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[Sub-Series] Newsletters & Publications > Tom Neal Newsletters > Tulsa Family News
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Quiet Life Despite Lawsuit
: Serving Bisexual + Transgendered Tulsans, Our Famllle~ + Friends
The National Conference ! Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
i DoesAntI-Blas Group Discriminate?
Unmarried OKCouples iAudra Sommers’ Food
May Lose Right to Adopt : Pantr~ Benefit Starts Early
OKLA~-IOMA CItY -- Unmm~ied couples would no : TULSA - Local Diva Audra Sommers is well Imown for
1o~.~have therlght to adopt .c~.d~anader Oklahoma : suc~essfal bealellt shows she organizes for area chmld~. Her
i Prime Timers’ Affair of the
: Heartto Benefit Pride Center
i Tulsa PFLAG to Host
i Regional Conference
i Doesn’t Seem to Work
HONOLULU (AP) - Thnothy McVeigh was back
at wodc at’tea" a federal judge ot’de~l the sailor
Sporkin nded from W,ash~t~,~oa~ .ti~.,t the Navy had
an upcoming Chfisa-~ party.
Oscar’s 70! Benefit for
Local AIDS Charities
TULSA - Follies R~va¢, Catholic Charities, aad
Tulsa Clubs & Restaurants
*Bamboo Lounge, 7204 E. Pine
*Boston Willy’ s Diner, 1742 S. BostOn
*Concessions, 3340 S. Peoria
*Full Moon Cafe, 1525 E. 15th
*Gold Coast Coffee House, 3509 S..Peoria
*Interurban Restaurant, 717 S. Houston
*Jason’ s Deft, 15th & Peoria
*Lola’s, 2630 E. 15th
*The Palate Cafe & Catering, 33240 E. 31st
*St. Michael’s Alley Restaurant, 3324-L E. 31st
*Samson & Delilah Restaurant, 10 E. Fifth
*Silver Star Saloon, 1565 Sheridan
*Renegades/Rainbow Room, 1649 S. Main
*TNT’s, 2114S. Memorial
*Tool Box, 1338 E. 3rd
*Umbertos Pizzeria, 21st west of Harvard
832-1269
592-2143
744-0896
583-6666
749-4511
585-313~
599-7777
749-1563
745-9899
745-9998
585,2221
834-4234
585-3405
660-0856
584-130[
599-9999
Tulsa Businesses, Services, & Professionals
Advanced Wireless & PCS, Digital Cellular 747-1508
*Affinity News, 8120 E. 21 610-8510
Dennis C. Arnold, Realtor 746-4620
*Assoc. in Med. & Mental Health, 2325 S. Harvard 743-1000
Kent Balch & Associates, Health & Life Insurance 747-9506
*Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8620 E. 71 250-503z
Body Piercing by Nicole, 2722 E. 15 .712-1122
*Borders Books & Music, 2740 E. 21 712-9955
Brookside Jewelry, 4649 S. Peoria 743-5272
*CD Warehouse, 3807c S. Peoria 746-0313
Don Carlton Honda, 4141 S. Memorial " 622-3636
Don Carton Mitsubishi, 46th & Memorial 665-6595
Cherry St. Psychotherapy, 1515 S. Lewis 581-0902,.743-4117
Commtmity Cleaning, Kerby Baker 622-0700
*Daisy Exchange, E. 15th 746-0440
Tim Daniel, Attorney 352-9504, 800-742-9468
*Deeo to Disco, 3212 E 15th "" 749-3620
*Devena’ s Gallery, 13 Brady .587-2611
Doghouse on Brookside, 3311 S. Peoria 744-5556
*Elite Books & Videos, 821 S. Sheridan 838-8503
*Ross Edward Salon, 2447 E. 15th 584-0337, 712-9379
*Floral Design Studio, 3404 S. Peoria 744-9595
*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
*Ken’s Flowers, 1635 E. 15. 59%8070
Kelly Kirby, CPA, PUB 14011, 74159 747-5466
Langley Agency & Salon, 1316 E. 36th P1. 749-5533
Laredo Crossing, 1519 E. 15th 585-1555
*Living ArtSpace, 19 E. Brady 585-1234
*Midtown Theater, 319 E. 3 - 584-3112
Mingo Valley Flowers, 9720cE. 31 ’- 663-5934
*Mohawk Music, 6157 E 51 Place 664-2951
*Novel Idea Bookstore, 51st & Harvard :: 747-6711
David A. Paddock, CPA, 4308 S. Peoria, Ste..633 747-7672
*Peace of Mind Bookstore, 1401 ~ 15 583-1090.
The Pride Store, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor : 743-4297
Puppy Pause II, llth & MAngo 838-7626
Rainbowzon the RiverB+B,POB 696, 74101 747-5932
Richard’s Carpet Cleaning 834-0617
Scott Robison’s Prescriptions, see ad for 3.:locations, 743-2351
Teri Schutt, Rex Realtors 834-7921,747-4746
Christopher Spradling, attorney, 616 S. Main, #308 582-7748
*Scribner’s Bookstore, 1942 Utica Square 749-6301
~Sedona Health.Foods,8220 S. Haryard ....... 481-0201
*Sophronia’s Antiques, 1515 E. 15 592-2887
*Tickled Pink, 3340 S. Peoria 697-0017.
*Triz~a’s Pots, 1448 S. Delaware 743-7687
*Tulsa Book Exchange; 3749 S.-Peoria .....742-2007
*Tulsa Comedy Club, 6906 S. Lewis 481-0558
Fred Welch, LCSW, Counseling 743-1733
*Whittier News Stand, 1 N. Lewis 592-0767
Tulsa Organizations, Churches, & Universities
AIDS WalkTulsa, PUB 1071, 74101-1071 579~9593 ."
*All SOulS Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria 743-2363 ."
Black&White, Inc. PUB 14001,Tulsa74159 587-7314 ."
Bless The Lord atAIl Times’Christian Center, 2207 E. 6 583-7815 ¯
*B/L/GFF Alfta~ee, Univ. of Tulsa Canterbury Cir. 583-9780 ."
*Chamber of Commerce Bldg., 616 S.Boston 585=1201 ."
*Chapman Student Ctr., University of Tulsa, 5th Pl. & Florence ."
*CommunityofHopeUnitedMethodist, 1703 E.2nd 585-1800 ¯
*Community Unitarian-Universalist Congregation 749-0595 ."
*Church.oftheRestomtionUU,1314N.Greenwood 587-1314 "
918.231.7372, fax: 583.4615, POB 4140~ Tulsa, OK 74159
e-maih TulsaNews@ earthlink.net
wobsite: http:/lusers.aol.com/TulsaNewsl
Publisher + Editor: Tom Neal
Entertainment Diva + Mac Guru: James Christjohn
Writers + contributors: Leanne Gross, Barry Hensley, Jean-Pierre
Legrandbouehe. Lamont Linstrom. Kerry Lobel, Judy
McCormick, Josh Whetseli, Member o! The Associated Press
Issued on or before the 1 st of each month, the entire contents of this
]~blieation are protected by US copyright 1997 by Ttdn,t ~:...~.
N,w~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 assumed to be for publication unless_otherwise noted, must
be signed & becomes the sole property of TtJ~ut ~~ta~9."" Nva,:.
Each reader is entitled to 4 eopies of each edition at dishibution
points. Additional copies are available by calling 231-7372. .
*Delaware Playhouse, 1511 S. Delaware 712-193~
*Democratic Headquarters, 3930 E. 31 742-2457
Dignity/integrity-Lesbian/Gay Catholics/Episeopal. 298-4648
*Family of Faith MCC, 5451-E So. Mingo 622-1441
*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
Friends in Unity Social Org., POB 8542, 74101 582-0438
*HIT ER Center, 4138 Chas. Page Blvd. 583-6611
*HIT Resource Consortium, 3507 E. Admiral 834 4194
HOPE (TOHR), H_IV Outreach, Prevention, Education
1307 E. 38, 2rid ft. 712-1600, HOPE/TOHR Anonymous
HIT Testing Site, Mon/Thurs. eve. 7-9pro, call 834-8378
*House of the Holy Spirit Minslaies, 3210e So. Nonvood
Interfaith AIDS Ministries 438-2437, 800-284-2437
*MCC.of Greater Tulsa, 1623 N. Maplewood 838-1715
NAMES PROJECT, 4154 S. Harvard, Ste. H-1 748-3111
NOW, Nat’ 10rg. for Women, POB 14068,74159 365-5658
OK Spokes Club (bieyding), POB 9165, 74157
*Our House, 1114 S. Quaker 584-7960
PFLAG, POB 5.2800, 74152 749-4901
*Planned Parenthood, 1007 S. Peoria 587-7674
*The Pride Center, 1307 E. 38, 2nd floor, 74105 743-4297
Pdme~Timers, P.O. Box 52118, 74152 ,..
*R.A.I.N., Regional AIDS Interfaith Network 749-4195
Rainbow Business Guild, POB 4106, 74159 665-5174
*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
t. Aidan s Episcopal Church, 4045 N. Cincinnati 425-7882
St. Jerome’s Parish Church, 205 W. King 582-3088
*Shanti Hotline & HIV/AIDS Services 749-7898
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. for Human Rights, c/o The PddeCenter 743-4297
T.U.L.S.A. Tulsa Uniform/Leather Seekers Assoc. 838-1222
*Tulsa City Hall, Ground Floor Vestibule
*Tulsa Commlmity College Campuses
*Rogers University (formerly UCT)
BARTLESVILLE
*BartlesvillePublic Library, 600 S: Johnstone 918-337-5353
NORMAN
*Borders Books & Music, 300 Norman Center 405-573-4907
OKLAHOMA CITY
*Borders Books &Music, 3209NWExpressway 405-848-2667
501-253-7734
.501-253-7457
501-253-6807
o501-253-5445
501-253~9337 ~
" 501-253-2776
501-253-5332
501-624-6646
501-253-6001
Call for Caymans Boycott
Out & About, the Gay travd newsletter,
has called .for a boycott of the Grand
Cayman Islands following their governments,
decision to ban Gay Lesbian tourists.
Please call the Grand Cayman Islands
Tourism Office (on their dime) at
800-346-3313 and tell them what you
thinkabouttheirgovernmentturningaway
Gay tourists. Even if you weren’t planrang
on a Caribbean vacation, every call
to the Grand Cayman’s tourism board
cost themmoney, 500 calls would effectively
erasew_h,a,_,t an average couplemight
spend in a week s vacation! Explain why
you are calling andbe polite- 800 numbers
sometimes get your home address
and phone number!
Remember that a boycott is not an angry
or vengeful act, but a tool At the other
end of the telephone will be employees
and residents of the Grand Cayman Islands,
but not the person(s) directly responsible
for the ban on Gay tourism.
- Mark Haile, Los Angeles
Editor’s note: for more information on
this issue, see the News stories onpage 4.
A fifth-grader writes:
I am a fifth grade student in California. I
amdoing areportonOklahomaand would
like to ask your readers if they would be
kind enough to help me. I would like to
receive apost card withafact about Oklahomaand/
orathoughtaboutwhatit is like
to live there. I think that it will be important
in my report to hear the thoughts of
people that live in Oklahoma. The responses
will begreatly appreciated. Thank
you for your time and effort.
....Maya Cohn-Stone
¯" TAHLEQUAH ."
: *Stonewall League, call for information: 918-456-7900 :
: *TahlequahUnitarian-UnivetsalistChurch 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 date ¯
: EUREKA SPRINGS, 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 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
,.
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS ¯
¯Edna’s, 9 S. School Ave. 501-442-2845
¯ indicates a distribution point. Listed businesses are not all Gay-owned ¯
but wekome Lesbian/Gay/Bt& Traus communities. ¯
Editor’s note: any reader who wouM like
to send Maya a postcard may send it to
Maya Cohn-Stone, c/o TFN, POB 4140,
Tulsa 74159.
GLAAI~~ (~alls for Action on Ellen
ABC needs to know how much the
impact of this show has had on ~e Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transgender eommtmityandourfamilies
and friends. Don’t
let the voice of a radical fundamentalist
minority be the only one that ABC hears.
Let the network know how having apositive
portrayal of a Lesbian lead character
onprimetime television has affected your
life and the lives of those dose to you.
GLAAD has learned that the decision
from ABC on whether or not to renew
Ellen for another season may happen as
early as.next week. Ellen has broken precedent
after precedent by bringing
America a honest, funny and poignant
look at Ellen Morgan and in doing so, at
Lesbians and Gay men everywhere.
~ tt is essential,that the. community and
our friends rally around the television
every Wednesday and support the show.
Since she and her character emergedfrom
the closet, Ellen DeGeneres has become
an unstoppable force in figh.ling for equal
rights. Ellen has brought the real experience
of the Lesbian and Gay community
to milftons of viewers seeGLAAD,p.13
Letters Policy
Tulsa Family News wdeomes letters on
issues whichwe’ve covered or on issues
you think’fi~l to be considered. Youmay
request that your name be withheld but
letters mustbe signed&have phonenumbers,
or be hand delivered. 200 word letters
are preferred. Letters to other publications
will be printed as is appropriate.
The "Saint" + Her Sidekick
Get Their Revenge :
by Tom Neal, editor and Democrat Candidate
~for Tulsa City Council District Four "
If you all haven’t figured it out yet, one of the values ¯
whichguides this newspaper isahigh regard for the truth. "
We don’t claim that we always get it fight, but it is our ¯
goal. Unlike some in our community, we fLrmly believe ¯
that the benefits ofopendialogue and debatefar outweigh "
the friction that comes from the process. :
And toward that goal, we have, at one time or another, ¯
enraged some members of this community. We believe -"
they are mostly few in number but they are some ofour "
more ~wealthy, self-impct.rtant, and, in. a0few cases, profoundly
unethical -if not dishonest - members. These ¯
latter are the types who Seem.to believe that because of
their wealth or influence that the rest of us shouldjust go "
along with whatever they think is best. Indeed. ¯
It’s likely that this editorial will anger these folks again. ¯
Pity. Sometimes we act much like.the folks in the tale of
the emperor’s new clothes,we all know better, butwejust
pretend things are not what they are because we don’t
want to anger someone or because weavoid.conflict, etc.
All this is preamble to the question of why a Lesbian
and Gay political action committee, Cimarron Alliance
Group has refused even token support to an openly Gay.
Tulsa’city council candidate (this walter).
You just have to wonder what they were thinking?
Y.ou’d think that an organization dedicated to improving
the political conditions for Oklahoma’s Lesbian and Gay
.communities would, jump at the-chance to support a
candidatewhowash tjustafriendto our communities but
actually was one of us. A candidate whose record of
working for.fairness and equality for our communities
can rival most others in this city. Especiall,_y.why would
they hold back, when at this very_time, they ve commited
to expand into Tulsa? ~,:~
The answer lies in a few. Tulsaus who would put
persoaality over principle. Cimarron is an Oklahoma
City organization whose leadership admit that they know
littleabout Tulsa~ Theyhave dependedontheirhandful of
Tulsa members toinformthem,aboutour.city. Several of
these may be counted as our mos~ dedicated, ethical and
devoted community leaders. Unfortunately, afew are are .
equally dedicated but doenmentably unprincipled. And ¯
these latter have pursued their personal vendettas. :
But despite the pettiness of these two, the failure is on .
Cimarron’s part. The organization.behaved mostly in an ¯
unprofessional manner. It’s g~fi~ly been considered "
goodform to allow one who’s b~Seh~ hccused to respond to .
charges, if not actually to confront his/her accusers. _"
(Certainly this is acourtesy we’ve extendedin print to the :
critics of this newspaper, idcluding to the individuals to ¯
whom we refer.) Yet, Cimarron took the word of these "
people without providing an opportunity for response, :
and I suspect, without questioning the individuals as to :
any bias on their parts. .
Furthermore, repeated inquiries made to several indi- "
viduals in the organization about getting support were .
simply left unanswered for two months. Only after sev- ¯
eral calls.to officers about this lack ofresponsiveness, did "
the organization change its .behavior.
In all political races, there are questions of "viability",
that is, is this a candidate who really has a chance of
getting elected. And one of the key issues of viability is
getting funding. This is a challenge for all candidates but
especially for minority and non-establishment ones.
Indeed Cimarron officers say they have an obligation
to be thefirst to support-their own if only because no one -
else may at first. They cite their support for a Lesbian in
an Oklahoma City area race who was not deemed to have
a chance but whom they supported because they felt the
obligation to help their own.
But inTulsa;it seems therules are different. Andagain,
apparently, ordinary manners are lacking. After making
a trip to OKC to discuss the campaign with Cimarron’s
"pick" committee, you’d think at least the courtesy of a
phonecall toinformacandidateoftheirdecision, whether
in favoror opposed, wouldhayebeen in order. We’re still
wailing.
Cimarron will notbecome a credible organizationuntil
it puts principles before personalities and until operal~s
professionally. And as for the "saint" and her sidekick,
many in Tulsa appreciate the good you have done but are
on to your shenanigans. We don’t like how you operate.
For us, the end does not ultimately justify the means.
Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights board members
and staffheld a goal-setting andplanning retreat at the
Episcopal Conference Grounds near Lake Fort Gibson.
¯ by Kerry Lobel, executive director ¯
¯. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force ¯
¯ Right now I’m really missing noted futurist Jeanne
-" Dixon. Jeanne, now deceased, used to make sweeping ¯
: predictions about the intimate lives of celebrities as well ¯
¯ as events that would shape the year to come. While I’ll
miss her predictions, we don’t have to predict the future
: to shape it. Weneed only to look to some ofthe events that ¯
ended 1997 for proof.
¯¯ In November, President Clinton’s Hate Crimes Sum- "
mit brought together 200 leaders from around the country ¯
¯ In.an effort to wage acampaign against bias violence. The "
¯ summit ended nearly a ten year effort by groups like the "
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the Anti- :
-" Defamation League to bring hate crimes to national ."
." recognition. This historic moment was rooted in longterm
work and commitment. ¯
¯ In December, a judge ruled that two gay men may
i jointly adopt a child in-their care. The judge recoguize~i ."
¯ their commitment to their relationship and to th~ child.
¯ We need only to look to the hundreds of thousands of ¯
Gay, Les~an, Bisexual and Transgendered couples and,
single l~tr~nts ~t have raised"childrefioveith~ last 40 .
i years. Politicallyandculturallytheseparentshavemoved,
our society forward, resulting in this moment. ¯
When a Hawaii Court rules on same-gender marriage "
sore.eti,me early this year, it will very possibly change our.:
"society s view of same=gender marriage forever. The
courage of.the Hawaii marriage plaintiffs, the hard work ¯
of Hawaii organizers hround sovereignty and Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgendered issues, the dedication ."
ofthe legal staff at Lambda Legal Defeuse and Education :
Fund, and efforts by hundreds oflocal, state and national ¯
organizations lay the foundation for the ruling. :
When Maine voters go to the polls in February, it will :
be to hold onto their civil rights bill. Maine activists have ¯
already beat back a discriminatory ballot measure. That :
winning-coalition resulted in a bill passed by the state "
legislature in 1997 that banned discrimination based on "_
sexual orientation. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans- ¯
gendered activists and their allies have steadily trans- "
Friday, Febmaly 6,1998
7:00p.m- 9:00p.m.
Please join us for lhis very special evening to discuss the upcoming Tulsa
Cily Council elections and to learn more about lhe Cimarron Alliance Group.
For More Informalion 10 R.S.V.P Please Call (918) 743-4354.
Some Rainbow Business Guild members gather atone o
heorgantzat~on s lastevents. Co-prestdentDenntsArnoh
says the group’s ne~t’meeting will be in Mitrcli.
formed the Maine landscape but the Right-wing conservatives
wofi’t give up. Neither will the Mainers.
In every city and in every town, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
.and Trausgendered people are creating change and shaping
Our history. Most of them do not think of themselves
as more remarkable or more talented than their friends or
neighbors. And in truth, they’re not.
But they do feel called - called on to right a wrong, to
tell a truth instead of an omission or lie, and to act instead
of stand by. For some it is to come to visibility to friends,
family or colleagues. To others it is to interrupt a
homophobi.cjoke or comment or to advocate for changes
in their companies policies or practices. And for still
others, it is to pass anti-discrimination laws in their town
or state. These combined efforts have fundamentally
changed society as we know it.
Most every American feels like they know a Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgendered person. Face it,
Ellen and the over 20 gay characters .on television and
several film characters have helpedwith this effort.
Politicians courttheGLBT voters. AS the Victory Fund
will attest, tee?reincreasingly becoming electedof~cials..
We need only look to the Congressional campaigns of
Christine Kehoe, Tammy Baldwin and Margarethe
Cammermeyer to realize that we have the capacity to
make public policy in entirely new forums.
’More and more laws benefiting the Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgenderedcommunity are being introduced
in state legislatures. The Federation of Statewide
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trausgendered Political Organizations,
coordinated by the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force, is an unprecedented gathering of statewide
groups led by a dynamic executivecommittee.
An energized and mobilized Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
and Transgendered community that works to build coalitions
with other communities is an unstoppable force for
change. We don’t need Jeanne Dixon or the futurists, to
predict our future.
With each of our actions now, we write the list of
accomplishments for our movement in 1998, 1999 and
the next decade.
no hope and no sense of family for any child, especially
one who desperately needs it. "And while there are many
fine single parents out there, the best situation for: any
child- especially an adopted.one- is a two-parent, stable
and loving home."
Rep. Pope told Tulsa Family News that despite "the
aberrant and deviantlifestyles ofhomosexuals" the target
of the bill was not adoption by Gay couples. When
questioned about whether high rate of divorce might
indicate that marriage was no guarantee of "stability,"
Pope agreed but suggested that statistically married
couples were still more "stable." Pope also stated that the
idea for this .bill came from Gov. Keating’s staff at a
recent leadership conference.
Pope suggested single-parent families are ill-equipped
to cope with myriad social and emotional problems such
as poverty,juvenile crime, teen-age suicide, alcoholism,
drug abuse, etc."We need to guarantee more for adopted
children," he asserted. Lawmakers will begin considering
Pope’s legislation when the 1998 session begins
Monday, Feb. 2.
Mixed Reception for
Lesbian & Gay Travelers
(AP) - American Airlines has five sales representafives
specifically marketing to Gay travelers, but the
carrier won’ t extend health benefits to Gay employees’
domestic partners.
St. Maarten is trying to attract Gay visitors to its
sandy beaches, while its Caribbean neighbor, Grand
Cayman, refused to allow a cruise ship carrying Gay
passengers to dock for the day.
Sought after for their tourist dollars, Gay and
Lesbian travelers find that in some circles they are
still shunned. For.instance, Sandals, which runs.lO
couples-0nly resorts in Jamaica and other Caribbean
islands, only allows heterosexual couples as a matter
of policy.
"I constantly remind myself where we’ ve come
andhow fast we’ ve come as a community," said John
d’ Alessandro, president of the International Gay and
Lesbian Travel Association. "We are no longer illegal.
The question of Us being’ sick’ has gone away
completely. But the fact is people grew up in an
environment where we’ re not an accepted crowd.
Today we are, but it’ s going to take people some
time."
The Cayman Islands this month refused to allow a
cruise ship chartered for about 850 Gay men to make
’a one-day stop in port, saying "careful research and
priorexperience has led us to conclude that we cannot
count on the group to uphold the standards of appropriate
behavior."
In contrast, the island of St. Maarten in the Netherlands
Antilles welcomes Gay travelers and will be
advertising, this year in Out magazine. "We’re lookingat
various niche markets and one of those niche
markets would be the homosexual market," said
ReginaLaBega, director ofmarketing for St. Maarten.
"They do have the discretionary income, and they
spend, and we haven’ t had any problems with homosexuals
- or any other group - coming to theisland."
The IGLTA estimates that Gay and Lesbians account
for nearly 10 percent of the $200 billion that
Americans Spend annually on business and leisure
travel. With that sort of spending power, the travel
industry has increasingly put out the welcome matfor
homosexual travelers.One result is that the IGLTA,
founded in 1983 with 25 tour operators and travel
agentmembers, reached about 600 members by 1992
and today boasts nearly 1,400 members, including
the Avis and National car rental chains, the philadelphiaConvention
and Visitor’s Bureau, the Australia
tourism council, and most of the major U.S. airlines,
with the exception of Delta.and TWA.
"In the last five years, major tourism organizations
and countries have come to realize the dollar value Of
the Gay market," said David Alport, publisher of the
Gay travd newsletter OUt & About. ’¢rhere’s no
question that tourism is an economically driven segment
of the business-world."
But even while courting the niche market, some
companies still wrestle with their own issues involving
Gay employees. American Airlines added five
employees to its 100-person marketing department to
focus soldy on the Gay community. The airline is an
active member of the IGLTA, has added sexual
orientation to its nondiscrimination policy, allows
group discounts for people traveling to Gay and
Lesbian conventions and donates money to orgamzations
important in the Gay community.
Despite the marketing effort that brings in about
$150 millioninnew revenue annually, the airline still
doesn’t extend spousal travel privileges and pension
programs to partners of Gay employees. In fact, no
U.S.-based airline does.
’q~here’ s some measure ofhypocrisy, butin r,e~lity,
all progress is made one step at a time," Alport said.
Five years ago, none of the airlines allowed a Gay
person to sign up their partner for a lounge dub
program or transfer a frequent flier award to a significant
other. Many of the airlines have since changed
those policies. "American may not offer every sort of
benefit for its Gay employees, but they are doing so
much more than the vast majority of compames out
there," Alport said. "Sometimes, recognizing the
value of your employees is the last step a company
will take."
Out & About, which has 10,000 subscribers, recently
rated several airlines on their Gay-friendliness.
Only the foreign-based British _Airways and
Virgin Atlantic scored an ’A,’ and even they don’t
offerhealth and insurance benefits to Gay employees.
Indeed, American and United Airlines - the only U.S.
airline to advertise in a national Gay magazine with
its "United with pride" ads -joined a lawsuit filed on
behalf of 25 airlines last year that sought to block a
San Francisco law that would force airlines that fly
into the city into adopting domestic partner.plans.
American spokeswomanAndreaRadar doesn’ t see
that as a dichotomy. The Gay-friendly marketing
campaign and the lack ofdomestic benefits are "two
entirely different issues," she said.
The lawsuit is "a broader issue of what a city can tell
an airline to do in terms of how it operates," Redar
said.
As for why American - and the other U.S. carriers
- don’ t follow some major companies like American
Express Co. and the Walt Disney Co. in offering
domestic partner benefits, Radar said it has been
proposedby the airlines Gay and Lesbian employees’
group and was "being studied."
There is no doubt that companies that appear Gayfriendly
set themselves up for criticism by conservafives.
SouthernBaptistleaders have asked thechurch’ s
15 million members to boycott Disney, in part because
of the domesticbenefits and other Gay-friendly
policies.
American gets it from both sides. "We have been
criticized by some family organizations for marketing
to Gay and Lesbian groups and by Gay and
Lesbian employees who would clearly like this matter
to move more quickly," Radar said. "If both Sides
are complaining.., you’ ve probably got it right," she
added.
And certainly, with some doors still closed, Gay
travelers are grateful for the recognition they have
been getting from the travel industry. "Every consumer
is viewed by people selling to it as just that, a
consumer. If someone recognizes my value as a
consumer and that’s the first step to recognizing my
value as a person, then I’ll accept that," Alport said.
"Often the dollar is the way that people are heard."
Gay Kids at CA Capitol
SACRAMENTO (AP) - About 200 Gay youths ralliedWednesday
at the state Capitol to demandproteetions
against harassment of homosexual or bisexual
students at school.
’q’here are no state policies that make our schools
accountable to the needs of Lesbian, Gay, bisexual,
and trans-gendered youth. We demand that the state
Legislature work to stop the violence and harassment
that queer youth face," said Ellen McCormick of
LIFE Lobby, which sponsored-the event.
The youths participated in a noon rally and other
events that were part of the group’s third annual
YouthLobby Day. Organizers said this year’s agenda
was shaped by students’ stories of harassment and by
defeat last year of a bill aimed at protecting students
against discrimination in public schools on the basis
of their sexual orientation.
Themeasure was authored by Assemblywoman
Sheila Kuehl, a Santa Monica Democrat who was the
state’s first openly Gay legislator. Kuehl said that if
lawmakers truly listened to students’ stories, they
would "not in good conscience be able to deny them
equal protection." Assemblywoman Carole Migden,
a SanFrancisco Democrat who is another openly Gay
legislator, addressed the rally, telling youths she is
supportive of their cause.
Activists also said they were seeking allocation of
state funds for training teachers, counselors and other
school staff about harassment and violence prevention,
crisis intervention, conflict resolution, and Gay
issues. In addition, the group requested allocation of
money for research on violence and harassment in
California’s schools and the needs of Gay youth.
Activists claimed Gay youths are almost two times
more likely than their peers to have been in a fight,
more than four limes more likely to have skipped
school because of feeling unsafe, more than twice as
likely to have been threatened or injured with a
weaponat school andnearly four times morelikely to
have attempted suicide.
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Gays at TX Prom OK
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Same-sex couples who
were forbidden from attending a high school prom
will be allowed to go following a challenge by two
female homosexual students. The two students at
Marshall HighSchool askedprincipal JohnBordano
last week if same-sex parmers could attend the
senior prom together. They were told only opposite-
sex partners were allowed to attend.
"Thereis alargeGay communityat Marshall and
it really hurt me," Katherine Stanfield, 17, one of
the students who challenged the rule, was quoted
as saying in Wednesday’s San Antonio Express-
News. "Wehave rightsjustlike everyone else," she
said. "Gays and Lesbians aren’t heterosexuals, but
they should have rights, too."
The policy of selling couple tickets for dates of
the opposite sex came about after the school had a
problem with groups of boys going to the prom and
flirting with thefemale dates ofotherboys, Bordano
said. School officials also worried about gang
activity if large groups attended the function together.
Inresponse to the girls’ complaints,Bordanomet
Tuesday with the student leaders - the presidents of
the senior and junior classes, the student council
president and editors of the school newspaper - to
get their input.
-They agreed each senior should be allowed to
. buy two tickets and take whomever they choose to
the dance. "We never had an intention to discriminate
against anybody," Bordano said. "We talked
about it and we’re going to do something about it
now." Chris Duke, editor-in-chief of the student
newspaper the Rampage, said the new policy also
is good for students who don’t have prom dates.
"People who wouldn’t normally go because they
didn’t have dates could go," Duke said. "Every
senior who wants to go can buy two tickets."
Bordano said if he receives complaints from
parents about same-sex couples attending, he can’t
help it. ’q’hat’s society as it is," the principal said.
’q2mse kids don’t feel uncomfortable with it and
they’re the leaders of our campus."
Ellen’s Mom on TV:
Support Your Kids!
WASHINGTON(AP) -Every motherlikes to brag
about her children. Ellen DeGeneres’ mother is
getting to do it on national television. Betty
DeGeneres stars in a 30-second television adurging
parents to offer loving support to their Gay
children.
"Hello; myname is Betty DeGeneres andmy kid
is the greatest. You know her. She’s Ellen - and
she’s Gay," Mrs. DeGeneres says in the public
service announcement as she and a group of children
build a huge American flag out of red, white
andblueboxes. "For too long, GayAmericans have
suffered discrimination," she says. "As long as our
sons and daughters are excluded from the basic
protection of law, we must share that burden- as a
family."
Ellen DeGeneres made a splash onher television
Show, "Ellen," in an episode in which her character
declared she was Gay. Mrs. DeGeneres, 67, made
the commercial as part of her duties as a spokeswomanfor
theHumanRights Campaign,oneof the
nation’s largest Gay political groups.
Mrs. DeGeneres will be in Portland, Maine,
Saturday to support Gay rights in advance of the
Feb. 10 referendum trying to block the state’s antidiscrimination
law. She said she is enjoying the
job, and believes her appearances and the "Ellen"
episode have helped parents accept their Gay childrenmorewholeheartedly.
’Tmhearingfrom young
people - especially since Ellen’s coming out episode-
that their parents are more accepting," Mrs.
DeGeneres said. ’q~hey’re seeing a positive image.
for the first time instead of all this negativity," she
said.
Elizabeth Birch, the group’s executive director,
said, "Gay people report that one of the most
wrenching things in their lives, among all the things
they have to confront, is being honest and open
¯ with their own family members... So, what Betty
¯
brings to this is this compassionate voice coupled
: withcommon seuse why everyone should embrace
¯ thorGayandLesbian children," BirchsaidWednes-
: day.
: The 30-second spot will be distributed to televi-
¯¯ sion stations nationwide, HRC spokesman David
Smith said. It will include special coding that will
: allow the group to track where and how often it is
¯ aired.
:i
DAto Fight Hate Crimes
¯ NEWORT.F.ANS (AP)- Louisiana’s Gay commu-
: nity has found a powerful ally to lobby the state’s
," district attorneys and push proposed legislation.
: Orleans Parish District Attorney Harry Connick
¯ saidTuesday he will convene a task force ofleaders
: from the New Orleans Gay and Lesbian commu-
: nity and top city officials.
: In a press release, Conuick also committed to
¯ hdp.ing Gay groups lobby the Louisiana District
¯ Attorneys Association and help find sponsors for
: proposed legislation arising from the task force
¯ meetings. "My office stands for the fair and equal
¯ treatment of all our citizens, regardless of their
: race, age, sex, sexual orientation, religion or ha-
¯ tional origin," Connick saidin therelease. Connick
¯ also pledged to continue sensitivity training for his
: staffers.
¯ The task force- including Police Superintendent
: Richard Pennington, the mayor’s office and other
¯ officials of the justice system - will meet Feb. 12.
: That meeting will discuss the constitutionality of
¯ the crime against nature state law. Homosexual
¯ groups contend the law has been used by some law
¯ enforcement ageneies to discriminate againstGays ¯
and Lesbians. Connick saidrecentpassage ofanew
¯ state law calling for stiffer penalties for crimes
¯ motivated by a victim’s race or sexual preference, ¯
knownas hate crimes, indicate statewideinterestin
: the issue.
Lesbian Moms Fight
Each Other for Daughter
¯ DENTON, Texas (AP) - A jury will decide next
¯ week on a custody battle between two womenover
", a 5-year-old girl, and its verdict could set a Texas
: precedent. Sharon Banghman, 38, became preg-
: nant with the child by artificial insemination. Her
¯ former lover, 37-year-old Sylvia Benavides, 37,
: took part in the conception. The couple raised the
¯ girl for four years before separating in November
: 1996. Now, each woman claims rights to the girl.
¯ Ms. Baughman is asking.Judge Phillip Vick to
: take visitationrights from Ms. Benavides. Ms.
: Benavides, in ram, is asking for full custody of the
¯ child. If the woman who loses the case appeals to a ¯
¯ higher court - which is likely - the appellate decision will make Texas case law. It would be the
~ only case law in any state that addresses the issues
¯ of the lawsuit.
: Appellate bourts in two other states have sent
: similar cases back to state judges who denied
~ standing to bring a custody suit to the female
: partner of the birth mother.
¯ Attorneys brought several witnesses who de-
: scribed the women’s lifestyles, friends and the kind
: of care each gave the child. Friends testified that
¯ Ms. Benavides was a good parent and the child
: called her "Morn." Ellen Pesserillo, Ms.
: Banghman’s attorney, brought wituesses who told
: of Ms. Benavides’ hostility to outsiders, her vio-
¯ lence and their fears that she would run away with
: the little girl.
:i
Pastor Fights for Gays
." LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The suspended pastor at
¯ First United Methodist Church in Omaha said he
¯ wants to get back in the pulpit, but he will continue
: fighting for the right to perform marriage-like
¯ ceremonies for homosexuals. "It’s not possible for
; me to work on reconciliation (with members of the
¯ church) while I’m not connected with the congre-
¯ gation," see News, page 15
Monkey Study
Shows Promise
NEWYORK(AP) - Monkeys got unusually
mild infections from a cousin of the
AIDS virus after scientists gave some of
their blood cells a geue ,to interfere with
the virus’ reproduction. Thefindings lend
support to the idea of treating HIV-infected
peoplewith such gene therapy. The
monkeys studied were infected with the
simian immunodeficiency virus, or SIV.
Those treated with the gene therapy
showed much less virus in their bodies
and f~r less damage to their lymph nodes.
¯ They also showed no drop in their blood
counts ofdiseasc-fightingCD4cells, while
untreated ~nimals showed a steep decline.
The inserted gene bloeked chemical
"orders" issued by two SIV. genes to infected
cells. With those orders stymied,
the virus couldn’treproduce. So the treated
cells became "a dead end for that virus,"
said Richard Morgan, an author of the
study inthe February issue of thejournal
Nature Medicine. He is aresearcher at the
National HumanGenome Research Institute,
part of the National Institutes of
Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
Researchers treated three rhesus
macaques. They drew blood from the animals,
inserted the gene into CD4 cells,
and returned them. A week later, the
animals were deliberately infected with
SIV. At that time, only about 2 percent to
10 percent of CD4 cells in the treated
animals’ blood carried the therapeutic
gene. But that was enough to dampen the
infection.
Morgan speculated that those relativdy
few cells may have proved especially
attractive to SIV because they had been
"activated:’ or turned on to fight germs,
during the treatment. SIVprefers to infect
activated ceils. The treated ceilsmayhave
acted like sponges, taking in virus but not
alloWing it to make any progeny to get
back out again, Morgan suggested.
Dr. Gary Nabel of the University of
Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor,
Michigan, who is also studying gene
therapyforHIV infection, calledthemonkey
work encouraging. But he cautioned
that the implication for human therapy
isn’t clear.
Anti-AIDS Gene
May Help Infants
CHICAGO (AP) - A gene mutation that
slows the progression of AIDS in adults
also helps newborns fend off AIDS-related
illnesses if they hav_e caught HIV
from their mothers before or during birth,
a new study found.
"It doesn’t mean that they will not be
infected, but there is a significant delay in
the appearance of clinicaland biological
symptoms," said Dr. Michdi-e Misrahi
in a telephone interview Monday from
Paris, where she is a professor of biochemistry
and molecular biology at the
Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche
Medicale. The mutation, which
occurs on a gene called CCRS, is believed
to be absent in blacks and Asians but
present in 10 percent to 15 percent of
Caucasians, Misrahi said.
In the study, HIV-infected newborns
with themutation stayedillness-freemuch
longer than infants who lacked the mutation,
the researchers reported in today’s
issue of The Journal of the American
Medical Association~ By age 8; only 11%
of HIV-infected babies with the mutation
had suffered serious AIDS-related mala-
¯ dies, such as severe bacterial illnesses,
¯ compared with49% ofbabies who lacked
: the mutation, the researchers said.
¯ The finding will have no immediate
: impact on preventing or treating AIDS,
: but it co.uld help scientists develop new
¯ ".d~ugs to combine with antiviral medi-
¯ ctnes in an effort to prevent or kill HIV
-" infectioninnewborns, theresearchers said.
¯ Such a treatment would help all races
: because it would give them the biological
¯ advantage now afforded only by the gene
¯ mutation, a U.S. researcher said.
: In the United States, about 500 babies
: ofHIV-infectedmother~ hrcborn with the
: virus each year. In developing ~,ountries
¯ the rateis more than 300,000 a year and is
: still increasing. Without treatment, more
: than 25 percent of HIV-positive mothers
: will pass the disease to their ncwborus.
¯ With current-anti-viral drugs, the rate is
: about 8 percent.
: An expert with the National Cancer
¯ Institute said the French study is the first
¯ to show that a geue mutation can slow
: HIV-disease progression in newborns as
: well as in adults. "It looks like the effect
: could actually be a little stronger in these
¯ children," said Dr. Thomas R. O’Brien, a
." senior researcher and viral epidemiolo-
¯ gist who was not involved in the work.
¯¯ "But it’s only a single study, so it’s hard to
know whether that will prove to be the
¯ case," he added in a telephone interview
: Monday.
¯ Two otheT types ofgenemutations have ¯
been shown to be protective in varying
¯ degrees in adults, and more may exist, he
¯ said. The study included data from 52
¯ French medical centers on 512 newborns ¯
born to HIV-infected mothers between
¯ 1983 and 1996. Some 276 of the new-
; barns were infected, researchers said.
Insurer Accused of
HIV Discrimination
¯ CHICAGO (AP) - Mutual of Omaha In-
¯ surance Co. was sued Wedesday for al-
: legedly placing illegal limits on HIV-
: related health-eare coverage. The lawsuit
¯ contends such caps violate the Americans
-" with Disabilities Act and the Illinois Insurance
Code.
¯ Lambda Legal Defense and Education
: Fund and the AIDS Legal Council of
: Chicago filed their suit in U.S. District
¯. Court on behalf of two HIV-positive Chi-
¯ cago-area men, whosenames were kept ¯
secret. "Mutual of Omaha caps HIV-re-
: lated care at a fraction of the amount
¯ allowed for other illnesses or conditions.
¯ This discrimination severely limits ac- ¯
cess to standard, lifesaving therapies and
¯. is illegal," said Heather C. Sawyer, an
¯ attorney for Lambda.
¯ Mutual spokesman Jim Nolan said the
: company hadnot yet seen the suit, andhad
¯ no comment.
¯ Lambda and the council said one of the ¯
men’s policy caps his lifetime benefits for
¯
HIV-related conditions at $25,000 and
: the other man has a $100,000 cap. The
¯ statement said this was in contrast to $1 ¯
million cap that Muttml of Omaha would
: allow they needed care for other medical
: conditions.. The lawsuit claims the caps
¯ have forced the men to consider going ¯
without therapies that could prolong their
¯ lives. The lawsuit seeks an end to such
¯ limits. It also seeks to have the men corn-
¯ pensated for any damages they have suf-
: feted but does not specify an amount.
¯ Lambda is a New York-based national
¯ organizationthat works for the civil rights
of Gays and people with HIV and AIDS.
: Wash. St. Tracking
: Not Needed for HIV
: OLYMPIA (AP) - Health experts say
¯ Washington state can accurately monitor
¯ the spread of the AIDS virus without
: using thenames ofthose whoare infected.
¯ Instead, they are recommending a system
¯ using some type of unique identifier code
: for each person’ who tests positive for
¯ HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. °
." Advisers to Gay. Gary Locke say this
¯ alternative wouldallow health officials to
i cpoeollpelcet,sar_ig~hattsetodaptraivwacityhiomutdtchornefaitdeennintig-
: ality. Members of a governor’s advisory
." council voted Tuesday for an alternative
¯ to a name-based system. The vote fol-
¯ lowed months of sometimes contentious
." public hearings about whether health of-
: ficials should change their methods, of
¯ fighting-the disease. Currently, the state
: tracks AIDS patients by name but does
: not require people who test positive for
¯ HIV to provide their names.
¯ Improvements in AIDS-resistant drugs
¯ and the first drop in new AIDS cases,
." however, haveled many health experts to
: call for a name-based system to track
¯ everyone who tests positive for HIV.
¯ Advocates said it would present a better
:, picture of the epidemic and thus would
¯ allow health officials toreachmorepeople
¯ who may-have.been infected with HIV.
¯ Opponents arguedthatfewerpeople would
: seek testing and treatment for the virus
¯¯ unless their anonymity were guaranteed.
The Governor’s Advisory Council on
¯ HIV-AIDS met at a hotel in SeaTac on
." Tuesday. Within a few days they plan to
¯ present two things to Locke: A report that
¯ includes informationonboth name-based
¯ and identifier systems, and a letter that
¯ includes the council’s preference.
The council voted 14-4 in favor of a
: system that does not use people’s names.
¯ One member did not vote. Locke has not
¯ yet indicated which system he wants state
¯ health officials to pursue, policy adviser
." Duane Thurman said. ’q’he spirit of the
." meeting this morning emphasizes that
¯ there’s not one right answer," Thurman
: said. "It’s a very difficult issue."
¯" State Health Secretary Bruce Miyahara
; urged the council torecommendanAIDS-
¯ tracking system that includes names.
¯ While acknowledging security concerns,
; he said health experts should be allowed
¯ to reevaluate their strategies to keep up
¯ with the epidemic. "It’s part of the matur-
¯ ing of this disease," he said. "At this point
: in time, we feel names reporting is a
¯ legitimate issue to put on the table."
¯ As public policy director of the North-
" west AIDS Foundation, Steve Johnson
¯ helped lead the fight for an alternative to
¯ a system that uses names. Most people
¯ who testified at public hearings said they
." wouldn’t get tested for HIV if they knew
; their names would be used, he said. "It’s
¯ time to explore the major components of
¯ how a unique-identifier system would be
; established," Johnson said.
¯ Such a system would probably include
¯ age, gender, race, county of residence,
: andinformahon abouthow apersonmight
_" have been exposed to HIV, he said.
¯ Johnson, whoplannedtomeetwithLocke
¯ on Wednesday, said he would restate the
¯ Northwest AIDS Foundation’s opposi-
." tion to aname-based system. He also said
¯ health officials - not legislators shonld
¯ address the issue.
: Council Chairman Jack Jourden diS-
: agreed with Johnson, but he noted the
¯ council’s report provides Locke with a
: wide range.of opinions, see page 7
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Even though I min the minority, I don t
feel I lost anything because there was a
series of hearings around the state.., to
allow inputby infected and affected communities,"
he said. "The governor will
benefitfrom that input, so the council- as
a. conduit of information - did its job,"
Jourden said.
Dr. Bob Wood, AIDS control officer
for the Seattle-King County Department
of Public Health, said using names to
monitor AIDS helps authorities track the
epidemic more acourately. "If public
health can’t get the names, we can’t be
proactive," he said. "We have to .wait for
people to come to us."
Nearly 30 states have name-based HIV
reporfing,.and two - Maryland and Texas
- use umque identifiers. The national
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
recently reported on the Maryland
and Texas experiments with unique idendriers.
The account noted several prob-
Jems, including incomplete codes, difficulty
in conducting follow-up on specific
cases and the absence of behavioral risk
data. "A lot of labs either didn’t have the
data to make up the unique code, or they
didn’t do it right," Wood said.
Johnson criticized the report, however,
saying the CDC had not invested enough
money to help make sure an anonymous
tracking system could be effective.
Fewer HIV
Infections in SF
,SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The number
ofnew HIV infectious has dropped during
the past rive years, and a smaller percentage
of Gay. and bise:~ual men are living
with the disease, the city’s health department
says.
The Consensus Report on HIV Preva- ¯
lence report, issued Tuesday, estimates ."
that there will be 500 new HIV infections "
in 1998, two-thirds of them among Gay
and bisexual men. The last report - pub- ¯
lished in 1992 - estimated 1,000 new ,
infections per year, 650 of them among
Gay and bisexual men. ¯
The current report also found that 30
percent of the city’s estimated 43,100 "
Gay and bisexual men are HIV-positive, ¯
down from 43 percent in the 1992 report.
"The new (report) shows that Gay and .
bisexual men’s efforts to change our be-
¯ -.HIV reports until recently. They worried
¯ that fear about breaches of confidentiality
would deter people from getting tested
: hnd receiving early treatment.
." But the consensus appears to be shifting
in support of reporting. Successful
; new drug treatments are reducing AIDS
i deaths and delaying for years the onset of
. AIDS-relatedillnesses. Whilethisisgreat
¯ news for HIV patients, it means knowl-
: edge of the epidemic’s extent lags many
," years behind the actual spread of the in-
" fection.
: Public health officials ~want,to know
: where H!V, the virus that causes AIDS,is
: prevalent in Alaska- in which segments
¯ of the population, andin which regions so
: they can target spending on prevention.
: "We’re getting a picture of the epidemic
: many y.ears ago and where the infection
¯ was going then," said Noel Rea, a public
: health specialist with the state’s AIDS
" program. "We need to know who are the
." most at-riskpopulations and who needs to
: be targeted now." State officials also are
¯ concernedthatdecliningnumbers ofAIDS
deaths might make people think the disease
has been curbed, when in fact it
continues to spread.
Twenty-eight states have changed their
policies in recent years to require HIV
reporting for adults. The states with the
largest incidence of HIV infection, including
New York and California, have
not changed their policies but are reconsidering
them.
HIV reporting would require changing
state regulations. That’s been recommendedby
the state Department ofHealth
and Social Services, said Rea. After a
review by state lawyers, the proposal will
be openfor public comment with possible
adoption this summer, he said.
The head of an Anchorage group that
works with some 250 H’IV-positive patients
says she is tom about the idea. It’s
important to get a better picture of the
disease’s patterns, said Andrea Nenzel,
executive director of the Alaskan AIDS
Assistance Association. But at the same
time, she said, the lack of sympathy towardpeople
withHIVinAnchorage, compared
with some other cities, could discoura,
ge testing. "In this commtmity,
there s still a very high level of discrimination
and ostracizing that goes on,"
Nenzel said.
haviorhavepaid off," saidDanWohlfeiler,
spokesman for the STOP AIDS Project. San F.raneiseo: HIV "The epidemicis not over, however, and we want to make sure that we don’t lose Trackln _reposed
any of the ground that we’ve won."i SANFRANCISCO(AP)-Doctors should
Thereport, basedonaMay 1997 survey report all patients with HIV, notjust those
of local AIDS experts, said the improve- with full-blown AIDS, a new report sugments
were mainly the result of more ¯
gests. That might be the only reliable way
accurate information on at-risk popula-.
tions, better prevention efforts and AIDS
deaths.
Alaska Considers
Names Reporting
ANCHORAGE (AP) - Reversing a
longstanding policy, state officials want
to start requiring health care workers to
report all cases of HIV infection to the
state Division of Public Health.
Currently, only the names of patients
with full-blownAIDS must bereported to
public health ofricials. Those names are
kept confidential, and the retxn~ are used
by the state to chart the spread of the
infectious disease just as it tracks other
sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis.
Many health care professionals
around the nation had opposed requiring
to track the course of the disease, experts
say. That finding was presented at a San
Francisco AIDS summit convened by
Mayor Willie Brown.
. The report’s authors emphasize that the
identities of the HIV patients would be
encoded to prevent discrimination. But
reporting HIV cases may help track the
disease’ s development, concludes the 175-
page evaluation of the city’s AIDS. programs
by anexpert panel. "Changes in the
.epidemichaveledmanypeople to express
increasing concern that existing AIDS
surveillance efforts are becoming outdated~
Because new treatments are slowing
progression of disease, these people
are not being reported," the report says.
U.S. doctors have been required to reportAIDS
cases to publichealth officials,
but there has been no similar order to
report patients see Health, page 15
by James Christjohn, entertainment diva ¯
Happy Valentine’s Day! - for those
who celebrate it. For the others whofeel it
is a cardmaker’ s/choc;o,~latier’ s/jeweler’ s ¯
excuse to make tOnso bucks, ignore the
previous message. Ditto to the many
spouses/lovebirds whose mates always ¯
forget/ignore the whole thing anyway.
LIKE MINE, for
instance. (editor’s
note: is thissupposed
to be a subtle hint?)
Well, it’ s become a
sort of tradition to
guess how many
days/weeks/months
after Valentines/
BirthdaylYule I will
get an acknowledgement
the day
has passed. Or
wheth¢~ there wasa day to begin with...
I really can’ t complain, he did give me a :
nice dinner for the birthday, even if he ¯
didn’ t know how old I was -and that can "
be a eood thingI (Only if he’ s subtracting, ¯
tho .) Although Valenune s this year ts
questionable - I read in The Tulsa World :
that my spouse was single. Hmmm. The
spouse is always the last to-know...
Well, rye ranted on long enough, I
suppose I have to write an actual column
now. I’ dlove to say thatTheManhattan
Transfershow wa~ wonderful, but I honestly
don’ t know. And I was there! Neither
Tom nor I could hear the group over
the orchestra! It was most dishearteningwe
are both of the firm opinion that whoever
was mixing sound was utterly deaf or
reading a magazine during the show. Or
listening to the radio; they certainly
weren’t paying attention to the vocalists.
And since we were in the balcony this.
time, I couldn’t cheat and read lips to.
figure out the lyrics. They looked good - "
from an aerial view, anyway. The people "
below must have been able to hear, from ¯
their response, but all one could hear in ¯
the balcony were the three people who "
very noisily unwrapped their candy and "
the orchestra. One candy-sucker was so ¯
annoying that when I asked the usher if
tossing such folk over the balcony would
be bad form, she responded, "No, I think ."
it’ s agood idea. I’ll help !"TomandI were ¯
so discouraged at all of this we almostleft"
before the end of the show - which is "
usually an utter no-no in my book, as it’s "
rude to the performers and rude to the
people around you. It was a very disappointing
evening.
Fortunately, I can say that if you see
Sarah McLachlan in Oklahoma City at ¯
the Civic Center Music Hall on March 17, "
you likely will ha~;e no problem hearing "
her angelic voice soaring over theinstruments.
She is one of my favorite artists, -
and I can tell youfromexperience that she "
isworth any effortyou go to to get tickets.
I saw her as she was beginnin_"g. to, .make. a ".
name for herself, and thought she amaze.
thebig time,andshehas, evenifyoudon’t
hear her on the radio here in the cuttingedge
town of Tulsa. And yes, that was ¯
meant with as much sarcasm as I could
muster. Hopefully, that will .clym~.e. ~h.~ "
made a cameo appearance on~eJan./m ¯
Scott Fraser still life at Philbrook
works of art not to be missed, available
everywhere. Cheek outMohawk Music,
who carries some of her hard to f’fnd stuff.
"Surfacing" is h~rmostrecenteffort. Catch
her now, she won’ t be back this way for
some’time. And tickets went on sale Jan
17, so get the orders in now because she
sells out wherever she goes.
Andmy other
favorite Diva, the
ever lovely Stevie
Nicks, will be having
a banner year.
Enchanted, a box set
comprised of three
CDs .one greatest
hits (yes, I know, we
had "Timespace:
Greatest Hits" in
1991 - gofignre),and
another of movie
soundtrack songs (from Twister, Against
All Odds, Heavy Metal) and the third
unreleased songs and hopefully some of
the demos that are floating around in
various bad states of recording quality.
Then a sorin~ (?~ tour to support that
~or~, and~-ane~vl’y~eeorded albumin fall.
Now, knowing how, ahem, flexible
Stevie’ s timetable can be on these affairs,
the only thing I canreport withcertainty is
thebox set. The tour is supposedly set, but
until a more comprehensive announcement
is made, I will not be holding my
breath. And many fans waited up to. two
years after the origin_~.street date of Street
Angel to get that CD into our colleclaons.
Even so, to quote Stevie, I Can’ t Wait..
And neither can Tom, I"m sure.
Broken Arrow Community Playhouse
presents the Owl and the Pussycat,
Feb. 6-15. A romantic comedy about the
relationship between a shy bookworm
and an outrageous hooker, the show features
the talents of Kevin Barrentine and
Melinda M. Davis. Reservations can be
made by calling 258-0077.
Phflbrook Museum of Art presents a
display of Scott Fraser Paintings through
Mar. 15. Fraser paints very striking real
life, mixing ~bjects with.a ,touch .of .the
surreal, like’ floating sticks , a pamUng
of sticks gathered in Scotlandlevitating in
midair. Quite frankly, 1 .normall,y,f~!nd,
still-lifts rather boring, buthis worKt zlna
intriguing. Check it ouL
Philbrook is.also theONLY worldwide
venue thathas the pleasure of showing the
~ "JNIW Turner Watercolors fromLon-
¯ . don" exhibit Feb. 8- April 12. Tickets are
available at Carson Attractions outlets or
by calling 584-2000. The show spans the
entire career of British Romantic Painter
JosephMallardWilliamTurner, andkicks
off the "Year of Europe" exhibitions, advance
ticketpurchases arerecommended,
as tickets available at the door will be
limited.
If you want to learn more about Turner,
and also about Thomas Moran whose
work will be seen at Gilcrease, a
Chautauqua-stylereinactmentofbothartists
will be presented-at the Waiters Art
Center at Holland Hall School on Tues.,
Feb. 17th at 7pro, .and in the Oilcrease
Museum Auditorium on Sun., March 1 at
1:30. DavidBrownofLondon’sTateGal-
PHILBROOK Your window on the world
Tickets on sale now at ~arson Attratlions. 584-2000
TOM NEAL D mocrat City Council District Four
For our city:
~ End Sales Tax on groceries!
~ Common Sense Redevelopment - No more Tulsa Projects
¯ .Neighborhood-based Recyclin~ Program with Mini
Recycling Centers at Schools.
¯ Real public transit - reduce impact of traffic on our
neighborhoods, provide transit options for young & old.
For our district:
¯ Quarterly District/Councilor meetings at Dist. 4 schools.
¯ Neighborhood Preservation - balance business develop
-ment with homeowners rights.
¯ Safety- Neighborhood, based polic.ing:, .
¯ Replant curbside trees ~ improve street lighting.
30 Dancers. 48 Musicians. I00 Singers. You’ll need a score card for our cast of dozens. Carl
Oqffs powerful music and the overpowering feelings of love and passion it evokes make
Carmina Burana a must-see ballet. Add a huge chorus from Tulsa. Stillwater and
Bartlesville and a full orchestra, andyou have one impressive spectacle -- and an overwhelming
Oklahoma premiere. Tarantella pays tribute ro the Company’s artistic co-founder, Roman
Jasinski. His cho~’eography explores the rhythms and music of Naples, Italy.
Carmina Burana, Friday & Saturday~ Fel~uary 13 & !4, 8pro
Sunday, February 15, 3pm
For Tickets, call: Tulsa Ballet Ticket Office 749-6006
or the PAC: 1~800-364-7111, 5967111; Carson Attractions: 58z1~2000
All shows at the Performing Arts Center, 3rd & Cincinnati
1/2 Season Tickets at 1/2 Prica! Now availaMe.
Two performances remain. Tickets start at just $16 for aduit~
Bless the Lord At All Times Christian Center
Sunday School - 9:45am, Service - 11 am, 2207 E. 6th, 583-7815
Community ofHope (United Methodist), Service - 6pro, 1703 E. 2nd, 585-1800
Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Service - 11am, 1700 E. 2nd, 749-0595
Church of the Restoration Unitarian Universalist
Service - 11am, 1314 No. Greenwood, 587-1314
Family of Faith Metropolitan Community Church
Service - 5pm, Childrens MinisaT -5pro, 5451-E S. Mingo, 622-1441
House of the Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc.
Sunday School - 9:45am, Service- 10:45am, 3210e So. Norwood
Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Tulsa
Service, 10:45am, 1623 North Maplewood, Info: 838-1715
Parish Church of St. Jerome (Evangelical Anglican Church in America)
Mass - 11am, 205 W. King (east of No. Denver), Info: 582-3088
University of Tulsa Bisexual/Lesbian/Gay/Transgendered Alliance
Sundays at 6:30 pro, Meets at the Canterbury Ctr., 5th & Evanston, 583-9780
~ MONDAYS
AIDS Walk Planning Meeting, 2/16, 5pm, Resonance, 1609 S. Elwood
HIV Testing Clinic, Free & anonymous testing. No appointment required.
Walk in testing: 7-8:30pm Results: 7-gpm, Info: 834-TEST (8378)
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
2nd Mon/each mo. 6:30pm, Fellowship Congregational Church, 2900 S. Harvard
Gay & Lesbian Book Discussion Group, Borders Bookstore
1st Mon/e~ too., 7:30pro, 2740 E. 21st, 712-9955
Mixed Volleyball, on hold for winter, call 587-6557 for info.
Monday Night Football, 8pro, Pride Center, Renfro Room, 1307 E. 38th, 2nd ft.
Women/Children & AIDS Committee, 2/2, noon, United Way Bldg. 1430 S. Boulder
~TUESDAYS
AIDS Coalition of Tulsa, 2/10, noon, United WayBldg. 1430 S. Boulder
HIV+ Support Group, HIV Resource Consortium 1:30pro
3507 E. Admiral (east of Harvard), Info: Wanda @ 834-4194
Multicultural AIDS Coalition, 2/3, 12:30pro, Urb~m League, 240 East Apache
Shanti-Tulsa, Inc, HIV/AIDS Support Group, and Friends & Family HIV/AIDS
Support Group - 7 pro, Locations, call: 627-2525
Rainbow Business Guild, Business & prof. networking group, Info: 665-5174
PrhneTimers, mens group, 3rd Tues/each too., 7pro, Pride Center, 1307 E. 38th
Coming Out Support Group (TOHR/HOPE)
Alternating 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
Family Of Faith MCC Praise/Prayer-6:30pm, 5451-E S. Mingo. 622-1441
House of the Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc. Service - 7pro, 3210e So. Norwood
Tulsa Native American Mens Support Group
For more information, call 582-7225, John at ext. 218, or Tommy at ext. 208
TCC Gay & Lesbian Association of Students (GLAS), Call for info: 595-7632.
Lambda A-A, 7 pro, 1307 E. 38th, 2nd ft.
Ellen Watch Party, 8:30pro, Pride Center, Renfro Room, 1307 E. 38th, 2nd ft.
~THURSDAYS
HOPE, HIV Outreach, Prevention, Education
Anonymous HIV Testing,Testing: 7 - 8:30pm, Results: 7 - 9pm, Info: 834-8378
Oklahoma Rainbow Young Adult Network (O’RYAN)
Support/social group for 18-24’s, call Red Rock Mental Health at 584-2325
Tulsa Fanfily Chorale, Weekly practice - 9:30pro, Lola’s, 2630 E. 15th
From Our Hearts to Our House, 1 lpm, 3rd Thurs/each mo. Lola’s, 2630,E. 15th
Substance Abuse Support Group for persons with HIV/AIDS, Info: 834-4194
~ FRIDAYS
SafeHaven, Young AdultsSocial Group, 1st Fri/eachmo. 8pm, Pride Ctr., 1307 E, 38th
Community Coffee House, varying dates, 7pm~ Pride Center, Info: 743-4297..
~SATURDAYS
.Nurtmks Anonymous, 11 pro, Commlltlity of Hope,1703 E. 2nd, Info:.585-1800
Lambda A-A, 6 pm, Pride Center, 1307 E. 38th~ 2nd ft.
~OTHER GROUPS
T.U.L.S.A. Tuba Unlform&Leather Seekers Association, info: 838-1222 ~ ~
WomemSupper Club, Call fo~ info: 584-2978
OK Sp0ke:Club, Gay & Lesbian Bike.Or~ni~,’i~ I~fo: POB 9165, Tulsa 74157
Ifydl~LOr~l~ZatJotl b’tlofl~d, ~etose l#.t IM l~tow, Call Ot~583,4615,
Read All About It
reviewed by Barry Hensley
Tulsa City-County Library
Despite the pontifications of some of
ourpofitical andreligions leaders, the fact
remains that lesbian, gay, and
bisexual youth have very few
positive role models in our
culture. Isolation and fear, at
this already confusing time of
life, are the standard feelings.
In The Shared Heart, these
emotions are turned around
and result in positive, life-affirming
narratives.
Combiningbeautiful blackand-
white photographs with
the coming out stories of forty
American young people, this
is an inspiring book. Each
youth gets a full page to explain
their situation and history.
The facing page has a
large photo with a hand written
caption. It’s an interesting
andeffectivelayout. Theyouth
come from every walk of life
and include a wide spectrum
of cultures, races and genders.
One Asian-American explains
her frustration that, in
her native culture, "gayness
was seen as a western problem. There was
no one with whom to share my experiences.
When I finally/met other gay, lesbian,
andbisexual peoplewho also shared
similarethniebackgrounds, itwas incredible."
Many of the young people discuss
going to the library and looking up inforin
particular from the Ute tribe, and was
commissionedfromDavid Carlsonby the
Utah Opera. The Tulsa performance will
have some changes in the libretto and
score but these are for character and musical
development notto adapt the workto
an Oklahoma tribal setting, according to
Tulsa Opera General Director, Carol
Crawford.
The story of Dreamkeepers is that of a
contemporary Ute Indian woman caught
between her tribal culture and heritage,
and that ofthe Anglo society in which she
works as an attorney. Like many great
opera’s, the heart of the work is a love
story. The cast is, as we have come to
expect under Maestra Crawford, talented
anddistinguished: Singers Ashley Putnam,
Rosalind Elias, Jake Gardner, Antonio
Nagore will be directed by Albert
Takazauckas.
The University of Tulsa Theatre Department
is presenting the Tony Award
winning play, DancingAtLughnasa, set
in 1936 Ireland. (By the way, Lughaasa is
pronounced "loo-nuh-saw" with the accent
in the middle.) The play is about
freedom and escaping the shackles of
society - something ourparticular subeulrare
can readily identify with. The freedom
comes with music and that is also
mirroredin theGay culture. Ifitis as good
as Falsettos was, ~’Daneing.. ." shouldprovide
an evening of excellententertainment
and thought It even has something
for thepaganfolk in the audience! (Lughnasa
is the pre-christian harvest festival
As the
photographer,
Adam Mastoon,
daserlbes his
subjects:
"Together
they tell a
eolleetlve story
of the courageous
journey from
silence to
expression
and from
isolation to
freedom.
They are heroes
for our tlme
and role models
for us allo.."
marion whichmade themrealize that they
were not alone.
Parents, of course, get a heavy dose of
bothpraise and condemnation. Onelucky
young man; shown with his parents, expresses
his thanks to his "dad
and morn everyday of my life
for showingme what reaHove
and a real family are." Atthe
opposite end, another guy, an
openly gay senior in high
school who was electedjunior
and seniorclass president, says
that his parents "have warned
that if I confirm my sexuality
as anything other than heterosexual,
I will be disowned."
Due to these types ofsituations,
it is not surprising that
many of the stories have early
thoughts of suicide. However,
most of the youth have found
enough supporttocomeacross
as confident and proud.
As the photographer, Adam
Mastoon, describes his subjects:
’q~ogether they tell acol~
lective story ofthe courageous
journey from silence to expression
and from isolation to
freedom. They are heroes for
our time and role models for
us all..."
This is truly a beautiful and exciting.
book that gives some hope for the future.
Check for The Shared Heart at your local
branch library; or call the Readers Services
department at the Central Library at
596-7966.
of Ireland.) Reservations can be made by
calling 631-2567. Tickets are $2 - $7.
Heller Theatre offer us Laughing Mat-
¯ter Improv on Feb. 27. Tickets are $3
with areservation (746-5065) or $4 walkin.
That’s a pretty good value entertainment-
wise - and with audience participation
to boot! Heller also presents Ancient
Hi~tory, about the various stages of a
couple’s relationship, Feb. 12-21.
One of Tulsa’s younger but upcoming
performing troupes, TheWayward Theatre
Company will present Blood Knot
by noted South African playwright, Athol
Fugard on Feb. 18 - March 8. First produced
in 1961, the play about two brothers,
one white-skinned, the other blackskinned,
addresses the larger issues of
race. Call 596-.1475 for info. This spring,
Wayward will mount Paula Vogel’s fantasy
comedy The Baltimore Waltz about
"ATD - a fatal new malady with a high
risk factor, for elementary school teachers."
Full of erotic jokes, movie kitsch &
medical nightmare, look for it in April.
Last but not least, and perfect for
Valentine’s, is Tulsa Ballet’s Carmina
Burana. With, as they breathlessly note,
30 dancers, 48 musicians, and 100 singers,
the premiere should be spectacular. If
you haven’t been to the ballet lately, you
hot only have been missing some fabulous
bodies (indeed) but more interesting
dancing than Tulsa has seen in years.
Highly recommended. Carmina Burana
will be at the PAC on Feb. 13, 14 at 8pro
and on Feb. 15 at 2pro. The program also
features Tarantella by company cofounder
Roman Jasinski. Info: 749-6006.
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The Tulsa Philharmonic Masterworks V
James Westwater, photochoreographer, Feb, 21, PAC 8pm
Featuring multi-image
photochoreography on 3 ~liant screens
set to adaptations of mus,c by ~
Barber and Copeland. _
For tickets, call 747-7445 " I U L S A PHIUIA~ONIC
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747-5466
4021 S. Harvard, Suite 210, Tulsa 74135
by Jean-Pierre La Grandbouche
TFN restaurant reviewer
Every year about this time, we get the
ge to eat Oriental foods. No doubt, this
s our contribution to help the Asian community
celebrate the lunar new year.
Amongst the Vietnamese people, the new
year celebration is called Tet, and it fell
the last few days of January this year.
For our Tet Observance, we sought out
the long popular Tulsa restaurant,
Ri L8 (pronounced like
the English word, "relay"),
located in midtown near 31St
and Yale. The Ri-L8 family
has been pleasing the palates
of local diners for nearly
twenty years with their traditional
Vietnamese family recipes,
and was probably the first
strictly Vietnamese establishment
in town.
After visiting so many Oriental
restaurants which boast
enormous menus filled with
doZens of meal choices, the
Ri-L~ selection at first strikes
us as spare, but this small family
operation has wisely chosen
to concentrate on a few,
well-made dishes, rather than
over taxing the kitchen with
too many recipes. Everything
is freshly made to order, and
that freshness has always
shined through on every visit
we,ve made, regardless of the
time of day.
One of our favorite starters
is a bi~ steaming bowl ofPho-
- pho is the Vietnamese word
for soup--and Ri-l_~,s Special
Beef Soup ($2.49) is particu-
!arly f’me. A dear, fragrant
broth is studded with an assortment
of vegetables,
noodles, and thinly sliced
pieces ofbeef, andhas anodd,
but appealing, slightly sweet
taste. A similar chicken pho is
also available. Soups are an
important component of Vietnamese
cuisine, and we often
see patrons order a large bowl
ofpho,making soup theircomplete
meal.
In a similar vein, but with
substantially more meat is the
special Hiosin Beef ($7.98),
which is a hearty serving of the tender, ¯
simmered beef. Asian seasonings have ¯
long been an art we have been unable to :
tell what it is that give the Vietnamese ¯
beef soups their interesting taste.
Another popular dish is Bdn Ch~ Gib "
($5.98), which is a large serving of Viet- "
namese noodles topped with green veg- ¯
etables, sprouts, slices ofbeef, and pieces
of chopped egg rolls, served in a large ¯
bowl with a small amount of broth, gar- °
nished withchoppedpeanuts, and accom- ¯
panied by a small bowl 0f piquant fish "
sauce. It’s a very filling dish, and Viet- ¯
namese noodles are quike unlike Italian ¯
pasta or American egg noodles. For an :
additional 81 cents, the deluxe bdn chit "
gibincludes chicken, shrimp, and chopped "
shrimppotatoes.. ¯
Over adozen chicken-based entrees are :
featured on the menu. While many corn- :
binations are reminiscent of Chinese cul- :
sine, we try to stay with the more tradi- ¯
tional Vietnamese flavorings. Chicken :
Lemon Grass ($7.95) gets its tangy flavor :
: from the blades of lemon grass. The
¯" ChickenSesamese ($7.19).features chunks
¯ of chicken battered and rolled in sesame
: seeds. Diced ChickeninSweetChili Sauce
: ($7.19) illustrates the Vietnamese taste
¯ for sweet spicy sauces that pack a power-
: ful fiery wang. On our Tet visit, we se-
¯ letted the Hot Ginger Chicken ($7.19),
: which was a nice melange of traditional
¯ vegetables with succulent bits of white
RLLe
and Family
Vietnamese
Restaurant
3206 So. Yale
Hours.-
11 to 9:30
Mon. -Thurs.
until 10 p.m,
Frl. & Sat.
closed Sundays.
Payment:
Cash, Visa,
Mastercard,
American
Express.
No checks.
Prices:
Moderate
Amldance:
Casual
Smoking
Seetlon: Se~parate
rooms, but
ventilation could
stand
improvement
Alcohol: only
Oklahoma beer
Ratlng: A
meatin alightsauce, seasoned
with long julienne slivers of
fresh ginger root, a goodly
amount of garlic, and enough
hot pepper to make a serious
impression on the back of the
tongue. It was a delicious en-
Our dining companion, who
has been spending alotoftime
recently amongst liberal
Democratic politicians, opted
for the vegetarianroute. There
!s a large selection of vegetartan
entrees on the menu, and
most combinations are indicated
as being available both
with tofu and with beancurd.
Now, those who have done
vegetarian cooking know that
"tofu" is the Japanese word
for beancurd, so one might
ask whether or not this was
some sort ofredundancy, kind
of like the pretentious American
restaurants that feature
"shrimp scampi" on their
menus. But, here at Ri-L~, the
distinction is made made with
pieces ofdeep-friedbeancurd,
and the "bean-curd" entrees
are not fried. Our friend’s tofu
entreewas sldllfullymade, and
the tofu pieces were not
overfried to a state of toughness,
as we have experienced
at several other establishments,
but had just enough
"tooth".to add a new dimension
to the taste experience.
A lot of Tulsaus have discovered
the delicious and filling
dish of Oriental pasta
known as "lo-mein," and are
chagrined to find the most expensivelo-
mein prices in town
here at Ri-L~--even more expensive
than at the pricey Fifteenth
Street Wok on Cherry
Street--at $9.98 per order. The lo-mein
here is, indeed, ddicious, and the orders
are enormous, truly enough to make complete
meals for two persons. With that in
mind, the lo-mein then becomes an affordable
concept. If ordering for one only,
be prepared to take home a doggie bag.
And, of course, no trip to a Vietnamese
restaurant would be complete without a
glass of Vietnamese coffee ($1.85) at the
dose of the meal. This delicious drink is
made with a special individual drip coffee
maker, mixed with sweetened condensed
milk, and served on the rocks.
Service is efficient and friendly, and we
think much of the staff must be from the
same family. Most all speak English
intelligibly. On a recent visit, our waitress
was also watching two small children
in the dining room.
There is no greater testimonial as to a
restaurant than a long tenure, and Ri I_~
has never disappointed us. Drop by and
try it. Southside diners may want to visit
the branch Ri-/_~ location at 4932 E. 91 st.
by Lamont Lindstrom : all evil European ma~ters and innocent
I rived for two years in one of the last ¯ native boys. There were interesting, and
colonies in the world. It was the late : easily expected, sexualrolereversals. An
1970s. The colony was the "Condo- ¯ Englishlinguistofmyaeqnaintance, there
minium" of the New Hebrides (or Les ¯ to study, the New Hebrides’ many lan-
Nouvelles-He’brides), which was unique ". guages, was infamous for his parties
in colonial history for having two admin- : wherein he managed to entertain entire
istrativepowers,GreatBritainandFrance. : squadrous of the colony’s fledgling new
Needless to say, the two colonial mzsters ¯ army. These sexual reversals of pofitical
engaged in frequent vicious inequality are not uncomdispute;
not much effective the New Hebrid~ m0n: "Iaminehargeinpubgovernment
took place; and ... was unique in lie, but I surrender myself to
thelocal joke was to rename colonial kistory for you in bed; I may be the
this island archipelago the civilized European but I de-
"Pandemonium" oftheNew lmvln$ two sire you, the savage other, to
Hebrides. For some years in a~]mlnlstratlve subdue me."
the 1920s, so goes the story, powers, Great The politics of sex are ofthe
British insisted on driv- ten strangein today’s former
ing on the left while the Britain anti France colonies.Someofthisqueer-
French demanded to drive ... the local iohe hess no doubt results from
on the right along the (luck- was to rename this people’s desire to address
ily) few kilometers of dirt the wounds of colonialism
road that the colony then iS]anti arcltlpelago by having theirformermasboasted,
the "Pantiemonlum" ters. I once spent a few days
In 1980,theNewHebrides ... For some years in Port Moresby, the capital
at last became an indepenin
the 1920s, so
ofPapuaNew Ouineawhich
dent nation and changed its had been an Australian
nametoVanuatu. Thepeople goes the story, the colony up until 1975.
of this archipelago are hand- British ~nslsteti on One evening, I was fiercesome,
dark-slduned South tirivlng on the le~t ly hounded around the hotel
Pacific Islanders, most of by a local guy who clearly
whomstill have an economi- while the French had his eyeuponmyperson,
cally poor, although cultur- demanded to tirive seeking to reverse, sexually,
ally rich, life as farmers and ’-- on the right . . . onetime colonialist power
fishermen, relations. "No way," I told
In recent times, around academia at " him. "You go find some dinkum Australeast,
plentyofeverythingis"post":post- ¯ lian to have your way with. Me, I’m
modernism, post-strucmralism, and-an- ¯ obliged instead to throw my American
othernewar~a-"post-colonial"studies.-" bodyintothetaskofrectifyingthehistori-
New writing about colonialism has fo- " cal injuries and social residues of U.S.
cused on trying to understand the texture slavery."
of power relations that existed between " If politics is always sexual, so is sex
(mostly) EaropeanmasterS and their vari- : always political. Sometimes having sex
ous subject peoples. One of the most in- ¯ with a person just confirms and deepens
terestingofthesebooksisRobertYoung’s " already existing relations of inequality;
Colonial Desire: Hybridity in Theory, : but sometimes sex, at least temporarily,
Culture, and Race (1995). This explains : can reverse and weaken such inequality.
the colonialist’s political will to rule by : Althoughmostofthewofldhasnowadays
seeing how this overlapped with sexual ¯ emergedfromthecolonialistemandjoined
desire. It uses the inequality inherent in : the United Nations as sundry independent
Western genderrelations to rethink broad : states, cross-cultural sex still remains a
structures of political power. It explores : charged political issue. Anyone who goes
how colonialism was always sexualized., on one of those sex tours to Thailand, as
Westemdesireforthe"other"-thenative " adverfised in the pages of The Advocate
,subject- typically worked to masculinize ¯ and Out magazines, can get a flavor of all
the ruler and feminize the ruled. Political : of the personal and social complications
relations of domination spilled, at least " of the bygone days of colonialism.
symbolically, into island bedrooms. S/M : I’m all for.using one’s body to underand
B/D sexinherenfly was inthe colonial _" mine hurtful power structures, and histoair.
TheFrenchwriterOustaveFlaubert’s ¯ riesofdomination, through the disruptive
19th century sex-tour of Egypt is a good : capacities of sex. But this business of
example of this. : cross-cultural tricking is always a tricky
InVanuatu, theBritishandFrenchpartly ¯ business.
conceivedofthemselvesandoftheirrela- : Lamont Linstrom teaches anthropoldons
with local people in metaphoric, .~ ogyatthe University of Tulsa.
¯sexualized terms along these lines. AI- :
It’o Here! close attention at that time, there was also
a lot of real.sex going on. This enlivened o
rela|ious amongthesmall, expatriate commt~
ity and also between Europeans and l s. : Children’s Ministry
As one might expect, much sex took "
place between expatriates and their ser- ¯
vant haosgel ("house girls" in Bislama, : Sunday’ s at 5 pm
the country’s Pidgin ~aglish) or, notably, :
their haosboe 0aouseboys). The post-colonial
approach to colonialism as a reflex ¯
of sexual desire has mostly focused on -"
heterosexuality, ignoring afarmoreinteresting
(for some of us anyway) homosexual
desire between colonial masters ¯
and their male subjects
In the New Hebrides, though, it wasn’t ."
748.5304
THE PHILBROOK
MUSEUM OF ART
9
What’ s happening in
the community?
What services
are. available7
Looking for a Rainbow
Sticker or
Community
Newspapers?
Need a Coming Out
Support Group?
Need to get tested
for HIV?
Want to get involved
and help?
Call 743-GAYS
(743-4297)
Your
Community Center
the Pride Center
1307 E. 38th at Peoria
2nd floor
Lookfor the Rainbow
Flag on the roof]
IGTA member
Call 341. 6866
Internationa
Tours/ormorein/orrnation.
Rainbow
Business
Guild
upcoming meeting
in Mareh.
In~o./RSVP: 665-5174
POB 4106, Tulsa 74159
Ga.v O~aaed, Operated &
Rainbow Proud
Gay Mecea of the Ozarks
Beautiful Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Eureka’s
Old
Jailhouse
Historic
Lodging in the
Heart of
Eureka Springs
501
253-5332
15 Montgomery
(comer of
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Main)
Outside
Hot Tub
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.
Church of the
Restoration
Unitarian
Universalist
11 amSunday Service
1314 N. Greenwood
587-1314
Puppy Pause II
Allanna Davenport
Professional All ~
Breed Grooming
1060-N South Mingo
Tulsa 74128
838-7626
Massage Therapy Services
Edgar O. Cruz,L.M.T.
Pager: 918-741-6206
Voice Mai1:+918-697:9282
Lic. #C4133
St. Michael’s
Alley
Restaurant
&
Club
Featuring
Steaks, SeafiSod,
Chicken, Pasta,
Soups, Espresso,
and Chalkboard
Speciaties
Monday - Thursday
+ llam-,10pm
Friday- Saturday
llam- llpm
3324-L East 31st
NE side of RanCh Acres
745-9998
Established 1960
Saint Aidan’s
4045 No. Cincinnati, 425-7882
The Episcopal Church
Welcomes You "
by Mary Schepers ¯ gadgets and tools, though only on a mod-
Welcome to my workshoo; I’m Mary
the
, -a, ¯ est scale, unless some hardware mega-
Do-It-Yourself Dyke (DYID). And " giant wants to sponsor a try-out (hint,
no, this is not a sexual self-help column. ¯ hint, Homo Depot and Builder’s Queer).
The DIYD believes that whatever you do " Hm, I could use some Pergo flooring, or
with your tool belt in the privacy of your " perhaps a new drill motor...
home is strictly a personal
matter. We will deal Speaking of tools - and This column is designed you can always get me to
for theseasoned repair person
as well as the interested
novice who has been stuck
one time too many with expensive
labor charges for
simplehome or auto repairs.
The DIYD understands that
beginning most projects is
much scarier than actually
doing them, and you may be
amazed to learn that most of
it is not rocket science. Get
things level and squared and
you’re halfway there.
W.e will deal with specific
projects, general repairs, and
- my favorite! - TOOLS.
Myfriend Donna said that
the real reason I bought a
house was so I could buy
more tools. She’s right, of
course, but my Handyman
Special was a good excuse
for the investment in lots of
tools. Confession: I’m still adding items.
I am open to the question and answer
format, so send’emin! Write tomein care
of this publication. I also welcome solutions
from others in the reading audience
I’ll bereviewingnew products, teclmiquesl
with specific
projects, general
repairs,
and - my
favorite! -
TOOLS¯
My friend
Donna said
that the real
reason I bought
a house Was SO
I could buy
more tools.
She’~ right,
of course . . .
speak of tools - I was in
Sears at 21st and Yale and
they’re having an incredible
clearance sale as they prepare
to move into their new
building. Lots of great bargains,
but you’ll want to
hurry in and check things
outbefore they are too picked
over.
AndI spotted at least three
Lesbians while I was there,
so life is truly rich. While
yOu’re there, ask a sales rep
to sign youupfor the Craftsman
Club, which will entitle
you to great monthly savings
throughout the year. It
costs nothing tojoin. I saved
a bundle on home paint this
summer.
And that reminds me of
projects again, so dust off
yourTo-Do list, roll up your
sleeves and let’s get started.
: We could get lots of things done together
this year. And, by the way, that tool belt is
¯ a great investment, whatever the use you
¯ put it to.
", Do-It:Yourself-DykeMarySchepers is
¯ a localpoet and handy-woman.
and said it regrets disclosing to a Navy
investigator the identity of a senior sailor
now facing dismissal from the service as
a homosexual. ’q’his was a case ofhuman
error under very unusual circumstances,"
AOL Inc. said in a one-page statement.
While criticizing the Navy for the way it
sought the information, AOL said of it,.
disclosure: ’q’his dearly should not have
happened, and we regret it."
McVeigh, 36, who is no relation to the
man with the same name who was sen-
.tenced to diefor theOklahomaCity bombrag,
said he is happy to be returning to the
Navy to continue his 17-year career.
’¢Fhere’s uncertainty," he said. "I don’t
know what I’ll be doing. They don’tknow
what I’ll be doing. But I’m happy. I’m
fight in this case."
The Navy went too far in pursuing
allegations of homosexuality against a
senior sailor and surreptitiously obtaining
key evidence against him from a computer
online service, the judge ruled. "In
these days of ’big brother,, where through
technology and otherwise the privacy interests
oflndividuals from all walks oflife
are being ignored or marginalized, it is
imperative that statutes explicitly protecting
these rights be strictly observed,"
Sporkin wrote. "This court finds that the
Navy has. gone too far."
Though not the final word in the case,
the decision represents a sharp rebuke of
the Navy, both for its enforcement of the
military policy on homosexuality and for
the intrusiveness of its investigation. It
promises to reverberate beyond the military
to all government agencies that might
want to bolster investigations by demand-
: ing information from online computer
¯ services.
: MeVeigh is suing the Navy for violat-
¯ ing federal law in trying to force an end to
" his career. He can remain in the Navy
¯ pending final outcome of the case, which
¯ Sporkin said was likely togoin the sailor’s
¯ favor.
¯ "Although McVeigh did not publicly
: announcehissexual orientation, the Navy
: nonetheless impermissibly embarked on
¯ a search and touting’ mission," Sp0rkin
: wrote.
: Attorney Christopher Wolf, who ar-
¯ gued for McVeigh in court, called ¯
S.porkin’s ruling "a milestone" for online
: privacy and for defining the Gays-in-the-
¯ , h.ta~y. policy, q’hejudge knew a w~tch
aunt when he saw one," Wolf said. "What
: this case means is that when the govern-
" meat violates electronic privacy laws, it
¯ should not be allowed to use the fruits of
¯ its violation againstlaw-abiding citizens.,’
in a landmark fashion.
Every Thursday GLAAD produces
Ellen Watch, an e-mailed list of the previ-
-." ous nights sponsors. E-mail
." glaad@glaad.org to be added to the grow-
." ing list.
¯ Jamie Tarses, Entertainment President,
." ABC, 2040 Avenue of the Stars, Los
: Angles, CA, feedback form: http://
¯ www.abe.eom/vvoice/Viewcons 1.html;
¯" Michael Eisner, Chairman & David
." Newman, President of Network TV, The
¯ Walt Disney Company, 500 South Buena
Vista Street, Burbank, CA 91521, Fax:
: (818) 560.1930,E-mail via: WWW: http:/
¯" /www.disney.com/Mail.
Weaver and Smith have joint custody of
the kids~ who range inage from 4 to 12,
with their ex-husbands.
"My boy (who is 10) has struggled a
little bit. We talk about it," said Weaver.
"With our kids, the fathers are real involved
with them.Wework well with our
ex-husbands in raising them. We never
fought with our husbands. I don’t .want to
underestimate the effects of divorce, but
it’s not as traumatic as it could be.
’ffhe biggest change for us came when
we moved in together. Nothing has been
as traumatic as that, trying to todd our
families together," Weaver said.
And this is a family that has experienced
its share of traumatic changes. The
public revelation last fall that she is Gay
hurled Weaver, a Spanish Fork High psychology
teacher, into the center of a raging
controversy in this conservative community.
In October, she filed a civil lawsuit
against Nebo School District, contending
it violated her civil rights of free speech
when it told her she could not discuss her
sexual orientation with anyone inside or
outside of the classroom:
The longtime volleyball coach who
guided Spanish Fork to four state championships
was:relieved of her coaching du,
ties before the current school year. One
group, led by attorney Matthew Hilton
sued Weaver for alleged misconduct with
her players. Last month, a group of
Weaver’s formervolleyball players called
a press cotfference to.refute the charges.
The district, meanwhile, is vigorously
defending itself against her suit, which
will likely go to trial.
"What bothers meis I’m not Wendy
Weaver ,,a~,y more. I’m ’the LeSbian
teacher,’ Weaver said. "It’s not who I
am. I’m a teacher, a mother, and I was a
coach.. But being Gay is my identifying
factor. "The real issue in my suit was that
the government told me what I could and
could not say," she said. ’ffhe Gay issue
hasbecomethefocal point, butit shouldn’t
be."
While Weaver and Smith try to shield
their children from the publicity as much
as possible, they don’thide their lifestyle.
Instead, they. talk about it openly. ’q’he
kids have adjusted really well. They’re
too youngtobehassled at school,"Weaver
said.
For Weaver and Smith, though, the
public debate has taken its toll¯ "We’ll
take a long drive or. long walk and cry a
few tears," said Smith, who works as a
real estate appraiser from home and taltes
care ofthe childrenwhenWeaveris teaching.
Smith also officiates high school and
college basketball, volleyball and softball
games.
Still, both Weaver and Smith say they
have heard more from supporters than
from opponents who want the schooldistrict
to fire Weaver. "There’s no open
persecution," saidSmith. "Noangryphone
calls, no vandalism. No one’s thrown
snow-balls at us."
Weaver said she has had support from
SpanishForkresidents whomaynot agree
withher lifestyle. "This community is not
like theparents group. Mostbelieve this is
my private life. They judge me for how
they interact with me."
Weaver never dreamed she’d become
embroiled in a controversy that would
attract national attention. For years~ she
said, she battled her feelings. She and her
ex-husband, Gary, who is also.employed
by theNebo District, were seen as amodel
: conple. They welcomed foster children
¯ into theirhome and servedin the commn-
: nity. The Weavers were nominated for
: Family of the Year Award in Salem sev-
¯ eral years ago.
: Whenthecoupledivorced after 15 years
." of marriage, rumors about Weaver’s
: lifestyle arose but didn’t become public
¯ untillast summer when a student who was
: trying to decide if she should play on the
." team askedWeaverpoint-blankifshewas
¯ Gay. Weaver says she told the truth. Not
: long afterthat, thedistrictinformedherof
: the decision to let her go as coach. "I
: wasn’t going to lie about the relationship.
: These kids are 16, 17, 18 years old~ Tell-
. ing them it’s none of their business is
¯ Weaver denies the allegations from
¯¯ some former students that she promoted Lesbianism among athletes. "I pride my-
" self in that I was a coach who played
¯ according to who was best. I played the
¯ best athletes. I didn’t play Gays over non-
" Gays," she said.
¯ Smith says she can relate to those who
¯ are opposed to Weaver. "Six, seven years
¯ ago I probably wouldn’t have gotten in-
" volvedmyself," she said. "I was raised the
: same way these people were raised....
¯ told my morn about eight years ago ¯
¯ wished these peoplewouldjust stayin the closet. I understand their fears, and their
¯ ignorance. That’s the premise they baseit
¯ on, that you can make someone be Gay. ¯
¯ You can’t. They’re operating on a bias they’ve been taught from birth.
: Weaver said shedoesn’t regret the de-
, cisions she’s made. "I would tell .this girl
: again the truth and I wouldfile thelawsuit
: again. I still feel that what the school
: district did to me is wrong.. I feel pretty
¯ OK with where I am."
:Son ConViCted of
: Killing Dad’s Lover ¯ YADKINVILLE, N.C. (AP) -Ason who
¯ had been embarrassed since age 13 about
_" his father’ s homosexuality was convicted
¯ of shooting his dad’s lover to death and
. blinding his father. Jerry Mac Matthews
," Jr., 36, could get the death penalty in the
¯ 1996 attack.
¯ Matthews Shot and wounded his 60-
," year-old father and killed 45-year-old
," Everette Lee Kerley as the two men sat in
¯ a car pfirked outside a restaurant.
¯ The elder Matthews had had a 25-year ¯ relationship with Kerley. The son was
¯ was foundgui!tyWednesday ofmurderas
¯ wall as assault with intent to kill.
¯ Pyschologist Jerry Noble testified that
," the younger Matthews once idolized his
¯ - father but became disillusioned at 13,
¯ when his parents divorced and his father
¯ told him he was homosexual.
¯ Noble said Matthews felt ashamed and
: "feared that one day he may become h0-
¯ mosexual himself."
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my toenails. I love gelhng my toenai’l’s
and every~n,ing else, suc[ed on. If
you’re in the area and turned on, call
me. I’m 35, with Blond hair and Blue
eyes. (Tahlequah) ~11743
ENOUGH DAYDREAMING I’ve
always considered myself Straight,
but k~tely I haven’t b~en able to stop
thinki.ng about sex with another man.
I need someone Straight acting
~isc~et, healthy, and-drug fre~. I’m a
~leaking, pretty well ~uilt, Single,
White male, 29, 6It, 1901bs, with
Brawn hair and Green eyes. (Grand
Lake) e12004
HEAD OFFICE Professional
businessman, 6’1,2151bs, into
dancing, meeting new pepple, and
having~n, wanls to hook up with
some new friends. (Tahlequah)
el 139B
BURNING LOVE I’m a good
looking, White male, 22, 6fi,
1401bs, with Brown hair and
eyes.I’d like to meet other guys to
date. I’m very hot. (Tulsa)
~11917
BLUE COLLAR BUSINESS This
Gay, White male, 45, 5’10,
2201bs, with light, Brown hair and
Green eyes, seeks a blue collar
lypa who’s down to earth, caring,
and enjoys sports and the
outdoors. I want to have a one on
one relationship. I don’t drink or
do drugs, but fdo smoke
cigarettes. (Hefirietta) ~9661
FAST BUDDY Friendly, 36 year
old, White male, 5’10, t601bs,
with Brown hair, Brown eyes, and
a great mind, seeks friends to ¯
hang out with: (Tulsa) ~! 1860
FEED ME TALK I’m easy to look
at, 6’2, 1801bs, with light, Brown
hai~:and Blue eyes. i’m o~ea
minded, into different sce’nes, and
hungry for Conversation and
companionship (Inverness)
~7993
ON THE UP AND UP
Handsome, .Gay, Seminole Indian,
27, 5’6, 1301Bs, seeks an honest,
trustworthy person, 27 to 35, who
shares m~, interests in movies,
music~bnd dancing, for friendship
leading to a long t,e.rm
relationship. I don t smoke and am
a ~ocial drinker~ (Stillwell)
~9~41
THINK NEW I like all kinds of
new-thingvand want to meet guys,
18 to 45, who have some creative
ideas. I’m a good looking, 30 year
old, White n~le, 5’9, 15"01bs. I’m
well built and prefer the same.
(Fort Smith) ~8308
FLY,.FLY AWAY This good ~
Io0k(~gi 30 year old, Gay, Wh te
male, into the outdoors, hiking,
biking, and sunbathing, seeks a
distinguished gentleman, 38 to 45,
with similar interests. I work for a
malor aidine and would love to
take you away somewhere. ITulsa)
~! 1349
THE WOMAN IN ME I’m a 40
year old, White, Transgender
male, seeking a tall, d~minant
male, for friendship. Age and race
are unimportant. I m very, very
domestic, and extremely feminine.
I enjoy pleasing a man in every
way and I need someone who can
respond to the woman in me.
(Tulsa) ~t 11330
IN THE AIR Clean shaven,
attractive, drug free, White male,
35, with Brown hair and Blue eyes,
seeks other .quys, for friendship
and a passiE;le long term
relationship. I en oy quiet
evenings, anything outdoors,
dancing, and hanging out with
friends. (Tulsa) e11015
MY EVENING ROUTINE Most
evenings, I kick back, open a nice
beer, watch some Iv, and start
massaging myself. I’d love to meet
someone to share my routine with.
(Tulsa) el 1041
RUNNING AROUND Very
out.cioing, fun Iovin~l, 19 year old,
~h’~te male, 6ft, l~’51bs, with
Black hair and Blue eyes, seeks
other g.uys for friendship or a long
term relationship. (Tulsa)
~ i 0572
NO P~SSURE l~is feminine Bi, White
fumale, 5’4,115b wi~n ~l~ir and
Blue eye~, seekso~feminine Bi female
hieMship or more. Ilike to go ~, ,,but I also
.enjoy s~ing in, v,atching a video. I m
Ifie outdoors. I don’t sm~e but I have a
drink occasbndly. (Sdina) ~)470
MJDWEST lIES I’m a L~ian wriler and
oumali~ who’s lied to Ihe mldv~t ~. a
,/nile.i’m intended in meeting
wi~ v~nom to discuss liten~re and the
(Tulsa) ei0163
NEW TO THI SNOW This 20)rear ok]
he~ frun ,~. Lauderdo~. I~t me~ many
C-ay and Bi womyn yet, but am anxious to
~ke some ’.ft~s. IF~erwo~ benvee~
18 and 30, d any race. Some of my
idere~ indude ~le~ading, rnov~, and
going to parks. (Tulsa) =10181
lifomia and~d some f~ends to
~h0w me what Oklahoma is aft ab0ut. I
¯joy music, dancing, sf~.ts., going outb
~, and good peq~ to shor~ it a~ with.
~Tulso) ,,96Sl "
BLOI~E ANDBI AJtrad~, Ei White
~naJe 6~t w~ BJondehair ~sano~
Bi ~[e, ~,~ li~ to~.n’yl go out
da.ncing, see movi~, and~a lot of fun.
(Tulsa) ~7095
NE’W STAll OF MIND Thls v.~ .
[eminine, Bi curious, White ~maJel newto
~area, ~nts to hook up witch o~,,r Bi or
Bi c.ur~,s womyn, for fun. Let’s get to know
eachother, fl’ulso) e7030
To reconl),ourFREE Call: )0.546- ENN (We’ll here)
I
the Rev. Jimmy Creech said Wednesday.
Last week, Nebraska Bishop Joel
Martinez extended Creech’s suspension
at least until a committee investigating
Creech’s officiating at a Lesbian-union
ceremony completes its work. Creech performed
the Lesbian "covenanting" ceremony
on Sept. 16, after Martinez told
himnotto. Creech saidhefelt the church’s
prohibitionon such unions was "discriminatory
and unjust" and "because I felt it
was my responsibility as a pastor to sup
port the couple."
The names of the Lesbian couple, who
came to Creech in April requesting the
ceremony, have not been made public.
The issue has divided the 1,900-member
church and galvanized United Methodists
across the state and around the country.
Church member Mel Semrad, who was
head of the .finance committee when
Creech was hired, said he believes most
members welcome people regardless of
sexual orientation. "But we also believe
we should follow the guidelines of the
General Conference" that prohibit sexual
unions, he said.
If the investigation determines .Creech "~
acted wrongly, either in violation of the
church’s rules orbecause he failed to obey
Martinez’ order, Creech said he is ready
to appeal to the United MethodistJudicial
Council, which acts as asupreme courtfor
the denomination. Creech saidhebelieves
a statement in the church’s Social Principles
adopted in 1996 that prohibits homosexual
unionceremonies is contrary to
the biblical .teachings of Christ.
Creech performed more than a dozen
such ceremonies for Gay and Lesbian
couptes while a pastor at FairmontUnited
Methodist Church in Raleigh, N.C. All
those ceremonies occurred several years
before the 1996 General Conference of
the UMC passed the ban, be’said.
Creech said he and his wife, Chris
Weedy, married in 1992 in a courthouse
marriage ceremony followed by a
convenant ceremony in the church that
did not include marriage vows as a statement
of solidarity to what homosexuals
face. "We did it to be in solidarity with
GaymenandLesbians who are denied the
righttohave their relationship recognized
as legal," he said.
In part because of his activism on Gay
issues,Creechlosthis position atFairmont
UMC, was unemployed for six months,
then served as a social lobbyist for the
North Carolina Council of Churches for
five years before coming to Nebraska.
Marriage Case to
Goto VT High Court
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - The issue of
Seine-gender marriages is going to the
state-Supreme Court. Three Chittenden
County same-gender couples filed an appeal
Thursday of a December Superior
Courtruling dismissingalawsuitin which
they sought the right to mzrry.
Judge Linda Levitt had agreed with the
couples on several areas, but disagreed on
the overriding issue. "While all of the
(couples’).arguments claiming the.state’s
publie purpose is invalid are clear and
sensible, none is persuasive enough for
this Court to determine that the Legislature
is unjustified in using the marriage
statutes to further the link between procreation
and child rearing," Levitt s~id.
Three couples - Start Baker and Peter
Harrigan of Shelbume, Nina Beck and
who carry the AIDS virus but do not have
full-blownAIDS. The policy of San Francisco
has been that there shouldno reports
of HIV tests without the explicit consent
of the patient.
But this has made it tough to track
where the virus is spreading, what risk
factors lead to infections, and where to
target treatment and prevention. Because
of improved treatments, fewer and fewer
HIV-infected people actually progress to
AIDS, so they remain unreported.
The panel explicitly rejected reporting
names, instead proposing a system that
uses crypticcodes, basedonunique"identifiers"
- numbers or letters corresponding
to an individual. This would protect
privacy andminimizefear ofAIDS-based
discrimination, the panel said.
Several AIDS and civil rights groups
have dropped their resistance to HIV reporting,
includingthe S,an FranciscoAIDS
Foundation; GayMen s Hcalth Crisis, the
nation’s largest service provider; AIDS
Action, a national group representing
2,500 commtmity providers ofAIDS services;
theAmericanCivil Liberties Union;
and the Lambda Legal Defense and Education
Fund.
The panel also insisted that all HIV
testing be voluntary,not required. To better
detect chznging trends inthe epidemic,
the city should seek a way to offer free or
low-cost AIDS tests, according to the
report.
The summit also addressed treatment,
employment, prevention, housing and
funding. More than 100 experts, led by
Drs. Marcus Conant and Thomas Coates
of the University of California, San Francisco,
formed subcommittees to study the
issues and makeformal recommendations
to the mayor. Brown has vowed to.implement
¯e recommendations through his
newly created Mayor’s AIDS Leadership
Forum and the appointment of a seniorlevel
staff person in his office.
AIDS Increases In
Older Americans
ATLANTA (AP) - New AIDS cases rose
morethan twice as fast among those over
50 than among younger adults between
1991. and 1996, suggesting that older
people aren’t protecting themselves
against the disease.
The-Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention said 6,400 AIDS cases were
diagnosed in the United States among
people at least 50 years oldin 1996, a22%
increase from 1991. Cases for the 13-to-
49 age group rose 9% in the same period,
to 50,300. The center recently reported
that 12 - 15% of the AIDS cases in Arizona
are people over 55.
The CDC said most older adults who
gotAIDS in theearly days ofthe epidemic
probably contracteditfromatsintedblood
transfnsion. Now,moreare being infected
byunprotected sex andbyinjecting drugs.
’q’hese are older.adults who are engag~
ing in some risky behaviors because they
don’t perceive themselves to be at risk,"
Dr. Kimberly Holding of the CDC said
Thursday. AmongOlderwomen, thenumber
of new AIDS cases linked to unprotected
sex more than doubled between
1991 and 1996-from340 to 700. In older
men, that increase was almost as sharp,
from 360 to 700. New cases among older
men who inject drugs jumped 53%, from
850 to 1,300. Among older women, the
increase was 75%, from 160 to 280.
record
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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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[1998] Tulsa Family News, February 1998; Volume 5, Issue 2
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
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Tom Neal
Date
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February 1998
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James Christjohn
Leanne Gross
Barry Hensley
Jean-Pierre Legrandbouche
Lamont Linstrom
Kerry Lobel
Judy McCormick
Josh Whetsell
The Associated Press
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Tom Neal/Tulsa Family News
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Tulsa Family News, January 1998; Volume 5, Issue 1
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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/544
'Ellen'
Adam Mastoon
Adam West
adoption
AIDS/HIV
AIDS/HIV fundraising
AIDS/HIV reporting
AIDS/HIV research
arts and entertainment
attorneys
Audra Sommers
Barry Hensley
Bars
businesses
children
churches
Cimarron Alliance
custody
Dave Fleischer
discrimination
divorce
Do-It-Yourself Dyke
Domestic Partner Benefits
Don't Ask Don't Tell
Dyke Psyche
employment discrimination
Entertainment Notes
Esther Rothblum
Gay Studies
GLAAD
homophobia
insurance
James Christjohn
Jean-Pierre La Grandbouche
Lamont Lindstrom
local elections
marriage
Mary Schepers
National Conference
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Native Americans
parenting
Partner Benefits
performing arts
PFLAG
prom
Read All About It
restaurants
Tom Neal
traveling
Tulsa Area Prime Timers
Tulsa City Council
Tulsa Family News
Tulsa Two-Spirited Indian Men's Support Group
-
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/88073056f2827072b9870be931b101d0.jpg
d8fdc9557c15ac479efc121424369e84
https://history.okeq.org/files/original/7c13f359888fb68a2427eb6a06bac2ad.pdf
37679881844b513e2d8f1434a2e90b8b
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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[Series] Newsletters & Publications > Ozarks Pride, Ozarks Star, Star, Metro Star Newspapers, 2004-2011
Subject
The topic of the resource
Politics, education, and social conversation over LGBTQ+ topics
Publisher
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Ozarks Pride
Ozarks Star
Star
Metro Star
Date
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2004-2011
Format
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Images
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PDF
Language
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English
Type
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magazine
Description
An account of the resource
Ozarks Pride's first issue began in January of 2004. Then follows Ozarks Pride (2004), The Star (2005), and The Metro Star (2008).
This magazine discusses topics of AIDs, education, politics, local and national civil rights of the LGBT community, and advice for relationships and places to visit.
This collection is PDF searchable. Physical copies are also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Southwest Missouri
Western Arkansas
Eastern Oklahoma
Southeast Kansas
The United States of America (50 states)
Creator
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Ozarks Pride/Star Media
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
C.D. Ward
T.J. Kelly
Chaz Storm
Marion Wilson
Greg Steele
Randy Vineyard
Steve T. Urie
Chaz
Lady Bunny
Romeo San Vincente
Steve T. Urie
Donald Pile
Ray Williams
Michael Hinzman
Jack Fertig
Identifier
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https://history.okeq.org/items/browse?collection=19&page=1
Text
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magazine
Text
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ESTABLISHED 2003 www.ozarksstar.com MAY 2008
One of the longest running and largest of Gay Rodeo Organizations in the International
Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA) system, Oklahoma’s Great Plains Rodeo will kick off it’s
23rd year. A fun filled weekend May 23 through May 25th 2008. The event will be held in
Oklahoma City at State Fair Park, 333 Gordon Cooper Blvd.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK ~The fun begins
with the Great Plains Rodeo Kickoff Party
hosted at the Finishline Thursday, May 22
featuring the current reigning OGRA Royalty.
This is a great chance to meet and greet,
dance and party, and ready yourself for the
weekend to come.
The host hotel for the Rodeo is the Hilton
Garden Inn, and there is a block of rooms
available at a special rate from May 22-26
that will be available until May 16 or until
they sell out, whichever comes first. Registration
for the event happens Friday from 6
p.m. until 9 p.m. Tickets are available from
OGRA members for $10 or $15 at the gate.
The Rodeo takes place at the Oklahoma
State Fairgrounds on Saturday May 24 and
Sunday May 25, beginning at 8 a.m. both
days. To keep the weekend wild the Texas
Gay Rodeo Association will host their Texas
T Party on that Saturday in the Copa from
6 p.m. until 9 p.m. featuring fantastic food
and fun.
The Oklahoma Gay Rodeo Association,
Inc. (OGRA) is a nonprofit organization
and member of the International Gay
Rodeo Association, Inc. (IGRA) which is
comprised of 28 state/provincial associations
throughout the United States and Canada.
OGRA is proud to be the first association
seated at the first ever IGRA Convention in
1985 For more information check out the
OGRA website at www.ogra.net.
An Exclusive Interview
With OGRA’s 4 Term
President, Klint Wieden
Photo: Klint Wieden with his horse
Cherokee. "I grew up in the small northwest
Oklahoma town ofArnett. I rode horses and
worked cattle my whole life, so that’s really
who I am." Klint told the Star. PAGE-12
Newly revamped
drag-free Tulsa
Pride 2008
unveiled
By Joey De
TULSA, OK __ Organizers of this year’s
Tulsa Pride Celebration are promising the
public that this year’s events will be anything
but boring. "We have made a lot of
changes to the entire celebration," says Nate
Black, one of the co-chairs. Black says the
changes are intended to breathe a new sense
of excitement into the pride observance
and to help promote the revitalization of
downtown.
"People don’t kno,v downtown. They
don’t know how to get here, they don’t
know where to park, they don’t know how
many things are down here and growing,"
Black says. "We have moved the events to
................ Continued Page 5
i 7 West 7th Street (corner 7th & ~3oulder Ave) e Tulsa, Ok 74ii9
www.ozarksstar.com
1:800o535oAtDS (2437)
PROTECT YOURSELF
PROTKOT YOUR PAR
www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 3
Join us for our biggest issue of
the year! PRIDE 2008.
Be a part of
RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW
Deadline Thursday l~ay t 5f.h
Serving the Oklahoma GLBT community since 2003.
Mr OkAahoma
Continentall Benefits
OYP Tulsao
By Judy G.
Charles Frederick Mr Oklahoma Continental 2008
TULSA, OK __ March 28th, Singer and
entertainer Chades Frederick, Mr. Oklahoma
Continental, began one of the many
benefits planned to support Openarms
Youth Project in Tulsa to a standing room
only crowd. Many parents and grandparents
of the entertainers were in attendance.
David Dees, owner of Club Majestic, 124
N. Boston, Tulsa, donated the use of the
dub for this worthy benefit. ~he event
raised $770 for OYE.
Entertainers were Sabastyn Croft, Tazia
Kennedy, Cort, Brooke Kennedy-Miss OK
National Queen, Mindy Bartlett, KC Morgan,
Kordylia Kennedy, Alex Kennedy, Iman
Scott-Miss Goddess 2007, Daphne Rio and
Nicole Poverty-Miss OYE.
Donations
to benefit the GLBT youth group,
many who are or were homeless just because
they are gay, can be made to Openarms
Youth Project, 2015-B S. Lakewood, Tulsa,
Ok. 74112, or contact Tim or Ken at 918-
838-7104.
TULSA PRIDE:
give people a reason to check it (downtown)
out, but also to come enjoy our new center
and see how many resources are available."
The first big change this year that Black
notes is the separation of the Pride Festival
from the Pride Parade. This year, the parade
will occur June 7 and the festival will occur
June 14.
Following a national trend, the Pride
Parade will be held in the evening, escaping
the oppressive summer sun. The parade will
fol!ow a new route, taking it from the Brady
Arts District through downtown to the
Dennis R. Neill Equality Center.
When the parade ends at 4th and
Kenosha, the new Pride Block Party will
kick off: "There will be 2 stages of entertainment,
beer tents, vendors and all kinds of
activities," says Black, who also notes that
national music sensation Eric Himan will
be performing. Black also says that for those
with children, the second floor of the equality
center will be open to provide licensed
babysitters for a small fee.
A week later, the Diversity Festival
will kick off in Centennial Park just west
of6th & Peoria. Black says that the newly
revamped festival will feature two stages of
entertainment with a multi-ethnic array of
performers, an international food court,
children’s area, local vendors and more.
According to Black, including other
faith and ethnic communities is not an attempt
to "de-gay" Pride, but to help create
community allies. "We have to realize our
commitment to justice can not be for the
gay community only. We have to speak out
against racism and against bigotry. "The
GLBT community is in every population,"
"By increasing our alliances we strengthen
our own commitment for our people."
’This is still a gay pride event," Black
emphasizes. There will be a leather fashion
show, there will be drag queens, and there
xvill be rainbows. It’s still very gay, but it is
also more professional and more inclusive."
The final major change that Black says
will be occurring is the moving of the
Diversity Gala to the historic Cain’s Ballroom.
Black says that not only does this
help to create an emphasis on downtown,
but it also provides much needed space for
the event to grow.
For the latest updates on the Tulsa Pride
Celebration, visit their web site at www.
tulsapride.org.
2008 LGBT Leadership
Summit OKC
Saturday, May 10, 9am-5pm, Ronald J.
Norick Downtown Library, 300 Park Avenue,
Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ The Cimarron
Alliance Foundation wil! host the 2008
LGBT Leadership Summit a one-day event
with four sessions of workshops. This year’s
summit features more extensive workshops
about our state legislature - by far the most
attended session last year - and programs
appealing to college students and young
adults. There will also be two community
forums.
The 2007 LGBT Leadership Summit was
successful beyond expectations. LGBT
and LGBT-friendly persons and organizations
acquired tools and guidance to more
effectively manage themselves and, more
importantly, better collaborate with others
to accomplish common goals.
Workshops
The 2008 LGBT Leadership Summit is a
one-day event with four sessions of up to
five workshops per session. Workshops will
address five topics:
Leadership Development
O Organization Development - non-profits,
fundraising, etc.
o Government- politics and the legislative
process
® Personal Development - spirituality,
equality, etc.
o Anti-violence - anti-bullying, hate crimes,
etc.
For more information go to:
wvcw.cimarronalliance.org
www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 5
Loving the Hater
Wlaile Hating the Hate
By James Nimmo
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ I found a
link recently to a blog (vavw.bilerico.com)
that contains a comment (http://tinyurl.
com/4qdbph) written in reaction to reading
the main story about the Oklahoma City
chapter of PFLAG and their recording of
Rep. Sally Kern (http://tinyurl.com/2zbpgn)
that catches Kern in her spider web of
hubris and cant.
Like the author, I too am very disappointed
with the approach of "loving the hater while
hating the hate."
Ofcourse, I respect our supporters who use
their close relationship with Jesus to try and
gain support for LGBT citizens and other
minorities who are used for verbal target
practice in the ~var for suppression of civil
rights.
I’m delighted the Oklahoma City PFLAG
chapter was able to document the duplicity
of Sally Kern and record with her permission
the lies she later reported as irresponsibility
on the part of PFLAG. This single
incident should show you the arrogance and
madness that is being passed offas legislative
Republican leadership. Not one elected
official in Oklahoma from either major
party has come strongly to the defense and
support of the LGBT taxpayers living in
Oklahoma.
Had Kern used race, skin color, or ethnic
origin as her subject I bet the rent she would
be rene~ving her teaching certificate and
looking for a school that would hire her.
The First Amendment guarantees both sides
the freedom to practice their respective
religious viewpoints and the market place in
which to talk about them.
However, this same First Amendment does
NOT give either side permission to encode
their religious viewpoints into CIVIL law.
I feel this is where we miss the boat in establishing
our birthright to equal treatment
under judicial law, and not the ten laws of
Deuteronomy. There will always be a Bible
verse to trump the opposing Bible verse resulting
in a version of ping-pong skirmishes
with Jesus as the referee.
The writer gives some specific examples of
public, peaceful protest that we can engage
in to show that LGBTs are neither the doormats
nor the monsters our enemies make us
to be.
It’s odd that our suppressors are either afraid
to be in the same room with us, fearing for
their own bodily integrity, keeping their
knees close together; or they, dismiss us as
dippy airheads, frivolous and irresponsible.
How can we be both at the same time?
Their response shows more about the fiction
in their minds then about the truth of our
lives.
Until we get out of the religious justification
business the more we’ll be dragged into its
historical quagmire. Look at the present
wars being fought around the world and
you’ll see religious intolerance at the root.
Our LGBT equality will have to be established
in the legislatures and the courthouses
in all fifty states without religious prejudice
tipping the scales of justice.
6 the STAR
www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 7
Comling o~ eAge
8 the STAR w-ww.ozarksstar.com
©irecYed bs/Davd Geligan
Oklahoma OiV June 8~ 2008 at 8pnq
Brot~-~e~ Boy
www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 9
by Liz Highleyman
What is the history o£GLAAD ??
For more than two decades, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD) has served as the queer community’s watchdog
against biased portrayals of lesbian, ga); bisexual, and transgender
people in the media.
Up until the final decades of the 20th century, representations of
LGBT people in l{lms, television, popular music, and mainstream
publications - if present at all - typically focused on scandal or
ridicule. The burst of gay activism and visibility in the late 1960s
spurred a conservative backlash, and by the mid-1980s, the community
was staggering under the weight of the AIDS epidemic,
as people with HIV faced stigma exacerbated by media portrayals
depicting them as a danger to the "general population."
In 1985, the New York LGBT community was embroiled in a
debate about closure of the .city’s gay bathhouses and grew- increasingly
alarmed about sensationalistic AIDS coverage in the New
York Post. That November, a group of long-time activists including
Vito Russo, Arnie Kantrowitz, Jim Owles, and Darrell Yates Rist
called a town meeting that drew more than 700 participants. Heeding
the exhortation of author Jewetle Gomez to "take responsibility
for what is being said about us," they formed the Gay and Lesbian
Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).
The group began as a grassroots effort, using phone trees and
monthly newsletters to issue alerts about offensive media portrayals
of LGBT people. Among its earliest victories, in 1987 GLAAD
persuaded the New York Times to finally use the word "gay" rather
than "homosexual." Ti~e following year, the New York group hired
its first full-time executive director, Craig Davidson. Meanwhile,
in Los Angeles, Richard Jennings and others started a new chapter
focused on the Hollywood entertainment industry. The bicoastal
organization’s clout continued to grow, enabling it to secure an
apology from comedian Johnny Carson for saying "fag" on the air,
followed by the suspension ofAndy Rooney by CBS for homophobic
and racist comments. In 1992, Entertainment Weekly named
GLAAD one of the 100 most powerful entities in Hollywood.
Before long, new GLAAD chapters arose in Atlanta, Dallas, Denver,
Kansas City, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
But in 1995, the local groups merged into a centralized national
organization with a single board, and a staff based in New York and
Los Angeles; two years later, former Showtime executive Joan Garry
took the helm. Over the next decade, GLAAD initiated projects
focusing on communities of color (including Spanish and Chinese
language media), sports media, faith-based groups, and youth.
GLAAD continued to exert insider pressure, and, when needed, to
organize larger public protests against biased portrayals - like Sharon
Stone’s murderous bisexual temptress in the film Basic Instinct
(1992) - or the omission of queer content, such as excising
a male-male kiss from the television show Melrose Place. Homophobic
song lyrics by rapper Eminem and Jamaican dancehall artists
Beenie Man and Buju Banton were other targets. GLAAD also
reacted to current events, such as the murders of Matthew Shepard
and transgender teen Gwen Araujo, as well as homophobic outbursts
by the likes of the late Rev. Jerry Falwell and Pennsylvania
Senator Rick Santorum.
But in keeping with its mission of promoting "fair, accurate, and inclusive
representation of people and events in the media as a means
of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender
identity and sexual orientation," GLAAD also sought to shape
positive portrayals. It consulted on television and movie scripts
featuring LGBT characters and themes, pitched sympathetic stories
to mainstream publications, provided spokespersons for talk shows,
and trained queer individuals and groups in how to effectively use
the media. In addition to wielding the "stick" of protest, the organization
also dangled the "carrot" of praise, introducing the GLAAD
Media Awards in 1990 to recognize favorable representations of the
community and its issues. After considerable pressure from LGBT
media, the organization agreed in 2007 to honor them along with
nongay outlets.
By 2005, when Garry turned over leadership to Neil Giuliano - the
openly gay former Republican mayor ofTempe, Ariz. - the organization
had a budget approaching $7.5 million and a staff of more than
40. Yet GLAAD’s explosive growth, insider strategy, and increased
emphasis on star-studded events did not sit well with some activists
who felt the organization had moved too far from its grassroots
origins. Further, some were unhappy with tactics they regarded as
censorship, such as the successful pressure campaign to cancel conservative
commentator Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s television show.
GLAAD has "a political agenda that is murky at best - at worst, it
is dangerous to free speech, artistic expression, and the interests of
LGBT people," wrote activist Michae! Bronski. "Judging the accuracy
of a news report is much different than judging art. GLAAD
can deal with these issues by getting out of show business and back
into watchdog media commentary."
Despite the criticism, GLAAD continues with its goal of"changing
people’s hearts and minds through what they see in the media."
According to the organization, "What people see at the movies
or read in the newspaper shapes how they view and treat the gay,
lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people around them, and we have
a responsibility to make sure those images foster awareness, understanding
and respect."
For further reading:
Bronski, Michael. 2005. ~Not So GLAAD Anymore." Z Magazine (May 1).
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. www.glaad.org.
Gross, Larry: 2002. Up From Invisibility: Lesbians, Gay Men and the Media in America
(Columbia University Press).
10 the STAR www.ozarksstar.com
OkEq Announces Anrmat
Equality Gala
Saturday, May 3t, 6pm, Cain’s Ballroom,
423 N Main Ave
TULSA, OK__ (ENEWS) Oklahomans
for Equality is excited to announce its annual
Equality Gala, held this year at the legendary
Cain’s Ballroom. Benefiting OkEq, the Gala
honors Lifetime Achievement Axvard xvinner
Charles Faudree, Community Heroes George
Kaiser Family Foundation and Carol Crawford,
and Russ Bennett Spiritual Inclusion
Award winner Nancy Day: The program
features a champagne and hors d’oeuvre
reception, live entertainment by Jared Tyler
and Valerie Eskridge accompanied by Jacob
Fred Jazz Odyssey, dinner by Taste Catering
and wine donated by Loring Wine Company.
Don’t miss the black tie event of the
season, celebrating Tulsa’s rich diversity.
Sponsorship information and tickets are
available at: wxvw.okeq.org
Co ° munity for
People iving
with
H P !iA1D8
A 501 c (3) Non Profit O~:gan:izatlon
Our House, Too offers a variety of
activities for people who are HIV+ and
or living with AIDS to help combat the
social isolation that many of our
people live through each and everyday.
VVe provide a Toiletry and Household
Pantry for those who are HIV+
and or living with AIDS who cannot
afford to purchase these items for
themselves. We invite anyone who
would like to volunteer or provide financial
assistance to please contact
us by phone 918-585-9552 or e-mail
harrismmjr@yahoo.com.
www.0zarksstar.c0m
New exhibit featuring
artist Ann Marie Distefano
at the Dennis R.
Neill Equality Center.
TULSA, OK (PR) __ The Dennis R. Neill
Equality Center art gallery will host its
monthly First Thursday meet-the-artist
reception from 6-9pm, Thursday, May 1,
2008, for the opening of it’s May exhibit,
paintings by Ann Marie Distefano.
Ann Marie’s paintings emerge from an aspiration
to reclaim the spiritual dignity of
art. "I want to make art that might open for
the receptive viewer the window onto
eternity," states Distefano. She continues,
"My paintings are ’plugged into’ an inner
source within myself that is very deep and
sometimes unknown. What I seek to achieve
is independence of artistic and philosophical
fashions. My goal as an artist is to reveal
an ineffable presence, the contemplation of
which can lead the viewer towards an intuitive
recognition of his or her own inherent
radiance."
Distefano, a native Bostonian, has been
living in Tulsa for the past four years. She is
a graduate of the School of the Museum of
Fine Arts of Boston. The reception will be
generously catered by donation by Baxter’s
Interurban Grill. The exhibit will remain
up through the month of May, and can be
viewed Monday thru Saturday from 3-9pm.
The Dennis R. Neill Equality Center is located
at 621 E. 4th St., in downtown Tulsa.
More info can be found on the web at okeq.
org.
This monthly event is hosted by Oklahoman’s
for Equality (OkEq)_. OkEq seeks
equal rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual &
Transgender (LGBT) individuals and
families through advocacy, education, programs,
alliances, and the operation of
the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center.
Emmy Award Winner
Leslie Jordan (Brother
Boy) In Oklahoma City.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK __ Leslie Jordan
famed "Sordid Lives" star, will bring his one
man show, "My Trip Down The Pink Carpet"
to OKC June 8th at the Tolbert Theater
@ Stage Center. "In 1982, Leslie Jordan
jumped offa Greyhound bus from the hills
ofTennessee, said ’hello’ to Hollywood and
has never looked back. With hundreds of
television and film roles to his credit, he is
probably best remembered for ’Kyle’ hapless
ex-con on Muphey Brown, ’Resplendent
Man’ entrepreneurial super hero on Lois and
Clark, and can currently be seen recurring
as ’Mr. Beverly Leslie’ on the hit series, \Vgill
& Grace. Mr. Jordan just finished a stint on
the two hit series, Ally McBeal and Boston
Public as ’Dr. Benjamin Harris’ cloning expert
turned new-age reverend turned science
teacher turned drama coach.
Mr. Jordan has also had a successful stage
career. He played ’Brother Boy’ a Tammy
Wynette fixated drag queen, in Del Shores
hit play Sordid Lives and went on to star
in the film adaptation of that play. He also
has won every award for best supporting
actor LA gives in theatre (Back Stage West
Garlands, LA Weekly, LA Drama Critics
Circle) for his portrayal of’Peanut Leroy’ a
sodden aging homosexual in the runaway
hit, Southern Baptist Sissies.
the STAR 11
By Victor Gorin
ooking forward to the upcoming
Great Plains Rodeo,
O.G.R.A. President Klint
Wieden shares his thoughts
and hopes not only for this
event but for OGRA and the gay
cowboys and cowgirls of Oklahoma.
Originally from the small Oklahoma
community of Arnett, he grew up as a
typical Oklahoma cowboy, belonging
to both 4-H and the Future Farmers of
America. He went on to OSU where he
majored in animal science and business,
and now resides in OFdahoma
City with his current career of copier
sales while enjoying being a cowboy on
the side. We appreciate him sharing his
time with us.
Victor: How many years has the Great
Plains Regional Rodeo been in Oklahoma
City?
Klint: This is our 23rd year, and it has been
held for the last 15 years at the Oklahoma
State Fairgrounds. It began with a group of
people looking for an avenue where they
could have friendly competition, socialize
together and work together. It was a place
for people who had something in common,
a love of rodeo. They were gay cowboys who
didn’t really feel that they fit into the gay
scene at that time.
The I.G.R.A. ( International Gay Rodeo
Association) was formed, and O.G.R.A (
Oklahoma Gay Rodeo Association) was
among the first state organizations. At the
same time, the founders felt that they could
also help the community by being a major
fundraiser for charities of the community.
Victor: A tradition that continues to this
day.
Klint: Besides the competition and fun
involved, fundraising is truly what the rodeo
Photo: Klint Wieden President OGRA
is all about. \Ve raise money all year long to
put it on, and then take the proceeds from
that to give back to local charities.
Victor: Is it still a regional rodeo?
Klint: It had formerly been the Great Plains
Regional Rodeo, representing other states as
well. Today it is the Great Plains Rodeo, an
event solely of OGRA. There is another organization
in Tulsa, the Sooner State Rodeo
Association, who also has their own rodeo.
Victor: Of course the situation is much better
than it was over 25 years ago. There were
probably a lot of gay cowboys who felt they
couldn’t be themselves and fit into what
they perceived the gay community to be at
that time. But even today straight people are
astounded that there are gay cowboys, much
less a rodeo.
Klint: A couple a years ago the Daily Oklahoman
wrote about our rodeo. \Vhat was
to be a small paragraph turned into a front
page story, hit the AP wires and was read
all over the country. It was also read
by my parents, who I had not been
out with, who accepted me for the
gay cowboy I was.
Victor: Gay just happens, but cowboys
are made. So how did it happen
that you are a cowboy?
Klint: I grew in the small northwest
Oklahoma town ofArnett, 18 people
in my graduating class. Arnett is a
farming and ranching community,
I rode horses and worked cattle my
whole life, so that’s really who I am.
Like many straight people, I thought
you had to be flamboyant and feminine
to be gay, and that wasn’t me.
Once I learned there were country gay
bars with cowboys, and gay rodeos,
I thought" wow!" I fit in. That was great to
kno~v.
Victor: Of course the movie Brokeback
Mountain had an enormous impact on
America as a whole. I’m sure it had a special
effect for the gay rodeo scene.
Klint: It made people aware, both gay and
straight, that there were people in that
lifestyle who happened to be gay. So many
gay cowboys could really relate to it, felt we
had to hide for fear of not being accepted by
our families, friends, bosses, or even the gay
communir):
Victor: So how rewarding has your hard
work been with OGRA?
Klint: \Veil this is my 4th term as the President
of OGRA, I’ve been the rodeo director.
I’m very out and very proud of what I’m
doing. I have no problem telling businesses,
like my dry cleaners, my dentist, my
veterinarian that I support them, I’m a gay
cowboy, and I’d like their support for our
............ Continued PAGE 23
12 the STAR www.ozarksstar.com
Foreman eaves Task Force
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Executive Director Matt Foreman quit his
job April 15 and moved to San Francisco to
head up the Gay & Lesbian Rights Program
at the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.
The fund provides more grant support to
GLBT organizations than aW other nongay
foundation in the U.S.
Foreman was at the Task Force for five years
and is credited with grmving the staff to 54
full-timers and doubling the organizanon’s
budget to $10 million.
"I’m incredibly privileged to have had this
job for the last five years, and to have been
paid to be gay for the last 18," Foreman said
in an interview. "There are so many people
who give their hearts and souls to our
movement without any compensation or for
ridiculously low salaries, and that certainly
includes LGBT journalists.
’Tm also overwhelmed with pride in our
people," he said. "One thing I hear a lot in
my travels is: ’There’s no such thing as a gay
community. No one’s on the same page. In a
few years we’ll all be assimilated, etc., etc.’ I
couldn’t disagree more.
"Name me one community -- or family, for
that matter -- where everyone agrees and
everyone gets along. That’s not community,
but banality.... No, there’s no monolithic
gay community, but there are dozens and
dozens of communities within our larger
movement and they’re accomplishing amazing
things every day. There’s community
everywhere I go -- some purely social, others
religious, others political, others professional.
"While we do have a very, very long way
to go, the fact that we’ve made so much
progress while being such a tiny minority
and against such mighty opponents is, to
me, proof positive that we do indeed have a
vibrant people and community."
Wockner News Service
PlanetOut to selll Advocate,
Out, Myson, porn mags
PlanetOut Inc. is selling The Advocate and
Out magazines -- as well as The Out Traveler,
HIVPlus, three porn magazines and book
publisher Alyson Publications -- to an affiliate
of the gay TV network here! for $6 million.
The sale price is far !ess than the $31.1 million
PlanetOut Inc. paid for the magazines and
book compaW when it bought LPI Media
Inc. and SpecPub Inc. in 2005. PlanetOut
Inc. reported a loss of $51.2 million last year.
The company xvill continue to own and operate
Gay.com and PlanetOut.com.
In January, PlanetOut Inc. "retained Allen
& Company, LLC to assist the company in
evaluating strategic alternatives, including a
possible sale of the company," a press release
said.
The corporation also announced in January
"that it will no longer be providing quarterly
or annual earnings guidance and will not
hold quarterly earnings calls."
The porn magazines included in the sale to
Regent Releasing
and Unzipped. A fourth SpecPub Inc. porn
magazine, known as [2], has ceased publication,
but the sale will include the trademark
"[2]," PlanetOut Inc. CEO Karen Magee said
via e-mail.
Obama grants
interview to
Advocate
Under fire for not speaking
with local and regional gay
cations, presidential
candidate Barack Obama sat
down for an interviexv with
Advocate.corn on April 10.
"The gay press may feel like I’m
not giving them enough love. But
basically, all press feels that xvay at
times;’ Obama said. "Obviously,
when you’ve got limited amount of
time, you’ve got so many oudets.
We tend not to do a whole bunch of specialized
press.... But I haven’t been silent on gay
issues. What’s happened is, I speak oftentimes
to gay issues to a public general audience"
Obama said he supports passage of a federal
law protecting transgender people from discrimination
but he’s not sure there’s support
in Congress for the move. A bill outlawing
job discrimination against gays, lesbians and
bisexuals has passed the House of Representatives
and is pending in the Senate.
"I have been clear about my interest in including
gender identity in legislation, but I’ve also
been honest ~vith the groups that I’ve met
with that it is a heavy lift through Congress,"
he said. "\Ve’ve got some Democrats who are
willing to vote for a non-inclusive bill but we
lose them on an inclusive bill, and we just may
not be able to generate the votes"
Obama said he understands gay people’s frustration
with candidates such as himself(and
Hillary Clinton) who support, civil-union
but not marriage for
same-sex couples,’ I strongly
respect the right ofsamesex
couples to insist
that even ifwe got
complete equality in
benefits, it still
wouldn’t be equal because
the same
~vord, marriage, assigned to
it; he said. "I understand that,
3ective is also
the
broader
,olitical and
’ historical
context in
which I’m
opera
ing"
MORE
PAGE
27
www.ozarksstar.com the STAR 13
Rata Esparza Slays ’Era in 2518
Eventually, all the Broadway stars try their
tuck in Hollywood. And it Was just ~ matter
of time before Raul Esparza, the han&ome
Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk
Award winner (both for _Company_ and
TabooL wandered west. Xhe bisexual actor
has already fom~.d success on the small
screen, cast m a recurring ro!e on A Cs h,t
Pushing Daisies. BUt n~w he ma.v be s,tepping
wlay outside the feel-good box he ~ been
in - hes in t~ to play a s~riaI killer in Wes
Craven~ latest ~een-horror fihm, 2518. Concerning
a group 0fkids being stalked
by a killer believed to have died on
the birthday they share in common,
the film will co’star teenage collies
0 pe ) and
Shareeka epps (Half-Nelson). No
production or release dates yet, but
the scary stuffis due to shoot soon.
Gay Cast Populates C vas
Shifting the Canvass. an indie drama due
m rackJe the complicated lives of a group
of BrooMyn friends aAer 9/11. has cast
several ~:aces fan~iliar to queer audiences.
notably up-and-coming gay actor Cheyem~e
Ja4k~on. t~t seen on film as rugby player
M~k Bingha~n in United 93, and cur~endy
on Broadway in the hit music~ 3~adu,
Jackson will star as a heterosexuN W~
Srree~ executive involved with a group of gay
ffien&. Rounding out the c~st is ~& in ~e
HNI alum Scott "~,ompson, ~ well as John
Paul Pimc (best remembered ~ the hotW
go-go boy in N’icD and Gedde Watanabe
(last seen reD,lart~ as a gay nurse on ER, but
forever kmown as ’Long D~ Dong" from
SNteen CanNes). ~le film rolls in June and
promises ~meos ~- several ~-yevunn~ed
New ~brk ni~tti~e personalties.
Cosby Goes to Jail
Moore kmows how hard it is for an
; a break from the business
so lately she~ been
a low-risk comeback? Get on
indie-film bus. And that’s exacdy what
he’s been doing, recently starring in the
.’ist drama Flawless with Michael Caine.
nd now set to shoot gay writer-director from a
d~tchell Llchtenste~ns (Teeth) latest film. mate
Happy Tears. She’s i~ good compan> ~oo,
~ih~e-fitm veteran P~ker Posey has signed taste,
,n toplay lvloore’s younget sibling. ~2ne
kama focuses on the two estranged sisters
me selfLaggrandizing, the other bitter and
~dn~) as they re-establish their relationlip
and deal with their elderly father’s
progressive dementia. Shooting now in 2010.
i~hiiadelphia, look for the happiness sometim~
in 2009.
who finds herself
Notably up-and-coming gay actor Cheyenne
Jack,on. Photo: By Ben Strothmann
14 the STAR wv~,.ozarksstar.com
Brief history from
around the
There is a lot to learn about this versatile
wine. There are plenty ofgood Rieslings to
taste. Let~ start with Australian offerings.
They are noted fbr their oily- texture and citrus
fruit flavors in their youth and a smooth
balance of freshness and acid as they age.
New Zealand Riesling was first planted in the
1970s and has flourished in the relatively cool
climate of the Marlborough area. In comparison
to Australian Riesting, New Zealand
produces lighter and more delicate wines that
range from sweet to dry.
][n Cati~brnia, Riesling lags far behind in popularity
to Chardonnay ~d is not as commonly
planted. A notable exception is
opment ofhigh quality Late Harvest
So i]~r, the Late Harvest wines
produced are in the Anderson
Valleys (north of Santa Rosa) where
is more likely to encourage dte needed botutis
develop. ~ae Riesling that does ~
fornia tends to be softer, fuller, a
diverse flavors than a "tTpical" ~
ofBonW Doon, F
Mountain A~v~& with
dedicated completely to
With high acidity and
peach
has deveto
area is re
t facility
[, citric,
With German Riesling,
of ~vine
Pr~dikat (QmP)
PRAY-dee-kahq. It is the
defined by the
1971.
,nit
New York, particularly in ~e Finger Lakes
region, was one ofthe eaMiest U.S, producers
ofPdesling. Plantings started to appear in
California by 1857 and fbllowed in xNSshington
State in 1871.
New ~tbrk Riesling generally has a characteristic
effervescent light body with a similarly
light, mellow flavor, The wine can be dynamic
though rarely robust, and ranges from dry to
sweet. New York is also a notable producer
ofRiesling based Ice Wine, although a large
majority ofNew ~%rk ke Wine is made from
Vidal Blanc and Vigno~es.
In the Pacific Northwest there is a stark contrast
in Riesling production. ~Ihe grape is currently on
the rise in ~VZ~shington State but on the decline
in neighboring Oregon. Pdesling from this area
ranges from dr?" to sweet, m~d has a crisp lighmess
that bodes well for e~sy drin~ng. Often there will
be an easily detectable peach and mineral complex.
Some Washington State winemakers, such as
Chateau Ste. Michelle, are adapting Germau-style
There are six subcategories
categor?; ranked from
determine various levels
.are: K)~BINE~, SP/&TLESE
BEEI?J);NAUSLESE, EISWEIN,
ENBEERENAUSLESE. Each care
fined by a minimum sugar content of the
which varies {::rotn region to region. The focus
sugar content embodies the theoW that grapes
with bdgher sugar levels are riper and therefore
yield richer wines with deep colors and intense
flavors.
Although Riesling is best known from Germa-
W’s Mosel-Saa>Rmver, Pfalz, Rheinhessen and
Rheingau m:eas, wines from Alsace and Austria
attain equal greatness. France’ Alsace’s
are coveted for their high sugar levels and
endless aging abili9~.
Food Paring
Riesling is a versatile wine for pairing with food
because ofits balance ofsugar and acidity: tt can ~
paired with Thai and Chinese cuisine and various
Rieslingproduction methods, and even parmering . types ofdishes prepared more on the spicy side.
with well&~own German vinmers like Dr. Ernest One can also enjoy this wine with spicy ham,
Loosen to create specialty wines such as the Eroig~ pork with pineapple chutney, stir-fried snow peas
Riesling, with spicy shrimp, crab, turkey, barbequed or
www.ozarksstar.com
smoked meats, . white sausages, crab cakes
gouda & grwere~
:this wine can be paired as an
cake, apples/pears, caramel/
wmilla ice creaan,
Schm~ Sohne Relax ’06
Job JOS P~Urn/Spatlese ’04
Jakob Dem~er/Kabinett ’06
~ ’06
Pacific Rim Califor-
Series Australia ’06
And as always, I say go to your favorite
wine shop, ask questions and purchase
a bottle or two. Share some food &
wine with friends and check this out for
yourself.
Vlr. D also hosts wine & food events
known in town as the Wine Enthusiasts
of Tulsa.
References include: the ABC’s of wine by James
Laube/vcww.WineSpectator.com
,#~,~v.FoodandWine.com
www.Wikipedia.org
the STAR 15
HOST HOTEL
801 South Meridian Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73108
¯35-9~2-1400 ¯ 1-877-STAY-HGI
OVER FLOW HOTEL
1511 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City, OK 73118
405-840-5557
by Donald Pile and Ray Williams
Campbell Street, Springfield, MO Early 1900’s
~ormany years, Springfield, Missouri has gotten
a bad rap fi’om the gay and lesbian community all over the country.
Even many of our straight friends have been hesitant about visiting
Springfield. Like many cities in the "Bible Belt", Springfield has had
in the past a reputation for being extremely conservative and even
homophobic. Well, readers, things have CHANGED and for the
better ! At the invitation of the Springfield, Missouri Convention
& Visitors Bureau we visited Springfield last month. They showed
us their beautiful city, their museums, attractions, galleries, dining
options and we must admit that we are now in love with Springfield,
Missouri and we lmow that all of our gay and lesbian readers
from coast to coast will also be. Springfield, Mo. is a very "vibrant
and alive" city and everybody is welcome. As our readers kmow, we
are a "very out’ gay couple and we were shown the highest respect
everywhere we went in Springfield. There are gays and lesbians
working in every field of employment in Springfield and nearly all
of them are "out". MaW of the large National companies at first
were hesitant to move their offices and headquarters to Springfield
but things have changed and for a variety of reasons. We want to
thank so many of the younger gays and lesbians that we met while
we were in Springfield for their honesty and hard work that to made
this happen. Now with that being said, let us tell you about the
"new and improved" Springfield, Missouri.
With a population of over 420,000 for metropolitan Springfield,
it is the third largest city in the State and offers an unbelievable array
of surprises for any traveler. When so many cities in the country
are down-sizing and doing nothing to improve their cities, the
Springfield, Mo. community has grown in every ~vay imaginable
in their arts, business, sports, shopping, restaurants and nightlife.
Their "new and improved" downtown area is something that most
cities can only dream about. All within walking distance you can
admire the works of local and regional artists in more than 15 galleries,
artist’s studios and other venues where you can encounter
sculpture, pottery, paintings, jewelry, photography and hand blown
glass demonstrations. In addition you have a choice of wonderful
restaurants, coffee shops and cafes to dine. In Springfield, they
MADE it happen! Springfield has over 6,000 hotel/motel rooms
and over 600 dining options. So whatever you are into, you will find
it in Springfield!
Metropolitan Springfield has so much to offer in the way of
attractions, historical places to visit and things to see. FANTASTIC
CAVERNS is a must see for any first time visitor to Springfield.
They open daily at 8 AM until dusk. You ride thru this ancient
underground cave that has massive formations. The tour is 50
minutes and your driver will explain the entire history of the cave
to you. THE SPRINGFIELD ART MUSEUM is the permanent
home for some 8,500 art objects representing thousands of years of
culture. They are open Tuesday thru Sunday and are located at 111
E. Brookside Dr. The SPRINGFIELD LITTLE THEATRE at the
historic Landers Theatre is Missouri’s oldest and largest civic theatre.
This season includes Gypsy, ATuna Christmas, the Miracle Worker
and Seussical to name just a few of their productions. "WILD
BILL" HICKOK SHOOTOUT SITE in Park Central Square, right
downtown is the site of the nations first recorded shootout and
helped solidify the reputation ofWild Bill. Look for the marker on
18 theSTAR www.ozarksstar.com
Stage coach terra cotta on Springfidd garage.
East. Markers are also located in the street
showing where each man stood during the
shoot out. The RAILROAD HISTORICAL
Museum, 1300 No. Grant Ave. is dedicated
to the preservation of railroading and you
can step into a locomotive, commuter car
and caboose. The MISSOURI SPORTS
HALL OF FAME, 3861 E. Stan Musial
Drive includes thousands of sports memorabilia,
exhibits and displays and of course the
Springfield Cardinals Baseball team which
is the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis
Cardinals and plays at Hammonds Field.
Bass Pro has their big store at !935 South
Campbell Ave with everything imaginable
in the sports line.
Tired of seeing everything yet? Well,
Springfield offers a lot more things to see!
The AIRAND MILITARY Museum of the
Ozarks is a "hands-on" museum of military
history. They are located at 2305 E. Kearney
St. The Brown Derby Store at 2023 S. Glenstone
offers a world-class wine selection unmatched
in the Midwest. The Commercial
Street Historical District (between \Vashington
Ave. and Lyon Ave. is a self-guided
tour which is a 6 block adventure. With a
seasonal farmers market, chocolate factory,
the city’s oldest tavern, new micro-brewery,
antiques/art galleries, this is a great walking
tour. DICKERSON PARK ZOO, 1401 W.
Norton Road allows visitors to get up dose
with hundreds of animals. DISCOVERY
CENTER is an interactive hands-on science
center and is located downtown at 438
E. St. Louis St. The TENT THEATRE is
celebrating their 45th season this summer.
This summer’s productions include Cyrano
de Bergerac, June 11-14 and June 16-21,
You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, June
25-28, June 30-July 3, and our favorite,
Anything Goes with lyrics and music by
Cole Porter, July 9-12, July 14-20. The
Theatre and Dance Department at Missouri
State University in Sprinbffield offers a wide
range of theatre and dance programs.
But the most important time we had in
Springfield during our recent visit there was
the "DOWNTOWN AREA". The "new:"
dmvntmvn area is FABULOUS !!!!! Check
out their wonderful website at www.itsalldowntown.
corn \re particularly enjoyed
having breakfast at Galley’s Breal’~ast Care
downtown at 220 East Walnut.
The setting is a wonderful old
nostalgic care of the past but yet
has new and innovative delicious
food with service to match.
The owners and staff are doing
it EXACTLY RIGHT! This is
the only place to have breakfast
in Springfiel!! Nonna’s Italian
American Care, 306 South
Avenue is wonderful. Although
they offer non-Italian choices,
why bother? Their Italian menu
is what it is all about. And it
is GOOD! Our best dining
experience for dinner was at
the Kai Restaurant, 306 South
Campbell. This new downtown
restaurant is one of the finest in
the country with great atmosphere,
The Gay and Lesbian Center of the
Ozarks, 518 E. CommerciaI Street in
Springfield supports the well-being of
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
(LGBT) persons in the greater Springfield,
Missouri region by organizing and sponso>
ing community activities and by increasing
public understanding and appreciation of
LGBT citizens. Josh Comp is the President
and is doing a magnificent job. Their phone
number is 417-869-3978. They organize
Pridefest and help organize the annual
variety show, the Queen City Cabaret. They
are close partners with FOCUS - LGBT
professionals group and with APO, Blossom
women’s group, the First Sunday Community
Potluck. They provide free professional
counseling through the Forest Institute.
They have an Individual and Community
Services Advocate who provides services to
the community and have a youth group
program for LGBT youth which meets
once a week and every fourth Friday. They
provide an outlet for many social and support
groups. They have been operating since
!996 and are one of the oldest Gay and
Lesbian Centers in the State. Volunteers
are always needed so give them a call and
donate a couple hours a week.
For nightlife, they have the new CLUB
821 that is getting a lot of attention
throughout the entire Midwest. ~xey are
located at 821 West College, just 8 blocks
West of the downtown area and NEVER A
COVER ! (vavw.club821.corn) and phone
(417) 866-4821 Their hours are Monday
thru Saturday, 4 PM to 1 AM. and happy
hour is daily 4 PM to 7 PM. This bar just
Photo: Donald Pie, Rob Bel (owner Club 821) &
Ray Williams at Club 821, Springfield, ~Ossouri
great service and extremely great food. Continuedpage 27
www.ozarksstar.com {HeSTAR 19
of
By Andrew Collins
Town
Bakimore, Maryland
Baltimore’s mostpopular lesbian bar, Sapphos, is ])art ofthe bustling
Grand Central *lu~ in the heart ofthe Mount Vernon neighborhood.
(Photo by Andrew Collins)
If you haven’t been to Baltimore in a while, you owe yourself a
visit. This friendly, unassuming city has experienced a virtual rebi,~h
over the past 15 years, rehabilitating its handsome Inner Harbor by
converting dilapidated piers and ,vharves into museums, shops, restaurants,
hotels, and condominiums. Often featured in the movies
ofcamp filmmaker and native son John \V-aters, Baltimore has also
developed increased cachet as a welcoming gay and lesbian destination,
with its many GLBT-ffiendly businesses.
Fortunately, the ci.ty’s success hasn’t gone to its head. It’s hard to
find a more genuine and down-to-earth breed of urbanites than the
residents of Baltimore, who retain a special affection for their hometown.
You may be lured to Baltirnore by the many highly publicized
attractions set around downtown’s Inner Harbor, and indeed most
of these museums and entertainment centers live up to their billing.
But be sure to save rime to explore the man), quirky- residential
neighborhoods, a few of which - Mount Vernon, Federal Hill, Fells
Point - are within easy walking distance of downtown.
The Inner Harbor thrived for years as a shipping crossroads before
falling into a state of blight. Its conversion into an entertainment
and museum district has made it one of the most engaging and picturesque
harbors in America. Popular attractions include the glassenc!
osed Harborplace pavilions, where you can browse through
dozens of shops. Also che& out the Baltimore Maritime Museum,
National Aquarium, and World Trade Center (which offers fine
views from its 27th-floor observation decD.
A regal grassy knoll south of the harbor, Federal Hill Park rises
majestically above downtox~qa, and the Inner Harbor. It’s an ideal
spot to laze under the sun on warm afternoons. The surrounding
eponymous neighborhood has loads of inviting cafes and bars, and
the neighborhood’s American Visionary Art Museum ingeniously
blends two historic -warehouses within a striking contemporary
structure. East of the Inner Harbor, Fells Point may be America’s
best-preserved Cx3lonial waterfront, with its perfectly maintained
Federa!-sryle town houses,
Baltimore’s gay epicenter ties north of downtown in historic Mount
Vernon, which you reach by strolling north from the Inner Harbor
up the city’s backbone, Charles Street. The neighbothood is anchored
by Mount Vernon Square and its 178-foot-high Washington
/vlonument. Nearby are the outstanding Waiters Art Museum and
the Peabody Conservatory of Music, the oldest and one of the most
prestigious classical music schools in the country.
kbffll need to drive or take a bus up Charles Street to reach the
leaf), 140-acre campus ofJohns Hopkins University, which is ideal
for strolling and is next to the state’s largest museum, the Baltimore
Museum ofArt. West ofJohns Hopkins, Hampden is a good oldfashioned
"Ba~vl’mer" neighborhood, a former mill-workers’ community
that has more recently developed a bounty of hip boutiques,
galleries, and cafes. (John Waters, who lives nearby, occasionally
strolls these parts and set his movie _Pecker_ here.)
\Vhen you’re craving a memorable meal, remember that Baltimore’s
cooking is full of flavor - the city- even has its o,vn spice, Old Bay
Seasoning, a feisty, concoction of 16 seasonings sprinkled mostly on
shellfish but required by some locals on seemingly everything but ice
cream. If you’re on the run, iust wander through the copious food
stalls in the Harborplace pavilions. It may look like a zoo of tourists,
but yoffd be surprised how many locals graze here. Many of these
places offer top-notch local seafood - particularly oysters, clams, and
Chesapeake Bay blue crabs. Walk a bit south ro Federal Hill, along
South Charles or Light streets, and you’ll find dozens of appealing
eateries, including one of the best little restaurants in the city~ the
Bicycle Bistro, where you might dine on grilled rack of lamb with a
pineapple-poblano-pepper chutney, or porcini-crusted sea scallops.
East of the harbor, there’s superb dining in the city’s Little Italy
(Boccaccio, with such seasonal delights as local clams and mussels in
a pernod-tomato broth, is a particular standout), and in nearby Fells
Point, talented chef Nancy Longo helms the kitchen at Pierpoint,
which is known for such inventive contemporary regional fare as
smoked crab cakes, and ftied Maryland chicken breast with parmesan
grits.
Mount Vernon has dozens of excellent, gay-popular restaurants. At
nile high end, opulently decorated Ixia scores high marks for its wellchosen
wine list and superbly rendered cuisine, including grilled
baby octopus with lemon-fennel confit, and lobster-crab mac-andcheese
with a creamy Fontina sauce. Across the street, Sacha’s is a
great spot for toothsome grazing - the many "small plates" include
crisp french fries in a cone with Old Bay-seasoned creme fraiche,
20 t~®STAR www.ozarksstar.com
and fried green tomatoes topped vdth lump crab meat. Continue up
Charles
Street and yoff!l come to trendy Donna’s, a cheerful and modern
space where an arts)- crowd mingles over light salads, roasted veggie
sandwiches, fresh coffee, and fantastic tiramisu. %e Hdmand
has become renowned }br its spics; well-prepared kd~han food (it’s
owned by the brother ofA~hanistan’s president, Harold Kharzai),
and Motmt Vernon Stable and Saloon is a perfect late-night venue
for chicken wings, sandwiches, burgers, ribs, and similarly comforting
pub standar~Is. Finally, don’t miss City Care. an airy and inviting
iava joint that also serves food and wine.
property" ~ns kudos ~br its helpful service, romantically decorated
roo~s, ~d afternoon tea and refreshments. In Mount Vernon, the
historic 1924 Clarion Peabody Court, with its 104 handsomely
outfitted rooms, enthusiastically welcomes gay and lesbian travelers.
You’ll ~e
~ town house
bars. Other esteemed
in
Dy-
Canton. This stunner
Make the trip a bit north toward Johns Hopkins to reach Ixia’s sister
restaurant, the lovably kitschy Paper Moon Diner, which is open
choice.
Near here in the Hampden neighborhood is the
notable for the massive pink flamingo dangling from the front of
the btfilding (not to mention tasty comfort fare like Belgian wanes
topped with fresh berries, and famously good meatlo~). There’s als0
great coffee to be sipped nearby at Common Ground coffeehouse,
and delicious Mexican food served within the funky confines of
Holy Frijoles.
appreciate one of the ci~’s
Baltimore gay-bar-goers congregate mostly at a handful of mainstays.
Yuppies and stand-and-model types flock almost religiously to
Gr~d Ceiatral, a large, multi-level complex that consists ofa video
lounge, dance bar, billiards room, and outdoor deck. Also on-site is
the s[vanky lesbian bar, Sapphos, with its comfy living-room-esque
decor and soft lighting. ~£ other major club i~i the n’eighborhood is
Club Hippo, whose r~putation for gr~at music draws a wide mix of
revelers, ga34 straight, old, and young. It’s a great place to cut loose,
especially on Thursday and Saturday nights. When it gets late, the
party moves to Club 1722, an 18-and-over ~er-hours club open on
Fridays and Saturdays into the ~ee- hours.
The,tiki-themed Coconuts Caf~ is another Mr. Vernon hangout
thats popular xvith lesbians, while Club Bunns caters heavil~ to
Baltimore’s sizable African-kanerican gay community and has a
legendary happy hour. Leather aficionados head a few blocks up
Charles to the Eagle, which, though lacking any serious back-room
action, nevertheless cultivates as racy, an atmosphere as any bar in
town. A classic dive that’s been serving the gay community for more
than 60 years (longer, say" some, than [my bar in America), Leon’s is
especially popular late on weekend evenings. Nearby Jay’s on Read
is ~ das~ i~ia~o bar, and Club Phoenix is a laid-back neighborhodd
hangout with a small dance area and some highly entertaining drag
sho~s. In Federal Hill, the Rowan Tree is a friendly neighbor~iood
spot with an eclectic crowd, and over in the up-and-coming Canton
section ofBaltimore, The Quest caters to fans of go-go dancers.
Baltimore hotels have become slightly more expensive over the
years, as the city has become a serious tourist and convention destination,
but rates are still much lower than in nearby Washington,
D.C. Most visitors choose properties near the Inner Harbor, dose
to great restaurants and attractions. An excellent option here is the
Pier 5 Hotel, a hip and lively boutique property with whimsically
decorated, spacious rooms, many directly facing the Inner Harbor.
The same owners run the elegant, historic (and allegedly haunted)
Admiral Fells Inn in nearby Fells Harbor - this charming old-world
www.ozarksstar.com heSTAR 21
KAI REffAURANT & AFTER DARK LOUNGE
Missouri
For an absolutely fabtflous dining experience we highly suggest
you try the new KAI RESTAURANT. It is located in the new and
revitalized downtown area at 306 South Campbell. From the moment
you walk thru the front door you will KNOW that you are
in for a very special treat. Downstairs they have the KAI After Dark
Lounge which has a very eclectic modern decor. Xhey have terrific
bartenders who know how to serve every kind of drink imaginable.
But the real treat is going upstairs to the KAI Restaurant where they
serve "Modern Japanese Cuisine" in an unbelievable setting. ~he
restaurant is dark, sexy, exciting, exotic and absolutely spectacular!
Go to their website’s gallery to see for yourself. We haven’t been
anywhere in the Midwest that can possibly compare to our dining
experience there. Our server was extremely knowledgeable as to
what was on the menu and offered good suggestions. He was a true
professional.
We started offwith the "Hot Rock" which is one of the restaurant’s
specialties. It came with thinly sliced rare top sirloin woked on
a hot stone presentation. You put one slice at a time on the sizzling
hot stone and it cooks in seconds. Dip it into the sauce and you
have some of the finest appetizers that we have ever had. Other Kai
specialities included their Kuslyaki Filet, Kobe Beef Carpaccio and
their Spicy Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps. ~hey offer a full range of
soups and salads including their Kai salad, Ika Sansai Salad, Seaweed
Salad, Tri Tuna Salad and their Honey Walnut Mango Chicken
Salad. For their entrees they offer everything from Teriyaki to black
cod, sea bass to New York Strip, Filet Mignon and Kai Surf and
Turf. Other entrees included Seven Samurai with seven kinds of fish
on top of a California Roll, Drunken Tiger which is spicy tuna with
asparagus wrapped with grilled tuna, Fantastic Four, with shrimp
tempura, crab, spice tuna with fried eel on top. For desserts they offer
a wide choice for any pallet including Irish chocolate cake, banana
chocolate spring rolls, creme brulee, tiramisu and cheesecake.
Xhe table next to us had been coming back almost every week
since they opened. They get a lot of diners who came back again
and again and again just because this restaurant knows how to do
things the right way! It is just that simple! Kai Restaurant is in an
old downtown building that they completely remodeled to perfection.
We know that with all their professionalism that they will be
in business for many years. When traveling around the country we
find that so many restaurants try to copy each other and the Kai
Restaurant is itself and it’s own creation and that is what makes it so
special. By the way, their prices are extremely reasonable. No trip to
Springfield, Mo. would be complete if you don’t have a wonderful
dining experience at the Kai Restaurant. Their hours are Monday
thru Saturday, 5:00 PM to 1:15 AM. For reservations call 417-832-
0077 and check out their website, www.kaiafterdark.com. People go
to a restaurant not only to dine but to have a fabtflous dining experience
and trust us on this one, you will have a "beyond fabulous"
dining experience. When you get the best and innovative decor,
great food and great service, you know you have found the perfect
place! Congratulations to the owners and stafffor making the KAI
Restaurant so special.
22 theSTAR www.ozarksstar.com
"While we beat our chests and proclaim
ourselves the xvorld’s largest superpower,
it is foolish to expect that we Americans,
with only 6 percent of the world’s population,
can automatically impose our xv~ll on
everyone else." [p. 25]
"... [~he...war in Iraq has led to a devastaring
drop in world approval of the United
States and sharp divisions between Muslim
and Non-Muslim communities. It has provided
more recruits for anti-American terrorist
organizations, cost American taxpayers
billions of dollars, and above all, caused
loss of human life on a tragically large scale.
A failure to understand the culture and history
of other parts of the world has exacted
a great price." ~. 28]
"We cannot afford the toll that multiple
Iraq-like mistakes would take on America,
especially as we deal xvith emerging nations
whose power and influence will become
great as time passes." [p. 29]
"Preemptive military engagements in the
absence of an act of war against us have
not proven successful. Vietnam and Iraq
are dramatic examples." [p. 41]
Source: David Boren, A Letter to America
(2008). Norman, OK : University of Okla.
Press.
"Forty other countries now have a higher life
expectancy than the United States, in no
small part because 45 million Americans have
no health insurance. When ~vill we act?" [p.
7]
"... [I]t is morally imperative that we provide
universal health coverage for all Ameficans...
We must not rule out considering a new
approach that moves away from the current
employer-based system...Those who have
health insurance are already paying the costs
for the uninsured, who often end up in hospital
emergency rooms...The uninsured wait
to get help until they reach a medical crisis.
This drives costs higher. There is no excuse
for another presidential term to end without
implementing universal health insurance."
[p.p. 84-5]
Source: David Boren, A Letter to America
(2008). Norman, OK : University of Okla.
Press.
rodeo. Very often they do. It’s a lot of hard
work, it is very rewarding, but every year
right after the Rodeo ends we start planning
for the next one.
Victor: Do straight people still sometimes
get thrown by the idea of a gay cowboy?
Klint: They don’t associate what they perceive
to be a masculine lifestyle to be a part
of how they perceive the gay lifestyle. So in
part we are educating the public as a whole,
and even still some parts of the gay community,
that we come from every facet of life.
Victor: So what’s in store for this year?
Klint: We have a great reputation, one of
the largest rodeos of the IGRA system. We
have a new rodeo director from Florida,
Jim Mitchell and Assistant directors Travis
Parker ofOGRA & Michael Fontenot of
Florida. We’re doing all kinds of promotions
not only in Oklahoma but also surrounding
states, and we expect people from all parts
of the country. This year we are hosting the
I.G.R.A.’s Board of Directors Meeting, so
trustees from all of their rodeo associations
throughout the United States and Canada
will be here. As with tradition, all we donate
stays in Oklahoma. This year we are helping
out two major charities, Other Options and
Rain Oklahoma.
Victor: So who should join OGRA? Does
one have to be a rancher or cowboy?
Klint: We have many members who have
never ridden a horse or worked with cattle.
We welcome people who many walks of life
who embrace cowboys and western heritage.
As we raise money for our community, we
need talented people who want to help us
make a difference.
Victor: I think that’s an invitation. Thanks
for all you and OGRA do for gay Oklahoroans,
including our cowboys and cowgirls,
and we can look forward to another great
event.
VOTER I~GISTRATION
Voter registration applications may
be submitted at any time. However, a
valid application must be received at a
motor license agency or a designated
voter registration agency, or postmarked
(if submitted by mail), more than 24
days prior to an election in order for the
applicant to participate in that election.
Deadlines for submitting valid voter registration
applications prior to the 2008
statewide elections are as follows:
Primary Election
Friday, July 4 - Registration Deadline
Tuesday, July 29 - Election
Runoff Primary Election
Friday, August 1 - Registration Deadline
Tuesday, August 26 - Election
General Election
Friday, October 10 - Registration
Deadline
Tuesday, November 4 - Hection
CHANGES IN POLITICAL AFFILIATION
Changes in political affiliation may not
be made during the period from June
1 through August 31, inclusive, in any
even-numbered year. The last day on
which a change in political affiliation
can be made before the closed period is
May 31; the first day on which a change
in political affiliation can be made after
the closed period is September 1.
OTHER IMPORTANT DATES
Last day to request absentee ballot
for July 29 Primary Hection
Wednesday, July 23
Vote early at your County Hection
Board office
Friday, July 25, 8 AM - 6 PM
Saturday, July 26, 8 AM - 1 PM
Monday, July 28, 8 AM - 6 PM
Candidate Filing
for federal, state, legislative
and county offices
June 2 - 4
wvcw.ok, gov/-elections/index.html
www.ozarksstar.com theSTAR 23
Photo’s by Victor G. & Judy G.
@ Bamboo Lounge, Tulsa
@ Steve’s Hideaway, Tulsa
@Club Majestic, Tulsa
24 @ The Ledo, Oklahoma City
@ The Copa, Oklahoma City
@Angles, Oklahoma City
@ Finishline, Oklahoma City
Democratic U£. senate candidate (currently State
Senator) Andrew Rice with Richard Ogden Chairperson
Cimarron Alliance Foundation at a fantastic fundraiser at
Ogden’s home.
By Greg Steele
on the prowl
victor G06~ ~e~nt~ O~l~h;ma C0rpora~
tion Commissioner Jim R6tha plaque with a
45 of one is his favodte inspirations, Dion’s
"Abraham Martin & Johi~2
~e
84 & Robin Dorner with The City S~Ni~i
atthe fundraiser for State Senator Andrew Rice!
Marlett is runn ng aga nst the nfamous sai ~ I(em.
State Representative A! McAffrey with Oklahbrna
County Democratic Party co-chair Elle~ Ste~SS :
at Oklahoma City fundraiser for McAffrey.
www.ozarksstar.com
By Ronald Blake
ho wants to see you achieve health,
fitness, and overall well-being? It seems
like everyone wants to see you fit into that
smaller size of pants or cut back on your
smoking. We live in a soci.ety where it is
horrible to think that people die. You need
to take advantage of this munificence of the
masses.
Government agencies are always watching
out for you. The FDA is monitoring what
medications are safe for your consumption.
The FAA will not let you fly with Joe Camel
smoke swirling aimlessly around the cabin.
The CDC monitors the incidences ofWest
Nile virus outbreaks in all the 50 states.
Your local agency on aging center will even
see to it that you have a fan or air conditioner
to place in your window ifyou can’t
afford to buy one. Your taxes are ~vorking to
help you after all.
Restaurants and fast food establishments
are even seeking to give you healthier food.
Subway leads the pack of retailers by offering
you groovy grinders and showcasing the
slimmed down Jared as proof of eating right.
Numerous restaurants are shrinking their
portion sizes and now only offering enough
to satisfy one hippopotamus’ appetite.
Applebee’s is one example of this sensible
change. They even charge a little less for
this good idea. Gosh, even Hamburglar and
Grimace are putting apple slices in Happy
Meals.
There are not-for-profit agencies out there
that are a website away from accessing
information for better health. The American
Lung Association will tell you where to find
smoking cessation classes. The Cancer Society
will tell you when you should get a pap
smear, colorectal check, skin screening, and
breast exam. There are support groups for
autism, anger management, gambling addictions,
mental illnesses, and many more. If
you can Google it, it is out there waiting to
be uncovered by you.
Even money-hungry Hollywood types have
your best interests in mind. "Supersize Me"
was that documentary about McDonalds
and the Big Mac that put the fast-food giant
into a Dow Jones suicide watch. The behemoth
hamburger franchiser changed their
menu in response to this fat-laden epiphany.
Michael Moore took on the health care
industry and all the cigar-chomping politicos
inside the Beltway in his documentary
"Sicko". He exposed the Swiss cheese health
coverage we have for the denizens of this
great land. There have even been movies like
a "Beautiful Mind" and "Rain Man" that
have shown a superb story but have also
given us a better understanding of health
issues like mental illnesses.
Finally, we even have philanthropists like
Bill Gates, Oprah, Bono, and numerous
others who are giving money to charities to
improve the lives of others. These methods
include education and training. Education
is one of the greatest factors affecting poor
health. More educated individuals are less
likely to smoke, drink, or engage in drug
activity than those individuals who lack a
proper education.
If you want to achieve it, you must seek it.
It should not be difficult; there is assistance
around every corner. Excuses are around
every corner too. Choose your corner carefully.
This health and fitness coltunn is brought to you by that
guy who has an analog mind in a digital world. That guy
is Ron Blake and he can be shaken from his reverie at
w~wv.goblakefitness.com.
26 t~÷STAR w~vw.ozarksstar.com
SPRINGFIELD, MO.
opened last October and has quickly become
extremely popular. Why? Because of
the owner and staff. Rob knows how to treat
customers and has hired a very professional
staff. Michelte, the bar manager is the kind
of bartender that everybody wants. She is
fun, funny, lively, interesting, professional
and you can tell that she really enjoys her
job. Why can’t all bartenders across the
country be like this? The other bartenders
there are great also. We found everybody in
this bar to be extremely friendly. How many
times have you walked into a bar only to be
sitting at the bar all by yourself and no one
talks to you. Trust us, it won’t happen in this
bar!
Another fun place is JR’s Nightclub, 504
E. Commercial, (417) 864-2823. This is the
bar "where men are comfortable, but everyone
is welcome". They are open Monday
thru Saturday, 5 to 1:30 AM and Sunday, 2
PM to midnight. When you walk in, people
either know you or they don’t and if they
don’t know you, they will shortly. Everyone
is friendly. The bartenders and owner are
friendly. After a couple of drinks you will
know everybody in the bar. And isn’t that
the idea of going to a bar, to meet other
people? JR’s is the only bar in Springfield
that is open on Sundays. Other places to
visit are Martha’s Vineyard and Latin Vibes
which features special gay shows on Tuesday
and Thursday evenings.
If your needing to get around the city,
contact Fisk Limousines, www.fisklimo.com
or give them a call at 417.862.2900. They
give the best service in the entire Midwest.
Springfield, Missouri is indeed a city with
a great future. They want EVERYONE to
visit their beautiful city. We did and we
certainly enjoyed our stay there as we know
that all of our readers will. The Convention
& Visitors Bureau has one of the best
websites in the nation, www.springfieldadventures.
com. Be sure and check it out. Our
thanks to Susan Wade, Public Relations
Manager, Springfield Convention & Visitors
Bureau. She is simply "the Best of the Best"
and so professional, and to Mark Templeton
of Springfield.
Always remember to have fun when traveling,
meet new people and talk to everyone!
NATIONAL NEV S
NoY. governor .snpports
same-sex marrmge
New York Gov. David Patterson said April
7 that he supports legalization of same-sex
marriage.
Speaking by video link to the National Gay
and Lesbian Task Force’s awards dinner in
Manhattan, Patterson said: "We xvill push
on and bring full marriage equality to New
York state. And when xve have done that,
xve’re going to do more. We’re going to protect
young people from bullies. We’re going
to protect against the discrimination of
people in the transgender community, and
xve’re going to fight for decent and affordable
health care for all citizens in this state."
"If you xvill join with me, and if xve xvork
hard enough, xve can change the face of
Nexv York, which will be the catalyst to
changing national policy," he said.
Patterson had planned to attend the dinner
but was stuck in Albany dealing with budget
problems.
www.ozarksstar.com t~:~{~.STAR 27
by Jack Fertig May 2008
"Articulate conflicts, Cancer!"
The Sun in Taurus offers the comforts and pleasantries of
spring. Now, however, Sol is aspecting asteroid Chiron in
Aquarius and new planet Eris, stirring up the question of
where to settle down and with whom. Think beyond habits,
and be open to surprises!
ARIES (March 20 -April 19): Individualist though you are,
you belong with some tribe - however awkwardly. A clash
of values is inevitable, but not catastrophic. Give yourself
room to be not at the center of the group, but at the edge
- perhaps even the leading edge.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Your own personality is both
a key and an impediment to success. Meditate and talk
with a confidante. Issues of fitting in and reconciling different
communities in your world seem like complications, but
actually point to a solution.
GEMINi (May 21 - June 20): You’re too easily tempted into
arguments with others.-Better to look within and resolve
your own conflicts. Knocking those around with a friend and
establishing a philosophical framework are important. Just
know that the real debate is internal.
CANCER (June 21 - July 22): Time to review that famous
"gay agenda." How do your goals and ideals fit in with your
immediate queer community and your sense of the broader
community? Articulating the conflicts and exploring the issues
could put you into a position of leadership.
LEO (July 23 -August 22): Your ambitions can easily lead
to arguments. That’s OK, as long as the point of the argument
is to better understand _what’s_ right, not _who’s_
right. To fix a relationship, try seeing it in a different light.
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22): New ideas, even
those that seem to come way out of left field, can help
solve problems at work and with your health. (Chiropractic?)
Don’t underestimate possibilities, wacky as they may
seem, offered by other GLBT folks.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22): Rethinking group
allegiances and community identity should prove helpful in
understanding your sexual potential - not just as a lover, but
as an erotic healer. Explore new forms of erotic play and
perception. You can do this actively and/or academically.
SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21): Some housecleaning,
literally or metaphorically, is important to improve
your relationship or to help you be ready for one. An eccentric
older relative or community elder offers an inspirational
role model
28 t~eSTAR
SAG~TTAR~US (November 22 = December 20): Team
sports or games - anything from charades to rugby - can
help you understand your own thought processes, or perhaps
learn how to keep your mouth from getting you into
trouble. You’ll never get that one perfect, but you can make
progress!
CAPRICORN (December 21 - January 19): Being a capricious
Cappy could get expensive. Entertain members of
your family or tribe at home or through some community
event, staying ever mindful of your budget. Asking others to
contribute can help strengthen your bonds.
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18): Fitting in with
your family can be a problem. Imagine that you are adopted
and speak a different language. What would you try to say?
You wouldn’t want to be just like everyone else, so celebrate
your uniqueness, and they’ll love you as you are.
PISCES (February 19 - March 19): Don’t be afraid to
speak your mind. You may expose a few secrets, but that
will probably do some good for you and others concerned.
Even if there is a price to pay, you will find greater value in
speaking up.
METROPOLITAN
COMMUNITY CHURCHES
Rev Steve T. Urie
Spirit of Chdst MCC
2902 E 20th Street
Joplin, MO 64804
417-529-8480
Worship Saturdays at 10:00 AM
Community Meal Wednesdays at 6:00 PM
MCC of the Living Spring
17 Elk Street
Eureka Springs, AR 72632
479-253-9337
Worship Sundays at 6:00 PM
Have a God filled and BleSSed Day!
www.ozarksstar.com
Support those who support us.
DOWNTO\~N PLea ofTULSA
17 West 7th Street
Tulsa, OK
918-585-5898
www.downtownplazatulsa.com
HABANA INN
2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSXWAY
Oklahoma City, OK
405-528-2221
www.habanainn.com
KELLY KIRBY, CPA
4815 S. HARVARD, SUITE 424
Tulsa, OK * 918-747-5466
Certified Public Accountant
ANGLES
2117 NW 39th St.
Oklahoma City, OK
www.anglesclub.com
BAMBOO LOUNGE
7204 E. PINE
Tulsa, OK
918-836-8700
www.bambooloungetulsa.com
CLUB MAJESTIC
124 N. BOSTON
Tulsa, OK
918-584-9494
www.clubmajestictulsa.com
FINISHLINE
2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY
Oklahoma City, OK
405-525-0730
www.habanainn.com
STEVES HIDEAWAY LOUNGE
11730 E. 11TH
Tulsa, OK
918-437-0449
Open Sun- Sat 2pm to 2am
THE COPA
2200 NW 39TH EXPRESS\rAY
Oklahoma City, OK
405-525-0730
www.habanainn.com
THE LEDO
2200 NV4 39TH EXPRESS\gAY
Oklahoma City, OK
405-525-0730
~wv.habanainn.com
DIVERSITY CHRISTIAN CNTR CHUCK BRECKENRIDGE
211 S. Garnett Keller Williams Realty
Tulsa, OK 74128 Tulsa, OK
vavw.realacceptance.com 918-706-1887
GREAT PLAINS RODEO
E O. BOX 12485
Oklahoma City, OK 73157
www.ogra.net
GAY BRADY HEIGHTS-Tulsa
New and Historic Homes for Sale
and Rent For Info:
www.gaybradyheightstulsa.com
HOPE TESTING CLINIC
3540 E. 31st
Tulsa, OK
800-535-2437
Oklahoma’s HIV/STD Hotline
SPIRIT OF CHRIST MCC
2902 E. 20TH STREET,
Joplin, MO * 479-529-8480
Service Saturday 9:30 AM
MCC of the LIVING SPRING
17 Elk Street
Eureka Springs, AR 72632
479-253-9337
Worship Sundays 6pm
OKC PRIDE, INC
PO BOX 60296
Oklahoma City, OK 73146
www.okcpride.org
OKLAHOMANS for EQUALITY
621 E 4th Street
Tulsa, OK 74120
918-743-4297
www.okeq.org
OPENARMS YOUTH PROJECT
2015 -B S. Lake~vood
Tulsa, OK 74112
918-838-7104
www. openarmsproject.org
OUR HOUSE, TOO
203 N. Nogales Ave
Tulsa, OK 74127
918-585-9552
KING OF MASSAGE
In or Out Calls
Oklahoma City, OK
405-314-3898
PHOTOGRAPHY."
JUDY G. PHOTO’S
Tulsa, OK
judygphotos@sbcglobal.net
918-743-8636
}
CENTURY 21 GOLD CASTLE
3627 NW EXPRESSWAY
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
405-840-2106
www.c21 goldcastle.com
GUSHER’S RESTAURANT
2200 NW 39TH EXPRESSWAY
Oklahoma City, OK
405-525-0730
Located inside Habana Inn
DALLAS CVB
Dallas, TX
www.winatrip.glbtdallas.com
Want the STAR delivered to your home or business?
12 issues for $33.95 will be mailed in a sealed
envelope the 1 st of each month. Complete the form
below and send with a check or moneyorder to:
The STAR
5103 S. Sheridan Rd., #133
Tulsa, OK 74145
(Single Copies $3.00 per issue)
NAME:
Address:
City: St:__.Zip:.
Phone:
Check enclosed
Money Order
Start Date:
www.ozarksstar.com theSTAR 29
Keller Willia
Chu~
Whether buying or selling
I’1.....1.....~..... work hard fo
(d,efinitiqn - growing up GAYin OK is
not easy)
You can he~p our teens. Support
Open Arms Youth Project.
For more info:
www. openarrnsproject.org
e-mail: ~di~o~alCar~oon@q~;yndica~.com
30 theSTAR www.ozarksstar.com
~34 Bourbon St.
04~37!-5450
Torch
TW’s-AFAB Catering
G L B T G A Z I N K
P
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
[2008] The Star Magazine, May 1, 2008; Volume 5, Issue 5
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
May 01, 2008
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Image
Online text
PDF
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
magazine
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Southwestern Missouri
Western Arkansas
Southeastern Kansas
Eastern Oklahoma
The United States of America (50 states)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Politics, education, and social conversation over LGBTQ+ topics
Description
An account of the resource
The Star Magazine’s first issue began February of 2005. Before this issue was Ozarks Pride (2004) and The Ozark Star (2004). Follows is The Metro Star (2008).
This magazine discusses topics of AIDs, education, politics, local and national civil rights of the LGBT community, and advice for relationships and places to visit.
This collection is PDF searchable. Physical copies are also available to be seen at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center with permission.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Star Media, Ltd
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
star Media, Ltd
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Charles (Chaz) Ward
Victor Gorin
Greg Steele
James Nimmo
Joey D.
Victor Gorin
Romeo San Vicente
Andrew Collins
Donald Pile
Ronald Blake
Ray Williams
Jack Fertig
Liz Higheyman
Devre Jackson
Judy G.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
https://history.okeq.org/collections/show/19
Relation
A related resource
The Star Magazine, April 1, 2008; Volume 5, Issue 5
https://history.okeq.org/items/show/244
The Star Magazine, June 1, 2008; Volume 5, Issue 6
https://history.okeq.org/items/show/248
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
https://history.okeq.org/items/show/250
After Dark
Ann Marie Distefano
art
Bars
David Patterson
Deep Inside Hollywood
dining
Equality Gala
fitness
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Deformation
GLAAD
Great Plains Rodeo
health
horoscopes
Leslie Jordan
MCC church
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Night club
Obama
Our House
Paparazzi on the Prowl
Past Out
PlanetOut Inc
Q Scopes
Quotable Quotes
Star Advertisers
Star classifieds
Star Scene
Too
travel