Subject: INSURANCE FIRM CANCELS CONVENTION BECAUSE OF GAY WINTERFEST

                From the Laramie, WY Boomerang 7-18-93

It appears that some people don't want to go to Park City (Utah) if it
plans to host the estimated 2,500 to 3,500 homosexuals organizers hope
Winterfest will attract.

The Mountain West Farm Bureau, a Laramie-based insurance company has
canceled its plans for a convention in Park City when i learned the
resort would host the gay Winterfest.

Instead, its 30 employees will go to Steamboat Springs, CO.  It was
estimated that convention would have added about s3,300 to the city's
economy.

                 LARAMIE COMPANY MUM ON CONFAB CHANGE
               From the Casper, WY Star-Tribune 7-21-93

Officials with a Laramie-based insurance company that canceled plans
for a convention at the site of a weeklon event for gay skiers in Utah
kept mum Tuesday about its reported action.

Mountain West Farm Bureau's decision to move its convention from Park
City, Utah, sparked a call for a statewide boycott by the Wyoming
chapter of the National Organization of Women.

A NOW release said the shift 'smacks of homophobia and exhibits a
blatant disregard for basic civil rights for all people.'

Brenda Ilg, NOW's state coordinator, said the group is urging a
statewide boycott of Mountain West until 'it changes its
discriminatory policy towards lesbian, gay, and bisexual people.'

              FARM BUREAU DEFENDS BOYCOTT OF RESORT TOWN
                 From the Casper Star-Tribune 7-22-93

Employees of Farm Bureau Insurance felt 'uncomfortable with the
particular image' of Park City, Utah, after a local ski resort agreed
to host a gay and lesbian ski event next January, a company official
says.

Raymond Johnson, claims director of Mountain West Farm Bureau
Insurance in Laramie, said the firm canceled plans to hold a series of
meetings at the Utah resort after Park City officials announced plans
to host 'Winterfest 94, Gay Ski Games.'

'Family members are invited,' Johnson said.  'There was a general
feeling by our by our employees that they didn't want to go to Park
City after they announced in the media that they were promoting a gay
and lesbian ski week.'

Johnson said the 30 to 35 Farm Bureau employees and family members
have opted to hold their ski weekend in Steamboat Springs, CO.  He
said that decision was 'at least in part' driven by the homosexual
organizations' boycott of Colorado.

'...We had been there (Steamboat) before and it is a known quantity,'
he said.  'I think Amendment 2 and the boycott influenced things for
us, too.'

Johnson said the company has felt 'no negative impact' from a recently
announced boycott of his firm by the Wyoming Chapter of the National
Organization of Women.

'How big are they anyway in Wyoming?'  said Johnson.  'Our response
has actually been quite positive.  The majority of people we've talked
to support our position.  Despite its constitutional problems, a
majority of voters in Colorado support Amendment @.'

If you have any comments for Mountain West please address them to Mark
Marquardt or Raymond Johnson at:

Mountain West Farm Bureau
P.O. Box 1348
406 S 21st St.
Laramie, WY  82070

Or you can call (307) 745-4835