Saints, Schools, and Shame: The War Waged Against LGBTQ Students in Salt Lake City 1994–2000

• In Event: Bodies in/on the Margins of Education History

Abstract

In 1996, the ACLU and Lambda Legal represented students from Utah’s East High School’s Gay Straight Alliance to sue to the School District over their right to assemble and be recognized by the institution. This “war” between state legislators, educators, students, and “the church”--all wanting to define equal access through public education. Learning from their mistakes and success from marriage equality propositions in Hawaii in 1993, LDS leaders enlisted state leaders to choose their faith over law and ultimately silenced educators for the next twenty years. The short time in 1995 when the brave students proposed their club until just a few years later, the Governor signed SB 3 into law, which is rife with violence, abuses of power, and corruption.

Author

• Nicole C. Wilson Steffes, University of Utah
  Presenting Author