David Keith Nelson (April 7, 1962 – June 11, 2024) was an American

LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...

and

gun rights The right to keep and bear arms (often referred to as the right to bear arms) is a legal right for people to possess weapons (arms) for the preservation of life, liberty, and property. The purpose of gun rights is for self-defense, as well as ...

activist. He founded or helped found several LGBT-related

nonprofit organizations A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

and helped direct others. His work with the Democratic Party encouraged many LGBT Utahns to serve as party leaders. His work as a legislative and executive

lobbyist Lobbying is a form of advocacy, which lawfully attempts to directly influence legislators or government officials, such as regulatory agencies or judiciary. Lobbying involves direct, face-to-face contact and is carried out by various entities, in ...

accomplished the adoption of several LGBT- and

weapon A weapon, arm, or armament is any implement or device that is used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime (e.g., murder), law ...

-friendly state and local laws, rules, ordinances and policies, and the rejection of other legislation.

Personal

Nelson was born in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

as a member of the political

Cannon family The Cannon family is a prominent U.S. political family in the states of Utah, Nevada and Idaho which descends from the 19th century marriage of George Cannon and Ann Quayle before their emigration from Peel, Isle of Man. The family's most powerf ...

. He studied

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

at the

University of Utah The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...

from 1982 to 1984. He retired in 2001 from his professional career in

marketing Marketing is the act of acquiring, satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of Business administration, business management and commerce. Marketing is usually conducted by the seller, typically a retailer or ma ...

and

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...

, to reside in Brigham City, Utah. He lived with

disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physica ...

, and was diagnosed in 2015 with

Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing di ...

. After his diagnosis was established, he dedicated his abilities to

LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...

autism advocacy, and helped create the LGBTQ-Autism Utah organization in 2018 with the Utah Pride Center, its Utah Pride Festival and the University of Utah Health Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic. Although not a Muslim, Nelson identified as a

Sayyid ''Sayyid'' is an honorific title of Hasanid and Husaynid lineage, recognized as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and Ali's sons Hasan ibn Ali, Hasan and Husayn ibn Ali, Husayn. The title may also refer ...

based on self-conducted genealogical research as of 2021, worked to build ties between LGBTQ and

MENA The Middle East and North Africa (MENA), also referred to as West Asia and North Africa (WANA) or South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA), is a geographic region which comprises the Middle East (also called West Asia) and North Africa together ...

organizations. Nelson died June 11, 2024, from

Lewy body dementia Lewy body dementia (LBD) is an umbrella term for two similar and common subtypes of dementia: dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). Both are characterized by changes in thinking, movement, behavior, and mood. The ...

Activism career

Nelson became active in politics 1982. Though he was most active during the 1990s in Utah, he helped to direct political groups in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and the

District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

. His work reflected the ideals of

Jeffersonian democracy Jeffersonian democracy, named after its advocate Thomas Jefferson, was one of two dominant political outlooks and movements in the United States from the 1790s to the 1820s. The Jeffersonians were deeply committed to American republicanism, wh ...

including American republicanism, civic duty and equality of

political opportunity Political opportunity theory, also known as the political process theory or political opportunity structure, is an approach of social movements that is heavily influenced by political sociology. It argues that success or failure of social movement ...

. His LGBT and

Second Amendment The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of Un ...

politics pursued

limited government In political philosophy, limited government is the concept of a government limited in power. It is a key concept in the history of liberalism.Amy Gutmann, "How Limited Is Liberal Government" in Liberalism Without Illusions: Essays on Liberal ...

which upholds the

natural rights Some philosophers distinguish two types of rights, natural rights and legal rights. * Natural rights are those that are not dependent on the laws or customs of any particular culture or government, and so are ''universal'', ''fundamental rights ...

of the

people The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...

and the rights of the

states State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

. He earned the attention of governmental and political leaders, and news reporters.

Nonpartisan work

As a political leader, Nelson founded or helped found several LGBT-related nonpartisan political groups in Utah and helped direct others. His work as a public-policy lobbyist accomplished the adoption of several LGBT- and weapon-friendly state and local laws, rules, ordinances and policies, and the rejection of other legislation.

Organization

Nelson founded the Military Law Task Force of Salt Lake City in 1982, and served as an administrative-law attorney from 1982 to 1983 for active-duty and veteran servicemembers. He served from 1983 to 1984 as a vice president of the Lesbian and Gay Student Union at the University of Utah. He served in 2002 as a member of the board of advisers of the University of Utah Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center and as the co-chairman of its public-relations committee. He helped found Gay Community Inc. in 1985, and served as a co-publisher of its ''Community Reporter''

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

. He served from 1986 to 1987 as a co-publisher of the ''Triangle Magazine''

news magazine A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published magazine, radio, or television program, usually published weekly, consisting of articles about current events. News magazines generally discuss stories in greater depth than newspapers or new ...

, in 2004 as the sports editor of the '' Salt Lake Metro'' newspaper and in 2006 as a columnist of the '' QSaltLake'' newspaper. He interviewed '' The Times of Harvey Milk'' gay filmmaker Rob Epstein and '' Before Stonewall'' lesbian filmmaker Greta Schiller in 1985 at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

. The interview was broadcast by KRCL Radio, and excerpts were published by the ''Community Reporter'' newspaper. He was a technical staffer for the

Sundance Institute Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by actor Robert Redford committed to the growth of independent artists. The institute is driven by its programs that discover and support independent filmmakers, theatre artists and compo ...

from 1983 to 1985 and for the festival from 1984 to 1986. He helped found the Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah in 1986. He served from 1986 to 1988 as the Utah

field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

associate of the

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

-based Fairness Fund. The group was acquired in 1988 by the Washington-based Human Rights Campaign Fund Inc. (HRCF) as its field division. He served from 1987 to 1988 and from 1989 to 1991 as the HRCF Utah field

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

. He organized LGBT Utahns from 1986 to 1987 and from 1990 to 1997 to attend the annual Utah Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust commemoration at the Utah Capitol rotunda. He produced and helped distribute fliers and replica

pink triangle A pink triangle is a symbol for the LGBT community. Initially intended as a badge of shame, it was later reappropriated as a positive symbol of self-identity. It originated in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s as one of the Nazi concentratio ...

and

black triangle Black triangle may refer to: Places * Black Triangle (region), across Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, long characterized by extremely high levels of pollution * Black triangle, the nickname given to the area south of Montreal affected by a ...

concentration-camp badges to commemoration patrons. He served from 1988 to 1989 as a member of the board of advisers of the San Jose, Calif.-based Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee. He served from 1991 to 1997 as a guest

public speaker Public speaking, is the practice of delivering speeches to a live audience. Throughout history, public speaking has held significant cultural, religious, and political importance, emphasizing the necessity of effective rhetorical skills. It all ...

at collegiate, community and LGBT groups in Utah including the University of Utah Hinckley Institute of Politics,

Weber State University Weber State University (pronounced ) is a public university in Ogden, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1889 as Weber Stake Academy and earned its current name in 1991. As of fall 2023, the student population reached 30,536 students, cons ...

and the

YWCA The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swit ...

of Salt Lake City. He organized the lobbying of the members of the U.S. congressional delegation from Utah in 1993 by their constituents at the

March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation was a large political rally that took place in Washington, D.C., on April 25, 1993. Organizers estimated that 1,000,000 attended the March. The D.C. Police Department p ...

. He helped organize a protest of, and published a complaint to the Utah Judicial Conduct Commission against, Utah 3rd District Court Judge David S. Young in 1994 for reducing the sentence of David Nelson Thacker who was convicted of killing gay Salt Lake City businessman Douglas Koehler. He helped organize the "No on Young" campaign in 1996 against the

retention election A retention election or retention referendum is a referendum where voters are asked if an office holder, usually a judge, should be allowed to continue in that office. The judge is removed from office if a majority of votes are cast against rete ...

of Young who lost election in 2002—the first judge who lost election in the state.bout Utah 3rd District Court Judge David S. Young sentencing David Nelson Thacker(1994-08-15)">bout campaign against retention election of Utah Judge David S. Young(1994-08-15)"> He served in 1997 as a member of the board of directors of the Washington-based Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund Inc. and as the

chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

of its public-relations committee. He helped organize a memorial service and candlelight vigil in 1998 in Utah after the beating death of gay

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming, United States. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, ...

student

Matthew Shepard Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was an American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die near Laramie on October 6, 1998. He was transported by rescuers to Poudre Valle ...

.bout ACLU at Matthew Shepard service and vigil(1998-10-12; KTVX; 1)">bout Matthew Shepard service and vigil(1998-10-12; KTVX; 2)"> He helped develop in 1998 a legal and political strategy for the repeal of the state

sodomy law A sodomy law is a law that defines certain sexual acts as crimes. The precise sexual acts meant by the term ''sodomy'' are rarely spelled out in the law, but are typically understood and defined by many courts and jurisdictions to include any ...

with the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. T ...

of Utah. He founded GayVoteUtah.com in 2001 to offer the online

voter registration In electoral systems, voter registration (or enrollment) is the requirement that a person otherwise Suffrage, eligible to Voting, vote must register (or enroll) on an electoral roll, which is usually a prerequisite for being entitled or permitted ...

of LGBT Utahns. He founded Stonewall Shooting Sports of Utah in 2002 which became one of the largest LGBT firearm groups in the United States—the first such group in the state.bout Pink Pistols of Utah(2003-01-20)"> He founded the Utah Stonewall Hall of Fame in 2006 with more than 600 LGBT Utahns inducted.

Governance

Nelson campaigned unsuccessfully in 1985 as an openly gay candidate for election to serve as a

member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...

of the Salt Lake City

Council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

—the first such campaign in the city. He placed third among four primary-election candidates when his campaign received 320 (9 percent) of the votes cast. He served from 1994 to 1995 as an openly gay member of a federal Social Services Block Grant allocation panel for the Salt Lake County Human Services Advisory Council. He received nominations from 11 Utah elected public officials and citizens in 1995 for appointment to serve as an openly gay member of the advisory board of the

Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games of 2002 The Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games of 2002 (SLOC) was the organization responsible for the 2002 Winter Olympics and 2002 Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City, USA. The SLOC secured their bid for the 20 ...

. He served from 1997 to 2001 as an openly gay member of the Hate Crimes Working Group for the

U.S. Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of federal laws and the administration of justice. It is equi ...

Office of the Attorney for the District of Utah, and helped produce the "Changing Face of Hate: A National Symposium"

conference A conference is a meeting, often lasting a few days, which is organized on a particular subject, or to bring together people who have a common interest. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always d ...

in 1999 that was sponsored by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah, the

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

-based

Simon Wiesenthal Center The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a Jewish human rights organization established in 1977 by Rabbi Marvin Hier. The center is known for Holocaust research and remembrance, hunting Nazi war criminals, combating antisemitism, tolerance educati ...

and the Utah Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Legal System.

Opportunity

Nelson lobbied unsuccessfully in 1993 for the repeal of a ''

Salt Lake Tribune ''The Salt Lake Tribune'' is a newspaper published in the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The ''Tribune'' is owned by The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The newspaper's motto is "Utah's Independent Voice Since 1871." History ...

'' policy which prohibited the publication of same-sex

personal advertisement A personal advertisement, sometimes called a contact ad, is a form of classified advertising in which a person seeks to find another person for friendship, romance, marriage, or sexual activity. In British English, it is commonly known as an adve ...

Policy

Nelson wrote and lobbied unsuccessfully from 1986 to 1987 for the adoption of a Salt Lake City Council bill which would have created a city human-rights commission and prohibited

discrimination Discrimination is the process of making unfair or prejudicial distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong, such as race, gender, age, class, religion, or sex ...

including that based on

sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring personal pattern of romantic attraction or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. Patterns ar ...

—the first such proposal in Utah. He lobbied successfully from 1986 to 1987 for the adoption of a

Salt Lake City Police Department The Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) is the municipal police force of Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The current Chief of Police, Brian Redd, was recommended by Mayor Erin Mendenhall on February 20th, 2025, and approved by the Sa ...

policy which requires LGBT

sensitivity training Sensitivity training is a form of training with the goal of making people more aware of their own goals as well as their prejudices, and more sensitive to others and to the dynamics of group interaction. Origins Kurt Lewin laid the foundations f ...

for department officers—the first such policy in Utah. He lobbied successfully in 1990 against the Utah State Office of Education recommendation that the local exhibitors of '' The World of Anne Frank'' redact educational information about the

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exc ...

victims of the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

. He produced and helped distribute fliers and replica pink triangle concentration-camp badges to exhibit-

premiere A premiere, also spelled première, (from , ) is the debut (first public presentation) of a work, i.e. play, film, dance, musical composition, or even a performer in that work. History Raymond F. Betts attributes the introduction of the ...

patrons. He helped write and lobbied successfully in 1991 and 1992 for the adoption of two

Utah Legislature The Utah State Legislature is the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a bicameral body, comprising the Utah House of Representatives, with 75 state representatives, and the Utah Senate, with 29 st ...

bills which prohibit and study hate crimes—the first such laws in the state. He lobbied unsuccessfully from 1992 to 1999 for the adoption of various bills which would have improved the laws.bout Utah Legislature committee considering hate-crime bill(1992-01-29)"> He wrote and lobbied successfully in 1992 for the adoption of a Salt Lake County Board of Commissioners bill which prohibits discrimination in county-government employment and services including that based on sexual orientation—the first such law in Utah. He lobbied successfully in 1995 against the

repeal A repeal (O.F. ''rapel'', modern ''rappel'', from ''rapeler'', ''rappeler'', revoke, ''re'' and ''appeler'', appeal) is the removal or reversal of a law. There are two basic types of repeal; a repeal with a re-enactment is used to replace the law ...

of the law's "

marital status Civil status, or marital status, are the distinct options that describe a person's relationship with a significant other. '' Married'', '' single'', '' divorced'', and ''widowed'' are examples of civil status. ''Civil status'' and ''marital st ...

" and "sexual orientation" protections. Leaders of the county Gay and Lesbian Employee Association were critical of him and others who opposed the repeal, and said that he "did not speak for GLEA."bout Salt Lake County Commission adopting nondiscrimination bills(1992-09-30)"> He lobbied unsuccessfully in 1992 against the appointment of controversial former Phoenix Police Chief Ruben Ortega to serve as the chief of the Salt Lake City Police Department. He lobbied unsuccessfully from 1992 to 1993 for the adoption of a Utah State Textbook Commission administrative rule which would have allowed public schools to use

textbook A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions, but also of learners ( ...

s which included information about homosexuality. He helped write and lobbied successfully in 1993 for the adoption of a Utah Legislature bill which provides for

viatical settlement A life settlement or viatical settlement (from Latin ''viaticum'', something received before death) is the sale of an existing life insurance policy (typically of seniors) for more than its cash surrender value, but less than its net death benefi ...

s which allow individuals who are terminally ill to sell their life-insurance policies before death to pay

health-care Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is deliver ...

expenses, and to improve their

quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...

. He lobbied successfully in 1993 and 1994 against the adoption of two Utah Legislature bills which would have required

HIV test HIV tests are used to detect the presence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes HIV/AIDS, in serum, saliva, or urine. Such tests may detect antibodies, antigens, or RNA. AIDS diagnosis AIDS is diagnosed separate ...

ing of individuals who significantly exposed other individuals including public-safety officers or emergency-medical service providers to HIV during the performance of their duties. The bills didn't protect

medical privacy Medical privacy, or health privacy, is the practice of maintaining the security and confidentiality of patient records. It involves both the conversational discretion of health care providers and the security of medical records. The terms can also ...

. He lobbied successfully in 1995 for the amendment of a similar bill to protect such privacy, and the bill was adopted. He served from 1993 to 2003 as a licensed Utah legislative and executive lobbyist for LGBT public-policy development. He lobbied successfully in 1994 for the amendment of a Utah Legislature bill which would have required

DNA profiling DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting and genetic fingerprinting) is the process of determining an individual's deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) characteristics. DNA analysis intended to identify a species, rather than an individual, is cal ...

of individuals convicted of violating certain state laws including the state sodomy law. The amendment removed the profiling of individuals convicted of violating the sodomy law, and the bill was adopted. He lobbied unsuccessfully in 1995 against the adoption of a Utah Legislature bill which prohibits the recognition of

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...

s. He was later sentenced by a Midvale Justice Court judge to pay a $50 fine and to serve a suspended six-day jail term for committing an act of

civil disobedience Civil disobedience is the active and professed refusal of a citizenship, citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders, or commands of a government (or any other authority). By some definitions, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be cal ...

in protest of the law.bout Utah Legislature committee meeting to restrict recognition of marriages(1995-02-08)">bout time of Utah Legislature restricting recognition of marriages(1995-03-02)">bout protest against restricting recognition of marriages at Salt Lake Olympic Committee event(1995-03-17; KSL)">bout protest against restricting recognition of marriages at Salt Lake Olympic Committee event(1995-03-17; KTVX)"> He lobbied unsuccessfully in 1996 against the adoption of a Utah Legislature bill which restricted LGBT-student clubs at public schools.bout Utah Legislature restricting gay-student clubs(1996-01-31)">bout Utah Legislature committee restricting gay-student clubs(1996-02-13)">bout Utah Legislature special-session meeting to restrict gay-student clubs(1996-04-17)"> He lobbied successfully in 1998 against the adoption of a Utah Office of the Attorney General

amicus curiae An amicus curiae (; ) is an individual or organization that is not a Party (law), party to a legal case, but that is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case. Wheth ...

brief which would have opposed same-sex marriage in the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The court ...

case of He lobbied unsuccessfully in 2007 for a Utah Legislature bill which would have amended the state sodomy law by removing the provisions that the

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

determined in 2003 to be unconstitutional in its opinion about The bill wasn't considered. He lobbied successfully in 2007 to amend a Utah Legislature bill which would have prohibited the possession of a concealed firearm at state institutions of higher education, and allows a

dormitory A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm), also known as a hall of residence, a residence hall (often abbreviated to halls), or a hostel, is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential qu ...

resident to request only roommates who aren't permitted to carry concealed firearms. The amendment removed the prohibition, and the bill was adopted.bout Utah Legislature committee hearing about bill to protect concealed firearms at state institutions of higher education(2007-02-13)"> He lobbied successfully in 2007 for the repeal of a Salt Lake County facility-management policy which prohibited the possession of a weapon at two county convention centers, and required facility lessees to extend the restriction to their guests. The Utah Pride Center had extended the restriction to the guests of its annual LGBT-student Queer Prom which was produced at the Salt Palace Convention Center. He lobbied successfully in 2007 to amend a Utah Pride Festival policy which prohibited the possession of all weapons at the festival events. The amendment removed the prohibition of legal weapons. He was nonetheless detained, questioned and removed from the festival by a Salt Lake City Police Department officer after festival workers complained about his lawful possession of an unconcealed firearm. He filed a complaint and a $25,000 claim against Salt Lake City Corp., and received an apology from the police chief. He lobbied successfully in 2010 for the repeal of a Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification administrative rule which restricted the issuance of the state concealed-firearm permit to individuals who were ever convicted of violating the state sodomy law. He lobbied unsuccessfully from 2010 to 2012 for the repeal of Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing administrative rules which restrict the issuance of

licenses A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...

to individuals who were ever convicted of violating the state sodomy law.

Partisan work

As a

libertarian Democrat In American politics, a libertarian Democrat is a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party with political views that are relatively libertarianism in the United States, libertarian compared to the views of the national p ...

and party leader, Nelson founded or helped found several LGBT-related Democratic Party groups in Utah and helped direct others. His work as a party-policy lobbyist accomplished the adoption of several LGBT-friendly national-, state- and local-party policies, and the rejection of other policies.

Organization

Nelson founded Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats in 1990 to affiliate with the

Utah Democratic Party The Utah Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Utah. The party describes itself as a big tent party. It has very weak electoral power in the state. It controls none of Ut ...

—the first such group in the state. The group combined the work of a party

caucus A caucus is a group or meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. The exact definition varies between different countries and political cultures. The term originated in the United States, where it can refer to ...

, a fund-raising political-action committee and a lobbying group. At its first state-party convention in 1990, the group was called "a new political powerhouse" by KUTV Television news reporters, and became one of the largest caucuses in the party. The group stopped its fund-raising and lobbying work in 1997, but remained a caucus. He retired in 2001 from the group leadership, and the group was renamed as Utah Stonewall Democrats. He created an online national network of LGBT groups and individuals in 1995 to re-establish the communication between them that existed with the former Washington-based National Association of Gay and Lesbian Democratic Clubs from 1982 to 1987. He helped found the Washington-based National Stonewall Democratic Federation in 1996 to affiliate with the

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...

. U.S. Rep.

Barney Frank Barnett Frank (born March 31, 1940) is a retired American politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts from 1981 to 2013. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, Frank served as chairman of th ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

developed the federation further when he encouraged it in 1998 to incorporate as the Washington-based National Stonewall Democrats. The group was incorporated in 1999. He organized gay Utahns in 1996 to attend a meeting of LGBT Democrats with

U.S. Vice President The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. Th ...

Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...

at the Indian Treaty Room of the

Old Executive Office Building The Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), formerly known as the Old Executive Office Building (OEOB), and originally known as the State, War, and Navy Building (SWAN Building), is a United States government building that is now part of t ...

in Washington.bout U.S. Vice President Al Gore welcoming David Nelson(1996-02-20)"> He helped staff a

National Rifle Association of America The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...

exhibit in 2005 at the Utah Democratic Convention.

Administration

Nelson served in 1991 as a member of the Democratic National Committee security staff for presidential candidates including Gov.

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

of Arkansas at a committee meeting in Los Angeles. He served from 1992 to 1995 as a member of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party Constitutional Committee. He campaigned unsuccessfully in 1993 as an openly gay candidate for election to serve as the secretary of the Utah Democratic Party—the first such campaign of a major party in the state. He placed second among two party-election candidates when his campaign received 229 (37 percent) of the votes cast. He campaigned successfully in 1996 for Utah Democratic Party election to serve as an openly gay delegate to the 1996 Democratic National Convention, Democratic National Convention in Chicago and as the Utah LGBT-outreach director for the United States presidential election, 1996, Clinton-Gore presidential campaign. He campaigned successfully in 2000 for Utah Democratic Party election to serve as an openly gay delegate to the 2000 Democratic National Convention, Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles and as the Utah LGBT-outreach director for the United States presidential election, 2000, Gore-Lieberman presidential campaign. He served from 2003 to 2004 as an openly gay Utah coordinator for the United States presidential election, 2004, Wesley Clark presidential campaign.

Policy

Nelson lobbied unsuccessfully in 1986 for the inclusion of LGBT speakers at a Democratic National Committee Policy Commission meeting in Salt Lake City by commission co-chairman and former Utah Gov. Scott M. Matheson (Utah governor), Scott M. Matheson Sr. He lobbied successfully in 1993 for the appointment of openly gay Utahns to serve as members of the Utah Democratic Party standing committees—the first such appointments by a major party in the state. He served from 1993 to 1997 as the chairman of the party Membership and Credentials Standing Committee, and as a member of the party Platform and Policy Standing Committee. He lobbied unsuccessfully in 1995 for the adoption of a Utah Democratic Party censure of Utah House of Representatives Democratic Whip (politics), Whip Rep. Kelly C. Atkinson after he described LGBT Democrats as a party "Counterculture, fringe" group in an op-ed commentary which was published by the ''Deseret News'' newspaper. Atkinson said later that he regretted his use of the description. The attempted censure was a reason legislative Democrats and party leaders were critical of Nelson, and asked Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats leaders unsuccessfully in 1996 to stop describing the group as Democratic. Nelson and other group leaders refused the request. He wrote, sponsored and lobbied successfully in 1995 for the adoption of a Utah Democratic Party Resolution (law), resolution which supported the adoption of the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act. He lobbied unsuccessfully in 1996 against a campaign promise by Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives Rocky Anderson, Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson to oppose same-sex marriage and "vote my constituents' wishes" if he were elected to the United States Congress, Congress despite supporting equal marriage rights. Anderson was critical of Nelson and others who opposed Anderson's change of opinion, and said that he couldn't "believe some of them were hiding in waiting to take pot shots at me now."

Recognition

For his work in politics, Nelson: * Received in 1990 a Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats Founder's Award. * Received in 1993 a Utah Pride Center#Utah Stonewall Center, Utah Stonewall Center Diversity Is Great! Award. * Received in 1998 a Democratic National Committee Lawrence O'Brien Award—the first such award presented to a Utahn. * Received in 1999 a U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Attorney for the District of Utah certificate of appreciation. * Received in 2006 a ''Deseret Morning News'' "Pignanelli & Webb" encomium. * Received in 2008 a ''Salt Lake City Weekly'' "Best of Utah 2008: Best 'Cold dead hands'" award and encomium. * Received in 2012 a Salt Lake County Mayor–council government, Mayor and Council joint commemorative Non-binding resolution, resolution—the first such resolution presented to a gay Utahn.

Notes

References

''David Nelson papers, 1983-2012.''
Accession number (Accn) 2713. Salt Lake City: Manuscripts, J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah. 2013. * "Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats (GLUD), 1988–1996.
''Utah Pride Center records, 1976-2001''
Accession number (Accn) 1918, boxes 31–33. Salt Lake City: Manuscripts, J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah. 2001. * "Queer Oral History Project, Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats (GLUD), 1988–1996.

External links

Stonewall Shooting Sports of Utah

Utah Democratic Party

Utah Stonewall Democrats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, David 1962 births 2024 deaths American gun rights activists American libertarians Autism activists Cannon family American gay politicians American LGBTQ rights activists Activists from Salt Lake City Autistic LGBTQ people Autistic people University of Utah alumni Utah Democrats LGBTQ people from Utah Jeffersonian democracy American activists with disabilities American politicians with disabilities

Personal

Activism career

Nonpartisan work

Organization

Governance

Opportunity

Policy

Partisan work

Organization

Administration

Policy

Recognition

See also

Notes

References

External links