Gay Men and Public Parks

What do Memory Grove, Sugarhouse Park, and Fairmont Park all have in common? They've all been the subjects of local news stories on cruising, usually during sweeps weeks in the spring or fall.

So who cruises the parks? Ask any of the police officers of the GLBT Public Safety committee and they will tell you that the majority of guys caught with their pants down are married, and often Mormon. They see cruising parks as their only option if they want to stay in the closet.

There are several gay groups in town that are reclaiming the parks as a place where gay men can have fun without getting arrested. Utah Pride is the ultimate example, encouraging participants to come out of the closet and celebrate their sexuality, instead of feeling guilty about it. Flag Football, Pride Softball, Ultimate Frisbee, and other gay sports groups meet at the parks weekly and often draw a crowd of spectators.

This past Sunday, QUAC and The Village held our 2nd annual Bar-B-Queer at Fairmont Park. For the volunteer planning group here at the Village, the purpose was two-fold: strengthen the community by bringing a diverse group of guys together, and promote open discussion about safer sex.

Lube was the theme. We hung lube-themed posters all over the bowery and gave away big bottles of lube (thanks ID Glide for donating it all!) to everyone who participated in lube wrestling. A couple of the volunteers acted out a humorous safer sex skit. We tried to take back the park in a fun, safe and sexy way.

There has been some controversy surrounding our methods. Some people have said that lube wrestling is not an event that the Utah AIDS Foundation should be sponsoring, and that its not an appropriate activity for a public space. What do you think? Did we succeed in encouraging safer sex, or was the message lost in the lube? Are public events like the Pride parade and Bar-B-Queer giving gays a bad name or helping us to reclaim the parks from closeted cruising?

Sex Ed, Utah Style

Loved this comic from the folks at idrewthis.org: According to the Deseret News, the State board of education has revised its parental permission form for Utah's sexual education program.

The form, offered in seven languages, states public schools will teach abstinence before marriage and fidelity after marriage; require prior parental consent before teaching any aspect of contraception and/or condoms; and deliver information about communicable diseases, including those transmitted sexually, such as HIV and AIDS.

The form states what is not approved by the state board and can't be taught: intricacies of intercourse, sexual stimulation or erotic behavior; advocacy of homosexuality; advocacy or encouragement of the use of contraceptive methods or devices; and advocacy for sexual activity outside of marriage.

If teachers are not allowed to portray homosexuality in a positive light or talk about sex outside of marriage, where does this leave gay students who can't get married and already hear about the 'evils of homosexuality' from parents and church?