From time to time I get asked what it's like living in Salt Lake City when I'm so obviously not cut from the Mormon cloth and am vocal in my criticisms of their anti-gay attitudes and practices. Short answer is that I hardly even know the Mormons exist here in Salt Lake anymore. The oft-quoted saying, "When you see crazy coming down the street, cross to the other side" is kind of how it works for me. I don't go looking for them anymore and if I see them headed in my direction, figuratively speaking, I cross the street.

I came to Utah from Los Angeles three years ago to spend some time with my daughter and ended up staying. I didn't want to be in Utah but I wanted to be near my daughter and grandkids more. I knew that my work as an entertainment photographer would be limited in Utah, if not non-existent. What I didn't plan on though was finding so many amazing, interesting and beautiful people to photograph here. I've just published my third book of fine art nudes here with two more on the way. Who could have ever imagined that there'd be so many people eager and willing to get naked for my cameras in Utah? Hundreds of bodies and countless thousands of pictures later I feel like my work here is just getting started as there seems to be an endless supply of people who live blissfully free from the long shadows of the temple spires in downtown Salt Lake City.

If it's true that for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction then nowhere is that more evident than here in Utah where religious and cultural suppression have given birth to a rich and colorful counter culture. Visits to my daughter over the years gave me hints as to what was going on in Utah; and I was intrigued. But it wasn't until I was living here that I began to see how far and wide the alternative spread. The more I became immersed in it the more I realized that this wasn't Brigham's Utah anymore. Sure, it's still frustrating to have to go to a liquor store for a bottle of wine. And having those liquor stores closed on Sundays still gets me a little heated. But in the bigger scheme of things a little planning trumps a little inconvenience.

Truth is, Utah was never Brigham's to begin with. The early Mormon settlers were interlopers who drove the Native Americans out to make room for themselves in a land where they thought they'd be free in perpetuity to pursue their lives without interference. It worked for awhile but Utah is a spectacularly beautiful corner of the world with the Rocky Mountains, the Great Salt Lake, Canyonlands and the vast open deserts drawing unprecedented numbers of adventurists and outdoor sports enthusiasts from around the world. Many come to visit and like me decide to stay.

For whatever dominance the Mormons once had in Utah, it's slowly but surely disappearing from sight. As I wander the streets of Salt Lake City proper I seldom see the telltale signs of garmented Mormons who are in so many ways conspicuously different from those who live more authentic and colorful lives. Unless of course I wander into the area around the temple downtown where their cloned sameness dominates the landscape. By and large though I hardly know the Mormons are here. I don't seek them out of course and at first glance I'm the kind of person they desperately seek to avoid. It's a win win for sure!

I was only born half a Mormon and that half didn't stick. I grew up in Italy where Catholicism ruled and Mormonism barely existed except in my mother's teachings of it to me and my siblings. I gave it a go because that's what I was taught but 30 years ago I left the Mormon thing behind and moved on. It was 30 years ago too that my daughter was born and I began my career as a professional photographer. Back then in the confluence of leaving Mormonism, becoming a dad and starting a new life as a photographer in Hollywood I never could have imagined one day living in Utah. Much less enjoying it so much and doing fine art nudes here like I do.

For me, freedom from religion has meant the ability to create a rich life for myself right on down in the belly of the beast. Although I will always be forthright with my criticisms of Mormons and their anti-gay attitudes I am virtually unaffected by them. I go out into the astonishingly beautiful wildlands of Utah to do my fine art nudes, I spend a lot of time with my daughter and grandkids and I have a close circle of friends with whom any conversation about Mormonism is pretty much non-existent. And I do it all as a blissfully open and free gay guy for whom the word gay seldom if ever comes up. You could call it life on the outside but to me it feels like life on the inside.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2012 11:21AM by tomclark.

I grew up in SLC proper.
I left 20 years ago.
All my TBM years "out of state" I mourned the wickedness that I had to leave Utah to "escape". I was scared of Utah and avoided it.
Then my so-called testimony collapsed, and I was caught by the safety net of secular humanism and naturalist thought. I gradually but steadily started to recognize one redeeming thing after another about Utah...without even going there. It was just looking back on what I'd known in new light.

I have a feeling a lot of people have shared your experience with that. I know I sure have.

when I talk about how healthy the counter culture in Salt Lake is.

Oh well. More for me!

Good to see you, Tom. And glad you are enjoying yourself here.

I'm in Sugar House. :)

Oh, the counter culture is alive and well in Utah! But I think you have to see it to believe it. I'm in Sugarhouse too - we should get together for a cup of coffee and a chat.

We should definitely get together for a cuppa sometime!

Tom!! So good to hear you're healthy, happy and thriving in Utah.

Nicely said.

I read somewhere that the Salt Lake Valley is somewhere around 50% Mormon. Then when you considered that many areas like Sandy & Draper are way more than 50% Mormon, that means much of Salt Lake is well under 50% Mormon.

However, this is more true of Salt Lake than Utah as a whole. For example Utah Valley is still very Mormon centric - although there is definitely a counter culture down here as well.

What seems to be going on is that the Mormons have moved to the south and west ends of the valley leaving Salt Lake City itself in the hands of the heathens. And the heathens are breathing new and vibrant life into it! So much has changed over the past few years here and it's an amazing thing to watch happen.

+1

The rich ones move south.

The poor ones move west.

Like many other cities in America, people fled to the suburbs. And in the case of Salt Lake, that was pretty much everywhere outside SL Proper.

Slowly but surely, over the past 25 years in particular, the heathens moved in and took over. The problem is that we're still under-represented in the State Legislature because most of us seem to live in the same handful of Salt Lake Districts. :)

I really enjoy seeing how the older neighborhoods in Sugarhouse and surrounding areas are being gentrified as people move in from other parts of the country and breathe new life into them. And wow, to live so close to downtown and not have to commute long distances to work everyday makes these neighborhoods more desirable than ever. I watched the same thing happen in West Hollywood where the older homes became more and more valuable because of their proximity to the offices and businesses in Beverly Hills, Century City and along the strip. I think more and more people are wanting to live in or close to the city rather than spending so much of their lives in a car commuting. And there's some really charming and wonderful residential areas in Salt Lake City proper. I love seeing the changes.

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed them from you.

Where have you been hiding? (besides upcountry with all the naked people)

The standard of fabulousness has been erected. No mormon hand shall impede it's progress...

Been hiding in plain sight. Too busy with my photography and family life to spend much time posting online. Every once in awhile it's fun to come back and check things out though.

+1

I'm a gay exmormon and I love living in Utah. My boyfriend and I bought a house in South Ogden 4 years ago. We get along great with the neighbors and have had no problems. Plus I work for the U.S. Army. I've been out at work for years, again with no problems.

That's wonderful. I love hearing stories like yours.

I have been told their is great discrimination in employemnt in Utah. They prefer mormons, and prefer to promote mormons.

That could be true at some level but I work in a world mostly my own so I have no experience with it. I do know of a few people who have left the church but still wear their garments in their business or professional settings to maintain the appearance of adherence. I have no judgement on that - people do what they have to do to keep their jobs or secure new clients. With the secularism of Utah moving steadily forward I think the discrimination against non-Mormons is becoming less and less tenable.

i have a friend that is a photographer...and i was one when i traveled for 7 years ...an amatuer one though.. :) hope you have success with your books!! :)

My experiance has been that most are not. On my resume is something that would get most people thinking that I am probably gay (and as most here know, they would be right). It has been noticed and commented on by every person I have interviewed with. Every comment was very positive and very supportive. I then would get some comment that let me know the company valued diversity.

I am out to my coworkers, even the Mormon ones and it simply has not been an issue

Tom, I agree with your points about the secularization of Salt Lake County, and Salt Lake City in particular. But what I would like to add is, that despite this trend, our State legislature is still 90% LDS, and looks at our government as a way to ensure the gentiles stay in their place and don't act like adults or think for themselves.

I also am a photographer, but fine art landscapes minus the nudes. I'm jealous! I'll look for your work.

Yes, the Utah Mormislature. Every year when their circus starts it's a show that would make PT Barnum proud. I've learned to ignore it even though I know that their decisions impact my life and the lives of people I love. I believe that as the demographic shifts so will the demographics of Utah's government. My life is in the city itself and out in the wildlands and because of that I've found the kind of insulation from Mormonism that I value and need. Sugarhouse is an oasis from the prevailing culture and that's why I enjoy living here.

Good to hear from you, old friend...

Somebody actually told me where your day job was, and I tried to stop in once or twice without any luck.... Still there?

If you're ever in Lucky 13 and in need of that cab ride I've owed you forever, see Mel the barkeep.... Use my first name as a password and say you want a "F----- cab." Guaranteed...

And hell yes, I'd do coffee in Sugarhouse as well...

I posted my email on a thread of yours elsewhere. Give me a shout!

I agree with you wholeheartedly. I enjoy living here and although I get frustrated with some things, overall it is a good place to live.

I am never bothered by mormons either, and perhaps that is because of how I look. I shave my head, wear a very long goatee, and I have several visible tattoos. They never approach me, or even talk to me. In fact I find that they are the ones crossing the street when they see me coming, and that suits me just fine.

Ha Ha! Nothing like visible ink to scare the Mormons to the other side of the street. I have a lot of ink too and am sometimes aware that it's a big ol flashing banner that shouts, "I'm not a mormon!" That's not why we get the ink of course, but it sure does come in handy, right?

That BBC program labeled Provo as the new center of all things Mormon...

Good to hear SLC has diversity. I've only been there a few time.

Loved the movie SLC Punk though :)

Salt Lake City is a more diverse city with a higher volume of culture than people realize. In fact it has become a dot of tolerance and reason in a state of intolerance and dogma.

Just the feel of walking around town is a breath of fresh air compared to the suburbs in Utah.