Four Utah women will win a national award this week. When they do, they'll tell the audience that polygamy is not just a Utah phenomenon. They hope to make Tapestry of Polygamy a national organization.
The Most Courageous Women of the Year award is given annually by the National Organization for Women.This year's award recipients will be recognized on Friday at NOW's national convention in Los Angeles. They are Lillian Bowles, Rowenna Erickson, Vicky Prunty and Carmen Thompson -- founders of Tapestry of Polygamy.
Tapestry was started by former polygamous wives who came to oppose the practice and want to help other women get out.
The four Utahns were nominated by Charles Castle, a Tapestry advisory board member. Castle, who lives in Los Angeles, says he has known NOW President Patricia Ireland for years. In a telephone interview he told the Deseret News that he told Ireland the work these women were doing was actually dangerous.
"Unless you've lived in Utah, you don't understand their challenge," he also said.
Castle says he did live in Utah, once, for a year. He learned of Tapestry of Polygamy from a national news program and called long distance to volunteer.
After the award ceremony, Castle says he plans to return to Utah with Tapestry members to talk to Utah legislators and Attorney General Jan Graham.
Castle has served on the board of directors of several civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. In these positions, he says, he learned to lobby.
While he says he thinks its unfair that Utah is the only state taking the rap for polygamy, he is also concerned about local attitudes.
He says the Tapestry group does not focus on polygamy if it is a relationship between consenting adults. "But when minors enter into arranged marriages . . . when children are given into sexual bondage, when there is welfare fraud, and when women are left without a voice . . . then we are very concerned."
Castle said, "NOW does have a legal defense fund. I intend to introduce resolutions for NOW to take on these groups of polygamous men."
Thompson said she was elated and surprised to be getting the award. "We believe this is going to give us a foot forward. This is not just a Utah issue, the entire nation is going to have to deal with it."
Prunty, chairwoman of the board of Tapestry of Polygamy said, "When we started this organization, we only had hopes of assisting refugees. We see this is as a first big step in taking this organization to a national level."
JEDI for Women will hold a reception to honor the NOW award-winners on Wednesday, July 7, from 7 to 8 p.m. in Spalding Hall of the Cathedral Church of St. Mark, 231 E. 100 South, Salt Lake City.