Connell O’Donovan will give a presentation on the history of Queer Nation Utah’s radical activism here in 1991 and 1992 and discuss the impact it has had on LGBT politics. Connell is one of the co-founders of Queer Nation Utah and currently serves as Chair of the Mildred Berryman Institute

This Two Spirit and IndigeQueer Gathering will be a special event exploring the rich and complex intersections of Queer and Native histories and identities. The event will begin with a keynote by Clyde Hall, a distinguished activist, advocate, and founding figure of the contemporary Two Spirit movement. Hall will share insights from his decades of advocacy, including his involvement with Gay American Indians and his lifelong work uplifting Indigenous LGBTQIA2S+ voices.

Following the keynote, a panel of local Queer and Two Spirit Native leaders and thinkers will engage in a thoughtful discussion on how to approach and understand Queer Indigenous history, moderated by the one and only Dr. Roni Jo Draper (Yurok). Topics will include the evolution of language and terminology, personal journeys, cultural continuities, and community advocacy.

This gathering honors the depth, resilience, and vibrancy of past, present, and future “IndigiQueer” and Two Spirit experiences. 

Join the Mildred Berryman Institute for our Fourth Queer Ancestor Memorial, as we gather to honor our namesake, Mildred Jessie Berryman (1901–1972)—a pioneering voice in Utah’s queer history.

This year’s memorial will be held at her gravesite and will include music, singing, poetry, a short lecture, and a community ceremony of remembrance. Together, we will lay flowers and offerings on Mildred’s grave, honoring her courage and legacy while celebrating the lives and stories that continue to shape our community.

In the wake of Stonewall, as LGBTQ+ communities across the country began to emerge from the shadows, one man became the unlikely architect of Utah’s queer public life. Forgotten Leader: Joe Redburn and the Rise of LGBTQ+ Utah tells the story of Joseph Willis Redburn—a pioneering radio host, political firebrand, and the founder of Salt Lake City’s legendary Sun Tavern. Known as the "father of LGBTQ+ Utah," Redburn helped build the early infrastructure of queer community in one of America’s most conservative states.

Through a deep dive into Redburn’s activism, broadcasting career, and audacious creation of queer spaces in the 1970s and ’80s, this lecture not only uncovers the triumphs and heartbreaks of a radical trailblazer but also reveals the fragility of queer institutions and the forgotten fates of our elders. Join us for a powerful conversation about memory, marginalization, and the legacy of those who built our movements—only to be left behind by them.

Register for this FREE LGBTQ+ History Walking Tour of Downtown Salt Lake City presented as a fundraiser for the Mildred Berryman Institute. Register at EventBrite!

With humorous and challenging biographical stories—being a “gay” child and a “trans” child—becoming in her teens an Evangelical Christian to embrace her queerness—Stockton will tell how she came to Utah in 1987 and immediately led a curriculum revolution in the Women’s Studies Program, before becoming among the first scholars in the country to teach a course in “queer theory” (here, of all places).  Prepare to learn what queer theory is; why time in divinity school laid her ground for it; why a theorist would ever consent to being a dean and a vice president; and why we might make seductive kindness the face of our very rational anger.

Both graduates of Brigham Young University in the mid and late 1970s, Loreen Major and Dale Miller will share their powerful stories in a structured conversation led by historian and Mildred Berryman Institute Chair, Connell O’Donovan.

Together, Loreen and Dale will reflect on navigating BYU’s academic, religious, and social pressures as queer students, and how they survived an era of institutionalized shame and repression. This event shines a light on lived history often left unspoken, contributing to a fuller understanding of Utah’s not-so-distant LGBTIQ+ past.