced, but it’s sort of like, wow, this is really hot and really amazing. When you get to do that together, it makes it less of a single man performance and makes it more of a dance, if you will.

And you want specifics? You want the full menu?

Give me the full menu. Well, last night — so one of my favorite things is ground beef. I’m just obsessed with ground meat.

I didn’t have a lot of it growing up, and it’s so easy to prepare. During the week when I’m really busy, especially when I’m in town, I want something that’s nutritious and filling, but I want to keep it really nice and simple. And so I made this dressing that I have been obsessed with since I saw it on TikTok through Baked

by Melissa. She brought up this dressing that I’ve been having at Japanese restaurants forever, which is a shocking amount of fresh turmeric, ginger, carrots. Dump ’em in a blender with some white meat.

So a lot of rice, wine vinegar, a sesame oil, a little bit of water, a lot of lime juice and lemon juice, and an offensive amount of cracked pepper and good honey. And you just blend it and it’s this beautiful, tangy, vibrant puree that we just dip and dive in, put over tuna salad, serve with literally anything or toss it with any type of greens. And so I did grass-fed ground beef; I cooked some sushi rice that I folded in. I cooked the sushi rice and bone broth just to get it really sticky with all of that collagen. And then I seasoned it with a little bit of oyster sauce, a little bit of fish sauce and, again, a little bit of honey at the end so that it didn’t burn.

And we sat yesterday and it was surprisingly romantic, yet a dinner that came together in about 20 minutes, and we just stood at the counter eating butter lettuce cups with this meat rice mixture, and I had herbs on the side of Thai basil and some nice spearmint and cilantro, if you’re into that, and some chopped scallion and then just drizzle some sriracha, and it was just food falling off the sides of our mouth. I think that’s pretty sexy, but that’s what works in my household.

I’m sure that people tell you this, but the way that you talk about food is erotic. It’s the language that you use and it’s the way

How has your new connection to Michigan — where your boyfriend Zacharias Niedzwiecki is from — influenced your sense of home, balance or even creativity? Well, it certainly helps that he was basically raised learning how to hunt for animals and getting cherries at peak season and all of the wonderful stone fruit and tapping his family’s maple trees and processing it.

He understands food. And so that’s a level of connection, like the respect for food.

And especially in those parts of Michigan, I mean, you have people who have farm stands in front of their house where people just leave money and pick up farm eggs or whatever fresh fruit they have.

It’s very community-driven. At this stage in my life, since I turned 40 — and it wasn’t really planned — I find myself, with the state of the world and with everything that’s going on and all the things to be afraid of, leaning into things that bring me comfort, and that’s always been community. And sometimes it’s with my biological family, sometimes it’s with my logical family, my chosen family, now it’s with my partner and his, who I had a chance to spend time with, which was amazing. And so food has always been that connective fiber for me. It’s always been the easiest way for me to connect with other people. I

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think especially now, I’m looking for ways to connect with people, whether it’s an opportunity like this with Gilead, or whether it’s having my buddies over for a nice communal dinner after a yoga class in the afternoon, or even just going out with friends. I think it’s something that’s been really important to me that’s helped me fall asleep a little better at night.

It looked like you were enjoying a really good sandwich in Traverse City based on your Instagram post. So that was from Vander Farm. I don’t think she makes the sandwiches, but it’s Zac’s sister and she has a sourdough bakery, and you can literally go to her kiosk and pick up sourdough scones with maple glaze from their own maple trees. It’s crazy.

The final season of “Queer Eye” takes place in D.C. For you, knowing that the city has been the epicenter of so many political and cultural tensions right now, how did it feel to bring joy and connection to people in D.C.? The epicenter of it, if you will.

I mean, we certainly didn’t plan that the person who was in office was going to be in office our first season and was going to be in office for our 10th. That was definitely unexpected, for a lot of people. In terms of planning to film in D.C., I’m going to make an assumption that there was an intention there. It would be a really strange coincidence if there weren’t. I’ve been there visiting during various different political administrations, and it is surprising to see how the energy of that district shifts based on who’s there. It definitely brings a little bit of tension. But with that tension, I think there’s opportunity.

And not to bring us full circle, but again, it’s like an opportunity to have conversations and to understand where people are at. Because while I am really afraid and I’m terrified of so much that’s happening to so many people, at the same time, I still maintain a sense of hope and optimism for the future. I think to quote David Attenborough, maybe not his intention for this specifically, but maybe it was, “We always have to have hope no matter what.”

And it was definitely very emotional.

I mean, the season was sort of compressed and stressful to get it all done.

You’re dealing with the area of Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. and with different laws and where to film. And so that made it a little more challenging for our producers. There would be just random moments where I think it would sort of catch up with everybody where it was like, “Oh, this is the last one. This is going to be my last field trip. This is the last time I get to cook with someone.” And that would just kind of hit us all over the place. So, emotions were zigzagging from joy and excitement to meeting new people and having them have epiphanies about their own lives or realizations or moments of acceptance or really embracing who they are to all of the other stuff in between. So it was just this amalgamation of every emotion possible.

And by the time it all ended — I can’t disclose too much about the episodes — but the last scene was set up in a way where it was really celebratory and we were celebrating the hero or heroes in question. And there was this moment of joy and accomplishment, but also a profound sadness to think, oh, we’re not going to be doing this, for now. Though never say never to anything. Who knows what’s going to happen in a little bit. But there’s going to be no shortage — and I say it all the time, but it really is true — of emotions. I mean, we have Jeremiah [Brent] on board, so there’s plenty more tears added just because of that alone. But everybody cried at some point or another.

This show has changed our lives and allowed us to have so many opportunities beyond our wildest dreams. I never speak for the group, but I think I can say that confidently. And it’s something that we’re really proud of and that we’re really excited to share with everybody whenever it comes out. Strong assumption: 2026. But that’s all I got. Q Chris Azzopardi is the editorial director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate. He has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Billboard. Reach him via X @chrisazzopardi.

50 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | COMICS

Qsaltlake.com |

ISSUE 379 | JANUARY 2026

Kyle’s Bed & Breakfast by Greg Fox

Nancy Pelosi, Mom and Rep

45 Chemical suffix 46 Top drawer 48 Mistreats 49 ___ UP ACROSS 50 Schoolyard retort 1 Broadway opening for 52 What her daughter a lot? said in reply 5 Paris, to Debussy 59 Billiards game 9 Mary, in Mexico 60 12-inch stick 14 “Nowhere Man” 61 Result of a sexually opening active Woody 15 Partner of a wink 62 Like sharp cheese 16 Opposite of ecstasy 63 Beauty parlor item 17 Sinead O’Connor’s 64 Links athletic supcountry porters 18 Worker under Tammy 65 Balls Baldwin 66 Open positions 19 Metal waste DOWN 20 Start of what Pelosi 1 Sea shell seller said to her daughter 2 Roz portrayer on about running for “Frasier” congress or remaining 3 “Yeah, right!” at home 4 ___ between the cup 23 Type of seaman and the lip 24 Shoe store spec 5 _Romeo and Juliet_ 25 Blues singer Smith clan 28 Unzipped partner?

6 Like someone blown 33 Oakland team away 35 Race unit 7 Roman wraparound 36 Bangkok tongue 8 James Dean’s “East of 37 More of what Pelosi ___” said 9 AMC drama with Jon 41 End of what Pelosi Hamm said 44 Type of strength 10 “I’m with you!”

11 Cheer for the Washington Mystics, e.g.

12 Preceder of many words?

13 Oral affirmations 21 “Jeffrey” won one 22 Supporter of Spencer-Devlin 25 Get into hot water with a friend, perhaps 26 Hawke of “Hamlet” 27 Triangle, e.g.

28 Gay history mo.

29 Exam for jrs.

30 Words before “forgiven” 31 Put aside 32 They make points by touching the body 34 Has the stage 38 It helps a baker get it up 39 Some motorboats 40 Tigers of the NCAA 42 Luxury cruiser 43 Free gift, in some promotions 47 Small leather bar?

49 Member of a Dumas threesome 51 Card combos 52 Muddy ground 54 Spaghetti sauce 53 What you do to a choice 55 Try to seduce hottie

56 “Would ___ to you?”

57 Oats for a stallion, e.g.

58 Blows it 59 Enjoy orally

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 57

JANUARY 2026

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ISSUE 379 |

COMICS | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 51

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52 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | QMMUNITY

Q mmunity groups LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapists Guild  lgbtqtherapists.com * robin@lgbtqtherapists.com

Salt Lake County Health Dept STD Clinic  slco.org/health/stdclinic/ 610 S 200 E, 2nd Floor Walk-ins M-F 8a-5p Appts 385-468-4242

Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce  utahlgbtqchamber.com * info@utahgaychamber.com

UAF Legacy Health  uafhealth.org 150 S 1000 E 801-487-2323

BUSINESS

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

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

Qsaltlake.com |

POLITICAL

Equality Utah  equalityutah.org * info@equalityutah.org 376 E 400 S 801-355-3479 Utah Libertarian Party 129 E 13800 S #B2-364 libertarianutah.org 866-511-UTLP Utah Stonewall Democrats  utahstonewalldemocrats.org  fb.me/ utahstonewalldems SPIRITUAL

Center for Spiritual Living  spirituallyfree.org 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

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 SOCIAL

Alternative Garden Club  utahagc.org/clubs/ 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  thecubadventures.com fb.com/groups/312955669422305/ Gay Men’s Sack Lunch Noon Weds.  utahpridecenter.org 68 S Main St 801-539-8800 Gay Men’s Support Group Noon Wednesdays  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

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 1380 S Main St 801-539-8800 Venture OUT Utah  bit.ly/GetOutsideUtah SPORTS

Cheer Salt Lake  cheersaltlake.org EQ @cheersaltlake QUAC — Queer Utah Aquatic Club  quacquac.org  questions@ quacquac.org 7pm Tues, Thurs; 10:15am Sun, Fairmont Aquatic Ctr, 1044 Sugarmont Dr. Salt Lake Goodtime Bowling League  bit.ly/slgoodtime Stonewall Sports SLC E SLCStonewall  stonewallsaltlakecity. leagueapps.com 385-243-1828 Utah Gay Football League E UtahGayFootballLeague Venture Out Utah E Venture.OUT.Utah SUPPCLASSIFIEDSORT

Alcoholics Anonymous 801-484-7871  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

ISSUE 379 | JANUARY 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/ UofU Student Pride Ctr Q uofupride USGA at BYU  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

JANUARY 2026

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ISSUE 379 |

Utah Pride Center

Weekly Programming Monday through Friday 3-5PM AFTER-SCHOOL / QUIET STUDY Students of all ages are invited!

Get access to free Wi-Fi, computers, printers, and snacks.

Mondays QUEER WOMEN’S PEER SUPPORT GROUP, 7-8pm Peer-led support group for queer women and fem-identifying people 18+.

Tuesdays GAY MEN’S PEER SUPPORT GROUP, 6:30-8pm Open to men ages 18+ who identify as gay, bisexual, or questioning. It is a peer-led support group with discussions guided by volunteer facilitators.

PRIDE IN RECOVERY, 7-8pm Weekly Narcotics Anonymous recovery meeting for LGBTQ+ adults 18+.

Wednesdays GAY MEN’S SACK LUNCH, 12-1pm Bring your lunch and enjoy lively conversations with other guys in the community. Open to gay men 18+.

YOUTH ONLINE PROGRAMS, 6-8pm A welcoming, virtual space where LGBTQ+ youth can come together to talk, share experiences, and support each other. Open to youth 14-20.

Email Jay at jay@utahpridecenter.org to get access to the UPC Youth DiSCORD.

Thursdays YOUTH IN PERSON DROP IN HOURS, 4-8pm

QMMUNITY | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 53

Qsaltlake.com

The UPC History Library is a place to curl up with a good book. Check out. The Computer Lab is a good place to catch up on some homework. Welcoming ages 14–20 to join for fun, connection, and support

Reoccurring Programming: SIT & STITCH, 6-8pm 1st & 3rd Mondays Get your stitch on with friends! Bring your knitting, crochet, cross-stitch, or any other craft you’re working on. Meet new people, give/ receive crafting tips, and enjoy snacks, movies, and music in a safe, welcoming space.

GET CONNECTED TO HEALTH INSURANCE, 4-6pmfirst Tuesdays Utah Health Policy Project will help get you connected to an affordable health insurance plan no matter your current economic situation. Open to queer folx and allies. No appointment required.

RELIGIOUS TRAUMA SUPPORT GROUP, 6-8pm, 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Religious trauma among the LGBTQ+ community looms large and has left deep wounds for many. Right now in the world (and in Utah particularly), the religious culture can make coming out and becoming one’s true self a difficult and costly process.

Often it means losing family, losing community, and losing faith. UPC is proud to offer a monthly support group for those with Religious Trauma to help understand what it is, how it affects us, and how to begin to heal. Our dear friends Pastor Curtis and LCSW Candace Peterson will be there to help facilitate the discussion.

More info at UTAHPRIDECENTER.ORG

WORDS EXPRESS HOW IT FEELS TO BE A MEMBER OF THE...

HAPPINESSEXCITEDDELIGHTEDBEAMING MERRY HO? SANTA MAY HAVE LOST ONE OF HIS “HO HO HO’S!” FOR MORE INFO

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

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

54 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | FINAL WORD

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ISSUE 379 | JANUARY 2026

the perils of petunia pap smear

The tale of the Pap Smear nebula

BY PETUNIA PAP SMEAR

The road

to standing tall is fraught with danger and excitement.

I have what most people refer to as a bad back. I have been self-medicating my bad back by wearing a tight corset with stainless steel inserts to maintain structural integrity, able to support my breasticles. Nevertheless, I make regular visits to a back doctor to get steroid injections to help relieve the pain. The clinic has become strangely familiar with its stark fluorescent lighting, and the faint scent of antiseptics lingering in the air often overpowers my cologne. The doctor has had little luck in alleviating my discomfort. Thus, each time, he gives the injection in a different area, aiming at different vertebrae, hoping to find the source of the pain, much like a queen-sized game of pinning the tail on the donkey.

Each appointment is a blend of anticipation and dread, as I know pain relief is possibly within reach, but at the cost of enduring a humiliating and uncomfortable medical ritual. On the latest visit, after checking in at the front desk, I heard a deep, sonorous voice calling out my name. I turned my head and ‘what to my wondering eyes should appear’, but a most gorgeous hunk who took my breath away. His name tag read ‘Mark’. He was wearing lavender scrubs that must have been two sizes too small, because they showcased his ass-ets and biceps with great accuracy. I almost swooned when Mark placed his hand on my back as he guided me to an examination room.

Mark sat me down and asked me the usual medical questions. His piercingly beautiful soul-searching eyes penetrated me to the very center of my being, and I felt my heart go all a flutter. In my mind, I imagined him carrying me in his strong arms to the exam table and having his way with me. My daydream was suddenly interrupted when I heard him say, “Now take off your clothes.” I didn’t hear, nor

comprehend, the rest of what he said as I was in blissful shock and busy planning our honeymoon. Regrettably, I was rudely brought back to reality as he handed me a hospital gown and told me to put it on, and he would return shortly. As I accepted the gown, my nerves tingled with a peculiar sense of excitement. The anticipation of pain, mingled with the distraction of his perfectly sculpted forearms, made it nearly impossible to focus on the impending procedure.

Still, I managed to crack a joke about being the clinic’s honorary pincushion, hoping to mask my apprehension with humor. And then Mark left me.

As I slipped into the gown, I couldn’t help but glance at the mirror, wondering if I should’ve chosen more flattering bloomers for this occasion. I turned my back to the mirror and craned my neck to glimpse my buttockus maximus to check if there were visible skid marks on my panties. Then I sat in the eerily quiet room, feeling alone and exposed. Again, I felt something stir in my fatasaurus rex tummy, and I realized that I had not been feeling my heart go all twitterpated over Mark, but that my stomach was mixing and churning and that a gaseous release of the ‘thunder from down under’ was imminent. I felt pressure building. I said a silent prayer. Please God, let this be a silent and scentless ‘air biscuit’.

Just then, Mark returned and led me down the hall. I could hold the ‘fluff’ no longer and proceeded to ‘crop dust’ all the way to the procedure room where the doctor was waiting with a syringe in hand. Mark spoke the words which I shall always remember, “Mount the table and lay flat, face down.” In any other circumstance these would be words to cherish or at the very least be dialogue in a porno movie. The cold of the exam table seeped through the gown, and I caught myself wondering if Mark noticed my not-so-graceful mounting technique

or if he was too busy prepping the array of ominous-looking syringes. Then as I attempted to lay down, I immediately realized that I had a huge ‘bubble gut’ in the way. I could not lay flat, and I could not breathe. So, Mark hurriedly placed some pillows strategically under me to accommodate my blubbernaught belly. Oh, the embarrassment.

Just as I had assumed the position with my butt aimed towards heaven, I caught sight of the syringe in the doctor’s hand. The needle was much larger than I had anticipated. I suddenly panicked and wouldn’t you know, I let out an audible ‘butt burp’. Oh, God! How could this get any worse? And then I caught a whiff of my stinky ‘fanny flutter’. How devastating for a queen of my stature to be reduced to having my ass exposed and producing a ‘booty breeze’ in the object of my desire’s face. I heard Mark giggle.

With my dignity clinging by a thread and my backside perched high, I swear that I could see the cloud from my nether regional nebula. Just then, the doctor said, “you’re going to feel a poke.” and gave me a menacing grin. I gripped the edge of the table, bracing for impact, determined to survive both the injection and my own embarrassment.

This story leaves us with several important questions: 1. Does the smell of the antiseptics overpower my cologne?

2. Should I begin wearing bloomers with funny pictures on my ass for the enjoyment of the nurses?

3. Do I need to create a new game called Pin the Tail on the Pap Smear?

4. Could padded breasticles have avoided the need for pillows?

5. What is the best cologne to cover the evidence of a ‘tush toot’?

6. Will Mark qualify as a down winder?

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

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