David Nelson (Utah activist)
Encyclopedia
David Nelson is an American
activist
for the protection of equal
rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT
) people. He founded or helped found several LGBT-related non-profit organizations in Utah
and helped direct others. His work with the Democratic Party
encouraged many LGBT citizens to serve as party leaders. His work as a legislative lobbyist accomplished the adoption of several state and local laws, and the defeat of other legislation.
. He studied political science
at the University of Utah
from 1982 to 1984. He retired in 2001 from his professional career in marketing and public relations, and lives with disabilities in Millcreek, Utah
.
and the District of Columbia
. His work earned the attention of governmental and political leaders, and news reporters.
Deseret Morning News political journalist Frank Pignanelli wrote in 2006 that Nelson was a "political pioneer" and "one of the few Utah voices demanding basic rights for gay and lesbian citizens. Aggressive in promoting antidiscrimination
measures, he assisted in passage of the first hate-crimes
legislation. Although Nelson frequently generated disagreement among supporters (including me), no one can dispute the courage he exhibited in the early years of this movement."
Salt Lake City Weekly
staff writer Eric S. Peterson wrote in 2009 that Nelson was "a pioneer of queer
politics in the state who has carved a niche
for himself in Utah politics for being a fierce advocate of his community since the early '80s while also fighting for the rights of gun owners."
since 1980, Nelson...
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
for the protection of equal
Equality before the law
Equality before the law or equality under the law or legal egalitarianism is the principle under which each individual is subject to the same laws....
rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
) people. He founded or helped found several LGBT-related non-profit organizations in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and helped direct others. His work with the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
encouraged many LGBT citizens to serve as party leaders. His work as a legislative lobbyist accomplished the adoption of several state and local laws, and the defeat of other legislation.
Personal
David Keith Nelson was born on April 7, 1962 in Salt Lake City as a member of the political Cannon familyCannon Family
The Cannon family is a prominent U.S. political family in the states of Utah, Nevada and Idaho which descends from the 19th century marriage of George Cannon and Ann Quayle before their emigration from Peel, Isle of Man. The family's most notable member was their oldest son George Q. Cannon...
. He studied political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
from 1982 to 1984. He retired in 2001 from his professional career in marketing and public relations, and lives with disabilities in Millcreek, Utah
Millcreek, Utah
Millcreek is a census-designated place and township in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. In the 2000 census, this area was divided among four CDPs, the westernmost of which was designated Millcreek CDP. The population of this CDP was 30,377 at the 2000 census...
.
Political
Nelson has been active in politics since 1982. Though he was most active during the 1990s in Utah, his work included helping to direct political groups in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and the District of Columbia
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. His work earned the attention of governmental and political leaders, and news reporters.
Deseret Morning News political journalist Frank Pignanelli wrote in 2006 that Nelson was a "political pioneer" and "one of the few Utah voices demanding basic rights for gay and lesbian citizens. Aggressive in promoting antidiscrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
measures, he assisted in passage of the first hate-crimes
Hate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
legislation. Although Nelson frequently generated disagreement among supporters (including me), no one can dispute the courage he exhibited in the early years of this movement."
Salt Lake City Weekly
Salt Lake City Weekly
Salt Lake City Weekly is a free alternative weekly tabloid-paged newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah. It began its life as the Private Eye. City Weekly is published and dated for every Thursday by Copperfield Publishing Inc...
staff writer Eric S. Peterson wrote in 2009 that Nelson was "a pioneer of queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
politics in the state who has carved a niche
Niche market
A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing; therefore the market niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that is intended to impact...
for himself in Utah politics for being a fierce advocate of his community since the early '80s while also fighting for the rights of gun owners."
Non-partisan work
As a gay activist since 1983, Nelson...- Served from 1983 to 1984 as a vice president of the Lesbian and Gay Student Union at the University of Utah.
- Served in 1985 as a co-publisher of the Salt Lake City-based Community Reporter LGBT newspaper.
- Campaigned unsuccessfully in 1985 as an openly gay candidate for election to serve as a memberOfficialAn official is someone who holds an office in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority .A government official or functionary is an official who is involved in public...
of the Salt Lake City CouncilMayor-council governmentThe mayor–council government system, sometimes called the mayor–commission government system, is one of the two most common forms of local government for municipalities...
—the first such campaign in Utah. - Wrote and lobbied unsuccessfully in 1986 for the adoption of a Salt Lake City Council billBill (proposed law)A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
to create a city human-rights commissionHuman rights commissionA Human Rights Commission is a body set up to investigate, promote or protect human rights.The term may refer to international, national or subnational bodies set up for this purpose, such as national human rights institutions or truth and reconciliation commissions.-International Human Rights...
and to prohibit discrimination—the first such proposal in Utah. - Served from 1986 to 1987 as a co-publisher of the Salt Lake City-based Triangle Magazine LGBT news magazine.
- Lobbied successfully from 1986 to 1987 for the adoption of a Salt Lake City Police Department LGBT sensitivity-trainingSensitivity trainingSensitivity Training is a form of training that claims to make people more aware of their own prejudices, and more sensitive to others. According to its critics, it involves the use of psychological techniques with groups that its critics, e.g. G. Edward Griffin, claim are often identical to...
policy—the first such policy in Utah. - Served from 1987 to 1991 as the Utah field directorDirector (business)Director refers to a rank in management. A director is a person who leads, or supervises a certain area of a company, a program, or a project. Usually companies, which use this title commonly have large numbers of people with the title of director with different categories...
for the Washington-based Human Rights Campaign Fund Inc.Human Rights CampaignThe Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
LGBT political action committeePolitical action committeeIn the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
(PAC). - Served from 1988 to 1989 as a member of the board of advisersAdvisory boardAn advisory board is a body that advises the board of directors and management of a corporation but does not have authority to vote on corporate matters, nor a legal fiduciary responsibility...
of the San Jose, Calif.San Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
-based Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee LGBT PAC. - Helped write and lobbied successfully in 1991 and 1992 for the adoption of two Utah LegislatureUtah State LegislatureThe Utah State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a bicameral body, comprising the Utah House of Representatives, with 75 Representatives, and the Utah Senate, with 29 State Senators...
bills to prevent and study hate crimes—the first such laws in the state. Nelson lobbied unsuccessfully from 1992 to 1999 for the adoption of various bills to improve the laws. - Wrote and lobbied successfully in 1992 for the adoption of a Salt Lake CountySalt Lake County, UtahSalt Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It had a population of 1,029,655 at the 2010 census. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. It occupies Salt Lake Valley, as well as parts of the surrounding mountains, the Oquirrh Mountains to the west...
CommissionCounty commissionA county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...
bill to prohibit discrimination including that based on sexual orientationSexual orientationSexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
—the first such laws in Utah, and lobbied successfully in 1995 against the repealRepealA repeal is the amendment, removal or reversal of a law. This is generally done when a law is no longer effective, or it is shown that a law is having far more negative consequences than were originally envisioned....
of the "marital statusMarital statusA person's marital status indicates whether the person is married. Questions about marital status appear on many polls and forms, including censuses and credit card applications.In the simplest sense, the only possible answers are "single" or "married"...
" and "sexual orientation" protections. Leaders of the county Gay and Lesbian Employee Association were critical of Nelson and others who opposed the repeal, and said that he "did not speak for GLEA" "or for any of its members." - Lobbied unsuccessfully in 1992 against the appointment of controversial former Phoenix Police ChiefChief of policeA Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
Ruben Ortega to serve as the chief of the Salt Lake City Police Department. - Helped write and lobbied successfully in 1993 for the adoption of a Utah Legislature bill to provide for viatical settlementViatical settlementA viatical settlement is the sale of a life insurance policy by the policy owner before the policy matures. Such a sale, at a price discounted from the face amount of the policy but usually in excess of the premiums paid or current cash surrender value, provides the seller an immediate cash...
s so that individuals who are terminally ill may sell their life-insuranceLife insuranceLife insurance is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death of the insured person. Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger...
policies before death to pay health-careHealth careHealth care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
expenses and improve their quality of lifeQuality of lifeThe term quality of life is used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of...
. - OrganizedCommunity organizingCommunity organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. A core goal of community organizing is to generate durable power for an organization representing the community, allowing it to influence...
the lobbying of the members of the U.S. congressional delegation from UtahUnited States Congressional Delegations from UtahSince Utah became a U.S. state in 1896, it has sent congressional delegations to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. Each state elects two senators to serve for six years. Before the Seventeenth Amendment took effect in 1913, senators were elected by the Utah State...
in 1993 by their constituents at the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and LiberationMarch on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and LiberationThe March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation was a large political rally that took place in Washington, D.C. on April 25, 1993...
. - Lobbied unsuccessfully from 1992 to 1993 for the adoption of a Utah Textbook Commission administrative rule to allow the use of textbooks which mention homosexualityHomosexualityHomosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
by public-school students. - Lobbied successfully in 1993 and 1994 against the adoption of two Utah Legislature bills to require HIV testHIV testHIV tests are used to detect the presence of the human immunodeficiency virus , the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , in serum, saliva, or urine. Such tests may detect antibodies, antigens, or RNA.- Terminology :...
ing. - Lobbied successfully in 1994 for the amendment of a Utah Legislature bill to require DNA profiling of individuals convicted of violatingSummary offenceA summary offence is a criminal act in some common law jurisdictions that can be proceeded with summarily, without the right to a jury trial and/or indictment .- United States :...
the state sodomy lawSodomy lawA sodomy law is a law that defines certain sexual acts as crimes. The precise sexual acts meant by the term sodomy are rarely spelled out in the law, but are typically understood by courts to include any sexual act deemed unnatural. It also has a range of similar euphemisms...
. - Helped organize a protest of, and published a complaint to the Utah Judicial Conduct Commission against, Utah 3rd District CourtCourts of UtahCourts of Utah include:State courts of Utah*Utah Supreme Court**Utah Court of Appeals***Utah District Courts ***Utah Juvenile Courts***Utah Justice CourtsFederal courts located in Utah...
Judge David S. Young in 1994 for reducing the sentence of David Thacker who was convicted of killing gay Salt Lake City businessman Douglas Koehler. Nelson helped organize the "No on Young" campaign in 1996 against the retention electionRetention electionA judicial retention election is a periodic process whereby a judge is subject to a referendum held at the same time as a general election...
of Young who lost election in 2002—the first judge to lose election in the state. - Served from 1994 to 1995 as an openly gay member of a Social Services Block GrantSocial Services Block GrantSocial Services Block Grant funds are to enable each State in the United States to furnish social services best suited to meet the needs of the individuals residing within the State...
allocation panel for the Salt Lake County Human Services Advisory Council. - Lobbied unsuccessfully in 1995 against the adoption of a Utah Legislature bill to prohibit the recognition of same-sex marriageSame-sex marriageSame-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
s. Nelson was later sentenced by a MidvaleMidvale, UtahMidvale is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 27,029 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Midvale is located at ....
Justice CourtCourts of UtahCourts of Utah include:State courts of Utah*Utah Supreme Court**Utah Court of Appeals***Utah District Courts ***Utah Juvenile Courts***Utah Justice CourtsFederal courts located in Utah...
judge to pay a $50 fine and to serve a suspended six-day jail term for committing an act of civil disobedienceCivil disobedienceCivil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
in protest of the law. - Received nominations in 1995 for appointment to serve as an openly gay member of the advisory board of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games of 2002 from 11 elected public officials and citizens in Utah.
- Lobbied unsuccessfully in 1996 against the adoption of a Utah Legislature bill to restrict LGBT-student clubs.
- Served in 1997 as a member of the board of directors of the Washington-based Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund Inc.Gay & Lesbian Victory FundThe Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund is an American political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of openly LGBT public officials in US political life.The Victory Fund was founded in 1991...
PAC and as the chairman of its public-relations committee. - Served from 1997 to 2001 as an openly gay member of the Hate Crimes Working GroupWorking groupA working group is an interdisciplinary collaboration of researchers working on new research activities that would be difficult to develop under traditional funding mechanisms . The lifespan of the WG can last anywhere between a few months and several years...
for the U.S. AttorneyUnited States AttorneyUnited States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the District of UtahUnited States District Court for the District of UtahThe United States District Court for the District of Utah is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Utah...
, and helped produce the "Changing Faces of Hate" conference in 1999 which was sponsored by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah, the Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based Simon Wiesenthal CenterSimon Wiesenthal CenterThe Simon Wiesenthal Center , with headquarters in Los Angeles, California, was established in 1977 and named for Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter. According to its mission statement, it is "an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time...
, Weber State UniversityWeber State UniversityWeber State University is a public university located in the city of Ogden in Weber County, Utah, USA. It was founded in 1889 and is a coeducational, publicly supported university offering professional, liberal arts and technical certificates, as well as associate, bachelor's and master's degrees...
and the Utah Task Force for Racial and Ethnic Fairness. - Lobbied successfully in 1998 against the adoption of a Utah Office of the Attorney GeneralState Attorney GeneralThe state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states and territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney general serves as the head of a state department of justice, with responsibilities similar to those...
amicus curiaeAmicus curiaeAn amicus curiae is someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information to assist a court in deciding a matter before it...
brief to oppose same-sex marriage in the Vermont Supreme CourtVermont Supreme CourtThe Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont and is one of seven state courts of Vermont.The Court consists of a chief justice and four associate justices; the Court mostly hears appeals of cases that have been decided by other courts...
case of Baker v. VermontBaker v. VermontBaker v. Vermont, 744 A.2d 864 , was handed down on December 20, 1999 by the Vermont Supreme Court. The decision represented one of the first high-level judicial affirmations of same-sex couples' right to treatment equivalent to that of traditionally married couples...
. - Helped organize a memorial service and candlelight vigilCandlelight vigilA candlelight vigil is an outdoor assembly of people carrying candles, held after sunset. Such events are typically held either to protest the suffering of some marginalized group of people, or in memory of lives lost to some disease, disaster, massacre or other tragedy. In the latter case, the...
in 1998 in Utah for the beating death on Oct. 12 of gay University of WyomingUniversity of WyomingThe University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
student Matthew ShepardMatthew ShepardMatthew Wayne Shepard was a student at the University of Wyoming who was tortured and murdered near Laramie, Wyoming, in October 1998...
. - Helped develop in 1998 a legal and political strategy with the American Civil Liberties UnionAmerican Civil Liberties UnionThe American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
of Utah for the repeal of the state sodomy law. - Founded GayVoteUtah.com in 2001 to offer the voter registrationVoter registrationVoter registration is the requirement in some democracies for citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed to vote in elections. An effort to get people to register is known as a voter registration drive.-Centralized/compulsory vs...
of LGBT Utah citizens. - Served in 2002 as a member of the board of advisers of the University of Utah Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center and as the co-chairman of its public-relations committee.
- Founded Stonewall Shooting Sports of UtahStonewall Shooting Sports of UtahStonewall Shooting Sports of Utah is a group of weapons advocates and owners in Utah. It supports the Pink Pistols idea that was described nationally in 2000 by writer Jonathan Rauch for the legal, responsible and safe use of weapons for their self defense, recreation and weapon-sports competition...
in 2002 which became one of the largest LGBT firearm groupsGun politics in the United StatesGun politics in the United States refers to an ongoing political and social debate regarding both the restriction and availability of firearms within the United States. It has long been among the most controversial and intractable issues in American politics...
in the United States—the first such group in the state. - Lobbied successfully in 2007 for the amendment of a Utah Legislature bill which would have restricted the possession of a concealed firearm at state institutions of higher education.
- Lobbied successfully in 2007 for the repeal of a Salt Lake County facility-managementFacility managementFacility management is an interdisciplinary field primarily devoted to the maintenance and care of commercial or institutional buildings, such as hospitals, hotels, office complexes, arenas, schools or convention centers...
policy which restricted the possession of a weapon at two county convention centers, and required facility lessees to extend the restriction to their guests. The Utah Pride Center had extended the restriction to the guests of its annual student Queer Prom which was produced at the Salt Palace Convention CenterSalt PalaceThis article describes a large building in Utah. A one-story building made of locally mined salt blocks in Grand Saline, Texas is also called the "Salt Palace"....
. - Lobbied successfully in 2007 for the amendment of a Utah Pride FestivalUtah Pride FestivalThe Utah Pride Festival is a festival held in downtown Salt Lake City in June, celebrating Utah's diversity and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender populations. The event is a program of The Utah Pride Center. It includes the state’s second-largest parade...
policy which restricted the possession of a weapon at the festival events. Nelson was nonetheless detained, questioned and removed from the festival by a Salt Lake City Police Department officer after festival workers complained about his lawful possession of an unconcealed firearm. He filed a complaint and a $25,000 claimCause of actionIn the law, a cause of action is a set of facts sufficient to justify a right to sue to obtain money, property, or the enforcement of a right against another party. The term also refers to the legal theory upon which a plaintiff brings suit...
against Salt Lake City Corp., and received an apology from the police chief. - Lobbied successfully in 2011 for the amendment of a Utah Department of Public SafetyDepartment of Public SafetyThe Department of Public Safety , also called an Office of Public Safety, is a state or local government umbrella agency in the United States which serves to assist the certain agencies in their services by providing administrative, financial, and technical services and support for core public...
administrative rule which restricted the issuance of the state concealed-firearm permit to individuals who were ever convicted of violating the state sodomy law.
Partisan work
As a libertarian DemocratLibertarian Democrat
In American politics, a libertarian Democrat is a member of the Democratic Party with libertarian leaning political viewpoints or views that are relatively libertarian compared to the views of the national party...
since 1980, Nelson...
- Lobbied unsuccessfully in 1986 for the inclusion of LGBT speakers by Democratic National CommitteeDemocratic National CommitteeThe Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
Policy Commission Co-Chairman and former Utah Gov. Scott M. Matheson Sr.Scott M. Matheson-External links:* from...
at the commission meeting in Salt Lake City. - Founded Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats in 1989 to affiliate with the Utah Democratic PartyUtah Democratic PartyThe Utah State Democratic Party works to elect Democrats to office in the state of Utah. The Utah Democratic Party, like other national, state, and county parties, maintains a party platform that lists general principles or issues of importance to members of the Utah Democratic Party and maintains...
—the first such group in the state. The group combined the work of a party caucusCaucusA caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
, a fund-raising PAC and a lobbying group. The group became one of the largest caucuses in the party. The group stopped its fund-raising and lobbying work in 1997, but remained a party caucus. Nelson retired in 2001 from the group leadership. The group was renamed in 2002 as Utah Stonewall Democrats. - Campaigned unsuccessfully in 1993 as an openly gay candidate for election to serve as the secretary of the Utah Democratic Party—the first such campaign of a major party in the state.
- Lobbied successfully in 1993 for the appointment of openly gay Utahns to serve as members of the Utah Democratic Party standing committees—the first such appointments by a major party in the state. Nelson served from 1993 to 1997 as the chairman of the party Membership and Credentials Standing Committee, and as a member of the party Platform and Policy Standing Committee.
- Lobbied unsuccessfully in 1995 for the adoption of a Utah Democratic Party censureCensureA censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a spiritual penalty imposed by a church, and a negative judgment pronounced on a theological proposition.-Politics:...
of Utah House of Representatives Democratic WhipWhip (politics)A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
Rep. Kelly C. Atkinson after he described LGBT Democrats as a party "fringeCountercultureCounterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. Counterculture can also be described as a group whose behavior...
" group in an op-edOp-edAn op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...
commentary which was published by a local newspaper. Atkinson said later that he regretted his use of the description. The attempt to censure Atkinson was a primary reason that legislative Democrats and party leaders were critical of Nelson and asked Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats leaders in 1996 to stop describing the group as Democratic. - Created an online national network of LGBT groups which were affiliated with the Democratic Party in 1995 to re-establish the communication between the groups that existed with the former Washington-based National Association of Gay and Lesbian Democratic Clubs, and helped found the Washington-based National Stonewall Democratic Federation in 1996 at the Democratic National Committee. U.S. Rep.United States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Barney FrankBarney FrankBarney Frank is the U.S. Representative for . A member of the Democratic Party, he is the former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and is considered the most prominent gay politician in the United States.Born and raised in New Jersey, Frank graduated from Harvard College and...
of MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
developed the federation further when he incorporated the Washington-based National Stonewall Democrats in 1999. - Lobbied successfully in 1995 for the adoption of a Utah Democratic Party resolutionResolution (law)A resolution is a written motion adopted by a deliberative body. The substance of the resolution can be anything that can normally be proposed as a motion. For long or important motions, though, it is often better to have them written out so that discussion is easier or so that it can be...
to support the adoption of the federal Employment Non-Discrimination ActEmployment Non-Discrimination ActThe Employment Non-Discrimination Act is a proposed bill in the United States Congress that would prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity by civilian, nonreligious employers with at least 15 employees.ENDA has been introduced in every...
. - Lobbied unsuccessfully in 1996 against the promise by Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Ross C. "Rocky" AndersonRocky AndersonRoss C. "Rocky" Anderson served two terms as the 33rd mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah, between 2000 and 2008. He is the Executive Director of High Road for Human Rights...
to oppose same-sex marriage and "vote my constituents' wishes" if he were elected to the CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
despite supporting equal marriage rights. Anderson was critical of Nelson and others who opposed Anderson's change of opinion, and said that he couldn't "believe some of them were hiding in waiting to take pot shots at me now." - Served in 1996 as an openly gay delegate to the Democratic National Convention1996 Democratic National ConventionThe 1996 Democratic National Convention of the was held at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois from August 26 to August 29, 1996. Incumbent Democrat Bill Clinton was renominated for President of United States.-Site selection:...
in ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and as the Utah LGBT-outreach director for the Clinton-Gore presidential campaignUnited States presidential election, 1996The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Housing Secretary Jack...
. - Served in 2000 as an openly gay delegate to the Democratic National Convention2000 Democratic National ConventionThe 2000 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention for the Democratic Party. The convention nominated Vice President Al Gore as its candidate for President and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman as its candidate for Vice President. The convention was held at...
in Los Angeles and as the Utah LGBT-outreach director for the Gore-Lieberman presidential campaignUnited States presidential election, 2000The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
. - Served from 2003 to 2004 as an openly gay Utah coordinator for the Wesley Clark presidential campaignUnited States presidential election, 2004The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
. - Helped staff a National Rifle Association of America Inc.National Rifle AssociationThe National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
exhibit in 2005 at the Utah Democratic Convention.
Recognition
For his work in politics, Nelson...- Received in 1988 a Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah Inc. encomiumEncomiumEncomium is a Latin word deriving from the Classical Greek ἐγκώμιον meaning the praise of a person or thing. "Encomium" also refers to several distinct aspects of rhetoric:* A general category of oratory* A method within rhetorical pedagogy...
. - Won in 1990 the Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats Board of Directors' Award.
- Won in 1993 a Utah Stonewall Center Diversity Is Great Award.
- Received in 1994 a People with AIDS Coalition of Utah Community Award In Politics nomination.
- Received in 1995 a Utah Stonewall Center Diversity Is Great Lifetime Achievement Award nomination.
- Received in 1995 a Salt Lake County Board of Commissioners encomium.
- Received from 1997 to 2003 Utah Pride FestivalUtah Pride FestivalThe Utah Pride Festival is a festival held in downtown Salt Lake City in June, celebrating Utah's diversity and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender populations. The event is a program of The Utah Pride Center. It includes the state’s second-largest parade...
Dr. Kristen Ries Community Service Award nominations. - Won in 1998 a Democratic National Committee Lawrence O'Brien AwardLawrence O'Brien AwardThe Democratic National Committee Lawrence O'Brien Award was created in 1992 by the family of Lawrence Francis "Larry" O'Brien Jr. and Democratic Party leaders to recognize the many years of service he gave to the party and his belief in the contribution of party volunteers...
. - Received in 1999 a U.S. Department of Justice for the District of Utah encomium.
- Received in 2003 a Utah Stonewall Historical Society Milestone Award nomination.
- Received in 2006 a Deseret Morning News "Pignanelli & Webb" encomium.
- Won in 2008 the Salt Lake City WeeklySalt Lake City WeeklySalt Lake City Weekly is a free alternative weekly tabloid-paged newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah. It began its life as the Private Eye. City Weekly is published and dated for every Thursday by Copperfield Publishing Inc...
Best of Utah "Best 'Cold dead hands'" Award.
See also
- Cannon familyCannon FamilyThe Cannon family is a prominent U.S. political family in the states of Utah, Nevada and Idaho which descends from the 19th century marriage of George Cannon and Ann Quayle before their emigration from Peel, Isle of Man. The family's most notable member was their oldest son George Q. Cannon...
- LGBT rights in Utah
- Libertarian DemocratLibertarian DemocratIn American politics, a libertarian Democrat is a member of the Democratic Party with libertarian leaning political viewpoints or views that are relatively libertarian compared to the views of the national party...
- List of LGBT rights activists
- UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...