Jason Whiting - Interviewed 10-22-09 and 10-28-09)

10-22-09

David: Are there any changes that have happened to Salt Lake City that you
regret?

Jason: That I regret?

David: Uh-huh. Or maybe that’s not a fair question. What are the changes
you’ve seen that you haven’t liked or that you have liked?

Jason: I like the Trax. I think that’s been a good, good thing. However, I find it
ironic that they had to lay track down in the same places that they’d torn it up thirty
years earlier. That’s been good. I do like the new library. It’s a lot more functional
and definitely cleaner. That one was getting rather nasty.

David: You said there were interesting stories about that library?

Jason: Yeah. The bathroom was known to be a “cruisy” bathroom. Like I said
earlier, I never utilized it. I’ve never been one to cruise the bathrooms. But there
would be some very interesting texts on the wall and it was fun to sit in a chair and
watch people come and go; come as singles and go as couples, and you’d know
exactly what was going on. And the one on the third floor in the old Winestock’s
department store was also known to be rather dirty.

David: Why do you think that happened?

Jason: Why?

David: Uh-huh.

Jason: Why there, or just…

David: Why was there cruising going on in the bathroom, in public places.
Like, what…

Jason: There was nowhere else to do it. You had Memory Grove, of course. But, I
mean it wasn’t specific to Salt Lake. I mean, everybody knows that it was always;
every city there were cruise spots. Why bathrooms tended to become that, I don’t
know. I guess because of the nature of naked-idity in the bathroom. [Laughs]

David: Well, do you think it had something to do with the dominant culture?

Jason: Oh yeah! Absolutely.

David: And what role do you think that it played?

Jason: Well, there, you know, before probably the 70s there was really nowhere to
gather in any city. And parks and bathrooms … some reasons specific spots would
become known as a gay crusing spot. But, I don’t think it’s, specifically, a
predominant culture in Salt Lake, I think it’s predominantly everywhere. Every city’s
had its spots; some still do. Now, why Memory Grove became a big spot here, I don’t
know why it was specific to that location. I think it was probably due to the fact
that, before the tornado, it was very over-grown and forested in there. I mean, it
was… I could see why you could go in there, hook up with someone, go behind a
shrub and no-one would see you from the path, because it was that thick. And of
course, when the tornado came through there, it took all the cover away. [Laughs]

David: Did you ever hook-up in there?

Jason: I didn’t. I didn’t. But I knew plenty of people that did. And Memory Grove
wasn’t just a gay hang-out; I mean, a lot of kids in my group – the punks, the goths –
we all kinda hung out in there too, because, kind of also being a disenfranchised
group, we all kind of tended to pool together, especially in the younger age-groups.
Specifically in the early evenings, or what-not, when it was time to go clubbing, we’d
end up just hanging out in Memory Grove, ‘cause there was usually somebody there
we knew, we’d hook up with, we’d find out where the party was. Plus the drugs
there were always good – to purchase or to sell.

David: Do you think that… like, what role do you think substances have played
in the development of our community, over the years – whether it be alcohol
or drugs?

Jason: I don’t know how they’ve played in the development… of course, we as gay
people are, typically, more creative, artistic and, you know, than your average
schmuck, and I think that for a lot of people, substances help expand that creativity.
But, I think in a lot of ways, too, being in a society that doesn’t accept you,
substances also help take that pain of being not accepted, away. And it also helps, I
think, a lot of the younger people feel included in a group, because, you know, 90%
of the time, substances are a peer thing – you know, it’s usually a friend, an
acquaintance that turns you on to it. You know, and if you’re doing it too, you’re
part of something. I think for a lot of younger people, that helps them feel included,
where they normally feel disenfranchised from society