"The numbers show that 60-plus percent of the men arrested engaging in public sex do not self-identify as gay. Most of them are married with families," said South Salt Lake Police Capt. Tracy Tingey.

After a series of arrests several years ago in Oxbow Park, police approached the GLBT Community Center for help. Gay and lesbian advocates told them they would help — but it's not really a gay issue.

"The honest truth is, the majority of the people who are being arrested would not be caught dead going to a gay and lesbian center," Tingey said. "You interview these guys, they will never, ever say they are gay."

Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake and West Valley City have been able to curb a lot of public sex through a program called "Healthy Self Expressions." In cooperation with the courts, it requires men who are arrested for lewdness or public sex to go through counseling. Its success rate is phenomenal with only a 1 or 2 percent recidivism rate, police said.

"We're not punishing the gay community," Tingey said. "We're punishing a specific behavior, which is being committed by a majority of men who don't identify themselves as being gay."

Young said he would like to see such a program in St. George.

"If they've got a successful thing up there, let's have it down here," he said.

---

E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com