1
20
11
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/5327bf1dbc483fc9feb25d5fa5def142.pdf
cb5afbac003e014fd5332347024dac51
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Millennium March Press Release
Subject
The topic of the resource
Millennium March on Washington
Description
An account of the resource
Press release from the Human Rights Campaign event Millennium March on Washington. Includes endorsement form signed by TOHR President Steve Horn.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Human Rights Campaign
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
April 30, 1998
April 30, 2000
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Millennium March on Washington
Donna Red Wing
Jim Birkitt
Benjamin Sheppard
Steve Horn
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Press release
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/files/show/2064
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Millennium March on Washington
Human Rights Campaign
1998
2000
Steve Horn
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/b46f8b19b38e1d01e44c010427c7181e.pdf
0c5c696c90d88f9bd3c9e2fdd952de7b
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Board Resolution #4
Subject
The topic of the resource
Millennium March on Washington
Description
An account of the resource
Resolution from the board of the Millennium March to support the National Association of Community Centers by increasing their visibility and organizational development.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Board of the Millennium March
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Millennium March on Washington for Equality
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Millennium March
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
April 30, 2000
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Board of the Millennium March on Washington
Relation
A related resource
Millennium March on Washington
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Official Document
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/files/show/2065
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Millennium March on Washington for Equality
National Association of Gay and Lesbian Community Centers
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/76eee950c8671294d22b835849757753.pdf
a483b19dcc6123e0c63e975a06f1f7aa
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
GLBT Vote 2000
Subject
The topic of the resource
Millennium March on Washington for Equality
Description
An account of the resource
Press release from the Millennium March on Washington announcing GLBT Vote 2000, a voter registration campaign.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Millennium March on Washington
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Millennium March on Washington
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2000
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Millennium March on Washington
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Press Release
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/files/show/2066
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Voting
2000 Elections
Millennium March on Washington
GLBT Vote 2000
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/9f0a541409e4a4f6008629e680f775de.pdf
00bdc22f7d1a81c9646055058051d3af
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter to Steve Horn
Subject
The topic of the resource
Millennium March on Washington
Description
An account of the resource
Letter from the Board of the Millennium March to LGBT center presidents. Addressed to TOHR President Steve Horn.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Millennium March on Washington for Equality
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Millennium March on Washington
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
January 24, 2000
April 30, 2000
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Millennium March on Washington
Ann DeGroot
Dianne Hardy-Garcia
Jonathan Zucker
Relation
A related resource
Millennium March on Washington
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Letter
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/files/show/2067
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Millennium March on Washington for Equality
The Pride Center
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR)
Ann DeGroot
Dianne Hardy-Garcia
Jonathan Zucker
Steve Horn
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
[Collection] Other Organizations and Events
Description
An account of the resource
Documents and items relating to other LGBT organizations and events.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
[2000] Millennium March on Washington for Equality
Subject
The topic of the resource
Millennium March on Washington for Equality
Description
An account of the resource
Documents and items relating to the Millennium March on Washington for Equaltiy.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2000
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Human Rights Campaign
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Language
A language of the resource
English
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Human Rights Campaign
Millennium March on Washington
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/items/show/624
1998
2000
2000 Elections
activism
Dianne Hardy-Garcia
GLBT Vote 2000
Human Rights Campaign
Jonathan Zucker
Millennium March on Washington
Millennium March on Washington for Equality
National Association of Gay and Lesbian Community Centers
protests
Steve Horn
The Pride Center
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR) Ann DeGroot
voting
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/b4d2853f96416de026e3969299fdf88c.pdf
ccec6162734d79eee6d9923527440f63
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
History of T.U.L.S.A.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Description
An account of the resource
Page from the T.U.L.S.A. website providing information about the organizations's history. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
www.tulsaleather.com
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1988-Present
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Printed webpage
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/files/show/2057
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Social Clubs
Fetish
Leather
Uniform
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/7f1f6406d299c633b91467b59a7d41e1.pdf
b62a022b4fcab663dff6d1e2e487fe63
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Oklahoma Mr. Leather 2001: A Leather Odyssey
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oklahoma Mr. Leather 2001
Description
An account of the resource
Program for event Oklahoma Mr. Leather 2001. Includes information about the event, promotional artwork, advertisements, and information about the Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
October 20-22, 2000
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Bruce Crouch
New Age Renegade
Schatzi's
Terrell Brown
Leather's West
The Silver Star
Leather Network
National Leather Association
Yellow Brick Road
Tulsa Dungeon Society
Aaron's
TNT's
Toolbox
Restraints Etc.
The Bamboo Lounge
People Exchanging Power Oklahoma (P.E.P.)
CW's
Relation
A related resource
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Program
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/files/show/2058
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Oklahoma Mr. Leather
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Bruce Crouch
New Age Renegade
Schatzi's
Terrell Brown
Leather's West
The Silver Star
Leather Network
National Leather Association
Yellow Brick Road
Tulsa Dungeon Society
Aaron's
TNT's
Toolbox
Restraints Etc.
The Bamboo Lounge
People Exchanging Power Oklahoma (P.E.P.)
CW's
2001
2000
Lee Pruitt
Leonard Williams
Randal Kinnear
Dante Artadi
Danny Fort
Steven Fendt
Ira. C. Smith
Dan Noel
Mark Frasier
Mike Taylor
Mike Siemer
Arnie Holder
Dan Bastian
Randal Kinnear
Kevin Eddings
Gregory Rose
Kevin Young
Terry Nutter
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/0fa09b31870c4edee82f6599c5ce4a5b.pdf
d6ed1c52d3a2d92ffdcfd3444a136d6e
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Oklahoma Mr. Leather 2002: Masters of the Universe, Diversity in Leather
Subject
The topic of the resource
Social Clubs
Description
An account of the resource
Program from 2001 event Oklahoma Mr. Leather 2002: Masters of the Universe. Includes schedule, letter from the President of T.U.L.S.A., information about the event, and ads for various bars and businesses.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
October 19-21, 2001
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Kenneth E. Cowhick
Gene West
Jim Stout
Ira C. Smith
Yellow Brick Road
Wolf Trucking
Leathers West
Bamboo Lounge
Green Country Cloggers
Play-Mor Lounge
Channel 13 Visuals
Kelly Kirby
Ozark Mountain Men
Mr. Ozarks Leather
Elite Books and Videos
Dreamland Video
Sooner State Leather
The Silver Star
The Curiosity Shoppe
Jungle Red
People Exchanging Power Oklahoma (P.E.P.)
Dave Shook
Tulsa Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Community Center
Levi's
Whittier News
Tulsa Dungeon Society
BearHide Creations
Team OK USA
Lynette Hadlock
The Metro Diner
Oklahoma Mr. Drummer
Mr. Tulsa Leather
Driller Bears
Aaron's Flowers and Gifts
Habana Inn
Gusher's Restaurant
The Ledo Cabaret and Lounge
The Copa
Finish Line
Glenpool Flowers and Gifts
CW's
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Other Organizations and Events
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Program
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/files/show/2059
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Oklahoma Mr. Leather
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Kenneth E. Cowhick
Gene West
Jim Stout
Ira C. Smith
Yellow Brick Road
Wolf Trucking
Leathers West
Bamboo Lounge
Green Country Cloggers
Play-Mor Lounge
Channel 13 Visuals
Kelly Kirby
Ozark Mountain Men
Mr. Ozarks Leather
Elite Books and Videos
Dreamland Video
Sooner State Leather
The Silver Star
The Curiosity Shoppe
Jungle Red
People Exchanging Power Oklahoma (P.E.P.)
Dave Shook
Tulsa Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Community Center
Levi's
Whittier News
Tulsa Dungeon Society
BearHide Creations
Team OK USA
Lynette Hadlock
The Metro Diner
Oklahoma Mr. Drummer
Mr. Tulsa Leather
Driller Bears
Aaron's Flowers and Gifts
Habana Inn
Gusher's Restaurant
The Ledo Cabaret and Lounge
The Copa
Finish Line
Glenpool Flowers and Gifts
CW's
Leonard Williams
Lloyd Samuels
Pat Sullivan
Charles Johnston
Dante Artadi
Steven Fendt
Chris McGill
Bruce Crouch
Olivier Pratt
Teresa Ramadan
Greg Rose
Randy Wheeler
Bryon Dawkins
Terry Nutter
Reba Lynn
Tony B.
Richie Johnson
Ron Greenwood
Jason Pelky
Dave Shook
Dan Noel
Thom Dombkowski
Mark Frazier
Lynette Hadlock
DanAzevedo
Sam Sampson
Denis Jacobs
Greg Rose
Kevin B.
Scott Roewer
Jessie Penley
Terrell Brown
Ric Poston
Roger McConnell
Chance Stettenbenz
Vic Reyes
Larry Everett
Terry Gatewood
Craig Poos
Mike Miller
James Eldridge
Patrick Sullivan
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/b0c8766bf0c452db6271e8b672418e64.pdf
d8a819480c304461663a61b9782af0cc
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Oklahoma Mr. Leather 2003 Flier
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oklahoma Mr. Leather
Description
An account of the resource
Flier advertising 2002 event Oklahoma Mr. Leather 2003.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
October 17-20, 2003
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Kenneth E. Cowhick
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Relation
A related resource
Other Organizations and Events
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Flier
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/files/show/2060
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Oklahoma Mr. Leather
2002
2003
Play-Mor
Black and Blue Ball
CW's
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/936e3f2da63b8f0f5de0504542dbd0ba.pdf
a9c85600350170342aff5773631543d0
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Oklahoma Mr. Leather Past Titleholders
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oklahoma Mr. Leather
Description
An account of the resource
List of previous winners of Oklahoma Mr. Leather, 1990-2013. Pulled from www.tulsaleather.com on August 7, 2014.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1990-2013
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Relation
A related resource
Other Organizations and Events
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Printed webpage
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/files/show/2061
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Oklahoma Mr. Leather
1990-2013
Patrick Sullivan
James Eldridge
Mike Miller
Craig Poos
International Mr. Leather
Terry Gatewood
Larry Everett
Vi Reyes
Chance Stettenbenz
Roger McConnell
Ric Poston
Terrell Brown
Jim Stout
Jason Pelky
Richie Johnson
Keith Hunt
Mason Alexander
Jim Scudder
James Hollingwood
David Howell
Brad Gemeinhart
Ron Harwood
Jerry Straley
Charlie Roberts
Nate Benner
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/42e12b61a238a6690a0dec13905f4503.pdf
468f83bfc46e1ad1294bb31e89f8be9d
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Oklahoma Mr. Leather XVII
Subject
The topic of the resource
Oklahoma Mr. Leather
Description
An account of the resource
Flier advertising 2006 event Oklahoma Mr. Leather 2007.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
October 14-16, 2006
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Relation
A related resource
Other Organizations and Events
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
PDF
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Flier
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/files/show/2062
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
2006
2007
Club Maverick
Hawthorn Suites
Metro Diner
KC Leather University
Tulsa Eagle
K.E.C.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
[Collection] Other Organizations and Events
Description
An account of the resource
Documents and items relating to other LGBT organizations and events.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
[1988-Present] Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Social club
Description
An account of the resource
Documents and items related to the Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association social club.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Other Organizations and Events
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1988-Present
Language
A language of the resource
English
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Social clubs
Lifestyle
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/items/show/623
1990-2013
2000
2001
2002
2003
2006
2007
Aaron's
Aaron's Flowers and Gifts
Arnie Holder
Bamboo Lounge
Bars
BearHide Creations
Black and Blue Ball
Brad Gemeinhart
Bruce Crouch
Bryon Dawkins
Chance Stettenbenz
Channel 13 Visuals
Charles Johnston
Charlie Roberts
Chris McGill
Club Maverick
Craig Poos
CW's
Dan Bastian
Dan Noel
DanAzevedo
Danny Fort
Dante Artadi
Dave Shook
David Howell
Denis Jacobs
Dreamland Video
Driller Bears
Elite Books and Videos
Fetish
Finish Line
Gene West
Glenpool Flowers and Gifts
Green Country Cloggers
Greg Rose
Gregory Rose
Gusher's Restaurant
Habana Inn
Hawthorn Suites
International Mr. Leather
Ira C. Smith
Ira. C. Smith
James Eldridge
James Hollingwood
Jason Pelky
Jerry Straley
Jessie Penley
Jim Scudder
Jim Stout
Jungle Red
K.E.C.
KC Leather University
Keith Hunt
Kelly Kirby
Kenneth E. Cowhick
Kevin B.
Kevin Eddings
Kevin Young
Larry Everett
Leather
Leather Network
Leather's West
Leathers West
Lee Pruitt
Leonard Williams
Levi's
Lloyd Samuels
Lynette Hadlock
Mark Frasier
Mark Frazier
Mason Alexander
Metro Diner
Mike Miller
Mike Siemer
Mike Taylor
Mr. Oklahoma Leather
Mr. Ozarks Leather
Mr. Tulsa Leather
Nate Benner
National Leather Association
New Age Renegade
Nightlife
Oklahoma Mr. Drummer
Oklahoma Mr. Leather
Olivier Pratt
Ozark Mountain Men
Pat Sullivan
Patrick Sullivan
People Exchanging Power Oklahoma (P.E.P.)
Play-Mor
Play-Mor Lounge
Randal Kinnear
Randy Wheeler
Reba Lynn
Restraints Etc.
Ric Poston
Richie Johnson
Roger McConnell
Ron Greenwood
Ron Harwood
Sam Sampson
Schatzi's
Scott Roewer
Social Clubs
Sooner State Leather
Steven Fendt
Team OK USA
Teresa Ramadan
Terrell Brown
Terry Gatewood
Terry Nutter
The Bamboo Lounge
The Copa
The Curiosity Shoppe
The Ledo Cabaret and Lounge
The Metro Diner
The Silver Star
Thom Dombkowski
TNT's
Tony B.
Toolbox
Tulsa Dungeon Society
Tulsa Eagle
Tulsa Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Community Center
Tulsa Uniform and Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.)
Uniform
Vi Reyes
Vic Reyes
Whittier News
Wolf Trucking
Yellow Brick Road
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/0846012a916f00b5f8064a33169fa46f.jpg
13403bd37042323904e6a8ac35051af8
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/b5db2b9cd9a0fc88f1298d18b284ac33.pdf
33ead70d0ebc045633099ac2421f8edf
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Text
Any textual data included in the document
Gay Students Start
LGBT Scholarships
NORMAN, Ok - The Oklahoma Lambda Intercollegiate
Coalition (OLIC) has announced the creation of
the Oklahoma Lambda Youth Scholarship which they
claim is the first such program in Oklahoma. The
Coalition is an umbrella network of Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender student groups from Oklahoma
colleges and universities.
According to OLIC spokespersons, Kent Doss of the
University ofOklahoma andMandy Whitten, the President
of University of Central Oklahoma Gay Alliance
for Tolerance and Equality (GATE), the purpose of the
scholarship is to promote pride in youth activism and
foster leadership at Oklahoma college campuses.
Oklahoma high-school graduates who intend to remainin
the state throughout their college careers will be
eligible for the $1,000 award. Applicants will be selected
according see OLIC, p. 3
Tulsa ChamberAdds
"Sexual Orientation"
TULSA - The Tulsa Metro Chamber, which recently
changed i ts namefrom the MetropolitanTnlsaChamber
of Commerce, also has revised its non-discrimination
policies to add the term "sexual orientation" to more
traditional statues like race, religion, age, national origin,
sex (gender), etc.
According to Michael Hightower, media spokesperson
for the organization, the .addition of "sexual orientation"
waspart ofacomprehensivereview ofChamber’s
internal policies. The Bank of Oklahoma’s Human
Resources Dept. conducted this effort for the Chamber.
This revision is part of a trend on the part of businesses
to attract employees by committing to fair hiring
practices. According to the Human Rights Campaign, a
Washington based civil right group, 494 of the Fortune
500 companies have added "sexual orientation" to their
policies. Anumberof majorTulsaemployers,including
American Airlines, Kimberly-Clark, AEP/PSO, Dollar/
Thrifty Auto Group, and others have done the same.
Kerry Lewis, president-elect of Tulsa/Oklahomans
for Human Rights (TOHR) expressed surprise and
applauded this Chamber move. TFN publisher Tom
Neal noted "as one of the few openly Gay members of
the Chamber, I am really proud to.see the organization
welcome us. We need to support them in return."
DIRECTORY P. 2
EDITORIAL P. 3
US & WORLD NEWS P, 4
HEALTH NEWS P. 6
ENTERTAINMENT P. 8
GAY STUDIES P. 10
¯ Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
TMM’s Exclusion of
i oGfayDs iDscelriibmerinataetiAocnt ¯ Pastor Says "Sexual Orientation" Was ¯
Added But TMM Board Never Told
¯ TULSA - While the incident, a KKK visit, to which a local ¯
"diversity" statement sought io i’~spond is well past, the state-
" merit continues to brew controversy. Tulsa Metropolitan Minis-
" try, an "interfaith" religious organization issued a statement
-.¯ which defined Tulsa’s "diversity" as being composed of race,
religion andethnicity, without mentioning sexual orientation.
¯ Earlier, it appeared that the failure to mention "sexual orienta-
¯ tion"mighthavebeenanoversightbasedontheKKK’ s historical ¯
¯ attacks primarily on Jews and Blacks. However, in a return call
to the Tulsa Family News, the Rev. Russell Bennett of Fellowship
Congregational Church, UnitedChurch of Christ, stated that
¯ he participated in themeeting to draft the statement, and specifically
he called for the inclusion of "sexual orientation" in the
: statement. Bennett noted that he heard no objections to his
¯ request, and he said that he expected that "sexual orientation"
¯ would be included.
: Perry Simons, executive director of the Jewish Federation
¯ attended the meeting at Fellowship Congregational Church with
: Nancy Day of the National Conference for Community and
Justice, Dr. Sandra Rana, representing Tulsa’s Muslim commu-
: nity, the Rev. Clark Shackleford of Sand Springs, as well as
¯ Bennett. Andwhile Simmons says he does notrememberBennett
." calling for adding "sexual orientation," Simons says he feels he
¯ shouldhave raised theissue. Simons noted that Dr. Rana took the
¯ notes of what he described as a "stream of consciousness"
¯ discussion.
; However, the Rev. Radford Rader of College Hill Presbyterian
¯ and a-member of the T!VIM executive boardstated that the
¯ executive board never saw a version see TMM, p. 11
Michigan Elects First Gay Rep.
¯ LANSING, Mich. (AP)- Newly dected state House Rep: Chris ¯
Kolb heads to Lansing in January as the state’s first openly Gay
." lawmaker, but he said he has a lot more he wants to tackle than
¯ simply civil rights for Gay-people. Kolb, 42, admits his role is
; important, but it’s not his only focus. "I don’t wear it on my
: sleeve. I am who I am, but I don’t bring itinto every discussion,"
¯ he said of his sexual orientation. "It’s not my one and only ¯
crusade in life."
: The election of Kolb, a Democrat from Ann Arbor, puts
¯ Michigan among 22 states that have an openly Gay man or ¯
Lesbianin their legislatures. TheAnnArborcity councilman first
¯ got interested in politics after receiving his bachelor’s degree in
.. natural resources from the University of Michigan in 1982. He
¯ started with local government, distributing campaign literature
¯ and knocking on doors for candidates. After serving as aprecinct
¯ captain and secretary of the local Democratic Party, he won an
¯ open seat on theAnnArbor City Councilin 1993. Eventually, he ¯
became mayor pro-tern.
2 " Working on the Democratic-controlled council with former
." Ann Arbor Mayor Ingrid Sheldon, a Republican, has already
¯ helped Kolb learn to forge bipartisan alliances, a key skill in the
¯" state Legislature. Sheldon admits she and Kolb were competitors,
but said he never made his sexual orientation an issue. "You
¯ do not think ofhimas being the stereotypical Gay person inAnn
Arbor," Sheldon said. "He’S a regular person the way you or I
." would want to be relating to a person."
Kolb said he will work at improving the state of civil and
human rights in Michigan,but he’s also interested in tackling
¯ education and environmental issues. He wants to work on legislation
that would make it illegal in Michigan to fire employees
¯ based on their sexual orientation, something already prohibited
¯ in 11 states. "I’mnotkiddingmyself as to howfar theLegislature
will be able to be moved," he said. "But civil and human rights
: are along struggle."
¯ Kolb will be one of 14 new Democrats and seven Republicans
¯ to begin their first two-year state House terms inJanuary. He will
be seated across the aisle see Michigan, p. 3
I TOHR Celebrates
20 Years of Se.rvice
Only MCC Is Older ,n State
¯ TULSA- Itwas a different world then. Therewas no ¯
Will and Grace, few Gay or Lesbian images in print
¯ or on the airwaves, HIV was not yet discovered, and
¯ what was later called AIDS was just beginning to be
seen in New York City and San Francisco. The
¯ Stonewall Riots had only ocurred 10 years before,
¯ Gay people were still subject to arrests and harass-
" ment in most of the US, and world.
¯ In Oklahoma City, community activists began a
group calledOklahomans forHumanRights (TOHR).
¯ Tnlsans joined that group and then formed a Tulsa
; branch. This group lead by three Tulsa attorneys,
¯ Dennis Neill, Bob Inglish andMikeGreen and others ¯
later created Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights,
¯ Oklahoma’s 2nd oldest organization after Tulsa’s
¯ Metropolitan Community Church United.
¯ Twenty years later, the world has changed. Tulsa
¯
has support groups in the public schools for Lesbian
¯ and Gay young adults, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgenderedpeople are verymuchvisibleinAmeri-
¯" can media and society butTOHRis still here provid-
¯ ing community services as at the beginning with all
volunteer, staffing and not that many dollars.
¯ Longtime TOHRmember and former boardmere- ¯
ber Jonathan Stanley remembers being a member as
¯ early as 1980 or 1981, adding that he recalls Bob
¯ Inglish as president and meeting in a small upstairs
¯ room in Stonehorse, a building now known as the ¯
Consortium. A particularly vivid memory of those
¯ early days was the controversy whenTOHR rented a
¯ city pool for an event and cityofficials had the pool
¯ drained because Gay p_eopl_e_had, used. it..This was in
the very early days of AIDS when the disease was
associated exclusively with Gay men and little was
known about HIV transmission.
¯ During these years,TOHRhas provided a commu-
¯ uity information telephone line, civil rights advo-
¯ cacy, anonymous HIV anti-body testing (eventually
¯ with paid staff and HIV education outreach workers
¯ - a program which has spun off as the H.O.P.E.
¯ Testing Clinic), and for the last several years, a
¯ community center. The Center was in the Brookside
¯ neighborhood was first known as the Pride Center
¯ and featured a 5x8’ flag which flew over the building ¯
until it was repeatedly stolen. Now the Center is
¯ known as theTulsa Gay Community Services Center
: and has relocated to 21st & Memorial (2114 So.
¯ Memorial), ironically sharing a wall with one of ¯
Tulsa’s oldest Lesbian bars, TNT’s.
," However, TOHR president Greg Gatewood and
; the proposed new officers, Kerry Lewis, president,
¯ 1st v.p. Vance Reed, 2nd v.p. Don Glass, secretary ¯
Curtis Evans, and treasurer Beth Persac, are hoping
¯ the current location will be a short-term one. TOHR
¯ has announced a capital raising campaign, the Pyramid
Project, to purchase a permanent commtmity
." center.
." According to Gatewood, the Project has in hand ox
: in pledges and grants, $65,000 of their goal ot
¯ $250,000. And the organization has set up legal
restrictions such that all gifts to the Pyramid Projec!
¯ arerestricted to that useonly. Also, thoserules (whicl:
¯ were reviewed by outside legal counsel and CPA’s" ¯
restrict overhead expenditures to a maximum of
¯ and all labor for the project is volunteer.
: Gatewood notes that the organization is setting uI
web sites for TOHR and the Pyramid Projec
¯ (www.tohr.org and www.pyramidproject.org) whicl
¯ they expect to be available in mid-December.
." To celebrate the 20th anniversary of TOHR, th~
¯ group will hold a Holiday reception and silent auctiol
: on Dec. 10th from 4-7pm, see TOHR, p.
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’s, 1737 S Memorial
*Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine
*Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Sqtmre
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E 31st
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*Rene~ades/Rainbow. Rooni, 1649.S. Main
*TNT’s, 211,4 S. Memorial !
*Tool Box, 1338E! 3rd "
712-2324
610-5323
583-2119
835-2376
744-4280
745-9998
834-4234
58523405
660-0856
584-1308
*The ’Yellow Brick Road Piab; 2630 E. 15th 749-1563 ’
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Book~ ’& Music, 2740 E. 21
*Borders B0oks’ 8~ Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside JeWelry, 4649 S. Peoria
*CD Warehri~,:3807C S. Peoria
*Cheap Th~ills,~::2(~iOE. 1 lth
743-1000
250-5034
665-4580
712-1122
712-9955
494~2665
743-5272..
746-0313
295"-5868
Cherry St. Ps,yEtirthdt~py, 1515 S. Lewis 58’1-0902, 743=4117
Community’CI~ihiiig~’Kerby Baker . " 622-0700
Tim Daniel, At~tonie~ 352-9504, 800-742-9468’
*Deco to Discoi" 3212 E. 15th 749=362Q.
Doghouse 6n-.Brr0kside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556
*Elite Boules-& Vi~t~0S, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503
Encompass,Travel," I3161H N. Memorial 369=8555
Ross Edwar~l:Sal6ii i 584~0337, 712~9379
Events Uniimited;; 507S. Main
¯
5920460
Floral Design-S~dioi~3404 S,. Peoria " " 744~9595
Four Star ImpOrt.AutOmotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. ’ 610-0880
Cathy Furlong;PhiD.~ 1980 Utica Sq..Med. Cir.- 628-3709
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808~8026
*Gloria Jear;’~ .Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st" 742-1460
Learme MTG’rO~s~’En~i~ance &financial pl,.~a~.ng. 459~9349
Mark T. Ha~by~A’ttOrney
*Sandra J. I~ll,M~S;Tsychotherapy, 2865 ~i ~kelly745:74427414101T
*Internafiol~al T~urs...... 341:6866
Jacox Aniraal Cliifie, 2732 E. 15th .... 712-2.750
*Jared’s Antlques;"1602 E. 15th - - 582-3018
David KauSk~y~:~otmtry Club Barbering 747-0236
The Keepers; HoUsekeeping & Gardening 582-8460
*Ken’s Flowers; ’1635 E. 15 599-8070
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #21C -’ 747-5466.
*Living A~tSpaee; 308 South Kenosha 585-1234
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd 584-3112~
Mingo Valley’Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-59341
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951
Puppy Pause: IF,1060 S. Mingo 838-7626
*The Pride StOre............... 743-4297
Rainbowz’0~ the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 747-5932
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning ....... 834:0617-
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834~7921, 747-4746
Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square ...... 749-~6301
Paul Tay, Car’Salesman 260-7829
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558.
Venus Salon, 1247-S: Harvard 835-5563
Fred Welch, LCSW, Cotmsding 743-1733
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767
www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays &Lesbians
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 583-7815
B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S~ Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Florence
Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood 587-1314
*Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595
Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159. e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal
Writers + contributors: James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry
Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom, Esther
Rothblum. Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
Member of The Associated Press
Issued on or before the 1st of each month, the entire contents
of this publication are protected by US copyright 1998 by
~oL~/:~,~Nt~v~ and may not be reproduced either in whole
or in part wi~out written permission from the publisher.
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s
sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for
publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes
the sole property of, T.oLu~./:~.’.. N~. Each reader is
entitled to 4 copies of each. edition at distribution
-points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
¯ *Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457 ¯
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics’&
¯ Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74t70-1475 " ~ 355-3140
~Fellowshipcongreg.Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
¯¯ -*FreeSpiritWomen’sCenter, callforloeation&info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 " " 747-6827
¯ Friends in UnitySocial Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
: HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611
¯ *Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194 ¯
HOPE,-HIV Oiitreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
¯ *HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries;1517 S. Memorial 224-4754
¯ *MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715 ¯
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI. - , 748-3111
¯ NOW;Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
¯ " ,OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tuls~
seefrom anumber oflawmal~ers who signed
a letter earlier this year asking the state
Department of Education to invesugate
Grand Haven High School for allowing Gay
speakers to talk to students about being Gay
during "Diversity Days."
House Speaker-elect Rick Johnson, RLeRoy,
and~GOP Rep. Valde Garcia ;o_.[
DeWitt were two. of the nine. staie House
members who signed the iletter. Both,say,
they wi!l not have_any problems worki,r~g
with Kolb. The House will retain its 58-52
Republican majority when the new session
starts. "I don’t agree with the philosophies
of the Democratic Party, but that doesn’t
mean I don’t work with Democrats," Garcia
said. "Just because I don’t approve of his
lifestyle doesn’t mean I can’t work with
him."
¯
Kolb’s experience in government and
: ability to handle himself well even when
! others disagree with him will help him in
¯ Lansing, said Jeffrey Montgomery, executive
director of the Detroit-based Gay rights
¯ group Triangle Foundation. "He’s been
¯ aroundmany,many,,ch~lenging situations,"
.: Montgomery said. He s going to be able to
: handle ahar;dful ofignorantlegislators very
¯ easily."
¯ While Kolb believes the media makes a
¯ bigger deal about his election than anyone
: else, he knows his role~is important. He says
¯ the ultimate benefit of his election is as an
¯ example to members of the Gay community.
"Any young person, regardless of their
; sexual orientation, whohears about this will
¯"- .t~-.G, POB 52800, 74152
." ~*Planned Parenthood,1007 S. Peori~a
....tMme-’Timers, P.O: B.ox52t 18, 74152 --
R;A:L N:; Regional AIDS Interfaith Network -
¯Red.Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8
St. Aidan’S Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinriati
" StTDu~stan’sEpiscopal, 5635 E. 71st
.*St: Jerome’s Parish Church; 205 W. King
¯ *TulsaArea United Way,- 1430 S..Boulder
~-*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian.Health Care. 582-7225
¯ Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 ....... 595-4105
.......~.,2Confideufial HIV Testing -by appt. on Thursdays ionly "
:.~.Tulsi!O!d.a.T0rH,.t!m.an Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297
"..- ~.U.L.S.A.iTulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
- .2 T~s~a City Hall, G~0und Floor Vestibule
;.... Tiii~ii CommUnityCoil~ge Campuse~
~ *TulsaGay Community Center, 21st & Memorial 743-4297
; Unity Church of Clirigtianity,3355 s. Jamestown 749-8833
"BARTLESVILLE
"-B~fl~svill~Piibllc Library, 600S=. Johnstone 918-337-5353
TAHLEQUAH ..........
¯ Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
49-490t ¯ "’ realiz.e..that ~ere’s a world of opportunity,"
587 76?4.... he said..,~oo often, that s not the message
our community and others hear." . - , _.
749-4195
584-2325
425-7882
492-7140
582-3088
583-7171
¯ Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church
¯ ~Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570
¯ EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS ¯
Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23
¯
Jim & Breut’s Bistro, 173 S. Main
¯ DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
¯ Emerald Raiiabow,45 &l/2 Spring St.
¯ MCC of the Living Spring
¯ Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429
¯ Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery
¯ Positive Idea Marketing Plans- ¯
Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East
¯ White Light, 1 Center St.
¯
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
¯ Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U1.34
918-456-7900
918-453-9360
501-253-7734
501-253-7457
501-253-6807
501-253-5445
501-253-9337
501-253-2776
501-253-5332
501-624-6646
501-253-6001
501-253-4074
417-623-4696
* is where you can find TFN. Notall are Gay-owned butall are Gay-friendly.
Memorabilia from the years will be on display
as well as auction items from artists and
¯ merchants such as Antiquaries inTulsa, P.S.
, Gordon, DavidHoot, T.A. Lorton, Kathleen
¯ Pendergrass, Rand’s Art & Antiques, Mary
¯
Schepers and others. Curt & Marj’s Cater-
" ing will offer refreshments as may other
¯ Tulsa restaurants.
¯" On Dec. 1 lth, TOHR and PFLAG, Par-
¯
cuts, Families and Friends of Lesbians and
¯ Gays will hold their annual joint Holiday
potluck dinner at the Center at 7pm. The
: entree will be provided as will soft drinks
." and tableware. Attendees should bring veg-
¯ etables, salads and desserts and may call ¯
743-4297. to know which of those to bring..
¯ Gatewood also notes that planning for
¯ next year’s Diversity Celebration 2001,
¯ which includes the Parade, a post-parade ¯
¯ Festival and ablack-tie dinnerwill continue
a mid-January meeting. The precise date
¯ will be announced later, t 7pro. The entree-
¯. will be provided as will soft drinks and
tableware. Attendees should bring veg-
¯ etables, salads and desserts and may call the
¯ Center at 743-4297 for which of those to
¯ bring.
Gatewood ~so notes that planning for
¯ next year’s Diversity Celebration 2001,
." which includes the Parade, a post-parade
¯ Festival and ablack-tie dinner will continue
~ a mid-January meeting¯ The precise date
¯ will be announced later.
World AIDS Day
by Chris Labonte, semorpolicy advocate
Human Rights Campaign
As we commemorate the first World AIDS Day of the
21st Century,itis important to bothcelebrate our achievements
over HIV and AIDS and work vigorously to ensure
there will be continued success in thcfuture. With success
in treatments, we risk the danger of resting on our laurels.
Instead,:we :mus~ rededicate ourselves to building upon
these victories anff creating a future without HIV and
AIDS. ~People with the diseas~e live longer and healthier
lives yet the number of those’whbar¢ newly infected in
our country each year remains steady at 40,000.
The.new barrier to treatment andprevention is complacency.
It comes from a variety of places and appears in
many forms. New highly active antiretroviral therapies
have contributed to the welcome steep decline in AIDS
deaths in our nation. Media and advertising campaigns
for these therapies signal that one can live and should live
a robust and long life - you can go rock climbing, ski
down the highest mountain, and continue to do fulfilling
work. While all of this is true, they fail to mention that
these therapies require years of medication, multiple
dtses of pills each day - sometimes with possible side
effects- and all at a great expense.
This somewhat slanted view of our treatment success
may contribute to our prevention failure. Although gay
¯ and bisexual men hage made strides in reducing the
percentage of HIV infections attributed to male-to-male
sexual contact, men who have sex with men still account
for approximately 40percent ofnew infections each year.
By not recognizing the tree costs ofHIV infection, young
gay and bisexual men are engaging in risky behavior;
such as intentional unprotected anal andoral sex.Arecent
study suggests that the more optimistic memwere about
the new treatments, the less likely they were to use safe
sex precautions or limit their number of sexual parmers.
Moreover, existing health ~disparities among commm
nitieS of color tuake treatments particularly out.of reach
for them. For the first time, the numbek Of gay men fromcommunities
of color - African Americans, Latinos,
Asian Pacific-Islanders, Native American. and others -
outnumber the number of white gay and bisexual men in
new AIDS cases, according to the Centers for Disease
Control, the federal agency :primarily responsible for
prevention of HIV/AIDS. Prevention is also particularly
concerning with communities of color, where young gay
and bisexual men of color are often confronted with both
homophobia and racism. We must address this situation
immediately and offer prevention strategies targeted to
the unique needs of gay and bisexual men of color so they
¯ can also benefit from treatments available to others. We
also cannot ignore strategies that we know have been
successful in reducing HIV transmission in the past. Far
too often, policy makers ignore proven science to score
political points at the expense of peoples’ lives. Needle
exchange programs and abstinence are two of the most
vivid examples: Successful risk reduction programs also
save money on future treatment costs.
The CDC has set forth an ambitious goal to reduce new
HIV infections inour nation. In addition, the independent
and science-based Institute ofMedicine recently released
areport, "No Time to Lose," that supported the use of cost
effective methods of reducing HIV transmission, including
needle, exchange programs. A recent study from .the
Heury.J. Kaiser Family Eotmda_tign~f.o_und that p.arents
think schools should have more comprehensive sexual
education curriculum and cover topics that are not generally
covered, such as sexual orientation. Effective prevention
methods deserve support - both financial and
political support-from Congress, the administration, the
public health community, and other impacted communities.
We must strive to continue to find even better
treatments, furthe~ reduce the number HIV infections,
provide additional assistance to nations around the globe
and develop a vaccine within a reasonable time frame.
These goals are attainable. In a nation as wealthy and
creative as ours, we should expect nothing less.
¯ Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry: Gay People Need Not Exist
¯ by Tom Neal, editor &publisher ¯ committee process and edited out that inclusion. Because
It might come as quite a surprise to you to learn that there " of their and their organization’s past involvement in acts
are no Gay people in Tulsa. There are no Gay bars, no Gay " of anti-Gay discrimination, it looks like Dr. Sandra Rana
churches, no Gay households, no Gay parents, no Gay kids ¯ and Nancy Day of the National Conference for Commu-
- you get the idea. : nity and Justice wereresponsible.TMM’s executive board
At least that’s the message that Tulsa Metropolitan " never saw an inclusive version.
Ministry (TMM) is putting out. While"cel- This does not excuse the executive
ebrating" Tulsa’s "diversity" specifically,
claiming to "... support each other’s right
to live and prosper in this great community.
¯ ." TMM. somehow managed t3 "disappear"
Gay Tulsans.
Wehave long known that some groups in
TMM are deeply prejudiced against Lesbian
and Gay persons. Usually these people
are identified as Tulsa’S Muslim community,
some of Tulsa’s Black churches and
Tulsa’s Orthodox Christian commumty.
No matter how repugnant their views are
to us, morally and theologically, wehave to
¯ support their constitutional right to hold
: those views. But usually their objections
are to.-us having those basic civil rights
protections which they enjoy themsdves.
They want for it-to continue to be legal for
us to be firedfrom ourjobs, or thrown out of
our homes or have our children taken from
us. They have objected to characterizing
assaults on us as hate crimes, even if the
"... apologlsts for
TMM ma~e the
excuse that Gay
Tulsans have
to be sold out in order
to appease the Muslims,
or the Blaeh
churches
or the Orthodox.
Gay people are ashed,
again and again, year
after year, to go along
because some good
comes out of it..."
board. In this city, and in this time, it is
very hard not to know that Gay and Lesbian
people exist. But their oversight lacks
the malice of deliberate exclusion.
Many apologists for TMM make the
excuse that Gay Tulsans have to be sold
out in order to appease the Muslims, or the
Black churches or the Orthodox. Gay
people are asked, again and again, year
after year, to go along because some good
comes out of it.
But this statement goes too far. It demands
that we collaborate in the denial of
our own existence. And those.who sign it
knowing better, knowing thatTMM’s "diversity"
statement is profoundly a lie, are
no less collaborators with evil than those
who kept silent in the face of Nazi horrors.
TMMhas long tolerated a double standard.
Gay people are asked to recognize
that Tulsa Muslims and others are "funda-
¯ mentalists" and we are asked to tolerate
same act is a hate crime when they are the target.
: Butthey hadn’t before soughtto deny our very existence.
This is largely a symbolic act but in some ways, it is more
~ powerful than the others. Even when our fundamental civil
¯ rights are denied, we are atleast acknowledged as existing.
¯ Ironically, part Of the impetus for this "diversity" statement
was a visit by a particularly virulent part.of the Klu-
Klux Klan. Traditionally, theKKK’s principle targets have
b~nJews andBlacks.But as Gay and Lesbian people have
become more visible, we have been included very explicitly
in Klan hatred. This Klan visit was-no.exception. And
while the Klan did not forget us, Tulsds "do-gooder"
hypocrites pretend that we don’t exist.
Now not all of TMM’s members take this position.
Russell Bennett of Fellowship Congregational Church
sought to add sexual¯ orientation to TMM’s "diversity"
statement. But ina deeply disturbing and shameful action,
one or two commi ttee members appear to have violated the
to three equally weighted categories; community leadership,
scholastic merit, and financial need.
This year,the scholarship selection committee is .comprised
of a student representative from five of OLIC
campus organizations, and five OklahomaGLBT community
leaders..The chair-person of this year, selectiOn committee
is Whitten. The organizers add that applications will
be available Dec. 1st from our OLIC organizations, at the
Oklahoma City and Tulsa Gay Commlmity Centers and
online at www.geocides.’com/okolic/. Applications will be
due on Feb. 15,2001 and the winners will be announced in
late March.
Also, the Oklahoma ]mmbda IntercJall:egiate C0aii~0~
hold a fundraising reception in Tulsa Oli December 2’ls(
from7 - 10pm at thehome ofRick and Susan Doss in Tulsa.
Funds raised by this event will be used for the Oklahoma
Lambda Youth Scholarship. RSVP to 405-325-4452. A
donation of $25 is suggested.
The goals of the Oklahoma Lambda Intercollegiate
Coalition are:
I. Raising awareness of GLBT youth ~ssues within our
community, schools, and society;
II. Sharing information and resources in an effort to
provide the best possible programming for sponsoring
organizations;
their bias agaanst us even as Muslims, Jews, Christians,
and. Unitarians somehow manage to respect each other.
White supremacist groups, like the Christian Identity
movement and .others who use theology much like the
Muslims do to justify their prejudice, are not welcomed
into.TMM. Buta special place is carved outfor anti,Gay
prejudice,
It is finally too much. And it is time that good people
who know better stand up for their neighbors and friends
and families, ff this means that Tulsa cannot support its
real diversity, then at least we’ll be telling .the truth.
Muslim Tulsans might have to acknowledge that they
cannot object to anti-Muslim bias while oppressing Gay
Tulsans. Black Tulsans ought to know better..And Jewish
Tulsans mightneed to do for Gay people what was done
for them by non-Jews in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s,which is
to be vocally and visibly advocates for civil rights.
It’s time now for this change.
¯ III. Supporting a Queer youth movement to impact the
: politics of our state and nation;
¯ IV. Providing resources to the Oklahoma GLBT youth
¯ community including political and health education, a ¯
safe social environment, and an opportunity to cultivate
: leadership skills, and;
¯ V. Fostering the conception and growth of new GLBT
: student groupsacross Oklahoma.
¯ For more information, contact, Oklahoma Lambda In-
¯- tercollegiateCoalition 900Asp,OMU, P,m. 363,Box 169,
Norman OK 37019-4058 or telephone to.405-325-4452.
¯ www.geocities.com]okolic
i Stout Wins Okla.Mr.Leather
: T.U.L.S. A~ (Tulsa Uniform Leather Seekers Associa-
¯ .ti.’9fa):held the annual Oklahoma Mr. Leather contest
"! ~ O.cto~b_dr 20-22 at the Silver S’t~tr in Tulsa. Four Contestants
from the state competed in c~ate~ories that included inter,
view, streetwear, physique and full leather image. Seven
judges from the US and Canada judged the contestants.
International Mr. Leather 2000 Mike Taylor was among
the distinguished panel. Contestants were Jason Pelkey of
Tulsa, Jim Stout of Ramona, Stephen Scott of OKC-Mr.
Sooner State Leather 2000, and Mark Goins of Tulsa-Mr.
Tulsa Leather 2000.
The weekend event began with a tour of the local clubs
and Tulsa’s Gay Community Services Center. The interviews
were Saturday morning and the rest of the contest
was held that night. Stephen Scott was first runner-up.
Scout Troop Defies
National Anti-Gay Ban
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A second Rhode Island
Scout troop is defying the national organization’s ban
on homosexuals, Members, leaders, and parents from
Boy ScoutTroop 28 have sentaletterto the Narragansett
Council of Boy-Scouts saying they will ignore the
policy. The troopjoins Cub Scout Pack 88, which sent
a similar letter, The Providence Journal reported.
~
.The national policy is root~,in a 1910 oath that Says
Scofi~- ~’.st ke~p~el~s-~ ,.ni0ralty straigl~t:~’iThe
’ !. b~via’g tlplldld~y!th~ Siipr~aid CourtthisS~er,but
’"about ~:d~ozen~ trbb~ ~at~oflwlde have stud thaiwill
The leaders of Pack 28 said the words "morally
straight" have nothing to do with sexual orientation.
....’The oath didnotmean to banhomosextmls but to keep
.....on the straight and narrow and do what is right," said
Y"Allen M. Dennison, an assistant scoutmaster with
Troop 28, who has four sons in Scouting. Our assessment
of whatis right is that everyone be included, and
" that includes Gay leaders and Gay Scouts."
..... The Narragansett Council will forward the letter
fromTroop28to theBoy Scouts ofAmericaheadquar-
’ ters in Irving~ Texas, as it did with the letter from Pack
88, said state ¢o,.u~,ci! Spokesman David Preston.
Pack 88hash theard from the national Boy Scouts
regarding its status and calls to the Boy Scouts of
America were not returned. Officially, troops that
" ignore Scouting rule~ Will have their charter revoked.
To date, however, the Boy.Scouts of America has not
revoked thecharter of a troop or council for ignoring
.the banon Gays.
The ban made news inRhode Island last year, when
a 16-year-old Eagle Scout filed a complaint with the
Rhode Island Human Rights Commission saying he
was denied a job at a Scout camp because he is Gay.
Maryland Can Ban "
Anti-Gay Discrimination
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Gov. Parris Glendening~s
:plan to add Gays to Maryland’s anti-discrimination
law likely would not violate the First Amendment
guarantee of free exercise of religion, according to the
state attorney general’s office.
Assistant Attomey General Kathryn M. Rowe issued
the four-page legal opinion this week at the
request of-Delegate Sandy,I. Rosenberg, who is expected
to use it to counter religious-based arguments
-.. against the proposed legislation. "I did this so we
would have a:.iegal opinion on the matter instead of
rhetoric that is not precise," Rosenberg said. "In an
- issue as emotional as .this, everybody should do their
best not to misstate the law."
Rosenberg asked for the opinion after a representative
of the Diocese ofWilmington testified against the
governor’s plan at a public heating in Salisbury.The
diocese includes Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
The hearing was conducted by a commission ereated
by the governor to solicit testimony about discrimination
against Gays, Lesbians, bisexuals and
transsexuals "The teaching o.f the Catholic Church and
societal tradition does not accept homosexuality as a
legitimate lifestyle," the diocese said in a position
paper presented at the hearing.
Thepositionpaper alSO said the proposed legislation
"significantly and Wrongfully encroaches (on) the
First Amendment, free-exercise rights of religious
institutionsand ofpersons whose actions are dri-ven by
their religious beliefs."
In her opinion, Rowe said there wasprecedent for
laws with "the incidental effect of burdening certain
religious practices" - as long as the laws do not single
out one religion. There is also precedent suggesting
that the hiring of ministers would be exempt from the
proposed bill, Rowe said.
: Navy Ends Harrassment
: of Former Seaman ¯
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP)-A former midshipman who
: resigned from the U.S. Naval Academy amid accusa-
¯ tious ofhomosexuality won’thave to repay the govem-
~ ment for his education, the Navy has ruled/The deci-
¯ sion means that Tommie Watkins, 25, will not have to
." reimburse the Navy the $86,000 that covered his train-
. ing and tuition, plus interest.
i
Watkins, president of his classand an aspiring Navy
~ ~pil0t; ~s~id bewas pres’sured to. resign ~and did so
~ ~ beeau~e he feared ht~mophobia ’would preve~t him
~- fromreceiviffga fair trial:’After leaving, he acknowl-
-" edged being Gay. Officer trainees who drop out or are
¯ expelled during theirjtmior or senior years are required
¯ by Pentagon policy to repay the government for their
¯ education, either ~in cash or through enlisted service.
¯ The Navy’s Board of Correction of Naval Records
." said last year that he was a victim 6f,"error and
¯ injustice," and recommended the academy waive the
." payment. That decision was overruled in March by
." Carolyn Becraft, the assistant secretary ofthe Navy for
¯ manpower. Watkins sued, and on the day of the dead-
: line for the Navy to respond, his lawyer got word of the
: reversal.
." Watkins, who works in Miami as the project director
¯¯ for an AIDS and HIV ministry, called the decision
¯ "long overdue and totally justified." "It’s kind of
ironic, because the Navy says its core values are honor,
¯ courage and commitment," he said. "It seems like I had
_. to exhibit those qualities to win this case.’"
¯ Officials from the Naval Academy declined to com-
." ment on the decision.
¯ Iowa Order Banning Anti-
Gay Bias to Be Reviewed
¯ DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - It’s up to a Polk County
¯ district ,judge to rule on the legality-, of Gov. Tom ¯
Vilsack s’ci~il-rights order. District Judge Glenn Pille
heard lawyers’ arguments about the order during a
¯ recent hearing.
¯ Vilsack issued an executive order in September
1999, forbidding discrimination against Gays, Lesbi-
¯ ans and Transexuals in state government employment.
: The move sparked a legislative debate. Conservative
¯ legislators were particularly angry that the order ap- ¯
plies to Transsexuals. A majority of lawmakers voted
¯ to repeal the order, but Vilsack vetoed the legislation.
¯ Twenty-three legislators led by Republican Senate
¯ Majority Leader Stewart Iverson, challenged the order
¯
in a lawsuit filed in July. They said that Vilsack
¯ overstepped his authority and thathe, in effect, rewrote
¯ the law. ¯
Vilsack has said he is carrying out a state law
¯ providing equal opportunity in state employment to all
: persons. Iowa Deputy Attorney General Julie Pottorff
¯ represented Vilsack at the hearing. She said the dispute
¯ is a legal question, and that Vilsack acted within his
¯ auth6rity ensuring that legal protections apply to all
¯ executive branch employees. ’°-l’his is no more than a ¯
¯ political disagreement," Portorff told Pille.
Des Moines lawyer Mark McCormick is represent-
" ing the legislators and a former state employee. He
¯ argued at the hearing that the order infringes on the ¯
constitutional separation of powers and said "The
¯ governor has no power by- ~xecutive order to create
~ ¯ law." -
: Vatican in Tizzy About
¯ "Fake Marriages"
¯ VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican has blasted
¯ lawmakers for givinglegal recognition to so-called"de
~ facto" unions - including those between Gays - and
¯ said attempts to allow adoption by Gays were "a great
danger." A 77-page document made public in Novem-~
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ber by The Pontifical Council for the Family was built
heavily around similar denunciations over the last few
years by Pope JohnPattl II.
Italian Gay groups, stung over the summer by the
Vatican’s moves to try to block Gay pride events in
Rome, denounced the latest pronouncement on homosexual
unions.
The Vatican’s council on family matters also presented
a proposal to make sex crimes against children,
including "sex tourism" exploitation, crimes against
humanity. But .the bulk of the positions ,pr.esented.
hammered away at unions betwb.en Gays as well as
legal recognition for.~tmm.arried hetgcosexual~couple~.
While not citing any particular, .country, thd .,Vatica.n,.
spoke of ’~great concern" aboutlawiiaakers’ efforts "in
many countries with an ancient Christian tradition" to
give legal status to unmarried couples.
Earlier this month, Germany.granted legal recognition
to Gay couples, following similar moves.ove~ the
1~ decade by other Western European countries.
" De facto unions ~e the result.of private behavior
andshoul’d remain 0ni~e pri~at~ 1,ev_el ," . the Vatican
said. It described as a ~erious sign, of.the-contempo,~
rary br0~tkd0wn in the s0dal an~ ~oral.conscilence,
political eftbrts tO give institutionalstatus to delfacto
couples. It Said attempts to legalize thead0ption of
children by Gay. ~Q~ple,s .added ’!an elemen_t.of ~reat
danger." - ..
NY Town offers: Benefits
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) -The Gr.eenburgh Town
Board voted un’aJaim6u~ly" tO ’offer health-be]aefits to
same-sex domestic partners 0f municipal workers.
"We want to treat all our employees as if they’re
valuable to us," said Supervisor Paul.Feiner.
New Yoj~k ~stiite,. Ne~: Yori~ City;._a~nd/~Ve’stchester
CounU,.plus several ~orporation~,~.rpv.id¢~sach:benefits
to homosexual couples. Of Westchester s-municipalities,
only. Eastchester has..acted before
Greenburgh.
Under the measure;, which goesinto effect JnJanu-
..ary, an uumarried,.town, employee who.says-in an
affidhvit that he or she has hadan exclusive relationship
for a year can extend medical.and dental coverage
to\the partner. - " . )_
Phelps at Phillips Exeter
EXET.ER, N.H. (AP) - An anti-Gay ch~ch group
opposed to Phillips ExeterAcadem~~ s p0!~gy .alirwing
homosexuals to be dorm parents protested outside the
school recently, v~aving.signs with messages .that included:
’q’hank GodforA!DS." About adoZenfol!owers
of the Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro B.aptist
Church of Topeka~ Kan., ~rrivedat ~eS~hob’i~r’rund
noon after making similar demonstrations in’Ve~ont
and Maine earlier.
The, ,church members, oppose a measure Phillips
Exeter truste~.,S approved in May that al!0ws.Gay and
,,I~,.sbian faculty and staff to serve as dormitory parents.
’ it’s destroying the fabric0fthis nation~ the~r~ls/.hat
this nation ,does have," s,aid Sam Pheligs~Roper’~ the
Rev.Phelps grandson.".It saslippeDi~lopestraightto
hell and that’s where this.country is’headed. This is a
ing match toward the end, when a group of University
of New Hampshire students arrived to denounce the
church group.
"Relax! It’sjust sex," one student shouted. "I preach
God’s word." "You preach hate." But that’s an accusation
Phelps’ followers don’t deny. They maintain
that God hates homosexuals and will destroy any
society that condones homosexual behavior. ’q’he
Christian belief is rooted not only in the love of God,
but also the hate of God. You can’t have one without
,the. 9~er.,’~’. . .Pt!_dps-Roper said. "That is definitive.
Th,e~ is~no.question, that Gq~t!ha,t~s, p~9..p!e.]’, ,,
-~~W.~[bggQ Baptist ,O~,ur..ch ~s. ~gu,t 2Pq i~im~ers.
. They have picketed~a~ ~e fun~91s of. homosexuals,
including that of Matthew Shepard,.a Gay man.who
was brutally beaten and tortured in Wyoming in Octo~
ber 1998. "He’s in hall. And everyone else who.lives
daat lifestyle will likely be in he!! with him unle{s.they
repent," Phelps-Roper said. "Of ~.course, he could.have
repented, but there’ s a snowball’, s, chance of tha~;happening."
_.
¯ The Rev. Phelps did not attend, the demonstr.a_.tion.
~ His grandson said Phelps,:was .geeded back at his
¯¯ c,,h.t~h tominister But Phe!ps~Roper.saidthe growing
acceptance of homosexualit~ made,:their message to
¯ iEx~ter all the more importan.t. ’;7~..’s.isimportant ~tuff.
¯ This is a ,matter of life and ~death,’:etemRy h~-re,"
phelps-Roper said. "When G.0~as said something is
: ~.abomination, you don’t mes~.~ith it."
¯ Representatives of 14 churches from the region
¯ j6i]aekl the university students.i0PPosing Phdps? fol-
19wers. They said that thoug~flaey:don’t all agree on
¯ the moral status of homosexu~fity, they univers~ally
oppose Phelps’ message.
."While we recognize their, right, to express their
p,ersonal views freely concermngAcademy policy and
: ~e subjectin general, we take,~.trong exception to/heir
¯ rhe.t.ori9and signs denigrati.ng0~r~eighbors,,, the,Rev’
¯
¯ DanielWeaver of theExeterUnitedMethodistChurch
said: ~’We wholcheartedly agree:thathatr’ed, expressed
¯ or implied, as well as the adVo~icy br promotion of
¯ haff~lis anathema. It is certaird:y notitt the spirit of the
¯ v0~b~dsOf Jesus, ’Love your°neiIgl~bor~ as yourself."’
¯ Accused Murderers of
" Gay Man to Stand Trial
FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) =T.w,o,teen-agers will stand
: trial ear)y next year for the murder of a Gay black man
from.Marion County, a judg.e., ruled~ in November.
: David Allen Parker, whose lawyers may argue a di-
: minished .capacity defense;,is ser~ to stand trial in
¯ Becldey on Jan. 16. His co-defendarit, Jared Wilson.
¯ will l!0t be tried until February...... ¯
Par~er, 18, ofGrantTownan~tWilson, 18, ofFairview
: ar~’charged with first-degree.murder in the July 4
° beating death of Arthur "J.R." Warren. Police say the
teens pummeled the 26-year,old acquaintance with
: their fists and feet, then ran over him four times with
] Parker’s car to disguise his injuries as a hit-and-run.
¯ The assault allegedly began after ~Warren told others
¯" about a sexual relationshiphe claimed to have had with
: Parker.
~ Circuit Judge Rodney Merrifield said he will likely
message that they need." ¯ rule within 10 days whetherjurors at thetrials will hear
~ ~..m,,d~nts, at .tl],e neari~y,22Q=ye~o!d pri~vate ,high : the teens’ confessions. Defenselawyers argue sheriff’s
Schorl: apparently ~v~r~fi t irit~Stc;d~j~"h~g it~ ¯ deputies inappropriately obtained the statements the
Many students and faculty members_wore x~row- :, gtay, 9.t" Lhe_.murd,er,;an accusatton, the deputies have
colored pins, a symbol of support for homosexuals ¯ denied on the Witness ;/arid
Judy Quirm, spokeswoman for Phillips Exeter, said " Prosecutors say Warren’s DNA showed up in evithe
school’s roughly ’1,000 students decided not to
attend the~demonstration; and instead .-organized a
diversity celebration in another part of the campus.
"The values of inclusion and diversity have been
hallmarks of Phillips Exeter Academy since its formding,"
she said in a written statement. "The fact an
objection to these principles is what brings this group
to Exeter is indeed regrettable "
The otherwise peacefifl protest erupted into a shout-
: dence samples taken from the interior, exterior and
: undercarriage of Parker’s car, as well as on wood
: paneling and molding from the house where the bea~-
¯ ing began.
: Parker’s attorneys, Rebecca Tate and Stephen Fitz.
¯ also asked the judge for a delay so they could hire ~.,
~ expert to study their client for a possible diminished
o capacity defense strategy.
Bayer Seeks New
AIDS Treatments
BERLIN (AP) - Bayer AG, Germany’s
biggest drugmaker, said Tuesday it will
join the search fornew AIDS treatments as
part of a shakeup of its drug research
activities: The Leverkusen-based company,
best-known for developing aspirin,
will look for substances effective against
resistant viruses, said Wol,fgang Hartwig,
head of research in’Bayer s pharmaceuti- :
cal busine.ss group. The company declined
to specify:how muchit will invest in AIDS
research. In 2000, it budgeted a total of 1
billion euros ($845 million) for research
and development.
Bayer said it expects to identify the first
substances suitable for precliuical HIV
testing within two years. Pharmaceutical
research will in the future be focused on 13
fields, including seeking new treatments
in urology, Alzheimer’s dementia and
Parkinson’ s disease. Bayer saidit will stop
its research activities for osteoporosis, fibrosis
of the liver and stroke.
Key Protein in
AIDS. Virus Found
WASHINGTON (AP) - A protein that
does housekeeping chores inside cells plays
a key role in spreading the AIDS virus to
other cells of the body, researchers report.
In studies appearing in the Proceedings of
the National AcademyofSciences (PNAS),
researchers say that _HIV, the AIDS’virus,
uses a group of proteins, called
proteasomes, to assemble new viral partitles
and to spread those new particles.to
uninfected cells.
Ulrich Schubert of the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
(NIAID) said test tube studies show that
blocking the action of the proteasome proteins
can reduce the spread of HIV infection
by about 98%. Schubert, the first
author of one study in PNAS, cautioned
that the research was conducted only in
test tubes and it is not known if the
proteasome inkibitors would work against
HIV in humans. "We would never inject
this drug into an HIV-infected person because
we do not know what would happen,"
said Schubert.
Theproteasome inhibitors will be tested
in monkeys before any human tests are
considered, and those animal studies could
take months, he said.
Dr. Jonathan W. Yewdell, a NIAID researcher
and a co-author of the study, said
that althoughinhibitingproteasome shows
promise as a strategy for treating HIV, "it
is possible that it may not have any effect
at all." He said the proteasome function is
essential for healthy cells and that a drug
thatblocks thatfunction could affect every
cell in the body. "It is possible that the
HIV-infectedcells will be more sensitive
or that there are effects against the virus
before" the healthy cells are affected, said
Yewdell.
Yewdell and Schubert said cancer researchers
are experimenting with
proteasome inhibitors for the treatment of
prostate cancer and early studies have
shown no side effects in cancer patients.
The drug, however, has not been used in
HIV-infected patients, they said.
Proteasome’s job inside the cell is to
identify and destroy old or unneeded proteins.
Another PNAS study, by researchers
at Pennsylvania State University, suggests
that amolecule calledubiquitinplays
akeyroleinhow viruses use theproteasome
function in a cell to make new viral partitles.
Still another PNAS study, by researchers
from the Dana-Farber Caneer Institute,
Harvard Medical School and the University
of Padua in Italy, also demonstrates
that ubiquitin plays a role in HIV particle
formation.
HIV spreads its infection inside thebody
by forcing white blood cells, called CD4s,
to make new viral particles. These partitles
are released from the cells and can
then infect other cells, spreading the infection
throughout the body.
The final part of this virus-making proeess
is called budding. During budding, a
new viral particle wraps itself in a membrane
from the surface of the infected cell
and completes its development. When the
budding process is completed, the virus
particle is released and can then attach to
an uninfected CD4 cell and continue to
spread the infection.
The researchers found that HIV uses the
proteasome molecules, particularly
ubiquitin, to complete the assembly of a
new viral particle at the cell membrane.
When the pro.teasome action is blocked,
HIV particle formation is crippled, they
found.
"Inhibiting proteasome causes fewer
viruses to detach from the cell and what
viru~ is madeis notas good," saidYewdell.
Proteasome is most active in the budding
phase of making a new HIV viral
particle. It is different from protease, an
enzyme that helps the HIV virus assemble
precursor proteins into active proteins.
Some HIV drugs, called protease inhibitors,
work by blocking the action of the
protease enzyme.
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¯ Leftover Medicines
Help in Haiti + More
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - The jar of
AIDS medications that Moses Alicea
plucked from among pill bottles and vials
spilled across the table were bound for the
dump - worthless in the United States. But
in Haiti, where the lifesaving drugs will be
sent, they are priceless. The medications -
about $20,000 worth of protease inhibitors
that can suppress HIV and prevent
progression of AIDS - will be sent to the
Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation to
help people who would otherwise never
receive the treatment.
At the root of the salvage effort is the
vast gulfbetween availability of the medications
in affluentcountries tike the United
States and developing countries like Haiti.
"This is importantbecause there’s peqple
living with HIV who can’t get the meds
like we do," said Alicea, 36, who gave his
ownleftoverAIDS medications. "ffI can’t
use them, somebody else can. There’s alot
of stuffoutthere that’ sjustbeing dumped."
Some 95% of the more than 33 million
people with HIV and AIDS in the world
are in poor countries, according to the
World Health Orgamzation. In those regions,
the so-called drug "cocktails" -
Clip And Save "
p I I I I I I--I I I I III
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Medical
Excellenc.e And
Compass.lonate
Care S nce
1926.
a ¯ ST. JOHN MEDICAL CENTER
q P Medical Excellence-Compassi’onate Care
whichcan costupwardof $20,000 per year
in the United States -are about 30 times
the average monthly income and far out of
reach for most people, according to the
group Doctors Without Borders.
The issue of global drug acess has becomeheated.
Protesters doggedVice President
A1 Gore last year about drug prices in
Africa, and the issue is apriority for institutions
like the World Health Organization
that are trying to combat the disease.
Clients of the group Cambridge -Cares
About AIDS are collecting the drugs from
friends and family members - even from
their own medicine cabinets. Most of the
donated drugs are left over when a person
with AIDS switches drug regimens because
of debilitating sitle effects. Since
last December, the group has delivered
some $200,000 worth of medications to
Parmers in Health, a Boston-based organization
with a clinic in Haiti which distributes
them to people with AIDS and HIV.
Partners in Health executive director
Dr. Jim Yong Kim said between 50 and
100 people in Haiti are regularly receiving
the medications gathered by the Cambridge
group. But there’s an enormous
unmet need that this effort cannot even
begin to solve without global attention -
and a global solution- to the drug crisis, he
said. "This is now an absolute disaster and
an absolute crisis," Kim said. "It’s a moral
problem, but it’s also an economic and
political problem.’"
TheWorld Health Organizationhas protocols
for donated drugs. But the organization
does not have separate guidelines for
AIDS medications, which generally involve
complex daily regimens of 15 to 20
different pills that require close medical
supervision. And the medication supply
must be consistent, because interrupting
the regimen can result in the HIV virus
becoming resistant to treatment.
Only a handful of groups send unused
AIDS drugs overseas. Kim said agencies
like his are "writing the book" on salvaging
AIDS drugs. There is no agency overseeing
the practice, no way of knowing
how common it is or whether groups are
adhering to WHO guidelines for drug donations,
according to Michael R. Reich,
acting chair of the Department of Populationand
International Health at the Harvard
School of Public Health.
But he said that while donations will
never fill the need for drugs in poor countries,
this effort highlights the problem.
"Troubling questions arise from gaps in
access," he said. "Haiti is a country with
extraordinary needs for good drugs, and
donations provide a mechanism for trying
to address the gap."
James Russo, spokesman for the Partnership
for Quality Medical Donations, an
organization composed of drug companies
and non-govemmen.tal organizations
thatTdistribute free drugs o~¢erseas, said it
is a"perfecfly reasonable and understandable
and decent thing to do."
Such donations may not technically be
legal, because the recipient is not the person
for whom the drugs were prescribed,
he said. But if the drugs are properly used
and distributed, thenpublichealthbenefits
override such legal issues. "The fact that it
needs doing is, to me, a tragic observation
about the state of public health policy," he
said. "Nothing but good can come from
¯ something like this."
¯ Sitting beside Alicea, Katherine Gaynes,
: 54, takes a thick marker and strikes from a
¯ bottle the name of the original patient, the
¯¯ doctor who made the prescription and the
pharmacy that filled it so the pills cannot
¯
be traced back to the original recipient.
¯ She said the huge overseas need for medications
frustrates her, but she’s glad she’s
¯
been able to do some good. "If the rest of
¯ the world doesn’t get better, then it doesn’t
; get better for us," she said. .
¯ Rise in HIV in Gays
And Natives Feared
¯ TORONTO (AP) - New numbers on HIV
infections in Canada point to a worrying
: trend away from safe sex in some segments
of the Gay community and a steep
¯ increase of infections among FirstNations
¯ people. The number of new infections
¯ amongmenwho have sex withmenjumped
¯ by 30% from 1996 to 1999, according to
¯ the latest report on HIV and AIDS preva-
¯ lence issued by Health Canada. The hum-
: ber of new infections among Aboriginal
¯ Peoples rose 91% over the same period.
: Some headway hadbeen made over that
: time in cutting the number ofnew cases of
_" HIV infection among injected drug users,
¯ the report said, noting the number of new
: cases declined 27% last year over 1996.
¯ "But no sooner did we do that than Gay
: men are starting to rebound again," Chris
¯ Archibald, Health Canada’s chief of HIV/
¯
AIDS epidemiology and surveillance, said
: from Ottawa on Thursday.
¯ Before 1996, Health Canada reported a
¯ steady drop in the number of new cases of
¯ HIV among Gay men, the population most
ravaged by HIV and AIDS. Gay men accounted
formore than 80% ofnew cases in
: 1981-83; by 1996, they made up less than
¯ a third (30%) of new cases of HIV infection.
Archibald said the upward trend has
¯ VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -
." A group of health-care advocates and in-
. jection drug users is aiming to make
Vancouver the first city in North America
to offer addicts a safe site to inject drugs.
¯ Whether the facility is a"hole in the wall"
¯ or a comprehensive health center will be
." determined by funding, says the Harm
." ReductionActionSociety, whichreleased
¯ its pilot project proposal last month.
." The society would like to have support
¯ from all levels, "but let’s get this straight,
we are going to do it," said board member
Dean Wilson. "One way or another, there
¯
will be such a facility or facilities," said
Ross Harvey, the executive director of the
¯ B.C. Peoples with AIDS Society.
The society would like to have a facility
¯
open before Valentine’s Day. The group,
¯ formed earlier this year, recently sent con-
¯. sultants to Frankfurt,Germany,where they
visited five sites set up in 1994. The city
¯
released proposal recently that included a
¯ safe-sites proposal,butMayorPhilipOwen
¯ rejected the idea, saying it would be a
magnet for drug addicts.
¯ also been reportedin the United States and
." the Netherlands.
Vancouver Looks
At Injection Site
sung. And the lyrics aren’t too bad, either.
He’s been performing since he was 6,
and appeared in the film "Latin Boys Go
To Hall" singing a song
"... Siegfried and Roy
have never been involved
..m ~r~ming
an.i.~.ii.a.lk. i"n the’ ir h,2ves.
They mold things around
the personality
of their animals."
And maybe, if the rest of.
us learned’ thattriek -
love ~hOUt
the ne~ for~.e~ntrol -
we’d h~ve better
ofhis owncomposition.
He’ s played some ofthe
most resi~ected venues
in NYC to critical acdaini.
’ ~
He ~is also named
by HXmagazine as one
of the ten hottest menin
NY. Judging from the
press photos, I’ll second
that. He’s currently
working with song-
.writer DesmondChilde,
knowi~ for being a
’ hitwriter forRickyMar-
.... ~ tin,Ch~,.and Ma~10nna.
He’il surprise you.
YOu’.dnever .guess he
was anice.Jewish bpy
relationships as well . frOmNew York - he~s ---got: that ~0ul sound
by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor
Merry Yule and Winter Solstice, everyone!
This year has moved fast - hard to
believe we’ll be starting
a new millennium
soon. Hope everyone
h~ a ha~pp.y hoR.day.
~. ~- ~l~a ’frijOl, ~-Jim~
’ Brf~l~iffa~ ~rbtflrh~:t~o
Tut~d D~em6~r~5~il fdt
a a romantic ,evening bf
musicandfun. Ifyou’ve
?iaot seen his show be-
7~ore, .or
~ ing, it s well worfla it.
i?And he’s:iher~ ~ith
¯" ~onny oshioiia,’W~Ch
~’should
7~I’11 miss John Trbnes, a
i, family m.-..~~m~l~ ,~ho
~’ was here~th
year, but"J~bgt Doimy
does a grea~jdb ~i~the
songs. Ji~ can~take a
huge thOt~.~d make
. it seem
" room, and :he’s gOkgcous to boot - very
handsom~],~,Sf;.~tl~6~:~;i~uals are as good as
’the musi.~;.ye~, ~I,know...you really
" didn’t exp~t ~e t
without .mgn,ti.0~ngl something like that,
did you?.~tf!~y!~mmended; especially
as an earl~’. Yule gift for that sigfiffieant
other. 596~7111:fo fix.
If yo~J;~:i’6bidiag for nifty gffties of an
entertaiifi~ s0~t,’I have a few recomme,n,-
dations: Fir~ oifth~’list is "Chicken Run’,
just outOgDVD~dVHS. TheDVDis the
preferencehe~e, due to the fun extras they
threw ina~d the".claance to see the film as
it was preSgntetion screen, instead of only
half the.p.ivRtr¢fformatted to fit your TV)
on the VHS version. There’s two documentaries
9n ..tal.ent and how they made.
those chickens ttm; and it’s fun to see thecast
men~!~erswfiose ,v,oices you hear. And
it is so eff.~ecti~e.you I1 never eat chicken
pot pies again:-’ Favorite line: Ging,er
Chickefi,.:~.’.fig’ to explain why they re
having ~toi~i~aS escaping the chicken
farm/pfi~on"~to g doubting member of the
flock, says’ Do’you know what the problem
is? ~[]ie:fe~i~S.. aren’t just ’round the
farm, they’reuphe~e-in yourheads !" The
other chick~ep!ies,"Aw, give it up, ducks.
There’s.amillion toone chance we’ll ever
get out of her,e:, Ginger, mustering up thelast
bit of hope she has (All done with the
eyes), rep!iles, "Well . . there’s still a
chance then." And then there’s Nick and
Fletcher, a pair of rats who have a rather
mteresturg relataonship... And that s al
I’ll say about that, except I am surprised at.
a: c"ertai.n::’a:c"t.lw.?s~t2m. :t~o:,w~n; w;~ho~ di¯ dN, O""T"~fi.1re
~ff a s~i-ies:.6fl6tters aboi~t Gay i~dople"
being represented as rats... Even though
they’re really cute rats, in that rat-like
way, and help the chickens to escape.
A new artiste on the Gay scene, Ari
Gold, has a new CD out, and unlike many
artists capitalizing on the "I’m Gay and
out, so even if I suck, you should still buy
my stuff", it’s actually a really good CD,
filled with dance grooves and soulful ballads
that are slickly produced and well
down. He deserves our
Support, because he dell,v~rs.the goo~s:
Mostpr6moCDsfrom Gayarfists ’end
UPas coastdts 6tmini-frisb.ees. This one’s
akeeper. Great for dancing and romanc¯
ing, I give-it fivesnaps. He’ sgot awebsite:
WWW.ARIGOLD.COM
¯ For those~vith.cabl~;~the’Americanized
¯ ,)ersion of the British series "Queer as
~ ’ .F01k" begins airing On Sh0w~me Decem-
~ her 3rd. For.those Without c,],,ble, fihd a
¯ ’ friend that has ~it,; The~iow delivers a
:" Slice of.gffy life~th~t’ ~ ~corn~ellitag, ~pto-
,)ocative, and unlike any showyou’ll see.
For 22 riveting episodes, these unforgettable
men.andw0in~nr~veal tfiemselves -
i:eally reveal themselves - as no TV characters
ever have." Well,Iknow some folk,-
who are queer, who~ve seenthe original
British series, and if it’ s kept intact and not
Americanized todeath, it sh.ould be good.
: Happyw~ffChing!
.... " Open now is a duo offeline proportions
¯ ."in "Siegfried and Roy: The Magic Box."
i Now, I wonder if .we get to find out just
.*. :Who has that’magi box? "Siegfried and
: ’Roy: The Mhgic B6~" i~an’iMAX biopic
¯ ~Which includes’their Las V~gas a~t~ well
¯ as abiographical storyin-azstory ofhow
.’- the two men met .-as-boys in war-tom
¯ Germany, combining a love of magic,
’ ~animals, and each other to become the
." "world’S greatestillu~R~nistS."
¯ Anthony Hopkins Narrates the story of
¯ the two boys who meet on a cruise ship ¯
(oh, the fodder for puns that provides) and
~ form "a differen,,t kind of i~agic act using
¯ exotic .snimals, .: an~" als0 ~"forni ~an~ .ex-
¯ -ty.~me|y lohg ~erm ~-ela~o~s~i~. oli, the
~° :jokbs that come tomind. So much material
¯ to work with, so little space.
¯ Actually, they have my admiration and
¯ all due respect. To work and live together ¯
as long as they have and not to have killed
" each other in the process, and to have
¯ remained together, is no easy task. I have
¯ heardthem speakofthat, andhow attimes,
. you just wanna kill your parmer, but un-
" derneath it all is the love that keeps you
¯ working together - see Amuse, p. 10
GIFTS
OF T!tI
S ASON!:
COUNCIL OAK
WISHING YOU A
JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON &
A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR
PLEASE JOIN
TULSA OKLAHOMANS FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS
AS WE
CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS.{
HOLIDAY RECEPTION
HONORING TOHR’s 20TH ANNIVERSAF~Y
&
SILENT AUCTION
AN ~,.RT, AHTIQUES & FINE DINING.SHOWCASE
SUNDAY, DECEMBER | 0
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
TULSA GAY COMMUNI’~Y
SERVICES CENTER
2114 S MEMORIAL
PARADE OF LIGHTS
Come celebrate the spirit of the holiday season
at the AEP-Public Service Company of Oklahoma
Christmas Parade of Lights, Satu rday, Decem ber
9, downtown Tulsa at 6 p.m. View parade floats
up close, Friday, DecemberS, at the HolidayFest
(Brady Arts District) from 7 - 9 p.m.
PUBLIC
SERVICE
COMPANY OF
OKLAHOMA®
by Karin Gregory
GEls, have you ever had that Gay male
friend who does everything with you? A
Will to your Grace?AJack to your Karen?
The oneman-for some of you, theONLY
man - to whom you’d tell your secrets?
Who is warm, caring, loving,
a great listener, and in
many cases,has betterfashion.
sense than you? The
one man you can talk to all
night long? That guy who
will, even across the miles,
allow you to cry on his
shoulder about your girlfriend?
And you still remember
your own tearstained
shoulders from
when he knocked on your
door at 3 a.m. Most ofus, if
we’re lucky, have a guy
who would be the perfect
partnerforapolitically correct"
family value" couple
if he became a woman and
we became a man.
ButI’m nottalking about
him here. This is another Gay man who
possesses none ofthe abovequalities. Sure,
he can be a nice guy- whenhe wants to be.
And he DOES have better fashion sense
than I, although that’s no stretch. Butwhile
I embracedmy.Gayness before embracing
another woman, he did his embracing, and
whatever rise (eeeewww!) earl~, on, and
never really learned to enjoy being Gay.
"How sad," you might say. Don’t feel
sorry for him. Especially when you find
out where I’m spending my days lately.
Great house, DirecTV, MUCH cleaner
thanmy place, and the perfect party home.
I had become - how shall I say? - financially
non-existent and couldn’t pay my
rent (sounds like a musical, doesn’t it?).
My friend - let’s call him Vincent - offered
to put me up in his house for a few
months. OK, let’s talk realism. He was
looking for someone to help him with the
house payments. I would get oneroom and
a bathroom, as opposed to my car. Most
people in my situation wouldjump at this
arrangement. Although it .would save me
$400, the cost in psycffiatric visits overmy
lifetime would soon absorb the savings.
Let’s just say that we were the other"Odd
Couple." Picture a much more obsessive/
compulsive, anal retentive Felix Unger,
who is also emotionally constipated, and
you have Vincent. You’re not where I am
now, and I hope you never are. Let me tell
you how I got here through a progression
of nightly entries.
¯DAY ONE - Got to Vincent’s house
about 10:45 tonight after work. I can already
tell our work schedules are going to
conflict as he made a great show of"having"
to be up this late. This was HIS idea,
remember. He showed me the alarm system.
God, it feels like Fort Knox in here,
motion detectors and all. He also gave me
an extra key and garage door opener. It all
feels so official. This IS just a trial run,
after all. I’m relegated immediatdy to my
room, as small as a nun’s cell. He said I
could have one piece of furniture, but
there’s no room for anything else. i’ve
¯ been calling and calling my girlffien.: all
: night, getting nothing but a busy sig:m!
: That makes me anxious and frightenex~, se
: I tall Vincent what’s going on, hoping to
¯¯ get some sympathy. While I try to hug ¯ : : ~, : :, "ra.m,.~.com.p~,.a~ps.....Oh
"...G~gr~|s,. ,halve you no," in’d very pugquttbhe
of voi~qe; his~us~tml t0ne. He e erMd Gay pU s n< "ar0 a.me
male friend whodoes VERY gingerlg: try’ing to
everythln~ with you?
A Will to
your Grace?
A Jack to
your Karen?
The one man - for
some of you, the
ONLY man - to
whom you’d tell
your secrets?.. ?’
much me as little as possible,
as if I’m a Lesbian
leper. After he leaves, I get
into the closet (I thought
I’d left that for good!) so as
not to wake him, and call
my friend Jim. He gives
me a bigger hug over the
phone from Tulsa than I
got from Vincent. I pull
out my CD player and listen
to Melissa Etheridge
(who else?). Somehow it
makes me feel dominant.
DAY TWO - After dedaring
thatmy alarm woke
him from the other side of the house, he
leaves. Now I can walk aroundlike I want.
Ooops! I forget that he leaves the kitchen
blinds open. Well, his neighbors will just
be confused. They thooght they were living
near a Gay man!.Oa my way to work,
I find my girlfriend has called to let me
know she’s all right, which should put me
at ease, but the thought of having to live
with Vincent depresses me. It already feels
like I’m giving upmy life to live according
to his schedule. WhenI arrive at his house,
I’m in less than a pleasant mood. Anger
sets in when I realize that I forgot to tape
"Will and Grace." It doesn’t help that
Vincent goes on andon abouthow this was
the funniest episode he’s ever seen. "Did
youtapeit?" I askhopefully, already knowing
the answer. "No, I was home to watch
it," he says, cleaning up the kitchen in a
"don’t youdaremake amess" way. Selfish
bastard! This further proves my point that
when a man asks you into his life, for
whatever reason, he really means, "I want
to live my life as I always have, with no
compromises. You’ll just be around when
andif I need you." NowonderI’m Gay! He
woulddrive Pat Buchanan’s wife to Lesbianism.
I pop my popcorn (the only thing
I’ve had since noon today), and the only
thing allowed to me. I once again listen to
Melissa, who has a strangeway ofempowering
me. I fall asleep, dreaming of using
a stun gun on Vincent repeatedly.
DAY THREE-Today’s finally Friday,
and I might be allowed to watch some TV
tonight. I’m fine all day until I enter
Vincent’s abode. We’re eating pizza, and
he’s buying, an obvious splurge. But we
disagree on TV programming, so he
watches something in his room while I
have the living room all to myself to watch
a Beatles special. I’ve figured out one
thing - never trust anyone who hates the
Beatles. It’s positively UnAmerican! Another
night of silence until he comes into
the living room to switch channels so he
can watch the news. seeLesbian,p.11
by Lamont Lindstrom
"Gifts make slaves just as whips make
dogs," or so says one bit of Native American
wisdom. Keep this in mind during the
upcoming holiday orgy of giving and receiving.
Grits aremorethan
just tokens of affection.
They are’als0 ~gminde~s of
obligati’On ahdl du~. Giging
is politiCak ~Pd]~h~ps~ I
give you a present because
°I like you. Butifyou accept
mypresent,you also accept
that you are indebted to me
- at least until you can pay
me back.
Ihad, once, a studentfrom
Saudi Arabia whose father
was in the rug trade. "I’m
contacting my father," he
told me near the end of the
term. "I’d like to give you a
carpet." Oh no, I thought,
visions of Baluchis and
Kilims dancing inmy head.
How amI going to g~vehim
the "D" that he deserves?
Luckily, he presented me
with a cheap synthetic
prayer rug decorated,with
garish neon cameIs, worth
only a few dollars down at
yourlocal bazaar. I wasn’t that muchii~’his
debt after all, and I graded him down with
a lighter heart.
l~erhaps we all have had an experience
of over-receiving. Somebody g~ves us
something that is waytoo much. What can
he have in mind? What does he want in
return?A pesky acquaintance surprises us
with afine leatherjacket. But what does he
expect?A closer friendship?A date? Need
we give it up?
The fancy anthropological word for gift
giving is "reciprodty." I give something
to you, and you give something back to
me. Such exchange can be balanced or
imbalanced. Either way,. this says something
about power. If we engage in prolonged,
imbalanced gift giving, we find
ourselves in an enduring relationship of
inequality. Those fine presents have made
us into dogs and slaves.
Parents, for instance, give a lot more to
children thanchildren giveto parents. This
exchangeimbalancefuels parental authority.
Few morns and dads hand their children,
on their 18th birthdays, a bill for
$186,000. Ratherthan reciprocating the
exact dollar cost of raising us, we repay
parents in obedience. "As long as you live
inMYhouse, you’ll do what I say!" Those
gifts come with strings. .
To avoid, obligfiroh~ we must balance
gift giving. Only balanced exchange cre:
ates equality. If some one gives us a holiday
present, we feel pressured togive a
present in return. Failure to reciprocate
means either that we don’tmind shouldering
this debt and its obligations, or that we
want to break things off altogether. Does
morn send out the family’ s holiday cards?
What does she do when someone fails to
reciprocate? Cross him off the list!
Sometimes exchangeimbalancepersists
¯ for years, however. My dentist sends me a
¯ Christmas card annually. Butdo I sendone
¯ back? Nope. In this case, I amrude enough
¯ to take without giving. But I understand
¯" the deal implied by this imbalanced exchange~
I take my mouth
around to his office every
six months.
My friends in the South
Pacific go to huge efforts
to raise and give away pigs
just to get their neighbors’
pigs in return. If would be
far easier for all villagers
to eat their own pigs. But
what of us? .We are madcap
enough to enrich the
Post Office every December
by mailing, around a
blizzard of Christmas
cards. I send out about 60
each year, and in return I
receive 60 back. But if I
really am so desperate for
cards to clutterupmymantelpiece,
why don’t I just
keep those that I buy? I’d
save a 10t on postage that
way.
My island friends are
fanatic giftbalancers. They
keep exact records of how
] many pigs, baskets, and mats they receive
¯¯ so that they can give the same in return.
Butthey sometimes over-give- just alittle.
¯ This iitfleextra gift, which al~O must be
"... Perhaps we all
~have had an experhne¢
of over-reeelvlng.
Somebody gives us
something that is way
too much. What can
he have in mind?
What does he want in
return? A peshy
aeq~intanee surp~ses
us ~th a fine l~ther
~aeket. But w~t
does he expect?
A closer friendship?
A ~te? Need we
give it up... ?"
repaid at some point, keeps the :relationship
moving along.
Balanced exchanges celebrate the fact that
we are still investing in the relationship.
Youremain important to me. Butif I amto
stay your equal, I need to give you about
what you give me. I am embarrassed if I
return too little OR ff I return too much.
Imbalance in either direction implies either
that I don’t care about us as much as
you do, or that I am trying to obligate you.
Given the importance of exchange balance,
it is perverse that we remove price
tags and wrap presents. It’s a bit of a game.
We see through these pretenses that "it’s
the thought that counts." As experienced
givers, we are pretty good at striking a
balance despite the absence ofprice tags or
the concealment of gift-wrap. When a
friend drops off a gaily-wrapped present
for you, shake that box! Make a mistake in
what you give back and it could be the
doghouse for you!
Lamont Lindstrom teaches anthropology
at the University of Tulsa.
and frommurdering each other. They have
also managed to survive a business that
chews you up and spits you out.
It’s easy to makejokes at their expense,
but you know, there is a magic there, that
they’ve been able to survive that business
- andremain together, whenI’m sure there
were many times it wouldhavebeenmuch
easier to split under the pressure.
see Amuse, p. 11
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for justice
& equality for Gays & Lesbians
Domestic .Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appoinlrnenls are available.
As Seen On Oprah
Wireless E-Mail
Send and receive Internet mail
Exchange wireless notes
Receive information updates
Chat privately
Only $99.99, Motorola T900 2-Way
. after $50 mail-in rebate
to order: www.acninc.com,
Click on the pager icon. Rep. Ruid 0429895
IGTA member
Call 341. 6866
International
Toursformoreinformation.
Fresh Start
Seeking men & women to help with
,expansion in the area. Mustbe independent,
goal-oriented; have a great attitude
and excellent people skills.
Call 663-5323.
Country Club Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, .T,ues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
ody
Tulsa’s only
professional
body-piercing
College Hill
-Presbyterian Church
In response to God’s Love,
College Hill Presbyterian Church
is a community of God’s people
called to tell others the
Gospd of-J~sus Christ
through worship,
- service, and evangelism.
To nurture our faith, we gather for
worship, prayer,
study and fellowship.
Trusting in a living~ loving God,
we seek to become a compassionate
voice for peace and justice.
Our congregation welcomes all
persons who respohd in trust and
obedience to God’s grace
in Jesus Christ, and desire to become
part of the membership and ministry
of Christ’s church.
Membership is open:.to all people
regardless of race, ethnic origin,
worldly condition, marital status, or
sexual orientation.
Sunday Worship 1 lam-
712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800
(Ohe block west of Delaware and the
University of Tulsa Campus)
This without saying a word to me. After -
seeing how the candidates STILL can’t "
decide this election, I put on my pajamas. "
That’s all, I swear. When I come out at ¯
9:20, the TV is turned off, along with the ¯
lights. My dorm mother has declared my
curfew. One thought goes through my "
head - I’m going to kill him; I’m going to ¯
kill him; I’m going to kill him. Big kitchen
knives flash through my mind. I go to bed "
at 9:20, again listening to Melissa. She’s "
giving me the wrong kind of strength, :
think.
DAY FOUR- This is the last day, but I "
have to spend it with HIM. I see my stu- ¯
dents at my Saturday class, knowing this :
will probably be the last time I teachi I’ve ¯
made up my mind as I arrive at Vincent’s. "
He ignores me, as usual, while he watches ¯
gymnastics on TV, laughing for some tea- ¯
son. Hewon’t laugh forlong. Even though ~
I hate the color and look bffd in it, orange :
jumpsuits will be my style for the next 20
years. Hey, they let you write,letters~in ¯
prison. Ev~nLestian~olumns, I veheard. :
"Goodbye Vincent!" 5" by Karin Gregor
#2238769480, Cell BlockH ¯
ofthe"diversity" statement whichincluded :
"sexual orientation," saying he wouldhave :
noticed its inclusion. ¯
In response,’sev~al ~gregation have
commi~ted to re=examining their endorse:
ment of the document? College Hill Pres- ¯
byterian Church and’ Fellowship Congre- "
gational Church will’bring the.issue back
to theirgov.ernmg boards. ,Andsomemere- "
bers of MCC~United, Tulsa s Metropoli: ¯
tan Community Church, members of
predominatelyLesbianand Gay denomi- "
nation, are concerned about their church’s ¯
endorsement of a statement which does
not acknowledge the existence of Lesbian -"
and Gay persons. :
The welcoming committee of Community
Unitarian-Universalist Congregation ¯
has drafted a letter to TMM saying, "we
erred in our endorsement of this state- "
ment"because thefailure toinclude sexual ¯
orientation is in conflictwith the values of ¯
the congregation and the letter further says ,"
that they wilt not endorse any future state- "
ments which are not inclusive. ¯
Other groups such as Holland Hall ¯
School, the Episcopal Diocese of Okla: "
homa, and the Eastern Oklahoma :
Presbytery -: Presbyterian Church USA, ¯
have been asked to explain their support :
for a statement which is not compatible .
with their policies. In the case of the Episcopal
Diocese and. Holland Hall School, :
staff and religious leaders were not sure if ¯
the organization’s names had been used "
with permission. ¯
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights :
(TOHR), the state’s oldest civil rights or- ¯
ganization has discussed the issue at a "
recentboardandmembershipmeeting and
president, Greg Gatewood stated that he ¯
would seek a meeting with Rana and Day :
to request an explanation of the exclusion
of "sexual orientation" from the state- ¯
ment. Further action on the part of the
organization will vary depending on their
responses.
Other congregations which signed the
"diversity" statement, like the city’s Episcopal
parishes and its Unitarian-Universalists
congregations, all of whom have
histories of being fair to Lesbian and Gay
Tulsans are also being asked to consider
withdrawing their support for the statement
because of the failure to include
"sexual orientation."
And they’ve remained incredibly successful
throughout the years andups anddowns
that showbiz life provides. Living with
someone 5 years is a major feat, much less
working with them as well. And even in
relative anonymity, it’s hard enough. To
have survived and remain together as long
as they have - 43 years - is a major feat.
FYI, Royis 5 years younger thanSiegfried.
About the biographical aspects of the
film, Roy says "It’s ~way~ a difficult step
to open yourself up beeauge ~ou make
yourself very vulnerabl~. That fneans you
have to let your guard down andeveryone
has access to you." Scary iild~gd. The
cameras were allowed full access to the
home and grounds of theirestate’. He goes
on to say "I have to say;~it’s~ been pretty
good to do it. It goes way badk" to when I
was a boy. I had a catching smile, but in
reality I was a loner. I wa~ n0t too good
with people. As a mattel: offact, I didn’t
trustinpeople. I trustedmy animals more."
I can relate to that.
The interesting thing is that,-aozording
to producer Bernie Yuman,’"Roy has a
bond with these animals whereby there’s
no force. Force createsforce. There’s alot
of love. There’s a lot of.voice intonation
and camaraderie - and a lot of meat - but
affection and conditioning, Roy’s never
trained an animal, and Siegfried and Roy
have never been involved.in, training ammalsin
their lives. Theymoldthings around
the personality of their animals." And
maybe, if the rest of us learned that tricklove
without the need for control - we’d
have longer lasting relationships .as well.
Food for thought. And so, for all the nasty
S&Rjokes I could make, I find I reallyjust
have too much respect for what they’ve
accomplished to make them.
In the film, you get behind the scenes
visits to their home - which is like designer
overkill, given their taste_~or opulence.
And you get to see their private
wildlife sanctuary, where they live with
and raise the white tigers used in the act.
Their love of the animals is evident.
It’s filmed in 3-D, so you’ll be able to
see Siegfried and Roy up close and personal.
Numerous digital techniques were
used to recreate the Europe of their childhoods.
As for the magic shots, they were
specifically filmed uncut as master shots,
so that the audience would no that no
camera tricks were used. Andrew Dunlap,
who plays young Roy, was also in the all
male version of "Importance of Being
Earnest," which was interesting to note.
Also playing is Fantasia 2000 and 3D
Mania: Encounter in the 3rd Dimension;
71st and Highway 169.
Healing
E
E ECT IIII
AIDS Memorial Quilt
re.n.esS
World AIDS Day Candlelight Memorial March
Friday, December 1st, 6:30pm
Tulsa Civic Center Plaza, 5th & Denver
The NAMES Project Quilt Opening, 8pm
This advertisement is donated by Tulsa Family News. TFN appreciates the opportunity to support this showing of the Quilt, and The NAMES Project.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, December 2000; Volume 7, Issue 12
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
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Tulsa Family News
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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December 2000
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James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, November 2000; Volume 7, Issue 11
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English
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/607
2000
AIDS drugs
AIDS research
aMUSEments
anti-discrimination laws
arts and entertainment
Bayer
Boy Scouts
businesses
Catholic Church
Chris Kolb
Christmas
churches
Fred Phelps
gay bashing
Gay Studies
Gilcrease Museum
harassment
hate crimes
HIV
HIV testing
holidays
injection site
Jim Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
military inclusion
Murder
NAMES Project
Native Americans
Oklahoma Lambda Youth Scholarship
Oklahoma Mr. Leather
Openarms Youth Project
Partner Benefits
performing arts
Raging Lesbian
Red Cross
Red Rock Tulsa
restaurants
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Metro Chamber
Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
Tulsa Uniform Leather Seekers Association
Westboro Baptist Church
World AIDS day
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/6b7e676bb8ca66b2d4d4e77ec98183bb.jpg
70277c751b7608bff4b6a6a9ebd57143
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/a3ba05665eee0d1b153fdde340f774b0.pdf
6e78e6b1fae615e50dacbb10ea0a31df
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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Deputy Police Chief To
Speak At TOHR, Nov. 14
TULSA (TFN) - Tulsa Deputy Chief of Police Bobby
L. Busby will be the featured speaker at the Nov.
meeting of Tulsa Oldahomans for Human Rights
(TOHR) at the Gay Community Services Center at 21st
&Memorial.The meeting begins at 7:30pm. Topics for
discussion with the ChiefBusby will include expanding
Tulsa’s "diversity" training for new police recruits and
for in-service training to include sexual orientation as
wall as rate and etlmicity. Also on the agenda will be
discussion of recent police visits to local Gay and
Lesbian_nightclubs. All are invited to attend.
TOHR will also hold a new volunteer orientation on
Nov. 9th at 7pm at the Center. Center organizers also
held an openhouse for thenew facility in October. They
note that about 80 people attended the event including
a substantial number of visitors in town for a leather
event. TOHR also hosted a Feastfor,~riends dinner
with raised over $1,000 for The NAMES Project.
Hate In Vermont
BROOKFIELD, Vt. (AP) - Mark Hackett was
thunderstruck when he looked at the fence facing property
he owns on Vermont Route 14. "Exaente the Fag,"
it declared, its message clear despite the misspelling.
Hackett, who is Gay, rents the property to two families,
one of whom has been feuding with the property
owner next door on whose fence the hate message was
spray-painted. Although Hackett as landlord has been
only peripherallyinvolved in the neighborhood dispute,
its message was obvious to him.
"It’s clearly there for me to see.., the message to my
tenant was,’ Seehow yourlandlordlikes that,’ "Hackett
said. "I just think the ’Take Back Vermont’ message is
making it OK to say stuff like that. I don’t have a
problem with people voting Democratic or Republican
or supporting any candidate they want... But you start
seeing that stuff around the state and it’s not about
politics, it’s about hate."
And it is happening more and more around Vermont
in this heated and polarized campaign season. In
Burlington, the Outright Vermont office has taken to
locking its doors and taking other security precautions
after two differentmen walked into the office on Oct. 13
and threatened to kill a staff member. "The first one
basically asked her what she was going to do to eliminate
herself, then told her if she didn’t eliminate hersdf
he would," see Vermont, l~. 2
DIRECTORY P. 2
EDITORIAL P. 3
US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
HEALTH NEWS P. 6
ENTERTAINMENT P. 8
GAY STUDIES P. 10
¯ Servin Lesbian Ga Bisexual + Transg~n~er_ed ~ul__Fa~s_, ~r Fa~ili~.~ Friends
: Gays Excluded From
i Tulsa’s "Diversity"
¯ Metropolitan Ministry Lauds Local Mix
: But Sees On!y Race, Religion + Ethnicity
¯ NEWS ANALYSIS ~- When is "diversity" not diverse? Only in
¯ Tulsa where "do-gooder" organizations, like Tulsa Metropolitan
¯
Ministry (TMM), the National Conference on Community and
¯ Justice (NCCJ), and others can sin~ the praises of interfaith
¯ tolerance andunderstandingwhile excluding or ignoringLesbian
¯ and Gay Tulsans, regardless of faith.
In this case,TMMissued a"Statement in Support ofDiversity"
¯ which defines diversity only in terms of race, ethnicity and
¯ religion. TMM’s newexecutive director theRev. StephenCranford ¯
stated that he did not know if the omission was deliberate.
However, TMM staff said that the text of the statement was
written by TMM board president, Dr. Sandra Rana, who is a
leader in Tulsa’s Islamic community. Members of Tulsa’s Is-
" lamic community have made hostile remarks towards Gays on
¯
several occasions, most recently when a Muslim representative
¯ at a NCCJ Trialogue on Marriage said that his society would
¯ murder any Gay men who attempted to marry each other. Dr.
’ Rana did not respond to messages left about the "Statement in
¯ Support of Diversity".
TMMhas a history of mostly ignoring Lesbian and Gay issues
¯ with one notable exception: the support of an amendment to ¯ Oklahoma’s hate crimes statute whichTulsa Representative Don
: Ross introduced in the legislative session prior to last year’s.
¯ Radford Rader, pastor ofCollegeHill Presbyterian Church, an ¯
officially welcoming congregation of Lesbians and Gay men and
¯ member of the TMM executive board, responded that the state-
" ment was meant to address racial and ethnic diversity because of
¯ the coming of the KKK. It was written right before the incident ¯
¯ at the Jewish cemetery. Rader stated that he did not feel that the
exclusion was deliberate.
see TMM, p. 9 ¯ Gay Grandmothers Just
Want to See Grandkids
TULSA (TFN) - It’s a sad story when families get caught up in
¯
homophobia and prejudice. It’s common when couples separate
after one or the other parent realizes that they are Lesbian or Gay.
¯ And when thelegal systemgets involved, often the Gay parent ¯
loses, though around the US and evenin Oklahoma, courts cases
." are holding that Lesbians or Gay men are not ipso facto bad
¯ parents. But when grandparents are involved, it’s even more ¯
difficult because the law defers almost completely to parents.
¯ That’s where two Tulsa women, Julene and Schrie, find
¯ themselves. Both were once married to men and have children ¯
fromthose relationships.
¯ Some of those kids have no problem with their Lesbian moms.
¯ And one of them didn’t have a problem with them, when she
¯ needed free babysitting and before she was married to a man ¯
who’s areligious fundamentalists. Now the daughter and the son-
¯ in-law who says he’s the head of the house find that "it’s in the
¯ best interest of the kids" that the kids not see their grandmother
¯ or her partner who’s just as close. ¯
Legal experts hold out little hope, and even if there were
¯ grounds for a court case, judges andjuries in Oklahoma are often
¯ .not sympathetic. But this does not deter friends of the women ¯
¯ who praise them for their kindness and support to their friends and employees when they find themselves in need.
¯ The women own a local dub out on Garnett which while it is
not a Lesbian or Gay oriented venue has patron who are remark-
" able supportive of the pair.
¯ Bar employee, Tummy Peevyhouse, was particularly outspo-
¯ ken in her concern for her friends and employers, as was also a
¯ bar patron, Tommy Clown. Frustrated by the limitations offered
by the legal system, Peevyhouse’s response was if the law allows
¯ this [situation], then the law needs to be changed.
¯ Meanwhile, the grandmothers just wait and have faith that as ¯
their grandsons reach legal maturity, they will reassert them-
" selves and come to see them on their own.
HEAR the Quilt
World AIDS Day- Dec, 1
¯ Council Oak Men’s Chorale Benefit
¯ TULSA-The fifth andlargestdisplay ofTheNAMES
Project will behddat tbeTulsa Conventi,o,.n Centeron
¯ on December 1 - 3. The event entitled, HEAR The Quilt" will open with student tours during daytime
¯ hours on World AIDS Day, Friday, December 1.
The opening ceremonies for the general public for
¯
"HEAR The Quilt" will be proceeded by the tradi-
] tionalWorldAIDS Day candlelightmarch.Themarch
¯ will begin at the Courthouse Plazajust west of 5th and
¯ Denver at 6:30, Friday evening.Marchers are encour- ¯
aged to bring organizational banners andbells; candles
¯ will be provided. Parking is available at the Conven¯
tion Center garage. The march will follow a short
¯ route through downtown Tulsa and will return to the
convention center for the Quilt’s opening at 8pro.
This display of the Quilt will feature 188 sections
¯ of the Quilt, each twelvefeet square. The display will
, be free and open to the public. Organizers note that
¯
the Quilt has the power to teach, to touch hearts, and
¯ to change minds.
In conjunction with the "HEAR The Quilt" Dis-
" play, the Council Oak Men’s Chorale under the
¯ direction of Rick Fortner will perform at Hope Uni-
¯ tarian Church, 8432 South Sheridan Road, Tulsa on
: Saturday evening,December2 atT:30pm. Admission ¯
is free, with a suggested $10 donation. Proceeds will
¯ benefit the NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter.
There also. will be an interfaith worship service
(coordinated by Reverend Cathy Elliott, pastor of
MCC United Church) to be held at the Quilt display
¯ on Sunday, Dec. 3at 9:30am.
¯ For more information, call (918) 748-3111 or send
e-mail to info@TulsaQuilt.org ¯ Maine To Vote Again
On Gay Civi,I Rights
¯ HALLOWELL, Maine (AP) - Maine’s latest refer-
" endum on civil fights for Gay citizens resurrects
¯ familiar arguments on both sides, but this time propo-
¯ nents have polished the proposal and picked up a
¯ potentially influential ally. In wirming support from
the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, backers
have sought to buttress an exemption for religious
¯ institutions. They have also sought to counter claims
¯ that the measure would award anything special or
¯ endorse specific sexual behavior.
Last time around, the Catholic church sat out the
¯ dection debate, saying it could not support a law
¯ enacted by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Angus
¯ .King because of ambiguities in its language. The
¯ enacted measure was repealed in February 1998
¯ before it ever took effect by a rare "people’s veto"
¯ referendum vote. The outcomein that special election
: was 51% for repeal and 49% against.
~ This time, with numerous other matters on state
¯ ballots expected to produce a bigger voter turnout,
¯ approval of Question 6 would again expand the ¯
Maine Human Rights Act. The proposal would in-
" dude the category of"sexual orientation" in a list of
¯ groups protected against discrimination in the areas
¯ of employment, housing or access to public accom- ¯
modations and the extension of credit. The new
version, however, approved by the Legislature and
signed by the governor in April, is more limited than
the repealed law. "We’ve repeatedly said work needs
to be done to clean up the language," says Catholic
diocesan spokesman Marc Mutty. "And we did that."
Besides the religious exemption, the new version
specifies thatno change in affirmative action requirements
is intended and see Maine, p.3
Tulsa~Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine
*Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
712-2324
610-5323
583-2119
835-2376
744-4280
745-9998
*The Star, 1565 Shelida~, 834-4234 ~
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, i649 S~. M~in 585,3405
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial §~920836
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
~
1584-1308
*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41
Body Piercing by Nieole, 2722 E. 15
*Border~ Books & Music, 2740 E.21
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. llth
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
743-1000
250-5034
665-4580
712-1122
712-9955
494-2665
743 -5272
746-0313
295-5868
581-0902, 743-4117
622-0700
749-3620
744-5556
838-8503
369-8555
712-9379
592-0460
744-9595
610-0880
628-3709
808-8026
742-1460
459-9349
744-7440
745-1111
341-6866
712-2750
582-3018
747-0236
582-8460
599-8070
747-5466
585-1234
584-3112
663-5934
664-2951
838-7626
743-4297
747-5932
834-0617
834-7921, 747-4746
749-6301
260-7829
481-0558
835-5563
743-1733
665-2222
592-0767
*Deco to Disco; 3212 E. 151h
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial
Ross Edward Salon 584-0337,
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main
Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 551h P1.
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr.
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planniug
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly
*International Tours
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 151h
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo
*The Pride Store
Rainbowz on the River B+B,POB 696, 74101
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors
Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square
PaulTay, Car Salesman
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
FOB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159. e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal
Writers + eontributom: James Christjohn. Karin Gregory, Barry
Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche. Lament Lindstrom. Esther
Rothblum, Mary Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
Mem~ber of The Associated Press.. ~ _ ~ ~ ,
Issued 0ffor,befot~ th6 1 ~t of~ each month,~entire contents
Of this publicatioxi are protected by US 6opyright 1998 by
To/.~/:k~,,~ N~and may not be~ptoduce~ eitherin whole
or in part without written permission from the publisher.
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s
sexual orientation. ~orrespondence is assumed to be for
"pi~blication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes
the sole property of TM-~/c¢,,,,~... Nv~,. Each reader is
entitled to 4 copies of each edition at distribution
points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
¯ *Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
¯ Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
¯ *Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
¯ *Free SpiritWomen’s Center, call for location&info: 587-4669 ¯
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
¯ Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd, 583-6611
¯ *Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
¯ *HouseoftheHoly SpiritMinstries,1517 S. Memorial 224-4754
¯ *MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715 ¯
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral P1. 748-3111
¯
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
¯ OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
¯ *OSU-Tulsa ¯
PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901
¯ *Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
¯ Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
¯ R.A:I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195 ¯
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
: St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882
¯
St. Dtmstan’,s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
¯ *St. Jerome s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
¯ *TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
~ Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105
¯ Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only ¯ Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, c!o The Pride Center 743-4297
: T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
¯ *Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
; *Tulsa Community College Campuses
¯ *Tulsa Gay Community Center, 21st & Memorial 743-4297
¯ Unity Church ofChristianity,3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
.. BARTLESVILLE
¯ Barflesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
¯ TAHLEQUAH
: Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
¯ Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
¯ Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-936~3
¯ EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
www.gaytulsa~.org - website for Tulsa Gays & Lesbians : Autumn Br~,eeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734
T,,t~ ^~-~.A~=~~ Cha;-bh~i; ~:chOOIS&~. Universities "- Jim &Brent s Bistro 173 S. Main 501-253~7457
A!~r~ ~Xrr~t+~,~~r~tT~ 7’h~:~ [-’ ~ ’~ ~ ~ :~ "~~-95~....~eVito~s’R~S~L -5 Ce~ter~ St.’’ t. ~ ..... ,. ,: 1, ~ ~,1-~53~
~1 So~sU~Ch~ch, 2952 S. Peofia 743-2363 : ¯~dR~nbow, 45 ~!~ Spnng ’St: .....5.01.2.5.3 ~5
Black & ~te, ~c. ~B 1~01, T~sa 74159 5~-7314 ¯ MCC of ~e ~ving Spring 501-253-9337
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6
B/.L/G/T-Alliance, Univ, of Tulsa United Min. Ctr.
Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1.
Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood
*Community of Hope Church, 2545 S. Yale
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation
Council Oak Men’s Chorale
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware
583-7815
583-9780
585-1201
& Florence
587-1314
747-6300
749-0595
748-3888
712-1511
Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429 501-253~2776
Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332
Positive Idea Marketing Plans ....... 501-624-6646
Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East 501-253-6001
White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696
* is where you can find TFN. Not all are Gay-owned butall are Gay-friendly.
said Keith Elston, executive director of the
group dedicated to Gay and Lesbian youth.
"The other one was much more blunt that he
was going to ’kill fags.’ "
Burlington police are investigating the
incidents, but there have beenno arrests and
cOauretffUiglhatbVoeurtmtro~nntgh.at9s pbregcvoidme~e .msauf.ec.hty mt°oir.tes
staff, volunteers and especially its clients.
From tasteless bumper stickers to graffiti
on highway pavement, it’s apparently become
socially acceptable in the political
climate of 2000 to use derogatory terms for
Gays and Lesbians that once were considered
epithets. There have been scattered but
persistent reports at schools across the state
about anti-Gay incidents and harassment.
On the pavement of the road approaching
the Champlain Bridge near Fort~i~conderoga
inNew Yorksomeonerecently spray-painted
in large white letters "FAGS," with arrows
pointing over the bridge into Vermont.
"How much more explicit can you be
about creating an aura of fear for day-to-day
life?" said Lynne Bond, a psychology professor
at the University of Vermont who has
studied Gay and Lesbian issues.
Vermont’s new civil unions law, granting
most of the rights and benefits of marriage
to same-sex couples, clearly has prompted a
broad public discussion about the lives of
Gays and Lesbians. There are deeply held
beliefs about the morality - or some would
say immorality - of homosexuality. But
before the civil unions debate, those beliefs
were rarely expressed in langnage that’s so
offensive to Gays and Lesbians.
"It seems to me that some people, have
broken out of the social constraints of civility
that I think people were honoring during
thelegislativeprocess," said BethRobinson,
the Middlebury attorney who argued the
lawsuit that led to civil unions.
People who oppose civil unions say
they’ve been unfairly maligned becausejust
they don’t agree with the law. They complain
that they’ve been described as bigots,
hate-mongerers and homophobes. They say
that their ’Take Back Vermont’ signs and
other political placards havebeen knocked
over, defaced with Gay symbols and stolen.
"I think there have been ugly incidents on
both sides," Republican gubernatorial candidate
Ruth Dwyersaid atadebatein Lyndon
Center last week.
Still, it once was eousidered ill-mannered
at best to use such terms as fag and dyke aad
queer in civil conversation. The anger over
civil unions appears to have erased that
unwritten rule in Vermont, at least for the
time being. And that makes many Gay and
Lesbian Vermonters feel as if they’re under
attack, even if it’s a small minority of civil
union opponents who:are behind the hate.
~ : ~ ~P~@I’O~6*~[re~, frimtrated lthat
1 didn-t~get ~d~* ~ivil ~iOrls bill killed
Legislature, some of them have taken it.
upon themselves to link an ominous, mystical
Gay agenda to the civil union bill,"
- Elston.said. ’,’They’ve.been-falsely suggest~
ing that there s something in the civil unions
bill that requires the teaching of homosexuality
in schools. They’ve been foolishly
suggesting that Outfight teaches homosexuality
in the schools, that we’re distributing
pornography." see Vermont, p.3
World Watch:
News Not Covered in Our Daily
by Tom Neal, editor/gadfly/publisher
It’s old fashioned to place as much import on a daily
newspaper but then as a newspaper publisher and editor
of now seven years, I am somewhat committed to the
concept. Unlike the internet, radio and television, those
more ephemeral of media, the printed word, even on acid
filled newsprint leaves a legacy, a picture of where we are
and where we were, in a way that is more accessible and
probably more permanent.
This new and irregularly published column, like much
ofthis newspaper’s coverage, intends to bring to attention
things which otherwise might not get addressed.
Andwhile our daily newspaper, The Tulsa Worldis not
the worst newspaper in America, it does have some
foibles, some journalistic lapses which stem from its
parochial circumstances: a privately owned, smaller town
paper with a historically greater emphasis on coverage of
wealthy whites, rather than minority citizens and issues.
It’s better than it used to be but...
We are in the height of the United Way campaagn, and
as in years past, The Tulsa World is a major supporter of
TulsaAreaUnitedWay (TAUW). This is notintrinsically
a bad thing. TAUW does do much good for many. But
TAUW also funds organizations which engage in discnminatory
practices and itself may discriminate. There
are ongoing questions about the true percentage of funds
which go to services rather than administration.
Onemight think that The Wormwouldat least look into
these issues. But year after year, The World’s coverage of
United Way is a public relations flakmeister’s dream,
with shamelesslypromotional stories aboutTAUWfunded
agencies which nm during the United Way fundraising
campaign.
Canwedoubt thatifTAUWwere funding’~penly racist
or anti-semitic agencies that The World would write
about it? Despite claims of separation between the newsroom,
and advertising and ownership, The Worm has a
clear conflict of interest between its promotion of United
Way and its commitment to good journalism.
The World will change when they know that their
readers like you andme find their practices unacceptable.
Not to pickonJoe Worley, executive editor butultimately
he’s responsible for the decision to coddle Tulsa Area
United Way and its bad mannered (and in one case,
clearly lncohapetent) management. Joe’s ntunber is published
on page A-2 everyday. Let him know when The
World’s doing a good job of covering Lesbian and Gay
issues (overall, they’re doing better these days) but also
let him know what’s not working too.
’In the current, embittered political atmosphere, it is
difficult to counter such arguments. And so it feeds on
itself and results in slogans that once would have been
considered epithets being painted on a neighbor’s fence.
Although it’s unpleasant for many Vermonters, regardless
of their homosexuality, people who have been
involved said they will continue speaking out. "You have
to just keep on.telfing the truth, over and over again,"
El~n ~akl. !’Everyti~n~,thCy ~ylie~ ~a~bgut you,’yqq l~av¢
t~ exp0~e. ~em ~s [i~e~ on~!,Y0q ~aYq ~to ~t~lil,th~ .tnifl~
people hear that message."
"They Don’t Want Civil Rights, They Want Special Rights"
Early this morning, before I was really awake, or maybe
late last night drowsing with the television on, the history
channel was showing footage about the struggle Black
Americans had to end legal segregation. This part ofrecent
American history is a particular interest of mine but this
was mostly things I’d heard or seen before. But then there
was an image that caught my attention, one I’d never seen
before.
An old black and white image showed a white Southerner
marching with a placard Saying, "They don’t want
civil rights, they want SPECIAL rights!" And here I
thought that particular carnard wg~ newly minted to
mischaracterize the desire of Lesbian and Gay persons to
live our lives relatively unmolested, with a some semblance
of the same opportunities which non-Gay citizens
enjoy.
Perhaps I should not have been surprised. In the fight
over whether Lesbian and Gay Americans should serve
openly in defense of our country, almost word-for-word
rhetoric was trotted out to oppose Gays as was used to
oppose racial integration of the US military.
Prejudice, like taxes and death, is, it seems, fundamental
to the human condition, with Americans, like others,
occasionally transcending our biases. After many shameful
years of oppression, Americahas slowly set aside some
of its racism. But different prejudices, seeing a void, have
come forward.
In response, we can do several things. Many simply seek
to live their own lives, quietly, avoiding harassment as best
as possible. Others speak out as best they can. But all who
are citizens can vote, and after the election, can contact
those who are supposed to be representing us.
Of course, in Oklahoma, this is often an exercise in
frustration. Our elected federal leaders are nearly all dedicated
to attacking or restricting the rights of Lesbian-and
Gay citizens - and their staff are usually rude and arrogant.
But not to hold them accountable is to let them
assume that all agree with their prejudice.
Needless-to-say, in this election, if you are reading this
before Nov. 7th, please consider the difference between
the Republicans and the Democrats. As bad as the Democrats
may be in Oklahoma, on a national level, that party
has clearly talked and walked the talk. Positions for fair
treatment of Lesbian and Gay citizens are in the Democratic
platform and have been honored in action by the
national party, not perfectly, but under Clinton and Gore,
more than ever before.
Bush and the Republicans may have moderated some of
their anti-Gay, neo-nazi rhetoric (though not the Oklahoma
party) but this is the party which brought us years of
indifference to the HIV/AIDS crisis under Reagan, as well
as a documented hostility to addressing anti-Gay hate
crimes, let alone civil rights issues like employment, fair
housing, military service, legal recognition, of our relationships
and families, etc.
It’s not that I especially like Gore, or that Bush isn’t an
idiot, it’s just that given the choice, we have no choice.
This guy will be making the next Supreme Court appointments.
And decisions which have been crucial to our lives
(like Bowers v. Hardwick which said that straight oral sex
is constitutionally protected but the same act for Gays can
be a felony crime, Dale v. the Boy Scouts of America,
Colorado’s Amendment 2) have all been mostly narrowly
decided cases. Another Scalia, or Clarence Thomas, the
type of choices we’ve seen from Republican presidents,
would not bode us well.
Vote like your life depends on it- in many ways, it does.
-Tom Neal, editor & pubisher
that there would .be no. requirement for employers to
provide benefits for the partners of Gay and Lesbian
workers.
"The diocese has never been opposed to any of the
proposals," Mutty says. But he says changes this year not
only made it possible for the church to sign on as an
advocate, but were also aimed at making the measure
acceptable to a majority of people statewide.
Michael Heath of the Christian Civic League of Maine,
a leader of one of the major groups opposing the measure,
says the shift from neutrality to advocacy by the Catholic
diocese was a major setback. The prospect of a busy
balloting day is also a concern for opponents, he says. "If
there’ s a big turnout of voters, then a lot of sort ofimpulsive
voters are going to be there," Heath says, fretting that those
unfamiliar with details of the proposal may not appreciate
its impact.
Heath says the morality of homosexuality remains central
to the debate and that conferring rights with this
proposal could lead to further Gay demands. "It lays the
foundation for a lot of other things," Heath says.
Observers on both sides suggest much of the Maine
electorate appears-to have grown weary of the issue, which
in one form or another has occupied debate on public
policy for at least two decades. In 1992, the first local Gay
fights law was passed by the Portland City Council. Three
w.gr~s later, Maine~ vot.,¢,r~,~rejected a proposal to prevent
municipal and other government bodies.in the state from
passing laws barring anti-Gay discrimination.
In 1997, after years of legislative warring, a state civil
rights law was enacted. But just months later, the people’s
veto vote forced by opponents repealed that. "It was very
close the last time it went around. I know there’s been a lot
of work on both sides," says bakery worker Sara Wagner
in Hallowell. "I hope it passes." In a brief, streetside
interview, Wagner said her awareness of discrimination
facedby people sheknew ofmade the ballot questionmore
than an abstract matter of principle. "It has real life implications,"
she said.
Heath, in contrast, maintains the proponents’ claims of
acturd discrimination are specious. "It’s obviously not
widespread," he says.
Earlier this month, in response tO an inquiry by one of
the referendum bill’s leading legislative champions, Attorney
General Andrew Ketterer advised that ~at least the
threat of discrimination is real under existing statutes.
"The federal and state law, as currently written and interpreted
by the courts, do not prohibit the denial or termination
of employment, the denial of credit, the denial of
public acco~nmodation or the denial of housing because of
sexual orientation," Ketterer wrote.
The most recent campaign finance reports show that
supporters from the Maine Coalition for Equal Rights,
now known as YES on 6, reported donations of nearly
$260,000 and expenditures of $240,000.
The Christian Action League collected $37,500, but is
also opposing proposals on video gambling and doctorassisted
suicide. According to a recent poll by the Portland
research firm Critical Insights Inc., respondents favored
the referendum by 59% to 29%, with 11% undecided.
Question 6 on Maine’s ballot asks:
"Do you favor ratifying the action of the 119th
Legislature whereby it passed an act extending to all
citizens regardless of their sexual orientation the
same basic rights to protection against discrimination
now guaranteed to citizens on the basis of race, color,
religion, sex or national origin in the areas of employment,
housing, public~acco.ram~datipa~.a~d~cr~edi[ .and
where th~ a~t expregs’ly~s~te~
confers legislative approval Of, or sp~,i~ d’gtig tb;
any person or group of persons?"
¯ Okla. Reps. = Total Zeros
: Not that it should come as any surprise to anyone, but
¯ the Human Rights Campaign, HRC, reports in their
¯¯ scorecard for the 106thCongress thatOklahoma’s Representatives
and our Senators, Largent, Cobum, Watkins,
¯
Watts, Istook, Lucas, Nickles and Inhofe received total
¯ zeros on 10 questions about legislation of concern to Gay
¯ citizens. This is why voting matters, friends. - TFN
Scouts Fire Gay Man
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) - A Boy Scout
executive was stripped of his Eagle Scout status and
fired by the Boy Scouts of America National Council
10 days after he publicly admitted he is Gay, his
attorney said. Len Lanzi, Boy Scouts Los Padres
Council executive director, worked for the scouting
organization 14 years before he was terminated by
mail.
"We plan to pursue all legal remedies available to
him," said Lanzi’s attorney, Steven Serratori, whose
Century City firm specializes in employment law "I
think it’s fair to say that everybody is surprised at the
arrogance of the Boy Scouts," Serratori said. "To think
in this day and age that they think they can fire
someone based on their sexual orientation..." A U.S.
Supreme Court rnling last summer upholding the Boy
Scouts" right to exclude Gay members does not apply
to its employees, the lawyer said.
Lanzi, whose territory includes Santa Barbara and
SanLuis Obispo counties, is believed to be the highestranking
Boy Scout executive to publicly acknowledge
his homosexuality since the Supreme Court ruling in
June.
Los Padres Boy Scout boardmembers told the Santa
Barbara News-Press their options were limited because
of the national council’s policy on Gays. "We
could contradict the national Boy Scout policy, and
possibly risk the whole council being decommissioned,
orwecan go along with firing him," said Karl Eberhard
a member of the Los Padres Boy Scouts board. "I
maintain that the whole thing is completely idiotic," he
added.
Neighbors Don’t Mind
Alabama Ga " Nudists
WAVERLY, Ala. (AP) -h grovel road winds through
John Bales’ wilderness resort. It looks like any of the
paths leading to huntinglodge_s wherecountless Southern
men spend weekends this time of year. Then, you
come to the sign: "Clothing optional area."
This isn’t your ordinary, out-of-the-way spot in the
woods of east Alabama. Bales owns Black Bear Camp,
a 33-acre resort catering to Gay men who enjoy nature
au naturel.
Black Bear Camp isn’t for hunting. It’ s for socializing.
The clientele tends to be Gay men best described
as the rugged type: Many have beards and bellies and
would rather sit around the lodge watching football on
TV than go to a Gay bar. "Probably more than 50% of
our customers are married or divorced with kids,"
Bales said. "’We don’t get the flamboyant type."
There were rumblings when another clothing-optional
campground for Gay men opened near the south
Alabama town of Geneva a couple of years ago. A
Lesbian-operated retreat where guests wear clothes,
Camp Sister Spirit, drew heated protests in 1993 after
opening in rural Mississippi.
But Bales hasn’t heard any complaints from surrounding
Lee County or nearby Waverly, a town of
" h
160 people, many,of them elderly. I know my ne.l.g .-
bors. They know I mGay, and they know I opened ttus
place," he said. "There hasn’t been a problem with it."
Many residents don’t know the camp exists: Bales
doe’Sn’t adverd~ locally, and there are no signs indicatinglthat
a dbfhing-opti0nal resort for Gays is just
off busy U.S. 280. But people who do know about the
camp don’t seem concerned about what’s going on in
the woods north of Auburn. "If that’ s what turns them
on, let ’em go on," said Waverly town clerk DeLene
Cawley. "If I belonged to a nudist colony that’s where
I’d want to be."
A leader of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Alabama
isn’t surprised by the lack of controversy. "As
long as there’s no loud music and people keep to
themselves I wouldn’t think people would have a
problem with it," said David White.
Bales, a 57-year-old math professor at Tuskegee
University, didn’t set out to get into the clothingoptional
resort business. He began buying land around
Little Loblockee Creek in 1982 and began building
1ears later with plans for the camp to provide a source
of income when he retires in 2009.
There’s bunk space for 24 in the 3,600-square-foot
lodge, whichhas a tin roof and all the comforts ofhome
plus some: Internet access, satellite TV, a hot tub and
an above-ground swimming pool with deck. Bales has
had as many as 30 customers on a weekend, but the
more typical crowd is six or seven.
"It was not my original intention to be clothingoptional,"
he said. "But shortly after I opened, I began
to get inquiries from clothing-optional groups asking
whether that was allowed. "It didn’t take me long to
realize that the remoteness and seclusion of the camp
made than a natural option and a good niche market to
enter."
With prices ranging from $8 for daytmae guests to
$40 a night for double occupancy bunks, Bales hopes
to break even this year as far as operating costs go. He
weeds out the occasional unannounced visitor just
looking for a good time. "No one wants to come down
here and have people who are looking at naked guys
and propositioning them for sex," he said. "That will
drive away my business.’"
Journalist Group Calls
For Partner Benefits
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The Society of Professional
Journalists approved a resolution calling for
news organizations to provide benefits for domestic
parmers of their Gay and Lesbian employees. .
The measure was opposed by some SPJ members
who said the professional organization should not get
involved in employment matters such as benefits.
Delegates approved the resolution by a margin of 85 to
36 at SPJ’s national convention.
Sally Lehlman, SPJ’s diversity chair, said the resolution
would ensure that Gay and Lesbian journalists
are not treated "like second class citizens in the newsroom."
"It’s not about employment from our perspecfive.
It’ s about fairness and accuracy in content, which
emerges in part from fairness in the newsroom," she
said.
Mark Scarp, an editorial writer for the Scottsdale
(Ariz.) Tribune, and member of SPJ’s executive committee,
said the group should follow its precedent of
leaving employment issues up to unions. "I personally
support domestic partner benefits but I believe it qualifies
as an employer-employee relations issue," Scarp
said. "We’re a professional association and I felt it
wasn’t appropriate for us to make a determination on
such an issue."
A few years ago, SPJ comuussioned a survey on
reporters’ salaries, but would not get into trying to
persuade employers to improve pay, Scarp said.
Gay Couple Get
Abducted Child Back
CATHEDRAL CITY, California (AP) - A 10-yearold
boy abducted by his grandfather who accused the
child’s caretakers of promoting a Gay lifestyle has
been returned to the couple. Miguel Washington was
surrendered to authorilies by relatives in Pennsylvania
and returned to the home ofhis uncle, Paul Washington
Jr., and Timothy Forrester. "Right now he’s really
happy to be home," Washington Jr. said. "We’re absolutely
elated. Our family is united again."
An attorney for Paul Washington Sr. and Sandra
Washington, Mignel’s grandparents and Washington
Jr.’s parents, said his clients intend to pursue custody.
"My clients don’t feel that’s the best home for him,"
said attorney Bill Hence Jr. "I’m very disappointed in
the agencies that were supposed to be protecting the
United in
God’s Love
MCC-United
Sunday Worship Reverend Cathy Elliot
11:00 am Pastor
1623 N. Maplewood 918/838-1715
Community
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Community ofHope
2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595
A Welcoming Congregation
HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm, Sunday Eve. Service, 6pm
1517 S. Memorial, 628-0802, Info: 224-4754
The Open Arms Project
Young Adult Support Group
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918-584-2325
Mingo Valley Flowers
9413 E. 31st St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-444-5934
Family Owned & Operated
Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW
Child, Family, Individual & Couple Psychotherapy
(918) 743-9559
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
The Pride Store
21st Street & Memorial
Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
743-GAYS (743-4297)
6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday
12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the Center
3 Strand Communications
Long Distance 4.9C/minute
$4.99 monthly fee
24 hours a day - 7 days a week
Call 447-8602
Red Rock Tulsa
Free Confidential HIV Testing
Walk-in Clinics
Tues. & Thurs., 5 -8 pm
at the Center, 1307 East 38th
Daytime appointments available.
Call for more information:
918-584-2325
KEVIN BURLESO N
Keller Williams Realty
712-2252
Burleson@kw.com
2651 East 21st Street, Ste. 100, Tulsa 74114
An Independent Member Broker
Kelly Kirby, CPA, PC
Certified Public Accountant
a professional corporation
747-5466
4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135
fights of the child." A hearing was scheduled for
December.
Miguel was born to Angelena Washington, the
younger Washington’s mentally disabled sister, who
was impregnated while living in an assisted-care facility,
family members said. At the time, family members
informally agreed to have him raised by Washington
Jr., a hardware store salesman, and Forrester, a teacher.
Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Tex
Ritter said his office had not decided if charges will be
filed in the abduction. The elder Washington picked up
Miguel for an overnight fishing trip on Oct. 6 andnever
brought him back, Washington Jr. said.
Instead, Washington and For/ester received a letter
from a Los Angeles law firm Oct. 7 stating that Miguel
had been removed from their home and accusing the
pair of "actively promoting or influencing a Gay
lifestyle for the minor." The letter cited Miguel’s
participation in ballet and "Gay art class" instead of
baseball as one reason for the boy’s removal.
Germany Ready to
Recognize Gay Partners
BERLIN (AP)-Germany’s governing coalition wants
to pass a law giving equal legal status to Gay couples
early in November, politicians stated. Leaders from
the Social Democratic and Greens parties said they
plan to have the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament,
approve the bill Nov. I0.
Conservatives, however, control a majority in the
upper house of parliament and have criticized the law.
To get around their opposition that could scuttle the
bill, lawmakers laid out a plan Friday to divide the
legislation into two parts.
The government majority in parliament would pass
administrative regulations creating the legal frameworkforGay
couples without the upper house’ s agreement.
However, the upper house will still be called on
to approve lifting the disadvantages to Gays contained
in labor and tax codes.
ACLU Trying Bias
Reduction Program
ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia is one of three states
chosen by the American Civil Liberties Union to pilot
a program to educate teachers about bullying of Gay
and Lesbian students.
The ACLU says students who identify themselves
as Gay are more than four times as likely to suffer
bullying than heterosexual students. Gary Weber, legal
director of the Georgia ACLU, said Gay students
also have higher rates of absenteeism and suicide. The
program will use panels - including a Gay student,
perhaps a parent of a Gay student, a school administrator
or classroom teacher and an attorney - to explain
the legal liabilities schools face if they ignore harassment.
TheACLU will begin contacting schools in November
to schedule traimng sessions. Districts that refuse
the training may be called by an ACLU attorney to
briefly explain legal liabilities. Kentucky and Indiana
are the other two pilot states. No date has been set for
expanding theprogram, which was developed in northern
California, to other states, ACLU spokesman Eric
Ferrero said.
Big .Brothers, Big Sisters
Bans Gay Volunteers
OWENSBORO, Ky (AP) - The local chapter of Big
Brothers-Big Sisters, which links children with adult
mentors, will no longer allow Gays to participate in the
program. The board voted 10-9 to bar openly Gay
volunteers following a closed-door meeting.
Board members had raised concerns about health
issues and fear that it would create confusion among
childr+n over sexual orientation matters, said Sue
Krampe, executive director. The debate on whether to
conunue to allow Gays to mentor children surfaced
recently after Brian Combs, a case manager and minister
at Christ View Christian Church, quit after learning
a homosexual was a mentor in the program.
The board was deadlocked in a vote earlier this
month. Combs had been the only person to raise a
complaint prior to the first vote. But since then, the
agency has fielded 18 telephone calls in opposition to
allowing Gays in the program, Krampe said.
Volunteers had been asked their sexual orientation
during the initial screening process and parents were
allowed to veto amatela based on their answers.
Nationally, only a "handful" of the 500 chapters of
the American Big Brothers-Big Sisters prohibits homosexuals~
from mentoring children, Krampe said.
Each local chapter can set ~ts ownpolicies on the issue.
she said.
Newspaper Chain to
Offer Partner Benefits
GRANDRAPIDS, Mich. (AP)- Six of the eight Booth
newspapers in Michigan will offer benefits to partners
of Gay employees starting in January. The papers that
will offer the benefits are The Ann Arbor News. The
Bay City Times, The Flint Journal, The Jackson Citizen
Patriot, the Kalamazoo Gazette and The Saginaw
News. The eight Booth newspapers are owned by
Advance Publications, based in New York.
George Arwady, publisher of the Kalamazoo paper,
said the new benefits were "pretty well accepted" by
employees. "It’ s a matter of equitable treatment for our
employees," Arwady said. "We have not made a big
deal out of it, mad it’s not a big deal."
Margaret DeRitter, an editor at the Gazette, said she
was pleased by the amaouncement. "I wasn’t aware of
employees internally pushing for.it," said DeRitter,
who is Gay and a 12-year employee of the paper. "I
thought it was great the company would do this without
any prompting from the staff. It says they value all
of their employees and want to be fair and equitable."
Mother of Slain Soldier
Appeals Army Decision
WASHINGTON (AP)-The mother of a FortCampbell
soldier who was murdered in iris barracks is seeking to
overturn the denial of her $1.8 million wrongful death
claim against the Army Kutteles sent an appeal of the
Sept. 27 decision by the military to Army Secretary
Louis Caldera. Kutteles, of Kansas City, Mo., said
fellow soldiers believed Winchell was Gay and harassed
him for months before he was beaten to death
with a baseball bat while sleeping in his cot July 5,
1999 at a post in Kentucky. The Army knew about the
harassment but did nothing to stop it, she said.
Pvt. Calvin Glover of Sulphur, Okla., was sentenced
to life in prison for murdering Winchell. Another
soldier was given a 12 1/2-year sentence for lying to
investigators. The Army inspector general issued a
report in July on Winchell’s murder.
The report found evidence of low morale mad anti-
Gay behavior among members of Winchell’s unit, D
Company, 2nd Battalion of the 502nd Infantry Regiment.
It concluded, however, that the chain of command
at Fort Campbell responded,a:ppropriately with
respect to enforcing the Pentagon S policy of permitting
Gays to serve in the military so long as they keep
their sexual orientation private.
Kutteles says should Caldera side with her, the
Army wouldbe taking full responsibility for Winchell’s
death. "We have to do this for our son’s sake. He died,
and I want his death to be meaningful," she said. "I
want other mothers and fathers not to have to go
through this."
Easier-to-Swallow
Anti-AIDS Pills
WASHINGTON (AP).- The government
approved a new easier-to-use version of a
standard AIDS drug that may ease patient
complaints that the medicine is too hard to
swallow. The drug is ddI, often used in the
multi-drug cocktails that AIDS patients
take to fight the virus. Until now, patients
havehad to chew, or dissolve in water, two
large, bitter-tasting ddI pills twice a day.
Those pills also frequently were blamed
for diarrheaand other gastrointestinal side
effects.
The Food and Drug Administration approved
a once-a-day capsule version of
ddI. Swallowing the capsule, to be sold
under the brandname Videx F_C, means no
nasty taste problem. An FDA spokeswoman
said thenew ddI may cause fewer
dangerous interactions with other medications
that AIDS patients take, because the
capsule does not contain abuffering ingredient
used in thechewable version.
Also, manufacturer Bristol-Myers
Squibb contends a special coating on the
new version means it may cause fewer
gastrointestinal side effects. Although
Bristol-Myers never ddirecdy compared the
old and new ddI to prove that, the FDA
said getting rid of that old buffering ingredient
may indeed help.
Bristol-Myers did notreveal whenVidex
EC would begin.selling, or if it would cost
the same as the old version,-,.
Researchers & Drug
Co. Dispute Results
CHICAGO (AP)-A study suggesting that
a vaccine-like AIDS treatment is ineffective
has provoked a public dispute between
the manufacturer that paid for much
of the study and doctors who say the company
tried to squelch their research.
The study’s conclusions, published in a
recent Journal of the American Medical
Association, echo doubts aboutHIV- 1 Immunogen
that were expressed several years
ago by advisers to the U.S~ Food and Drug
Administration. The results suggest that
when added to the drug regimen for HIVinfectedpatients,
HIV-11mmunogenfailed "
to reduce the risk of devdopingfull-blown ¯
AIDS. The drug cames the brand name ..
Remune. ¯
Immune Response Corp., the drug’s "
manufacturer, contends that researchers "
omitted favorable data and skewed the
results. The company entereda fairly com- .
mon arbitration process during which it "
tried to produce "a more balanced manu- :
script," said Dr. Ronald Moss, the ¯
company’s vice president of medical and "
scientific affairs. Instead, the researchers "
~~:.~¥i~lated daeir~eonttaomalagreement and i
r. 1~blish~in~oinpletefindings;Moss ~aid.~ ....
"It seems like tabloid journalism that "
lAMA would not investigate this further" "
before publishing, Moss said,
HIV-1 Immunogea was developed by ."
the late Dr. Jonas Salk, who created the ."
first polio vaccine. It was developed be- ."
fore powerful "drug cocktails" including ¯
protease inhibitors became standard HIV :
treatment, and Immune Response says :
subjects’ use of such drugs affected the :
findings in the JAMA study. ".
Dr. James Kahn of the University of
California at San Francisco, the smdy’s
lead author, said the company withheld
important data and then tried to suppress
publication.
The company denies both claims. In an
arbitration complaint last month, Immune
Response also demanded $7 million to
; 10 millionfrom Kahn and the tmiversity,
claiming dissemination of the negative
findings caused,it financia], harm, university
attorney :Christopher Patti said. The
university contends Kahn was-allowed to
publ.ish the results.
The study of2,527 patients inthe United
States found that Remune did boost levels
ofinfection-fighting white blood cells, but
the authors questi,o....n~fl whether the effect
was clinically significant.
JAMA editor Dr. Catherine DeAngelis
defended thejournal’s decision to publish.
’q’his study stands on its own scientific
merit," she said. "It was peer-reviewed as
~uch." In a JA1V[A editorial, she said the
dispute illustrates what can happen when
disagreement erupts between researchers
and a funding sponsor who "has a proprietary
interest in the findings."
Moss said the study was published without
the consent of some of the researchers.
The company and one of the dissenting
researchers, Dr. John Turner of Graduate
Hospital in Philadelphia, drafted a letter
Monday to DeAngelis, decrying publication
of a manuscript that contains "incomplete
and inaccurate information." The
final manuscript contains "some major
statistical flaws," said Turner, who believes
HIV-1 lmmunogen can slow disease
progression. "ff I were HIV-positive,
I would batter down any door necessary to
get it, period," Turner said.
Doctors Org. Cites
Conflicts of Interest
CHICAGO (AP) - A funny thing happened
to Dr. Jerome Kassirer at a recent
lecture to medical students about financial
conflicts of interest for doctors: It turned
out the free buffet was provided by amajor
drug company. Kassirer had a blunt message:
Medical schools and training programs
"must teach that there is no free
lunch. No free dinner. Or textbooks. Or
even a ballpoint pen."
From freebies for medical students to
research funding that can taint study results
to the growing practice of marketing
prescription medicine direcdy to consumers,
drug_companies have a growing and
sometimes unseemly influence on doctors,
according to articles, studies and editorials
published recently in the Journal of
the American Medical Association.
The relationship between research and
indus~try appears to beunde.r growing scm-
’ fihy~The edit6fof, the:New’ E~tgl~tnd Journal
of Medicine wrote an extraordinary
critique in May, saying scien.ce_ is being~
compromised by the growing influence ot
induslry money. That same month, the
Harvard Medical School said it would not
ease its conflict of interest standards, considered
the toughest in the nation, and
Dean Joseph B. Martin called for a national
dialogue on the issue.
Most experts agree that research needs
industry dollars. The top 10 pharmaceuti-
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1Nblie Settee C Imy dOkhhoma
Mary Schepers
and
Kathleen Pendergrass
and several other artists
present a showing and sale of:
Clay sculptures, pottery anF:Lddcorative
work, silk batik paintings, etchih and
lithographs; jewelry and beadwork,
handcrafted bath soap and salts and more.
Saturday, November 11, 10 - 6pm
2727 East 56th Street
743-6740
Oklaiaorna NAI,L.\I... covdia!iv ~.t~,v~v~ v,ott
to a chocolate and champa~r~~ ~ete in
support of abortion and reprt~d~ctive
rights in Oklahoma
Celebrating 27 Years of Choice
Sunday, November 12, 2000. 1:3(.1 - 3:30 p.m.
:"~’° fob~heldat Resonat~~e - " ~
Champagne, Coffee, Chocolates
$25 per ~ndividual
[’lea.~ R.S.V.P. to the NARAL L)ffice: 4.4-9585
cal companies spent nearly $23 billion on : days, washing the condoms with water
clinical research last year- more than the ¯ and soap afteruse. Researchers will check
nearly $18 billion provided by the Na- : the condoms for rips or tears and examine
tional Institutes of Health, JAMA editor ." the participants to make sure that’reuse
Dr. Catherine DeAngelis said. ¯ doesn’t cause rashes or irritations.
The problem is when researchers have " "In terms of the whole spectrum of birth
f’mancial interests in companies funding " control, it’s not the best," Said Barbara
their work. DeAngelis said such research ¯ Lea-Kruger, spokeswoman for the Viris
lower in quality and more likely to " ginia Department of Health’s HIV/AIDS
report findings favorable to the company, division."Butifwe’retalkingaboutwomen
One study found ,that. 7,6 percent of the : who don’t have access to other forms of
faculty researchers at the University of ¯ birth control and who come from a culture
California at San Francisco~aad personal " wheremenareless willing touseacondom,
financial ties to their drug company sport- " it’s a Viable alternative."
sorslastyear.Mostwereshort-termspeak- :
ing engagements or consulting agreements Seniors & HIV/AIDS with minimal payments. ¯
State and federal-guidelines require re- CANTON, Ohio (AP) - Older people
searchers to disclose certain financial ties, . sometimes have an awkward approach to
and a UCSF policy prohibits faculty in- ¯ sexual issues that puts them at risk for
volvedinindustry-sponsoredresearchfrom " HIV, health counselors say.
receiving any compensationfrom the corn- " SusanJ. McCollum, who teaches people
pany during the study. 50 and older about the risks of contracting
Elizabeth Boyd and Lisa Bert, with HIV, said older people must be aware of
UCSF’s Institute for Health Policy Stud- the risks. "It’s dangerous for any group of
ies, said a campus committee "worked to people to think they’re immune," said
accommodateallbutthemostovertlycon- McCollum, a counselor for Planned Parflicting
relationships in the interest of en- enthood ofStark County.
couraging its faculty, and, presumably, According to the U.S. Centers for Disencouraging
future outside investment in ease Control and Prevention, the number
the university." of older people becoming infected is in-
The authors suggested that financial ties creasing. An estimated 10.9 percent, of
may be more prevalent at other universi- men with HIV and 9.4 percent of women
ties with less stringent policies. A 1998- with HIV are 50 and older.
2000 study of 89 major universities found "People that age have not grown up with
that only 17-19%- had specific limits or condoms, like people who are in their
prohibitions on relationships with indus- 20s," McCollum said. "For a woman in
try. While most had co~fflict of interest her 60s to talk to a man about condoms..
policies, the3, were not as effective be- ." McCollum also said it’s an awkward
cause they don’t spell what is prohibited, adjustmentforpeoplewhoarenewly single
the authors said. after having been in along-term marriage
Dr. Jordan Cohen, president of the As- or relationship. "Women4Oandolderdon’t
sociation of Americau Medica! Colleges, want to grow old alone," McColhma told
announced that the group is forming a task The Repository for a story published Sunforce
to investigate conflicts of interest dav."They’reputtingthemselvesoutthere,
and reach a consensus on what types of but they don’t know enough, or they’re not
relationships with drug companies should able to talk about condoms. It puts them at
be allowed, a real disadvantage."
Around the world, an estimated 85,000
Women’s Corldo[~
women, middle-age and older, have been
infected with HIV. McCollum has had
May Help HIV Fight young women come for HIV testing who
want her to talk to their mothers about
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - A condom for risky sexual behavior.
women that never quite caught on in the KimJackson, spekeswomanfortheOhio
United States is being studied to see if AIDS Coalition, said that while her group
reusing it can make it more economical does not offer educational programs speand
help fight AIDS in developing coun- eifieally targeting seniors, older people do
tries. The United Nations AIDS program participate. "We have a general education
has been distributing the Reality Female program for people of all ages," Jackson
Condom to women in areas such as sub- said. "We are seeing more people that age
Saharan Africa, which has been-devas- attending our programs. We had several
tated by AIDS. people in their 70s at our last program."
The key to providing female condoms, Bonnie Bolitho, executive director of
which retail for $2 to $3 apiece, to poor " Planned Parenthood of Stark County, said
women is making them affordable, said ; many older people have the incorrect idea
Dr. Susan A. Ballagh, the clinical trial’s thatHIV-AIDS is a "homosexual" disprincipal
investigator~ ..-~ :. ~ ; :;~ .ease~~ thatit aff~ts O~[y yo~mgtpeople.
~;- -TheChicago-basedF.emal¢H~althCom~ i :. "rl~ere~.s tl~tse~e~that :~It-cot~’’~t"~pen’ to
pan~,theproduct’ssolemannfaclurer, sells ~ me,"’ she said. "You’re talking about of
the condoms to international family plan- ¯ group of people who have been monoganing
agencies for as little as 70 cents a , mous for most of their lives. Now, they’re
piece. ; at a different stage of life. Some haven’t
But women’s condoms could be even ¯ put a lot of thought into how it (HIV)
more economical if they were reused. Re- ¯ affects them."
searchers at Eastern Virginia Medical " According to Bolitho, "It’s the age-old,
School arerecntiting 80 couples to test the ; overarchiugproblemoftalkingaboutsexu_
condoms. Half the couples will use the ¯ ality, and it’s plain old-fashioned denial.
condom once. The other couples each will ; Denial is one of our great enemies."
use a single condom five times over 15 ~
by Jim Christjohn, entertaiment editor ] child out once in a while. I wasn’t expect-
Hey folks, welcome to the time of the ¯ ing a great movie, but it surprised me. The
year when we celebrate the fact that the " filmis well acted - hard to find in a movie
Indians helped the
pilgrims onlyto be
thanked with
slaughter and removal
from ancestral
lands. Go
America!
The first thanksgiving
was basically
afour day celebration/
party
wherein the Native
Americans provided
the food, fun,
and games. It really
wasn’t about
religion at all, as the
lore surrounding it
wouldhave youbelieve.
Anditwasn’t
too long after that
whentheEuropean
invaders started
getting a bit greedy for the profits land
conld bring from new immigrants, and so,
in the name of- God, "took" the land from
the Natives. Oh, and there was a religious
aspect to it, once the "pilgrims" figured
out how to work the land from the Natives
and didn’t need them anymore..,,It was
either convert or die for the heathen Nafives.
Ah, the things the don’t tell you in
school - or church.
On to more cheerier thoughts - I drug
my curmudgeonly editor to afilm recently.
(Well, OK, he wanted to go, too, and
hasn’t been terribly curmudgeonly lately.)
We saw "The Little Vampire." OK, now
stop laughing. It’s good to let the inner
li...We saw
"The Little Vampire."
OK, now stop laughing.
It’s good to let the inner
child out once in a while.
I wasn’t expeetlng a great
movie, but it surprised me.
The film is well acted -
hard to find in a movie
starring children;
well written;
and superbly filmed... "
starting children;
well written; and
superbly filmed.
And it had something
for everyone
- it didn’t "talk
down" to kids, nor
did it avoid being
funny in an adult
way.
The film is
’~’:~-m~bout a young
Americanboy who
moves to England
due to his father’s
business. HE’s
miserable,being an
outsider - and
picked on at school,
in particularby two
twins. It certainly
broughtback some
memories in that
respect. I knew a pair of twins who were
the scourge of Hurst Junior high, and it
was kind of like watching a flashback -
except with better accents. Anyway, our
hero has a fixation with men in capes -
sound familiar? (Hint: Read last month’s
column.)
And Io and behold, he meets a boy
vampire, and they form a close friendship.
This results in many misadventures, including
foiling a would be vampire hunter
and the aforementioned bullies. I highly
recommend seeing this film, because it’s a
fun ride, entertaining, while putting forth
some good-thoughts. A lot of care andlove
went into this film, and it shows.
GIFTS
OF THE
S£ASON!
COUNCIL OAK
MEN’S CHORALE
ALL SOULS UNITARIAN
Tmditionalists,ofcourse, abhorthat each " Choralewillperform.AndonDec.9,there
year December holidays begin earlier and " will be a gala dinner in the Great Hall,
earlier. Christmas in September isincreas- ¯ Chaired by friends to the community,
ingly a reality. Catherine Seger
But one of the
local traditions
which we don’t
mind seeing early
nearly so much is
Philbrook
Museum’s annual
holiday celebration
and exhibition,
Home for the Holidays.
The event
kicks off with the
Festival of Trees.
T,he ~Fe~sfival
tures trees,
wreaths, and more
by local artists, designers
and school
children. The event
is chaired by Lou
Hodgson and caterer
Mark Lackey
is artist liaison.
At the museum members’ opening on
Dec. 2 at noon, the Council Oak Men’s
and Hillary Kitz.
And of course, local
A-listers,
Talmadge Po-well
and Steve Wright
are helping out by
chairing the Patron
Party and
Treeview.
The featured artistforHomefor
the
Holidays is Lisa
Regan of the GardenDevaSculpture
Co. Regan, whose
work is seen
through out Tulsa’ s
gardens, has been
shown in Better
Homes and Gardens,
shows her
work at Mayfest.
Her commemorative ornament, shown
" above, .is an aluminum tree with bead
¯ accents.
E[ecUon Day, Nov. 7
Who Will Pick the
NEW SUPREHES?
Decisions we make at the ballot box will resonate for
decades, including the make-up of the Supreme
Court. Our choice: continue the path of progress or
take a sharp U-turn back to the anti-glbt politics of
the ’80s. We need your voice for our jobs, for our
families, for our lives.
HUMAN
RIGHTS
CAMPAIGN
COME OUT VOTING ¯ www.hrc.org
Tuesday, November 7
Election Day
HRC WATCH PARTY
Because win or lose, it’s good to be among friends
9 PM
3340 South Peoria, Tulsa, OK
Must be 21 Cash Bar
HRC envisions an America where lesbian and
gay people are ensured of their basic equal rights.
You can help us do our work by joining us for
either or :both of ~the:se~ ev~t..s~ (or by jgining
~HRC - ’ ii~’~ !j~ :i~3-" ~i ~li !~8~[2913 ;r emaii
hrctulsaoHahoma@ aol.com).
HUMAN
RIGHTS
CAMPAIGN~
by Tom Neal, editor/publisher
Although the National Conference for Community and Justice claims to be an anti-hate
group, for at least the last 4-5 years this anti-bias organi~tion has activdy discriminated
against Gay & Lesbian Tulsans as well as failing to speak out when Gay & Lesbian
Tulsans were targets of physical violence as well as recipients of legislative and other
attacks on their civil rights.
At their Trialogue on Marriage, hosted by Boston Avenue Methodist Church (a church
which has been host to several events at which Lesbian and Gay Tuls’ans were attacked
or excluded), Trialogue organizer Mr. Levson, then cantor of Temple Israel, stated that
JOI g
0 II B
HATE
he and other NCCJ organizers deliberately excluded same gender mamage from
discussionbecauseitwouldhave been"too controversial." This was done despite thefacts
that the issue could not have been more prominent in public discussion because of court
cases in Hawaii, and even though the issue is still in debate in many Christian denominations
and in several Jewish organizations.
NCCJ has repeated been asked to reform their actions: to add openly Gay or Lesbian
persons to their board of directors, to speak out on legislative issues, to live what they say
they are about.
To date, they have refused to do so, preferring to raise substantial sums from Tulsa
"society" events such as honoring Bob Lorton, owner ofThe Tulsa World for his "human
rights" work despite the fact that The World for at least 15 years had documented anti-
Gay business practices which they publicly defended and despite The Wordls
acknowledgement of racist hiring practices in their newsroom in response to an EEOC
complaint.
Some Gay community observers, however,
wonderhow it is that the hate groups,
like the KKK, don’t manage to forget
Lesbians and Gay men including them in
their hate rhetoric, but the folks who supposedly
are "allies" manage only to hear
the KKK’s racist and anti-Sem~itic comments.
Groups who endorsed the "Statement in
Support of Diversity" include a number
who have been supportive of Lesbians and
Gay men. These include: Community of
Hope, All Souls, Hope and Community
Unitarians, Fellowship Congregatxonal
¯ Church- UCC, Jewish Federation ofTulsa
and even the Metropolitan Community
¯ Church United (MCC). Calls to All Souls,
MCC-United, and Fellowship Congrega-
¯ tional were not returned. Perry Simons,
¯ executive director of Jewish Federation
¯ said that organization does not discrimi-
: hate on sexual orientation.
¯ In contrast, Father Rick Hollingsworth,
¯ oftheParishChurchofSaintJeromewrote
¯ a letter in protest of the the "Statement in
¯ Support of Diversity"
¯ In it, he notes that, "The Parish Church
,¯ of St Jerome is certainly in support of
celebrating and supporting the wonderful
¯ diversity, which surrounds us in our beau-
" tiful city... I am concerned however that
¯ the statement on diversity see TMM,p. 10
Name Games by Michael Craft
Reviewed by Barry Hensley
Tulsa City-County Library
It takes a speci~ talent to pull off a
murdermystery novel andone ofthebetter
Gay mystery series, Mark
Manning mysteries by
Michael Craft, has a clever
new entry, Name Games.
Delving into an unlikely
topic, the world of minia-
.tures, Craft has created a
fun, although not particularly
suspenseful mystery.
Set in rural Wisconsin,
main character Mark Manning
is now the publisher of
the local newspaper and
leading a very open and out
life with a longlime partner,
while raising a neglected
nephew. The big
news in town is the upcoming
Midwest Miniatures
Society Exhibition, which
attracts enthusiasts worldwide.
Two of the most
prominent figures in this
little underworld, Carroll
Cantrell and Bruno
Herisson , who happen to
be arch rivals, are being
"...Anthropologist
Sherry Ortner,
drawing on the
French feminist
Simone Beauvolr,
once proposed that
’Man is to CultUre as
Woman is to
Nature.’ Ortner was
seeking a reason for
why, almost everywhere,
people value
what men do more
than they value what
women do.. ¯ "
homophobic District Attorney, Harley
Kaiser, and a New Age feminist, Miriam
Westerman, who is somehow convinced
that Gay pom"hurts women." Add to this,
the nephew, Thad, trying outfor the school
play and Mark’s lover,
Nell, who is trying to decide
whether to move his
architectural practice to the
small town from Chicago.
When Cantrell (who has
man3, health problems) is
discovered murdered, the
exhibitionis turned upside
down and things really get
uncomfortable when the
Sheriff becomes the primary
suspect. Manning,
aided by his sleuths at the
newspaper, set out to clear
the Sheriff.
The characters inName
Games are nicely drawn,
if a bit stereotypical ]]ae
town, Dumont, is remarkably
(and a bit unrealistically)
progressive and unconcerned
about the iGay
influence~ ofManning and
his cohorts. (Could there
really be a town like this in
today’s America?)
flown in. Grace Lord, a sweet little old
lady,is hosting and coordinating the ev~nt.
The Sheriff, Doug Pierce, a closeted Gay
man, is in the midst of a reelection bid
while dealing with a pornography trial
involving "dirty book stores" on the edge
of town. The trial is being pushed by the
is not as broad as it should be. This is
evidenced I believe by the omission of
Sexual Orientation as part of that diversity
in the statement.
Gay and Lesbian persons are an integral
part of Tulsa’s rich diversity which When
joined together with other forms of diversity
create community. When Rabbi Marc
Fitzerman was speaking this last Sunday
at the rededication, He was very dear,
’Those whohate Jews, usually hate Catholics,
Those who hate Catholics usually
hate Gay and Lesbian people...’
As a Pastor of a Parish which primarily
serves the Gay and Lesbian community
and as a religious leader who is openly
Gay, I am unable to sign the document
without the inclusion of Sexual Orienta-
The obligatory sex scenes are really just
¯¯ uninspired dream sequences, and leave a
little too much to the imagination. The
¯ mystery is a fun and exciting ride, but it is
¯ certainly nothing special. In fact, this ¯
novice mystery reader managed to figure
] our whodunit long before the end of the
¯ for Human Rights (TOHR) said that the
lack of inclusiveness raised concerns and
~ would likely be addressed in upcoming
: organizational meetings for a formal response.
:
:
and love diversity. We have many reli¯
gions, many nationalities, many cultures
here, and we’re taught to respect them.
¯ When the hell ~s someone going to respect
¯ us for our diversity? If you want to do
: something to help, there’s a number to
¯ call, and an ever popular website to visit.
¯ It’s the Human Rights Campaign Founda-
¯ uon, 800-498-0382, or www.hrc.org. ¯
When we stand up and show people that
¯
we do exist, especially in great numbers,
¯ then things are going to happen. Or, as
¯ Melissa Etheridge said, "when you free
uon as-part Of that .,diu~si.ty..._,: i ¯ " your mind, a rockin’ jam will follow." If
Our people have~J~en, the Unfox~:unate .:, we can each one of us find one person, or
victims of bigotry, prejudice and hate ¯ child, to reach, then we’ve taken the first
crimes for centuries, including the holocaust.
To not speak openly about these
issues promotes the silence, which has
imprisoned Gay and Lesbian children of
God for far too long."
Father Hollingsworth toldTulsa Family
News that he read his letter to his congregation
and that the response has been overwhelmingly
supportive of his position.
Greg Gatewood of Tulsa Oklahomans
¯ steps in stopping fascism. Hitler ended up ¯
in a bunker, having shot his wife and
¯ sticking the guninhis mouthbefore shoot-
" ing. I think many Other fascists (read
¯ fundamentalists) forget that fact. Hatred
¯
turns inward, but not before the hater has
¯ devastatingly hurt others. Something that
¯ shouldbetaughtinEVERY SundaySchool
-" class. And please remember one thing:
: VOTE!!!!!!!
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for justice
& equality for Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury, Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appoinlments are available.
Are You Gay or Bisexual?
Are You Native American?
Support Group is here:f0r yotJ!:~’ " ~’~’~.~" ~-’-"
¯ Evening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HlVtesting
For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
918.588.1900, x4275 or x4276
-International
Fresh Start
Seeking men & women to help with
expansion in the area. Must be independent,
goal-oriented, have a great attitude
and excellent people skills.
Call 663:5323.
Country Club Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236,~ues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
ody
TI- ,ll
Tulsa’s only
professional
body-piercing
- College Hill
Presbyterian Church
In response to God’s Love,
College Hill Presbyterian Church
is a commtmity of God’s people
called to tell others the
Gospel of Jesus Christ
through worship,
servzce, and evangelism.
To nurture our faith, we gather for
worship, prayer,
study and fellowship.
Trusting in a living, loving God,
we seek to become a compassionate
voi~ for peace andjustice.
Our congregation.welcomes all
persons who respond in trust and
obedience to God’s grace
in Jesus Christ, and desire to become
part of the membership and ministry
of Christ’s church.
M~a~~s!~.9~ ~-:,Opt: ~-.~i!...~9,Pl..~.
regardless of race, .ethnic origin,
worldly condition, marital status, or
sexual orientation.
Sunday Worship. 1 lam
712 S. Columbia Ave., 592-5800
(One block west of Delaware and the
University of Tulsa Campus)
by Karin Gregory
"Man Shot in Local Gay Bar", "TeenagerAssaulted
Because Suspects Believed
HimGay","’We Don’t Have Hate Crimes
in Brown County’".
Seems everywhere you look now, there
are hate crimes against the G/L/B/T com-
~’munity, or-alleged hate
"!crimes~ or people denying
;hate crimes exist. There
are even those very few Who
deny homosexuality exis ts,
and I believe our Dishonorable
George W. Bush to
beamong them (I don’t~ve
up a chance to let you all
know you MUST vote November
7).
Interesting news about
the teenager. Not that it
doesn’t happen at every
.school, but the school
where this took place is the
same one from which our
disti9,guished arts and entertainment
editor .graduated.
Back in those days,
we didn’t have hate crimes. Wall, we did,
but we didn’t call them that. Boys who
were Gayjust had to be beaten up and take
it "like a man", or they had to develop
those queen-like attitudes of death that
would scare any quarterback into his tiny,
homophobic, neanderthal area of his body
called a mind.
One of my friends, the one who thinks
we’re all going to hell, says all Crimes like
murder, assault, rape, etc. are hate crimes.
I disagree. There are certainly crimes of
passion. There are premeditated crimes.
There are even assaults with deadly weapons
with intent to kill. But they are for a
purpose - to either get rid of someone so
disturbing to you (like a wife, husband,
mother-in-law), or to get money to buy
drugs, cigarettes, or "fabulous" outfits.
The people committing these crimes may
hate the person AT THAT TIME, but not
always. In other words, the criminals
aren’t their own self-proclaimed Adoif
Hitlers, who have decided to take all logic
and reason and bury them, sending us back
into theDarkAges. But thereAREpeople
who are self-proclaimed Hirers, whether
they want to believe it or not, spreading
NOT the words of Jesus, but the words of
hate to a nation.
Maybe they weren’t the ones who beat
up Matthew Shepard and lefthim to die, or
the ones who had a direct hand in James
Byrd’s death, or the people who raped
BrandonTeena, only to shoothim to death
repeatedly, later. But they had a hand in
each one of these deaths. For eachone
you-reading:this..fight now, there are at
least 20 (at least in Texas and Oklahoma)
ignorant people who believe that homosexuality
isn’t something you’re born with.
That you can change if you want to. That
you’ve chosen to be laughed at, beaten up,
fired from your job, ostracized from your
families. These are the people who have
raised the suspects in the above headlines.
They’ve "carefully taught" their children
to, as the "South Pacific" song goes, "hate
-"...Bach in those days,
we didn’t have hate
crimes. Well, we did, but
we didn’t call them that.
Boys who were Gay just
had to be beaten up and
take it "llke a man", or
they had to develop those
queen-llke attitudes of
death that would scare
any quarterback into his
tiny, homophoble,
neanderthal area of his
body eafled a mind...."
all the people their relatives hfite." Many
of them, of course, in the name of Jesus.
Stealing a line from an old Woody Allen
movie,"ifJesus came down and saw what
was going on in his name, he’d never stop
throwing up."
If you’ve read my columns from the
beginning (and I thank
BOTHofyou,by the way!),
you know I’m a fledgling,
coming out only after everyone
else has not only
blazed the trail for me, but
made that trail a four lane
highway! So no, I’ve
NEVER experienced what
most of you have in your
"out" lives. I still think I
can walkhandinhand with
a woman in public, or kiss
her on a residential street
in Dallas (and have!), and
not receive any flack from
it. But I taught public
school for eight years, ten
years toomany, and Iknow
whatkids say to each other,
not caring that their words hurt. More
importantly, I’ve heard teachers and other
school staff go on the attack against gays,
saying that the Bible doesn’t condone it.
We’ve had this discussion before, but I
just want to let you know that your childrenmay
be being taughtbyahomophobic
teacher. And believe me, teachers still do
have influence on children. So children
are taught to hate another child because
that child may be different. Obviously, if
I can look through a gay newspaper and
pick out,just by going through one quarter
of it, three separate stories on hate crimes,
there’s a problem. One that needs to be
addressed. Well, it’s been addressed, but
many ar~turning their heads. While crime
is rampant on the streets, and hate crimes
against the G/L/B/T community has skyrocketed,
thelegislature still cools its heels
over this issue.
It shouldn’t have to take television to
fire me up, but watching highlights from
the "Equality Rocks" concert onVH-1 did
it for me. During the evening, the parents
of several hate crime victims, Matthew
Shepard’s parents and James Byrd’s parents
among them, gave a small speech that
had the more than 45,000 audience crying
openly. Then Melissa Etheridge, herself
not able to contain tears, sang her song
about. Matthew Shepard, "Scarecrow."
How can people, after watching that,
still believe that these boys should have
died? How can anyone hate a group of
people just because they .are different?
How can they facethemselve~inthemom- *.
ing,-knowin~ thav they~ce*contril~me~.., in
ANY way, to these deaths? How many
times can we turn away and do nothing?
We have a revolution going on in this
country. Most people don’t want to believe
it. They’d rather dose their doors.
Hell, so would I, but I can see the revolution
coming even stronger than before.
.The one consistent thing thatI was taught
mschool about the United States is that we
are a melting pot see Lesbian, p.lO
Healing
VROJECT
AIDS Memorial ~.uilt ~
wareness"
World AIDS Day Candlelight Memorial March
Friday, December 1st, 6:30pm
Tulsa Civic Center Plaza, 5th & Denver
The NAMES Project Quilt Opening, 8pm
This advertisement is donated by Tulsa Family News. TFN appreciates the opportunity to support this showing of the Quilt, and The NAMES Project.
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periodical
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, November 2000; Volume 7, Issue 11
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
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Tulsa Family News
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
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Tom Neal
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November 2000
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James Christjonh
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, October 2000; Volume 7, Issue 10
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Englsih
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
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2000
AIDS
AIDS drugs
AIDS Quilt
AIDS research
American Civil Liberties Union
aMUSEments
arts and entertainment
Barry Hensley
bias reduction program
Bobby L. Busby
Boy Scouts
businesses
Christmas
churches
civil rights
civil unions
contraception
family
HIV
HIV testing
homophobia
Human Rights Campaign
Jim Christjohn
Karin Gregory
NAMES Project
National Conferencce for Community and Justice
nudism
Openarms Youth Project
Partner Benefits
performing arts
Philbrook
Raging Lesbian
Read All About It
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restaurants
seniors
Society of Professional Journalists
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Two-Spirited Indian Men's Support Group
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Two Teens Indicted In
Murder of Gay Black Man
FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) - Two 17-year-old Marion
County boys were indicted at the end of August for the
murder of a Gay Black man. Jared Wilson and David
Allen Parker ofGrantTown were each charged as adults
with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit
murder in the July 4 death of Arthur "J.R." Warren.
They are accused of beating and kicking Warren, 26,
then running over him with a Camaro to disguise his
injuries as a hit-and-run. If convicted, they could be
sentenced to life in prison.
A 15-year,old witness, Jason Shoemaker of Grant
Town, has been charged as a juvenile with being an
accessory after the fact for allegedly helping the older
boys dispose of evidence. Conviction on that misdemeanor
offense could mean up to.a year in jail.
Shoemaker has testified that Warren was beaten and
kicked with steel-toed boots in a.hous¢.then put in a car.
He was still alive and begging t6 be taken home when
the other boys dragged him from the car on a Grant
Town road to kick and beat him some more. Parker then
drove over Warren four times, the boy said.
see Murder, p. 11
Los Angeles Dod.gers
ApOlogize to Lesbians
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) - The Dodgers
apologized Wednesday to a Lesbian couple ejected
from Dodger Stadium earlier this month after the two
shared a kiss during a game against the Chicago Cubs.
’‘i was troubled.., because ofwhatit implied about the
Dodger organization," said team President Bob
Gratiano. "It means a lot to me that you are Dodger
fans," he said to Danielle Goldey and Meredith Kott.
"We will continue to do the right thing," Graziano
said.
The two were escorted out of the ballpark on Aug. 8.
Goldey and Kott say they were not initially told why
they were being ejected, but later they were told that
someone complained and said children should not be
exposed to "those people."
The couple said their companions, a heterosexual
couple, also kissedbut werenot ejeeted. Because ofthis,
they felt the action of the eight security guards was
discrimination.
Besides the public apology, the Dodgers donated
5,000 tickets to three Gay and Lesbian organizations
and promised sensitivity training for their employees.
’’I think they stepped up to the plate more than they
had to,"Goldey said. "All we wanted was an apology ...
I’m very proud to be a Dodger fan."
’’I’m extremely happy with the results," Kott said.
The couple was going to file a civil rights lawsuit if
the Dodgers didn’t apologize, said their lawyer Bernie
Bemheim. see Courts, p. 3
U_! DIRECTORY P. 2 ~ EDITORIAL P. 3
US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
~,~ HEALTH NEWS P. 6
Z ENTERTAINMENT P. 8
GAY STUDIES P. 10
Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
Tulsa + US Protests of Boy
Scouts’ Anti-Gay Policies
" OKC/TULSA (AP/TFN) - A handful of demonstrators asking
¯ the Boy Scouts to stop discriminating against Gay scouts and
" leaders took their message to the streets Monday, August 21,
° targeting motorists at a busy intersection not far from the Last
o FrontierBoy Scout headquarters inOklahomaCity (OKC) andin ¯
front of the Indian Nations Council in the Brookside neighbor-
" hood in Tulsa.
The Tulsa and Oklahoma City rallies were part of an effort
¯ plannedin atleast 36 cities and 21 states initiated by Scouting For
All, a national nonprofit organization formed by Steven Cozza,
" 15, of Petaluma, Calif. Cozza started Scouting For All several
¯ years ago after his father was removed as a Scout leader for
.-. supporting Gay civil rights.
Cozza, who said neither he nor his father is Gay, left the Boy
¯ Scouts about six months ago after becoming an Eagle Scout.
¯ Cozz~ said he no could longer support the program because it
discriminates. "Scoutmasters are people to look up to. What’s
" wrong with being influenced by a Gay man? Someone’s sexual-
: ity has nothing to do with his character or personality," he said.
¯ The dozen OKC protesters held signs that read "Scouting
¯ should be for everyone", "Open scouting to Gays" and "Honk for
~ Gay Boy Scouts". People honked. In Oklahoma City, a couple of
: people shouted obscenities and one truck driver shouted, "You
[ guys are wrong"but i,n Tulsa, most of those commenting as they
¯ drove by were supportive of the demonstrators who averaged
-" about 20 over a couple hour period.
." Kent Doss, a 21-year-old student a! the University of Okla-
¯ homa and an Eagle Scout, attended both the Oklahoma City and
° the Tulsa protests. Doss, who is Gay, became an Eagle Scout in
¯ 1997. He had been in scouting since the third grade. "Even after
." that many years of hard work it’s just not worth it because of the
~ negative influence," he said. ’’It is so hypocritical Everything I
¯ grew up with has been ignored," Doss said. ’q don’t want to
." abandon the scouts. I want to be apart of the dialogue, but I’m not
~ proud of scouting." In Tulsa, Doss did turn in his uniform, his
¯ merit badges and his Eagle Scout award.
¯ In June, the US Supreme Cotvt ruled 5-4 that Boy Scouts of
~ America (BSA) can bar Gays from serving as troop leaders.
¯ see Scouts, p. 2
Walk For Life 200-0
-" TULSA (TFN) - For the pasl seven years, AIDS activists,
[ caregivers, people living with AIDS/HIV, and others have come
: together to walk to raise money for I-IIV/AIDS care-giving and
¯ education agencies. Their services include n~lical assistance,
_" prevention efforts, transportation, support groups, and home and
." hospice care.
¯ Walkers are asked to solicit pledges prior to this year’s event
[ and to bring their pledge sheets and those donations to the Walk
_" which will be held on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 9:30am at Veterans’
¯ Park, located at 21st & Boulder. The Walk will begin and end at
: the park going down the River Park to the 31 st Pedestrian Bridge
." and returning.
¯ Donations to Walk for Life 2000, the 8th Annual Tulsa AIDS
¯ Walk will be increased by 50% with matching dollars through the
: generosity of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The Walk is
~ sponsored by the Community Service Council, and will benefit
.- the Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership (TCAP).
¯ The Walk is an all volunteer effort and there are no admiuistra-
"_ five costs. For more information or for pledge forms, call 585-
¯ 5551.
:US Court Rules Gay Mexican
¯ Citizen Eligible for U,S, Asylum
[ SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A cross-dressing, Gay Mexican man
¯ persecuted in his homeland is entitled to asylum in the United
¯ States, a federal appeals panel ruled in August.
-" The decision by three judges of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of
¯ Appeals expanded the social circumstances of persecution that
¯ immigration officials must consider during asylum hearings.
¯ Federal. courts have already allowed asylum for a variety of
¯ political and social reasons, including a woman’s fear of genital
: mutilation in her African homeland. Just last month, the 9th
¯ Circuit ruled that an Armenian who says he has was given an
¯ ultimatum to become a Communist or leave Armenia deserved
¯ another bid for asylum.
The case involves Geovanni Hernandez-Montiel, a Gay Mexi-
" can citizen who dresses and behaves as a woman. Hetestified that
¯ he was persecuted by his family, school officials and police, who
" he said sexually assaulted him. see Asylum, p. 9
Gay Services Center
Moving to Memorial
TULSA (TFN) - After several years in Brookside,
Tulsa’s Gay Community Services Center is rdocating
- likely to a building near 21st and Memorial.
After the ownership of the current location
changed, TOHR (Tulsa Oklahomans for Human
Rights, sponsoring organization of,\the center) had
to fight a legal battlejust to finish the current lease.
The new owners have spent considerable funds to
update the location in order to lease it at much
higher rates. None of the other original tenants still
remain.
TOHR president Greg Gatewood noted that the
new center will have about the same amount of
space as the current one but may have slightly
lower operating costs. The new space will still have
a Pride Store, the Nancy McDonald Library, and an
expanded TOHRmembers only free video lending
library. Volunteers to help prepare for the move
and to move are quite welcome, Gatewood added
and can call the Center at 743-4297 for details.
TOHR events for September include: a protest
planning meeting to respond to the upcormng visit
to Tulsa by radio "therapist" Dr. Laura on Tuesday,
Sept. 5th at 7pm at the Center (current location at
37th & Peoria, 2nd floor), new Center volunteer
orientation on Wednesday, Sept. 6th at7pm,TOHR
membership meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at
7:30pm. This meeting will feature a presentation of
an A&E (Arts & Entertainment Network) program
onhate crimes. Votes on the nominating committee
for next year’s officers and on bylaws revisions
will also be held. And planning for next year’s
Pride events, Diversity Festival and Parade will
begin on Saturday, Sept. 9th at 1 lain at the Center.
On Friday, Sept. 29, 8pm, there will be a video
release party for Diversity 2000, a commemorative
video created by BoyBlue Productions in support
of TOHR. It will include highlights of all Pride
Week events including: see Video, p.8
¯ Florida Politicians Push
Federal Hate Crime Bill
- WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Two Republi-
¯ can congressmen are touting legislation that would
~ expand the federal government’s rolein investigat-
~ ing and prosecuting crimes based on sexual often-
, tation, religion, gender or ethnicity.
, U.S. Reps. Bill McCollum of Orlando and Mark
¯ Foley of West Palm Beach said while they may be
¯ members of a conservative political party, that
¯ doesn’t mean they find hate crimes against Gays
¯ and other historically persecuted groups any less
-" foul than Democrats do. "The issue is not Gay
: rights, the issue is hate crime," McCollum said
¯ Tuesday while meeting with Jewish leaders. "When
¯ someone is brutalized or killed.., it is fundamen-
: tally wrong."
¯ The bill would provide grants of up to $100,000
¯ for the investigation,and prosecution ofhate crimes
in all 50 states. It also would give federal authori-
¯ ties the ability to prosecute hate crimes under
¯ interstate commerce laws.
o According to the Southern Poverty Law Center,
¯ Florida ranks second in the nation in the number of
[ active hate groups. FBI statistics show a total of
" 7,755 bias-motivated criminal incidents were re-
. ported in 46 states and the District of Columbia in
. 1998, down about 10% over 1997.
Angela Lampert of the Jewish Federation of
" Palm Beach County said the group strongly sup-
. ports the bill. ’’We think hate crimes are abhorrent
¯ and do not need to be tolerated," Lampert said after
¯ meeting with McCollum and Foley at Temple Beth
¯ El in West Palm Beach.
In July, the Senate passed similar legislation as
¯ an amendment to a defense department appropria-
" tions bill. This adds offenses motivated by sexual
; orientation, sex or disability to the list of crimes
¯ covered under federal law. McCollum, chair of the
¯ House Subcommittee on Crime, and Foley hope to
¯ pass the House version in the same way.
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine
*Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*Renegades!Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool BOX, 1338 E.’ 3rd
*The Yellow Brick Road Pub; 2630 E. 15th
;712-2324
610-5323
583-2119
835-2376
744-4280
745-9998
834,4234
585-3405
660-0856
584- t308
749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Advanced Wird~ss &~PCS,Digital Cdlular
Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. P~oria
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria~
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
.747-1508
743-1000
250-5034
665-4580
712-1122
712-9955
494-2665
743-5272
746-0313
295-5868
581-0902, 743-4117
622-0700
749-3620
744-5556
838-8503
369-8555
584-0337, 712-9379
592-0460
744-9595
610-0880
628-3709
808-8026
742- 1460
459-9349
744-7440
745-1111
341-6866
712-2750
582-3018
747-0236
582-8460
599-8070
747-5466
585-1234
584-3112
663-5934
-664-2951
838-7626
743 -4297
747-5932
834-0617
747-4746
749-6301
26o-7829.
481-0558
835-5563
743-1733
665-2222
592-0767
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th
Doghouse on Brookside, 331 t S. Peoria
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial
.Ross Edward Salon
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main
Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906,E. 55th PI.
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr.
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st
Leatme M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E Skelly
*International Tours
Jacox ANmal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E.. 15
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo
*The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor
Rainbowz on the River B+B, PUB 696, 74101
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921,
Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square
Paul Tay, Car Salesman
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling
*Wherehouse Music,,5150 S. Sheridan
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
www.gaytulsa.org - website for Tulsa Gays & Lesbians
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, PUB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls,Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria. 743~2363
Black & White, Inc. PUB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 583-7815
B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Florence
Church of the Restoration UU, 1314 N.Greenwood 587-1314
*Community of Hope Church, 2545 S: Yale 747-6300
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595
Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa- Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, PUB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free Spirit Women’s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, PUB 52344, 74152 747-6827
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
PUB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159
e-mail: TulsaNews@ earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Seal
Writers + contributors:
James Christjohn. Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P.
Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum, Mary
Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
" Member of The Associated Piess ...........
Issued on orbefore the let of each month~2the endre contents
of this pubhcation are protected by US copyright I998 by
T~ ~1 Nt,w,t and may not be reproduced either in
whole or in part without written permission from the publisher.
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a
person’ s sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumedto be
for publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed &
becomes the sole property of Tt,~ /:,~ Ntsu4~ Each
reader is entitled to 4 copies of each edition at distribution
points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
Friends in Unity Social Org., PUB 8542, 74101
HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd.
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral
Holland Hall School, 5666 E. 81st
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education
*Houseofthe Holy SpiritMinstries, 1517 S. Memorial
*MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral P1.
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, PUB 14068, 74159
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), PUB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tulsa
PFLAG, PUB 52800, 74152
*Planned Parenthood, -1007 S. Peoria
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st
*St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder
*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indiau Health Care
Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15
582-0438
583-6611
834-4194
481-1111
834-8378
224-4754
838-1715
748-3111
365-5658
749-4901
587-7674
749-4195
584-2325
425-7882
492-7140
582-3088
583-7171
582-7225
595-4105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform~Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Hoor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Tulsa Gay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105 743-4297
Unity Church of Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
BARTLESVILLE
Bardesville Public Library,, 6"00 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN
Borders Books & Music, 3209 NW Expressway 405-848-2667
Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
TAHLEQUAH
Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
Green Country AIDS Coalition, PUB 1570 918-453-9360
NSU School of Optometry, 1001 N. Grand
HIV’testing every other Tt~es. 5:30-8:30, call for dates
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23 501-253-7734
Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S Main 501-253-7457
DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. .501-253-6807
Fanerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St. 501-253-5445
MCC of the Living Spring 501"-253-9337
Seek to Go!, PC Specialist, PUB 429 501-253-2776
Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery 501-253-5332
Positive Idea Marketing Plans 501-624-6646
Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East 501-253-6001
White Light, 1 Center St. 501-253-4074
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696
* is where you can trmd TFN. Not all are Gay-owned butall are Gay-friendly.
Hesaid he first thought the Dodgers might
have a policy against Gay and Lesbian
couples showing affectionin theball park.
"I’m frankly shocked," Bernheim said.
’q’heir response is atypical and outstanding."
He said the Dodgers have donemore
to make amends than any other corporation
he’s dealt with.
Goldey and Kott have been invited to
sit behind home plate to make up for the
game they missed.
¯ - - "It i-s not trivial-to-be thrown ouf’Of
p.u,b’,!.]c..p.l~ac:eb~as~ed Of, who YOU "are,"s"d
Jon Da~cids0n 0f the Lambda L~g~i’ D~-:
fense and: Edlacafion Fund, a Gay advocacy
group. ’q’his result is a home run for
all concerned."
The ruling may also permit the 6.2-mib
lion-member organization to reject Gays
as members. The Boys Scouts consider
homosexuality contrary to their oath .requiring
scouts tube "morally straight:"
The90?ye~ff-Oldorganization says its goal
is to ’l~iS~’itle educational programs for
boys and young adults to build character,
to train in the responsibilities of participating
citizenship and to devdop personal
fitness.¯
EdmrddresidentJustin Spears, aformer
Boy Scout l~ader, said he doesn’t know if
he want~.:..Ms 8-year-old son to become a
Boy Scoii~ because of the stance against
Gays. "Even though they have a legal
mandate, this discrimination needs to be
stopped," he said.
In Tulsa, longtime PFLAG (Parents,
Families and Friends of Lesbians and
GayS) activist Cathy Hinkle marched and
spoke ofhow her Gay son was a scout but
would have been barred under the BSA
policy. Hinkle was joined for part of the
protest by the new pastor of All Souls
Unitarian Church.
The OKC demonstrators marched to
the headquarters, where former scout
member Jim Craig, turned in his handbodkin
prdtest to Jim Russnogle, director
of field services for the Last Frontier
Council. "In Boy Scouts I learned a lot
about Boy Scout law. I believe scout law
is not being followed," Craig said. "A lot
of kids:that are Gay might not be tempted
to co~Iv;uicide if they had more support."
"
Russnogle read from a statement that
said that the Boy Scouts respects their
rights, and ask that the rights of the BSA
also be respected. "We believe avowed
homosexuals should not be role models;"
Russnogle read. He added that he is sorry,
that Dose. no longer wants to be consid;,~
ered an Eagle Scout, "But if that is his
opinion, I respect that."
Rob Abiera, owner and operator of
Ga~,0k~:(0m said thedemonstration was -
called to show supportfor Gay Boy Scouts
and Scout Masters and to educate how
Gay Scouts face discrimination. "We
know that the Boy Scouts has~been a
pioneer in reaching out to minorities and,¯.
should continue that effort in reaching out
to Gays. It is completely inconsistentwith
what they have done in the past," Abierav ~
said.
Demonstrators were turned away from
the national Boy Scouts ofAmericaheadquartersMonday
afterpresenting a 55,000-
signature petition protesting the
organization’s ban on Gay troop leaders.
Fewer than a dozen demonstrators, some
wearing Boy Scout uniforms, see p. 3
were met by a security guard and not allowed past the
front desk. A secretary who refused to give her name said
she would forward the petition to the organization’s
president. The protesters hadhoped to talk withleaders of
the organization or at least schedule a meeting.
’"vVe’re disappointed," said Dave Rice, a former Scout
leader who marched in Irving. ’°We don’t like confrontation.
We like to sit down, shake hands and discuss a
solution that’s mutually beneficial."
In Seattle, more than_ 100 people rallied~ in protest
Monday night. One, former Eagle Scout Doug Barnes,
said he planned to send hisbadge back. Another, Jon
Wartes, said he already had done so. "Does the Boy
Scouts of Americareally understand the hurt that they’re
doing?" said Wartes, who became an Eagle Scout in 1959
and wrote part of the Boy Scout handbook.
At the Washington, D.C. protest, Graham Segroves
wore his Boy Scout shirt complete with his Eagle Scout
badge and other honors. Now with the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force, Segroves, 25, said he did not realize
he was Gay until he left the scouts eight years ago.
Segroves said he hopes President Clinton will agree to
a task force request thathe resignhis honorary presidency
of the Boy Scouts He also is watching for congressional
action on a proposed "Scouting f0~ All" act, which seeks
to revoke the Boy Scouts’ congre~slbhal charter.
The Supreme Court decision has ~IS0 left compames
that donate to the Boy Scouts of America in a quandary:
their employment policies contradict the Boy Scouts’
court-upheld right toban Gay troop members. The stance
already has cost the Scouts financial support from companies
such as Levi Strauss & Co: arid Wells Fargo.
Others, concerned about hurting the beneficiaries of such
funding - the boys themselves - are w~ighing their
options.
Chase Manhattan Corp. is considering revoking its
contributions. ’XDn the face of it, some issues appear to be
in conflict with our commitment to diversity," spokesman
Jim Finn said. ’%Ve will make a final determination
on this soon. It’s notsomething we are going to let rest for
a long time." Merrill Lynch & Co. in New York, which
gives between $100,000 and $150,000 a year, is "actively
reviewing" its relationship with the Scouts, said spokesman
Joe Cohen.
Media company Knight Ridder has asked "that funds it
gives to the UnitedWay notbe directed to the Boy Scouts
because it conflicts "with the company’s philosophy on
people and di~cersity, and the company could not support
such a discriminatory stance," said Polk Laffoon, vice
president of corporate relations.
The Tulsa Area United Way (l’AUW)does fund the
Indian Nations Council of the BSA. TAUW’s director,
Kathleen Coan, at a mid-summer news conference was
asked, "since TAUW doesn’t fund racist or anti-semitic
organizations, why it funds non-profits (BSA, Big Brothers
and Big Sisters of Green Country, the American Red
Cross) which discriminate against Lesbian and Gay
Tulsans?" Coan, responding with obvious anger,, stated
that she was "quite proud" of thefunding decisions which
TAUWhas made, and made no effort to explain orjustify
those decisions.
Steve Tumbo, of the public relations firm Sctmake,
Brookey Turnbo, and a recent addition to the Tulsa Area
United Way board was present at that press conference
and also reacted angrily to questiond aboutTAUW bias.
Mr. Turnbo, a longtime supporter of the National
Conference for Community and Justice, a Tulsa "human
rights" organization with a history of anti-Gay discrimination,
had promised to respond to inquiries about
TAUW’s funding of anti-Gay groups if the concerns
were expressed by letter. To date, TFN has received no
response to a letter sent in April.
Turnbo also was the organizer a few years ago of a
conference which claimed to be about diversity butwhich
failed to include Lesbians and Gay men in any of its
planning and Turubo also refused to alter the event even
when the matter was brought to his attention and individuals
were willing to volunteer to help correct the
exclusion.
Tumbo’s firm enjoys a privileged relationship with
Tulsa’s establiskment frequently working closely with
Tulsa mayor, M. Susan Savage, the Chamber of Commerce
and Tulsa Public Schools, frequently being involved
in bond and other elections.
Assault at Rose Hill by Tom Neal, editor/publisher
It was a picture perfect "photo op." The rabbi, draped
with his prayer shawl, was flanked one one side by
Mouzon Biggs of Boston Avenue Methodist Church,
Black pastor Dr. McCutchen, and the Bishop (Catholic)
of Tulsa, Edward Slattery, and on the other side by our
mayor, M. Susan Savage, and Sheryl Siddiqui of Tulsa’s
Islamic Society.
.M1 were gathered in the 100 plus degree heat and sun
to condenm a horrible act of desecration: the toppling of
Jewish tombstones in Rose Hill Cem-
: the Nadonal Conference of Christians and Jews) sends
¯ letters to the World condemning firemen who put Chris-
" tian holiday decorations up and condemns anti-Semetic
¯ attacks on Joe Lieberman but never to my knowledge has
¯ responded publicly to attacks on Tulsa’s Gay Commu-
¯ nity Center, to anti-Gay Oklahoma legislation, to the
¯ beating of Orr and Beauchamp, or even to the murder of
¯ Mathew Sheppard.
However, the organization has engaged in deliberate
¯
and conscious acts of anti-Gay discrimination, most
recently at an event at Bigg’s BOston
etery. And Rabbi Fitzerman of Congregation
B’nai Emunah put in context
just precisely how this act hurt, of
how it invoked memories of Nazi
atrocities with a story of a road to one
Nazi labor/death camp being paved
with Jewish tombstones.
But when push comes to shove, this
still was a crime against property - not
a taking oflife. Was it an assault on the
psyche of a community? Of course!
Not unlike the year-in and year-out
psychic assaults on Gay Tulsans from
our own elected leaders (members of
the legislature, our governor, our congressman,
our sen~ttors, our district
attorney),as well as from individual~
like Jonathan Brian Duke, the man
who was caught in the cemetery. According
to the Tulsa WorM, Duke had
been accused of harassing two Gay
men who lived near him.
Indeed, ifyouknew who and what to
look for, Tulsa’s Gay community was
wall represented in the crowd. I suspect
that after Jews, we may have been
the largest single group. There were
"baby" Gays in rainbow beads and
: shorts, a young lesbian couple quietly
: holding hands leaving the ceremony
] after all was over, establishment Gays
¯ from the Church of Saint Jerome, even
somehardyhumanrights activists from
: Oklahoma City who dropped every-
: thing to come to be here in solidarity.
"So when Rabbi Fitzerman
says he’s grateful to llve in
an "open eommunlty,"
one that "embraces
diversity," "a place of
profound moral health,"
I am grateful that for
Tulsa’s Jewish eommunlty,
this may finally be true.
I hope so.
But for Gay people dearly
this is not yet true. For
Gay Tulsans, Tulsa
remains a place of deep
hypoerlsy, where our
tax dollars,
and our talents are
greedily taken but our
exlstenee is mostly
denied when not
speeffleally condemned. "
- Tom Neal
Amazingly, Rabbi Fitzerman did
Avenue Methodist Church. And in a
particularly cynical fundraising ploy,
NCCJ honored Robert Lorton, owner
and publisher of the Tulsa WorM, a
business knownfor at least fifteen years
for its anti-Gay discriminatory business
practices, its "humanitarian" of
the year.
So when Rabbi Fitzerman says he’s
grateful to live in an "’open community,"
one that "embraces diversity,"
"a place of profound moral health," I
am grateful that for Tulsa’s Jewish
community, this may finally be true. I
hope so.
But for Gay people clearly this is
not yet true. For Gay Tulsans, Tulsa
. remains a place of deep hypocrisy,
where our tax dollars, and our talents
are greedily taken but our existence is
mostly denied when not specifically
condemned. It is a place where even
our presence in human rights groups is
begrudging and is predicated on our
not getting "’uppity." (Note how these
groups much prefer to have non-Gay
Gay advocates like Nancy McDonald
rather than actually have Gay people at
the table. Note also that this is no
cnttcism of Nancy’s good and hard
work. She’s not responsible for their
prejudice.)
And while Gay people seem to get
the connection between anti-semitism
and anti-Gay values, the ~luestion remains
whether Tulsa’s Jewish commention
Gay people along with Jews, Catholics, Blacks,
Asians and Hispanic Americans as those .who are attacked
because we do not fit some "mythological profile"
of a "true’.’ American. But as a long observer of Tulsa’s
so-called "human rights" community, it is hard not to be
somewhat bitter at the contrast between how seriously
assaults on Tulsa’ s Jewish community are taken as compared
to those on Tulsa’s Gay commumty.
Let us merely start with who was on, and who was not
on, the dais! While there seems to be evidence that Gays
were also targets 6f Jonathan Brian Duke, and there
certainly are Gay community leaders who were concerned
and attending the event, like Father Rick
Hollingsworth of Saint Jerome, or members of Tulsa
Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR), we were not
represented.
Duke had not attacked Cathohcs but the Catholic
bishop was on the dais. Nor did he attack Methodists but
Mouzon Biggs was there. Nor had he attacked Blacks but
one of the most senior Black clergymen was there. Nor
did he attack Muslims but Siddiqui was invited to the
dais.
Can anyone remember when ever our mayor has attended
a Gay event? She’s usually conveniently out of
town. Sure she sends her best bud, Hilary Kitz, whom we
adore but it’s not the same. We did not see her at the
memorial hdd in City Hall Plaza for Mathew Sheppard,
nor did she release comment about that crime, or more
relevantly did she comment on the brutal Brookside
beating ofTony Orr andTim Beauchamp- indeed a local
crime. Nor has our mayor responded to now years worth
of calls for diversity training for police and other city
workers which actually includes Gay people in the "diversity."
Nor did she add her voice to the effort to amend
our state hate crime statute to include "sexual orientalion."
Local ’’human rights" organizations like the National
Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ, formerly
munity does. While Tulsa’s Jewish community by an3’
standard is successful in business and in political impact,
and is influential due to those talents in wild disproportion
to its numbers, it still seems to bdieve that it cannot
risk expending its "’capital" to help Gay people. And it is
also, frankly, a community which has not dealt with its
own prejudices against Gay people, its homophobia and
Its heterosexism.
Part of the reason that things are better in Tulsa forJews
is that non-Jews made the effort to try to make things
better. It’s morally right for those still excluded to call on
those who’ve been helped to turn and to help those still
left behind. Tulsa’s Jewish community and Tulsa’s Gay
community have much in common.
Unlike racial minorities, neither community is an "onsight"
minority. We are known by our actions, by going
to our places of worship’or our community centers, or
businesses. We are subject to similar pressures to just
"convert." And we share the horror of Nazi persecution,
a fact finally acknowledged by organizers of the local
Holocaust interfaith remembrance event this year, albeit
only after much cajoling and the intervention of one
blessedly open minded Tulsan, herself the daughter of
Holocaust survivors.
The rabbi’s inclusive language is a good start. God
forbid that there should be a next time for suchan event
but when next there is a shared stage, an effort at representing
the"diversity"ofour town, maybe thenone of our
leaders will be on the dais. And maybe just like the Gay
people who were in that 100 degree heat, who understand
that an attack on Jews is an attack on us too, Tulsa’s
Jewish commumty will throw their influence behind the
Gay commumty’s efforts for fair treatment by our law
enforcement system, by our legislature, and by our community
organizations.
The God of Israel commands, "... justice,justice, shalt
thou seek..." You don’t have to be a Jew or a Christian
to honor these words.
Universal Florida To
Offer Partners Benefits
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Universal Florida will start
offering health and other benefits to domestic partners,
both Gayand straight. The benefits, which will
take effect Oct. 1, also will cover dependents of
domestic partners.
’This is a part of our ongoing efforts to recognize
the diversity of the team members in our workforce
and to provide an array of benefits and services
sufficient to be recognized as an employer of choice
in this very dynamic Orlando labor market," said an
internal Universal document obtained by The Orlando
Sentinel.
Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando’s largest employer
with more than 55,000 workers, has offered
health benefits to employees’ Gay partners since
1996. But Disney doesn’t cover heterosexual partners
of employees tmless they are married.
Disney doesn’t plan to change its policy regarding
unmarriedheterosexual partners, said spokesman Bill
Warren. "It’s our position that there is a legal remedy
to be’formally married, and Seeg those benefits with
heterosexual couples," Warren said.
Universal, the area’s fourth-largest employer with
11,800 employees, will extend the benefits to any
domestic, partner 18 or older who has lived with the
employee for at least six months. In addition, the
theme park resort’s statement said, partners, must
have ’~oint responsibility for eachother’s financial
wdfare and basic living expenses," although it is not
dear how that would be proved. In addition to medical,
dental, vision and dependent life insurance, domestic
partners will be able to use Universal’s employee
assistance program, sctfolarships and other
benefits. Employees can enroll their partners in September.
Hate crimes increase
11.7% in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (AP) -Hatecrimes increased 11.7%
in Los Angeles County last year, with blacks, Jews
and Gays the target of most attacks, the. Human
Relations Commission said. The increase was due in
part to better reporting of hate crimes, officials said
recently.
Last year’s attack on the North Valley Jewish
Community Center by a gunman led to an "unprecedented
awareness" ofhate crimes, said RobinToma,
acting executive director of the county Human Relations
Commission. Buford O. Furrow Jr., a white
supremacist, is charged with. shooting to death Filipino-
American postal worker 3oseph Ileto and then
wounding five people at the Jewish center.
Overall in 1999, the report said, 859 crimes motivated
by race. religion or sexual orientation-were
reported. That was up 11.7% from 1998. It was the
second-highest tally in 20 years, behind the peak year
of’ 1996, when 995 hate crimes were reported.
The upswing matched a 12% statewide increase in
hate crimes, announced last month by the state attorney
general’s office. The crimes ranges from crossbumings
to killings. Overall, blacks werethe most
frequent victims of hate crimes, but crimes involving
religion or sexual orientation saw the largest increases.
Hate crimes on school campuses .also rose
sharply for the second year in a row,jumping 58.7%,
from 46 to 73. Most of the crimes based on religion
were nonviolent, but more than half of those against
Gays and Lesbians were violent, the commission
said.
Univ. of Minnesota Alum
Donates for Gay Center
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A University of Minnesota
alunmus who made a fortune in the computer software
industry has donated $500,000 to the school for
an endowed Gay, Lesbian, bisexual and transgender
studies center.
The Steven J. Schochet Center for Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgender Studies opened July 1.
Schochet, a 1959 graduate, said he faced many barriers
as a Gay man on campus and hopes the donation
will improve the climate for GLBT students.
The center will be responsible for coordinating
graduate studies, establishing archives and starting a
lecture series and community forums. ’.The goal of
the center is to enhance the creation of knowledge
about GLBT lives through academic studies and
community interaction," said Liunea Stenson,
Schochet Center program director.
Texas A&M Waffles
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) - A Gay civil
rights group urged Texas A&M University to implement
an on-again, off-again ban on discrimination
again~st Gays. School presidentRay Bowen suspended
the policy change on Aug. 16, a few hours after it was
posted on the university’s Web site. In a vaguely
worded statement, Bowen said the issue needed more
study.
In a letter to Bowen, the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force said Texas A&M shouldjoin other major
universities around the state in prohibiting discrimination
against homosexuals. "Failure to expressly
-forbid discrimination also sends the message to the
campus community that (homosexual) people are
second-class citizens and that discrimination against
them is acceptable," said ElizabethToledo, executive
director of the task force.
Bowen has stated the matter will be reconsidered
after a better understanding by all confirmed parties
has been achieved, said university spokesman Lane
Stephenson.
"He has directed the matter to go through the Office
of the Dean of Student Life as the start of the process
of reconsideration," Stephenson said. "We are already
starting to have productive discussions within
the university community."
On the Net: .Texas A&M University: http://
www.tamu.edu
Drag Queens-Invited to
Olympic Celebrations
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - The Olympics’ dosing
ceremony is going to be a drag. Drag queens will be
part of the Sydney 2000 games’ finale regardless of
what "right-wing reactionaries" think, ceremonies
director Ric Birch said at the end of August/
Themen dressedup in outlandish dresses, wigs and
makeup, will be "part of one tiny section" of the
dosing ceremony, a tribute to Australian films including
the 1994 cult hit ’.The Adventures of Priscilla,
Queen of the Desert," he said.
Some of the participants would be dressed in original
costumes, including a frill-necked lizard outfit
from the film, which features twodrag queens and a
transsexual driving a pink bus through Australia’s
Outback.
A report in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper
sparked heated debate onradio shows. One, caller said
he would trade his dosing ceremony ticket after
hearing the news.
Birch directed the opemng ceremony at the 1992
Barcelona Olympics and was involved in the opener
at Atlantafour years ago. He said he was annoyed that
constant leaks were wrecking what should be a surprise
for the public. "I’m really disappointed at the
way the mediais gleefully trying to expose the secrets
that we call surprises," Birch told Australian Broadcasting
Corp. radio.
Photographs of the Olympic cauldron being lit in
rehearsals, which are usually kept under wraps, have
been printed. Speculation on who will ignite the
cauldron has intensified.
Birch said the inclusion of drag queens also reflected
one of Sydney’s mostcolorful events, the Gay
and Lesbian Mardi Gras, a Gay pridemarch and street
carnival that attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators
each year. "That’s part of Sydney life whether
(critics) like it or not." Birch said. "For the right-wing
reactionaries or whatever part of a community is
..outraged about it - well, they’re always going to be
outraged."
Olympics Minister Michael Knight said all the
plans forthe ceremonies had been approved by the
organizing committee’s board. "The dosing ceremony
runs for several hours and has a very different feel to
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opening ceremony - it’s a party," he said. "Fhe
athletes are going to be on the field from the word go
as part of this giant party celebration: The whole feel
will be one of great celebration and fi~n."
Same-sex Marriage Ban
Appears Headed to Ballot
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - It appears likely voters will
get a chance to decide whether to ban same-sex
marriages in Nebraska: A petition effort to place the
proposed constitutional an~endment on th~ ballot
gathered at leas t 19,000 more than the needed 105,214
signatures:, the Secretary Of State’ s,office announbed.
The same~sex p~tition was circulated: by the De-
[fehse: of Marriage Amendment Committee. With
signatures t¥om 82 counties counted, the total-verified
was 124,495. About 10% of the signatures were
determined to be invalid.
The petition effort was headed by Guyla Mills,
director of the NebraskaFamily Council and a lobbyist
for the Nonpartisan Family Coalifon- two groups
that support the peftion.
Mills said sheis confident that when all the signatures
are verified they will have about 45,000 more
thanwhat is required, and that will deter anyone from
thinking about challenging them.
At this time the Nebraska chapter of the American
Civil Liberges Union has no intention of challenging
anyof the signatures, even though it remains opposed
to. the amendment; said ACLU director Tim Butz. A
group organized to fight]he initiative, called the Vote
No on DOMA (Defense of Marriage Amendment)
Committee, also has no plans to challenge the signature
count. Other groups opposing the effort include
Nebraska Advocates for Justice & Equality, a nonprofit
Omaha group, and PFLAG (Parents and Families
of Lesbians and Gays).
Butz said theACLU id researching what impact the
amendment would have on exisfng laws dealing with
business partnerships and existing legal agreements
between Gay and Lesbian couples. The ACIJd also is
looking into what impactit would have on companies
that offer same-sex health~benefits,-to workers. ¯
The proposed constitutional amendment will read:
’~Only marriage between a man and a woman shall be
valid or recognized in Nebraska. The uniting of two
persons of the same sex in a civil union, domestic
partnership, or other similar same-sex relationship
shall not be valid or recognized in Nebraska.’"
Nothing in current Nebraska law s.pecifically prohibits
same-sex marriage. Supporters of the petition
say it will clarify in the consmutlon that only marriages
of a man and woman are legal in Nebraska.
Thirt.y-tl~r.ee states have passed law s or amended their
const~tutxons to ban same-sex marriages.
Officials Say No to Two
Morns on Birth Certificate
DENVER (AP) -The state health department will
ask the Colorado Supreme Court to ban Lesbian
couples from placing both their nmnes on a baby’s
birth certificate, a health official said. The issue was
raised after two Boulder District Court judges allowed
seven Lesbian couples to place their names on
birth certificates. One of the women in each couple
was the birth mother. The judges said Colorado law
allows people who have :no biological,connection to
"a child tO ~ssume parentalrights ii~ certain situations.
The Department ofPublic Health and Environment
appealed, arguing that the judges had overstepped
their legal authority by creating a new_ kind of pare_ntchild
relationship.
"It needs to be the decision of the legislature rather
than the courts," said Cynthia Honssinger, a director
in the health department. But the Colorado Court of
Appeals turned down the health department’s request
to overturn the Boulder courts. The appellate court
said the health department didn’t appeal on time nor
should it have any interest in the matter.
Honssinger said the health department now plans
to ask theColorado Supreme Court to look at what the
Legislature intended when it enacted the Uniform
Parentage Act. Lawmakers wanted to help single
mothers get child-support payments from deadbeat
dads, she said.
Jeanine Pow, a lawyer representing one of the
Lesbian couples, said the law traditionally wants
what is in the "best interest" of the child, which is two
adults who are responsible for the child. "The health
department is wasting taxpayer money on punishing
the children of Lesbian mothers," she said.
The women in the seven Boulder cases want to
remain anonymous to protect their clfildren and themselves,
their lawyers said.
GayArts Group Sues San
Antonio; Claims Bias
SAN-ANTONIO (AP) - A chItural arts 2roup fliat]ost
Its c~ty fundlng.m 1997 armd 4omplaint~ ,o~er !ts
+ponsorship of ~i Gay and Lesbiati fihri fest~fil’
the city to court on accusations of violating the First
Amendment. Attorneys for the nonprofit Esperanza
Center contend the City Council cut off the organization
because of its viewpoints a violation of free
speech- mad because of pressure from residents who
told council members they opposed "promoting a
Gay lifestyle."
Also Suing the city are two groups under the 13-
year-old Esperanza’s fiscal umbrella, the San Antonio
Lesbian andGay Media Project mad the s~nall arts
gr,o,up VAN
~lie Esperanza_N~d other plaintiffs were singled
out by the city because of the viewpoints expressed by
~he Esperanza ~n a variety of ways, Esperanza lawyer
Am~; Kastely told U.S. District Judge Orlando L.
G,qrci~i iff0utlining their case.
The Esperanza Center filed suit after the council
voted in September 1997 to stop giving it money.
Although the couucil reduced funding to most arts
groups by 15% at the stone time, Esperanza was the
only one ~hat was cut off altogether.
Several residents had voiced their opposition to
financing Esperanza, saying they disapproved of the
behavior they believed the group was advocating.
The city’s Cultural Arts Board had recommended
$62~500 for Esperanza, which had been receiving city
money for ~even years. But after the council vote, the
cit)/ i~’ei~aJ:~ment 6f Ar~s .and dultural Affhirs also
withheld $14,000 from the Texas Commission on the
Arts, for a total loss of about $76,500.
Now, the group’s leaders are seeking the money
they believe they deserve. They’re also seekang an
order from the court to force the city to follow its own
criteria for granting arts funding.
But lawyers representing the city say council members
didn’t stra~: from the criteria. They say some
council members just didn’l support the Esperanza
Center while others wanted to divert some of the arts
funding toward more basic city progrmns.
For~ner councilman Jose Menendez testified that
while he had received several phone calls and letters
objecting to financing Esperanza, he simply felt that
artsfluading was not a priority. He said Iris district
needed sidewalks, speed bumps and more firefighters.
’qqae arts ~vas an area where we could get lnore money
for basic servxces."
The city’s law yers questioned whether Esperanza,
which used to be called the Esperanza Peace &Justice
Center, should have been eligible for arts money in
the first place. Indeed, some council members had
viewed it more as a political organization than an arts
group, former councilman Roger Flores testified.
Eduardo Diaz, former director of the city’s arts
depar.tment: ~onceded~ ~upon, questioning.by assistant
city attorney. Amy Eubanks that Esperanza technically
is not an arts organization because its massion is
not exclusively the presentation or production of art.
¯ But-he-added that it has.been Esperanza’s practice
over the years to incorporate arts progran~s.
Diaz testified earlier that he had no doubt that
Esperanza met the criteria for funding He.said the
g up has been an acttve player tn cultural events
for many years. He said there are :other Ynon-arts"
groups that receive arts funding. At the time of the’ 97
cotmcil vote, the Witte Museum, primarily a natural
history and science museum, was among four organizations
that were receiving 70 to 75% of the total
amount of arts funding, Diaz said.
Esperanza execuuve director Graciela S anchez testified
the center has used arts programs to "g~ve voice
to the voiceless."
Medical Marijuana
To Be Investigated
SAN DIEGO (AP) - The University of
California, San Diego will soon begin
trials on medical marijuana at the nation’ s
first research center designed to explore
the drug’s therapeutic potential. Doctors
announced the Center for Medicinal Cannabis
Research as part of the state’s effort
to set medical guidelines following the
voter-approved medical marijuana law.
The center, headquartered in San Diego,
will begin distributing grants to conduct
clinical trials at lmiversities and research
centers throughout California as
early as January.
The studies will look at whether marijuana
is a safe alternative for treating
certmn kinds of medical conditions and
the best ways to administer it, such as ¯
through pills, patches or sprays.
’~Ourjobis to show if these products are ¯
helpful and we can answer t~.at defini- -"
tively," said Igor Grant, the center’s director
and professor of psychiatry at
UCSD. ¯
Gov. Gray Davis has already approved ¯
$3 malhon to fund theprogram first year
while legislation calls for a three-year
program. The center was set up in large
response to Proposition 215, the 1996
state initiative allowing seriously ill pa- °
tients to grow and use marijuana f~ pain o
relief, if they have a doctor’srecommen- o
dation. Measures similar_to the California ¯
initiative have passed in Alaska, Arizona,.
Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and
Washington state. ¯
State Sen. John Vasconcellos, who ¯
pushed for medical marijuana, pelmed the ¯
program in 1996 but initially faced oppositionfromlaw
enforcement groups. Only ¯
after working with Attorney General Bill
Lockyer did Vasconcellos convincemany ¯
that research was a good idea.
"It’s been a very long road since the °
passage of 215 to even get as far as we had
with research," said Rand Martin, a ¯
spokesman for Vasconcellos. "We have °
had to deal with alot of political problems °
and the most exciting thing is that we’re ¯
putting the politics behind us." o
Proponents have long argued that marl- "
juanahelps patients with chronic pain and "
with AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis ¯
by relieving pain and nausea. Opponents .
of marijuana say scientific research is "
necessary.
’Wee consider research a good thing,’" -"
said Bob Weiner of the White House
National Drug Control Policy Office. "Fo "
have medicine determined by science and ¯
not by popular will is exactly what we
support." ¯
Doctors at UCSD’s center hope the "
research will eventually determine"
whether marijuana has medical benefits -
because current federal law says the drug "
has no medical purpose.
Trial patients will get marijuana from :
the National InStitute on Drug Abuse and -
researchers have pledged to follow all
medical guidelines. ’‘There’s been a long "
history of contention around cannabis and
it has been difficult to do research," said ,
Grant. "This it the ~first study that’s "
mulfidisciplinary. The state of California "
has taken the lead here." ¯
Malay AIDS-Group -
Protests Testing
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -"
Malaysia’s biggest AIDS .aw.areness and, "
prevention body has protestea a proposat ¯
in a southern state to subject
"_ Muslim men to HIV tests before they are
¯ allowed to getmarried, anews report said.
." The criticism of the move by Islamic
¯ religious authorities in Johor state came
¯ fromPrimeMinisterMahathirMohamad’s
o° daughter, MarinaMahathir, an outspoken
: AIDS activist who heads the Malaysian
AIDS Council. "The assumption is blood
~ testing is somehow preventive, unfortu-
¯ nately it is not," Marina was quoted as
¯ saying by the Beriiama news agency.
"- Mandatory HIV testing was also a vio-
¯ lation of human rights, she said. AIDS
¯ activists would soon meet with state offi-
¯ cials to ’discuss the proposal, she was
~ quoted as saying.
° She told reporters that educating the
¯ public on preventive measures will be
¯ more effective in curbing the deadly dis-
" ease in the predominantly Muslim Southeast
Asian country where discussing
sexual issues in public is taboo and where
introducing sex education in schools is
being resisted by conservattves.
Over the weekend, top government officials
in Johor proposed compulsory
blood tests on Muslim men, a move that
would affect men in the dominant Malay
community. Johor chief minister Abdul
Ghani Othman was quoted as saying by
newspapers that it was part of efforts to
check the alarming rise of HIV cases in
the state. "In 1999 alone, there was a 73%
increasein ttIV cases among Malays compared
to the previous year,"he was quoted
as saying by New Sunday Times.
Clinton: "Break the
Silence’ about AIDS
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - Africans must
"break the siIence" about AIDS or risk
losing hard-fought democratic and economic
gains, President Clinton said Sunday
as the White House highlighted more
than $20 million in U.S. aid to fight AIDS,
malaria and other diseases devastating
Africa.
"In every country, in any culture, it is
difficult, painful, at the very least embarrassing,
to talk about the issues involved
with AIDS," Clinton said after touring a
health center in the Nigerian capital and
hearing the stories of several people living
with the disease.
Clinton’s two-day stay in Nigeria was
intended to underscore U.S. approval of
the 15-month-old democratic government
in Africa’s most populous nation, with
123 million people.
Along with dealing with the heavy
themes of AIDS and debt relief, Clinton
used the trip to get to know a country he
deliberated bypassed on his last trip to
Africa, in 1998, when it was under a
military dictatorship.
Led by a throng of singing children, he
trudged through the Nigerian village of
Ushafa on Sunday, past mud brick huts
and flimsy metal sheds, with scrawny
chickens scattering in his path.
"We want to help you build your
economy, educate your children andbuild
a better life," he told villagers, wearing a
cream-colored royal African robe given
to him by the village chief.
AIDS killed 2.8 million people worldwide
last year, and is now the leading
cause of death in Africa. The Clinton
administration will spend $9.4 million
this year for AIDS and HIV infection
prevention and care in Nigeria, $8.7 million
more for polio eradication and $2
million toward prevention of malaria.
In sub-Saharan Africa, 13 million children
have lost a parent to AIDS, and the
disease is reducing life expectancies and
Colle.ge Hill
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In response to God’s Love, College Hill
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Trusting in a living, loving God, we seek to become a
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Our congregation welcomes all persons who respond in
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desire to become part of the membership and ministry
of Christ’s church. Membership is open- to all people
regardless of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition,
marital status, or sexual orientation.
Sunday Worship 1 lam
College Hill Presbyterian Church, 712 S. Columbia Avenue, 592-5800
(One block west of Delaware and the University of Tulsa Campus)
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dimming development hopes across the ; Fe Maria, who asked that only her first
continent. "Is it harder to talk about these ¯ name beused, has gained weight and feels
thingsthantowatchachilddieofAIDS?" ," better, although the medicines give her
Clinton asked. "We have to break the ¯ headaches.
silence about how this disease spreads ; Dr. Ellen Koenig, an An~erican physiand
how to prevent it." ° cian who has lived and worked in the
Power About 2.6 million Nigerians, 5.4% of:
DominicanRepublicfor31 years, was the
the population, are afflicted with AIDS. ° impetus behind bringing the trial here.
That puts the country on better footing i And she insisted the company agree to
than many of its neighbors with higher ¯ continue paying for treatment after the
~onnc~~-~e1 ., infection rates, but in danger ofletting the:test.
disease gain ground, Clinton said. "AIDS ". "In some places, the drug companies
can rob a country of its future," Clinton ; come in, do the trial and then they leave,
¯ said. "I know you are not going to let that ¯ and the people don’t have the money to
happen to Nigeria.’" : buy the medicine," said Ceneyda Brito at
I~lbl|¢ S~l’~ice Cenlpan¥ of Oklahoma He promised continued U.S. support " the Dominican advocacy group AIDS
for Nigeria’s transition to democracy, but ," Action.
euslomer Santice Is Now Available 9.4 did not, as Nigerian President Olusegun
Hours A Day, Seven Days A Week. Obasanjo had hoped, agree to cancel or i Doctors Accused of cut the nearly $1 billion U.S. portion of .
These days, traditional 8-5.business hours Nigeria’ s $32 billion foreign debt, amove _" Improper HIVTesting
aren’t always convenient. So PS0 has made it thatwouldrequirecongressional approval..
Speaking to business executives later : JOHANNESBURG, SouthAfrica(AP)-
easier than ever for you to c0ntaet us. Sunday, however, Clinton said he sup- ." More than 50 physicians here are accused
of HIV-testing patients without their
Our Customer Service Center operates 24/7 rpioartssperenddusctihnegetxhteradmebot,nbeyutoonnilmy pffroNvigineg- -° knowledge or consent - and then passing
- offering ar0und-the-cl0ck answers to your lives anddiversifying the economy. ’q-here : on the result to the patients’ employers,
uestions - and better access to service, must be a dividend to democracy for the ° media reported at the end of August.
¯ ° The University of Witwatersrand’s
people of Nigeria," Clinton said. ¯
Now it’s easier for you to inquire Clinton, accompanied by danghter i AIDS Law Project has filed complaints
against the doctors with the Health Prac- about your monthly electric bill. Chelsea, began his day with services at a °
titioners AssociationofSouthAfrica. The
Or report a power outage. Or Baptist church in Abuja, and then ventured
outside the capital to get a firsthand -" tests were performed at the request of the
arrange to have your look Sunday at both the pageantry and ~
patients’ employers, the Johannesburg
F.-verty of life in Ushafa, a pottery-mak- ° newspaper the Saturday Star reported.
power turned on or ing center. ’‘icame to Nigeria to express ¯" Most patients were not given counsel-
. off. Our professionally the support of the people of the United "- ing before or after the test, the group said,
" States,"Clintontoldvillagersfromamake- ; adding that in some cases, test results
trained, friendly and shift platform. ~"VVe snpport your democ- "
were sent directly to the employer without
¯ informing the patient. knowledgeable customer racy. ""
I~LhairatAbdulrazaq Gwadabe, whorep- A positive result meant almost certain
service representatives are resents the village in the Nigerian Senate, "
dismissal, the group said. In a fifth of the
standing by to serve you. said she explained Clinton’s visit to vii- "
cases, the employee was a domestic
¯ worker. "It’s nothing less than total dis- All day, every day. lagers ahead of time¯ "I had to translate it - as the king of the world himself is coming. : crimination. The doctor is not concerned
¯ with the well-being of the patient, just the
To provide faster response The president of the world is coming to.. continued loyalty of the employer who
to your needs, we have listed their chief," Gwadabe said. "o wants to know if their employee is HIV
our t011-free numbers below. Dominican Republic : positivet,h"weitphroject.SaiJdennifer Joni, an attomey
Hosts Drug Tests : According to the Health Practitioners ¯ Association’s rules, HIV tests can only be
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Repub- : performed without a patient’s consent if a
lic (AP) - American researchers testing a o health professional has been exposed to
new AIDS drug needed patients who had : infection by a needle.
~ never received any treatment. The Do- ¯ Possible punishments for physioans
oi~ A~d Save mimcan Republic has them-by the thou- : found to break the association’s rules in-
|
sands. ¯ clude a warning, a reprimand, a fine of
"It seems like a win-win," said Joy : less than 10,000 rand ($1,450), and sus-
FoR
24 HOURS |I Schmitt, spokeswomanforAgouron Phar- : pensaon or removal fromthemedical reg- maceuficalsofLaJolla, California. People o ister. Abouta.2 million South Africans -
TOt.k’FREE SERVICE i "are getfingtreatment., and we’re get- : roug.hly 10% of the populafion~ - are HIV
I ting the patients we need for the trial." : pos~uve.
Agouron is using Dominicans to test its ¯
Customer Services: 1-888-216-3523 | capravinne because it canbe hardin the : Police Arrest Man I United Statesand Europe to find patients
Billing Inquiries: 1-888-216-3490 | who haven’t received any other treat-; For Spreading HIV
Outage Reporting: 1-888-218-3919 I ments, between health insurance and pub- -
|
lic health systems. NATCHITOCHES, LA (AP) - For the
Finding such people here was easy: ¯: second time recently, policehave charged
I More than 2% of the country’s 8 million ° a man with intentionally spreading the
Servici0 a Clientes: 1-888-216-3505 | people are infected with the AIDS virus - . AIDS virus. Eric Vashawn Alexander,
Preguntas S0bre su Cuenta: 1-888-216-3491 I
and few can afford medicines that cost : 26, was arrested and charged with inten-
I many times the average income. "No one ¯ tional exposing of the AIDS virus.
Palta De Suministr0:1-888-218-3924 ! helps you here if you have this disease," ¯ Alexander reportedly bit a man in the
said Fe Maria, who lived 13 years carry- " back as he intervened in a fight between a
I ing the AIDS virus without hope of get- i boyfriend and girlfriend, said police Lt.
I - ting treatment before going on the trial. " Chris Stanfield. During their investiga-
I ~"1~’~’.~ I Capravirine, which researchers hope" tion, officers learned that Alexander had
~~1~~,~
I will help fight off mutations of the-virus.,
tested positive for HIV. He was booked
I has already been through the safety phase " into the Natchitoches Parish Detention
of testing. In the current andcritical phase, Center. If convicted, he faces up to 10 Public Service Company of Oklahoma | 90 Dominicans and about 200 people in- years in prison, Stanfield said. Police also
I the United States and Canada are helping ¯ arrestedEamestWest,,onthesamecharge
............. ¯t test its effectiveness. Some participants " after receiving complaints that he allegget
a four-drug cocktail including " edly exposed four women to the AIDS
capravirine; others receiveadrug cocktail ¯ virus through unprotected sexual contact.
without capravirme.
by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor
As an author who prides himself on
getting the facts correct (Never straight,
always correct); I have to own up .to an
error that appeared in print in the August
issue. I mistakenly attributed the appearanc~
to RENT hiTulsato the auspices of
~d~brity. AttraCtions. Thins¯ Was false, it
was actually SF~:Thea~cal Group with
¯ . . : .M~eh has been maded the-
Norvell, who tm~e show, inc|udln criticism o{
lamo izlng a drug-rldden life.
Not so. It poignantly points out
the effects -0f such a llfe. What
been promoting
RENT. My apologies
to all parties;
the error was actually
caught and
corrected before
press time (Thanks
Kristin!), but the
publisher used the
unrevised version
of the column at
press time. To err
is human, and it
can happen to the
best of us, no matthe
show is about, in my estimation,
is the pursuit of
dreams: and the most common
dream of all -
finding.love;{or that is common
to allof us. Gay, Straight.
ter how careful we ,,
try to be. Blael~. White. and so on...
So,.n6~v that the . .
"oopls,~.¢g60fed..... ’ " .,,-
p0rfi6n 6f~h¢ ~61Umnis out of the ~vas, on
withthe ~uia Stuff!-Hope you get a ~h’ance
to see RENT, it’ s a powerful show, and as
one friend ofmine remarked, is "bite) and
zippy." I’ll leave it to the reader to interpret
those comments-. I liked the choice of
words, personally. The show does reach
out and bite, and it does move zippily
along. The only problems I had were that
themix of the sound left the vocals muddy
& almost inaudible under the guitars; and
that some of the performers need to work
on their diction. This observation was
echoed by TFN writer Karin Gregory in
Dallas, who saw the same touting show
down there.
This show is basically rock opera, sung
through almost entirely. That requires the
lyrics to be audible and clear, otherwise
it’s impossibleto understand the plot. I
knew the show, and still l~ad to strain at
many points to catch dialogue or lyrics.
Hopefully, these issues will be addressed
for die future shows in the rnn. In all other’
aspects, ~t was a powerful evening of
theatre and storytelling.
Much-has been made of the show, including
criticism of glamorizing a drugridden
life. Not so. It poigriantly points
out the effects of such a life. What the
show is about, in my estimation, is the
pursuit of dreams; and the most common
dream of all - finding love; for that is
common to all of us, gay, straight, black,
white, and so on. "Love is love", to quote
fantasy writer Lynn Flewelling. And as
such, should be respected and honored no
matter What form it takes. RENT illustrates
this in an upffont, grab you by the
shirt kind0f way?Sound of Music, it alia’ t,
sobe prepared.-
RENT explores the issues, of love and
its pursuff~ finding iL recognizing it; and
notletting fear, pri~le,and n~iSunderstanding,
and the defenses we all build to protect
ourselves deny the love we really
want to have. Fear can be an amazing
thing when it comes to that. In that sense,
REN~ is also about overcoming those
obstacles and recognizing that love is
hard to find, and shouldn’t be tossed away
when the genuine articleis found.Atimely
" Issue right now; as a friend of mine is
¯¯ taking a journey down that hard road that
I have taken so many times before, and am
" in the middle of right now.
Lots of things masquerade as love -
¯
control, fear, even hatred. The real firing
doesn’t land in your lap too often. Lot of
lookalikes do, the trick is distinguishing
¯
the real from the fake. And too often, the
-real is waF.to0
scary, and so is refused.
If you’ve
got the real thing,
hang onto it. Well,
join me on my
ramble, will
you?Dunno where
all that came from.
¯ . Well, I do, but
that’s a whole
book unto itself.
RENT succeeds
admirably inillustrating
¯the aforementioned
ideas,
albeit in a much
less lOngwinded
way (editorr s note:
indeed)¯
The ~tandout
songs were "I will
cover you , ’X)ne
song", m~d "’Without You", wlrich is by
far the most beantiful and-evocative song
in the whole show It captures exactly
how one feels when you know the one real
thing has gotten away from you, either by
circumstance, or worse, by your own
clioice. "Without you, the w.d,rld turns, but
I die too.., without you.. ¯ ....
Speaking of Dreams, Arturo Brachetti
was fabulous. Let me rephrase that...
Arturo Brachetti’s show was fabulous! I
hope most of you caught it, as it was an
excellent evening of theatre. The man is
literally a cast of thousands unto himself.
And his quick change of Scarlett pre and
post curtains was worth the price of admission!
His show was a fast paced conglomeration
of incredibly quick changes
that left yon wondering ’~aow did he ’o
that?", mixed with comedy, magic, and
excellent s torytelling. Andhe can do amazing
things with his hands. Making
shadowplays, I mean.
His theme? Dreams... Finding them,
¯ follo::-ing them, accomplishing them; and
: having, fun with your inner ~hild while
doin2 it Alternatively hilarious and p0ignant~;
his range ofcharacters and’ theatre
is amazing to see. He is a prime example
of what one can do with dreams, belief in
those dreams, and hard work - the two
main ingredients of magic. The other aspect
of that was the fact that, regrettably,
so many of Us h~ve that child within that
still has those dreams of ~hildhood, and
we lock them away. Arturo was all about
letting that child out to play, and having
fun, which showed in his production.
The show was excellent in all regards,
from the autobiographical structure that
set up the changes and made it an intimate
evening even for the PAC’s Chapman
Hall. Themusic ran the gamutfrom dance/
techno to classical, the lighting was fantastic,
and Arturo’s box was huge! Well,
at least the one onstage that served as sets,
movie screen, prop house, and costume
storage. At one pointed, he enacted an old
western playing every character, and it
was truly indescribably hilarious.
He also performed a series of vignettes
in tribute te film director see Arturo, p. 9
septem;ber
FRIDAY 8 pm SATURDAY’~NgH SUNDAY 3 pro°
september 22 s~ptember 2~3 ~’;~ :?’ september 24
Altan
"The hottest group in the Celtic realm these days."
The Boston Globe
September 12 at 8 p.m.
Chapman Music Hall .................
Tulsa PAC, 3rd & Cincinnati
TULSA
PERFORI~ING
ARTS CENTER
TRUST
Tickets $14, $16, $18
Call 596-7111 spo,,,o,~
Outside ~ulsa call 1-800-364-7111 ~ ......... ?~’ "~:
Online: www.tulsapac.com
.~"
Presented by the .. Tulsa Performing
And you thought the ice cream man
brought joy to your street¯
Sure, popsides are great. But how about a
truckload of new channels, including WGN? How
about.a high-speed Internet that’s always on and
better priced? How.:about service so thorough and
sweet you, can almost ~taste it? Now these, these
are the things you can sink your teeth into.
We’.re in.gear.
COMMUNII~ATIONI~
665-0200
Tulsa’s PRIDE 2000!
VIDEO RELEASE PARTY
Now that summer’s end is in sight and cool weather a hopeful
prospect, the time is ripe to celebrate the Pride Week events that
began Oklahoma’s heat wave.
The Diversity Celebration 2000was a huge success that
attracted fabulous people, was spectacularly beautiful, socially
concious, wi.ttyand revealing. And its all on tape. This year Tulsa
Oklahomans for Human Rights has joined with BoyBlue
Productions in making a.professional commemorative video. It will
include highlights of all Pride Week events including: appearances
by Greg Louganis, Rev. Mel White and Grethe Cammemeyer~ the
enormous parade, the art show, follies, community heroes, festival
and the Soulforce. workshop.
Friday night’s release party will include.a preview of the video,
live performances and dancing. Details are pending but mark your
calendar for 8pro Sept. 29th. And you wilI of course be able to
purchase your copy at the party.
Proceeds from the sales of the Diversity Celebration 2000
Commerative Video will benefit the services and programs of
TOHR Orders may be placed in advance with visa or mastercard
by calling TOHR at 743-4287. Orders plaCed by Sept 22 will be
.available for pick up at the Release Party.
#
For your copies of Diversity Fest 2000
Contact the Tulsa Gay Community
Service Center, 743-4297, POB 2687, 74101
x $20.00 = $
MO, Check, Visa, MC, no cash please.
exp. date
Signature
Federico Fellini, who passed away afew
years ago. It was touching, but I don’t
think the audience "gotit."I doubtmost of
the audience had a clue who Fellini was.
At one point, the box split, and the curtains
were raised to reveal the work be-.
hind themagic.Anice touch, giving honor
and recognition to the work that goes on
behind the magic to make it happen.
It was truly a magical evening, and it
was funny to see the audience go from the
thought process of"What the hell is this?"
to ’qhis is so cool!" Armro was different
from anything Tulsa has seen, and it’s a
good thing. He soon held us all in thepalm
of his hand. Not as tasty as this writer
would have liked, but it was the markof a
true artist. Tulsa’s a tough crowd to win
over, especially for anything avant garde,
but Arturo did it magnificently. He’ll be
in a sitcom this fall, so that’ll be something
to watch for.
For our Lesbian readers, as wall as Gay
men, Janis Ian will be appearing in concert
at The Oklahoma Center for Poets
and Writers’ Celebration of Books, along
with. poet Maya Angelou, This occurs
September 29-30, and for more information,
call 594-8215.
In September, we have a few events
wc.-th catching: On the 12th, the Irish
music group Altan will make an appearance
at the PAC. They have had rave
reviews, and itlooks like a lovely evening
,,f traditional Irish music ahead. For tickets,
call 596-7122
September 14-23, Heller Theatre presents
"Art", a show about a painting that
engenders discussions of the quality and
meaning of.life itself. 746-5065. Theater
Tulsa offers up some pop culture with the
musical version of "Everything l Need to
Know I Learned in Kindergarten" September
15-23.
Tchaikovsky’s "Sleeping Beauty"
wakes in Tulsa as Tulsa Ballet presents
the venerable dance epic September 22-
24. (I wouldlove to see Matthew Bourne’s
take on this one! He’s the man behind the
homoerotic version ofSwan Lake. I doubt
that will happen in Tulsa, though TBT is
moving beyond a stdctly traditional approachunder
Maestro Angelini.)Go see it
for the music and the grace. For info, call
749-6006
Warren’s murder has drawnnational
attention from Gay and non-Gay civil
rights acti.vists, who fear he was killed
because of his race or sexual orientation,
or both. "At this point there is no evidence
of abate crime," Marion County Prosecutor
Richard Bunner said after the indictments
were issued. "If any evidence is
uncovered, appropriate action will be
taken."
Court records indicate Warren, Parker
and Wilson argued twice the night of the
beating - once about an unspecified rumor
that had circulated about Warren and
Parker, and the second timeabout $20 that
Wilson took from Warren’s wallet: The
beating began after the second argument.
The grand jury met for about 90 rain:
utes and then immediately issued the indictments.
Wilson had soughtto block the
grandjury fromhearing allegations against
him, saying he should nothavebeen transferred
to adult court. The Supreme Court
mined down his petition 3-0.
Wilson and Parker will continue to be
held in a juvenile detention facility until
their trial. If convicted they likely will
remain in ajuvenile facility until they are
21, at which point they wouldbe moved to
an adult facility. A trial date has not been
set.
." TULSA - Furniture queens can now re-
¯. joicet Tulsa is now home to an Odds &
Ends Outlet Store, the fourth in the US
¯ which the distinguished Baker Furniture
¯ has opened. The store is located at 4329 ¯
So. Peoria, near the old John Zink prop-
" erty and is open 7 days a week. The store
¯ features Baker, MillingRoad, andMcguire
¯ furniture in a gallery like setting. ¯
Baker president, Chris Plasman, re-
" sponded to questions about the choice of
¯ Tulsa, saying, "residents in larger cities,
¯ such as Chicago and Atlanta, have been ¯
clamoring to get but we chose Tulsa.
¯ Certainly Tulsa’s demographics are very
¯ favorable, butthe decisionwas alsoheavily
¯ imquencedbytheresidents’ reputationfor
." uncompromising taste and style and a
genuineapp,r,eciation ofhistoryandcrafts -
: manship...
For more information, or store hours,
" call 746-0329.
¯
He was also hospitalized for a week after
being attacked with a knife by a group of
men who called him derogatory names,
he said. In 1995, he fled to the United
States and requested asylum, but was de-
At his hearing before immigration officials,
a Latin American history expert
testified that Gay men with female sexual
identities in Mexico are heavily persecuted
by the police and other groups and
are likely to become scapegoats for
Mexico’s economic and political problems.
The expert said Hernandez-Montiel
faced persecution if deported to Mexico.
Federico Gomez, press director of
Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission,
acknowledged that homosexuals
and cross-dressers still suffer from
discrimination, but added that he believes
Mexicans, in general, have become more
tolerant of people’s sexual orientation.
Gomez said he did not think the
Hernandez-Montiel case "reflected society
as the whole."
Judge A. Wallace Tashima wrote that
the appeals panel had determined that
’~3ay men with female sexual identities in
Mexico constitutea protected ’particular
social group’ under the asylum statute...
and that Geovanm is a member of that
group."
The Board of |mmigration Appeals had
contended that Hemandez-Montiel should
return to Mexico, saying he did not estalJlish
that he suffered abuse because of his
membership in a particular social group.
The appellate panel ordered the board to
reverse its decision and grant Hernandez-
Montiel asylum.
Want to get involved?
Need to get tested for HIV or
a Coming Out Support Group?
Call 743=GAYS (4297)
Tulsa Gay
Community
Services Center
1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor
by Lamont Lindstrom
When I was in highschool, my soon-tobe-
Gay friend Carl spent all hi s spare time
drawing fantastically elaborated plans for
pipe organs. In his
sketches, he piled keyboardbehindkeyboardand
rank onto rank. (All those
pipes and organs, of
course, should have gaven
me a clue.)
Since that year, I have
met many Gay guys with
considerable creative talents,
sometimes eccentrically
applied. One friend
constructs fantasy Christmas
trees. Another designs
websites. Another does
flower arrangements. Another
collects rococo pictures
of the Holy Mother.
Gays are deeply involved
in the fine and less
fine arts, from opera and
ballet down to cheesy TV
programs like Survivor.
When the AIDS epidemic
was at its worst, activists
invented the "Day without
Art" which foreshadowed how dull art
and culture would be in America should
all homosexuals ever pass away.
Why all this Gay creativity - creativity
which often is frenzied and even odd?
Anthropologist Sherry Ortner, drawing
on the Frenchfeminist Simone Beauvoir,
once proposed that ’Man is to Culture as
Woman is to Nature.’ Ortner was seeking
a-reason for why, almost everywhere,
people value what men do more than they
value whatwomen do. She concluded that
we associate women with nature, mostly
because women have kids. Women are
naturally creauve. Men, whose contributions
to making babies are momentary at
best, and much less embodied, have to
express our creativity by other means.
Ortner observed thathumans value culture
over nature. Culture is what preserves
us in nature. It tells us how to make
a living off the land. Whereas culture
protects, nature kills. Disease, aging,
drought, famine, earthquakes and tornados
may well be theendofus. Culture also
needs continuous reconstruction and cultivation.
We have to keep it all going and
we have to make sure to pass it down to
kids.
Given this preference for culture over
nature, Ortner concluded that men’s cultural
contributions are valued more than
women’s natural creativity. Others have
also pointed tomasculinejealousy offeminine
fertility. Womenunmistakably bring
new life out of their bodies. Less natural
men are driven to invent culture instead.
And we are jealous enough to insist that
our male creations - rituals, clubs, political
parties, novels, symphonies, paintings,
whatever- are somehow better, more
noble, and more enduring that just another
slobbery child. There is some truth
here, too. An ordinary human being lasts
little more than three quarters of a century
at best. Cultural creations-such as political
parties or rituals -may endure for
generations.
Gay men are particularly engaged in
cultural production insofar-as many of us
don’t contribute even the minor male donation
to human reproduction. Instead of
children, we have to live in our art, our
books, our sense of style (or maybe our
"...Anthropologist
Sherry Ortner,
drawing on the
French feminist
Simone Beauvolr,
once proposed that
’Man is to Culture as
Woman is to
Nature.’ Ortner was
seeking a reason for
why, almost everywhere,
people value
what men do more
than they value what
women do..."
dogs or cats). This is another instance- as
with penis size - where Gays are
hypermasculine. Gays who do not reproduce
naturally specialize instead in masculine
cultural creativity.
Some have criticized
Ortnerforoversimplifying
cross-cultural nuances of
male!female power relations.
Another sort of complication
comes from the
fact that many people disbelieve
an individual creativity.
Everyone, of
course, has a theory about
where new things come
from. But not everyone in
the world credits individual
creativity, orgenius,
or talent for the birth of
new things and new ideas.
Even in ,our own culture,
notions of creativity
aren’t that old. The English
noun "creativity"
only dates back to 1875 or
so. Before the modem era
- and the triumph of indiw[
dualism - our ancestors
talked instead of "inspiration,"
as others still do today. Once upon
a time, the word "’genius" referred to an
external spirit who inspired you with new
ideas. It did not mean some internal, mental
brilliance.
Onthe South Pacific island where I
once lived, nobody believes in creativity
in the sense of some mysterious
brainpower. Rather, clever people are
those with good ties to the world of ancestral
spirits. Nobody believes that men are
naturally more or less intelligent, either.
New ideas and new firings - if they are
worth anything - have to Come via inspi-
.ration from the ancestors.
Clever people are those with good communicauve
links with spirits, not those
who claim inborn talent. Men, for instance,
who come up with new songs
insist that they overhear these in their
dreams. Nobody would take credit for
composing a song by himself. If he d. 1,
how can it be any good? If you simply
make up something on your own, it obviously
can’t compete with music inspired
with spiritual wisdom.
But even on this Pacific island, men
manasecultural production although they
do so by monopolizing the means of inspiration
rather than the means of creativity,
as is the case here in America. Have a
look around at your culture, goodand bad.
Most of it is a male production, and a
notable ratio of that is Gay male productioLna.
mont Lindstrom, Ph.D., teaches anthropology
at the University of Tulsa
where he can be reached at: lamontlindstrom@
utulsa.edu
Hospice ofGreen Country seeks volunteers
to help provide care for patients and
their families who are dealing with issues
of terminal illness. Volunteers help run
errands and provide companionship.
For more information, call 747-CARE
(747-2273).
Volunteers are also needed at the Tulsa
Gay Community Services Center, 743-
GAYS (743-4297), to staff the Pride Store,
answer phones, pack boxes, catalogue
books and videos. Call for more info.
Timothy.W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for
justice & equality for
Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury,
Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appointments are available.
Are You Gay or Bisex.u. al?
Are You Native American?
-Iulsa’s Two-Spirited Indian Men’s
Support Group is here for
¯ Evening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HIV testing
For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
Call 341; 6866
Int rn.ational
ToursSormorein/ormat’on.
Massage TherapyS~
Edgar O. Cruz, L.M.T.
Pager: 918-889-5255
Voice Mail: 918-697-9282
Lic. #C4133
Country Cl ab Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
lbody
Tulsa’s only
professional
body-piercing
HOLY TRINITY GREEK
ORTHODOX CHURCH
THUR’SAT 11-11
SUNDAY 11-3
by Karin Gregory, TFN correspondent "
With election year just around the cor- ¯
ner, I want to ask you a question: Aren’t "
you afraid? Many people want to bury ¯
their heads, but you just can’t this year.
It’s too important.
Are you registered? Do
you know the candidates
and what they support, tol -
erate, condone, condenm,
and deny? Looking athighlights
of the Rep.ublican
National Convention last
month (What-youthought
I’d watch the whole
thing?), I was interested in
many things they pointed
out, one of which was the
"leave no child behind"
theme Bush espoused.
Funny, when he was our
govemor’for afew months
before embarking on his
Presidential campaign, his
"leave no state behind
without a governor" theme
didn’twork so well forhim.
Make no mistake grrls -
this is one Bush you
DON’T want to push an)’-
where, especially into the
~Zqlite House!
Let’s look at the issues
facing all of us this year.
Many have spoken of a
"different kind of Republican"
in George W. Bush.
Hrnmmm, I wonder. The
Republicans made a great
showof including as many
minorities as they could
find on the streets of Philadelphia
to join their little
convention. Again, great
appointing Supreme Court Justices, and
Bush has at least one to appoint, if he’s
elected. How many of you think he’ll
appoint someone who’s sensitive.to Gay
civil rights? If anyone if raising ’his/her
hand - PUT IT DOWN
"...What 1;es
were working
the floor
the week of the i
Republican
"Convention? ¯ ¯ ¯
Our eonservatlve
friends made a b;g
deal about inclusion
- Hispanies, African
Amerieans, the
GaylLesbian
Community,
the Pro-Choieers.
Yep, they really want
the votes, don’t they?
These people were
wooed and charmed
in front of cameras,
but what
happened the
,’morning after"? "
NOW!
UnderBush,manylaws
brought about by the Supreme
Court, laws which
helped to make us a demoeracy,
could be overturned~
What would hap:
pen if the Roe vs. Wade
decision was overturned?
It could happen very easily.
Andwhat do youthink
would happen to the
progress of Gay and Lesbian
couplelaws that have
come about in the last few
years? Gays? Lesbians?
Able to have rights? Bush
already denies that Gays
and Lesbians should have
"special rights". Read that
as "equal rights" and you
have the makings of a fascist
country. The makings
of amanwho would make
Charlton Heston look liberal.
But there’s another
story to this "coupling" of
Bush and Dick. Yep, you ’
know what I’m talking
about. Or rather, who I’m
talking about. It’s the old- i
est story around. Weak
Texas governor runs for
President; weak Texas
governor wins primary;
weak Texas governor.
picks running mate; rtmshow.
The Republicans are like that, you
know. Every few years they assume a
different identity, muchlike a chameleon,
so they can get votes by convincing peg.ple
they’re something "different" this ttme.
Each time (I’m talking Reagan and
George, Sr. here) the public has been
fooledby the rhetoric, the nicely groomed
candidates, and the lies.
What lies were working the floor theweekofthe
RepublicanConvention?Well,
let’ s go back to those people picked from
the streets of Philadelphia. Our conservafive
friends made a big deal about inclusion-
Hispanics, African Americans, the
Gay/Lesbian Community, and even the
Pro-Choicers. Yep, they really want the
votes, don’t they? These people were
wooed and charmed in front of cameras,
but what happened the "morning after"?
Well, the Republicans got together and
voted onNOT including same-sex recognition
among couples, NOT including
Gays in hate crimes legislation, NOT including
Gay civil rights of any kind, and
NOT including abortion for any reason.
Yeah, lies, damn lies¯
Despite all this bravado show of inclusion,
the Republican ticket ofGeorgeBush
and Dick Cheney already shows aHUGE
bias - Bush and Dick. See? They just had
to get those "family values" in after all!
Many may be wondering why I’m so
worried about this election year. George
W. Bush is certainly not a strong politician,
given the fact he was a Texas governor,
the weakest form of governor. And
you may be saying, ’He doesn’t make the
rules; Congress does."
OK, but the President is responsible for
¯ ning mate has Lesbian daughter. WHAT?
Dick Cheney, so hell-bent to do every-
" thing Conservative in the book, has a Les-
¯¯ bian daughter? What I want to know is
¯ why would this man be a party to a party
that denies his daughter equal rights?Why
¯ would she want her father to run in this
¯ party?
: On yet another television news pro-
" gram, host Cokie Roberts asked Mrs.
: Cheney about the possible hypocritical
¯ effects this has on their family. Mrs.
: Cheney said her daughter’s lifestyle was a
." "private matter." Well, Mary Cheney has
¯ been very out for many years and has ¯
¯ worked for Gay civil rights for many
years. And I resent Mrs. Cheney saying
¯ that her daughter’s Lesbianism is a "pri-
¯ vate matter" as if the girl has a disease. ¯
¯ Sounds to me likemomis the sicko here. So why, if homosexuality is such a
¯ private matter, has George W. Bush sup-
- ported every anti-gay legislation? If ho-
¯ mo~exuality is a private matter, why does
¯ he thiM: he has the right to tell me with
¯ whom I sleep? Why do the Republicans
¯ want to make such a federal issue out of ¯
such a"private matter"? Is homosexuality
" only private to the privileged few, like
¯ Mary Cheney? Or is it a matter that will
¯ decide,muchlike the sexual revolution of ¯
the sixties, the very way people look at
¯ one another in the future? As human be-
" ings, not as Gay, Straight, Lesbian, Bi-
¯ sexual, Transgendered, etc., etc., etc.
] You have a decision to make. If you
¯ want ANY possibility of equality, make
¯ sure you are registered. Then make a date ¯
¯ with yourself to go to a little booth in November. You know what to do.
Walk for Life 2000
8th Annual
Tulsa AIDS Walk
Saturday, Oct. 7, 9:30am
Vete ran’s Park, 21 st & Boulder
Fo.r more information, call 585-5551.
Donations-will be increased by 50% with
matching dollars through the generosity of
-the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The Walk is
sponsored by the Community Service
Council, and will benefit the Tulsa Community
AIDS Partnership (TCAP),
The Walk is an all volunteer effort and there
are no administrative costs.
Tulsa Family News is proud to donate this advertisement in support of the Walk
and the Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership (TCAP)
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, September 2000; Volume 7, Issue 9
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
Source
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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September 2000
Contributor
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James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, August 2000; Volume 7, Issue 8
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PDF
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English
Type
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newspaper
periodical
Coverage
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/items/show/604
2000
AIDS
AIDS drugs
AIDS research
AIDs Walk
aMUSEments
arts and entertainment
asylum
Bars
Boy Scouts
businesses
churches
Community Center
discrimination bans
gay bashing
Gay marriage
gay parents
Gay Studies
hate crimes
hate crimes bill
HIV testing
Jim Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
lawsuit
malpractice
marriage equality
medical marijuanan
Murder
Olympics
Openarms Youth Project
Partner Benefits
performing arts
Raging Lesbian
Red Cross
Red Rock Tulsa
restaurants
San Antonio Lesbian and Gay Media Project
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
VAN
Walk for Life
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/5d64f090519b9e896592128f02ec0c39.jpg
7132a01dcf7dd73f4768874198f90742
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/edf3b5a7d2dc2176171bea400a278963.pdf
2e81c7efa036dc8294c8bd398356f8a4
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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MCC +American Expre.ss
Offer Financial Planning
TULSA - Tulsa’s Metropolitan Community Church
United (MCC-United) with Theresa M. Barnard, a
financial planning advisor with American Express Financial
Advisors will present a series of financial planning
seminars at MCC United. One seminar will be
"Financial Strategies forGayMen&Lesbians" and will
be held onTuesday, September 5th and will be repeated
on Tuesday, October 10th. Barnard will present "Retirement
- Explore Your Options, Create your Retirement
Income," on Tuesday, .September 19th and ,Estate
Planning" on Tuesday, October 24th. All seminars
will be at 7pro at the church located at 1623 No.
Maplewood, just north and west of Sheridan and Pine.
Bamard and MCC United provided the following
statement from American Express Financial Advisors:
"We want to make our commitment to Gay men and
Lesbians clear. Just as we have ~ktended domestic
partner benefits to our Lesbian and Gay employees
worldwide, wearecommi tted to providing sound finan,
cial advice that specifically addresses the unique finandal
issues affecting our Lesbian and Gay clients."
see MCC, p. 3
Women Try to Change
Canada’s Marriage Law
VICTORIA, CANADA (AP.)- Two women at the
center of a constitutional court challenge exchanged
vows inJuly as friends andrelatives witnessed the union
ceremony. Judy Lightwater, 49, and Cynthia Callahan,
36, pledged to "cherish and sustain each other" for all of
their days with "passion, honor, patience and laughter."
Since Canadian law recognizes marriage only between
aman and awoman, it was legally impossible for
the Gay activism to get a marriage license. But the
British Columbia government has asked the provincial
Supreme Court on behalf of the couple to declare that
same-sex marriages are legal. The court challenge is
expected to reach the Supreme Court of Canada within
about seven years.
The provincial government issues marriage licenses
but is boundby federal rules as to who qualifies. "When
I see there are two people who are dearlyin love and
want to make a commitment to each other and want to
have the same access to laws that are available to others,
as a human being I ask myself why should ~ose people
not be able to make that commitment? said B.C.
Attorney General Andrew Petter.
"We’rein loveandwe want to tell everyone about it,"
........... said Lightwater: "It"s not that complicated.~ More love
in the world is something everyone supports."
The other couple named in B.C.’s court petition are
Murray Warren and Peter Cook, who filed a human
rights complaint after they were. refused a marriage
license 18 months ago. see Courts, p. 3
DIRECTORY P. 2
EDITORIAL P. 3
US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
HEALTH NEWS P, 6
ENTERTAINMENT P, 8
GAY STUDIES P. 10
Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans;Our.Families + Friends
" Building AEVER
A More Light Presb erMn Weekend
¯ TULSA - A local liberal protestant church, College Hill Presby-
¯ terian Church recently became a"More Light" church byjoining
¯ the More Light network, a group of Presbyterian affiliated
¯ organizations which are dedicated to welcoming Lesbians, Gay
men, Bisexuals and Transgendered persons into the church in all
roles, both as lay members and as ordained leaders and clergy.
Now in August, on the 25, 26, and 27, the congregation will
host a "More Light" event and organizer both to help educate
local religious groups and individuals, and to recognize and
¯ celebrate College Hill’s joining the More Light group.
The Session (the board of directors of the congregation) has
invited Michael Adee, Ph.D., who is a full time organizer for
More Light network, a weekend of workshops.
~ According to College Hill’s spokesperson, "these three days
¯ will be filled with opportunities for worship mad fellowship
¯ together, to learn more about ministry to and with Gay, Lesbian;
Bisexual and Transgendered persons, and to inform and welcome
¯ others to this ministry of compassion, inclusion and justice."
The opening event will be a lunch on Friday; August 25th,
¯ from noon to 1:30 in the Fellowship Hall of the church which is
¯ located at 712 So. Columbia Ave. The church is just west of the
¯¯ campus of theUniversityofTulsa and sinceTU has tomdown the
old Kendall School to build a Tennis Center, the church can be
seen from Delaware.
The lunch presentation is called, "Building a Church for
Everyone," and church professionals and elders from Presbyterian
Churches in the area are invited to attend this luncheon. Adee
will give a short presentation on the history and goals of More
Light Presbyterians, followed by a question and answer session.
The meal will be $5.00.
On Saturday, August 26th, Adee will lead a workshop "Caring
for All God’s People," from 8:30- 12:30 again in the Fellowship
Hall. According to organizers; those attending this event will
gain greater understanding of the pastoral care needs of GLBT
people and their families, see Light, p. 3
¯ Others May Follow
Vermont’s Lead On Unions
¯
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP)- Legislators in Rhode Island and New
¯ York are hoping their states follow Vermont’s lead in granting
¯ same-sex couples the benefits of marriage. "From New Hamp- ¯
shire to California, politicians are intrigued by the civil unions
¯ statute Vermont created to grant Gay and Lesbian couples rights
¯ and benefits without wandering into the politically volatile ¯
thicket ofmarriage. But most advocates say Vermont will remain
." a pioneer on the issue for the foreseeable future while the public
¯ becomes more comfortable with the idea. ¯
A state senator in New York is drafting a bill based on
: Vermont’s statute and a Rhode Island state representative is
." pushingabill to expandhis state’s marriage laws toinclude same-
¯ sex couples. "I would not introduce anything but marriage;’ said
: Rep: Michael Pisamro, a Democrat from Cranston, R.I. "I don’t
: necessarily see something like civil unions or domestic partner-
. ships as a stepping stone to marriage." Pisaturo earlier this year
; said Rhode Islanders are still uncomfortable with the idea of
¯ recognized partnerships between Gay people. That’s why heheld
~ . off on a bill to legalize same-sex marriage and will try next year.
¯ In the New York state Senate, Manhattan Democrat Tom
: Duane is drafting a bill that his aide said would be "similar to"
." Vermont’s first-in-the-nation civil unions statute, although de-
." tails were still being worked out. "Our Legislature won’t be back
, ’ until January., ~s~ it wouldn’t be until then,", said Scott Mdvin. ~
: Advocates also see opportunities in New Hampshire, Con-
: nectient, New Jersey, Massachusetts and California for laws
¯ granting marriage benefits, either through marriage itself or
¯ through a civil unions compromise like Vermont, s. ¯
"I think the situation we’re in is Vermont will be there and will
." have to have the courage of its convictions for a while and then,
¯ I think, it will fall into place in a number of spots," said Beatrice ¯
Dohrn, a lawyer for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education
: Fund, which led the legal fight in Hawaii for Gay marriage.
¯ Although most advocates insist that full inclusion in marriage
¯ statutes is the only way for Gay and Lesbian couples to achieve
; equality, some see the civil unions statute as a good way to begin
." moving toward that goal.
¯ "Using Vermontas a model, other legislatures wishing to enact
¯ equal benefits,~ see Unions, p. 2
¯
Boy Scou.ts Target.ed
For Ant -Gay B=as
¯
TULSA - In conjunction with a National Day of
¯ Protest ofthe Boy Scouts ofAmerica~ Kerry Lewis,
¯ spokesperson for Tulsa Oklahomans for Human
¯ Rights (TOHR), has announced that TOHR and
: other local organizations will hold a protest at the
¯ local headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America on
¯
August 21st. The time of the event will be available
¯ by contacting TOHR at 743-4297.
The protest is in response to a recent US Supreme
Court decision which overturned a New Jersey
court ruling that the Boy Scouts’ anti-Gay policies
were illegal under New Jersey non-discrimination
laws. According to Lewis, "the purpose of these
protests is to provide a visible and rational response
to their discriminatory and de-humanizing policies."
The Indian Nations Council of the BSA is located
at 3206 So. Peoria. Parking is limited at the
site but is available on the street a few blocks away
in the Brookside business area.
Lewis noted also that there are also several other
options for you to register your protest of the Boy
Scout policy. One is to write a letters of complaint.
Informational materials, including sample letters,
are available by contacting TOHR.
¯ And in discussions with Tulsa Family News,
¯ Lewis acknowledged that another aspect of the
¯ Boy Scouts’ discriminatory policies was Tulsa
¯ AreaUnitedWay’s (TAUW) funding for the BSA.
¯ Lewis acknowledged that some in the community
¯ favor designating TAUW as the target of protests ¯
or demonstrations, but that those discussions were
~ ongoing.
¯ Lewis also said that the next meeting of Tulsa’s
Diversity Council will beonTuesday, August 22nd
¯
at 7pm at the Center.
: Further in the future is a visit to Tulsa by Dr.
: Laura Schlessinger, radio talk show host known for
her characterization of Gay people see BSA, p. 3
Barnes & Noble Boots
¯
TULSA-In amove thatis being decriedby smaller
¯ newspaper publishers across the US, Barnes &
¯ Noble has thrown out most community publica-
¯
dons out of its stores across the US.
¯ In Tulsa, Barnes & Noble representatives sent ¯
notice to TulSa Family News by letter in the last
¯
week of June of the new policy which went into
: effect on July 1st. Newspaper reports from else-
. where in the US note that Barnes & Noble sent the
: letter to most publication in sometime in March.
: Local representatives could giveno explanation for
¯ the several month delay before informing Tulsa
: publications.
¯ Barnes & Noble stated in its letter that it was
: removing the publications in order to use the space
¯ forit own merchandise but after TFN publisher
: spoke with (the no~w former) manager of the 71st
: St. store, it became clear that while minority pub-
: lieatious were being removed, Barnes &Noble was
¯ creating a new space inside the store for two com-
" ¯ mtmitypublications; TulsaPeopleand Urban Tulsa.
¯ These two were retaining distribution privileges
¯ because they have the largest volume of copies
¯ ¯ distributed. Both- Tulsa People (TP) and Urban
: Tulsa (UT) are publications with histories of fail-
" ing to serve Tulsa’s Gay &Lesbian communities or
: of having anti-Gay policies (UT).
Tulsa Family News publisher Tom Neal said,
¯~ "this policy inherently discriminates against mi-
¯ nority community publications. By virtue of being
¯ minority, we simply cannot compete on a highest
," volume basis."
: Neal added that given a choice between making
¯ purchases at Barnes & Noble or at Borders, he
¯ encourages community members to buy at Borders
¯
which consistently has been more supportive of
: Lesbians and Gay menin Tulsa. Neal also suggests
¯ that readers letMattMozzoni,manager of the 41st ¯
St. Barnes & Noble see Barnes & Noble, p. 3
Minority Newspapers
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine
*Club Vortex, 2!82 S. Sheridan
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*St. Michael"s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
"*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th
712-2324
610-5323
583-2119
835-2376
749-4511
744-4280
745-9998
834-4234
585-3405
660-0856
584-1308
749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Advanced Wireless & PCS, Digital Cellular 747-1508
*Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 665-4580
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15 712-1122
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21 712-9955
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale 494-2665
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria 743-5272
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria 746-0313
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth 295-5868
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th - 749-3620
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838,-8503
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial 369-8555
*Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460
*Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoffa- 744-9595
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. 6!0-0880
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. 628-3709
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st 742-1460
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning 459-9349
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly 745-1111
*International ~[ours 341-6866
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening 582-8460
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15 599-8070
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard. #210 747-5466
*Li~:ing A~tSpace, 308 South Kenosha 585-1234
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd 584-3112
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-5934
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place ....~-
664-2951
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo 838-7626
*The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor 743-4297
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, "74101 747-5932
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921,747-4746
Scribner’ s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square 749-6301,
Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-7829
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563
Fred Welch, LCSW, Connseting 743-1733
*Wherehouse Music. 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222
*Whittier News Stand. 1 N. Lew~s 592-0767
www.gaytulsa.org
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337.74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black & ~Vhite, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 583-7815
*]3 L/G/T Alliance. Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 5K3-9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Horence
*Church of the Restoration UU, 1314N.Greenwo°d 587-1314
*Commtmity ofHope United Methodist, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300
*CommunityUnitarian-Universalist Congregatmn 749-0595
Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
Free SpratWomen s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
918.583.12.zhS, fax: 583.4615
POB 4140. Tulsa. OK 74159
e-mail: Tu!saNews@ earthhnk.:~et
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Seal
Writers + contributors:
James Christjohn. Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P.
Legrandbouche. Lamont Lindstrom. Esther Rothblum, Mary
Schepers. Hughston Walkinshaw
Member of The Associated Press
Issued on or before the ! st of each month, the entire contents -:
of this publication are protected by US copyright 1998 by
T~,u~ ~:o~ Ndw~ and may not be reproduced either in "
wholeorin part without written permission from the publisher. "
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s ,.
sexual orientation. Correspondence is assmned to be for
publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & be- ".
comes the sole property of rJ,4~ ~.’. Ncnu4~ Each reader
is entitled to 4 copies of each ediuon at distribution
¯
points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
Holland Hall School, 5666 E. 81st 481-1111
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
*House of the Holy Spirit Minstries, 3210e So. Norwood
Interfaith AIDS Ministries 438-2437, 800-284-2437
*MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tulsa
PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901
*Plalmed Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
*Red Rock Mental Center, !724 E 8 584-2325
O’RYAN, support group for 18-24 LGBT young adults
O’RYAN, Jr. support group for 14-17 LGBT youth
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincim~ati 425-7882
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
*St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105
Co~tfidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, c,~o The Pride Center 743-4297
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform~ Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*TulsaGay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105 743-4297
Unity Church of Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
BARTLESVILLE
*Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN
Borders Books & Music, 3209 NW Expressway 405-848-2667
Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
TAHLEQUAH
Stonewall League. c~J! for i~fformation: 9!8-456-7900
*Tahlequmh Uvjtarian-Uni vcrsalist Church 9182456-7900
Green Country A!DS Cozdition, POB !570 918-453-9360
NSU Schoo! of C,ptometry, 1001 N. Grand
HIVtestln,, e’ve~v other T~es. 5:30-8:30. cal! for dates
Autunm Breeze Restaurm~. L~w~.. 23
*Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main
DeVito’s Restaurant. 5 Center g t.
Emerald Rainbow. 45 &l:2 Spring St.
MCC of the Living Spring
Geek to Go!, PC SpecialisL POB 429
Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery
Positive Idea Marketing Plans
Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East
White Light, 1 Center St.
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
*Spirit of Christ MCC. 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134
501-253-7734
501-253-7457
501-253-6807
501-253-5445
501-253-9337
5~ 1-253-2776
50!-253-5332
501-624-6646
501-253-6001
501-253-4074
417-623-4696
* is where you can f’md TFN. Not all are Gay-owned but all are Gay-friendly.
Tulsa Family News wishes to correct an
error in our July issue. In an article about
GayTulsa.o,:g, we mistakevJy indentified
their Associate Webmaster, Scan, as Seth
and as a "partner" in the r,on-profit organization,
rather than by his correct title.
TFN regrets any all,stress this caused to the
staff and friends of GayTulsa.org. - TN
equal status for Gay and, Lesbian people
wi!l look at this," said David Smith ofthe !.
Humau Rights Campaign, the nation’s
the country that would look to this.’.’
Vermont’s law is parallel to mamage
but ~s a separate legal creation. It has
prompted a lot of debate around the country
about granting benefits to couples who
want legal recognition and protection for
their long-term relationships.
Vermont lawmakers have said repeatedly
that their law could be a model for
other states to emulate as they seek to
steer clear of the emotional debate about
marriage. Thirty-two states have adopted
statutes specifically outlawing Gay marriage.
Because civil unions aren’t marriage,
though, the Vermont authors of the
law say, they’re a way to take a step
without getting bogged down in emotion,
religion and morality.
But to people like California Assemblywoman
Rep. Carole Migden of San
Francisco, that’s demeaning. ’.’Thepremise
of civil union is still an insult, but nevertheless
we’re pleased that the state of
Vermont recognizes the quality of Lesbian
and Gay equality in a less-than-dignified
way," said Migden, whose state last
year outlawed Gay marriage in a referendum.
"We’re moving along. Each year we
add to it, It’s a step-by-step buildingblock
process."
Some Gay civil rights advocates caudonthat
experiences in Hawaii and Alaska,
where courts said same-sex couples should
be allowed to marry and then lawmakers
and voters reversed them, should temper
any predictions that the idea of civil unions
will spread quickly beyond Vermont. "I
think it’s important to bear in mind that
Vermonti s aleader in notjust civil rations,
but in terms of hate crimes, second parent
adoption and nondiscrimination is sues for
the Lesbian and Gay community," said
Tim Sweeney, deputy executive director
of New York state’s Fanpire State Pride
Agenda. "I think that’s an important context
to keep in mind."
Political considerations appear to be far
from the minds of many of the people
entering into civil unions since they became
thelaw on July !. Ofthe 115 that had
been reported to the state vital records
division through Monday~ more th;m tw othirds
have b~eu between conples from
outside Vermont. That’ s even though civil
unions are not legally recognized anywhere
else in the country.
That "alone will make a difference in
other states, though, advocates say, be~
cause it is generating debate in practically
every state. "The whole mo~cement an
Vermonthas createda tremendous amount
of education and discussion about Lesbian
and Gay relationships and the kind of
discrimination we face," Sweeney said.
"It’ s been an extremely positive discusstun
and very helpful to humanize Lesbian
and Gay relationships and our families
."
by Tom Neal, editor/publisher
How disappointing that Colin Powell would lend his
credibility to the Republican scam of being a party of
inclusion at the recentGOPconvention. Since the days of
that deficit-creating monster Reagan, Republicans have
represented the worst in American character: hate-mongering,
religiously intolerant, and committed to undermining
constitutional rights of those unlike themselves.
In Philadelphia, we see Blacks, Latinos, women and
the disabled trotted out but we still read the same attacks
o~ Gay Americans. Gays can be soldiers ouly at the cost
offree speech. Gayrelationships,by federal law, can only
be end class.
In Oklahoma, Democrats aren’t much better. Republicans
talk nasty about Gay taxpayers. Democrats keep
quiet but both abuse the authority of the State to attack
Gay Oklahomans. God forbid we should get through a
legislative session without a vote by the majority to
remind us of the contempt in which we are held.
Whenboth parties treat all fairly, when the accidents of
birth: race, ability, ethnicity, sexual orientation and the
choices of a free citizenry: political affiliation, religious
"lifestyles" or "preferences", all are of no more importance
than that of being left or fight-handed, then Americans,
Republican and Democrat, can say we are thenation
of fairness for all.
The statement continues, "whether you’re single, in a
committed relationship, or caring for children, yotir
?maerican Express financial advisor ca~’help you take
control of your financial future. We can help you:
Establish savings and investment plans.
Protect your assets from unnecessary taxation.
Avoid financial restrictions placed on unmarried
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Bamard requests that those wishing to attend please
telephone in advance to her at 748-8191, ext. 121.
They have been in a relationship for 29 years. "The
community support has been really important to me
because I don’t have the support from my family," said
Callahan, whose parents did not attend her union ceremony.
as being "biological error[s]". TOHR is trying to work
with other groups to design an effective protest for her
visit this fall.
On Tuesday, Aug. 8th, TOHR will hold its general
membership meeting at the Tulsa Gay Community Services
Center at 7:30pm. The regular business session
(which is usually short) will be followed by a special
program presented by the Credit Counsding Center of
Tulsa, a Short presentation on financial responsibility,
etc. Members and those interested in the community are
invited and encouraged to attend.
And on Sunday, Aug. 13th, the"Lesbian Connection,"
a program of TOHR, is inviting EVERYONE in the
community to come out and have fun at Keystone lake.
Burgers will beprovided - youbring the rest! Swimming,
volleyball, fishing, boating, etc. will be available all day.
Call the Center for directions.
The initial planning meeting for "Diversity Celebration
2001" will be held at the Tulsa Gay Cominunity
Services Center beginning at 1 lain on Saturday, Aug.
19th.
know about their nnhappiness with the new policy.
Mozzoni seemed to be sympathetic to the situation but
has stated that since it comes down from corporate.
headquarters, hehas litflechoice. Mozzoni canbe reached
at 665-4580.
National Gay Organizations Comment on Cheney
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Human Rights Campaign
(HRC) and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
(NGLTF) have issued comments on the record o’f Richard
B. Cheney, George W. Bush’s Vice-presidential
nominee, on Gay and AIDS issues.
Cheney, a former defense secretary in the administration
of Bush’s father, and a member of the U.S. House of
Representatives from 1978-1989, has an extremely conservative
record, HRC noted. Like Gov. Bush, however,
Cheney seeks to package a conservative record with a
moderate image, the organization said. "The choice of
Secretary Cheney is in keeping with Governor Bush’s
strategy of staking out conservative pos!,tions and wrapping
them in a moderate package, said Wiunie
Stachelberg, HRC’s political director.
As a Wyoming congressman, Cheney opposed early
efforts to address the HIV/AIDS crisis. Most notably, he
was one of 13 House members who voted against the
AIDS Federal Policy Act of 1988, the first major bill to
provide funding for HIV/AIDS counseling and testing.
Cheney also supported an effort to reduce funding for
HIV/AIDS research. In addition, Cheney voted against
the Hate Crimes Statistics Act of 1988 and supported an
amendment that added anti-Gay language to the bill.
As defense secretary, Cheney supported Pete Williams,
the department’s chief spokesman, when The Advocate
magazine revealed his homosexuality. "I have
operated on the basi, s over the.years with respect tO my
personal staff that I don’t ask them about their private
lives," said Cheney. "As long as they perform their
professional responsibilities in a responsible manner,
their private lives are their business."
Cheney opposed President Clinton’s effort to lift the
ban on Gays serving openly in the military. Cheney told
CNNin 1993,"I am one of those people who believes that
people’s sexual preference and orientation are a private
matter. It’s something that is a personal matter for them,
and no one else’.s business. And that’s the way I ran the
civilian side of the Pentagon... On the military side,
though, you can’t pursue that policy."
Later in the interview, Cheney ffaid: "I basically don’t
believe in discrimination, but I did conclude, as secretary
of defense, that the ban on Gays in uniform was appropri-
Topics include: coming out, integration of sexuality and
faith, responding to homophobia in the church and society,
helping parents of GLBT children and children of
GLBT parents. This group is open to all. ’ It will be
especially helpful for GLBT people and their families,
their friends, and fellow church members, elders, teachers
and youth leaders. Continental breakfast and snacks will
be served.
Sunday morning, the Church School Mid-highs to
Adults will.begin at 9:35 in the Chapel. This event is rifled
"Bringing Body and Soul Together (Let’s Talk about
Faith and Sexuality)" This Church School Class will
feature’an interactive discussion on Christian sexual
ethics. Those choosing to attend will share in an hour
devoted to how Christians integrate faith and sexuality in
living the Christian life. The focus will be what makes
’good relationships’ for all God’s people.
Then on Sunday, August 27th, the regular worship
service at 11amin the Sanctuary will feature a sermon by
Michael Adee. The service entitled "Celebrating Diversity
and Inclusiveness" will honor "Christ’s call to be
inclusive." The chancel choir will offer special music for
the occasion and communion will be celebrated. This is
the formal event to mark College Hill’s declaration to be
inclusive and work as part ofMore Light Presbyterians to
bring the Presbyterian denomination to the inclusion of
GLBT people in ordination as well as membership..
Finally on Sunday afternoon from 5:30- 7:30, aYouth
Event, "On Being Gay & Being Christian" will be held.
The College Hill youth fellowship will be hosting
individuals and other youth groups for pizza and open,
informal conversation about sexuality andfaithfor youth.
Adee will be the facilitator on topics ranging from being
GLBT and Christian, coming out, harassment at school
and church, sexual sdf-esteem, dealing with family, and
Gay/Straight friendships.
This event hopes to help Gay and Straight youth underctand
themselves and each other better.
For more information about these events, contact "
College Hill Presbyterian Church at 592-5800.
: ate."
¯. HRC has endorsed Vice President A1 Gore for presi-
¯ dent. He has yet to name a running mate. Cheney is
: currently the chief executive officer of the Halliburton
: Co., a publicly traded company that supplies equipment
¯ to the oil industry. Halliburton does not have a non-
. discrimination policy thiat includes sexual orientation nor
: a domestic partner program for Gay employees.
¯ According to the NGLTF research, Cheney opposed
: the Equal Rights Amendment, opposes reproductive
¯¯ choice and supports prayer in public schools.
NGLTF notes like HRC that Cheney in 1993 opposed
¯ President Clinton’s effort to lift the military ban and
¯ openly Gay servicemembers. At the height of the debate,
¯ Cheney warned that defense cuts and the proposal to lift
: the ban "have led to a decline in the quality of military
¯ recruits."
¯ He added that "the whole reduction in defense spend-
: ing, the controversy over Gays in the military, has led to
: an unwillingness to serve and low morale."
¯ NGLTF adds that Cheney has served as a trustee of the
¯ arch-conservative American Enterprise Institute, where ¯
he was a former senior fellow. The American Enterprise
¯ Institute is home to many right-wing thinkers, such as
¯ former Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, former
¯ House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Charles Murray, ¯
author of "The Bell Curve," a book which suggests that
¯ differences inintelligence existbetweenblacks and whites
¯ and that these differences are genetic and immutable.
¯ American Enterprise Institute scholars have also been
~ outspoken in their opposition to equal rights for Gay,
: Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender people.
: "George W. Bush has flubbed the most important
¯ decision in his presidential camp~gn," said Elizabeth ¯
Toledo, NGLTF executive director. "His compassionate
¯ conservatism holds out no compassion whatsoever for
¯ theGay, Lesbian,BisexualandTransgendercommunity. ¯
Furthermore, it sends a chilling signal to women, to
¯
people of colo~: and to those concerned with fairness and
: equality that a major political party would offer up a
candidate with such a background to the voters. This
¯ selection demonstrates that right-wing, religious extrem-
¯ ists are still a powerful force on the political landscape."
¯ Openly Gay Republican ¯ Featured at Convention
. PHILADELPHIA -Rep: Jim Kolbe of Arizona made
¯ history when he became the first openly Gay member of
¯ Congress to address a Republican convention. The Ari-
¯ zona congressman had a prime-time speaking slot, ad-
¯ dressing the GOP on trade issues for three minutes.
¯ Kolbe, first elected in 1984, is the most senior openly
¯ Gay member of Congress andis the only openly Gay
¯ Republican in the House. Having Kolbe speak at the
¯ convention was an idea first raised by Washington city
¯ councilm_.an David Cataniain April, when the Log Cabin
] Republicans, themostprominent Gay GOPorganization,
." met with presidential candidate George W. Bush.
¯ Bushmetwith the group, a first for a candidate preparing
to pick up the GOP presidential nomination, despite
his opposition to many of the its issues, including Gay
." marriage. Log Cabin Republicans Pleased Members of
¯ the Log Cabin Republic,~ns are delighted by Kolbe’s
: place.in the convention lineup - especially considering
¯ that he backed Bush’s rival, Sen. John McCain, during
¯ the primary season.
¯ According to the group, this is the first lime a wall- ¯
known openly Gay person has gone to the podium at the
¯ GOP national convention. In 1996, a little-known Log
¯ Cabin Republican member from California, Steve Fong,
¯ gave alow-prof’ile, one-mi nute speech amidlittle fanfare.
[ But some socially conservative Republicans, who are
¯ opposed to civil rights for Gay people and have warned
¯ Bush about reaching out to the Gay community, were
" unhappy with the prospect of having Kolbe speak, One
leading conservative Republican told ABCNEWS he
¯ was "flabbergasted" by the decision, and called it a
~ "shock." "It is not going to be a happy time," said the
¯ Republican. "I think it is a really bad decision."
: Kolbe is a founding member of the National Advisory
¯ Board of the Log Cabin Republicans; the nation’s most
[ prominent Gay GOP group. In 1997, he gave the keynote
¯ address at the LOg Cabin Republicans convention. Kolbe
¯ was a strong proponent of the NorthAmerican Free Trade
i Agreement.
Pentagon Says Gay
Policy Is Working
WASHINGTON (AP) - The military’s much-criticized
policy on Gays in uniform is working, but
training must be improved to eliminate anti-Gay
behavior like the abuse that led to a soldier’s murder
in Kentucky last year, the Defense Department said.
"We think we’ve got it right this time," Carol
DiBattiste, the undersecretary of the Air Force, told a
news conference Friday to publicize anew Pentagon
program to re-emphasize in training that such behavior
is unacceptable.
Speaking at the same news conference, Bernard
¯ Rostker, the undersecretary of defense, said he disagreed
with President Clinton’s statement last year,
after the beating death of Pfc. Barry Winchell by a
fellow soldier at Fort Campbell, Ky., that implementation
of his policy on Gays was "out of whack."
"I don’ t agree with that characterization. I think the
policy is working reasonably wall to provide a degree
of safety’.’ for Gays in uniform, Rostker said. "The
days of witch hunts, the days of stakeouts, are really
gone." Even so, Rostker said, more needs to be done
to ensure that everyone in the military understands
the policy.
The Clinton administration’s policy on Gays in the
military is derived from a law passed in 1993 after
Clintonfailed topersuade Congress and the Pentagon
to allow Gays to serve openly. ~.The policy, known as
"don’t ask, don’t tell," holds that Gays can serve in
uniform so long as they don’t reveal their sexual
orientation. One problem, however, has been unwarranted
investigations of people suspected of being
homosexual. There also is a fear among discreetly
Gay service members that if they ,qomplain about
harassment, they will be discharged. ’"
The announced plan to eliminate anti-Gay behavior
was created by a panel of civilian and military
officials led by DiBattiste of theAir Force. It was in
response to a Pentagon inspector general’s report in
March that found anti-Gay behavior was commonplace
in the military. DiBattiste said the key to her
panel’ s plan is adoption of an"overarching principle"
meant to clarify to all in the military that unacceptable
behavior includes not just abuse of Gays but also
"inappropriate comments or gestures." "That’s the
high road that we need to take," she Said.
The DiBattiste panel’s 13-point "action plan" is
largely reiteration of previous expressions of deterruination
to stamp out anti-Gay behavior and to hold
military commanders responsible for policy infractions.
Last December, Rostker’s predecessor in the
undersecretary’s post, Rudy de Leon, issued a statement
that "harassment of service members for any
reason, to include alleged or perceived homosexuality,
will not be tolerated," and commanders must take
prompt action against violators.
Michelle Benecke, an executive director of the
Servicemembers Legal Defense Fund, an advocate
for Gay rights in the military and a frequent critic of
Pentagon policy; called the DiBattiste panel’s report
"’thoughtful and considered." ’.’Today’s recommendations,
if implemented, would be a very good start,"
Benecke said.
The spark that caused- the Pentagon to take a closer
look at the Gay policy’s implementation, and at the
extent of anti-Gay behavior in the field, was the
Winchell murder at Fort Campbell on July 5, 1999.
Two of Winchell’ s fellow soldiers were convicted in
the crime and are in prison.
Gen. Eric Shinseki, the Army chief of staff, released
the Army inspector general’s report Friday on
circumstances surrounding the Winchell murder. The
report concluded that some members ofDCompany,
2nd Battalion, 502rid Infantry Regiment, Winchell,’ s
unit in the 101st Airborne Division, violated the
military’s policy against anti-Gay behavior, but it
exonerated all commanders at Fort Campbell.
TheArmy report also concludedno general climate
of homophobia existed at Fort Campbell. With some
exceptions, "It was determined that the command
climate at Fort Campbell before 5 July 1999 was a
positive environment," the inspector general’s report
said. It also said the chain of command at Fort
Campbell "respondedappropriate1y"when confronted
with situations that appeared to violate the "don’t ask,
don’t tell" policy.
" Rep. Mart,y,. Meehan, D-Mass., questioned these
conduslons. ’Giving FortCampbdl arelatively dean
bill of health doesn’t square with recent reports of
prevalent anti-Gay harassment throughout the services,"
Meehan said.
Vermont Papers Will Print
Civil Union Notices
RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) - Aunotmcements for civil
unions are beginning to appear alongside wedding
announcements on wedding pages in newspapers
around the state. At many newspapers, editors said
they will treat announcements of same-sex unions the
same as traditional marriages, placing them in the
same section of their newspapers and in the same
format, although perhaps under a different heading.
The decision "took about 30 seconds of deep
thought," said Valley News editorJim Fox. "It wasn’t
very difficult." "Of course we would treat them the
same," said .amnette Sharon, managing editor of the
Manchester Journal. "ff they want to make that announcement
to their neighbors, the newspaper is the
place for that to happen."
Evennewspapers thathave editorialized against the
law granting marriage-like benefits to same-sex
couples appear likely to print civil union announcements.
Mark Smith, publisher of The Caledonian-
Record, said no one had.brought such a notice to his
St. Johnsbury paper, but if someone did, he would
probably publish it. "My personality is such that it
will depend on the attitude of the person who comes
through the door," he said. Smith said he would
comply with a polite request but dig in his heels if he
felt pressured.
So far,the reqtlests have been few. In Brattleboro,
where the first civil union was certified just after
midnight on July 1, no announcements have been
submitted to the local newspaper, the Reformer.
In August, that will likely change, though, when
John Calvi and Marshall Brewer of Putney, have a
civil union ceremony, and submit an announcement.
The couple- and the newspaperi- made national news
more than a decade ago when the Reformer became
the first mainstream newspaper in the United States to
publish a Gay wedding announcement.
Joseph Watson of Leicester, entered a civil union
with his partner, Michael Warner, on July 7. Watson
said he had no problem with sending out the notice,
which has appeared in the Addison County Independent
and was in the July 23 edition of the Sunday
Rutland Herald and Times Argus. It will also be in a
new "Milestones" section of the Gay newspaper "Out
in the Mountains" and is expected to be published
soon by The Burlington Free Press.
Addison . County Independent publisher Angelo
Lynn said his paper received only aletter of praise for
its publication of Watson’s civil union notice. At the
Newport Daily Express, however, managing editor
Susan Davis doesn’t expect such a smooth reception.
Davis said if she receives civil union notices, she
will print them as long as her publisher approves. But
she anticipates a backlash. "I don’t have a problem
with it, but I know a lot of people do," she said. "’This
is the Northeast Kingdom and everybody is running
anti-civil unions (for the upcoming dections).. It’s
a huge issue up here."
Man Charged With Hate
: Crime in Beating Death
BARRON, Wis. (AP) - A man charged with helping
murder a 22-year-old hearing-impaired, mentally dis -
: abled man now also is accused of a hate crime in the
: killing. Prosecutors contend Raymond C. Walton,33,
¯ of Barron, helped beat Michael J. Hatch to death with
¯ a tire :iron Oct. 20 because Walton thought Hatch was
: Gay, according to court records.
: Walton was charged with being party to first-
." degree intentional homicide and armed robbery in
¯ Hatch’s death. The hate-crime enhancer was added to
". the charges last week.
~ Barron County District Attorney James Babler dedined
comment on the hate crime filing, which says
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Walton intentionally selected the victim because of
his belief or perception regaa’ding Hatch’s sexual
orientation.
Authorities say Walton a~d Corey L. Kralewski,
21, killed Hatch and left his body in a rural Barron
County corufield. A criminal complaint said
Kralewski, Walton and Mary Reed spend the evening
of Oct. 19 at several Barron bars. Kralewski played
pool with Hatch, whom he knew from high school.
Later, the group left the pool hall and drove to a
field near the Dunn County line. Reed told authorities
she sat in her truck while Kralewski beat Hatch with
a tire iron. Walton also hit Hatch several times, she
said. In a written statement, Kralewski told authorities
heknocked Hatch down with afew blows but that
Walton did most of the beating. Walton showed
authorities Hatch’s body. Kralewski pleaded innocent
to a homicide charge and goes on trial Aug. 7.
Reed, 34, pleaded guilty to aiding a feton and was
sentenced to t~vo years in prison.
Chicago Bishop Faces
Ecclesiatical -Charges
CHICAGO (AP) - A United Methodist lay member
has filed a complaint with the church, accusing his
Chicago-based bishop of using the office"as a public
relations and news media channel for promoting
homosexuality," among other things. John
Juergensmeyer, an attorney and member of a United
Methodist church inElgin, is calling for Bishop C.
Joseph Sprague to resign or be removed.
Sprague, formerly a United Methodist pastor in
Columbus, Ohio, heads the church’s Northern Illinois
Conference. He was one of several Methodists,
including at least one other bishop, arrested while
protesting anti-Gay measures adopted at the church’ s
general conference in Cleveland in May
Juergensmeyer said that Sprague’s arrest was a
"triggering point" for his complaint. But he said
Sprague’s overall political views have long troubled
him and other conservative United Methodists. "He is
reducing the church only to a political instrument
rather than a spiritual force." said Juergensmeyer,
rather than a spmtum io~c~, ~a~,., o~.~r,~,l.....av.,
who also ~s accusing Sprague of promotang writings
about Jesus Christ that luergensmeyer says violate
church doctrine.
Earlier this month, Sprague told the United Methodist
News Service that the letters of complaint
seemed to be "part of an organized effort of a small,
very vocal minority." He also said he made his views
clear when he stood for election as bishop four years
ago. Sprague was re-elected to his second four-year
term at the church s North Central Jurisdictional
Conference this month.
Man Gets Two Life
Sentences for Slaying
BALTIMORE (AP) - A man who told police he
attacked Gay men because he thought Gays were evil
was given two life sentences for the slaying of a h.otel
guest last June. Gary William Mick, 25, was gaven
one life sentence for first-degree murder and a concurrent
20-year sentence for robbery for the attack on
Christopher Williams Jones. He received a consecutive
life sentence with all but 30 years suspended for
first-degree attempted murder and a concurrent 20-
year sentence for attempted robbery for a separate
incident last September. Mick, of Baltimore, pleaded
guilty to the two attacks in May.
Jones, 37, of Metuchen, N.J., was attending a
pharmaceutical conference in Baltimore whenhewas
found bludgeoned to death at the Admiral Fell Inn.
"We loved our son and his partner in life as we love
all our children and their lifemates. The emptiness we
feel because of this loss is extreme," said Howard
Jones, the father of one of the victims, in a family
statement to the court.
Prosecutors said Mick accompanied Jones to his
hotel room after the two met. once.inside, Mick
struck Jones nine times on the right side of the head
with a claw hammer. He then stole Jones’ truck and
credit cards, which he used to buy clothes, jewelry,
food and a beard trimmer, prosecutors said.
The second attack occurred in September. Prosecutors
said Mick attacked another man he had met, but
the victim was able to fight him off.
Lesbian Recieves Headof-
Household Status
SACRAMENTO (AP) -The state Board of Equalizationhas
voted to grant head-of-household tax status to
a Lesbian who is supporting her partner and nonbiological
child. The board voted 3-2 to allow the Los
Angeles family to file with one of the women as the
head-of-household, which will savethem about $2,500
a year in state and federal taxes.
Helmi Hisserich and Tori Patterson of Los Angeles
have been together 14 years and had a daughter in
1997. Patterson gave birth and has stayed home to
raise the baby since then. When Hisserich filed a tax
return for 1997, she checked the box for head of
household and calculated accordingly.
The Franchise Tax Board said she was not eligible,
saying head of household status covered situations
only where an unmarried person was paying more
than half the expenses of an adoptive or foster child,
or any blood relative. They said she owed $1,050,
Hisserich said.
Sbnnnon Minter, staff attorney for the National
Center for Lesbian Rights in San Francisco, argued
Hisserich’s case before the board June 30. "This is the
first time they’ve addressed this issue," he said. "It
recognizes the reality of our families and gives legal
validation to the reality that our client is a parent
regardless of the fact that she doesn’t have a biological
relationship to the child."
Hisserich said the board had to consider whether a
heterosexual couple would be treated in the same
manner. "But if we were a heterosexual couple, we
would be mamed. We’ve been together 14 years,
we’ve registered as domestic partners in our city, our
county and the state. We’ ve done everything we can,"
she said.
The Board of Equalization will vote again after its
staff prepares a written decision, and will comment
publicly on its reasoning when the vote is final,
according to spokeswoman Cristina Herrera. That
could take up to three mouths, she said.
-- ~i~-n~)g~s~i~d tile vote was the logical extension of
Califo~aua court rulingsin the past two years that had
granted parental status to Gay men and Lesbian
couples planning and having children. Because intent
was the basis of his winning argument in the tax case,
Minter said the decistonmostlikely woulon’t apply to
situations where someone moved in with a partner
who already had a child. The ruling affects only state
tax status, but I-Iisserich said the Internal Revenue
Service followed the state on head of household
status.
Jury Votes Death to
Killer of Lesbian Couple
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -A Mnltnomah Countyjury
sentenced to death a Portland man who killed a
Lesbian couple in a karaoke bar. Eric Walter Running,
49, was fOund guilty of two counts of aggravated
murder in the February 1998 shotgun slayings
of Jaqueline J. A_ffderson, whom he had dated, and
Barbara J. Gilpin. Running killed the women after
Anderson, 29, a poet and writer, broke up with him
and returned to her 10-year-relationship with Gilpin,
44, a landscaper.
In an unusual split, the jury imposed the death
sentence only for Anderson’s murder, giving a life
sentence without the possibility of parole for Gilpin’.s
death. Ten of the 12 jurors voted to give a deat~
sentence in Gilpin’s murder, but a unanimous verdict
is needed.
"’Barbara Gilpin deserved the same verdict as my
daughter," said Jack Anderson. "But one death sentence
is all that it takes. I don’t care if he dies
tomorrow or never, I’m just glad he can’t be a threat
to anyone anymore." Running smiled as the verdicts
were read. Hewill become the 25thperson onOregon s
Death Row at the state penitentiary in Salem.
Almost 20 patrons at the Ambassador Restaurar.’-a
and Lounge in Portland witnessed Running kill
women Feb. 24, 1998. Rurming’s lawyers offered
insanity defense.
Se.n.a.te OK’s $600 ¯ $200 million interuational program to
Million for AIDS
batfleHIV/AIDS. Speaking ahead of the
. " ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian
WASHINGTON (AP)-Legislafioncom- " Nations) Regional Forum, Asia’s largest
mitring up to $600 million in U.S. aid for " security conference, Downer noted prefighting
HIV and AIDS in Africa and ¯ dictions that AIDS threatens to reduce or
developing countries elsewhere was " even reverse Asia’s economic growth. "I
passed at the end of July by the Senate. On
don’t think the Asia-Pacific region can
avoicevote, theSenateapprovedabillby turn,!ts back on this devastating prob-
Sens. Bill Ffist and Jesse Helms, both
lem, Downer told’anews conference.
Republicans, authorizing $300 million in " Most of the $200 million will be tar-
¯ geted at countries in the Asia-Pacific re-
" glen, Downer said, and Canberra expects
¯ to work dosdy with the Association of
¯ Southeast Asian Nations.
¯ Much of the funding remains uncom-
", mitted, but some will augment existing
¯. programs in Indonesia and Papua New
¯ Guinea, Australia’s immediate northeru
¯ neighbors.
Relations Committee, said the bill requires
that up to $220 million of all U.S.
bilateral funding forHIV-AIDS programs
over the next two years be spent on supporting
orphans in Africa. T,he United
Nations has predicted that the disease is
expected to wipe out half the teen-age
population in some poor countries in Africa.
Similar legislation passed in the House,
which voted earlier this month to fully
fund President Clinton’s request for $2’44
million next year for combating and treating
AIDS in poor counmes.
each of the next two years for AIDS
prevention and treatment and also for the
care ofAIDS orphans in developing countries.
Thebill directs the Treasury Department
to establish a trust fund with the
World Bankfor the prevention efforts and
the treatment of orphans.
Helms, chairman of the Senate Foreign
HIV-Treatment Ctr.
Targets Blacks
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - A treatment
center for blacks who have AIDS or HIV
is planned in a county where only a third
ofblackAIDS patients gettreatment, compared
to half of infected whites. Rochesterhas
the second-highestnumber ofAIDS
cases in Ne~v York state, after New York
City. The number of local AIDS cases has
leveled off among whites but is climbing
among blacks, according to the Rochester
Primary Care Network.
Existing programs are not reaching t~
growing number ofblackmenanawom
who are HIV-positive, Art Collier, prestdent
of Primary Care Network, said. The
rateamong MonroeCounty’residents who
are black is over eight times the rate
among white residents, he added. Before
1991, 64% of reported AIDS cases in
Monroe County were among whites mad
27% were among blacks.
The center expects to have an initial
casdoad of about 150 patients. Besides
medical care, services will include mental
health counseling and treatment for substance
abuse. TheNational Black Leadership
Commisston onAIDS is helping plan
the center and recruit ablack staff, Collier
said. Coordinatbrs believe black patients
will respond better to treatment by black
medical personnel. Dr~Anson .,W;urapa.,~
black physician at strong Memon
Hospital’s AIDS Center, said blacks tend
Russia’s
Infections Growing
MOSCOW (AP) - The number of registered
HIV cases in Russia has soared in
the last six months and will continue to
grow, but the government doesn’t have
the money to fight the epidemic adequately,
a top health official said.
By tl~e middle of July, Russia had some
53,1~30 registered HIV cases, with almost
half ofthemcomingin the last six months,
said Vadim Pokrovsky, the head of the
Federal AIDS Prevention Center. But he
said that the actual number of Russians
infected with HIV, the virus that causes
AIDS, is probably more than 300,000,
since only about 10% of the population.
has been checked. "The regi,s,tered cases
are only the tip of the iceberg, Pokrovsky
said. "We must accept the fact that we are
facing avery quickly spreading epidemic."
Increaseddrug use andprostitution since
the collapse of the Soviet Union have
been two key reasons for the rise in HIV
cases? Still, a low incidence in HIV-ca.ses
in recent years as well as more pressing
economicproblems m.ean ~.e~g~ov~eru~,~t,
has been slow to combat AID~. in zu ,
only 46 million rubles ($1.65 million)
was set aside to combat HIV and AIDS,
Pokrovsky said.
If Russia doesn’t take new measures to
stop the spread of the virus, the country
could have some 1.6 million HIV cases by
2015, he said..and those who are infected
nrobablv won’tbeable to get the help they.
the government’s manmty to pay. wm
people probably shouldn t count on getting
treatment," Pokrovsky said. .
HIV is worst in the Moscow regto.n,
where some 5% of young people are infected,
Pokrovsky said.
Rise in HIV
Infections ih Gays
College Hill Presbyterian Church
announces a
"More Light" Weekend
with Michael Adee
National Field Organizer, More Light Presbyterians
August 25 - 27, 2000
Building A Church for Everyone
Friday, August 25th, Luncheon: Noon - 1:30, Fellowship Hall
History and goals of MoreLight Presbyterians, followedby a question and answer
session. Cost: $5.00 for the meal
Caring for All God’s People
Saturday, August 26th, Workshop: 8:30 - 12:30, Fellowship Hall
Pastoral care needs ofGLBT people and their families. Continental breakfast and
snacks will be served.
Bringing Body and Soul Together
Sunday, August 27th, Church School Mid-highs to Adults, 9:35am, Chapel
An interactive discussion on Christian sexual ethics.
Celebrating Diversity and Inclusiveness
Sunday, August 27th, Worship ll:00am, Sanctuary
A special worship to celebrate our diversity and Christ’s call to be inclusive.
Michael Adee will preach and we will share communion together.
On Being Gay and Being Christian
Sunday, August 27th, Youth Event 5:30 - 7:00pm
The ColleggHill youth fellowship will be hosting individuals and other youth
groups for pizza and informal conversation about sexuality and faith for youth.
College Hill Presbyterian Church, 712 S. Col~bia Avenue, 592-5800
(One block west of Delaware and the Uni;~sity of Tulsa Campus)
’Financial Pla.nning With A
Clear Comm,tment.
~t American Express Financial Advisors, we want to make our
3ommitment to gay men and lesbians clear. Just as we have extended domestic partner
oenefits to our lesbian and gay employees worldwide, we are committed to providing
sound financial advice that specifically addresses the unique financial issues affecting
our lesbian and gay clients.
Nhether you’re single, in a committed relationship, or caring for children, your Americar
~xpress financial advisor can help you take control of your financial future. We can help
~OU:
Establish savings and investment plans
Protect your assets from unnecessary taxation
Av.oid financial restrictions placed on unmarried couples
Avoid costly delays in the recei pt of life insurance proceeds
series of Seminars given by
"heresa Barnard, American Expeess Financial Advisor
Where: MCC United When: 7:00 P.M.
1623 N Maplewood Ave
¯
TORONTO (AP) - Figures showing.a
to mistrust the medical sys.te.m, a~.d w.~en , rise of HIV infections amongG~Y., menm
everyone on the staff is whtte, tlae s~tua- " Ontario could be the fLrst sigu O~ mcreastion
is worse. - " ~.... " ing HIV levds for Gay men in Cam.a.dar
Natioo~!JY, one in .5~b,~abk.,m~,’~s,.m7 AIDS. activists note. A. recent prownce2 1. Create your Retirement Income
fectedw~HIV,’,andAiDSis’theleaamg i wide study conducted by University ot [Tuesday; September 19th
cause’of!~a,.~.~d~allblackAmerica~ Toronto and community gr6ups f°und an
between:th~.~g~of 25:and44:Thbdis-~. increasing number of HIV infections [e Estate Planning
ease i’s gr6wiiig fastest among -black among O~tario Gay men ~ter_ 19°~6,~ _ r [ Tuesday, October 24th
women, who a~.ount for 56% of HIT ~ In 1992, the infection rate was ,.~ 1~
cases in women. " - " 100 people tested, the ~tudy found. The
/
¯
number dr°pped t° 0"87J 1"00 in 1"996; d
Australia
a]or HIV Initiative-’" -" "
risen to 2.07/100 people testea. llae stuaY
mirrors recent results in San Francisco
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Australian " which showed that HIV infections among
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer an- " Gay andBisexualmentherenearlytripled -
nounced thelaunchrecenflY of asix-year’ over the past two years.
-’inancial Strategies for Gay Men & Lesbians
Tuesday, September 5th and Tuesday, October 10th
Please R.S.V.P.
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Power
Connect.
Public Service Company of Oklahoma
Customer Service Is Now Available 24
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These days, traditional 8-5 business hours
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by Karin Gregory
I just love Dr. Laura Schlessinger. Really,
I do. I think she and I could be great
buds. You know how some girls make
plain girls their friends just to make themselves
look prettier? Or how some pal
around with fat girls just so they’ll look
thinner? Well, Dr. Laura could be my
girlfriend (eeeewwww, not that way!!!)
because every stupid thing I’ve ever said
in my life would sound intelligent next to
the things she says. And she’ll be saying
plenty, I’m sure, come October, when she
rides in on her broomstick to Tulsa.
Who is Dr. Laura, you ask? If you’re
Gay, you’ve been in a cave. Laura
Schlessinger, shock jock advice-giver of
the radio circuit, has called Gays and
Lesbians "biological errors", "sexual deviants",
and my personal favorite,
"pedophiles."
She says she does this out of compassion
for us, not out of hatred. Oh no, I
don’t feel hated and maligned by those
statements, do you? She spews her hatred
and bile via the airwaves, with complete
support from the Religious Right. You
know them- that group that has the inside
info on the "homosextml agenda"! As if
her radio show weren’t bad enough,
Schlessinger’s taking her "teach intolera-:
ze" rantings to the TV screen in September,
courtesy of that "giant" of great
television programming, Paramount.
"OK," you’re saying, "the Lesbian is
once more raging about something, but
what has that got to do with me? What’s
one more ignorant person in a long line?"
Funny you should ask. "Dr." Laura (she
has a Ph.D in physiology, not psychology)
has become svch a controversial
figure (much like Am., Bryant in the late
’70s when she tried to inflate anti-Gay
legislation) that the G/L/B/T commurnty
has united to protest her television show.
All over this country are planned protests
to keep her off the TV screen.
And debates have become so heated
that major advertisers such as Proctor &
Gamble, American Express and United
Airlines have pulled out, saying that they
don’t need any more controversy. And
Geico InsuranceCompany (my insurance
company!) tookits advertising away from
her radio show at the beginning of July.
The reason? The company could not, being
supporters of diversity, condone the
words and actions ofsomeone who clearly
sees diversity as wrong. These are not
their exact words, mind you, but .youmay
find out more by going to
www.stopdrlaura.com.
Let’ s lookat this woman’s careerbriefly
and find out just what led her to this
homophobic phase in her life. Several
years ago I.first heard her radio program,
and I thought that she was telling people
the truth, even if they didn’t want to hear
it. Somehow I admired that, although I
didn’t always agree with everything she
said. She is a big proponent of parents
taking control in the home and not blaming
everyone else for how their’children
behave. That part hooked me since Iwas
a middle school teacher at the time and
saw parents who didn’t think they hadan]
responsibility for their child’s behavior.
So far, so good. And I even read reports
that she used to support theG/IJB/T community.
Two years ago, however, she
converted to Orthodox Judaism, adopting
intolerance as her Bible. Now she says she
can’t support the G/L/B/T community
because of religious teachings.
If you hate me, hate me. But don’t lie
: about it, saying you’rejust~following the
¯ Old Testament. Hell, if we followed all
the Old T0.~tament teachings we’d still be
¯ selling ot~ daughters into slavery; still
¯ buying s~ves from neighboring coma-
" tries; and~ould be allowed to kill, with-
" out impunity, anyone who worked on the
¯ Sabbath. Gee, I didn’tknow that the Jew-
¯ ish could also play pick and choose with
¯ religious teachings like some Christians.
How much does she really believe in
¯ these religious texts? Who knows? She
doesn’t even have a consistency when it
¯ comes to condemning homosexuality.
¯ Well, she does, but she tries to say that
¯ she’s not condemning anyone. The point
¯ is,shehas saidthingsinprintandonradio, ¯
takenthemback, backpedaled, madeother
¯ people speak for her so many times it’s
¯ ridiculous. Her stand is so ambivalent, so
¯ setin sand, thatno one canbelieve or trust
¯ anything that comes out ofher mouth. Her
¯ press agents said she apologized for her
¯ remarks about Gays being "errors", and ¯
¯ then the next day she said she wasn’t
apologizing.
¯ Dr. Laura has denounced the American
¯ Psychiatric Association and the National ¯
¯ Education Association for their - oh, I
suppose- compassk hate stance on equal
¯ rights for all, andinstead has sold her soul
¯ to Religious Right organizations like Fo-
¯ cus on the Family. She promotes, within
¯
her own radio show, an intolerance to-
" ward Gay people on all levels, even to the
¯ point of denouncing hate crimes legisla-
¯ tion.
¯ I can see her leading cheers to teach
children who’ve just come home from
¯ school how to actively hate homosexuals.
"Gays are bad! Gays are fey! Let’s go
¯ bash ~ Gay today!" She says she is a
¯ moralist and has openly opposed the Ver¯
mont same-sex partners’ rights decision a
few months ago. But again, she’s not
¯ hatingus. She’sjustcompassionate.Yeah,
¯ this is why she takes an attitude of "I’m
right no matter what" on her radio show,
¯
and will also, I’m sure, on TV. But let’s
¯ see how that could work against her, shall
¯ we?
Anyone who’s ever watched a few epi-
: sodes of"Frasier" knows how easy it is to
¯ just hit a button and get rid of pesky caller
¯ #1. How does this work on TV, when
¯ you’re faced with the pesky caller in per-
" son? Taping. has already begun on her
: show, andfrom the reports, it doesn’ tlook
¯ likeasuccess. Dr. Lauradidn’tknow how ¯
to ask the proper questions, or even know
¯ some rudimentary technical televison
¯ knowledge i~her first tapings.
¯ There’s n~question that Dr. Laura is ¯
used to the ~d~o. But she also wants an
¯ audience like the one on radio - one she
¯ can rant to ,and not have to.see. Because ¯
¯ for all her bravado and showmanship, she
really DOESN’T WANT to help anyone.
: She actually doesn’t seem to like people.
¯ You can bitch and moan to people all you
: wantif you don’tsee their faces. She’s on
: radio and~feels safe.
i Guess What? Rea[peopie~
! may had.e, more difneultyi~ing~p.le
0ff if she him to .fae~i. them, [f’.~votild be
interesting to seehow b~y!hla~ di~S if
¯ she has to face questions about her views
¯ on homosexuality, but I know I won’t be
~ watching. I think she should just quietly
¯ go away, like Anita Bryant. A career
¯ shriveled by her own hatred. ¯
¯ Gregory is a Texas based writer, who
lives near Ft. Worth. Sheformerly taught
¯ school and also was a newspaper re-
. porter.
by Jim Christjohn, entertainment queen as ffelll He speaks atleast threelanguages o trammg. And to do this you need that of doing the constant prePs/media events,
Happy summer, folks! Been a lot of fluently, and has a mischievous sense of o traimng. So it’s easy to injure your voice, being portrayed in press as living a life
changes since the last column- went on a humor. Welose alotofcastmembers, whohaven’t that wasn’t close to reality and the rumors
visit to Chicago where I discovered an Described as Versace on hyper speed, ¯ had the kind of vocal traimng that will based on the illusion. For instance,
artist I’m eager to tell you about, and Braehetti changes costumes at lightning ¯ sustain you through a show like this. And, "There’d be a photo op at a party. I’d go
closed the door on a ghost from the past; fast speed, transforming into more than " like I said, even if you have had it, there just long enough for the picture, then g~t
started a new job and more. 80 characters and giving life to legions of ¯ are moments you forget. And you defi- home to a cup of tea and bed. DoingS8
First, local news: Cyndi Vetter directs personalities. His show is a multi-media o nitely feel it later. Even the trained folks shows a week plus recording an~ alb~
Heller Theatre’s first production of the extravaganza, combining comedy, mu- . lose voices as they get caught up in the didn’t leave much time for a Wild
new season, "A Coupla White Chicks sic, magic, and emotions of the even if I’d wanted to live one. Thenthe~
Sitting Around Talking" by John Foi:d video in a unique show " I’d be, splashed across the C~adian
Noonan. Starring local favorites Julie collage of acting, ". , .Deserll~ed as Versace on Jc: What el- equivalent of the National Inquirer, with
Tattershall (an excellent actress) and storytelling, stunts layper speed, Braelaett] c]aan~es fect has doing this an article about what a party boy I was.
Maude Mix, it is the story of two women and caricature. He show had in terms Please."
who are complete opposites of each other, is thewinner ofthe costumes at li~latnin~ fast speed, of impacting your Feeling too tied to the show, he decided
and the unlikdy bond they form. They 2000 Moliere life and/or views to start over and move to NYC, where
discover that, together, they can over- Award(theFrench transformln~ into more tlaan 80 of the world? ironically, he ended up being recast in
come anything. The production runs Au- Tony, which has
el~araeters and ~ix,~n~ life to.
MH: "As I Rent. He took a week or so off to record
gust 3-6, at the Heller Theatre, 5328 S. never been one by said, I’ ve been vocals for the new album, which he pro-
Wheeling Ave. Reservations are rectA- anyone outside of le~ions of personalities, through years of duced and played instrument~ for.
mended at 746-5065. France), and a de- training, withsing- Heloves performing, dislikes pressjun-
While in Chicago, I had the chance to lighffully impish His slaow is a multl-media ing, and acting, kets and meeting hordes of people. He
meet some marvelous people, including fellow.Addalittle
extravaganza, eomblnln~
and dancing. I’d made an exception to come to Tulsa, for
TomMichael,whoIlaterlearnedisoneof Cirque De Soleil been so close to which the event was nice and relatively
the top cabaret artists across the nation, too that mixture comedy, music, marie, and v’ldeo getting parts so low key, in his eyes. At th~ time of the
consistently in the industr~’s top ten lists above, too. many times, only interview,hehadflownoutfromNYCity
amongthecompanyofMichaelFeinstein, Brachetti ar- in a uniclue colla~e of acting, to lose them to 6:30pm the prior evening, didpress, upat
Maureen McGovern, Betty Buckley, rivesinTulsaatthe peoplewhohadn’t 5:30am for more press, and was flying
Michael McAssey (who hosted the PAC courtesy of storytelling, stunts and earlea- had any training. I back an’hour after I spoke with him. Ah,
eveningatthepianobar-somethingTulsa Celebrity Attrac- was about to quit the glamorous life! ture. He is... a
desperately needs), Sally Mayer, Donna tions August6-13. show busines s Chad was kind enough to give me a CD
Murphy, and Amanda McBro(~fi. Tickets can be had deliChffully impish fellow, when the call came sampler of his new album, "No. 1 Fan,"
~He’s been actively singing in the Chi- by calling 596- from the Rent and it’s very good. Nice melodic rock,
cago nightclub scene for 12years, andhas 7111.Iwilltellyou Add a little Cirque De Soldl people. I’dbeenin and I love the first song -"Small Town
also performed with the Boston Pops and now, the costumes
too tlaat mixture above, too..,
so many situations Girl;" atl.~,ode to not giving up on dreams
Spokane symphonies. In 1995, he was that Brachetti de- where I’d been and p~venng with what life gives vou
invited to participate in the national Caba- signedandcreated through al! this Ng~i~2i~ really nice beach-boys n{eets
ret Symposium with such luminaries as rival any elaborate [and] training, and Fl’~i~,ood Mac kinda tune about break-
MargaretWqfiting, Julie Wilson. and Ann Bette Midler workedreallvhard ~ mg-!:~p¢ or ~vantiug to, by the title .of
Hampton Callaway. His album, "Sailing Cheridrag Queen onmy craft c~nly to ¯ "I~xmgton." After that is "Say Good-bye
On," is the perfect music for romancing extravaganza. Di ...RENT opens August 99 see people with no : t~hip-hoppy kinda rappish song
yournewguyorgal.TomMichael’svoice I mention he’s
and runs tlarou~la September 8
experieuce get wi~eat pop hook, withsomejazz~a~,d
wraps around you like a warm blanket on cute, designs a parts I was up for, rock bi-~:thrown in for good measure. It s
a winter’s night, and draws you in. mean frock, in his for 8 performances, and had just be- about growing up, growing old, selling
I was privileged to meet theman behind mid thirties (he’s come so disheart- out, doing what you’re told. "I know who
the voice, and spend-an afternoon with cagey about his RENT is only ttae ened with the biz. I wanna be..." The next ~s a ham~ting
him. He is as nice as the voice he sings age) and single?
~tla musical to win both
Sothis,gethngthat ballad/rocker, an ode to loneliness of a
those incredible love songs with. And RENT Opens call, really .rein- lostfriencFrelationshipanddrinkingalone.
he’sboyishlyhandsome, withblondehair August 29 and tlae Pulltzer Prize and forced my faith in On each, his voice handles the material
and incredibly intense eyes that dance runs through Sep- the business and and styles with aplomb, and he has a very
with light ’ every so often. His smooth tember3for8per- several qony Awards..." renewed that appealing tone. It seems there will be
" tenor voice and immaculate phrasing fin- formances. Tix go dream, something for everyone on the full CD,
mediately gave me a new perspective on on sale June 12th Also, I’ve be- and it will be worth picking up. I hope ~t
that style of voice, at 596 7111. RENT is only the fifth musi- come much more spiritual. I wasn’t spiri- gets radio play.
My favorite cut is the title song, which cal to win both the Pulitzer Prize and tual at all when I took this part. But Mimi Jeffrey Seller, the show’s producer,
I’ve heard done before, but not with such seve :al Tony ,Awards. Matinees are set is such a wonderful character and she’ s speaks of show with real enthusiasm, and
feeling that you feel the song flowing for Sat & Sunday, and there will be a grounded in faith, and to play that, every his eyes light up when speaking of the
around you. Beckie McKenzie, who un- special $25 per seat matinee on Wednes- night I have to believe it on stage. Since impacthe’s witnessedthe showhaveupon
fortunately was out of town the.Sunday I day, August 30. doing the show and portraying a charac- its audience. He sees "Rent" as a transforsaw
Tom perform, lent her voice and Presentatthepressconferenceannounc- ter, Mimi, who is very spiritual, I have mative experience. He hopes the show
arranged the music for the album, and ing this special addition to Celebrity At- become more open to that aspect of life will reach the younger Gay teens and
there’s not a tinker on it. When I asked tractions’ season were Marcy Harriell, where once I wasn’t, and I’ve heard from twenty-somethings and send a message
my host "Which local artists’ CD should MIMI on Broadway, and Chad friends and fans about their own searches that "Yes, you can be gay and successful,
take home with me as a souvemr. , the Richardson,ROGERonBroadway, flown for meaning, whichis one of the themes of that gay is more than OK and is cool. You
immediateresponsewasTomMichael’s’, in for the day to perform a couple of the show. And that has inspired me to can live ~oodlife, a rich life," and hopes
And he was right. Tom Michael’s "Sail- numbers from the show. They were both start searching. It’s so nice to bein a show they will be moved by the relevant expeing
On" is available from Amazon.corn, dynamate, and had incredible voices, that’s inspiring instead of traumatizang." rienees the show represents. The message
or Tower Records, Original Cast Records I was able to ask a few questions of Marcy Harriell has not done a CD yet, of inclusiveness is important to him for
(1-888-627-3993), Borders, Barnes and them, which they were most ~acious in but hopes ~t is in her future. And I can the audience to ’get."
Noble, Footlight Records, and answering. I spoke first with Ms Harriell, assure you, evenifshe sings the telephone Even today, he still has a passion for
CDNOW.com: who was as gracious as she was beautiful, book, it would be well worth listening to. this show evident in his speech and the
BrachettllS comang. No,~t s notaplece JC: This seems like an incredibly diffi- Chad Richardson is Canadian rock way his eyes light up. Having aecomof
tOast with herbs and tomatoes on ~t, it’s cult show to do, especially in terms of the singer, and has had two albums produced, plished quite a bit for his 35 years, he
ArturoBrachetti, the quick-change artist, vocals. His third is the upcoming "No. 1 Fan," chalks his success up to being a
Think "Greater Tuna" meets Robin Will- MH: (laughing) "Oh yes! Well, I’m a due out in May. He’s a handsome man, workaholic. He never tires of seeing the
Jams while doing David Copperfield’s classically trained singer - opera and so and he also has an incredible voice, much show s effect on audiences, its power to
act. Greater Tuna had two guys doing on, so doing this show was really different easier to listen to in many ways than embrace and connect with all people, and
quick changes to create the 22 characters in terms of it being arock show, basically. Anthony Rapp, the originator of the role. make them feel part of a family.
of a small mythical town; Arturo is one It places totally different stresses on your He also has incredible presence and very Of course, that does kind of clash with
man creating 88 characters during the vocalchords,andrequiresalotofstamina; piercing eyes. the show’s detractors, who feel that it
course of an evening - from cowboys to because when you get caught up in the Chad was a member of the Canadian glamorizes drug use and unsafe sex, but
geishas and barmaids to Royal Mounties, emotion of the show - which happens at cast ~f Rent, who reached rock-star fame you can’t please everyone.
he is a very channing man and handsome some point every night - you forget the .o as a member of the show. He quickly tired
by Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.D.
My sister just reported in from the annual
family reunion. Earlier this month,
the uncles, aunts, and cousins congregated
in apark on the suburban
slopes ofMt. Diablo,
California. Safe here in
Oklahoma, I’ve somehow
managed to .miss the last
decade ofthese family pic-
But news filters back.
This year my second
cousin Michael reappeared,
somehow on parole.
I am surprised because
it wasn’t too long
ago thathe attacked an elderly
couple in their car,
pulled up at a gas station.
He stabbed the oldwoman
dead. A .Vietnam War
flashback, Michael’s lawyer
said, which could wall
be true.
My family doesn’t talk
much. What facts I have
derive from the Oakland
Tribune lnternet newspaper
archives. Orrather, the
truth is that we happily gossip about each
other when those others aren’t listening.
Wejust don’t speak such things publicly.
And there at the picnic also were my
second cousins, once-removed, who are
autistic. Our gossip wonders if this condition
is their parents’ fault. The brothers,
who are now in their 30s, somehow make
a living repairing trails in Yosemite National
Park. We all know something about
them despite the fact that their autism is
never spoken of at our reunions.
My first cousin arson was at the picnic
too. arson is 46, unmarried, does something
with computers, and still lives with
my aging aunt and uncle. It makes one
think. It makes us gossip, too. Perhaps I
have a Gay cousin: Or perhaps arson is
just a happy solitary. Who knows? We
never talk about it:Opeuly, that is.
My family - likes yours, maybe - religiously
follows our own policy of "Don’t
ask, don’t tell." This peculiar sort of secrecy
is the framewt,rk of the closet. The
closet comes into being just because we
have agreed not to notice what is obvious.
arson’s sexual identity is an open secret.
He knows what he is, and we know what
he is too. But because we never admit
what we know, not publicly anyway, we
avoidhaving to deal withits consequences.
If we did acknowledge that we know,
we might have to do something. Dismiss
the newly uncloseted Gay from the Army,
for example. My family wouldn’t discharge
Orson.(or me either,.for that matter)
fromthe clan,butitwouldface having
to revalue Gayness. It would lose the
comfort of our open secret. This would
demand considerable emotional and political
transformationonall sides, It’s alot
easier just to go along to eat the hotdogs
and hamburgers and chat about kids and
the weather.
Eve Sedgwick, a literary critic and one
of the founders of "queer theory," proposedin"
TheEpistemology ofthe Closet"
that open secrets are fundamental within
modern American culture.
Part of her argument can be restated
simply. Homosexuality - which throughout
much of the 20th century couldnot be
recognized publicly - is nonetheless always
present within contemporary no-
My family doesn’t
talk much. What
f~ets I have derive
from the Oakland
Tribune Internet
newspaper archives.
Or rather, the truth
is that we happily
gossip about each
other when those
others aren’t
listening. We just
don’t speak such
things publiely.
¯ tions of sexuality. Gayness exists in order
: to maintain theboundaries of straightness.
¯ Wejust don’t admit it:
¯ Gayness has to exist as an open secret.
It is a shadowy, inverted,
and devalued reflection of
straight. When it emerges
from the closetand appears
clearly in public, it threatens
¯straightness if it becomes
a possible, alternative
normal sexuality.
Straight can’t exist withoutGay;
butitperhaps also
can’t exist-notin thesame
way, anyway - when the
open secret is revealed.
Likemurder and autism
in the family, the
unspeakability of secret
Gayness has maintainedits
shame. We’ve heard the
reaction: "Go ahead and
be Gay. Butkeepit to yourself.
Don’t thrust your
lifestyle in my face. We
don’t want to know about
it. How dare you Gays
flaunt k ? Can’t you keep it
secret?"
¯ You can understand the worry. Flaunt-
" ing destroys open secrets. Public recogni-
¯ ,tion of Gayness erodes the normality and
"6ounds of straightness. Telling one’s se-
¯ crets unsettles the uncles and the aunts
¯¯ and their elemental notions about who
¯ and what they are. Who can blame them? Nowonderthey’dratherhappily smalltalk
¯ with arson abouthis job andhis car- and
¯ not about what he does when no one is
;" looking (or when they are pretending not
¯
to be looking).
¯ So my family dogs its job, keeping our
¯ open secrets. And it’s not just my timo- ¯
¯ rous relatives. I have thirty-something Gay friends who avoid certain bars for
¯ fear they might run into family friends
¯ who’dtell thex" rmother. Li" kemomdoesn’t
¯
already know. But, sometimes, she really
doesn’tknow- she honors the open secret
¯ by not admitting that she’s seen through
¯ her son years ago.
¯ One of these years I’m going to finally
¯ make it home to the family reunion.
¯ "Orson," maybe I’ll say,"So what do you
¯ think of those Back Street Boys?"
¯ Lamont Lindstrom teaches anthropology
at the University of Tu,lsa.
¯
¯ It takes courage to scrutinize yourdefense structures, belief system, values, self-
" worth, self-doubt, behavioral patterns, and
¯ overall identity, and to shed the traits and
¯ beliefs thatno longer functionin your life.
¯
It takes uncommon courage and integrity
~ to implement the insights of that scrutiny,
¯ and to live honesty and authentically. ¯
Anyone who enters and completes this
: process is a survivor, and deserves the
¯ rewards of liberation, identity autonomy,
¯ and happiness."
: While much of this book is geared to-
" ward use by straight therapists for their
¯ Lesbian and Gay clients, lay people will
¯ also find it valuable. It will help people to ¯
fully understand that the rituals they have
¯ gone through are not unusual and that
: their goal shou!.d be a vibrant, happy and
¯ healthy life.
¯
Check for this title at your local library,
¯ or call Readers Services at 596-7966.
Timothy .W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
|
An Attorney who will fight for
justice & equality for
Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury,
Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
I 128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
~sareavailable.
Are You Gay or Bisexual?
Are You Native American
Support Group is here .for you!
¯ Evening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HIV testing
For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
rr
IGTA member
Call 341.6866
international
Toursiormorein!ormation.
e Therapy services
Edgar O. Cruz, L.M.T.
Pager: 918-889-5255
Voice Mail: 918-697-9282
Lic. #t34133
Country Club Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E. 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Ffi., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pro
Tulsa ’sonly
professional
body-piercing
American
Theatre
Company
presents
Shakespeare’s
Twelfth
Night
Augus, 17- !9
August 24 - 26
Eight o’clock
Eight dollars at. the gate
Phil brook Museum
2727 South Rockford Road.
by Ted Anthony, AP National Writer
N~V YORK (AP) - 715ose eyes. ~tNose
eyelashes. Those cheekbones. Those outfits.
She Is m~ American original, this
Tammy Faye Bakker - for better and for
worse, an utterly umque vessel that conrains
the strange stew of celebrity, spirituality
and sin we have come to expect from
our fallen 1cons in recent decades. Who
better, then, to explore, to figure out, to
focus in upon than the face that launched
1,000 quips? That’s the mission of a new
documentary, and "Tile Eyes of Tammy
Faye" doesn’t disappoint.
For those of you living on Jupiter’s
moons, Tammy Faye Bakker (now
Tammy Faye Messner) was/is the excruciatingly
mascaraed ex-wife of
tdevangelist Jim Bakker and former costar
of PTL, the North Carolina-based
television ministry that imploded in a pit
of accusations and recriminations in the
late 1980s.
He trysted with Jessica Hahn (who later
paraded in Playboy) and went to jail. She
got addicted to pills and ended up marrying
his best friend. Jerry Falwell got involved.
Things got nasty. Pop culture
references were born. Mascara companies
prospered.
Now, more than a decade later, Tammy
Fgye paces-the halls of her California
gated-community house, trying to sti~lI
together the swatches of her life and fin__
out what’s important to her. This proves
to be a funny and tragic endeavor, and
filmmakers Randy Barbato and Fenton
Baily chronicle it as it unfolds. Narrated
by RuPaul, of all people, it’s a festival of
weirdness camed out on an impressively
documentarian level, and it offers a deadon
look at Tammy _ aye without ever
poking fun at her. It lets her do all the
work, and work she does.
- She gives us a tour of her makeup case
(the eyes come from L’Oreal Waterproof
- She is praised by relatives in strange
ways ("When she was born, she had perfecfly
manicured fingernails:’ says an
aunt).
- She goes to a photographer to get new
head shots and smpri ses the makeup artist
by announcing that her lips, eyes and
eyebrows are permanently lined.
The film’s success, though, lies in assembling
a portrait of Tammy Faye that
transcends parody. She is an easy target
for a hip, sarcastic documentary. Instead,
we find out about a woman who was
reaching out to Gays and AIDS patients
long before anyone else in the Christian
broadcasting community Welearn about
awoman who endured cancer, thenjudged.
the experience worthwhile because ~t
brought her closer to her daughter. And
we discover, though she never says it
outfight, that she still respects Jim Bakker
- and may well still love him xn some
ways. Bakker, too, is interviewed here,
watched balefully by his new wife as he
talks - and sometimes reminisces fondly
- about his time with Tammy Faye.
In the end, you’re left with several
questions aboutTammy Faye: What DID
she and Bakker believe in? God? Ego?
Money? Themselve,’ 9 And what does she
really look like under all those layers?
Whatever she ultimately is, Tammy
Faye deserves some sympathy. She’ s been
through alot that wasn’t her ownmaking.
She’s going to church again, singing ~n a
local choir and trying to figure out just
who she is - an admirable trait in anyone,
and something not to be lampooned, no
matter what her past has held. "I don’t
know of any woman in our time who has
been so maligned," Pat Boone tells the
camera. "And yet she just keeps going."
And that trajectory makes for a fascinating
documentary - whether you end up
seeing it as a valid piece of journalism or
an entertaining celebrity car wreck.
Homosexual Rites of Passage: arises from lack of awareness that others
A Road to Visibility & Validation
by Marie Mohler, MA
reviewed by Barry Hensley
Tulsa Ciry-CounU Eibrary
Like e~eryone else, Lesbians and Gay
men go through a series of life events that
shape their personalities, morals and ability
to interact with other people. However,
because of sexual orientation, there
is often a different set of events and there
are different hurdles to jump. This book
analyzes these rites of passage to help
Lesbians and Gay men understand themselves.
Author ~ [thief approaches a variety of
topics, each with, a sep~ate chapter, inciudi~.
g ~,~nderstar,,ding Fear, Overcoming
c.~- Coming Out, Con-a~fitment
Rimai s ar,_d Aging Rites. Each topic builds
o~ the prevtous one.
Fern plays a big role for both straights
and Ga)’s. For Gay people, fear serves as
an obstacle to growth. For straightpeople,
fear of Gays "’smt’aces in antiGay bashing,
picketing, propaganda, hazing, attempts
at converting homosexuals and
discrimination in the workforce. Energy
is tied up in keeping the Lesbian and Gay
individual out of their world, consciousness,
and own ide.nti.ty,.b.y attemp.ting t,o,
keep homosexuahty mws~ble and stlent.
Mohler suggests that straights fear Gays
due to ignorance. "This ignorance often
may differ from one’s sdf. There is often
no motivation to learn about other cultures
or sexual orientations. Thus, anything
different from the self is considered
abnormal."
One thought provoking section in the
chapter on aging deals with the death of a
same sex life partner. A Gay or Lesbian
individual’s "truest support system, emotionally,
physically, sexually, and finandally,
may be flflfilled by this one person.
In light of’the fact that many heterosexual
peers and families may not mfite understand
the magnitude of homo~sexual fee!-
rags _~md. Gay!Lesbi,~ conuni~mem to !ife
parmers, ~t ma~ be devastating to not
rec~’~c ~N’.: much-needed suppn<i: dmSng
this a;~,::’~;v-g pefic,l. The heterosextml
majci:~.~? ~m,,y be blind to exiuatiL~g the loss
of one’s life partner to ’,he loss of a husband
or wife. While this lack of support is
a great tragedy, with great potenial for re-
~njuring and shaming homosexuals during
a time of great mourning, it is thevery
reason why Gay men and Lesbian women
needto stand together as a community
and validate the troth of their parmerships."
The chapter on coming out summarizes
the upbeat feel of the entire book: "(the
coming out) process affects homosexuals
physically, emotionally, and intellectuall)
- see Passages, p. 10
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
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Title
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, August 2000; Volume 7, Issue 8
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
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Tulsa Family News
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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August 2000
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James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, July 2000; Volume 7, Issue 7
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English
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/603
2000
African Americans
AIDS
aMUSEments
arts and entertainment
Bars
Boy Scouts
businesses
churches
civil unions
Colin Powell
Dick Cheney
gay bashing
Gay marriage
Gay Studies
hate crimes
HIV
homophobia
Jim Christjohn
journalism
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
Marie Mohler
marriage equality
military inclusion
Murder
Native Americans
performing arts
Raging Lesbian
Read All About It
Republican Party
restaurants
support groups
Tammy Faye Messner
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/590625efbb63be8cb25d8b9dc93531aa.jpg
b702d4d8f1ee914bff551b9101daf0e2
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ed98d8ae2a578073440d4ea6e68c6db6
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High Court + Scouts:
No Gays Need Apply
by Laurie Asseo, Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The Boy Scouts can bar Gays from
serving as troop leaders, the Supreme Court said at the
end of June in a 5-4 decision on "free-association
rights." The decision may also let the-6.2-millionmember
organization reject Gay boys as members.
Forcing the Scouts to accept Gay troop leaders would
violate the organization’ s right of"expressive association"
under the Constitution’s First Amendment, the
justices nded on the last day of their 1999-2000 term.
"The Boy Scouts asserts that homosexual conduct is
inconsistent with the values it seeks to instill," Chief
Justice William H. Relmquist wrote for the court. Requiring
the organization to have a Gay scoutmaster
would force it "to send a message, both~£o the youth
members and the world, that the Boy Scouts accepts
homosexual conduct as a legitimate form of behavior,"
the ,..hief justice said.
"-.We’ re very pleased," said Scouts spokesman Gregg
Shields. "It’ s going to allow us to continue our mission
of providing character-building programs for youth."
see Scouts._ tg. 9
uNPredicts: AIDS Will Kill
One Half.of African Teens
GENEVA (AP) - AIDS has killed 19 million people
worldwide, but the worst is yet to come, the United
Nations has just predicted: the disease is expected to
wipe out half the teen-agers in some African nations,
devastating economies and societies.
’q’here is a whole generation which is being taken
outYsaid Peter Plot, head of the U.N. Joint Program on
HIV/AIDS. He said vulnerable countries in Asia, Eastem
Europe and the Caribbean risk a similar catastrophe
unless they act now to control infection rates.
In its 135-page report released at the end of June,
UNAIDS estimates:
-The virus has killed 19 million people worldwide,
up fronr 16.3 million at the end of 1998. ~t has infected
34 million more, including 5.4 million last year alone.
-More than 13 million children have been orphaned
by AIDS.
-In 16 sub-SaharanAfrican countries, more than onetenth
of the population ages 15-49 carries the Human
lmmunodeficiency Virus, or HIV.
-In seven of those countries, at least one-fifth of the
population is infected.
One-of the countries where 20% of the population is
infected is South Africa, which has 4.2 million people
who are HIV positive- the largest single national total.
The southern African nation of Botswana has the worst
rate, with more than one in three adults infected. That is
the equivalent of 90 million people out of the U.S.
population of 270 million, see Africa, p. 9
DIRECTORY P. 2
PRIDE PHOTOS P. 3
US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
HEALTH NEWS P. 6
ENTERTAINMENT P. 8
GAY STUDIES P. 10
Serving Lesbian; Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
Pride 2000: Greg,
Greta + ORU Too
TULSA - While the Edsel ferrying Greg Louganis broke down and despite a steady but mild rain, Tulsa’s 2nd Pride
Parade went off without a hitch. Beginning at the Tulsa Gay Community Services Center near 41st & Peoria, several
hundreds gathered along with grand marshals, Olympic champion Greg Louganis and distinguished US Army veteran
Greta Cammermeyer.
The. parade featured
churches, choirs, drag
queens and female impersonators,
leather "boys and
daddies," bars and businessmen
who spread out over
more than a mile and ended
up at Veteran’ s Park for the
Pride Festival.
This yearlikelast, a handful
of protesters gathered at
the beginning of the parade,
and then scurried to the end
to protest yet again.
Incontrast with those who
were protesting, the pastor
and a couple of members of
the CarbondaleAssembly of
God passed out bottles of
water without any message
of condemnation as they did
last year also. When asked
about their effort, they said
they just wanted to act with
compassion and to avoid the
nastiness - leaving judgement
to the Almighty.
see Pride, p. 6
Humanity Unites for Human Rights Oral Roberts University Alumni
Gree Louganis at the Millennium Parade Sharon Toele with Greta Cammermever
i" Vermont Judge Won’t Block-
Unions, Officials Rebel + More
¯ MONTPELIER,Vt. (AP)-Opponents ofVermont’ s civil unions. ¯
made another legal bid to block thelaw from taking effect on July ¯
¯ 1st. A day after a Superior Court judge refused to issue a ."
¯ preliminary injunction blocking the first civil unions ceremonies.
¯ from taking place, opponents filed a new request and added new °
plaintiffs.
A Virginia lawyer representing Shdtra and the other plaintiffs °
said Superior Cpurt Judge Stephen Martin did not have enough ;
information beftre him when the judge ruled that no irreparable °
harm would occur if the law went into effect. ¯
Lawyer Erik Stanley asked to add two new plaintiffs to the ;
lawsuit: town clerks in Corinth and Fairfield, who say they would °
be harmed if forced to issue civil union licenses. ¯
"These town clerks object to doing that on moral and religious °
grounds and have asked the attorney general’ s office if they could "
not issue these licenses," Stanley said. ’The attorney general ;
responded in a letter to them that if they refuse to issue civil ¯
unions licenses, they could be faced with civil lawsuits from the "
individuals to whom they refused to issue licenses." There also ¯
is the remote possibility of criminal fines or prison terms. ¯
Several town clerks say they object to homosexuality and do ¯
not want to be forced into providing licenses that will grant same- "
sex couples nearly all the rights and benefits Of marriage. " "
The clerks now have been added to 15 people who sued to -"
overturn the law. Eleven of those plaintiffs are members of the ¯
Vermont House who opposed civil unions, including prominent"
representatives such as Sheltra, Oreste Valsangiacomo, D-Barre, °
Robert Starr, D-Troy, and George Schiavone, R-Shelburne. ¯
They argue that an informal betting pool among 14 House "
members who supported the bill should invalidate it. The 14"
bettors each threw in a dollar to wager on the number of "yes" ¯
votes the bill would garner when it went before the House for ¯
preliminary approval in March. It passed by seven votes that day. "
Opponents argued the pool should have disqualified those who "
participated because it gave them an interest in the outcome of the ¯
vote. ¯
In a recent ruling, Martin said allowing Gay and Lesbian "
couples to enter into civil unions beginning Saturday would pose :
no harm to the initial 15 plaintiffs, see Vermont, p. 9.
Coke Adds Benefits for
Gay +-Lesbian Partners
WASHINGTON The Human Rights Campaign,
anational Gay civil rights organization, commended
the Coea-Cola Co. today for announcing plans to
extend health care benefits to same-sex domestic
partners of its United States-based employees.
"This is excellent news, and yet another sign that
domestic partner benefits are becoming a standard
component of benefits packages at forward-thinking
companies," said Kim I. Mills, HRC’ s education
director who oversees WorkNet, HRC’s
workplac project. "With this announcement, Coke
becomes the 99th member of the Fortune 500 to
take this important step."
The Human Rights Campaign and its Business
Council have been working with Coea-Cola and
KOLAGE, its Lesbian and Gay employee resource
group, for many months on this issue, Mills said.
HRC WorkNet (www.hrc.org/worknet) provided
data, strategy and other advice as needed.
The Coca-Cola Co. released a statement today
announcing the benefits, which will begin Jan. 1,
2001. According to the statement, employees will
be able to sign up during the fall benefits enrollment
period. The company also said it is researching
opportunities for implementing its policy on a
global basis. "Our company is committed to attracting
and retaining the most diverse workforce
in the world," Coca-Cola said in the statement.
"Our goal is to ensure that the Coea-Cola Company
is the best place for all people to work. This
extension ofbenefits is another step toward achieving
that goal."
"The Coea-Cola Company has provided worldclass
leadership to the beverage industry, and to the
business commtmity in Atlanta and all of Georgia
by taking this historic action," said Harry Knox,
executive director of the Georgia Equality Project,
whichrepresents Georgia’ s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
and Transgendered citizens, see Coke, p. 2
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine
*Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’ s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
712-2324
610-5323
583-2119
835-2376
749-4511
744-4280
745-9998
834-4234
585-3405
660-0856
584-1308
*The Yellow Brick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th 749-1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Advanced Wireless & PCS, Digital Cellular
*Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. ISth
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial
*Ross Edward Salon
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main
747-1508
743-1000
250-5034
665-4580
712-1122
712-9955
494-2665
743-5272
746-0313
295-5868
581-0902, 743-4117
622-0700
749-3620
744-5556
838-8503
369-8555
584=0337, 712-9379
592-0460 "
*Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria 744-9595
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. 610-0880
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. 628-3709
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758.E. 21st 742-1460
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning 459-9349
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly 745-1111
*International Tours 341-6866
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening 582-8460
*Kerfs Flowers, 1635 E. 15
599-8070
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 747-5466
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha 585-1234
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd 584-3112
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-5934
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo 838-7626
*The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor 743-4297
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101
747-5932
Richard’ s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921, 747-4746
Scribner’ s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square
749-6301
Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-7829
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard
835-5563
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling 743-1733
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
592-0767
www.gaytulsa.org
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101
579-9593
All Sods Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria
743-2363
Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159
587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6
583-7815
"13/UGFr Alliance, Univ. ofTulsa United Min. Ctr.
583-9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Florence
*ChurchoftheRestorationUU, 1314N.Greenwood 587-1314
*Community ofHopeUnited Me~o~li."~st, 2545 S:.Yale 747-6300
*Community Unitarian-Universanst tgongregauon 749-0595
Council Oak Men’ s Chorale
748-3888
*Ddaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware
712-1511
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31
742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa- Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard
747-7777
*Free SpiritWomen’ s Center, call forlocation &info: 587-4669
)18.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159
o-mail: TulsaNews@ earthlinl~ net
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Neal
Writers + contributors:
James Christjohn, Karin Gregory, Barry Hensley, J.-P.
Legrandbouche, Lamont Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum. Mary
Schepers, Hughston Walkinshaw
Member of The Associated Press
Issued on or before the 1st of each month, the entire contents
of this publication are protected by US copyright 1998 by
T~, lz:~ h/~w~ and may not be reproduced ei.th.er in
whole orin part withoutwrittenpermission from thepublisher.
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’ s
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publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes
the sole property of TJ.~, F¢,~.’. No,w÷ ..Each..rea.der
is entitled to 4 copies of each ediuon at distnbutton
points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
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HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
Holland Hall School, 5666 E. 81st 481-1111
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
*House of the Holy Spirit Minstries, 3210e So. Norwood .
Interfaith AIDS Ministries 438-2437, 800-284-2437 ¯
*MCG United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
gAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral P1. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
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*OSU-Tulsa
PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
O’ RYAN, support group for 18-24 LGBT young adults
O’ RYAN, Jr. support group for 14-17 LGBT youth
St. Aidan’ s ,Episcopal church, 4045 N. Cincinnati
425-7882
St. Dunstan,s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st
492-7140
*St. Jerome s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105
Confidential I-IIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Tulsa Gay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105 743-4297
Unity Church of Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
B,ARTLESVILLE
*Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN
¯ Borders Books & Music, 3209NWExpressway 405-848::2667
: Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
: TAHLEQUAH
: Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
¯ *Tahlequah Unitarian-UniversalistChurch 918-456-7900
Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
NSU School of Optometry, 1001N. Grand
HIVtesting every other Tues. 5:30-8:30, call for dates
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autunm Bre~.,ze Restaurant, Hwy. 23
*Jim & Brent s Bistro, 173 S. Main
DeVito’ s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
Fmerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St.
MCC of the Living Spring
Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429
Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery
Positive Idea Marketing Plans
Sparky’ s, Hwy. 62 East
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www.gaytulsa.org
stirs controversy
TULSA - gaytulsa.org, a non-profit continues
to stir controversy about and in the
Tulsa Lesbian, Gay, Bi and ~rans communities.
Hosted by webmaster David and his
: partner, Seth, a statement onthe sitenotes,
¯. " [that it is] an effort to chronicle the dme
sl~ent out and about in the Tulsa gay scene
¯ mixed with a bit of news and
¯ information. We do not claim to be fair,
objective, or even nice. This is 99%
¯ opinion. Whileyoumayormaynotagree,
¯ wecanpromise youwill be either amused,
¯ baffled, or (more commonly) pissed if ¯
¯ youkeep visiting. We acceptgossip, slander,
or anything else you want to submit
¯ we can post here."
¯ The awardwinning sitefeatures links to
¯ other web sites of interest and offers the observations of local writer, Dyke Di-
¯ vine. Also included are cordial descriptions
of local and state pnnt media: Tulsa
Family News, The Gayly Oklahoman and
¯ newcomer to Tulsa, the recently renamed
Tulsa Triangle.
¯ On the net: www.gaytulsa.org
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
*Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 41%623-4696
* is where youcan findTFN¯NotallareGaY"ownedbutallareGay"fri"endly"
i The Georgia Equality Project also played
¯ a key role in working with the company
: andKOLAGEto helpbring aboutthenew
¯ policy.
¯ GEP also unveiled a new initiadvg~to-
¯ day to persuade nine other Georgia COm-
" panies to provide domestic partner ben-
" efits to their Lesbian and Gay employees.
¯ These companies are: Home Depot, At-
: lanta Gas Light Co., BellSouth, Georgia
¯ Pacific, DeltaAirlines, Wachovia, United
¯ parcel.Service, Shaw Industries and Gulf
¯ Stream Aerospace.
¯ "Some companies in Georgia are be-
: hind the times in their treatment of their
Lesbian and Gay employees, said Kno .
"We are launching this initiative because
our Gay daughters, sons, fathers, moth-
. ers, aunts, uncles and cousins should re-
. ceive benefits for their dependent family
¯ members just like everyone eis .
¯ Earlier this month, DaimlerChrysler
: Corp., Ford Motor Co. and General Mo-
¯ tots Corp., along with the United Auto
¯ Workers umon, announced they would
offer health care coverage to same-sex
¯
partners of all eligible U.S. employees. It
¯ was the first time an endre industry, along
¯ with its leading umon, announeed domes-
¯ - tic partner benefits simultaneously. More
: than.3,400 private and public employers
¯ provide these benefits to their employees.
¯ So far this year, an average of five
: employers a week are announcing these
: benefits, according to HRC’ s WorkNet,
: which tracks these trends. Many of
¯ America’ s leading companies offer these ¯
benefits including: IBM, MicrosoftShell
~ Oil, Walt Disney, Fannie Mae, Cifgroup,
¯ Xerox, Time Warner and United and
: American Airlines. Additionally, more ¯
thanhalfoftheFortune 500includesexual
: orientation in their non-discrimination
¯ polities.
: Letters Policy
: TulsaFamilyNewswelcomes letters on ¯
issues which we’ve covered or on issues
: you thinkneed to be considered. Youmay
: request that your name be withheld but
letters mustbe signed&have phonenum-
~ bers, or be hand ddivered.
Anti-Gay Ads in Mexico "¯ past. of police was once so pervasive that
hate crimes andsame-sex domestic violence went
MEXICO CITY (AP) - The two leading candidates
in Mexico’ s presidential campaign have raised eyebrows
by casting doubts on each other’ s masculinity.
But the real surprise to .many,,,I~__ple in tl~i."s land w~.ith
a reputation for "machismo has been me negauve
reaction to the tactic.
Criticism led opposition candidate Vicente Fox to
quickly drop a negative TV ad aimed at rival Fran=
cisco Labastida, the candidate of the long-governing
Institutional Revohition.ary. Party, or PRI. Using a
¯ Mexican slang termfbr s0iii~0ne Of madefined seXu2
ality, the ad showed Labastida hugging and lifting a ~
PRI colleague by the thighs: It also featured shots of
male strippers at a’ campaign rally for another PRI
candidate. "
After canceling the ad, Fox’ s socially conservative
National Action Party, known as PAN, ran an advertisement
in newspapers defending itself tothe Gay
community. The p~t,,y is "not against.the ,O,,ay community
in any way,’ the ad said, adding: In a Fox
admiulstration, there will befrcedOm for people to
live without masks."
Carlos Monsivais, an author and social critic, said
the party’ s retreat was a milestone for Mexico, where
there are no openly Gay politicians and homosexualtty
has not been wtdely accepted..The most tm.po,
t~( thing is that even Fox and the right had to oacK
down and apologize to the Gay commumty,, h,e’ s.atd.."
"It’ s incredible to hear the word ’homophobta oemg ~
used even by the right."
Labastida’ s supporters have drawn their own criticism
for taking shots at.Fox’ s masct!!.inity with allusions
to his separation fromhis wife andhis being the
father of four adopted children. Such attacks have
seldombeenso directinMexicanpolitics, althoughin
the previous presidential election six years ago, the
PRI allegedly hired transvestites to attend an opposition
campaign rallyin Veracruz state in an attempt to
discredit it.
This time, the attacks were started by Fox. Fo,x,
called the PRI candidate a sissy and" La Vesttda,
a pun on his rival’s name implying Labastida is a
cross-dresser. But the atmosphere changed when a
minor-party candidate, Gilberto Rincon Gallardo of
the Social Democratic Party, stuck up for homosexuals,
the handicapped, rape victims and Indians in a
televised debate, the first time many of those groups.
had been mentioned in the race. "In weak democracies
like Mexico, legal protections are necessary to
prevent a tyranny of the majority over minorities, so
that people can decide on their own private lives
withou,,t a majority imposing its moral or cultural
views, Rincon Gallardo said.
On June 17, the Gay community held what was by
far the largest Gay-pride parade in Mexican history,
with organizers estimating a turnout of 30,000. Just
¯ five years ago, SUCh parades drew an average of about
1,000 people. But Gays haven’ t had much success in
their effort to make an issue of the banning of some
Gay cultural events by PAN officials in towns they
goBveemnj.amin Araujo of the Front for-People with
AIDS-HIV said that "Gays are more tolerated than
accacne~udteadte"iisnaMneimxipcoosasnibdiltihtyat. aTnhoepperenvl.yat..Ge,nacye,,p.oo.Il"~iatni.c,.ua.1-.
Gayattitudes wasillnstratedbY areportoymet_,mzen)
CommitteeAgainst Homophobic Hate Crimes: It
estimates that 190 Gays were killed in Mexico bec1a9u9s9e.
BofuttMheoirnss~evxautasl soereisenptraotgiorenssb.etWweeesnul1!h9a9v4ena"ndt
reached the point of having an openly Gay candidate,"
he said. "But we are now at a point where there
can no longer be an openly anti-Gay candidate."
Denver Cops & Gays
Work Together
DENVER (AP) - Gays and Lesbians have formed an
alliance with police to deal with late-night cruising,
loud noise and sex in public around Cheesman Park.
Police, Gay civil-rights activists and park neighbors
have been handing out fliers to motorists for the
past few weeks warning that police will crack do.wn
on traffic, park curfew violations and inappropriate
activity on surrounding streets. ¯
Thejoint effort wouldnot have been possible in the
¯ unreported, activists said.
: "I think there was, clearly, some traditional stereo-
. typing on both sides, but that has changed alot," said
¯ Lt. Jimmy Martinez, who leads a communi.ty-poli.c;
~ ing team in the Cheesman Park area: Marttnez sara
¯ acting Police Chief Gerry Whitman devised the strat-
~ - egy when he was captain of District 6 surrounding
~ Cheesman. Once the "Fort Apache" of city police
~ districts, District 6 is now a model for community-
~ policing programs.
Cheesman is ~a .well:known gathering #ace for ~ -~
Gays and Lesbians,~and friction de~eloped between
neighbors andparkusers¯ Marfinez~idpolicegot the~ --
Cheesman Park West Neighborhood Associationand
Equality Colorado, a statewide Gay civil-rights orga-
: nization, directly involved.
¯ Representatives on both sides said the strategy has .
~ worked. "For one thing, our work with the Denver
:~
police has become a model for how an organization
like ours can work with law enforcement," said Lori
¯ Girvan, directorofEquality Colomdo.DedeDePerein,
¯
who heads Equality’s Anti-Violence Project, sai.’d
i cooperadun with police has "built bridges" over me
". Gay community’ s prevalent, persistent fear and misi
trust of law enforcement.
JoeBarrows of theChcesman ParkWestNeighborhoodAssociation
saidheandhis neighbors frequently
called oolice with complaints before the communitypolicing
campatgn. Now compl.amt.s a~..e rare: Tl~.e
result has been a positive changem tlae atsrupttons m
the neighborhood. It’ s been a positive experience all
the way around," he said.
Mormans Attack Gay
Relationships in Nevada
CARSON C1TY (AP) - A Mormon church-endorsed
ban on same-sex marriages cleared one hurdle recendy
when the secretary of state’ s office said aballot
~etition contained enough signatures. The ruling by
Deputy Secretary for Elections Susan Morandi advanced
the constitutional referendum to its final step
- a test sampling names on the petition for regist.ered
voters. County clerks and voter registrars were given
until July 7 toverify that registered voters signed the
petition.
Morandi’ s office said the Coalition for the Protection
of Mamage got 120,558 people to sign its 15etitlon,
which is almost three times the number of
registered voters needed to put a question on the
Nevada ballot: Under the measure, Nevada would
recogmze mamages only of a re.an and woman. ,That
already is part of state law, but advocates want to t~acK
it up in the state constitution.
Opponents say the initiative amounts to discriminadota
and bigotry. The Progressive Leadership Alliance
of Nevada and about 20 other groups across the
state formed the Coalition for Unity to campaign
against the ballot measure.
The Coalition for the Protection of Marriage is
heavily supported by the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, whose members were central to
anti-Gay marriage efforts in Hawaii and Alaska, and
most recently, in California. However, the former
Catholic bishop of Las Vegas, Daniel Walsh, asked
priests and paris.ke_s to. support the ’~.aditi0nal f_~amily"
but not to support Ziser’ s effort because it fosters
ill-will toward Gays.
Gay Pride in Tel Aviv
" TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - Celebrating Gay pride,
thousands of Israelis in tank tops and shorts danced to
¯ deafening music and waved rainbow-colored flags at
¯ the end of June. The annual street party has become
¯ the latest venue in the culture war between secular
¯ Israelis and devoutJews who consider h°m°sexuality
¯ an abomination.
¯ "We promise to support your struggle against the
~ religious," legislator Tommy Lapid, leader of the
¯ secular rights party Shinui, told the cheering crowd.
~ In recent years, Gays and Lesbians in Israel have
¯ scored a string of successes in the courts, though not
¯ in parliament, where ultra-Orthodox religi°us Parties
¯ have considerable deut. Last month, the Supreme
Court allowed a Lesbian spouse to be registered as the
United in
God’s Love
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seeondparentofherpartner’sbiologicalson-in1994, ¯
Norway’ s only female bishop, RosmarieKohn, faced
same sex unions were recognized for benefit pur- ¯
a revolt by nearly one-third of her own clergy when
: she allowed openly Lesbian Siri Sunde to return to the
poses.
The court rulings have coincided with growing " pulpit. Sunde had been barred after she married her
public ,acceptance of Gays. Just a few years ago, ". female companion. Gay marriages are legal in NorpublicdisplaysofGaypridewereunheardofinlsrael.
¯ way, with all the fights of heterosexual marriages
By contrast, Gays were hugging and kissing in Tel : except church weddings and the right to adopt.
Aviv’ s central Rabin Square in 1998 to celebrate the ¯
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Eurovision Song Contest. ¯
743-GAYS (743-4297) Over the last few years, the Gay pride parade has ¯
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6-9 l~m, Sunday..,-.:F~day ~’r~ (?0 ~ ba~erstof the Ga3~ prid~ moyeme.nt~ T~ech~,0
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in-hand. There were no religious protests. Tel Aviv is
anoverwhelmingly secular city, and the parade was
being heldjust before the onset oftheJewish Sabbath,
during which observant Jews refrain from work and
travel.
Taking a break from the blazing heat, Kinneret
G01an said the scene made her feel that Israel was no
different from othercountries. "You only see pictures
of Israel when rocks are being thrown. I’m proud that
despite everything we can still do this," she said.
Golan~ said that in the increasingly bitter culture
war betwTeen Israel’ s secular majority and thedevout
minority, the distrust is. so great that "each side
defines itself as the opposite:of what the other is."
Therefore, she said, many secular Israelis will sup-
]2~ort causes as long as they are denounced by the
’~:~’~r~igious community.
Lapid, standard bearer of the secular fight against
whathe calls religious coercion, said his party and the
homosexual movement are natural partners. Next
week, a bill proposing recognition of same-sex civil
unions will be up for approval. However, Lapid said
it will likely fail because of the influence of the
religious parties. But some of those dancing in the
parade said they paid little heed to politics. "Who
cares what they do in the Knesset? Look at this
celebration," saidAnat Schumaker, one of theparticipants.
"We’ re here and they can’ t do anything to stop
Gay Clergyman Shakes
Up Norweigan Church
OSLO, Norway (AP) - The selection of an openly
Gay clergyman in defiance of state Lutheran church
guidelines raised concerns Friday that the issue of
homosexuality could split the church. The Church of
Norway’ s highest body, its 85-member national congress,
ruled in November 1997 that clergy who enter
homosexual partnerships could not hold jobs that
require ordination.
However, the~Oslo Bishops’ Council of clergy and
laity voted 4-3 on June 15 to appoint Jens Torstein
Olsen as chaplain for the Majorstue Church. Olsen
noted onhis application that he was living with a Gay
partner.
The council minority appealed the decision to
Trend Giske, head of the churches and education
ministry that formally employs state church clergy.
He initially said he saw no reason to reverse the
council majority’s decision, but will make a final~
decision next month. If hired, the 51-year-old Olsen
would be Norway’ s first male minister who is openly
living with a Gay partner.
Oslo Bishop Gmmar Staalsett saidhe expects the.
ministry to respect his council’ s majority, in keeping
with usual practice. "Olsen is dearly the best qualified
for the post," Staalsett said.
But the move prompted Norway’s head bishop,
Odd B0ndevik, to say he was calling an emergency
meeting of the national bishops council on the matter
probably in August. "The appointment.., can split
the Church of Norway," he was quoted as telling the
Norwegian news agency NTB.-"When we said the
issue does not have to be a splitting factor, we assumed
that each individual bishop would be loyal to
the national church council’s resolutions and the
church itself," Bondevik was quoted as saying.
An anguished debate over Gay clergy has already
led to bitter disputes within the church. Last year,
reform. Half a million people were expected for the
annual Christopher Street Day parade in the German
capital. The bill, to be presented to parliament before
t breaks for summer next month, would recognize
registered Gay palTmerships as families, said Greens
lawmaker Volker Beck. However, homosexual
couples apparendy would not have the right to adopt
children - a demand of the Greens rejected by the
dominant Social Democrats.
Gay partnerships wonld get legal rights similar to
heterosexual couples on taxes, social security and
~mmigration law - an important point for Gay couples
where one parmer is a foreigner. Beck said the proposals
still require formal approval bythe parliamentary
groups of the two governing parties.
Opposition conservatives blasted the plahs and
hinted they would try to stall the bill in th~ upper
house of parliament, where the govemment,lack.s a
majority. Thomas Goppel, aleader of Bavaria s rightist
Christian Social Union party, called the proposals
"absurd." Germany’ s Association ofGays and Lesbians
welcomed the draft saying it did notmeet all of the
group’ s demands but still were a great st p forward."
Minnesota ’Sodomy’
Law Under Challenge ¯
¯ MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A state law that makes oral
and anal sex acrimeis unconstitutional and shouldbe
¯ thrown out, tim Minnesota Civil Liberties Union
¯ claimed in a lawsuit filed at the end of June. The
i MCLU and the Lesbian and Gay Rights Project of the
American Civil Liberties Union are challenging
¯ Minnesota’ s sodomy statute, saying the law violates
the right of privacy guaranteed by the state constitui
tion. Thelaw - which applies to all consenting adults,
even married heterosexuals - makes violations pun-
: ishable with a year in prison and up to $3,000 in tines.
¯ Theclass-actionlawsuit,filedinHennepinCountY,
¯ asks the court to declare the statute void and prevent ¯
the state from enforcing it. The plaintiffs include two
: married heterosexuals who say they risk prosecution,
: a Lesbian who fears eviction because her lease pro-
" hibits illegal activity, a Gay law student who fears
¯ being disbarred, a divorced Gay manwhofears losing
¯ his right to visithis children, and a group of Lesbian,
¯ Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered lawyers and law
¯ students.
¯ According to the MCLU, 18 states still have sod-
.: omy, statutes, down from all 50 in 1961. In five of
": ~ose s’tat~s, the law hpplies 0nly to Gays [editor’s
¯
note: Oldahoma is one of those with laws only di-
¯ rected at Gay people]’. Legislatures have repealed
¯ sodomy laws in 25 states, while courts have over-
. turned them in others. In one of the most recent cases,
an appeals court in Texas voided that state’ s sodomy
¯ law two weeks ago.
¯ Attorney General Mike Hatch was out of state and ¯
unavailable for comment on the lawsuit, said his
¯
spokeswoman, Leslie Sandberg.
¯ Tom Prichard, executive director of theMinnesota
Family Council, which has helped fight off attempts
¯ to repeal the law at the Legislature, said the law
should stay on the books, and he criticized theMCLU
¯ for filing the lawsuit. ’°They’ re trying to do an end run
by getting the courts to strike it down instead of going
through the appropriate channel, which is the Legis-
¯ lature," Prichard said.
. ated offices to deal specifically with Gay
alth Officials to health issues. Officials in Seattle have
Focus Gay Needs :d velo#as iali d mpaigntovac-
¯ cinate Gay men for hepatitis.
BOSTON (AP) - Boston public health
officials have agreed to try to better meet
the needs of the city’ s Gay community by
collecting data onillnesses,raising awareness
of health issues and seeking funding
for new programs. Their decision follows
the lead of other big U.S. cities, where
officials have already taken action to address
the health needs of Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgender residents.
’q’hereis clear datathat shows there are
health differences between the Gay and
larger communities," said Stephen
Boswell, executive director oftheFenway
Community Health Center, which serves
a high percentage of Boston’ s Gay population.
"If those problems are addressed,
we can make a significant impact."
At a conference held in Boston in May,
officials from public health agencies
around the country cited studies showing
Gays are at risk for a range of health
problems, including depression, breast
cancer, and substance abuse.
After years of focusing solely on HIV
and AIDS, Boston’s public health officials
decided soon after the conference to
develop a more efficient way to deal with
the community’s other pressing needs,
said John Auerbach, executive director of
me Boston Public Health Commission.
q~nis.is the first time the he~Ith department
has acknowledged it needs to specifically
address the health needs of the
Gay community," he said. "This is a significant
step forward."
Health departments in New York, Chicago
and San Francisco have already c~e-
While Louganis left immediatdy alter
the parade to fly out of the city,
Cammermeyer spoke briefly in the rain,
noting that she really might have preferred
not to come to Tulsa, thinking that
it might not really be safe or wdcoming,
but that probably she needed to come to
Tulsa for precisdy that reason.
Another group which received great
atteiation was ORU.out.com, a new Lesbian
and Gay alumni organization for
Oral Roberts University (ORU). While
Gay alumni groups exist around the country,
ORU.out.com is unusual in thatORU
has a policy of banning Gays as.students,
faculty or staff. Regardless, ~e ~oup
numbered about 20 and group orgamzer,
Jeff McKissic notes that about 60 people
have gotten involved.
Orgamzers of the Parade and Festival,
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights,
Inc. estimated that some 3,000 participated
or attended.
More than !00,000 march in
Paris Gay Pride parade
PARIS (AP)- In a festive celebration of
Gay pride; more than 100,000 people
marched and danced on the last weekend
in June through the streets of Paris behind
a giantbanner with the slogan for this
year’s parade: ,Homophobia - a social
pl~gr~h------ Educatton Mimster Jack Lang
and the Socialist Party’s mayoral candidate
Bertrand Delanoe were among the
politicians thatkicked offGay Pride 2000
behind dozens of motorcyclists from the
Gay Bikers Club.
Rainbow-colored flags waved under
overcast skies as the parade wound from
:: Feds to Fund AIDS
¯ Vaccine Search
¯ WASHINGTON (AP) - Four new part-
" nerships were announced by a federal
¯ health agency Tuesday to provide fund-
: ing to groups attempting to bring anAIDS
¯ vaccine to market.
i Theseparme.rships, call,edHIV ~acone
¯ design and development teams, were
¯_ prompted by~ a. presidential dirertive to
¯ increase public-private cooperation in
: developing vaccines to major diseases,
: according to the National Institute of Ai-
: lergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),
¯ the section of the National Institutes of
: Health that set up the deals.
¯ "Many vaccines in use today resulted
i
fr°mb°th g°verument-sp°., snL0r--~andpfi.-
vate research," said Dr. Anthony S. Faucl,
: director of NIAID.
¯ The awards are incentive-based, aimed
¯ at teams that have a vaccine in develop-
: ment but have not yet reach_ed human
~ testing. The teams will receive funds as
¯ they achieve preset goals.
¯ Three U.S. companies - Advanced
~ BioScience Laboratories in Kensington,
¯ Md.; Chiron Corporataon in Emeryville,
¯ Calif.; and Wyeth Lederle Vaccines and
¯ Nutrition in Pearl River, N.Y. - as well as
~ a consortium of Australian universities
¯ led by the University ofNew SouthWales
¯ all have different tactics on how to create
¯ a serum that will protect humans from
; HIV infection, which causes AIDS.
.district. Boolmng techno and 0asco music
¯ played as drag queens and other elabo-
¯ rately costumed men and women danced
on colorful floats and along the sidelines
of the parade Police estimated the crowd
size at between 100,000 and 130,000
people, while organizers said that 250,000
people turned out for the event.
Coinciding with the weekend of the
parade, Social Affairs Minister Martine
¯ Aubry said the government planned to
: introduce new laws oudawing discrimi-
¯ nadon against homosexuals. Aubry said
: the new legislation would appear as an
¯ amendment tO a "social modernization"
: bill currently going through Parliament.
¯ Denver Pride Draws 100,000
¯ DENVER (AP) - More.than 100,000 at-
" tended Denver PrideFest 2000. The festi-
~ val, organized by the Gay, Lesbian &
: Bisexual Community Services Center, is
¯ inits 10th year. No violence was reported
~ dUring the parade betweenCheesmanPark
: and Civic Center Park that featured 100
: floats. The festival also featured 230
¯ booths and. a family zone with the signs:
~ "drug-~ alcohol-, hate-flee zone."
¯ Activists told a crowd at the Civic Cen-
: ter that good people standing up to big-
~ otry, not legislation, will protect Gays,
¯ Lesbians and Bisexuals from violence.
¯ "In every case, a mass mobilization of
¯ people changed thepolitteal clunate, sm
¯ Leslie Feinberg, author of ’q’ransgender
¯ Warriors" and "Stone Butch Blues."
Gay Pride Elsewhere
¯ SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A rollicking
; ,,Gay p,fi,de parade replete with dancing
nuns, all-maleche.~rleading squads and
¯ drag queens in stilettos attracted a half
¯ million revelers as it made its way from
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for
justice & equality for
Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury,
Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
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Weeke~qd and evening appointments are available.
Just for laughs
artur0
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Directed b~/
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-~ "Arturo Brachetti is
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" the waterfront to City Hall.
As David Ellard watched the processouthern
Paris to its destination at the ¯ sion see Pride, p. 8
Place de la Bastille, near the city’s Gay
Power
of Oklahoma
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by Karin Gregory
COMING OUT.
Even the words evoke an ominous, almost
surreal scene, like the Great and
Powerful Wizard, whose
deep voice echoes
throughout closets everywhere.
In my case, my 44
yearold closetwas sot’ffled
that I couldn’t hea~ the
echo e~}en if I tried, i finaily
Sprang out, machete
inland, :r~dy to tell everyone
that I’ma Lesbian!
Well, two or three people,
anyway.
Because I didn’t know
what was all involved in
"coming out." I had no
good role models to speak
--of in that area. And don’ t
tell me Melissa Etheridge
and Ellen DeGeneres -
because famous people
will always be heard and
don’ t have to repeat themselves.
I, onthe otherhand,
have to tell friends individually
and hear such remarks as: "Oh, I
always knew that"; "Yeah, I was wondering
when you were going to tell me"; and
the ever popular, "YES! We knew it! We
win the bet!"
Umm, friends, if you knew it for so
long, how come I JUST found out? You
could have let me in on it! (Best friend’ s
¯ note: I tried! You don’ t just sit someone
down and tell them "Um, Karin, I think
you’re Gay. Deal with it!" - Jim) Actually,
I hav&known, all my life, but I never
gave a name to it. And there were the
various signs that threw me totally off
track. Instead of telling you my. boring
life, I’ 11 give you a sampling of it, interspersed
with the steps I went through (and
probably many of us go through) in realizing
my true nature. ~
I know what you’ re saying. If I’mreading
Tulsa Family News, I know I’m Gay
and what could you possibly tell meabout
it?" Nothing, but since I want you to read
about my boring life anyway, I have to
jazz itup somehow. Also, there may be a
few of you who are reading your
boyfriend’s copy of this newspaper. If
you’re "curious" and your boyfriend is
reading Tulsa Family News, then you’ re
both Gay! Read on.
I. "I’m What?"
Sooner or later you have to start questioning.
What kind of music do you listen
to? Yep, if you answered Tori Amos, Ani
DiFranco, Sophie B. Hawkins, !Indigo
Girls, and Sarah McLachlan, then you
need to examine your lifestyle. I haven’ t
known a Gay personyet who doesn’ t love
Sarah McLachlan. However, if you own
five differentcopies ofMelissa Etheridge’ s
Breakdown (and I do!), the questioning is
over. ’ ~ ¯
II..Environment
.I came into this world kicking and
screaming, and when I found out, in my
neighborhood full of boys,-that I was
differentfromthem, Ikickedandscreamed
again. I wanted to be a boy. lplayed just
like ~the boys; doing everything they did
exeep,tJ~,e,, standing up. And I was pissed
I icouldn’t master that! Physically and
¢motionall);i Was a gifl~butI thought like
a:boy. So when I would question myself
- years later, I always wentback to the same
thing: I HATED girls then. Well, most
little boys do hate little girls at that age. If
"It was hound
to happen...
Marolyn was
i~autfful, with
lees and
weB, 7ou
~en yo~ mantra
[or a smmer
s~s no~
~ST yo~ ~d;’
" they don’ t, they’ re usually Gay boys WhOr’i".
.. feel more comfortable around girls play-
" ing house, school, and Easy Bake Oven.
¯ By the .way, if you played with dolls
when you werelittle, don’ t
think that disqualifies you.
Especially if you. had a
Barbie doll and spentmany
a day practicing undressing
her. It was when I was
13 that things became, for
want of a better word,
sticky.
III. Crushes
She walked in beauty,
like the night...OK, so
they all did at one time or
other, didn’t they? This
particular she walked into
my eighth grade English
classroOm, and I immediately
thought,"Wow, she’ s
pretty." I never used that
word to describe any gift
before. All right, there was
the time I whistled at Ann
" Margret in the movie theatre
when she came on
" screen in "Viva Las Vegas."
¯ Some people don’t see signs that say
" "Caution - Falling Rocks"; I don’t see
¯ signs that clearly scream, "Karin- you’ re.
¯ a Lesbian. Get over it. when my eighth
¯ grade crush continued into ninth grade, I
¯ went to her house for a sleepover.
I’ll say this here and now - Jane Eyre
¯ shouldbeforbidden reading injunior high.
" The protagonist as a little girl has a crush
" on her best friend, which author Charlotte
¯ Bronte says ~s normal Besides the very
¯ obvious inference that Charlotte had her
¯ own Lesbian feelings, it did much to help
¯ me rationalize the rest of my life. If I felt
¯ something for a girl, then I invoked the
¯ name ofCharlotte Bronte, and things were
¯ "normal" again. So when I wanted to
: watch my friend undress in front of me,
¯ that wasjust anormal straight girl feeling.
¯" When I fantasized about crawling in bed
: naked withher, I still usedCharlotte Bronte
: as a guide. Charlotte was talking about
- "little" girls, mind you.
¯ When I was 30 I met a woman who,
". without touching me, did things to my
¯ southerly regions that no one had ever
done before. When I’ d had enough frus-
" tration, I had sex with a man, and truly
¯ believed there was something wrong with
: me for not feeling what I thought I should
¯ feel. Whom did I call in as my counselor?
" Yep, good old Charlotte.
¯ IV. In Love
It was bound to happen, and this time a
¯ Lesbian became not only my crush, but
¯ probably the only person I’ ve ever fallen
: in love with. Marolyn was beautiful, with
¯ great legs and a great pair of - well, you
¯ get it. When your mantra for a summer is
¯ "She’s just my friend, she’s just friend,
¯ she’ sjustmy friend", she’ s notJUST your
¯¯ friend.
Have you ever had amoment of clarity?
¯ Amoment when suddenly the clouds part,
¯ the sky opens up, and you just KNOW
-" what you want? Marolyn took me to my
¯ first Lesbian bar (we were "just friendg’:,,
¯ mind you), Sue Ellen’ s in Dallas. As we
danced a slow _..d~,c~ together, my m~ ....
-" merit of clarity hit. I d shoved down the~.;~ ~
¯ feelings about Marolynfor so long that a!l,;!’~::
¯ at once they came rushing at me and l
¯ conldn’ t deny any longer. I looked arotmd
¯ and just knew I had finally found some-
" place to belong, see Lesbian, p. 11
by Jim Christjotm, entertainment editor
Some of you might ask, "What’s he
clucking about this time?" And well you
might - run, don’t walk, to see Chicken
Pun. Created by ’%Vallace and Gromit"
impresario Hick Parks, this rollicking
comedy about chickens dreaming of a
better p!a~..~.~, ~far away fromthe ~neentra-
¯ tion c~ami3 Chlcken farm ttiey re in’fs a
witty, int~-.ligentfi~~1m........ ¯ .~
I havehad my suspicions~’abtut Nicks~
familystatus given
some subtle references
in the
Wallace&Gromit
shorts (available
on video, and well
worth it), such as
Gromit (a dog)
knitting a rainbow
striped sweater.~
The Wallace and
Gromit shorts are
guaranteed to
cheer up the most
depressed person
in the world, and
watch for the
subtle touches he
puts in, like the
newspaper-headlines
in thepapers
the characters
read.
While the films are claymation, they
are not children’s films. With Chicken
Run, thereality ofwhathappens to chickies
whodon’ tlay theft share ofeggs is brought
home in an unflinchingly touching way.
And yes, you wiII reIate to the characters
- and never look at chicken pot pies the
same way again. As for the aforementioned
clues as to the Gay sensibility of
the film, Cheek out the ratsi relationship.
And when the birds are practicing flying,
one ofthe best gags was when they fall,
and the rat says "It’ s raining hens", which
to those of us who re,c~l a certain song
with a similar rifle, realize it’ s a pretty big
tipoff as to the sensibility that inspired
this film.
The jokes are all extremely well done,
and the sight gags, well, the film begs a
second and third viewing to take everything
in, and look at the backgrounds.
There are gems hidden everywhere. It is
ironicthatMel Gibson,homophobicadulterer
that he is, lends his voice to the film
in a really well done turn as a Rhode
KD Lang
¯ KD Lang’s newCD is a delight. Re-
: member those lazy weekends whenmom
: (in some ease, you) Wouldpiit her favorite
¯ records on the changer in the late 60’ s
: early70’s?BarbraStreisand’sStoneyEnd,
¯ and Sergio Mendes’ Brazil ’66 come to
¯i miipindadt.eWd ieiilil{,aK~Dfhioa~sslt~a.k~enmthait~sofu’n.d~_a~nv~d-,"~ ~
¯ met fling that grows in to ab~t diore of a.
"...While the films are
claymation, they are not
children’s films.
With "Chicken Run,"
the reality of what happens to
ehiekles who don’t lay their :
share of eggs is brought home in
an unflinehlngly touching way.
And yes, you will relate to
the characters- and never look
at chicken pot pies
the same way again...."
serious thing.
And it is the perfect
album for a
cloudy Sunday afternoon
with your
loved One, your.
summertimefling.,
or even an imaginary
lover. The
-albuin’ S title is In~..
vindbte Summer,
and La Lang has
ne~er soundedbetter.
Thealbumprogresses
with the
nervous, first on~-
tact ditty about a
possibleloveinter--
est titled "The
Consequences of
Falling", and she
captures the moment
perfectly.
Island Red cock named Rocky. One must
think that someone planned that casting -
and this is the place for an obvious joke,
¯ This segues into an up tempo number
¯
called"Summertime Fling" thateapsulizes
¯ that high, giddy feeling when itis discov- ¯
ered that indeed, the objet d’affection
: returns the feeling. It is sure to bring a
: smile to the mostjaded heart. Thememory
¯ may be buried deep, but it’ s in there some-
" where! The albums builds to a quieter
: climax than one might imagine, as the
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: seriousness of the relationship deepens. Are You Gay or Bisexual?
¯ "Love’ s Great Ocw.an" is a winner, and - ~B~,~t Va~ll ~r’~[il/a~ &m~.e’|eltrm9 _
has a mysterious feel to it that gives the /’~1 ~ /OM II~.ilI~.~ a’~III~.~lI~.ll.
album some weight. The rest are pretty~--
standard love songs, pleasantto~ " ............. n’
eat for a dinner o essin to- /ulsas iwo-~plrlteo inolan Me S ",eta \"~
: makeout album. The retro feel is great, Support Group ts here for you.
¯ andblends well into the music, capturing
¯" the feeling perfecdy ofsome ofmy favor-
: ite songs remembered-from childhood
: and beyond. Highly recommended. It’ s a
¯ great companion, piece to Melissa
: Etheridge’s darker "Breakdown". With
: Melissa, you cover the darker cynical
: moments, with La 1 ang, the bright sun-
: shiny day moments.
¯ I caught Arturo Brachetti on a guest
¯
appearaneeonDrewCarey, andyes,he’s
: family, and yes,he’ s fantastic. Well worth
¯ Evening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HIV testing -
which I will leave to your imaginations. ¯ seeing what he’ s gotup his sleeve! Check
Think about it. (R~oc~y,.....Rhode, gg~.it? ;.,rpriorcol~f~r~t~.. ¯ :
Right up there with Ginger Chickeh, ifi~ : .... And fi~t mbliffi, the’R~ilt ifiteiaiiews!’
heroine of the piece. Rosemary is the :
Chicken that doesn’ t have babies. You’ll
get it when :~you see.the, film.) All the
actors are marvelous, and if you’ re a fan
of any of the British comedies on PBS
Sunday nights, you’ll recognize a few
voices. If there’s one film you see this
summer, make it this one. It’ 11 be well
worth your time. I plan to see it several
more times, and get the DVD when it
comes out - just to scroll through the
frames and catch what I missed the first
ten times. And I think instead of chicken
pot pies, I’ll stock up on the vegetarian
ones instead. Andinstead of roast chicken
sandwiches, the veggie chick burgers as
well.
Buh-bye, colonel!
¯" in the city’s 30th annual Lesbian Gay
¯ Bisexual Transgender Pride Parade, he
¯ said such events provide "a little light of
: hope.., acceptance of Gay people is still
¯ the toughest issue out there," said Ellard,
¯ 35. "The religious right still thinks we’re ¯
a threat to family values. But when you
¯
look at the Gay families marching with
: their children.., you see thatit’ s not true."
¯ What began in 1970 as a meager pro-
: cessionfollowedby an unassuming"Gay-
¯ in" at Golden Gate Park has become one
: of California’ s biggest events,
¯ see Pride, p. 9
For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
’q’beprobability thatyoudiefromAIDS
when you arc 15 today is over 50%in
these countries," Plot told a press conference.
"We arc going into societies where
there arc more people in their 60’ s and
70’ s than there are in their 40’ s and30’ s,"
hc said. "This is unheard of."
¯ In Washington, the Peace Corps an-
: nounced a worldwide campaign to push
¯ similar measures - training its 2,400 vol-
: unteers inAffieain preventive tedmiques
¯ and forming a200-member"crisis corps"
: tohelp educate commtmities. "There is no
¯ option for any organization working in
: development other than to play a role in
¯ helping these countries confront the HIV-
¯ AIDS crisis," Peace Corps Director Mark
With dwindling numbers of economi- i Schneider sai~.
eally active adults left tosupport the re~ L .,~ .~o~~i~~~.~d~l~st rate
of the .’.population, the. impact on ~.~tff~ot~:~i~A~i~t~i2~.;%~ is cooving
¯ . ~!~ .....,~ ~,-~.o:,~. ~7~." ~~ ~7,~>.>-.~ : ~_.: Afficamnattous ts devastating. Agng,~ t.~ ~ai[.an*-~i~su~ssf.u~ ~..emBpatgn 0,f protural
production in nations like Zim.~: ~ moting’¢Offdoni~us~. And’ Brazil" s policy
bwe, wh,ere 2,000people die each w..~ee;;~ : of prevention coupled with locally pro-
AIDS, is falling. Businesses are goi~i~g ¯ ducedaltemativestohigh,costanfi-AIDS
bankrupt beeause of the deaths of skilled, : drugs has halved the number of deaths
educated staff members. Hopes of better
education are also in tatters. The number
of new teachers trained in 7a~bia is just
keeping pace with .the number felled by
AIDS. Children are leaving school because
they are orphaned or forced to work
to support their families.
Hospitals are overwhelmed by AIDS
patients. Many have inadequate supplies
of even basic antibiotics to fight the pneumonia,
tuberculosis or mouth fungus that
accompany AIDS, let alone the sophistieated
drugs whichhave eased suffering in
rich countries, the report said.
Denial continues to be a problem. The
report cited a 1999 survey of 72 minors
orphaned by AIDS in a hard-hit Kenyan":
commnIfity: Although all knew of the
disease~one of them believed their parents
had died of it. Most thought witchcraft
or a curse was to blame.
Piot Said one of the reasons for the
explosion of cases in southern Africa is
the legacy of apartheid~ which separated.
men from their families in rural areas and
forced them to work in towns, with only
prostitutes for relief. But he said govern:
ments were also to blame for ignoring the
problem for too long. "What is happening
in southern Africa should.be a lesson for
countries today which don’t have a big
problem yet," he said. "I’m thinking of
Asia, I’m thinking of easte,,m, Europe, I’m
thinking of the Caribbean. About $~ bill
lionis needed annually forprevention and
education programs to turn the tide, Plot
said. He called for debt-relief programs
for poor comitries..
Sandra Thurman, director of President
Clinton’s White House Office on AIDS
policy, said the report urgently underscores
the need for goverm~ent l~aders to
face the crisis head on. "It will take the
engagement of all sectors of all societies
ifwewantto winthebattle againstAIDS,"
Thurman said in a recent statement.
Although Asiahas relatively low infec:
tionrates overall, there arefears that could
change because of the density of its population,
gome 0.7% of the Indian po,,p~ation
is ~IV-positive, or 3.7 milliof~ii~e
overall:Thediseasehas so farbeenl~g~ly
confined to drug addicts.
Infections in the former Soviet blocare
soaring because of drug addiction. Piot
said the number of new HIV cases in
Moscow last year far outstripped all previous
years combined. And the disease is
proliferating in Caribbean countries like
Haiti and Barbados because people have
multiple sexual partners from an early
age.
Despite the gloom of the report, Plot
said there are signs of hope. Uganda,
whichused to be the worst-affected country,
has slowed new infections thanks to
strong prevention campaigns and increased
condom use. Zambia is following
suit.
: and led to huge savings in hospital bills,
," the report said.
¯ "In the West and in Europe, the impact
:. of treatment has been spectaculars" Piot
said. "Mortality has really collapsed..There
isa longer and better life for people with
AIDS."Onthe Net: http://www.uuaids.org
In renewing his plea for suspending the
law until the central issues go to trial,
Stanley argued that there is realharm that
could happen.’ The clerks’ rights to freed0m
of religion under the Vermont Constitution
would be violated, he said:,
He also argued that taxmoney wouldbe
spent through providing,rights and benefits
to same-sex couples. Permitting
umous to go forward that may in the
future be ruled unconstitutional would
cause irreparable harm, he said. In all, the
~ lawsuit_,claims.:that the.,civil unions_law_
violates five different articles of the state
Consttitution, several state statutes and
House rules.
Many of those arguments were made
when the i|~wsuit first was flied and the
state’ s lawyer handling the ease said he
did not believe any substantially new
claims were made that would prompt the
judge to change his mind. "I don’t think
there’ s a ntl~ ttdt:~~ys~~u:can only ask
once, butinpractical term~ someonewould
put together their best case for a preliminary
injunction," said Chief Assistant
Attorney General William Griffin. "My
view is they’ ve had their day in court and
-the court made a decision. I.guess I’ d be a
little surprised if we went around again."
Varmont Official May.Dof~ LaW
TOPSHAM, Vt. (AP) - The town clerk is
considering defying the state by refusing
to issue civil union licenses to Gay and
Lesbian couples. Juanita Claflin describes
the unions as "endorsed perversion." The
law, whichis to gointo effectJuly 1, states
that if a town clerk does not want to issue
the licenses he or she must at least appoint
someone else to do so.
In a memo sent on town letterhead to
every Topsham honsehold earlier this
month, Claflin tells voters she will not
issue the licenses and asks if they believe
she should defy the law, resign or appoint
a willing assistant to deal with the paperwork.
Most of the responses so far have
urged defiance of the law, but Claflin said
she has not decided whether to risk lawsuits
and penalties by following the
townspeople’ s wishes.
"I still have to make that absolute final
decision," she said. After the townspeople
respond, she will meet with the select
board and possibly hold a public meeting
to tell residents about the potential consequences
of defying the law. "I made the
commitment to the people that I would
uphold what they said," she added. "If "
they’ re still of that opinion (after being
informed of the consequences), I’ll take :
my licks." ¯
At least one other town clerk, in "
Tunbridge, has resigned over the issue. In
Waterbury, the town clerk and assistant
town clerk also resigned recently, citing "
unspecified personal reasons and an ef- ,
fective date of July 1. ¯
Claflin’ s opposition to civil unions has "
~no secret since She was elected in "
summa.e,dCh. t~hWe hpe~n,,s~h.ee ,w,easxcsewp0trtonins,elslheciivni-l
on licenses into her oath of office. At
the time Claflin thought the bill, then
being debated, would notpass, she says in
her letter. "Well, I was wrong... The
unthinkable did become law," she writes.
"I stand firm and unwavering in my commitment
to refuse to be a party to this
endorsed perversion based on my constitutional
rights and personal belief."
But theNew Jersey assistant scoutmaster
ousted when the organization learned
he is Gay expressed dismay at the ruling.
"I’mdef’mitely saddenedby thedecision,"
said James Dale. "People don’t join the
Boy Scouts beeaus~ they’re anti-Gay.
People join the Boy Scouts because they
want acceptance, they want community."
The ruling did not specifically give the
Scouts permission to bar Gay youth from
membership, but its language left room
for that interpretation. "I think it suggests
that they can" ban Gay boys from being
Scouts, said Evan Wolfson, Dale’ s lawyer.
"They won the.right to declare themselves
an anti-Gay group." University of
Southern California law professor Erwin
Chemerinsky agreed, saying, "I don’ t see
any basis for drawing a distinction between
Scout leaders and Scouts."
The Scouts organization, formed in the
United States in 1910 and now boasting
6.2 million members and adult leaders,
has a policy that "avowed homosexuals
are not extended membership or leadership
positions," Shields said. He would
not say whether the organizationhas withdrawn
membership from Gay youths.
But Scott Cozza, an adult Scout leader
in California and president of Scouting
For All, which advocates letting homosexuals
join, said: "They’ve kicked out
Gay Scouts and now they’ll continue to
do so because they’ ve been given the goahead
by the Supreme Court to continue
to discriminate."
The justices reversed a New Jersey
Supreme Court decision that said the
Scouts wrongly ousted Dale, an Eagle
Scout. The state court said the Scouts
violated a New Jersey law banning discrimination
in public accommodations.
But Rehnquist wrote, ’q’he forced inclusion
of an unwanted person in a group
infringes the group’ s freedom of expressive
association" if it harms the group’s
ability to advocate its viewpoint. His opinion
was joined by Justices Sandra Day
O’ Connor, Antonin Scalia, Anthony M.
Kennedy and Clarence Thomas. Dissenting
wereJustices John Paul Stevens, David
H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and
Stephen G. Breyer.
Writing for the four, Stevens said the
New Jersey law does notforce the Scouts
"to communicate any message that it does
not wish to endorse. New Jersey’s law,
therefore, abridges no constitutional right
of the Boy Scouts." Wolfson, Dale’ s lawyer,
had cited Supreme Court decisions
during the 1980s that let states force the
Jaycees and Rotary International to admit
women as full members.
But Rehnquist said requiring such
groups to accept women members would
not interfere with the message they seek
to express. Instead, the chief justice likened
Dale’ s case to a 1995 Supreme Court
ruling in which thejustices let the private
sponsor of the Boston St. Patrick’s Day
Parade exclude a group ofGays andlesbi7
a~.s, s,,aying parades are a"form0fexpres~
slon.
The American Center for Law and Jus~
tice, a conservative advocacy group that
supported the Scouts’ appeal, said the
ruling "will have a dramatic impact on all
private organizations - including religious
groups - to define their own mission and
set their Own criteria for leadership."
The. Human Rights Campaign, of the
largest Lesbian and Gay civil rights organizatious,
called the Supreme Court decision
to allow the Boy Scouts of America
(BSA) to continue its ban on Gay scouts a
travesty of justice that may allow large,
open membership groups to be above the
law and evade .state and local nondiscrimination
laws.
"We are gravely disappointed with a
ruling thatgives theBoy Scouts ofAmerica
the ability to discriminate withimpunity,"
said HRC Legal Director Tony Varona.
"TMs is a hollow victory for the Boy
Scouts of America - considering the
wasted time, energy and money it has
spent on maintaining its ability to .discriminateand
attack young menwhohave
served its organization with distinction. Is
this any way to teach youth aboutfairness,
honesty and justiceT’
Dale was 19 and an assistant scoutmaster
of a Matawan, N.J., troop when in
1990 he was identified in a newspaper
article as co-president of a campus Lesbian
and Gay student group at Rutgers
University. The Scouts’ MonmouthCouncil
revoked Dale’ s registration as an adult
leader, andhe sued, citing the New Jersey
anti-discrimination law. The New Jersey
court ruled that the BSA is not a private
club, but a public accommodation given
its size, open membership and extensive
entanglement with government agencies.
In its appeal to the Supreme Court, the
Boy Scouts argued that New Jersey’ s antidiscrimination
law infringed on its First
Amendment right to association.
)’In accepting the BSA’s arguments
concerning expressive association, the
Court inexplicably ignored the fact that
theBSA’ s purposeandmessagehas never
had anything to do with sexual orientation,"
added HRC’ s Varona. "To the contrary,
the Boy ScOuts’ oath stresses public
serviceandhonesty, andits Congressional
charter and bylaws make clear that membership
is open to ’any boy’."
Dale now lives inNew York City and is
advertising director for a magazine for
people who are HIV-positive.
On the Net: Supreme Court decision in
Boy Scouts of America v. Dale: http://
supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-
699.ZS.html
and one of the world’s best known celebrations
of Gay pride. Numerous celebrities,
including comedienne Margaret
Cho, made appearances. Police said the
parade had proceeded peacefully, and
knew of no counter-demonstrations.
Parades took place also in S~atfle. New
York, Chicago and Atlanta.
by Lamont Linds~rom. Ph.D. skins for very long. Early medical science
Is it the unkixxdest cut? That’s what a ¯ of the late 19th century seized on the
foreskin-challenged writer to Dear Abby " operation as a cure for excessive masturrecently
claimed. He bitterly reproached ¯ bation and also to treat an odd collection
his morn for letti~ag himbe
circumcised - a condition
he blamed for bis regrettable
shortcomin~,~ inbed.
Circtmacision is a body
modificationritua~ ",hathas
fascinated antLropologists.
People everywhere
redesign-their ~odies.
Modification may be as
simple as a haircut and a
shave, or more invasive
foot-binding, ear-piercing,
- head-molding, ~attoomg,
or scarification. Modifying
the body carries social
and personal meaning. Individuals
may remake
themselves -andhow they
think about themselves -
by altering their bodies.
These alterations have social
implications as well.
We ustmlly know what to
think when we see someone
dieting, or sporting a
new tattoo, or a tongue
pierce, or a shaven head.
Humans modify lots of
body parts - elbows, fingers,
chins, bellies - but
it’ s no surprise that many
societies have fixatedupon
Cireumelslon is a
body modlfleatlon
ritual that has
faselnated
anthropologists.
People everywhere
redesign
their bodies.
Modifieatlon may be
as simple as a halreut
and a shave, or
naore invaslve footblndln~,
ear-piereln~,
h d-mo!dln ,
tattooln~,
or searlfleatlon.
l~lbdlfyln~ the body
earrles sodal and
personal rneanlnff
the foreskin. Like earlobes, foreskins are
easily pierced, sliced, or cut away without
much endangering human functiomng.
Unilke earlobes, however, foreskins attach
to the dhief organ of male pleasure
and reproduction. Many cultures have
elaborated the powerful symbolic uses of
snipping off a piece of men’ s genitals.
Circumcision is often the key component
of male initiation rituals, as it is on
Tanna, anislandin the SouthPacificwhere
1livedfor some years. TheTarmese gather
up their sons between the ages of six and
twelve and lead them away to a secret
house in the forest to be snipped. Traditionally,
boys were cutwithbambooknives
- their foreskins sliced down the top - an
superincision rather than a circumcision.
Nowadays, island fathers anduncles might
take the boys down to a local clinic for a
full-blown Western circumcision.
The loss of foreskin marks the boy’s
journey into manlaood. Tannese kids tease
boys who are yet to be circumcised. They
call them a name that means something
like "pulls back skin." A Presbyterian
missionary from New Zealand lived on
Tanna, in th~ 1980S wi,th his triple~ sons.
My island friends were scandalized that
these boys remained uncircumcised as
they approached their teen years. Every
time the boys wandered by, you knew
localmenwere ponderingbambooknives.
New Zealanders, like most people in the
world, leave their foreskins alone. Circumcigion
is uncommon in Europe, Asia,
and Latin America and is disappearing in
AustraJia and Canada. We Americans
share the ritual mostly with sundry Pacific
Islanders and Australian Aborigines,
peoples of the Middle East (notably Jews
and Arabs), and various northern and central
African societies.
Artistic depictions of circumcision in
Egypt dated to 4500 years ago suggest
that the ritual has a long history. But
Americans haven’t been snipping foreof
other conditions. Once
circumcision became part
of the modern medical
toolkit, doctors were loath
to giveitup. They invented
a series of spurious rationales
for the operation. The
newes t defense of circumcision
argues that uncut
menare three to eight limes
morelikely (different studies
give differentnumbers)
to.catch HIV. The vires -
so says this hypothesis -
attaches itselfmorereadily
to cells thathave been kept
tender underneath a foreskin.
Whether or not this latest
medical rationale for
circumcision holds up,
cutting has powerful social
meanings that go far
beyond the merely hygienic.
Just why do we
mess withforeskins? Is this
a male attempt to appropriate
natural female fertility:
Menbleed their genitals
to mimic menstruation?
Or are men coneemed
to drain away dangerous
female blood from
their sons, as do the Tannese, in order that
these boys can fully mature? Or do men
cut their sons - and in so doing potentially
endanger the reproductive future of their
family line - as a mark of loyalty to their
tribe? Or do boys undergo symbolic castration
as a-price they pay fatherg to join
the men? Anthropologists have proposed
all these explanations.
It’s pretty clear that in 20th century
America circumcision became a marker
of class and status. Only people with
money could afford doctors and genital
surgery. And only trendy parents who
supported mainstream beliefs about public
hygiene would accept new scientific
rationalizations for the operation. Circumcision
rates were far higher among the
urban and the wealthy than they were
among poorer, rural, immigrant, or minority-
group families. Middle-class white
boys carried on their bodies the mark of
their family’ s status claims.
By the 1940’ s, the medical industry had
captured control of childbirth. A majority
of women went into hospital to give birth.
And for the first time amajofity of Ameri-
:canb0ys wer~eircumcised. Circumcision
rates peaked at around 85% in the 1970’ s.
Since that decade, these numbers have
dropped - as an anthropologist would
predict - down to 60% in the mid 1990’ s.
When everyoneshares the same practice,
that practice no longer serves to create
distinctions of class and status among us.
Thefact thatmanyHMOs nowadays force
parents to.pay for the.operation also has
spared many sons’ foreskins~
Still, being cut continues to symbolize
"clear," "healthy," and "modem" across
much of America. Until these meanings
erode, it’ s likely that many of us will yet
be able to hold our heads up high, should
we happen to mninto any teasing Pacific
island boys.
Lamont Lindstrom teaches anthropology
at the University of TUlsa.
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Gilcrease Museum
1400 Gilcrease Museum Road
5 9 6 2 7 0 0
by Jim Christjohn, entertainment editor
Sam Harris returns to Tulsa as Josephin
Theatre Arts’ productionofAndrew Lloyd
Webber’s "Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat"
heading up a cast of thousands
of locals - well, ok,
maybe not quite thousands,
but it’ s aprettylong
cast list.
The cast includes John
Orsulak and Patrick
Hobbs, members of the
Council Oak Men’s
Chorale’ s (we really need
agoodacronymhere!) and
formerly Finales, along
with David Hubbard,
Kathy LaFortlme, Bradd
Gillespie, Larry Gray, and
Eric Cornell (an actor and singer to watch,
as he’s got a lotta talent, and he’s dedicated
to performing enough to go far).
Directed by New York’s Jon Grodeski,
the musical is a.,lively rethinking of the
biblical tale of Joseph and his jealous
brothers.
Sam Harris, a Sand Springs native, left
home at 15 to pursue the dream of performing
on Broadway. Everyone knows
about Star Search, and the recording career
that followed. His latest endeavors
have included the critically acclaimed "In
the Life," a Broadway musical; Grease on
Broadway; and his latest CD, "Revival",
a return tohis pop and soul roots.. He also
wrote the TBS sitcom "Down to Earth."
He’s been a busy boy! And he still manages
to look fabulous!
. He recently completed work on the
feature film "In the Weeds", with Eric
Bogosian, Molly Ringwald, and Joshua
Leonard. He recently premiered his new
oneman show, "Revival", and is planning
to tour the show after a New York Run.
He’ 11 bemaking his Tulsa concert debut
July 28 in "An Intimate
Evening with SamHarris."
There’s a joke in that, but
I’m trying to maintain a
more staid image. Actually,
there’s about three
jokes I could make. It’s
kindalike resisting chocolate
- you know it’s the
right thing to do, but it’s
just so tempting.., but no,
I have eschewed that behavior.
Performances run July
14th- 23rd, and the
evening shows start atT:30
rather than the usual 8pm, so plan accordingly.
Matinees are at 2pm. The venue is
Tulsa Community College’s PACE theatre
at their southeast campus at 81st and
169, so don’ t go downtown to thePACfor
this one. For more info., call 595-7777.
July 15th is "Sand Springs Night" in
honor of Mr. Harris’ hometown roots.
July 19th is "Youth Night" - if you don’t
qualify for that one, you can at least pretend
to be from Sand Springs.
And I would like to welcome a couple
of new writers to Tulsa Family News.
Hughston Walkinshaw will be covering
film and local theatre for us here. He’ll
make his debut in our August issue. And
while -I’m at it, some of you have read
about my best friend Karin. Wall, who
wouldhave thunkitbut she’ s finally’’come
out" and this month, we will feature her
thoughts, in a new column entitled"Raging
Lesbian."
Sam Harris
More importantly, the woman with her
arms around me was the woman I wanted
to be with. My heart was telling me this
was right, tree and just. Then the song
ended, and that insidious thing called my
brain took over. Years of living in the
Bible Belt made me once again think too
much, and I acted straight again. Which is
fnnny since I obviously don’t know from
straight. Too many missed opportunities
later, and my unrequited love affair with
Marolyn (I didn’t DARE think about this
at the time!) endedwhen shemovedaway.
V. Random Musings
Don’t get me wrong. Three girls does
not a Lesbian make. There have been
many more I’ve felt "that way" about,
including Ms. Black Hair, DeepBlueEyes
with whom I worked; Ms. Nude Model
whom I LOVED to draw in art class; the
two English teachers at school where I
taught; and the young P.E. teacher at the
same school. Comeon, there’ sALWAYS
a P.E. teacher! And when I was 25, there
was the <ahem!> 16 year old I worked
with! Hey, I can’t be arrested for my
thoughts, not even in Tulsa!
VI. Acceptance.
I know acceptance doesn’ t come in six
easy steps, but time and space being what
they are, I’ ve cut to the chase. What made
me finally accept myself as a Lesbian?
Not any one thing. I guess years of chipping
away at my libido, and the fact that
everytime I had sex with a man, it coincided
with some girl I had a crush on.
Then there’ s the entertainment world. A
friend got me interested in’qRte X-Files"
years ago, but for the past few seasons my
heart has skipped a few beats more and
I’ ve thought,"Was DavidDuchovny even
in that episode tonight?" If you listen
exclusively to Melissa Etheridge for a
year, it’ s not just her music you identify
with. And even when you do identify with
it- need I say more?- you’ re Gay! When
you tape the ENTIRE Gay Rights Rally
on CSPAN it’ s a pretty sure bet that, yes,
you’ re Gay!When you seriously consider
moving to the state capital (what do you
call a city FULL of Lesbians? Austin!),
then, you guessed it - you’ re Gay! When
your best friend calls you long distance
from Tulsa to tell you the new issue of
Curve is out - with Gillian Anderson on
thecover- and youhaul ass to the nearest
Gay neighborhood to buy it within the
hour, well, you’ vejust taken a ride on the
Dyke Express! When you own copies of
"Desert Hearts", "Bound", "Everything
Relative", "Claire of the Moon", etc., and
display them prominently on your shelf,
then grrlfriend, you have swung those
closet doors open for the last time.
And it feels good, clean, and honest.
|
Want to get involved?
Need to get tested for HIV or
a Coming Out Support Group?
Call 743-GAYS (4297)
Tulsa Gay
Community
Services Center
1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor
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Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, July 2000; Volume 7, Issue 7
Subject
The topic of the resource
Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
Source
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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July 2000
Contributor
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James Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
Hughston Walkinshaw
Rights
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, June 2000; Volume 7, Issue 6
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English
Type
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
Identifier
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/602
2000
AIDS
aMUSEments
arts and entertainment
Bars
Boy Scouts
businesses
churches
civil unions
Diversity celebration
Gay Studies
health
HIV
Jim Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
performing arts
Pride
Raging Lesbian
Read All About It
restaurants
sodomy laws
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/712578396993d523934aa25341e075bc.jpg
c1b27a5396a4f0156c29c13e55faeb94
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/0e437c62fbb7e50af3b715f849e29a6d.pdf
63ebf7074a306816b93e5aae614b7fb0
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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Methodist "community council" which did adopt the goal.
Neal suggested to council co-ordinator Marly Newman that "
TULSA-Inaneffortbothnerve-wrackingandtedious ." McDonald be asked to lead the effort because of the World’ s ¯
several Tulsans, SueKnanse, KentDoss,I~arenWeldon ." seeming preference to deal with representatives of non-Gay ¯
(and another who need to remain unnamed), were ¯ groups which advocate on behalf of Gay people rather than Gay
arrested in Cleveland with the Reverend Mel White and : people themselves. ".
191 others in acts of peaceful civil disobedience at the " In a widely distributed June 1st e-mail about the change,
recent United Methodist Church. Conference: ¯ McDonald wrote"how you will also remember that PFLAG had
The acts of civil disobedience, blocking a car park " to be very creative in the design of our signature ad for the paper "
exitfolloweddaysofnegotiationswithMethodistchnrch : as part of the PROJECT OPEN MIND Campaign"- areference ¯
leaders about the anti-Gay policies of the United Meth- " to how PFLAG under the former World policy could not use its ¯
odistChurch (UMC). The conference held in Cleveland ¯ own legal name because it included the banned words. ~.
was attended by hundreds of UMC delegates. ¯ McDonald added, "... PFLAG submitted an ad and with
The Methodist church like some other "mainline" ~ several revisions, it has been approved... The cost of the ad is "
Christian denominations has adopted policies which " approximately $500 and [it is] to run on Sunday, June 4th, in the ¯
limit participation of Lesbian and Gay persons in that ¯ Living Section. It has Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians ¯ Will Allen, Emily Sizeraore &
group. White stated, "the United Methodist Chruch has " and Gays, as well as some other statements, ’Is someone you care " Matthew Holloway are winners
ahistory of social concern [butthey haye] anti-homo- " for gay orlesbian? Issomeoneyoulovegayorlesbian?Ifso, call ¯ ofCoraraunity Hero awards.
sexual policies in place that lead to discrimination ¯ Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays’ and then it ¯
suffering, and even death." _. lists our Helpline number."
The Tulsans joined other notable civil fights leaders. ¯ McDonald also wrote, "I have no idea what the response will "
YolandaKing, theRey.Dr.JamesLawson, friendofDr. " be? I suspect some positive and some negative so theHELPLINE ¯
King, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia and others. " has been notified. If anyone is so moved to help thelocal Chapter ¯
see Arrest, p. 10 : with the cost of the ad, see World, p. 2 "
Gays Better Educated,. ForJustices+Couples, Unions. Missouri Backwoods:A
Lower Paid Than Straights " Require Creative Language ° Hotbed of Hate Groups
WASHINGTON (AP) - Men who consider themselves
"unmarried partners" of another man are better educated
on average, but make less money than heterosexual
men of the same age, according to a study that°
claims to take the most comprehensive look ever into
the lives of homosexuals in America.
Women who have female "unmarried parmers" also
tend to be more educated, but earn salaries comparable
to those ofheterosexual womenin the same age bracket,
according to the study in this month’s issue of
"Demography," the journal of the Population Association
of Americ&
"An important point that is clearly articulated is that
it illustrates the impact of anti-Gay discrimination .on
income levels," said David Smith, spokesman for the
organization Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy
group for Gays and Lesbians.
Advocates applauded what they said was the first
comprehensive study of homosexuals but cautioned
against drawing any t-nan conclusions until more research
is done.
"Demographically, this is a hard population to target
and analyze. Data on sexual orientation is not as easily
avai[dible as information on race~ gender and age," said
Seth Sanders, a study author and .an economist at the
University of Maryland.
The study looked at statistics from the 1990 Census.
~the first,count to allow people to check offthatthey lived
with:an .unmarried partner of the same sex.
see Pay, p. 11
DIRECTORY P. 2
EDITORIAL P. 3
US & WORLD NEWS P. 4
HEALTH NEWS P. 6
ENTERTAINMENT P. 8
GAY STUDIES P. 10
by Ross Sneyd, Associated Press Writer
MONTPELIER, Vt. -"And now, by the powers vested in me by
the state of Vermont, I pronounce you.. ?’ What? Partners?
Together as one? Joined as family?
Unlike marriage, there’ s no common syntax for the new world
of same-sex civil unions. Because the couples are twomen or two
women, the old fried-and-true "man and woman" or "husband
and wife" phrases don’ t quite make it.
With no rulebook and few traditions-as wall as no other state
sanctioning what willbe the equivalent of same-sex marriage and
thereby offering some guideposts - Vermont’s justices of the
peace and .couples entering civil unions are crafting their own
conventions and rituals.
There has been a lot of discussion, both lighthearted and
serious, about how to conduct a ceremony. ’q’here’ s so much
creativity in our community among Gay and Lesbian couples in
how to create outward signs of their commitment," said Mary
Hurlie, ajustice of the peace in Hinesburg who has been with her
female partner for 13 years. "But we haven’ t gotten to that level
of detail, yet."
As marriages must be "solemnized" by judges, justices of the
peace or members of the clergy, so, too, will civil unions have to
be "certified." But there aren’t any rules. The civil unions law
says only that they must be certified. There’ s no script ~,State
statute that must be followed for a marriage, either.
"Just like marriages, there aren’t any magic words," said
Secretary of State Deb Markowitz. " ’We pronounce you man
and wife, husband and wife,’ they’ rejustmade up. Youdon’ t find
them in statute."
Training sessions have been held for justices by the secretary
of state’ s office in recentweeks becauseit is almost unquestioned
that it will be to them that the primary responsibility for performing
civil umons ceremonies falls. That’ s because there are few
religious faiths that bless same-sex unions and so there won’ t be
many clergy members willing or able to certify civil tmions on
behalf of the state.
Justices of the peace have a handful of responsibilities under
state law. Most have to do with taxes and elections. A town’ s
iusdces - there are as few as fiveinsmall towns see Unions,p.ll
Humanity Unites For Human Rights
Diversity Celebration 2000t
"Diversity Celebration 2000!" is an eight-day
celebration of the human rights movement with the
goal ofuniting northeastern Oklahoma’ s Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) and
¯ GLBT-friendly communities. Tulsa Oklahotnans
for Human Rights, Inc., Oklahoma’s oldestr~rnreligious
Gay community organization released it
final schedule
which follows:
Friday,June 2nd
Diversity Celebration
2000!
will kick off at 7
pm with an Interfaith
Service led
by Rev. Mel
White at the Williams
Theatre in
the Performing
Arts Center
(PAC). Special
musical guests include
Council
Oak Men’s Chorale,
Ernestine
Holloway is notpictured. Dillard, Jessie
Scott, and the
Fourth Quarter gospel quartet. Participation by
persons with a variety of faith traditions will be
included in the program. Admission is free. An
offering will be taken, see Pride, p. 7
by Doug Johnson, Associated Press Writer
¯ GAINESVILLE, Mo. - The remote and rugged
¯ Ozark hills blanketed with dogwoods and oaks are
¯ treasured by hunters, hikers and others wanting to
¯ get away from the bustle of urban life.
." The pastoral hills are also a haven for hate
¯ groups, authorities say. Southern Missouri has
¯ drawn more than its share of religious sects and
¯
white supremacists looking for a place to hide.
¯ Last week, police arrested the Rev. Gordon
: Winrod- the leader of an anti-Semitic church ~ for
: allegedly kidnapping six of his grandchildren and
: concealing them for years at his farmhouse in the
¯ hills. The only explanation authorities offer for ¯
why the kids werekidnappedis thatWinrod thought
: theirtwo fathers wereJewish. Sheriff SteveBartlett
¯ said the youngsters had been taught by their grand-
-¯ father to distrust authorities. At one point, the
sheriff said, the children shouted at deputies, "Get
: your Jew hands off me."
: Winrod, 73, and his followers gained a reputa-
¯ tioninOzark Countyformass mailings ofliterature
: calling law enforcement officers and prosecutors
¯ "Jewdicials" - a play on the word judicial - and
¯ claiming-they cover up murders of whites. ¯
It’ s not uncommon to find that kind of sentiment
~ in some areas of the Ozarks, which straddles the
: state line between Missouri and Arkansas. Experts
¯ say the region draws hate groups and people con-
: nected to the white supremacist "Christian Iden- ¯ tity" movement.
¯. "We are richin these types of groups down in this
¯ part of the country for some reason," Highway
: Patrol Sgt. Marty Elmore said. Southwest Missouri
: is often characterized by a lack of adequate law
¯ enforcement in rural areas and lacks a tradition of
: heavy-handed local government and gun control, ¯
said Robert Flanders, former director of the Center
¯ for Ozark Studies see Hate, p. 7
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW" s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Club Cherry Bomb, 1926 E. Pine
*Club Vortex, 2182 S. Sheridan
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’ s, 2114 S. Memorial
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
*The Yellow Brick. Road Pub, 2630- E: 1-5th.....:-
712-2324
610-5323
583-2119
835-2376
749-4511
744-4280
745-9998
834-4234
585-3405
660-0856
584-1308
--749- 1563
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Advanced Wireless & PCS, Digital Cellular 74% 1508
*Assoc. in Med, & Mental Health, 2325 S. HarYard 743-1000
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41 665-4580
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15 712-1122
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21 712-9955
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale 494-2665
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria 743-5272
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria 746-0313
*Cheap Thrills, 2640 E. 1 lth 295-5868
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503
Encompass Travel, 13161H N. Memorial 369-8555
*Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460
*Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. P~eoria 744-9595
Four Stai: Imi~ort Automotive, 9906 E. 551h PI. 610-0880
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. 628-3709
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026
*Gloria Jean’ s Gourme( Coffee, 1758 E. 21 st 742-1460
Leanne M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning 459-9349
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly 745-1111
*International Tours 341-6866
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750
*Jared’ s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th 582-3018
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering 747-0236
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening 582-8460
*Kerfs Flowers, 1635 E. 15 599-8070
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210 747-5466
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha 585-1234
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd 584-3112
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-5934
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo 838-7626
*The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor 743-4297
Rainbowz on the River B+B, PUB 696, 74101 747-5932
Richard’ s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921,747-4746
Scribner’ s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square 749-6301
Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-78-29
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counsding 743- !733
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, PUB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black& g~hite, l,nc,~,POB 1400!,Tulsa,7~4~5.9... 58%7314
Bless The Lord at All Tsmes Chnstian C~"nter, 2207 E. 6 J583-78’15
*B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. ofTulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*C~hapman Student Ctr.,:University of Tulsa, 5th PI. & Florence
Chureti oVth_~Rest~or~tionUU,1314N.~reeawt~od : 587-:13,14
*C~~°.U~’~’ari2UniVexsalist Congregafirn 749-0595 748 3888
,Delilw~e~i~yilotise¢:iSilS "Dela~vare .- 712-15.11
*DemOcratiC Headquarters, 3930 E: 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, PUB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free Spirit Women’ s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, PUB 52344, 74152 747-6827
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
PUB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159
e-mail: TulsaNews@earthlink.net
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Neal
Writers + contributors:
James Christjohn, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche,
Lamont Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers
Member of The Associated Press
Issued on or before the 1 st of each month, the entire contents
of thig publication are protected by US copyright 1998 b)
T~ /:~,~v.~ and may not be reprodu~.d (~th~r~i~a:
whole orinpart W~th0utwrittenpermission from thepublish~.
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’ s
sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for
publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes
the sole property ofT~ ~.’. N~- Eachreader
is entitled to 4 copies of each editmn at distribution
points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248. "
Friends in Unity Social Org., PUB 8542, 74101 582-0438
HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
Holland Hall School, 5666 E. 81st 481-1111
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
*House of the Holy Spirit Minstries, 3210e So. Norwood
Interfaith AIDS Ministries 438-2437, 800-284-2437
*MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, PUB 14068;’74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), PUB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tulsa
PFLAG, PUB 52800, 74152 749-4901
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
O’ RYAN, support group for 18-24 LGBT young adults
O’ RYAN, Jr. support group for 14-17 LGBT youth
St. Aidan’ s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
*St. Jerome’ s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men). Indian Health Care 582-7225
Tulsa County Health Department, 46 16 E. 15 595-4105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only
Tulsa Okla. for Human Rights, c/o The Pride Center 743-4297
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniforn~’Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Tulsa Gay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105
Unity Church of Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown
BARTLESVILLE
Thanks be to you for that wonderful article,
"Our Governor Foot-in-Mouth
Keating"... wentto TulsaLibrary, picked
up first copy of Tulsa Family News and
began reading... Laughed out loud, and a
long overdue laugh it was, over the comments
of Mr. Keating and your"right-on
analogies." The very ideathat there should
have to be a public consensus to treat all
people fairly! What hideous stereotyping
by our governor...
[I] regret that there is no place close to
¯ ,my ho,me, w,he,r,e !,.c,gn.get your. w.onderful
", i~per. The’littl~ ~egment ,~0 ~epoi’i hate
,, ~ sigee~h 0i: virleh~e~ Call i.he Gay communit~
cent~ris so r~assuring... Loved the
~ Quilt article, unfortunately got my paper
." too lateiio go. Extended thanks.
¯ - Gay-friendly in Depew.
*Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN
Borders Books & Music, 3209NW Expressway 405-848-2667
Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
TAHLEQUAH
Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
*Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456=7900
Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
NSU School of Optometry, 1001 N. Grand
HIVtesting every other Tues. 5:30-8:30, call for dates
EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autuinn’Bre~ze Restaurant, Hwy. 23
*Jim & Brent’ s Bistro, 173 S. Main
DeVito’ s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
Emerald.R_ainbo~,4~ &l/2_Spfing,St. ~ .....
MCC of the Living Spring
Geek to Go!, PC Specialist, PUB~ 429
OldJailhouse_ Lodging, 15 Montgomery
Positive Idea Marketing Plans
Sparky’ s~ Hwy. 62 :East
White Light, 1 Center St.
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
*Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134
¯ Announcements Policy
¯ Tulsa Family News will provide space
¯ for holy union ceremony, marriage
-" ceremony, birth, adoption and death
~ announcements ona space availableb~sis.
Photos are welcome, though we cannot
promise placement or return them, so
¯ please send copies to Tulsa Family NewS,
; PUB 4140, Tulsa 74159.
¯ Letters Policy
¯ Tulsa-~amily News welcomes letters
¯ on issues which we’ve covered or
¯ issues you.think need to be consider~ed,
¯ You may request that your name be with-
: held but letters must be signed & have
¯ phone numbers, or be hand ddivered. 200
¯ word letters are preferred. Letters to o~¢r.
publicat.ions will be re-printed as ks~
appropriate. ~.~
501-253-7734
501-253,7457
: any donation wouldbe appreciated. Please
send to PFLAG, PO Box 52800, Tulsa,
¯ OK 74152. I truly believe this will ope~
the door for PFLAG as well as o~
organizations to submit ads to theT~
World. Our thanks to Joe Worley
¯ assisting us with this policy change. He
~ was very, very helpful.’"
: The World’ s anti-Gay policy is doen-
¯ mented back to the middle’80’ s when a
: Lesbian owned card, gift and book store,.
743-4297 ¯ Two’s Company, located near 31st &
749-8833 ¯ Harvard was told the World would not
¯ accept advertising for the store because ¯
the owners wanted to let readers know the
¯ target audience, i.e. Lesbians and Gay
¯ men. The owners conducted a one day
¯ picket of the World but the policy re-
. mained unchanged.
¯"
In 1993, when Tulsa Family News pub¯
lisher Tom Neal, opened a gift and card
¯ shop "tomfoolery !" at the Silver Star, the
World also refused to accept advertising,
even though the store did not trade in
eroti~ Or any other possible objectionable,~
fials, citing the same policy, .
A~,~arslaterl PFLAG, TulSa Cliap5~
ter ran afrul of the same anti-Gay po|i~¢y
501-253-6807 ¯ when it tried to run a pro-Gay civi! .rights _t
501-25_3-~5 :.. signature ad. !ntetesgngly, the
501:253:9337 : la~editsbw~ipoli’cy~’~WW~eks]~e~r,-’~te.~’~a
501-253-27"/6~. : runninffthe censrr~’FLAGa~.~a...i~)
501-253-5332, : accept~l’~ an anti-G~i~,iid from a"~Jali~0I¢~U
501-624~’6~~ ¯ of weS~side Tulsa &i~ches
501-253-600I": one of:~banned~c~ds. .
501-253-4074 : Editor’s note: for a related editorial,
¯ see page 3. The editorial was written the
417-623-4696 " earlier in the day before the news broke
¯ about the World’ s newpolicy. Hats offto
¯ Nancy McDonaldfor her work in negoti*
is where you can findTFN. Not all areGay-owned but all are Gay-friendly. ating this new policy.
by Tom Neal, editor &publisher
For being the proverbial 900 lb. gorilla of our local
media, those folks over at The Tulsa Worm sure seem to
be thin-skinned about criticism. One editor, whom I
respect greatly, took particular umbrage atmy calling our
daily, "a country-club newspaper."
I suspect ,that a good part of his irritation is that he
knows there s still truth in the charge. The Tulsa World
has made great progress in providing better coverage of
all of Tulsa, including our minority communities, - even
Gay people. But like the town it serves, it carries with it.
its parochial,.elitist and raciSt/anfi-minority phst~. And f6r
every .step forward, there s~ems tb t~ffve tO be a least one
step back. " :-
Consider this charming carto0h"0y Simpson, reproduced
here, with its somewhat sophisticated bigotry and
stereotyping. The comment of "real girls only," implying
that Gay men are somehow like women but yet are less
than women, is full ofunexaminedmisogynism. It comes
out of a hierarchy where straight men (and traditionally
straight, white men) are superior, women are lesser
creatures, and Gay men are even lower because we’re
men "who want to be women." Lesbians, of course, exist
only to populate the sexual fantasies of straight men.
To put this cartoon in the proper historical context, we
need only think back to early 20th century racist political
cartoons in which Black Americans were represented
ape-ishly and made to speak in "step’ n’ fetch it" dialogue
- or other cartoons where orthodox Jews or Japanese-
Americans were misrepresented as evil foreigners.
Ironically, Simpsonjust gets it wrong. The GirlScouts
of America are clearly on record as saying, they, unlike
the Boy Scouts, do not discriminate on tile.,.basis of sexual
orientation. The organization does use adult men as well
as women in its programs in leadership and in training
roles,: Therefore, not only would young women who are
Lesbian be welcome, adult Lesbians and Gay men could
also participate and no doubt have.
And guess what, the Girl Scouts are doing just fine.
But The Worm is not doing so well. For at least 15
years, our daily has maintained an anti-Gay .advertising
policy which bans the words: Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual.
Theyjustify this saying that they are a"family" newspaper.
Note that this ban does not apply to content of news
articles, editorials or, obviously, cartoons!
In fact, The World literally could notdo the basic work
of a newspaper, merely reporting the stories of our city,
country and world, if they censored these words.
¯ How can anyone with a shred of reasoning think that
these words ifplaced in an advertisement somehow have
an adverse impact on any family, if dearly the same
words placed in a news story right next to an ad are
acceptable.
What really is going on here is epitome of institutionalized
prejudice. The policy doesn’ t make any sense, it is
bigoted and discriminatory but no. one at The World has
the courage to say that what they’re doing is just wrong.
And in being silent, they, the reporters, editors, other
: staff, both straight and Gay, become collaborators in
¯ societal oppression. In a society which seems to have to
¯ have an "other" againstwhich to define itself,Gay people
currently occupy the place Blacks, Jews, Indians, Irish
¯ and others have had.
¯ Contrast this with an advertorial section in a recent
"Out" magazine in which The New York Times bragged
¯ about its excellent coverage of Lesbian and Gay issues,
: and its commitment to its Lesbian and Gay readers and
¯ staff. Can you seeThe World doing that? I hope to seejust
that someday. Who knows maybe next year The World
¯ which is certainly profligate with its sponsorship of ¯
public events will even join Oklahoma’ s Gay press in
¯ being a sponsor of June’ s traditional Pride events.
¯ Don’tlaugh-itjustmighthappen.Andwhynot, thead
¯ policy’s now changed, why not even more progress?
by Joe Andrew and Edward G. Rendell
After theoverwhelming turnout at the MilleniumMarch
and record participation in the recent presidential primaries,
Gays and Lesbians across the country are more
united than ever in their fight for equality and inclusion.
The Democratic Party is proud to stand with them - to
fight with them - as we all celebrate Gay and Lesbian
Pride this month.
Democrats have forged lasting relationships with the
Gay and Lesbian community by supporting common
sense issues related to basic fairness and non-discrimination
for all Americans. Unlike discriminatory and divisive
Republican figures like Pat Robertson, Gary Bauer,
and presidential candidate George W. Bush, Democrats
believe that our diversity is a source of great strength.
While getting Bush to meet with Gays and Lesbians in
his own party is like pulling teeth, A1 Gore has worked
side-by-side with openly Gay and Lesbian advisors
throughout his life. On specific policies that improve the
lives of Gay Americans like hate crimes legislation,
funding: ~or HIV/_AIDS¯ research, atii5~- :!he Empl9yment
Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA~;~.tli~re is no comparisonb~
tween the candidates. Gorehas supportedGays and
Lesbians~time and time again.
BUSHII~PPOSES HATE CRIMES BILLS ~ ~ ~ .t~, ,’~ ,. ¯ .. ~" . -
A.c~,r,~ng to the.Le’~fJ~an/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas
(L(~."~R~.~)~,~.m.~re than 2,~ hate crimes were reported to
th~’Fe~Departmen~6fPublic safetybetween 1992 and
19971 ~i~(eefi percem~ere hate cfim~s motivated by the
victim’s sexual orien~ation~ making Gays ’and Lesbians
the second most-targeted group of hate crime victims in
Texas.
Given this fact, George W. Bush still opposed provisions
in the James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Act that would
have included protections for Gays.and Lesbians from
hate crimes. The bill would have mandated stiffer penalties
for cases in which victims of violence are targeted
because of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. His
spokesman said that Bush "does not support special
¯ rights based on sexual orientation."
¯ Special rights? Where is the leadership? Bush wants ¯
the world to believe that he is a compassionate, but
." apparently his compassion does not extend to all the
citizens of Texas.
¯ "... We need leaders llke AI Gore
: who will speak out against
¯ homophobla and prejudlee in a fight
: to maintain elvll justice and equality.
¯ Through his aetlons and
i
the aetlons of hls party, it is clear that
¯ George W. Bush is not that leader...
As we celebrate Gay and Lesbian Pride,
: Democrats pledge our support and
¯ eontlnued work to promote
¯" requal opp~rtufilty and ndn-dlserimlnatlon
¯ for a strong and united America.
As a Party, we embrace these ideals
because we believe that
no American should be left behind..."
Democrats, on the other hand, have begun to wage an
all-out campaign against hate crimes in America. We
have also endorsed and fought for civil rights legislation
that would protect Gay and Lesbian Americans from
¯ discrimination.
A1 Gore has been a tireless advocate for passage of the
: Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA), calling on Con-
." gress to come together in one voice on this issue. HCPA
¯ would expand the definition of hate crimes to include
: those based on sexual orientation, gender or disability
¯ and allow for the prosecution of those crimes under
federal law.
¯ Democratic leaders have walked the walk in the fight
¯ ; against hate in America. We are the party of inclusion
¯ because wehavejudgedandwill continue tojudgepeople
~ based on the content of their character.
: BUSH: SILENT ON HIV/AIDS
: Bush’s silence on HIV/AIDS as governor is simply
¯ deafening. Despite the fact that almost 10,000 Texans
: have died ofAIDS under his watch, Bush has never taken
¯ a publicpolicy position on the epidemic. In fact, he never
¯ even publicly used the word"AIDS" in office.When the ¯
Children Uniting Nations Chairperson Daphna Ziman
¯ asked US governors for assistance regarding the AIDS
¯ epidemic in Africa, forty-nine governors responded to
¯ her urgent personal letter and only one governor ignored ¯ the plea: George W. Bush. In December 1999, Bush also
: received a failing grade on Lambda Legal Defense and
¯ Education Fund’s (LLDEF) World AIDS Day Report
¯ Card.
:. ,Since the beginning of the Adminislxaf!on, President
Clinton and Vice President Gore have proven their com-
-¯ mitment to fight for AIDS research again and again.
During the last seven years, the Ryan White CARE Act
¯ ha~ seen funding ,increases of more than 292 percent in
° funds fo~ medicationsfserving low-inb.6_’me in~lividuals.
¯ Overall fundingforAIDS~relatedprograms has increased
by more than 122 percent during thisAdministration.
¯ A1 Gore has been on the front lines of fighting the
¯ epidemic. Recently, he announced an Administration
¯ initiative to commit more than $100 million to fight the
worldwide AIDS crisis and increased funding for re-
" search, care andprevention. Weneed a leader that has put
: a great deal of thought on this vital issue.
: BUSH: AGAINST ENDA
." As governor, Bush opposed employment protection
¯ for Gays and Lesbians. He refused to adopt an Adminis-
: tration non-discrimination policy that includes sexual
¯ orientation. see Demos, p. 7
Candian Supreme Co,,urt
Holds for Pro-Gay Ruling
OTTAWA (AP) -The Supreme Courthas rejected an
Ontario government request to re’clew a landmark
decision on Gay civil rights. The Attorney General
for Ontario had asked for a rehearing of theM and H
case, referring to a Lesbian couple whose breakeup
almost a decade ago triggered a dispute over assets.
The case began when one of the women in the case,
known only as M, found she couldn’t sue her ex’-
partnerHwhen their relationship ended. Mthen went
to court to have the spouse law struck down.
The high court ruled in an 8-1 decision that the
definition of spouse in Ontario’s family law was
unconstitutional because it discriminated on the basis
of sexual orientation. Theruling last yearwas specific
to Ontario, but legal experts said other provincial
governments and Ottawa had few options but to
amend their lawsor face having them struck down in
similar battles. The House ofCommons passed legislation
to bring federal legislationinto lineandOntario
grudgingly amended its laws but still launched a bid
for a rehearing before the Supreme Court.
The two Toronto women, who had bought a home
and started an ad agency together, settled the money
dispute out of court long before their case wound its
way to the country’ s highest court.
Presbyterian Court
Rulings Are Gay-friendly
!AP)-The Presbyterian Church’ s highest court ruled
~n May that local congregations have the right to
conduct religious ceremonies celebrating Gay unions
that stop short of marriage. The d~ision by the 16-
member court is binding unless the General Assembly
of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) overrides it.
The case, one of three on Gay issues argued before
the tribunal, stemmed from a same-sex ceremony
performed in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. The Northeast regional
church court ruled that ceremonies of "holy
union" for same-sex couples may be conducted ifit is
made clear they are not marriages. The high conrt
agreed, though it instructed regional church bodies to
make a clearer distinction between marriages and
"blessing services."
A second case before the high court involved a
homosexual candidate for the ministry who said he
did not intend to remain celibate, even though church
rules require clergy to observe either "fidelity in
marriage" or"chastity in singleness." In that case~ the
Northeast regional court decided that he could continue
as a candidate, and that his "manner of life"
could be evaluated prior to ordination. Again, the
high church concurred. It said the denomination’s
standards of fidelity and chastity are to be applied at
the point that a person is azonsidered.for ordination,
not during, candidacy~
Freda ~ar~dn,~r~ and Clifton Kirkpatrick, the two
national leaders Of the 2.6 million-member denomination:~
headquartered in :Louisvil!,e, Ky., said in a
~ecent i~astoral letter that the 0aurt s decisions real-
:firm. churchpolicy of disallowing Gay-marriages and
the.ordinatiOn Of’s(xua~ly active Gays., Theseissues
will Surface again when.the General Assembly.meets
in Long Beach,:Calif., fromJune 24 to July 1. Among
legislation to be considered: a proposal to ban samesex
marriage.
Utah High School Club
For Gay Issues Meets
SALT LAKECITY (AP) - Five years after the debate
over Gay school clubs began in Utah, East High
School students on Wednesday held the state’ s first
school-sanctioned club meeting to discuss current
events from a Gay and Lesbian perspective.
The PRISM Club - People Respecting Important
Social Movements - meeting featured Laura Gray, a
Salt Lake City attorney involved in Gay-rights issues.
.About45 students attended. Students said they talked
about the historical, legal and religious significance
of marriage and the current restrictions barring Gays
and Lesbians from forming such unions.
The district barred news media from the. meeting,
claiming it was for students only. However, district
personnel attended, along with an attorney for the
Utah chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
The ACLU is representing East High juniors Jessi
Cohen and Margaret Hinckley, who in April filed a
federal-court suit claiming the district violated their
First Amendment rights to free speech by rejecting
PRISM as an academic club. The district banned all
nonacademic clubs in 1996, a year after East High
students tried to form a Gay and Lesbian support
group. U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell issued a
temporary restraining order against the district last
month, forcing it to temporarily acknowledgePRISM
as a legitimate club pending the outcome of the
students’ lawsuit.
The meeting was "definitely a win," said East High
senior Ivy Fox, whounsuccessfully sued the districtin
1998 over the ban. "It’ s such a good feding to see all
your hard work pay off." Sophomore Evan Done
attended the club meeting, but didn’ t think the discussion
was appropriate. "It is an important step for the
Gay community that needed to be taken," he said, but
"I don’ t really think it has a place in school."
PRISM advertised the meeting with fliers and during
regular school announcements over the school
intercom. Some of the fliers were destroyed and some
students posted "straight pride" fliers, which showed
two connecting male symbols and two connecting
female symbols that were crossed out.
Three Receive First
Shepard Scholarships
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Three Gay and Lesbian
high school students were awardedfull tuition to Iowa
state universities under a new scholarship named for
slain Gay student Matthew Shepard.
The scholarships, worth approximately $25,000
each over four years, were presented Tuesday to
Galen W. Newton, Jessica M. Brackett and Paul N
Wharmel. The scholarships include tuition, books and
fees at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University
or University of Northern Iowa.
The scholarship program was announced in March
by Gov. Tom Vilsack and the mother of Matthew
Shepard. theWyoming college student who was beaten
to death by two men. Police said the attack was
motivated in part because Shepard was Gay.
The scholarships are awarded to Gay students based
on academic achievement, financial need and community
service, Vilsack said. Brackettcredited Vilsack
for trying to provide greater civil rights to Gay Iowans.
"He’ s really pushing for rights for everybody
andI thinkhewill be ourmain strength during thenext
four to six years," Brackett said. "I think he’s going to
push for progress."
Newton said he.plans to remain.active inGay rights
.’. issues whilein college. He said the Scholarship is abig
encouragement. "People are beingawarded for being
courageou_s,".he s-aid. ¯ -
Funding for the scholarships.~omes from a chari-
.tablefoundation establishedbyprominentDes Moines
businessman Rich F...y~.~haner..An’rpe~l.y Gay RepubS
lican, Eychanermad~ an unsuccessi~ui bid for the U.S~.
.House in 1984, but’lost :in the~.
Vatican Increases
Attack on World Pride
ROME (AP) - A top Italian cardinal weighed in
against a major Gay gathering scheduledin Rome in
July, stepping up a campaignto move the event
elsewhere. "What we are asking is not at this time and
not in Rome," said Cardinal Camillo Ruini, president
of the Italian Conference ofRoman Catholic Bishops.
World Gay Pride Roma 2000 is expected to draw
hundreds of thousands of Gay and Lesbian participants
for a week starting July I. The Vatican has
opposed the city’ s plans to host the gathering, saying
it is out of keeping with the church’ s Holy Year that
has been drawing millions of pilgrims to Rome.
Some opponents fear the event will turn into a
demonstration against Pope John Paul II, who has
defended the Vatican’ s condemnation of homosexual
acts. "I don’ t believe it is by chance that they selected
Rome this year," Ruilfi said.
United in
God’s Love
MCC-United
Sunday Worship Reverend Cathy Elliot
11:00 am Pastor
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Community
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A Welcoming Congregation
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Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm
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Sandra Hill
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Counselor, Certified Hypnotherapist
Psychotherapy & Clinical Consultation
After Hours Appointments Available
2865 E. Skelly Drive, Suite 215,745-1111
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1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor
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In another development, the Gay civil-lights group
ArciGay called for the resignation ofPremier Giuliano
Amatoforhi s remarks before parlianlent earlier in the
week.. Amato said that "unfoftnnately" the Gay Pride
week week must be allowed to be held because of
constitutional protection for public gatherings.
Gays Losing Supporter
ST. PAUL (AP) - State Sen. Allan Spear, who is
retiring after 28 years, will probably be remembered
for work that took "probably less than 10% of my
time" - his advocacy of rights and protections for
Gays and Lesbians. "Nobody can get elected and
adequatelyserve a constituency on Gay,~ssues alone,:
Spear said..",But it’s important to have people for
whom Gay i~su~s are a~hi.gh priority." . "
Spear became the first openly Gay legislator in
Mimlesota- and one of only two in the nation - when
he acknowledged his homosexuality in 1974. His
retirement at the end of this year will likely leave just
one openly Gay legislator: Rep. Karen Clark, DFLMinneapolis.
Scott Dibble, who is running for a
House seat in Minneapolis, is also Gay, but there
would be no openly Gay senators.
Spear believes ~t is important for Gay people to
have legislative representation. "It helps a lot to have
someone come from the Gay community who can
speak from the inside," said Spear, DFL-Minneapolis.
"You need someone who can talk about what it’ s
like growing up Gay, or coming out, or what it’ s like
to deal with a partner who you feel is your spouse, but
society won’ t recognize as your spouse. Other people
can sp,,eak out on those issues, but it isn’ t quite the
sanle,
Ann DeGroot, executive director of the Gay political
action group OutFront Minnesota, said part of
Spear’s legacy will be other legislators who can.
advocate for Gay rights, whether they’re Gay or not.
"Of course we’ re going to miss Allan," she said. "We
haven’t had a session without him yet. "But we’ve
worked with other people so much, other leaders who
are supporters, we know we can count on them.?’
Gay.& Lesbian Parents
TroUbled by State Law
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Chris and Mike Croghan-
Miller are like other parents, caring and proud. They
videotaped their son’ s birth, took time off from work
when he was born, and in the weeks before, had an
announcement party, a baby shower, painted the
"baby room" and spent days with a ~erious case of
"the butterflies." But there is one difference some say
makes them unfit parents - they’re Gay.
Advocates argue that the bottom line is a good
home for the child that meets the requirements set by
the state. "We don’t care whether they’ re married,
single or Gay," said Carolyn Amett, contract attorney
"for Adoptions ofKentucky. "We don’ t discriminate."
Kentucky Youth Advocates’ director Debra Miller
said the concern should be "that any child is adopted
by parents who have the emotional and social support
necessary to be good parents. We don’t think that
there’s anything constitutional that makes a Gay or
Lesbian parent unable to do that. Noris there anything
that guarantees that heterosexual folk can be good
parents."
The Croghan-Mil!er.family is part ofaboom~~t~e
numbe~ Of Gays ~d Les~iafls ~fi~osin~’to’becSth~e
parents, according to the San Diego-based Family
Pride Coalition. Though state officials and private
adoption agencies in Kentucky don’ t keep any estimates
on how many Gay men or Lesbian~ have
adopted here, the San Diego group claims 15,000
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered families
as members, including dozens in Louisville. ¯
And across the nation, cases of adoption and custody
issues involving Gays and Lesbians have become
increasingly visible. Mostrecently, Mississippi
joined Florida and Utah in banning adoptions by
Gays, despite arguments that it is an unconstitutional
violation of due process and privacy rights.
The Cabinet for Families and Children has recently
proposed changes that would "make our systemmore
accepting to a broad variety of families," said Mike
Jennings, a cabinet spokesman. But the change is not
being made specifically out of consideration for Gay
and Lesbian couples.
Gay Teens Face
Harassment & Isolation
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. (AP) - During her junior and
senior years in high school Lilith visited the hospital
seven times for severe depression, self-mutilation
and thoughts of suicide. She was trying to destroy
hersdf, she said. Destroy the thing within her that was
making her different from her classmates.
Lilith is Gay and, during her early teen years, the
thought of being a Lesbian "practically .disguste0,".
her. ~he denied it, ran from it, ti-ied to erie it’f~om.!,i~ ~
soul!, but her affeeti0n for bilker ffomenw~ beCrn{i~
impossible to ignor~ Lilith ~ Who, f0( pi-i~acy #~aI- i
sons, chose a fictitious name for this story - is now 20,
a full-time college student and a self-assured Lesbian
woman. But, she says, her high school years were
rough.
Like many Gay youth, Lilith suffered through
harassment and lack of acceptance, feelings of isolation,
and self-imposed silence. Gay teens are twice as
likely as heterosexual youth to seriously consider
suicide because they feel adrift in an unsupportive
world.
Overall, the nonheterosexual population (Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgendered) is 5-10%, said
Brad Becker, executive director of the Gay &Lesbian
National Hotline. High school percentages are likely
the same, but surveys are skewed because most teens
are not comfortable answering gender-preference
questions. In addition, many have yet to figure out
their sexuality, he said. "They may not be identified
as Gay,, said Becker. "They know something is
different but have yet to pinpoint their sexuality.".
"Teens begin feeling their sexuality around the age
of 13," said Linnea Bailey, a Lancaster psychologist
who specializes in Gay and Lesbian issues. "So much
of being a teen is exploring sexuality. If they realize
they are not part of the norm, it can be frightening.
They know that those who are different get picked
on." Gay and Lesbian youth commonly struggle with
self-esteem issues and may withdraw from family
and friends. They often skip school and may eventually
drop out in search of an accepting peer group. If
they do come out and continue in school, they risk
being harassed or beaten by those with differing
bdiefs.
In an average school day, says the Gay, Lesbian and
Straight Education Network, the typical Gay teen will
hear 26 anti-Gay remarks. And, one in six Gay youths
are beaten so badly they seek medical attention. "The
last acceptable form of overt prejudice is against
Gays," Bailey said. "It’s still extremely bad in the
public school systems."
Most Gay teens wait to come out until they are in
college or the work world. There tends to be greater
diversity and less peer pressure. "Often it’ s the first
time they are away from home and family," said
Anthony Lascoskie Jr., coordinator of the Lesbian
Gay Bisexual Allies at Franklin & Marshall Colleg_e
and .treasurer of the Pink Triangle Coalition. "They
can be Gay at school and straight at home." Boys
typically come out at age 18; gifts, 23.
Julian, a 19-year-old Millersville student, came out
the summer before his junior year of high school by
writing a letter to a trusted faculty member. During
his junior year he began telling his friends. J~ian.said
most of his friends were OK with his sexuality, but
some faded away. And although there were no physical
attacks, there were plenty of verbal attacks.
- Bailey said~lack of- peer suPport is.the, one of the
worst koadblbcks for ~ay teer~sl During a time When
support is most important, there is typically very
little. "Imagine dating as a Gay teen-ager," she said.
"If you break up with a same-sex partner, there’ s no
support. Who do you go to to talk about it? There is so
much loneliness and isolation."
Black Church To
Fight AIDS Harder
TUSKEGEE, Ala. (AP) - Black ~hurch
leaders, trying to overcome policy differences
in their efforts to combat AIDS~
have gathered in Tuskegee to try to put
together a plan of action. More than 300
bishops, pastors, priests and laymen from
across the nation and as far away as Africa
tookpart the lastweek inMay in theAIDS
Conference for Black Churches at
Tuskegee University.
Black churches have been Slow to take
onAIDS because of the stigma associated
with frank discussion of sex, drugs and
homosexuality in church, church leaders
said. There is also disagreement over issues
such as the distribution of condoms
and needle-exchange programs. "This
hesitationis killing our people," U.S. Surgeon
General David Satcher told the conference
in a videotaped statement.
Blacks accounted for 45% of all AIDS
cases reported in the United States in
1998, according to federal data. Africa is
home to 23.3 million of the world’ s 33.6
million infected people, said Dr. Helene
Gayle, head of the AIDS center at the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Within a decade, she said, there will
be 40 million orphans in Africa because
of the disease.
Church leaders and AIDS experts said
their efforts likely will focus ottxeaching
teens and young adults. The Rev. Calvin
Butts III, president of the Council of
Churches of the City of New York, said
churches must teach sex education. "Un~
less we learn to talk about it, we’re not
going to solve the problem of AIDS," he
said. "You can’t be hypocritical about
this, because it’ s killing us." Other leaders
said churches should boost outreach efforts
in jails and prisons. Nearly one-fifth
of people who are HIV-positive will be
incarcerated at some point in their lives,
according to CDC data.
Pernessa Seele, founder ofThe Balm in
Gilead Inc., the organization that sponsored
the conference, said church leaders
must provide better counseling and care
to people with AIDS. "Church folk are
Gay folk, they are.., straight folk. We’re
all family," she said. "But some people
justdon’ tgetit. We’ ve got to tear down all
these barriers."
AIDS Vaccine to
Be Tested in Haiti
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Vanderbilt
University Medical Center will work with
the nation of Haiti to test a vaccine for
AIDS. The research hospital is seeking
150 local volunteers for testing in Nashville
this summer. Tests begin in Haiti in
the fall.
.’,~It’~s:important-for,the.science of vaccine
development to embrace the developing
world, where most of the AIDS
burden is now," said Dr. Barney S. GrahamofVanderbilt~
s AIDS Vaccine Evaluation’Unit.
"We’re veery excited about
workilig with Haiti."
Vanderbiltis 0neof five medical centerg
in °be:United States testing a vaccine
based on a virus which ca°mot reproduce
in mammals - the canary pox virus. Scientist
splice genes for inactive HIV proteins
into the canary pox virus, and inject
it into the volunteers. If it works, the
vaccine will stimulate the body’ s immune
defenses into action, including the production
of a white Mood cell that can
dispose of HIV-infected cells to prevent it
from spreading inthe body.
"It’ s not a perfect vaccine, but it is the
best candidate we have now," said Dr.
Peter F. Wright, also of Vanderbilt. Side
affects of the vaccine can include mild
fever and mnsde soreness. There is no
chance of getting infected with HIV, Graham
said. "We’ re not at all worried about
safety," Graham said.
Vanderbilt’ s research is supported by
an annllal grant of $2 million from the
.federal govemmentwhichis goodthrough
2005. If this year’s tests are successful,
large-scale trials will be done in 2001.
:Russia Too Poor to
Fight AIDS CriSis
MOSCOW (AP)- Registered HIV cases
in Russia are snowballing and the cashstrapped
government is too poor to confront
the health crisis, a senior health
official said in May. "That means people
will simply die without treatment," said
VadimPokrovsky, thehead ofthe Federal
AIDS Prevention Center.
Last year, 18,140 new cases of infection
with HIV - the virus that causes
¯ MDS - were registered; that’s dose to
half of all the HIV cases registered in
Russia since 1987. Pokrovsky told anews
conference that at least a two-fold increase
is expected this year, and that the
registered number of cases are likely only
one-fifth to one-tenth of the real number.
’q’hat means that the real number of HIV
cases may reach 300,000-400,000 by the
~.nd of this year. By 2005 we may have
about 1 million cases, under an optimistic
scenario," he said.
Intravenous drug users aecountformost
of the new HIV cases, but the virus is
rapidly spreading through sexual contacts,
Pokrovsky said. "In some regions around
Moscow up to 5% of all young people
have AIDS," he said. "According to other
estimates, up to 15% of Moscow prostitutes
are infected with HIV."
The relatively small number of officially
registered HIV cases has prompted
a negligent attitude in the government,
which has been slow to earmark funds for
combatting the disease. Officials have
sometimes hampered privately funded
AIDS prevention efforts. TV ads and billboards
promoting the use of condoms
have disappeared after authorities complained
they were harming public morals,
¯ Pokrovsky said.
Currently, only therelatively rich Mos-
¯ cow city governmentcan fully pay the bill
¯ for treating AIDS patients, while other
¯ regions provide only a fracdon of funds
¯ needed to pay for expensive treatment.
According to Pokrovsky, a modern
¯ course of treatment for AIDS comes only
¯ a fraction cheaper than in the West, be-
¯ causemostdrugs areimported. Suchtreat-
¯ ment costs about $10,000 per patient, he
’ ~aid,~ a hefty sum a’or ~the.economicalIy
¯ struggling nation. "The nmnber of pa-
¯ dents will be so high, that only few of
¯ them will get treatment," he said. "No
¯ more than 10% of the patients may count
¯ on receiving treatment." ¯
OK AIDS Network
ADAP, the AIDS Drug Assistance Pro-
. gram is working but is severely
¯ underfunded. OKAIDS Netis asking that
¯ the following legislators be asked to sup-
, port more funding in the next session.
Write: Senators Stratton Tayltr, Ben
¯ Robinson, Angela Monson, Cal Hobson,
¯ Enoch Kelly Haney and Representatives
¯ Loyd Benson, and Bob Weaver at State
Capitol, 2300 No. Lincoln,OKC730105.
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for
justice & equality for
Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury,
Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appoinlmenls are available.
Tulsa City County Library System
is proud to support
Humanity Unites for
Human Ri£!hts
Diversity Celebration 2000
and presents
Not All Fruits are Oranges:
the Roots, Branches & Produce of
the Gay & Lesbian Literary Grove
by
Dr. T. Alan Culpepper, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor.ofEnglish~ Rogers State University
Tuesday, June 13, 7pm,
Aaronson Auditorium, Central Library
Look for the Library Booth at the Millenium Festival
and check with Central Library for books and videos of
interest to Gay & Lesbian readers, families and friends.
when i dare
to be powerful -
to use my strength
in the service
of my vision,
then itbe Qm
tmpo ant
whether i am
afraid.
¯..audre Iorde
please oin
)Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights
in welcoming
/
/
Dr. Margarethe Cammermeyer
and
Mr. Greg Louganis
as guest speakers
,--of.the
"Humanity Unites for Human Rights"
0 "DIVERSITY CELEBRATION 20001"
black-tie (optional)
benefit dinner and silent auction
Friday, June 9, 2000
The Summit Club
6th & Boulder
Tulsa, Oklahoma
(free parking in Bank of America tower)
VIP Reception; 7:00 PM / $50 per person
Reception: 7:00 PM
Silent Auction: 7:00 -- 9:00 PM
_ Dinner:,8:00 PM/,$75 per person
$550 / table of eight
- ~:~ $750 /.table of eight & VIP reception
for ticket information,
please see enclosure
I
at Southwest Missouri State University in
Sptingfield.
"When I think of Ozark County, I always
think ofhow the sheriff did not have
a car until 1937," he said. "The rivers
weren’t bridged and there was no real
road system developed." Outlaws looking
for cover in the backwoods - including
such notorious villains as Bonnie and
Clyde and Jesse James - were drawn to
the area for those reasons, Flanders said.
Religious~based groups, typically those
who shun the doctrines of mainstream
churches, appreciate the quietandreserved
nature of fellow Ozarkers. ’’There is a
long tradition in the hills that you live and
let live, no matterhow weird the beliefs of
your neighbors might be," Flanders said.
Both Springfield and Bransonhave seen
national and regional supremacy conventions
in the last year. In February, some
225 people gathered in Branson for the
third annual convention of the Identity
group Songs for His People.
"You’ re tight in the middle of the Bible
Belt, which plays an important role in the
culture there," said Devin Burghart of the
Chicag0-based Identity watchdog group,
Center for New Commlmity.
’‘These guys come strolling along singing
songs andholding Bibles, which allows
them a certain degree of legitimacy
in the area. But behind it all is still the
same message of hate and intolerance,"
he said. Christian Identity espouses white
Anglo-Saxon virtues and calls Jews, racial
minorities and Gays enemies of God.
S6memembers believe in death sentences
for those who violate "’God’ s law."
In August, Identity follower Buford
Furrow Jr. allegedly killed a Filipino-
American postal worker and wounded
five others after opemng fire on a Jewish
day-care center in Los Angeles. A month
earlier, two brothers-also Identity adherents
- allegedly killed a Gay couple in
California and set fire to several synagogues.
Through the 1980s, the Identity movement
became associated with other extremist
groups, including The Order, the
Ku Klux Klan and The Covenant, the
Sword, and the Arm of the Lord, or CSA.
Many residents here say they have felt
intimidated by supremacist groups like
CSA and Winrod’ s church. Most define
to be interviewed or ask not to be identified
for fear of retaliation.
"These guys would wear fatigues and
walkinto thepostoffice withguns swapped
to their waists," said Tim Morgan, owner
of a marina in Pontiac, a town of fewer
than 300 not far from Gainesville. "They
were intimidating because they were so
military-looking."
Winrod’ s church, called Our Savior’ s,
consisted-mostly~ ofhi~ adult ehilO*en,
their families and a few other followers.
The sheriff said he began distributing his
racist mailings to every county resident.
"People Wouldcall and Complainabout
it, but there is nothing we could do- he
hadFirstAmendmenttights ," Bartlett said.
"We could only keep an eye on him."
Now, Winrod is accused along with
two ofhis childrenofabducting his grandchildren
from their North Dakota hometowns
in 1994 and 1995. Their mothers
are M.ready serving ptison terms for kidnapping.
At ~ pretrial court, appearance Thursday,
Wiurod said he did not have an attorney
The court has givenhim until June 13
to either retain counsel or waive his tight
to representation. A preliminary hearing
on the case was set for June 21.
Authorities fear the Wiurod case will
attract attention from other affiliated
groups. ’‘There are groups like this all
over the country, peoplewhomaybearen’ t.
closely affiliated with one another but
who share similar beliefs, and they decide
they want to come and get involved in
these situations," Said Elmore, the highway
patrol sergeant. "We don’ t want that
to happen this time."
On the Net:
Southern Poverty Law Center:
http://www.splcenter.org ~
Center for New Community:
http://www.newcomm.org
Yet again, he dismissed these basic protecdons
as "special tights ." In addition, he
has sided with the extreme wing of his
Party and refused to endorse the Fmployment
Non-Discrimination Act (F_aNDA).
ENDA wouldput an end to discrimination
against Gay men and Lesbians in the
workplace - discrimination that is currenfly
legal in 39 states. AI Gore and the
Democratic Party have fought vigorously
for ENDA because we believe in the tight
of every American to bejudged on his or
her merits and abilities, and to be allowed
to contribute to society without facing
discrimination on the basis of sexual ori_-_
entation.
As President, AI Gore also would continue
President Clinton’ s Executive Order
prohibiting discrimination based on.
sexual orientation in the federal civilian
workforce. Facing aRepublican challenge
to the Executive Order, Clinton and Gore
worked with Representative Barney Frank
and other fair-minded Members of Congress
to defeat the Republicans’ and-Gay
amendment with the support of over 90
percent of Congressional Democratsl
We need leaders likeAl Gore who will
speak out against homophobia and prejudice
in afight to maintain civil justice and
equality. Through his actions and the actions
ofhis party,it is clear thatGeorgeW.
Bush is not that leader. There is every
indication that he would make no room
forGays and Lesbians inhis WhiteHouse.
As we celebrate Gay and Lesbian Pride,
Democrats pledge our support and continued
work to promote equal~opportunity
and non-discrimination for a strong and
umted America. As a Party, we embrace
these ideals because we believe that no
.aanetican should be left behind.
An interpreter for the deaf will be provided.
- The Rev. Mel.White heads, Soulforce,
Inc., anon-profitorganization thatruns an
ecumenical network of volunteers committed
to the teachings and applying the
principles of nonviolent civil .disobedience
on behalf of sexual minorities. Rev.
White has relendessly devoted his life to
heal the wounds caused by: the anti-Gay
rhetoric and to enter into dialogue with
the faith organizations that perpetuate
hatred and violence toward sexual minotifies.
In the past year, Rev. White has
led "direct actions" with Rev. Jerry
Falwell, the trial of Rev. Jimmy Creech,
and most recently, the General Assembly
of the United Methodist Church.
Shortly after visiting Tulsa, Rev. White
will lead a delegation see Pride,p. 8~
Pr
by Jim Christjohn, mac guru & more
Brachetti is coming! No, it’ s not apiece
of toast with herbs and tomatoes on it, it’ s
Arturo Brachetti, the quick-change artist.
Think "Greater Tuna" meets Robin Williams
while doing David Copperfield’s
act.
GreaterTuna had two guys doing quick
changes to create ,the ,22 characters of,a
small mythi.cal town; Artur9 is one man
crearii~g 88characters during the course
of an evening ~-grom cowboys to geishas
and barmaids to
Royal Mounties,
he is a very charmlng
man - and
handsome as well.
He speaks at least
three languages
fluently, and has a
mischievous sense
of humor rivaling
yours truly.
Described as
Versace on hyper
speed, Brachetti
changes costumes
at lightning fast
speed, transforming
into more than
80 characters and
giving life to le-
"... Deserlbed as Versaee on
hyper speed, Braehettl changes
costumes at lightning fast speed,
transforming into more than 80
characters and giving llfe to
legions of personalities.
His show is a multl-medla
~xtravaganza, eomblnlng
comedy, tousle, magle, and video
in a unique collage of aetlng,
storytelling, stunts
and earleature . . ."
gions of personalities. His show is a multimedia
extravaganza, combining comedy,
music, magic, and video in a unique collage
of acting, storytelling, stunts and
caricature. He is the winner of the 2000
Moliere Award (the French "Tony"
award), and a delightfully impish fellow.
Add a little Cirque De Soleil t~ that
mixture above, too.
I had the chance to speak with him
before one of his sold out shows in Paris,
France. A U.S. tour is planned for 2001,
buthis first stop for a very limited engagement,
is here in Tulsa. Whenasked, "Why
Tulsa?" he responded, "Well, you have to
start somewhere!" He spoke of it being
the "center of the United States" and as
such, a good place to begin.
tie spoke of the Italian art of"transformation"
as not having been seen in thirty
years. It had its origins in the 17th century
as an offshoot of the commedia del’ artr.
According to Brachetti, Giovanni
Gabrielli was the originator of "transformarion,"
performing all the characters of
the commedia del’ arte single-handedly,
changing masks and characters all byhimself.
I asked him what prompted him to create
such a show-, and his response was that
he was doing some add-on acts for a
production of "Midsummer Night’s
Dream" (French pr~oductions often thro,w_
extra scenes ifffor fun), which led to him
creating a one man show in which he
played all the parts, an embryonic version
of his current two hour plus show, for an
arts festival.
A later version of the show, largely
autobiographical, opened in June ’99 in
Montreal. Selling outevery night, he eventually
took the show to Paris. There was
no advertising budget, and the first week,
they had to find people just to sit in the
audience. After that first week, however,
word of mouth started and the show exploded.
Brachetti would like audiences to leave
the show different from when they entered.
He said that the show speaks to the
eight year old child witltin all of us. In the
dip of the show, s beginning, shown at the
press conference, it begins with a mysterious
masked man removing his mask to
reveal yet another mask underneath, continuing
for some time.
Just that brief dip spoke to me of the
fact that we all wear so many masks from
day to day, ,to the point where the real
personbecomes buried over ume. It s.eems
to me, that his show is about removing the
masks of adulthood so that We can free the
child trapped within, (but then agaifi, I’ m0
a psychology major,
and can read
deep insight into
anything).
I will say that
sequence is very
powerful, and can
only imagine what
therest ofthe show
must be like.
Brachetti hopes to
restore the wonder
of the world as
seen from the eyes
of kids. He alternated
as he spoke,
from well-educated
adult to impish
child.
He’ll eventually
play S_an Francisco (the costumes will
go over big there) and New York, as well
as Chicago. Brachetti arrives in Tulsa at
thePAC courtesy ofCelebrity Attractions
August 6-13 and to OKCat the Rose State
Performing Arts Theater august 15-21.
Tickets can be had by calling 596-7111.
I don. t know if he’ s Gay, but I will tell
you now, the costumes that Brachetti designed
and created rival any elaborate
Bette Midler/Cher/Drag Queen extravaganza.
Did I mention he’ s cute, designs a
meanfrock, inhis mid thirties (he’ s cagey
about his age) and single? Me first, guys !
For’those Goddess worshipers out there,
I am pleased to announce Goddess: Tulsa
Artists’ Coalition Women’ s Show 2000,
sponsored by TAC and The University of
Tulsa School of Art. It features Goddessthemed
artwork, and the exhibit goes up
June 8 and runs through July 7th. The
opening is from 5-8pm June 8, and the
regular gallery .hours are 9am-4:30pm
Mon. - Thurs. and 9am-noon Friday. The
gallery is in TU’ s Alexander Hogue Gallery
at 5th Street and College Avenue.
Andfor those wondering, Stevie Nicks,
new album "Trouble In Shangri-La" is on
permanent delay, as usual Apparently,
there are troublein the Shangri-La recording
studio in which she’ s been working
with a revolving doorful of producers
.since ,!997. Have fun at the Diversity.
Celebrations, ~_nd be safe! ’ ¯
We’ ve seen it before. The horror of the
ship’ s sinking never quitemadeit onstage.
You’ re more bothered by the horror of
having paid to see this show. The songs,
for the most part, are mawkishly written,
stealing from everyone imaginable - Gilbert
and Sullivan, Lloyd Webber,
Sondheim. Few original ideas are in the
music, which is a pity. This is portrayed as
homage, but basically, it seems Yeston
just couldn’t come up with anything on
his own. Want something better? Wait for
Rent later this summer.
Are You Gay or Bisexual?
Are You Native American?
Tulsa’s Two-Spirited Indian Men s ~/k~
Support Group is here for you! ,-~/~.~/
¯ Evening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HIV testing
For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
Call JOHN RAGAN, the friendly, caring real estate agent who understands
your special needs! 918-583-2125 800-559-1558 wrvw.NewNest.com
of Soulforce members on a direct action
to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church U.S.A. as they debate the
inclusion of Gays and Lesbians in that
denomination.
Organizational sponsors include:
Soulforce in Oklahoma (presenting sponsor)
TulsaOklahomans forHumanRights
(presenting sponsor) Community ofHope
Church,CommimityUnitarian/UniversalistCongregationDignity/
IntegrityofTulsa
FellowshipCongregational Church, Green
Country Society of Friends (Quakers),
Metropolitan Community Church United
(MCC), Parents, Families and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays in Tulsa (PFLAGTulsa),
Parish Church of St. Jerome, Regional
AIDS Interfaith Network of Oklahoma
(RAIN-OK), and Volunteers in
Action Committee of All Soul’s Unitarian
Church as wall as others.
Soulforce Workshop
Saturday, June 3rd
A SoulforceWorkshop led by Rev. Md
White will be held at the Charles Norman
Studio at the Performing Arts Center at 2
pro. Rev. White and his partner, Gary
Nixon, will provide training in the principles
of M.K. Gandhi and Martin Luther
King, Jr. as part of the non-violence justice
movement. The workshop will last
until 5 p.m. Admissionis free.
TOHR Follies 2000
Saturday, June 3rd
¯he bawdy humor and sentimental
songs of theTOHRFollies returns at 8 pm
at the Doenges Theatre, PAC. Join a host
of performers and singers celebrate your
favorite show tunes from a "100 years of
Broadway." Elaborate productions from
the timeless works of Rodgers &
Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome
Kern, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Charlie
Smalls will entertain you. A Reception
will follow in the Charles Norman Studio
with catering provided by Curt & Marj’ s.
Admission is $15 each. Tickets will be
sold through the Performing Arts Center
Ticket Office beginning around May 3rd.
Call the PAC for ticket information at
596.7111 .or 800.364.7111 or buy your
tickets online at www.tulsapac.com.
Entertainers: Sedackeiry Taylor
Alexander, Johnny Cronin, Domoniqne
Daniels, Veronica De,core, Vivian
MINI-MOVIE FESTIVAL
Thursday, June 8th
AMini-Movie Festival will run throughout
the day on a 60" screen at the Tulsa
Gay Community Services Center. The
Community Center is located on the corner
of 38th and Peoria (above Boulevards).
Popcorn and refreshments will be
available. Admission is free. Schedule:
1:00 pro, Lilies
3:00 pm, Beautiful Thing
5:00 pm, It’ s In The Water
7:00 pro, Broadway Damage
9:00 pm, Everything Relative
Black Tie Benefit
Friday, June 9th
TOHR offers the opportunity to meet
Margarethe Cammermeyer and Greg
Louganis at a VIP Reception at7pmin the
Grille Room at The Summit Club on the
31 st floor. The Summi t Club is located in
the Bank of America Building at 15 West
6th Street. Free parking available in the
building. Admission is $50. An Open
Reception and Silent Auction will begin
at 7 pm at The Summit Club on the 31st
floor. All proceeds will benefit TOHR’ s
fight for GLBT equality in this region.
The Benefit Dinner begins at 8 pm at
The Summit Club on the 30th floor. Guest
speakers are Margarethe Cammermeyer
and Greg Louganis. Please joinTOHR in
presenting its wall-deserved "Community
Hero" awards to three high school
students who have shown extraordinary
courage in dealing with their sexuality:
Will Allen, Emily Sisemore, and Matthew
Holloway. An interpreter for the
deaf will be provided.
Tickets are available for the VIP Reception
and the Benefit Dinner by "calling
743.4297, or by mailing ticket requests to
TOHR, P.O. Box 2687, Tulsa, OK74101,
or by dropping by the Center on the corner
of38th and Peoria between 6 pm and 9 pm
Sundays through Friday and Noon to 9
pm on Saturday.
Millennium Pride Parade
Saturday, June 10th
The Millennium Pride Parade will beffin
at 11 am at the Tulsa Gay Community
Services Center at 38th and Peoria. Grethe
Cammermeyer and Greg Louganis will
serve as Co-Grand Marshals. Organizers
claim it will be bigger and more colorful
than before. The Parade will follow the
same route as last year from the Center to
Veteran’ S Park at 18tk and Main.
Deveroe ::.Fontaine, Green ~Country Drop-offpoints are set along the Parade
~Oogg,e.rs, DanHale, Miitthew Holloway, Routethis year. Buses!shuttles will begin
~H~’l.~a’..~s Horribles, KriS Kohl~.CeCe.. ~ ~mn’mg at 8!30 a;m, Please park your
¯~roi,x,~taRichards,Tabith9Tayl0r,--: veliid~ at Veteran s Park and catch ~e
T~aT Neill, ’Victoria Turelie,:R~becea . bu~ofShtittleonthenorthsideofVeteran s
U.ngermah,.ahd Komona Wannaliiya, -.’Park. --’There is no charge to ride the bus/
All events tke!d at the Performing Arts
Center are fundedin part b~r a grant-from
the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trnst.
uNIi"ED - An Art Exhibit
Tuesday, June 6th
An Art Exhibit entitled "United" will
have an opening reception at the Recep-
!ion Hall of All Soul’ s Unitarian Church
beginning at 6 pm. Wine and soft drinks
~vill be available. Hors d’ oeurves will be
fPrereO.VAideldl bSyouTlsWUCnaittaerriinang.CAhdumrcihssiios nloiscated
at 2952 South Peoria.
Artists: Otto Decker, John Duvall, Jody
Ellison, Dana Gilpin, P.S. Gordon David
Halpern, Isaac Harper, Ken Johnston,
Elizabeth Joyner, Kraig Kallenberger, C.
LynnMallett, KathleenPendergrass, Mary
Schepers; Kelley Vandiver, David
Vamecky & others.
shu..tt!e.
FESTIVAL
Saturday, June 10th
The Millennium Pride Festival (formerly
the Picnic) will begin at 11 am at
Veteran’s Park. There will be dose to
fifty booths, as well as food vendors, beer
and soft drinks, and lots of activities.
Margarethe Cammermeyer and Greg
Louganis will give the opening remarks.
TOHR’ s "Community Hero" awards will
be given to three courageous local teenagers:
Will Alien, Matthew Holloway, and
Emily Sisemore. Entertainment go on all
afternoon and into the evening. A sixteenteam
volleyball tournament will run
throughout the day on three volleyball
courts. There is also a Celebrity Dunk
Tank with Audra Sommers, Dyke Divine
and David from gay.tulsa.org, Tom Neal
ofTulsa Family News, Marty Newmanof
the Human Rights Campaign, and more.
by James Christjohn ~ ¯
I’m not sure which is the greater trag- "
edy: the sinking of the ship and its aftermath
- or the creation and execution of "
this musical. Don’t get me wrong, the "
performances were OK, for the most part,
some were excellent, and there were afew
songs thatmade the show somewhatworth
the time it took to watch it. But it was a
remarkable example of how easy it is to
get Tony Awards these days.
At the time this disaster (the musical)
struck, it was the only original American
musical offering on Broadway. Everything
else was Lloyd Webber (i.e., English)
or French. So, to get a Tony, you
need to: 1. merely be American; 2. write a
musical: 3. base it on something historical,
but only superficially. Take known
names and make up cartoonish characters
to go with them; 5. even if what you write
is unfocused and mediocre, if there are no
other Americans writing musicals, you’ll
get a Tony.
If you’ re wanting a mildly entertaining
evening with some really bad staging,
scenery, and costumes that dwarf the set,
and NO historical accuracy (other than
the fact_the ship sank), by all means waste
your money.
The show itself is historically inaccurate
to the point of sheer ridiculousness.
That wouldn’ t be such a peeve with me if
the marketing weren’ t hyping it as being
historically accurate, claiming the "story
is told truthfully" and that "historical accuracy
of Titanic (the musical) makes it
an ideal show for parents to share with
school age children." Only if the parents
wish to point out how inaccurate the marketing
can be and musicals hyped as historically
accurate aren’ t. And it wouldn’ t
be so bad if the actual stories - as told in
the transcripts of the inquiries, easily come
by in paperback form - were as dramatic
as you can get. The), didn’ t need to ~nake
up half of what the,’,’ did.
Thorn Sesma, who portrays Thomas
Andrews, the Titanic’s Designer, sang
like he had a mouthful of marbles. He
seemed to have a speech impediment,
making it hard to understand what he was
saying. And youknow, if you’ re on stage,
evenifyouaremic’ d,DON’TMUMBLE.
This was.,rampant during the evening....
One man, whose Iin~s throdghout
song ~ere "Not a ibit not .a aide
¯ repeated ad.~auseum, s~,t~a,.d..ed~!jke"Noti!’:
: bitch, not a,iittl~ bitch. ~ I ldd.you noti..
Marcus ~:Ch.a,it, who" played, stoker ."
Fredefiek.~.~tt,. ~d"a ,:bi~athless fali
setto q0altty-that .s~ded:lik¢ .an
ment ~betw.’.,e~n MiChael ~Ct~w.ford,aniti.~
Andy Gibb. Even though he Was nile d tO
the hilt (as all were), y.oo, coul~l understand
him at times, due to his breathless
"Phantom of the Opera/Michael
Crawford’~ style of singing. His vibrato
was annoying as well, distracting from
one of the most powerful songs in the
show. When he whispers, you can’ t hear
him, when he belts, he reveals a glorious
voice, a wonderful tenor.
Timothy A. Fitzgerald, as Fleet, the
lookout spotting the iceberg, has the most
wonderful voice, perfect for the song "No
Moon", arguably the best song in the
show, and the most haunting. Lyrically,
it’s one of the better moments, and
Fitzgeraldhandles it withgrace andbeauty,
which he has plenty of in terms of stage
presence. Pity the authors did away with
the other lookout (one of those little inaccuracies);
"No Moon" would have been
awesome as a duet.
The standout performances were the
three Kates, immigrants in steerage revealing
their dreams of a new life
America. Meiissa Bell, Kristi Barber,
Kate Jetmore were excellent in the"
gest roles in the play. They had the
successful song in the show in term
revealing character and furtheriv
story, revealing the hopes and dre:
the immigrants of the time.
TomGamblin, in my opinion the su c,
gest male actor, was an excdlent foil and
future husband as Jim Farrell, who Kate
Murphy decides will be her husband. It is
their story which is the most effective in a
show that tries to tell the story from too
many perspectives. It was their characters
I actually cared for, and it was their moments
that worked in an otherwise dismal
script.
Theragtime song,"Autumn," and afew
other songs were memorable for their
melodies. That’ s about all that can be said
for them. The book, well, I say keep a
couple of lines that were humorous, and
start over. I was disappointed. It seemed
like an inventive premise, and one which
could havemade history entertaining. The
staging was weak, particularl y when the
iceberg was sighted by the one lookout.
The set did tilt at the end (like we’ ve never
seen that before), but the set was mosdy
made up of very inaccurately drawn and
painted drops that looked like something
out of a high school production. After
Jekyll and Hyde’s detailed lab, Beauty
and the Beast’s castles and villages,
Titanic’ s drop-heavy scenery was a bit of
a letdown.
On Broadway, the show had a three
levd set, making several of the numbers
quite different. Here we were treated to
awkwardly stage numbers, wlfich basically
left the cast walking in circles representing
different levels and areas of the
ship, which ended up quite muddled ~n
terms of telling who was where on the
ship. At one point, as characters were
stepping in and out and around, it became
quite ridiculous. The tableau, which was
originally to have shown the ship striking
the iceberg, was nothing more than a very
small model of the ship, withlights, pulled
across the stage - no ice in sight. The
model boat, lit up :with Chxistmas lights,
being pulled across the stage was quite
humorous. And the promisedcollision
tableau, hyped beforetheshow opened on
Broadway, is still missing. . .
I really liked the cheesy and totally
hilarious flame effect of the boiler room
furnaces. This little .bit of very Obvious
whitedothbeing blownupwards by afan,
not even dose to the scale of what the
flames in those boilers must have been
like. Now I’m quite willing to suspend
disbelief, but this went far beyond what
could be expected. It looked like these big
burly men were shoveling coal onto bic
lighters. Iwas rolling withlaughter. Yeston
also says "themusic is the scenery." Well,
ithas to be, since apparently they couldn’ t
afford paint or artists from the look of it.
The drops seemed to come in at the wrong
scenes, particularly in the opening. I understand
theatre is representational by
nature, but here we’ re dealing with a very
famous boat.
The problem with the show is that it
tries to tell too many stories, and because
of that, it’ s hard to really care about any of
the characters, who are portrayed as caricatures
anyway. At the end, youjust don’ t
care. OK, the set rises at one end on
hydraulics, see Titanic, p. 8
by Lamont ]~indstrom, Ph.D.
Vexillology. There’s an arcane word "
for you. It means the "study of flags." :
Thousands of rainbow flags are soon to ¯
wave as we enter the season
of Gay Pride celebration.
Gay flags, like Gay
Pride, are fairly recent inventions.
Gilbert Baker
sewed up the first rainbow
flag for the 1978 Gay Freedom
Celebration in San
Francisco.
Over the past two decades,
Freedom has made_
way for Pride and the rainbow
flag has lost some
stripes. Baker’s original
creationboasted~eight colors,
each of which represented
a fine ideal: orange
is healing; yellow the sun;
green is nature and blue
art: indigomeansharmony
while violet stands for
spirit: redis life and, last
butnotleast,pink symbol-
.1zes sex.
Pink went first. A company
Baker approached to
produce his flag commerdally
couldn’t locate any
pink nylon.
And the next year, when the San Francisco
parade committee adopted the flag
as a symbol, symmetry required yet another
reduction. The parade decorator demanded
that the route feature three colors
on the left and another three colors on the
right. Indigo disappeared. In its short lifetime,
the rainbow flag has lost both sex
and harmon.y. Something of a .parable,
perhaps, of modem Gay life.
Archaeologists have dug up flag-like
symbols from civilizations in both Old
World and New. Humans, from our beginmngs,
have imagined a variety of symbolic
objects to represent social groups.
Anthropologists call a symbol that stands
for a group a "totem."
Today’ s flag clearly derives from these
original totems..In many societies, animals
are the preeminent totemic figure,
andanimal totems surviveinto thepresent.
Small town businesspersons divide up
into coteries of Elks, Lions, and Moose.
Andthink ofthe Britishlion, orthe American
eagle, or the Canadian loon, or the
California bear. And don’ t forget the Gay
bear. These totems decorate our flags and
our money.
A variety of things besides animals
symbolize groups. The rainbow is an archetypal
totem that we share with Austra=
lianAboriginal bands amongvarious other
peoples around the world..Rainbows are
syi~b01ic~dl~ p~tentl~0~ in nature and in
a number of religious traditions. Some
folks complain about aGay appropriation
of the_rainbow., tote.m~ just ~as some old
ftohgeieW~?ogrdri.p~ea~ythtohtmthee~y :’~mnerroy io6rfilgiveerluys,.,’e
othdS,~i~, hav~ ebbed rainbows ineluding
Jesse Jackson’s coalition, the
Uuivei~ity 6f Hawai~i’s football team,
and the US Army’ s 42nd Division. I acquired
one of my rainbow flags from an
innocent straight friend who bought it
planning to display his.concerns for the
environment.
~/tere is no end of social and psycho-
- logical theory that attempts to explain
why we dream up totems to represent our
groups. A century ago, the pioneer soci-
Because flags stand
for group, Gays had
no need for a flag
until we conceived of
ourselves ~1~ ~t
eolleetlve --or a
¯ eommumty as
some of us llke to say.
Baker’s needlework
in 1978 signified
the transformation
of homosexuality
from a psyckologleal
condition to a
political identity.
ologist Emile Durkheim remarked that
totems are sacred just because they stand
for the group. Our human societies exist
before any one of us is born, and they will
continue after we die. Society,
thus, is "supernatural."
We make into a god
what has shaped us and
what sustains us as individuals.
But it’s hard to
grasp concepts so abstract.
Instead, wefocus our feelings
and .affiliations upon
the totem - the sacred being
whosematerial formis
the flag.
We are good at creating
solidarities - only human
groups_ often define
themselves largely by opposing
themselves to some
other. We pledge allegiance
tO ourown totem as
a symbol ofourselves. And
we express distaste for our
enemies by despoiling
their flags, as Palestiuians,
Israelis, and members of
various high school bands
are wont to do.
It is pretty clear
Durkheim was right about
that sacredness. We have
¯ fervent Congressmen in Washington each
¯ year in a frenzy to outlaw sinful desecra-
¯ tions of the American flag.
¯ Perversely, some South Caroliniansjus-
¯ tifyofficial display oftherebel Confeder- ¯
ate flag as mere historical commemora-
¯ tion. But everyone knows that echoes of
¯ their antebellum religion are also at work ¯
here.
Because flags stand for group, Gays
¯ had no need for a flag until we conceiv~l ¯
of ourselves as a collective - or a "com-
" mlmity" as some of us like to say. Baker’ s
; needlework in 1978 signified the trans-
. formation of homosexuality from a psychological
condition to a political iden-
Since this time, we have put into play
various other symbols, including pink and
black triangles borrowedfrom Nazi prison
wear, theLambdacharacterfrom the Greek
alphabet, and the red ribbon.
Of these, the rainbow stretches the farthest.
I have seen rainbow flags unfurled
in Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Den-.
mark, andbeyond. Theflag’ s global spread
testifies to the rise of a transnational gay
community. Think of this as flags parade
b~this summer. Long may the rainbows
wave on our totem poles.
Lament Lindstrom teaches anthropology
at the University oJ Tulsa.
The protesters wre joined by the Rev.
Bishop C. Joseph Sprague from No. Illinois.
Local architect and activist Sue
Knause noted that the police were "fabulous"
with some officers stopping to have
their photos taken with some of the more
famous arrestees. And their jddge, she
adds, said, "keep up the good work -I
stand with you today."
While the protests did not change the
policies, organizers have promised that
1,000 arrestees at the next conference. A
principal orgamzer of this action was
Tulsan Karen Weldon. Info. contact
Soulforce at the Gay Community Center.
to benefit Saint Joseph Residence +
Regional AIDS Interfaith Network
Saturday, June 3rd, 10-5, +_ Sunday, June 4th, 1-5
$10 donation at the door or in advance.
David Daniel, 1603 S. Carson
Wiley Parsons, 1601 S. Carson
Monty + Jane Butts, 240 E. Woodward Blvd.
Brett + Maricarolyn Swab, 2112 So Norfolk Ave..
Dr. Robert & Dena Hudson, 2707 S. Rockford Rd.
Tickets for this tour may be obtained at each home.
For more information; call Charles Faudree, Inc: at 747-9706.
METROPOLITAN TULSA
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
salutes
Humanity Unites for
Human Ri$lhts
Millennium Pride 2000
and
honors Tulsa’s
Lesbian and Gay .’.,.
Chamber of Commerce members
for their leadership on
business, civil rights and health issues
in the Tulsa community.,
To join MTCC, call 585-1201.
IGTA member
Call 341.6866
]. X,otuerSr onrmaot ,i,no. on maol ,on.
Massage Therapy Services
Edgar O. Cruz, L.M.T.
Pager: 918-889-5255
Voice Mail: 918-697-9282
Lic. #C4133
CountryClub Barbering
Custom Styling for Men & Women
David Kauskey
3310 E, 51st, 747-0236, Tues.-Fri., 8-5:30, Sat. 8-5pm
Tulsa’s only
body-piercing
Poweful
Images:
portrayals of
Native America
GilcreaseMuseum
1400 Gilcrease Museum Road
5 9 6 2 7 0 0
and as many as 15 in larger communities
- sit as the board of civil authority to
certify yoter checklists or to hear tax appeals.
They also have the option of officiating
atweddingceremonies. Beginning July 1,
they’ll also have the authority to officiate
at civil unions. The one catch is if they do
one, they’ 11 have to doboth. That’ s enough
to prompt some justices to quit the marriage
business because they oppose the
civil unions law.
Experts, such as lawyer and former
Deputy Secretary of State Paul Gillies,
who have been guiding justices through
thenew responsibilities, say that’ s fine, so
long as they don’t discriminate. Under
Vermont’s non-discrimination laws, if
justices perform weddings for heterosexual
couples, they may not refuse to
perform civil unions ceremonies just because
those couples are homosexuals.
Some justices have put out the word
that they’re happy to officiate at civil
unions ceremonies. "I feel they deserve
it," said Huntington justice Don Dresser,
who has officiated at two weddings. "It’ s
thelaw and I’mcomfortable with it. I have
a lot of Gay friends... I’m going to treat
everyone the same."
Some Gays and Lesbians who happen
to be justices say they’re excited that
they’ll be able to officiate at civil unions
ceremonies. ’Tmexcited. I’mso thrilled,"
Hurlie said. "This is really an honor to
certify civil unions for folks."
So, now, what’ s left is to determinejust
what ceremonies should be. The short
answer is that whatever is done for a
Wedding would work for a civil union.
"’The big question was, "What do .you sa.y
at the end?’ ’I hereby .. what?’ "" Gillies
said. "We suggested:’ I hereby certify this
civil union.’"
Markowitz said her office did not want
to dictate the words, but she recognized
they would carry emotional weight. "The
justice has to say sonaething that shows
the imprimatur of the state is making the
union official, whether it’ s a marriage or
a civil union," Markowitz said. "The most
straightforward, kind of sticking to the
law pronouncement would be: ’I now
certify your civil union.’ Really, that’s
what a person is doing."
There are some traditions to follow,
though. There have beena few religious
faiths, for example, who bless same-sex
relationships. The Unitarian Universalist
Society is one. The Rev. Brendan Hadash
of the St. Johnsbury Unitarian church, for
example, estimates he’ s performed probably
20 opposite-sex marriages and about
an equal number of same-sex commitment
ceremonies over the years.
He’ s developed a series of phrases and
uses the one that the couple finds most
comfortable. "I usually pronounce that
use: "I recognizeyouas spirituallyunited,"
or "You are now joined as wife and wife,
which I find a little odd. Others are "You
arejoined as spouses, partuers, iovers~" or
"I declare that you are now.united inlove,
that you are duly wed."
With the civil unions law, though, he’ 11
be adding one phrase to his blessings. "At
the end of the service I used to always
make a point of saying, ’By the power
vested in me by my denomination, I declare
you...’ "Hadash said. "Now I can
say ’by.the power vested in me by the
church - and the state.’ "
It also culled data from two other academic
studies that studied the Gay and
Lesbian population: the National Health
and Social Life Survey and the General
Social Survey.
Starting with the 1990 C~nsus, respondents
living with a person of the same sex
had the option ofchecking off "unmarried
partner" in the section that asks for the
relationship between people. Other options
included "husband/wife," "roomer/
boarder," "housemate/roommate" or
"other nonrelative."
The study said that among men aged
25-34 living with amale parmer, 29% had
at least a college degree, and 13% a graduate
degree, compared with 13% and 4%
for men with female parmers.
However, within the same age group,
men with a college degree and a female
partner had mean earnings of $29,162 a
year, compared with $28,618 for samesex
unmarried partnered men with a college
degree. For those with graduate de-
~4ees, the discrepancy grew to nearly
,000 - $36,072 to $32,465.
Of men aged 35-44 with unmarried
partners of the same sex, 32% graduated
from college, and 24% had a graduate
degree, compared with 13% and 7% for
males with a female partner.
Within the same age bracket, males
with college degrees and same-sex partners
had mean earnings of $36,054 per
year, compared with $38,629 for those
with female partners.
The same discrepancies were not found
among Lesbians, Sanders said. For instance,
women aged 35-44 with college
degrees and with a same-sex partner had
mean earmngs of $28,387, while those
with a male partner had mean earnings of
$28,734; of those with graduate degrees
in the same age range, the figures were
$34,427 for women with same-sex partners,
and $34,295 for those with male
partners.
Sanders shied away from saying it was
definitive proof of discrimination against
Gays. He instead suggested one reason
may be that Gays tend to enter more fields
that offer lower salaries. The study also
found that 22% of Lesbian couples living
together have children, compared to 5%
of Gay couples living together. Sanders
said that may show that Gay couples have
less pressure to get higher-paying jobs.
"This is the tip of the iceberg in terms of
finding out who the Gay and Lesbian
community is," said PaulaEttelbrick, family
policy director ofthe National Gay and
LesbianTaskForce. "Whatthey also point
out it is the clear problem ofhow to define
what it is to be Gay or Lesbian."
OK Spoke Club
TheOK Spoke Club is beginning its rides
again. A long ride (20 miles plus) will
begin, atZiegler Park at 7:30am’on June
3rd & 24th. Length and destination to be
determined at the ride. Water and helmet
". are required.
¯ A short ride(5 miles) along the Katy
’: Bicydep~in Saii.d)SiJfings will beginat
. 6:30pmonJuneT~atid21s’t. Wateriand
¯ helmet~ate ~tr0ngly r~mmelided...: ¯ :
Af6:30plh, a short fide will begin at the
Pride Cent~L 3749 S. Peoria, rea~ parking
¯
lotonJune24th. Waterandhelmetstrongly
¯ recommended.
¯ Info: POB 9165, Tulsa, Ok 74157,
¯ email: Okiebicycle@prodigy.net
] www.geocities.com/westhollywood/pa-
¯ rade/3301
Humanity Unites
for Human R lhts
Diversit Celebration 2000
Grand Marshalls for the Millennium Pride Parade
Dr. Grethe Cammermever
Oistin~luished Veteran of the United States Armed Forces
Gre~! Lou~lanis
US O!~mpie Champion
Pride Week Events
Interfaith Worship Service
Performing Arts Center, Williams Theatre
Speaker: the Reverend Dr. Mel White
Friday, June 2, from 7pro (free)
Interfaith Soulforce Workshop
Performing Arts Center, Norman Studio
Led by the Reverend Dr. Mel White
Saturday, June 8, 2 - 5pro (free)
Humanity Unites For Human Rights
Black Tie Optional Dinner
Speakers:
Greg Louganis and Grethe Cammermeyer
Summit Club, 7pro reception, Bpm dinner
Friday, June 9th, $75 person
Benefiting Tulsa Oklahomans for Human
Rights, the parent organization of the
Gay Community Center
TOHR Follies: 1OO Years of Broadway
Performing Arts Center, Ooenges Theatre
Saturday, June 8, 8pm, $15
United Art Exhibit, Opening Reception
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 So. Peoria
Tuesday, June 6, 6 - 8pro
Millennium Parade 2000
Saturday, JunelQ, llam
From the Gay Community Center to
Veterans Park at 18th and Boulder
Pride Festival, Veterans Park, llam - 8pro
Free shuttle from Veterans Park to Parade.
Mini-Film Festival
Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
Thursday, June 8, z~ - till it’s over...
For more information about these events,
call 7~8-~297 (Gays).
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, June 2000; Volume 7, Issue 6
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
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Tulsa Family News
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
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Tom Neal
Date
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June 2000
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James Christjohn
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
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Tom Neal/Tulsa family News
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Tulsa Family News, May 2000; Volume 7, Issue 5
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English
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/601
2000
African Americans
AIDS
AIDS drugs
AIDS vaccine
aMUSEments
arts and entertainment
Bars
Boy Scouts
bullying
businesses
churches
civil unions
Democratic party
Diversity celebration
Gay marriage
gay parents
Gay Studies
hate groups
HIV
homophobia
inequality
Jim Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
marriage equality
Native Americans
OK Spoke Club
performing arts
PFLAG
Pride
Raging Lesbian
Read All About It
restaurants
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa World
Two-Spirited Indian Men's Support Group
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/5c20e910de7ca592dd63588152eca356.jpg
5039f94c9a494f334604c83bb2e762fa
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/913cc5281b957402396a10de0ebc77ca.pdf
402d385ff5bf2220bca8bdfefc9b523c
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Brief for Dale v. BOy Scouts
by Tim Talley, Associated Press ~rite~ -
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Some state lawmakers
demanded in mid-April that Oklahoma Attorney General
Drew Edmondson withdraw from participating in a
U:S. Supreme Court case on whether to allow Gay boys
and men in the Boy Scouts of America. Resolutions
were f’ded in the state House and~ Senate opposing a
friend-of-the-court briefEdmondson filed supporting a
New Jersey court decision that ordered the Boy Scouts
to reinstate a homosexual scout leader.
"I think it is a dark day for Oklahoma that we have
taken this stand, by and through our attorney general, in
favor of Gay rights and against the Boy Scouts," said
Rep. Frank Davis, R-Guthrie, a former scout master
whoseresolutionhas70co-authors.Aresolutionpassed
by the Senate says Edmondson’s position "is in dramarie
opposition to the moral ideals of.our state and is
inappropriate in this case of first impression before the
United State Supreme Court."
In a statement, Edmondson saidhe respects the views
of lawmakers who oppose his action. But the attorney
general said the state’ s position see Attorney; p. 2
Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
: ,~. Tulsa’s Largest Circulation Community PaperAvailable In More Than 75 City Locations
¯ Co!legeHill Presbyterian
::Church Welcomes Gays
TULSA - This last Palm Sunday, the Session (the board of
directors) of College Hill Presbyterian Church, one of Tulsa’ s
older"mainline" congregations, voted 13 yes, zero no’ s with one
abstention to become officially a member of"More Light Presbyterians."
College Hill, located a block west of the University of
Tulsa is the first Presbyterian congregation in Eastern Oklahoma
(o. take the position of welcoming
all to attend and serve
the church regardless of
sexual orientation.
More Light Presbyterians
is a national network of
churches and individuals
working for justice, love and
the full embrace and inclusion
of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
and Transgendered
persons and their families.
The name is taken from the
words of the Rev. John
Robinson (c. 1620),"we limit
not the truth of God to our
poor reach of mind - by notions
of our day and sect - crude, partial and confined. No, let a
new and better hope within our hearts be stirred, for Godhath yet
more light and truth to break forth from the Word."
The decision for College Hill came after more than 14 months
ofprayer, study and discussion. Acongregational voteon several
statements and positions, one affirming open inclusion, another
reaffirming the mission statement of More Light Presbyterians,
and for becoming a More Light congregation passed, 87%, 90%
and 80% respectively. .
Pastor Radford Rader noted, "College Hill has long been a
congregation which has stood for jnstice issues and with groups
of people who others ignore or exclude.., we cannot remain in
the closet, but want to rejoice in who we are as a family of faith.
¯ .we are blessed by our Gay and Lesbian members."
College Hill’ s history is one of s0cialjttstice, seeChurch,p.11
College Hill Presbyterian
GI,s Mom Suing Arm i- Supreme Court Hears Gay Civil
WASHINGTON(AP)-Them°ther°fas°ldiermur- " R|ghts Case: Dale vs. BSA dered in his barracks believes the Army’s attitude ,
toward Gays created the atmosphere that led to the
killing. Patricia Kutteles of Kansas City, Mo., said she
would file a claim with the Army, seeking roughly $1.8
million in damages for the death of her son, Pfc. Barry
Wincbell,21. Shesaidfellow soldiers believed Winchell
was Gay and harassed him for months before he was
beaten to death while sleeping in his cot last July at Fort
Campbell, Ky. The Army knew about the harassment
but did nothing to stop it, she said. "We want theArmy
to be held accountable," Kutteles said.
Pvt. Calvin Glover, 19, of Sulphur, Okla., was convicted
of premeditated murder and sentenced to life in
prison for the attack. Another soldier was givena 12.5-
year sentence for lying to investigators and obstructing
justice. Thekillingprompted criticism ofthePentagon’ s
policy onhomosexuals in the military. Under the policy
known as "don’t ask, don’t teli.;’:~,Gay-members of the
military can continue to serve.as Ibng as they keep their
sexual orientation to themselves.
Kutteles’ attorney,Adam Pachter, saidheplans to file
under a federal law that allows people to seek reimbursement
from the military for injury or death. The
claim will be sent toMaj. Gen. Robert T. Clark, the
commander of Fort Campbell, but Army Secretary
Louis CaldemprobAbly’will make thef’mal decision on
whether to pay, Pachter said. Kutteles’ claim also alleges
Fort Campbell officials ignored underage drinking
on the base and did not provide a way for soldiers to
call 911 from the barracks.:Glover has said he had been
drinking prior to theattack~ Maj. Pamela Hart, an Army
spokeswoman, declined to comment on the claim but
said soldiers cannow reach 911 from their barracks. She
also said soldiers hadreceived additional training about
the military’ s policy on Gays.
Kutteles said her goal is to get the Army to admit
wrongdoing and take corrective action. "I don’t think
you~put aprice on your child’ s life,’.’ she said. "Your
world is changed if you lose a child. Nothing caa ever
rip3at it."
¯ WASHINGTON, D.C. - Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is not
¯ entitled to expel an exemplary member who is openly Gay from
¯ its ranks, the National Gay and LesbianTask Force said at the end
¯ ofApril as theU.S. SupremeCourtwas hearingargumentsinBoy
Scouts of America v. Dale. The ruling on the case will likely be
: issued before the term ends in early summer.
: ’q’he Boy Scouts’ mission is to promote model citizenship and
¯ integrity," said Panla Ettdbrick, NGLTFFamily Policy Director.
: "It is ridiculous and wrong to exclude a man whose outstanding
¯ personal character fulfills this mission simPlY because he is
¯ Gay."
-" "The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case on appeal by the
¯ BSA after the August 1999 unanimous decision of the New
¯¯ Jersey,Supreme Court. The court found that the BSA falls under
New Jersey’ s anti-discrimination law and cannot deny any per-
" son "accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges"
: because of sexual orientation.
¯ Because the Scouts do not organize for a specific anti-Gay
¯ message; the New Jersey Supreme Court also found that the
¯ inclusion of openly Gay assistant scoutmasterJames Dale would
¯ not violate the BSA’ s First Amendment rights offree association
¯ and free speech.
." ~I’llis case represents a classic struggle in our country?s ever-
" evolving democracy," said Ettelbrick, a veteran attorney and
: national expertLon legal-issues facing.the Ga~y~ lesbian~ bisexual
¯ and transgender community. "It is the stragglebetween agroup’ s ¯
right to establish its own values and the government’ s obligation
¯ to ensure that the law does not give effect to those private biases
when they are used to inhibit equality." .. . ~
: Ettelbrick praised the Lambda Legal Defense and Education
¯
Fund, which has served as lead counsel for James Dale and has
¯ assembled a broad collection of groups to sign friend-of-the-
. court briefs. Those groups range from NGLTF and the National
¯ Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
: to the attorneys-general of 10 states, including Oklahoma Attor-
: ney General Drew Edmondson (see related story this page).
¯ NGLTF’ S brief can be found online via I..ambda’ s website at
: http:/Iwww.lldef.org/sectionslseetionsldalepresskit/
: amicusaclu.html.
i
Vermont Governor
Signs Gay Union Bill
by Ross Sneyd, Associated Press Writer
¯ MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Gov. Howard Dean ¯
signed into law on Wednesday, April 26, 2000, a
¯ bill making Vermont the first state to give Gay and
’ Lesbian couples all the rights and benefits of mar-
¯ riage - without legally declaring it a marriage. ¯
"I think the powerful message is that in Vermont,
¯ we tend to value people for who they are, not what
¯ they are," the Democratic governor said after the
House gave the measure final approval Tuesday.
° The bill, which House members supported 79-68,
¯ arrived at the governor’ s deskjust before lunch and
¯ was signed quietly prior to a2pmnews confe~e,nce, ¯
Vermont lawmakers didn’t use the term mar-
" riage to describe the official state sanction. Instead
¯ they set up aparallel track of"civil tmions," which
¯ would give Gay and Lesbian partners the property
and other legal fights of spouses. Such unions
¯ would become legal July 1. No state has ever gone
¯ so far in recognizing the relationships that Gay and
"- Lesbian couples form.
." Three couples and the lawyers who sued in 1997
¯ when they were denied marriage licenses watched
in the crowded Housechamber as the final roll was
¯ called and House representatives agreed to minor
." changes made by their colleagues in the Senate.
¯ Stacy Jolles and Nina Beck stood cradling their 5-
¯ month-old son, Seth. PeterHarrigan stood embracing
Stan Baker, who held a small necklace from
¯ which his parents’ wedding rings dangled. And
¯ Holly Puterbaugh held hands as Lois Famham
¯ wiped tears fromher eyes. "This isn’ tmarriage, but
it’ s ahuge and powerful bundle ofrights that we’ ve
¯ finally gotten," Baker said moments after the vote.
¯ After the vote, Rosana Vestuti, 41, of Montpelier,
sat on a window seat as legislators, Gay and
." Lesbian couples and thepress milled about. "It’ s so
¯ nice. I have all this in my eyes," see Vermont, p. 7
¯ OKC Gay Group Meets
With Daily Oklahoman
OKLAHOMACITY -Leaders in OklahomaCity’ s
are hailing an early April meeting with Sue Hale,
: the new executive editor of the Daily Oklahoman.
¯ The Daily Oklahoman which was characterized in ¯
the Columbia Journalism Review as "the worst
: newspaper in America" has been known for its
¯ unfair treatment of Lesbian and Gay issues, not ¯
only on the editorial pages but in regular, "objec-
¯ five" newscoverage.
¯ Those who met with Hale are participants in a
¯ new speakers bureau. "Speakers for Gay and Les-
¯ bian Issues" was organized with the goal of reach-
¯ ing out to the straight commtmity to facilitate ¯
¯ understanding of the realities of.being Gay and
Lesbian. Karen Pars0ns,Nathaniel Batchelder, Paul
¯ Thompson, and Rob Abiera attended the meeting
¯ with Hale, a thirty-year veteran of the Daily Okla-
" homan.
¯
Hale was chosen to be the successor to Stan
¯ Tiner, who left the Daily Oklahoman after several
¯ months of working to remold the paper into a more
¯ progressive, contemporary medium which would
¯ more accurately reflect the diversity of Oklahoma
." City.
¯ Halewas approached after reports.began to surface
of her interest in "social justice" issues. And
¯ though homophobic diatribes continue to grace the
editorial page - still under the firm control of
¯ Patrick McGuigan - the rest of the paper was ¯
showing signs of neutrality, if not being outright
; Gay-friendly.
¯ One place where the paper was showing signs of
¯ openness has been in the movie reviews. Kathryn
; Jenson White had come from the Oklahoma Ga-
: zette (OKC’ s alternative weekly) and had always
¯ been of decidedly liberal persuasion. It did not take
¯" long after Tiner’ s departure to see that she would
: continue to be so, and when two GLBT-themed
: Oscar coatenders see Daily, p. 11
_;
!
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’ s, 1737 S. Memorial
Full Moon Care, 1525 E. 15th
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Sqtmre
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan
*The Storm, 2182 S. Sheridan
*Renegades/Rainb0w Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’s, 2114’S: Memorial
*Tool Box, 1338 E: 3rd
712-2324
610-5323
583-6666
749-4511
744-4280
745-9998
834-4234
835-2376
585-3405
660-0856
584-1308
*The Yellow-Bri~k-Road.Pub,~-2630,E...1$th, ........ ;749~1563
Tal~a~BtlstPiesse~Set~ices, &: Pcofe~s~o~als~.~.; :
Advanced Wireleg~&::P~,S~ Di~ithl Cellulhi ~ ~ ~ i.tJ ~ q47:q508’
*Assdd ih~19I~d!&:M~fi¢~l ~da]ttl)2325 8’: H~ii~c~a~ 74g-’~i000’,
Kent Balch &Assr(~htes, Health & Life Insurance 747-9506
*Barnes & N~bl~’ B66ksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
*Barnes &N0bl~Broksellers, 5231 E. 41
Body Piefdfigby Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Books & MUsic, 2740 E. 21
*Borders BOoks’ &MUsic, 8015 S. Yale
Brooksid~ J~w~lfy,4649 S. Peoria
*CD War~hogs~,’3807c S. Peoria
*Cheap Thrills~ 2640 E. 1 lth
Cherry Stl Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis
665-4580
712-q 122
712-’9955
494-2665
743~5272
746_0313~
295-5868
581-0902, 743-4H7
Community Cleani~ag, Kerby Baker
Tim Daniel, Attorney
*Deco to Dfsco, 3212 E. 15th
DoghouSe oti:Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria
*Elite Books &Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
*Ross Edward Salon ~"58420337,
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main ,., " ’-.
*Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th PI:
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med: Ctr.
.Gay & Lesbian-Affordable Daycare
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st
Learme M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney
*Sandra’ J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly
*International Tours
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th
*Jared’ s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th
David Kauskey, Country Club Barbering
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening
*Kerfs Flowers, 1635 E. 15
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210
*Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo
*The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696,74101
Richard’ s Carpet Cleaning
Teri Schutt Rex Realtors 834-7921,
Scribner’ s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square
Paul Tay, Car Salesman
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
622-~0700-
352:9504, 800-742-9468
74%3620
744~55~6
83828~03
712-9379
59"2-0460
744-9595
6t0-0880-
628-3709.
808-8026
742~1460
459-9349
744-7440
745-1111
341-6866
7.12-2750
582-3018
747-0236
582-8460
599-8070
747-5466
585-1234
584-3112
663-5934
664-2951
838-7626
743 -4297
747-5932
834-0617
747-4746
749-6301"
260-7829
481-0558
835-5563
743-1733
665-2222
592-0767
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579-9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black & White, Inc.POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 -587-7314o
Bless Ttl~ LO~d at~All Tirn~ -Chflstian Ce-n’tdr/2207 E. 6 58327815-
*B/LiG/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. & Florence
*Churchof:the RestorafionUU., t3t:4N:Greenwood 587-1314"
*CommtmityofHopeUnitedMethodist,2545 S. Yale 747-6300
*Comrmmity Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595
Council Oak Men’ s Chorale 748-3888
*DelawarePlayhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free SpiritWomen’ s Center, call for location&info: 587-4669
Friend ForA Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
POB 4140, Tulsa, OK 74159
e-mail: TulsaNews@ earthlinlc net
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Neal
Writers + contributors:
James Christjohn, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche,
Lamont Lindstrom Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers
Member of The Associated Press
Issued on or before the 1 st of each month, the enttre contents
hi" this ubli t~on e protecte~l bv US copyright 1998 8y
~/~ ~ :ahd~may~hd~,be~ep~oduoed e~tlaer m
~ w,hol¢ort~p.a~_ ~’~l~OUt w~atte~a p~.r0~SSlQ~~ro~ ~publisheir. ~
Publication of a name or photo does not.indicate a person’ s
sexual orientation. Corr~spbndeii~ i~assumed to be for.
publication" unlessootherwis~noted,, must be signed & becomes.
the ao_l¢ property ofr~ ~’~.’. Nt,w4 Eachreader
is entitled to 4 copiesof each editt0n at distribution
pointsJ Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
: Interfaith AIDS Ministries
: Dear friends,
¯ The present realities of HIV/AIDS and
: decreased focus on and interest in HIV-
: related issues have made providing HIV/
: AIDS servicesadifficnltifnotimpossible
r task. This is true on a national as well as
: local level, Late last fall Interfaith AIDS
: Ministries (IAM) received a letter from
: AIDS National InterfaithNetwork (ANIN)
that itwas closing its doors," as a result of
: financial difficulties which cumulatively
¯ .v". und" e,.r~l",nc.d ~I ’ ~ Vl"l~b,"l i "
: reaht~l~s ~a~e~t ~n~pq~s~ble,. ~o ttmcgqq
¯ :..is With deep r~gret that I must announce
: that the boardof Interfaith AIDS Minis-
¯" ’tries has’made the decision to discontinue
: client services.
: I have for srme time continued as the
¯ directorona.volunteerbasis at the board"g ¯ reques ; L’.am no longer able to d.o
¯ Work-~.~,~.~ and personal responslbl,~i,7
582-0~38 ties maKeit impossible forme to continue
¯ Holland Hall School, 5666 E. 81st. 481-1111 ¯
HOPEI HiV-.Outredch,Pi?~vefifibn:,Edt~cafion 834-8378
: .*H0us.e. O~ the Holy Spitff ~_~nstri¢s,.32!0~ s~~. ’Nb~wood .......
:::-iii~e~ ~iDS MJnislii~s/~ ...... 4381~437, 800-284-2437 ."
:."¥~C~~ United~-i623 :N. Mapi~w00d~: " ~ 838-i715
¯ NAMESPr0ject,.3507 E. Admiral- PlY . 748-3111 . ¯
NO.W, Nat’l Or.g for Womeri;"POBlZ!0.68174159 365-5658
¯ OK Spokes Club (bic~clifig), POB 916~,-.74157 " .
¯ *OSU-TUiSa ’ " ’ ¯
¯ ..PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901 :
¯
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674 "
¯ Prime-Timer~P.O. Box 52118, 74152 "
¯ R.A.I:N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network~ ........ 749-4195 ¯
¯Red Ro~k Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 ..... 584~2325 ¯
; O’ RYAN, support group for 18-24 LGBT young adults
O’RYAN, Jr. support group for 14-17 LGBT youth "
St. Aidan’ s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882 ¯
¯
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140
¯
*St. Jerome’ s Parish Church, 205 W. King .582-3088 "
¯" *Tulsa,~ea United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171 ¯
¯TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225 ¯ ¯
Tulsa County HealthDepartment, 4616 E. 15 595-4105 :
¯
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only "
¯ TulsaOkla. for HumanRights, c/o The PrideCenter 743:4297
¯ T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform!Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule ¯
: *Tulsa Community College Campuses "
¯ *TulsaGay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105 743-4297 ¯ ¯
Unity Church of Christianity,3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833 ¯
Friead~,..in ~nity Social Org., i~i3 8~2~ 7..4 !.0. !
HIV~.~ente~2~i’38Chas’. Page Blvd. " -- 583-6611 : to do thejob rrsponsibly. It requires more ........
*Tulsa C.A.R:E.S., 3507 E. Admiral- 834-4i94~. time and energy than I am now able to
BARTLESVILLE
*Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
¯ OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN
Borders Books & Music, 3209 NW Expressway 405-848-2667
Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
¯¯ TAHLEQUAH
Stonewall League, call for information: 918~456-7900
¯ *Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
¯ Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
¯ NSU School of Optometry, 1001 N. Grand
HIVtesting every other Tues. 5:30-8:30, call for dates
: EUREKASI~;RINGS, ARKANSAS.
"~ Auttmm’ Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23
¯
*Jim & Brent’ s Bistro, 173 S. Main
DeVito’ s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St,
: MCC:0f the Living Spring
: Geek to Go!,TC Specialist, POB 429
¯ Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery
¯ Positive Idea Marketing Plans
Sparky’ s, Hwy. 62 East
: White Light, 1 Center St.
: JOPLIN, MISSOURI
*Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134 417-623-4696
501-253-7734 "
501-253-7457 :
501-253-6807 "
501-253-5445 ¯
501-253-9337 :
501-253-2776 "
501-253-5332 .
501-624-6646 "
501-253-6001 "
501-253-4074
¯
* is where you can find TFN. Not allare Gay-owned but allare Gay-friendly.
commiLAnd there is no one wilting and
able to take my place.
The bisard has made the decision t~
continue IAM’s existence, at this time.
IAM’s board will continue to meet periodicallyand
monitor the changing reali:°
ties of HIV/AIDS, its effect on our community
and any future role IAM may play
inmeeting needs. It is the ministry’ s hope,
of course, that the future will bring a cure.’.
that some day gatherings will be in remembrance
only.
The board and I wish to express our
deepest appreciation for you support of
the work of this ministry over the many
years of its existence. Without that support
IAM would not have been able to
serve the hundreds of individuals which it
has assisted withpractical, emotional, and
spiritual support. Thank you on behalf of
thosewehave served for themany gifts of
your time, your talents, and your support.
I appreciate the opporttmity the ministry
has provided me to serve those affected
by HIV/AIDS and to get to know
and work with all of you. It has been very
hard for me to step away from this work
knowing there is so much more to be
done. However, I know I have reached
that place where, even though there is alot
more I would have liked to have done, I
have done all I can do for now. I would ask
that you continue your prayers of those
living:~ith and affected by HIV/A~DS
and fofthOse who minister to them, for a
cure for this,devastating disease, and frr
those who have served Interfaith AIDS
Ministries. Thank you and God bless you.
Faithfully,
- Chaplain Diane Zike, Director
"focused on the issue of state’s rights"
and that the high court’, s ruling in the case.
"will have no direct effect in Oklahoma."
"Oklahoma does not have the same antidiscrimination
law as New Jersey,"
Edmondson said. "For me and my office,
this matter was soldy decided on the
advancement of states’ rights."
Theissue ofstates’ rights involves powers
reserved to the states under the 10th
Amendment and immunity from lawsuits
under the 1 lth Amendment.
Edmondson, a former Boy Scout and
see Attorney, p.7
by Christopher Graft, Associated Press Writer
On the day Unilever bought Slim-Fast for $2.3 billion
and Ben & Jerry’s for $326 million, it was the smaller
purchase that captured the headlines and attentionnationwide.
TheNew York Times, The Washington Postand The
Associated Press were among the major news organizations
that focused on the purchase of the tiny ice cream
company, mentioning the acquisition of the much-larger
Slim-Fast only to savor the unusual pairing of the fatten,
ing and dieting duo.
ceutical industry or whoever is his enemy of the moment.
It is remarkable, actually, that Vermont gets as much
attention as it does - through Ben, Jerry, and Bernie, and
through U.S. Sens. Pat Leahy and Jim Jeffords and Gov.
Howard Dean, all of whom have images of straight
talkers in a business full of bluster. I suspect the nation’ s
high interest in things Vermont has something to do with
"... More and more in recent years Vetmont
has been out front in tackling tough Why? Why does a $326 million purchase gain more
attcntionthatva$2.3~billionone?Qu~fle-simplybecauseno ¯ probl.ems. There is something about the
one ldab~s 6r~ cares ~h6 !o~vns Shn~-Fast." ~ . , ~ ¯ . ¯
Butdle k~d~Be~duidflie ’ldid,& J " ~’" ""~ ~ ,.small ~s~ze of the state that allows exper~-
¯ ! y ,, ! , y.:,. . ’. erry. mlamey care . .... ¯ ¯ : ¯
who owns th~s’c0mpa@.~ h~;ce ~dffay~ b~fi ~ttnazed’l~ ~. :nlentat~i0ii. Aiad ther is something a~ well
the wide interest in Ben & Jerry’ s. By the news media.
And by peo_p,te in general. Because, to be blunt about it,
Ben & Jerry s is a tiny company, with an insignificant
share of the ice cream market. The appeal, though, stems
from the fact there are two real guys at the heart of this
company; two guys who want t6~do good.
No faceless multinational ctlialj._"~,y with layers of
bureau...cracy. This xs Ben and Je~’.~,~-stlll doing a little
scooping here and there, and always keeping their eyes on
social concerns. And that strikes a nerve with the publicl
Twoguys who want to do good. Helping out the little guy
by earmarking 7.5% of the pretax p.r.ofits for charity and
running campaigns to help children and savethe family
farm. Two guYS. Doing good.
Bernie Sanders strikes that same nerve. This past week
found him gushingly profiled in the New York Times and
prominently featured in the Boston Globe, the National
Journal.and on Nagonal Public Radio. H~ is just one of
435 members of the U.S. House - and ye’~ he reaps far
more than his share of publicity - just like Ben and Jerry
do. Why? Because he, too, strikes a nerve. Bernie is the
fighter for the little guy, taking on the powerful pharma-
" about the attitude of its polltieal leaders
¯ and people, an attitude that champions eivll
i
r~ghts and foeuse~ on the little guy.
: As difficult as it seems for some people,
the debate this year over extending
i
benefits to Gay and Le~hian couples
is part of that tradition..."
: theseindi~iduals, but it als0 has s0me~ng to do with the
state, its people and its heritage.
¯ In a time when many people feel disconnected from
~ their communities, when they feel overwhelmed by the
¯ stresses and strains of everyday life, Vermont seems to
¯ offer an anchor and a hope. Vermont is small enough.to
retain the seBs¢ of community lost elsewhere, and is
¯ unafraid to try the unconventional - to stand up for the
¯ litde guy. ¯
Ben, Jerry, Bernie and the others are not creating a new
image for Vermont: They are simply building on what
Editor’s note: the following are remarks made by new
NGLTF Executive Director Elizabeth Toledo at the National
Press Club at apress conference held on April.25.
"Good morning. I am here this morning to discuss the
state of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender
movement (GLBT) for equality in the United States.
As many state legislatures across the land wrap tip their
work and adjourn, we are seeing a frenzied pace of
legislative activity surrounding GLBT issues. For only
the second year in our movement’ s history, we have seen
bills favorable to our community outnumber unfavorable
bills - and the ratio is rapidly increasing.
So far this year, the National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force has tracked 466 bills, of which 288 are favorable
and 178 are unfavorable. By comparison, last year, we
tracked 269 favorable bills and 205 unfavorable bills.
A trend has emerged which shows that although the
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender population remains
under fierce attack, the movement toward civil
rights for all is steadily gaining strength.
Today the Vermont House of Representatives is poised
to give final approval to a bill that would allow same-sex
couples the right to enter into official civil unions sanctioned
by the state. If approved and signed into law, the
Vermont bill will do what no state has ever done before
- it will pr0~ide same~s,¢x couples wi~ al! of the fights,
benefits iitid ~i~0fi-iilsNties Of niarfiag~ thai a state can
offer.
Vermont has garnered a lot of attention, and rightfully
so. But did_you know_ about Georgia? Indiana? Mai_ne?
Alabama?’GeOrgia this Tear foi~ ,the firs:t!time ever: has
passed and enacted a hate crimes law. Indiana has passed
and enacted a hate crimes data collection law. While not
a full-blown hate crimes law, it represents the first rime
hidianalegislators have everreacted favorably to aGLBT
issue. Maine has passed and forwarded to the voters a
full-scale civil rights law that includes sexual orientation.
In Alabama, the House has passed an historic bill adding
.sexual orientation to the existing hate crimes law. Thebill
is scheduled to come up for a heating in the Senate
tomorrow.
Five states - Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire,
New Mexico, Wisconsin - have defeated attempts to
either pass or strengthen anti-same-sex marriage laws.
¯
The pace of activity this year continues a trend we first
¯ noticed in 1999, a breakthrough year for the GLBT
; .- movement. Last year’ s legislative victories included his-
" toric advances in such disparate states as California,
: Kentucky, New Hampshire and Nevada. In California,
legislators passed and the governor signed a trio of bills
: "...Vermont has garnered a lot of
: attention, and ghtf lly But did
you know about Georgla.9
Indlana.~ Maine.9 Alabama?
Georgia this year for the first time ever
has passed and enacted a hate erlmes
law. Indiana has passed and enacted a
hate cr~mes data collection law..."
that established a statewide registry for same-sex couples,
added sexual orientation to thenondiscrimination clauses
under the state Fair Employment and Housing Act and
offered public school students some protection against
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
In Kentucky, tWO cities..and two_ 9oun.ties ad~pted, pro-
GLBT civil rights measures. In New Hampshire, a law ¯
preventing same-sex couples from adopting children was
repealed. And Nevada became the 1 lth state to ban job
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
~While we hav~ l~geiy ~picked-ul~iii flJ~ ~e’a~’2000 -
where we left off, the news is not all good. Two states -
Utah and Mississippi -have passed bills preventing "
same-sex couples from adopting children. Two state "
legislatures - Colorado and West Virginia- passed laws
preventing same-sex couples from marrying, and Call- "
fornia voters approved a measure banning the state from "
recognizing same-sex marriages in other states. The "
number of states that have explicitly passed laws banning
same-sexmamagewill reach 33 ifthe Colorado governor ,’.
signs that statefs legislation. :
Such activity reflects the unfortunate reality of our ,"
movement. There is a checkerboard quality to the legal ¯
and cultural victories for the LGBT movement, and too "
¯ was there. This state has always been seen as a bastion of
¯ common sense and a breeder of courageous people.
Yes, Vermont’ s pastoral image is of a bygone era of
¯ village squares and hillside farms. But its political image,
its heritage, in fact, is of courage, of caring, of going
¯ where others fear to tread.
Ralph Flanders was about as conservative as they
~ come. But he had the courage to stand up in the U.S.
¯ Senate and call for an end to Joe McCarthy’ s red-baiting,
¯ taking a stand that for Flanders was steeled in the values ¯
in the Bill of Rights. And so it was for George Aiken,
¯ fighting against :the banks, the rai!roadS, and~ flae marble
¯ and:~~ani,t.~i,n~t.u.stries in the ’3Os~ and spegaki~g up yche,It
¯¯ - others,would not .about the~ ,folly’,.of,Vietnam. :, . . . ..
More and mpre in. recent ~ears V,e.rmont:has been out
¯ front in tackling tough problems. There is something
: about the small size of the state that allows experimenta-
¯ tion. And there is something as well about the attitude of
¯ its political leaders and people, an attitude that champions
¯ civil rights and focuses on the little guy.
¯ As difficult as it seems for somepeople, the debate this
¯ year over extending benefits to Gay and Lesbian couples
¯ .is part of that tradition. Again the eyes of the nation are on
~ the state. Certainly there is apprehension and even oppo-
¯ sition, but it is reassuring and pleasing to see how much
: applause thereis. A South Carolinanewspaper writes that
¯ "Vermont has offered a sensible model for secular civil
¯ unions;" theArizonaDaily Star says "this is probably the ¯
¯ best solution possible to an emotional, important debate
that strains the bounds of Americans’ tolerance and
¯ respect for each other," and the Concord (N.H.) Monitor
; says Vermont has "passed what was a test of conscience."
¯ A tourist promotion campaigns a few decades back
¯ proclaimed that Vermont is what America was. It is more
¯ accurate today to say that Vermont is what America
¯ wants to be.
often the difference between legitimacy and illegitimacy
in the eyes of society may rest on something as arbitrary
as a state boundary. Many residents of thiS country
assume that the great strides of the civil rights movement
have afforded broad protection against discrimination for "
all. In fact the legal reality is that those of us in same sex
relationships have notbeen fully protectedfrom discrimination
in housing,jobs, family law, education - virtually
every aspect of our lives is subject to discrimination and
sadl y, hate violence or harassment remains a reality in
every state in the nation.
Too often the cultural strides that are made in the
media, in places or worship, in schools and universities
and in the workplace are misinterpreted as a sign that
equality has been won.
I’ll give you an example. The National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force frequently receives phone calls from
same-sex couples asking for alist of states in which they
can legally marry. These individuals see shows like Will
and Grace or Dawson’ s Creek. They worship in churches
or synagogues that welcome them. They are out in the
workplace or at school. They just assume, like many
heterosexual Americans, that the barriers of discrimination
have been eradicated.
The reality, of course, is quite different¯ Not a single
state allows same.sex mamage. 39 states allow Gay,
"Lesbian, Bisexual:and Transgender employees.to be fired
from ourjobs. 28 states lack hate crimes law s that include
sexual orientation. 18 states criminalize loving, same-sex
relationships.
.~ " T~day the GLBT movement i~ at a crossroads We.are
under open assault by those who would deny us basic
.human rights., and at the same time the nation.is witnessing
a surge in support for our cause. Ourtives, our
liberty, our pursuit of happiness depend upon our ability
to build strong political infrastructure and organize on the
state and local level.
Local orgamzing has always been the trademark of the
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Fortunately, we
are not alone. Today, the state and local political infrastructure
of the GLBT movement in the United States is
stronger than it has ever been before.
In 1996, NGLTFhelped found the Federation of Statewide
LGBT Political Organizations. see NGLTF, p. 11
College Course to Focus
On Net Hate Groups
BOSTON (AP) - One shows an image of a slain Gay
man burning in hell Another claims the FBI has
declared war on white Christians. A third pretends to
pay homage to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., then
suggests the civil rights leader was a sex fiend, a
communist and a "plastic god." They ~e radical,
hate-driven Internet sites and they are increasing
rapidly. This fall, they also will be the basis for a
communications class at Emerson College called
Hate.com. Robert Hilliard, an Emerson communications
prof~e,ssor, vlans to use ,the sites to examine how
radical gxpups use fi!e Internet to recrmt new members.
" "
Hilliard became interested in extremists~ when.he’
stumbled across a far-right talk radio show, and later
wrote abookonthe topic withBoston College professor
Michael Keith. "We began to listen and we said,
’Here we were, communications professionals and
we didn" t know about these people,’" Hilliard said.
"People have got to know what these people are
saying." Their book, "Waves of Rancor: Tuning in
the Radical RighC’ was well-received and ended up
onPresident Clinton’ s summerreading list. Hilliard’ s
says his class will .examine how the groups target
xmpressionable youth, how they multiply and how
they foment rage¯
More than 300 extremistWeb sites are on the
Internet today, ranging from neo-Nazi alliances to
Gay and Lesbian haters to Holocaust denials sites,
according to the watchdog Southern Poverty Law
Center¯ In 1998, the group counted 254 such Web
sites, up from 163 in 1997.
Experts say extremists are careful’not to urea away
viewers with upfront, inflammatory statements or
epithets. Instead, rock music and games draw in new
members gradually. OneNeo-Nazi site features bands
like RaHoWar, which stands for Racial Holy War.
"Others attract viewers with seemingly mainstream
articles, but the articles can lead to racist and conspiratorial
theories bolstered with passages from the
Bible and alternative historians.
Hilliard plans toinvite some hate site creators to the
class, giving them a chance to defend their work. One
rote creator satdhe s open to such challenges. I thi
the media is extremely biased against my point of
view and I want to provide an alternative to their
news," said Don Black, creator of Stormfront, one of
o.. the Web’ s oldest white nationalist sites.
Hilliard and others emphasize that extremist sites
are fully protectedby the First Amendment and stress
they are not calling for their removal. However,
Hilliardmakes no bones abouthis hopes that students
work to combat them. ’q?hese are people saying’We
must arm ourselves for a holy war to rid the world of
those who are not white, Aryan Christians or those
who disagree with our points of view,’" he said.
Idaho Public TV Faces
Program Challenges
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho. (AP) :-Adding adisclaimer to
.controversial programming on Idaho Public Television
may pacify prograrnm~ug restrictions from the
.Legislature while allowing the stationto keep federal
funding.
Idaho Board Of Education member Curtis ’Eaton
¯ proposed.Friday the board require PublieTelevision
tO air a disclaimer stating the station does not sanction
acts or events depicted in programming. In a letter
dated,April 13, Eaton asked.the ¯board to consider the
option-as a way torectncile what he describes aft
contradictory statements in recent.legislation that
require theboard to regulateprogramming deemed to
promote acts illegal in Idaho.
The controversy over programming began last.
spring, when Idaho Public Television General Manager
Peter Morrill decided to air"It’ s Elementary," an
hour-long documentary abouthow five public school
districts across the country dealt with teaching kids
about homosexuality. Christian conservatives lobbied
the board to veto the program, but in June 1999
the board voted unanimously not to interfere with
Morrill’ s programming decision.
But the Legislature got involved this spring by
including restrictions in a funding package for the
network that reouire the board to monitor and reject
programming that "promotes, supports or encourages
the violation of Idaho criminal statutes." Because
sodomy is illegal in Idaho, the bill could be interpreted
tomeanprograms like"It’ s Elementary" should
be cut. Or, because robbery is an Idaho felony, documentaries
about legendary thieves Bonme and Clyde
mightbebarred. ButboardmemberHarold Davis said
he agreed with the restrictions and felt "It’ s Elementary’
crossed the line iiito promoting "the Gay
lifestyle." Heopposed Eaton’ s proposal, saying itwas
not sufficient to meet Legislative demands for new
policy.
Methodists Callings,For:+
Investigation of Bishop
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Some parishioners want
religious leaders to investigate the United Methodist
Church bishop who decided not to charge 68 ministers
who attended and endorsed a Lesbian wedding.
The western region of the United Methodist Church’ s
College of ~3ishops received two letters from parishioners,
asking for aninvestigationinto whether Bishop
Melvin Talbert disregarded church laws, including
one banning same-sex unions. Bishop Elias Galvan of
Seattle, a member of the religious body, said the o
letters would be reviewed to see if they merit complaint
status.
John Stumbo, a Fort Valley, Ga., lawyer and member
of the Coalition for United Methbdist Accountability,
said the complaints centered around comments
Talbert made when he announced that there
was no basis f01~ a trial. At the time, Talbert said it was
more important for the church to be all-inclusive than
to puuish someone for blessing a union not officially
sanctioned by the churcJa; But Stumbo said Talbert
and the church’ s investigative committee disregarded
a church law against homosexual, marriage in reaching
their decision,
If the-College of Bishops finds grounds for complaint,
a separate committee wouldinvestigate whether
Talbert should be tried in a church court, which would
have the power to impose a number of penalties,
including expulsion. Talbert’ s secretary said thebishop
was travding and could not be reached for comment.
The Rev. Don Fado of St..Mark’ s United Methodist
Church in Sacramento performed the January 1999
ceremony for churchmembers Ellie Charlton, 64,and.
Jeanne BametL 69. He and 67 other ministers offiCiated
en masse at the ceremony.
University Denial of
Benefits Ruled Legal
P1TTSBU-RGH (AP) - The University of Pittsburgh
has-legally denied health benefits to same-sex partners
of employees, an AlleghenyCounty judge ruled.
Judge Robert Gallo said that Pitt’ s policy is neutral
because health benefits are offered to all employees
regardless of sexual orientation, and Pitt also denies
benefits to unmarried partners of heterosexual employees.
"This ruling dearly iupholds what has been
the university’ s .position, thr0~ghout these proem,dings
- namely that the universityhealth benefits plan
is legal and nondiscriminatory," Pitt spokesman Ken
Service said.
But. Deborah Henso~, ia’former Pittinstn~ctorWho-’
sued when the university denied benefits to her Le~.-
bian partner, said she’would appeal to Common~
wealth Court. ’~Fhis is.important in terms of fairness.,,
and equality," Hens,on s~d.."pitt has .l~e~¯ ~gh~ng
tooih and nail, inmy opiuion,tojus,tff,y~ disenmina~tton
against Gay and Lesbi~in persons. Henson and six
others were plaintiffs in a lawsuit alleging that Pitt
violated a city ordinance banning discrimination
against Gay~ and Lesbians. I-Ienson’ s attorneys had
wanted the case to be heard by the Pittsburgh CommissiononHumanRelations,
whichhears complaints
about violations of the city ordinance.
Ga!lo said the commission has nojurisdiction over
Pitt. In November, Gov. Tom Ridge signed a law
exempting state universities and colleges from being
forced by city anti-discrimination laws to provide
same-sex benefits. Pitt is a state-affiliated institution.
United in
God’s Love
¯ MCC-Un=ted
Sunday WOrship
11:00 am
1623 N. Maplewood
Reverend Cathy Elliot
Pastor
918/838-1715
Community
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
at Community ofHope
2545 South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0595
.... A Welcoming Congregation
HOUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sun. Worship, 10:45 am, Sunday School, 9:30 am
Wed. Bible Study, 7 pm
3210b S. Norwood, Info: 224-4754, Chris or Sharon
- Sandra Hill
Licensed Professional & National Certified
Counselor, Certified Hypnotherapist
Psychotherapy & Clinical Consultation
After Hours Appointments Available
2865 E: Skelly Drive, Suite 215,745-1111
Red Rock Tulsa- O’RYAN
Oklahoma Rainbow Young Adult Network
Outreach Program Thurs. Nights
Meet Others in a Safe Enviroment
Call for meeting times and place:
918-58.4=2325
Mingo Valley Flowers
~9413 E. 31St St., Tulsa 74145
918-663-5934, fax: 663-5834, 800-444-5934
Family Owned & Operated
Trinna L. W. Burrows, LSW, ACSW
Ghild, Family, Individual & Gouplo Psychothorapy
(918) 743-9559
2121 South Columbia, Suite 420
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
The Pride Store
1307 E. 38th, 2nd floor
Tulsa Gay Community Services Center
743-GAYS (743-4297) .. i .
6-9 pm, Sunday - Friday
’12-9 pm, Saturday, all sales benefit the cOnter
Certified Public Accountant
a professional corporation
747-5466
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The Episcopal Church Welcomes You
"Recognizing that Pitt’ s health care contract on its
face prohibits Pitt from providing benefits to both
same sex and heterosexual unmarried couples, making
n~ distinction between the two, it is dear that the
commi ssion would be precluded from finding that an
unlawful practice hadbeen committedbyPitt," Gallo’ s
written ruling said.
Other universities in Pennsylvania that offer samesex
benefit~ include the University of Pennsylvania,
Swarthmore College and DickinsfnCollege. C.amegie
MdlonUniversity.faculty earlier this monthaccepted
a recommendation-that the:,.university ,provide samesex
benefits as wall..CMU’ s board of trustees must
approve the recommendation as well before samesex
benefits will be extended, according to university
spokesman Don Hale.
BOSh
on Vermont Civil Unions
¯ Clark delivered opening and dosing arguments ¯
while Richard Van Wagoner, another Salt Lake City
¯ lawyer, grilled Seidel on her decision to disqualify
¯ PRISM but sanction the Polynesian Club and the
¯ Odyssey of the Mind Club. ’Seidel also nixed a
¯ women’ s literature club, saying she had suggested a
¯ genderless literature club instead. Campbell seemed
¯ particularly interested in that decision a~d asked for
¯ district records on it. ~ "....
." The judge frequently turned oia Dan: Larsen, an
¯ assistant Utah state attorney general d~fending the
¯ school district, attacking his argiamentsand declaring
school administrators were not hb~v~:the law. Dis-
- trict Superintendent Darlene Roblds: who was in the
¯ courtroom but did not testify, S~iid tti~ school board
¯ "wasla:t tr~_’0g to violate studen[s" ~F,ifst Amendment
¯ ~nghk~ and welcomed any ~]anfi~ohC ~ ll~ear~
"bring on, the m~tte~r~ ,
TEMPLE,Texas (AP)-Republican presidential candidate
George W. Bush refused to be drawn into
comment on Vermont’s civil unions, which would
grant to same~sex couples some 300 state benefits of
marriage, including medical decision-making, tax
breaks and inheritance. Bush has opposed recognizing
same-sex unions in Texas. "They have a right to
pass a law," Bush said. "It’ s the right of the state to
.make that decision just like it’s the right of the state
of South Carolina to make the decision on the flag."
Bush also met with a group ofGay Republicans last
week in Austin and said he was "a better person" for
heating their stories but still disagreed with them on
Gay marriage. The Texas governor answered questions
after making an elementary school appearance
to_~,r.omote "character education" on the anni .v.ersary
of the Columbine shootings.
School District InC0urt
Fi0r Rejecting Gay Club
SALT Li~KE CITY (AP) - A fede~r,al judge recently
shai~ly questioned a’s~hoor distiict s refuSai.to’sanctibia’
"d" ’ ~~d:¢rff ~ dub ’ that would-focus:,on:Gay "~-:
IJYe:sbjan~ssu¢si"’~ust (~ecaus~ yo~gof6"safi’6ol’d~i
m~y~.~0!~ -th~ii,~’~iis~ Aiii~iidifiefi{iights; U..S,"
Di~ft Jildg~ Teiah’ chmp~~tttold’.a lawyer for’the
S~,t-~ .city’s~tiool ~’~&:Campbell made.no
d~Li~ionlasr m’or~,...B.~t.~:.i.s e.x_pected’t0 nile ~60n
o..n~a’reqye~ by stud~,nt org~:z~r~’i6b~c~ia~lVadnfiil:
is~t6r~ find .~_~ "PRrSM~’Peoi~l~ R~spectingIm~
pdrt~t s~iAl Mov-&ia~nt~= ter@o:rary school privileges.
Campbell will then’decide the crux of the case:
w3aether schoql 9ffici~s violated the First Amendmeat
or their own-policy in sh~bb~ag., PRISM:Tot-?
merly the Gay-Straight Alliaiice and_now, reconsti-.
ttitM M’ii~i" aii ac~id’6G~i~ ib~ar to satisfy new district:
c[abrules, -
_ .Cynthia ~¢i_.dd i. the_Oi,S_tri’~? s._as~istani,~upe~nten-:
¯ dent, struggled on the stand Tliurs~y.~0¢xplaii~ why.,
PRISM didn’ t.qualify as, an academic_club;.contend:
ing,it represents a~ narrow..viewpoi~ o.n ~.~.erican
hist6ry and sociology In 1996, the school districi
el.i_nu,’na,ted all nonacademicdubs’i:aiher.than idlow
Qay .dubat East RighS&ooL ambve.that ,was
in~federat court..... .....",.. ~ .... ~, , ,.
,,7i?ne,G~y,~cltlb ~, 0n!y .n~et ~t’e~ ,h~ ~s
qo~.l~.u~:~.g,rpup. thin, must ~efi( siJa~e aiii£.~hy
insurance~ Th~~i~a’l~ ;sn ’t~16~l t6 liand ~tU~t t’l,y..¢~ oL
c~uh ~ha~e.t0~ay.fQr~ :,es si Coh~:saia’.’C6iien ~’d:
i~qrpos; ,oLtll.e .cfii~ is tbi~i~ss history"f~bifi:the
pcrsp.e.,,~tive~ of’G~y~ a~a)’?!;~in~."Seida ti~Z them
~O~i~ :Uec~U~ ~e’d0ii~t t~ch c,,urri~ulum from the
viewpini:dfGays and Legblans. ’. .
Stephen.Clark, l¢.gal director for the American
Civil ,Liberties, U,ni"on of Utah, argued that the denial
was a straighff0.r~v)ffd First Amendment v,iolation.
Clark also contends the district manipulated its own
club policy and sealed its decision against PRISM
with a new, still unwritten rule disqualifying clubs
advocating an "exclusive viewpoint" of subjects.
Lesbian Housing Rights
NEW YORK (AP) - A lawyer for a Lesbian medical
student asked a state appeals court to order Yeshiva
University to let the woman and her domestic partner
live together in school-subsidized housing.
James Esseks told a five-judge panel of the New
York State Supreme Court’ s Appellate Division that
Yeshiva’ s policy discriminates on the basis of marital
status and sexual orientation in violation of city and
state law. Esseks said the university pern-ts married
students to live in school housing only with spouses
and children. Because Gay couples cannot legally
marry, the policy has a disparate, discriminatory
impact on them, he said. Esseks represents Sara
Levin, 28, of San Francisco, a fourth-year student at
Yeshiva’ s Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Yeshiva
University is the oldest andlargest institution of
higher education under Jewish auspices in the United
States.
University Members
Protest Anti-GaY Slurs
GORHAM, "{~/Iaine (AP) - Abou(.125.~t_udent~, staff
and administrators attended ameeting following three
incidents o£ anti-Gay bias at the University of Southern
Maine. One student and two others were arrested
_ by GorhamandUSMpolicein connection with one of
" the three_’in.cidents, all of which took place during a
¯ one-week period earlier this spring. President Rich-
- : ard Pattenande assured participants.at Wednesday’ s
:Tmeeting that anti-Gay acts will not be tolerated.
:’ "USM stands unflinchingly for equality~. -. homophobid
has.no place at USM," Pattenande said..
The incidents began on the weekend of April 8-9
when anti.Gay graffiti was foundin Woodward Hall.
The graffiti referred to a resideatadvisor. The next
incidenthappened on April 13 when the same
Woodward resident advisor and anotheradvisor intervenedin
an out-of-control party. Both were taunted
~ with violent, anti-Gay threats. Last Saturday, another
¯ dormitory.staff workerfoundawritten-anti-Gay death
threat had been slipped under her’dtbr~" .......
’ Alhb:ama Hate:i::Cii :i:mes
Law Revision In:Trouble
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - At:i~n-danc~..at. a Senate
comfifittee meeting could determine the fate Of
lcgist~tif~;to ~;po,laxkA!.~b._a~a,~’.A~h~.qrim,es !~w to
indud~NXnald~r~e~a~:.ti...on.!.7~.e.t)i:!$ pa~red~R~
49-39:on.April 6..George, Olssom Mbntgomery .area
coordinator for-the Gay and Le~ian,Al!iartc,e .of
Alabama~,s~d ’.~e ,J~c!~ci_ary _Co~t.t~~: sharply
which commi.B~me,_~a~bcrs shoN,upat tlag~tiil~eting.
Committee, cL~irman.:Rodger,:,Smi,ih~ianan, a
supporter Of the bill, agreed thdco~tteeii spfit 50-
50 and,attendance,could determine t!~.outcome.
Alabama law already mandates, mini.mm:n prison
terms that felons must serve for crimes motiyated by
race, color, religion, national origin, :ethnicity or
physical or mental disability. For instance,, if a person
committed a crime that is normally punishable by one
to 10 years in prison, the hate crimes law mandates the
person must serve at least two years in prison.
TB Spreading In
Transgender Group
ATLANTA (AP) - A tuberculosis outbreak
in the Transgender commtulities of
Baltimore and New York City may be
spreading to 0ther:cities, the government
said recently. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention confirmed 26 active
cases and 37 dormant cases of tuberculosis,
most of them connected to members
of the transgender community inthe
two cities.
The’ CD~,, ~s~ th~t~m~ig~asgender to:
encbn~Ss~"cro~-~dr~ss~dr~,~ those who
haveig~.,derg0~eI
and indi~id~Jai~ ~tio ~re’plafining to un~
dergo sex-change operations. All of the
cases in Baltimore were men except for
fourwomenwho w’ere eitherfamilymembers
of the men or health care workers
who treated them. Many had a strain of
TB treated with common antibiotics. The
government said 62% of the tuberculosis
patients tested positive for HIV, the virus
that causes AIDS. People with HIV are
susceptible to tuberculosis and could die
if not treated.
Transgenders often travd to many cities
frequenting social clubs and participaring
in fashion and dance competitions.
"Frequent travel and social network links
identified among the Baltimore andNYC
cases have raised concern that thi~ strain
¯ . may be circulating in other’~ities
among young, mobile transgender persons
withHIV infection," theCDCsaid in
a report¯
The CDC is checking for additional
cases linked to the same strain in Atlanta,
"Baltimore, Boston,NewYorkCity, Philadelphia
and Washington, D.C.
Actor Bruce Willis
Donating to Charity
LOS ANGELES (AP) - There’ s more to
theBruceWillis appearances on"Friends"
than a potential ratings boost. The actor,
who agreed to be a guest star on NBC’ s
"Friends" for three episodes during the
May ratings "sweeps," is donating earnings
from the show to five charities. The
amount of money wasn’ t disclosed.
The American Foundation for AIDS
Research, AIDS Project Los Angeles, the
Elizabeth Glaser PediatricAIDS Foundation,
the Rape Treatment Center and
UCLAUnicamp for underprivileged children
will share the money, Willis publicist
Paul Bloch said.
On "Friends," Willis plays the widowedfather
ofRoss’ new girlfriend. Willis
became friendly with "Friends" actor
Matthew Perry when they both starred in
the movie "The Whole Nine Yards."
Study on Prison
Sex in Kentucky
MOREHEAD, Ky. (AP) - A Morehead
State University professor is conducting a
study on prison sexuality, a topic he says
has been shrouded in silence but must be
dealt with. The information could be used
to combat the spread of AIDS and improve
prison safety. Christopher Hensley,
a sociology professor who directs
Morehead’s Institute for Correctional
Research and Training, said the survey is
the first of its kind in Kentucky.
Hensley studied prison sex in Oklahoma
and found that nearly one in four
male prisoners had engaged in sexual
activities with fellow inmates. Overall.
13.8% of all prisoners said they had been
: "threatened sextmlly" by other inmates
: and 1.1% said they had been raped.
". If they have AIDS or another sex~mlly
¯ transmitted disease, they’ll be spreading
: it to their partners, he said. "These people
: are g,oing to be getting out of prison and
¯¯ they re going to be having sex with their
wives or husbands," Hemley said.
: The sweeping 46-question survey .,asks
¯ about jailhouse consensual sex,
: autoeroticism and rape. About 3,600 of
: Kentucky’ s 15.300 prisoners have been
¯ asked to participate. The survey is volun-
!, ~tary and_anonymouL Funded in part b~ a
.: ~$1,600 ~ant from ’Morehe~id~State,! the ":~i ~ques~i~res have~n ~ent to i.m~tes
¯ ’. dt three Of the state’ s .12 male prisons and
: toinmatesatthestate’sonlyfemaleprison.
¯ Results will be released this fall.
Hensley’ s research has "extraordinary
value," said Cindy Stmckman-Johuson, a
professor of psychology at the University
of South Dakota. But~topic is so taboo
that few scholars focus on it, she said.
"We should have hundreds of people
studying it," Struckman-Johnson said.
"Sex inprisonis amajor cause ofviolence
... of upset and turmoil, a major cause of
disease."
Prisoners’ rights advocates also say the
sexuality data could be useful. "Prison is
a very violent place and ff (officials) can
get a better idea about the reality ofprison
rape and what’ s going on, hopefully they
caTu be more prepared to deal with that
issue," said Kara Gotsch, a public policy
coordinator with the Washington, D.C.-
based National Prison Project of the
American Civil Liberties Union.
Struckman-Jotmson said some prison
administrators try to quash these kinds of
studies out of concern about negativepublicity.
But Morehead State administrators
and Kentucky prison officials approved
Hensley’ s study.
Hensley also has co-written an article
on conjugal visitation in Mississippi, and
his study on consensual homosexual activity
in male prisons in Oklahoma is
scheduled for publication in December in
a prison-related academic journal.
Russian Prison
For HIV+ Inmates
MOSCOW (AP) - Authorities in a Siberian
region plan to open a separate prison
for inmates infected with HIV, the virus
that causes AIDS, a news report said last
month.
About 600 HIV-positive convicts are
serving time in prisons of the Irkutsk
region, and another 300 infected people
are held in pre-trial detention, said Boris
Gronik, chief of the regional Justice Ministry
branch in charge of prison administration.
Gronik said afflicted inmates
present a danger to other prisoners, and
need to be removed; the ITAR=Tass news
agency reported. "Unless they are all gathered
in one place, the situationmayget out
of control," Gronik was quoted as saying.
Russia already has one special prison
for HIV-positive convicts, ITAR-Tass
said. The jail is located in the Baltic Sea
enclave of Kaliningrad, which has one of
the highest concentrations of AIDS cases
in Russia.
In a separate development, authorities
in the southern Siberian republic of
Buryafia, next door to lrkutsk, said 101
HIV cases have been registered in the
republic, up from 24 at the start of the
year, ITAR-Tass reported.
HIV has been spreading fast in Russia
and more than 30,000 registered cases
March.
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for
justice & equality for
Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury,
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1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
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Weekend and evening appointments are available.
Medical
Excellence And
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Care Since
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Medical Excellence ¯ Compassionate Care
~ Tulsa’s only~o/essional
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Are You Gay or Bisexual?
Are You Native American?
Tulsa’s Two-Spirited Indian Men’s
Support Group is here for you!
¯ E~ening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HIV testing
For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
Call JOHN RAGAN, the friend!y, caring real estate agent who understands
your special needs! 918-583-2125 800-559-1558 ~.NewNest.com
reviewed by Barry Hensley . In the mid 1960’ s, Garlandstarted re-
Tulsa City-County Library ¯ cording her memories and feelings on a
Judy Garland’ s fascinating and tumul- " reel to reel tape recorder. Theoretically, it
tuous.life has become the subject of yet ¯ was to be a verbal, and hopefully moneyanothercontroversialbiography,
thistime " making autobiography, butinreality,forby
Gerald Clarke, author tifiedbyherfavoritewine,
of "Capote." Goddess of "Extraordinarily Blue Nun, it became a ti-
Gay men of a certain age, . oor, at~ ehoosln , . ~ade.ag~in~t~pe°p!eand
Judy died inlJun~iof. 196~,~ ¯-P. .... ~,~ :- ¯ ~ .; cbmpafli~s~ "who"~ had a week. before’thei tone.-" .... hn,s t~ d.s",,,:the ""~ ’.wronged her. C~arlde
wall rio.t in York,
her 77 ..... "s. ems especially proud
which started the modem that he had access to these
Gay rights, movement.
From Dorothy in "The
Wizard of Oz," through a
series of film successes, to
someembarrassing television
performances, and, fin.
ally., to aging songstress
staging substandard tunes
written by her lover, Judy
Garland’s career was a
rollercoaster ride unparalleled
in showbiz history.
. .Through thenewspapers, radio and television,
the public eagerly watched her
career rise and fall many times over a
thirty year period. Each triumphant performance
was soon followedby some sort
of disaster. Extraordinarily poor at choosing
husbands, the public followed her
volatile personal life as well, although
they were probably unaware of a few
Lesbian encounters that are mentioned in
Get Happy. Cycling down to an untimely
an-d-litigation filled end, Judy’s stormy
life finally exhausted and frustrated her
friends, fans and family. Her story is one
of the greatest indictments against the
excessive use of drugs and alcohol that
American popular culture has produced.
After ten years of interviews and meticulous
investigation, Clarke has written
ahuge tome, second only to GeroldFrank’ s
700 page biography, "Judy," in 1975.
Clarke had access to the personal diary of
Dottle Ponedel, Judy’ s longfime makeup
woman, who apparently found that Judy
was the most interesting thing in her life.
Clarke also interviewed many of Judy’ s
costars, friends, directors and conductors,
including Arfie Shaw, Lena Home, and
Judy’ s mostinfluential husband, SidLuft.
she said, wiping the tears and gesturing at
the joyous chaos on the House floor.
Their jubilahon was matched by anger
among opponents, who have complained
that lawmakers weren’ t listening to their
concerns. "The people of the state of Vermont
will be back in November and this
legislation will be repealed," said John
Nelson, a 70-year-old retired salesman.
The state Supreme Court unammously
ruled in December that the couples were
being unconstitutionally denied therights
and benefits of mamage. The legislature
decided to establish a parallel system for
Gays rather than broaden marriage statues
to include Gays and Lesbians.
The civil unions essentially duplicate
marriage, but are not recognized under
federal law denying Gay couples benefits
such as Social Security andirmnigrafion.
Under the law, Gay ~ouples will be
able to go to their town clerks and have
their unions certified by a judge or by a
member of the clergy. Breakups will be
handled in Family Court.
volatile personal life
as wall, although
they were probably
naware d a few
Lesbian encounters
that are mentioned in
~et Happy’..."
tapes, although at leastone
other Garland biography
has utilized them. Thecontent
of the tapes is very
interesting, although painfully
sad, as she lashes out
at the people who .made
millions off of her name
but left her penniless.
With the exception of
some films and her celebrated
Carnegie Hall concert,
Clarkelargely ignores Garland’ s professional
life, preferring to give us lurid
gossip and personal problems instead of
analyzing her varied career. In fact, of the
almost 500 pages in this book, only four
are dedicated to’q’heJudy GarlandShow,"
the 1963 CBS series that was the last,
sustained effort of her career (and which
is currently available on DVD.)
Reviewers and fans seem intensely polarized
about their opinions of this book.
(Check out the Amazon.corn reviews!)
While listing over 50 pages of notes and
acknowledgements, Clarke often relies
on unverifiable comments, some of them
quite ugly. He also seems obsessed with
Judy’s sex life, a topic well covered in
Judy Garland: The SecretLife ofanAmerican
Legend, by David Shipman. However,
his decade ofresearch pays off occasionally,
with someinteresting stories and
comments, although we must be aware
that what we are reading is quite probably
as much a juicy novel as it is a serious
biography. Either way, it’ s an intriguing
read.
Check out Get Happy, as well as many
of Garland’ s films or music at any branch
Library, or call Central at 596-7977.
the parent of a former Boy Scout, said
there have been 255 requests for the state
to join friend-of-the-court briefs since he
became attorney general in 1995. The
state has signed on to 111 of them, 68
dealing with states’ rights. "In making
those decisions, we have always tried to
focus on the legal issues rather than the
political ones," he said.
But lawmakers said Edmondson’s action
makes ~*. appear the state opposes the
right of the Boy Scouts to choose their
own leaders.
"’Drew Edmondson has put Oklahoma
on record in the highest court in the land
as being in favor ofthe homosexual movement
against the Boy Scouts," said Rep.
Bill Graves, R-OKC,-an outspoken opponent
of civil rights for Gay people. "I
thought the decision by the New Jersey
Supreme Court was an outrage," Graves
said.
Editor’s note: the switchboardfor the
Oklahoma House of Representatives is
800-522-8502.
Editor’s lugte: due to gremh’nesqueglitches
tn the e-mail, our regular "Amusements"
column byJim Christjohn never got to the
editorial desk. Unfortunately this came to
light at first::lighr’the mormng before
going to’.press, andbeing brave, but northat
brave, :I dtdt no:t invoke the wrath of
the dembn~ by Waking him at 5:30am.
Future issues.~willfeature interviews by
Christjohn: with members of the cast of
cal, will be at the
Tulsa Performing
Arts Centerbeginning
May 30 thro’
June 4th. As the
promoters, the
Tnlsa-based Celebrity
Attractions,
note interest
in the ill-fated
ship has been _ ~om Sesma
great, resulting in
televisionprograms, a"major motion picture,"
novels and "even a cookbook."
Indeed.
The show was written by Peter StOne,
known for other shows: 1776, T~e Will
Rogers Follies, My One & Orii~, and
music and lyrics are by Maury Yeston ..
(Nine, Grand Hotel).
Titanic wonmultiple’q’ony" awards~in
1997 and New York Observer critic, Rex
Reed claims, " you will never see anyder
of wonders, to TULSA! This Pulitzer
and Tony award winning work by the late
Jonathan Larson-was introduced to Tulsa
theatre and media, folk at a.recent PAC
reception.
Coordinated by the ever gracious and
lovely Tracey Norvell, fed a grea~ llmch
by the Polo GrilF s Tal.madge Powell, and
wowed by perfomances by two .current
Broadway casrmembers flown into Tulsa
forithe; ~vent.,~’sa~_~ hear,~d.: the veff~ .era
ergetie,(~md:cute-)-p~.~l~!ce~, Jeffre~ ~!1~
deseribethe off-off
Broadway .and
shaky origins of
Rent, as well as the
tragic death of an
aeortic aneurysm
of composer/
writer Jonathan
Larson on the very
eve of the show’s
successful opening.
Larson drew
inspiration for
Rent from Puccini’s La Boheme but set
his work in New York’ s East Village and
with people living with HIV (rather than
TB), Lesbian lawyers, drag queens instead
of Parisian poets and painters.
The music draws on!the traditions of
American gospel and in the words of.the
Houston Chronicle~ "Rent .is that rare.
musical whose content and style areo£the
present rather than the past..
words of pro.d.ucer Jeffr,y Sellers~ tradithing
this impressive anywhere elser on’ tional :upt wn . t_h_eatre;,t.e..Broadway,
Broadway." Certainly,Titanic seems cer~ .... was not-:~’our.characters ;,our stories, our
tain t0 pl~hse the target audience ofCelebi; "" music, i. 2;.S~1~8 addecL that ,The.New
rity Attractions and to bring in any nlmi: "~ York Ti~oa~.s,:q,a~:.,ed ;~e~t~Ya, shimm~
ber ofcharter buses full of traditional ~ea~ ¯ choonpceufrowr-i~ffei h~iAm.mmeri~_d.c’w~n.-ith th~Pe~q~ng
theatr~igoers. ~ ....
Theatre Tulsa Goes Gay!?!_,-. ~ Arts Center’s..director~-.33lm~e~i~ iii~t
.......for T~s.a.;:R.¢.n.tj~!O~ag0~erdue!
Tulsa Family News is delighted to re.:., Rent 9Li.t.lbe ip:Tulsa, f,om Augusi 29Rt
ceive notice that
TheatreZul~a’ S final
seasonproductionis
theTerrence
McNallyhit,Lips
Together, Teeih
Apart."
It Will run April
28, 29, and May3-
6 at8,l~.~,; ~e~e_w.ill
be a:~ma~lee
all
PAC Jolm~H.
............Io tP+~9..Pt., 3rd :~ith
-I ev.~i~n.g and marl:
nee,performances.
Tickets, range, be:..
$25 to.$55
,a~..dgQ:on ~.ale on
June 12. Call 596-
7111,800-364-
~731I. or go to
Willidins :Tkeatre.’ ..... :
Veto S~fanic~directs this "adult sitmi:"
tion" drama:~dae elegant beach house "
on Fi~I~taii~i:~;brother and sister and
their i(d~tig~e~pouses attempt to cel-:
ebrat~i=tll~-~t~6~li:0f July. Surrounded 6if:
bo.th s[d~Tb,~]~e~ii~ve h~ses~Ga~.~i~ieff:~ "
me" two sfi~:~i~t ~codpqeg’exi~Xa*
own!ives ~[li~it;sorrow, and agnawmgup.,,~
t~my~!~es their‘ affluen! hab’-’
it~ hfid]SeR~ pi~jii~li~s ~i~zle~n the:sum:~
,"~l)~:" ~" ?’Q *~ "~ .... - ;....
~’;" ~i’¢ " ~ "
Tl~eT~fl:aa 1§’one~,~(e!,ty-~Ndest
arts ,0.~g. a~!..~a,tlons ..and -ael~owle~t~mg
Gay~i~ ,th~"th~iff~ is ’a big step, n~ot t6 ¯
me~tidff~cNali~ is one Of
temporary pla~fights so check this production
out, W~:don’t get that many ¯
chances trsee theatre in Tulsa which
acknowledges-the eXistence ofGaypeople: "
525,600 Minutes :
Having said that, the extraordinary new
Ameficanmusical, Rent, is coming, won- "
;~ Do, you got:Hope? ~
Fran~_.~,C.~thy Kc~ting’, sfavodte~ulsa
designer_ ,~gd..H!.V/AtDS .. fund.raise-~,~
Charles-Faudree,-once again has, o~ga;
nized theHopeCafid~eli.~ht~0urforea~!y,
June. TI~.,"~,eve~t not,rnly,heips i~aise f~d~i
groups;p~c~yide~car~, toW-opl,e liv~:ii~
see some6fTulsa s mostbeau~i~f~@~,
rated, homes.- ......... -,.:~....
The pub!ic:tour on SituMay, i~; 3rd
and Sunday~ Jun¢.4th i%~tures fiv~ l~0mes
for a donation ofonly $10. Ticke,ts fi3r tliis
tour may be obtainld a~ each..home ¯
There is also a donor tourfeaturing four
more homes on Iune 1 for those who
donate $125. And patrons (donations of
more than $450) will gather at Doug &
Susan Pielsticker on June 10th.
For more information, call Charles
Faudree, Inc. at 747-9706.
I
to benefit Saint Joseph Residence +
Regional AIDS Interfaith.Network
Saturday, June 3rd, 10-5, + Sunday, June 4th, 1-5
$10 donation at the door or in advance.
David Daniel, 1603 S. Carson
Wiley Parsons, 1601 S. Carson
Monty + Jane Butts, 240 E. Woodward Blvd.
Brett + Maricarolyn Swab, 2112 S. Norfolk Ave.
Dr. Robert & Dena Hudson, 2707 S. Rockford Rd.
Tickets for this~,t~Jr may be obtaL"gd at each home.
For more intormation, call Charles Faudree, Inc, at 747-9706.
THE MUSEUM SHOP
AT PHILBROOK
748.5304
April 29, May 5 & 7, 2000
Prices Start. at Just $15!
Act Now!
Call 587-4811
December
MonthlyElectric Bills.
At PS0, we kn0w ihat,changing .... "same each month, because ifs basedweather
condi~qp~:throughout~e
year can cause~m0nthlye~
bills to rise and fall dramatically.
Which can make it hard to plan your
householdlmdget~That’s,why~
our Average Monflxly Payment plan,
could be your budgeting solution.
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options PSOoffersyou. For more
information, we’re available 24 hours
adag Or S’tgn up for AMP on our
website at vccc,v.csw.corm
PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY. OF OKLAHOMA
A Central and South West Company
by Busaba Sivasoboom
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - They
giggled like girls and limp-wristed their
high-fives, but when these players spiked
a volleyball, opponents knew they were
facing some of the meanest men on a Thai
Bacldin 1996, a transvestite volleyball
team with a woman coach overcame an
anti-homosexual campaign to keep them
out and competed!ha meffs national club
volleyball championship They wonboth
the tournamentandthehearts.of the crowd.
Now; their tale has been turned into a
movie titled "Satree-lek," or "Iron Ladies,"
and it’ s quickly turning into one of
the biggest box office hits in Thai history
- while spotlighting the country’s ambiguous
feelings about transvestites and
homosexuality.
DirectorYongyootThongkongtoon said
that on the surface, Thai society is open
and tolerant of transvestites and homosexuality.
The two are often equated in the
popular mind, though not all transvestites
are homosexuals, or vice versa.
Transvestite cabarets are popular with
tourists and several television shows feature
transvestites-prompting an edict last
year by the government to broadcasters to
tone it down. The order, however, has
widely been ignored.
ButYongyoottoldTheAssociatedPress
that transvestism was a lifestyle far removed
from that led by most Thais, and
his debut film takes a look at how other
people : react to having transvestites as
neighbors, rivals and colleagues.
In the movie, the team was insulted by
words and gestures at the beginning of the
tournament. However, when they showed
they could play as well, and better- than
their rivals, they gradually gained respect
from fans and other players.
"I chose to present it as a comedy,
because I thought a drama might be boring,"
said Yongyoot, who formerly directed
TV commercials. "An audience is
more easily attracted by a comedy film."
When the movie began showing nationwide
in March, it became an instant
hit and pulled in more thaii 100 million
baht ($2.7 million) in thefirst month, 10
times what it cost to make.
That already makes it second Thai film
in all-rime box office receipts behind the
A walk-through butterfly exhibit at the
Tulsa Zoo and Living Mus~umwil! open
onMay 6 and will continue through October
8. The exhibit is open from 10am -
5pmand visitors canexperiencehundreds
ofnative butterflies up-el0seand in flight.
Nearly 30 species of North American
butt.efflies.and ~ few s,p~..’es ofmoths will
be represented itl an enel6~&l garden setring,
near the Animal Kingdom Building
and features a variety offlowering plants.
This exlfibit is free wi~ the ~regular Zoo
admission.
Wings ofWonderis set withina30x 96’
greenhouse covered with a light mesh to
contain the animals. The exhibit features
a "chrysalis house" where visitors can
watch as each butterfly emerges from its
chrysalis or pupa and prepares for flight.
Winding stone pathways, a water feature,
benches, andeducational exhibits enhance
the exhibit area.
Wings of Wonder is dedicated to increasing
visitor knowledge and appreciation
of butterflies which are signature
150 million baht (dlrs 4 million) earned
by "Nang Nak," last year’ s arty retelling
of an old ghost legend that is credited with
giving a new breath of life to the moribund
Thai film industry.
Pakorn Pimton, a transvestite and coordinator
of the Gays Against AIDS group,
said he was unsurprised by the success of
the movie and he hoped it would open
useful debate. Gays are accepted as entertainers,
Pakom said, because Thais d(,
see movie stars and television program
hosts as serious. ,~ -
"Howe~,ifthey go beyond’that line to
be a doct~,~polifiCi~, banker Or top~nfili,~
tary official - I guess the answer is no,
Pakorn said. "We still use a two-tier measure
for members of our society." Violence
against homosexuals is rare in Thailand,
Pakorn said, but many barriers remain
against open homosexuals. The Gay
rights movement is weak. His group regularly
receives calls fromhomosexuals who
-fear coming out of the closet because they
risk their jobs or status.
Kitikorn Meesapya, senior psychologist
at the Department of Mental Health’ s,
said that Thais can accept homosexuals
that keep a low profile. Homosexuals in
Parliament and the military are well treated
until their lifestyles are publicly exposed
- a fairly rare occurence. "But then they
will fac~ harsh criticism from society,"
Kitikorn said, expressing hope that
"Satree-lek" might encourage more tolerance
and help some people to express
themselves as homosexuals.
For Kongrith Singnukote, one of the
1996 champion players, the film’ s strongest
pointis that it’*talks about peacefully
living together in society by accepting the
differences of each person." Kongrith
works as a bank teller. He goes to work in
men’s clothes, but wears makeup and
¯" speaks in a girlie voice. All his colleagues
¯ know he is a transvestite. Kongrith says
: he gets teased a bit, but no one has ever
¯ shown violence toward him. He says he is
: grateful that his family accepts him as he
: is.
: Being the subject of a hit movie hash~ t
¯ raised.his celebrity ambitions,however,
and he doesn’t see a career for himself
: beyondretail service. "I know that thereis
¯¯ a barrier for us," he says. "For now, I’m
satisfied at being what I am."
¯ species for conservation. By fostering a
greaterunderstanding of theneeds and the
¯ life,cycle of butterflies we can hdp con-
" serve these delicate creatures.
-" In addition tothe butterfly enclosure,
: knownas"Butterfly Landing," the grounds
¯ aroundtheexhibithavebeen planted with
: butterfly-attracting plants to encourage
:
v~s~tataon by someof our natt,~e butterfly
residents. Thebutterflies exhibited inside
¯ Butterfly Landing have not been taken
~ from:the wild but are procured through
¯ certified butterfly suppliers. ¯
¯ Exhibits describing the lifecycle of the
butterfly, the differences between moths
¯ and butterflies, common butterflies of
¯ Oklahoma, chrysalis and butterfly !dent!-
: fication, and about attracting butterflies
¯
to yards will be included in the exhibit.
¯ Also planned for this summer is a vision
¯ exhibit that will enable visitors to see like
: a butterfly. The Animal Kingdom Build-
. ing will also house agift cart specializing
¯ in butterfly-related books, souvenirs, and
gifts. Info: 669-6600 orwww.tulsazoo.org
r
by Lament.. Lindstrom, Ph.D.
What do you call a dead Blond in a
closet?
- a 1964 hide and seek champion!
The recent flush of
Blendjokes is an interesting
cultural phenomenon.
Jokes are more than just
funny. They are also dangerous
because they are
polilical. Overthepastfew
decad~s~: change~ iri
Amefi’~t"~ ~olitib~[ arena
have affectedboth the content
and practice Ofjoking.
Itis alittleless easy than
it used to be to joke about
ethnic and religious
groups, handicap, gender,
or gender-orientation.
Blonds have emerged as a
safe target in politically
conscious, if not always politically correct,
America. Andmanyjokes that previously
featured Jews- or Blacks or Gays
have been reworked into Blond jokes.
This is not to say that offensive joking
has disappeared. Rather, it is just a little
less public. American politeness conventions
demand that I should not tell a joke
whose "butt" is in my audience, unless I,
too, am in the targeted category, or unless
I already have a close relationship’~vith
those I potentially offend. But I can joke
all I want as long as the butt can’ t hear me,
or if I do indeed intend to offend.
Thewebsite, www.whitepride.com, for
example, offers along list of by now very
stale Jewish, Black, and "faggot" jokes.
Here’ s a sample groaner from the"white
pride" boys:
Why was the faggot fired from his
job at the sperm back?
- for drinking on the job!
Jokesters sometimes complain about
the "political correctness" that has narrowed
the contexts in which they can
safely perform. "Come on, it’s only a
joke!" But of course jokes aren’t just
jokes. They are also assertions about the
world, or at least one particular view of
the world. The lines that jokes ckaw between
the funny and the unfunny reflect
local understandings of normality. Jokes
are potent oral texts that, retold over and
over again, maintain certain ways ofthinking
about people and behavior.
Why do brides wear white?
- so they will match the other
domestic appliances!
.Even ironic jokes, such as this, refresh
established ways of thinking about men,
women, and the gendered division of labor.
In particular, the swarm of jrke~
flying constantly around a community
protects existing systems of inequality.
People joke "downwards" more than
they do upwards.~ :People joke far more
often about the powerless than they
about the powerful. There are far more
jokes about women than there are about
men. "More jokes about ethnic and religious
minorities thanthe white-bread Protestant
mainstream. More jokes about the
handicapped than about the able. More
jokes about the old than the young. More
jokes about Oklahoma than about California.
Do you know what an Oklahoma
divorce and a Texas tornado have
in common? - in both cases
¯ somebody is gonna
¯ lose a trailer house!
And there are many more jokes about
being Gay than about being
Straight. We usually
"~V’hy is it so hard abide by the politeness
constraints ofjoke-telli~,
for women to find in fact, because we realize
that jokes (even "just-amen
that are jok~sT’) have this political
" weight. ,Th..o~sewhofeel tSe
sensitive, earing,, ~ ’ Sfing~hidd~n ’within the
.a.n..d ’geed-look"m
- because those guys
already have
ho rlends!?’
laughter sometimes protest
when etiquette breaks
down.
GLAAD, the Gay &
Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation, for example,
has attempted to police the
telling ofcertainGayjokes
in the m~ss media, notably
on a number of morning radio shows
whose sleazy hosts are keen to boost their
market share. Such policing, of course, if
successful merely shrinks the arenas in
which Faggot jokes are safely told. They
still circulate freely in less public Spaces.
Each time I teach Cultural Anthropology,
I have my students as a group collect
jokes from their friends. I figure that these
joke archives provide good evidence about
which of the joints of American society
currently ache the most.
Last week, the students broughtin about
150 jokes. For the first time in years, none
ofthese was a"faggot"joke. And the only
ethnic joke was turned in by a clueless
Japanese woman, happily ignorant of the
American politics of public joking. Instead,
nearly half the collection consisted
of Blond jokes. Blonds, poor things, are
nowadays the butt of choice when American
jokesters are nervous and unsure of
our audience.
What do Blonds put behind their
ears to attract boyfriends?
- their ankles!
Our collection also included several
"counter-jokes" whose butt is strategically
reversed. There are, for example,
Brunette jokes - the futile ripostes of oppressed
Blonds. There are also "stupid
men jokes" - invented jokes that attempt
to counteract the dominant targeting of
women within the’universe of American
jokes.
Why did God create man?
- because a vibrator can’t
mow the lawn!
While these attempts to resist inequality
by shifting a joke’s target upwards
may have only limitie~." politigal,fimpact, it
sfillfecls"goodtolaflgh.: ~:: ~ -~’~
Why is it so hard for women to
find men that are sensitive,
caring, and go~dqo~king? -~
because those guys _~
already have boyfriends!
LamontLindstrom teaches anthopology
at the University of Tulsa.
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"All About MyMother" and"Boys Don’ t
Meet Local
Guys for
Hot Ti
@Odgi
Cry" - actually showed up in OKC, she
madeit abundantly clear that shehad been
completely won overby them and was not
about to be shy about saying so in print.
Sympathy towards GLBT issues might
be expected from someone like White,
but it was definitely a surprise to see the
much nibre conservative reviewer, Jerry
Shottefi~irk, being taken in by the Ma-
.donna:Rupert Everett"Next BgstThing."
¯ election - and what could be the most
¯ importantelectionofourgeneration. The
: GLBT voting bloc has proven to be one of
¯¯ the most powerful constituencies in the
country in recent election cycles. If our
¯ voters are motivated to the polls and elect
¯ supportive leaders, we could have the ¯
opportunity to shape groundbrealdng le-
: gal protection. If the nation elects leaders
¯ who are hostile to all that NGLTF stands ¯
for, we could witness a serious backlash
¯ to our h~rd-won gains.
¯ Dr. Martin Luther King. once said the ¯
moral arc of the universeis long but bends
Surprises were cropping up in the rest .: toward justice. Dr. King was right - but
!~f th~ p,gper ~. W~I!, indu~g the busi- ¯ with our continued o!;gahi~gg g~ad motif
~es .,~..; o ~ .w~i~ g~ ~)le on .~_~o ~,~ ~jzatmn, we~make ~at,ii~.~;0’~,.~
:~est~c p~mership~ p,6ilc~es..a~.ong OkI’fi- ¯ much more qmckly
fioma compames- mcludiffg qu,otes from: $~,,-.~oundectir~1973, ttie
~Lucent’s I~aren Par~ons w~o is involved : Lesbian Tbsk Force W~’l?s to~iiniinate
inLuqent~sLesbianandGayemployees’ ¯ prejudice, uiolence andiwustice against
;brgani’zafion, EQUAL!. :- Gay, Lesbian, Bisexualgtn~l T~ransgen-
: Striking, 5wey r, was.a group of :. &red people at the local, state dnd naarticles;
oii 1~hate crimes in the Sun- ¯ tional level. As part ofdbrOaddr ~Ocial
iday, March 20 issue. Mostof these ar- : justicemovementforfreOdom;]usticeand
titles appeared in ~ Community see- : equality, NGLTF is creattYg d Worm that
fion, Milch w’as’d~_i’ilh~lPdedia.the late : ~respects and celebrates_ ttie’diversity of
~F,dition ’on Stmday’. The~e, in b!a~k and .’. ’human expression and identity where all
White, was the opeii as~ertidii.’.tiia~ Okla- i .people mayfully participate in society.
h°ma City"s Human Rights CASmmlssi°n i
I ] .Was abolished by(the City Council bemuse
they iesent&!havingt.6 deal with
the issue. 0fiG@’Ri~h?s, cbml~iete, with
~uote by c.ottt~,¢ilmenqbi~r~Je@ Fo~hee: " During WWII, the church Sheltered.Japa-
.-.; "The councilis tiredof.th6is~ue’hlways ; nese-American students who were given
being b~ought forward, and flae vehicle the opportunity to study atTU ratherth~a,n,,,
that is alWays brin~g.i’.t forward is the " beincarceratedinAmerican"internment
human rights comm, ss~on...~ If the vehicle
is bringing you dompany that you
don’ t want ... then you do away with the
vehicle."
In meeting with Hale, Speakers for Gay
and Lesbian Issues hoped that they would
open a dialog between the Daily Oklahoman
and the Gay and Lesbian community
of Oklahoma City. According to Speakers,
Hale provided them with many opportunities
by asking many questions
about Gay and Lesbian issues. Speakers
for Gay and Lesbian Issues noted the
positive trend in the paper’ s coverage of
Gay issues.
Hale revealed that those changes had
come at a price: while the articles on hate
crimes had generated both positive and
negative responses fromreaders, some of
the negative responses had been vicious
and involved actual threats. But, Hale also
said she was not going to let that stop her
from continuing to cover controversial
issues. She said that when a story generates
strong reactions on both sides, she
knows she’ s doing her job right.
This federation consists ofpolitical groups
that fight for equality. In just four years’
time, the Federation has grown to represent
members in every state in the union,
gro,wthinsuch ashort
period of time.
With the Federation’s help, last year
NGLTF was able to produce the largest
:~ grassroots mob~fion:inputmoyem~ntfs
history. We helped organize some 350
rallies and other events in all 50 state
capitols, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico, during
a one-week period. Our campaign -
called Equality Begins at Home- and the
work of the Federation paved the way for
the wonderful successes we have seen in
the past year.
Now many state legislatures are wrapping
up their business and adjourning.
Attention will soon shift to the November
camps. Later the church was involved in
the "Sanctuary" movement which offered
relocation of Central American political
refugees, both documented and-undocumented.
Aletter issued tomembers ofthe church,
signed by Rader and Clerk of the Session,
Kathy Evanson, notes, "None of these
actions changes who we are as a congregation;
but, they declare who we area and
what we want to be in our relationships
with one another. We are still a loyal,
supporting congregation of the Presbyterian
Church,U.S.A. We have done nothing
improper according to our
denomination’ s constitution. We are not
changing any signage, letterhead, preaching
or program. We are declaring inclusion
and affirmation of all our members
and our openness to a group of people
long rejected and stigmatized by society,
and within the Christian commtmity...
College Hill is a majority "straight"
church but with visible and welcome Lesbian
and Gay families.
Editor’s note: Tulsa Family Newspublisher
and editor, Tom Neal is a member
of College Hill Presbyterian Church.
An Evening With
The Quilt
On Thursday evening, May 25, the
NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter of
the AIDS Memorial Quilt will sponsor an
evening of meditation and remembrance
at Fellowship Congregational Church,
2900 So. Harvard in Tulsa, from 7-9 pm.
You. are invited to drop in anytime
during this time period to meditate, pray,
or simply view the Quilt. Feel free to stay
just afew minutes, or as long as you wish.
The NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter
invites everyonewhohas been touchedby
the AIDS pandemic to take a moment
from their evening to remember and reflect.
For more information, please contact
the NAMES Project Tulsa at (918)
748-3111 or TulsaQnilt@usa.net
Humanity Unites
f’or Hu’man Rights
Diversity .Celebration 2000
Grand Marshalls for the Millennium Parade
Dr. Grethe Cammermeyer
Distinguished Veteran of the United States Armed Forces
Gre£! Lou~lanis
US Olympic Champion
Pride Week Events,
.Interfaith Worship Service
The Tulsa Performin£l Arts Center
Speaker: the Reverend Dr. Mel
W.hite, author and activist
Friday, June 2, from 7pro (free)
TOHR Folbes.
1OO Years of Broadway
Saturday, June 8, 8pm, $15
PAC Doenges Theatre
Black Tie Optional Dinner
~i:Featuri~ 6re~q Louganis
The Summit Club
Friday, June 9th, $75 person
VIP reception at $50 person.
Benefitin~l Tulsa Oklahomans for
Human Ri/thts, the parent
or~Ianization of the
Gay Community Center
Millennium Pa~de 2000
Saturday, June IO, llam
Beginning at the Gay Community
Center at 87th and Peoria and
endin~i at Veterans Park
at 18th and BouIder
The Pride Festival
Veterans Park, llam 8pro
For more information about these
events, caIl 748-4297 (gays).
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, May 2000; Volume 7, Issue 5
Subject
The topic of the resource
Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
Source
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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May 2000
Contributor
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James Christjohn
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, April 2000; Volume 7, Issue 4
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English
Type
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newspaper
Periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/items/show/600
2000
AIDS
AIDS Quilt
aMUSEments
arts and entertainment
Barry Hensley
Bars
Boy Scouts
businesses
churches
civil unions
Daily Oklahoman
Diversity celebration
Elizabeth Toledo
Gay marriage
Gay Studies
George W. Bush
harassment
hate groups
HIV
HIV prevention
homophobia
housing
Idaho Public Television
Jim Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
marriage equality
military inclusion
Murder
NAMES Project
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
NGLTF
Partner Benefits
performing arts
Pride
prison
Raging Lesbian
Read All About It
restaurants
slurs
Supreme Court
Tom Neal
tuberculosis
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Zoo
United Methodist Church
universities
University of Pitsburgh
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/fe478eb503346b76d111ec713654575c.jpg
ff08337cc5191cc189c5ab43992f499b
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/09b2986511645c17d24e2596c65e850a.pdf
c8ca09acf9a97df515cf3a1f54ee1045
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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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Berlin Exhibit Looks at
Gay Victims of Nazis
by Paul Geitner, Associated Press Writer
BERLIN (AP) - Focusing attention on along-neglected
group of Nazi victims, a two-part exhibition about Gays
persecuted under the Nazis opened Sunday at museums
m Berlin and in a former concentration camp where
many of the victims were killed.
The exhibits of documents, photos, drawings and
other objects collected during 10 years ofresearchis the
largest on the subject ever mountedinGermany, project
organizers said. It documents the fate of700individuals
who suffered under the Nazis’ draconian anti-Gay laws
and tells 60 personal stories.
"We want to return to the Gay victims of the Nazis
theirnames and to show their lives, as far as possible, so
as to.at, least symbolically liberate them.from the dehumamzmg
barbarity of the Nazis,’" said Andreas
Stemweiler, project director at the Gay Museum in
Berlin, where part of the exhibit is being shown.
The other half opened at the Sachsenhausen concentration
camp, where many Gay men - labded with a
.pink triangle- ended up because of the camp’s proxim-
,ty to the capital, see Nazis, p.3
Be Counted: Effort to
Include Gays in Census
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - A national campaign to
include Gays and Lesbians in Census 2000 is urging
same-sex couples to check offtheboxindicating they’re
unmarried partners.
Using e-mail, ads in Gay publications and word-ofmouth,
thecampaign is an un0fficial way to get a partial
indication of the nation’s Gay and Lesbian population,
the San Jose Mercury News reported recently. "We
want to make the point that there is such a thing as a Gay
or Lesbianfamily,’" said PaulaEttelbrick, family policy
director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
The federal government added the unmarried partners
category to the census in 1990, to recognize heterosexual
couples who live together without being married.
That year, 150,000 same-sex households were
identified. "It was a vast undercount,’" said Ann
Northrop, board member for the Institute for Gay and
Lesbian Strategic Studies.
Those involved in the so-called "Out the Census’"
campaign say that even though individual Gays and
Lesbians won’t be counted, the number of couples will
provide a partial account. And additional information
included on U.S. Census forms could provide a valuable
snapshot of the community, including income levels,
ethnicity and the number of same-sex couples raising
children.
While the campaign is getting nationwide attention,
some Gays and Lesbians are wary ofrevealing toomuch
information. Rikki Westerschulte, who is raising a
daughterwith herparmer, says sheknows many couples
who are nervous about declaring their sexual orientation
on an official government form.
The recent passage of Proposition 22, which recognizes
only marriage between a man and a woman in
California, adds to the suspicion. "You walk down the
hall at work and wonder, ’Who is it I think I can trust,
who really feels I’m immoral?’ "Westerschnlte asked.
Other couples are angry they cannot declare themselves
as married, see Census, p. 11
Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
Tulsa’s Largest Circulation Community PaperAvailable In More Than 75 City Locations
Camme,rmeyer .To Join
Lougan s at Pr de 2000
TULSA - Last month, the organizers of Diversity Festival 2000
announced that US Olympic champion, Greg Louganis, would
serve as Grand Marshall for the° Millennium Pride Parade this
June. This month, organizers confirmed that Dr. Grethe
Cammermeyer, distiguished veteran of the United States Armed
Forces, will join Louganis as grand marshall.
Cammermeyer challenged
US anti-Gay/Lesbian policies
which forced her out of her
nursing positionin the United
States Reserve forces. Her
lifestory was madeinto a television
film produced by
Barbra Streisand, starring
Glenn Close.
Cammermeyerhas come to
Tulsa before. She spoke at
the Universi ty of Tulsa in the
spring of 1995 to an audience
of about 300 Tulsa Family
New~ writer Lauri Cooper
shown in the photo at right
interviewed Cammermeyer.
The week of Pride events begins with an interfaith worship
service to be held at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The
Reverend Dr. Mel White, author and civil rights activist, will be
the principle speaker at this event. White will lead a workshop
also to be held at the PAC on Saturday, June 3, from 2-5pm (free)
on the principles of non-violent social change.
Lougams will speak at a black tie optional dinner to be held at
the prestigious Summi t Club on Friday, June 9th. Tickets for the
event are $75/person and there will be a VIP reception at $50/
person. These events will benefit Tulsa Oklahomans for Human
Rights, the parent organization of the Gay Community Center
and Oklahoma’ s oldest Lesbian and Gay non-religious organization.
Organizers anticipate that the parade will follow the sameroute
as last year,
Cooper & Cammermeyer
SoulForee in Oklahoma
Members of Soulforce in Oklahoma Marched at
the Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade in January.
TULSA- Oklahoma’s oldest Gay and Lesbian organizataon is a
religious one, the congregation now know as MCC United, the
Metropolitan Community Church United. So perhaps it is fitting
that one of Oklahoma’s newest community organizations also
has religious roots. "Soulforce in Oklahoma" is part of an effort
begun by the Rev. Mel White and his spouse Gary Nixon.
Soulforce is an ecumenical network of volunteers committed
to teaching and applying the principles ofnon-violence on behalf
ofsexnal minorities. Thename derives from the workofMohandas
Karamchand Gandhi, a leader of India’s independence movement.
Soulforce or truth force is a translation of "satyagraha" a
concept Gandhi began developing as a young lawyer fighting for
racial justice in South Africa. Gandhi’s thinking greatly influenced
the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his work for civil
rights for Black Americans.
The goals of Soulforce are to end the suffering ofLesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgendered persons, to change the minds and
hearts of religious leaders whose anti-Gay campaigns lead directly
and indirectly to that suffering, to be guided by the
principles of "relentless non-violent resistance, and through this,
try to bring hope and healing to society.
In Tulsa, Soulforce was organized by individuals involved in
MCC United and the group has been holding regular meetings at
the Gay Community Services Center. see Soul, p. 7
¯
Tulsan Chosen
For HRC Board
¯ Fundraiser Audra Sommers
: To Join Marty Newman in DC
¯ TULSA - Audra Sommers, who is planning an
¯¯ AIDS benefit in Tulsa next month, has gained
national recognition
¯ forher humanrights
- efforts. Sommers
¯ has been named to
the Board of Gover-
¯ nors of the Human
¯ Rights Campaign, a
¯ 300,000-member
national organlza-
¯ tion that batdes dis-
-¯ crimination against
sexual minorities.
¯
As a board mere-
¯ ber, Audra will be
¯ responsible for re-
. cmiting, promoting
¯ awareness ofhuman rights issues in Oklahoma and
¯ serving as a liaison between Oklahoma and the
¯ national organization in Washington, DC, where ¯
she will be heading for orientation this month. "I’m
¯ really, really happy that I was appointed, to the
: Board of Governors," she said.
¯ Sommers joins Tulsan Marty Newman on the ¯
Board of Governors. Newman expressed delight
: with Sommers selection. "Audra has a ~roven
.. history of work on behalf of the commumty, and
¯ she has an enormous number of people wholook to ¯
her leadership," noted Newman. He added that
." HRC is concentrating its effolas on Tulsa at this
¯ time and he feels Sommers will add immeasurably ¯
to HRC’s strengths.
see Audra, p.3
Audra Sommers
Pentagon Admits Hate
Speech is Widespread
by Robert Burns, AP Military Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Anti-Gay speech and harassment
is commonplace in the U.S. military,
especially among young enlisted troops, according
to a Pentagon inspector general’s survey. 85% of
those surveyed said they believed that anti-Gay
comments are tolerated on their base or aboard
their ship, and 37% said they had personally witnessed
or been the target of harassment - such as
hostile gestures, graffiti or physical assault- based
on perceived homosexuality.
The survey released last month also found a
widespread belief among troops that the Clinton
administration’s so-called "don’t ask, don’t tell’"
policy on Gays in the military - which Vice President
A1 Gore says he would eliminate if he were
elected president-is not working. President Clinton
himself has said the policy, forged in 1993, is now
"’out of whack.’"
Defense Secretary William Cohen, responding
to theinspector general’ s survey results, announced
he was creating a committee of military and civilian
officials to draft a plan for measures to improve
the policy’s implementation. Cohen put the onus
on military chiefs to fix the problem. "The report
shows that military leaders must do more to make
it clear that harassment based on sexual orientation
violates military values,’" Cohen said in a memo to
the military chiefs and service secretaries.
The administration’s policy, set in law by Congress
in 1993 after a heated political battle, says
Gays and Lesbians may serve in the military so
long as they keep their sexual orientation to themselves.
Dubbed "don’t ask, don’t tell,’" the policy
still bars openly homosexual people from serving
in uniform. Although the policy was designed to
make it easier for Gays to serve, an increasing
number have been discharged in recent years.
see Pentagon, p..10
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33 712-2324
*CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial 610-5323
Full Moon Cafe, 1525 E. 15th 583-6666
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria 749-4511
Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square 744-4280
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st 745-9998
*The Star, 1565 Sheridan 834-4234
*The Storm, 2182:S. Sheridan 835-2376
*Renegi~des/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main 585-3405
*TNT’s, 2114 S. Memorial 660-0856
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd 584-1308
*The Yellow ~rick Road Pub, 2630 E. 15th , 749-15.63
Ailyanced:Wi~el~Ss 8~:PCS; Digital Cellular ~: ’~ 74%1~08)
*Assoc.. in- Med. &M~ntal Health, 2325 S I Harvard 743- t000
Kent Balch & Associates, Health & Life Insurance 747-9506
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-5034
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 4I 665-4580 ¯
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15 712-1122 -"
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21 712-9955 :
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale 494-2665 ,"
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria 743-5272 ¯
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria 746-0313 :
581-0902,743-4117 ;
Community Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700 ¯
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468 ¯
¯Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620 "
¯Devena’s Gallery, 13Brady 587-2611 "
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556 :
¯Elite Books & Videos, 821 S Sheridan 838-8503 ¯
¯Ross Edward Salon 584-0337, 712-9379 "
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main 592-0460 "
¯Floral Design Studio, 3404 S,~eoria 744-9595 ¯
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1. 610-0880 ¯
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr. 628-3709 ¯
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare 808-8026 ¯
¯Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st 742-1460 ¯
Learme M. Gross, Insurance & financial planning 459-9349 "
Mark T. Hamby, Attorney 744-7440 "
¯Sandra J. Hi~.’.ll, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E. Skelly 745-1111 "_
¯International Touts ~ 341-6866
Jacox AnimaiClinic, 2732 E. 15th 712-2750 ]
¯Jared’~ Antiques,~]602 E. 15th ~ " ~582-30i8 :
David Kauskey,. Country Club Barbering 747-0236 :
The Keepers, Housekeeping &Gardening 582-8460 ¯
¯Ken’s Flowers; 1635 E. 15 599-8070 ,"
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 :S. Harvard, #210 747:5466 ",
¯Living ArtSpace, 308 South Kenosha 585-1234 ¯
¯Midtown Theater, 319E. 3rd 584-3112 ¯
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31 663-5934 "
¯Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951 ¯
Puppy Pause II, t060 S. Mingo 838-7626 ¯
¯Thh Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor 743-4297 ",
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101 747-5932 "
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617 "
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921, 747-4746
Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square 749-6301 ¯
Paul Tay, Car Salesman 260-7829 ¯
¯Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard 835-5563
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling " 743-1733 "
¯Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan 665-2222 "
¯Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767 "
Tulsa Agencies, Churches, Schools & Universities "
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 74101 579,9593
All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times ~tiristian Cdn’t~r, 2207 E~ ~5 ....583-78"15
¯B/IAG/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
¯Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S. Boston 585-1201
¯Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th P1. &Florence
¯Churchof the RestorationUU~ !3 l~N.Greenwood 587-1314
¯Comm’~ty ofHope United Methotttst, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300
¯Communi~ Uniti{rian-Universalist~ongregati0n 749-0595
,Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888
¯Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511
¯Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tnlsa - Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
.... Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74170-1475 355-3140
¯Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
¯Free Spirit Women’s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
918.583.1248, fax: 583.4615
POB 41413, Tulsa, OK 74159
e-mail: TulsaNews@ ear~hlinlc net
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Neal
Writers + contributors:
James Chfistjohn, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche,
Lamont Lindstrom, Esther Rothblum, Mary Schepers
Member of The Associated Press
Issued on or before the 1st of each month, the entire contents
of.-.thi’s publ~cati6n are protected byUS copyright 1~98 by
i~r~ ~4~ /~1~u4 and may not be reprodu~.d either in
whole orin pm:twithout written permission from the publisher.
Publication of a name or photo does not indicate a person’s
sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for
publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed & becomes
the sole property of T~,~t F¢~.’. N~÷ Each reader
is entitled to 4 copies of each editaon at distribution
points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611
*Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194
Holland Hall School, 5666 E. 81 st 481.1111
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378
*House of the Holy Spirit Minstries, 3210e So. Norwood
Interfaith AIDS Ministries 438~2437, 800-284-2437
*MCt~ United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral P1. 748-3111
NOW, Nat’l Org. for Women, POB 14068, 74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
*OSU-Tulsa
PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box52118, 74152
R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
*Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 584-2325
O’RYAN, support group:[<~r t8-24 LGBT young adults
O’RYAN, Jr. support.group for 14-17 LGBT youth
S.t.Aidan. s Eptseop Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425~7882
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492:7140
*St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
*Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583-7171
*TNAAPP (Native American men), Indian Health Care 582-7225
Tulsa County Health Deparunent, 4616 E. 15 5954105
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on.Thursdays only
743-4297
298-0827
Tulsa Okla. for HumanRights, c/o The Pride Center
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc.
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Community College Campuses
*Tulsa Gay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105
Unity Church ofChristianity, 3355 S. Jamestown
BARTLESVILLE
743-4297
749-8833
*Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337-5353
OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN
Bdtders Books & Music, 3209 NWExpressway 405-848-2667
Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
TAHLEQUAH
Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900
*Tatdequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900
Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360
NSU School of Optometry, 1001 N. Grand
HIVtesting every other Tues. 5:30-8:30, call for dates
: EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
":- 32utunui Bi~ceze- ~dstaurant, Hwy. 23
¯ *1ira & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main
DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St.
¯ Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St.
; MCC of the Living Spnng
¯ Geek to Go!, PC. Specialist, POB 429
Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery
; Positive Idea Marketing Plans
; Sparky’s,Hwy. 62 East
¯ White Light, 1 Center St.
JOPLIN, MISSOURI
¯ *Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134
501-253-7734
501-253-7457
501-253-6807
501-253-5445
501-253-9337
501-253-2776
501-253-5332
501-624-6646
501-253-6001
501-253-4074
417-623-4696
* is where you can f’md TFN. Not all are Gay-owned but all are Gay"friendly.
Some 600 homosexuals were killed there
between 1939 and mid-1943 alone, according
to the researchers.
The Nazi anti-Gay law,knownas "Paragraph
175,’" was directly solely against
Gay men, since the Nazis were mainly
concerned with perceived threats to their
ideal of Aryan manhood. Lesbians were
generally ignored, although some were
arrested as "asocials’" or "prostitutes.’"
Few surviving victims ever came forward
after World War II because of continning
stigmaassociated withhomosexualkty,
whicl~remained illegal in West Germfiny
~mder the sam~ Nazi law until 1969:
Tens of thousands of men were prosecuted
in those postwar years.
Historians also generally ignored the
Nazi per.s..e~..u;~n of homosexuals until
the 1980s, meaning many survivors had’
already passedaway, organizers said. Only
a handful are known to still be alive; their
stories are told in a U.S.-made documentary,"
Paragraph 175,’" whichwon awards
at film festivals in Berlin and at Sundance
this year.
Germany’s center-left government introduced
a bill last week - 55 years after
the end of the war - that would require
parliament to officially recognize and
apologize to Gay victims. It also calls on
the government to study whether a blanket
annulment should be issued for convictions
under the Nazi anti-Gay law,
under which even a glance between men
could be cause for prosecution. -
Guenter Morsch, director of tli’~
Sachsenhansen memorial, noted that protests
erupted after the first plaque dedicated
to Gay victims of the Nazis was
hung at the Dachau concentration camp
outside Munich in the 1980s. Last year,
Germany’s national Holocaust memorial
day commemorated Gay victims for the
first time with .a ceremony at
S~lchsenhansen. Events like that and the
¯ new exhibit are important, he said, be-
; cause all groups - not just those that are
¯ "politically correct’" - must be remem-
-"- bered if tolerance is to be promoted.
: About 200,000 people were interred at
Sachsenhausen between 1936 and 1945;
: including Jews, Roma, communists ",rod
¯ other political prisoners. More than 1,400
Jews were killed there, thousands more
sent off to be killed in Auschwitz. Others
were forced to work in adjacent factories.
You mayfind the Gay Museum at
www.schwulesmuseum.de
Audra, who is also a volunteer fund-
¯ raiser, is currently producing her largest
¯ event to date, a three-hourAIDS benefit at
Tulsa’s Performing Arts Center that wi’ll
~ feature Thrifty president Don Himelfarb
: as keynote speaker.
¯ ThePAC show,"Connecting the Hearts
¯ ofTulsa,"is scheduledforApri120 atTpm
¯ and will benefit Tulsa C.A.R.E.S. Fea-
¯ tured performers include Debbie ¯
Campbell, Rebecca Ungerman and
¯ children’s musical groups from All Souls
¯ Unitarian Church.
¯ The John H. Williams Theater seats
429, andAudrahopes to sellit0ut. Tickets
¯ are $10 general admission, $20 VIP seat.-
," ing, and $5 students.
¯ For more information or tickets, call
~ 832-7919. see Audra, p. 3
by Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.D. :
"Unmarried Partner." That’s the U.S. ¯
Census 2000 official term for boyfriends ;
and girlfriends. It’s either that or else you "
check Husband/Wife, Roomer/Boarder, ¯
Housemate/Roommate, or Other "
Nonrelative. ¯
How should I label my live-in? I can’t ¯
call him Husband or Wife. He’s not a :
Boarder. He’s much more than a RoOm- "
mate. (TheCen~uginfbmas us tha~ Room- ¯
mates "share living quarters primarily to :
share expenses.") AndOther Nonrelative; :
although correct, is hopelessly inadequate.
So, for lack of better alternative, the boyfriend
must be an Unmarried Partner.
I am pleased to see the Census Bureau
demands, rather romantically, that the
Unmarried Partnerhave"aclose personal
relationship with Person 1" (that is, with
me). I know some Unmarried Partners °
whose onetime close personal relations :
have aged into an icy and tight-lipped co- ¯
erastence. "
The Census, as a condensed.form of "
Ameri~anculturalpresumption, thinks that :
people really ought tO be related to their -
roommates either by blood or by marriage.
Anthropologists call such presumptions
"residencerules"- expectation about
who should live with whom. There are
patrilocal and matrilocal societies where
children live with either father’s or
mother’~ people. In avunculocal situations
-the tropical Trobriand Islands -
hildren move an with mother s brothers.
Where virilocal rules arefollowed, women
reside with their new husbands. Or there
is theuxorilocal opposite: traditional Hopi
Indian grooms, for example, move’ their
belongings into their bride’g house. And
there isthe "neolocal" U.S. where all
couples should establish new, independent
households.
All these patterns describe the co-residency
of kin, and the American situation
is no different. Most of us live with relafives
as we grow up: "mothers, fathers,
sis{~s, and brothers. And most of us live
with even more relatives after we marry:
husbands, wives, sons, and daughters.
There are just two anomalous periods in
mostAmericanlife cycles when wemight
find ourselves living with non-kin (with
"Other Nonrelatives," according to Census
language). The first consists of the
few years between leaving morn and dad
behind and marriage.
This typically is the time of higher
educalionwhen young twenty-somethings
pile up in dormitories, fraternities, sororities,
and shared apartments. The second
comes with old age. We agomze over the
mor~ity of farming mom out to some
nursing home ward full of strangers.
The experience of life with non-kin and
strangers is fraught with aggravations and
difficulties. The common bathrooms,
those dirty dishes, the housemate’s woeful
taste in music. Life with mere friends
or roommates is rocky and unstable. My
nervous students busy themselves with
inventing "fictive kinship" labels for one
another. They pretend that the co-residents
in their sororities or fraternities are
"just like" their sisters and brothers. And
they watch a lot of "Friends," relying on
Hollywood to romanticize and make fun
of the peculiar experience of sharing their
toilet seats with the "Other Nonrelated."
Weare broughtup to live with relatives.
Sbared residence withkin is easier for two
reasons. We are morally obliged to forgive
the exasperations of our revolting
brothers that we would never stand from
a friend. And we ablemore easily to take
our revenge on our irksome siblings,
spouses, orchildren, unconstrainedby the
politeness conventions that govern our
relations with non-kin. Wash those dishes
or you are grounded! Pick up your filthy
socks, slob!
Gays and Lesbians are in something of
a residential quandary: many of us never
mo~e beyondthis stageof life with nonkin.
Straights leave behind theirfew years
of shared apartments and dormitories to
¯ return to new households composed of
:. kin. But since Gays and Lesbians cannot
¯ marry, officially at least, we live out our
lives with roommates, other nonrelatives,
¯ and unmarried partners.
¯ This perhaps explains some of the fra- ¯
gility ofGay households. "It’sMyWay or
the Highway!" is easier to demand when
you aren’t shouting at relatives. Many of
us havemetguys whowereperfectcouples
before they made the fatal mistake of
moving m together. And we have other
friends who are resigned to living solo.
No spare toothbrushes in theirbathrooms.
They’ve relied too often on the unkind=
hess of strangers.
Soyou snoopingFedenumerators, come
along and count me. I’m checking the
Unmarried Partner box. At the moment at
least, I’m happily living with the UP. I
realize, given American cultural patterns,
that the non-kin structure of our household
is anomalous. It will require extra
effort and forgiveness to keep it going.
Forget or forgive those badly squeezed
.toothpaste tubes. TheUPis neitherbrother
nor spouse but t still want him arodttfl"to
be counted in 2010: ,-:~:
LamontLindstrorn teaches anttfOl~lbgy
at the University of Tulsa.
Among the. survey’s key findings:
- 80% of the 71,500 members of the
Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps
surveyed said they had heard offensive
speech or jokes or derogatory names or
remarks about Gays in the past year. The
service members were not asked if they
had. participated in such behavior.
-33% said they heard it often. It was
reported most frequently in the Marine
Corps and least in the Air Force. Such
behavior was reported to be most common
among junior enlisted troops.
--Of the offensive behaviors or actions
reported as directed against Gays, offensive
speech was the most common. It was
mentioned by 89% of those who reported
witnessing or experiencing some form of
harassment. Hostile gestures were reported
by 35%; threats or intimidation by 20%;
graffiti by 15%, vandalism of personal
property by 7% and physical assault by
9%.
The survey was done on 38 U.S. military
bases and aboard 10 Navy ships and
one submarine from Jan. 24 to Feb. 11.
The spark that caused the Pentagon to
take a closer look at how the Gay policy is
being implemented - and the extent of
anti-Gay behavior in the field - was the
bludgeoning death lastJuly ofaGay Army
private, Barry Winchell, at FortCampbell,
Kentucky. His killer, a fellow Army private,
was convicted and sentenced to life
in prison.
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Mississippi House Bans
Adoptions by Gays
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi may become
the second state with a law banning homosexual
couples from adopting children, althoughlawmakers
embracing the idea say they are unaware of any cases
ofGay adoptive parents. The House approved theban
with no debate late in March, nearly a week after a
similar proposal died for lack of action. The adoption
ban was revived after an orchestrated phone call
campaign by supporters.
Only Florida has a law forbidding Gay adoptions,
but other stateshave policies that keep homosexuals
from seeking adoptions. Bill opponents and supporters
said they were unaware of adoptions in Mississippi
involving Gay couples or any couples hoping to
adopt.
Mississippi Baptists and the Tupelo-based American
Family Association had lined up in support of the
proposal. On the other side were the American Civil
Liberties Union, which has threatened alawsuit, and
homosexual groups.
"It’s ridiculous,’" said Eddie Sandifer of Jackson,
director of the Mississippi Gay and Lesbian Alliance.
"This is going to be in court. It’s just a waste of
taxpayers’ money. They know there’s going to be a
lawsuit and they’ll lose eventually.’"
House Public Health Commi ttee Chairman Bobby
Moody, D-Louisville, said, "ff it’s the right thing to
do, it doesn’t matter to me if it leads to a lawsuit or
not.’" "What constitutes a family is not a homosexual
couple,’" s~iid Moody.
The bill was approved 107-8. There could be an
attempt for a second vote. "That bill is of the assumption
that anybody who’s Gay wilt,abuse children.
That’ s not a good ~rgument. I can’tjudge one’ s moral
turpitude. I’m not qualified to do that,’" said Rep.
David Green, D-Gloster.
This is the second time in three years that Mississippi
lawmakers have gotten involved in Gay issues.
In 1997, they banned homosexual marriages. The
adoption ban was added to a bill dealing with nurse
practitioners. That proposal lets the practitioners prepare
paperwork about the physical or mental condi- -
tion of a child being put up for adoption. Now doctors
must do the paperwork.
Moody said the House vote came in response to a
public outcry. "There’s been a lot of publicity created
around the state. It gave the false impression to some
religious groups that it was happening or there was a
possibility it could happen,’" he said of adoptions by
Gay couples.
Rep. Mary Coleman, D-Jackson, said lawmakers
"’were infringing on people’s private lives.’" David
Ingebretsen, director of theACLU in Mississippi, has
said his group may sue on behalf of aGay couple if the
bill becomes law. Other states have been sued over
their adoption policies. The bill does not ban a Gay
individiml from trying to adopt a child. It goes back to
the Senate for more consideration.
PlanetOut Website and
Advocate/Out to Merge
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - PlanetOut, which caters
to Gays and Lesbians, has announced plans to acquire
Liberation Publications, the largest publisher of Gay
and Lesbian periodicals and books in the country.
Liberatiofi Publications Inc. produces the Advocate
newsmagazine and will soon own Out magazine.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The companies
describe the deal as a merger, but the Interact
company will be the dominant partner; allowing the
magazines "tO continue publishing under their own
brand names.
"You can characterize it as the AOL-Time Warner
in the Gay space,’" said Megan J. Smith,.chief executive
of PlanetOut. Her five-year-old company operates
the Web site
www.planetout.com, along with an online radio and
film service and PlanetOut TV, which airs on the site
and on Canadian television.
In 1996, the San Francisco-based site became the
first Gay-oriented enterprise to secure venture capital
funding. The company has since established parmerships
with AOL, Netscape, Yahoo! and other major
Web companies as well as made advertising agreements
with Arista Records, Virgin Adantic Airways
and Johnson & Johnson.
Liberation Publications is based in Los Angeles. It
announced Feb. 21 that it. would acquire New Yorkbased
Out Publishing Inc., the publisher of Out and
HIV+ magazines.
The Advocate, a 33-year-old bi-weekly with a
circulation of about 88,000, concentrates on news,
politics, business and medical information. Out~ a
monthly launchedin 1992, has a circulation of 115,000
and focuses on culture, entertainment, fitness and
other topics. The Gay marketis considered a prime for
Intemet players because a high percentage of Gays
and Lesbians use the Internet and because the Intemet
)rovides.a level Of anonymity.
Dr. Schlessinger’s TV
Show Draws Protesters
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Paramount Television says it
is committed to putting tough-talking Dr. Laura
Schlessinger on TV, the tough-talking protests of
hundreds of angry Dr. Laura demonstrators notwithstanding.
"Shame, shame, shame,’" more than 200
Gay civil rights protesters shouted outside Paramount
Pictures, where they demanded the studio drop plans
to put the controversial radio host on television this
fall.
Schlessinger, known to her listeners as Dr. Laura,
dispenses relationship advice onher enormously popular
radio show. She has called homosexuality a"biological
error’" and "deviant.’"
"When Paramount bought Laura Schlessinger’s
show, they bought abattle withtheGay community,’"
said Joan Garry, executive director of the Gay and
Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "We’re going
to do whatever it takes’" to get the ParamOunt Television
Group to abandon the syndicated show, Garry
said.
So far Paramount has stood firm. and none of the
stations signed on to air Schlessinger’s show have
backed out. In arecent statement, the studio §aidit was
committed to presenting moral and ethi’~fl issues
without "creating or contributing to an en~cfroimaent
of hurt, hate or intolerance.’"
One of the signs carried by the demonstrators read
"No More Matthew Shepards.’" a reference to the
Gay student killed in Wyoming in 1998. Also fueling
the protest is anger over the passage last month of
Proposition 22, which bans same-sex marriage in
California.
"We will do whatever it takes to keep the pressure
on. The strategies will be about advertisers and the
affiliates,’" Garry said, declining to specify whether
that meant station or sponsor boycotts.
Countering the demonstrators were about 75
Schlessinger supporters organized by Campaign for
California Families, a conservauve, nonprofit organization.
"We’re the majority Of people who pay to see
Paramount films and who tune in to Paramount television
shows. We are in support of Dr. Laura being on
the air,’" Said Cherri Gardner, a spokeswoman for the
group.
Conservatives Sue City
Over Partners Benefits
BOSTON (AP) -A conservativelaw firm is suing the
city of Cambridge, claiming that the ordinance that
allows homosexual couples to register as domestic
partners is illegal and unconstitutionhl.
"The ordinance isboth legally and morally wrong.
.. This legal action is necessary to defend marriage
and the family,’" Vincent P. McCarthy, Northeast
counsel for the Virginia-based American Center for
Law and Justice, said Tuesday in a statement.
In July, the state Suprem,e Judicial Court struck
down an executive order issued by Boston Mayor
Thomas Menino that was intended to give health
insurance coverage to Gay partners of Boston city
workers.
The ACLJ assisted the Catholic Action League in
that case and predicted another legal victory against
Cambridge. It also said it planned to file a suit against
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the city of Springfield. The Catholic Action Leagueis
also involved in the Cambridge case.
Under the Cambridge ordinance passed in 1992,
Gay couples go to City Hall and register as domestic
partners. Once registered, partners of a city or school
worker are entitled to the same health benefits as
spouses of city and school workers.
Michael Gardner, Cambridge’s personnel director,
who administers the be~lefits, said he felt the ordinance
was both legal and constitutional.
"It was our view that we should continue to follow
the ordinance passed by our legislative body,’" he
said.
The law firm, which brought the suit onbehalfof 12
Cambridge residents, attacked the ordinance on a
number of legal fronts, but one argument was the one
that succeeded in the Supreme Judicial Conrt last
year.
The SJC had rifled that the" Boston executive order
was "inconsistent’" with a decades-old state law that
granted cities the authority to provide health insurance
to workers, their spouses and dependents.
Gary Buseck, executive director of Gay and Lesbian
Advocates and Defenders, said he would be
happy if Cambridge fought the case vigorously.
But he also called on the Legislature to pass a bill
designed to grant cities and towns the power to extend
the benefits if they chose. The bill has passed the
Senate but is pending in the House, he said.
"The Legislature can put an end to all of this and
~make sure cities and towns have an option of extending
health insurance to all their employees,’" Buseck
said.
Georgia Hate Crimes
Bill Gets Final Passage
ATLA~’qTA (AP) - The Georgia Senate gave final
passage to a bill allowing stiffer penalties for hate
crimes. Gov. Roy Barnes will have to sign off on it
before it can become law. ~
The. origii~ Version of the bill specified which
types ofbigo.try warranted a hate crime, but the House
amended the: measure to be more vague. It now
mentions only.crimes motivated by "bias or preju-
Sen. Vincent D. Fort, D-Atlanta, said he would
have preferred the.originalianguage but was willing
to accept the ctian~e~.
.A jury would, declare defendants guilty of a hate
crime after they were convicted ofanother crime such
as vandalism, arson, assault or murder. The initial bill
would have allowed the judge to make that decision.
That changeprompted Sen. Clay Land, R-Columbus,
to reverse his original vote and support the measure.
~At that time,.I felt the legislation was unconstitutional
because it did not provide the accused with a
¯ jury trial,’" he said.
Under the bill, sentences and fines for misdemeanors
would be increased by half, up to the maximum
allowed, for hate crimes. Felony prison sentences
¯ would be increased byfive years up to the maximum
sentence. Defendants convicted ofhate crimes would
have to serve at least 90 percent of their sentences.
Women Lawmakers Key
To Civil Unions Win
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - A greater percentage of
women than menin the Vermont House of Representatives
voted in favor of the civil unions bill that
passed in the House last week.
Female representatives approved by a wide margin
granting same-sex couples tile benefits of marriage
through civil unions while their male counterparts
turned it down. The women voted for the bill 35-9
while the men voted against it 60-41.
All but one of 32 female Democrats voted in favor
of the bill, while four of 12 Republican women voted
for it.
Although women make up relatively smaller proportions
of each caucus, more than half of the Democrats
voting yes were women, and more than a quarter
of the Republicans voting yes were women.
Rep. Anne Pugh, D-South Burlington, said female
constituents in general asked her to support the bill,
while men asked her [o oppose it.
"It may have m do with the fact that women
traditionally focus on family, and nurturing and relationships
- that women’s identity comes from connecting,’"
Pugh said.
Rep. Michael Vinton, D-C01chester, a retired state
trooper who has been outspoken in his criticisms of
anti-Gay arguments, said he bdieved women felt less
threatened by homosexuality. "For whatever reason,
I feel there’s more fear among the male gender,’"
Vinton said. "Men seem to be more crfical of people
-it’s just our species, probably.""
The trend reflects women’s greater receptiveness
to homosexuals across the country, according to national
policy experts.
"Women overwhelnfingly support Gay aud Lesbian
civil rights more than ~nen, generally speaking,’"
said Paula Ettelbrick, director ofthe National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute.
"’Women identify more because, like Gays and
Lesbians, they have not been part of the system as a
group, and theymaderstand the need and desire to be
a full citizen,’" she said. However, she said the fact
that the Vermont House had passed a civil unions bill
at all "shows that mendike everybody else have the
capacity to change on issues involving their own
communities.’"
The bill passed on a final margin of76 to 69. Voting
yes were 57 Democrats, 14 Republicans, four
Progressives mad one Independent. Voting no were 50
Republicans, 18 Democrats, and one Independent.
N.M. Christian Coalition
Files Phone Co. Benefits
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - The New Mexico branch
of the Christian Coalition is accusing U S West of
abusing public trust by providing employee benefits
to homosexuals and other umnarried workers. In a
document filed with the state Public RegulationCommission,
theNew Mexico Christian Coalition says the
policy is "offensive to decent, moral subscribers who
want phone service.’"
Edward Lopez Jr., U S West’s vice president in
New Mexico, said he is disgusted to "see-this kind of
hate and intolerance’" in a state as diverse as New
Mexico. Lopez says. the policy is good business. "We
believe our work force mirrors that of our. custom-
: ers,’" he said. "We’ve better able to understand .our.
customers needs and respond to.them.’"
¯ In its one-page filing, theChristian group contends
U S West’s benefits policy promotes the spread of
¯ AIDS and other sexually transmitteddiseases. "We’re
¯ saying there’s a moral issue of unmarried people that
¯ donot deserve benefits. If there is any way to prevent
¯ that from happening, we’ll do that,’" said Mark Bur-
" ton, executive director of the Albuquerque-based
¯ group. The group, affiliated with Pat Robertson’s
Christian Coalition of America, also contends in the
¯ filing that homosexuals are prone to violence and
¯ child molestation.
¯ Linda Siegle, alobbyist for theCoalition forEquality,
called the group’s statements "ludicrous and
¯ absurd, based on every lie and stereotype perpetrated
¯ on people who are Gay.’"
About 2,500 private corporations, universities and
other organizations across the nation provide domes-
" tic partnership benefits, she said.
¯ In its Mar~h i0 filing,’ the New Mexico Christian
¯ Coalition requested the PRC investigate "the social
¯ implications of this heinous U S West policy.’" "The
partners of homosexuals .shouldn’t have the right to
¯ get benefits fromamonopoly when I have no other
choice (for servic£),’" Burton said. " "
The Public Regulation Commission currently as
investigating U S West’s customer rates. Commission
chairman Bill Pope said he couldn’t comment on
anything contained in the filing because the panel has
yet to hear the rate case.
South African Gays
May Give Blood
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -
Gay men have a constitutional right to
donate blood, the South African Human
Rights Commission has ruled. The commission
said it was no longer Gays who
were most at risk for HIV in South Africa,
but people in their early 20s.
The commi ssiondemandedthat ablood
bank in Western Cape change its practice
of not accepting blood from homosexual
men. Western Cape Blood Transfusion
Service director Arthur Bird on Friday
said he disagreed with the decision and
was seeking legal advice.
The case came about after Andrew
Barnes, a public relations manager, responded
to an urgent plea for new donors
in the midst of a severe blood shortage last
year. A nurse at Western Cape Blood
Transfusion Service declined Barnes’
blood afterhemarked "yes’" ontheform’ s
question of whether he had had sex with a
man. Barnes had been in a r~lationship
with anothermanformore than two years.
The commission said the decision to
reject Barnes’ blood was ’~discrimination
in terms of the Constitution." It said it
would take the blood bank to court unless
it explains what changes it will make to
avoid breaching people’s constitutional
right to equality before April 3.
Teacher With AIDS
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) - HIV/AIDS activist
Cathy Robinson was a teacher in
1991, living a storybook life with her
husband, pregnant with their second child.
She and her husband, Dan, went to the
doctor for what was supposed to be a
routine physical for life insurance and
learned theunimaginable: They both Were
infected with the virus that causes AIDS.
Three years later, she developed AIDS.
"My first instinct was, ’I know where
I’ve been. Where have you been?’ "
Robinson said. Then headlines flashed
through her head declaring Belle Glade -
where she had worked with children- the
AIDS capital of the state. She wondered if
she had contracted the deadly virus there.
Buttwomonths later, Robinson, 34, found
out she had contracted HIV from a man
who died from AIDS complications in
prison while doing time for raping her
July 4, 1984, at a Tallalaassee convenience
store where she worked. Privacy
laws prohibited the prison from disclosing
to Robinson that he had AIDS.
She went seven years without finding
out she had HIV. She gave it to her husband
during that time, but her children,
Garrett and Lyndsy, are HIV-free. There
is only about a 20% chance a pregnant
mother will pass onHIV to her baby. With
medicine, the chances drop to 4%.
Robinson, who also wasdiagnosed with
breast cancer two year~s ago, is coping
with her own mortality by spending the
time she has left to promote safe sex and
persuade people to get tested. Her efforts
includ~lhe NAMES Project AIDS Memoria~:
Quilt display, which is being displayed
this month in the Hollis Wellness
Center at Florida Southern College.
Robinson. travels throughout Florida
talking with students, sheriffs’ deputies
and commumty groups about HIV and
AIDS, defying stereotypes of the "typical’"
AIDS victim, as a mamed, white,
middle-class mother of two.
Laws about HIV status disclosure vary
by state. In Florida, it takes a court order
to have someone convicted of sexual assault
tested. "We don’t as a state mandate
testing, and emergency rooms don’t have
time to doit,’" Robinson said. "They (tell)
victims of sexual as sault, ’In afew weeks,
you should get tested.’ "
Assistant State Attorney Sherri
Scarborough, who handles many of the
criminal sexual assault cases in Polk
County, said state statutes allow the court
to order HIV tests of anyone accused of a
crime where bodily fluids are exchanged.
But the victim has to request the tests and
ask that the health department notify them
of the results. Scarborough said she only
remembered two cases in the past six
years when a victim wanted to have his or
her attacker tested. One whs aT0-year-old
woman. The other was a college student.
Robinson was a student at Florida State
University when she was raped. Two of
her attackers were convicted, but a third
man never was arrested. She testified in
the two trials but did not ask that her
attacker be tested because there was no
HIV test at the time. "In 1985, there was
a test. I called right away, but they said,
~Cathy, you don’t need to worry. The only
people who get HIV are Gays and drug
users,’ " she said. Meanwhile, her attacker
was being treated for AIDS in
prison.
WhenRobinson foundout she was HIVpositive,
she said she didn’t tell anyone
for amonth. Thev. two months passed, and
she was about to give bir~ to her son,
Garrett, now 8. "Three nurses refused to
give us care. One, not knowing anything
about me, assumed we decided to have
children even though we had AIDS. She
called (the Department of Children and
Families) to try to get them to take our
kids away,’" Robinson said.
ThenRobinsonmadea choice she could
never take back. She decided to talk about
her story in schools and churches to raise
public awareness. "By going public, there
was no way I could ever teach again,
which was fine,’" she said. "Then they
wiped my husband’s job out of his company.
We paid tbr groceries with credit
cards for a while... Thenwerealized they
were going to turn our lights out. We
moved in with my parents in Clewiston."
Cathy and Dan since have moved to
Fort Myers with her best friend, a nurse.
But they decided five years ago to have
Garrett and Lyndsy, 9, continue to live
with her parents, to ease the transition on
the day the~ know will come. The
Robinsons see their childrenon weekends
and holidays. They write in journals and
make tapes to record memories they want
the kids to remember.
"We knew ultimately we were going to
die,’" Cathy said. "We thought it was
importantfor them to transilion. Wenever
thought we’d still be transitioning five
years later. Our biggest fear was dying
before Lyndsy and Garr’ett were old
enough to remember us.’"
Bill Gregory, an advertising professor
at Florida Southern, fellow AIDS activist
and friend, said Cathy hves to spread the
message. But radiation therapy has made
it more difficult in recent months. Cathy
travels to Miami for radiation treatments
because she can get them free in exchange
for leading educational programs. She
puts about 1,500 miles a week on her
leased Ford Explorer traveling throughout
the state for AIDS education, stressing
safer sex and HIV testing.
"You have to be tested,’" she said. "No.
1, you don’t want others to get infected.
No. 2, they can treat you. If you are
negative, you have a chance to rethink
your activities that got you there.’"
Timothy W. Daniel
Attorney at Law
An Attorney who will fight for
justice & equality for
Gays & Lesbians
Domestic Partnership Planning,
Personal Injury,
Criminal Law & Bankruptcy
1-800-742-9468 or 918-352-9504
128 East Broadway, Drumright, Oklahoma
Weekend and evening appointments are available.
January April July October December
Even Out Your
Monthly Electric Bills.
At WoO, we know that changing
weather conditions throughout the
year can cause your monthly electric
bills to rise and fall dramatically.
Which can make it tmrd to plan your
household budget. That’s why~
our Average Monthly Payment plan,
could be your budgeting solution.
With~you pay about the
same each month, because ifs based
on your previous 12 months usage.
That makes budgeting a breeze.
And best of all, ifs free. AMPis}ust
one of several flemq~le payment
options PSO offers you. For more
information, we’re available 24 hours
a da~. Or s’tgn up forAMP on our
website at www.csw.corm
PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF OKLAHOMA
A Central and South Weat Company
Kelly Kirby,. CPA, PC
Certified Public Accountant
a professional corporation
Lesbians and Gay men face many special
tax situations whether single or as couples.
Electronic filing is’available for faster refunds.
747-5466
4021 South Harvard Avenue, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135
Are You Gay or Bisexual?
Are You Native American?../,=
Tulsa’s Two-Spirited Indian Men s
Support Group is here for you~.
¯ E~ening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HIV testing
For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
beginning at the Gay Community Center
¯ at 37th and Peoria and ending at Veterans
Park at 18th and Boulder. The parade will
begin at llam The Pride Festival will
also begin at Veterans Park at 1 lain and
will continue till about7 or8pm, finishing
off the week’s events.
TOHR organizers include Kerry Lewis
as chairperson of the overall effort. "Humanity
United for Haman Rights -Diversity
Celebration 2000," Greg
Gatewood, TOI-IR president and festival
chair,Audra Sommers,parade chair, Lynn
Moesteller, sponsor chair, Mitchell Savage,
media chair, Ktis Kohl, festival entertainmentchair
andNedBruha, incharge
of festival booths and beverages.
On June 3, Saturday, That evening also
at the PAC Doenges Theatre, the TOHR
Follies, not seen for a namber of years,
will reprise, 100 Years of Broadway with
tickets available through the PAC. Tuesday,
June 6th, an art exhibit, "United" will
open and on Thursday, June 8th, there
will be a film night. Locations and times
will be announced later.
For more information about these
events, call the Gay Community Services
Center at 743-4297 (Gays).
And while the organization has not been
in Tulsa for long, already it’s become
active and visible. Soulforce members
along withTOHR, Tul sa Oklahomans for
Haman Rights, marched in the M.L.King,
Jr. Day parade, marking the first time
openly Gay people and groups have partidipated.
And for the kick-off for this year’s Gay
Pride events, Diversity Celebration 2000,
Soulforceis bringing Mel WhiteandGary
Nixonback to Tulsafor aninterfaith workshop
and to lead a Soulforce workshop.
White and Nixon were in Tulsa several
years ago for a regional conference of
i~FLAG, Parents, Families and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays, held at All Souls
Unitarian Church.
Also on May 6-12, in Cleveland, Ohio,
at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Soulforce
will hold Soulforce University (SFU) SFU
is arare, one-week opportunity for people
offaith to learn and apply the principles of
nonviolence. SFU is being held in conjunction
with the world congress of the
United Methodist denomination of Chris-.
tianity, General Conference 2000 which
will also be in Cleveland, on May 2-12.
Historically, Methodists have cared
about the poor, the homeless, and the
outcast. Soulforce organizers state, "sadly,
decisions made by their [United Methodist]
General Conferences over the past
three decades have ended that tradition of
caring and made outcasts of God’s Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered
children. We hope to help end those unjust
and discriminatory policies.
For thirty-t~vo years United Methodist
leaders have debated the issue of homosexuality.
Too many of" their delegates
have ignored the historic, scientific, psychological,
pastoral and even biblical evidence
thathomosexuality is neither a sickness
nor a sin. As a result, with almost
every General Conference the U.M.C. has
hardened its anti-homosexual position.
That position leads to discrimination, snffeting,
and death.’"
Several Tulsans involved in Soulforce
will participate in the Cleveland events.
HEAR the Quilt
The NAMES Project Tulsa Area Chapter
is proud to announce the return of the
Quilt to Tulsa for a major display at the
Maxwell Convention Center December1
through 3, 2000.
The success of a major Quilt display is
dependent on volunteers from our community.
To develop interest and support
for this major World AIDS Day event, the
Tulsa Area Chapter will host a reception
on Thursday evening, April 27 at 7: 00pm
at Fellowship Congregational Church,
2900 South Harvard, Tulsa.
Please join us as we bring together the
community in preparation for "HEAR the
Quilt." We’ll have sections of the Quilt on
display and lots of information about upcoming
events Refreshments will be
served and it will be a great opportunity to
renew old friendships andmake new ones.
For more information you can contact
us at (918) 748-.~1 ll or at
TulsaQuilt@go.com
OK Spoke Club
The OK Spoke Club is begimfing its tides
again. A long ride (20 miles plus) will
begin at Ziegler Park at 7:30am on April
8th & 15th. Water and helmet are required.
A short tide (5 miles) along the Katy
Bicycle path in Sand Springs will begin at
6:30 pm on April 19th. Water and helmet
are strongly reconnnended.
At 9am, a long ride will begin at the
Pride Center, 3749 S. Peoria, rear parking
lot on April 22th. Water and helmet are
required. A short ride will leave from
there at 6:30 pm on April 26th. Water and
helmet are strongly recommended.
For more information, contact the club
at POB 9165, Tulsa, Ok 74157, or emaii
to: Okiebicycle@prodigy.net
Texas Lesbian
Conference
For 13 years now, Texas Lesbians have
presented one of the best conferences in
the US. This year’ s event, to be held at the
Renaissance Hotel, Greenway Plaza on
May 19-21 in Houston.
The conference will feature Urvashi
Vaid, former executive director of the
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force,
cartoonist/cormnentator, Alison Bechdal,
creator of"Dykes to WatchOut For," poet
and author Ntozake Shange and Lesbian
comic Marga Gomez.
Andifthese were not enough of a draw,
TLC offers a variety of workshops on
legal, financial, spiritual and other issues.
TLC is awoman only event for which you
must be 18 to attend. For more information,
write POB 66012, Houston 77266.
Or "call 713-460-3435 for a registration
form. .
Living ArtSpace
New Show
Tul’sa’s contemporary art gall~ery~: Living
Ai~tSpace, now located at 308 South
Kenosha will present exhibition opening
& gallery talk by artist, John Hitchcoek,
on Thursday, April 6, 5:30-8pm.
Hitchcock invites the viewer tobecome
a participant in his installation by encouraging
them to "play games" and receive a
silk screened pnnt or an object. Using
games derived from Native American traditions,
the artist challenges the participant
to make the comparison between
traditional culture and the artwork.
Once upon a time, there was a teenager
named, for lack of a better moniker, Jim.
He was teased most of his school life for
being gay, name calling and threats of
physical violencebeing the
chief tactics deployed by
most of the other kids -the
mainstays of which were
the dreaded "jocks."
He had few friends, but
one of the few he considered
a friend happened to
be Shaun. Shatm was in
choir and on the football
team, and Jim had known
him for a few years, since
Jr High. What Jim repressed
and suppressed
was his physical and emotional
attraction for Shann.
Shaun wasn’t classically
handsome, but something
about him was incredibly
attractive to Jim. Maybe it
was just that, unlike the
other jocks, who singled
Jim out for particular torment,
Shaun always had
treated him with kindness
" ~roadway Damage’
is another little sleeper,
low budget movie that
is actually quite
wonderful...
The film is a ~ood
old-fashloned romantle
eornedy, kind of llke
the old screwballs
eomedles of the 30’s...
It’s a well-wrltten,
well-fihned, well-acted
" story that is sure to
brin~ a smile to
anyone’s face..."
and yes, even friendline,ss. This was !lJghly
unusual. Jim and Shaun s friendship~ew,
and they hung out a bit together. Jim
continued suppressing, and just enjoyed
Shaun’s company, basking in the glow of
their friendship.
At one point, they went to a film together.
Shaun sat with legs spread wide,
his leg touching Jim’ s. Wall, all Jim could
focus on throughout the film was the
sensfition of Shaun s leg against his; the
bea~from the other boy’s body flowing
in~d~s, the fact that he was really uncomfortable
due to the fact that certain feelingSwere
rising., feelings he’d been hiding
from everyone, including himself.
0~things w~re rising too, and he had
no!~deahow tohandle this. He wasn’t sure
ifShaun was doing this deliberately or by
accident. In ~_ospect, it had to be on
purpose. Shfiuns leg never left contact
wi~Jim’s tmtil the film was over. Jim
wasi:terrified.~Did he dare move, and cut
off~ie contact which he really so desperatdy
Wanted?Or should he re~pond?Was
thi~ ~test? Surely Shaun was aware of the
comments and teasing; he’d seen it happen,
To this day, Jim has no memory of
that film or what it was. Just the sensation
of Shaun’s leg and the accompanying
delight/fear.
Jim’s fervent yet deeply hidden desire
was for Shaun and he to bein love. Yet, of
course this could never be. Shaun was
straight-Jim thought. Andhe was ever so
aware of the fragility of friendship- he’d
~aot had many, ai~d would do nothing to
jeopardize this one.
One time, Shaun asked Jim to join he
and some friends for a swim. When Jim
got to Shaun’s house, he discovere~...that
the friends.~were other members of the
football team - the ones who so delighted
inmakinglife aliving hell for Jim. "Well",
he thought,"This should be ablast. NOT!"
To his surprise, they all got along. Jim did
feel incredibly out of place and utterly
self-conscious the whole time they were
around. Had to be careful not to slip up
and steal a glance at the wrong moment,
not that he could see anything without his
coke-bottle glasses anyway.
During the swim day, Shann told an
interesting story: He had entered a bar on
a certain street in. Arlington, Texas, and
thought it was a real cool place - until he
began to notice all the other patrons were
men - and looking at him. Then he left in
a hurry. You can imagine
thecomments this brought
on from the jocksters. It
was all Jim could do not to
ask WHERE. In fact,
Jim did devote a considerable
amount of time to
thoughts onhow to get the
desired information without
giving myself away,
but never could figure out
a foolproofmethod. Some
years later, Jim did go in
search of the aforementioned
place - and discovered
it was in a shopping
center with no sign age or
indications of any sort that
there was anything in the
shopping center. You had
to know where and what it
was to get there and find
the place. Interesting...
Later that day, Shaun
and I found ourselves
alone in his parent’s house. He excused
himself to take a shower, and was in there
along time. A really long time. Jim began
to wonder if he should just go home,
Shaun was in there so long. Then, out he
popped, completely nude - and Jim with
no glasses on! (He was near blind without
them.) It took a lot of control not to look
down, whichhe recalls doing anyway, for
a split second. Shaun probably caught it.
He paused, saying, "Sorry, forgot to take
my clothes i.n with me." Then went into
his room. Jim was nonplused. Here Shaun
is, withakidheknew was teased for being
Gay, exposing himself.
He spent along time inhis room, too,by
the way Jimwas certain this was all atest,
and the slightest wrong move would end
the friendship - after all, Shaun was a
good Southern Baptist boy, going to a
church that literally preached coercion to
get new members.
Yes, Jim knows better now. There were
signals being sent, Jimjust misinterpreted
them. Jim wished he hadn’t, even though
that would have ted to heartbreak. Jim
really was in love with Shaun. Last Jim
heard, Shaun was married, with kids. Sad
thing is, that all Jim had to go on were
negative images of Gayness. That’s all
that was out there in the world then. There
was no "Will and Grace", no positive
movie role models. And All he knew was
that one wrong step could end a friendship,
Or even get him beaten - or, in one
case he read about, killed.
Whichleads me to aDVD review:_"Get
Real". The story is pretty much the same
as above, withnerdy schoNboyfallingfor
upperclassmanjock. Except in the case of
"Get Real", the relationship is consummated
when schoolboy finds out that the
jockster is indeed, homoerotically inclined.
Of course, Mr. Jock is severely
suppressing, and holding on to his straight
identity with every’ fiber of his being. The
film played Tulsa for about a week in ’96
or ’97. I’m sure not everyone got to see it,
so I won’t spoil the ending. Let’s just say
schoolboy .comes out publicly and discovers
his inner strength. He’s accompanied
by a female friend, who remindedme
ofmyfriend Karin, who is now a Lesbian!
More on that later, see Amuse, p. 9
GILCREASE MUSEUM
April 29, May 5 & 7, 2000
Call 587-4811
Church of the Restoration
Unitarian Universalist
11 am, Sunday, 1314 North Greenwood, 587-1314
EUREKASPRINGS DIVERSITYCELEBRATION
-Friday, April 7
- 8:30pm to 12:30am,Dancing in the Ozark Room at the Basin Park Hotel (12 Spring
Street) with DJ Jon Caswell. Sponsored by theMCC of the Living Spring. Cover: $5 per
person. Cash Bar. Must be 21.
- 9pm to 12:30am, Karaoke at Shaw’s Tavern (37 Spring Street)
- 10pm to 2am, Breakfast at thenew Eureka House of Blues (in the basement of the x’~ :w
Orleans hotel at 63 Spring Street) or,
- 1 lpm to 2am, Breakfast at the Eureka Food Court (37 Spring Street)
Saturday, April 8
10am to Noon, Canoe float on the White River. $25 per canoe. Singles welcome- r
reservations and info, call theBeaver Dam Store at 501-253-6154.
10:30am. to Noon, Learn a littl6 of Eureka S prings’ history on a guided walking to,
the Historic District. Meet at Sweet Spnngs next to Rogue’s Manor on upper !:
Street. For further information, call 501-253-0070 or e-mail walking@nwaft.com.
- Noon to 3:30pm "Go Fly a Kite!" Weather permitting, bring your kites and your
cameras.at the beautiful Pond Mountain Lodge and Resort (two miles south on HighWay
23). For more information, contact Judy Jones at 800-583-8043.
- lpm to 2:30pro Head out to Lake Leatherwood Park (off Highway 62 West) for an
informative, guided trail hike. Get there a few minutes early and bring some water; some
walking sticks will be provided. You can also hike on your own on one of
the various trails in Eureka Springs’ "City Park". To obtain a trail map or
for further information about the park, please e-mail lthrwood@ipa.net. For
further information about the hike, call Steve at 501-253-9380 or 9384 or
e-mail gands@ipa.net.
- Please visit the unique shops and restaurants in the Eureka Springs
Diversity Cooperative. Let them know you’re here for Diversity Weekend!
- 3:30pm to 9pm,Check outThe Holein the Wall (191/2 Spring Street) forKaraokewith
Lita! Lunch and dinner will also be served. For further information, call
501-253-8361.
- 9pm to lain; Dance to the high,energy club ttmes of DJ Jon Caswdl at Center Stage
(37 Spring Street). Must be 21. Cover: $5 per person. Sponsored by The Emerald
Rainbow, Mark E. Cook Properties and Center Street Bar & Grill.
- 9pmto 12:30am, Belt out your favorite tunes as Shaw’s Tavern (37 Spring Street) once
again hosts a Karaoke night for "family" and friends.
- 10pm to 2am, Brealffast at thenew Eureka House of Blues (in the basement of the New
Orleans hotel at 63 Spring Street) or,
- 1 lpm to 2am, Breakfast at the Eureka Food Court (37 Spring Street)
Sunday, April 9
- 2pm to 6pm, Join us again at Center Stage (37 Spring Street) for a tea dance and drag
show, with performances by the "girls from Tulsa" and music by DJ Jon
Caswell. Must be 21. Cover: $5 per person. Sponsored by The Emerald
Rainbow, Ermilio’s Restaurant and Center Street Bar & Grill.
- 7pm, MCC of the Living Spring (17 Elk Street) will hold a service. Call
501-253-9337 for information. All are welcome!
For a listing of businesses supporting this and similar events, check out
the Eureka Springs Diversity Cooperative website at www.shimaka.coln/eureka/diversity
or drop by The Emerald Rainbow at 45 1/2 Spring Street for a printed copy.
Oklahoma Repertory Theatre Opens
TULS A-Theatreleaders from twoTulsa : and the Boys" by So. African playwright
organizations, Tulsa Repertory Theatre
and Wayward Theatre Co. have joined
together to create the Oklahoma Repertory
Theatre (also known as OK REP).
Catherine Adkins, Skip suraci. Christopher
Ferguson-Long and Nathan Huntley
will serve as executive artistic director,
advisor, associate founding artistic director
and associate artistic director, respectively.
OKREP,like the companies out of
which it grows is committed to "unique,
professional theatre, children’s theatre,
arts in education and community outreach."
OK REP will open its season with the
Pulitzer Prize winning, "Master Harold
The film translates well to DVD, maintaining
the widescreen image, and with
excellent rarity. Sadly, there’s no extra
features so prevalent now in DVD releases,
such as director’s commentary,
behind the scenes documentaries, etc. It
would have been .nice to have the actor’s
recollections of the making of the film
and the affect it had on them. However,
that does not detract from the fact it’s a
well-written film with an excellent.cast
and beautiful cinematography. The only
thing that bothered one of my friends at
the .initial showing was that jock boy
Athol Fugard. The production will mn
May 11-14 and May 18-20 at Tulsa’s
Performing Arts Center Liddy Doenges
~[]aeatre at 8pm and Sundays at 2pro, and
is supported in part by grants from the
Oklahoma Arts Council and the Tulsa
Performing Arts Center Tn~st.
The play, directed by Nathan Huntley,
is that of a young man growing up and
growxng aware in 1950’s South Africa
apartheid. Tulsa actors Greg Herman, Bill
Thomas and Christopher Ferguson-Long
perform the roles. Tickets are available at
the PAC box office, 596-7111, for $12/
adults and $9/students/seniors. For more
information, call OK REP at 592-6310.
seems to come from a well-heeled family,
yet has a working class accent. I noticed
after he pointed it out, but that did not
detract from the otherwise excellent performanees
given by Ben Silverstone as
the cuteschoolboy Steven Carter, Charlotte
Britain as his friend who faints on
command, and the hunky Brad Gorton as
thejock upon anyone Wouldbe daft not to
develop a crush. Available from Wolfe
Video (www.wolfevideo.com).
Along the same lines, sort of... well,
not really, but there’s a well-done scene
that exemplifies the kind of dynamic I
wrote of regarding seeing that tmnamed
film with Shaun, is "Billy’s Hollywood
Screen Kiss." see Amuse, p. 11
by Tom Neal, editor & publisher
Some Oklahomapolitical observers have noted that the
one good thing for this state about a win by Republican
presidential candidate, George W. Bush, is that we’d get
to send the Honorable Frank Keating, Governor of Oklahoma
packing back off to DC, though others have said
Oklahoma’.s gain might be to the nation’s detriment.
"... ff it were not enough to invoke
this bigoted image ofGay people
-preying on the young, he
foflowed it with a comment about
how Gay people are among the
wealthiest Amerleans. I had
to wonder if next he’d betalklng
about how ’all Black people
have rhythm’ or ’the international
Jewish banking eonsplraey.’..."
This February, t took my’father to lunch at the Press
Club to see Keating do his song and dance. I imagine that
Keating expected a rather friendly reception- these days
the Press Club membership hardly includesany reporters
but rather mostly public relations types - good enough
people but hardly known for hard hitting .journalism.
They’re there to put a nice spin on tttings, not to get at the
truth, typically. Andyou can count on The Tulsa Worldto
report only selectively on comments made there.
Then there was Dad and me sitting right up front. And
dear Mr. "I am not descended from a Baboon" Keating*
likely did not know what he was in for. Mr. Keating
waxed eloquently about how ifwe only re-made government
to be like"’business," and not just coincidentally
turned it all over to the Republiczins, all would be great
with our state. I could nothave a~kedfor a better setup for
my question to the Governor since in Oklahoma, it’s
business leading the way in treating Lesbian and Gay
citizens, well, like equal citizens.
The question put to the Gov. was this: Oklahoma’s
leading businesses,American Airlines, the state’ s largest
private employer, K.imberly-Clark, Dollar-Thrifty Auto
Group whose CEO, Joseph Cappy was just appointed to
the State Board of Regents for Higher Education, all of
these corporations promise not to discriminate on sexual
orientation. Since "business" shows us the way, Keating
* ina recent controversy about teaching evolution in
public schools, Keating claimed he was not descended
from a baboon. The Tulsa World contested that claim.
Operat=on Montreal,. To ¯
was asked why state government was not following their
lead.
Frank’s answer was an embarrassment to the state of
Oklahoma. He said there was not a public consensus to
support treating all people fairly and had he stopped at
this, I could hardly have argued withhim.
But he went on to invoke the most shameful of stereotypes,
saying that the state government of Oklahoma
could not promise to treat Gay and Lesbian Oklahomans
fairly because "a homosexual schoolteacher might try to
’promote’ his ’lifestyle’ to elementary school students
and then the state could not discipline the teacher..."
Andif it were not enough to invoke this bigoted image
of Gay people preying on the young, he followed it with
acomment abouthow Gay people are among the wealthiest
Americans. I had to wonder if next he’d be talking
about how "all Black people have rhythm" and "the
international Jewish banking conspiracy."
I did have the opportunity to say.his allegation about
Gay "wealth" was false but not to question his premises
about promising to treat public employees fairly.
And this, of course, ignores the fact that it is almost
unimaginable that any Gay teacher would engage in
inappropriate discussions - they’re all too scared because
: they know they’ll be harassed or fired in any school
district in the state. Any inappropriate conversation by a
¯ teacher with students, whether heterosexual or homo-
" sexual, already has avenues for remedy.
I agree with Keating, Oklahoma can learn from the
: example of "business." First and foremost, Frank needs
¯ to figure out that discrimination is bad for business and
¯ badforOklahoma. "Business" has figured this out. Ameri-
" can and Dollar-Thrifty don’t go beyond the minimum
¯ federallaw r.eqmresjust because they regreatfolks. Th y
¯¯ do it because they can’t afford to lose good workers and
¯ some of those good workers ar’-e Gay.
It really shouldn’t be that hardfor Frank Keating. All
¯ he needs to do is to reframe the questionin terms to which
¯ he can relate: shall we not include Catholics in our non-
- discnmmattonlawsbecausewecouldn tfiretbemlfthey
mdocmnated our children with the Cathohclifestyle m
schools? Keating shouldknow that itwash’ t thatlong ago
: that precisely those stereotypes were common in thisstate.
After all, Keating claims to be a Christian. And as
: such, he is commanded to "treat others as he would be
¯ treated." That?s pretty straightforward. I’d bet even a
¯ "lower" primate, maybe even a baboonmight be able to ¯
figure that out. The question is can our governor?
by Dave Fleischer
Senior Fellow, Policy Institute
National Gay andLesbian Task Force
Have you ever met ahomophobe? Of course you have,
which is why you might not immediately be eager to
campaign door-to-door using the "G" word when we
need to win an election.
You might be thinking: Holy Roller, don’t a lot of
people go into rant mode the minute we say the Word
"Gay?’"
Actually, they don’t. Everywhere I’ve gone door-todoor
with teams of volunteers,-
once we explain in
plalnlanguage the issue voters
will be facing, the overwhelming
majority are on
.our side. Most of the rest are
undecided. This has been
true in Anchorage, Houston,
and Fayetteville, Arkansas;
in San Francisco, suburban
Westchester County,.in Miami
(nope, not just in South
Beach) and in both Democratic
and Republican parts
of Spokane, Washington. And that’s just the places in
1998-and 1999 that we’ve gone door-to-door in.
Sure, we start in neighborhoods wherewe believe we’ll
find many supporters. But even when we broaden to a
- diverse set of neighborhoods, 60 to 90% of the time,
voters are surprised to learn that the basic rights, of Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) people
are under attack.
"... I don’t want to tell you about
my%exllfe - but ff I’m doing
a job at my job,
should my boss be able to fire me
just because I’m Gay?"
[long pause, she says uncertainly]
"I’ve never thought about that..."
"Well, I’m Gay, and this may surprise youbut it wasn’t
a choice for me. And if I’m doing a goodjob at work, do
you think my boss should be. able to fire mejust because
I’m Gay?"
"I don’t want to hear about your sex life."
"I don’t want to tell you about my sex life--but if I’m ~
doing a goodjob atmyjob, shouldmy boss be able to fire
me just because I’m Gay?"
. [Long pause]
[She says uncertainly] "I’ve never thought about that."
"Well, that’s what you’ll, be voting on. Here’s the wording
that will be on the ballot.
Takealookatit. [Pausewhile
she reads] What do you
think?"
I didn’t make this voter a
supporter. But I did move
her from leaning against us
to someone who might be
undecided. Theconversation
took abouttwominutes. Then
I was on to the next door.
If we’ve trained our-volunteer
team well, we communicate
our key message
within the limits of the voter’s attention span. Then we
ask what they think. And they tell us.
Soinetimes their answer isn’t easy to hear (I didn’t love
Ms. Informed’s ?Gays can change"). Butifwe listen with
genuine interest, and offer a clear, honest exchange, they
return the favor. We usually-leave the door either knowing
we’ve found someone leaning toward us, or someone
who is now open to hearing more.
A...J--~"~’~A~.~,~’A,,’~ (;.... ~Vhenthe~ydo, they say somethinglike. OfcourseI Benefit uur= i i i i i i~i~..,,..; :=~-agai~i’s’t--d~sc~aination, against anybody. I like/don’t care
Localentrepreneurandmouth-about-townactivistNed about/dort’flike Gay people, but discriminationis always
Bruha will present "Operation Montreal" at The Silver
Star, 1565 So. Sheridan, at 10pm on Friday May 5th.
Brnha notes, "’this night of rare comedy and mad-cap
entertainment will aid Audra MarieSommers, an individual
among us who has selflessly impleme.nted her
.talents to l~tter the Tulsa areafor the past decade,,She has
raised money for the poor and the sick." ,
Themoney raised the evening of thi~ event wiR,be ~used
to help Payfor medications, travel and down-time trom
both of lie) jobs for the transgendered Sommers as she
recoups from surgery which will bring her physiology
into correspondence with her gender identity.
This event is called Operation Montreal because after
many years of research, Sommers has chosen worldrenowned
surgeons in Montreal. Any funds raised will
not be used for the surgery. Sommers has underwrittem
the surgery by taking a mortgage on her home.
For more information about this event, call 585-1644,
or write, "Operation Montreal" c/o Ned Bruha, P.O. Box
471282, Tulsa, OK. 74147-1282, or send e-mail to
partygram@webzone.net
wrong."
So the experience of going door-to-door is enormously
encouraging. It’s both productive for the campaign, and
also personally affirming.
This doesn’t mean that every voter is immediately
happy to see us. But as a reality check, here’s the toughest
door I’ve had so far.
Scene: a sweaty August ’98 morning in Fayetteville,
Arkansas; a white senior answers the door
..’...’.Hi, Ms. Informed?" Yes
"Hi, Ms..Informed, my name is Dave Fleischer, and
I’m with the Campaign for Human Dignity. A human
rights resolution is on the ballot - it says that here in
Fayetteville we won’t tolerate discrimination on thejob,
whether you’re a man or women, black or white, Gay or
non-Gay. What do you think about that?"
"Well, I think that if Gay people would just go to
church, they would realize it’s a choice, they don’t have
to be that way". [She went on in this vein for a minute. I
listened.]
Nobody says this work is easy. But, contrary to our
worst fears, it isn’t confrontational. It’s more like the
ordinary experience of one tiuman being talking to another
human being.
And there’s an unexpected personal benefit. If we reopen
our hearts, we are liberatedfrom a piece of internalized
self-hate and our own stereotypical thinking about
the public. It turns out that most of them are human, too
- and more open than we give them credit for being.
Most importantly, voteridentification works. SAVE
Dade in Miami has built a list of.more than 15,000 Gay -
and pro-Gay voters by having dbnversations just like
these, by going door~to-door and by talking to voters
when.they go to vote. Basic Rights Oregon beat back their
last two state-wide anti-Gay ballot measures by doing
voter idenlification on a large scale, and has a list of
125,000 voters statewide.
Sure there are closed-minded homophobes out there.
But they are far fewer and less grumpy than you’d guess
-a mere needle in a Gaystack. If we’re going to win
elections, we need to talk with everyone to find our
supporters. Factis, voters are ready tolistentous,ifwe’re
willing to listen to them. Are we?
Meet Local
Guys for
Hot
~Odgin. 18+. Additional features fron
ads
guys you like
The number of Gays and Lesbians in
the United States is not known because of
largely unreliable studies. Advocacy
groups often claim 10% of the population
is homosexual, basedon surveys ofsexual
behavior conducted by researcher Alfred
Kinsey taken in the 1940s. Other surveys
put the number between 4% and 6%.
Amore direct census question concerning
sexual orientation isn’t likely by the
lime the2010 census roils around. Itwould
take afederal legislation to require collection
of the data. And, advocates say, it’s a
tricky ’question. "Is sexual orientation
defined by feelings of attraction, exclusivity
or praetors?’" Norfllrop asked.
Best known for launching the career of
"Willand Grace’ s" "Jack", Sean P. Hayes,
that’s about the best thing about this film.
It’s got some good moments, but never
quite congeals into a satisfying film. Brad
Rowe, Meredith Scott Lynn, and Hayes
mmin good performances, but the rest of
the cast falls flat, as do many of the jokes.
Hayes stars as Billy, a starving artist photographer
who is the other man in an
unsatisfying relationship he settles for
because (as he. tells everyone repeatedly
in this film until youjust wantto slap him)
he CAN’T FIND A MAN.
He stumbles upon Gabriel (the immensely
appealing Brad Rowe), and instantdysfunctional
crushdevelops, in spite
of the fact (?) that Gabriel is straight.
Hilarity ensues (yawn). There’s the prerequisite
drag queen comicrelief trio, that
should never have .entered this film, because
they are rather pointless to.the plot,
content, and are really so bad they detract
from the film..Obvibusly, theyare ~aeant
to be bad, but all the ~vay t~ough the
opening.sequence~ and at se{~eral points
~(way too many) through the film, they
-..seem to just be inserted for no reason. If
they were doing something that was
plot~orthyand actually funny, itmight be
a good thing. They’re not, and basically
just fill time when the director can’t pull
his head out long enoughto actually make
a film.
This DVD comes with a commentary,
and even that - usually a high point and
asset - is utterly boring. Yes, Sean’s a
wonderful actor -now. OK, Brad was
uncomfortable with thefilm and part starting
out. (Why is never detailed, and that
was what might have been actually interesting.)
OK yes, there are lots ofhomages
to old films, most of which are obvious,
especially with the dream/musical sequences.
Overall, Billy’s a fine addition
to an avid collector ofGay film, for archival
purposes. It’s amusing once through.
But it’s a definite rental, not a keeper.
Also available from Wolfe Video.
An excellent film to have on DVD for
repeated viewings and the extras, is"Gods
and Monsters." It is a most moving and
affecting film, and the disc has lots of
goodies, along with a commentary that
actually IS interesting, adocumentary with
Clive Barker as host, interviews with the
actors, and lots oflovely details. The film,
based on Christopher Brain’s book, is a
look .at what might have happened in the
days leading to James Whale’s mysterious
death.
Whale, the director best known for the
films "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein"
in the ’30’s, was found floating
¯ in his pool fully clothed. No answers ever
¯ came out of the investigation. Sir Inn
¯
McKellan, in abravuraperformance, plays
~ Whale, the absolutely dynamic Lynn
¯¯ Redgrave plays his housekeeper and
caregiver Hannah, and the absolutely brilliantandbreathtakingly
gorgeous Br~ndan
Fraser plays a yard man that Whale be-
" friends.
: This didplay the major theatres,butjust
¯ in case, I won’t give away any more of the
." ending than I have. The performances
¯ were all top notch, with nary a misstep.
¯ The cinematography is beautiful, and the ¯
detail in sets, costumes, and styleis dead-
" on.~(No pun intended.) As an. actor, it’s
~ ~really hard.f,0rme to see a film that makes
¯¯ ~m~fo~etI m~watehing~a film. This one
did. I was surprised, as the end credits
¯ were rolling, to find I had tears runmng
: down my face. The film so engrossed me
¯ that Iwasn’t even aware when that began. ¯
It’s an interesting film on many levels,
¯ the most superficial being Whale as dirty
." old man spying on the yard man; and~the
¯ deepest being the comments on aging, ¯
and the families we surround ourselves
¯ with as that happens. The interplay of
¯ straight andGay, andfear. The betrayal of ¯
¯ the body.and time, the interplay between
youth and age, the reasons we make the
¯ choices in life that we do make., all are
." explored on many levels.
¯ It’s definitely worth viewing several
¯
times, if for nothing more than seeing the
¯ details you missed first time around. The
¯ commentary, as opposed to the useless ¯
blathering on Billy’s HSK, is insightful,
¯
informative, and frequentlylamusing.
." There’s enough mix in details of how the
¯ film was made, how attention to details
: was as important as performance, behind
¯ the scenes stories of what went on during
¯ filming, what it was like to deal with this
¯ or that to keep one quite amused.
." ~ And after watching the film go by wlth
" the commentary, especially re~ardihg the
." director’s intentions, it’s kind of a fun
¯ game to play to seehowmuch youpieked
’’up on. ~klso, some historica~ facts_ are
." thrown in, not in a dry, witless manner,
¯ but which augment the viewing Of the
: film. So, for me, it gets a definite. BUY
¯ THIS! Even if you only get the video
~ version (which may or may not have the
documentary), it’s worth it. Available at
; Wolfe Video.
"Broadway Damage" is another little
sleeper, low budget movie that is actually
quite wonderful. A romantic comedy that
actually is, as~ opposed to Billy, it stars
some very talented unknowns in a film
that is well written and leaves you feeling
good. "Nerdy Guy’~ and "Beautiful Boy"
in New York looking for"Mr. RightY BB
is always finding people bad for him, and
pursues one that is really bad news. NB is
seeking Mr Right and has a crush on BB
Enter BB’s roommate Quirk~y~rl. QG is
trying to make it inNYCon hiSrtwn, even
though daddy’s rich. He wants her to get
a job, something she’s never had to do.
She and the boys form a fun trio, and have
merry adventures in NYC.
The film is a good old-’fashioned romantic
comedy, kind oflike the old screwballs
comedies of the 30’s upon which it is
patterned. The ending’s predictable, but
the g~tting there is fun, as with most
journeys. Even if you know where you’re
going,, the trip is never the same twice,
right? It’s a well-written, well-filmed,
well-acted story that is sure to bring a
smile to anyone’s face. It should have
received wider release w~h,en it played the
film houses, but is a gem I m sharing with
you. Yep, available at Wolfe Video on
VHS and DVD.
presents
.... an eclectic mix of choral literature ranging from Baroque to Broadway,
from pop classics of the ’50s and ’60s to a bawdy sea chantey
an~J.an American Folk song featuring the Green Country Cloggers.
,Friday and Saturday, April 7 & 8, 2000 at 8pm
Williams Theatre, Tulsa Performing Arts Center
(reception following)
Tickets: PAC box office, 596-7111 in Tulsa,
1-800-364-7111 or online at www.tulsapac.com
COUNCIL oak a fellowship of gay men dedicated to musical excellence in
the performance of choral literature, providing a source of
pride, unity, and support, while presenting a positive image
for ourselves, our community, and society as a whole.
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the COUNCIL oak meN~S c~or~aLe and its parent organization,
the non-profit Vocal Pride Foundation, visit our award-winning website at www.eouneiloak.org.
Original Format
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newspaper
periodical
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, April 2000; Volume 7, Issue 4
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
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Tulsa Family News
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
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Tom Neal
Date
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April 2000
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James Christjohn
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legranbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, March 2000; Volume 7, Issue 3
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English
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
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https://history.okeq.org/items/show/599
"Operation Montreal"
2000
adoption
AIDS
AIDS Quilt
aMUSEments
arts and entertainment
Audra Sommers
Bars
Blood Donation
businesses
Census
Christian Coalition
churches
civil unions
Council Oak Men's Chorale
Diversity celebration
Dr. Grethe Cammermeyer
Dr. Laura
Gay marriage
Gay Studies
Greg Louganis
Harmonic Diversity
hate crime bill
HIV
holocaust
homophobia
Human Rights Campaign
Jim Christjohn
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
Liberation Publications
Living ArtSpace
marriage equality
military inclusion
NAMES Project
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
OK Spoke Club
Partner Benefits
performing arts
PlanetOut Inc
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Read All About It
restaurants
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Friends RallyAround
Accused Musician
District Attorney Suspected of Bias
by Tom Neal, editor &publisher
Around Tulsa’ s Gay community, the reaction is one
of dismay and disbelief at the allegations of indecent
exposure made against musician and chorale leader,
Rick Fortner.
According to a Dec. 3rd Tulsa Worm story, a 16 year
old man has accused Former of masturbating in front of
him in a sauna of All-American Fitness Center in
Broken Arrow. A spokesperson for the Broken Arrow
p01icenoted that themanand Former were the only ones
in the sauna.
Friends and acquaintances notethat F,grmermaintains
his innocence, and have stated their suplJort for Former.
Mitchell Savage, spokesperson for the Council Oak
Mens Chorale (COMC) for which Former is music
director, said that the board of directors of the
organization has voted to express its support for Former
and their belief that his innocence will be established.
- TheCOMCboardposition was endorsedby the group’ s
general membership also. Savage added that he has
been acquainted for 15 years see Fortner, p. 10
Anti-Gay Harassment
Alleged in Public Schools
Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Families + Friends
Tulsa’s Largest Circulation Community PaperAvailable In More Than 75 City Locations
V rmont Marriage Victory
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - By the time Nina Beck and " previously said he would support Gay mamage,
¯ Stacy Jolles got the news, it seemed like everyone already knew:
¯¯ The Vermont Supreme Court had issued its long-awaited ruling
on Gay marriage. They had won.
¯
The court ruled unanimously that Gay and Lesbian couples in
¯ Vermont should enjoy all benefits and privileges afforded to
¯ heterosexual couples who can legally marry. It is the first court
: in the nation to make such a sweeping ruling on the question.
’ But the justices split on whether it should amount to marriage.
¯ Onejustice splitfrom themajority’ s view that the state Legislature
¯ should decide whether Gays and’Lesbians should actually be ¯
allbwed to marry or shouldbe given domesticpartnership benefits
¯ equivalent to heterosexual marriage.
The split was of no immediate concern to Beck and Jolles and
¯ the other two couples who sued in 1997 when their town clerks
denied them marriage licenses. "It’s just fantastic this decision
¯" could come following his birth," Beck said as Jolles stood
¯ alongside her holding their month-old son Seth.
The issue now will be the subject of debate before the
: Legislature, which convenes on Janl 4. "I think the court has
¯ broken all barriers by dearly riding that we have a class of
¯ individuals in Vermont who are being denied their rights and I
thinkit is the Legislature’ s responsibility to correct that injustice ,"
¯
said Peter Shumlin, Senate president pro tern.
¯ But the question will be how. Should Vermont statutes be
¯ amended to permit two men or two women to marry? Should a
¯ domestic partners registry be established for Gay couples to
¯ record their relationships and therefore qualify for the benefits
¯ now accorded heterosexual mamed couples?
¯ "I think it’ s going to take a couple ofweeks, anyway, forpeople ¯
tounderstand what this means," said Rep. Thomas Little, chairman
¯ of the House Judiciary Committee. "Everyone wants to have a
: virtually immediate informed reaction to it, but I think it takes
¯ longer than.that."
: Gov. Howard Dean said same-sex marriage "makes me
¯ uncomfortable, the same as anybody else." He predicted the
¯ Legislature would comply with the court decision by enacting a
¯ domestic partners law rather than making marriage legal for
: same-sex couples. House Speaker~Michael Obuchowski, who
¯ Evergreen Awards Recognize
i Beal, Campbell, and Others
TULSA -Allegations of anti-Gay harassment have
risen at two Tulsa high schools. On two campuses,
teachers contend that they and some students have been
singled out for inappropriate attention.
While Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) does have a nondiscrimination
policywhich TPS’s attorney interprets
as protecting Gay teachers, staff and students from
discrimination, that policy does not explicitly ban
discrimination based on sexual orientation. It
"The Board is committed-to-the concept of
nondiscrimination in relation to race, religion, sex, age
national origin, handicap and other human differences.
This policy will prevail in al matter concermng staff,
students and the public." However, in the interests of
protecting these teachers from possible further
harassment, their names are being withheld.
One teacher, who is active in a local Gay mens’
singing group, was called into his principal’ s oftrme and
was shown a copy of the group’ s concert program. His
participation in the group was highlighted with a
- comment, -*’is -this~ legal .w’ Another teacherwhohelps,
With a support group for Gay kids. had a self-identified
"Christian" fundamentalist teack-zr attending support
group meetings andthe teacher whodoes notidentify as
Gay but as Gay-friendly felt there was an intent to
identify her as Gay and therefore to threaten her job.
Andatonecampus;twoyoungwomenwere suspended
for a public display of affectkm. A Gay teacher and
other students whb were familiar with the incident
claim that the two women were not behaving with any
less discretion than heterosexual students use in the
same circumstances, They do claim that the
administration response w~:much more harsh than for
heterosexuals. However,~ TPS spokesperson, Tiffany.
Bruton responded to TFN inquiries, saying that the
students’ conduct was well beyond socially acceptable
behavior even for heterosexuals. The students involved
did not respond to TFN requests for an interview.
TULSA - The 1999 Evergreen Awards recognized the work of
a number of Tulsans involved in HIV/AIDS issues. Prominent
among these were Dr. Jeffrey Beal and his parmer Ted Campbell
for their years of service as Tulsa’s principal physician treating
HIV and AIDS related illness and for Campbell’s mental health
practice around those issues.
The lunch ceremony was held at the offices of the Community
Service Council (CSC) on Dec. 7th, and opened with a remarks
Ted Campbell & Dr. Jeffrey Beal
by ~chael Conley of Tulsa CARF~, Melanie Speetor of Tulsa
’County Health Dept. and John Hawk Cocke of Indian Health
Services.
Presenters and the recipients of the awards included many of
Tulsa’ s most prominent activist/workers around HIV/AIDS care
and prevention. Sharon Thoele, exeentive director of Tulsa
CARES, Erie Ramirez of Planned Parenthood, Kathy Bird of
RegionalAIDS Interfaith Network, Tulsa officewere afew of the
presenters andrecipients included videographerAllisonCosslett,
Wendy Weisberg, Audra Sommers for her fundraising work,
Kay Rollins for NAMES PROJEC~ leadership, and Jeremy
Simmons for prevention education.
The Evergreen Awards are presented by the Tulsa AIDS
Coalition which was introduced at this event by Tim Gillean and
represented by CSC staffer, Janice Nicklas.
: said politics might prevent that. "What I’m hearing
¯ from my colleagues is that they’re saying that ¯ domestic partnership is amorepolitically attainable
situation and I think I’d have to agree with that
¯ analysis,"saidObuchowski,aDemocratlikeDean.
¯ Thoughthey were ecstatic, the three couples who
sued will hold off on their celebrations until they
¯ get an opportunity actually to say their vows in a ¯ wedding ceremony. "I think the acttml celebration
¯ will be when we get married," said Stan Baker,
standing withhis armaround partner Peter Harrigan.
Winnie Stachelberg, Political Director with the
¯ Human Rights Campaign, one national Gay
¯ organization noted,"we are thrilled that the Vermont
¯ Supreme Court had the wisdom and courage to
hand down this historic, landmark decision. There
¯ has never been a logical or justifiable reason to
exclude same-sex couples from marrying, and
¯ decision validates the unfairness of exclusion. This ¯
is a tremendous victory forGay and Lesbian couples
¯ in Vermont who are now one-step closer to being
¯ considered equal in the eyes of the law."
¯ Paula Ettelbrick, attorney and Family Policy Director at the National Gay and Lesbian Task
¯: Force Policy Institute said, "the court’s decision is
unique in that it commands that the state give samesex
couples every benefit and protection that
: currently provides to married couples."
¯ "However, bystopping short offully recognizing
: the freedom to marry, the court has opened the door
¯ to complete equality but has not constitutionally
¯ guaranteed it. Now the batde progresses to the
: Vermont Legislature," Ettelbrick continued. "We
¯ have the opportunity as a community to convince
lawmakers to provide the full badge of citizenship
¯ by recognizing the freedom to marry."
¯ Ettelbrick noted that Vermont is a logical state to
¯ become the first see Vermont, p. 12
New Leather Contest
TULSA- Ric Poston, Oklahoma Mr Leather 1999
and his partner James Murray _Mr Tulsa Leather
1997 have announced they are producing a new
leather contest, Mr. Sooner State Leather. The
contest will be a preliminary event to the StateTitle
of "Oklahoma Mr Leather" and is open to any
Oklahoma resident.
This first event will be held in Oklahoma City on
the weekend of April 21 - 23, 2000 and any profits
from the contest will benefit the Leather Archives
and Museum in Chicago.. The event will provide
education and information about the community,
"demonstrations," opportunities for brotherhood, a
brunchonSunday,andthe contestitselfon Saturday
night April 22, 2000.
Judges for the contest .will be Dave Rhodes,
owner and editor of The Leather Journal, Terrell
Brown, Oklahoma Mr Leather 2000, Oklahoma
Drummer2000 (to be announcedin February 2000),
and Michael Vrooman, the current International
Miss Gay Rodeo and a former International Mr ~sayRodeo,MarkMalonInternational Mr. Leather,
tRunnerUp-t997;and alternatejudge, Ed Smith
who is an avid supportor of local and nadonal
Leather and Drummer events.
The contest will be held at the Habana Inn,
Oklahoma’s all Gay hotel and bar complex. For
reservations (be sure to mention the contest for
special rates), contact the Habana Inn, 2200
Northwest39thExpressway, OklahomaCity,73112
1-800-988-2221, www.habanainn.com. For any
furtherinformation about the contest, applications,
and weekend packages contact:
ms.oonerstatelthr@aol.com.
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Chasers, 4812 E. 33
*CW’s, 1737 S. Memorial
*Full Moon Cafe, 1525 E. 15th
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S. Peoria
*The Mix, 2630 E. 15th
*Polo Grill, 2038 Utica Square
*St. Michael’s .Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*Silver Star Saloon, 1565 Sheridan
*The Storm, 2182 S. Sheridan
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
712-2324
610-5323
583-6666
749-4511
749-1563
744-4280
745-9998
834-4234
835-2376
585-3405
*TNT’s, 2114S..Memorial 660-0856
*Tool Box,. 1338. E, .3rd o 584-1308
Tulsa Businesses, Services, &:Pr~fe~si6nais
Advanced Wireless & PCS, Digital Cellular 747-1508
*Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard
Kent Balch & Associates, Health & Life Insurance
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71
*Barnes &Noble Booksellers, 5231 E. 41.
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21
*Borders Books & Music, 8015 S. Yale
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria
743-1000 :
747:9506 :
250-5034-,"
665-4580 ¯
712-1122 "
712-9955" 2
494-2665 ~
743-5272 ¯
746,0313 :
Cherry St: Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902, 743-4117
Community Cleaning, Kerby..Baker 622-0700
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
*Deco to Disco, 3212 E. 15th 749-3620
*Devena’s Gallery, 13 Brady
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan
*Ross Edward Salon ,~,: 584-0337,
Events Unlimited, 507 S. Main
*Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria
Four Star Import Automotive, 9906 E. 55th P1.
Cathy Furlong, Ph.D., 1980 Utica Sq. Med. Ctr.
Gay & Lesbian Affordable Daycare
*Gloria Jean’s Gourmet Coffee, 1758 E. 21st
Learme M: Gross, Insurance & financial planning
Mark T: Hamby,.At.tomey ¯ ..
*Sandra J. Hill, MS, Psychotherapy, 2865 E Skelly
*International Tours
Jacox Animal Clinic, 2732 E. 15th_
*Jared’s Antiques, 1602 E. 15th
David Kanskey, Country Club Barbering
The Keepers, Housekeeping & Gardening
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15
Kelly Kirby, CPA, 4021 S. Harvard, #210
*Living Al"tSpace, 19 E. Brady
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3rd
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720c E. 31
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place
Puppy Pause II, 1060 S. Mingo
*The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor
Rainbowz on the River B+B, POB 696, 74101
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning
587-2611
744-5556
838-8503 -
712-9379
592-0460
744-9595
610-0880
628-3709
808-8026
742-1460
459-9349
744-7440
745-1111
341-6866
712-2750
582-3018
747-0236
582-8460
599-8070
747-5466
585-1234
584-3112
663-5934
664-2951
838-7626
743-4297
747-5932
834-0617
834-7921,747-4746
749-6301
260-7829
481-0558
835-5563
743- 1733
665-2222
592-0767
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors
*Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square
Paul Tay, Car Salesman
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis
Venus Salon, 1247 S. Harvard
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling
*Wherehouse Music, 5150 S. Sheridan
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis
Tulsa Agencies~ Churches, Schools & Universities
AIDS Walk Tulsa, POB 4337, 741-0L .... 579-9593
All Sods Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363
Black & White, Inc. POB 14001, Tulsa 74159 587-7314
Bless The Lord at All Times Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 583-7815
*B/L/G/T Alliance, Univ. of Tulsa United Min. Ctr. 583-9780
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616-S. Boston 585-1201
*Chapman. Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th PI. & Florence
*ChurchoftheRestorationUU, 1314N.Greenwood 587-1314
*Community ofHope United Methodist, 2545 S. Yale 747-6300
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595
Council Oak Men’s Chorale 748-3888
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-1511
*Democratic Headquarters,3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/Integrity of Tulsa- Lesbian & Gay Catholics &
Episcopalians, POB 701475, 74!70-1475 355-3 t40
*Fellowship Congreg. Church, 2900 S. Harvard 747-7777
*Free SpiritWomen’ s Center, call for location &info: 587-4669
Friend For A Friend, POB 52344, 74152 747-6827
"
.
"
Publisher + Editor:
Tom Neal " "
Writers + contributors: ¯
James Christjohn, Barry Hensley, J.-P. Legrandbouche, Lament "
Lindstrom, Bob Rounsavell, Esther Rothblum. Mary Schepers
~dember o! The AssociatedPress ...........
Issued on or before the 1st of each month, the entire contents -"
:of this publication are protected by :US copyright 1998 by
Nta, and may not be repr-oduced either.in :
whole orinpar~withoutwrittenpermission from thepublisher.
Publicationof a name or photo does not indicate a pers0n’s .
.sexual orientation. Correspondence is assumed to be for :
publication unless otherwise noted, must be signed’& be: "
comes:the ~ole property ofT,J Eachreaaer "
~s entitled :to 4 copies of each editton at distribution ",
points. Additional copies are available by calling 583-1248.
Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542,74101 582-0438 ¯
¯HIV ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611
¯Tulsa C.A.R.E.S., 3507 E. Admiral 834-4194 "
¯Holland Hall School,5666 E. 81st 481-1111 :
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education 834-8378 ¯
¯House of the Holy Spirit Minstries, 3210e So. Norwood :
Interfaith AIDS Ministries 438=2437, 800-284-2437 "
¯MCC United, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715 ."
NAMES Project, 3507 E. Admiral PI. 748-3111 ¯
NOW, Nat’lOrg. for Women; POB 14068,74159 365-5658 "
OK Spokes Club (bicycling), POB 9165, 74157
¯OSU-TUlsa °
PFLAG, POB 52800, 74152 749-4901 ¯
¯Planned Parenthood~ 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674 ’
Prime-Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152
.*R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
¯Red Rock Mental Center, 1724 E. 8 " 584,2325
O’RYAN, support group for 18-24 LGBT young adults :
O’RYAN, Jr. support group for 14-17 LGBT youth
St. Aidan’ s Episcopal Church, 4045 N.Cincinnati 425-7882
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal, 5635 E. 71st 492-7140 "
¯St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088 "
¯Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boulder 583=7171
¯TNAAPP (Native AmeriCan men), Indian Health Care 582-7225 "
Tulsa County Health Department, 4616 E. 15 595-4105 :
Confidential HIV Testing - by appt. on Thursdays only :
TulsaOkla.forHumanRights,c/oThePrideCenter 743-4297 :
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 298-0827 ¯
¯Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
¯Tulsa Community College Campuses ,"
¯TulsaGay Community Center, 1307 E. 38, 74105 743-4297
Unity Church of Christianity, 3355 S. Jamestown 749-8833
BARTLESVILLE ¯
¯Bardesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone 918-337=5353 ¯
OKLAHOMA CITY/NORMAN ."
¯Borders Books &Music, 3209 NWExpressway 405-848-2667 -"
¯Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907 ¯
TAHLEQUAH "
¯Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456=7900 "
¯Tahlequah Unitarian-Universalist Church 918-456-7900 :
¯Green Country AIDS Coalition, POB 1570 918-453-9360 :
¯ NS.U School of Optometry, 1001.N, Grand.........:
HIVtesting every other Tues. 5:30-8:30, call for dates "
¯¯ EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Autumn Breeze Restaurant, Hwy. 23
¯
*Jim & Brent’s Bistro, 173 S. Main
¯ DeVito’s Restaurant, 5 Center St. ¯
¯ Emerald Rainbow, 45 &l/2 Spring St.
MCC of the Living Spring
: Geekto Go!, PC Specialist, POB 429
¯ Old Jailhouse Lodging, 15 Montgomery ¯
¯ Positive Idea Marketing Plans
Sparky’s, Hwy. 62 East
: White Light, 1 Center St.
." JOPLIN, MISSOURI
¯ *Spirit of Christ MCC, 2639 E. 32, Ste. U134
* is where you can find TFN. Not all are Gay-owned butall are Gay-friendly.
501-253-7734 ,"
501-253-7457 ¯
501-253-6807 ¯
501-253-5445 "
501-253-9337 "
501-253-2776 "
501-253-5332 ¯
501-624-6646 "
501-253-6001 -’.
501-253-4074 "
417-623-4696 "
It’s Elementary + more...
December 22, 1999
On the heels of a tremendously
successful campaign togetIt "sElementary
aired on public television, we are thrilled~
to announce our new media series for
kids. We are writing to you today to tell
you a little about the project and to ask for
yo~help: .W.e.hopeyo.u’!l eonside.rm.~king
a year-end contribution toward its
completion and distribution.
We’ve been asked repeatedly by It’s
Elementaryfans, "When are you going to
make sombthing we can show to kids?""
.Finally wehave an answer -- THAT’S A.
FAMILY! -- a video for elementary
school children about family diversity.
To learn more about THAT’S A
FAMILY! and to make a donation to
ensure its successful completion, please
read the rest of this email, or go to:
http:.//www.womedia.org/support.html
on the internet.
THAT’S A FAMILY! is the first video
in our. long-awaited media series for
children, "Respect for All." THAT’S A
FAMILY! introduces children to different
kinds of families, while the second and
third videos~in the series center on
dispelling Gay and Lesbian stereotypes
and confronting anti-Gay name-calling.
In THAT’S.A FAMILY! you’ll meet
children’ who were adopted; are
multiracial; haveparents whoare divorced;
are being raised by step-parents, single
morns or dads, or by grandparents and
guardians. There also are children with
Gay dads or Lesbian morns, and their
stories are intertwined with those of the
other families.
THAT’S A FAMILY! is scheduled for
release in the spring of 2000. It has the
potential to reach hundreds of thousands
of children, giving elementary schools a
truly inclusive, respectful teaching tool
that children will love to watch. Wehave
no doubt that the long-term impact of this
project will be tremendous. Giving
elementary school students the opportunity
to hear the words "Gay" and "Lesbian"
described in a matter-of-fact way by their
peers, and experience Gay and Lesbian
families inthe contextofsuchanincredibly
diverse group of other families, could
have a profound effect on their values and
behavior for the rest of their lives.
To kick off this ambitious media series
for children, we need your help. We need
to raise additional funds to finishTHAT’S
A FAMILY! this winter and to launch its
distribution. Our work is not commissioned-
instead we independently
produceand distribute ourmediaprojects.
see It’s... p. 14
Announcements Policy
Tulsa Family Newswitl provide-space
for holy union ceremony, marriage
ceremony, birth, adoption and death
announcements onaspace availablebasis.
Photos are welcome, though we cannot
promise placement or return them, so
please send copies to Tulsa Family News,
POB 4140, Tulsa 74159.
Letters Policy
Tulsa Family News welcomes letters
on issues which we’ve covered or on
issues you think need to be considered.
You may request that your name be withheld
but letters must be signed & have
phonenumbers, or behand delivered. 200
word letters are preferred. Letters to other
publications will be re-printed as is
appropriate.
by Tom Neal, editor & publisher
January is National Volunteer BloodDonor Month and
most newspapers in the city have received press releases
exhorting Tulsans to donate blood.
According to Tulsa’s chapter of the American Red
Cross’ communications manager, Maggie Jewell, "the
winter time is a crucial time for blood donations and that
many new donors are needed to help meet patient needs
in local hospitals...many donors who regularly give find
that they cannot during the winter months because of a
cold or the flu.., the nation’ sblood supply... [is] just a
few hours aheadofdemand. Asit stands today, ifeveryone
stopped donating blood, our nation’s supply would
disappear within only two days..."
So you’d think that the Red Cross would welcome all
donors. In the Red Cross" press releases, they state, "to
donate, one must be 17 years or older, weigh at least 110
pounds, and be feeling wall the day of the donation..."
What they don’t say is that ffyou are Gay, you don’ t lie
about it, and you give blood, they throw your blood away
- even though ALL blood is tested for HIV antibodies
anyway! Anyone who’s had sex with someone of the
samegender since,ifmemory serves me, 1984, is banned.
To reframe a 19th century prejudice: "Irish need not
apply" becomes "Faggots need not apply."
The local Red Cross shrugs off responsibility, saying
it’s a national policy. The national Red Cross places the
blame on the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). They
all know that thisis bad science. "
Once one might have presumed-a tight correlation
between sexual orientation/behavior and HIV status.
Today, those exposed to the HIV virus can just as easily
be heterosexual. Infact, one of the parts ofour population
whichhas disproportionately highinfectionrates is young
Mrican-Americans. Does anyone think we’d see the Red
Cross or FDA saying, "Young Blacks need not apply"?
The reality is that this discrimination is socially wrong
as well as bad public health policy. TulsaArea Red Cross
can’ t:change it by itsdf but its Board of Directors can go
on record to call for a change in the policy (it wouldn’t
hurt if they added a non-discrimination pohcy too). And
it can stop trying to sweep this prejudice under the rug.
Until it and the FDA change their policies, its press
releases should read, "to donate, one must be 17 years or
older, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be feeling well the
day of the donation.., andnot be aGay or Bisexual man."
by Tom Neal, editor/publisher
Early on the morning of Dec. 3rd, like many others, I
was shocked to see the face of a friend, someone whom.
I respectandlike, inTheWorld accused ofa vcry unlikely
act.
Reading the article and knowing the man, my first
reaction was to wonder that the charges had been brought
at all. It is a classic, "he said, she said" recast as "the
straight ’boy’ said, the Gay man said."
According to comments made to the Tulsa World by
Broken Arrow police, the
only persons present at the
allegedactwere RickFortner
and themanwhohas accused
him of lewd behavior (I say
man who accused because at
16 if he were a murderer,
he’d be considered an adult
and 16maynotbevery wise,
but it’s hardly a child in this
day and age).
I then wondered at
possible motivations for his
accuser. Was this the sick
behavior of a young man struggling with his own
homosexuality andprojecting his self-hatred onto another
target?
Or is he yet another young American man warped into
mindless hatred Of men who love other men by a society
whose need for some hated "other’ dates back to before
the Republic was founded (let me see: we Americans
havehated Indians in the East, we’ ve hated Blacks, we’ve
hated Jews, we’ve hated Germans, we especially hated
the Irish, we’ve hated Catholics, and Poles, and again
Indians in the West, and Asians: Chinese, Japanese, Fast
Indians, we’ve hated Commumsts, Socialists, Unionists,
women who dared to vote -or merely not be endless
baby-factories, hell, we’ ve even hated some Republicans
- I personally have thought that Ronnie Reagan was one
of the most profoundly and blandly evil men of our time
but I digress).
Former says he is innocent and I believe him as do his
friends and colleagues at his work, All Souls Unitarian
ChurchandinCouncil Oaks Mens Chorale whichFortner
founded and leads, and I hear his family, thank God.
But even when his innocence is proven, and these
charges likely are shown to be shameless political
opportunism by Tulsa County District Attorney Tim
Harris, Fortuer remains victimized by the accusation. His
reputation has been called into question and defending
" Fortner says he is innocent and I
believe him... But even when his
innocence is proven, and these
charges likely are shown to be
shameless politlea! opportunism by
Tulsa County District Attorney
Tim Harris, Fortner remains
victimized by the accusation...."
himself can 0nly be costly even if the charges are without
merit.
So why is this haptmning? Political and other observers
have known for some dme that Tulsa District Attorney
Tim Harris is closely associated with right wing political
extremists who call themselves "Christian."
Tulsa’s DA’s earlier demonstrated their willingness to
abuse the powers of the office to promote a ultra rightwing
agenda when they failed to prosecute seriously the
brutal hate assault against Tony Orr and Tim Beauchamp
until after prim media had
written about the DA’s bias,
failing even to get them
victim’s compensation for
their medical injuries as the
DA’s office does for other
crime victims.
Local attorney and
TOHRboard member Kerry
Lewis suggests that Harris is
shamelessly using this
accusation to appeal to the
part ofhis electoratewho are
rabidly prejudiced, to appear
as though Hams is "fighting crime" andjust incidentally
destroying Rick Fortner’s lifein the process.
We can likely anticipate that much of our District
Attorney’ s strategy, if they have the nerve to push such a
seemingly meritless case so far, is going to be to engage
in blatant legal "Gay-bashing." It will be suggested that,
ipso facto, Rick’s a"homo" and therefore capable of any
evil, and that any accusation by a red-blooded, all-
American boy is, of course, God’s own Truth!
But what’s really on trial here, is American justice
itself. As has played out generation after generation, with
minority after minority, the reality has been that our
justice, at its best- is uneven, and more often than not is
wildly unfair, favoring wealth, whiteness and heteromaleness.
And all the problem is not in the DA’s office. Some
Tulsa police, year after year, engage in varieties of anti-
Gay bias, including breaking the very law, with no
restriction nor anti-bias training from Chief Palmer nor
the elected official to whom he answers, Mayor Savage.
But right now, what matter is that Rick Former is
treated fairly. I don’ tknow if he’ s got alegal defense fund
set up but he may need it.
I’d suggest that any help readers might give, be sent to
the Rev. Suzanne Meyers at All Souls Unitarian Church.
They’re in the book.
by Dave Fleischer
National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
Ask voters a question - then listen to their answers -
and you get what Lily Tomlin calls a "goosebump
experience." Why the adrenaline rush? Because you
challenge not only your cherished ideas about the voters,
but also what you believe about yourself.
I was reminded of this while campaigning in Carol
City, an African-American, working-class Miami
neighborhood. I was with a team of volunteers from
SAVE Dade, the group preparing to defend their county
Human Rights Ordinance.
Scene: short, bald, Jewish me at.the door, talking to a
voter: "The Ordinance protects all of us from
discrimination, whether we’~re aman or woman, black or
white, Gay or non-Gay. The newest part of the law is the
part that includes Gay people. Some people want to take
the law .apart and remove Gay people from it. But we
think that s wrong-wethink everyone ought to be treated
with dignity and respect. What do you think?"
,,W,_ith barely a pause, the voter began "My church says.
¯. Oy ray. I figured I knew where we were headed, and
it wasn’t the promised land. "My church says--Jesus
loves everybody. Diseriminadon is always wrong." She
and I had a brief, affirming discussion.
I went to door #2, said my piece, and the voter
immediately began,"My church says..." I listened. "My
church says homosexuality is a sin. It’s wrong. Read
your Bible, and you’ll see the Lord has a plan for a better
life for you." As he amplified his point of view, I was
: trying to decide how quickly to exit. When he stopped
: talking, we paused and looked at each other. Then I said,
"Well, I’m Gay. I likemylife, and if IYm doing a goodjob
¯
at myjob, do you think my boss should be able to fire me
¯ just because I’m Gay?"
¯¯ The voter looked astonished: "Wall of course, no one
should fire you for that." That started a back-and-forth
¯ that surprised both of us. Wedisagreed about why people
are Gay. We agreed that discrimination against G.ays is
¯ unacceptable. After a fewminutes, as hewas prepanng to ¯
read tomefrom the Bible, I called ahalt, thanked him, and
¯ moved to the next door.
: What I learned about myself was how hard itis to ask
: a question and hear the answer. Both times, it only took
: three words before I thought I knew what was coming.
¯ Both times, I was Wrong but I realized why asking
~¯ questions is uncomfortable.Whenwe ask a question, and
really wait to hear the answer, we are not Controlling the
¯ situation. We are sharing control with the other person.
American culture teaches us all to like control. To
¯ celebrate our individuality - to believe that one pe.rson
¯ can make a difference - to have it our way--is as
¯ American as a.microwaved Mcwhopper.
But growing up Gay raises the stakes. Many of us
realize early on that we’ re different, subject to ridicule or
¯
hurt. So we crave control as a way to protect ourselves,
¯ and to survive. We pump up our talent for isolated
¯ individual achievement, sometimes neglecting team-
" building and our curiosity about others.
: Our life becomes a search for refuge. To protect
¯
ourselves, we build communities and organizations
¯ designed to shelter us. Butwe thenmiss genuine, reciprocal
¯ connectionwithotherpeople, especially thosewho aren’ t
just like us. Werarely ask them what they think ofus. We
¯
assume we know.
¯ When we don’ t ask real questions - like "What do you
think?"- we rely on Our past experience. No wonder that
¯
we hold onto ahigh level of paranoia. We can’ t forget the
¯ feelings we knew when we were young. We can’t miss
¯ the hostility expressed by right-wing extremists now. that
¯ we are older. ¯
But, guess what? Neither has much to do with where
¯ most Americans stand today. When we lack confidence
¯ in other people, it is no wonderwe struggle in campaigns. ¯
Ourlifeis a niche, but in elections we need50% + 1 of the
¯ participating voters on our side.
¯ It is understandably scary to put aside our past hurts to
test the possibilities in the present. It’s easier to avoid
person-to-person campaigning; it’s tempting instead to
¯ rely on every other possible form of communication, all
of which have at least some value. But what price do we
[ pay for our lack of curiosity, our unwillingness to risk
: authentic exchange? Are we, without meaning to, buying
¯ intothelargerculture’stoleranceofstereotypicalthinking?
~ Who is most imperiled when it’ s a deviant act to ask a
¯ question - or to question a stereotype? Let’s rescue ¯ ourselves. Goosebumps are ours, for the asking.
Dave Fleischer is a seniorfellow at the Policy Institute
ofthe National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Nationwide Insurance : Allen said. Allen said much of the group’s time is
Adds Partners’ Benefits:¯ teachers can ha,,v.e a tough time discussing even with
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Nationwide Insurance those~who don t have a disability.
Company has just begun to offer employees a new : The Arc, formerly known as th.e .Associatio~
benefits package that will recognize same-sex : Retarded Citizens, adopt,e~,.. a posmon paper mr
d0mestic partners. The plan also .will cover relatives " " year~ ago affirmin_g that. indiv]~du,~.s with m~enn~
_ including extended family members~uch as : retardationarepe°plew~tlasexualIeel.mgs’~nhee~n~}
’grandparents - roommates and unmarriedpartners
~vho live w,ith the .employees, Donna. James; [ the 7:2 million people with,,mental retardation in the
Nationwide s senior vice president :of ihuman ¯ United States, s~ys people have fundamental ri,g,h,ts
resources, told The Outlook, an iaiiependent [ as individuals to have privacy, love and be loved.
¯ eater Columbus Ga,c community. ~ Sfill,. Gay people with mental disabilities are often
newsPaper°f,thegr.: - . . .,’.= ~,-~-’--,=-1= ¯ o,;~,~: "zed somefimesb arents,orcaretakers-the
Those co,v:_cream.u..~si tt~. a:.e.,p-enaoe.n..t.o. nm. e~’~auP~..’u~ . o~,~att_ ,,
em lo eeforsupp0rtorsnarelmanclalrespOn~t°mq¢ v~"v *~ a r
"
P Y. ........... .... .
.... ’ r-All of Nationwide s 28,000 .
¯ . ¯ _ . .’. .--. ¯ wem~pthlotyheeewsaorere.klig.eib..!.e..f0rth-,ep~ lan.Byear: ly~’mber"’ ¯ ’. " W : ~lrglfllfl CoHrt to lalevle
A recentForbesMagazine sur~ey, mo!area:
unmarried parmers .are ovyr~..byh~e’~l~9.ben,efitS ~ :: ’ ROANOKE, Va. (AP)-A Virginia.appe~s court,has
10% of .the businesses with :at least zoo em~toy~.. : agreed"to review the constitutionality oI a state taw
Companies that.pr0vide.same-sex P.-aFtner~e3Its .: tl~t ~nalizes oral sex between consenting adults.
indtide:Lotus!.De~vd0pment Corp.,MicrosoRtsorp:, .. The.Virginia Court of Appeals agreed to ~ear. the
-IBM, Walt Disney Co.,Honeywell and Xerox. ¯ ~i~s ~)f nine men convicted of soliciting sodomy
¯ " " e : from undercover police posing as Gay me~... .
McCam, Forbes:Endors : The case will test alaw that some autho~taes say ~
a legitimate way to deter public sex acts. opponen ’Don’t Ask, DOn’t-Tell’- ": 0fthelawarguethatit’sanarchaicinvasionofprivacy
.... .........si .that targets homosexu~,,s. The law, referred to as
WASHINGTON(AP)-TheClintona~stxatto.n
polieybarfing0penh0mosex.ual~sfro,m,..military~e_ ; ,crimes against nature, applies to all consenting
~vorksandshouldbepreserYed,Kepumtcancanoauate~ ’" adults, homosexual and heterosexual, who engagem
" oral sex in public or private. Violating the law is a
Sen. JohnMcCainanffSteveForbes s~din Decem~ber;
¯ McCain~ a former naval officer and prisoner oI war felony, plmishable ,by up to five years in prison.
inVietnam, Saiahewo,~dhave sen.1.°r o,f.fieer,s,re,v]ew
Those who say it s time for Virginia to join the list
the p0ffcy, but ad,d,ed, I support me poncy, i oeueve
of states that have abolished their alifi-sodgmy laws
that it;s working. ’ ,, , "
i are. encouraged that the appeals court has agr.e.e,d to
On"Fox Ne~s Sunday, Forbes said: ’The military
¯ hear the case. The sodomy law also was invokedmthe
is not an institution for socialengineering. It has. a
¯ case of Sharon Bottoms, a Richmond-area woman
~:ery real,role of protectingus. It... operates in very
" who lost custody of her son in 1993 when ajudge said
speJzial circumstance§, and theref0reapresident must
" she was an linfit mother because she and her female
take heed of leaders such as Gen. Powell and G.en.
¯ lo~er engaged in oral sex.
Scfiwarzkopf Who s,a,y that you cannot have open
inhispetitiontothe.appealscourt, Garrison said,,,the
Gays in the military.. The Repu.bh,ca~,~ fro,nt-ru~n~ar~
’ : case is not just a Gay issue, but one that affects me
ri ht to 4 5 million adult Virginians to be
Texas Gov George W.-Bush, also nas. enaorseu
Clinton policy. "
,
The position of Vice President A1 Gore, a,Viemam
they have a reasonable expectataon to privacy, t ne
veterat~, and.his Democratic Opponent Bill Bradle~ is
appeal attacks the law from several angles: that it
that people who.can be firefighters, police officers
¯ violates privacy rights guaranteed by both state and
andmembe~s,ofColigress shouldhaVeopenaccess to
federal Constitutions; that it is based on religious
.military service as wall. Gay civilrights activists who ¯
met with Clinton ¯last week said the president¯ told "
them the ~’don’.t ask, dOn~t.tell’’ policy was a failure..
R.., ,rded-Gays and ¯
Lesb"ia"ns" "Find Support.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP)- For decades, the ¯
sexuality of people with mental, dis~abi!i_ti_e_s,^W_~e]~ ¯
taboo a subject that parents ann prolesslonm~ ,o~ ~
acknowledged its ..ex~stence. The disabl.ed were o~ften ¯
treatedas if they Were eternal children; immune irom
desire. Bu,t as people with mental disabilities come of :
age in a more accepting’atmosphere, they are’:
grounds and thus violates the separation ofchurch and
state; and that its potential five-year prison sentence
subjects defendants to cruel find unusual punishment.
Eighteen men were charged under the law-in the
Roanoke Police Depfirtment;s sting. The biggest
challenge for those appealing .their convictions may
be convincing the appealS.court that they have legal
standing to overturn a’law that affects not just them,
but all adult Virgimans. In 1979 - the-last’ time a
higtier state court heard a challenge of the sodomy_.
law, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that a man
arrested in Richmond had no such standing2 ’
Since then, several states have recoglfized that
defendants arrested for alleg.ed public ~.ex acts are
entitled to fight the law not just as it was applied to
them, but as it potentially co~d be applied to bthers.i
formerly Family of Faith & Greater Tulsa MCC
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Come celebrate with us.
Sunday Services, 11 am
~aplewood, 8~18-1715
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Community Unitarian UniversalL’
Congregation
at Community ofHo~p~
South Yale, Sundays at llam, 749-0S9!
A Welcoming.Congregation
experiencing an open discussion abom relationships ¯ Mingo Valley Flowers
an~’s~x ~and for Some, acknowledging that .they may Thirty years ago, all 50 states had laws that forbade
be homosexual.. " f eo le witl~ " consensual oral sex. Today, Virginia is one of. 17
For the past.year, a small group’o P P : statesthat’stillhassu~halaw- ’
mental disabilities has be~n ga~hexqng ~- transported ¯ ¯ - 9413 E, 31st St., Tulsa 74145
from group home~ and independentl~ving facilities ". 918-663-5934, fax: 663:583~,1800-444-592
.byth~ircareta~ers+-to,djs~us~the~-r¢-d[c~’ue~nt°fn°~t~ :
Court Bars Child
o~y beingmenta~iy ~a~d~ea~i~ed, but being Gay ~or ¯ Visitation, Rights milr
On a monthly basis, ~ey meet a~ a group with a : CHICAGO (AP) ~ Shelived withher Lesbian parme,r- . .
advocates for:the disabled say:more’ " n . ,-., . ~nva"cy¯ .-.~.-~.-.~..,~..ri.~.r.ti.i .".~.a.t.e.l.us; .t.no.t.c.o.ve.r.e.d.u.nd.e.r.a. state law-governing Visitaaon rights. ~ne oec,slon
NewHaven group:~d the meetings are niSt a dating ":
service. Ratl~er;the sessions’are an opporttmity for a~. upjhue~ud.~j:~a~il~r CH’~u~ntaCn:~l~ul.~gg:eopinionii~t~d
¯segment of the populati°n that is d°ubl:y ils°)ated.t°, : th~illin0islaw.~pecifi~i~]iame~i~i~?eS.’~.~e~ : l,li-,~ , 12~21’.S~uttlCo~umbialSuRe420 ,~
~lk oper~y about feelings, ,pressures,~ana" socm~ ¯
situations. Left.unaddressed; ~exu~iiy in.,a person :’ as.fotmerspous~sandgran.dparen ~,. -~ i ~i. ~;.’
1~q~4-351.8
With a m~nL~i :disability can ,manifeSt itself in : to Visitation rights with children. If.is silent fin me ~’’~
inappropriate, and...s0metimes,, ,s~lf-destructive. ,ways; : issue of former same-sex p.armer~,:
Child.i Family, IndividualA.,Couple Psychother~
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Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114-3518
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Amanda met her partner, "Helen," in 1984 when
they were living in Georgia. Helen was artificially
inseminated in 1993 and gave birth to a daughter that
December. Amanda was involved in the preparations
for the birth and helped take care of the little girl for
a year and a half. The relationship ended in 1995. The
next year, Helenmoved to Chicago with her daughter
and has refused to allow Amanda any contact with the
child since 1997, the court said. Amanda’s suitargued
that even though she was not married to Helen, She
Should have the same rights parents have under
common law. Sawyer, an attorney for the Eainbda
Legal Foundation, said a decision would be made
later on. whether to appeal to the Illinois Supreme
Court.
Helen’s attorney, Leon Finkel, noted that Illinois
does not recognize common law in such cases’~ He
said boyfriends, aunts and uncles and in some cases
even stepparents are among those whoare not entitled
to visitation rights under Illinois law.
Finkel also said limiting the list was a good idea.
because parents should only m special instances be
forced to give up the power to determine who is
allowed to visit their children.
He added that while Illinois doesn’t recognize
same-sex marriages, it does recognize same-sex
adoptions. Had Amanda legally adopted the girl, she
would have had visitation rights and the dispute
would never have taken place, he said.
Study Says Marriage Ban
Would Hurt Children
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - At least 40,000
children living with Gay couples and 100,000 more
with Gay single parents would be affected by a
proposed state ban on same-sex marriages, according
to a new study. Those children could feel ostracized
by. society if their parents’ Unions were considered
invalid, concludes the review by Michael Wald, a
Stanford University law professor who specializes in
public policy’s effect on children. Proposition 22
would let California recognize only marriages
performed between a man and a woman. It will be
voted on in March.
’q’his alleged study, which promotes homosexual
marriages, is nothing more than a bogus political
campaign hit piece against Proposition 22 and the
institution of marriage," said Robert Glazier, a
spokesman for the Yes on Proposition 22 campaign.
Wald’s review used findings by the American
Psychological Association and several research studies
on same-sex parents. "By all reports, these families
are doing very wall," Wald said. "It is different,
obviously, growingup in afamily with two parents of
the same sex, but children adjust to it." Studies have
shown that the children of Gay parents are welladjusted
and do wall in school, but often face
intolerance, he said.
The report drew criticism from David Orgon
Coolidge, director of the Marriage Law Project atThe
Catholic University ofAmerica inWashington, D.C.,
who called it "an attempt to mislead voters." "prop 22
is not about same-sex couples," Coolidge said in a
written statement. "Prop 22 is about whether
Californians will be allowed to decide for themselves
how marriage will be defined in this state."
Colorado Anti-Marriage
Amendment Progresses
DENVER (AP) - A proposed constitutional
amendmentto restrict same-sexmarriages in Colorado
has been approved by the .secretary of state’s office
and now advances to a 30-day challenge period, ifapproved
by voters, the measure would recognize
only marriages between, a man and a woman and
would make same-sex marriages performed in other
states invalid in Colorado.
Themeasure, which cleared the secretary of state’s
ritle-setting board in December, will face opposition.
"As a statewide agency,we are eommitted to fighting
this every step of the way," said LoriAnn Girvan,
executive director of Equality Colorado. "We feel
that the taxpayers of Colorado don’t need another
anti-Gay ballotinitiative that will re-ignite our state’s
reputation as a place of intolerance."
Candace McCune, an Englewood lawyer
representing proponents of the measure who formed
the group Coloradans for Traditional Marriage, said
the measure would close a loophole in the state
Constitution. The Legislaturelast year rejected an
attempt by Sen. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Fort Morgan,
to pass a statute similar to the proposed amendment.
Opponents oftheinitiativehave 30 days to challenge
it. Ifit survives, signatures ofnearly 64,000 registered
voters. W~ould have to be collected tO.l~m the ~easure
off ~1i~ ~6all0t. Coloradatis- for Tradiu6nal" Marriage
also withdrew a proposal to ban same-sex marriages.
Hank Aaron Slams
Pitcher’s Comments
ATLANTA (AP)- Hall of Famer Hank Aaronjoined
thebarrage ofcriticism against AtlantaBraves pitcher
Johp_ Rocker, despite his apology for making
derogatory comments about Gays and minorities.
Aaron said he was "very sick and disgusted about
the whole situation" and questioned how Rocker
could continue in baseball. "I have no place in my
heart for peoplewhofeel that way," the all-time home
run king, who is the Braves’ senior vice president,
told syndicated radio host Jay Mariotti.
About 15 activists protested outside Turner Field,
urging the Braves to fire Rocker for the comments,
which were published i~n a recent Sports Illustrated.
"There may be some room for redemption, but not
as anAtlantaBrave," said Michael Langford, president
of the United Youth-Adult Conference. "We
encourage him to enter his resignation right now and
go into an early retirement."
Rocker told Sports Illustrated he would never play
for a New York team because he didn’t want to ride
a subway train "next to some queer with AIDS." He
also bashed immigrants, saying, "I’m not a very big
fan of foreigners... How the hell did they get in this
country?" While driving in Atlanta during the
interview, Rocker criticized Asian women: Look.
Look at this idiot," he said of another driver. "I
guarantee you she’s a Japanese woman. How bad are
Asianwomenatdriving?" Healso calledan overweighl
black teammate "a fat monkey."
Rocker apologized in a ffritten statement, saying he
was carried away by his "competitive zeal" against
New York Mets fans. He said heis not a racist mad the
comments do not reflect his true feelings.
Civic groups and a member of the Atlanta city
Council delivered aletter to Braves owner TedTurner
and general manager John Schuerholz demanding
Rocker’s immediate firing. "We would have hoped
there would havebeen amore scathing condemnation
of these comments," said Councilman Derrick
Boazman. "This was more thanjust rhetoric. This was
hate." There was no answer at Turner’ s office, and his
publicist did pot return a telephone call.
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig called Rocker’s
remarks "inappropriate and offensive." He said
baseball is reviewing the matter and would take
"appropriate action." There is precedent: Former
Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott was suspended
from baseball for the 1993 season for her use of racial
and ethnic slurs.
¯ Pentagon .Seeks Tougher
: Stand Aga,nst Harassers
¯ WASH!NGTON(AP)-The U.S. Defense Department
¯ is piessing armed services leaders to re-emphasize to
¯¯ commanders that harassment of troops based on their
sexual orientation will notbe tolerated. The Pentagon
: has drawn fire recently for its "don’t ask, don’t tell"
: policy. Critics say an increasing number ofGay and
Lesbian servicemembers arebeingharassed, contrary
: to the stated policy ofpermitting them to serve so long
: as they do not declare their sexual orientation.
: The criticism sharpened after a court-martial in
¯ which anArmyprivate was convicted of murdering a
¯
Gay ,soldier harassed with the knowledge of his
¯ superiors. PresidentBill Clinton said earlier lastmonth
¯ that the Pentagon’s policy on Gays was "out of ¯
whack."
". see Briefs, p. 14
Older Americans
With HIV Increasing
HOUSTON (AP) - An aging population,
life-extending treatments, and a
misperception that AIDS is a disease of
the young have fostered an increase in
AIDS infections among older Americans,
the Houston Chronicle reported recently.
Nationally, about 11% of reported AIDS :
cases are in people 50 or older, the
newspaper reported.
Seniors are the age group with the
fastest-growing AIDS rates - up 22%
between 1991 and 1996, compared with a
9% increase among people age 13-49,
according to the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
However, health officials warned that
the increases seem dramatic because the
numbers are small. A 106% increase in
the number of older women infected
through sex, for example, is based on an
increase from 340 eases to 700 eases.
"’At this point, the numbers are so small
that they really have notbeen perceived as
a problem," said Dr. Rose Brownridge,
acting bureau chief of the Texas
Department:of Health division that deals
with AIDS and other sexually transmitted
diseases. She added, however, that the
issue needs further study.
About 72,000 .americans age 50 and
over and about 4,50(3 Texans have been.
diagnosedwithAIDS. N~gneknows how
many seniors are infected with HIV, the
virus that causes AIDS, because not all
states require HIV reporting and because
older people arethought to be tested far
less often than their younger counterparts.
According to the CDC, slightly more than
one-third of older people with AIDS are
Gay or Bisexual men. About one of five
was infected by using a dirty needle to
inject drugs.
While popular attention has been
focusedon declining infection rotes among
children, AIDS among seniors has been
virtually ignored. That must change, said
Marcia try, chief of social science
research on aging at the National Institute
onAging. "The pointis that society cannot
ignore AIDS in that pediatric population,
in the young adult population or the older
population," Ms. try said. "For people
living longer or getting infected at_ an
older age, these people are incredibly
isolated, and they may not getthe treatment
they need."
That is likely to change with the
onslaught of baby boomers nearing
retirement age, said Kathy Nokes, a New
Yorknursewho works withinfected older
patients and editor of a book on seniors
with AIDS. "Baby boomers talk about
everything, try everything, demand
everything," she said. "To a 60- or 70-
year-old, that’s not polite."
Ironically, the drug Viagra that has
allowedmanyoldermento revive dormant
sex lives also has heightened concern
aboutthe spread ofAIDS. "They are pretty
AIDS-unaware as they venture out into
the world of sexual activity," said Sara
Selber, executive director of AIDS
Foundation Houston. "AIDS wasn’ treally
on their screen at the time they were
(previously) sextmlly active."
Fish Gene Key to
Immune System
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A gene discovered
in puffer fish - which have immune
systems similar to humans - may hold
secrets to learning more about diseases
that affect the human immune system,
such as AIDS, medical researchers say.
~esearchers doing work at St.
Petersburg’s All Children’s Hospital
published their findings in this week’s
Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, an academic journal.
Despite the finding, researchers do not
know what the newly found gene does,
said Gary Litman, the University of South
qoridaimmunologistwholedthe research
effort.
However, they do know the gene plays
amajor role in theimmune systembecause
of its complex structure.
In addition to the puffer fish, the
~mportant gene is found in other bony
fish, including zebra fish and sharks.
"The hunt is on for this gene in man,"
said Litman, who is working with eight
other researchers in Florida and in
California and Massachusetts. "Now we
know where to look."
Researchers are using computers .to
search human DNA for the identical or
similar sequence of 114,000 amino acids
found in the fish DNA. There are about 3
million amino acids in the human body.
Discoveries about the immune system
can affectnew developments in treatments
for diseases ranging from common
allergies to cancer and Alzheimer’s
disease.
Litman said thenew gene mightprovide
clues to an additional type of immunity
that doctors might not have realized.
AIDS Most
Important Story
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP)- The
discovery of and ongoing efforts to treat
and find a cure for AIDS was the top story
of the century, according to a survey of a
group ofhigh school history students. The
students surveyed by The Hutchinson
News otherwise generally agreed with
adult readers surveyed by the newspaper,
but, adults gave AIDS barely a mention.
’ It had such a high impact on what they
thought about their own mortality," said
Susan Smith, a teacher atHutchinsonHigh
School. "They didn’t think they could die,
and they certainly didn’t think having sex
could make them die."
Lindsey Derr, 16, saidnews aboutAIDS
is evenmoreimportantnow that the disease
is generally understood by experts and
millions of people have been identified as
AIDS,positive. Jacqui Faber, 16, said a
lot of people still don’t know enough
about where and how to get tested.
Some issues identified by students as
mostimportant occurred long before their
lifetimes, such as womengaining theright
to vote in America. Other issues that are
again xn the news, such as the Scopes
"Monkey" trial pitting evolutionary theory
against creationism, weren’t seen as
important.
Other stories that were big during their
lifetimes, such as the explosion of the
space shuttle Challengerandthemeltdown
¯of the Russian nuclear power plant at
Cheruobyl, were neat the bottom of the
high-school list.
Thebombing ofPearl Harbor that led to
U.S. entry into World War II, top of the
general readership’ s list,was infifthplace
among the students.
A high-ranking story on the students’
list that ranked low among the gener~
readership was the "I Have a Dream
speech given by the Rev. Martin Luther
King Jr. Talesha Brassield, a 16-year-old
junior, said King’s speech was still a
reminder that Americans have a lot to
learn about respecting each other. "There
The Second Annual
Progressive Alliance Summit
The State Capitol
Oklahoma City
Saturday
Januar 15th, 2000
Join activists from many different
progressive movements from across the
state for skills and coalition building.
Keynote Speaker: Frosty Troy
The Oklahoma Observer
For more information or for reservations contact Planned
Parenthood in Tulsa at 918-587-7674
or Keith Smith at The Smith Group: 405-840-2219
Are You Gay or Bisexual?
Are You Native American?
Tulsa’s Two-Spirited Indian Men’s
Support Group is here for you!
¯ Evening support group meetings
¯ Relationship workshops
¯ Short trips, outings and retreats
¯ Free HIV testing
For information call Tulsa Native American AIDS Prevention Project
at 582-7225 Ext. 208 or 218
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are still people that believe people have to
think the same, look the same and believe
the same things," Talesha said.
Thais Protest US
Drug Monopoly
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Some 120
Thai activists and HIV-AIDS patients
camped Wednesday outside the Health
Ministry demanding an end to a U.S.
pharmaceutical monopoly thatmakes antiviral
drugs too expensive for most in
Thailand. They want theThai government
to enforce a patent act to legalize local
manufacture of Didanosine or DDI, a
medicine that suppresses the deadly HIV
virus in a patient’s blood, delaying the
onset of AIDS.
Few. of the more than 1 million HIV
postive individuals in Thailand, a country
of 62 million people, can afford drugs
such as DDI and AZT, imported to
Thailandfromoverseas,mainlyfromU.S.
manufacturers.
DDI,manufacturedby U.S. ftrmBristol-
Myers Squibb, is sold at50 baht ($1.25) a
tablet in Thai hospitals. Patients need at
least fourtablets aday, costingin all about
6,000 baht-10,000 baht ($160-250) a
month. A Thai office worker earns about
4,400 baht($110) amonth. Thedrugprice
would be halved if Thailand produce it
locally.
Last month, Medecins Sans Frontieres,
the Nobel Peace Prize-winnlngemergency
healthcare group, said U.S. trade pressure
has made proper health care for H!V/
AIDS patients nnaffordable in Thailand
and other less developed countries.
Activists said access to DDI, used by
around 5% of people living with HIV in
1997, declined over the past two years due
to Thailand’s economic recession. Since
theHIV epidemicbeganin the early 1990s,
more than 260,000 Thais have contracted
full-blown AIDS.
’q’he government has full legislation to
enforce the act butit fears the U.S. will be
angry andit mightlead to trade sanctions,"
said Paisal Tan-ud, spokesmanoftheThai
Network For People Living With HIVAIDS.
The activists plan to camp outside
the ministly in Bangkok until they get an
answer from the government.
Earlier this year, campaigners succeeded
in demanding local manufacture of
Diflu.can, a drug used to treat cryptococcat
memngitis, a fungal infection of the brain
which occurs in HIV-AIDS patients.
The government has allowed two local
pharmaceutical compames to produce the
drug, originally manufactured by the U.S.
drug company Pfizer.
Girl + Grandmother
Tell Their Story
WOODBRIDGE, Va. - When Annisha
Wilbum was 4 years old, she went to live
with her grandmother, Valerie Reeder-
Bey, who is HIV-positive. Reeder-Bey
knew she had to talk about her condition
with her granddaughter. The hard part
was finding a way to do it without
frightening her or delving into
uncomfortable details. "I was living in
fear that anything could happen," said
Reeder-Bey,46,wholives inWoodbridge.
"I wanted to tell her. I just really had to
find the way without being graphic."
She started by jotting down things that
Annisha shouldn’tworry about: "It’ s okay
to hug," she wrote. "It’s okay to hold
hands." As the girl got older, she started
making her own contributions to the list.
¯ Talking on the telephone with her
: grandmother was OK, Annisha pointed
¯ out, or going rollerblading together.
¯ Thus was born "My Grandma Has
: AIDS: Annisha’s Story," a 14-page
¯ illustrated children’s book that was
¯ published this year by a pharmaceutical "
¯ company and distributed at the U.S.
Conference on AIDS in Denver and a
World AIDS Day commemoration in
¯ Boston.
"- Annisha and her grandmotherare both
¯ listed as authors, but thebookis writtenin
¯¯ Annisha’s voice. "Hi. My name is
Annisha. This is a story about my
grandma," the book begins. "She is real
: special to me. Mygrandmaisjustlikeany
¯ other grandma. My grandma has AIDS."
The book goes on to describe the various
things they do together. "I know that ifmy
friendhas AIDS, I cannotcatch itbybeing
~ their friend," Annisha says in the book.
~ Reeder-Bey, who also lives with her
¯ husband, Tommy, is excited about the
: book’s distributionandhopes parents will
¯" use it to introduce the subject of AIDS to
i¯ tHheeairvcehniilndrVenie.wS,haeniosnaplrsoofitthtehafotpurnodveirdeosf
: health counseling and support groups for
¯ people living with AIDS. "I would love
¯ forit to be in ev,,e~y household. That’s ~e
ultimate dream,’ she said. "Even if it s
¯ not in every household, I want everyone
~ to know about it."
: The road to "My Grandma Has-AIDS:
¯ Annisha’s Story"was along one. It began ¯
¯ whenReeder-Beywent toherownmother,
looking for solace after she learned she
¯" was HIV-positive. Reeder-Bey said she
¯ spent 22 years as an alcoholic and drug
¯ addict. Her mother could not accept the
: diagnosis and sent her daughter away, she
: said: "I forgive my mother now, but then,
¯ I couldn’t take it," she recalled.
¯ Six years later, Reeder-Beywas alcohol-
. and drug-free andembarking onanew life
¯ as an AIDS activist and drug counselor.
¯ Then her daughter, who has had her own
: struggles with addiction, asked her to take
in Annisha. "Wehad already spent a lot of
." time together," Reeder-Bey said of
¯ Annisha. "She just became a part of my
: life."
When Annisha was 6, Reeder-Bey
¯ thought the two of them had a book worth
¯ sharing. She went to several well-known
: children’s book publishers, who told her
¯ that the subject matter was inappropriate
¯ or didn’t fit their needs.
¯ Butthebookdidcatch the eye ofofficials
." at Agouron Pharmaceuticals, a La Jolla,
." Calif.-based company that makes the
." AIDS drug Viracept, and Agouron
¯ published it. Agouron has an active
: outreachprogramthatfocuses particularly
¯" on minority communities, and the book
¯ worked well with that program, said Joy
¯ Schmitt, a company spokeswoman.
: Reeder-Bey also made sure that Prince
¯ WilliamCounty school administrators got
: a copy of"Annisha’s Story." Annishais a
¯ third-grader at Featherstone Elementary.
¯ Agouron said it plans to distribute the
~ book at otherAIDS conferences, with the
¯ authors’ permission. In the meantime, ¯
Reeder-Bey is a one-woman distribution
¯ machine, bringing books to her doctor’s
¯ office, to work, to wherever she thinks
¯ someone would pick one up. "I want
: people to open up and start talking to kids
: about it. Kids want you to be open with
: them," Reeder-Bey said.
¯ And Annisha said she plans to keep
¯
writing. She has advice for other would-
~ be authors: "I think they should write
¯ what’s in their imagination, and write
: what’sin their heart."
Happy New Year and Century to " hit Broadway, running for 2 years. This
everyone! "If you’re with me, next year : ground breaking drama about 9 Gay men
willbe... The perfect year!" Sorry, Petula ¯ gathering for a birthday party with catty,
left a little Norma Desmond behind. (The ¯ emotionally trying results spawned a film
line is from a song that features ~ -by William Friedldn (who went on to
prominentlyinthemusical, direct "the Exorcist", and
"Sunset Boulevard".)
Actually, there were afew
days I couldn’ t tell the two
apart. What, me catty? I
don’t know what you
mean. . . (Eyes bat
iunocenfly. Well, as close
as I can get... Shaddup!
Stop snickering amongst
yoursdves!)
January at the PAC: Ben
E. King performs with the
Tulsa philharmonic the 7
&8. The armchair traveler
goes to France on the 10;
and the All State Music
Festival happens onthe 15.
"Gaelic Storm," the Irish
band that played in the 3rd
class steerage section of
the Titanic appears at the
PACJanuary 19 &20. Leo
danced a jig to their tunes
in the film. Latin music is played by
Scarles, Allen and River on the 22, and a
concurrent concert hapl~L’ns with Janina
Fialkowska at the piano. On the 23, Das
Puppenspeil (I love that name!) puppet
theatre performs with the Philharmonic,
and the month closes with "Buddy," the
Buddy Holly musical from the 25 through
the 30. "Crossing Delancy" opens on the
28. More info on these artists to come. If
~ou lust can’t wait, you can always call
e f~iendly folks at the PAC ticket office
at 596-7111.
Forthose abitmoreventuresome, Dallas
seems to be the place of interest in
upcoming months. GeorgeWinstonplays
Majestic Theatre Jan 7; and for those who
recall a rather large member of the Rocky
Horror Picture Show cast, Meat Loaf
performs at McFarlin Auditorium Jan 16.
My, they’re really bringing in the class
acts now, aren’t they?
For the more modem crown, Counting
Crows plays the Bronco bowl Jan 25, and
Beck plays there Jail 26. Kids in the Hall,
the all male cross dressing comedy troupe
of some fame in the mid-90’s plays the
Bronco bowl Feb 3. The Pretenders, with
opening act "Gay Dad", perform at the
Bronco Bowl Feb 6. The Chieftains, for
those who like their Irish music Irish, are
at the Fort Worth Bass Performance Hall
Feb 6. Back in Dallas, Diana Krall plays
the Majestic Theatre Feb 18. And for
those into boy bands, Backstreet Boys
(almost has-beenS) are at Reunion Arena
March3-4. For themorefolksy set, Crosby,
Stills, Nash and Young are playing
Reunion Arena March 7th.
For thosepining for somedecent theatre
- and I know many of you are, even if you
don’t attend it- Mort Crowley’ s seminal
work, "The Boys in the Band", runs
through January 29 at the Fort Worth
Theatre (817-921-5300). It rated a full
page storyin theFortWorthStarTelegram.
Apparently, Fort Worth has become a
progressive town, in that one of its oldest
and mostprestigious theatres has started a
series of Gay plays called the "Labor of
Love" series. They have sold out.
Hello, Theatre Tulsa!
"Boys" opened in April 1968, and was
one of’the first, if not the first, Gay play to
"Sorcerer") and nnhinged
the closet door that held
Gay theater locked inside
and blew it down the
hallway.
. FortWorthTheatrehas
already produced two
shows this season thathad
to do with some aspect of
homosexuality:
"Seducing Sally" and
"The SantalandDiaries".
Folks, this is a city
nicknamed "Cowtown".
Hello? It’ s about the size
of Tulsa. They have 3
theatres there that are
unafraid to try something
new -CircleTheatre, Stage
West, and now, the most
staid of the Fort Worth
Theatres.
We have Heller, and
: sometimes TU, and the quality of theatre
¯ in this town is very hit and miss. I know
: that’ll tick some folks off, but it’s true.
¯ And more often than not, it’s missing.
: Let’s work on that, shall we? I mean,
¯ Cowtown, really!
Tickets are $10 - $12 dollars, and a
¯ percentage of ticket sales goes to AIDS
~ Resources of Rural Texas. And from the
: pics of the cast, it looks like it would be a
¯ handsome evening, indeed. Thanks to
: Mark Lowry of the Fort Worth Star
Telegram for some of the info used in this
: tern.
Usually, when I write of an album
wherein the songs, music and lyrics, tend
to eerily reflect events in my own time
space, it’ s a safe bet that I’m writing about
Stevie Nicks. Shejust does thht sort thing.
I got walloped this last week by an album
my best friend Karin (who’ s straight, by
the way) mademelisten to. She started off
by saying some of the songs reminded her
of me and one of my last major romantic
entanglements. Then she started playing
it, and I was just about knocked out of the
car. The album is by an artist I never gave
much ~hought to, except to wish that I’ d
never hear the phrase "I Wanna Come
Over" again. Yes, I was ~,valloped by a
Lesbian MdissaEtheridge slat~stalbum,
"Breakdown" (an ironic rifle, given the
album’ s previously stated significance) is
a treasure trove of powerful lyrics and
dynamite music.
The song "Stronger Than Me" is one of
the ones my best friend Karin related to
: my experience from her viewpoint. The
~ lyrics are dark and intense, and the music
; echoes their intent. "I don’t know how
: you can take it / invest your heart and then
¯ youbreakit / I don’ tknow how youcan set
: it free / you must be stronger than me"
: certainly sums up my somewhat
¯ overoptimistic romantic enthusiasms
according to Karin.
"Breakdown" is a power ballad about a
~ love gone so wrong one has left, but the
¯ other p~rson keeps pulling you back like
~ a pit of quicksand. "I’m coming to your
~ breakdowntonight.""Enough ofMe" was
¯ another sock to the stomach in its eerie
: capturing of what the last year of my last
; majorrelationship was like. see Jirn,p. 14
The Tulsa Phiharmonicpresents
pianist
Janina Fialkowska
the third concert in the,
Masterworks Series
Saturday, January 22, 8pm
Tulsa Performing-Arts Center
Debussy, Prelude a l’apres midi d’une faune
Grieg, Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 16
Wagner, selections from
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Tickets: 747-PHIL or 596-7111
earles, Allen & Rive.ra
URBANTULSA
THE KERR FOUNDATION, INC.
FOUNDERS AND ASSOCIATES, INC.
"cO IJ/IELLIAS cao~oea~v:VAL CANIPAROLIw~:FREOEIIIC CHOPIN
Long before multi-million dollar book deals -
were the fashion, Alexandre Dumas’ son
(yes, the "The Three Musketeers" author)
converted his torrid:turned-terminal love affair
into a best seller. From there, composer
Guiseppe Verdi adapted the story for opera
(hello, "La Traviata"). Today, choreographer
Val Canipamli finished the iob of turning
"La Traviata" into dance. Using drama,
not melodrama. For understatement
underscored. A full-length love story.
"You don’t have
to knew ballet
to love ballet.
You just have
to try it."
-- MARCE£LO ARGELJNI
ARTISTIC DIRECTOI~
" FRIDAY 8 PI~EBRUARY 11
SATURDAY B PMFEBRUARY 12
SUNDAY 3 PMFEBRUARY 13
SEASON SPONSORS:
ABC Music
Order tickets by calling The Tulsa BaJlet Ticket Offica: 749-600|
4512 S. Peoria Ava. , Tulsa, OK 74105-4563 ¯ VisH
GILCREASE MUSE
I~" SUNDAYS
Bless the Lord At All Times Christian Center
Sunday School - 9:45am, Service - 11 am, 2207 E. 6th, 583-7815
Community of Hope (Welcoming), Service - 6pm, 2545 S. Yale, 585-1800
Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Service - 11am, 2545 S. Yale, 749-0595 (Welcoming)
Church of the Restoration Unitarian Universalist
Service - 1 lain, 1314 No. Greenwood, 587-1314
Metropolitan Community Church United
Service, llam, 1623 North Maplew00d, Info! 838-1715
House of the Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc.
Sunday School - 9:45am, Service - 10:45am, 3210b So. Norwood
Parish Church of St. Jerome (Evangelical Anglican Church in America)
Mass - 1lain, 205 W. King (east of N. Denver), Info: 582-3088
Unity. Church of Christianity
Services: 9:15 & 11:00 am, 3355 S. Jamestown,749-8833
University of Tulsa Bisexual/Lesbian/Gayfrransgendercd Alliance
6:30 pm, Meets at the United Ministry Ctr., 5th & Evanston, 583-9780
~’ MONDAYS
HIV Testing Clinic, Free & anonymous testing. No appointment required.
Walk in testing: 7-8:30pm, 834-TEST (8378)3501 E. Admiral (east of Harvard)
HIV Rap Sessions at Bless the Lord At All Times Christian Center
7:30pro, 2207 E. 6th, 583-7815
PFLAG, Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays
2rid Mon/each mo. 6:30pm, Fellowship Congregational Church, 2900 S. Harvard
Women/Children & AIDS Committee, call for meeting date, noon, 585-5551
Council Oak Men’s Chorale, rehearsals - call for times, info: 748-3888.
I~" TUESDAYSAIDS
Coalition of Tulsa, call for next meeting date. 1430 S. Boulder, 585-5551
Live And Let Live, Community of Hope United Methodist, 7:30pro, 2545 S. Yale
Multienltural AIDS Coalition, call for next meeting date.
Urban League, 240 East Apache, 584-0001
PrimeTimers, mens group, Pride Center. 1307 E. 38th
Coming Out Support Group (TOHR/HOPE)
Tuesdays, 6 pm, Pride Center, 1307 E. 38th, info: 743-4297
~ WEDNESDAYS
Bless The Lord At All Times Christian Center
Prayer & Bible Study, 7:30 pm 2207 E. 6th, 583-7815
House of the Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc. Service - 7pm, 3210b So. Norwood
Tulsa Native American Mens Support Group, more information, call 582-7225
TCC Gay & Lesbian Association of Students (GLAS), Call for info: 595-7632.
Lambda A-A, 7 pm, 1307 E. 38th, 2nd ft.
~" THURSDAYS
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education
Anonymous HIV Testing, Testing: 7 - 8:30pm 834-8378, 3507 E. Admiral
Oklahoma Rainbow Young Adult Network (O’RYAN)
Support/social group for 18-24’ s, call Red Rock Mental Health at 584-2325
Substance Abuse Support Group for persons with HIV/AIDS, Info: 834-4194
~ FRIDAYS
SafeHaven, Young Adults Social Group, 1 st Fri/each mo. 8pm, Pride Ctr., 1307 E. 38th
I~" SATURDAYS
Narcotics Anonymous, 11 pm, Community of Hope,1703 E. 2nd, Info: 585-1800
Lambda A-A, 6 pm, Pride Center, 1307 E. 38th, 2nd ft.
t~= OTHER GROUPS
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform & Leather Seekers Association, info: 298-0827
Gal-A-Vanting, Womens Social & Cultural Group
Call for info: Kathy at 322-6322, or Barb at 459-6825.
OK Spoke Club, Gay & Lesbian Bike Organization. Long rides & short rides from
Zeigler Park. Long & short tides from Tulsa Gay Community Center. Write for info:
POB 9165, Tulsa, OK 74157
Mixed Volleyball, non-active in winter, call Shawn at 243-5190 for spring activities.
Ifyour organization is not listed, please let us know. Call 583-1248 orfax 583-4615.
reviewed by Barry Hensley
Tulsa City-County Library
Here are a couple of new books at the
library that you shouldn’t miss! A few
years ago, author Rik Isensee wrote an
eulighteningbookforGay
men, rifled "Reclaiming
Your Life: The Gay
Man’s Guide to Love,
Self-Acceptance and
Trust." He’s back with a
new winner for those of
us in our, ahem, late
thirties (and on up), "Are
You Ready?"
The time has come for
the community to
understand that Gay life
doesn’t end simply
because you remember
Watergilte. This book
helps you learn to
celebraie i the positive
things about aging
(flexibility, " greater
"One d Isensee’s
primary tasks is to
help Gay males
reach closure with a
youtlt~l identity¯
The key to this is
learning to stop
living for the
moment¯ For a
¯ reclaim youthful ambitions. This tendency
: can be compared to the stage of
¯¯ ’bargaining’ in grief reactions. If only I’d just work harder, exercise more, go to
¯ bars, get a facelift, get a tattoo- I’ll be all ¯
right."
One of the suggested
steps toward stabilizing
your life is to get in a long
term relationship. Just
because it didn’t work
whenyouwereyoungand
foolish doesn’t mean it
won’t work now! There
is a good section that
provides some basic
guidance toward finding
a rdationship, including
"what are you looking
for?," "distinguish
_between desirables.and
necessary qualities," and
variety of reasons, "be open to men who
" don’tfityouinsual type." we are living longer. _There are alsosomegood
tolerances, self ann " 1- ....
¯....
" ~ d nav" ate neell to remmn
acceptance) an lgate~_____-~_~.
the negatives (dis-eti~ vital and involved.
over physical aging,
d i s i 11Usi onm e n t,--It Is very Important
examples of how
depressio,and lethargy).
One of Isensee’s to-not waste time
primary tasks is to help re]ivln6 -
Gay males reach closure
with a youthful identity, the past..
The key to this is learning
to stoplivingfor themoment. Fora variety
of re~ons~ we are living long~-and need
to remain vital and involved. It is very
important to not waste time reliving the
past.
As Isensee explains, "During this
uncertain time, when we’ ve lost our way,
there may be a sense of not having
accomplished anything. Itmay be difficult
to remember earlier goals or to ascribe
any significance to them. It’s also hard to
imagine what else we would like to do.
Rather than tolerating the anxiety of not
knowing, some men are tempted to make
up for lost time - through some radical
change for its own sake, or a mad dash to
with Former and does not believe the
accusation to be credible.
Attorney Kerry Lewis, who is also a
board member of Tulsa Oklahomans for
Human Rights suggested that anti-Gay
bias and political opportunism on the part
of Tulsa County District Attorney Tim
Harris and his staff may be behind this
accusation.
Lewis noted that such a case would
have appeal for Republican Harris whose
voter bast is tied to religious extremist
elements in the Republican Party. Lewis
also said that given the level of anti-Gay
prejudice in the area’s jury pool; Harris
maybecalculating thatheneednotactually
prove Former guilty, that is that merely
being a Gay man accused by a younger
man will be taken as proof of guilt in a
legal system. that is hostile to minority
citizens.
DrumwrightattorneyTimDaniel whose
practice~has’included defending Gaymen
relationships change over
the years. No, thesethi~gs
are not easy, but the hard
work will pay off in. the
end!
Another new book is,
’q’he Book of Gay and
Lesbian Quotations."
This is a fun compilation
of quotes by Gays and
¯ Lesbians; and Gay-friendly peopleas well,
¯ from ancient times to the present. It is a
." simple reference book broken down into
¯ broad subjects: solitude, morality, hope,
¯ etc.
: Some of the better quotes are: "a waist
¯ is terrible thing to mind," "anyone who
¯ says that softball is a boring game to
. watch isn’t looking at the right things!,"
: and "the only way of getting dd of
temptation is to yield to it." This is a super
: book for one liners.
: Check for these and other fun books at
¯ your local branch library, or call the ¯
Readers ServicesdepartmentattheCentral
: Library at 596-7966.
: who say they were entrapped by Tulsa
¯ Police, believes that the Tulsa County
¯ DistrictAttorney uses anti-Gay bias in the legal system to plea bargain cases,
: knowing that accused Gay men, even if
¯ they are not guilty, or even if the police ¯
engaged in illegal conduct themselves in
¯ order to make an arrest, will accept a
~ "deal" rather than risk having a hostile
¯ jury and even more serious charges and
¯ punishment.
: Anti-Gay hate crime victims, Tony Orr
¯ &TimBeauchamp, also have pointed out ¯
that Hams’ office failed to assist them in
: getting normal compensation for their
: medical expenses due to the assault on
¯ them, and that the DA’s office did not
¯ even prosecute seriously their assailants ¯ until after The Tulsa World wrote a story
: about the DA’s inaction.
¯ Fortner did return a call to TulsaFami!y
: Newsbutonadviceofhis attorney declined
; to comment onthe allegations. Calls to
: Former’s attorney were not returned.
January April July October December
Even Out Your
Monthly Electric Bills.
At PSO, we know that changing
weather conditions throughout the
year can cause your monthly electric
bills to rise and fall dramafieally.
Which can make it hard to tflan your
¯household budget. That’s why~
~ourAverage Monthly Payment plan,
could be your_budgeting solution.
Wata~you imy about the
same each month, because it’s based
on your gnevious 12 months.usage.
That makes budgeting a breeze.
And best of all ifs free. AMPis just
one of several ttem~ole payment
o~ons PSO offers you. For more
a day. Or sign up forAMPon our
P- 9 PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF OKLAHOMA
A Central and South West Company
Holland Hall
SCHOOL
PRIMARY SCHOOL TOURS (AGE 3- GRADE 3)
MIDDLE & UPPER SCHOOL TOURS (GRADES 4- I I)
MIDDLE & UPPER SCHOOL TESTING (GRADES 4- II)
PRIMARY SCHOOL TESTING (KINDERGARTEN- GRADE I)
To reserve your place, please Call the
Admission Office at 481=111.1; extension 251.
5666 E. 81st Street ~ Between Yale & Sheridan ~ Tulsa ~ www.hollandhall.org
Holland Hall admits qualified students without regard to race, sex. religion, national or ethnic omgm, or p~.sical disabili~..
800-559-1558 ~.NewNest.com
The new Patti Johnsqq Wilson YWCA wi, be opening February 2000
Fitness Center
Aerobics
Aquatic Programs
Licensed Child Care
Our Proffress
Le s!
by Mary Schepers . - I will respect electrical energy and will
TFNdo-it-yourself-dyke extraordinaire ¯ notwireanyfixture, outletorswitch’hot."
The holidays are over, the mistletoe " - I resolve to keep saw blades sharp and
delightfullynsed, abusedandrefused.The ¯ clean. I will unplug power saws before
long nights and short days of winter seem ¯ removing the blade.
to stretch on forever. It is - I resolve to use trendy
the time to dreamoffuture
projects that will not be
started until spring time
comes. And it is time for
making all of those godawful
New Year’s resolutions
that endurebutfor
a mere matter of days.
Why not combine home
projects with good
intentions andmake some
resolutions you’ll actually
keep?
Inall modesty, and with
absolutely no sense of
overstepping boundaries,
your DIYD gently offers
her own suggestions for
your approval and
implementatzon.
Considerityourblueprint
for a millennium of
satisfying home projects.
Or consider it your DIYD
telling you what to do -
again. And always. Why
should this century be any
different than the. last?
You love it, ducklings,
you know you do! Now,
repeat after me
- I resolve to always work
safely! I will read and follow direction~
and will not by-pass guards or safety
devices. I will use personal protection
(safety glasses, earplugs, etc.), and ask for
help if I need it.
-I will measure twice (minimum!) and
cut once. Woodis expensive and screwing
up makesmecranky and unbearable. Let’ s
avoid that this year.
-I will not swear to the extent and/or
noise level that the dog or cat needs deep
therapy.
-I will always involve my partner (if
applicable) inhome repair and decoration
decisions. Even if they say they "don’t
care" - trust me, cupcake, theydo!
- I resolve to take good care of my tools.
I will keep them clean, organized and in
good repair. I will thereby not waste
precious project time obsessing about the
mystery location of the screwdriver or
paint roller.
- I resolve not to treat any ofmy partner’ s
questions as stupid - no matter how
glaringly obvious the answer or solution.
- Iwill not loan out tools I care about to
people who abuse them or do not return
them, I will acknowledge my emotional/
psychological bond with my tools,
especially thoserequiring apower supply,
- I will buy that leather tool bdtas soon as
I can. And I will use it (silk boxers
optional).
- I resolve to always set my ladder up on
a stable, even surface and to havesomeone
watching out for me nearby. That
especially applies if I am on the roof. The
dog does not count as my ’safety buddy.’
-I resolve to overcome my fear and
loathing of spiders and slugs long enough
to enter the crawl space and make that
minorplumbingrepair to thebathtub drain.
Other-wise, I will overcome my aversion
to paying a plumber to do the same.
"In all modesty, and
with absolutely no
sense of overstepping
boundaries, your
DIYD gently offers
her suggestions for
your approval . . .
Consider it your
blueprint for a
millennium of
satisfying home
projects.
Or consider it your
DIYD telling you
what to do - again.
And always.
Why should this
century be any
different
than the last?"
colors and designs in my
home sparingly, remembering
fullyhow appalled
I was by the ’50’s Peptopink
bathroom walls, tile
and tub. I am leaving a
legacy! (this does not
apply if you wish vengeance
on your heirs)
- I will always get three
quotes for any contract
labor, as well as
references.
- I resolve to be more
respectful for the people
wor.king atmylocal home
repatr palace, even thal
patronizing boob in
plumbing. Fantasize
about replumbing his
fixtures, butdon’tactually
threaten to do it this time.
-I resolve to buy very
good paint brushes and
keep them clean and
properly stored for a
lifetime of painting
pleasure.
-I will not tell friends,
family or relative
strangers how they
screwed up their latest
project and what I wouldhavedonebetter.
Do give them a stack ofDIYD columns as
a form of gentle guidance.
- I resolve to do one project this year, no
matter how small, to improve the
aesthetics, efficiency or value ofmyhome.
- I resolve tomakemy DIYD that cocktail
- a Manhattan with two cherries - as a
small token of the gratitude I bear her for
enlightening my life and improving my
home!
And your DIYD resolves to be back
next month to help you make good on
some of these intentions.
PS: Your DIYD doesn’ t waste precious
energy tying cherry stems into knots with
her tongue when it is better applied to
practical projects!
¯
By the time ~this song played, I was
¯ becoming a fan. So much so, I bought the
CD
If ’ ,
: you ve been depressed, and couldn t
¯ explain how debilitating a state it really
¯ can be, "Into The Dark" is one of those
¯¯ songs you play for people to make them
understand what the dark night of the soul
¯ is all about. One ofthemore powerful and
dark songs on thi~ album, it leaves you
." haunted. It’ s a ditty about going "into the
¯ soullinto the heart/into the dark", and
: realizing that one’s been spinning one’s
wheels keeping a dead relationship alive,
¯ not that Iwouldknowanythingabout that.
"There was tire/therewas death/there was
¯ lyingonyourbreath/Itumedaway/Iwould
¯ pretend/but the fire never ends/I’ve been
¯
here sleeping all these years. "
_" Lest you think it’s all doom a~ad gloom,
: JulieCypher, Melissa’s longtimepartner,
¯ requested a more upbeat song for fear her
to recognize same-sex civil marriage. It
was thefirst state to offer domesticpartner
benefits to state workers, one of the first
states to recognize second-parent
adoptions and one ofthe first states to ban.
discriminationbasedonsexual orientation.
-The Mormon church, which has
campaigned.-against Gay marriage in
Vermont, Hawaii and California, issued a
brief statement repeating its position and
¯ saying,"As the legislative process moves
forward, The ChUrch of Jesus Cqh-’ist of
Latter-day Saints urges the citizens of
Vermont and their elected representatives
to protect the uniqueness and sanctity of
traditional marriage and to preserve the
family ~ the basic unit of society."
Next Door In New Hampshire
A statelawmakeris trying to make sure
Gay New Hampshire couples do riot take
advantage of the Vermont ruling. Rep.
Gary Torressen, R-Center Harbor, says
he was disappointed by the decision that
Gay couples are entitled to the same
benefits and protections as husbands and
wives. Torressen said he filed., his bill,
which would prevent New Hampshire
from recognizing same-sex marriages
contracted out of state, in anticipation of
the Vermont court’s decision.
The Legislature repealed a ban on Gay
foster parents and Gay adoptions. The
state also has a law that protects Gays and
Lesbiansfrom discrimination in housing,
employmentand access topublicfacilities.
State Sen. Rick Trombly, a Boscawen
Democrat who is Gay, said New
Hampshire shouldgo further and set upits
own domestic partnership system. Rep.
Martha Fuller Clark, D-Portsmouth, has
filed a bill that would extend medical
benefits to domestic partners, andrecently,
trustees for the state university system
approved domestic partner benefits for
employees. But Gays and Lesbians still
lackfull acess to the samehealthinsurance,
disability benefits, tax breaks and
inheritance protections that married
couples enjoy.
Trombly believes New Hampshire
lawmakers would support a domestic
partnership system as a fundamental
affirmation of equal rights. But he does
not believe they would support Gay
marriage, because many believe
heterosexual marriage has a religious
significance.
State Sen. Pat Krueger, a conservative
Republican from Manchester, said
Tuesday she had Gay friends whose lives
were complicated by their lack of legal
protections, and she would consider
supporting domestic partnerships. A
spokeswoman for Gov. Jeanne Shaheen
said the governorremains opposed to Gay
marriage. Spokeswoman Pamela Walsh
declined:comment on Shaheen’ s .view of
domesticpartnership.legislation, sayingit
was premature.
Excerpts from the Supreme
Court decision on marriages:
Maythe stateofVermontexclude samesex
couples from the benefits and
protections that its laws provide to
opposite-sex married couples? That is the
fundamental question we address in this
appeal, aquestionthatthecourtwellknows
arouses deeply-felt religious, moral, and
political beliefs. Our constitutional
responsibility to consider the legal merits
of issues properly before us provides no
exception for the controversial case. The
issue before the court, moreover, does not
turnon the religious-or moral debate over
¯
inlimate same-sex relationships, butrather
¯ on the statutory and constitutionai basis
for the exclusion of same-sex couples
: from the secular benefits and protections
: offered married couples.
¯ We conclude that under the Common
Benefits Clause of the Vermont
Constitution, which, in pertinent part,
e,ads, that government ~s, or ought to be,
instituted for the common benefit,
¯¯ protection, and security of the people,.
¯ nation, or community, and not for the
particular emolument or advantage ofany
i single person, family, or set of persons,
¯ who are a part only of that community,"
plaintiffs may not be deprived of the
: statutory benefits andprotections afforded
¯ persons of the opposite sex who choose to
~ marry. We hold that the state is
¯ constitutionally required to extend to ¯ same-sex couples the common benefits
: and protections that flow from marriage
under Vermont law.
". (and)
¯ While the laws relating to marriage
¯ have undergone many changes during the
¯ last century, largely toward the goal of ¯
equalizing the status of husbands and
¯ wives, the benefits of marriage have not
¯ diminished in value. On the contrary, the
¯ =benefits and protections incident to a
: marriagelicense under Vermontlaw have
: never been greater.
¯ (andfrom Justice Denise Johnson)
¯ This case is undoubtedly one of the
¯ most controversial ever to come before
¯ this court. Newspaper, radio andtelevision
¯ media have disclosed widespread public
¯ interest in its outcome, as well as the full
¯ spectrum of opinion as to what that
¯ outcome should be and what its
¯ ramifications may be for our society as a ¯
whole.
¯
.One line of opinion contends that this is
¯ an issue that ought to be decided only by
¯ the most broadly democratic of our
¯ governmental institutions, theLegislature; ¯ and thatthe small group ofmenandwomen
: comprising this court has no business
deciding an issue of such enormous
¯ moment.
: For better or worse, however, this is
¯ simply not So. This case came before us
¯ because citizens of the state invoked their
¯
¯ constitutional right to seekredress through the judicial process of a perceived
¯ deprivation under state law. The Vermont
¯ Constitution does not permit the courts to decline to adjudicate a matter because its
¯ subject is controverslal, or because the
¯ outcome may be deeply offense to the
Strongly held beliefs of many of our
¯ citizens.
¯ We do not have, as does the Supreme
¯ Court of the United States, certiorari
-’ jurisdiction, which allows thatcourt, inits
¯ sole discretion, to decline to hear almost
¯ any case. To the contrary, if a case has
¯ been brought before us, and if the
¯ established procedures have been
¯ followed, as they were here, we must hear
¯ and decide it.
: Moreover, we must decide the case on
¯ legal grounds. However much history,
: sociology, religious belief, personal
¯ experienceor other considerations may ¯
inform our individual or collective
: deliberations, we must decide this case,
¯ and all cases, on the basis of our
¯ understanding of the law, and the law
¯ alone.
¯" Thismustbethe trueandconstant effort
¯ of every member of the judiciary. That
¯ effort, needless to say, is not a guarantee
¯
of infallibility, nor even an assurance of
¯ wisdom. It is, however, the fulfillment of
.. our pledge of office.
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Call for meeting times and place:
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TOM NEAL
BUILDING
&
GARDEN
DESIGN
58:3- 1248
by Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.D. ¯ into gender patterns as soon as they are
One of my students owns 189 pairs of ~ born, wrapping them in blue or pink
athletic shoes. Not quite Imelda Marcos, ~ blankets. Walk into any toy store and you
butgettingthere.Anthonyisjust20years ¯ knowwhenyou’veenteredthegirls’aisle.
old and already he is a sophisticated ¯ Everything suddenly has turned pink.
collector. Collecting things is oddly ¯ Several of my friends with young sons
importantformany ofus.
I have other friends who
accumulate Native
American artifacts. And
books. And jazz vinyl
recordings. And Cacti.
And uniforms.
Most of us collect
some-thing evenif this is
only string or a draw full
Of condoms. Our houses
are museums. One ofmy
professors saved sheets
of toilet paper from bathrooms
around the world.
Me, I have.a stupendous
collection of refrigerator
magnets.
We buy stuff; we give
it away; we receive it;
andwe curateit: Think of
all those shoeboxes lined
UP in Anthony’s bedroom.
Things, clearly,are
important for reasons
beyond the utilitarian.
Evenwearing themevery
second until the day he
dies, Anthony will never
use up all his Shoes. He
buys themto ownandnot
particularly to wear. They
helpmake sense ofwhom
he is - or at least who he
thinks he wants to be.
Because ofthiS, ormaybe
it’s their smell(they give
him a buzz.
Having just survived
the holiday season, we
know the pleasures and
pains of stuff. Did you
get what you want for the
holidays? Did you make
a list? Did you check it
twice?
Everyone grumbles
about the materialism of
a onetime religious
celebration. But complain
away, I sure had a
lot of desperate company
last month when I went
foraging for things in the
bleak shopping expanses
of Walmart.
"We slot our
ehildren into gender
patterns as soon as
they are born,
wrapping
them in blue or
pink blankets.
Walk into any toy
store and you know
when you’ve entered
the girls’ aisle...
Several of my
friends w~th young
sons complain that
it is difficult to find
gender-neutral toys.
’One two-year old
boy loves to play
with brooms and
vacuunl cleaners.
His morn, of course,
has to go to the
girlS’ side to find
toy household
eleanlng equipment.
And, worse, the kid
likes to play with
dolls. His father
nervously protests
his son’s
babydoll games.
" Je~z! Can’t you buy
the boy atru~k?"
This connection Of stuff and identity is
characteristically American. We learn
early on to~ define ourselves in terms of
things, We_+play a:game with children
called "favorites." Weinsist that kids tell
us their favorite"color~ music, television
show, make of car,.or ice-cream. Evenif
complain that it is difficult
to find gender-neutral
toys: One two-ye~ old
boy loves to play with.
brooms and vacuum
cleaners. His ~m0m+ of
course, has to go to the
girls’ side to find toy
household cleaning
equipment. And, worse,
the kid likes to play with
dolls. His father nervously
protests his son’s.
babydoll games. Jeez!
Can’t you buy the boy a
truck?
This paternal nervousness
signals the symbolic
strength of the connections
we draw between
things and identity, ff doll
equals girl, thenboy-whoplays
-with-doll equals
girlish, perhaps even Gay.
Our use of particular
things sends messages,
accurate or not, aboutwho.
we might be. We know
that both men and women
need to.practice nurturing.
Butthe doll-loving boy,
like the toy gun-toting girl,
violates the cultural code
of consumption that attributes
gender to things.
And, who knows? Maybe
the Kid really just likes
dolls. Or maybe he has
already figured out our
consumption code and he
likes dolls on purpose in
order to Send dad a
message.
My daughters, too’old
for dolls, and also,too old
for Pokemon, this year
wrote Gameboy camera
on their Christmas lists.
They didn’ t seem worried
about the name. Why
Gameboy and not
Gamegirl? In hierarchical
systems, it is easier to
"ups,h,ift" than "dowm
Shifi. Gifts wear pants.
Not .too many boys wear
¯ dresses. Women become d0ctors; not too
¯ many mendreamaboutbecominganurse.
" Except, perhaps+ some of those sweet,
¯ doff-loving boys of course
~When I was a kid, Barbie dolls didn’t
:~ last long in my neighborhood. We’ d steal
¯ themfromour sisters .and use thbm cruelly.
we aetuallyhave,nofavorites-~ this question ¯ They,w~ould.’be J..gan of Arc atthe stake,
puslies~s tomeasureandsztuateoursel~es: . andWor~.~ If ~eh~d any ~ense, w~ W~~d
svi_thin the w0dd of goods.. So goes .,".ha’ve,ca~-~f~illyst6i?&l them away intheig
American.inff!~iduality:;~and.so..goe~rour..: ." boxes to’become’rich by selling them to
_economy:as well....... ~ , - ....... " ........ ., today’s fanatic Barbie ¢_ollectors: I can
Favorites make less senseintta.ditional~ ~ recommend a great website with-pictures
societies where individuality is ,muted~ ." of.Ken, from 1961 to 2000: Check out
and where the range of goods is.litfiited. ¯ www.manbehindthedoll.com. This guy
But even in ¯simpler societies,¯ things: ." ~ really likes,his boy dol|s.J’m suggesting
differentiate gender.. Women wear : to Anthony thathe build a similar Shrine
differentarticles of clothing than do men~ : to his boy shoes :’ . z
They oftent~s~different tO~Is~ The)~ may .~ Lamont Lindstrom, Ph.’D,~ ~teaChes
noteatihesamefoods~.W,eslotourchi.’l.dren. "- anthropology, at .t:he.~University of Tulsa,
We dedicate an enormous mount of
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ELEMENTARY and THAT’S A
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Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon
said thatRudyde Leon, the under secretary
of defense for personnel, and Douglas
Dw0rkin, the acting general counsel,raised
the matter in a Dec. 18 memorandum to
service leaders. "It is important that the
leadership of each of the services issue a
strong statement to the field that
harassment~of service members for any
reason, to include alleged or perceived
homosexuality, will not be tolerated,"
according to thememo,releasedThursday
by the Defense Department.
Bacon said it had not been made
sufficiently clear to commanders that a
service member’ s complaint about being
harassed for alleged homosexuality is not
grotmds forinvestigating the complainant.
Instead it should be the basis for
investigating the harassers, he said.
image would be one see Jim, p. 14
of a liorrible drago,n,, given the tone of the
oth~"rdationship songs. Melissa asked
her~f,"How much do I love Juiie? I love
her~uchthat I would want to die in her
ar~ Quite a wonderful thing to say
aboi~.’ anyone’s lover, male or female.
"S!O~p" was the answer to the question, a
lovely song about getting away from the
noise ofthe world and snuggling into your
¯¯ lover’s arms and listening to him/her
breathing, and feeling trusting and
¯
comfortable enough with another person
: to be able to sleep. It’s a lovely song of
¯ quiet comfort.
¯
And then there’s issues of equality.
: "Truth of the Heart"is a wonderful ballad
¯ to the truth that "We all begin this race at
: the start" and about how "deep down
: inside we’re all the same / try not tojudge
¯ someone / and never shame." Partnered
¯
for almost 11 years now, the two have two
¯ children of their own. Melissa wrote this
¯ song to explain to their children about ¯
how to deal with life. Words to live by. In
: "MamaI’m Strange", thejoys of growing
¯ up Gay - or just different - is artfully
: explored, with just the fight amountof
¯ angst to remind us where we came from
¯
and how hard the struggle could be at
¯ times~
¯ The single most striking song is called
: "S~carecrow", and it’s about Matthew
¯ Sheppard. She said she hadlots of trouble
," w~riting that because here she was also
¯ writing ’’Truth of the Heart" as well and
¯
felt she couldn’t be writing about people
: being good in one song and denounce
¯ them in another. So the end of the song is
". her way of forgiving (but not forgetting)
¯
the second attacker (I think he was going
¯ to trial or prison at that time). It has to be
: heard to be experienced. If you aren’t
¯ crying and angry after hearing it, you’re
¯
dead.
¯ There are two versions of this CD, one
¯ of which is already hard to find. It has ¯
three extra songs, "Touch and Go",
: "Cherry Avenue" (where she mentions
the name of one-of the Lesbian bars in
¯ which she sang for about 4 years before
being discovered -Que Sera), and "My
¯ Beloved", and is released in a cardboard
¯" case. The regular version has 11 songs in
theusual plasticjewel box; Whichincludes
: the lovely ode tounrequitedlove, ’"’Angels
¯ Will Fall". That’ s the one most folks are
¯ going to be familiar with at this point. ¯
For you men out there: I know that in
¯ some-minds, there’s a big chasm between
¯ Gay men and Lesbians, and this extends
¯ to performer preferences. I’ve heard the
¯ nasty comments - from both sides. All I
¯ can say is, get over your prejudices, and
¯ get this CD. It’s well worth it, and
¯ incredible in its beauty and reflection of
¯
life. And, Melissa, you have a new fan.
Thank you Karin, for your contributions
¯ to widening my musical horizons and the
infolmation contained in the above article
¯
about the backgrbund of the songs. Seems
¯ ironic that I’ mbeing tutoredinGay culture
¯ and musical icons by a straight woman, ¯
but suchis life. I feel like I shouldknow all
¯
this alrcady!
." There’s a few things Karin said that I
¯ think bear repeating, for both Melissa
¯
fans, and more importandy, for us all: "I
¯
am so happy that I could bring a singer
¯ into your life who writes and sings from ¯
¯ the heart. VH1 is rertmmng her "Behind
the Music" next week, and I’m going to
tape it for you You’ll like it. It’ s the only
¯ oneI veseenwheretheartmtlsn thit~hing ¯
about something. Someofthemjustwhine
¯
endlessly. ’I love Shania Twain, but her
¯ BTM special was one endless bitch and
¯ whine.
¯ Stevie Nicks doesn’t bitch, but she’s
: had such lousy things happen, to her, by
: her own hand, that it just sounds so
¯ depressing. You know Melissa has been
¯ depressed, butthere’s somuchshedoesn’t
¯
say. I saw John Mellencamp’s BTM
¯ (Behind the Music), I’ve sc~en Cherts
¯ dozens of times, along with Madonna’ s,
and Melissa’ s just seems so upbeat that
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Tulsa Locations:
2001 S. Garnett, 437-2dd~.
3733S. Memorial, 66003zl4
1216 S. Harvard, 587-1778
Sapulpa Location:
,109 N. Mission, 227-2322
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see Jim, p. 15
she seems to have had a great life. Like I
said before, growing up Gay anywhere, I
know from you, is awful, but growing up
Gay in Leavenworth, Kaus~ must be the
pits. She doesn’t make much of anything
depressing. I was veryimpressed. Thanks
for the remark to the Gay men to listen to
Lesbians. I think they shodd each take
heed of that.
And remember, she’s the only one I
know of getting the word out to the
.mainstream crowd. P,e~,,ple like her so
much that they tend to. forget" (or tryto
...forget) that she’s Gay. She doesn’t let
them. ("Someone’s spitting blood/face
downinthe dirt/someone’ s thinking about
~ a gun/to try and stop the hurt/someone
drew conclusious/on the wail of destiny/
someone’s getting louder/and that
someone would be me.") That should be
importanttous ail."- Miss KarinGregory.
And I agree.
Janis Ianis performing Saturday March
4 in Dallas, TX at a club called Uncle
Caivin’s with Buddy Mondlock. And
ladies, as aiways, if you have something
to contribute or would like to see in this
column, please let me know care ofTFN,
or email me at tfnentritr@aol.com.
I wouldn’ twantto disappointthe diehard
readers of this column, so now it’s time
for... The Stevie Nicks mention. She has
a featured track on the new Sheryl Crow
and FriendsCDand video. The song is the
venerable Gold Dust Woman, and she’s
never sounded better! The CD’ s out now,
video to follow. Sarah. McLachlan,
Chrissie Hynde, the Dixie Chicks and
others aiso sing with Sheryl. And Stevie
still has a few shows left to do in Las
Vegas at the house of Blues this month.
Hernew album, first duein October oflast
year, now set for sometime this year,
maybe, is being produced by one of the
better known producers of hip hop and
rap. I’d mention the name, but I caff t
rememberit. Shery! Crow was producing,
which wouldhavemadefor an interesting
aibum - she did the excellent jobs of
producing the Stevie songs forthe Practical
Magic soundtrack. Stevie and rap... That
will be interesting as well, aithough I fear
for different ~easous. We shall see.., or
hear.
The ever handsome pianist Jim
Brickman performed at the PAC on
December 10, 1999, along with the very
talented John Trones and the beautiful
Anne Cochran. The show was lovely, an
eveningofromance and seasonal favorites,
and as Mr. Brickman described the
evening, much like a gathering of friends
round the piano. Okay, if the friends had
areally large living room, and reaily good
- moodlighting. Andamplifiers. Thegroup
.i did a swell job ofmaking a cavern into an
intimate cabaret. Mx. Brickman has a
charming sense ofhumor and intelligence
.to complementhis goodlooks. (Evenbetter
m person and up close. I love my job...)
He seemed very relaxed, and it was like
meeting an old friend for the first dine.
His playing can certainly set amood, from
exuberant to melancholy and romantic all
at the same time; and has a warmth to it
thatis reminiscentof spending the evening
with a loved one by a fire.
Or, if you’ re .single, as I am, curledup in
a comforter with a good book and cup, of
cocoa. Now that weknow how I spendmy
evenings... What? Have I said too much?
Mr. Brickman is a prolific songwriter as
well, setting words to music that is lovely
: to hear and unabashedly sentimental in
feeling.
: Anne Cochran, who met Mr. Brickman
¯ inhigh school, where they formed aband,
: has one of the most incredible voices I’ve
: heard. And her phrasing with a song is
: immaculate. Shecaptured thewarmthand
joy of the compositions she performed
withexpertease, andhas alovely, energetic
yet relaxed stage presence that also added
to the ambiance of the evening. She has a
new CD out called "Lucky Girl’_’, which I
would highly recommend for a gift based
on whatI heard that evening. Iwould have
one in my hot little hands right now had
they not been sold out. She isa name you
might be familiar with, she has had a top
¯ 5 hit with Jim Bfickman on the song
: -"After All These Years" which has been
: reed by skater Rosalyun:Summers, both
: live and recorded. It was also the song
¯ used on the final episode of "Home
: Improvement", andshe will be featured in
:- the Lifetime television speciai"A Golden
Moment". Definitely worth checking out.
You can order her CD at
www.AnneCochran.com.
John Trones (pronounced ~tro-ness’),
who is as nice and gorgeous as he is
.talented (what a voice! whata smile! what
a chest! what a pleasant man!), was a
delight to listen to as well.
With a million dollar smile that shines
like a searchlight, and a voice that has
incrediblerange and expressiOn,hejoined
Anne on several numbers and had some
lovely solos. His singing soared through
the Chapman theatre and could melt the
most hardened heart. He has an aibum of
standards and ballads out called
"Forward", which I was able to snag and
most definitely would make a great
Valentine’s girlie for the special man on
your list. He can melt the ice off the fiorth
Pole with that voice, and his phrasing and
reading of the standards is right on target.
A pity he’s in Minneapolis, I would love
to see more of him. He does Cabaret there
at Blanche’s, and has performed in a
number of Gay plays, listed on his web
site, www.JohnTrones.com, which is
worth a look. You can also order his CD
there.
After listening to several review CDs of
dubious quality sent to TFN, put out by
Gay artists of dubious talent, attempting
to sing standards and not succeeding very
well at anything other than murdering the
music, I am glad to say that his would be
the one I would, and did, purchase.
They were joined by Tracy Silverman
on electric violin, and he did quite an
interesting variationonthe Beade’ s"Here
Comes The Sun". His playing added an
interesting embellishment to Mr.
Brickman’s piano. I will say he had the
most lovely and LONG hair I’ ve seen on
aman in along time. He has an album out
on Windham Hill records. If you get the
chance to catch any or all of these artists
should they make a return appearance,
DO SO! You won’t regret it. Just make
sure you have a date, and one that won’t
stand you up.
I was looking forward to Peter Buffett’ s
"Spirit: A Journey in Dance, Drum, and
Song"aunique blend of Native American
and contemporary music, dance, and
storytelling, to have been held January 3
and 4th, 2000 at the Brady Theatre.
According to the latest info, ail spring
dates have been put onhold. According to
my sources, a late spring tour is in the
plans.
James Christjohn serves as TFN
Entertainment editor with emphasis on
the performing arts.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
periodical
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Title
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[2000] Tulsa Family News, January 2000; Volume 7, Issue 1
Subject
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Politics, education, and social conversation toward Tulsa’s Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual communities.
Description
An account of the resource
Tulsa Family News was a monthly newspaper; No. 1 issued December 1993-January 1994. The final issue available was published in September 0f 2001 (Volume 8, Issue 9).
The newspaper brings up important, evolving topics of marriage, Pride, TOHR, HIV/AIDs, events, advice, and politics all at the local and national level.
This document is available in searchable PDF attached. It is also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
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Tulsa Family News
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https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/24
Publisher
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Tom Neal
Date
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January 2000
Contributor
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James Christjohn
Barry Hensley
J.P. Legrandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
Bob Rounsavell
Esther Rothblum
Mary Schepers
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, December 1999; Volume 6, Issue 12
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English
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newspaper
periodical
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Tulsa(Oklahoma)---newspaper
Tulsa---Oklahoma
Oklahoma---Tulsa
United States Oklahoma Tulsa
United States of America (50 states)
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/items/show/596
2000
AIDS
AIDS drugs
AIDS research
aMUSEments
arts and entertainment
Bars
Blood Donation
bullying
businesses
children
churches
Department of Defense
Do-It-Yourself Dyke
Domestic Partner Benefits
Don't Ask Don't Tell
Dr. Jeffrey Beal
Evergreen Awards
Gay marriage
Gay Studies
HIV
homophobia
homphobia
It's Elementary
Jim Christjohn
John McCain
Karin Gregory
Lamont Lindstrom
Leather
marriage equality
Mary Schepers
mental disabilities
military
military inclusion
Mr. Sooner State Leather
NAMES Project
Nationwide Insurance
Oklahoma Mr. Leather
performing arts
Raging Lesbian
Read All About It
Red Cross
restaurants
Ric Poston
Rick Fortner
Rik Isensee
sexual assault
sodomy laws
Steve Forbes
Ted Campbell
That's A Family
Tom Neal
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Public Schools
Vemont
Vermont
visitation rights