NPR's Kelly McEvers talks to Jackie Biskupski, mayor-elect of Salt Lake Cy. She is the first openly gay mayor of the cy, and one of the first openly gay policians the state of Utah.
Contents:
- JACKIE BISKUPSKI BE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR OF SALT LAKE CY
- SALT LAKE CY’S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR SWORN TO OFFICE
- UTAH PAL ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
- UTAH'S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR-ELECT HOP TO BUILD BRIDG WH LDS CHURCH
- SALT LAKE CY ELECTS S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
- SALT LAKE CY ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
- TROY WILLIAMS: THE 'GAY MAYOR OF SALT LAKE CY'
- SALT LAKE CY'S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR TAK OFFICE WH FIANCéE BY HER SI
- SALT LAKE CY CLOSE TO ELECTG 1ST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
JACKIE BISKUPSKI BE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR OF SALT LAKE CY
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jackie Biskupski was sworn Monday as Salt Lake Cy's first openly gay mayor, a landmark the former state lawmaker acknowledged shortly after takg the oath of office. Biskupski, 49, said the historic moment should not be taken lightly, and noted great stris have been ma for LGBT people the state. "I know that we have work to do still. And is work that I take serly," she told reporters. "But I am a firm believer that orr for te equaly to exist for anyone, we mt pursue for everyone, and that is a goal of me." In a speech on the steps of the cy-unty buildg after beg sworn , Biskupski ced a gay rights battle Utah's pal cy two s ago that spurred her to enter polics. After the cy's East High School formed the state's first gay-straight alliance club 1995, the Salt Lake Cy School District banned all noncurricular clubs to try to block . The district reversed s cisn several years later after lawsus and protts. "That sparked me a rponsibily to my own muny," Biskupski said Monday. Biskupski said that when she beme Utah's first openly gay lawmaker 1998, she found mon ground to work wh people wh different iologi and cultur. She stck a siar note her speech, pivotg to air qualy and enomic velopment. She has said she plans to work on both issu wh the nservative, Salt Lake Cy-based Mormon church. Her ascensn to the mayor's office on the heels of new l by The Church of J Christ of Latter-day Sats targetg gay members and their children. The new policy, which prompted wispread backlash, bans baptisms for children of gay parents until the kids turn 18 and disavow same-sex relatnships. Biskupski is not a member of the fah and said she hop the church rensirs the policy. After her electn rults were certified, she met wh church officials December and gave them a letter explag her ncerns about the policy. But Biskupski's mpaign said the meetg was largely a discsn about cy issu such as air qualy and enomic velopment. LGBT issu also didn't fe the tight race between Biskupski and cumbent Ralph Becker. Salt Lake Cy is a liberal island the state where no Republin has been elected mayor four s. Becker, a proment Democrat, also was seen as an ally of the cy's strong LGBT muny, and the gay rights group Equaly Utah endorsed both ndidat. While the mayor's race centered more on issu such as bike lan and billboards, LGBT activists celebrated Biskupski's w as a tone the nservative state. Durg the mpaign and after her victory, Biskupski reflected on how the LGBT-movement had progrsed Utah sce she was first elected to the state Hoe. She said that at the time, several of her lleagu the Legislature wouldn't look her the eye or shake her hand. Biskupski served the Hoe until 2011. After that, she worked the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. Along wh Biskupski, new Salt Lake Cy uncilman Derek Kchen was sworn Monday, beg the cy's send stg gay uncilman. Kchen and his hband, Moudi Sbey, were one of three upl who sued to overturn the state's same-sex marriage ban. New Salt Lake Cy uncilman Andrew Johnston and cumbent uncilman Charlie Le also were sworn Monday. * gay mayor of salt lake city *
SALT LAKE CITY — Former Utah lawmaker Jackie Biskupski on Tuday beme the first openly gay mayor of Salt Lake Cy, the pal of the nservative state where the Mormon church and a small town judge livered setbacks last week to the LGBT victory by Biskupski marked another tone for LGBT people Utah who have ma major stris recent Utah lawmaker Jackie Biskupski pos for photograph after beg mayor of Salt Lake Bowmer / AP"Today is not jt about makg history, " Biskupski said. "Servg as mayor of Salt Lake Cy has been the richt workg experience of my life, " Becker told Lake Cy voters also elected Derek Kchen, who beme the send gay member of the Cy and his hband, Moudi Sbey, were one of three upl who sued to overturn the state's same-sex marriage ban.
Biskupski tak over after progrs on gay rights was temporarily marred recent weeks when a judge orred a foster child to be removed om a lbian uple and placed wh a heterosexual uple.
SALT LAKE CY’S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR SWORN TO OFFICE
* gay mayor of salt lake city *
The judge quickly reversed his cisn and took himself off the earlier, the Salt Lake Cy-based Mormon church issued new l targetg gay members and their children, promptg wispread backlash. The new policy bans baptisms for children of gay parents until the kids turn 18 and disavow same-sex relatnships. Jim Dabakis after she was elected Salt Lake Cy's first openly gay Bowmer / APBiskupski cled to discs the church policy further Tuday, sayg she wanted to meet wh Mormon officials first.
Earlier this year, the church endorsed a statewi anti-discrimatn law that protected gay and transgenr people om discrimatn hog and the 's a ntrast om 1998, when Biskupski beme Utah's first openly gay lawmaker and some of her lleagu the heavily Mormon and nservative Legislature wouldn't shake her about her w light of the recent ntroversi, Biskupski said, "It's 2015, and we've e a long way om, gosh, when I first got elected. Gay rights group Equaly Utah endorsed both Becker and, 63, has been lled an ally of the LGBT muny, helpg pass a 2009 cy anti-discrimatn ordance. He also officiated dozens of the first gay marriag 2013 the hours after a surprisg lg overturned Utah's same sex marriage ban.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jackie Biskupski was sworn Monday as Salt Lake Cy’s first openly gay mayor, a landmark the former state lawmaker acknowledged shortly after takg the oath of office. In a speech on the steps of the cy-unty buildg after beg sworn , Biskupski ced a gay rights battle Utah’s pal cy two s ago that spurred her to enter polics.
UTAH PAL ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
After the cy’s East High School formed the state’s first gay-straight alliance club 1995, the Salt Lake Cy School District banned all noncurricular clubs to try to block . Biskupski said that when she beme Utah’s first openly gay lawmaker 1998, she found mon ground to work wh people wh different iologi and cultur. She has said she plans to work on both issu wh the nservative, Salt Lake Cy-based Mormon ascensn to the mayor’s office on the heels of new l by The Church of J Christ of Latter-day Sats targetg gay members and their children.
The new policy, which prompted wispread backlash, bans baptisms for children of gay parents until the kids turn 18 and disavow same-sex relatnships. Becker, a proment Democrat, also was seen as an ally of the cy’s strong LGBT muny, and the gay rights group Equaly Utah endorsed both the mayor’s race centered more on issu such as bike lan and billboards, LGBT activists celebrated Biskupski’s w as a tone the nservative the mpaign and after her victory, Biskupski reflected on how the LGBT-movement had progrsed Utah sce she was first elected to the state Hoe.
Along wh Biskupski, new Salt Lake Cy uncilman Derek Kchen was sworn Monday, beg the cy’s send stg gay uncilman.
UTAH'S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR-ELECT HOP TO BUILD BRIDG WH LDS CHURCH
A fal vote unt approved Tuday means the former legislator, as expected, will bee the first openly gay mayor of a major Utah cy January. Biskupski, who 1999 beme the state's first openly gay lawmaker, now will mark another first as mayor of Salt Lake Cy.
The first openly gay mayor the state was Willy Marshall, who was elected 2001 to lead the ty southern Utah town of Big Water. She is the first openly gay mayor of the cy, and one of the first openly gay policians the state of Utah.
SALT LAKE CY ELECTS S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
(CHEERING)KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: Salt Lake Cy has jt elected s first openly gay mayor.
The Advote lled the gayt cy Ameri for a few years back. She was the first openly gay state reprentative to be elected the late '90s. MCEVERS: We've heard om people that - you know, now that you've been elected, you know, there are a lot of young, lbian, gay, bi, trans people out there who are gog to look up to you.
SALT LAKE CY ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
You know, when I ran '98, was not popular to be gay.
SALT LAKE CITY -- Former Utah lawmaker Jackie Biskupski has bee the first openly gay mayor of Salt Lake Cy. He later reversed his earlier, the Mormon church issued a new policy that bans baptisms for children of gay parents until the kids turn 18 and disavow same-sex relatnships. Salt Lake Cy voters elected Jackie Biskupski as the cy’s and the state of Utah’s first openly gay mayor.
Williams, raised Eugene, Ore., moved to Utah and soon beme an tern for the Eagle Fom, led by Gayle Ruzicka, possibly the most powerful force for nservative valu the state. Williams, who had baptized 10 nverts to the LDS fah, fally had begun to acknowledge that he is gay.
TROY WILLIAMS: THE 'GAY MAYOR OF SALT LAKE CY'
"I had sublimated my sexualy to relign, as Mormon gays ually do. " In the past year, Williams, the young man whom Ruzicka traed as a polil activist, has bee famo natnally for his gay-rights work — as an anizer of the "kiss-" ralli that embarrassed the LDS Church, the cheeky "Buttarspalooza" at the Capol that protted by celebratg the homophobia of state Sen. Chris Buttars, and as -creator of Sister Dottie, the voice of Mormon motherhood as portrayed drag by actor/gay activist Charl Lynn Frost.
SALT LAKE CY'S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR TAK OFFICE WH FIANCéE BY HER SI
Out, a natnal gay magaze, and lol lears have labeled Williams, 40, the "gay mayor of Salt Lake Cy" and the "Harvey Milk of Utah gay polics. " Williams, who began his gay activism as a producer on KRCL muny rad, reached the acme of exposure for a young activist when he appeared last year a Stephen Colbert send up of the LDS Church's kissg ban on Ma Street Plaza.
" By the turn of the new lennium, Williams felt he was a new person, "saved" by his gayns. "Beg gay rcued me om the Mormon church, om nservatism, om the Eagle Fom, " he says, lghg.
Ruzicka learned of her protégé's new life through a 2008 gut opn article he wrote The Salt Lake Tribune which Williams "praised" her and Buttars for energizg Utah's gay-rights movement.
SALT LAKE CY CLOSE TO ELECTG 1ST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
"Utah's lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr populatn has never been better-anized, fund and effectively traed polil actn. "Gayle is brilliant at what she do. She is a refg element for femism and gay-rights activists — she's actually dog the Good Work.
" Another tone me when Ruzicka scribed Williams an Eagle Fom alert as a "ant homosexual. Williams' ongog velopment as an activist has also led to clash wh olr and more nservative lears Utah's gay muny. Williams fears that marriage equaly, repealg the ary's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays and negotiatns wh the LDS Church are really about gay men tryg to rega the tradnal male privilege they lost when they me out publicly as homosexuals.