The protests came in droves in the days after the vote.

"We were thinking of coming to Utah, but not now" was the general message delivered repeatedly to Utah Office of Tourism managing director Leigh von der Esch.

Some callers and e-mail writers were angry, others indignant. Almost all were appalled at the LDS Church's perceived leadership role in pushing for Proposition 8, the California constitutional measure banning same-sex marriages. Gay and lesbian protesters, and others, were rallying behind scattered calls to boycott everything Utah -- from its ski resorts to national parks, even the open-minded forum of the Sundance Film Festival.

Worrisome words, coming on top of the global economic malaise.

But, at this point, only words it seems.

A month after the election, with tardy snowstorms finally allowing ski resorts to crank up and final preparations for this year's film festival moving toward high gear, there is little tangible evidence that the boycott talk had mass appeal.

"I have not heard of any major cancellations," said von der Esch, acknowledging the impossibility of gauging how many people -- as individuals, couples or small groups -- thought about visiting Utah this year but changed plans because of LDS activism.

Although she hesitates to specify how many protests her office fielded, not wanting to incite a message campaign pro or con, von der Esch offered that "we got 40 a day for the first couple of days. It trickled off after that."

Utah ski resorts had comparable experiences.

Talk of a boycott "was cause for alarm. It still is," said Nathan Rafferty, president of Ski Utah, marketing arm of the state's 13 resorts. "Any time people say they want to change their plans and ski somewhere else, that's a concern. But luckily, it's been unfounded. …It was a flame that burned pretty brightly. We wondered where it would go, but we had a feeling this was how it would turn out."

So what happened to a boycott?

"That idea never caught a lot of traction," said Jim Key, spokesman for the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, adding "that's not something we endorsed or would have endorsed.

"It's likely that gays and lesbians will think twice about going to Utah. The state is closely associated with the [LDS] church and the church said, 'You're not welcome.' That likely will have some outcome. But it would be wrong to punish an entire state for the actions of the church. The state also includes gay and lesbian people and business owners."

People such as Mike Picardi.

For the past 30 years, he has owned and operated a small furniture manufacturing company in South Salt Lake, M Picardi Fine Custom Furnishings. One of his higher-profile clients in recent years has been Queer Lounge, a hospitality center at Sundance. It's a place, said founder Ellen Huang, "where gays and lesbians can feel safe and able to network on a professional level at a film festival that's mainstream."

Boycotting that by boycotting Sundance "hurts people like me," Picardi said.

"They tried a boycott here once before with Larry Miller and 'Brokeback Mountain,'" he said, referring to the Utah businessman's decision not to show the love story about gay cowboys in his movie theaters. "People don't pay attention. It's a complete waste of time. It's not the way to make things happen. And it polarizes the situation. It makes people angrier on both sides."

Any backlash could be punishing.

"There are LDS people who I do a lot of work for. If they see the gay community lashing out at their church, who would they take it out on? Me? They could," Picardi said. "It's really a negative Catch 22, and little guys like me who are trying to make a business go -- I employ six people -- we get chewed up and spit out. Big players like the LDS Church aren't going to feel it financially."

Many gays outside of Utah, and their supporters, recognize the validity of Picardi's argument, hence the lukewarm response to calls for a boycott, said Steve Weinstein, editor-in-chief of Edge, an online publication providing gay news and entertainment in 14 U.S. cities.

"How do you boycott an entire state?" he questioned. "It was shocking that Proposition 8 passed, and there is still a lot of anger toward the Mormon Church, and I can understand that. But you have to pinpoint exactly what is the Mormon Church and what are the people of Utah, and they are two different things. The Mormon Church is still very dominant in Salt Lake City but it's far from the kind of influence it would have had 30 years ago."

Former Mayor Rocky Anderson's friendly approach to city employees with same-sex partners still resonates with the gay community. The gay social scene in Salt Lake City is much more vibrant than many outsiders would dream, Weinstein added, and Sundance is known for advancing films dealing with issues important to gays and lesbians.

That's why Queer Lounge's presence at Sundance is so valuable, said Huang.

"It's most important that we're in Utah, not that we're not there," she said, contending the airing of gay-oriented movies and subsequent public discussions advance the causes of the Los Angeles-based Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "Our mission is to really make sure that gay and lesbian content gets to a broader audience and lets the public know the issues that affect our population -- and our humanity."

Huang said that considering the appeal of the "gay demographic -- there's very good disposable income there" -- state officials and the private-hospitality sector ought to step up efforts to show that Utah is an open and accepting place. Otherwise, gays will stay away in ones and twos and fives, numbers that add up over time.

"It's a very internal and silent type of thing," Huang said. "Gay people have been making these choices for many years."

Von der Esch has been sympathetic to that message since the hubbub began. Her office's response to boycott threats was "to be respectful to both sides and convey a gracious understanding that there is a divergence of opinion." And to finish off the conversation with the plea, "Please come to Utah. It's a great place to visit. Meet the people here. If you change your mind, please let us help you to have a nice visit."

mikeg@sltrib.com