Utah
Pride 2008 is on the horizon this weekend, and one of the
biggest festivals in Utah (second only to that whole 1800's thing) is
looking to make it another fantastic year in the heart of downtown.
Live concerts, tons of activities and one of the most talked about
parades all year long, this year's festival looks to continue the fun
tradition it's been doing for the past twelve years.
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Before the festival kicks off, I got a chance to talk to Yana Walton
of the Utah Pride Center. A lengthy chat about the Center, the
festival, and a number of other topics about the gay community here
in Utah that I wanted to ask. I also got a tour of the Center's
offices, the library, Café Marmalade, and the neighboring
buildings for Youth Drop-in Center and TINT (Tolerant Intelligent
Network of Teens).All in picture form for you to browse.
Yana
Walton
http://utahpridecenter.org/
Gavin:
Hello Yana. First off, tell is a little bit about yourself and
Valerie Larabee.
Yana: I'm Yana Walton, graduated from
the U of U in 2006 with degrees in Gender Studies and History. I'm is
the Center’s Dir. of Communication and Public Relations. Valerie
Larabee has been the Center’s ED for 3 and a half years and is the
most hard-working, inclusive leader with both previous nonprofit and
military experience. We are incredibly lucky to have Valerie as one
of our community’s leaders.
Gavin: For those who
don't know, tell us what the Utah Pride Center is and what it
does.
Yana: The Utah Pride Center helps to provide GLBT
people, their families and friends living in Utah with a vast array
of services. Many programs and services are generated through
collaborations with other community organizations and allies
operating in the broader Utah community. By establishing formal
partnerships with various community-based organizations through our
affiliate and sponsored programs, the Center is able to bring
together the vast resources of the community to one central place.
The majority of the Utah Pride Center’s work is currently focused
in and around the Wasatch Front. The Utah Pride Center serves as a
hub that links individuals and programs to each other and to the
community. The Wasatch Front is rich with organizations and agencies
serving specific needs of the GLBT community; and the Center’s goal
is to connect them to provide a more unified, holistic approach.
Rather than duplicating existing services, the Center works to
enhance and promote them, fostering connections among service
providers and insuring that people in need can find them. Through the
scope of its mission and resources, the Center plays a distinct role
to strengthen both individuals and organizations (formal and
informal) in Utah’s GLBT community. The Utah Pride Center helps to
develop programs that encourage peer leadership and focus on
empowering individuals to be active participants in building a shared
community. The Utah Pride Center focuses on providing meaningful and
supportive programs to GLBT people and their allies in Utah. To
augment the offerings, the Center also partners with several
Affiliate Programs. The Utah Pride Center’s core programs focus on
the following areas: Social Programs, Support Groups,
Affinity Groups, Health & Wellness Programs, Education & Training, Youth Programs, and
Affiliated Programs.
Gavin:
It originally started in 1992 as the Stonewall Center. First, how did
the planning come about to start a center in Utah, and what was the
process like to make it a reality?
Yana: The Utah
Stonewall Center opened in 1992 to provide a safe space for GLBT
people to come together amid the conservative Utah cultural climate.
Within two years, the Center attracted many volunteers and raised
enough money to hire a part-time staff person to grow the
organization. Severe financial difficulties hit in 1996, rallying a
coalition of community members to raise the money necessary to
provide a more secure foundation for this much-needed
organization.
Gavin: Why the name change in
2006?
Yana: We changed it to reflect the fact that we
are the agency that puts on the pride festival. The Utah Pride Center
has been putting on the Utah Pride Festival since 2003, so this is
our 5th year doing it… Also, the previous name (GLBTCCU)
was a pretty lengthy acronym. In 2007, we won one of City Weekly’s
“Best Of” awards for “Best Name Change.”
Gavin:
Do you believe the Center fully represents the GLBT communities? Or
do you feel there's much more work to be done locally before you can
make that claim?
Yana: We do a wonderful job of
incorporating all segments of our community, with a huge focus on
groups who have felt previously marginalized within the GLBT
community nationally and locally – specifically the bisexual and
transgender communities. See attached press release regarding the 2nd
annual and ONLY Bisexual Awareness Month in the country – held by
the Center’s Bisexual Community Forum. For transgender resources
and support, our affiliate TEA (Transgender Education Advocates)
invited renowned surgeon Dr. Marci Bowers to Utah in November. We
also have the following four groups at the Center: Transgender Adult
Support Group, Transgender Youth Group, Parents of Transgender Group,
and Parents of Transgender Adult Group.
Gavin: A little
on the festival, some people have argued that charging admission to
the festival has hurt attendance. What's your take on that opinion?
And do you believe that charging attendance was a necessary step, or
were there options not taken that could have kept it free?
Yana:
The average cost for the Center, per attendant, this year at the
festival is $15.90. Tickets on Sat are $10 (because of the national
headlining entertainment – Meshell Ngedeocello) and $5 on Saturday.
The Center has never made any money off the festival, but it takes
about $280,000 to put on annually. Hopefully as we get more corporate
support we’ll be able to keep costs low. A great way for folks to
get in and enjoy the festival is to volunteer. Volunteers have 3 hr
shifts, get in for free on their day of service, and get a free Pride
T-shirt. The parade is also free.
Gavin: What have you
got planned for this year's Pride Festival?
Yana: Refer
to our website
or UtahPride
for the complete three day schedule, entertainment listings, etc…
Our attached Press Kit should answer any and all questions about this
year’s festivities, and has some good images.
Gavin: I
know they're not coming up yet, but tell us a little about Southern
Pride and WinterPride.
Yana: The UPC is a sponsor of
Southern
Utah Pride
at Zion happening in September. Winterpride’s
dates for 2009 have not been released yet.
Gavin: Delving
a little into the community beyond the Center. First off, what do you
think about the gay bar scene in Utah, both good and bad?
Yana:
We’re happy there are so many bars catering to and friendly towards
GLBT people, and the Center offers social outlets for those people
who don’t only like going to bars.
Gavin: What's your
take on the gay clubs in our local schools, and is there anything you
think could be done to make the clubs function better?
Yana:
We work closely with students to establish Gay Straight Alliances (or
GSA’s), and also with school administrators and teachers to clear
up any confusion about Utah laws regarding GSAs in schools. We may be
adding a GSA coordinator to our Youth Programs Staff in the future.
We also facilitate GLSEN’s
National Day of Silence.
Gavin: What's your thoughts on
people trying to have them shut down because they don't feel those
clubs belongs in school?
Yana: Some folks don’t
understand that GSA’s are extracurricular clubs that function to
lower bullying, hazing, harassment and thus depression, drug abuse,
drop-out rates, and suicides in schools. See 2005 GLSEN data
here.
Gavin:
What's your opinion on local publications like QSaltLake,
and is there anything you feel could be done differently with them?
Yana: We LOVE Michael Aaron and all the staff at
QSaltLake – they are a truly high-quality
publication!
Gavin: Going into media a little, do you
feel shows like “Will & Grace” or “The L Word” represent
GLBT lives fairly, or does it feel like they reinforce stereotypes
and make light of it?
Yana: I think that the inclusion
of GLBT characters in entertainment media is a wonderful thing, but
folks need to understand that TV characters are often one-dimensional
and not representative of our diverse community.
Gavin:
What's your take on the way local media has reported on stories
involving gay issues, both good and bad?
Yana: Most
media are open to reporting fairly and accurately about GLBT Utahns.
Most problems with terminology are unintentional, but potentially
harmful. One big problem we see often in Utah are the incorrect use
of the terms “homosexual” and “transgendered.” GLAAD’s
style guide is the best resource for reporters interested in national
standards for terminology, tone, and content – and it includes both
AP and NY Times style guides. The Utah Pride Center also offers free
media newsroom trainings, and has trained staff at the Trib
and DesNews. We extend this offer to KUTV.
Gavin:
GLADD has probably been the more well known group out there for the
past couple decades. Do you view the Center as aligned with GLADD on
a more local level, or do you view them as their own separate entity
that doesn't quite share the Center's views and goals?
Yana:
We work very closely with GLAAD, specifically their Media Field
Strategist assigned to the Southwest region.
Gavin:
There's been a lot of press over the years about Mormons who come out
and then were kick out of the church for being gay. What are your
thoughts on that type of practice? And since you're in Utah, does the
Center do anything for those who have gone through that?
Yana: Family
Fellowship
is a group for Families of GLBT Mormons. Affirmation and
Reconciliation are GLBT Mormon groups – all connected to the
Center. They all have websites you can check out for more
information.
Gavin: A little on the recent decision in
California. Do you feel like that will have an impact on future
marriage laws in Utah, or do you think the state will constantly be
against gay marriage?
Yana: I feel that eventually we
will have marriage for same-sex couples in Utah. We are celebrating
California’s decision, and inevitably some Utahns will choose to
get married there, but because of Amendment 3, those licenses will
not be recognized in our state. We are so pleased, and the decision
highlights our own inequity here – but gives us hope that someday
we’ll be able to honor, protect, and support our families
here.
Gavin: Aside from the obvious marriage bills,
what issues do you believe our local government should be looking at
in terms of the gay community?
Yana: Inclusive housing
and employment non-discrimination policies that include sexual
orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Equality
Utah
is a wonderful political advocacy organization that works on behalf
of GLBT Utahns.
Gavin: I know you probably get asked
this a lot, but what are your feelings on the idea that Salt Lake
City has become a "Gay Mecca"? Do you think we deserve the
title?
Yana: We TOTALLY are!
Valerie
Larabee
Gavin: A bit
of a hard question. Is there anything you wish would change within
the gay community? Or do you feel like things are in a good place
right now?
Yana: We are already a very politically
active and diverse bunch of folks. I hope that we continue to work
together and make the most of community partnerships and
collaborations – and keep standing up for each other’s
rights!
Gavin: Is there anything you guys would like to
plug?
Yana: We’d like to do a plug for more
volunteers – folks can just show up to the festival and ask to
volunteer – we still need about 75 more folks!!! They can also fill
out an application found on our festival website!