St. George • Division over drag shows may have plagued St. George over the past 18 months, but two City Council candidates who are prominent in the LGBTQ community insist they can bridge the divide.
Katheryne Knight, who is bisexual, and Austin Hodges, who is gay, are tired of St. George’s cultural wars and believe of all the 16 candidates vying for three open council seats, they are uniquely poised to promote civility, focus on the issues that matter most, and change the culture of municipal government.
“We’re dealing with cultural issues when we could have been having a discussion about affordable housing,” said Knight, a videographer who makes social media ads for local companies. “Too many people would rather focus on things that don’t have any significance to the quality of life that we need. I want to take that conversation and change it to what we should be focusing on.”
Hodges, an entrepreneur who co-owns a telecommunications firm that offers digital phone service to companies, concurs with Knight’s assessment.
“The people of St. George are tired of the division,” he said. “They are tired of the infighting and the bickering. I feel like they are ready for a candidate who won’t stand for mudslinging or aggression.”
Drag wars
Bickering over drag shows staged in public spaces has been front and center in municipal politics recently. A case in point happened last October when then-City Manager Adam Lenhard was forced out for refusing to comply with a City Council directive to cancel the HBO “We’re Here” drag show at a municipal park last summer. He was later awarded a confidential $625,000 settlement to avoid legal action for wrongful termination.
Last spring some municipal council members tried to prevent the Southern Utah Drag Stars from holding a drag show at a municipal park. That prompted the company to sue the city, alleging officials had violated their First and Fourteenth Amendments by targeting drag performances and LGBTQ pride events.
In June, U.S. District Judge David Nuffer granted the drag stars’ request for a preliminary injunction, saying the city violated the company’s constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression and ruled the show must go on. However, the case will still be litigated in court.
Katheryne Knight
Knight, referring to the secret settlement to Lenhard, quipped she could think of 625,000 better ways to spend taxpayer money than on quixotic attempts to stir up contention that result in costly litigation and massive payouts to attorneys.
“People need to realize that once the community starts going after any group of people, especially when it affects their First Amendment rights, it affects everybody,” she said.
Knight was born in Connecticut and lived in a number of places before settling with her mother in St. George when she was a sophomore in high school. She said growing up in a dysfunctional family made it difficult for her to navigate her youth.
Despite such difficulties, she has since found her footing. She is married and has an 8-year-old daughter. When she isn’t attending to her business, Knight says she finds fulfillment in helping and serving others. If elected, aside from promoting unity, she plans to help youth in St. George chart a better course for their future. In addition, she wants to ensure newcomers, senior citizens and members of the LGBTQ community know they are valued and that their voices will be heard and considered by municipal decision-makers.
Another area of emphasis for Knight is affordable housing. A recent study found that nearly half of Washington County residents are negatively impacted by a lack of attainable housing. As a council member, Knight said she would promote higher-density housing and explore the feasibility of the city renovating abandoned or unused buildings into living spaces to alleviate the housing crunch.
Sierra Acosta, one of Knight’s supporters, believes the candidate has the right skill set for the job.
“She’s got a great energy about her,” Acosta said. “She’s willing to hear anyone out and doesn’t prejudge anyone by their circumstances or how they look. She’s advocated for victims of domestic violence and sexual violence and has pushed for gay rights and more affordable housing. She’s a really righteous person.”
Austin Hodges
Hodges, who is getting married in February, also wants to promote greater unity in municipal government. His decision to become involved in city government was triggered several years ago when he witnessed armed protesters turn up to counter a rumored Black Lives Matter protest.
St. George City Council candidate Austin Hodges
“I remember witnessing the tension,” Hodges recalled. “It was neighbor against neighbor, and that really hurt to see. … We see that divide everywhere today. We see it between the LGBTQ community and the religious community, between Republicans and Democrats and conservatives and liberals. … My goal is to inspire unity in St. George, to keep our community strong no matter who we are or what group we fall in.”
St. George resident Melvin Nimer, former head of Utah Log Cabin Republicans, said Hodge’s ability to respectfully listen, even to those with whom he disagrees, and his willingness to work with others will aid him in helping heal divisions in the community and on the council.
“That brings a whole different dynamic to politics … and solving problems,” Nimer said. “When you can listen to all sides [of an issue] … and can understand and respect others’ points of view, even if you may not agree with them, then you can work to find common-sense solutions.”
Hodges’ home as a boy was situated between the St. George Temple and what is now Utah Tech University. He grew up as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a Spanish-speaking mission in the Scottsdale, Arizona, area. He said his faith remains an integral part of his life, and he views his familiarity with the community as one of his primary assets.
Despite being the first openly gay person in St. George to run for public office, Hodges feels he has a realistic shot of winning. If elected, he said he will represent everyone — not just the LGBTQ community. One of his primary focuses on the council would be to tweak St. George’s strict zoning laws, which he says discourage the building of more multifamily housing. He also wants zoning laws changed to allow small shops and other businesses to locate closer to residential areas.
Hodges further wants to redesign the city’s website and establish a media liaison specialist whose job would be to disseminate information across a wide variety of social media platforms to ensure residents have a better grasp of what actions the city is considering and why.
“We are kind of stuck a few years behind when it comes to technology,” Hodges said. “I would like to see that come to the 21st century.”
Only six will survive the primary
All told, there are 16 candidates vying for three council seats. Only the top six vote-getters in the Sept. 5 primary election will move on to the Nov. 21 general election, where the three candidates with the most votes will win a seat on the council.
Included in the crowded field are incumbents Jimmie Hughes, the longest-serving member on the council, Dannielle Larkin and Gregg McArthur. Besides Knight and Hodges, the challengers include Aros Mackey, Fabian Ortiz, Matthew L. Heaton, Steve Kemp, Kimball Willard, Marilyn Rigby, Greg Aldred, Wendi Prince Bulkley, Brad Bennett, Paula Smith and Steven G. Jennings.
The Salt Lake Tribune will do an in-depth interview of the top six candidates who emerge from the September primary.
