Park moves statue with genitalia

BLANDING, Utah, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Managers of the Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum in Blanding, Utah, said complaints led them to move a statue with male genitalia from the park's entrance.

State Parks Director Mary Tullius said a local group that calls itself the "Values Committee" had pushed to have the sculpture of Kokopelli, a healer and fertility god in ancient Indian cultures, moved from where it has stood since 1989, The Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday.

Park manager Teri Paul said the sculpture was nearly removed from the park entirely, but another group of Blanding residents complained that removing the statue would be a form of censorship. She said the statue will instead be moved to another location inside the park.

"This (Values Committee) group has let it be known that they are offended by it and would like it removed," Tullius said. She said the group was "complaining that it has male anatomy so it is too phallic for some of the locals. Our intention is to be good partners in the community and we feel like this is a reasonable compromise."