Gay 'Wedding' Is Larsen's Latest Stunt
Salt Lake Tribune 29Sep99 P2
By Rebecca Walsh: Salt Lake Tribune

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- Gay rights advocate Ken Larsen unsuccessfully tried to apply for a marriage license from the Salt Lake County clerk to marry his attorney, Victor Gordon. The inactive Church member who is also the divorced father of five children is using this and a long-shot bid for mayor of Salt Lake City to gain publicity for gay rights issues, though he claims not to be gay himself.

Larsen was born and reared in Provo and is a 1974 graduate from Brigham Young University with a degree in herpetology, the study of reptiles. He now works as a researcher at the University of Utah medical school, studying the effect of jet lag on rats. He is also listed as the founder of the Church of the Hemp Goddess, a member of Utah's Progressive Party and is registered as a minister with the Church of Universal Life.

Larsen is an equal-opportunity radical protester, pushing background checks for gun purchases, advocating extensive police crackdowns on Liberty Park drummers and State Street cruisers, and pushing for laws that decriminalize marijuana possession.

After the turndown at the county clerks, Larsen went to the park and held a wedding reception of sorts. Other similar type rallies have brought him some confrontations with the police departmentís SWAT Team. He is currently suing the state for discrimination.

Utah's Libertarian Party and Gay rights advocate groups are distancing themselves from this radical nut, not sure if his publicity efforts hurt or help them.