A History of Utah Pride

Published June 1, 2023 at 1:41 PM MDT

Today, we’re talking about the history of the LGBTQ+ experience in Utah. At the beginning of Utah’s statehood, it was common for people of the same gender to live together. Think of groups of women in polygamist households or scores of men living together on ranches. So, did anyone question these groups’ sexuality?

Homosexuality as an identity did not exist until the beginning of the 20th century. The LGBTQ+ experience in Utah has slowly evolved, and often through defeats — think conversion therapy and hate crimes — but also through wins: Utah was the first state to enact the Defense of Marriage Act in 1995. This week we are talking about the history of queerness in Utah. Please join us today at 11 a.m.

The Utah Pride Festival is from June 1-4.

GUESTS -

Professor Elizabeth Clement | Associate professor of history and gender studies at the University of Utah.
J Seth Anderson, PhD | Historian of sexuality in the American West, and the author of “LGBT Salt Lake.” Amazon | BookShop

Airdate: Friday, June 2, 2023 at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.