This was a very good article, very sensitive and realistic. Just seeing that the writer didn't try to sum up the behaviour into a neatly defined black and white construct was almost a surprise, as reporters, like most people, are generally uninformed about the phenomenon but they like to wrap a subject up with a conclusive statement. As he said, it is a very complex and layered thing.

Man, do I ever have to commend the Deseret News as of late. In the old days, if you wanted to get a bit of straight talk about Utah and it's culture, you had to go to the "other" paper. I find it commendable that the Des News has taken the forefront in reporting on some of the less favorable things about "happy valley" or as some might say, "zion." Utah is #1 in the nation for teen suicide many years running now and as the Des News reported, the leading cause of death among males between the age of teens and in the mid to late 40's is also suicide. No doubt the guilt and shame that many LDS men who engage in this type behavior contributes to the suicide rate as mentioned. There are many problems in Utah people don't want to look at. They will never be fixed until people are willing to see. Good on the Des News for helping people to see.

Finally some reasonable journalism on the issue. Thanks for a balanced article on this subject.

This so-called help program is harmful. It's also embarrassing. After forty years of progress post-sexual revolution, are we really still that shameful about sex to continually pathologize people who choose to practice a certain form of it? Why is public sex a misdemeanor? To whom is it causing harm? Generally, those of us who enjoy cruising in the parks don't want to be seen. Indeed - we go to great lengths not to be seen and it's only when police specifically spend their time and energy on men cruising in parks do they find us.

Police arresting men cruising in parks is a waste of time - tell me why they're not arresting heterosexual couples who travel up to the various "lovers' lanes" all over North America? Protective services have a history of oppression and discrimination against gay men that still hasn't been worked out. The U.S. Justice Department statistics indicate that more than THREE women are killed every day by their domestic partners. Why aren't police preoccupied with ending domestic violence? Instead, they're throwing non-violent, cruising men in jails and so-called "help" programs. Tell me - which one really causes more harm?