June 27, 2013
Utah State Senator Proposes to Longtime Partner
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 1 MIN.
A Utah state senator used a celebration over two Supreme Court gay rights decisions to propose to his longtime partner.
Democratic state Sen. Jim Dabakis was giving remarks Wednesday during a party at Salt Lake City's rainbow flag-draped Club Sound when he asked Stephen Justesen to join him onstage.
Dabakis described Justesen as "a wonderful man" he met 26 years ago before asking Justesen to marry him.
Dabakis got on one knee and gave Justesen a ring while the crowd whooped.
Dabakis told The Salt Lake Tribune the proposal was a spur-of-the-moment decision and a wedding date has not been set.
The Salt Lake City lawmaker's biography describes him as an art dealer and founding chair of the Utah Pride Center who began serving in the Legislature earlier this year.
