Utah
Local Utah church speaks out during Pride, Fidelity Month conversation
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Pride Festival kicked off this weekend, with love and acceptance being the center of what Utah Pride says they represent.
“Sometimes in my world I feel very lonely, and it’s been really cool to show up and see, oh, there’s actually a big community out here,” said Livia who was attending the festival. “I go anywhere else, and I’ll get a lot of looks, and here I can just walk around and not have someone I don’t know question my existence,” added Luna Campbell.
However, it’s no secret that religion is a strong part of the state’s identity, which makes some feel like true acceptance is hard to come by.
“I did grow up in a Mormon household. I know what it is like personally to receive conflicting information about who I am,” said Esera with Utah Pride.
“I’ve had three death threats this week on posts that had 200 views each, and it’s like you put hashtag Christian, you put hashtag Utah, that will happen,” Campbell said.
Many were shocked this week when Governor Cox issued a surprise declaration, that felt like a snub to their community.
Cox declared this June as Fidelity Month, pointing to a recent opinion poll showing that Americans’ support for traditional values has declined, and wants Utahns to prioritize things like faith, family, and country.
“Fidelity Month, I want to say, is not at odds with Pride month. They are all about celebrating community and celebrating togetherness,” said Jackson Carter with Utah Pride, “the idea that we would need to rebrand it and change the name seems a little silly to me.”
This is when the Presbytery of Utah joined the conversation, releasing a statement in support of the LGBTQ community.
“Our denomination embraces them,” said Rev. Dr. Mirjam Haas-Melchior, “churches should have open and safe spaces for communities, especially who are feeling hurt and who do not feel safe, because as Presbyterians we believe in a God that is inclusive and loves all people.”
Reverend Mirjam believes pride and fidelity should go hand in hand, depending on the definition.
“If this is an inclusive understanding that is affirmative of everybody who’s faithful into the entity they believe in, faithful to and loyal to their friends and families, then yes,” she said, “but if this is an exclusive term that is narrowed down, that family is only the nuclear between man and woman, and they only should have children, then I would say it should not go hand in hand.”
Those FOX 13 News spoke to at the pride festival are encouraged that some religious leaders are getting involved in the conversation.
“Religion is queer. Queer people are everywhere. Queer people intersect every single identity you can imagine, so when people are saying that queerness is at odds with faith, it’s like those two things exist together all the time,” Carter said.
“I love, love, love that churches are doing that. I don’t think that pride and church should be separated. Why is it one or the other? It doesn’t have to be. You can do both,” Livia said.
Presbytery of Utah’s full statement:
“Not Opposed but United: A Statement on Pride and Fidelity”
The Presbytery of Utah, as part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), affirms with joy and conviction that June is Pride Month. We hold that Pride Month does not contradict or stand in opposition to fidelity; rather, it expresses it. Fidelity, rightly understood, is a steadfast faithfulness rooted not in fear or exclusion, but in the boundless love of God revealed in Jesus Christ—and in that love, Pride and Fidelity walk hand in hand.
In a time when public words and policies are dividing or diminishing, we renew our commitment to a vision of fidelity grounded in Scripture and shaped by the Reformed tradition: a fidelity that is covenantal, inclusive, and life-giving. God’s very own nature is fidelity.
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God, who maintains
covenant loyalty with those who love him” (Deuteronomy 7:9).
We affirm that fidelity is a universal virtue shared across identities, orientations, and traditions. It is not owned by any political or religious group, nor diminished by diversity. It is lived daily by LGBTQ+ individuals, people of color, people of faith, and all who contribute with integrity to the well-being of our communities. Fidelity is also communal. The Church is called to embody mutual care, accountability, and hospitality.
The Church is a covenant community shaped by the Holy Spirit. Our fidelity is expressed not through uniformity but through unity in diversity, where differing voices are honored and held together in love.
Thus, fidelity for us is not withdrawal from the world, but deeper engagement with it—seeking justice, practicing compassion, and walking humbly with God
(Micah 6:8).
In response to public discourse that may seek to define fidelity narrowly or in ways that exclude, we affirm the steadfast commitment of LGBTQ+ Utahns,
whose fidelity to authenticity, family, and community strengthens the social fabric of our state and nation.
During Pride Month and throughout the year, we celebrate the fidelity expressed through love, justice, and inclusion. Diversity does not weaken fidelity. It deepens it and reveals its fullest expression, reminding us that commitment is strongest when it embraces the breadth of human experience.
We call upon leaders and community members across Utah to uphold these values with clarity, compassion, and unity. Fidelity grows when we honor one another, and our communities flourish when every person is welcomed in truth and dignity.
“Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14).
Utah
Photos: Utahns turn out for Pride Parade days after Gov. Spencer Cox declares June ‘Fidelity Month’
Marchers filled downtown streets in a colorful procession that followed a weekend of rallies and events celebrating Utah’s LGBTQ+ community.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake Educators in the Salt Lake Pride Parade on Sunday, June 7, 2026.
It’s time for another check-in for the latest mock drafts around the league. We’re seeing a lot of smoke screens out there, but with that smoke, is there some fire? Last time we did a roundup, it was chalk across the board with AJ Dybantsa to Washington, Darryn Peterson to Utah, Cam Boozer to Memphis, and Caleb Wilson to Chicago. Will it be the same with this latest version? After a few weeks, there were some interesting changes.
It’s a pretty huge change to have Cam Boozer go #1 in Ricky O’Donnell’s latest mock drat but I respect the willingness to go with what you feel. Personally, I feel like if I’m the Wizards or the Jazz, I would want a playmaking wing or guard with that top pick, which is what you have in Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa. Boozer does project to be a point-forward type in the NBA with his impressive skill set, but I’m not sure he’s the Jokic-level initiator that some are projecting.
It’s also the first change seeing Darryn Peterson go #1 in Salerno’s mock. Darryn Peterson was considered by many to be the #1 pick going into this season, but we all know about the struggles to stay healthy and the cramping. If the medicals look good, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him go #1 given his elite talent.
Over at FanDuel, the odds have not switched. Currently, they have AJ Dybantsa with the best odds to go #1, followed by Darryn Peterson and Cam Boozer.
Over the weekend I risked life and limb in the name of fun because that is the Utah summer way.
Or at least that’s the Utah summer way according to the very fun and very adventurous friends who continue inviting me to southern Utah for hikes where the red rock landscapes are breathtaking and the terrain is slick sandstone and one wrong move means instant death.
Honestly, I’m surprised they invited me again this year after I was VERY dramatic about completing The Subway last June. I was assured that this year’s hike in Coyote Gulch was much less canyoneering and much more traditional hiking with “just one steep incline at the end.”
Coyote Gulch is in the heart of Escalante’s canyon country, in south-central Utah, which, for my money, is the most beautiful part of our great state. There’s something about driving a hilly highway through a lush desert landscape while cattle graze on either side of the road that feels completely whimsical. Like it’s a location that should only exist in cinema.
For dinner we stopped at Hell’s Backbone Grill, one of Utah’s most renowned culinary destinations. The restaurant has been selected as a James Beard Award semifinalist and finalist, and deemed the best restaurant in southern Utah by a number of publications. For good reason. The food is locally sourced and fresh and the setting, next to their farm, cannot be beat.
If I’m being completely honest I was hoping that after dinner we’d all decide that dinner on the patio had been worth the three hour drive and provided the outdoorsyness for which the group seemed to year, and that we should spend the next day lounging about, perhaps enjoying a spa, taking in the scenery from a temperature-controlled room with cucumber water on tap.
But that is not what happened. Instead we went to bed and woke up at FIVE O’CLOCK. IN THE MORNING. We left our accommodations at FIVE THIRTY IN THE MORNING and began the drive to the Crack-in-the-wall trailhead, only a portion of which was paved and the rest was sand.
The hike itself, or at least the way we did it, was 12ish miles through an initial slot canyon, in the gulch along the tributary, around a number of waterfalls, under two arches and a natural bridge, and up and over petrified dunes.
We started actually hiking at 7 a.m., and though sandier than most terrain I’ve traversed, there wasn’t anything especially difficult about the first couple of miles. Then we reached the titular crack in the wall, and I learned we were meant to drop down into it. Which I had no idea how to do, but successfully imitated the people who went ahead of me.
Then, once we arrived at the gulch, we spent the next eight or so miles trudging in and out of water which was honestly not as terrible as it sounds. Or maybe it was terrible but I just didn’t notice because the scenery was so lovely and the wildlife was so fun to observe. Birds and toads and lizards punctuated our path as we enjoyed the shade of the tall canyon walls.
Our ultimate destination was the Jacob Hamblin Arch, which simply must be seen to be believed and numbers among the most spectacular natural wonders I’ve been fortunate enough to witness. It was well worth the 10-mile hike.
But then we had to get out of the gulch. And it was then that I learned I don’t actually understand what 45% means in practice. I thought I knew what a 45% incline looked like, but I swear when I saw the alleged 45%, it looked more like 150%.
I watched some of the seasoned climbers in our group scamper up the cliff side like they were possessed mountain goats, and then I was handed the rope and instructed to make my way up. Which I did. With remarkable speed. Because I was terrified.
It turns out that the cliche “Don’t look down” exists for a reason. About halfway up the rock I looked behind to see if other hikers were approaching, and when I did I saw just how far I would fall if the rope slipped. Survival seemed impossible. So I skedaddled, with the strength and speed of a Bornean Orangutan up the rope until I hit high, flat ground. Because I guess fear is what really motivates me to accomplish physical feats. During my next race I might pay someone to chase me with a knife so I can finally get that PR I’ve been seeking
The next two miles were a monotonous up and down over solidified sand and just when I said I was ready to lay down and die, we turned a corner and saw the parking lot. I do believe there is no sight more beautiful, not even the Jacob Hamblin Arch, than the parking lot at the end of the hike. When (if) I get to heaven, I bet it will feel the same as seeing your Subaru parked in the shade at a trailhead, knowing an icy Diet Coke waits within.
As soon as we reached our vehicles and I was able to remove my muddy socks and put on sandals I had already forgotten the trials and tribulations of half an hour ago. I was ready to declare it the best day ever. Just like I said about last year’s adventure.
Can’t wait for next year’s hike.
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