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Verfasser: Gunar Datum: Mittwoch, den 10. März 2004, um 14:36 Uhr Betrifft: Fotos in SLCC-Ausstellung abgehängt
Ein Student des Salt Lake Community College fühlte sich verpflichtet, Bilder einer Ausstellung abzuhängen, die ihm nicht in seine Weltanschauung passten. Die Fotos zeigen HLT-Missionare bei körperlicher Annäherung. Die Polizei schritt in die entstandene Auseinandersetzung zwischen den Studenten ein. Das SLCC hält an der Ausstellung vollumfänglich fest, hängte sie jedoch vom Eingangsbereich in einen Klassenraum um. Der Künstler verweist darauf, dass auf den Fotos tatsächliche ehemalige HLT-Missionare abgebildet sind, die seither ein Paar wurden.
Salt Lake Tribune
10.3.2004Suggestive missionary pics spark debate
By Christy Karras
The Salt Lake TribuneBut is it art?
Adebate over what constitutes art -- and what is too offensive to put on public display -- boiled over at Salt Lake Community College on Tuesday when an angry student took down photographs depicting Mormon missionaries in sexually intimate situations.
The black and white photographs, by Westminster College graduate Don Farmer, are part of a group exhibition by gay, lesbian and transgendered artists at SLCCs South City Campus at 1575 S. State St. Signs posted throughout the show warn: "Caution: The art you are about to witness is the feelings that are portrayed by that artist and not of SLCC."
Farmers photographs show two young men in white shirts and dark slacks. One wears a missionary name tag. In one image, a young man unbuttons anothers shirt; in another, one undoes the others belt as a book of scripture lies open nearby.
On Tuesday, the first day of the annual Pride Art Show, students got into a shouting match after one of them began taking down Farmers photographs. Police were called and the photographs re-hung. Police lingered as students on both sides vented their feelings.
Farmer was raised LDS, he said in a telephone interview with The Salt Lake Tribune. As a homosexual man growing up in the faith, he says, he felt he belonged to two worlds that could not coexist.
The two men in the pictures are returned missionaries who became a couple, Farmer said. Like him, they struggled with their identity.
"Its real. Its life. Its something that maybe you havent experienced, but someone else has," he said. "Im so touched when someone comes to me and says, Thats how I felt for so many years. "
But some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints feel Farmers photographs are an assault on their sacred beliefs.
"Theyre attacking the LDS Church with images of sexual activity. We want it displayed somewhere else, but they dont see our views," said SLCC student JoAnna Johannesen, who is a member of the church. "They dont want their rights violated, but what about my rights?"
On the other hand, student Carrie Eardley loves the show. More than that, "I love that theyre not censoring it. I was damn pleased this morning. It made my day."
Farmer hopes his pictures get people talking about difficult issues surrounding religion and sexuality.
"The purpose behind the imagery was kind of to come to terms with a lot of what I was dealing with," he said. "In a way I was trying to bring those two realms together within an 8x10 frame."
Students believe the debate reflects national and local arguments over homosexualitys place in American culture.
"I dont necessarily support [the photographs], but I support the right to free speech," said Kathleen Tedford, a member of the colleges student board. "I think this makes people awaken and realize everything in life is just not perfect. Its going to happen -- being an issue -- until they face it . . . These issues arent addressed enough."
The exhibit has been moved from a lobby area to a classroom space, said Joy Tlou, the colleges public relations director, but it will stay up through Friday.
"Colleges are meeting places for ideas and concepts, and sometimes theyre controversial," Tlou said. "In this case, the college is interested in discussing what comes next."