This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Frank Lilly and Kody Partridge have a couple of things in common.
First, they received mailers recently from the Sutherland Institute that warned them of a gay agenda threatening "traditional" families and requesting financial contributions so that the conservative think tank can protect them by fighting same-sex marriage.
The second thing they have in common is that they are gay and married their same-sex spouses after U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby overturned Utah's same-sex marriage ban.
They received identical letters signed by Sutherland Institute President Paul Mero and warning that Utah is ground zero for "homosexual activists" in America's cultural war. To save the country, the letter continues, Lilly and Partridge should send Sutherland a "generous, tax-deductible contribution of $50, $100, $250 or even $500 to Sutherland Institute."
Their support, Mero cautioned, "is urgent."
Partridge, no doubt, won't be donating. She is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging Utah's ban on same-sex marriage.
For his part, Lilly wrote back to Mero and Sutherland's board, letting them know that he took their recommended minimum contribution, tripled it and sent it to Restore Our Humanity, the legal defense fund fighting for the right of same-sex couples to marry.
He added that for every fundraising letter they send him in the future, he will send their recommended minimum to ROH.
Passive-aggressive behavior? • Could this be a clever homeowner's strategy to keep strangers from parking in front of his house, especially on Sundays, when his area attracts a lot of visitors?
The house, on the northeast corner of Yale Avenue and McClelland Street in Salt Lake City, has a sign in front that says: "Park here if you support same-sex marriage."
It is across the street from a Mormon meetinghouse.
Twitter, tweeting and lies • Twitter can be a dangerous place and is proving to be fertile ground for scam artists aiming to mislead the blogging world.
Somebody set up a fake Twitter account supposedly representing the Utah Republican Party.
It doesn't. Although, it might represent certain factions of the Utah GOP.
The account is @TheUtahGOP.
Here are some of its posts:
"Proud of the women of Utah. Unlike Democrats, we will never degrade them by legislating equal pay."
"Look, it doesn't matter how many ppl 'desperately need' Medicaid. You elected us to oppose everything, remember?"
"Hoping girls will swoon over his silver hair [referring to former Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon when he successfully ran for state Democratic Party chair]."
More tweeting lies • Not to be outdone, someone has hijacked Utah Eagle Forum President Gayle Ruzicka's name by opening a fake Twitter account appearing to be from her.
The account, @RuzickaGayle, says "I love censoring high school plays, making love to John Swallow, hating gays, and demonizing preschool. You can call me Utah's Grand Inquisitor."