▁campus . ▁The ▁original ▁organization ▁strugg led ▁to ▁surv ive ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁when ▁Paul ▁Mort ensen , ▁inspired ▁by ▁an ▁article ▁on ▁the ▁group ▁in ▁The ▁Adv oc ate ▁formed ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁chapter , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁the ▁name ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁Aff irm ation : ▁Gay ▁& ▁Les bian ▁M orm ons . ▁Through ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁chapter , ▁Aff irm ation ▁groups ▁began ▁appearing ▁in ▁many ▁cities ▁around ▁the ▁US . ▁▁ ▁September ▁– ▁With ▁an ▁inv itation ▁from ▁L DS ▁church ▁leaders , ▁An ita ▁Bry ant ▁performed ▁at ▁the ▁Ut ah ▁State ▁Fair ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 8 th . ▁Her ▁presence ▁prompt ed ▁the ▁first ▁public ▁demonstr ation ▁from ▁Ut ah ' s ▁que er ▁community , ▁organized ▁by ▁gay , ▁former - M orm on ▁past or ▁Bob ▁Wald rop , ▁in ▁what ▁gay , ▁former ▁M orm on , ▁and ▁historian ▁S eth ▁Anderson ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" U t ah ' s ▁Stone wall ." ▁ ▁October ▁– ▁Church ▁president ▁Sp encer ▁Kim ball ▁gave ▁an ▁October ▁conference ▁address ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁spoke ▁out ▁against ▁the ▁" ins id ious " ▁and ▁" ug ly " ▁s ins ▁of ▁hom osex ual ity ▁and ▁les bian ism . ▁He ▁called ▁hom osex ual ity ▁a ▁" sin ▁of ▁the ▁ages " ▁that ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁down fall ▁of ▁ancient ▁Greece , ▁Rome , ▁and ▁S od om ▁and ▁G om or rah