A LITTLE OFF GAY CENTER 14 December 2004 Vol 1 Issue 18 Publish in Salt Lake Metro

A LITTLE OFF GAY CENTER

Gay, Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Community Center of Utah

With the departure of Chad Beyer as executive director of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Community Center of Utah shortened to  GLBTCCU (I think its pronounced glib-tick-coo but have never found anyone to confirm this), I got to thinking about all the other courageous men and women who served as Utah’s Lambda Community EC’s. I say courageous because it takes nerves of steel and a hide the thickness of a bull (dyke) elephant, to face the onslaught of name-calling and daily criticism. And that’s just from the Gay community.

Someone asked me once to apply for the position of director of The Utah Stonewall Center and I looked at him in disbelief as if he had asked me to ceremoniously disembowel myself. I’m sure that would have been less painful then what we inflict on our leaders. Actually I have to admire how long Chad lasted being a transplant from the east and not used to Western hospitality. It had to have been a step down to unpack bags in the City of Salt and think, “what the hell am I doing here!”

The first person, of whom I am aware, to have stepped up to the Gay Community Center directorship plate was way back in 1975. Dorothy Makin served as the first director after Joe Redburn and the Board of the Gay Community Service Center told her that Judy Garland expected every homosexual to so his (or her) duty. “Ask not what the Gay community can do for you but what you can do for the Gay community center!” Later some confused homosexuals thought it was “who you can do in the community center” but that’s another story. Ms. Makin lasted about six months until the “flippin’ fags” drove her to distraction and she said the hell with this.

To the rescue came Ken Storer, who having a Master’s Degree in Organizational Behavior as

Ken Storer 2009

well as extensive training in psychology counseling and group therapy, should have known better. After six more months the Radicalesbians drove him to drink and he headed to Boise where he knew he could get a stiff one.

      After a valiant effort, Salt Lake City came to the conclusion that perhaps we were a tad bit immature to actually run a “community center”. After all the Seventies was the “me generation”. Could have work though if someone would have thought to put a disco ball in the joint.

Nearly ten years would pass before memories faded enough to start another venture. In 1984 The Gay Community Service Center and Clinic

Dean Walton aka Auntie De

was incorporated as an offspring of proud parents, Auntie De and Beauchaine. Because no one else was crazy enough to do so, this odd couple was chosen as pro tem co-directors. Now what was different about this second go around was the clinic portion; which was inspired by Duane Dawson. He noticed a lot of Gay boys were starting to get mighty sick and nobody in the straight world gave a hoot. The Center and Clinic inspired a lot of hoopla and fundraising but that was about all. Auntie De sputtered out and Beauchaine reinvented the concept so often that it became nearly unrecognizable. Kind of like Michael Jackson.

The third effort was more effective. The Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah decided that it was high time to have a community center back in capital city. So after endless monthly committee meetings, Charlene Orchard got the financial packaging together to open the Utah Stonewall Center-a Project of the Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah. What a mouth full! Effable Craig Miller was elected as the first director of the Utah Stonewall Center but after a slugfest year he chose to step down.

Melissa Sillitoe

Since it’s not polite to hit a girl, Melissa Sillitoe, lately of the Utah Gay and Lesbian Youth (UGLY) Group, rolled up her sleeves, and charmed the hell out of everyone while cleverly managing to be efficient and business like. She even sweet-talked Marlin Criddle into having the post be a part time salaried position. A first! Melissa was short enough to dodge most of the slings and arrows, and after nearly 3 years she walked away with all her integrity and most of her body parts. The experience, however, scared her straight!

John Bennett

By now the Utah Stonewall Center had cut the cord from the GLCCU and was free floating. Between 1995 and 1997 the Stonewall Center seemed to be hemorrhaging directors, among them, John Bennett, Renee Rinaldi, who became the first full time director, Michael O’Brien, and Alan Ahtow who had the distinction of pulling the plug as directed by Brook Heart-Song.

The Center's Logo

Ahtow oversaw the disembodied Utah Stonewall Center while it was in the “Ethereal World” (also known as Cyberspace) until a new creature arose in 1998, reincarnated as the Gay and Lesbian Community Center and tuh-duh “Stonewall Coffee House”. 

Doug Wortham

New and improved, with respectable hardwood floors, “The Center”, wink wink, hired Monique Predovitch, for about five seconds, until asking for a tried and true Utah Gay activist, Doug Wortham, to make sense of the place. Rolling up his sleeves and putting his shoulder to the wheel, Wortham managed to hand over the wood floors to Seattle’s Best, Paula Wolfe without a scuff mark.

Paula Wolfe

Paula Wolfe

and gang ran the center for five years, hand picked their own board, and swallowed up Pride Day. Wolfish about getting grants for the Center Paula finally bailed as the cash cows dried up. Seeking greener pastures she moved back to the Emerald City. Then lo and behold a knight is shining armor came from the east to rescue us but faster than you can say “dangling Chad” he dropped from the scene. 

Valerie Larabee

Now a plucky Valerie Larabee will be our new lightning rod, ahem, I mean GLBTCCU executive director. Valarie -Do not ask for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee! Quick someone call the Gay Help Line. Oh I forgot. It’s been disconnected.