NEWS
Local
Mind, Body & Soul
Sports
Archives
OPINION
Editorials
Letters
Columnists
Message Boards
A&E
Our Picks
Calendar
Movies
Books
LIVING
Horoscopes
Comics
Classifieds
Obituaries
Salt Lake METRO
Subscribe
Advertise
Contact Us
|  | Feature 
 Most Fascinating People of 2004
Scott McCoy:
Person of the Year
These are QSaltLake’s choices as the ten most fascinating people of 2004. From activists to business leaders to people who thrill us with their wide-open style of living, these are the people we feel had the most impact on queer life in Utah.
Of course, not everyone who lays it all on the line for our community can be mentioned here. We salute the hundreds of volunteers who support groups like the Utah AIDS Foundation. We recognize all of you who work your tails off to stage events like Pride, the rodeo and the Oscar party. And we honor each and every one of you struggling to come out and declare yourselves as proud members of the gay and lesbian world.
These ten represent that spirit in all of us. Scott McCoy
Executive Director of the Don’t Amend Alliance
“Who are you going to believe? Gayle Ruzika or the Attorney General?”
McCoy stepped out on the streets of Salt Lake City with guns blazing in the battle against Utah’s Amendment 3—and many of his targets were Utah’s biggest, toughest, political heavy hitters.
He didn’t flinch, he didn’t run and he didn’t give up. He spent countless hours going toe to toe with the opposition, fighting for equal rights for every member of the gay and lesbian community.
In the process, he captured our imagination and demonstrated to us all that the struggle does count, even when things don’t turn out the way we hoped.
His willingness—even eagerness—to put his own reputation on the line for all of us embodies a spirit of unselfish sacrifice rarely seen in the gay community or any other.
And he did it all with such style—who else dared step up and call Jon Huntsman’s brand of politics “flat-out bizarre?”
For all of those reasons, the QSaltLake is pleased to honor him with our selection as “Person of the Year.”  Bruce Bastian
major contributor TO the Fight for Gay Rights
Talk about putting your money where your mouth is.
When the Word Perfect co-founder saw a need in his community, he was more than willing to support the cause with some much-needed cash. And when his former business partner stepped up to support the other side, he gave even more. Utah is not an easy place to be out and running a major business at the same time. Bruce proves that doing the right thing—is always the right thing.
 Joshua Novitz
Hate Crimes Activist
What were you doing when you were 18 years old? Chances are you weren’t organizing major rallies for hate crimes legislation in Utah.
Research for his senior thesis lead Joshua to the conclusion there are no hate crimes laws in the state—so he did what most of us would never dream of. Gathering major support and several big-time Utah politicians, Joshua hit the steps of the state capitol and took a stand we should all admire.
 Paula Wolfe, Chad Beyer, Valerie Larabee
Executive Directors of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Utah
Where will the parade of leaders at The Center lead us? We’re not quite sure yet. But we admire the string of people willing to step in and take the reins of an organization in crisis.
Will The Center be there for us in the future? What will it be like? What services will it offer? In a year of uncertain finances, these three were all willing to put it on the line for a critical organization that’s here to support us all.
 Willy Marshall
Mayor of Big Water, Utah
In a state that is unwilling to even have a female governor for more than a year, Willy Marshall flies in the face of tradition and runs a small Southern Utah town with no skeletons at all in his closet. They all came out with him.
Marshall governs Big Water with style and a fierce loyalty many politicians would do well to imitate. The town has community dinners once a month, for heck’s sake. Marshall’s nerve, panache and absolute love of his community earned him a spot on our list.
 Jane Marquart
ATTORNEY, Equality Utah BOARD Chair
Mrs. (yes, Mrs.) Marquart and her wife (yes, her wife), Tami, wasted no time getting hitched and showing us how a better future will look for all of us. And despite the pressures of home and family every married couple faces, the attorney from Ogden still finds the time and energy to fight for everyone else’s rights as chair of Equality Utah’s board of trustees. The Marquardts are also open with their checkbook, donating thousands to everything from the Don’t Amend Alliance to The Center.
 Jason Atwood
high school student and youth activist
Sometimes the simple things most kids enjoy can be out of reach for gay kids. Jason was not afraid to stretch right into the spotlight while reaching for the simple joy of spending his junior prom with someone he loves. And when Copper Hills High officials told him “not without a note from home,” Jason took his case to the media, demonstrating courage most kids only dream of—and earning him a place on our list.
 Michael Aaron
Publisher of QSaltLake
No, Michael was not in on the decision to include him here. And he’ll probably throw a fit when he finds out we put him in.
But consider the difficult task of starting any newspaper and making it a viable business, let alone a GAY newspaper in SALT LAKE CITY. For his fortitude and never-ending desire to keep our readers informed and entertained, we salute him.
 Utah Stonewall Democrats
Sometimes, a single moment in time defines a generation. Certainly, the day the Stonewall Democrats literally turned their backs on Congressman Jim Matheson was their defining moment. Fifty members of the club actually stood and turned their backs on the congressman during his ten-minute speech at the Utah Democratic Convention, stimulating responses like this one from Metro reader Shane Young:
“Three cheers to the Stonewall Democrats who had the intestinal fortitude to literally stand against Jim Matheson … he punched this community in the gut and then had the gall to ask for our money, our support and our time.”
 Aimee Selfridge and Amie Marie
Southern Utah Activists
What the heck? There are gay people in Southern Utah?
You bet there are, and Selfridge and Marie, aka “The Amies,” dedicate much of their lives making sure queers have a safe, comfortable environment to be themselves and live the lives they want. They’re involved in every aspect of queer life in rural Utah, certainly not the easiest place on Earth to be openly gay. And they do it all from the open door of their own home, where they host many of the planning and strategy meetings themselves.
| | Most Fascinating People in the U.S. |
