Person of the Year: Courtney Moser, aka Petunia Pap Smear
We may have broken a few rules here for our Person of the Year choice. One, Courtney Moser, aka Petunia Pap Smear, is a writer for QSaltLake Magazine and has been for over 15 years. Two, Person of the Year is not supposed to resemble a Lifetime Achievement Award, but here we are.
As Petunia announced her retirement from being the grand dame/matriarch/queen matron of the Matrons of Mayhem (and now shall be titled Matron Dowager), it gives us time to reflect on what Moser has done over his many years of activism in Utah’s LGBTQ community.
On December 3, the last day of Petunia’s queen motherhood, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall declared the day “Courtney Moser Day” in honor of his long dedication to helping Utah’s LGTBQ community. If you missed it, the Hallmark cards are now at Dollar Tree in the clearance section.
In 2015, Moser was given arguably the highest honor from Utah’s LGBTQ community — the Kristen Ries Community Service Award at Utah Pride.
This, to a self-proclaimed “full-fledged, rainbow flag-waving, high heel-wearing, sheep tending ‘“’Ida-Homo.’”
Yes, Moser was born during the Eisenhower administration in Downey, Idaho, current population 463, in the north end of Cache Valley (or, as in his early fantasies, “Cash Valley”). His family grew potatoes and raised sheep. If you want to see a sneer that would melt graphite, mention “sheep” to his face.
In his college-age years, Moser moved to then-Utah State College. It was there that his activism blossomed, especially in the early 80s when HIV-AIDS attacked gay men around the world. Moser took to the “cruisy” area of the town, wondering how he could have the guys actually meet each other, rather than just “meat” each other and leave. He started having weenie roasts, inviting the cruisers to stop and have a bite. As the pandemic grew, he started making “goodie bags” of condoms and HIV-related information, hanging them on trees in the cruisy park.
Moser and long-time partner, now-husband, Kelly Byrnes, opened their house to many, many gatherings of the community during that time, including barbecues and “underwear parties.” Byrnes was the founder and pastor of Logan’s Metropolitan Community Church, which ministers to the LGBTQ community, with Moser as hospitality and musical director.
His involvement in Logan included local events, film festivals, pride celebrations, interfaith gatherings, discussions, and panels at Utah State to inform the university community about being in the LGBTQ community, its challenges, and its success.
This year marks the 16th year he was the head of the Matrons of Mayhem. Over that period of time, the bingo-calling, fund-raising group raised nearly a half million dollars for smaller charities, including pet rescue, homeless youth, health, and other organizations.
When praised for his life’s work, Moser will pshaw and poo-poo the attention — a trait of a true hero.
As the ultra-right hate-mongers target family-friendly drag shows and bingo, Petunia and the Matrons march on, unfettered.
For that, we declare Courtney Moser/Petunia Pap Smear our Person of the Year.
