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|  | Feature  Out in Front
Utah’s Only Openly Gay Legislator
Attacks on gay and lesbian rights in Utah have been mile-markers in Rep. Jackie Biskupski’s political career. In fact, her first motivation to go into politics was the 1995 uproar over the Gay/Straight Alliance, and the state legislature’s attempt to ban all clubs in public schools to prevent gay and lesbian clubs from forming.
“There I was, sitting on my couch right in my living room watching the news and I just thought, ‘Why haven’t I done anything? Why do these children have to deal with these awful, hate-filled, right-wing people?’”
From that moment, Biskupski (pronounced ‘beh-SCOOP-ski’) would go on to become Utah’s first openly gay elected official. She’s fought battles over gay youth in schools, adoption rights for gay and lesbian parents, gay marriage and more. Now, starting her fourth term as the District 30 representative—a term she won in another landslide victory—she says she knows there are more battles to come.
“There’s always something crazy.”
Biskupski didn’t always have political ambitions. The third oldest of two brothers and one sister, she was born and raised in the small town of Hastings, Minnesota, with a population of 12,000. Her only memory of gays and lesbians from that town was of a classmate. “There was one girl everyone knew was gay. I played softball, and she did too. One time after a game, she kissed a girl. It was a huge deal.”
Biskupski started undergraduate studies at Winona College, then transferred to Arizona State University, where she graduated with B.S. in Criminal Justice. Her plan was to go into the F.B.I., but the winter of 1989 changed that plan.
“I met someone who was very confusing for me at the time.” Biskupski says she hadn’t realized she was gay up till that point, but it came to light when she met a woman she liked. “She invited me to ski in Utah. I came up and had a huge realization in those 30 days. I stayed ever since.” After a four-year stint owning her own corporate and investment fraud company, JMB Investigations, Biskupski switched to the auto insurance business.
Her first taste of politics came when a candidate for the legislature asked for help on her campaign in 1994, but she says it was running Sen. Patrice Arent’s 1996 campaign that taught her the most. “It was the most valuable experience, but it was incredible work.”
Then, in 1997, Bev Cooper of Utahns for Choice asked Jackie to run for Salt Lake City Council, which came as a major shock to her. “Running for office was not in my plans, I just wanted to help kids!”
The thought of a race where her sexuality would be drawn into the spotlight was a serious consideration for both Biskupski and her then partner. After talking with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, they decided to go ahead, but with some reservations. “We made a conscious decision—we weren’t going to campaign on being gay. If it came up, we would address it, but that wasn’t our focus.”
Biskupski’s sexuality did become an issue early in the primary race, but the majority of the heat came from activist, out lesbian candidate Claudia O’Grady and her supporters. “We found ourselves dealing with the fact that I wasn’t gay enough. Whatever!” Biskupski prevailed, taking the primary by 11 percent, but eventually lost to a moderate by just 43 votes. Biskupski says her race showed her strength as a candidate. “The closeness of my race gave me credibility.”
Her next opportunity for elected office came in 1998, when Rep. Gene Davis, who the Associated Press called one of the most liberal Democrats in Utah, asked her to run for his seat. This time her sexuality became center stage when a letter was mailed to people who had contributed to her previous campaign.
“It was almost like a KKK tactic. It was a letter saying people would know—your boss, whoever—people would know you’re supporting a gay candidate.” Biskupski says she learned of the letter when she was visiting her father in Minnesota, and her father received the letter himself.
But the letter ended up helping her campaign. “People were so upset... it actually created more donations for our campaign.” More attacks followed, and Biskupski benefited even more. “Gayle Ruzicka [conservative Utah Eagle Forum President] got involved, hounding the press about the ‘gay candidate.’ A couple of bishops got involved urging members to vote for a ‘moral’ candidate. But every attack played to my benefit in many ways.”
Biskupski beat opponent Bryan Irving by a 2-1 margin. In a Salt Lake Tribune article (Nov. 4, 1998), Irving vented that the far right aided in his defeat. “With people like Gayle Ruzicka involved, it almost makes me want to be a Democrat,” Irving is quoted as saying. Biskupski says taking the high road and not directly combating the attacks was a major lesson for her political career.
As a legislator, Biskupski has been at the center of many controversies regarding the rights of gays and lesbians. In 1998 she took on the conservative majority in the fight over a bill that prevented gay and lesbian couples from adopting. And in 2004 she led the fight against the banning of gay marriage.
But other issues are as close to Biskupski’s heart as those of the gay community. She takes pride in her efforts on the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee. (“You think the gay thing is hard—trying to preserve this state is even harder!”) This year she begins work on the Rules Committee, continues work on an Earned Income Tax Credit bill and will work to get a bill passed that will legalize mid-wives.
She credits her ability to work with people liberal and conservative as her best asset as a legislator. “I speak from the heart. I don’t attack. And I really believe you need to bring everyone into the circle. I’m a turn-the-other-cheek person.” She says she worked with Gayle Ruzicka on one of the first bills she put through in her first term, and this year she’s asked Sen. Butters (a supporter of Amendment 3) to help her with the mid-wife bill.
But after three full terms, she says it’s getting lonely on Capitol Hill and wonders when she won’t be the only openly-gay legislator. She says she could see Jane Marquart (Equality Utah board chair), Scott McCoy (of the Don’t Amend Alliance) or Frank Matheson (former Equality Utah board chair) running for office.
As for the broader gay community, she says the biggest thing people can do to make a difference is come out of the closet and build open bonds between family members and neighbors. “Coming out is the biggest thing. I’d rather someone come out than come up to Capitol Hill. I believe that hiding—the silence of your voice—validates the hatred and bigotry we are dealt.” | | |
